Touch free automatic faucet

• US 9,840,833 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2015
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chung-Chia Chen
• Original Assignee: Chung-Chia Chen
• Inventors: Chen, Chung-Chia
• Primary Examiner(s): CRENSHAW, HENRY T
• Application Number:
  US14/728,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20150376880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 137 1, 137 1517, 137 781, 236 1212, 25112904, 324672, 4623
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/057 touchless, i.e. using sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 2001/026 with flow restricting devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1927 using a plurality of sensors G05D23/1902, G05D23/1917, and G05D23/1919 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87096 Valves with separate, correlated, actuators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/9464 Faucets and spouts

Abstract

A touch free automatic faucet is provided. The faucet includes a faucet housing including many sensors for controlling water flow and water temperature. A processor is connected to the sensors. A first control valve assembly is connected to the processor. A second control valve assembly is connected to the processor. A power source is connected to the processor, the first control valve assembly and the second control valve assembly. Water flow and water temperature are controlled by the sensors without touching of the faucet housing.

Claims

1. A touch-free faucet comprising:

a plurality of touch-free sensors including a first touch-free sensor and a second touch-free sensor;

a spout;

a water flow control valve;

said first touch-free sensor is configured to trigger a hardware processor using a first trigger signal to activate a water flow control valve to initiate water flow through a spout of the faucet;

said second touch-free sensor is configured to trigger said hardware processor using a second trigger signal to activate a first operation of the touch-free faucet based at least in part on comparing a time characteristic of the second trigger signal with a first predetermined time characteristic; and

said second touch-free sensor is configured to trigger said hardware processor using the second trigger signal to activate a second operation based at least in part on comparing the time characteristic of the second trigger signal with a second predetermined time characteristic, said second predetermined time characteristic different from the first predetermined time characteristic.

2. The touch-free faucet of claim 1, wherein said activating the first operation comprises activating a continuous water flow through the spout of the faucet.

3. The touch-free faucet of claim 1, wherein said activating the second operation comprises changing a temperature setting corresponding to water flowing through the spout of the faucet.

4. The touch-free faucet of claim 1, wherein said activating the second operation comprises changing a flow setting corresponding to water flowing through the spout of the faucet.

5. The touch-free faucet of claim 1, wherein said activating the second operation comprises pausing water flow through the spout of the faucet.

6. The touch-free faucet of claim 1, wherein said activating the second operation comprises saving a temperature or flow setting.

7. The touch-free faucet of claim 1, wherein said hardware processor comprises a microchip.

8. The touch-free faucet of claim 1, wherein the time characteristic of the second trigger signal corresponds to a time associated with an activation motion of a user of the faucet.

9. The touch-free faucet of claim 8, wherein the time associated with the activation motion comprises 2 seconds or less.

10. The touch-free faucet of claim 8, wherein the time associated with the activation motion comprises more than 2 seconds.

11. A method for controlling a touch-free faucet, said touch-free faucet including a plurality of touch free sensors, a spout, and a water flow control valve, said method comprising:

triggering a hardware processor using a first trigger signal from a first touch free sensor of the plurality of touch-free sensors to activate a water flow control valve to initiate water flow through a spout of the faucet;

triggering said hardware processor using a second trigger signal from a second touch-free sensor to activate a first operation of the touch-free faucet based at least in part on comparing a time characteristic of the second trigger signal with a first predetermined time characteristic; and

triggering said hardware processor using the second trigger signal to activate a second operation based at least in part on comparing the time characteristic of the second trigger signal with a second predetermined time characteristic, said second predetermined time characteristic different from the first predetermined time characteristic.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said activating the first operation comprises activating a continuous water flow through the spout of the faucet.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said activating the second operation comprises changing a temperature setting corresponding to water flowing through the spout of the faucet.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said activating the second operation comprises changing a flow setting corresponding to water flowing through the spout of the faucet.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said activating the second operation comprises pausing water flow through the spout of the faucet.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein said activating the second operation comprises saving a temperature or flow setting.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein said hardware processor comprises a microchip.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the time characteristic of the second trigger signal corresponds to a time associated with an activation motion of a user of the faucet.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the time associated with the activation motion comprises 2 seconds or less.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the time associated with the activation motion comprises more than 2 seconds.