JP2000336716A - Automatic faucet - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To provide an automatic water faucet having a manual valve on the secondary side of an automatic valve, the water faucet being capable of accurately discharging water by operating the manual valve. An automatic valve provided with an automatic valve driven by a signal from a non-contact type water discharge / stop sensor and a manual valve provided on the secondary side of the automatic valve and driven manually. The faucet 10 is provided with a switching means 28 for switching between a state in which the automatic valve 42 is operated and a state in which the automatic valve 42 is not operated. Further, control is performed such that the automatic valve 42 is opened when the automatic valve 42 is not operated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an automatic valve driven by a signal from a non-contact type water discharge and stop sensor, and a manual valve provided on the secondary side of the automatic valve and driven manually. The invention relates to an automatic faucet provided with a valve.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An automatic faucet installed in a kitchen or the like is provided with an automatic valve that automatically discharges water by a non-contact type water discharge sensor that detects the presence or absence of an object to be washed such as tableware. I have. By providing such an automatic valve, unnecessary water discharge can be reduced by frequently switching between water discharge and water stoppage even when a large number of dishes and the like are continuously washed. In addition, in the hot and cold water mixing faucet, the amount of electricity and gas used for boiling the hot water can be reduced. Here, in the case where hot water is put in a pot or the hand is easily washed, it is not necessary to frequently switch the water discharge, so a manual valve is further provided on the secondary side of the automatic valve in such an automatic faucet. In some cases, water is continuously discharged by the manual valve.

[0003]

However, if the automatic valve is always driven by a signal from the water discharge sensor, even if it is desired to discharge water with a manual valve,
There was a problem that the automatic valve was not opened and water could not be discharged, or the automatic valve closed during water discharge by the manual valve and water was stopped against the user's will.

The automatic faucet of the present invention solves the above-mentioned problems of the prior art. In an automatic faucet provided with a manual valve on the secondary side of the automatic valve, the operation of the manual valve is more accurate. An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic faucet capable of discharging water.

It is another object of the present invention to improve the operability of the automatic faucet.

Another object of the present invention is to prevent an electric faucet from being short-circuited or short-circuited.

Further, in the automatic faucet according to the fourth aspect, erroneous sensing between the sensor for discharging water and the sensor of the switching means is prevented,
It is another object of the present invention to improve the operability of the automatic faucet.

[0008]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the means adopted by the present invention will be described below for each invention.

The automatic faucet according to claim 1 of the present invention comprises:
`` In an automatic faucet equipped with an automatic valve driven by a signal from a non-contact type water discharge sensor and a manually operated valve provided on the secondary side of the automatic valve and manually driven, An automatic faucet, characterized by comprising switching means for switching between a state in which the automatic valve is activated and a state in which the automatic valve is not activated. "
It is.

The "switching means" may be a push-button switch, a tilt button switch, or a touch panel for mechanically turning on / off the supply of electric power to the water stoppage sensor and the automatic valve. It includes all means for switching the automatic valve to a state where the automatic valve is activated or not, such as a control device for switching by a signal from a contact type sensor or a non-contact type sensor such as an infrared type or a pyroelectric type. Here, in the case where the automatic valve is not operated, in terms of power saving,
It is desirable to control the supply of electric power to the water discharge and stop water sensor itself, but in addition, the state where power is supplied to the water discharge and stop water sensor, that is, the state where the water discharge and stop water sensor is operating However, it may be controlled not to operate the automatic valve irrespective of the signal from the water discharge sensor.

When the automatic valve is not operated by the switching means, the automatic valve does not operate against the user's will, so that there is no hindrance to manual use. Further, when the automatic valve is switched to the state in which the automatic valve is operated by the switching means, the water is still discharged by the detection of the water discharge sensor. Therefore,
The user can appropriately select the water stoppage from the automatic faucet between an automatic type by sensing a water stoppage sensor and a manual type by driving a manual valve.

Here, if a display unit is provided for indicating whether the automatic valve is in the activated state or the inactivated state, the water is automatically discharged by the detection of the water discharge sensor. It can be easily determined whether or not there is, and the convenience of the automatic faucet can be improved.

[0013] The automatic faucet according to claim 2 of the present invention,
"The automatic valve is controlled to be opened when the automatic valve is not operated.
Automatic faucet described in "1.

