Faucet

Abstract

To provide a faucet capable of suppressing unintentional continuous discharge of a first fluid discharged based on detection of an object by a first sensor and a second fluid discharged based on the detection of the object by a second sensor.SOLUTION: A faucet 10 comprises: a faucet body 11 having a discharge port 13; and a raw water sensor 31 and a purified water sensor 32 that detect objects, wherein raw water is discharged from the discharge port 13 based on detection by the raw water sensor 31, and purified water is discharged from the discharge port 13 based on the detection by the purified water sensor 32. The faucet 10 comprises: a determination part 35; and a notification part 36. The determination part 35 determines simultaneous discharge of the raw water and the purified water based on a raw water detection signal Sd1 output from the raw water sensor 31 and a purified water detection signal Sd2 output from the purified water sensor 32. The notification part 36 notifies a simultaneous ejection state based on a determination result of the determination part 35.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a faucet equipped with a first sensor and a second sensor for detecting an object. [Background technology]

[0002] The hot water supply device of Patent Document 1 includes a purified water circuit and a mixed water circuit connected to a discharge port, and a setting device provided near the discharge port. The purified water circuit is a flow path through which purified water flows, and a first solenoid valve and a water purification device are provided in the purified water circuit. The mixed water circuit is a flow path through which mixed water, which is a mixture of hot water and cold water, flows, and a second solenoid valve is provided in the mixed water circuit. The hot water supply device of Patent Document 1 selectively discharges purified water and mixed water by controlling the opening and closing of the first solenoid valve and the second solenoid valve based on a signal output from the setting device by a user's operation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 3-67934 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, faucets that automatically discharge water based on the detection of a human body by a human body detection sensor have been used. When a human body detection sensor is applied to the setting device of the hot water supply device of Patent Document 1, it is possible to provide a purified water sensor for controlling the discharge of purified water and a mixed water sensor for controlling the discharge of mixed water. In this case, due to a user's erroneous operation, the purified water sensor and the mixed water sensor may simultaneously detect a human body, or the mixed water sensor may detect a human body while the purified water is being discharged, which may result in a situation where both purified water and mixed water are unintentionally discharged. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A faucet that solves the above problem comprises a faucet body having an outlet, and a first sensor and a second sensor that detect an object, and discharges a first fluid from the outlet based on the detection of an object by the first sensor, and discharges a second fluid from the outlet based on the detection of an object by the second sensor.The faucet is also equipped with a determination unit that determines whether or not the first fluid and the second fluid are both being discharged based on the detection signal output from the first sensor and the detection signal output from the second sensor, and an alarm unit that alerts users that the first fluid and the second fluid are both being discharged based on the determination result of the determination unit.

[0006] According to the above configuration, when the simultaneous ejection state in which the first fluid and the second fluid are ejected together is reached, the user can easily recognize that the simultaneous ejection state is reached based on the notification by the notification unit. This allows the user to quickly perform an operation to resolve the simultaneous ejection state, and makes it possible to prevent the first fluid and the second fluid from continuing to be ejected together unintentionally.

[0007] In the above water faucet, it is preferable that the first fluid is raw water supplied from a water source, and the second fluid is purified water obtained by treating the raw water. In the above-mentioned faucet, it is preferable that an element constituting the first sensor and an element constituting the second sensor are mounted on a common substrate.

[0008] In the above faucet, it is preferable that the alarm unit notifies that both the first fluid and the second fluid are being discharged when an object is detected by the first sensor or the second sensor for discharging the other fluid while either the first fluid or the second fluid is being discharged.

[0009] The above-mentioned faucet comprises a first flow path connected to the discharge outlet and through which the first fluid flows, a second flow path connected to the discharge outlet and through which the second fluid flows, a first solenoid valve provided in the first flow path, a second solenoid valve provided in the second flow path, and a valve control unit that controls the opening and closing operation of the first solenoid valve based on a detection signal output from the first sensor, and controls the opening and closing operation of the second solenoid valve based on a detection signal output from the second sensor, and it is preferable that the determination unit determines whether or not the first fluid and the second fluid are both being discharged based on a control signal output from the valve control unit to the first solenoid valve and a control signal output from the valve control unit to the second solenoid valve. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent a first fluid, which is discharged based on detection of an object by a first sensor, and a second fluid, which is discharged based on detection of an object by a second sensor, from being unintentionally discharged together in a continuous manner. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a faucet. [Diagram 2] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a logical operation in a determination unit. [Diagram 3] 4 is a timing chart showing the operation of the faucet during normal operation. [Figure 4] 4 is a timing chart showing the operation of the faucet in the event of an erroneous operation. [Diagram 5] 13 is a flowchart of a determination process in a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will now be described. The faucet of this embodiment is a faucet that is installed on a counter of a kitchen cabinet and is configured to be capable of selectively discharging raw water and purified water. As shown in Figure 1, the faucet 10 includes a faucet body 11 that is placed on a wall W which is the counter of a kitchen cabinet, a piping section 20 through which raw water and purified water flow, and a control section 30 that controls the raw water and purified water flowing through the piping section 20.

