EP0066034A1

EP0066034A1 - Automatic delivery tap

Info

Publication number: EP0066034A1
Application number: EP81830123A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Diego Ferrante
Original assignee: Dmp Electronics Socrl
Current assignee: Dmp Electronics Socrl
Priority date: 1981-05-25
Filing date: 1981-07-17
Publication date: 1982-12-08
Also published as: ES8305476A1; JPS57195979A; IT8148530A0; IT1221043B; AU8703682A; CA1198798A; GR75404B; ES512218A0; ZA815369B

Abstract

Automatic delivery tap applicable to wash basins, bath tubs, kitchen sinks, showers, and the like, equipped with a sensor consisting of an infrared ray emitter (2), photodiode or phototransistor next to a corresponding receiver (3) such that, in rest conditions, the ray emitted and reflected by the inner surface of the wash basin or the like does not reach the receiver (3) because the distance is too great, thus keeping the water delivery off. However, insertion of the hands or other part of the body between said distributor and the basin leads to reflection of the emitted ray and its capture by the receiver (3), which because of the presence of an electron detection and control group (5) operates one or two electrovalves (7) for water delivery, which automatically occurs at the delivery outlet (10) (Figure 1,2).

Description

This invention concerns a tap capable of automatically delivering water cold, hot or mixed to a preselected temperature when hands or other body parts are placed beneath it.
As is well known, taps for wash basins and bath tubs as well as delivery systems for showers and kitchen sinks have one or more handles to regulate the flow, leading to wasted water since they continue delivery even during the soaping operations, etc., in which the spray emitted is not directly used. In the case of hot or mixed water, not only water is wasted but above all the energy used to heat it.
The aim of this invention is the realization of water delivery taps of every type able to function automatically with no intervention with regulation handles, thus simplifying and speeding up each washing operation. At the same time, said taps can also limit water delivery to that strictly necessary, with evident energy savings in the case of hot or mixed water.
This aim is achieved with a tap equipped with a sensor consisting of an emitter of infrared rays, photodiode or phototransistor next to a corresponding receiver such that, in rest conditions, the ray emitted and reflected by the inner surface of the wash basin or the like does not reach said receiver be-cause the distance like does not reach said receiver because the distance is too great, keeping the delivery of cold, hot or mixed water off. However, insertion of the hands or other part of the body between said distributor and the basin leads to reflection of the emitted ray and its capture of said receiver, which because of the presence of an electronic detection and control group operates one or two electrovalves for delivery of cold, hot or mixed water, which in the last case then passes through a mixer of any known type and is automatically released at the delivery outlet.
In a first variant of the invention, the infrared ray sensor may be replaced with an analogous ultrasonic device consisting of an emitter and receiver next to one another.
In a second variant, the sensor may consist of a capacitive, inductive or capacitive-inductive device.
In another variant, the sensor may consist of a microwave or electromagnetic wave emitter and detector.
A general variant, valid for rthe systems described (operating with side by side sensors), consists of a system of opposite sensors, which does not change the operation of the device.
The electronic detection and control group for operating the electrovalves involves a stabilized supply, an emitting oscillator, an emitter, a receiver, a potentiometric trimmer acting on the amplification of the receiver which regulates the distance of the interfering ray. The information, consisting of the reflected infrared ray, is amplified in the receiver. Also the emitter is fitted with a network of resistors and capacitors which allow the operation phases to be slowed down, preventing immediate starting and stopping be- cause of brief removal of the hands or bodies during the wash operation. Furthermore, other amplifiers are connected with a power group, preferably consisting of a relay.
The relay (or other device) operates one electrovalve (in the case of cold water) or two (for hot and cold water, connected in parallel in this case) which allow water to pass. In the case of hot and cold water, it passes into a mixer which may be manual, mechanical, sintered disk, thermostatic, electromechanical, or any other type.
A preferred embodiment of the invention is represented in the two enclosed drawings in figures 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Figure 1 shows an operation block diagram.
Figure 2 shows an axonometric view of one type of tap.
Figure 3 shows an axonometric view of the internal components of the tap in figure 2.
Figure 4 shows in detail the scheme of the electronic group for detection and control of the electrovalve operation.

