Automatic faucets

Abstract

An automatic faucet includes a housing constructed to receive at least one water inlet conduit and having a spout for delivering water. The automatic faucet includes a valve module, a sensor module, a battery module, a turbine module, and a control module. The valve module includes a valve controlled by an electromagnetic actuator for controlling the water flow from the spout. The sensor module is constructed to provide sensor data influenced by a user. The control module is constructed to control opening and closing of the valve by providing signals to the electromagnetic actuator. The control module is also constructed to receive sensor data from the sensor module and execute a sensing algorithm. The control module is also constructed to execute a power management algorithm for managing electrical power generated by the water turbine and provided to and from the battery.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application 61 / 465,213, filed March 15, 2011, entitled "Automatic Faucets," and U.S. Provisional Application 61 / 574,345, filed July 31, 2011, entitled "Automatic Faucets," Both applications are incorporated by reference. technical field [0002] The present invention relates to automatic water taps and methods for operating and controlling such water taps. Background technique [0003] There are several different types of automatic water taps in use today in public facilities or large private facilities. There are also metered taps that are manually turned on by pressing down on the tap head to turn on the water and that are hydraulically timed so that water continues to flow for a set period of time after the head is lowered. Some of these faucets have separate heads that allow separate controls for hot and cold water. Other metering faucets mix incoming hot and cold water streams and, when turned on, deliver a g...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0005] The disadvantage of hydraulic timing faucets is that it is difficult to accurately control the on-time of this faucet over a long period of time because of the main pressure variations and the accumulation of impurities in the faucet which negatively affects the hydraulic control in the faucet

Additionally, some faucets do not always distinguish between the user's hand, other substances, and objects that may be close to the faucet (e.g., reflective objects placed opposite the faucet's infrared transceiver, soap built into the faucet's proximity sensor, etc.)

As a result, those existing taps may be opened unintentionally and / or left on for too long causing wasted water

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