When the water is stopped by the manual valve by switching to a state where the automatic valve is not operated by the switching means, the automatic valve must be opened. Here, in order to set the automatic valve to the open state, the switching means activates the automatic valve in a state in which the object to be cleaned or the hand is detected by the sensor for water discharge and a valve open signal is sent to the automatic valve. It may be possible to switch to a state in which it is not performed. It is also conceivable that the automatic valve is manually driven to open the valve, or that the valve is opened electrically by a separate switch operation or the like. However, according to each of the above means, a separate operation is required before or after switching to a state in which the automatic valve is not operated by the switching means, and the operation of the automatic faucet is complicated.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the operability of the automatic faucet is improved by controlling the automatic valve to be always opened when the automatic valve is switched to the non-operated state. can do.

The automatic faucet according to claim 3 of the present invention comprises:
The automatic faucet according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the switching means is controlled by a signal from a sensor.

The "sensor" may be a contact type or a non-contact type. Examples of the contact type sensor include those using a so-called touch panel, and examples of the non-contact type sensor include a pyroelectric sensor and an infrared sensor.

Since the "sensor" is used, there is no movable member such as a mechanical push button and a tilt button, and the mounting portion of the sensor can be securely sealed with a protective cover such as a resin sheet. This can reduce the possibility that hot water due to water splashes enters the inside of the device or the like, and can prevent a short circuit or a short circuit. When the sensor is of a non-contact type, no contact portion is required, so that the attached portion can be more securely and firmly sealed, and leakage and short circuit can be prevented more reliably. On the other hand, when the sensor is of a contact type, even if dust or the like adheres to the protective cover, it does not malfunction and secure operability can be ensured.

The automatic faucet according to claim 4 of the present invention comprises:
The sensor of the switching means is a non-contact type, and at least one of a sensing direction, a sensing area, and a sensing method is different between the sensor for water discharge of the automatic valve and the sensor of the switching means. 3. The automatic faucet according to item 3.

When the automatic valve is not operated by the switching means and the water is discharged by operating the manual valve, the sensor of the switching means is unintentionally sensed and the automatic valve is switched to the activated state. There is a fear. Further, during use in a state where the automatic valve is operated, there is a possibility that the sensor of the switching means is unintentionally sensed and the state is switched to a state where the automatic valve is not operated. Therefore, by making the sensing directions of the sensor of the switching means and the sensor for discharging water different from each other, the sensor of the switching means does not perform unnecessary sensing, and the malfunction of the automatic faucet can be reduced.

For example, in the case of an automatic faucet for a kitchen,
For the sensor for water discharge, it is necessary to switch the water discharge according to the presence or absence of the object to be cleaned in the sink and the presence or absence of the object to be cleaned below the water discharge port. When a water discharge / water stop sensor is provided in the vicinity, the water discharge / water stop sensor is set at a position below the water discharge port. Therefore, as for the sensor of the switching means, the object to be cleaned and the hand of the user are frequently put in and out of the sink and below the water outlet during the cleaning work, so the sensing direction is not set in the sink and below the water outlet, The sensing direction may be set outside the sink or above the water outlet.

Further, the sensor of the switching means does not need to set the sensing area as widely as the sensor for water discharge and stoppage. Therefore, erroneous sensing may be prevented by narrowing the sensing area as compared with the sensor for water discharge and stoppage. Examples of the means for narrowing the sensing area include shortening the detectable distance and narrowing the detectable range so that the sensing is not performed unless the hand is approached near the sensor. In particular,
When the sensor of the switching means is provided in the vicinity of the faucet main body, the sensing area is narrowed to a limited area below the water discharge handle provided on the faucet main body, and when the water discharge handle is operated, The sensor is less likely to be erroneously sensed, which is effective in preventing malfunction.

Further, erroneous sensing can be prevented by using different detection methods for the sensor for water discharge and the sensor of the switching means. For example, a pyroelectric sensor senses that an object having a temperature difference moves with respect to an object around a sensing area, and an infrared sensor senses that an object exists in the sensing area. is there. Due to such a difference in the sensing method, each sensor can accurately sense the sensing target to prevent malfunction.
For example, as a sensor for water discharge and stop, a pyroelectric sensor with a sensing area in the sink is adopted, and when an object having a temperature difference moves to this detection area, the sensor for water discharge and stop detects accurately. As a sensor of the switching means, an infrared sensor having a limited narrow area near the faucet as a sensing area is adopted, and when an object is present in this sensing area, the sensor of the switching means detects accurately. , Malfunction can be prevented. Conversely, as a sensor for water discharge and stop, an infrared sensor having a sensing area up to the vicinity of the water discharge port is adopted, and when an object is present in this detection area, the sensor for water discharge and stop detects accurately, As a sensor of the switching means, a pyroelectric sensor having a sensing area up to the wall surface behind the faucet is adopted, and when an object having a temperature difference moves to this sensing area, the sensor of the switching means detects accurately. Thus, malfunction can be prevented.

