WO1991017458A1 - Installation de capteur ultrasonique ameliore pour un systeme de robinet automatique - Google Patents

Installation de capteur ultrasonique ameliore pour un systeme de robinet automatique Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1991017458A1
WO1991017458A1 PCT/US1990/002505 US9002505W WO9117458A1 WO 1991017458 A1 WO1991017458 A1 WO 1991017458A1 US 9002505 W US9002505 W US 9002505W WO 9117458 A1 WO9117458 A1 WO 9117458A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
transducer
sound
sonic
spout
mounting
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US1990/002505
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Natan E. Parsons
Joel S. Novak
Original Assignee
Masco Corporation Of Indiana
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Masco Corporation Of Indiana filed Critical Masco Corporation Of Indiana
Priority to PCT/US1990/002505 priority Critical patent/WO1991017458A1/fr
Publication of WO1991017458A1 publication Critical patent/WO1991017458A1/fr

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Classifications

    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
    • E03C—DOMESTIC PLUMBING INSTALLATIONS FOR FRESH WATER OR WASTE WATER; SINKS
    • E03C1/00—Domestic plumbing installations for fresh water or waste water; Sinks
    • E03C1/02—Plumbing installations for fresh water
    • E03C1/05—Arrangements of devices on wash-basins, baths, sinks, or the like for remote control of taps
    • E03C1/055—Electrical control devices, e.g. with push buttons, control panels or the like
    • E03C1/057—Electrical control devices, e.g. with push buttons, control panels or the like touchless, i.e. using sensors
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
    • G01S15/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. sonar systems
    • G01S15/88—Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
    • G01S7/00—Details of systems according to groups G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00
    • G01S7/52—Details of systems according to groups G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00 of systems according to group G01S15/00
    • G01S7/521—Constructional features

