Non-contact faucet

Abstract

A non-contact faucet is provided including a faucet body having a first compartment (40) and a second compartment (42), wherein the second compartment has a mixing chamber (142) for mixing fluids and a flow channel. The faucet further includes an aerator (46) coupled to the faucet body and configured to receive fluids from the flow channel, a control board disposed in the first compartment, a solenoid (44) disposed in the second compartment and communicatively coupled to the control board, and an infrared sensor (84) disposed in the first compartment (40) for sensing the presence of a user.

Description

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 63 / 026,989, filed May 19, 2020, which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] In general, the present invention relates to a faucet, and more particularly to a non-contact faucet for use in a bathroom. Background Technology

[0004] Water is an essential component of aircraft supplies. In commercial aviation, it is best to use the minimum amount available while ensuring sufficient water for passengers and crew. A mechanical device could be provided that automatically shuts off valves in the pipes supplying water to the taps after a predetermined time period. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a non-contact faucet having a faucet body with a first compartment or electrical compartment and a second compartment or fluid compartment. The faucet includes: at least one control board disposed in the first compartment; an infrared sensor disposed in the first compartment and communicatively coupled to the at least one control board; and a solenoid disposed in the second compartment and communicatively coupled to the at least one control board.

[0006] According to one aspect, a non-contact faucet is provided, comprising: a faucet body having a first compartment and a second compartment; at least one control panel disposed in the first compartment; an infrared sensor disposed in the first compartment and communicatively coupled to the at least one control panel; and a solenoid disposed in the second compartment and communicatively coupled to the at least one control panel, the solenoid having an inlet for receiving fluid from a mixing chamber formed in the second compartment and an outlet for conveying the fluid from the mixing chamber to an aerator, wherein the infrared sensor is configured to sense the presence of a user, the presence of the user is communicated to the at least one control panel, and the at least one control panel is configured to communicate the presence to the solenoid to open the solenoid to allow fluid to flow through the second compartment to the aerator.

[0007] According to another aspect, a non-contact faucet is provided, comprising: a faucet body having a first compartment and a second compartment, the second compartment having a mixing chamber and a flow channel for mixing fluids; an aerator coupled to the faucet body and configured to receive fluid from the flow channel; a control panel disposed in the first compartment; a solenoid disposed in the second compartment and communicatively coupled to the control panel, the solenoid having an inlet for receiving fluid from the mixing chamber and an outlet for conveying the fluid from the mixing chamber to the flow channel; and an infrared sensor disposed in the first compartment for sensing the presence of a user.

[0008] According to another aspect, a method for operating a faucet is provided, the method comprising: sensing the presence of a user via an infrared sensor in an electronic compartment disposed in the faucet body of the faucet; transmitting the presence of the user to a control panel in the electronic compartment; opening a solenoid disposed in a fluid compartment disposed in the faucet body via a command from the control panel; conveying fluid from a mixing chamber in the fluid compartment to the opened solenoid; conveying fluid from the solenoid to a flow channel in the fluid compartment; and conveying fluid from the flow channel to an aerator coupled to the faucet body.

[0009] The foregoing and other features of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of an exemplary faucet and accessory structure;

[0011] Figure 2 It is a perspective view of a faucet;

[0012] Figure 3 This is a side view of a faucet;

[0013] Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the faucet from the rear perspective.

[0014] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating the faucet control.

[0015] Figure 6 It is along Figure 7 Cross-sectional view of the faucet at center line 6-6;

[0016] Figure 7 This is a rear view of the faucet.

[0017] Figure 8 It is along Figure 7 Cross-sectional view of centerline 8-8;

[0018] Figure 9 This is an exploded view of another exemplary faucet. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The principles of this application relate to a faucet, such as a contactless faucet used in airplane lavatories, and will therefore be described below. It should be understood that the principles of this application can be applied to faucets and water delivery devices in other suitable locations, such as public restrooms, building lobbies, etc.

[0020] Now go to Figure 1-4 A faucet is generally indicated by reference numeral 10 in the accompanying drawings. The faucet 10 is a non-contact faucet configured to attach to a structure 12, such as a panel or wall in an aircraft lavatory. The structure 12 includes or is attached to a pair of connectors 14 attached to a conduit for connecting the faucet 10 to a fluid source, such as a hot or cold water source, and one or more openings 16 through which a cable 18 extends to attach the faucet to a power source. It should be understood that the faucet can also be designed to be mounted on a deck.

