Intelligent faucet and control panel thereof

Abstract

The control panel is installed on the top of the intelligent faucet, the control panel comprises a control panel body, a containing cavity is formed in the bottom of the control panel body, a circuit board is arranged in the containing cavity, the circuit board is fixed in the containing cavity through a fixing structure, and the control panel is installed on the control panel body. The circuit board is arranged in the containing cavity and sealed in the containing cavity in a glue pouring mode, and a glue storage groove allowing glue to flow in is formed between the side wall of the containing cavity and the circuit board. When the circuit board is installed, the control panel is inverted, the circuit board is fixed through the fixing structure and located in the containing cavity, then glue is injected into the other face of the circuit board, the glue seals the upper surface of the whole circuit board, and redundant glue flows into the glue storage groove in the side wall to be stored; glue is prevented from flowing into the front surface of the circuit board through the side wall to affect normal use of internal electronic components.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of water outlet fittings technology, and in particular to a smart faucet and its control panel. Background Technology

[0002] Current smart faucets typically have a control panel and electronic components mounted on the spout for touch-sensitive temperature adjustment. This necessitates the installation of these electronic components within the spout. Since the spout is exposed to water, it inevitably gets wet, requiring a higher level of waterproofing. However, the waterproofing of the spout in current smart faucets is not ideal and urgently needs improvement. Utility Model Content

[0003] In view of this, this application provides a smart faucet and its control panel to solve the technical problem of poor waterproofing effect of the internal electronic control components in existing smart faucets.

[0004] To achieve one or more of the above objectives or other objectives, this application proposes a control panel installed on a faucet, including a control panel body, a receiving cavity at the bottom of the control panel body, a circuit board inside the receiving cavity, the circuit board being sealed in the receiving cavity by potting glue, and a glue storage tank for glue to flow in being formed between the side wall of the control panel body and the circuit board.

[0005] Preferably, ribs are provided along the side wall of the control panel body, and the circuit board is placed on the ribs. A gap exists between the ribs and the side wall of the control panel body, allowing adhesive to flow in. By placing the circuit board on the ribs, there are no gaps between the ribs and the circuit board, preventing adhesive from flowing into the circuit board through the edges of the ribs.

[0006] Preferably, the ribs include a first rib and a second rib, which are disposed opposite to each other at both ends of the receiving cavity and are spaced apart. The spaced-apart space serves to prevent air leakage, facilitating the placement of components on the circuit board and thus making the circuit board layout more rational.

[0007] Preferably, the first and second ribs are U-shaped. The first rib includes two first side ribs and a first connecting rib connecting the two first side ribs. The width of the gap between the first connecting rib and the inner wall of the control panel body is greater than the width of the gap between the two first side ribs and the inner wall of the control panel body. The second rib includes two second side ribs and a second connecting rib connecting the two second side ribs. The width of the gap between the second connecting rib and the inner wall of the control panel body is greater than the width of the gap between the two second side ribs and the inner wall of the control panel body. The larger gap width at both ends is to match the structure of the circuit board. The edge of the circuit board does not completely fit the racetrack-shaped receiving cavity; it has gaps at both ends. Therefore, the gaps at the corresponding ends need to be set larger to accommodate more glue and completely fill the gaps for better sealing.

[0008] Preferably, the width of the gap formed between the first connecting rib and the inner wall of the control panel body is smaller than the width of the gap formed between the second connecting rib and the inner wall of the control panel body.

[0009] Preferably, the circuit board is fixed within the receiving cavity by a fixing structure.

[0010] Preferably, the fixing structure includes a plurality of first fixing posts disposed within the receiving cavity and through holes disposed at corresponding positions on the circuit board. Each first fixing post has a first connecting hole, and the circuit board is locked in place by fasteners passing through the through holes and extending into the first connecting holes. This connection method, where fasteners extend into the through holes and the first connecting holes, makes the installation of the circuit board simple and quick.

[0011] Preferably, the receiving cavity is further provided with a second fixing post, the second fixing post having a second connecting hole, and the circuit board having a corresponding connecting post that can extend into the second connecting hole, the connecting post being fitted with a spring. The spring on the connecting post provides a reverse buffering effect on the insertion between the second fixing post and the connecting post, and also allows for a better fixed connection between the two.

