JP2003119853A - Automatic faucet - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the electric power consumed by an automatic faucet adapted to automatically discharge water upon detection of a user by a human body sensor. SOLUTION: In a control circuit part of the automatic circuit, a human body detection signal outputted from the human body sensor using the electric power supplied from a battery or an external power source is processed by a CPU to operate a discharge control valve for opening and closing. A voltage lowering means U1 such as a voltage regulator is provided in a line communicating a power supply part V1 to a computing unit such as a CPU. The discharge control valve L1 and a pilot lamp are operated with source voltages while the CPU and the human body sensor are operated with the voltages lowered by the voltage lowering means U1. Since the voltages applied to the CPU and the human body sensor can be lowered to a required minimal voltage value for operation, power consumption can be reduced.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic water faucet which detects the presence or absence of a user with a human body detection sensor and automatically discharges water. More specifically, it is intended to reduce power consumption. To aim.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a user extends his or her hand, a human body detection sensor detects it and opens a water discharge control valve provided in the middle of a water supply passage so that water is automatically discharged from a water discharge port. Conventional automatic faucets made are known. An infrared sensor is widely used as a human body detection sensor, and a latch valve, a solenoid valve, an electric valve, etc. are used as a water discharge control valve.
In addition, the automatic faucet is often provided with a pilot lamp for displaying the operation status.

[0003]

Of the electric parts constituting the automatic faucet, the one having the highest operating voltage is usually the water discharge control valve, and the one having about 5 V is usually used. Some human body detection sensors and pilot lamps also require a voltage of about 3 volts. Therefore, the control circuit unit that controls the operation of each electric component is conventionally set to operate at about 5 volts, which is equivalent to that of the water discharge control valve. However, an arithmetic unit such as a CPU provided in the control circuit unit has a lower voltage (for example, 2 to 3).
In some cases, the circuit configuration of the conventional automatic faucet wasted power consumption. Therefore, in an automatic water faucet using a battery as an operating power source, it is a cause of shortening the life of the battery.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention was devised with the object of solving the above-mentioned problems in conventional automatic faucets, and is characterized in that the opening / closing operation is electrically controlled. In a water faucet provided with a water discharge control valve, a human body detection sensor for detecting the presence or absence of a user, and a control circuit unit for controlling the opening / closing operation of the water discharge control valve based on a human body detection signal output from the human body detection sensor, The voltage applied to the arithmetic device such as the CPU in the control circuit unit is set to be lower than the operating voltage of the water discharge control valve and / or the human body detection sensor.

Further, according to the present invention, a water discharge control valve whose opening / closing operation is electrically controlled, a human body detection sensor for detecting the presence or absence of a user, and a water discharge control valve for the water discharge control valve based on a human body detection signal output from the human body detection sensor. A control circuit unit for controlling the opening / closing operation,
In an automatic faucet provided with a pilot lamp for displaying an operation status, a voltage applied to a computing device such as a CPU in the control circuit unit is controlled by a water discharge control valve, a human body detection sensor,
There is provided an automatic faucet characterized by being set to be lower than the operating voltage of all or at least one of the pilot lamps.

Further, according to the present invention, a voltage drop for lowering a voltage applied to an arithmetic device such as a CPU lower than a power supply voltage is provided in the middle of a wiring connecting a power source part in the control circuit portion and an arithmetic device such as a CPU. An automatic faucet provided with means.

Based on the above construction, the automatic faucet of the present invention can reduce the operating voltage of the arithmetic unit such as the CPU of the control circuit unit to the minimum required voltage value, thus saving the power consumption. You can

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION In an automatic faucet for electrically controlling the opening / closing operation of a water discharge control valve on the basis of a human body detection signal output from a human body detection sensor, the circuit configuration of a control circuit section is configured as shown in FIG. . In the circuit diagram, Cn is a capacitor, Dn is a diode, Qn is a transistor, and Rn is a resistor (where n is a natural number). This circuit processes a human body detection signal output from a human body detection sensor by a CPU composed of a one-chip microcomputer or the like by electric power supplied from a battery or an external power source, and the CPU opens and closes the water discharge control valve L1. , It is designed to control the lighting of the pilot lamp.

In the present invention, the power supplies V1 and C for the control circuit section are used.
A voltage drop means U1 such as a voltage regulator is provided in the middle of the wiring that communicates with the arithmetic unit such as PU, and the water discharge control valve L1 is provided.
While the pilot lamp and the pilot lamp are operated with the power source voltage as it is, a voltage lower than the power source voltage is applied to the CPU and the human body detection sensor by the voltage drop means U1. Specifically, when the power supply voltage is, for example, 5 to 6 volts, the voltage applied to the CPU is reduced to, for example, 2 to 3 volts. Also, the circuit is C
Since the human body detection sensor 4 that can operate at the same voltage as PU is used and the voltage is applied to the human body detection sensor 4 through the CPU, the applied voltage to the human body detection sensor 4 is also low. Since the CPU and the human body detection sensor 4 can be operated at a lower voltage than the water discharge control valve 12, the circuit configuration as described above is possible and there is no hindrance to the function of the automatic faucet. The automatic faucet of the present invention can reduce the voltage constantly applied to the CPU and the human body detection sensor to the minimum voltage value required for operation based on the circuit configuration. Then, as a result of operating the CPU composed of a one-chip microcomputer or the like at a low voltage, the current consumption also decreases, so that the power consumption can be saved.

