EP3453803B1 - Actuating device for actuating a locking device for closing an outlet opening - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to an actuating device according to claim 1 for actuating a closure device for closing a drain opening, in particular for a sanitary receptacle such as a sink, washbasin or the like, the actuating device having an electrically operable drive unit and at least one actuating element for actuating the closure device.

The invention further relates to a sanitary receptacle according to claim 7, in particular a sink, washbasin or the like.

The invention also relates to a method according to claim 12 2. for controlling a closure of a drain opening, in particular of a sanitary receptacle such as a sink, washbasin or the like, with a drain opening being opened or closed by means of a closing device, and by means of an actuating device comprising an electric operated drive unit and an actuating element, the closure device is actuated.

Although the present invention is generally applicable to actuators for actuating a closure device to close any drain opening, the present invention will be explained in relation to actuators for sinks and their drain opening.

Known sinks have a sink whose drain opening is provided, for example, with a mechanical actuating device for moving a closure element for closing and opening the drain opening of the sink. For this purpose, a rotary control button is arranged on the upper side of the sink, with which a vertical movement of the closure element from an open position to a closed position or vice versa is made possible when it is rotated by a user of the sink. Here, the rotary movement of the rotary control button is converted into a linear movement of the closure element, for example by means of a Bowden cable.

The disadvantage here is that such a Bowden cable connection impedes the arrangement of pipe connections of the sink. In addition, the rotary control knob on the top of the sink hinders cleaning of the sink and makes it easier to get dirty because limescale, dirt and the like can stick to or on the sink. can deposit under the rotary control knob.

To solve the problem, it has therefore been proposed to use push buttons that can be completely or partially retracted for the actuation instead of the rotary control knobs. The disadvantage of these, however, is that they also protrude over the top edge of the sink and can therefore easily get dirty.

Furthermore, pressure-actuated sensors have become known, which are arranged on the top of the sink. Since they protrude upwards over the top of the sink, these also have the aforementioned problem of soiling. In addition, an additional opening must be provided in the surface of the sink or the worktop for this, which makes production more difficult and thus increases the production costs. Furthermore, the operation of such pressure sensors is usually not intuitive; the triggering of the actuating device is thus unreliable for a user.

From the DE 10 2004 021 416 U1 a movement device for moving a closure element for closing a drain opening has also become known. In this case, a piezoelectric sensor is used to actuate an actuating device for actuating a closure device for closing a drain opening. The piezoelectric sensor is arranged on the underside of a sink in a recess so that it can be triggered from above by a user of the sink by touching it, for example with a finger, so that the movement device opens or closes the closure element. Other state-of-the-art actuating devices are available in WO2007/118791 A2 , WO02/29168A1 , US2012/124737A1 , DE3925590A1 and in particular US2016/208470A1 and US2003/041374A1 disclosed.

To avoid unintentional actuation signals from the sensor, the sensor can be designed as a 2-zone sensor with an inner detection area and an outer detection area. In addition, capacitive sensors for detecting the filling level of the sink are arranged, for example two one above the other on one side or on different sides of the sink, which detect a filling level. The movement device then closes or opens the closure element of the drain opening according to the level detected.

An object of the present invention is therefore to provide an actuating device, a sanitary receptacle and a method for controlling a closure of a drain opening, in particular a sanitary receptacle, which is simple and reliable to operate and implement, easy to clean and visually appealing are appealing and have a high degree of flexibility, in particular with regard to the position of a sensor device.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an alternative actuating device, an alternative sanitary receptacle and an alternative method for controlling a closure of a drain opening, in particular of a sanitary receptacle.

The present invention solves the tasks of an actuating device for actuating a closure device for closing a drain opening for a sanitary receptacle, in particular a sink, washbasin or the like, the actuating device having an electronically operated drive unit and at least one actuating element for actuating the closure device in that the Actuating device comprises a sensor device with at least one contactless triggering sensor element.

The present invention also achieves the objects in a sanitary receptacle, in particular a sink, washbasin or the like, by means of an actuating device according to one of Claims 1-6.

The present invention also achieves the objects in a method for controlling a closure of a drain opening, in particular a sanitary receptacle such as a sink, washbasin or the like, with a drain opening being opened or closed by means of a closing device, and with an actuating device comprising an electrically operable Drive unit and an actuating element, the closure device is actuated, characterized in that the actuating device is actuated by means of a sensor device comprising at least one sensor element that triggers without contact.

