JP2001279747A - Faucet with sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a faucet with a sensor which is reliable without malfunctions and in which the sensor is provided at a freely rotatable water discharge pipe and water or hot water can be discharged or stopped from the spout to a bowl fixed to a counter of a lavatory dressor or a sink. SOLUTION: In a faucet with a sensor in which a sensor 11 detecting substances is provided on a freely rotatable water discharge pipe 7 attached to a counter 3 of a lavatory dressor 1 or a sink and water or hot water can be discharged or stopped from the spout 12 to a bowl 4 fixed to a counter 3, the sensor 11 is provided on the vertical face at the lower end of the water discharge pipe 7 to form the sensing zone of substances in the horizontal direction.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a faucet with a sensor provided with a water discharge pipe for automatically discharging and stopping hot and cold water when a sensor detects an object such as a human body or an article.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, water discharge and stoppage of hot water from a shower head attached to a vanity table are performed by using a sensor for sensing an object. FIG. 1 of Japanese Patent No. 2508375 (FIG. 5 (a) and (b)). In the shower head 31 with the sensor, a holder 32 is rotatable on a counter 29 of the vanity stand 28 and can be moved up and down, and a shower head 33 is supported at the tip of the holder 32 so as to be able to be pulled out together with a hose 36. A water outlet 34 for discharging hot water is provided on the lower surface side of the head 33, and a sensor 35 for detecting a hand or the like is provided near the water outlet 34. The sensor 35 emits a sensing signal in a vertical direction toward the ball 30. Is what you are doing.

[0003] In the above device, the sensor emits a sensing signal in a vertical direction from a high position of the shower head supported by the holder to the ball of the vanity table, so that the article is placed on the ball. In such a case, if the article becomes a sensing area of the sensor, hot water is spouted from the shower head without the user's intention, and there is a problem that the hot water is spoiled unnecessarily. Also, when the holder rotates right or left from the front position and the sensor faces the counter vertically, the sensor senses the counter and floods the floor with the counter and hot water falling from the counter. there were. It is conceivable to adjust the sensing distance of the sensor, but it has been difficult to set it strictly.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 10-306483 discloses a sensor capable of preventing such a sensor from being erroneously sensed. As shown in FIG. 6, in this automatic faucet, the shower head 40 is formed in a mountain shape having an upper surface projecting upward, and an inclined surface 41 inclined upward and forward is formed on the front surface of this mountain-shaped discharge portion. A sensor 42 for detecting a hand is provided on the inclined surface 41 to discharge hot water from a water discharge port 43.

In this automatic faucet, since the sensor is located at a higher position than the spout from which hot and cold water is spouted, it does not sense the article placed on the ball and does not cause erroneous sensing. In such a case, it is necessary to consciously make the hand sense a sensor at a high position, and there is a problem in operability.

[0006]

A problem to be solved by the present invention is that a sensor is provided on a rotatable water discharge pipe, and water is discharged from a water discharge port toward a ball fixed to a counter of a washstand or a sink. It is an object of the present invention to provide a highly reliable sensor-equipped faucet which does not malfunction in a water faucet with a sensor capable of stopping water.

[0007]

According to the present invention, a sensor is provided on a rotatable water discharge pipe attached to a counter of a vanity table or a sink, and the sensor detects an object by detecting the object.
A water faucet with a sensor capable of discharging and stopping hot and cold water from a water outlet toward a ball fixed to a counter, wherein the sensor is provided on a vertical surface at a lower end of a water discharge pipe, and a sensing area of an object is horizontal. It is.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. In the embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, a vanity table 1 is installed along a wall in a room, and a counter 3 is fixed on an upper surface of a cabinet 2 capable of storing articles. A ball 4 whose upper side is open is fixed to 3, and a faucet 5, which separates a flow rate adjusting unit 6 and a water discharge pipe 7, is mounted upright behind the ball 4 on the upper surface of the counter 3. Inside the cabinet 2 are mounted a box 14 containing an electromagnetic valve 14a and a control unit 14b, and a mixing valve 16 connected to the box 14 by a water pipe 15. The mixing valve 16 is provided with a water supply pipe 18 and a hot water pipe 19. The water and hot water supplied from the mixer are mixed with hot water of an appropriate temperature by operating the temperature control handle 17, and the hot water is supplied to the faucet 5 through a solenoid valve 14 a and a supply pipe 20.
Is supplied to the flow rate adjusting unit 6.

The water discharge pipe 7 of the faucet 5 has a pipe-shaped holder 9 rotatable left and right and up and down with respect to a fixing member 8 fixed to the counter 3.
The hose 13 inserted through the inside of the fixing member 8 and the holder 9 and connected to the shower head 10 is connected to the cabinet 2.
The holder 9 hangs down inside and is connected to the flow rate adjusting unit 6, the holder 9 is curved above the central part in the horizontal direction, and the tip extends to the space above the ball 4, and the shower head 10 is attached to the tip together with the hose 13. It is attached so that it can be pulled out.

