JP2000282528A - Automatic water supplying device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatic water supplying device which is always charged into a built-in battery by a solar battery usable for a sensor. SOLUTION: In this automatic water supplying device 10 which an operating means 13 is separated from a delivery device 10 body 12 and wireless signals are transmitted from a transmitter 24 of the operating means 13 to a receiver 18 of the delivery device body 12 to deliver water from a faucet or stop it. An electrically storable solar battery 19 is provided in a buit-in battery while using a sensing part in common in at least either the receiver 18 of the delivery device body 12 or the operating means 13.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic water supply device using a wireless remote controller for an automatic faucet used in a kitchen or a washroom.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Water faucet fittings for kitchens and washrooms are usually installed at the back of a sink, and there is a problem that a handle for opening and closing water is difficult to reach. Here, it is also possible to arrange a hand switch without using a remote control switch, but it is necessary to perform wiring, and there is a risk of disconnection or electric shock, and the remote control switch having a power source such as a battery in the transmitter itself. It is preferable to use, for example, JP-A-5-156675 and JP-A-57-20438.
As described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 0, a wireless remote controller has been conventionally used as a means for arranging an operation switch at a hand side and discharging and stopping water by remote control.

[0003]

However, the above-described wireless remote controller has the following problems. (1) Both the transmitting unit and the receiving unit need a power supply. There is a push button switch, and a transmitting unit (ie, a remote controller) that transmits a signal only when the switch is pressed has low power consumption. Battery life is long as using dry batteries. However, as for the receiving unit, it is necessary to always wait for a signal from the transmitting unit, the power consumption is large to always sense, the battery life becomes short with a dry battery, and power must be supplied from a household power source. However, as a result, there is a problem that wiring becomes complicated. (2) As described in JP-A-57-204380, a push button switch is not provided, a human body such as an arm is detected in a non-contact manner, and a predetermined signal is directed to a receiving section on the main body side. In the transmitting section (that is, the operation means) for transmitting, a reflective optical sensor is surely used as a sensor for detecting a human arm or the like, but it is necessary to constantly emit light in order to detect a human body. As a result, there is a problem that the battery is significantly consumed. Here, it is possible to always charge the internal battery by using a solar cell for the transmission unit, but since it always requires power to emit light,
There is a problem in that the size of the solar cell increases, and as a result, the size of the entire transmitter (that is, the remote controller) increases. The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides an automatic water supply device that can use a solar cell to be used as a sensor and that can always charge a built-in battery with the solar cell. With the goal.

[0004]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic water supply apparatus comprising: an operating unit separated from a main body of a water spouter; and a transmitter of the operating unit transmits a wireless signal to a receiver of the main body of the spouter. In an automatic water supply device that discharges and stops water from a faucet by transmitting an optical signal or a radio wave signal according to the present invention, a solar cell is used as a detection unit of an input of the operation means. Here, in the automatic water supply device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the number of the solar cells is two, and that the input of the operation means be performed by detecting a difference between the power generation amounts of the two solar cells. In addition, there is no need for a light projecting unit which always requires electric power as in a conventional reflection type optical sensor. Further, in this automatic water supply device, it is preferable that the solar cell is built in the operation means and charges a battery serving as a power supply of the operation means, thereby eliminating the need to replace the battery. In addition, the automatic water supply device according to the second invention,
An automatic water supply device for separating water from a water faucet and stopping water by separating an operating means from a water spout main body and transmitting a wireless optical signal from a transmitter of the operation means to a receiver of the water spout main body. The solar cell is used for the receiver of the main body. Thus, an optical signal (on / off, color, light modulation signal, etc.) from the operating means can be received, and the water can be turned on / off. The automatic water supply device according to the third aspect of the present invention is configured such that the operating means is separated from the water spout main body, and a signal of the faucet is transmitted by wirelessly transmitting a signal from the transmitting section of the operating means to the receiver of the water spout main body. In the automatic water supply device that performs water discharge and water stoppage, a solar cell is used for a detection unit of the input of the operation means and / or a receiver of the water discharge unit main body, and further, a battery serving as a power source is charged by the used solar cell. I have. This makes it possible to operate the operation means and / or the receiver of the water sprayer main body without requiring power supply by the AC power supply or replacement due to running out of the battery.

