JP2590352Y2 - Automatic faucet device - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic faucet device for automatically opening and closing a faucet in an existing faucet such as a washroom, a kitchen, or a public toilet in a general household.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Heretofore, there have been several types of devices for automatically discharging or stopping water from a water tap using a sensor. For example, remove the entire faucet,
A method of replacing with an automatic faucet device with a built-in sensor, or a method of loosening and removing the packing nut at the faucet part and replacing it with an on-off valve driven by a solenoid valve or a motor,
Further, there has been a method in which an automatic faucet device is attached to the tip of a faucet by retrofitting.

[0003] However, with any of these methods, the amount of water coming out of the faucet cannot be continuously adjusted.

[0004] Furthermore, in the method of removing the entire faucet and replacing it with an automatic faucet device, the main tap of the water supply had to be closed at the time of installation work, and it was difficult for ordinary people to work. In particular, in a multi-family house or the like, the location of the main plug is not known, and it is often impossible to work. In a public toilet, there is a problem that if one main tap is stopped, all faucets cannot be used. In addition, this method is expensive because all the components are replaced with new devices.

[0005] In the case of a system in which the packing nut at the faucet portion is removed and replaced with a solenoid valve or an on-off valve driven by a motor, it is necessary to close the main tap of the water supply at the time of installation, and there is a problem in workability.

[0006] In the case of a method in which the device is attached to the tip of the faucet by retrofitting, it is not necessary to close the water tap at the time of attachment. However, since a device that has not existed before is added to the tip of the faucet, there has been a problem that the distance between the sink and the faucet is narrowed, making it difficult to use. Further, there is a problem that the amount of water is reduced by adding the device.

[0007]

As described above, the conventional automatic faucet apparatus cannot automatically adjust the amount of water,
There have been problems such as difficulty in the work at the time of attachment, and hindrance of the newly added device during use.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and the installation work is easy for ordinary people, the amount of water can be adjusted, and the one added around the faucet does not interfere with use. It is an object to provide a faucet device.

[0009]

The automatic faucet device according to the present invention comprises a mounting means which can be mounted on the upper part of a water tap,
A detection unit that is held by the attachment unit and detects at least a part of a human body; a motor that is held by the attachment unit and that rotates an opening / closing valve of a faucet portion; and a motor that is held by the attachment unit and the detection unit is a human body. A control circuit for controlling the rotation of the motor based on a result of at least a part of the detection, wherein the control circuit rotates the motor in a reverse direction so as to close the on-off valve first when energized. Features.

[0010]

Alternatively, the control circuit has a current detecting means for detecting a current flowing through the motor, and when the current detected by the current detecting means exceeds a predetermined value,
The rotation of the motor may be stopped.

Further, the control circuit may rotate the motor in a reverse direction when a power supply voltage falls below a predetermined voltage.

The automatic faucet apparatus further includes a cam connected to a shaft of the on-off valve, and a switch for switching between an open state and a closed state when the cam rotates by a predetermined angle. By rotating the motor in the forward direction when at least a part of the human body is detected by,
The motor may be stopped when the cam rotates by the predetermined angle and the switch operates, and the motor may be rotated in the opposite direction after a predetermined time has elapsed.

The predetermined angle may be arbitrarily set within a range of 360 degrees.

In the control circuit, while at least a part of the human body is continuously detected by the detection means, the motor rotates in the forward direction, the cam rotates by the predetermined angle, and the switch operates. After that, the motor may be controlled so as to continue rotating in the forward direction until at least a part of the human body is no longer detected.

Alternatively, the control circuit detects at least a part of the human body by the detecting means, and detects the at least part of the human body by the detecting means before the motor rotates in the forward direction and the cam rotates to the predetermined angle. When a part is detected again, the motor may be rotated in the reverse direction.

Further, the control circuit controls the motor to rotate in the forward direction when the detection means detects at least a part of the human body while the motor is rotating in the reverse direction. Is also good.

[0018]

[Function] Since the device is installed above the faucet, the distance from the faucet to the sink is not so small that it does not hinder the use. In addition, it controls the motor that detects at least a part of the human body and rotates the on-off valve. By doing so, it is possible to discharge water as much as necessary, and when power is further supplied, the on-off valve is closed first, thereby preventing unnecessary water discharge.

[0019]

By stopping the rotation of the motor when the current flowing through the motor exceeds a predetermined value, it is possible to prevent damage to the motor and wasteful use of electric power.

