Touchless, remotely activatable assembly for fluid flow regulation, related systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9840832-B2
Application number	US-201414205566-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2014
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

The invention includes an assembly for remotely controlling fluid flow between a fluid source, such as a water source, and an outlet that includes at least one electrically operable valve, such as an electromagnetically-actuatable valve, to be interposed between the fluid source and the outlet, the valve being actuatable between an open position, in which the source and the outlet are fluidly connected, and a closed position in which the source and the outlet are not fluidly connected; at least one actuator, such as a solenoid actuator, operably connected to the at least one valve for actuating the valve between the open and closed positions; a controller comprising a receiver for receiving a wireless signal, wherein the controller is operably connected to the actuator and capable of actuating the actuator upon receipt of a wireless signal by the receiver; and an activator device comprising (i) a user-activatable sensor for detecting a stimulus when the stimulus enters a detection zone and (ii) a transmitter that transmits the wireless signal upon activation of the sensor by a user to the receiver. In an embodiment, it may be desirable that the electrically operable valves are also mechanically actuatable or that one or more (additional) manually activatable valves in included in the assembly.

First claim

We claim:

1. An assembly for remotely controlling fluid flow between a fluid source and an outlet comprising:
at least one electromagnetically-actuatable valve to be interposed between the fluid source and the outlet, the valve being actuatable between an open position, in which the source and the outlet are fluidly connected, and a closed position in which the source and the outlet are not fluidly connected;
at least one solenoid actuator operably connected to the at least one electromagnetically-actuatable valve for actuating the electromagnetically-actuatable valve between the open and closed positions,
a controller comprising a receiver for receiving a wireless signal, wherein the controller is operably connected to the solenoid actuator and capable of actuating the solenoid actuator upon receipt of a wireless signal by the receiver; and
an activator device comprising (i) a user-activatable sensor for detecting a stimulus, (ii) a transmitter that transmits the wireless signal upon activation of the sensor by a user to the receiver, and (iii) an orientation detector that can detect among at least two orientations of the activator device and which is operably connected to the sensor, wherein the activator device is moveable such that the activator device can be moved to any location,
wherein when the activator device is in a first orientation, a zone of detection of the sensor extends no farther than a predetermined distance from the sensor, and when the activator is in a second orientation, the zone of detection extends farther than the predetermined distance from the sensor.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a first electromagnetically-actuatable valve operably connected to a first solenoid actuator and a second electromagnetically-actuatable valve operably connected to a second solenoid actuator.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is an infrared detector.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the signal is a radio frequency signal.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electromagnetically-actuatable valve is also a mechanically actuatable valve(s).

6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein, the activator device is detachably affixed to the assembly.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the orientation detector is an accelerometer.

8. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the orientation detector is chosen from an electronic detector, an electromagnetic detector, an electro-mechanical detector, a rotational angle sensor, and a position switch.

9. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises an optical sensor and an infrared sensor.

10. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the activator device comprises a housing in the form of a polygonal prism having a first side, wherein at the first orientation the first side is oriented upwardly, and at the second orientation, the first side is oriented about 90° relative to the first orientation.

11. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the orientation detector can detect among at least three orientations of the activator device; and
when the activator device is in a third orientation, the sensor is deactivated.

12. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is capable of detecting and distinguishing among at least two stimuli.

13. An assembly for remotely controlling water flow between a water source and a faucet or shower head comprising:
at least one electromagnetically-actuatable valve to be interposed between the water source and the faucet or shower head, the valve being actuatable between an open position, in which the water source and the faucet are fluidly connected, and a closed position in which the water source and the faucet are not fluidly connected;
at least one solenoid actuator operably connected to the at least one electromagnetically-actuatable valve for actuating the electromagnetically-actuatable valve between the open and closed positions,
a controller comprising a receiver for receiving a wireless signal, wherein the controller is operably connected to the solenoid actuator and capable of actuating the solenoid actuator upon receipt of a wireless signal by the receiver;
an activator device comprising (i) a user-activatable sensor for detecting a stimulus, (ii) a transmitter that transmits the wireless signal upon activation of the sensor by a user to the receiver, and (iii) an orientation detector that can detect among at least two orientations of the activator device and which is operably connected to the sensor, wherein the activator device is moveable such that the activator device can be moved to any location,
wherein when the activator device is in a first orientation, a zone of detection of the sensor extends no farther than a predetermined distance from the sensor, and when the activator is in a second orientation, the zone of detection extends farther than the predetermined distance from the sensor.

14. The assembly of claim 13 , further comprising a first electromagnetically-actuatable valve operably connected to a first solenoid actuator and a second electromagnetically-actuatable valve operably connected to a second solenoid actuator.

15. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein the sensor is an infrared detector.

16. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein the signal is a radio frequency signal.

17. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein the activator device is detachably affixed to the assembly.

18. An assembly for remotely controlling fluid flow between a cold water source and a hot water source and an outlet comprising:
a first electromagnetically-actuatable valve to be interposed between the hot water source and the outlet, the first valve being actuatable between an open position, in which the hot water source and the outlet are fluidly connected, and a closed position in which the hot water source and the outlet are not fluidly connected;
a second electromagnetically-actuatable valve to be interposed between the cold water source and the outlet, the second valve being actuatable between an open position, in which the cold water source and the outlet are fluidly connected, and a closed position in which the cold water source and the outlet are not fluidly connected;
a first solenoid actuator operably connected to the first electromagnetically-actuatable valve for actuating the first electromagnetically-actuatable valve between the open and closed positions,
a second solenoid actuator operably connected to the second electromagnetically-actuatable valve for actuating the second electromagnetically-actuatable valve between the open and closed positions,
a controller comprising a receiver for receiving a wireless signal, wherein the controller is operably connected to each of the first solenoid actuator and the second solenoid actuator and capable of actuating each of the solenoid actuators substantially simultaneously upon receipt of a wireless signal by the receiver;
an activator device comprising (i) a user-activatable sensor for detecting a stimulus, (ii) a transmitter that transmits the wireless signal upon activation of the sensor by a user to the receiver, and (iii) an orientation detector that can detect among at least two orientations of the activator device and which is operably connected to the sensor, wherein the activator device is moveable such that the activator device can be moved to any location,
wherein when the activator device is in a first orientation, a zone of detection of the sensor extends no farther than a predetermined distance from the sensor, and when the activator is in a second orientation, the zone of detection ex

Assignees

• As Ip Holdco Llc

Inventors

• Seggio Frank
• Pitsch Walter

Classifications

• Y10T137/87684

  Valve in each inlet · CPC title

• E03C1/057 Primary

  touchless, i.e. using sensors · CPC title

• Y10T137/87925

  Separable flow path section, valve or closure in each · CPC title

• F16K19/006

  Specially adapted for faucets · CPC title

• Y10T137/87917

  Flow path with serial valves and/or closures · CPC title