Sanitary facility with liquid supply

Abstract

Sanitary device with liquid inlet, comprising an interior region (11) of the device and a device edge (18) delimiting the interior region (11), a water inlet (12) which can be actuated by a water inlet control (20) and by a controllable, preferably electrical and / or pneumatic inlet valve (30), wherein the water inlet control (20) has a sensor (19) for providing an inlet request signal, characterized in that the sensor (19) is arranged below the surface of the device edge (18).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a sanitary device with liquid inlet and improved cleaning capability.

[0002] It is currently known that sanitary facilities such as washbasins, showers, bidets and bathtubs are equipped with water inlet fittings that are predominantly chrome-plated or colored, allowing the fluid inlet, usually water inlet, from a fitting above the surface of the facility.

[0003] In the case of toilets and urinals, the fluid flow takes place within the bowl (interior of the facility), but is redirected by the design of the upper edge of the bowl (edge ​​of the facility) in such a way that the water rinses the inner surface of the bowl of any urine and excrement contained therein.

[0004] Primarily in some publicly accessible sanitary facilities, especially washbasins, attempts are also being made, for hygiene reasons, to activate the water supply with a sensor-controlled water valve. These valves incorporate an infrared sensor built into the inlet fitting, which electrically activates the water supply valve. When the user attempts to access the otherwise conventional, usually side-mounted rotary valves, this movement is detected by the infrared sensor in the inlet fitting and the water supply is started, eliminating the need to operate the rotary valve with wet or soapy hands. However, the water outlet fitting still needs to be cleaned frequently.

[0005] Furthermore, shower toilet seats with bidet function have separate control panels with various function buttons that can be used to select the passive or active water supply option.

[0006] It is therefore an object of the invention to create sanitary facilities in which a separate water inlet can be brought into the sanitary facility without the otherwise usual water inlet fittings.

[0007] This object is solved in one aspect by the features recited in claim 1. In addition, the object is solved in further aspects disclosed herein.

[0008] The particular advantage of the invention is that the costly and time-consuming cleaning of the inlet fitting is eliminated, and the remaining fixture area, preferably made of mineral and / or acrylic, can be cleaned more quickly, thoroughly, and hygienically. The sanitary fixture or basin is preferably made of a mineral or acrylic stone, such as that available from Dupont, Wilmington, USA, under the name "Corian®."

[0009] With a contactless sensor, such as an infrared, capacitive, inductive or radar sensor, preferably located in the front interior of the device, the water supply can be activated as soon as the user's hand approaches the upper edge of the device.

[0010] If the user desires a more intensive and / or temperate water supply, this can also be controlled via a control panel that regulates the water quantity and / or temperature.

[0011] Further advantages of the invention are achieved with the features of the subclaims, in particular in that the invention enables rapid and hygienic cleaning of the sanitary facility without having to forego the convenience of individual control of the water supply.

[0012] A particular advantage is when the control panel is seamlessly integrated beneath the surface of the sanitary fixture, for example using a thinner layer of mineral or acrylic material, so that no joints are created in which germs could settle, thus even enabling use in clean rooms.

[0013] A further advantage of a fixture inlet arranged in a recess or groove, preferably in the rear and upper area of ​​the inner fixture wall, is that it also prevents water from splashing onto the otherwise usual outlet fitting.

[0014] Preferably, a typically horizontal outlet slot for a torrential water flow can also be used to achieve more economical water consumption, as the outflowing water is spread widely over the hands, thus requiring less water than with a circular stream. With additional spray nozzles arranged within it, the horizontal outlet slot can be supplemented and / or, if necessary, arranged vertically, for example, in showers.

[0015] Depending on the positioning of the inlet control, the respective status of the water inlet can be recognized on the right, optionally left, front or rear edge of the device and a quick, particularly optical, detection and control according to water quantity and temperature can be achieved.

[0016] In a shower facility, a control panel can also be arranged on the rear or side of the raised shower wall, and a separate control panel also allows additional activation of the water supply.

[0017] The tactile design of a guide groove for fingertip operation, with Braille and with or without an acoustic output, also allows disabled users to simultaneously control the water quantity and be informed of the water temperature.

[0018] Further advantages of the invention include the possibility of adding additional sensor-controlled control units for volume and / or room lighting. All of these controls and information outputs can be controlled via a smart home connection.

[0019] The invention is described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1: a schematic plan view of a sanitary facility designed as a washbasin with a water inlet integrated according to the invention, Fig. 2: a central section through the setup according to Fig. 1. with a control panel according to the invention arranged laterally under the edge of the pool, Fig. 3: a schematic plan view of another control panel, and in Fig. 4: a section through the control panel according to Fig. 3.