One of the advantages achieved in this way is that a sensor device that triggers without contact does not have to provide, for example, sink and worktop surfaces with an opening or recess, which on the one hand is visually appealing and on the other hand reduces production costs. In addition, the sensor device can be arranged more flexibly with regard to its position, that is, for example, also in areas that are difficult for a user to reach with their fingers.

The term "non-contact" in relation to a sensor element is to be understood in the broadest sense and refers in particular in the claims, preferably in the description, to a sensor element which monitors and can be triggered in a specific area, area, area or volume, if a change occurs in the specific area, region, area or volume without the sensor element having to be touched directly and/or a force acts directly or indirectly on the sensor element as a result of the touch. A non-contact triggering sensor element is, for example, a sensor element which is arranged on the rear side of a wooden board or the like and is triggered in particular when there is a change in the area monitored by the sensor element on the front side of the wooden board. A change is also detected in the area of the plate itself, provided this is in the area monitored by the sensor element. In particular, the sensing element is triggered by a touch or sweep of the surface of the front side, the triggering being independent of the force or pressure generated by the touch.

Further features, advantages and further embodiments of the invention are described below or become apparent thereby:
According to an advantageous development, the at least one sensor element is designed as a capacitive sensor element and/or as an acoustic sensor element. One of the advantages of a capacitive sensor element, which in particular can be designed to calibrate itself, is its flexibility Possible uses for essentially all non-metallic materials.

An acoustic sensor, e.g. in the form of one or more microphones and/or loudspeakers, enables speech or speech commands to be recognized in a flexible manner and thus extremely flexible and simple non-contact operation of the actuating device, for example without the aid of possibly dirty hands.

According to a further advantageous development, the sensor device is wirelessly connected to the actuating device in order to actuate it. Due to the wireless connection to the actuating device, the sensor device, in particular its sensor elements, can be positioned almost anywhere independently of one another within the corresponding range of the radio connection. If the sensor device is used to actuate a closure of a sanitary drainage container, it can be positioned essentially in the entire kitchen area according to local conditions, customer requirements or the like. The wireless connection can also be encrypted to prevent misuse.

According to a further advantageous development, the actuating device and/or the sensor device comprises an independent electrical energy supply unit. Such an electrical energy supply unit can be, for example, a battery, an accumulator, a capacitor or the like. As a result, the flexibility in the positioning of the sensor device is increased even further. Due to the independent electrical energy supply unit, the sensor device and/or the actuating device does not depend on a wired energy supply, for example via a socket.

According to a further development according to the invention, the sensor device comprises a number of sensor elements which trigger without contact and which have different types of triggering and/or different orientations of the detection surface. If the sensor device enables different types of triggering by means of differently designed sensor elements, the reliability of the triggering can be significantly increased: if, for example, the detection of speech is combined with a detection of gestures by the sensor device avoids that on the one hand the actuating device is unintentionally actuated during a conversation if, in addition to a voice command, a corresponding gesture is also necessary for triggering. If different orientations of the detection surfaces are used in the individual sensor element and/or in the case of different sensor elements, the reliability also increases, since faulty triggering can be detected and suppressed more easily as a result of different orientations.

According to a further advantageous development, the sensor device and/or the actuating device is/are designed for materially bonded attachment, in particular it has a self-adhesive element or the like. This enables the sensor device and/or the actuating device to be fixed in a simple and at the same time reliable manner, for example on the rear side of a sink. A substantially intact surface is also provided by means of the material connection; Complex screw connections or clip connections are thus avoided.

According to a further advantageous development, a confirmation device is arranged to confirm an actuation of the actuating device and/or the closure device. A confirmation can be used to show a user whether the actuating device or the locking device has been actuated in accordance with his or her wishes. In this way, the user can also receive feedback on the status of the locking device.

According to a further advantageous development, the confirmation device has at least one acoustic element, in particular a loudspeaker, at least one tactile element, in particular a vibration element, and/or at least one optical element, in particular one or more light sources. This makes it possible to provide a customer with feedback or confirmation of the actuation of the actuating device and/or the closure device in a particularly flexible manner. The feedback can be made according to customer specifications or set individually by the customer, if necessary.

According to a further advantageous development, the actuating device comprises a control device that is designed to recognize a gesture of a user by means of the sensor device and to actuate the actuating device if the recognition is successful. In this way, flexible actuation can be made available, which can be easily mastered and learned by the user.