[0012] Preferably, a boss protrudes from the bottom of the control panel body, the receiving cavity is located within the boss, and a gap is left between the boss and the edge of the control panel body. Multiple connecting parts for connecting the control panel body to the outside are provided in the gap. Leaving a gap between the boss and the edge of the control panel body allows the top of the control panel body to better cover the faucet without interference or gaps.

[0013] Preferably, the connecting portion comprises multiple hooks located at both ends of the control panel and on both sides of the control panel. When the control panel is installed on a faucet, the hooks enable quick plugging and unplugging connection with the corresponding structure on the faucet, facilitating installation and disassembly.

[0014] This application also provides a smart faucet, which has one or two water outlet pipes, and the control panel described above is provided on the top of the water outlet pipes.

[0015] Implementing the embodiments of this application has the following beneficial effects:

[0016] In this application, when installing the circuit board, the control panel is inverted, and the circuit board is first fixed by a fixing structure. The electronic components on one side of the circuit board are located in the receiving cavity. Then, glue is injected into the other side of the circuit board. The glue seals the entire upper surface of the circuit board, and excess glue flows into the glue storage tank at the side wall for storage, so as to prevent glue from flowing into the front of the circuit board through the side wall and affecting the normal use of the internal electronic components. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] in:

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the control panel structure in one embodiment;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the control panel after it has been inverted in one embodiment;

[0021] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the control panel after it has been inverted in one embodiment;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the control panel in one embodiment;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the circuit board structure in one embodiment;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a smart faucet in one embodiment;

[0025] 10-Control panel; 11-Control panel body; 12-Receiving cavity; 13-Circuit board; 131-Through hole; 132-Component; 133-Connecting post; 14-Glue reservoir; 15-First rib; 151-First side rib; 152-First connecting rib; 16-Second rib; 161-Second side rib; 162-Second connecting rib; 17-Gap; 18-First fixing post; 181-First connecting hole; 19-Second fixing post; 191-Second connecting hole; 20-Spring; 21-Boss; 22-Hook; 30-Smart faucet; 31-Water outlet pipe; Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0027] It should be understood that the term "and / or" as used in this application specification and the appended claims refers to any combination of one or more of the associated listed items and all possible combinations, and includes such combinations.

[0028] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on or indirectly on that other component. When a component is referred to as being "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to or indirectly connected to that other component.

[0029] It should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0030] Furthermore, in the description of this application and the appended claims, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0031] Reference Figures 1 to 3The control panel 10 provided in this application embodiment can be installed on the top of a (smart) faucet. It includes a control panel body 11, which is generally racetrack shaped and has a certain thickness. A receiving cavity 12 is formed at the bottom, and a circuit board 13 is provided in the receiving cavity 12. The circuit board 13 is sealed by potting glue. A glue storage tank 14 is formed between the side wall of the control panel body (i.e. the side wall of the control panel body 11 forming the receiving cavity 12) and the circuit board 13, which allows glue to flow in.

[0032] In this embodiment, when installing the circuit board 13, the control panel 10 is inverted. The circuit board 13 can be fixed in the receiving cavity 12 by a fixing structure. The electronic components on one side of the circuit board 13 are located in the receiving cavity 12. Then, glue is injected into the other side of the circuit board 13. The glue seals the entire upper surface of the circuit board 13. Excess glue flows into the glue storage tank 14 on the side wall for storage, preventing glue from flowing into the front of the circuit board 13 through the side wall and affecting the normal use of the internal electronic components.

[0033] Specifically, ribs are provided along the side wall of the control panel body 11 (corresponding to the side wall of the receiving cavity 12), and there is a gap between the ribs and the inner wall of the control panel body 11, allowing glue to flow in. The gap is connected to the aforementioned glue storage tank 14. Although the circuit board 13 is fixed by a fixing structure, the circuit board 13 is also placed on the ribs. In this way, there is no gap between the ribs and the circuit board 13, preventing glue from flowing into the circuit board 13 from the edge of the glue storage tank 14, i.e., the edge of the ribs.