[0020] According to Fig. 1 shows a sanitary fixture in the form of a washbasin 10 with a fixture interior 11, a water inlet 12, a water outlet 14, a water overflow 16, and a fixture surround 18 or rim. A water inlet sensor 19, which is preferably an infrared, capacitive, inductive, or radar sensor, is arranged beneath the surface of the fixture surround 18 in the upper interior 11. In other words, the water inlet sensor 19 is offset vertically downward from an upper surface of the rim or fixture surround, preferably at least 5% or 10% of the total depth of the interior 11. It can, for example, be installed in a recess of a side wall delimiting the fixture interior 11, either recessed or substantially flush with the fixture. In this way, the water supply is started when a user places their hands into the interior 11 and comes into a sensor range of the sensor 19.

[0021] The furnishing environment 18 refers to the edge surrounding the interior area 11, which does not have to be uniform, but can be arranged as in Fig. 2, can also extend further into one or more sides to provide space for additional controls, shelves, splash guards, holders, or other peripherals.

[0022] The water inlet 12 can be designed as an annular or circular opening in the interior 11 of the washbasin 10, but preferably as a slotted opening 13, from which the water flows, preferably in a horizontal, torrential flow. The narrow slotted opening 13 and the resulting broad wetting of the hands can significantly reduce water consumption compared to a normal faucet, depending on the prior adjustment of the flow rate, thus achieving an economic and ecological improvement.

[0023] In other types of fittings and / or shower back walls, the water can also exit from a vertically arranged slot opening 13 and / or via spray nozzles 15 additionally arranged in the slot opening 13, which can preferably be controlled via a water supply control 20 with a switch button 21.

[0024] A particularly convenient control panel 22 for the water supply control 20 is arranged in an intermediate layer 24 below the surface 26 of the washbasin 10 or bidet or in the area of ​​the shower back wall, from which preferably a first control line 28 leads to an inlet valve 30 and / or a second control line 29 leads to a mixing valve 32.

[0025] The intermediate layer 22 can also be made translucent and / or transparent from the mineral material and / or acrylic of the sanitary fixture or bidet or the shower back wall.

[0026] The water supply control 20 is preferably controlled via a control panel 22 with a top side 34, which comprises at least one finger, preferably touch sensor 42, which in a luxurious embodiment comprises a first continuous or punctual light band 36 with preferably white LEDs for displaying the water quantity and a second continuous or punctual light band 38 with preferably at least partially red and / or blue LEDs for displaying the water temperature, as well as preferably a digital display 40 for the actual flowing water temperature.

[0027] In order to enable hygienic cleaning of the control panel 22, a seamless installation is provided, preferably under a particularly thin intermediate layer 24, so that this is formed integrally with the remaining surface of the sanitary device, but still allows the light and digital displays located underneath to shine through.

[0028] As soon as a finger on the top side 34 is moved from front to back against the touch sensor 42, which is preferably designed as a groove, this movement is detected by the touch sensor 42—like a slider—and the inlet valve 30 is opened accordingly. For visually impaired users, Braille can also be printed in the groove to provide the relevant information.

[0029] Of course, a medium inflow can also be started by the water inflow sensor 19 and regulated to a stronger or smaller spray or surge inflow by the touch sensor 42.

[0030] At the same time, the first light band 36, with a preferably white emission surface that widens or intensifies from front to back (or vice versa), indicates the flow rate of water flowing through the inlet valve 30 and exiting from the water inlet 12. Of course, the color of the continuous or punctual light band can also be color-adjustable.

[0031] In the same way, a finger on the surface 34 of the touch sensor 42 can be detected from front to back (or vice versa) by the second touch sensor 44, and the mixing valve 32 can be changed from a lower hot water supply to a higher hot water supply. Preferably, the second light strip 38 simultaneously indicates the rising temperature of the hot water flowing through the mixing valve 32, for example, with an area that widens from front to back or changes from blue to red. Of course, the color of the light strips can also be changed optionally.

[0032] In other embodiments, the left and right light strips 36, 38 are swapped or arranged on only one side, or in any other arbitrary positions.

[0033] In a splash-proof, preferably lower area of ​​the sanitary facility, a preferably low-voltage power connection, preferably a battery compartment 50, is provided, which supplies the cable 52 to the water supply control 20 with power.

[0034] From the water inlet control 20, preferably a first control line 28 leads from the control logic 54 to the inlet valve 30 and preferably a second control line 29 leads to the mixing valve 32.

[0035] A temperature sensor 46 near the water inlet 12 supplies the current temperature value, preferably in analog form, to the right LED strip and to a digital display 40, preferably in the area of ​​the top side 34 of the touch sensor 42.

[0036] A further, third touch sensor 47 can be used to control the connection for a room light 48, for example, on the underside of the sink 10, and can preferably be visually indicated with a third, preferably color-adjustable light strip 62. Both the color setting and the activation of the sensors can also be provided via a receiver for a smart home control system.

