Plumbing fixtures

Abstract

To provide water-related equipment capable of operating multiple types of equipment bodies by user's actions.SOLUTION: Water-related equipment comprises: multiple types of equipment bodies 1; a motion detection means 3 for detecting a plurality of predetermined motions; and a control part 2 for controlling motion of the equipment bodies 1 of a type corresponding to a specific motion when one specific motion among the plurality of predetermined motions is detected by the motion detection means 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a remotely operable electric water faucet device, a remotely operable electric drain plug device, or a plumbing device that controls the operation of a hand dryer, a lighting device, etc., which are provided in equipment such as a kitchen sink or a washbasin.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an automatic water faucet that automatically discharges and stops water by sensing a hand. This automatic water faucet has a water faucet body provided on the water faucet mounting surface of the tank body, and a hand sensing sensor is provided on the water faucet body. Also, on the water faucet mounting surface of the tank body, there is provided an operating lever of a pop-up drain plug that allows a user to remotely manually operate and open / close a drain plug provided at the tank drain outlet.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses an automatic drain plug that automatically opens and closes the drain plug at the drain outlet of the tank body by sensing the water level inside the tank body. This automatic drain plug has a drain plug body provided at the drain outlet of the tank body, and a water level sensor is provided near the overflow drain outlet on the inner peripheral surface of the tank body.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] If someone infected with COVID-19 or another virus covers their sneeze or cough with their hand and then touches the operating handles of various plumbing fixtures such as faucets and drain plugs, the virus can transfer to their hand. If another person touches that operating handle, the virus can then transfer to their hand, and if they then touch their mouth or nose with that hand, the virus can enter their body through the mucous membranes. In particular, the operating handles of faucets and drain plugs are touched by a large number of unspecified users, increasing the risk of infection.

[0006] In the automatic faucet shown in Patent Document 1, a hand-sensing sensor detects the user's hand to start and stop the water flow, so the faucet can be operated without the user directly touching it. However, the opening and closing of the drain plug at the drain outlet was done manually by the user operating an operating rod, so the user had to directly touch the operating rod of the drain plug device.

[0007] Furthermore, in the automatic drain plug shown in Patent Document 2, a water level sensor detects the water level inside the tank and opens and closes the drain plug at the drain outlet. Although this allows the user to operate the drain plug without directly touching the operating rod of the drain plug device, these devices detect the water level inside the tank and open the drain plug when a certain water level is reached in order to prevent the water stored inside the tank from overflowing when the drain outlet is closed. Therefore, if the user wants to store water inside the tank or otherwise want to open and close the drain plug at the drain outlet at their own discretion, the user must manually operate the operating rod to open and close it. In the end, the user still had to directly touch the operating rod of the drain plug device.

[0008] Therefore, it is conceivable to install a hand-sensing sensor in the drain plug device shown in Patent Document 1 to detect the user's hand, thereby opening and closing the drain plug without touching the operating rod of the drain plug device. However, if the hand-sensing sensor of the automatic water dispenser and the hand-sensing sensor of the drain plug device are shared, the hand-sensing sensor cannot distinguish whether the operation is for dispensing / stopping water from the automatic water dispenser or for opening and closing the drain plug device. It is also possible to install a hand-sensing sensor for each piece of equipment, such as the automatic water dispenser and the drain plug device, but in this case, not only will the number of components increase, but the assembly man-hours will also increase.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a plumbing fixture that allows the user to operate multiple device bodies. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] This invention Plumbing fixtures are multiple Device body 1 A plumbing fixture comprising, one of the plurality of fixture bodies 1 is a drain plug 12 that opens and closes the drain port 41, Detects multiple predetermined actions single Motion detection means 3, and the motion detection means 3 Based on the detection result, the device body 1 outputs a control signal. Control unit 2 that controls the operation and The control unit 2, when the motion detection means 3 detects one specific operation from among the plurality of predetermined operations, outputs a control signal to one of the device bodies 1 corresponding to the detection result, instructing it to perform the operation corresponding to the detection result. This is a plumbing fixture characterized by the following features.