[0021] The faucet 10 includes a faucet body 20, a bottom cover 22 attached to the bottom of the faucet body 20, and a rear cover 24 attached to the rear of the faucet body 20. The bottom cover 22 and the rear cover 24 can be attached to the faucet body in a suitable manner, for example, by fasteners 26 and 28 respectively received in their respective openings. The bottom cover 22 can be sealed to the faucet body 20 in a suitable manner, for example, by a gasket 30, and the rear cover 24 can be sealed to the structure 12 in a suitable manner, for example, by a gasket 32. The rear cover 24 is received in a recessed area 34 at the rear of the faucet body 20 such that the rear cover 24 is substantially flush with the rear of the faucet body 20. The recessed area 34 provides access to various ports discussed below, and the rear cover 24 serves to retain various components within the ports. A retaining ring 36 can be received in an opening in the rear cover 24 and in a gasket 32 ​​surrounding the cable 18. The faucet body 20, bottom cover 22, and rear cover 24 can be made of suitable materials, such as suitable plastics that provide corrosion resistance and weight reduction for the faucet, such as polyetherimide resin suitable for drinking water, and the components can be manufactured in a suitable manner, such as by injection molding.

[0022] The faucet body 20 may include a first compartment 40 or electrical compartment for accommodating appropriate controls, and a second compartment 42 defining a flow area. Figure 6The first compartment 40 or the second compartment 42 is a fluid compartment that houses a solenoid 44, which is activated to transport water, for example, to an aerator 46 at a uniform temperature. The aerator 46 is attached to the underside of the faucet body 20 and sealed in a suitable manner, for example, by an O-ring 48. The first compartment 40 and the second compartment 42 allow the electronics, solenoid, and mixing chamber to be located within the faucet body 20, rather than having one or more components located outside the faucet body.

[0023] The faucet body 20 further includes: a port 50 at the rear of the faucet body for accommodating an air vent valve 52; a port 54 for accommodating the power cable 18; a port 56 for accommodating the solenoid 44 and forming part of the second compartment 42; and a first water port 58 and a second water port 60 for connecting the hot and cold water pipes via the connector 14. The port 54 communicates with the first compartment 40, allowing the power cable 18 to extend through the port 54 into the first compartment 40 to provide power to the system. The first water port 58 and the second water port 60 are aligned with corresponding openings 62 and 64 in the rear cover 24 and the gasket 32, through which the connector 14 extends into the recessed area 34 and the ports 58 and 60. The faucet body 20 also includes a pair of openings 66 at the rear bottom of the faucet body 20, which are aligned with corresponding openings 68 at the bottom of the rear cover 24 for receiving fasteners 70, such as fixing screws, which are received in the recesses 72 of the respective connectors 14 to attach the faucet 10 to the structure 12.

[0024] See also Figure 5The first compartment 40 will be described in detail below. The first compartment 40 houses at least one control board. The at least one control board may comprise a single control board sized to fit within the first compartment or multiple control boards coupled together in any suitable manner, such as via wires, printed circuit board material, etc. For the purposes of discussion, the first compartment will be described as including a control board such as a faucet printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) 80 and a control board such as an optical PCBA 82. The first compartment 40 also includes one or more sensors 84, such as infrared sensors attached to the optical PCBA 82, and an optical baffle 86 covering the infrared sensors 84. The first compartment 40 is a recessed area at the bottom of the faucet body 20, which allows all electrical components to be housed within the faucet 10. The faucet PCBA 80 is connected to the optical PCBA 82 via suitable wires, which may be connected to the PCBA in any suitable manner. Attached to the faucet PCBA 80 is a connector (not shown) that accommodates a corresponding connector 88, such as a picoblade receptacle, which connects to a wire that is connected to the solenoid 44, thereby allowing the solenoid 44 to communicate with the faucet PCBA 80. The faucet PCBA 80 is also attached to a connector (not shown) that accommodates a corresponding connector 90, such as a microclasp housing, attached to the cable 18. The power cable 18 may have a connector 92 at its opposite end for connection to a power source, which may be an electrical connector for an aircraft and / or one or more batteries for supplying power to the faucet 10.