Further, even if the packing of the faucet is loosened, the water can always be stopped with a constant force.

When the power supply voltage is equal to or lower than the predetermined voltage, by rotating the motor in the reverse direction to close the on-off valve, it is possible to prevent the control circuit from malfunctioning and wasteful water discharging is performed.

The cam connected to the on-off valve rotates to a predetermined angle at which the amount of water necessary for normal use is obtained, the switch operates, the rotation of the motor stops for a predetermined time, and then the motor rotates in the reverse direction. By closing the open / close valve, a desired amount of water can be easily obtained, and at the same time, waste of water is prevented.

The angle of the cam when the switch operates is 3
By being able to set arbitrarily within the range of 60 degrees, the required amount of water can be easily adjusted.

As long as at least a part of the human body is continuously detected, the motor is continuously rotated in the forward direction after the switch is operated until at least a part of the human body is no longer detected. Can be increased.

When the motor rotates in the forward direction, the cam rotates to a predetermined angle, and at least a part of the human body is detected again before the switch is operated, the motor is rotated in the reverse direction as required. To stop water spouting,
Wasted water is prevented.

If at least a part of the human body is detected while the motor is rotating in the reverse direction, the motor is rotated in the forward direction again, so that water can be discharged again without waiting until the on-off valve is completely closed. .

[0028]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An automatic faucet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, the internal structure of the automatic faucet device will be described with reference to a drawing showing a cross section in a state where the faucet is attached to an existing faucet. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state in which the apparatus is mounted on the upper part of the faucet, and FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of FIG. 4 as viewed from above.

In this automatic faucet apparatus, a drive mechanism and a circuit are housed inside a main body surrounded by a main body lid 105 and a main body case 104. Above the water tap 101, there is an on-off valve shaft 103 for rotating an on-off valve (not shown), and a callan (not shown) is attached thereto. After removing the callan, the on-off valve shaft 1
The on-off valve drive shaft 106 for driving the valve 03 is mounted. The motor 21 rotates the on-off valve drive shaft 106. The rotation of the motor 21 is reduced by the gear 109 and transmitted to the on-off valve drive shaft 106. The motor 21
The rotation is controlled by the electric circuit section 111 covered in the electric circuit cover 116. The electric circuit unit 111 controls the rotation of the motor 21 based on the operation of the sensor 113 detecting the hand of the user. The electric power is supplied to the motor 21, the electric circuit unit 111, and the sensor 113 by a battery 114 housed at the rear of the main body. On-off valve drive shaft 106
The opening degree of the on-off valve, that is, the on-off valve shaft 10
A cam 107 for detecting the rotation angle of No. 3 is attached. A cam projection 1 is provided at one location on the outer periphery of the cam 107.
17 is provided, and when rotated by a predetermined angle, the switch 112 is closed.

The schematic operation of the present apparatus will be described below. When the user approaches the hand near the sensor 113, the hand is detected by the sensor 113 and the information is transmitted to the electric circuit unit 111. Electric circuit section 11
1 controls the motor 21 to rotate, and this rotation
The speed is reduced at 09 and transmitted to the on-off valve drive shaft 106. Since the periphery of the on-off valve shaft 103 is provided with anti-slip irregularities, the rotation of the on-off valve drive shaft 106 is transmitted to the on-off valve shaft 103 by providing the inner surface of the on-off valve drive shaft 106 with irregularities. Is done. As a result, an open / close valve (not shown) opens and water is discharged from the faucet.

The cam 107 is mounted on the outer periphery of the on-off valve drive shaft 106 as described above. here,
The outer periphery of the on-off valve drive shaft 106 is carved with fine gear-shaped irregularities, and the inner periphery of the cam 107 is provided with irregularities that mesh with it. As a result, when the opening / closing valve drive shaft 106 rotates, the cam 107 also rotates in conjunction therewith, and the cam projection 11
The position of 7 moves. Here, as shown in FIG. 6, when the cam projection 117 is rotated in the D direction by a predetermined angle from a state where the on-off valve is completely closed, the cam projection 117 is turned on by the switch 112 as shown in FIG. Is set to close. When the switch 112 is closed, the power supply to the motor 21 is cut off and the rotation stops as described later. Thus, the cam projection 117 and the switch 11
Reference numeral 2 is used to detect the degree of opening and closing of the on-off valve. Here, by changing the relative positional relationship between the position of the cam projection 117 on the circumference of the cam 107 and the switch 112, the degree of opening and closing of the on-off valve when the switch 112 operates can be arbitrarily set. it can.

