Control unit for undersink appliances faucet having an undersink faucet base and an above sink faucet head

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10407884-B2
Application number	US-201615565294-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 18, 2016
Priority date	Apr 24, 2015
Publication date	Sep 10, 2019
Grant date	Sep 10, 2019

Abstract

A control unit (100) is in use located under a kitchen sink. The control unit (100) controls the timing of the power demand from each device so that they can all be run from a single electrical circuit coupled to the control unit (100). The control unit (100) also accommodates sensors and other accessories such as flow meters (134), electronic faucets (114), leak detectors (118), shutoff valves (136), and state communication either wired or wireless which allows these sensors and other accessories to be added with little additional cost beyond the cost of the sensors and other accessories. A common faucet base (302) is disposed in use on an underside of a sink. The common faucet base (302) is configured to accommodate a plurality of faucet heads (304) having different faucet styles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control unit for controlling a plurality of undersink appliances, comprising:
a plurality of controlled power outputs at which the control unit turns power on and off, the controlled power outputs couplable to the undersink appliances;
the control unit configured with control logic so that it limits the controlled power outputs at which the control unit turns power on so that power drawn from the controlled power outputs does not exceed a maximum rated input power of the control unit;
wherein the plurality of controlled power outputs include a plurality of water dispensing device power outputs for undersink appliances that are water dispensing devices and a controlled power output for at least one undersink appliance that is a food waste disposer, the control unit configured with control logic to turn power off at all the water dispensing device power outputs when the control unit is to turn power on at the food waste disposer power output prior to turning power on at the food waste disposer power output and also configured with control logic responsive to monitoring signals received at inputs of the control unit that are indicative of conditions of water in each water dispensing device coupled to one of the water dispensing device power outputs to cycle power on and off at the water dispensing device power outputs to maintain the condition of water in each water dispensing device at a desired condition and when the control unit is to turn power on at one of the water dispensing device power outputs first ensuring power is off at such of the other water dispensing device power outputs as needed to keep the power drawn from the controlled power outputs below the maximum rated power input when power at the water dispensing device power output whose power is to be turned on is turned on;
wherein the control unit is responsive to inputs from a control panel and configured with control logic to set functionality for the undersink appliances; and
wherein for each undersink appliance that is a water dispensing device the functionality includes setting a temperature profile for that water dispensing device and controlling the water dispensing device power output for that water dispensing device based on the temperature profile and a temperature signal indicative of temperature of water in that water dispensing device.

2. The control unit of claim 1 wherein the maximum rated input power of the control unit is a maximum rated power of an electrical power outlet that provides power to the control unit.

3. The control unit of claim 1 wherein the plurality of controlled power outputs include a plurality of food waste disposer power outputs and the control unit is configured with control logic responsive to a user input selecting which food waste disposer power output is to be powered on and turning power on at only the food waste disposer output selected by the user and turning power off at all the other controlled power outputs before turning power on at the selected food waste disposer power output.

4. The control unit of claim 1 wherein the controlled power outputs include at least one controlled valve power output to which one of the undersink appliance that is a controlled valve is couplable, the control unit configured with control logic to control the controlled valve output to fluidly couple through the controlled valve a selected one of the water dispensing devices to dispense water to a drinking water faucet.

5. The control unit of claim 4 wherein the control unit is configured with control logic to control the controlled valve output to control a temperature of the water being dispensed.

6. The control unit of claim 1 wherein one of the inputs of the control unit receives a signal indicative of a rate of flow of water through a flow meter of water flowing to the water dispensing devices and the control unit configured with control logic to determine an amount of water that has flowed through the flow meter.

7. The control unit of claim 6 wherein the control unit is configured with control logic to determine a remaining useful life of a filter in series with the flow meter based on the amount of water that has flowed through the flow meter.

8. The control unit of claim 6 wherein the control unit is configured with control logic to communicate a user alert to a desired destination after a predetermined amount of water has flowed through the flow meter after the control unit has controlled the controlled valve output to dispense water through the controlled valve from one of the water dispensing devices.

9. The control unit of claim 1 wherein the plurality of controlled power outputs include a controlled valve power output to which one of the undersink appliances that is an electronic mixing valve that controls flow of hot and cold tap water to a tap water faucet is couplable and the control unit is configured with control logic to control the controlled valve power output to control dispensing of the hot and cold tap water to the tap water faucet.

10. The control unit of claim 9 wherein the control unit is configured with control logic to control the controlled valve power output to control mixing of hot and cold tap water to control a temperature of tap water being dispensed.

11. The control unit of claim 10 wherein one of the inputs of the control unit receives an actuator signal indicative of a position of an actuator of the tap water faucet through which tap water is dispensed, the control unit configured with control logic to control the controlled valve output for the controlled valve to control the temperature of tap water being dispensed based on the actuator signal.

12. The control unit of claim 1 wherein for each undersink appliance that is a food waste disposer the functionality includes on/off, auto-water, auto shut-off and self-cleaning.

13. The control unit of claim 1 wherein for each undersink appliance that is a filter, the functionality includes any of communicating to a desired destination information about a remaining life of the filter, resetting a filter life after the filter or a filter media of the filter is replaced, and communicating to the desired destination an order for a new filter or filter media.

14. The control unit of claim 1 wherein the functionality includes troubleshooting of undersink appliances wherein the control unit is responsive to input signals received from the undersink appliances at inputs of the control unit and configured with control logic to determine if the undersink appliances are not operating properly.

15. The control unit of claim 14 wherein the troubleshooting includes any of the control unit communicating to a desired destination that any of the undersink appliances that is food waste disposer is jammed or its motor overheated and that any undersink appliance that is a water dispensing device is not working.

16. The control unit of claim 15 wherein the troubleshooting further includes the control unit responsive to an input signal from a leak detector and configured with control logic to control each controlled valve output for a controlled valve to close each such controlled valve to shut water off and communicating a leak alert to a desired destination.

Assignees

• Emerson Electric Co

Inventors

• Hirsch Nicholas J

Classifications

• H02J2105/42

  Home appliances · CPC title

• Y04S20/222

  Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving · CPC title

• Y02B70/3225

  Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving · CPC title

• Y04S20/242

  Home appliances · CPC title

• E03C1/04

  Water-basin installations specially adapted to wash-basins or baths (valves, faucets, mixing valves, taps F16K) · CPC title