Definitions

  • the present invention is directed to sonic sensors, specifically sensors of the type in which one sonic transducer transmits sound waves into a target area and another transducer receives sound waves from the same area. More particularly, the present invention pertains to sonic sensors of the type suitable for use in an automatic faucet system incorporating one or more of the inventions disclosed in the above referenced patent applications.
  • Sonic energy typically ultrasound
  • a transducer transmits sound into a region, and the same transducer or a different one senses echoes from the region.
  • the presence of echoes signifies the presence of targets in the region, and the times of occurrence of the echoes indicate the distances to the targets.
  • transducer that has a high Q, i.e., that stores an amount of energy that is relatively large in comparison with the amount that the transducer dissipates in a single cycle of vibration.
  • Q a transducer that has a high Q
  • some aspects of such transducers are desirable, they can present difficulty when they are used to sense targets that are a relatively low number of wavelengths away from the transducer. The reason for this is that the "ringing" of high-Q transducers can interfere with the measurement process at such short distances. Stated another way, the vibration that remains from the initial transmitted pulse overwhelms the vibration caused by echoes frciw targets close to the transducer.
  • SUBSTITUTESHEET One way to reduce this problem is to use separate transducers, one for transmission and the other for reception. Using separate transducers reduces the problem, but it does not eliminate it.
  • the transmitting and receiving transducers must be located close together, and they may be advantageously mounted to a common base. Such an arrangement provides a sonic path from the transmitting transducer through the common base to the receiving transducer so that the ringing from the transmitting transducer is coupled into the receiving transducer.
  • This coupling can be reduced by making the path through the base consist of energy absorbing material so that the sound waves are greatly attenuated in propagating from one transducer to the other.
  • the amount of energy that conventional materials can absorb in the relatively short distance between the two transducers is limited, so the isolation that they provide is, too.
  • Transducers are often used in environments that are at least somewhat hostile; foreign matter can undesirably impinge on the transducer.
  • An example of such environment is that of an automatic faucet, in which a transducer detects the presence or motion of objects beneath the faucet in order to determine when to allow water to flow from the faucet into, for example, a kitchen sink.
  • the transducers are disposed and oriented above the sink in the spout tip so as to point downwardly, that is, to emit and receive sound waves substantially parallel to the water flow and directly to and from the objects thereunder.
  • water can splash against the transducer element or other foreign matter or even objects such as forks or knives can adversely affect faucet operation or even damage the transducers if hard physical contact occurs. For instance, it is not difficult to envision a fork tong accidentally being driven into the transducer element while the fork is being washed in a routine manner in the sink.
  • a horn which is a device for matching the impedance of the transducer element to the characteristic impedance of the air into which the sound produced by the transducer is to be transmitted.
  • the horn still has an open mouth through which the foreign matter can reach the t a nsducer element.
  • screens can be employed at the mouth of the horn to exclude particles above a certain minimum size.
  • a screen is relatively ineffective at preventing a transducer element from being splashed by liquid, as it could be in the automatic faucet environment.
  • the sonic assembly has structure, e.g., a screen, placed in front of the transducer element and the sonic assembly is used in such an environment, there is a risk that the structure will trap water which could create internal reflection of the acoustic signal.
  • the design of the assembly must take into account the acoustic signal transmission or interference properties of such structure, itself.
  • One aspect of the present invention provides, in a nowadays manner, further reduction of the coupling between two transducers in a sonic sensor.
  • the elements by which the transducers are mounted to the common base are provided with discontinuities in the path of propagation from the transducer to the base.
  • the discontinuities are such that an abrupt change occurs in the characteristic impedance presented by the mounting element to at least the dominant mode of propagation of transducer generated sound. A large part of the sound that reaches the discontinuity is thus reflected back to the location at which the transducer is attached to the mounting element, so the dissipation in the "upstream" part of the mounting element is increased, and the coupling between transducers is thereby reduced.
  • Such discontinuities in the characteristic impedance can be made simply by making discontinuous thickness variations in the walls of the mounting elements.
  • the isolation of the two transducers can thus be improved without requiring that materials be selected particularly for their energy absorption qualities.
  • the transducer element is shielded more effectively from liquid than it would be by a conventional screen.
  • a solid shield is disposed in the center of the mouth of a horn that matches the impedance of the transducer element to that of the air.
  • the shield is disposed in the interior of the horn so that it does not contribute substantially to cross talk between the transducer and any similarly configured and oriented transducer located nearby.
  • the shield is solid, it attenuates the exterior transmitted sound power by only a relatively small amount because it occupies less than about 50%, and preferably less than about 40%, of the area of the horn. Nonetheless, it provides a relatively effective shield to liquids so long as its area is greater than 25% of the mouth area.
  • Yet another aspect of the invention involves an automatic faucet system for controlling the flow through a spout by means of a sonic sensor assembly disposed in the spout tip and having emitting and receiving transducers.
  • the receiving transducer preferably is disposed at a distance from the spout sufficient to substantially reduce or even substantially eliminate the acoustic effects on the received signal caused by acoustic reflectance from the water flow from the spout.
  • FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a sonic sensor assembly that incorporates the teachings of the present invention
  • FIG. 2 is a more detailed cross-sectional view of one of the transducer interface portions with a shield added;
  • FIG. 3 is a partially sectioned, partially broken away view of an illustrative application of the invention, that of an automatic kitchen faucet system.
  • FIG. 1 depicts a sonic sensor 10 of the present invention, in which isolation between transmitting and receiving transducer elements 12a and 12b is increased by the simple expedient of providing circumferential ridges 36a and b on respective mounting elements 16a and b by which the transducer elements are mounted to a common base 14.
  • Each mounting element 16 includes a generally cylindrical wall 22 that terminates in a base interface portion 24, which includes an end wall 26 from which a mounting post 28 extends.
  • the mounting post 28 is secured by a friction fit in an appropriate aperture in the base 14, which typically consists essentially of a rubber-like, energy absorbent material, while the walls 22 and 26 and mounting post 28 are typically molded as a single part from a synthetic resin such as an a ⁇ rylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer.
  • Each mounting element 16 additionally has a transducer interface portion 30, including a frusto-conical phenolic cone 32 secured to wall 22.
  • the cone 32 mounts the transducer element 12 to the wall 22.
  • the transducer interface portion 30 forms a horn that matches the output impedance of the transducer element 12 to the characteristic impedance of the air.
  • An intermediate portion 34 extends between t base interface portion 24 and the transducer interface portion 30.
  • the intermediate portion 34 provides a path by which sound can travel from the transmitting transducer 12a through the common base 14 to the receiving transducer 12b.