The installation of the present apparatus on the water faucet 101 can be easily performed by ordinary people. Remove the water from the tap faucet 101 and open / close the valve shaft 103
The opening and closing valve shaft 103 for driving the opening and closing valve shaft 103 by the rotation of the motor 21 may be connected using a connection screw 110. FIG. 5 shows a state where the present apparatus is attached to the upper part of the water tap faucet 101. As is apparent from this figure, since the present apparatus removes and attaches the callan on the water faucet 101, there is no obstacle between the periphery of the tip of the water faucet 101 and the sink, which does not hinder use.

Next, FIG. 1 shows a circuit configuration of the electric circuit section 111 in the present apparatus. First, the main elements in this circuit will be described.

The pulse oscillator 38 generates a pulse signal, and this pulse signal is given to the infrared light emitting LED 34. The infrared light emitting LED 34 emits pulsed infrared light based on the timing of the pulse signal. This infrared ray is emitted, for example, once every 250 milliseconds for 60 microseconds.

When the user brings his hand close to the infrared light emitting LED 34, the infrared light is reflected. The infrared light receiving phototransistor 1 receives the reflected infrared light.
The infrared light received by the infrared phototransistor 1 is converted into an electric signal and then amplified by the amplifier circuit 2.
The signal output from the amplifier circuit 2 is in the form of a digital signal. When this signal is input to the one-shot multi 3, it is triggered and a high-level signal is output. This output falls to a low level when no signal is input to the one-shot multi 3 for about 0.5 seconds, for example, when infrared rays are not continuously reflected for about 0.5 seconds. This one-shot multi 3 ensures that even if the hand is within the detectable range, the reflectance changes due to slight movement of the hand, and even if the reflection is momentarily cut off, the hand can be reliably held. Presence can be detected and stable operation can be performed.

The D-type flip-flop 4 outputs a positive output Q signal and a complementary output / Q signal, one of which is at high level and the other is at low level. The levels of the positive output Q signal and the complementary output / Q signal are inverted each time a human hand is detected and the one-shot multi 3 outputs a high-level signal.

The motor rotation direction control circuit 21 controls the rotation direction by changing the direction of the current supplied to the motor 22 based on the combination of the forward rotation input signal 30 and the reverse rotation input signal 31. When the forward rotation input signal 30 is at a high level and the reverse rotation input signal 31 is at a low level, the motor 22 rotates forward in the direction in which the on-off valve opens, and conversely, the forward rotation input signal 30 is at a low level and the reverse rotation input signal 31 is at a high level. In the case of the level, the motor 22 reversely rotates in the direction in which the on-off valve closes.

The initial reset circuit 26 outputs a high-level reset signal to close the on-off valve once the power is turned on. This reset signal
The signal is input to the reset terminal of the D-type flip-flop 4 via the OR circuits 36 and 6. D with reset signal input
The flip-flop 4 outputs a low-level positive output Q signal and a high-level complementary output / Q signal regardless of the output from the one-shot multi 3.

The voltage drop reset circuit 37 outputs a high-level reset signal when the power supply voltage drops below a predetermined value. When this signal is output, the OR circuits 36 and 6
, And is reset to output a low-level positive output Q signal and a high-level complementary output / Q signal.

The automatic faucet apparatus operates to close the on-off valve once the power is turned on. The initial reset circuit 26 detects that the power is turned on, and outputs a high-level reset signal. This signal is input to the reset terminal of the D-type flip-flop 4 via the OR circuits 36 and 6. When the D-type flip-flop 4 is reset, the low-level positive output Q signal and the high-level complementary output Q are independent of the signal given from the one-shot multi 3.
And output signals. The low-level positive output Q signal is given by AN
The signal is input to one input terminal of the OR circuit 17 via the D circuits 8 and 16. The other input terminal of the OR circuit 17
A positive output Q signal is supplied from the D flip-flop 9. Here, the clock terminal C of the D-type flip-flop 9
Since a low level positive output Q signal from the D-type flip-flop 4 is input to L, the positive output Q signal of the D-type flip-flop 9 is at a low level. Thus, the OR circuit 17 outputs a low-level forward rotation input signal 30.