[0013] (Faucet body) The faucet body 11 is a tubular member that extends obliquely upward from the wall W with a tip portion bent horizontally. A fixing portion 12 that is fixed to the wall W is provided at the base end of the faucet body 11. A discharge port 13 that discharges raw water and purified water downward is provided at the lower tip of the faucet body 11. Inside the faucet body 11, the downstream portions of a raw water channel 23 and a purified water channel 24 that constitute the piping section 20 described below are arranged.

[0014] (Piping section) The piping section 20 includes a water supply pipe 21 through which raw water supplied from a water supply source flows, and a raw water channel 23 and a purified water channel 24 which are branched from the water supply pipe 21 by a branch pipe 22. The raw water channel 23 is a flow path for supplying raw water to the outlet 13 of the faucet body 11, and its downstream end is connected to the outlet 13 of the faucet body 11. A raw water solenoid valve 25 for opening and closing the raw water channel 23 is provided in the raw water channel 23.

[0015] The purified water passage 24 is a flow path for supplying purified water to the outlet 13 of the faucet body 11, and its downstream end is connected to the outlet 13 of the faucet body 11. The purified water passage 24 is provided with a purified water solenoid valve 26 that opens and closes the purified water passage 24. A water purifier 27 is provided on the purified water passage 24 downstream of the purified water solenoid valve 26.

[0016] Raw water flowing through the water purification passage 24 is purified by passing through the water purifier 27 to become purified water. Purified water purified by the water purifier 27 flows downstream of the water purifier 27 in the water purification passage 24. The water purifier 27 is not particularly limited, and any known water purifier applied to a water faucet, such as a water purifier using activated carbon fiber or a reverse osmosis membrane, can be used.

[0017] (Control unit) The control unit 30 includes a raw water sensor 31 and a purified water sensor 32 that detect objects such as a human body in a non-contact manner, and a valve control unit 33 that controls the opening and closing operations of the raw water solenoid valve 25 and the purified water solenoid valve 26.

[0018] The raw water sensor 31 is disposed at the tip of the faucet main body 11, and outputs a raw water detection signal Sd1 to the valve control unit 33 when an object is located within a first detection range based on the tip of the faucet main body 11. The purified water sensor 32 is disposed at the tip of the faucet main body 11, and outputs a purified water detection signal Sd2 to the valve control unit 33 when an object is located within a second detection range based on the tip of the faucet main body 11.

[0019] The first and second detection ranges can be set arbitrarily as long as they do not overlap with each other. For example, one of the first and second detection ranges is a range above the tip of the faucet body 11, and the other is a range forward of the tip of the faucet body 11. Furthermore, the detection of an object by the raw water sensor 31 and the output of the raw water detection signal Sd1, and the detection of an object by the purified water sensor 32 and the output of the purified water detection signal Sd2 are performed independently of each other.

[0020] The raw water sensor 31 and the purified water sensor 32 are not particularly limited, and any known non-contact sensor applied to a water faucet, such as an infrared sensor, an optical sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, etc. The raw water sensor 31 and the purified water sensor 32 may be of the same type or different types.

[0021] The raw water sensor 31 and the purified water sensor 32 each include an element 31a, 32a for detecting an object. For example, in the case of an infrared sensor, the element includes a light receiving element that reacts to infrared rays emitted by an object such as a human body. The elements 31a, 32a are mounted on a common substrate 34 disposed in the faucet body 11.