A sensor 11 for detecting an object such as a hand or an article extended forward is provided on a vertical surface at the lower end of the water discharge pipe 7.
Is attached. When the sensor 11 reaches out to the front sensing area, the temperature and the flow rate are automatically adjusted by the mixing valve 16 and the flow rate adjusting unit 6 from the downward water outlet 12 provided on the lower surface of the tip of the shower head 10. The water supply is started so that the water stops automatically when the hand is removed, and an electric cord 21 is attached. The extension end of the electric cord 21 extends to the lower part of the counter 3 to The control unit 1 of the box 14 inside
4b, when the sensor 11 detects an object such as a hand or an article, the electromagnetic valve 14a is opened by a detection signal sent to the control unit 14b by the electric code 21 to discharge hot water from the water discharge port 12 of the shower head 10. When the sensing action of the sensor 11 is extinguished by discharging and keeping a hand away, the electromagnetic valve 14a is closed by a sensing extinguishing signal sent to the control unit 14b by the electric cord 21 so that water is automatically stopped. .

The sensor 11 is mounted on a vertical surface at the lower end of the water discharge pipe 7, rotates together with the water discharge pipe 7, and emits a sensing light beam in a horizontal direction by a light emitting element. If the product is placed at a higher position in the horizontal sensing area of the sensor 11, the sensing is performed. For example, if an article is placed at a position lower than the counter 3 inside the ball 4, the article is out of the sensing area.
The sensor 11 does not sense. Further, the water discharge pipe 7 is shown in FIG.
And rotate the shower head 10
Is facing the counter 3 up and down, the sensor 11
Are emitted in the horizontal direction, so that the counter 3 is not detected. As described above, the sensor 11 does not sense an object placed carelessly at a low position inside the ball 4 or the counter 3, and can prevent wasteful discharge of hot and cold water. If you reach your hand in the horizontal position, the hot water will be discharged and the operability will be good.

Now, when an object such as a hand or an article is put in front of the water discharge pipe 7 shown in FIG. 1 in the sensing area of the sensor 11 for washing a hand or washing a face, the sensor 11 senses the presence of the object, A sensing signal is sent to the control unit 14b of the box 14 by the electric cord 21 by the sensing action of the sensor 11, and the solenoid valve 14a is opened. In this case, the temperature of the hot and cold water is adjusted by the temperature control handle 17 of the mixing valve 16 and the flow rate is controlled by the faucet 5.
The hot water whose temperature and flow rate have been adjusted is supplied to the water outlet 1 of the shower head 10.
Water is spouted from 2.

Next, when the object is no longer present from the sensing area of the sensor 11, the solenoid valve 14a closes and the discharge of hot water from the water outlet 12 is stopped.

To wash the hair with the faucet 5, the holder 9 of the water discharge pipe 7 may be pulled upward from the fixing member 8 as shown in FIG. If so, the sensor 11 senses the head and hot water is spouted from the spout 12 of the shower head 10, so that the hair can be easily washed.

The water faucet with a sensor according to the present embodiment is capable of vertically moving the holder of the water discharge pipe up and down and pulling out the shower head from the holder. However, the holder or the shower head may be fixed.

[0016]

According to the present invention, a sensor is provided on a rotatable water discharge pipe attached to a counter of a vanity sink or a sink, and the sensor detects an object to direct a ball fixed from the water discharge port to the counter. In a water faucet with a sensor capable of discharging and stopping hot and cold water, the sensor is provided on a vertical surface at a lower end of a water discharge pipe, and a sensing area of an object is set in a horizontal direction. Therefore, the sensor senses an object, such as a human body or an article, in the horizontal direction below the water discharge pipe, so that an object placed inside the ball unexpectedly or a vertical It doesn't spit hot water unintentionally by sensing the counter facing
The water discharge starts when the hand is put out under the water discharge port, and a highly reliable and easy-to-operate sensor-equipped faucet can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a vanity table to which a water faucet with a sensor according to the present invention is attached.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the vanity stand of FIG. 1 in a state where a holder of a faucet with a sensor is pulled up.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the vanity stand of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the vanity stand of FIG. 1, with a holder rotated.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are explanatory views of a conventional technique, wherein FIG. 5A is a perspective view and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a sectional side view of a main part.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of another conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vanity stand 3 Counter 4 Ball 5 Water faucet 7 Water spout 11 Sensor 12 Water spout

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A sensor is provided on a rotatable water discharge pipe attached to a counter of a vanity sink or a sink, and the sensor detects an object, and discharges hot water from a water discharge port toward a ball fixed to the counter. A water faucet with a sensor, wherein the sensor is provided on a vertical surface at a lower end of a water discharge pipe, and a sensing area of an object is made horizontal.