Multi-mode hands free automatic faucet

• US 20070157978A1
• Filed: 12/19/2006
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delta Faucet Company (Masco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Masco Corporation Of Indiana (Masco Corporation)
• Inventors: Rodenbeck, Robert, Jonte, Patrick, Marty, Garry, Burke, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,690,395 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/613
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/05 Arrangements of devices on wash-basins, baths, sinks, or the like for remote control of taps remote control of taps or the like per se F16K
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/057 touchless, i.e. using sensors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8158 With indicator, register, recorder, alarm or inspection means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8175 Plural
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86389 Programmer or timer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87917 Flow path with serial valves and/or closures
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/9464 Faucets and spouts

Abstract

A hands-free faucet comprises a proximity sensor, a logical control, a handle, a spout, and a touch control operably coupled to at least one of the spout and the handle.

Claims

1. A faucet comprising:

a spout;

a handle;

a touch control operably coupled to at least one of the spout and the handle;

a proximity sensor having an active state and an active state;

a logical control operably coupled to the touch control and the proximity sensor, the logical control including;

a first mode, wherein the proximity sensor is inactive;

a second mode, wherein the proximity sensor is active; and

a mode indicator configured to provide a visual indication of at least one of the first mode and the second mode.

2. The faucet of claim 1, wherein the first mode is a manual mode such that positioning of the handle toggles water flow on and off.

3. The faucet of claim 1, wherein the second mode is a hands-free mode such that changes in the state of the proximity sensor toggles water flow on and off.

4. The faucet of claim 1, wherein the first mode is a touch mode such that tapping one of the handle and the spout toggles water flow on and off.

5. The faucet of claim 4, wherein tapping comprises a touch of less than approximately 250 milliseconds.

6. The faucet of claim 1, wherein the logical control further includes a mode controller that moves the faucet between the first mode and the second mode.

7. The faucet of claim 6, wherein the mode controller changes the faucet between the first mode and the second mode in response to a substantially simultaneous grasping of the spout and tapping of the handle.

8. The faucet of claim 7, wherein:

grasping of the spout comprises a touch of greater than approximately 250 milliseconds; and

tapping of the handle comprises at least one touch of less than less than approximately 250 milliseconds.

9. The faucet of claim 8, wherein the tapping of the handle comprises two sequential touches, each touch being less than approximately 250 milliseconds.

10. The faucet of claim 1, wherein the mode indicator comprises at least one light emitting device.

11. The faucet of claim 10, wherein the at least one light emitting device is configured to selectively display light of different colors.

12. The faucet of claim 10, wherein the at least one light emitting device emits no light when the logical control is in the first mode, and the at least one light emitting device emits a light of a first color when the logical control is in the second mode.

13. The faucet of claim 12, wherein the at least one light emitting device emits a light of a second color to indicate a low battery condition.

14. The faucet of claim 10, wherein the at least one light emitting device emits light of a first color when the logical control is in the first mode and water is toggled on, and the at least one light emitting device emits light of a second color when the logical control is in the second mode and water is toggled on.

15. A faucet comprising:

a spout;

a handle;

a touch control operably coupled to at least one of the spout and the handle;

a proximity sensor having an active state and an active state; and

a logical control operably coupled to the touch control and the proximity sensor, the logical control including;

a first mode, wherein the proximity sensor is inactive;

a second mode, wherein the proximity sensor is active; and

a mode controller that changes the faucet between the first mode and the second mode in response to substantially simultaneous touching of the spout and the handle.

16. The faucet of claim 15, wherein the simultaneous touching of the spout and the handle comprises grasping of the spout and tapping of the handle.

17. The faucet of claim 16, wherein:

grasping of the spout comprises a touch of greater than approximately 250 milliseconds; and

tapping of the handle comprises at least one touch of less than less than approximately 250 milliseconds.

18. The faucet of claim 16, wherein the tapping of the handle comprises two sequential touches.

19. The faucet of claim 15, wherein the touch control comprises a single sensor electrically coupled to both the spout and the handle.

20. The faucet of claim 15, wherein the touch control comprises a first sensor electrically coupled to the spout and a second sensor electrically coupled to the handle.

21. The faucet of claim 15, further comprising a mode indicator configured to provide a visual indication of at least one of the first mode and the second mode.

22. The faucet of claim 15, wherein the first mode is a manual mode such that positioning of the handle toggles water flow on and off.

23. The faucet of claim 15, wherein the second mode is a hands-free mode such that changes in the state of the proximity sensor toggles water flow on and off.

24. The faucet of claim 15, wherein the first mode is a touch mode such that tapping one of the handle and the spout toggles water flow on and off.

25. A faucet comprising:

a spout;

a handle;

a touch control operably coupled to at least one of the spout and the handle;

a proximity sensor having an active state and an active state;

a logical control operably coupled to the touch control and the proximity sensor, the logical control including;

a first mode, wherein the proximity sensor is inactive;

a second mode, wherein the proximity sensor is active; and

an audio device configured to provide a audible indication of transition between the first mode and the second mode.

26. The faucet of claim 25, wherein the audio device comprises a speaker operably coupled to the logical control.

27. The faucet of claim 25, wherein the audio device provides one of an ascending tone and a descending tone when the logical control transitions from the first mode to the second mode, and the audio device provides the other of the descending tone and the ascending tone when the logical control transitions from the second mode to the first mode.

28. The faucet of claim 25, further comprising a mode indicator configured to provide a visual indication of at least one of the first mode and the second mode.

29. The faucet of claim 25, wherein the first mode is a manual mode such that positioning of the handle toggles water flow on and off.

30. The faucet of claim 25, wherein the second mode is a hands-free mode such that changes in the state of the proximity sensor toggles water flow on and off.

31. The faucet of claim 25, wherein the first mode is a touch mode such that tapping one of the handle and the spout toggles water flow on and off.

32. The faucet of claim 31, wherein tapping comprises a touch of less than approximately 250 milliseconds.

33. A faucet comprising:

a faucet body hub;

a manual valve handle movably coupled to the faucet body hub to control a manual valve, the manual valve handle being electrically coupled to the faucet body hub;

a spout coupled to the faucet body hub by an insulator so that the spout is electrically isolated from the faucet body hub;

a capacitive sensor having an electrode coupled to one of the faucet body hub and the manual valve handle; and

a controller coupled to the capacitive sensor, the controller determining which of the manual valve handle and the spout is touched by a user based on an output signal from the capacitive sensor.

34. The faucet of claim 33, wherein the capacitive sensor is a timer having an input coupled to the electrode and an output coupled to the controller.

35. The faucet of claim 33, wherein the controller uses the output signal from the capacitive sensor to distinguish between when the manual valve handle is tapped by the user, when the manual valve handle is grabbed by the user, when the spout is tapped by the user, and when the spout is grabbed by the user to control operation of the faucet in different modes.