EP4617441A1

EP4617441A1 - Content detection toilet flush valve

Info

Publication number: EP4617441A1
Application number: EP25161782.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Chenghao Bai; Walter Pitsch
Original assignee: AS America Inc
Current assignee: AS America Inc
Priority date: 2024-03-15
Filing date: 2025-03-05
Publication date: 2025-09-17
Also published as: US20250290304A1

Abstract

A toilet assembly is provided which includes a flush valve assembly. The flush valve assembly includes a valve inlet fluidly coupled to a water source inlet pipe, a valve outlet fluidly coupled to the vacuum breaker, a solenoid flush valve, and a power source. The flush valve assembly further includes a first sensor configured to collect and transmit a first set of data corresponding to a user presence at the toilet assembly; a second sensor configured to collect and transmit a second set of data corresponding to contents of a toilet bowl; and a controller configured to determine whether a user is present based on the first set of data, determine a status of the toilet assembly based on the second set of data, and transmit a third set of data corresponding to a status of the toilet assembly to a computing device.

Description

FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to toilet flush valves, and more specifically, to toilet flush valves that can detect contents within the toilet bowl.

BACKGROUND

Traditional toilet maintenance methods, such as methods of detecting and resolving clogs, often rely on manual inspection or scheduled cleanings. Such maintenance methods can be time-consuming, expensive, and impractical, especially in larger public restrooms having many toilets. If left unresolved, clogs can cause significant damage to plumbing systems, lead to costly repairs, inconvenience users, and pose hygienic concerns.

