Pivoting Optical Hand Sensor for Touchless Dispenser Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing touchless dispensers face challenges with false activations due to reflection of electromagnetic radiation from countertops or sinks, making it difficult to position dispensers at suitable heights without interfering with hand sensing systems.
Innovation Solution
A touchless dispenser with a hand sensing system that includes an emitter and sensor mounted on a pivotable carriage member, allowing for adjustable orientation to avoid false activations by directing radiation and sensing axes in a common plane, enabling easy adjustment of the sensor and emitter relative to the dispenser.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the dispenser is positioned at a sufficient height above a countertop or sink to avoid false activations, then false activations are reduced, but the accessibility and usability of the dispenser deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the sensor and emitter adjustable in orientation through a pivotable carriage member. This allows the sensing system to dynamically change its angle relative to the dispenser body, enabling the system to adapt to different installation heights and environments without requiring the entire dispenser to be repositioned. The adjustable orientation resolves the contradiction by allowing optimal sensing angles that prevent false activations from reflective surfaces while maintaining user accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the orientation parameter of the sensor and emitter assembly by allowing pivoting about a vertical axis. This parameter change enables the sensing system to redirect electromagnetic radiation away from reflective surfaces like countertops and sinks, thereby reducing false activations. The orientation can be adjusted to various angles to optimize performance for different installation scenarios without compromising user access.
2Measurement precision
If the electromagnetic radiation is directed virtually vertically downwardly for hand sensing, then hand detection accuracy is improved, but false activations from reflective surfaces increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the radiation direction dynamic and adjustable rather than fixed vertically downward. The carriage member can pivot to change the orientation of both the emitter and sensor, allowing the system to adjust the radiation angle away from reflective surfaces while maintaining accurate hand detection capability. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between vertical detection accuracy and reflection avoidance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by selectively directing electromagnetic radiation at specific angles tailored to the installation environment. Rather than uniformly vertical radiation, the system can locally adjust the radiation pattern to avoid specific reflective surfaces while maintaining effective hand sensing in the target zone. The adjustable orientation allows customization of the radiation path for each installation location.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The adjustable design effectively reduces false activations by allowing the dispenser to be positioned at various heights and orientations, ensuring accurate hand detection and preventing unwanted dispensing.
Implementation Method 1
a sensor to sense electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter which is reflected off a hand of a user
Data Source
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AI summary
An automatically controlled apparatus (10) whose operation is controlled at least in part by the input of a signal that an object is sensed in a selected position relative the apparatus, the apparatus having an emitter (63) to emit electromagnetic radiation and a sensor (54) to sense electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter which is reflected off an object suitably positioned relative the apparatus, comprising a carriage member (220) mounted to the apparatus for relative pivoting about a pivot axis (234), the emitter (53) and sensor (54) carried by carriage member (220), the emitter (53) being generally directional emitting radiation to emanate outwardly from the emitter generally along a longitudinal emission axis, the sensor (54) being generally directional and sensing radiation which emanates generally along a longitudinal sensing axis terminating in the sensor, the emission axis and the sensing axis generally disposed in a common plane which includes the horizontal axis.