Fluid handling – With repair – tapping – assembly – or disassembly means – Assembling – disassembling – or removing cartridge type valve
Patent
1990-10-29
1993-07-06
Hepperle, Stephen M.
Fluid handling
With repair, tapping, assembly, or disassembly means
Assembling, disassembling, or removing cartridge type valve
137607, 137801, 25112904, F16K 1124
Patent
active
052245098
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to an automatic faucet capable of turning on and off the water on the basis of a sensor output from a manual sensor or the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
According to one form of an automatic faucet, in the past, a spout is formed of casting, the interior of which is divided by a partitioning wall into two spaces to constitute a two-layer construction, one space being used as a discharge water flow path, the other space being used as a space in which a manual sensor such as an infrared sensor or a control unit is mounted, and a sensor cord or the like is provided.
In such a spout as described above, behavior of a user's hand is detected by a manual sensor, while maintaining a compact shape thereof, and an electromagnetic closing valve or the like is driven on the basis of the detected output so that operation of turning on and off the water can be performed automatically. Since it is not necessary to operate the closing valve directly by the hand, the using mode can be materially improved.
However, the spout cannot be disassembled because it is an integrally molded article formed by casting or the like. Therefore, the work for mounting a manual sensor or a control unit into the spout and the work for wiring a sensor cord to the sensor are cumbersome.
As a result, the manufacturing cost for the automatic faucet is high, and when any trouble occurs, maintenance therefor cannot be carried out easily.
It is an object of the present invention to provided an automatic faucet which can solve the aforementioned task.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an automatic faucet wherein a protective cover for a sensor or the like is fitted in a superposed state and removably to the inner suface of spout body with a discharge water flow path formed integrally inside a wall so as to constitute a spout, and a space for accommodating the sensor or the like is formed between the spout body and the protective cover for the sensor or the like.
In this invention, the spout constituting the principal portion of the automatic faucet is formed by assembling substantially the mutually independent spout body having formed therein the discharge water flow path and the protective cover for the sensor or the like.
Accordingly, the manual sensor or the like can be fitted in advance on the protective cover for the sensor or the like, and the sensor cord can be wired in advance along the inner surface of the protective cover for the sensor or the like. Thereafter, the protective cover for the sensor or the like is mounted on the inside of the spout body whereby the spout of the automatic faucet can be easily assembled.
Further, when any trouble occurs with the manual sensor or the like or the sensor cord is broken, the protective cover for the sensor or the like can be removed rapidly from the spout body and the broken portion can be fixed or replaced easily.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the interior of a toilet room having many washbowls each equipped with an automatic faucet according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the washbowl;
FIG. 3 is a sectional side view showing the entire consrtruction of the automatic faucet;
FIG. 4 is a sectional side view of a valve control box taken on line I--I of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a sectional plan view of the valve control box taken on line II--II of FIG. 3;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional plan view of fitting portion of a control device to a drive portion unit;
FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional side view taken on line III--III of FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional plan view of the interior of the control device;
FIG. 9 is an arrowed side view taken along the line IV--IV of FIG. 8;
FIGS. 10 to 12 are cross-sectional views of a spout body taken on lines V--V, VI--VI and VII--VII, respectively, of FIG. 3;
FIG. 13 is a view for explaining the fitting state of a manual sensor at the extreme end of the spout body;
FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a manual sensor taken on line VII
REFERENCES:
patent: 4681141 (1987-07-01), Wang
patent: 4762273 (1988-08-01), Gregory et al.
patent: 4886207 (1989-12-01), Lee et al.
patent: 4894874 (1990-01-01), Wilson
Morita Koji
Muroya Yukihiro
Nakano Koji
Tanaka Hiroshi
Hepperle Stephen M.
Toto Ltd.
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