Further, the high-level complementary output / Q signal output from the D-type flip-flop 4 is input to the clock terminal CL of the D-type flip-flop 11, and the positive output Q
A high-level reverse rotation input signal 31 is output from the terminal. As a result, the low-level forward rotation input signal 30 and the high-level reverse rotation input signal 31 are supplied to the motor rotation direction control circuit 21, and the motor 22 rotates in the reverse direction to close the on-off valve.

When the power supply voltage is lower than a predetermined level required for normal operation of the device, a high-level reset signal is output from the voltage drop reset circuit 37. The reset signal is supplied to the OR circuit 36, and thereafter, operates in the same manner as when the reset signal is output from the initial reset circuit 26, and the on-off valve is closed.

Next, the operation after the power is turned on will be described for several operation modes. FIG. 2 shows a temporal change in the rotation angle of the on-off valve shaft 103 for each operation mode. (1) Case A: When a human hand is detected and the open / close valve is opened to a predetermined opening degree When the human hand is instantaneously detected with the open / close valve fully closed, the reflected infrared light is transmitted to the infrared receiving photo Transistor 1
Received. The signal output from the infrared light receiving phototransistor 1 is amplified by the amplifier circuit 2 and input to the one-shot multi 3. A high-level output Q signal is output from the one-shot multi 3 for about 0.5 seconds. This signal is supplied to one input terminal of the AND circuit 29. The NAND circuit 28 receives the low-level positive output Q signal from the D-type flip-flop 20 and supplies a high-level output to the other input terminal of the AND circuit 29. Therefore, a high-level signal is output from the AND circuit 29 and is supplied to the clock terminal CL of the D-type flip-flop 4. As a result, the positive output Q signal of the D-type flip-flop 4 becomes high level and the complementary output / Q signal becomes low level.

The high-level positive output Q signal from the D-type flip-flop 4 is applied to one input terminal of an AND circuit 8. A high-level signal from the one-shot multi 3 is input to the other input terminal of the AND circuit 8.
The signal is output to the ND circuit 16. The other input terminal of the AND circuit 16 is supplied with a high-level complementary output / Q terminal from the D-type flip-flop 15. Therefore, A
A high level signal is output from the ND circuit 16 to the OR circuit 17. As a result, a high-level signal is output from the OR circuit 17 and is input to the motor rotation direction control circuit 21 as a positive rotation input signal 30.

A high-level positive output Q signal from the D-type flip-flop 4 is input to one input terminal of the AND circuit 14. A low-level signal is input to the clock terminal CL of the D-type flip-flop 20 because the switch 112 is open, and a high-level signal is output from the auxiliary output / Q terminal, and the other terminal of the AND circuit 14 is output. It is given to the input terminal. As a result, a high-level signal is output from the AND circuit 14 and the OR circuit 1
2 is input to the reset terminal of the D-type flip-flop 11. When the D-type flip-flop 11 is reset, a low-level signal is output as the reverse rotation input signal 31 from the positive output Q terminal. Motor rotation direction control circuit 2
1, a high-level forward rotation input signal 30 and a low-level reverse rotation input signal 31 are input, and the motor 22 rotates forward. This opens the on-off valve.

In this case, the rotation angle of the on-off valve shaft 103 is
As shown in FIG. 2 as case A, it increases linearly over time. In a general water tap, the on-off valve shaft 103 is rotated two and a half times, that is, 900 degrees, which is a full turn. Further, the flow rate required for normal use can be obtained in a state where the on-off valve shaft 103 makes one rotation (360 degrees). Therefore, here, it is assumed that the cam portion projection 117 is set to have a positional relationship such that the switch portion 112 is pressed and closed when the on-off valve shaft 103 makes one rotation. When the switch 112 is closed, a high-level signal is input to the clock terminal CL of the D-type flip-flop 20. The data D terminal of the D-type flip-flop 20 receives a high-level normal rotation input signal 30. Thereby, the D-type flip-flop 20
Is at a high level, and the complementary output / Q signal is at a low level. This high-level positive output Q signal is input to the reset terminal of the D-type flip-flop 9 via the OR circuit 10. When the D-type flip-flop 9 is reset, the positive output Q signal goes low, and the OR circuit 1
7 is input. Also, a low-level signal from the one-shot multi 3 is input to the AND circuit 8, and this signal is input to the other input terminal of the OR circuit 17 via the AND circuits 8 and 16. As a result, the forward rotation input signal 30 output from the OR circuit 17 changes to a low level. One reverse rotation input signal 31 is at the low level as described above. Therefore, both the forward rotation input signal 30 and the reverse rotation input signal 31 input to the motor circuit direction control circuit 21 become low level. As a result, the motor 22
, The rotation of the on-off valve shaft 103 stops at 360 degrees, and the water discharge continues.