[0022] The valve control unit 33 outputs a raw water control signal Sc1 to the raw water solenoid valve 25 for controlling the opening and closing of the raw water solenoid valve 25. The valve control unit 33 controls the opening and closing of the raw water solenoid valve 25 by switching the raw water control signal Sc1 between an open signal and a close signal based on the raw water detection signal Sd1 output from the raw water sensor 31. The raw water control signal Sc1 is switched every time the raw water detection signal Sd1 is output. Therefore, the valve control unit 33 controls the opening and closing of the raw water solenoid valve 25 by a method of changing from an open state to a closed state or from a closed state to an open state, that is, a so-called set-reset method, every time the raw water detection signal Sd1 is output.

[0023] Similarly, the valve control unit 33 outputs a purified water control signal Sc2 to the purified water solenoid valve 26 to control the opening and closing of the purified water solenoid valve 26. The valve control unit 33 controls the opening and closing of the purified water solenoid valve 26 by switching the purified water control signal Sc2 between an open signal and a close signal based on the purified water detection signal Sd2 output from the purified water sensor 32. The switching of the purified water control signal Sc2 is performed every time the purified water detection signal Sd2 is output. Therefore, the valve control unit 33 controls the opening and closing of the purified water solenoid valve 26 by changing from an open state to a closed state or from a closed state to an open state every time the purified water detection signal Sd2 is output.

[0024] The control unit 30 also includes a determination unit 35 that determines whether or not both purified water and raw water are being discharged, and a notification unit 36 ​​that notifies that both purified water and raw water are being discharged. Hereinafter, the determination of whether or not both purified water and raw water are being discharged will be referred to as a simultaneous discharge determination, and the state in which both purified water and raw water are being discharged will be referred to as a simultaneous discharge state.

[0025] The valve control unit 33 outputs the raw water control signal Sc1 to the raw water solenoid valve 25 and the determination unit 35, and outputs the purified water control signal Sc2 to the purified water solenoid valve 26 and the determination unit 35. The determination unit 35 performs a logical operation using the input raw water control signal Sc1 and purified water control signal Sc2, and performs a simultaneous discharge determination based on the result. If the simultaneous discharge determination is positive, the determination unit 35 outputs an alarm signal Sa to the notification unit 36.

[0026] 2, the logical operation in this embodiment is a logical product of the raw water control signal Sc1 and the purified water control signal Sc2, with the open signal set to "1" and the close signal set to "0". In this case, the logical product is "1" only when both the raw water control signal Sc1 and the purified water control signal Sc2 are open signals "1", and the logical product is "0" in other cases. If the logical product is "1", the judgment unit 35 judges that the simultaneous discharge state exists, and if the logical product is "0", it judges that the simultaneous discharge state does not exist.

[0027] The simultaneous discharge determination in the determination unit 35 is executed at each timing when the raw water control signal Sc1 is switched and at each timing when the purified water control signal Sc2 is switched. After outputting the notification signal Sa, the determination unit 35 continues to output the notification signal Sa until the simultaneous discharge determination becomes negative.

[0028] 1, the notification unit 36 ​​is a sound-producing component mounted on the substrate 34. The notification unit 36 ​​generates a warning sound based on the notification signal Sa output from the determination unit 35. The notification unit 36 ​​continues to generate the warning sound while the notification signal Sa is being output. The type of warning sound generated by the notification unit 36 ​​is not particularly limited, and may be an electronic sound or a voice sound.

[0029] In Fig. 1, for ease of understanding, the raw water sensor 31, purified water sensor 32, notification unit 36, and substrate 34 are illustrated on the outside of the faucet body 11, but in reality, these components are located inside the faucet body 11. The same applies to the signal lines between the raw water sensor 31, purified water sensor 32, and notification unit 36 ​​and the valve control unit 33 and determination unit 35.

[0030] In this embodiment, the raw water passage 23, the raw water solenoid valve 25, and the raw water sensor 31 correspond to the first flow path, the first solenoid valve, and the first sensor, respectively, and the purified water passage 24, the purified water solenoid valve 26, and the purified water sensor 32 correspond to the second flow path, the second solenoid valve, and the second sensor, respectively.

[0031] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. Fig. 3 shows an example of a timing chart when the operation for discharging raw water and the operation for discharging purified water are each normally performed. Hereinafter, a state in which neither raw water nor purified water is discharged will be referred to as a discharge stop state. As shown in Fig. 3, in the discharge stop state before time t1, both the raw water control signal Sc1 and the purified water control signal Sc2 are close signals "0".