SUMMARY

There is a need for a system that can determine the status of a toilet and can automatically alert a user or maintenance worker of any detected problems with the toilet so that damage to plumbing systems caused by clogs or other toilet problems can be prevented. Provided herein are toilet flush valve assemblies with content detection sensors that can meet this need. The toilet flush valve assembly may include multiple sensors. One sensor may be an infrared (IR) sensor configured to detect a user presence at the toilet, and the other sensor may be a time-of-flight (ToF) sensor. The ToF sensor can collect data on the contents of a toilet bowl, such as a water level or presence of solid or liquid waste and can transmit a signal comprising this data to a controller in the toilet flush valve assembly. By including the sensors in the toilet flush valve assembly and outfitting the toilet flush valve assembly with mechanical components that are compatible with most toilets, the flush valve assembly may be retrofitted to an existing toilet as opposed to a user having to purchasing an entirely new toilet assembly to get the content detection benefits. The ToF sensor can be readily recalibrated to suit toilet bowls of various shapes, sizes, and models, such as by determining a baseline distance between a water level and a toilet bowl rim and/or adjusting the angle of the ToF sensor.
Based on data collected by the sensor that is associated with the detected contents, the controller in the toilet flush valve assembly can determine a status of the toilet, for example, a clogged status, and can further transmit a signal remotely to a computing device. A user of the computing device, such as a maintenance staff member, may be alerted of the clogged status of the toilet and may take appropriate corrective action. The controller can be further configured to regulate a toilet flush based on the detected contents and may prevent flushing if a clog is detected to ensure that the toilet does not overflow.
In some embodiments, a toilet assembly comprises a toilet bowl fluidly coupled to a trapway and a flush valve assembly. In some embodiments, the flush valve assembly comprises a valve inlet fluidly coupled to a water source inlet pipe, a valve outlet fluidly coupled to the toilet bowl, a solenoid flush valve, and a power source. In some embodiments, the flush valve assembly comprises a first sensor configured to collect a first set of data corresponding to a user presence at the toilet assembly and configured to transmit a first signal comprising the first set of data; a second sensor configured to collect a second set of data corresponding to contents of the toilet bowl and configured to transmit a second signal comprising the second set of data; a controller electrically coupled with the power source, the first sensor, the second sensor, and the solenoid flush valve, and wherein the controller is configured to be in remote communication with a computing device. In some embodiments, the controller is configured to: receive the first and second signals, determine whether a user is present at the toilet assembly based on the first set of data in the first signal, determine a status of the toilet assembly based on the second set of data in the second signal, and transmit a third signal to the computing device, the third signal comprising a third set of data corresponding to a status of the toilet assembly.
In some embodiments of the toilet assembly, the toilet assembly further comprises a flush valve cap, wherein the first sensor, the second sensor, the controller, and/or the power source of the flush valve assembly are integrated with the flush valve cap.
In some embodiments of the toilet assembly, the first sensor comprises an infrared (IR) sensor.
In some embodiments of the toilet assembly, the second sensor comprises an optical light or laser time-of-flight (ToF) sensor.
In some embodiments of the toilet assembly, the second sensor comprises an ultrasonic time-of-flight (ToF) sensor.
In some embodiments of the toilet assembly, the solenoid flush valve comprises a piston valve.
In some embodiments of the toilet assembly, the solenoid flush valve comprises a diaphragm valve.
In some embodiments of the toilet assembly, the status of the toilet assembly comprises a clogged status, and the third set of data corresponds to the clogged status.
In some embodiments of the toilet assembly, the controller is configured to generate an alert upon receiving the third set of data corresponding to the clogged status.
In some embodiments of the toilet assembly, the controller is configured to determine whether to initiate a toilet flush based on the first and/or second set of data.
In some embodiments of the toilet assembly, the controller is configured to determine a volume of the toilet flush based on the second set of data.
In some embodiments of the toilet assembly, the first and second sensors are configured to automatically transmit the first and second signals at regular time intervals.
In some embodiments of the toilet assembly, the second sensor is configured to transmit the second signal in response to a determination by the controller that a user is no longer present at the toilet assembly.
In some embodiments of the toilet assembly, the second set of data comprises data corresponding to a water level of the toilet bowl.
In some embodiments of the toilet assembly, the second set of data comprises a first portion of data corresponding to solid contents and a second portion of data corresponding to liquid contents.
In some embodiments of the toilet assembly, the controller is configured to cause the second sensor to collect the second set of data in response to a determination by the controller that a user is no longer present at the toilet assembly.
In some embodiments, a flush valve assembly comprises a solenoid flush valve; a power source; a first sensor configured to collect a first set of data corresponding to a user presence at a toilet assembly and configured to transmit a first signal comprising the first set of data; a second sensor configured to collect a second set of data corresponding to contents of a toilet bowl of the toilet assembly and configured to transmit a second signal comprising the second set of data; anda controller electrically coupled with the power source, the first sensor, the second sensor, and the solenoid flush valve, wherein the controller is configured to be in remote communication with a computing device. In some embodiments, the controller is configured to: receive the first and second signals, determine whether a user is present at the toilet assembly based on the first set of data in the first signal; determine a status of the toilet assembly based on the second set of data in the second signal, and transmit a third signal to the computing device, the third signal comprising a third set of data corresponding to a status of the toilet assembly.
In some embodiments of the flush valve assembly, the first sensor comprises an infrared (IR) sensor.
In some embodiments of the flush valve assembly, the second sensor comprises an optical light or laser time-of-flight (ToF) sensor.
