Electronic faucet controlled by handle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9624654-B2
Application number	US-201514662048-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2015
Priority date	Apr 9, 2014
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

An electronic faucet controlled by handle contains: a body, a control assembly, a water pipe set, a solenoid valve, and a magnetic sensing device. The body includes a handle seat and an outlet. The control assembly includes a valve member and a rotary lever rotated toward an opened position and a closed position. The water pipe set includes a cold-water inlet pipe, a hot-water inlet pipe, and a mixing outlet pipe. The solenoid valve is secured on the mixing outlet pipe and is opened to flow the mixing water, and the solenoid valve is closed to stop the mixing water. The magnetic sensing device includes a magnetic element mounted on the rotary lever. In addition, a magnetic sensor is fixed between the handle seat and the valve member adjacent to the magnet element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic faucet controlled by handle comprising:
a body mounted on a washbasin and including a handle seat and an outlet;
a control assembly fixed on the handle seat of the body and including a valve member and a rotary lever rotated to control the valve member; the rotary lever being rotated toward an opened position and a closed position;
a water pipe set including a cold-water inlet pipe, a hot-water inlet pipe, and a mixing outlet pipe communicating with the valve member of the control assembly to guide cold water and hot water into the valve member and to guide mixing water, in which the cold water and the hot water are mixed, out of the outlet of the body via the valve member;
a solenoid valve secured on the mixing outlet pipe and opened to allow flowing of the mixing water, and the solenoid valve being closed to stop the mixing water;
a magnetic sensing device including a magnetic element mounted on the rotary lever; a magnetic sensor fixed between the handle seat and the valve member adjacent to the magnet element;
wherein when the rotary lever is rotated toward the opened position, the magnetic element moves away from the magnetic sensor, such that the magnetic sensor diminishes or disappears its magnetic force to open the solenoid valve, thus flowing the mixing water; when the rotary lever is rotated toward the closed position, the magnetic element moves close to the magnetic sensor, hence the magnetic sensor is sensed by the magnetic force to close the solenoid valve, thus stopping the mixing water;
wherein the magnetic sensor is a reed switch;
wherein the magnetic sensor is coupled with the valve member; the magnetic element is coupled with a base of the rotary lever; and
wherein the valve member has a holder locked in the handle seat, a valve core mounted in the holder, and a lid screwing with the holder to fix the valve core in the holder; the valve core has a driving shaft; the rotary lever has a base and an operating extension extending outwardly from the base; the base is fitted with the operating shaft of the valve core, such that the rotary lever is rotated to drive the driving shaft.

2. The electronic faucet controlled by the handle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the magnetic element is a magnet.

3. The electronic faucet controlled by the handle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the holder has a fixing slot defined thereon and has a threaded orifice proximate to the fixing slot; the magnetic sensor includes a housing, a reed switch fixed in the housing, a transmission wire electrically connected with the reed switch to transmit a sensing signal, an adjusting bolt, and a spring; the housing is retained in the fixing slot of the holder, and the housing has a positioning portion extending outwardly therefrom, wherein the positioning portion has a through hole formed thereon, such that the adjusting bolt is inserted through the through hole of the positioning portion to screw with the threaded orifice of the holder; the spring is fitted on the adjusting bolt between the positioning portion and the holder to abut against the positioning portion; when the adjusting bolt is rotated tightly, it drives the housing and the reed switch to move away from the magnetic element along the fixing slot; when the adjusting bolt is rotated loosely, the housing and the reed switch are pushed by the spring to move close to the magnetic element along the fixing slot.

4. The electronic faucet controlled by the handle as claimed in claim 3 further comprising a controlling panel for receiving a sensing signal from the reed switch via the transmission wire, and then the sensing signal is processed to transmit a control signal to open or close the solenoid valve.

5. The electronic faucet controlled by the handle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the base of the rotary lever has a circular fence connecting with the operating extension, a peripheral fence coupling with the circular fence, and a fitting pedestal extending outwardly from the peripheral fence and retained with the driving shaft of the valve core; between the peripheral fence and the fitting pedestal is defined a groove; the fitting pedestal has an arcuate fringe formed around an outer wall thereof; the magnetic element is arcuate to contact with the arcuate fringe, and when the rotary lever is rotated any one of a cold-water supply position, a hot-water supply position, and a mixing-water supply position, the magnetic element corresponds to the magnetic sensor.

6. The electronic faucet controlled by the handle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control assembly further includes a decorative cover for retaining with an outer wall of the holder of the valve member and for covering the handle seat of the body, such that the valve member is covered in the handle seat, and a part of the base of the rotary lever is accommodated in the decorative cover; and the decorative cover has a chamber so that when the rotary lever is shifted toward the closed position or the opened position, the driving shaft of the valve core and the base of the rotary lever move downwardly or upwardly.

7. The electronic faucet controlled by the handle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein when the rotary lever is located at the closed position, the driving shaft is parallel to an axis X of the valve core; and when the rotary lever is rotated toward the opened position, a first angle θ forms between the driving shaft and the axis X; wherein the first angle θ is within 15 to 45 degrees.

8. The electronic faucet controlled by the handle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the mixing outlet pipe is in connection with a pull-out spray head, and when the spray head is not pulled outwardly, it is positioned on the outlet of the body.

9. The electronic faucet controlled by the handle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the magnetic sensor is a hall sensor.

10. The electronic faucet controlled by the handle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the magnetic sensing device includes a sensing module, and the sensing module has the magnetic sensor, a flexible print circuit welding with the magnetic sensor, an affix loop welding with the flexible print circuit, and a transmission wire electrically connected with the flexible print circuit to transmit a sensing signal; the affix loop is fitted on the lid so that the sensing module is fixed on the valve member; and the magnetic sensor is a hall sensor.

11. The electronic faucet controlled by the handle as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the valve member further has a locking element for locking with the lid and for retaining with the decorative cover, such that the affix loop is limited on the lid, and the decorative cover is positioned on the valve member.

12. The electronic faucet controlled by the handle as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the flexible print circuit further has a light emitting diode, the handle seat has a notch formed thereon and has a light shield disposed on the notch; the light emitting diode emits lights via the light shield, when the rotary lever is rotated toward the opened position; and when the rotary lever is rotated toward the closed position, the light emitting diode stops emitting the light.

13. The electronic faucet controlled by the handle as claimed in claim 10 further comprising a controlling panel for receiving a sensing signal from the hall sensor via the flexible print circuit and the transmission wire, and then the sensing signal is processed to transmit a control signal to open or close the solenoid valve.

14. The electronic faucet controlled by the handle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the base of the rotary lever has a circular fence connectin

Assignees

• Globe Union Ind Corp

Inventors

• Tseng Kuoming
• Yang Chaota
• Chen Hsiantsung

Classifications

• F16K37/00

  Special means in or on valves or other cut-off apparatus for indicating or recording operation thereof, or for enabling an alarm to be given · CPC title

• E03C2001/0415

  having an extendable water outlet · CPC title

• F16K11/24 Primary

  with an electromagnetically-operated valve, e.g. for washing machines · CPC title

• E03C1/055 Primary

  Electrical control devices, e.g. with push buttons, control panels or the like · CPC title

• F16K31/06

  using a magnet {, e.g. diaphragm valves, cutting off by means of a liquid} · CPC title