Enclosures for automatic bathroom flushers

• US 9,598,847 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2013
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sloan Valve Company
• Original Assignee: Sloan Valve Company
• Inventors: Marcichow, Martin E., Parsons, Natan, Guler, Fatih, Herbert, Kay
• Primary Examiner(s): Schneider, Craig
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rost, Andrew J
• Application Number:
  US13/998,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20140182054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 430/2, 430/4, 430/5, 431/3, 440/6, 251 3001- 3005, 251/45, 251/129.04, 251/129.03, 251/28
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 3/02 Self-closing flushing valves self-closing valves in general F16K21/04
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 3/06 with diaphragm valve and pressure chamber for retarding the valve-closing movement
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 5/105 touchless, e.g. using sensors

Abstract

A bathroom flusher includes a flusher body, a valve assembly, an electronic control system, and a flusher cover. The flusher body includes an inlet and an outlet, and is designed to accommodate the valve assembly that controls water flow between the inlet and the outlet. The valve assembly includes a valve member movable with respect to a valve seat providing a sealing action based on applied pressure on the valve assembly. The bathroom flusher also includes an external cover designed for enclosing an electronic control module comprising a battery, a sensor, and an actuator for controlling operation of the flush valve, wherein the external cover includes at least two cover parts separately removable, and wherein the external cover is attachable with respect to the valve body in a manner also allowing removable attachment of the control module.

Claims

1. An automatic toilet room flush valve, comprising:

a valve body including an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat inside said body;

a valve member cooperatively arranged with said valve seat, said valve member being constructed and arranged to control water flow between said inlet and said outlet, movement of said valve member between open and closed positions being controlled by water pressure inside a pilot chamber; and

an external cover defining a cavity designed for enclosing a battery, a sensor, and an actuator receiving signals from an electronic control module for controlling operation of said flush valve, said external cover including a main cover body, a front cover and a top cover, said main cover body including at least one slot cooperatively arranged with at least one lip surface located on said front cover and designed to remove slidably said front cover with respect to said main cover body, said main cover body including an abutting surface having a partially elliptical shape designed for receiving said front cover having a matching partially elliptical shape, said front cover being attached to and immobilized in position with respect to said main cover body after attaching said top cover, said top cover having cooperating surfaces with respect to said front cover and said main cover body.

2. The flush valve of claim 1 wherein said top cover is removable while maintaining entire said front cover in place, said front cover including a sensor window located in place with respect to said main cover body after removal or said top cover.

3. The flush valve of claim 2 wherein said sensor is an optical sensor and said sensor window in an optical window and said electronic control module is constructed to adjust detection sensitivity of said sensor while maintaining said optical window located in place relative to said main cover body.

4. The flush valve of claim 3 further including a plastic housing located inside said external cover constructed to enclose said electronic control module, said battery and said optical sensor in a sealed arrangement.

5. The flush valve of claim 4 wherein said plastic housing located inside said external cover is cooperatively arranged with said external cover to be attachable and removable relative to said valve body together with said external cover without closing said water supply.

6. The flush valve of claim 1 wherein said top cover includes at least one side surface designed for facilitating removal of said top cover.

7. The flush valve of claim 1 wherein said top cover is attached with respect to said valve body using at least one screw.

8. The flush valve of claim 7 wherein tightening of said at least one screw attaches said main cover body, said front cover, and said top cover to a pilot cap defining said pilot chamber and being attached to said valve body.

9. The flush valve of claim 1 wherein said external cover includes a vent passage for venting water from inside of said external cover.

10. An automatic toilet room flush valve, comprising:

a valve body including an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat inside said body;

a valve member cooperatively arranged with said valve seat, said valve member being constructed and arranged to control water flow between said inlet and said outlet, movement of said valve member between open and closed positions being controlled by water pressure inside a pilot chamber;

an external cover defining a cavity designed for enclosing a battery, a sensor and an electronic control module, including a microcontroller, providing control signals to an actuator for controlling operation of said flush valve, said external cover including a main cover body, a front cover and a top cover including a button retainer;

a reed sensor providing signals to said electronic control module; and

a button located inside a hole in said top cover and cooperatively arranged with said button retainer, said button including a magnet and being constructed to move between upper and lower positions and being designed for manually triggering a flush cycle when pushed to said lower position that activates said reed sensor,

said microcontroller being programmed to enter a “

sleep”

mode upon said reed sensor activation for several seconds and maintain said “

sleep”

mode for said electronic control module and said sensor when said reed sensor is continuously activated.

11. The flush valve of claim 10 wherein said top cover is removable while maintaining said front cover including a sensor window located in place with respect to said main cover body.

12. The flush valve of claim 11 wherein said sensor is an optical sensor and said sensor window in an optical window.

13. The flush valve of claim 12 further constructed to adjust detection sensitivity of said sensor while maintaining said optical window located on said main cover body.

14. The flush valve of claim 10 wherein said valve member includes a flexible diaphragm.

15. The flush valve of claim 10 wherein said valve member includes a piston.

16. The flush valve of claim 10 wherein said sensor includes a capacitive sensor.

17. The flush valve of claim 10 wherein said top cover includes a curved top surface cooperatively arranged with said button retainer.

20. The flush valve of claim 10 wherein said valve member includes a flexible diaphragm.

21. The flush valve of claim 10 wherein said valve member includes a piston.

22. The flush valve of claim 10 wherein said optical sensor includes a presence sensor.

23. The flush valve of claim 10 wherein said optical sensor includes a motion sensor.

18. An automatic toilet room flush valve, comprising:

a valve body including an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat inside said body;

a valve member cooperatively arranged with said valve seat, said valve member being constructed and arranged to control water flow between said inlet and said outlet, movement of said valve member between open and closed positions being controlled by water pressure inside a pilot chamber;

an external cover defining a cavity and including an optical window;

an actuator for controlling operation of said valve member; and

a plastic housing located inside said external cover constructed to enclose an electronic control module including a microcontroller, a battery and an optical sensor in a sealed arrangement, said optical sensor being constructed to detect a user;

said microcontroller receiving signals from said optical sensor;

said electronic control module including a feedback circuit from said actuator;

said electronic control module upon signals from said microcontroller is constructed to provide drive current to said actuator for controlling movement of said valve member and thus controlling a flush cycle, said microcontroller being programmed to control amount of water delivered by said valve member, based on a latch time of said actuator by initiating closing of said water flow after prior opening of said water flow.

19. The flush valve of claim 18 wherein said microcontroller being programmed to calculate water pressure in said inlet, based on said latch time of said actuator and thereby control said amount of water delivered by the bathroom flusher by initiating said closing of said water flow after said prior opening of said water flow.