[0010]

1 and 2 show an example of an automatic faucet 1 to which the present invention is applied. This automatic faucet 1 is composed of a faucet head 2 installed on the surface of a counter and the like, and a function main body 10 installed on the bottom surface of the counter and the like. The faucet head 2 is provided with a water spout portion 3 and a human body detection sensor 4.
Further, a pilot lamp 5 including an LED (light emitting diode) for displaying the operation status of the automatic faucet 1 may be provided on the front surface or the upper surface of the faucet head 2.

On the other hand, the functional main body 10 is composed of the housing 10
Inside a, the control circuit unit 11, the water discharge control valve 12, and
A battery 13 is provided. The control circuit unit 11 employs a circuit configuration as illustrated in FIG. 1, for example. When the power source is a battery, the pilot lamp 5 may display the remaining battery level. When an external power source (commercial power source or the like) is used as the operating power source, the function main unit 10 may be provided with a connecting wire or a connector.

Human body detection sensor 3 and pilot lamp 5
Are connected to the control circuit section 11 in the function main body section 10 by electric wirings 7 and 8. Although a reflection type infrared sensor such as a distance measuring sensor is widely adopted as the human body detection sensor 3,
An ultrasonic sensor or the like can be used depending on the situation.

The water discharge control valve 12 housed in the function main body 10 may be any one that electrically controls the opening and closing of the flow path, and a latch valve, a solenoid valve, an electric valve, etc. can be used.
In the housing 10a of the function body unit 10, the control circuit unit 1
1 and the electric wiring 9 are connected. The secondary side of the water discharge control valve 12 is connected to the water outlet 3 of the faucet head 2 by a pipe 6 such as a rubber tube, and the primary side of the water discharge control valve 12 is
A pipe 22 is connected to a water supply source 20 such as a water supply tap via a water stopcock 21 (see FIG. 1).

With the automatic faucet 1 constructed as described above, when the user extends his or her hand toward the spout 3 of the faucet head 2,
The human body detection sensor 4 detects this and outputs a human body detection signal to the control circuit section 11 provided in the function main body section 10. Based on the human body detection signal, the CPU of the control circuit section 11 opens the water discharge control valve 12. It is operated to discharge the water supplied from the water supply source 20 from the water discharge port 3. The water discharge control valve 12 is kept open for a certain period of time set by a timer or the like of the control circuit unit 11, or when the user returns his or her hand, the human body detection sensor 4 does not have a human body. It suffices to output the detection signal.

In the automatic faucet 1 of this example, the circuit configuration of the control circuit unit 11 is as shown in FIG. 1, and the water discharge control valve 12 and the pilot lamp 5 which normally operate only when necessary are provided with the battery 13. So that the voltage is applied as it is,
As a general rule, the voltage that is lowered by the voltage drop means U1 is applied to the CPU that is always operating, and the human body detection sensor that operates intermittently is applied with the voltage that is lowered through the CPU intermittently. did. As a result, the power consumption of the electric components can be suppressed, and the life of the power supply battery 13 can be extended or the electricity bill can be saved.

In the above embodiment, the automatic faucet 1 has the faucet head 1 having the spout 3 and the functional main body 10 for accommodating the control circuit 11 and the spout control valve 12 as separate components. Although the present invention is applied, application of the present invention to an automatic faucet having a structure in which a human body detection sensor, a water discharge control valve, a control circuit unit, and the like are integrally incorporated in the faucet head is not hindered.

[0017]

According to the automatic faucet of the present invention, in the control circuit portion, a voltage drop means such as a voltage regulator is provided in the middle of the wiring that connects the power supply and the arithmetic unit such as the CPU,
Since a voltage lower than the power supply voltage is applied to the arithmetic unit such as U by the voltage drop means, as a general rule, the power consumption of the arithmetic unit such as the CPU that is always operating can be reduced. it can. Therefore, when a battery is used as an operating power source, the life of the battery is extended, and when an external power source is used, the electricity bill can be saved. CPU
Since the arithmetic device such as normally operates at a lower voltage than the water discharge control valve and the like, the circuit configuration as described above is possible,
There is no possibility of causing any problem in the function of the automatic faucet.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram illustrating the configuration of a control circuit unit in an automatic faucet according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially omitted perspective view showing an example of an automatic faucet to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an example of an automatic faucet to which the present invention is applied.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Automatic faucet 2 ... Faucet head 3 ... Water outlet 4 ... Human body detection sensor 5 ... Pilot lamp 6 ... Piping 7,
8, 9 ... Electrical wiring 10 ... Function body 10a ... Housing 11 ... Control circuit 12 ... Water discharge control valve 13 ... Battery (power source) 20 ... Water supply source

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A water discharge control valve whose opening / closing operation is electrically controlled, a human body detection sensor for detecting the presence or absence of a user, and an opening / closing operation of the water discharge control valve based on a human body detection signal output from the human body detection sensor. A control circuit section for controlling, and a voltage applied to an arithmetic device such as a CPU in the control circuit section is set to be lower than an operating voltage of the water discharge control valve and / or the human body detection sensor. Automatic water faucet. 2. A water discharge control valve whose opening / closing operation is electrically controlled, a human body detection sensor for detecting the presence or absence of a user, and an opening / closing operation of the water discharge control valve based on a human body detection signal output from the human body detection sensor. A control circuit part for controlling and a pilot lamp for displaying the operation status are provided, and the voltage applied to the arithmetic unit such as the CPU in the control circuit part is all of the water discharge control valve, the human body detection sensor and the pilot lamp, or
An automatic faucet characterized by being set to be lower than an operating voltage of at least one of these. 3. A power supply unit in the control circuit unit and a CP
The automatic faucet according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a voltage drop means for lowering a voltage applied to the arithmetic unit such as a CPU lower than a power supply voltage is provided in the middle of a wiring connecting the arithmetic unit such as U.