Automatic flushing urinal based on capacitive sensing
By installing a central integrated circuit module with integrated capacitive sensing module and control module at the drain of the urinal, the existing automatic induction flush urinal is solved by solving the problem of environmental interference and insufficient sensing of the rear wall sensor, and accurate water resource control and user experience improvement are achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202421741302.X
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-07-22
- Publication Date
- 2025-05-16
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-07-22
AI Technical Summary
The existing automatic induction flush urinals rely on infrared sensing technology and are easily disturbed by environmental factors. The traditional rear wall sensor design does not have the best sensing effect on urinals with thicker rear walls, resulting in missed flushing and waste of water resources.
The automatic flushing urination based on capacitance sensing is adopted. The central integrated circuit module integrating the capacitance sensing module and the control module are installed at the drain of the urination. By detecting the numerical changes in the capacitance caused by urine flowing through the drain, it is determined whether the flushing work is carried out.
It effectively avoids the phenomenon of missed water, achieves precise control of water resources and significant savings, and maintains good induction effect on urinals with thicker back walls, improving the overall performance and user experience of the system.
Smart Images
Figure CN222878841U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The utility model relates to but is not limited to the technical field of induction devices, and in particular to an automatic flushing urinal based on capacitive induction. Background Art
[0002] In the current technological context, automatic sensor flush urinals generally rely on infrared sensing technology, and their operating mechanism involves an infrared transmitter emitting infrared rays of a specific wavelength to the surrounding environment. When a person or object approaches the urinal, these infrared rays are reflected, and then the infrared receiver captures and analyzes the intensity of the reflected signal, thereby triggering the automatic flushing mechanism. However, this infrared sensing method has significant limitations: it is easily interfered by environmental factors, such as temperature changes, direct sunlight, etc., which may affect its accuracy. In addition, as long as a person or object enters its sensing range, even if the urinal is not actually used, it will trigger unnecessary flushing actions, which will directly lead to unnecessary consumption of water resources.
[0003] Some other designs attempt to install sensors on the back wall of the urinal to achieve inductive flushing, but this solution will greatly reduce the sensitivity of the sensor when facing a urinal with a thick back wall, affecting the induction effect and making it difficult to ensure the convenience and accuracy of use. Some other solutions attempt to optimize the system by installing sensors and processors separately, but this approach often sacrifices the integration of the system, increases the complexity of installation and maintenance, and is not conducive to improving the overall performance of the product and user experience. Summary of the invention
[0004] The following is a summary of the subject matter described in detail herein. This summary is not intended to limit the scope of the claims.
[0005] The utility model provides an automatic flushing urinal based on capacitive sensing. A central integrated circuit module integrating a capacitive sensing module and a control module is installed at the drain of the urinal. Whether to perform flushing can be determined according to whether urine flows through the drain to cause a change in capacitance value, thereby avoiding accidental flushing and reducing the waste of water resources.
[0006] The utility model provides an automatic flushing urinal based on capacitive sensing, comprising a urinal body, a solenoid valve and a drainage sensing device, wherein the drainage sensing device is located at the drainage outlet of the urinal body, the drainage sensing device comprises a drain and a central integrated circuit module, a groove is provided at the bottom of the drain, the central integrated circuit module is located in the groove, and a packaging layer is provided at the opening of the groove; the central integrated circuit module comprises a capacitive sensing module and a control module, the capacitive sensing module and the solenoid valve are electrically connected to the control module respectively, the capacitive sensing module is used to generate a detection signal according to water flow information, and the control module is used to control the opening and closing of the solenoid valve according to the detection signal.
[0007] In one embodiment of the utility model, a ring groove is provided on the top of the drain, a water guide is embedded in the front of the ring groove, the position of the water guide corresponds to the position of the drain port of the urinal body, and the water guide and the bottom of the ring groove form a water hole.
[0008] In an embodiment of the utility model, a positioning fixture is provided in the groove, and the central integrated circuit module is snap-connected with the positioning fixture.
[0009] In an embodiment of the utility model, a hollow cylinder is provided at the bottom of the annular groove, and a fixing piece is provided in the hollow cylinder.
[0010] In an embodiment of the present invention, the annular groove is located on one side of the groove.
[0011] In an embodiment of the utility model, the automatic flush urinal further comprises a power supply and a water outlet valve, the central integrated circuit module and the solenoid valve are respectively connected to the power supply, and the water outlet valve is arranged above the urinal body.
[0012] In an embodiment of the present utility model, the solenoid valve is arranged on the back side of the urinal body, and the solenoid valve is connected to the water outlet valve through a pipeline.
[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the central integrated circuit module is provided with an LED indicator light.