(2) Case B: Case where the on-off valve is opened and stopped to 360 degrees and automatically closed after a predetermined time T has elapsed As described above, when the on-off valve shaft is opened to 360 degrees, the switch 112 is turned on. Closed and the forward rotation input signal 30 falls from the high level to the low level. When this low-level signal is input to the input terminal of the one-shot multi 7, it is triggered and outputs a low-level complementary output / Q signal for a predetermined time T. That is, the auxiliary output / Q signal is at a low level from time t1 in FIG. 2 to time t3 when a predetermined time T has elapsed, and becomes high after time t3. This high-level signal is input to the reset terminal of the D-type flip-flop 4 via the OR circuit 6. When the D-type flip-flop 4 is reset, a high-level complementary output / Q signal is input to the clock terminal CL of the D-type flip-flop 11, and a high-level reverse rotation input signal 31 is output from the positive output Q terminal. . At the same time, the high-level complementary output / Q signal from the D-type flip-flop 4 is also input to the reset terminal of the D-type flip-flop 9 via the OR circuit 10. As a result, the D-type flip-flop 9 enters a reset state,
The low-level positive output Q signal is continuously output and supplied to the motor rotation direction control circuit 21 as the positive rotation input signal 30 via the OR circuit 17. The low-level forward rotation input signal 30 and the high-level reverse rotation input signal 31 are input to the motor rotation direction control circuit 21, and the motor 22 rotates in the reverse direction. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, from time t3, the on-off valve shaft 103 rotates in the reverse direction and the water discharge stops.

After the on-off valve is closed, an appropriate torque is generated in the on-off valve shaft 103 to completely close the shaft, and then the power supply to the motor 22 is stopped. Switch 1
12 is closed and the reverse input signal 31 is at a high level, so that the output of the AND circuit 19 is at a high level. This signal is input to the reset terminal of the D-type flip-flop 20 via the OR circuit 5. When the D-type flip-flop 20 is reset, the complementary output / Q signal becomes high level and is input to one input terminal of the AND circuit 13. Further, if the motor 22 continues to rotate even after the on-off valve is closed, the current flowing through the motor 22 increases,
The level of the current detection signal 33 reaches a high level. This signal is input to the other input terminal of the AND circuit 13, and a high-level signal is output from the AND circuit 13. This high-level signal is input to the reset terminal of the D-type flip-flop 11 via the OR circuit 12. The D-type flip-flop 11 is reset, and the reverse rotation input signal 31 becomes low level. Since the forward rotation input signal 30 is already at the low level, the power supply to the motor 22 is stopped, and the rotation of the on-off valve shaft 103 is stopped. (3) Case C: When the hand is detected before the predetermined time T elapses after the on-off valve is opened to 360 degrees and stopped, the switch 112 is closed at the stage when the on-off valve shaft 103 is at 360 degrees, and the one-shot multi 7 is triggered and a predetermined time T
It is assumed that a human hand is detected at time t2 before elapses.
When a high-level signal is output from the one-shot multi 3 and input to the D-type flip-flop 4 via the AND circuit 29, the output up to now is inverted and a high-level complementary output / Q signal is output. . As a result, the high-level complementary output / Q signal is input to the reset terminal of the D-type flip-flop 9 via the OR circuit 10. A low-level signal is output from the positive output Q signal of the D-type flip-flop 9 and input to the OR circuit 17. A low-level signal from the one-shot multi 3 is input to the other input terminal of the OR circuit 17 via the AND circuits 8 and 16. For this reason, the OR circuit 17 outputs a low-level forward rotation input signal 30.