[0034] In this embodiment, the ribs include a first rib 15 and a second rib 16, both of which are generally U-shaped. The openings of the first rib 15 and the second rib 16 are opposite each other, located at opposite ends of the receiving cavity 12, and are separated by a gap 17, not forming a complete racetrack-shaped rib. Figure 5 As can be seen, a component 132 is installed on the circuit board 13. Component 132 is located precisely at the interval 17 between the first rib 15 and the second rib 16. The interval 17 serves to prevent air leakage. At the same time, the edge of component 132 is also in close contact with the inner wall of the control panel body 11, which also seals the glue storage tanks 14 on both sides, preventing glue from flowing into the interior of the circuit board 13. Specifically, the component is a display screen. Placing the display screen here results in a larger screen area and reduces the black borders on both sides of the screen, thus improving the display effect. Of course, if the circuit board 13 does not need to have the aforementioned component 132, the first rib 15 and the second rib 16 can also be connected to form a complete closed racetrack-shaped structure.

[0035] In this embodiment, the first rib 15 includes two first side ribs 151 and a first connecting rib 152 connecting the two first side ribs 151. The width S1 of the gap formed between the first connecting rib 152 and the inner wall of the control panel body 11 is greater than the width S2 of the gap between the two first side ribs 151 and the inner wall of the control panel body 11. The gap formed between the two first side ribs 151 and the inner wall of the control panel body 11 is elongated, while the gap formed between the first connecting rib 152 at the end and the inner wall of the control panel body 11 is irregularly shaped. Similarly, the second rib 16 includes two second side ribs 161 and a second connecting rib 162 connecting the two second side ribs 161. The width S3 of the gap formed between the second connecting rib 162 and the inner wall of the control panel body 11 is greater than the width S4 of the gap formed between the two second side ribs 161 and the inner wall of the control panel body 11. The glue storage tanks 14 located at both ends are wider, which is actually to match the structure of the circuit board 13. In this embodiment, the edge of the circuit board 13 is not completely attached to the inner wall of the racetrack-shaped control panel body 11, and there are gaps at both ends. Therefore, the glue storage tanks 14 at the corresponding ends need to be set larger to accommodate more glue and completely fill the gaps to achieve better sealing.

[0036] In this embodiment, the width of the glue storage groove 14 formed between the first connecting rib 152 and the inner wall of the control panel body 11 is smaller than the width of the glue storage groove 14 formed between the second connecting rib 162 and the inner wall of the control panel body 11. Depending on actual needs, different sizes of glue storage grooves 14 can meet different glue storage requirements. Of course, the glue storage grooves 14 at both ends can also be set to the same width.

[0037] In this embodiment, the fixing structure for mounting the circuit board 13 in the receiving cavity 12 includes a plurality of first fixing posts 18 disposed within the receiving cavity 12 and through holes 131 disposed at corresponding positions on the circuit board 13. Each first fixing post 18 has a first connecting hole 181. Specifically, the first connecting hole 181 is a screw hole, and the circuit board 13 is locked and fixed by fasteners, i.e., screws, that pass through the through holes 131 and extend into the first connecting holes 181. Figure 3 As can be seen, there are four first fixing posts 18, two of which are located on the second connecting ribs 162 of the second rib 16. Of course, the positions of the first fixing posts 18 and the through holes 131 can also be arranged in other ways.

[0038] Furthermore, referring to Figure 3 and Figure 5The cavity 12 also contains a second fixing post 19, which has a second connecting hole 191. Correspondingly, the circuit board 13 has a connecting post 133 that can extend into the second connecting hole 191, and a spring 20 is fitted onto the connecting post 133. As shown in the figure, the four first fixing posts 18 and the through hole 131 are located at opposite ends of the circuit board 13. This provides a fixing function, but the middle of the circuit board 13 is suspended. The connecting posts 133 and the second fixing posts 19 are arranged along the length direction, and their insertion allows for a better connection between the circuit board 13 and the control panel body, while also providing support for the circuit board 13. The spring 20 on the connecting post 133 provides a reverse buffering effect for the insertion between the two, further ensuring a better fixed connection.