[0014] The beneficial effects of the utility model include: the capacitive sensing module and the control module are built into the drain pipe, which can accurately detect the water flow information at the drain outlet, and trigger the solenoid valve to perform the flushing operation only when the actual urination behavior is detected, effectively avoiding the phenomenon of incorrect flushing caused by misjudgment (such as the proximity of human body or irrelevant objects), thereby achieving accurate control and significant conservation of water resources. At the same time, since the drainage sensing device is directly installed at the drain outlet of the urinal body, its sensing position is more direct and accurate, and even for urinals with thicker back walls, it can maintain a good sensing effect, solving the problem of insufficient sensing of traditional back wall sensor urinals under certain conditions. In addition, the central integrated circuit module integrates the control module, making the entire system more intelligent. The control module can respond quickly and accurately according to the real-time data provided by the capacitive sensing module, adjust the switch state of the solenoid valve, and achieve accurate control and management of the flushing process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the side of the automatic flush urinal provided by the utility model;
[0016] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of the back side of the automatic flush urinal provided by the utility model;
[0017] Figure 3 It is a simple circuit diagram of the automatic flushing urinal of the utility model;
[0018] Reference numerals: urinal body 110 ; solenoid valve 120 ; drainage sensing device 130 ; drain 131 ; central integrated circuit module 132 ; packaging layer 133 ; annular groove 140 ; water guide 141 ; groove 150 ; hollow cylinder 160 ; water outlet valve 210 ; water outlet hole 220 ; power supply 310 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the utility model more clear, the utility model is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described here are only used to explain the utility model and are not used to limit the utility model.
[0020] It should be noted that, although the logical order is shown in the flowchart, in some cases, the steps shown or described can be performed in a different order from that in the flowchart. The terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification, claims and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be noted that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc. illustrated in the drawings of this specification are only used to match the contents disclosed in the specification for people familiar with this technology to understand and read, and are not used to limit the limiting conditions that the present invention can be implemented, so they have no technical substantive significance. Any modification of the structure, change of the proportional relationship or adjustment of the size, without affecting the effects that the present invention can produce and the purposes that can be achieved, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed by the present invention. At the same time, the terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "middle" and "one" quoted in this specification are only for the convenience of narration, and are not used to limit the scope of the implementation of the present invention. The change or adjustment of the relative relationship should also be regarded as the scope of the implementation of the present invention without substantially changing the technical content.
[0021] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art of the present invention. The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.
[0022] In the prior art, automatic induction flushing urinals are mainly based on infrared sensing. The working principle is that the infrared transmitter emits infrared rays of a certain wavelength, which are reflected by the human body or object close to the urinal. After being received by the infrared receiver, the strength of the reflected signal is judged to realize the automatic induction flushing operation. This infrared sensing is easily affected by the environment, and once a person or object approaches the urinal, it will be triggered to work, which is easy to flush by mistake, resulting in a waste of water resources. At the same time, there are also some urinals that install sensors on their back walls to sense flushing, but for urinals with too thick back walls, this installation has a poor sensing effect. There are also some solutions to optimize the system by installing sensors and processors separately, but this approach often sacrifices the integration of the system, increases the complexity of installation and maintenance, and is not conducive to improving the overall performance of the product and user experience.
[0023] In view of this, the utility model provides an automatic flushing urinal based on capacitive sensing, comprising: a urinal body, a drainage sensing device located at the drain outlet of the urinal body, and a solenoid valve. The drainage sensing device comprises a drain and a central integrated circuit module, a groove is provided at the bottom of the drain, a central integrated circuit module provided with a capacitance sensing module and a control module is located in the groove, and the capacitance sensing module and the solenoid valve are electrically connected to the control module respectively. The capacitance sensing module can generate a detection signal according to the water flow information, and the control module controls the opening and closing of the solenoid valve according to the detection signal. By embedding the capacitance sensing module and the control module in the drain pipe, the water flow information at the drain outlet can be accurately detected, so that the solenoid valve is triggered to perform the flushing operation only when the actual urination behavior is detected, effectively avoiding the phenomenon of mis-flushing caused by misjudgment, thereby realizing accurate control and significant saving of water resources. At the same time, since the drainage sensing device is directly installed at the drain outlet of the urinal body, its sensing position is more direct and accurate, and even for urinals with thick rear walls, a good sensing effect can be maintained, solving the problem of insufficient sensing of traditional rear wall sensor urinals under specific conditions. In addition, capacitive sensing technology does not rely on infrared reflection, so it is not affected by external factors such as ambient light, temperature, humidity, etc., ensuring stable and reliable operation in various usage scenarios, improving the overall performance of the device and user experience. In addition, the central integrated circuit module is located in the groove of the drainer and is protected by a packaging layer, which not only improves the waterproof and dustproof performance of the equipment, but also makes maintenance easier and faster, extending the service life of the equipment. By reducing the number of unnecessary flushes, the urinal not only saves water resources, but also reduces noise and energy consumption, providing users with a quieter and more comfortable use environment, and improving overall user satisfaction.