[0025] The faucet PCBA 80 is located in the first compartment 40 at the rear of the aerator 46, and the optical PCBA 82 is located in the first compartment 40 at the front of the aerator 46. The faucet PCBA 80 includes an opening 100 through which a projection 102 in the first compartment 40 extends; and an opening 104 for receiving suitable fasteners. The projection 102 is configured to receive one of the fasteners 26 that secure the bottom cover 22 to the faucet body 20. The faucet PCBA 80 can be secured in the first compartment 40 in a suitable manner, for example, by fasteners 106 surrounded by washers 108 and received in the opening 104. Similarly, the optical PCBA 82 and the optical baffle 86 can be secured in the first compartment 40 in a suitable manner, for example, by fasteners 110 received in corresponding openings 112 and 114 in the optical PCBA 82 and the optical baffle 86, respectively.

[0026] The first compartment 40 is closed by the bottom cover 22, which is secured by the fastener 26. The bottom cover 22 includes an opening for receiving an infrared lens 116 and an opening 118 through which the aerator 46 extends. The infrared lens 116 is configured to filter visible light, allowing only infrared light.

[0027] See also Figure 6 The second compartment 42 and its components will be described in detail below. The second compartment 42 includes the port 56 accommodating the solenoid 44, the port 130 accommodating the aerator 46, and a flow channel 132 between the port 56 and the port 130. The second compartment 42 allows all fluid components to be housed within the faucet 10. The solenoid 44 is accommodated in the port 56 and sealed by suitable seals, such as O-rings 134 and 136 accommodated in their respective sealing grooves, and the aerator is sealed to the port 130 by a seal 48. The front shoulder 138 of the solenoid 44 forms a mixing chamber 142 with the wall 140 of the port 56. This mixing chamber 142, located between seals 134 and 136, is for receiving hot and cold water and mixing the water to a uniform temperature before it flows into the solenoid 44. The hot and cold water are supplied via water pipes connected to connector 14, which enters the mixing chamber 142 through ports 58 and 60 and through channel 144, one of which is as follows: Figure 6 As shown.

[0028] The solenoid 44 includes one or more inlets 146, as shown. Two inlets 146 receive the mixed water when open, through which water flows and exits at an outlet 148 when the solenoid is open. The outlet 148 is downstream of the mixing chamber. Water exiting the solenoid 44 through outlet 148 flows through channel 132 to port 130, where it exits the tap 10 via aerator 46. As shown, channel 132 extends substantially horizontally to receive fluid from outlet 148, and port 130 receives fluid from channel 132 substantially vertically.

[0029] See also Figure 7 and Figure 8 The vent valve 52 will be described in detail below. The vent valve 52 allows the faucet 10 to release air. The vent valve 52 includes a valve body 160 having an inlet 162; an inner cavity 164 communicating with the inlet 162; an outlet 166 communicating with the inner cavity 164; and a ball 168 disposed in the inner cavity 164, which abuts against a suitable seal 170 (e.g., an O-ring) when the faucet is pressurized to seal the outlet 166. The vent valve 52 is received in the port 50 and sealed by suitable seals (e.g., O-rings 172 and 174 received in respective sealing grooves) to allow fluid to flow between the wall of the port 50 and the outer surface of the valve body 160 of the vent valve 52 (between the seals 172 and 174).

[0030] The vent valve 52 is connected to the water supply system and the second compartment 42. For example, the faucet body 20 includes a channel 176 located between the water port 58 and the port 50 of the vent valve 52 to allow communication between water pipes connected through the second compartment 42 and the inlet of the vent valve 52; and the faucet body 20 includes a channel 178 between the second compartment 42 and the port 50 to allow communication between the aerator 46 and the outlet 166 of the vent valve.

[0031] When the faucet 10 is installed and the water pipe is turned on, the pressure entering the port 50 through the channel 176 will cause the ball 168 to move towards the seal 170, closing the outlet 166. When the system pressure drops, for example when an aircraft lands and the system drains, the pressure no longer acts on the ball 168, and the ball 168 detaches from the seal 170. Then, air can flow from the aerator 46 through the channel 178 into the exhaust valve 52, pushing the water in the supply line back into the supply line.

[0032] Now turning to the operation of faucet 10, the infrared sensor 84 serves as the primary activation method for faucet 10. When a user places their hand under faucet 10, the infrared sensor 84 detects the presence of the user's hand, and the optical PCBA 82 transmits the detection of the user's hand to the faucet PCBA 80. The faucet PCBA 80 then transmits the detection of the user's hand to the solenoid 44, thereby opening the solenoid 44. Water in the mixing chamber 142 then enters the solenoid 44 through the inlet 146, flows through the body of the solenoid 44, and exits the solenoid 44 through the outlet 148. The water then flows along the flow channel 132 to the port 130, which acts as the flow channel, where it exits the faucet 10 via the aerator 46.