[0005]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, with reference to the accompanying drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described for the understanding of the present invention. Here, FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view of an automatic water supply device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control system of the automatic water supply device, and FIG. Block diagram according to a modification, FIG. 4 is a schematic explanatory view of an automatic water supply device according to a second embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 5 is a plan view of operating means of the automatic water supply device, and FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the automatic water supply device.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an automatic water supply device 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes a water discharger main body 12 disposed on the back side of a sink 11 and a front side of the sink 11. And operating means 13 arranged at the same position. The water spout main body 12 has a water spout 14 at a front end thereof, and a valve device 17 provided at a middle of pipes 15 and 16 for supplying hot and cold water at a base. The valve devices 17 each include an electromagnetic valve for turning on and off hot water and cold water independently. Further, the water discharger main body 12 is provided with a receiver 18, and the receiver 18 is provided with a solar cell 19 constituting a light receiving section, and a control section 20 which receives this signal and turns on and off the valve device 17. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 21 denotes a temperature control valve. The power supply 22a of the receiver 18 may be an AC adapter that reduces the voltage of a commercial power supply and generates a DC output, or may be a battery that charges the power generated by the solar cell 19, When used, a long life is achieved by using a built-in battery capable of storing electricity.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the operation means 13 is a push button switch 22 which is an example of an input means.
A control unit 23 that receives a signal from the push button switch 22 and emits a predetermined signal; and a transmission unit 24 that includes a light bulb (an example of a light emitting element) and receives a predetermined signal from the control unit 23 and emits light. are doing. In this embodiment, the power supply 25 of the operating means 13 uses a replaceable dry battery.
This is only when the push button switch 22 is pressed,
The control unit 23 and the transmission unit 24 are turned on and the operation unit 13 is turned on.
Is operated, and the consumption of the battery is extremely small. Here, as shown in FIG. 3, it is also possible to use a rechargeable battery 26 as a power source and charge it with a separately provided solar battery 27, thereby enabling continuous use without replacing the battery.

A specific signal is output to the control unit 23 by the operation of the push button switch 22, and the output causes the incandescent lamp of the transmission unit 24 to emit light. The optical signal from the transmitting unit 24 is received by a solar cell 19 constituting a detecting unit (receiving unit) of the receiver 18. In response to this output, the control unit 20 opens the valve device 17 by the first signal, closes the valve device 17 by the next signal, and alternately operates the push button switch 22 to discharge the water from the water discharge port 14. There is going on and off the water. In addition, it is also possible to put a specific pulse signal or the like into the signal of the light bulb, and it is also possible to use a high-luminance light emitting element or the like instead of the light bulb.

Therefore, in the automatic water supply device 10, when the push button switch 22 is operated once, a predetermined signal is sent from the control unit 23 to the transmission unit 24, and the transmission unit 24 is operated.
, An optical signal is emitted, and this is received by the solar cell 19 of the receiver 18, input to the control unit 20, and opens the valve device 17.
As a result, the water is discharged from the spout 14. Next, when the push button switch 22 is pressed, a predetermined optical signal is again emitted from the operating unit 13, and the wireless optical signal is received by the receiver 18, and the valve device 17 is closed via the control unit 20. As a result, the discharge of water from the water outlet 14 stops.