[0024]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, an automatic faucet according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1 and 2 show an automatic faucet 10 to which the inventions of claims 1 to 4 are applied. The automatic faucet 10 is a hot-water mixing faucet for mixing and discharging hot water and water from the hot-water supply pipe 5 and the hot-water supply pipe 7. Automatic faucet 1
0 is a faucet body 12, a spout handle 14, and a spout 1
6 and a pedestal 20. The faucet main body 12 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and a water discharging handle 14 is attached to the upper part of the faucet main body 12. And the spout handle 1
By operating 4, the mixing amount of hot and cold water and the amount of discharged water can be adjusted by a manual valve (not shown) built in the faucet main body 12. A water outlet 16 is attached around the body of the faucet body 12 so as to be swingable in the horizontal direction. Hot water is discharged from the water outlet 16 by operating the water discharge handle 14. Further, the pedestal 20 is fixed to the lower part of the faucet body 12 between the top plate 1 and the pedestal 1.

The pedestal 20 constitutes a part of an automatic faucet unit 40 for driving an automatic valve 42 provided on the primary side of a manual valve.
And a battery replacement display unit 24, and on the upper surface unit 26,
Switching means sensor 28 (hereinafter referred to as switching sensor 28)
And a switching display section 30 for displaying a switching state between a state where the automatic valve is operated and a state where the automatic valve is not operated. In the switching display section 30, the light is turned on when the automatic valve is activated, and is turned off when the automatic valve is not activated.
The switching status is displayed.

Water sensor 22 and switching sensor 28
And the controller 44 are connected to each other by a connection cord 46.
2 are connected by connection cords 47, respectively.

The controller 44 has a built-in battery,
When the voltage falls below a predetermined value, the battery replacement display section 24 of the pedestal 20 is illuminated to prompt the user to replace the battery (by a signal from the controller).

The front part 21 is formed so that the upper part thereof protrudes toward the near side and is inclined. As shown in FIG. 3, the sensing direction of the water discharge / stop sensor 22 provided on the front part 21 is slightly below the sink 3. It is directed only to the inside of the sink 3 to prevent malfunction due to the movement of an object outside the sink 3. The horizontal sensing area of the water discharge / stop sensor 22 extends in a fan shape from the water discharge / stop sensor 22 corresponding to the swing range of the water discharge port 16.

The water discharge / stop sensor 22 is a so-called pyroelectric sensor, and as shown in FIG. 4, focuses on a change in infrared rays when an object A having a temperature difference of not less than a predetermined value moves. It is configured to sense by the electric element,
Water is stopped by detecting movement of the user's hand.

When water is stopped by the water discharge sensor 22, the manual valve provided on the secondary side of the automatic valve 42 is opened by operating the water discharge handle 14. When the water discharge sensor 22 detects the movement of the cleaning target A, a detection signal is sent to the controller 44, and the automatic valve 42 is driven to open under the control of the control device in the controller 44 to discharge water. Then, when the water discharge / stopping water sensor 22 stops detecting the movement of the object A to be cleaned, no sensing signal is sent and 1
The automatic valve 42 is driven to close by a time-up of about 5 to about 5 seconds, preferably about 2 to 3 seconds, thereby stopping water.

The portion near the rear of the upper surface 26 is the sink 3
An inclined portion 27 is formed so that its rear end is inclined obliquely upward toward the front side. As shown in FIG. (3) It is directed slightly upward, so that the user does not need to extend to the back of the sink to reach the switch sensor 28 so that the switching sensor 28 can be sensed. The switching sensor 28 is a so-called infrared sensor, which emits infrared light by a light emitting element and receives reflected light by a light receiving element to sense an object (including a human body). When the switching sensor 28 senses an object, a sensing signal is sent to the controller 44.

