Touchless faucet assembly and method of operation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9032565-B2
Application number	US-63911209-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2009
Priority date	Dec 16, 2009
Publication date	May 19, 2015
Grant date	May 19, 2015

Abstract

A faucet assembly includes a base for mounting adjacent a basin of a sink and a spout projecting upward and outward away from the base and terminating at a water outlet. A light emitter is mounted to one section of the spout and emits a beam of light directed toward another section of the spout, wherein the beam of light does not intersect a region beneath the outlet. A light sensor, mounted to the spout, produces a signal indicating whether the beam of light is striking the light sensor. A control circuit responds to the signal by opening a valve that thereby conveys water to the spout.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A faucet assembly for use with a kitchen sink, comprising:
a spout having a topside, an underside, a first end, for mounting proximate to a basin of the kitchen sink, a second end, at which an outlet is located for producing a stream of water in a flow region beneath the outlet, a first portion extending upward from the first end to an apex, and a second portion extending downward from the apex to the second end;
a light emitter mounted to one section of the underside of the second portion of the spout and emitting a beam of light into an object detection zone between the light emitter and another section of the spout, wherein the beam of light passes through a region between the spout and the basin of the kitchen sink and does not intersect the flow region beneath the outlet;
a light sensor mounted to the spout wherein the light sensor produces a signal indicating whether the beam of light is striking the light sensor;
a valve assembly that is connected to the spout and electrically operable for controlling flow of water to the spout; and
a control circuit configured to determine whether an object is in the object detection zone based on the signal from the light sensor and operate the valve assembly based on such determination.

2. The faucet assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the spout comprises an arched portion projecting upward and outward away from the first end to the second end.

3. The faucet assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the spout has an inverted J-shape.

4. The faucet assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the beam of light does not intersect a work region that has a lower boundary defined by an upper opening of the basin, wherein the work region tapers upward from the lower boundary to the outlet.

5. The faucet assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the light sensor is mounted to the first portion of the spout proximate to the first end and the light emitter is mounted to the second portion of the spout proximate to the second end.

6. The faucet assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein both the light emitter and the light sensor are mounted to the second portion of the spout proximate to the second end and distal to the first end.

7. The faucet assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the light is visible to a human eye.

8. The faucet assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the light is invisible to a human eye.

9. The faucet assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the control circuit opens the valve assembly for a predefined period of time in response to the signal from the light sensor.

10. The faucet assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the control circuit closes the valve assembly when, while the valve assembly is open, the beam of light strikes the light sensor and thereafter the beam of light is blocked from striking the light sensor.

11. The faucet assembly as recited in claim 1 further comprising a user input device for setting at least one of water temperature and water flow rate.

12. The faucet assembly as recited in claim 1 further comprising a manually operable valve connected in parallel with the valve assembly.

13. The faucet assembly as recited in claim 1 further comprising a manually operable mixing valve connected in series with the valve assembly.

14. A faucet assembly for use with a kitchen sink, comprising:
a spout having a base, for mounting proximate to a basin of the kitchen sink, a first portion projecting upward and outward from the base to an apex, and a second portion projecting downward and outward from the apex to an outlet for directing a stream of water, wherein the stream of water defines a flow region beneath the outlet;
a light sensor mounted to the spout proximate to the base;
a light emitter mounted to an underside of the second portion of the spout proximate to the outlet for projecting a beam of light onto the light sensor through an object detection zone below the spout between the light emitter and the light sensor, wherein the light sensor produces a signal indicating whether the beam of light is striking the light sensor;
a valve assembly that is electrically operable for controlling flow of water to the spout; and
a control circuit configured to determine whether an object in the object detection zone is blocking the beam of light from striking the light sensor based on the signal from the light sensor and operate the valve assembly based on such determination.

15. The faucet assembly as recited in claim 14 wherein the light emitter projects a beam of visible light.

16. The faucet assembly as recited in claim 14 wherein the beam of light does not pass beneath the outlet.

17. The faucet assembly as recited in claim 14 wherein the beam of light does not intersect a work region that has a lower boundary defined by an opening of the basin, wherein the work region tapers upward from the lower boundary to the outlet.

18. A faucet assembly for use with a kitchen sink, comprising:
a spout having a first portion extending upward from a first end, for mounting proximate to a basin of the kitchen sink, to an apex, the spout also having a second portion extending downward from the apex to a second end, at which an outlet is located for producing a stream of water in a flow region beneath the outlet;
a proximity detector mounted to the spout between the first end and the second end and defining a detection zone between the first end and the second end of the spout, the proximity detector comprising:
a light emitter, which is mounted in the second portion of the spout, for projecting a beam of light into the detection zone; and
a light sensor arranged adjacent the light emitter for receiving the beam of light reflected back from an object in the detection zone;
wherein the detection zone does not intersect a work region, wherein the work region has a lower boundary defined by an upper opening of the basin and tapers upward from the lower boundary to the second end of the spout, and wherein the proximity detector produces a signal indicating whether the object is placed in the detection zone;

a valve assembly that is electrically operable for controlling a flow of water to the spout; and
a control circuit configured to determine whether an object is in the detection zone based on the signal from the proximity detector, and to cause the valve assembly to permit or not permit water flow based on such determination.

19. The faucet assembly as recited in claim 18 wherein the work region further includes another region within the basin.

20. The faucet assembly as recited in claim 18 wherein both the light emitter and the light sensor are mounted in the second portion of the spout proximate to the second end of the spout and distal the first end of the spout.

21. The faucet assembly as recited in claim 18 wherein the light is visible to a human eye.

22. The faucet assembly as recited in claim 18 wherein the light is invisible to a human eye.

23. The faucet assembly as recited in claim 18 wherein the control circuit opens the valve assembly for a predefined period of time in response to the signal indicating an object is in the detection zone.

24. The faucet assembly as recited in claim 18 wherein the control circuit closes the valve assembly when, while the valve assembly is open, the signal indicates absence of any object in the detection zone and thereafter the signal indicates presence of an object in the detection zone.

Assignees

• Loeck Jonathan P
• Annapindi Ramesh
• Kohler Co

Inventors

• Loeck Jonathan P
• Annapindi Ramesh

Classifications

• E03C1/05

  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 title

• E03C1/057 Primary

  touchless, i.e. using sensors · CPC title

• Y10T137/9464

  Faucets and spouts · CPC title