[0033] The faucet 10 may also include a secondary activation method, which can be used or used as a replacement for the infrared sensor 84 in case of a malfunction. For example, the faucet 10 may include a panel 180 attached to the front of the faucet body 20, which is a capacitive sensor, or connected to a capacitive sensor that is connected to the faucet PCBA 80 via suitable wires. The panel 180 may include a suitable icon 182, such as a water droplet with a transmission symbol below it. The user can activate the faucet 10 to start water flow by touching the icon 182, which can light up when touched to indicate operation, and / or change color if already lit to indicate operation. In one embodiment, when activated by the capacitive sensor 180, the faucet 10 may be designed with an adjustable timing parameter that causes the faucet to stop after a predetermined time.

[0034] In another embodiment, for example, when the faucet 10 is activated by the user pressing the icon 182, but when the infrared sensor 84 is active, pressing the icon 182 will activate the faucet 10 to start water flow. Then, when the infrared sensor 84 senses the presence of the user's hand, a timing function is transmitted to the infrared sensor 84. The infrared sensor will then primarily determine the timing of the water flow, for example, by turning off the faucet when the user removes their hand.

[0035] Now go to Figure 9An exemplary embodiment of the faucet is shown in 210. The faucet 210 is substantially the same as the faucet 10 mentioned above, and therefore uses the same reference numerals, but is indexed to 200 to denote structures corresponding to similar structures in the faucet. Furthermore, except as otherwise provided, the above description of the faucet 10 also applies to the faucet 210.

[0036] The faucet 210 includes a faucet body 220, a bottom cover 222 attached to the bottom of the faucet body 220, and a rear cover 224 attached to the rear of the faucet body 210. The bottom cover 222 and the rear cover 224 can be attached to the faucet body in a suitable manner, for example, by fasteners 226 and 228 respectively received in their respective openings. The bottom cover 222 can be sealed to the faucet body 220 in a suitable manner, for example, with a gasket 230, and the rear cover 224 can be sealed to the structure in a suitable manner, for example, with a gasket 232. A retaining ring 236 can be received in the openings of the rear cover 224 and the gasket 232 surrounding the cable 218.

[0037] The faucet body 220 houses a solenoid 244, which is activated to deliver water, for example, at a uniform temperature, to an aerator 246 and an air vent 252. The aerator 246 is attached below the faucet body 220 and is sealed in a suitable manner, for example, by an O-ring 248.

[0038] The faucet body includes a first compartment 240, which includes a control board such as a PCBA 280 and an optical PCBA 282. The first compartment 240 also includes one or more sensors 284, such as an infrared sensor attached to the optical PCBA 282; and an optical baffle 286 covering the infrared sensor 284. The faucet PCBA 280 is attached to a connector (not shown) that houses a corresponding connector 290, such as a micro-button housing connected to the cable 218. The power cable 218 may terminate at pins 292 at its opposite ends, allowing the end user to select the desired connector for connection to a power source and allowing for smaller openings in the structure.

[0039] The systems and components mentioned above (e.g., faucets, sensors, etc.) have been described in relation to the interactions between several components and / or elements. It should be understood that these devices and elements may include the specified elements or sub-elements, certain specified elements or sub-elements, and / or additional elements. Furthermore, one or more elements and / or sub-elements may be combined into a single component to provide aggregate functionality. These elements may also interact with one or more other elements not specifically described herein.

[0040] In the specification and claims, several terms will be used with the following meanings: The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context explicitly specifies otherwise. Approximate language used throughout the specification and claims may be used to modify expressions of quantities that can be varied without altering the underlying function. Therefore, values ​​modified by terms such as “about” should not be limited to specified precise values. In some cases, approximate language may correspond to the precision of the instrument measuring that value. Furthermore, unless explicitly stated otherwise, the use of terms such as “first,” “second,” etc., does not indicate order or importance, but rather distinguishes one element from another.