According to a further advantageous development, the actuating device and/or the confirmation device can be taught in by a user. In this way, a user can, for example, specify a gesture for triggering the sensor device or for actuating the actuating device himself in a particularly individual manner and teach it to the actuating device. For this purpose, the actuating device can be put into a learning mode, for example, so that the user performs a gesture one or more times in succession, the gesture is detected with the sensor device and the control device then calibrates a corresponding actuation of the actuating device based on the detected gestures.

According to a further advantageous development, an interface, in particular a wireless interface, is provided for configuring the actuating device. The advantage of this is that a user can configure the actuating device wirelessly, for example using a mobile phone or the like, or alternatively or additionally with a cable. Interfaces can be provided, for example, in the form of a WLAN interface, USB interface or the like.

According to a further advantageous development, the sensor device comprises at least one sensor element which has a detection surface which is aligned essentially vertically. On the one hand, a non-contact triggering sensor device with a detection surface that is aligned essentially vertically enables a high level of reliability in the triggering: With a detection surface that is aligned horizontally, i.e. with a detection or sensor area that extends essentially in the vertical direction, unintentional triggering, e.g. due to drops in the Triggering area on the surface of the sink, done by a pot, wipe or the like, which extends substantially in the horizontal direction with a vertically oriented detection surface Detection or sensor range is not possible. A more flexible choice when positioning the sensor device is also possible, since one is not restricted to horizontal surfaces for fixing the sensor device.

According to an advantageous development of the sanitary receptacle, the at least one sensor device is arranged on a rear side of the sanitary receptacle below its surface. The advantage of this is that the sensor device can be installed in a concealed manner and the sanitary receptacle offers a reduced optical and therefore high-quality appearance.

According to a further advantageous development of the sanitary receptacle, the sensor device is arranged on a side closest to a user of the sanitary receptacle. The advantage of this is that a user can trigger the sensor device in a particularly simple manner since it is in his immediate vicinity when the sanitary receptacle is used. In addition, this can also be easily maintained, since the side facing a user of the sanitary receptacle is generally easily accessible.

According to a further advantageous development of the sanitary receptacle, the sensor device is arranged at least partially in the center on the side closest to a user. One of the advantages achieved in this way is that maintenance and operability are further improved or simplified: Both left-handed and right-handed people can operate the actuating device easily, for example with gesture control.

According to a further advantageous development of the sanitary receptacle, the sensor device comprises a plurality of sensor elements which are offset horizontally and/or vertically in relation to one another, in particular on the sanitary receptacle. Alternatively or additionally, these can also be arranged on or under a worktop in which the sanitary receptacle is partially arranged. The advantage of this is that the reliability of the triggering is further improved. Accidental actuations, for example due to splashing water or the like, are avoided. In addition, more complex gestures are possible, such as swipe gestures, by timed the sensor elements of the sensor device are triggered one after the other and the corresponding time-resolved detection is recognized by the control device as a gesture and the actuating device is then actuated accordingly. The sensor elements therefore work together for detection, the signals from which are then evaluated by the control device.

According to a further advantageous development of the sanitary receptacle, the sensor device, in particular at least one of the sensor elements, is fixed to the sanitary receptacle in a materially bonded manner, in particular by means of an adhesive connection. This enables a position of the sensor device that can essentially be freely selected while at the same time being reliably fixed. A pretreatment of the surface for fixing is - if at all - required only to a very small extent. Elaborate definitions by means of a screw connection or the like are eliminated.

According to a further advantageous development of the sanitary receptacle, a water supply device, in particular a mixer tap, and/or a cleaning agent supply device, in particular a soap dispenser, is arranged, with at least one sensor element of the sensor device being arranged in the water supply device and/or the cleaning agent supply device. In this way, for example, an additional control or contactless actuation of a mixer tap and/or the cleaning agent supply device can be provided.

According to a further advantageous development of the sanitary receptacle, the sensor device is designed to detect the fill level in the sanitary receptacle, with the actuating device being designed to actuate the closure device when a predetermined maximum fill level is exceeded, so that the closure is at least partially opened and when a maximum fill level is fallen below a predetermined minimum fill level and/or a predetermined period of time to actuate the closure device to close the closure. The advantage of this is that essentially an overflow protection can be made available, so that an additional openly or concealed overflow system can be omitted. The overflow protection can also be ensured in the event of a lack of power supply, for example an empty battery or a power failure when connected to the mains then the actuating device is designed accordingly, so that the closure is or is opened when the actuating device is de-energized, ie when there is no power supply. Likewise, if, for example, a power supply unit uses capacitors to power the actuating device, their voltage peaks can still be used in the event of a power failure to open the closure.