Each time a sensing signal is sent from the switching sensor 28 to the controller 44, the control device inside the controller 44, which is the switching means, switches between the state in which the automatic valve 42 is operated and the state in which the automatic valve 42 is not operated. . Further, when switching to a state in which the automatic valve 42 is not operated is performed, the automatic valve 42 is driven to open and is controlled to maintain this state. Thus, if the manual valve on the secondary side is opened by the water discharge handle 14, water can always be discharged.

In FIG. 5, for convenience of explanation, the switching sensor 28
Is shown so as to detect the area above the water discharging and stopping handle 14, but in this case, there is a risk that the switching sensor 28 may erroneously detect when operating the water discharging and stopping handle 14. Therefore, actually, the sensing area of the switching sensor 28 is the water discharge handle 1
It is set in an area lower than 4. Furthermore, it is preferable to set the sensing area in a narrow area as close as possible to the changeover sensor 28. Specifically, the changeover switch 28
The sensing distance from is preferably less than 10 cm, more preferably less than 5 cm, even more preferably less than 3 cm.
The width of the sensing range of the switching sensor 28 in the front-rear direction of the sink 3 is narrow as shown in FIG. 5, and is configured not to unnecessarily sense the movement of the user's hand around the water discharge handle 14. Have been. It is preferable to make the width as narrow as possible. In this example, specifically, the water discharging handle 1
4 Approximately 3 cm near the bottom.

The switching sensor 28 is protected by a transparent resin cover. The resin cover is water-tightly mounted on the mounting opening of the switching sensor 28 of the pedestal 20. For this reason, hot water does not easily enter the inside from the vicinity of the switching sensor 28, and there is little risk of electric leakage or short circuit.

It is to be noted that any of the sensing directions of the water discharge / stop sensor 22 and the switching unit 28 can be set by changing the direction of the sensor and the sensing direction itself without depending on the shape of the pedestal 20. Of course, it is possible.

In the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to a hot and cold water mixing faucet, but the present invention is also applicable to other types of faucets such as a single faucet. In addition, although the electromagnetic valve is employed as the automatic valve 42, the present invention is not limited to the electromagnetic valve, and is applicable to an automatic faucet using an electric valve or the like.

[0037]

The present invention is configured as described above, and has the following effects. In the automatic faucet according to the first aspect, in the automatic faucet provided with the manual valve on the secondary side of the automatic valve, it is possible to accurately discharge water by operating the manual valve. In particular, in the automatic faucet according to claim 2, the operability of the automatic faucet can be made better, and in the automatic faucet according to claim 3, electric leakage or short-circuit of the electrical structure part can be prevented. In the automatic faucet according to the fourth aspect, it is possible to prevent erroneous sensing between the sensor for water discharge and the automatic valve operation sensor, and to improve the operability of the automatic faucet. it can.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an automatic faucet according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing the relationship between the faucet main body and the automatic faucet unit of the automatic faucet of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a sensing range of a sensor for water discharge and stoppage of the automatic faucet of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation state of a sensor for water discharge and stop of the automatic faucet of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing an operation state of an automatic valve operation sensor of the automatic faucet of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

1; top plate, 3; sink, 5; water supply pipe, 7; hot water supply pipe, 1
0; automatic faucet, 12; faucet body, 14;
16; spout, 20; pedestal, 21; front, 22; sensor for water discharge, 24; battery replacement display, 26;
7; inclined portion; 28; sensor of switching means (switching sensor);
30; switching display unit, 40; automatic faucet unit, 4
2; automatic valve, 44; controller, 46, 47; connection cord, A;

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (72) Inventor Masanori Adachi 308 Kurono, Gifu City F-term in Caveike Co., Ltd. 2D060 BA03 BB10 BC07 CA04 CA09 3H067 CC48 ED17 ED18 FF01 GG13

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An automatic water supply system comprising: an automatic valve driven by a signal from a non-contact type water discharge / stop sensor; and a manual valve provided on a secondary side of the automatic valve and driven manually. An automatic faucet, wherein the faucet is provided with switching means for switching between a state in which the automatic valve is activated and a state in which the automatic valve is not activated. 2. The automatic faucet according to claim 1, wherein the automatic valve is controlled so that the automatic valve is opened when the automatic valve is not operated. 3. The automatic faucet according to claim 1, wherein said switching means is controlled by a signal from a sensor. 4. The sensor of the switching means is of a non-contact type,
The automatic faucet according to claim 3, wherein at least one of a sensing direction, a sensing area, and a sensing method is different between the sensor for water discharge and stop of the automatic valve and the sensor of the switching means.