  • This transmission is undesirable, and it is reduced in accordance with the present invention by the provision of circumferential ridges 36a.
  • These ridges constitute discontinuities in the thickness of the wall 22a and thus constitute discontinuities in the characteristic impedance of the wall to at least the predominant mode of sound propagation along that wall.
  • Simi" ir ridges 36b on the left mounting element 16b provide further reflection and thus further isolation.
  • circuitry 20 drives transducer 12a so that it vibrates and thereby transmits sound into a target region located below the transducers as viewed in FIG. 1.
  • the vibration also sends sound waves by way of the frusto-conical portion 32a to the intermediate portion 34a.
  • the sound reaches one of the ridges 36a, most of it is reflected back downward so as to thereby increase the amplitude of the vibrations in the part of the wall 22a below the ridges 36a.
  • the sound reflects back to the ridges, where it is again reflected.
  • This greatly increases the amplitude of vibration at the lower portion 30a of the wall thereby greatly increasing the dissipation in that part of the wall and reducing the transmission toward the base.
  • sonic coupling between the two transducers is greatly reduced.
  • FIG. 2 depicts the transducer interface portion 30 of one of the transducers in more detail with a shield 38 added.
  • the shield 38 is typically used when the sensor assembly is employed in a device such as an automatic faucet, in which the sensor assembly is directed downward as shown.
  • FIG. 2 shows in more detail that the transducer interface portion 30 of the transducer assembly forms a horn in which the transducer element 12 is disposed at one end and in which an open area, or mouth 40, is formed at the other end. Between the two ends is a generally enclosed interior region 42.
  • the transducer 12 When the sensor assembly is used in an automatic faucet, the transducer 12 should be shielded from foreign matter that may be projected through the mouth 40.
  • a screen could be employed at the mouth 40, but a screen is relatively ineffective against water droplets.
  • the shield 38 is provided as a solid disk.
  • the mouth 40 is circular and the disk is substantially centered.
  • the horn could be rectangular, but it would in almost every case be symmetrical in some fashion, and the shield 38 should be disposed approximately at the intersection of the axes of symmetry.
  • the shield 38 is held in place by a spider consisting of four legs, three of which, legs 44, 46 and 48, are depicted in the drawing. These extend from the shield to the exterior of wall 22 to which they are secured by friction.
  • the shield 38 is disposed a short distance from the front face of the transducer element 12, e.g., C.05 inches, and in the interior region 42 of the horn 30 because increased cross talk between elements results if the shield is disposed outside the horn.
  • the spider legs 44, 46 and 48 are disposed outside of the horn interior and may thus have some minimal contribution to cross talk. In addition, such positioning may be aesthetically undesirable. It may therefore be preferred to employ a spider or other mounting means that engages the interior of walls 22 rather than the exterior and can thus be disposed entirely within the interior region 42 of the horn 30.
  • the shield 38 would be more effective in shielding the transducer element 12 if it covered the entire mouth 40 of the horn 30, but this would substantially prevent sound transmission.
  • the size of the shield 38 is a compromise between shielding effectiveness and sound transmission. Since the radiation pattern of the acoustic signal as it passes the shield 38 is such that greater acoustic radiation occurs at the periphery rather than the middle of the pattern due to its divergence with distance from its source, the sound power level does not drop off by more than approximately 1 db if the shield is centered and the area of the shield 38 is less than about 60% of the area of the mouth 40.
  • the shield area should be between 25% to 60% of the mouth area with the preferable shield size approximately 40% of the mouth area.
  • FIG. 3 shows an automatic kitchen faucet system 200 in accordance with the invention.
  • the automatic faucet system 200 is installed on a conventional kitchen sink 202, with components located above and below the sink 202.
  • a long-necked spout 204 is mounted to the rim of the sink 202 through a central opening 206 in an escutcheon 208 and extends up and over the sink 202.
  • Also mounted on the escutcheon 208 is a manually controlled single actuator mixer valve 210 for mixing of hot and cold water and regulating the rate of flow.
  • the mixer valve 210 is mounted on one side of the escutcheon 208, and a sprayer or spray head 212 is removably received in an open-topped cavity or holder 214 on its other side.
  • Below the sink 202 is a solenoid actuated operating valve 213 which opens and closes in response to an electrical signal.
  • Hot and cold inlet pipes 216, 218 direct hot and cold water, respectively, to the mixer valve 210, where they are combined in regulated fashion determined by the lateral location, left or right, of a single arm or handle 220 of the mixer valve 210.
  • the mixer valve 210 controls the flow rate of water by the location, forward and aft, of the handle 220.
  • the mixer valve 210 mixes the water streams obtained from pipes 216, 218 in proportions and at flow rates determined by the setting of the handle 220, and discharges water at a selected temperature and flow rate. For example, when the handle 220 is in its right-most position, all cold water is discharged from the mixer valve 210, when in its left-most position, all hot water is discharged, and in the middle position, an equal mix of hot and cold water is discharged.
  • the water temperature is continually adjustable by moving the handle 220 to any position intermediate these positions.
  • the far forward position corresponds to "shut-off", i.e., zero flow is discharged, while far aft corresponds to maximum flow rate being discharged.
  • the discharged water from the mixer valve 210 in the illustrated automatic faucet system 200 is directed by a pipe 222 to the operating valve 213.
  • the operating valve 213 opens in response to a solenoid energizing control signal from logic controller C.
  • the construction and operation of the operating valve 213 is further described in the above referenced U.S. Patent Application entitled "Improved Diaphram-Type Operating Valve*.
  • the long-necked spout 204 is equipped with a spout-tip structure 230 located at the free or distal end of spout neck 232, and a manually actuated diverter valve 234 (typically called simply a "diverter”) disposed at the other end of the spout neck 232 and intermediate it and the spout inlet 228.
  • a diverter valve 234 typically called simply a "diverter”
  • the spout tip structure 230 is provided with an assembly 235 including sensors 102a, 102b for controlling the opening and closing of the operating valve 213 in response to the presence or movement of an object disposed below the spout tip structure 230 and in or above the sink 202.
  • Sensor 102a is the emitting transducer element and sensor 102b is the receiving transducer element.
  • the emitting element 102a in the assembly 235 is disposed closer to the spout 122 than is the receiving element 102b.
  • the control signal from logic controller C is responsive to the detection by the assembly 235 of a predetermined acoustic signal so as to control the operation of the operating valve 213 accordingly.
  • the diverter 234 is of a conventional design which, on manual actuation via depressing a lever 242 on the sprayer 212 diverts the stream from continuing up through the spout 204 and instead, directs the stream back out of the spout 204 and through an outlet 236 and hose 238 to the sprayer 212.
  • the structure and operation of a suitable diverter is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,577,653, which is incorporated herein by reference.
  • a diverter of this type is commercially available from Delta Faucet Company. While such diverters and sprayers are known, their use in an automatic faucet system has not been suggested heretofore.
  • a sensor manufacturer can reduce inter-transducer coupling with almost no increase in the cost of the transducer and can protect the transducer elements even from liquid, while providing a sensor arrangement that is less affected by internal or external acoustic noise.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
  • Remote Sensing (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Domestic Plumbing Installations (AREA)