[0011] The present invention includes a control unit that controls the operation of the device body corresponding to a specific operation when a specific operation is detected by an operation detection means, based on the user's actions. Includes a drain plug for opening and closing the drain. It is possible to operate multiple devices, and by pre-setting multiple predetermined actions and specific actions, it becomes possible to control multiple devices with a single motion detection means.

[0012] The plumbing fixture of the present invention is a plumbing fixture comprising a plurality of fixture bodies 1, comprising a single motion detection means 3 for detecting a plurality of predetermined operations, and a control unit 2 that controls the operation of the fixture bodies 1 by outputting a control signal based on the detection result of the motion detection means 3, wherein the motion detection means has a touch panel, and when the control unit 2 detects one specific operation among the plurality of predetermined operations by the motion detection means 3, it outputs a control signal to one of the fixture bodies 1 corresponding to the detection result to instruct the operation corresponding to the detection result to perform the operation corresponding to the detection result.

[0013] The present invention includes a control unit that controls the operation of a device body corresponding to a specific operation when a specific operation from a plurality of predetermined operations is detected by an operation detection means having a touch panel. This allows the user to operate multiple device bodies with their actions, and by pre-setting multiple predetermined operations and a specific operation, it becomes possible to control multiple device bodies with a single operation detection means. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a cross-sectional view of a washbasin equipped with plumbing fixtures according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a top view of the washbasin. [Figure 3] This figure shows a specific operation among a plurality of predetermined operations in an embodiment of the present invention, which occurs when the user intends to open or close the water tap. [Figure 4] This figure shows a specific operation among a plurality of predetermined operations in an embodiment of the present invention, which occurs when the user intends to open / close the drain plug. [Figure 5] This figure shows a specific operation among a plurality of predetermined operations in an embodiment of the present invention, which occurs when the user intends to turn the lighting device on or off. [Figure 6] It is a block diagram schematically showing the plumbing equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a cross-sectional view of a washbasin equipped with plumbing equipment showing other embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 8] It is a top view of the washbasin in other embodiments of the present invention.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The plumbing equipment of this embodiment is used as the water tap 11, drain plug 12, and lighting device 13 of the washbasin shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The washbasin is composed of the cabinet and the trough shown in FIG. 1.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the washbasin includes a cabinet 5, a trough 4 (washbowl), and a water tap and a drain plug which are plumbing equipment. In addition, a lighting device 13 is provided near the washbasin. The cabinet 5 is formed in a box shape and is installed on the floor. Inside the cabinet 5, a storage part for storing articles is formed. The trough 4 is provided on the cabinet 5. The trough 4 has a box shape, and a drain port 41 for draining internal drainage downstream is opened at the bottom thereof. As shown in FIG. 2, the side where the user is located with respect to the trough 4 is the front, the location opposite to the front is the back, and the directions that are left and right for the user are the left and right. In this embodiment, a water tap placement surface 51 is formed on the upper surface of the cabinet 5. In this embodiment, the water tap placement surface 51 on which the water tap 11 is installed is formed on the upper surface of the cabinet 5, but it may be formed on the upper surface of the trough 4, for example. Also, the object on which the water tap 11 is installed is not limited to the washbasin, and it may be, for example, a kitchen counter. When installing the water tap on the kitchen counter, the water tap 11 is installed, for example, on a counter that constitutes the upper surface of the kitchen counter or near the sink.

[0017] The drain pipe 6 is a pipe for draining wastewater generated in the tank body 4 into the sewer system, and is located inside the cabinet 5. One end of the drain pipe 6 is connected to the drain port 41 of the tank body 4, and the other end is connected to the sewer pipe (not shown). In this embodiment, a conventional drain trap 61 is configured in the middle of the drain pipe 6. This drain trap 61 is made up of a U-shaped pipe and has a water seal that stores a portion of the wastewater inside. Because the drain trap 61 has a water seal inside, it has the function of preventing odors and pests from the sewer from flowing back into the room.