In some embodiments of the flush valve assembly, the second sensor comprises an ultrasonic time-of-flight (ToF) sensor.
In some embodiments of the flush valve assembly, the solenoid flush valve comprises a piston valve.
In some embodiments of the flush valve assembly, the solenoid flush valve comprises a diaphragm valve.
In some embodiments of the flush valve assembly, the status of the toilet assembly comprises a clogged status, and the third set of data corresponds to the clogged status.
In some embodiments of the flush valve assembly, the controller is configured to generate an alert upon receiving the third set of data corresponding to the clogged status.
In some embodiments of the flush valve assembly, the controller is configured to determine whether to initiate a toilet flush based on the first and/or second set of data.
In some embodiments of the flush valve assembly, the controller is configured to determine a volume of the toilet flush based on the second set of data.
In some embodiments of the flush valve assembly, the first and second sensors are configured to automatically transmit the first and second signals at regular time intervals.
In some embodiments of the flush valve assembly, the second sensor is configured to transmit the second signal in response to a determination by the controller that a user is not present at the toilet assembly.
In some embodiments of the flush valve assembly, the second set of data comprises a water level in the toilet bowl.
In some embodiments of the flush valve assembly, the second set of data comprises a first portion of data corresponding to solid contents and a second portion of data corresponding to liquid contents.
In some embodiments, any one or more of the features, characteristics, or elements discussed above with respect to any of the embodiments may be incorporated into any of the other embodiments mentioned above or described elsewhere herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a toilet assembly comprising a content detection toilet flush valve assembly, according to some embodiments;
FIG. 2 shows a top view of a toilet assembly comprising a content detection toilet flush valve assembly, according to some embodiments;
FIG. 3 shows a front view of a toilet assembly comprising a content detection toilet flush valve assembly, according to some embodiments;
FIG. 4 shows a side view of a toilet assembly comprising a content detection toilet flush valve assembly, according to some embodiments; and
FIG. 5 shows a box diagram of various components in communication with a controller, according to some embodiments.
FIG. 6 shows an exploded view of a content detection toilet flush valve assembly, according to some embodiments.
FIG. 7 shows a computer, according to some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Provided are content detection toilet flush valve assemblies and toilet assemblies that comprise content detection toilet flush valve assemblies. The content detection toilet flush valve assemblies described herein can be configured to detect the contents of a toilet bowl, determine a status of the toilet based on the detected contents, and transmit a remote signal to an external computing device that may alert a user or maintenance worker that the toilet needs service. As opposed to some automatic toilet flush valve assemblies which may merely include a first sensor to detect the presence of a user, the content detection toilet flush valve assemblies described herein can include a second sensor, which may be a time-of-flight (ToF) sensor. The ToF sensor can accurately collect data regarding the contents of a toilet bowl, such as data regarding a water level of the toilet bowl or data regarding the amount of solid or liquid waste in the toilet bowl. The ToF sensor may send a signal that includes this data to a controller of the content detection flush valve assembly. Based on the data received in the signal, the controller may determine a status of the toilet, such as whether the toilet is clogged. The controller can then remotely signal a device to alert a person that the toilet is clogged. The controller can also regulate a flush volume, duration, or occurrence based on the status of the toilet and/or the detected contents.
In some embodiments, a toilet assembly is provided which includes the content detection toilet flush valve assembly. By including a content detection sensor in the toilet flush valve assembly, instead of in or on the toilet/toilet bowl itself, this allows the content detection flush valve assembly to be manufactured, sold, and/or assembled separately from the entire toilet assembly if desired. Further, the content detection toilet flush valve assembly can be easily retrofitted to existing toilet assemblies in a restroom. As will be explained, the ToF sensor and/or the controller can be easily calibrated or reprogrammed to detect contents in toilet bowls having different shapes, depths, and volumes.
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a toilet assembly 100 comprising a content detection toilet flush valve assembly 102, according to some embodiments. As used herein, content detection toilet flush valve assembly 102 refers to the system circled in FIG. 1. As will be described in further detail, content detection toilet flush valve assembly 102 can include a first sensor 112, a second sensor 114, a controller 113, a power source 124, and a solenoid flush valve 132. Content detection toilet flush valve assembly 102 may also include a housing 104. In FIGs. 1-4, these components of content detection toilet flush valve assembly 102 are positioned within housing 104 and are thus not fully visible. Housing 104 may comprise a metal, a plastic, or a combination thereof.
Content detection toilet flush valve assembly 102 can further include a valve inlet 148 that is fluidly coupled to a water source inlet pipe 152. Water can flow from a water source to the content detection toilet flush valve assembly 102 via the water source inlet pipe 152. The flow volume of water from the water source to the content detection toilet flush valve assembly 102 can be controlled by manual control valve 150. Content detection toilet flush valve assembly 102 can include a bottom cap 142, which is connected to an outlet pipe 144. Outlet pipe 144 leads to the rest of the toilet assembly 100.
As shown, toilet assembly 100 can include a toilet base 107 with a toilet bowl 106 built into the base. The toilet base 107 can be fluidly coupled to the content detection toilet flush valve assembly 102 via the outlet pipe 144 and can also be fluidly coupled to a trapway configured to transfer bowl contents to a drain or sewer (not shown). As used herein, toilet assembly 100 refers to an entire toilet having a content detection toilet flush valve assembly 102, a toilet bowl 106, and a toilet base 107. As such, content detection toilet flush valve assembly 102 can be purchased and sold as part of an entire toilet assembly 100, or it can be purchased and sold separately. The mechanical components of content detection toilet flush valve assembly 102, such as the solenoid flush valve 132, water source inlet pipe 152, manual control valve 150, and outlet pipe 144 can be standard components compatible with existing toilet assemblies. Given the mechanical compatibility of content detection toilet flush valve assembly 102 with most toilets, it can be easily retrofitted to an existing toilet assembly in a restroom. As evident by the use of a solenoid flush valve 132, content detection toilet flush valve assembly 102 is particularly suited for toilets having at least a partial automatic flush capability.
