Automatic faucets

• US 9,695,579 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2013
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sloan Valve Company
• Original Assignee: Sloan Valve Company
• Inventors: Herbert, Kay, Mo, Xiaoxiong, Guler, Fatih, Krull, Jeff, Wang, Xu, Daher, Jean F., Chen, Qiaohong, Vish, Ronald J., Thompson, Stanley O, Carpenter, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tietjen, Marina
• Assistant Examiner(s): MACKAY-SMITH, SETH WENTWORTH
• Application Number:
  US13/987,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20140174556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,387 Days
• Field of Search: 137607, 137801, 236 1211, 236 1212, 236 1215, 236 46 A, 236 46 C, 25112904, 3405731, 4623
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/057 touchless, i.e. using sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 21/00 Fluid-delivery valves, e.g. self-closing valvesfor liquid handling B67D; for flushing devices for water-closets or the like E03D
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/1842 Ambient condition change responsive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8376 Combined

Abstract

An automatic faucet includes a housing constructed to receive at least one water inlet conduit and having a spout for delivering water. The automatic faucet includes a valve module, a sensor module, a battery module, a turbine module, and a control module. The valve module includes a valve controlled by an electromagnetic actuator for controlling the water flow from the spout. The sensor module is constructed to provide sensor data influenced by a user. The control module is constructed to control opening and closing of the valve by providing signals to the electromagnetic actuator. The control module is also constructed to receive sensor data from the sensor module and execute a sensing algorithm. The control module is also constructed to execute a power management algorithm for managing electrical power generated by the water turbine and provided to and from the battery.

Claims

1. An automatic faucet comprising:

a housing constructed to receive at least one water inlet conduit and having a spout for delivering water;

a valve module including a valve controlled by an electromagnetic actuator for controlling the water flow from said spout;

a sensor module constructed to provide sensor data influenced by a user;

a control module constructed to control opening and closing of said valve by providing signals to said electromagnetic actuator, and

said control module, including a controller, constructed to receive said sensor data from said sensor module and execute a self-calibration and initialization algorithm and execute a sensing algorithm, wherein said self-calibration and initialization algorithm determines a noise signal level and a signal threshold for different power supply sources and said sensing algorithm tracks noise signal levels and dynamically adapts signal thresholds for the power supply source providing power, said sensing algorithm tracking signal trend to determine presence of a user.

2. The automatic faucet of claim 1, wherein said control module is constructed to execute said self-calibration and initialization algorithm by

normalizing raw data to set a dynamic range,

verifying that a noise level is in a predefined range, and

determining water effect.

3. The automatic faucet of claim 1, wherein said sensor module includes a capacitive sensor.

4. The automatic faucet of claim 3, wherein said capacitive sensor includes a touch capacitive sensor.

5. The automatic faucet of claim 3, wherein said capacitive sensor includes a proximity capacitive sensor.

6. The automatic faucet of claim 1 further including a filter associated with said actuator.

7. The automatic faucet of claim 1 including a water turbine for providing power to said electronic control circuit.

8. The automatic faucet of claim 7 wherein said water turbine and said control module are designed to measure a water flow rate of said faucet.

9. The automatic faucet of claim 7 wherein said water turbine and said control module are designed to detect a fault condition of said faucet.

10. The automatic faucet of claim 9 including an indicator for indicating status of said faucet to a user.

11. The automatic faucet of claim 10 wherein said indicator includes an LED diode indicating said status.

12. The automatic faucet of claim 7 wherein said control module is constructed to execute a power management algorithm.

13. An automatic faucet comprising:

a housing constructed to receive at least one water inlet conduit and having a spout for delivering water;

a valve module including a valve controlled by an electromagnetic actuator for controlling the water flow from said spout;

a turbine module constructed to generate electrical power;

a sensor module constructed to provide sensor data influenced by a user;

a battery module constructed to provide electrical power; and

a control module, including a controller, constructed to receive said sensor data from said sensor module and execute a sensing algorithm utilizing said sensor data said control module being constructed to control opening and closing of said valve by providing signals to said electromagnetic actuator, said control module being constructed to execute a power management algorithm for managing electrical power used by said automatic faucet including said electromagnetic actuator, said electrical power being generated by said water turbine and provided to and from said battery, said power management algorithm periodically checking turbine power, AC power and battery power for optimal operation and charging said battery, and said control module executing said sensing algorithm keeping track of the noise signal level and dynamically adapting signal thresholds for the power source providing electrical power and tracking the signal trend to determine the presence of said user.

14. The automatic faucet of claim 13 further including a capacitive sensor.

15. The automatic faucet of claim 13 further including an active infra-red sensor comprising and infrared emitter and detector.

16. The automatic faucet of claim 13, wherein said valve module and said control module are located in a control system unit mounted on a wall using a wall plate and located below a top surface of a sink, said control system unit including a body being constructed to attach to said wall plate by a twist action and being secured by placing a cover over said body of said control system.

17. The automatic faucet of claim 16, wherein said control system unit includes a quick connect fitting for connecting said water inlet conduit by a pull-push mechanism designed to secure said conduit to said control system unit for delivering water.

18. The automatic faucet of claim 17, wherein said control system unit includes a water filter associated with said actuator.

19. The automatic faucet of claim 16, wherein said control system unit includes a battery case constructed to secure batteries regardless of orientation of said case with respect to said control system unit thereby preventing wrong polarity installation.

20. The automatic faucet of claim 13 wherein said water turbine and said control module are designed to measure a water flow rate of said faucet by said control module executing an algorithm for metering water delivered from said spout by reading AC signal frequencies generated in said turbine module.

21. The automatic faucet of claim 13 wherein said water turbine and said control module are designed to detect a fault condition of said faucet.

22. The automatic faucet of claim 13 including an indicator for indicating status to a user.

23. The automatic faucet of claim 22 wherein said indicator includes an LED diode.

24. An automatic faucet including:

a water turbine located in a water flow discharged from the faucet, the water turbine comprising a rotor including an impellor coupled to rotor blades being located within a water path and located on a rotation shaft, a magnet, a stator and an electrical coil constructed and arranged to generate electrical power, said magnet being slipped over said impellor and secured by a plastic pin; and

an insertable nozzle constructed and arranged to deliver water to said rotor blades and optimized for a water flow rate discharged from the faucet.

25. The automatic faucet including the water turbine of claim 24 further constructed and arranged to detect a minute amount of water leaving the faucet.

26. The automatic faucet including the water turbine of claim 24 further constructed and arranged to detect a flow rate of water leaving the faucet by reading AC signal frequencies generated.

27. The automatic faucet including the water turbine of claim 24, wherein said faucet is actuated by an automatic sensor and being further constructed and arranged to detect a malfunction of elements inside the faucet based on signal from said water turbine.

28. The automatic faucet of claim 27 including an indicator for indicating status of said faucet to a user.

29. The automatic faucet of claim 28 wherein said indicator includes an LED diode indicating said status.

30. The automatic faucet including the water turbine of claim 24, wherein said electrical coil is stationary with respect to said stator.