The high-level complementary output / Q signal of the D-type flip-flop 4 is also supplied to the clock terminal CL of the D-type flip-flop 11, and a high-level reverse rotation input signal 31 is output from the positive output Q terminal. Is done. As a result, the motor 22 rotates in the reverse direction, and the on-off valve shaft 103 reversely rotates and closes from the time point t2 as shown in FIG. (4) Case D: When the on-off valve opens to an angle of 360 degrees or more In some cases, it is necessary to increase the flow rate as in the case of pumping water into a bucket. In such a case, this circuit operates as follows. First, the hand is the infrared receiving phototransistor 1
, The forward rotation input signal 30 becomes high level and the reverse rotation input signal 31 becomes low level as in the case A, and the on-off valve starts to open. In case A, the detection of a human hand is shorter than about 0.5 seconds set as a predetermined time in the one-shot multi 3. On the other hand, in case D, the hand is continuously detected from time t6 to time t7 longer than one second in FIG. This allows
The positive output Q signal from the D-type flip-flop 4 maintains the high level from the time point t6 to the time point t7. The forward rotation input signal 30 becomes high level and the reverse rotation input signal 31 becomes low level, and the motor 22 rotates in the forward direction.
When the angle of the on-off valve shaft 103 reaches 180 degrees, the forward rotation input signal 30 is at a high level.
12 is closed, and a high-level signal is input to the clock terminal CL of the D-type flip-flop 20. A high-level signal is output from the positive output Q terminal of the D-type flip-flop 20. This signal is input to the reset terminal of the D-type flip-flop 9 via the OR circuit 10 and reset. As a result, the signal supplied from the positive output Q terminal of the D flip-flop 9 to the OR circuit 17 changes to low level. However, a high-level signal is output from the one-shot multi 3 to the AND circuit 8. Since the high-level positive output Q signal is also supplied from the D-type flip-flop 4 to the other input terminal to the AND circuit 8, A
The ND circuit 8 outputs a high-level signal to the AND circuit 16. The other input of the AND circuit 16 is supplied from a complementary output / Q terminal of the D-type flip-flop 15. Here, the D-type flip-flop 15 is in a reset state when a high-level signal is input from the complementary output / Q terminal of the D-type flip-flop 20 to the reset terminal. Therefore, the output signal from the complementary output / Q terminal of the D-type flip-flop 15 is also at a high level, and the OR circuit 17 outputs a high-level signal. For this reason, the forward rotation input signal 30 maintains the high level, the motor 22 continues to rotate in the forward direction, and the on-off valve further opens. When the hand that has been continuously detected is no longer detected from time t7 and about 0.5 second has elapsed, the positive output Q signal from the one-shot multi 3 changes to a low level. This signal is AN
The signal is input to one input terminal of the OR circuit 17 via the D circuits 8 and 16. The other input terminal of the OR circuit 17
The switch 112 is closed, the positive output Q signal of the D flip-flop 20 is at a high level, the D flip-flop 9 has already been reset, and a low level signal is input from the positive output Q terminal. Therefore, a low-level forward rotation input signal 30 is output from the OR circuit 17 to the motor rotation direction control circuit 22. Both the forward rotation input signal 30 and the reverse rotation input signal 31 become low level, the rotation of the motor 22 stops, and the on-off valve stops. (5) Case E: When the on-off valve opens to an angle of 360 degrees or more and closes automatically after a lapse of a predetermined time T This operation is the same as in the case B described above. That is, at the time point when the rotation of the motor 22 stops at the time point t7, the forward rotation input signal 30 falls to the low level. This signal 30 is input to the one-shot multi 7. From the one-shot multi 7 to a time t9 when a predetermined time T has elapsed from the time t7, a low-level signal is output from the auxiliary output / Q terminal, and a high-level signal is output from the time t9. From time t9, as described above, the forward rotation input signal 30 becomes low level and the reverse rotation input signal 31 becomes high level, the motor 2 rotates in reverse, and the on-off valve closes. (6) Case F: When the hand is detected before the predetermined time T has elapsed after the on-off valve has been opened to an angle of 360 degrees or more and stopped, this operation is the same as in the case C described above. Time point t7
, The rotation of the motor 22 stops, and the forward rotation input signal 3
0 becomes low level. At time t8 before the predetermined time T elapses, a hand is detected and the output of the D-type flip-flop 4 is inverted. From this time t8, the forward rotation input signal 3
0 goes low, the reverse rotation input signal 31 goes high, and the on-off valve closes. (7) Case G: When the on-off valve is opened until it is fully opened (900 degrees) and then stopped When it is desired to maximize the flow rate, the hand may be continuously detected until the on-off valve is fully opened. Since the hand is detected from the time t12 and the on-off valve starts to open, and the on-off valve shaft reaches 360 degrees and the switch 112 is closed, the hand is still detected similarly to the case D. 3 outputs a high-level signal, and the output state of the D-type flip-flop 4 is maintained. As a result, the high-level forward rotation input signal 30 and the low-level reverse rotation input signal 31 are continuously input to the motor rotation direction control circuit 21, and the motor 22 continues to rotate in the forward direction.