FIG. 2 shows a top view of a toilet assembly 100 comprising a content detection toilet flush valve assembly 102. As will be appreciated, the components shown in FIG. 2 can be the same as those described with respect to FIG. 1, such as housing 104 protecting the electronic components (i.e. sensors, controller) of content detection toilet flush valve assembly 102, valve inlet 148, manual control valve 150, water source inlet pipe 152, and toilet base 107 with toilet bowl 106. As shown by the top view of housing 104, toilet assembly 100 may include a flush valve cap 120 covering the top of housing 104, so that the electronic components of content detection toilet flush valve assembly 102 are secured and protected within the housing 104. In some embodiments, the flush valve cap 120 and electronic components of the content detection toilet flush valve assembly 102 may be included as separate pieces of toilet assembly 100. In some embodiments, the electronic components of the content detection toilet flush valve assembly, such as the first sensor, the second sensor, the controller, and/or the power source of the flush valve assembly are integrated with the flush valve cap so as to form a single piece.
FIG. 3 shows a front view of a toilet assembly 100 comprising a content detection toilet flush valve assembly, according to some embodiments. As can be appreciated, toilet assembly 100 may include any of the components as already shown and described with respect to FIGs. 1 and 2, such as toilet base 107 with toilet bowl 106. Also shown are an upper portion 128 and a lower portion 140 of housing 104. Upper portion 128 may comprise a window that may be covered by a screen. Upper portion 128 may house a first sensor 112 and a second sensor 114 of the content detection toilet flush valve assembly behind the window. Other components of the content detection toilet flush valve assembly, such as controller 113 and the solenoid flush valve 132 are not visible since they are housed within the upper portion 128 and/or lower portion 140. As will be described, the first sensor 112 may be used to detect a user presence at the toilet assembly 100, while the second sensor 114 may be used to detect the contents of toilet bowl 106.
Turning to first sensor 112, this sensor can be used to detect a user presence at the toilet assembly 100. The first sensor 112 may be an infrared (IR) sensor, a capacitance detection sensor, an optical detection sensor, a thermal detection sensor, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the first sensor 112 may further include a microphone and/or speakers to enable voice activation or input. In some embodiments, the first sensor 112 may be in electrical communication with a power source (not shown) and in electrical communication with controller 113. The controller 113 may be in electrical communication with an actuator of the solenoid flush valve 132. The first sensor 112 may be configured to collect data associated with a user presence at the toilet assembly 100. For example, if the first sensor 112 is an IR sensor, the sensor may comprise a pair of IR LEDs. One LED may be an emitter configured to emit IR light, while the other may be a receiver configured to receive IR light. When a user approaches the toilet assembly 100, this can reflect the emitted light from the emitter toward the receiver. When a user leaves toilet assembly 100, the emitted light will no longer be reflected back to the receiver, which will cause the first sensor 112 to collect data associated with the lack of IR light, which indicates that the user is no longer present. The first sensor 112 may transmit a first signal to controller 113 to signal that the user is no longer present. Then, controller 113 may actuate the actuator of solenoid flush valve 132 so as to initiate the flushing process.
With respect to the flushing mechanism, solenoid flush valve 132 may have either a diaphragm or a piston separating an upper chamber from a lower chamber. The upper and lower chambers each fill with water from the water source, which enters via the valve inlet 148 that is connected to the water source inlet pipe 152. When the solenoid flush valve 132 is at a resting state, water pressure in the upper chamber and lower chamber is at equilibrium, and the pressure keeps the diaphragm or piston in a closed position. When a flush is initiated, such as when the first sensor 112 detects that a user has moved away from toilet assembly 100, the solenoid flush valve opens and allows for water to be released from the upper chamber. This disrupts the pressure equilibrium between the upper and lower chambers, causing the diaphragm or piston to lift. This causes water to flow out of a valve outlet through bottom cap 142 from content detection toilet flush valve assembly 102 into the toilet bowl 106 via the outlet pipe 144 having a vacuum breaker. The vacuum breaker in outlet pipe 144 can prevent water backflow from the toilet bowl back up into the content detection toilet flush valve assembly 102. Following the flush, water flows out of the toilet bowl 106 and into a trapway configured to transfer bowl contents to a drain or sewer, and water from the water source inlet pipe 152 enters the chambers of solenoid flush valve 132 once more to return the water pressure to a resting state and close the diaphragm or piston.
FIG. 4 shows a side view of a toilet assembly comprising a content detection toilet flush valve assembly, according to some embodiments. As can be appreciated, toilet assembly 100 may include any of the components as already shown and described with respect to FIGs. 1-3, such as toilet base 107 with toilet bowl 106. Further shown in FIG. 4 is second sensor 114 of content detection toilet flush valve assembly 102. Second sensor 114 may be housed within housing 104 behind a screen, as described above. Second sensor 114 may be configured to detect contents in the toilet bowl 106. For example, second sensor 114 may be a time-of-flight (ToF) sensor. Second sensor 114 may further include a microphone and/or speakers to enable voice activation or input. Second sensor 114 may emit a signal 116 directed toward toilet bowl 106. Signal 116 may contain light or a laser beam if the second sensor 114 is an optical ToF sensor, or signal 116 may contain ultrasonic waves if second sensor 114 is an ultrasonic ToF sensor. Thus, while signal 116 is drawn in FIG. 4 for illustrative purposes, the signal is not visible to the human eye.