[0032] 3, at time t1, when a user performs an operation to cause the raw water sensor 31 to detect an object such as his / her hand in order to discharge raw water, a raw water detection signal Sd1 is output based on the detection by the raw water sensor 31. The valve control unit 33 switches the raw water control signal Sc1 from a close signal "0" to an open signal "1" based on the input of the raw water detection signal Sd1. This causes the raw water solenoid valve 25 to be in an open state, and raw water flowing through the raw water channel 23 is discharged from the discharge port 13.

[0033] At time t2, when the user performs an operation to cause the raw water sensor 31 to detect an object in order to stop the discharge of raw water, a raw water detection signal Sd1 is output based on the detection by the raw water sensor 31. The valve control unit 33 switches the raw water control signal Sc1 from an open signal "1" to a close signal "0" based on the input of the raw water detection signal Sd1. This causes the raw water solenoid valve 25 to close, stopping the discharge of raw water from the discharge port 13 and returning to the discharge stopped state.

[0034] At time t3, when the user performs an operation to cause the purified water sensor 32 to detect an object in order to discharge purified water, a purified water detection signal Sd2 is output based on the detection by the purified water sensor 32. The valve control unit 33 switches the purified water control signal Sc2 from a close signal "0" to an open signal "1" based on the input of the purified water detection signal Sd2. This causes the purified water solenoid valve 26 to open, and the purified water flowing through the purified water passage 24 is discharged from the discharge port 13.

[0035] At time t4, when the user performs an operation to cause the purified water sensor 32 to detect an object in order to stop the discharge of purified water, a purified water detection signal Sd2 is output based on the detection by the purified water sensor 32. The valve control unit 33 switches the purified water control signal Sc2 from an open signal "1" to a close signal "0" based on the input of the purified water detection signal Sd2. This causes the purified water solenoid valve 26 to close, stopping the discharge of purified water from the discharge port 13 and returning to the discharge stop state.

[0036] In addition, the judgment unit 35 executes simultaneous discharge judgment at the timing when the raw water control signal Sc1 switches from the close signal "0" to the open signal "1" at time t1, the timing when the raw water control signal Sc1 switches from the open signal "1" to the open signal "0" at time t2, the timing when the purified water control signal Sc2 switches from the close signal "0" to the open signal "1" at time t3, and the timing when the purified water control signal Sc2 switches from the open signal "1" to the open signal "0" at time t4. At any of the above timings, since at least one of the raw water control signal Sc1 and the purified water control signal Sc2 is the close signal "0", the judgment unit 35 judges that the simultaneous discharge state is not established (see FIG. 2). Therefore, the judgment unit 35 does not output the notification signal Sa to the notification unit 36, and the notification unit 36 ​​does not issue a notification.

[0037] 4 shows an example of a timing chart when the device is operated to discharge raw water and purified water simultaneously. For example, when a user performs an operation to cause the purified water sensor 32 to detect his / her hand in order to discharge purified water, or during an operation before or after the operation, the hand may enter the first detection range of the raw water sensor 31 and be detected by the raw water sensor 31. In this case, the opening / closing control for discharging purified water and the opening / closing control for discharging raw water are performed in parallel, so that raw water and purified water are discharged simultaneously against the user's intention.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 4, at time t5, the user operates the water purification sensor 32 to detect an object in order to discharge purified water. The operation of the faucet 10 at this time is the same as the operation at time t3 in Fig. 3, and purified water is discharged from the outlet 13. In addition, the determination unit 35 determines that the simultaneous discharge state is not occurring, and no notification is made by the notification unit 36.

[0039] At time t6 during the discharge of purified water, when the user's hand unintentionally enters the first detection range of the raw water sensor 31, a raw water detection signal Sd1 is output based on detection by the raw water sensor 31. The valve control unit 33 switches the raw water control signal Sc1 from a close signal "0" to an open signal "1" based on the input of the raw water detection signal Sd1. This opens the raw water solenoid valve 25, and raw water flowing through the raw water channel 23 is discharged from the discharge port 13. As a result, raw water and purified water are discharged simultaneously.

[0040] At time t6 when the raw water control signal Sc1 switches from the close signal "0" to the open signal "1", the determination unit 35 performs a simultaneous discharge determination. In this case, since the raw water control signal Sc1 is the open signal "1" and the purified water control signal Sc2 is the open signal "1", the determination unit 35 determines that the simultaneous discharge state exists and outputs the notification signal Sa to the notification unit 36. The notification unit 36 ​​generates a warning sound based on the input of the notification signal Sa to notify the user that the simultaneous discharge state exists.