According to an advantageous development of the method, the actuating device is actuated by means of at least one gesture by a user that is detected by the sensor device. In this way, a familiar control or triggering principle is made available to a user.

According to a further advantageous development of the method, the actuating device is configured by a user, in particular one or more different gestures for actuation are learned. This increases flexibility, as the user can learn gestures as desired.

According to a further advantageous development of the method, a gesture is detected using a plurality of contactless sensor elements and the actuating device is actuated using the detected gesture. This enables a particularly reliable actuation of the actuating device.

According to a further advantageous development of the method, when the sensor device is triggered, the actuating device switches the locking device from a first to a second state, and when it is actuated again, the actuating device switches the locking device from the second to the first state. This enables so-called "toggling" by means of the same or also by means of another gesture, i. H. Opening and closing of the closure device by repeated triggering of the sensor device.

Further important features and advantages of the invention result from the dependent claims, from the drawings, and from the associated description of the figures based on the drawings.

It goes without saying that the features mentioned above and those still to be explained below can be used not only in the combination specified in each case, but also in other combinations or on their own, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Preferred designs and embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings and are explained in more detail in the following description, with the same reference symbols referring to identical or similar or functionally identical components or elements.

Fig. 1

in schematischer Form einen sanitären Aufnahmebehälter gemäß einer Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Erfindung; und

Fig. 2

eine Spüle gemäß einer Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Erfindung.

while showing

1

in schematic form, a sanitary receptacle according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

2

a sink according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 12 shows, in schematic form, a sanitary receptacle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In detail is in 1 a sanitary receptacle in the form of a sink 100 is shown. The sink 100 has a drain opening 3, which has a closing device 2, comprising a vertically movable plug 2' for closing. To actuate the closure device 2 and thus the stopper 2', an actuating device 1 is arranged, which is connected to an electric motor 8 for its control. This is in turn connected to a Bowden cable 7, which can move the plug 2' between at least one closed position and one open position by means of a known mechanism. To supply energy to the electric motor 8, it is connected to a mains connection 9'.

The actuating device 1 is also connected to a battery 9 for its electrical energy supply. The actuator 1 further includes a microcontroller 16 for processing information from one to the Actuating device 1 connected sensor device 4 are provided. An interface 15 is provided for configuring the actuating device 1, here in the form of a USB interface. As an alternative or in addition, wireless interfaces such as WLAN, Bluetooth, etc. can also be used.

As explained above, the actuating device 1 is connected to the sensor device 4, which has a plurality of sensor elements 5, 6, one of the sensor elements 5, 6 being designed as a capacitive sensor element 5 and the other as an acoustic sensor element 6. The sensor device 4 or its sensor elements 5, 6 can be connected together or each to a separate power supply unit, here in the form of a battery 9. As in figure 1 As can be seen, the respective detection surfaces 5', 6' are oriented in the vertical direction, the detection area is thus oriented essentially horizontally or extends essentially in the horizontal direction. In the case of sensor element 5, a double-sided adhesive tape 10 is arranged on the detection surface 5' to fix the sensor element 5 to a rear side of the sink 100. As an alternative to an adhesive connection, the sensor elements 5, 6 can also be attached to the sink 100, a worktop or by means of a press fit or the like the like to be connected.

The actuating device 1 is further connected to an actuating device 11 which comprises a loudspeaker 12 and a vibrating element 13, for example an electrically operated motor carrying an unbalance. The confirmation device 11 also includes a light source 14 for optically signaling a state of the closure device 2 or an actuation of the actuating device 1. The loudspeaker 12 can again be connected to the confirmation device 11 wirelessly or by means of a cable. The same applies accordingly to the vibration element 13. The confirmation device 11 is designed in such a way that when the activation device 1 is actuated, it emits a confirmation tone, for example via the loudspeaker 12, and/or a vibration 13 is triggered via the vibration element 13. In this case, the vibration element 13 can be arranged below the surface 101 of the sink 100 . However, it is also conceivable to arrange this in a mixer tap, in a worktop or the like. Finally - as already explained above - the actuating device 1 or the confirmation device 11 is connected to a light source 14, here in the form of a light-emitting diode. When the actuating device 1 is actuated, for example, the confirmation device 11 signals to a user via the light-emitting diode 14 whether or in what form the actuating device 1 was actuated. It is also conceivable that the confirmation device 11 displays the status of the closure device 2 temporarily or permanently. A sensor can also be arranged for this purpose, which monitors the closed state of the plug 2 ′ and transmits this information to the actuating device 1 . This can be part of the sensor device 4 or also work separately with the actuating device 1 . The confirmation device 1 also includes a microcontroller 16 . This is used to process data or sensor signals from the sensor elements 5 , 6 and to convert them into control signals for the closure device 2 or more precisely the electric motor 8 and for the confirmation device 11 .