Accordingly, by placing a ToF sensor in a toilet flush valve assembly, ToF object detection principles can be applied to detect contents of toilet bowl 106. As will be appreciated, depending on the characteristics of the contents of toilet bowl 106, light, lasers, ultrasonic waves, and/or other waves coming from the signal 116 emitted from second sensor 114 may reflect off the contents in the toilet bowl 106 back to the second sensor 114. Second sensor 114 can determine the time it takes for the signal 116 to travel from the sensor to the contents of toilet bowl 106 and back. Signal 116 will take a different amount of time to travel to and from second sensor 114 depending on the characteristics of the contents, such as whether they are solid or liquid, for example. Signal 116 can be used by second sensor 114 to collect data corresponding to the contents of toilet bowl 106. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, second sensor 114 may be used to collect data corresponding to a water level 118 in toilet bowl 106. Second sensor 114 may also collect data corresponding to the amount of solid contents and/or liquid contents in toilet bowl 106. In addition to detecting a water level, second sensor 114 may be configured to detect disturbances in the water, such as bubbles, ripples, and the like. For example, if content detection toilet flush valve 102 is leaking, ripples or other disturbances in the toilet bowl water may be present and may be detected by second sensor 114. Further, if the toilet is clogged, bubbles may be observed by second sensor 114 in the water. As mentioned, second sensor 114 may be any ToF sensor suitable for detecting solid and/or liquid contents or other disturbances in a toilet bowl 106, such as an optical ToF sensor (i.e. a light or laser ToF sensor) or an ultrasonic ToF sensor.
As previously described, content detection toilet flush valve assembly 102 can include a controller 113 which is housed within housing 104 shown in FIG. 4. Turning to FIG. 5, FIG. 5 shows a box diagram of various components in communication with a controller, according to some embodiments. As indicated by the solid lines, controller 113 can be electrically coupled to first sensor 112, second sensor 114, solenoid flush valve 132, and a power source (not shown). First sensor 112 and second sensor 114 may be configured to transmit signals comprising the data collected by the respective sensors. For example, first sensor 112 may be configured to transmit a first signal which includes data corresponding to whether a user is present at toilet assembly 100 or not. Second sensor 114 may be configured to transmit a second signal which includes data corresponding to the contents of the toilet bowl 106. The first signal from first sensor 112 and the second signal from second sensor 114 can be transmitted to controller 113. In some embodiments, first sensor 112 and/or second sensor 114 can be programmed to transmit the first and/or second signals at regular time intervals as opposed to transmitting signals responsively. For example, first sensor 112 and/or second sensor 114 may be programmed to transmit signals once daily, twice daily, hourly, during a specific window of time, etc. In some embodiments, first sensor 112 and/or second sensor 114 may be programmed to transmit signals responsively. For example, first sensor 112 may transmit a first signal to controller 113 in response to detecting reflected IR light due to a user's presence. Additionally, as will be described in more detail, second sensor 114 may be programmed to transmit a second signal in response to a determination by controller 113 that a user is or is not present at toilet assembly 100, i.e., upon the transmission of a first signal by first sensor 112 indicating a user presence or lack thereof. Alternatively, second sensor 112 may be programmed to transmit a signal upon detecting the presence of contents in the toilet bowl 106. As can be appreciated, the data collection and/or transmitting functions of first sensor 112 and/or second sensor 114 can be readily configured and re-configured to fit the needs of a particular person, business, etc. For example, first sensor 112 and/or second sensor 114 can be programmed to collect data and transmit signals including the data associated with a user presence and/or contents of toilet bowl 106 in real-time, near real-time, or on command.
Controller 113 may be configured to analyze the data transmitted in the first signal and/or second signal and make various determinations based on the data. For example, controller 113 may detect reflected IR light data in the first signal from first sensor 112 and may determine that a user is present at toilet assembly 100 based on the detected IR light. Similarly, controller 113 may not detect any IR light data in the first signal from first sensor 112 and may determine that a user is not present based on the lack of IR light, as described above. Additionally, controller 113 may receive data regarding the contents of toilet bowl 106 from second sensor 114. The data regarding the contents may include ToF data corresponding to an emitted signal at various points in toilet bowl 106. Based on the ToF data, controller 113 may be configured to construct a point cloud, a distance color map, or other representation of the data. Controller 113 may be configured to analyze the ToF data and determine the contents of the toilet bowl 106 based on the data. For example, solid contents will have different ToF data than liquid contents. Additionally, one water level in toilet bowl 106 will have different ToF data than a relatively higher/lower water level in toilet bowl 106. Controller 113 can be configured to associate a particular ToF data range/value with solid contents and a particular ToF range/value with liquid contents. Similarly, controller 113 can be configured to associate a particular ToF range/value with a particular water level and can thus make determinations on the water level in the toilet bowl 106 based on the ToF data. If the content detection toilet flush valve assembly 102 needs to be moved to a different toilet assembly 100, the controller 113 can be recalibrated to associate different ToF ranges with different solid/liquid content amounts given that different toilet bowl shapes/depths may change the detected ToF data ranges. As such, by reconfiguring controller 113, content detection toilet flush valve assembly 102 can be retrofitted to an existing toilet assembly 100 and can be calibrated to accurately detect contents in the existing assembly.
Controller 113 may also be configured to determine a status of toilet assembly 100 based on the determined user presence at the toilet assembly 100 and/or the contents of the toilet bowl 106. For example, based on the ToF data corresponding to the contents of toilet bowl 106, controller 113 may be configured to recognize a certain water level in toilet bowl 106 as being a normal water level when the toilet is in an unclogged state. Controller 113 may also be configured to recognize a certain water level in toilet bowl 106 as being above or below a programmed threshold associated with a normal water level and can be configured to associate the abnormally high/low water level with the toilet having a clogged status. Similarly, controller 113 may be configured to associate an abnormally low water level with a water supply issue to toilet bowl 106. Additionally, controller 113 may be configured to associate an amount of solid contents in toilet bowl 106 with a clogged or unclean status if the amount of the contents detected is outside of a particular range. As with the detection of contents, controller 113 can be reconfigured to associate different thresholds or ranges of detected contents with various statuses of toilet assembly 100 such that controller 113 can accurately determine the status of a new/different toilet assembly 100 in the event that the content detection toilet flush valve assembly is moved and retrofitted to a different assembly. Further, the thresholds of detected contents associated with various statuses may be selected or refined to fit the needs of a particular person, business, etc.