Abstract

Des éléments de montage (16a et 16b) dans un ensemble capteur (10) comprennent des crêtes (36a et 36b) ménagées sur leur circonférence. Ces crêtes créent des discontinuités dans l'impédance caractéristique des éléments de montage (16a et 16b) présentée au mode prédominant de propagation de sons d'un transducteur (12a) à un autre (12b). Les crêtes augmentent ainsi considérablement l'isolation entre les deux transducteurs sans qu'il soit nécessaire d'utiliser des matériaux spéciaux absorbant le son. Un bouclier solide (38) offre aux éléments transducteurs (12) une plus grande protection contre le liquide qu'un écran, bien qu'il ne réduise pas de manière significative la transmission de sons. Lorsqu'il est incorporé dans un système de robinet automatique (200), l'élément récepteur (102b) est placé par rapport au bec (122) à une distance choisie pour réduire ou éliminer sensiblement le bruit produit par le jet d'eau s'écoulant du bec (122), et l'élément émetteur (102a) est de préférence placé entre le bec (122) et l'élément récepteur (102b).
PCT/US1990/002505 1990-05-04 1990-05-04 Installation de capteur ultrasonique ameliore pour un systeme de robinet automatique WO1991017458A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/US1990/002505 WO1991017458A1 (fr) 1990-05-04 1990-05-04 Installation de capteur ultrasonique ameliore pour un systeme de robinet automatique

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/US1990/002505 WO1991017458A1 (fr) 1990-05-04 1990-05-04 Installation de capteur ultrasonique ameliore pour un systeme de robinet automatique

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Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6508272B1 (en) 2000-11-20 2003-01-21 Arichell Technologies, Inc. Device and method for operating at least two valves

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4713799A (en) * 1984-10-15 1987-12-15 Deere & Company Ultrasonic horn with sidelobe suppressing centerpiece
US4780861A (en) * 1984-12-20 1988-10-25 The Coca-Cola Company Automatic control system for filling beverage containers
US4918672A (en) * 1988-08-11 1990-04-17 Niles Parts Co., Ltd. Ultrasonic distance sensor

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4713799A (en) * 1984-10-15 1987-12-15 Deere & Company Ultrasonic horn with sidelobe suppressing centerpiece
US4780861A (en) * 1984-12-20 1988-10-25 The Coca-Cola Company Automatic control system for filling beverage containers
US4918672A (en) * 1988-08-11 1990-04-17 Niles Parts Co., Ltd. Ultrasonic distance sensor

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6508272B1 (en) 2000-11-20 2003-01-21 Arichell Technologies, Inc. Device and method for operating at least two valves
US6874535B2 (en) 2000-11-20 2005-04-05 Arichell Technologies, Inc. Device and method for operating at least two valves

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