Valves and valve actuation – Electrically actuated valve – Remote or follow-up control system for electrical actuator
Patent
1995-11-01
1999-07-06
Lee, Kevin
Valves and valve actuation
Electrically actuated valve
Remote or follow-up control system for electrical actuator
4623, F16K 3102
Patent
active
059188553
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic faucet which can start and stop discharging water automatically by sensing the behavior of hands.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, as a sort of the faucets mounted on a chinaware such as a lavatory (washbowl), there exists such a type that a hand sensor (e.g. light sensor) for sensing hand behavior is mounted within a faucet body.
In the faucet as described above, in usual a water discharge opening is provided at the end portion of the faucet body. In addition, the water discharge opening is directed roughly downward so that water is discharged in the downward direction.
Further, the hand sensor is usually mounted in the vicinity of the water discharge opening, and further the axial line of the sensor sensing direction is offset away from the discharged water roughly in parallel. In this arrangement of the hand sensor, there exists a possibility that the chinaware is detected as hands erroneously.
To prevent this erroneous detection of the chinaware, there exists such a type that the hand sensor is mounted in the vicinity of the mounting base portion of the faucet body. In this case, the sensor sensing direction is slightly offset rightward or leftward away from the water discharged from the water discharge opening so that the discharged water will not be sensed. In this sensor arrangement, however, there exists some cases that even if the hands are stretched into the water stream, the automatic faucet will not be actuated.
On the other hand, in the case where the sensor is so disposed that the axial line of the sensor sensing direction is directed to the discharged water, since the discharged water is erroneously sensed as the hand, there exists such a trouble that the water is not stopped from being discharged Further, in the prior art automatic faucet, since the discharge direction of water from the discharge opening is directed downward, the hand washing space is inevitably located on the rear side (on the side of the faucet mounting base portion).
Therefore, when the user washes his hands, since the space near the finger ends is narrow and further the user cannot feel that water is being discharged onto his palms sufficiently, the quantity of discharged water increases unconsciously, thus causing a problem in that water tends to be consumed uselessly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide an automatic faucet which can sense only the hands accurately without detecting a water stream or a chinaware erroneously Further, the other object of the present invention is to provide an automatic faucet which can provide a sufficiently broad hand washing space within the washbowl provided with an automatic faucet.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, the first aspect of the present invention provides an automatic faucet having a hand sensor for detecting presence or absence of hands within a hand washing space to start and stop discharging water from a water discharge opening automatically, wherein the hand sensor comprises: a transmitter for transmitting a signal wave to a transmission region directed toward the hand washing space; a receiver for receiving a signal wave reflected from a reception region directed also toward the hand washing space; a detection region being formed by a partial overlapped portion of both the transmission region and reception region, and at least one of the light emitting region and the light receiving region being so adjusted as to intersect a stream of water discharged from the water discharge opening.
In the automatic faucet according to the present invention, whenever hands are stretched toward the front of the water discharge opening, it is possible to detect the hands securely to start discharging water.
Further, it is preferable that an angle e between a directional axis of the transmission or reception region and an axis of the water stream is less than 70 degrees. At this angle, since the reflected sign
REFERENCES:
patent: 3638680 (1972-02-01), Kopp
patent: 4767922 (1988-08-01), Stauffer
patent: 4872485 (1989-10-01), Laverty, Jr.
patent: 4894874 (1990-01-01), Wilson
patent: 4921211 (1990-05-01), Novak et al.
patent: 5458147 (1995-10-01), Mauerhofer
Hamanaka Tatsumi
Honda Tadahiro
Iwashita Hiroyuki
Kaneko Yoshiyuki
Kawabata Takatoshi
Lee Kevin
Toto Ltd.
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