For example, during the initial setup of the flush valve assembly, the second sensor 114, which may be a ToF sensor, may measure a first distance from the content detection toilet flush valve assembly 102 to a rim of the toilet bowl and a second distance from the content detection toilet flush valve assembly 102 to a normal water level. Based on these measured distances, the controller 113 can calculate a third distance between the toilet bowl rim and a normal water level and can use this third distance as a baseline measurement of the water level in the toilet. Then, the controller 113 may assign a tolerance of maximum and minimum distances from the toilet bowl rim to the water level that may be associated with a normal water level. For example, if a measured distance is below the minimum distance tolerance measured between the toilet bowl rim and the water level, the controller 113 may determine that the water level is too high, i.e. the water level is too close to the toilet bowl rim. If a measured distance is below the maximum distance tolerance measured between the toilet bowl rim and the water level, the controller 113 may determine that the water level is too low. Additionally, the angle and/or direction of second sensor 114 relative to the toilet bowl, etc. can be adjusted by mechanical or digital methods in various directions to obtain these and other measurements.
Controller 113 may be further configured to take one or more actions based on the determined status of toilet assembly 100. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, controller 113 may be in electrical communication with solenoid flush valve 132. When controller 113 determines that there is no longer a user present at toilet assembly 100 based on the data in the first signal from first sensor 112, controller 113 may be configured to actuate an actuator in the solenoid flush valve 132 and thus trigger a toilet flush. Similarly, controller 113 may be configured to block actuation of the actuator in solenoid flush valve 132 if the toilet assembly 100 is determined to be clogged or broken, i.e. if the water level in toilet bowl 106 is determined to be abnormally high or low or if an abnormally high amount of solid contents are detected in toilet bowl 106. This can help prevent toilet assembly 100 from overflowing in the event of a clog. Additionally, controller 113 can be configured to regulate a duration of the toilet flush based on the detected contents. For example, if solid contents are detected, controller 113 may be configured to actuate the actuator for a longer period of time as opposed to if only liquid contents are detected. Controller 113 can also be configured to regulate a flush volume based on the detected contents. For example, if solid contents are detected, a flush volume may be 1.28 gallons per flush (GPF). In some embodiments, if solid contents are detected, a flush volume may be less than 1.20, 1.22, 1.24, 1.26, 1.28, or 1.30 GPF. In some embodiments, if solid contents are detected, a flush volume may be greater than 1.22, 1.24, 1.26, 1.28, or 1.30 GPF. In some embodiments, if liquid contents are detected, a flush volume may be 0.5 GPF. In some embodiments, if liquid contents are detected, a flush volume may be less than or equal to 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9, or 1.1 GPF. In some embodiments, if liquid contents are detected, a flush volume may be greater than or equal to 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9, or 1.1 GPF.
Additionally, as shown in FIG. 5, controller 113 may be in remote, i.e. wireless, communication with a computing device 555, illustrated by the dashed line. Upon determining a status of toilet assembly 100, such as a determination of a clogged status, controller 113 may be configured to transmit a signal to the computing device 555 containing data associated with the status of toilet assembly 100. In turn, the computing device 555 may be configured to generate an alert upon receiving data corresponding to a clogged/abnormal status of toilet assembly 100. For example, the computing device 555 may be a mobile device or computer monitored by a maintenance worker. Upon receiving a signal from controller 113 that toilet assembly 100 is clogged, the computing device 555 may alert the maintenance worker of the problem so that the problem can be fixed. In some embodiments, this alert may be audible or visual. In some embodiments, a real-time status of the toilet assembly 100 may be displayed at the computing device 555 in addition to, or instead of, a responsive alert. As can be appreciated, the status determination and/or transmitting functions of controller 113 and the monitoring and/or alerting functions of the computing device can be readily programmed and re-programmed to fit the needs of a particular person, business, etc.
In some embodiments, controller 113 can be configured to perform the various functions described using traditional coding/programming methods. In some embodiments, controller 113 may be programmed with an object detection machine learning model to detect the contents of the toilet bowl 106. For example, an object detection machine learning model may be pre-trained and programmed within controller 113 to perform the analysis of the ToF data from sensor 114 and determine the contents of toilet bowl 106. In other embodiments, controller 113 may be programmed with an object detection machine learning model that can be continuously refined based on the detected data. For example, the ToF data collected by sensor 114 can be stored by controller 113 and/or computing device 555 and can be used as training data for an object detection machine learning model. Successful and unsuccessful content detections, clogs, etc. can be transmitted from controller 113 to computing device 555 and can be monitored with computing device 555. A user or system administrator may provide the machine learning model with feedback on the successful and unsuccessful content detections and detected statuses of toilet assembly 100 using the computing device 555, and this feedback can be used to train or refine the machine learning model. Similarly, if the content detection toilet flush valve assembly 102 is retrofitted or moved to an existing toilet assembly 100, the object detection machine learning model can be retrained to recognize contents in a toilet bowl with a different shape, water level, etc.