[0024] The utility model will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
[0025] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1It is a side view of the structure of an automatic flush urinal with a capacitive sensing module provided by the utility model. The automatic flush urinal with a capacitive sensing module includes a urinal body 110, a solenoid valve 120 for controlling water outlet, and a drainage sensing device 130. Further, the drainage sensing device 130 is installed at the drainage outlet of the urinal body 110, and the drainage sensing device 130 includes a drain 131 and a central integrated circuit module 132 installed inside the drain 131. Specifically, a groove 150 is provided at the bottom of the drain 131, and the central integrated circuit module 132 is located in the groove 150. A packaging layer 133 is provided at the opening of the groove 150. The central integrated circuit module 132 integrates a capacitive sensing module and a control module. The capacitive sensing module and the solenoid valve 120 are electrically connected to the control module respectively. The capacitive sensing module can generate a detection signal according to the water flow information at the drainage outlet, and the control module can control the solenoid valve 120 to open or close according to the detection signal to realize the function of automatic flushing.
[0026] In a feasible embodiment, the urinal body 110 can be made of ceramic as the main material. Ceramic materials have excellent corrosion resistance and easy cleaning properties, which can ensure that the urinal remains in a long-term hygienic state during use. The drain 131 can be made of plastic as the main material. Plastic materials are not only light and durable, but also have excellent processing performance and cost-effectiveness, making the production of the drain 131 more flexible and efficient. In addition, plastic materials also have good adaptability to the passage of water, which can ensure smooth drainage. In addition, the encapsulation layer 133 can be made of transparent resin as the main material. It can be understood that transparent resin provides an ideal protective barrier for the encapsulation layer with its high transparency, good corrosion resistance and mechanical strength. This choice not only ensures that the encapsulation layer can clearly display the working status of the internal central integrated circuit module 132, which is convenient for users or maintenance personnel to observe and inspect, but also effectively isolates harmful substances such as moisture and dust in the external environment, protecting the internal electronic components from damage.
[0027] In a possible embodiment, if Figure 1As shown, the top of the drain 131 is provided with an annular groove 140, and the annular groove 140 is located on one side of the groove 150. Specifically, a water guide 141 is embedded in the front of the annular groove 140, and the position of the water guide 141 corresponds to the position of the drain port of the urinal body 110, and the water guide 141 and the bottom of the annular groove 140 form a water hole. When water flows into the drain 131 through the water hole and flows through the surface of the groove 150, it will trigger the central integrated circuit module 132 located in the groove 150, thereby controlling the electromagnetic valve 120 to open. Specifically, the capacitive sensing module of the central integrated circuit module 132 located in the groove 150 can directly and accurately detect the water flow information at the drain port. When it detects the actual urination behavior, it will generate a corresponding detection signal and transmit the detection signal to the control module, so that the control module triggers the electromagnetic valve 120 to perform the flushing operation, thereby effectively avoiding the phenomenon of mis-flushing caused by misjudgment, thereby achieving precise control and significant conservation of water resources.
[0028] The working principle of the drainer is explained below with a specific example.
[0029] The control module can accurately collect the signal of the capacitance sensor module once per second. When not in use, that is, when no one is urinating, the water in the drain 131 remains still, and the reading of the capacitance sensor remains constant without any fluctuation. Once someone starts using it, urine flows into the drain 131. When the water flow touches the top of the groove 150 built into the drain 131 and integrated with the central integrated circuit module 132, the capacitance sensor module immediately captures the signal change, and the capacitance value changes accordingly. The control module detects this capacitance change and immediately starts the preparatory flushing mode, briefly opening the valve (automatically closing after 3 seconds) to prepare for the formal flushing. After urinating, the water flow in the drain pipe returns to stillness again, and the reading of the capacitance sensor remains stable. The control module then starts a three-second timer. If no new water flow changes are detected during this period, that is, it is confirmed that the use is completed, the battery valve is automatically opened, and the formal flushing mode is entered (the valve is automatically closed after 5 seconds of opening), and the drainage pipe is thoroughly cleaned. After the flushing cycle is over, the control module seamlessly connects to the next monitoring cycle and continues to monitor and wait for the next use. In addition, the system also has an intelligent maintenance function: if the urinal is not detected for 48 consecutive hours, the system will automatically perform a 5-second flushing procedure to effectively prevent odor and keep the environment fresh. In summary, the drain 131 accurately senses the changes in the internal water flow state and automatically triggers the flushing mechanism after the water flow is still for three seconds, and then automatically restarts the monitoring process. At the same time, it incorporates an automatic cleaning function when it is not used for a long time, ensuring the hygiene and convenient use of the urinal.