[0041] At time t7, when the user performs an operation to cause the raw water sensor 31 to detect an object in order to stop the erroneous discharge of raw water, a raw water detection signal Sd1 is output based on the detection by the raw water sensor 31. The valve control unit 33 switches the raw water control signal Sc1 from an open signal "1" to an open signal "0" based on the input of the raw water detection signal Sd1. This closes the raw water solenoid valve 25, stops the discharge of raw water from the discharge port 13, and causes only purified water to be discharged.

[0042] At time t7 when the raw water control signal Sc1 switches from the open signal "1" to the open signal "0," the determination unit 35 performs a simultaneous discharge determination. In this case, since the raw water control signal Sc1 is the close signal "0" and the purified water control signal Sc2 is the open signal "1," the determination unit 35 determines that the simultaneous discharge state is not occurring and stops outputting the notification signal Sa. Stopping the output of the notification signal Sa causes the notification unit 36 ​​to stop notifying.

[0043] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described. (1) The faucet 10 comprises a faucet body 11 having an outlet 13, a raw water sensor 31 and a purified water sensor 32 that detect an object, and discharges raw water from the outlet 13 based on detection by the raw water sensor 31, and discharges purified water from the outlet 13 based on detection by the purified water sensor 32. The faucet 10 comprises a determination unit 35 and an alarm unit 36. The determination unit 35 determines whether raw water and purified water are being discharged simultaneously based on the raw water detection signal Sd1 output from the raw water sensor 31 and the purified water detection signal Sd2 output from the purified water sensor 32. The alarm unit 36 ​​alarms the simultaneous discharge state based on the determination result of the determination unit 35.

[0044] According to the above configuration, when raw water and purified water are simultaneously discharged, the user can easily recognize this state based on the notification by the notification unit 36. This allows the user to quickly perform an operation to resolve the simultaneous discharge state, and prevents raw water and purified water from being continuously discharged together unintentionally.

[0045] (2) The fluids that are the subject of simultaneous discharge judgment by the judgment unit 35 are raw water and purified water. In this case, if raw water and purified water are discharged simultaneously, the advantages of using only raw water and the advantages of using only purified water are greatly diminished. In other words, when purified water is used, the raw water is mixed, making it impossible to satisfy the demand for using cleaner water. When raw water is used, the discharge of purified water wears out the water purifier 27, causing early deterioration of the water purifier 27. In this way, when raw water and purified water are combined, there are many disadvantages to simultaneous discharge, so it is useful to notify the user that they are being discharged simultaneously.

[0046] (3) The element 31 a constituting the raw water sensor 31 and the element 32 a constituting the purified water sensor 32 are mounted on a common substrate 34 . In this case, the elements 31a and 32a are close to each other, so that the first detection range in which the raw water sensor 31 detects an object and the second detection range in which the purified water sensor 32 detects an object are set close to each other. Therefore, when a hand is moved so as to be detected by one of the raw water sensor 31 and the purified water sensor 32, an erroneous operation is likely to occur in which the other sensor also detects the hand, resulting in a simultaneous discharge of raw water and purified water. Therefore, it is particularly effective to notify the user of the simultaneous discharge state and make him / her aware of it.

[0047] (4) The notification unit 36 ​​notifies the simultaneous discharge state when an object is detected by the raw water sensor 31 or the purified water sensor 32 for discharging either one of the raw water and purified water during discharge of the other fluid. With the above configuration, even if the simultaneous discharge state occurs during discharge of raw water or purified water, the user can easily know that the simultaneous discharge state occurs.

[0048] (5) The faucet 10 includes a raw water passage 23 connected to the outlet 13 and through which raw water flows, a purified water passage 24 connected to the outlet 13 and through which purified water flows, a raw water solenoid valve 25 provided in the raw water passage 23, a purified water solenoid valve 26 provided in the purified water passage 24, and a valve control unit 33. The valve control unit 33 controls the opening and closing operation of the raw water solenoid valve 25 based on a raw water detection signal Sd1 output from the raw water sensor 31, and controls the opening and closing operation of the purified water solenoid valve 26 based on a purified water detection signal Sd2 output from the purified water sensor 32. The determination unit 35 performs simultaneous discharge determination based on a raw water control signal Sc1 output from the valve control unit 33 to the raw water solenoid valve 25 and a purified water control signal Sc2 output from the valve control unit 33 to the purified water solenoid valve 26.