Turning to FIG. 6, an exploded view of content detection toilet flush valve 102 is shown. As mentioned, content detection toilet flush valve assembly 102 can include a first sensor 112, a second sensor 114, and a controller 113 electrically coupled to a power source 124, such as a battery. In some embodiments, power source 124 may be located in a wall. These components may be secured in an upper portion 128 of housing 104. There may be an O-ring 126 disposed between sensors 112 and 114 and upper portion 128 of housing 104. A flush valve cap 120 may be secured to upper portion 128 by a plurality of screws 122. A bonnet nut 130 may secure the upper portion 128 to the lower portion 140 of housing 104. A solenoid flush valve 132 may be housed either in upper portion 128, lower portion 140, or may overlap between both portions. As mentioned, although a piston-type solenoid flush valve is shown in FIG. 6, a diaphragm-type solenoid flush valve may also be used. There may be a spring 134 disposed between solenoid flush valve 132 and a piston assembly 138. A rubber O-ring 136 may also be disposed between solenoid flush valve 132 and piston assembly 138 to prevent leaks.
Lower portion 140 of housing 104 can include a valve inlet 148 that is fluidly coupled to water source inlet pipe 152 via the manual control valve 150. Lower portion 140 of housing 104 can also include a bottom cap 142 coupled to an outlet pipe 144. Outlet pipe 144 may be fluidly coupled to a toilet base via a vacuum breaker within outlet pipe 144, and spud kit 146 can be disposed between the outlet pipe 144 and the toilet base.
FIG. 7 depicts the parts of a computer, in accordance with various embodiments. As will be appreciated, controller 113 and/or computing device 555 can include one or more of the components as will be described with respect to computer 700. Computer 700 can be a component of a data collection system for configuring the content detection toilet flush valve assembly 102 and viewing the collected data.
Computer 700 can be a host computer connected to a network. Computer 700 can be a client computer or a server. As shown in FIG. 7, computer 700 can be any suitable type of microprocessor-based device, such as a personal computer, workstation, server, videogame console, or handheld computing device, such as a phone or tablet. The computer can include, for example, one or more of processor 701, input device 702, output device 703, storage 704, and communication device 705. Input device 702 can generally correspond to those described above and can either be connectable or integrated with the computer.
Input device 702 can be any suitable device that provides input, such as a touch screen or monitor, keyboard, mouse, or voice-recognition device. Output device 703 can be any suitable device that provides output, such as a touch screen, monitor, printer, disk drive, or speaker.
Storage 704 can be any suitable device that provides storage, such as an electrical, magnetic, or optical memory, including a RAM, cache, hard drive, CD-ROM drive, tape drive, removable storage disk, or other non-transitory computer readable medium. Storage 704 can include one storage device or more than one storage device. As used herein, the terms storage, memory, and/or storage medium/media may refer to singular and/or plural devices which may store data and/or code/instructions individually, redundantly, and/or in cooperation with one another, for example in a local and/or cloud storage environment. Communication device 705 can include any suitable device capable of transmitting and receiving signals over a network, such as a network interface chip or card. The components of the computer can be connected in any suitable manner, such as via a physical bus or wirelessly. Storage 704 can be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising one or more programs, which, when executed by one or more processors, such as processor 701, cause the one or more processors to execute methods described herein.
Software 706, which can be stored in storage 704 and executed by processor 701, can include, for example, the programming that embodies the functionality of the present disclosure (e.g., as embodied in the systems, computers, servers, and/or devices as described above). In some embodiments, software 706 can be implemented and executed on a combination of servers such as application servers and database servers.
Software 706, or part thereof, can also be stored and/or transported within any computer-readable storage medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as those described above, that can fetch and execute instructions associated with the software from the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. In the context of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium can be any medium, such as storage 704, that can contain or store programming for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.
Software 706 can also be propagated within any transport medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as those described above, that can fetch and execute instructions associated with the software from the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. In the context of this disclosure, a transport medium can be any medium that can communicate, propagate, or transport programming for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The transport-readable medium can include, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, or infrared wired or wireless propagation medium.
Computer 700 may be connected to a network, which can be any suitable type of interconnected communication system. The network can implement any suitable communications protocol and can be secured by any suitable security protocol. The network can comprise network links of any suitable arrangement that can implement the transmission and reception of network signals, such as wireless network connections, T1 or T3 lines, cable networks, DSL, or telephone lines.
Computer 700 can implement any operating system suitable for operating the network. Software 706 can be written in any suitable programming language, such as C, C++, Java, or Python. In various embodiments, application software embodying the functionality of the present disclosure can be deployed in different configurations, such as in a client/server arrangement or through a web browser as a Web-based application or Web service, for example
The foregoing description, for the purpose of explanation, has been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, the illustrative discussions above are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the techniques and their practical applications. Others skilled in the art are thereby enabled to best utilize the techniques and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
Although the disclosure and examples have been fully described with reference to the accompanying figures, it is to be noted that various changes and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are to be understood as being included within the scope of the disclosure and examples as defined by the claims. Finally, the entire disclosure of the patents and publications referred to in this application are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Any of the systems, methods, techniques, and/or features disclosed herein may be combined, in whole or in part, with any other systems, methods, techniques, and/or features disclosed herein.