[0030] It is worth noting that the utility model avoids the flushing being triggered by a person simply standing in front of the urinal, which is fundamentally different from the common infrared sensing method. This design ensures that even if someone approaches or stands in front of the urinal, the flushing process will not be accidentally activated, thereby effectively preventing unnecessary waste of water resources and improving the comfort and convenience of the user experience.
[0031] In a feasible embodiment, a positioning fixture is disposed in the groove 150 so that the central integrated circuit module 132 can be firmly and accurately engaged with the positioning fixture, ensuring that the central integrated circuit module 132 can be firmly installed in the groove 150 .
[0032] In a feasible embodiment, a hollow column 160 is built into the bottom of the annular groove 140, and a fixing piece is arranged inside the column, which can be used to fix the drainage sensing device 130, so as to effectively prevent the drainage sensing device 130 from being displaced or damaged due to external factors. At the same time, the hollow column 160 not only serves as a supporting structure for the fixing piece, but also has a moisture-proof function, which can isolate the fixing piece from being corroded by moisture, thereby significantly extending the service life of the fixing piece and the drainage sensing device 130, and ensuring their long-term stable operation.
[0033] In a feasible embodiment, the fixing member can be a screw column. It can be understood that the screw column is not only strong and durable, but also easy to install and disassemble, providing a stable and reliable fixed support for the drainage sensing device 130, ensuring that it can maintain an accurate working state in various environments.
[0034] See also Figures 1 to 3 In a feasible embodiment, the automatic flush urinal further includes a power supply 310 and a water outlet valve 210. The central integrated circuit module 132 and the solenoid valve 120 are both powered by the power supply 310, ensuring that the central integrated circuit module 132 can control the solenoid valve 120 to open or close, thereby realizing the function of automatic flushing. The water outlet valve 210 is disposed above the urinal body 110, and the water outlet hole 220 is disposed directly above the urinal and directly below the water outlet valve 210 to ensure smooth water flow and improve the convenience of use. The solenoid valve 120 is disposed on the back of the urinal body 110, and the solenoid valve 120 can be connected to the water outlet valve 210 through a pipeline.
[0035] In a feasible embodiment, the power source 310 may be a rectified power source or a battery.
[0036] In a feasible embodiment, the central integrated circuit module 132 is provided with an LED indicator light. The LED indicator light can reflect the working status of the central integrated circuit module 132 in real time, such as normal operation, standby, fault, etc. For example, when the urinal is in normal working state, the LED indicator light will be stable; when a fault or abnormal situation occurs, the LED indicator light will send out a warning signal by flashing or changing color, etc., to remind the user to pay attention in time and take corresponding treatment measures.
[0037] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to implement or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention will not be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but will conform to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.
Claims
1. An automatic flushing urinal based on capacitive sensing, characterized in that: The urinal comprises a urinal body, a solenoid valve and a drainage sensing device, wherein the drainage sensing device is located at the drainage outlet of the urinal body, the drainage sensing device comprises a drainer and a central integrated circuit module, a groove is provided at the bottom of the drainer, the central integrated circuit module is located in the groove, and a packaging layer is provided at the opening of the groove; the central integrated circuit module comprises a capacitive sensing module and a control module, the capacitive sensing module and the solenoid valve are electrically connected to the control module respectively, the capacitive sensing module is used to generate a detection signal according to water flow information, and the control module is used to control the opening and closing of the solenoid valve according to the detection signal.
2. The automatic flushing urinal based on capacitive sensing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top of the drain is provided with an annular groove, the front of the annular groove is embedded with a water guide, the position of the water guide corresponds to the position of the drain port of the urinal body, and the water guide and the bottom of the annular groove form a water hole.
3. The automatic flushing urinal based on capacitive sensing according to claim 1, characterized in that: A positioning fixture is arranged in the groove, and the central integrated circuit module is snap-connected with the positioning fixture.
4. The automatic flushing urinal based on capacitive sensing according to claim 2, characterized in that: A hollow cylinder is provided at the bottom of the annular groove, and a fixing piece is provided in the hollow cylinder.
5. The automatic flushing urinal based on capacitive sensing according to claim 2, characterized in that: The annular groove is located at one side of the groove.
6. The automatic flushing urinal based on capacitive sensing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The automatic flush urinal further comprises a power source and a water outlet valve. The central integrated circuit module and the solenoid valve are respectively connected to the power source. The water outlet valve is arranged above the urinal body.
7. The automatic flushing urinal based on capacitive sensing according to claim 6, characterized in that: The solenoid valve is arranged on the back side of the urinal body, and the solenoid valve is connected to the water outlet valve through a pipeline.
8. The automatic flushing urinal based on capacitive sensing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The central integrated circuit module is provided with an LED indicator light.