[0039] In this embodiment, a boss 21 protrudes downward from the bottom of the control panel body 11, and a receiving cavity 12 is located inside the boss 21. A gap (not labeled in the figure) is left between the boss 21 and the edge of the control panel body 11, and multiple connecting parts for connecting the control panel body 11 to the outside are provided in the gap. By leaving a gap between the boss 21 and the edge of the control panel body 11, the top of the control panel body 11 can better cover the faucet without interference or gaps.

[0040] Preferably, the connecting part includes multiple hooks 22, with one hook 22 at each end of the control panel 10, and multiple hooks 22 evenly distributed on both sides of the control panel 10. When the control panel 10 is installed on the faucet, the hooks 22 enable quick plugging and unplugging connection with the corresponding structure on the faucet, facilitating installation and disassembly.

[0041] Reference Figure 6 This application embodiment also provides a smart faucet 30, which has two water outlet pipes 31. The top of each water outlet pipe 31 is equipped with the aforementioned control panel 10. Alternatively, the control panel 10 can be installed on only one of the water outlet pipes 31. Alternatively, the smart faucet 30 may have only one water outlet pipe 31, on which the control panel 10 is installed. When there are two water outlet pipes 31, one is used to connect to purified water and the other to tap water. Each water outlet pipe 31 is equipped with a control panel 10, which can be used to adjust the temperature or water volume of the purified water and tap water respectively. Because of the use of the aforementioned control panel 10, the internal circuit board 13 is well sealed, thereby improving the waterproof rating and greatly enhancing the product quality.

[0042] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and should all be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A control panel, installed on a faucet, comprising a control panel body, characterized in that: The bottom of the control panel body is provided with a receiving cavity, and a circuit board is provided in the receiving cavity. The circuit board is sealed in the receiving cavity by potting glue, and a glue storage tank is formed between the side wall of the control panel body and the circuit board, which allows glue to flow in.

2. The control panel as described in claim 1, characterized in that: Ribs are provided along the side wall of the control panel body, the circuit board is placed on the ribs, and there is a gap between the ribs and the inner wall of the control panel body, the gap allowing glue to flow in.

3. The control panel as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The ribs include a first rib and a second rib, which are disposed opposite to each other at both ends of the receiving cavity.

4. The control panel as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The first and second ribs are U-shaped. The first rib includes two first side ribs and a first connecting rib connecting the two first side ribs. The width of the gap between the first connecting rib and the inner wall of the control panel body is greater than the width of the gap between the two first side ribs and the inner wall of the control panel body. The second rib includes two second side ribs and a second connecting rib connecting the two second side ribs. The width of the gap between the second connecting rib and the inner wall of the control panel body is greater than the width of the gap between the two second side ribs and the inner wall of the control panel body.

5. The control panel as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The width of the gap formed between the first connecting rib and the inner wall of the control panel body is smaller than the width of the gap formed between the second connecting rib and the inner wall of the control panel body.

6. The control panel as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The circuit board is fixed in the receiving cavity by a fixing structure. The fixing structure includes a plurality of first fixing posts disposed in the receiving cavity and through holes disposed at corresponding positions on the circuit board. The first fixing posts are provided with first connecting holes. The circuit board is locked and fixed by fasteners that pass through the through holes and extend into the first connecting holes.

7. The control panel as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The cavity is further provided with a second fixing post, the second fixing post is provided with a second connecting hole, the circuit board is provided with a corresponding connecting post that can extend into the second connecting hole, and a spring is sleeved on the connecting post.

8. The control panel as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the control panel body has a protruding boss, the receiving cavity is located inside the boss, and there is a gap between the boss and the edge of the control panel body. The gap is provided with a plurality of connecting parts for connecting the control panel body to the outside.

9. The control panel as described in claim 8, characterized in that: The connecting part consists of multiple hooks located at both ends of the control panel and on both sides of the control panel.

10. A smart faucet, the smart faucet having one or two water outlet pipes, characterized in that: The top of the water outlet pipe is provided with a control panel as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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