[0018] The main unit 1 is a device installed in a water-related fixture such as a washbasin or kitchen, and in this embodiment, it includes a water outlet 11 for discharging / stopping water into the tank 4, a drain plug 12 for opening / closing the drain outlet 41 of the tank 4, and multiple lighting devices 13 configured near the washbasin. Device body 1 It is equipped with. In this embodiment, the main unit 1 consists of a water outlet 11, a drain plug 12, and a lighting device 13, but the present invention is not limited to these. For example, it could be a hand dryer to dry the water off a user's hands after washing, or an automatic hand soap dispenser.

[0019] The water tap 11 is an automatic water tap that switches between discharging water and not discharging water based on the detection result of the motion detection means 3. The water discharge / stopping of the water tap 11 is controlled by a control unit 2 located inside the cabinet 5. As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the water tap 11 includes a water discharge section 112 for discharging water, a water supply pipe 7 for supplying water to the water discharge section 112, a handle 111 for changing the flow rate and temperature of the water discharged from the water discharge section 112, and a motion detection means 3 having a non-contact sensor. The user can change the flow rate and temperature of the water discharged by operating the handle 111. For example, the user can operate the water discharge / stopping and water discharge flow rate by moving the handle 111 up and down, and can adjust the temperature of the water discharged by rotating the handle 111 left and right. As shown in Figure 2, the end of the water discharge section 112 is positioned to protrude into the inside of the tank body 4, so the water discharged from the water discharge section 112 is discharged into the inside of the tank body 4. The motion detection means 3 is provided at the end of the water outlet 112 and detects predetermined actions by the user.

[0020] The drain plug 12 is an automatic drain plug that switches the opening / closing of the drain port 41 of the tank body 4 based on the detection result of the motion detection means 3. The opening / closing of the drain plug 12 is controlled by a control unit 2 located inside the cabinet 5. As shown in Figure 1, the drain plug 12 is installed inside the drain port 41 located at the bottom of the tank body and includes a valve body 121 for opening and closing the drain port 41, a drain pipe 6 connected to the drain port 41, and a drive unit 122 for moving the valve body 121 up and down. The drive unit 122 is activated by instructions from the control unit 2 and moves the valve body 121 up and down using an electrical drive means such as a motor. When the valve body 121 rises, the drain port 41 and the valve body 121 separate and the drain port 41 opens, and when the valve body 121 descends, the valve body 121 seats in the drain port 41 and the drain port 41 closes. In this embodiment, a manual operation unit for the drain plug 12 is not provided, but a manual operation unit may be provided as appropriate. If a manual operation unit is provided, the user can open / close the drain plug 12 by operating the manual operation unit in the event of a malfunction of electrical components such as the drive unit 122, motion detection means 3, or control unit 2.

[0021] The lighting device 13 is a light source located near the washbasin, installed near the tub 4, based on the detection result of the motion detection means 3. The lighting device 13 is controlled by the control unit 2 located inside the cabinet 5.

[0022] The control unit 2 is housed inside the cabinet 5 of the washbasin, as shown in Figure 1. The control unit 2 is equipped with a power plug (not shown) connected to a power source and can communicate via wire with the motion detection means 3 and the main unit 1, which consists of a faucet 11, a drain plug 12, and a lighting device 13. The control unit 2 outputs control signals based on the detection results of the motion detection means 3 to control the water flow / stop of the faucet 11, the opening / closing of the drain plug 12, and the turning on / off of the lighting device 13. In this embodiment, the control unit 2 and the main unit 1 communicate via a wired connection, for example, in accordance with a communication standard such as ECHONET Lite (registered trademark). However, communication between the control unit 2 and the main unit 1 may also be performed using short-range wireless communication compliant with a communication standard such as WiFi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0023] The control of the water outlet 11 will now be explained in detail. As shown in the block diagram in Figure 6, the control unit 2 discharges water when the water outlet 11 is in the shut-off state and the operation detection means 3 detects a specific operation intended to discharge water from among a plurality of predetermined operations. When water is discharged in this manner, the control unit 2 maintains the water discharge state until the operation detection means 3 again detects a specific operation intended to shut off water from among the plurality of predetermined operations. In this embodiment, the control unit 2 controls the switching between discharging water (discharging / stopping water) based on the detection result of the motion detection means 3.