The actuating device 1 can, for example, be put into what is known as a “learning mode”, so that a user can learn various gestures by appropriate actuations, for example triggered by gestures. The microcontroller 16 then calculates a corresponding recognition scheme from the data received from the sensor elements 5 , 6 while performing the respective gesture and stores this in a memory of the confirmation device 1 . If the actuating device 1 is then returned to the normal operating state and the microcontroller 16 receives sensor signals from the sensor elements 5, 6, it compares the sensor signals received with the sensor signals stored for the recognition schemes for the respective gesture or gestures. The actuating device 1 then correspondingly actuates the electric motor 8 when the microcontroller 16 has recognized a correspondingly stored gesture on the basis of the sensor signals from the sensor elements 5, 6.

The actuating device 1 can be put into what is known as a “cleaning mode”, for example, so that a user can clean the sink 100 without triggering it with appropriate gestures. The cleaning mode can be switched on and off and is switched off again after a predetermined period of time has elapsed. Switching on and off can be done using a specific gesture, either taught by a user or fixed in advance, can be triggered. The actuating device 1 can switch the cleaning mode on and/or off again on the basis of specific gestures and/or additional specific actuations of other components, in particular for the general area of application related to sanitary receptacles.

It is also possible to provide the actuating device 1 for actuating a water supply device, e.g. a mixer tap, a detergent supply device, e.g. a soap dispenser, or the like, so that a user can actuate the closure element 2' with a first gesture, for example, using a second gesture from the first different gesture can open and close the faucet and by means of a third gesture enables hot/cold control of the faucet. This significantly increases the operability of the sink overall, since a user can control the entire sink without contact using appropriate gestures, which is particularly advantageous when hands are dirty. Control is alternatively or additionally possible by voice commands or the like: If the actuating device includes a microphone or the like, the mixing faucet can be opened and closed and its temperature adjusted by means of voice commands. In parallel with this, the closure element can be opened or closed by means of the closure device, for example by means of tactile gestures.

By means of the actuating device 1, for example, one or more "programs" can also be triggered, either taught in by a user or predefined in advance. In particular, these programs contain steps for the operation of various components, in particular for the general area of application related to sanitary receptacles. For example, it is conceivable that by means of one or more learned gestures, several sink elements connected to and actuated by the actuating device 1 are triggered one after the other: For example, the drain of the sink can be closed in a first step and a mixer tap can be actuated in a second step so that either the mixer tap fills with water for a certain period of time and/or up to a certain level in the sink. In a third step, which is executable during the second step, by means of the actuating device 1, a predetermined amount of a Detergent, eg. Dishwashing liquid or the like, are added by actuating a detergent supply device, so that a user of the sink can then rinse objects.

It is also conceivable to set up a connection to a user's mobile phone via a wireless interface of the confirmation device and to control the closure device and/or a water supply device via a corresponding program running on the mobile phone. For example, the loudspeakers, microphones, interfaces, screens and the like present in the mobile radio device can be used as part of an actuating device 1, as sensor elements or as confirmation elements of a confirmation device 11: Voice commands can be recorded via the microphone of the mobile radio device and transmitted to the actuating device 1, which then evaluates them. A corresponding configuration of the actuating device can also be carried out via the mobile radio device, ie it can be put into the "learning mode" or the like. Feedback on the closed status of the locking device can also be transmitted to the mobile device by means of the confirmation device 11 via the interface of the actuating device 1: For example, a flashing LED, the output of a confirmation tone or the like can signal a corresponding status of the locking device on the mobile device. Parts of the actuating device and/or the confirmation device can be implemented using appropriate hardware and/or software on the mobile radio device. For example, the actuating device 1, which is arranged, for example, in a sink, can only include an interface for forwarding control signals to the electric motor, provided by the mobile radio device.