[0041] Although certain embodiments have been shown and described, it should be understood that, upon reading and understanding this specification, those skilled in the art will conceive of equivalents and modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A non-contact faucet, comprising: The faucet body has a first compartment and a second compartment, the second compartment having a first port and a second port, the first port and the second port being located at the rear of the faucet body and used to connect to various connectors coupled to corresponding fluid lines to couple the non-contact faucet to a panel or wall. At least one control panel is installed in the first compartment; An infrared sensor, disposed in the first compartment and communicatively coupled to the at least one control board; and A solenoid, disposed in the second compartment and communicatively coupled to the at least one control plate, the solenoid having an inlet for receiving fluid from a mixing chamber formed in the second compartment and an outlet for conveying the fluid from the mixing chamber to the aerator. The infrared sensor is configured to sense the presence of a user, the presence of which is communicated to the at least one control panel, and the at least one control panel is configured to communicate the presence to the solenoid to open the solenoid, thereby allowing fluid to flow through the second compartment to the aerator.

2. The non-contact faucet according to claim 1 further includes a capacitive sensor coupled to the front end of the faucet body and communicatively coupled to the at least one control board, wherein the faucet is configured to be activated by the infrared sensor or the capacitive sensor.

3. The non-contact faucet according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a bottom cover coupled to the bottom of the faucet body to close the first compartment; and a rear cover coupled to the rear of the faucet body to fix the solenoid in a position within the second compartment.

4. The non-contact faucet according to claim 3, wherein the rear cover is received in a recessed area at the rear of the faucet body and is substantially flush with the rear of the faucet body.

5. The non-contact faucet according to claim 1, wherein, The faucet body includes a third port located at the rear of the faucet body and used to accommodate an air vent valve; and a fourth port located at the rear of the faucet body and used to receive the solenoid.

6. The non-contact faucet of claim 5, wherein the fourth port is in fluid communication with the first and second ports to receive fluid in the mixing chamber.

7. The non-contact faucet according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising a fifth port at the rear of the faucet body for receiving a power cable, wherein the power cable is configured to extend through the fifth port into the first compartment for connection to the at least one control panel.

8. The non-contact faucet according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising the vent valve located in the third port, the vent valve comprising a valve body having an inlet, an inner cavity communicating with the inlet, an outlet communicating with the inner cavity, and a ball disposed in the inner cavity to close the outlet when pressurized.

9. The non-contact faucet according to claim 8, wherein the faucet body includes a first venting channel connecting the third port to at least one of the first and second ports; and a second venting channel connecting the third port to a flow channel, the flow channel being in the second compartment and in fluid communication with the aerator.

10. The non-contact faucet according to claim 1, further comprising a rear cover, the rear cover being accommodated in a recessed area at the rear of the faucet body and coupled to the rear of the faucet body to fix the solenoid in the position of the second compartment.

11. The non-contact faucet of claim 10, wherein the faucet body includes a first port in the recessed area for receiving an air vent valve, a second port in the recessed area for receiving the solenoid, and third and fourth ports in the recessed area for connection to a fluid conduit.

12. The non-contact faucet according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one control board includes a first control board and a second control board, wherein the solenoid is communicatively coupled to the first control board, and the infrared sensor is communicatively coupled to the second control board.

13. The non-contact faucet according to claim 12, wherein the first control panel is located in the first compartment behind the aerator, and the second control panel is located in the first compartment in front of the aerator.

14. A non-contact faucet, comprising: The faucet body has a first compartment and a second compartment, the second compartment having a first port and a second port, the first port and the second port being located at the rear of the faucet body and used to connect to respective connectors coupled to corresponding fluid lines to couple the non-contact faucet to a panel or wall, the second compartment also having a mixing chamber and flow channel for mixing fluids; An aerator is coupled to the bottom of the faucet body and configured to receive fluid from the flow channel; The control panel is located in the first compartment; A solenoid, disposed in the second compartment and communicatively coupled to the control panel, the solenoid having an inlet for receiving fluid from the mixing chamber and an outlet for conveying the fluid from the mixing chamber to the flow channel; An infrared sensor is installed in the first compartment to detect the presence of a user below the faucet body; as well as A capacitive sensor is coupled to the front end of the faucet body and in communication with the control board. The faucet includes a first activation mode, wherein the faucet is activated by the infrared sensor that senses the presence of the user; and a second activation mode, wherein the faucet is activated by the capacitive sensor that senses the contact of the user.

15. The non-contact faucet of claim 14, further comprising a second control board, wherein the second control board is communicatively coupled to the control board, and wherein the infrared sensor is communicatively coupled to the second control board.

16. The non-contact faucet according to claim 14 or 15, wherein, During the first activation mode, the faucet runs until the user's presence is no longer detected, and in the second activation mode, the faucet runs for a predetermined amount of time.

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