Claims

A toilet assembly comprising:
a toilet bowl fluidly coupled to a trapway; and

a flush valve assembly comprising:
a valve inlet fluidly coupled to a water source inlet pipe,

a valve outlet fluidly coupled to the toilet bowl,

a solenoid flush valve,

a power source,

a first sensor configured to collect a first set of data corresponding to a user presence at the toilet assembly and configured to transmit a first signal comprising the first set of data;

a second sensor configured to collect a second set of data corresponding to contents of the toilet bowl and configured to transmit a second signal comprising the second set of data;

a controller electrically coupled with the power source, the first sensor, the second sensor, and the solenoid flush valve, wherein the controller is configured to be in remote communication with a computing device, and wherein the controller is configured to:
receive the first and second signals,

determine whether a user is present at the toilet assembly based on the first set of data in the first signal,

determine a status of the toilet assembly based on the second set of data in the second signal, and

transmit a third signal to the computing device, the third signal comprising a third set of data corresponding to a status of the toilet assembly.
The toilet assembly of claim 1, further comprising a flush valve cap, wherein the first sensor, the second sensor, the controller, and/or the power source of the flush valve assembly are integrated with the flush valve cap.
The toilet assembly of claim 1, wherein the first sensor comprises an infrared (IR) sensor.
The toilet assembly of claim 1, wherein the second sensor comprises an optical light or laser time-of-flight (ToF) sensor.
The toilet assembly of claim 1, wherein the status of the toilet assembly comprises a clogged status, and the third set of data corresponds to the clogged status.
The toilet assembly of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to generate an alert upon receiving the third set of data corresponding to the clogged status.
The toilet assembly of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether to initiate a toilet flush based on the first and/or second set of data.
The toilet assembly of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine a volume of the toilet flush based on the second set of data.
A flush valve assembly comprising:
a solenoid flush valve;

a power source;

a first sensor configured to collect a first set of data corresponding to a user presence at a toilet assembly and configured to transmit a first signal comprising the first set of data;

a second sensor configured to collect a second set of data corresponding to contents of a toilet bowl of the toilet assembly and configured to transmit a second signal comprising the second set of data; and

a controller electrically coupled with the power source, the first sensor, the second sensor, and the solenoid flush valve, wherein the controller is configured to be in remote communication with a computing device, and wherein the controller is configured to:
receive the first and second signals,

determine whether a user is present at the toilet assembly based on the first set of data in the first signal;

determine a status of the toilet assembly based on the second set of data in the second signal, and

transmit a third signal to the computing device, the third signal comprising a third set of data corresponding to a status of the toilet assembly.
The flush valve assembly of claim 9, wherein the first sensor comprises an infrared (IR) sensor.
The flush valve assembly of claim 9, wherein the second sensor comprises an optical light or laser time-of-flight (ToF) sensor.
The flush valve assembly of claim 9, wherein the status of the toilet assembly comprises a clogged status, and the third set of data corresponds to the clogged status.
The flush valve assembly of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to generate an alert upon receiving the third set of data corresponding to the clogged status.
The flush valve assembly of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether to initiate a toilet flush based on the first and/or second set of data.
The flush valve assembly of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to determine a volume of the toilet flush based on the second set of data.