In addition, the sensor device 4 can be designed to detect, for example, a filling level of water in the sink of the sink 100, so that when the filling level is correspondingly exceeded, the inflow is stopped by the water supply device and/or the closure device for opening the closure of the sink is opened in order to to avoid overfilling. In addition to capacitively designed sensor elements, other types of sensors are also conceivable for the sensor elements in all of the embodiments based, for example, on radar, ultrasound, infrared and/or on the piezoelectric effect and/or optoelectronics, which are combined individually or in combination with the sensor device or connected to it.

2 Figure 12 shows a sink according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In 2 a sink 100 is shown in a three-dimensional view obliquely from below. The sink 100 has a surface 101 under which a sensor element 5c is arranged. Further sensor elements 5a, 5b are arranged on the same side 21 on a rear side 20, 21 of the sink. The side 21 of the sink 100 is the one that is directly adjacent to a user of the sink 100 . The sensor elements 5a, 5b are offset from one another both in the vertical and in the horizontal direction on the side 21 of the sink 100. The sensor element 5a is arranged to the left of the sensor element 5b and closer to the surface 101 of the sink 100 .

All three sensor elements 5a, 5b, 5c are connected to the actuating device 1. The actuating device 1 is still - as already in 1 shown - connected to the electric motor 8 according to the figure 1 the closure device 2 for the drain opening 3 of the sink 100 is actuated. Here, the actuating device 1 between the in figure 2 shown smaller sink and the larger sink on a holding member (not shown) fixed between the two sinks on one or both.

Also shown is the vibration element 13, which is arranged on an underside of the surface 101 essentially in the middle of the sink 100 and is connected to the actuating device 1. If a user now performs a gesture, for example by moving a hand inside the sink at the level of the two sensor elements 5a, 5b parallel to the side 21 of the sink 100, the corresponding sensor signals are transmitted to the actuating device and evaluated. If the actuating device 1 recognizes a gesture by comparing it with a taught-in gesture and/or a previously defined, stored gesture, the locking device 2, for example, is actuated and tactile feedback is given to the user via the vibration element 13, which is located on the underside of the surface 101 of the sink 100 is provided.

• Hohe Flexibilität hinsichtlich der Position von Betätigungseinrichtung und insbesondere Sensoreinrichtung,
• hochwertiges Erscheinungsbild,
• verbesserte Reinigungssituation durch weniger Elemente auf der Oberfläche, beispielsweise einer Spüle oder dergleichen,
• Bereitstellung von Bedienungsfeedback,
• flexible Anbindung und Positionierung der Sensoreinrichtung, insbesondere deren Sensorelemente,
• werkzeuglose Festlegung, und
• berührungslose Bedienung.

In summary, the invention has the following advantages:

• High flexibility with regard to the position of the actuating device and in particular the sensor device,
• high quality appearance,
• improved cleaning situation due to fewer elements on the surface, for example a sink or the like,
• providing operational feedback,
• flexible connection and positioning of the sensor device, in particular its sensor elements,
• tool-free fixing, and
• touchless operation.

Although the present invention has been described on the basis of preferred exemplary embodiments, it is not limited thereto but can be modified in many ways, in accordance with the disclosed claims.

Reference List

1

actuating device

2

locking device

2'

closure element

3

drain hole

4

sensor device

5a,5b,5c,6

sensor element

5', 6'

detection area

7

bowden cable

8th

electric motor

9

battery

9'

mains connection

10

Double sided tape

11

confirmation facility

12

speaker

13

vibration element

14

led

15

interface

16

microcontroller

20

rear sink

21

User Facing Page

100

kitchen sink

101

surface sink

Claims (14)

