Water delivery device

• US 8,408,517 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2009
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delta Faucet Company (Masco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Masco Corporation Of Indiana (Masco Corporation)
• Inventors: Jonte, Patrick B., Rodenbeck, Robert Wilmer, Storkey, Matthew E. M., Ensor, Timothy J., Thorn, Timothy John, Combs, Tom
• Primary Examiner(s): Fristoe, Jr., John K
• Assistant Examiner(s): ARUNDALE, ROBERT K
• Application Number:
  US12/648,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20110155932A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 250/221, 251/129.01, 251/129.04
• US Class Current: 251/129.04
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/057 touchless, i.e. using sensors

Abstract

A proximity sensor may be incorporated as part of a water delivery device. A holder may align an optical source and sensor of the proximity sensor.

Claims

1. A water delivery system which is coupled to a source of water;

the water delivery system comprising;

a valve including an inlet in fluid communication with the source of water and an outlet, the valve having a first arrangement wherein the outlet of the valve is in fluid communication with the inlet of the valve and a second arrangement wherein the outlet of the valve is not in fluid communication with the inlet of the valve;

a fluid conduit in fluid communication with the outlet of the valve to receive water from the valve when the valve is in the first arrangement;

an illumination module which emits optical energy into a detection zone in a plurality of spatially spaced apart beams of optical energy;

a multi-element sensor which receives optical energy reflected from an object positioned in the detection zone, the received optical energy having a plurality of spatially spaced apart peaks; and

a controller which determines both a spacing between at least two of the plurality of spaced apart peaks of the received optical energy and an intensity of at least two of the plurality of spaced apart peaks and causes the valve to move from the second arrangement to the first arrangement based on at least one of the spacing between at least two of the plurality of spatially spaced apart peaks of the received optical energy and the intensity of at least two of the plurality of spaced apart peaks.

2. The water delivery system of claim 1, wherein the illumination module includes an optical source which outputs a directional beam of optical energy in a first direction and an optical system which splits the directional beam of optical energy into the plurality of spatially spaced apart beams of optical energy.

3. The water delivery system of claim 2, wherein the optical system includes a grating which splits the directional beam of optical energy into the plurality of spatially spaced apart beams of optical energy.

4. The water delivery system of claim 3, wherein the optical system includes a lens interposed between the optical source and the grating.

5. The water delivery system of claim 1, wherein the multi-element sensor is a single row sensor having a plurality of pixels.

6. The water delivery system of claim 1, further comprising a spout, the fluid conduit being positioned within the spout.

7. The water delivery system of claim 6, wherein the illumination module and the multi-element sensor are supported by the spout.

8. The water delivery system of claim 7, further comprising a spray head coupled to the fluid conduit and positioned to provide water from an end surface of the spout.

9. The water delivery system of claim 8, wherein the spout includes a window through which the illumination module emits optical energy into the detection zone in a plurality of spatially spaced apart beams of optical energy.

10. The water delivery system of claim 9, wherein the optical energy received from the detection zone reaches the multi-element sensor through the window.

11. The water delivery system of claim 6, wherein at least a portion of the spout is part of a touch sensor coupled to the controller to provide an input to controller to change the arrangement of the valve.

12. The water delivery system of claim 11, wherein the controller establishes a baseline position based on the optical energy received from the detection zone by the multi-element sensor.

13. The water delivery system of claim 12, wherein the controller moves the valve to the first arrangement when the controller detects an object at a distance less than the baseline position based on the optical energy received from the detection zone by the multi-element sensor.

14. The water delivery system of claim 13, wherein the controller moves the valve to the second arrangement when the controller no longer detects the object at the distance less than the baseline position.

15. The water delivery system of claim 13, wherein the controller moves the valve to the second arrangement when the controller receives an input from the touch sensor to change the arrangement of the valve.

16. The water delivery system of claim 15, wherein the controller establishes a new baseline position based on a distance to an object being detected subsequent to the input from the touch sensor, the new baseline position being less than the baseline position.

17. The water delivery system of claim 13, wherein the controller detects the object based on at least one of the spacing between at least two of the plurality of spatially spaced apart peaks of the received optical energy and the intensity of at least two of the plurality of spaced apart peaks of the received optical energy.

18. The water delivery system of claim 17, wherein the distance of the object is determined based on which pixel of the multi-element sensor has the highest intensity value when the received optical energy is correlated with a comb function.

19. A water delivery system which is coupled to a source of water;

the water delivery system comprising;

a valve including an inlet in fluid communication with the source of water and an outlet, the valve having a first arrangement wherein the outlet of the valve is in fluid communication with the inlet of the valve and a second arrangement wherein the outlet of the valve is not in fluid communication with the inlet of the valve;

a spout having a fluid conduit positioned therein, the fluid conduit being in fluid communication with the outlet of the valve to receive water from the valve when the valve is in the first arrangement;

an illumination module supported by the spout which includes a grating that directs optical energy into a detection zone in a plurality of spatially spaced apart beams of optical energy;

a multi-element sensor which receives optical energy reflected from an object positioned in the detection zone, the received optical energy having a plurality of spatially spaced apart peaks; and

a controller which determines both a spacing between at least two of the plurality of spaced apart peaks of the received optical energy and an intensity of at least two of the plurality of spaced apart peaks and causes the valve to move from the second arrangement to the first arrangement based on the received optical energy.

20. The water delivery system of claim 19, further comprising at least one user input coupled to the controller, the at least one user input controlling at least one of a temperature of water communicated from the valve to the fluid conduit of the spout and a flow rate of water communicated from the valve to the fluid conduit of the spout.

21. A water delivery system which is coupled to a source of water;

the water delivery system comprising;

a valve including an inlet in fluid communication with the source of water and an outlet, the valve having a first arrangement wherein the outlet of the valve is in fluid communication with the inlet of the valve and a second arrangement wherein the outlet of the valve is not in fluid communication with the inlet of the valve;

a spout having a fluid conduit positioned therein, the fluid conduit being in fluid communication with the outlet of the valve to receive water from the valve when the valve is in the first arrangement;

a proximity sensor supported by the spout, the proximity sensor providing optical energy into a detection zone in a plurality of spatially spaced apart beams of optical energy and receiving optical energy reflected from an object positioned in the detection zone, the received optical energy having a plurality of spatially spaced apart peaks; and

a controller which determines both a spacing between at least two of the plurality of spaced apart peaks of the received optical energy and an intensity of at least two of the plurality of spaced apart peaks and causes the valve to move from the second arrangement to the first arrangement based at least on one of the spacing between at least two of the plurality of spatially spaced apart peaks of the received optical energy and the intensity of at least two of the plurality of spaced apart peaks of the received optical energy.

22. The water delivery system of claim 21, further comprising a touch sensor supported by the spout.

23. The water delivery system of claim 22, wherein at least a portion of an exterior of the spout is part of the touch sensor.

24. The water delivery system of claim 23, further comprising at least one user input coupled to the controller, the at least one user input controlling at least one of a temperature of water communicated from the valve to the fluid conduit of the spout and a flow rate of water communicated from the valve to the fluid conduit of the spout.