[0024] The control of the drain plug 12 will now be explained in detail. As shown in the block diagram in Figure 6, when the drain plug 12 is in the closed state and the operation detection means 3 detects a specific operation intended to open the plug from among a plurality of predetermined operations, the control unit 2 raises the valve body 121 to open the drain port 41. When the plug is opened in this way, the control unit 2 maintains the open state until the operation detection means 3 again detects a specific operation intended to close the plug from among a plurality of predetermined operations. Furthermore, when the valve is open, the control unit 2 lowers the valve body 121 to close the drain port 41 when the operation detection means 3 detects a specific operation intended to close the valve from among a plurality of predetermined operations. In other words, in this embodiment, the control unit 2 controls the raising or lowering (opening / closing) of the valve body 121 based on the detection result of the operation detection means 3.

[0025] The control of the lighting device 13 will now be explained in detail. As shown in the block diagram in Figure 6, when the lighting device 13 is in the off state, the control unit 2 turns on the lighting device 13 when the motion detection means 3 detects a specific operation intended to turn on the light from among a plurality of predetermined operations. When the lighting device 13 is turned on in this way, the control unit 2 maintains the lit state until the motion detection means 3 detects another specific operation intended to turn off the light from among the plurality of predetermined operations. Furthermore, when the control unit 2 is in the illuminated state, and the motion detection means 3 detects a specific operation intended to turn off the lights from among a plurality of predetermined operations, the lighting device 13 turns off. In other words, in this embodiment, the control unit 2 controls the switching between turning the lighting device 13 on and off based on the detection result of the motion detection means 3.

[0026] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the motion detection means 3 is provided at the end of the water outlet portion 112 of the water outlet faucet 11. In other words, the motion detection means 3 is configured to protrude inward from the tank body 4 when viewed from above, so it is provided in a location that is easily detectable by the user's hand. Furthermore, since the motion detection means 3 of this embodiment has a non-contact sensor, the user can operate the device without directly touching the device itself.

[0027] Furthermore, when the motion detection means 3 detects a specific action from among a plurality of predetermined actions, it controls the main unit of the device corresponding to that specific action. In this embodiment, the user holds their hand over the motion detection means 3 and sets three predetermined actions in advance: 1. moving the hand from front to back or back to front as shown in Figure 3, 2. moving the hand from side to side as shown in Figure 4, and 3. rotating the hand as shown in Figure 5. Of these predetermined actions, 1. the predetermined action of moving the hand from front to back or back to front as shown in Figure 3 is set as a specific action to control the water flow / stop of the water outlet 11. Of these predetermined actions, 2. the predetermined action of moving the hand from side to side as shown in Figure 4 is set as a specific action to control the opening / closing of the drain plug 12. Of these predetermined actions, 3. the action of rotating the hand as shown in Figure 5 is set as a specific action to control the lighting device 13 on / off. These predetermined actions, including the plurality of specific actions, are made known to the user in advance through the instruction manual or notices.

[0028] This embodiment is used, for example, as shown below. To dispense water from the faucet 11, the user places their hand over the motion detection means 3. At this time, the user performs a specific action from among the predetermined actions set in advance, as shown in Figure 3, where they move their hand from front to back or from back to front. As a result, the motion detection means 3 detects the specific action intended to dispense water, and the control unit 2 outputs a control corresponding to the specific action intended to dispense water, causing water to be dispensed from the faucet 11. To stop the water from the faucet 11, the user places their hand over the motion detection means 3 in the same way as when starting the water, and performs a specific action from among the predetermined actions set in advance, as shown in Figure 3, where they move their hand from front to back or from back to front, intending to stop the water. As a result, the motion detection means 3 detects the specific action intended to stop the water, and the control unit 2 outputs a control signal corresponding to the specific action intended to stop the water, causing the faucet 11 to stop the water flow.

[0029] To open the drain plug 12, the user places their hand over the motion detection means 3. At this time, the user performs a specific action from a set of predetermined actions, moving their hand from side to side as shown in Figure 4. As a result, the motion detection means 3 detects the specific action intended to open the plug, and the control unit 2 outputs a control corresponding to the specific action intended to open the plug, opening the drain plug 12. To close the drain plug 12, the user places their hand over the motion detection means 3 in the same way as when opening the drain plug 12, and performs a specific action from a set of predetermined actions, moving their hand from side to side as shown in Figure 4, intended to close the plug. As a result, the motion detection means 3 detects the specific action intended to close the plug, and the control unit 2 outputs a control signal corresponding to the specific action intended to close the plug, closing the drain plug 12.