1. Actuation device (1) for actuating a closure device (2) for opening and closing a discharge opening (3), in particular for a sanitary receiving container (100), such as a sink, wash basin or the like, wherein the actuation device (1) has an electrically operable drive unit (8) and at least one actuation element (7) for actuating the closure device (2), wherein the closure device (2) is constructed to open and close the discharge opening (3), and wherein
   the actuation device (1) comprises a sensor device (4) having at least one sensor element (5, 6) which is actuated in a contactless manner, preferably wherein the at least one sensor element is constructed as a capacitive sensor element (5) and/or as an acoustic sensor element (6), characterised in that the sensor device (4) comprises a plurality of sensor elements (5, 6) which are actuated in a contactless manner and which have different actuation types and/or different orientations of the detection face (5', 6').
2. Actuation device according to claim 1, characterised in that the sensor device (4) is connected in a wireless manner to the actuation device (1) for the actuation thereof and/or in that the actuation device (1) and/or the sensor device (4) has/have an independent electrical energy supply unit (9).
3. Actuation device according to either claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the sensor device (4) and/or the actuation device (1) is/are constructed for materially engaging fixing, in particular has/have a self-adhesive element (10) or the like.
4. Actuation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that a confirmation device (11) is arranged in order to confirm an actuation of the actuation device (1) and/or the closure device (2), preferably wherein the confirmation device (11) has at least one acoustic element (12), in particular a loudspeaker, at least one tactile element (13), in particular a vibration element and/or at least one optical element (14), in particular one or more light sources.
5. Actuation device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the actuation device comprises a control device (16) which is constructed to identify a gesture of a user by means of the sensor device (4) and to actuate the actuation device (1) in the event of successful recognition, and/or in that the actuation device (1) and/or a confirmation device (12) can be taught by a user and/or in that an interface (15), in particular a wireless interface, is arranged for configuration of the actuation device.
6. Actuation device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the sensor device comprises at least one sensor element (5, 6) which has a substantially vertically orientated detection face (5', 6').
7. Sanitary receiving container (100), in particular sink, wash basin or the like, characterised by an actuation device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, preferably wherein the at least one sensor device (4) is arranged at a rear side (20, 21) of the sanitary receiving container (100) below the surface (101) thereof.
8. Sanitary receiving container according to claim 7, characterised in that the sensor device (4) is arranged at a side (21) closest to a user of the sanitary receiving container (100), and/or in that the sensor device (4) is arranged at least partially centrally at the side (21) closest to a user.
9. Sanitary receiving container according to any one of claims 7 to 8, characterised in that the sensor device (4) comprises a plurality of sensor elements (5, 6, 5a, 5b, 5c) which are arranged to be offset horizontally and/or vertically with respect to each other, in particular on the sanitary receiving container (100), and/or in that the sensor device (4), in particular at least one of the sensor elements (5, 5a, 5b, 5c, 6), is secured to the sanitary receiving container (100) in a materially engaging manner, in particular by means of an adhesive connection.
10. Sanitary receiving container according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterised in that the sensor device (4) is constructed to detect the filling level in the sanitary receiving container, wherein the actuation device (1) is constructed to actuate the closure device (2, 7, 8) when a previously determined maximum filling level is exceeded so that the closure (2') is at least partially opened and, when the value falls below a previously determined minimum filling level and/or a previously determined time period, to actuate the closure device (2, 7, 8) in order to close the closure (2').
11. Sanitary receiving container according to any one of claims 7 to 10, characterised in that a water supply device, in particular a mixer tap, and/or a cleaning agent supply device, in particular a soap dispenser, is arranged, wherein at least one sensor element of the sensor device is arranged in the water supply device and/or the cleaning agent supply device.
12. Method for controlling a closure (2) of a discharge opening, in particular a sanitary receiving container (100), such as a sink, wash basin or the like, wherein the discharge opening (3) is opened and closed by means of a closure device (2, 2'), wherein the closure device (2, 2,') is actuated by means of an actuation device (7, 8) comprising an electrically operable drive unit (8) and an actuation element (7), characterised in that the actuation device (1, 7, 8) is actuated by means of a sensor device (4), comprising a plurality of sensor elements which are actuated in a contactless manner and which have different actuation types and/or different orientations of the detection face (5', 6'), preferably wherein the actuation device (1, 7, 8) is actuated by means of at least one gesture of a user which is detected by the sensor device.
13. Method according to claim 12, characterised in that the actuation device (1, 7, 8) is configured by a user, in particular one or more different gestures for actuation are taught, preferably wherein a gesture is detected by means of a plurality of sensor elements (5, 5a, 5b, 5c, 6) which are constructed in a contactless manner and the actuation device is actuated with reference to the gestures detected.
14. Method according to any one of claims 12 to 13, characterised in that, when the sensor device (4) is actuated, the actuation device (1, 7, 8) switches the closure device (2, 2') from a first state into a second state and, when the actuation device (1, 7, 8) is actuated again, switches the closure device (2, 2') from the second state into the first state.

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