[0037] Furthermore, a loudspeaker 58 and / or an acoustic transducer is preferably connected to a computing logic 56 in the area of ​​the battery compartment 50. This logic converts the analog or digital temperature value into an acoustic announcement and outputs it acoustically. The volume of the acoustic announcement can preferably also be controlled via an acoustic transducer using a fourth touch sensor 60 and displayed with a fourth, preferably color-adjustable light strip 62.

[0038] Alternatively, the third and / or fourth touch sensors 47, 60 can be replaced by a wireless receiver for receiving a corresponding radio signal, for example, via Bluetooth, infrared, or another radio connection. In this way, a remotely located control panel can be used. List of reference symbols (part of the description) 10 sinks 11 Interior furnishings 12 Water inlet 13 Slot opening 14 Water drain 15 spray nozzles 16 Water overflow 18 Facility environment 19 Inlet sensor 20 Water supply control 21 Shift key 22 Control panel 24 Intermediate layer 26 Sanitary fittings surface 28 first control line 29 second control line 30 inlet valve 32 Mixing valve 34 Control panel top 36 first light band 38 second light band 40 digital display 42 first touch sensor 44 second touch sensor 46 temperature sensors 47 third touch sensor 48 indirect room lighting 50 Battery compartment 52 cables 54 Control logic 56 Calculation logic 58 speakers 60 fourth touch sensor 62 third light band 64 fourth light band

Claims

[1] Sanitary device with liquid inlet, comprising an interior area (11) of the device and a device edge (18) delimiting the interior area (11), a water inlet (12) which can be actuated by a water inlet control (20) and by a controllable, preferably electrical and / or pneumatic inlet valve (30), wherein the water inlet control (20) has a sensor (19) for providing an inlet request signal, characterized by that the sensor (19) is arranged below the surface of the device edge (18). [2] Sanitary device with liquid inlet according to claim 1, characterized by , the water inlet (12) is arranged in the interior area (11) of the device. [3] Sanitary device with liquid inlet according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the water inlet (12) is designed in the form of a slot opening (13) in the interior area (11) of the device. [4] Sanitary device with liquid inlet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the water inlet (12) is formed horizontally or vertically in the form of a slot opening (13) in the interior region (11) of the device, wherein additional spray nozzles (15) are preferably arranged in the slot opening (13). [5] Sanitary device with liquid inlet according to one of the preceding claims characterized by that the sensor (19) is arranged in the upper edge area of ​​the interior area (11) of the device. [6] Sanitary device with liquid inlet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that at least one sensor (42; 44) for the water supply control (20) is preferably concealed in the upper device environment (18). [7] Sanitary device with liquid inlet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat at least one sensor (42; 44) for the water supply control (20) in the device environment (18) is designed to be haptically recognizable in the form of a visible and / or tactile marking (36; 38; 46), preferably a marking that can be felt in Braille. [8] Sanitary device with liquid inlet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that at least one sensor (42; 44) for the water supply control (20) in the device environment (18) is designed to be optically recognizable by an optical indicator, preferably a light band (36; 38). [9] Sanitary device with liquid inlet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat at least one sensor (42) for the water supply control (20) in the device environment (18) is designed to be recognizable by a first light band (36) for controlling the water quantity, preferably in white color and / or a sensor (44) with a second light band (38) for controlling the water temperature, preferably in at least partially blue and / or red color. [10] Sanitary device with liquid inlet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that a control panel (22) for the water supply control (20) in the device environment (18) is designed with an additional digital temperature display (40) of the inflowing water in degrees Celsius and / or degrees Fahrenheit. [11] Sanitary device with liquid inlet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat an intermediate layer (24) between the device environment (18), or surface of the device environment (18) and light band (36; 38) is at least partially translucent and / or transparent. [12] Sanitary device with liquid inlet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that a preferably controllable loudspeaker (58) and / or acoustic transducer is arranged in a splash-water protected area, with which the water quantity and / or water temperature can be acoustically signaled. [13] Sanitary device with liquid inlet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that a sensor (46) is provided in the control panel (22) of the water supply control (20), with which the spray nozzles (15) additionally arranged in the slot opening (13) can be switched on and / or off. [14] Sanitary device with liquid inlet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat a connection is provided with which the water supply control (20) can be connected to at least one second control panel (22), under a surface similar to the sanitary fixture edge (18), preferably in a shower wall and / or control device. [15] Sanitary device with liquid inlet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the water inlet (12) is designed in the form of a slotted opening (13) with or without additional spray nozzles (15) in a shower wall which extends upwards beyond the fitting area (11). [16] Sanitary device with liquid inlet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that additional water supply options, such as a rainforest shower and / or hand shower, can be activated via at least one control valve controllable via the control panel (22).

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