[0030] To turn on the lighting device 13, the user places their hand over the motion detection means 3. At this time, the user performs a specific action intended to turn on the light, which is rotating their hand as shown in Figure 5, from among the predetermined actions set in advance. As a result, the motion detection means 3 detects the specific action intended to turn on the light, and the control unit 2 outputs a control corresponding to the specific action intended to turn on the light, causing the lighting device 13 to turn on. To turn off the lighting device 13, the user places their hand over the motion detection means 3 in the same way as when turning on the lighting device 13, and performs a specific action intended to turn off the light, which is rotating their hand as shown in Figure 5, from among the predetermined actions set in advance. As a result, the motion detection means 3 detects the specific action intended to turn off the light, and the control unit 2 outputs a control signal corresponding to the specific action intended to turn off the light, causing the lighting device 13 to turn off.

[0031] Embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, various modifications other than those described above are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the motion detection means 3 has a non-contact sensor, but is not limited thereto, and for example the motion detection means 3 may have a touch panel. When a touch panel is used, the predetermined action may be an action in which the user touches the touch panel and moves their finger back and forth or left and right, or a rotational action. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the predetermined actions were the user's forward, backward, left, right, and rotational movements. However, by varying the speed of the hand movements, or by widening or narrowing the space between the thumb and index finger, it becomes possible to adjust the water volume and temperature of the water dispensed from the faucet 11, adjust the opening height and width of the drain plug 12, or adjust the illuminance of the lighting device 13. Furthermore, although the motion detection means 3 in the above embodiment is provided on the faucet 11, it is not limited to this, and may be configured in a location other than the washbasin, such as on a wall, as shown in Figure 7. In this case, the motion detection means 3 can be easily retrofitted without having to drill holes in the existing washbasin or faucet 11. In addition, as shown in Figure 8, the motion detection means 3 may be configured on the upper surface of the valve body 121 of the drain plug 12. In this case, the motion detection means 3 can be installed simply by replacing the existing valve body 121 with a valve body 121 that already has the motion detection means 3 installed, and this can also be installed without drilling holes in the existing washbasin or faucet 11. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0032] 1. Main unit of the device 11. Water outlet (main unit) 111 Handle 112 Water outlet 12. Drain plug (main unit) 121 Valve body 122 Drive Unit 13. Lighting device (main unit) 2 Control Unit 3. Motion detection means 4 tank body 41 Drain 5 Cabinets 51 Faucet mounting surface 6 Drain pipe 61 Drain trap 7 Water supply pipe

Claims

1. A plumbing fixture comprising a plurality of device bodies 1, One of the aforementioned multiple device bodies 1 is a drain plug 12 that opens and closes the drain port 41, A single motion detection means 3 that detects multiple predetermined actions, The device comprises a control unit 2 that outputs a control signal based on the detection result of the motion detection means 3 to control the operation of the device body 1, The plumbing fixture is characterized in that when the control unit 2 detects one specific operation from among the plurality of predetermined operations by the operation detection means 3, it outputs a control signal to one of the device bodies 1 corresponding to the detection result, instructing it to perform the operation corresponding to the detection result.

2. The plumbing fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that the motion detection means 3 has a non-contact sensor.

3. A plumbing fixture comprising a plurality of device bodies 1, A single motion detection means 3 that detects multiple predetermined actions, The device comprises a control unit 2 that outputs a control signal based on the detection result of the motion detection means 3 to control the operation of the device body 1, The motion detection means 3 has a touch panel, The plumbing fixture is characterized in that when the control unit 2 detects one specific operation from among the plurality of predetermined operations by the operation detection means 3, it outputs a control signal to one of the device bodies 1 corresponding to the detection result, instructing it to perform the operation corresponding to the detection result.

4. The plumbing equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that one of the plurality of equipment bodies 1 is a water outlet 11 that dispenses water.

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