Next, an automatic water supply device 30 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. The same reference numerals are used for the same components as those in the above embodiment. And a detailed description thereof will be omitted. As shown in FIG. 4, the automatic water supply device 30 has an operation unit 31 that emits a predetermined optical signal toward the solar cell 19 which is a light receiving unit of the receiver 18. As shown in FIG. 6, the operating means 31 includes a pair of solar cells 32 and 33, a signal control circuit 34 for these, and a transmission unit 35 including a light bulb that receives an output from the signal control circuit 34 and emits light. have. The power from the solar cells 32 and 33 is supplied to the charge control circuit 36.
A battery 37 is provided for charging through the power source, and the battery 37 supplements the power of the entire operation means 31.

As shown in FIG. 5, the solar cells 32 and 33 serving as a detection unit of the input of the operating means are buried in the upper surface of a case 38 of the operating means 31, have a certain size, and have an indoor light. Thus, the power required for the operation means 31 can be sufficiently generated. And the solar cells 32, 3
3 is input to a charging control circuit 36 via diodes 39 and 40 for preventing mutual interference, and if necessary, is boosted to a predetermined voltage to charge a battery 37 incorporated in the operating means 31. I try to charge.

The signal control circuit 34 is provided with a one-chip microcomputer having a well-known structure. The output of the solar cell 32 and the output of the solar cell 33 are substantially equal to each other when the output voltages of the solar cells 32 and 33 are input. When the surroundings are bright or the surroundings are dark, no output is generated from the signal control circuit 34, and when the outputs of the solar cells 32 and 33 differ by a predetermined voltage or more, for example, When the hand 41 crosses over the operation means 31, or when the hand 41
, Is detected for a short time, and a predetermined pulse signal is issued from the signal control circuit 34.
In this case, the signal control circuit 34 needs to be constantly operating in order to detect an input to the operation means 31, and therefore, a low power type element is used as an element of the signal control circuit 34. Here, when the hand 41 crosses, the state becomes [bright] → [dark] → [bright] within a short time, and when the hand 41 is reciprocated immediately, it becomes [bright] → [dark] again. ] →
In the state of [bright], a plurality of signals are issued in a short time, and the operation of the water from the water outlet 14 is finally repeated and the operation becomes unstable. After a pulse signal is once provided, the next solar cell 32 and the next solar cell 3 do not pass through the dead band.
In the case where there is a difference between the three output voltages, the signal control circuit 34
Is processed so as not to generate a pulse signal. The transmission unit 35 receives a pulse signal from the signal control circuit 34 and emits an optical signal. However, the transmission unit 35 is always in an off state, and only when there is a predetermined signal from the signal control circuit 34 Is supposed to consume.

Therefore, in the automatic water supply device 30, when the hand 41 crosses over the operating means 31, there is a difference between the electromotive forces of the solar cells 32 and 33 which have generated the same voltage. This is detected by the signal control circuit 34 and a predetermined pulse is sent to the transmission unit 35. The transmitting unit 35 receives the pulse and emits light, and the light is received by the solar cell 19 of the receiver 18. The control unit 20 performs predetermined signal processing to turn on the valve device 17. This allows the spout 14
Predetermined hot water (or cold water) is released from the water. When the hand 41 crosses over the solar cells 32 and 33 after passing through the dead zone, a similar light signal is emitted from the transmitting unit 35, and the solar cell 19 receives the signal and turns off the valve device 17. To

Although the automatic water supply device 30 uses two solar cells 32 and 33, it is also possible to use one solar cell. In this case, the brightness changes depending on the normal turning on and off of the electricity in the room. To distinguish between them, for example, the change speed of the brightness, the number of times of the brightness, the style of the brightness ([light] → [dark] → [light] ) Or a combination of these, an input signal is detected.

In the automatic water supply device 30,
As the light receiving portion of the receiver 18, it is also possible to use an ordinary light sensor such as a photodiode or a photo sensor without using a solar cell. Can also send a signal to the receiver. In this automatic water supply device 30, when the solar cells 32, 33 are arranged side by side with respect to the sink 11, and when the hand 41 is moved from right to left on the operation means 31, the water outlet 14 is provided. When the hand 41 is moved from left to right on the operation means 31, it is also possible to stop the water discharge from the water outlet 14. The present invention is also applicable to a case where the signal control circuit 34 is performed by a normal analog control circuit without using a microcomputer.