At time t13, the on-off valve is fully opened (900
Degree) and the motor 22 continues to rotate,
The current flowing through the motor 22 increases, and the current detection signal 33 rises to a high level. This signal is input to one input terminal of the AND circuit 18. Here, the high-level normal rotation input signal 30 is input to the data terminal D of the D-type flip-flop 20, and the high-level signal is input to the clock terminal CL because the switch 112 is closed. The positive output Q signal is input to the other input terminal of the AND circuit 18. As a result, a high-level signal is output from the AND circuit 18 and input to the clock terminal CL of the D-type flip-flop 15. The D-type flip-flop 15 outputs a low-level complementary output / Q signal, which is input to the AND circuit 16. As a result, a low-level signal is output from the AND circuit 16 and passed through the OR circuit 17 to the low-level forward rotation input signal 3.
0 is output and the rotation of the motor 22 stops. (8) Case L: When the on-off valve is fully opened and automatically closes after a lapse of a predetermined time T When the on-off valve is fully opened at time t13 and no hand is detected until the lapse of the predetermined time T, the above-described case is used. It operates similarly to B or E. At time t15 after a predetermined time T has elapsed from time t13 when the on-off valve is fully opened, the forward rotation input signal 30 becomes low and the reverse rotation input signal 31 becomes high, and the motor 22 rotates in reverse to close the on-off valve. (9) Case H: When the on-off valve is fully opened and a hand is detected before the predetermined time T elapses When the hand is detected at the time t14 before the predetermined time T elapses from the time t13, the case C is detected. Or, it operates similarly to F. A high-level signal is supplied from one-shot multi 3 and outputs Q and / Q of D-type flip-flop 4 are output.
Is reversed, the motor 22 rotates in the reverse direction, and the on-off valve closes.

If a hand is detected while the motor 22 is rotating in the reverse direction and the on-off valve is closing, the one-shot multi 3 outputs a high-level output Q signal. As a result, the positive output Q signal of the D-type flip-flop 4 switches to high level and the auxiliary output / Q signal switches to low level, the rotation direction of the motor 22 is reversed, and the on-off valve is opened again.

As described above, according to this embodiment, adjustment of the amount of water is extremely simple. In normal use, if the hand approaches the infrared light emitting LED 34 at least for a moment, the on-off valve shaft rotates 360 degrees and water flows. Thereafter, if the predetermined time T elapses without any operation, the on-off valve is automatically closed and the water does not flow wastefully. If the user wants to close before the predetermined time T elapses, he or she can put his hand again to perform detection. The torque generated by the motor 22 to completely close the on-off valve can be set to an arbitrary value by changing the setting of the level for detecting the current flowing through the motor 22.

When it is desired to increase the amount of water, the time for detecting the hand may be increased. The motor rotates while the hand is detected, and the on-off valve continues to open. When the on-off valve is fully opened, the rotation of the motor stops automatically. After this, 36
As in the case where the on-off valve is opened to 0 degrees, when the hand is detected again, the on-off valve starts closing, and when the hand is not detected, the on-off valve is automatically closed after a predetermined time T has elapsed.

The above-described embodiment is an example and does not limit the present invention. For example, the control circuit shown in FIG. 1 is an example, and various modifications are possible.

[0055]

As described above, the automatic faucet device according to the present invention can adjust the amount of water by detecting and controlling at least a part of the human body with the motor that rotates the existing water valve. Yes, it can be easily attached to the upper part of the faucet by retrofitting, and since it is attached to the upper part of the faucet, the distance between the faucet and the sink is not narrowed and does not hinder the use.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of an electric circuit unit of an automatic faucet device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a temporal change of a rotation angle of an on-off valve shaft in the automatic faucet device.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the automatic faucet device is attached to an existing tap.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state where the automatic faucet device is attached to an existing water tap.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a state in which the automatic faucet device is attached to an existing tap.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a positional relationship between a switch and a cam projection attached to an on-off valve shaft in the automatic faucet device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 infrared receiving phototransistor 2 amplifying circuit 3 one-shot multi 4, 9, 11, 15, 20 D-type flip-flop 6, 10, 12, 17, 36 OR circuit 7 one-shot multi 13, 14, 16, 18, 19 AND circuit 21 Motor rotation direction control circuit 22 Motor 23 Resistance 24 Bipolar transistor 26 Initial reset circuit 30 Forward rotation input signal 31 Reverse rotation input signal 33 Current detection signal 34 Infrared light emitting LED 37 Voltage drop reset circuit 38 Pulse oscillator 101 Water tap 102 Hex nut 103 Opening / closing valve shaft 104 Body case 105 Main body cover 106 Opening / closing valve driving shaft 107 Cam 109 Gear 110 Connection screw 111 Electric circuit section 112 Switch 113 Sensor 114 Battery 115 Sensor window 116 Electric circuit cover 117 Cam section protrusion