[0049] According to the above configuration, the simultaneous discharge determination is performed without directly using the raw water detection signal Sd1 and the purified water detection signal Sd2. This increases the degree of freedom in designing the opening and closing control when opening and closing the raw water solenoid valve 25 and the purified water solenoid valve 26 based on the detection by the raw water sensor 31 and the purified water sensor 32. For example, when the simultaneous discharge determination is performed without directly using the raw water detection signal Sd1 and the purified water detection signal Sd2, it is not necessary to distinguish between the raw water detection signal Sd1 for opening the raw water solenoid valve 25 and the raw water detection signal Sd1 for closing the raw water solenoid valve 25.

[0050] This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that no technical contradiction occurs. The element 31a constituting the raw water sensor 31 and the element 32a constituting the purified water sensor 32 may be mounted on different substrates. In addition, the elements 31a and 32a may be attached to a structure other than the substrate, such as the surface of the faucet body 11.

[0051] The content of the notification by the notification unit 36 ​​is not limited to notification using sound, but may be anything that allows the user to understand that the simultaneous ejection state is occurring. For example, the notification may be configured to use light, or may be configured to use a change in the ejection state from the ejection port 13, or a combination of these. When using light to notify, the sound-producing component in the above embodiment is changed to a light-emitting component, and the simultaneous ejection state is notified based on the light emitted from the light-emitting component.

[0052] An example of a case where a notification is given based on a change in the discharge state is a configuration in which, when a simultaneous discharge state occurs during the discharge of either raw water or purified water, the discharge of both raw water and purified water from the discharge port 13 is stopped to let the user know that a simultaneous discharge state has occurred. In this case, when the simultaneous discharge determination by the determination unit 35 is positive, a notification signal Sa is output from the determination unit 35 to the valve control unit 33, and both the raw water control signal Sc1 and the purified water control signal Sc2 output from the valve control unit 33 are switched to close signals. In this case, the notification unit 36 ​​becomes the valve control unit 33.

[0053] The timing for executing the simultaneous discharge determination in the determination unit 35 is not limited to the timing in the above embodiment, but can be set arbitrarily. For example, the simultaneous discharge determination may be repeatedly performed at a predetermined cycle.

[0054] The logical operation for performing simultaneous discharge determination in the determination unit 35 is not limited to logical AND, and other logical operations such as NAND, OR, and NOR may be used. The simultaneous discharge judgment in the judgment unit 35 is not limited to logical calculation. For example, as shown in the flowchart of Fig. 5, the simultaneous discharge judgment may be performed based on separately judging whether the raw water control signal Sc1 is an open signal and whether the purified water control signal Sc2 is an open signal.

[0055] In the simultaneous discharge determination process shown in the flowchart of Fig. 5, in step S1, it is determined whether the raw water control signal Sc1 is an open signal. If the determination in step S1 is positive, in step S2, it is determined whether the purified water control signal Sc2 is an open signal. If the determination in step S2 is positive, in step S3, it is determined that the simultaneous discharge state exists. If the determination in step S1 is negative, and if the determination in step S2 is negative, in step S4, it is determined that the simultaneous discharge state does not exist.

[0056] The simultaneous discharge judgment in the judgment unit 35 is not limited to a configuration using only the raw water control signal Sc1 and the purified water control signal Sc2. For example, the simultaneous discharge judgment may be performed using the raw water detection signal Sd1 and the purified water detection signal Sd2. Specific examples include a configuration in which the simultaneous discharge judgment is performed by logical calculation using the raw water detection signal Sd1 and the purified water detection signal Sd2, and a configuration in which the simultaneous discharge state is judged to be present when both the raw water detection signal Sd1 and the purified water detection signal Sd2 are output within a predetermined specific time period when the raw water control signal Sc1 and the purified water control signal Sc2 are close signals.

[0057] In addition, the raw water control signal Sc1 and the purified water control signal Sc2 may be combined with the raw water detection signal Sd1 and the purified water detection signal Sd2 to determine whether or not simultaneous discharge is occurring. For example, when the raw water control signal Sc1 is an open signal and the purified water control signal Sc2 is a close signal, it is determined that simultaneous discharge is occurring when the purified water detection signal Sd2 is output.