[0016]

In the automatic water supply apparatus according to the first to third aspects, since a solar cell is used for the input detecting section of the operating means, the signal can be obtained by directly converting the optical signal into electric power. This eliminates the need for a light emitting unit that constantly emits light as in the case of the reflection type optical sensor, thereby providing an operation means (remote control) with low power consumption. In particular, in the automatic water supply device according to the second aspect, since there are two solar cells and the input of the operating means is performed by detecting the difference between the power generation amounts of the two solar cells, the solar cell is rotated by both the solar cells. , And it is possible to input only necessary signals without being affected by natural light or light of an electric lamp. And in the automatic water supply device of claim 3,
Since the solar cell is built in the operation means and charges the battery serving as a power supply for the operation means, wiring from an AC power supply or a replaceable battery is used to supply power to the operation means (ie, a remote controller). No need to do. In the automatic water supply device according to the fourth aspect, since the solar battery is used as the receiver of the water spout main body, a light signal from the operating means can be received by a change in the electromotive force of the solar battery. And Claim 5
In the automatic water supply device described, a solar cell is used for a detection unit of an input of an operation means and / or a receiver of a water spout main body,
Further, since the battery serving as a power source is charged by the used solar battery, a replaceable battery is not required as in the related art, and it is possible to provide an automatic water supply device having a long service life without battery replacement.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram of an automatic water supply device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control system of the automatic water supply device.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram according to a modification of the operating means of the automatic water supply device.

FIG. 4 is a schematic explanatory view of an automatic water supply device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of operation means of the automatic water supply device.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the automatic water supply device.

[Explanation of symbols]

10: automatic water supply device, 11: sink, 12: spout body, 13: operating means, 14: discharge port, 15: pipe, 1
6: pipe, 17: valve device, 18: receiver, 19: solar cell, 20: control unit, 21: temperature control valve, 22: push button switch, 22a: power supply, 23: control unit, 24: transmission unit, 25: power supply, 26: battery, 27: solar cell, 3
0: automatic water supply device, 31: operation means, 32: solar cell,
33: solar cell, 34: signal control circuit, 35: transmission unit,
36: charge control circuit, 37: battery, 38: case, 3
9: diode, 40: diode, 41: hand

Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Yuji Inoue 2-1-1 Nakajima, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu-shi, Fukuoka F-term (reference) 2D060 CA07 3H062 BB33 CC01 CC24 FF17 FF41 HH03 HH07

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An operation means is separated from a main body of a water spouter, and an optical signal or a radio wave signal is transmitted wirelessly from a transmission section of the operation means to a receiver of the main body of the water spouter, so that water discharge and water stoppage of a water faucet are performed. In the automatic water supply device, a solar cell is used for a detection unit of the input of the operation means. 2. The automatic water supply device according to claim 1,
The automatic water supply device, wherein there are two solar cells, and the input of the operating means is performed by detecting a difference in the amount of power generated by the two solar cells. 3. The automatic water supply device according to claim 1, wherein said solar cell is built in said operation means, and charges a battery serving as a power supply of said operation means. 4. An automatic water supply for separating water from a water faucet by separating an operating means from a water spout main body and transmitting a wireless optical signal from a transmission section of the operation means to a receiver of the water spout main body. An automatic water supply apparatus, wherein a solar cell is used for a receiver of the water spout main body. 5. An automatic water supply for separating water from a water faucet by separating an operation means from a water spout main body and wirelessly transmitting a signal from a transmission section of the operation means to a receiver of the water spout main body. An automatic water supply apparatus, wherein a solar cell is used for a detection unit of an input of the operation means and / or a receiver of the water spout main body, and a battery serving as a power source is charged by the used solar cell.