Touch sensor

• US 8,089,473 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2007
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Delta Faucet Company (Masco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Masco Corporation Of Indiana (Masco Corporation)
• Inventors: Koottungal, Paul D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZUBAJLO, JENNIFER L
• Application Number:
  US11/734,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20070246267A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,727 Days
• Field of Search: 345/169, 345/173, 701/2, 210/282, 360/97.02, 462/3
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/975 using a capacitive movable element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/9464 Faucets and spouts

Abstract

A sensor is disclosed. The sensor may be a touch sensor. The sensor may be incorporated into a water delivery system.

Claims

1. A touch sensor, comprising:

a rigid base member including opposing top and bottom surfaces, and a non-linear edge surface; and

at least two spaced apart conductors positioned along the non-linear edge surface, at least one conductor positioned proximate the top surface of the base member, and at least one conductor positioned proximate the bottom surface of the base member.

2. A touch sensor, comprising a rigid base member including a top side, a bottom side, and a first side having a top edge in common with the top side and a bottom edge in common with the bottom side;

and

a capacitive sensor including at least two spaced apart conductors positioned along the first side, wherein a first one of the two spaced apart conductors is positioned proximate to the top edge of the rigid base member along the first side and a second one of the two spaced apart conductors is positioned proximate to the bottom edge of the rigid base member along the first side.

3. A water delivery system, comprising a spout having an internal waterway;

a user interface coupled to the spout, the user interface including;

a cover having a non-linear profile along a first direction;

a sensor including;

a rigid base member including a top side, a bottom side, and a first side having a first edge in common with the top side and a second edge in common with the bottom side; and

at least two spaced apart conductors provided generally along the first side of the base member proximate the cover, the first side of the base member having a non-linear profile which matches the non-linear profile of the cover.

4. The water delivery system of claim 3, wherein the sensor comprises a capacitive sensor.

5. The water delivery system of claim 4, wherein the capacitive sensor is a slider sensor.

6. A touch sensor, comprising

a rigid base member including a first side, the rigid base member being a printed circuit board and the first side being an edge surface of the printed circuit board positioned between a top side of the printed circuit board and a bottom side of the printed circuit board;

and

a sensor element provided generally along the first side.

7. The touch sensor of claim 6, wherein the sensor element is a slide sensor.

8. A water delivery system, comprising:

a spout having an internal waterway;

a user interface coupled to the spout, the user interface including

a cover having a non-linear profile along a first direction;

a sensor positioned below the cover having a non-linear profile which matches the non-linear profile of the cover, wherein the sensor includes a rigid base member and a capacitive sensor provided generally along a first side of the rigid base member, the rigid base member having a non-linear profile which matches the non-linear profile of the cover.

9. The water delivery system of claim 8, wherein the sensor further includes a controller coupled to the capacitive sensor.

10. The water delivery system of claim 9, further comprising a valve in fluid communication with the internal waterway of the spout and in fluid communication with at least one source of water, the valve regulating a flow rate of the water communicated to the spout from the at least one source of water, wherein a flow rate is specified by the controller based on the capacitive sensor.

11. The water delivery system of claim 10, wherein the at least one source of water includes a source of hot water and a source of cold water, the valve regulating a temperature of the water communicated to the spout and the flow rate of the water communicated to the spout.

12. The water delivery system, of claim 11, further comprising a second sensor, wherein the controller specifies a temperature based on the second sensor.

13. The water delivery system of claim 8, wherein the sensor includes a flexible strip having an adhesive on a first side and the capacitive sensor on a second side.

14. The water delivery system of claim 8, wherein the rigid base member includes a top side and a bottom side, the first side having a top edge in common with the top side and a bottom edge in common with the bottom side.

15. The water delivery system of claim 14, wherein the capacitive sensor includes at least two spaced apart conductors positioned along the first side.

16. The water delivery system of claim 15, wherein a first one of the at least two spaced apart conductors is positioned proximate to the top edge of the rigid base member along the first side and a second one of the two spaced apart conductors is positioned proximate to the bottom edge of the rigid base member along the first side.

17. The water delivery system of claim 15, wherein a first one of the at least two spaced apart conductors coincide with the top edge of the first side and a second one of the at least two spaced apart conductors coincide with the bottom edge of the first side.

18. The water delivery system of claim 15, wherein a first one of the at least two spaced apart conductors is offset from the top edge of the first side and a second one of the at least two spaced apart conductors is offset from the bottom edge of the first side.

19. The water delivery system of claim 18, wherein the first one of the at least two spaced apart conductors and the second one of the at least two spaced apart conductors are provided on the first side.

20. The water delivery system of claim 18, wherein the first one of the at least two spaced apart conductors and the second one of the at least two spaced apart conductors span an entire length of the first side.

21. The water delivery system of claim 8, wherein the sensor monitors through the cover a region on an exterior of the cover.

22. The water delivery system of claim 21, wherein the capacitive sensor is within about 0.005 inches of the exterior of the cover.

23. The water delivery system of claim 8, wherein the capacitive sensor focuses its field out of the first side.

24. The water delivery system of claim 8, wherein a field of the capacitive sensor being is generally isolated above the cover.

25. The water delivery system of claim 8, wherein the rigid base member is a printed circuit board and the first side is a non-linear edge surface of the printed circuit board positioned between a top side of the printed circuit board and a bottom side of the printed circuit board.

26. The water delivery system of claim 8, wherein the non-linear profile of the cover is curved.

27. The water delivery system of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to determine the location of a user'"'"'s finger relative to the non-linear profile of the cover.