[0058] The opening and closing control of the raw water solenoid valve 25 by the valve control unit 33 is not limited to the set-reset method. For example, the raw water solenoid valve 25 may be controlled to be open only during the period when an object is detected by the raw water sensor 31. In addition, the raw water solenoid valve 25 may be controlled to be closed after a certain time has elapsed since the raw water solenoid valve 25 was opened based on the raw water detection signal Sd1, and the discharge of raw water may be automatically stopped. The same applies to the opening and closing control of the purified water solenoid valve 26 by the valve control unit 33.

[0059] While the simultaneous discharge state is being notified by the notification unit 36, opening and closing control different from the normal opening and closing control when no notification is being made may be performed. For example, while the simultaneous discharge state is being notified, regardless of whether an object is detected by the raw water sensor 31 or the purified water sensor 32, the raw water solenoid valve 25 and the purified water solenoid valve 26 are controlled to stop the discharge of both raw water and purified water.

[0060] The faucet 10 may be provided with a configuration for adjusting parameters related to the raw water and purified water discharged from the outlet 13. Examples of the parameters include flow rate, flow velocity, and temperature. For example, a handle for adjusting the flow rate is provided on the faucet body 11, and the opening degree of the raw water solenoid valve 25 when the raw water control signal Sc1 is an open signal, and the opening degree of the purified water solenoid valve 26 when the purified water control signal Sc2 is an open signal are changed according to the amount of operation of the handle.

[0061] The combination of the first and second fluids that is the subject of the simultaneous discharge judgment by the judgment unit is not limited to the combination of raw water and purified water, but may be any combination of fluids that are expected to be used alternatively. Other combinations include, for example, a combination of raw water and temperature-adjusted water obtained by adjusting the temperature of the raw water to a predetermined temperature, and a combination of raw water and electrolyzed water obtained by electrolyzing the raw water.

[0062] Either or both of the raw water sensor 31 and the purified water sensor 32 may be a contact sensor such as a capacitance sensor or an electromagnetic induction sensor. The shape of the faucet body 11 is not limited to that of the above embodiment, but may be any known shape applied to faucets, such as a gooseneck shape.

[0063] The location where the faucet 10 is installed is not limited to the counter of a kitchen cabinet, but may be any known location where a faucet is used, such as a washbasin or hand-washing sink. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 10... faucet, 11... faucet body, 13... outlet, 23... raw water channel (first flow path), 24... purified water channel (second flow path), 25... raw water solenoid valve (first solenoid valve), 26... purified water solenoid valve (second solenoid valve), 31... raw water sensor (first sensor), 31a, 32a... element, 32... purified water sensor (second sensor), 33... valve control unit, 34... board, 35... determination unit, 36... alarm unit.

Claims

1. The water faucet includes a water faucet body having a discharge port, and a first sensor and a second sensor for detecting an object, Discharging a first fluid from the discharge port based on detection of an object by the first sensor; A faucet that discharges a second fluid from the discharge port based on detection of an object by the second sensor, a determination unit that determines whether or not both the first fluid and the second fluid are being ejected based on a detection signal output from the first sensor and a detection signal output from the second sensor; a notification unit that notifies the user that both the first fluid and the second fluid are being discharged based on a determination result of the determination unit.

2. the first fluid is raw water supplied from a water supply source; The faucet according to claim 1 , wherein the second fluid is purified water obtained by treating the raw water.

3. The faucet according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an element constituting the first sensor and an element constituting the second sensor are mounted on a common substrate.

4. The faucet described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the notification unit notifies that both the first fluid and the second fluid are being discharged when an object is detected by the first sensor or the second sensor for discharging the other fluid while either the first fluid or the second fluid is being discharged.

5. a first flow path connected to the discharge port and through which the first fluid flows; a second flow path connected to the discharge port and through which the second fluid flows; a first solenoid valve provided in the first flow path; a second solenoid valve provided in the second flow path; a valve control unit that controls an opening / closing operation of the first solenoid valve based on a detection signal output from the first sensor, and controls an opening / closing operation of the second solenoid valve based on a detection signal output from the second sensor, A faucet described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the judgment unit judges whether or not both the first fluid and the second fluid are being discharged based on a control signal output from the valve control unit to the first solenoid valve and a control signal output from the valve control unit to the second solenoid valve.

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