With regard to the details of the drawings, the body of the tap is indicated with 1, made of plastic or other suitable material, bearing the infrared sensor consisting of the emitter 2 and receiver 3, next to one another and installed near the opening 10 for water outlet. The electronic group is indicated with 5, the capacitor with 6, the electrovalves with 7, with tubes 8 and 9 for hot and cold water intake into':the mixer 4, with plastic or other type tube 11 to conduct the mixed water to said outlet opening 10.
The scheme in figure 4 shows the stabilized source, the oscillator 13, the amplifiers 14, the cut off delay 15 and the power group 16.
The operation of the invention may be described as follows. When receiver 3 captures a signal from the emitter 2, after reflection on the hands placed under the outlet opening 10, within its capture ray, it leads to passage to the amplifiers 14, so that the power group 16 is excited and feeds the two parallel electrovalves 7 and causes water to be sent to the mixer 4 and so to the user. At the same time, the R-C net 15 retards stoppage for approximately 2 seconds after the hands or objects are removed from the perception of sensors 2 and 3.
Naturally, while the principle of the invention remains the same, the forms of realizationa and the details of construction may be widely varied from that described and illustrated here, without going beyond the bounds of the present invention.

Claims

1. Automatic delivery tap applicable-to wash basins, bath tubs, kitchen sinks, shower arms, and the like, equipped with a sensor consisting of an emitter (2) of infrared rays, photodiode or phototransistor next to a corresponding receiver (3) such that, in rest conditions the ray emitted and reflected by the inner surface of the wash basin or the like does not reach the receiver (3) because the distance is too great, keeping the water delivery off, while insertion of the hands or other part of the body between the distributor (1). and the-basin leads to reflection of the emitted ray and its capture by the receiver (3), which because of the presence of an electronic detection and control group (5) operates one or two electrovalves (7) for water delivery, which in the case of hot and cold water passes into a mixer (4) of any known type and is automatically released from the delivery opening (10).

2. Automatic delivery tap as claimed in claim 1, wherein the infrared ray sensor may be replaced with an analogous ultrasonic device consisting of an emitter and receiver next to one another.

3. Automatic delivery tap as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensors present consist of a capacitive, inductive or capacitive-inductive device.

4. Automatic delivery tap as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensors consist of a microwave or electromagnetic wave emitter and detector.

5. Automatic delivery tap as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic detection and control group for operating the electrovalves involves a stabilized supply (12), an emitting oxcillator (13), an emitter (2), a receiver (3), a potentiometric trimmer acting on the amplification of the receiver which regulates the distance of the interfering ray; the information, consisting of the reflected infrared ray, is amplified in the receiver (3); also, the emitter (2) is fitted with a network of resistors and capacitors (6) which allow the operation phases to be slowed down, preventing immediate starting and stopping because of brief removal of the hands or bodies during the wash operation; furthermore, other amplifiers (14) are connected with a power group (16) preferably consisting of a relay.

6. Automatic delivery tap as claimed in claims 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 wherein the electrovalves (7) are connected in parallel for the passage of hot and cold water to the mixer, which may be manual, mechanical, sintered disk, thermostatic, electromechanical, or any other type.

7. Automatic delivery tap as claimed in claims 1, 6 and 7, wherein the body (1) of the tap, made of plastic or other suitable material, bears the infrared sensor consisting of the emitter (2) and receiver (3), next to one another and installed near the opening (10) for water outlet, the electronic group (5), the capacitor (6), the electrovalves (7) with hot and cold water intake tubes (8) and (9) to the mixer (4), with plastic or other material tube (11) to conduct the mixed water to said outlet opening (10).

8. Automatic delivery tap as claimed in all the preceding claims, wherein a single electrovalve causes the passage of the water to the outlet opening, with no mixer and only one water intake tube.

9. Automatic delivery tap as claimed in claims 1, 2, 3 and 4, wherein instead of being next to one another the sensors are opposite one another, with the same function.