Claims (8)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] Attachment means capable of being attached to an upper part of a water tap, detection means held by the attachment means for detecting at least a part of a human body, and an opening / closing valve for a faucet part held by the attachment means A motor that rotates an on-off valve shaft to open and close the valve, and a control circuit that is held by the attachment unit and controls the rotation of the motor based on a result of the detection unit detecting at least a part of a human body. The automatic faucet apparatus, wherein the control circuit rotates the motor in the reverse direction so as to first close the on-off valve when energized. 2. A mounting means which can be mounted on an upper part of a water tap, a detection means which is held by said mounting means and detects at least a part of a human body, and an opening / closing valve of a faucet part which is held by said mounting means. A motor that rotates an on-off valve shaft to open and close the valve, and a control circuit that is held by the attachment unit and controls the rotation of the motor based on a result of the detection unit detecting at least a part of a human body. Wherein the control circuit has a current detecting means for detecting a current flowing through the motor, and stops the rotation of the motor when the current detected by the current detecting means becomes a predetermined value or more. Automatic faucet device. 3. Attachment means capable of being attached to an upper part of a water tap, detection means held by the attachment means for detecting at least a part of a human body, and an opening / closing valve of the faucet part held by the attachment means. A motor that rotates an on-off valve shaft to open and close the valve, and a control circuit that is held by the attachment unit and controls the rotation of the motor based on a result of the detection unit detecting at least a part of a human body. An automatic faucet device, wherein the control circuit rotates the motor in a reverse direction so as to close the on-off valve when a power supply voltage becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined voltage. 4. A mounting means which can be mounted on an upper part of a water tap, a detecting means which is held by said mounting means and detects at least a part of a human body, and an opening / closing valve of a faucet part which is held by said mounting means. A motor for rotating an opening / closing valve shaft to open and close, a control circuit which is held by the mounting means and controls the rotation of the motor based on a result of detecting at least a part of a human body, A cam connected to a shaft of the on-off valve; and a switch that operates when the cam rotates by a predetermined angle, wherein the control circuit opens the on-off valve when at least a part of a human body is detected by the detection means. As described above, the motor is rotated in the forward direction, and when the cam is rotated by the predetermined angle and the switch is operated, the rotation of the motor is stopped, and a predetermined time elapses. After rotating the motor so as to close the on-off valve in the opposite direction to the automatic faucet device according to claim. 5. The automatic faucet apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said predetermined angle can be set arbitrarily within a range of 360 degrees. 6. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of a human body is continuously detected by said detecting means, said motor rotates in a forward direction, said cam rotates by said predetermined angle, and said switch is turned on. 5. The automatic faucet apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the motor is controlled so that the motor continues to rotate in the forward direction until at least a part of the human body is not detected even after the operation of. 7. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the human body is detected by the detection means, and before the motor rotates in the forward direction and the cam rotates to the predetermined angle, the detection means detects the human body. The automatic faucet device according to claim 4, wherein the motor is rotated in the reverse direction when at least a part is detected again. 8. A mounting means which can be mounted on an upper part of a water tap, a detecting means which is held by said mounting means and detects at least a part of a human body, and an opening / closing valve of a faucet part which is held by said mounting means. A motor that rotates an on-off valve shaft to open and close the valve, and a control circuit that is held by the attachment unit and controls the rotation of the motor based on a result of the detection unit detecting at least a part of a human body. The control circuit, when rotating the motor in the reverse direction to close the on-off valve, when at least a part of the human body is detected by the detection means, to rotate the motor in the forward direction. The automatic faucet device according to claim 1, wherein