Multiple-electric-eye induction faucet

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A multiple-electric-eye automatic induction faucet includes two electric eyes installed on the faucet body. The signal emitting directions of the two electric eyes are not paralleled but intersected and formed with included angles, and respectively aligned to the bottom of the basin of a wash stand and passing through the outflow route of the spout of the faucet body. One of the two electric eyes can optionally be turned on and the other will be turned off according to the intensity of the signal received. The electric eye that is turned on can automatically carry out induction and control water to flow out of the spout of the faucet body, having high inducing sensitivity and able to enlarge a detecting and inducing range in height for matching with practical needs in use of water.

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Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a multiple-electric-eye automatic induction faucet, particularly to one having high inductive sensitivity and able to enlarge its detecting range in height.

2. Description of the Prior Art

A conventional automatic induction faucet, as shown in FIG. 1, includes a faucet body 1 installed thereon with a proximity inductive electric eye 2 able to emit a horizontal signal to pass through a water outflow route under the spout 3 of the faucet body 1. In using, when a user's hands are positioned under the spout 3 of the faucet body 1 and aligned to the electric eye 2, the signal emitted horizontally by the electric eye 2 will touch the user's hands and then reflect to be received to produce induction and automatically control water to flow out of the spout 3 of the faucet body.

However, the electric eye 2 of the conventional automatic induction faucet is installed in a way of emitting signals horizontally, and the inductive level of the electric eye 2 is approximately above the basin 5 of the washstand 4. Therefore, a user has to position his hands above the basin 5 and under the spout 3 to let the hands induced by the electric eye 2 for permitting water to flow out of the spout 3 for washing. In other words, if a user's hands are positioned lower than the signal emitting level of the electric eye 2, like being positioned in the basin 5, they cannot be induced by the electric eye 2 so that water cannot flow out of the spout 3, resulting in much inconvenience in use. In this case, a user has to position his hands near the spout 3 for facilitating washing, but doing in this way will easily cause water spray to splash about and wet either the washstand 4 or the user's clothes. To improve this defect, some conventional automatic induction faucets are adjusted to lessen the amount of water outflow, but too little amount of water supply will surely influent effect in washing and cleaning.

SUMMARY OF THE INCENTION

The objective of the invention is to offer a multiple-electric-eye automatic induction faucet having its faucet body installed thereon with two electric eyes whose signal emitting directions are not paralleled but intersected and formed with included angles. The signal emitting directions of the two electric eyes are respectively aligned to the bottom of the basin of the washstand and passing through the water outflow route of the spout of the faucet body. One of the two electric eyes can be optionally controlled to be turned on and the other controlled to be turned off in accordance with the extent of intensity of the receptive signal. By so designing, the electric eye that is turned on can automatically carry out induction and control water to flow out of the spout of the faucet body, able to elevate inductive sensitivity and enlarge a detecting and inducing range in height for matching with practical needs in use of water.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

This invention will be better understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a conventional induction faucet assembled on a washstand;

FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of an induction faucet assembled on a washstand in the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a front view of two electric eyes disposed on the induction faucet in a first mode in the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the two electric eyes disposed on the induction faucet in a second mode in the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of the induction faucet assembled on the wash stand in the present invention, showing that the two electric eyes are started to emit signals; and

FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view of the induction faucet having its second electric eye serving as a main signal emission source to induce and allow water to flow out of the spout of the faucet body in the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A preferred embodiment of a multiple-electric-eye automatic induction faucet in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, includes a faucet body 10 and two electric eyes 20.

The faucet body 10 is assembled on a washstand 30 with a basin 31 and formed with a spout 11 and a feed water valve 12.

The two electric eyes 20, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, include a first electric eye 201 and a second electric eye 202 positioned close to each other. In this preferred embodiment, the first and the second electric eye 201, 202 are respectively provided with an infrared-ray emitter 21 and a common infrared-ray receiver 22 respectively for emitting and receiving infrared-ray signals. The two infrared-ray emitters 21 installed on the faucet body 10 are respectively aligned to a proper location at the bottom of the basin 31 and have their signal emitting directions passing through the outflow route of the spout 11 of the faucet body 10. In addition, the signal emitting directions of the two infrared-ray emitters 21 are not paralleled but intersected and formed with preset included angles. Thus, after the faucet body 10 is assembled on the wash stand 30 and started, the infrared-ray emitters 21 of the first and the second electric eye 201, 202 will respectively produce an emission signal, which will touch the bottom of the basin 31 and reflect to form a signal received by the common infrared-ray receiver 22. Simultaneously, the signal received is transmitted to an IC board 13 installed in advance in the faucet body 10 and then, and then according to the extent of the intensity of the signal received the IC board 13 will optionally control one of the two infrared-ray emitters 21 to be turned on and the other to be turned off. In this preferred embodiment, the infrared-ray emitter 21 received a comparatively weak signal is turned on, while the other infrared-ray emitter 21 received a comparatively strong signal is turned off, and the infrared-ray emitter 21 turned on serves as a main signal emission source.

Referring to FIG. 5, after the automatic induction faucet is assembled on the wash stand 30, and the first and the second electric eyes 201, 202 are started, the infrared-ray emitters 21 of the two electric eyes 20 will respectively produce an emission signal intersecting each other and formed with preset included angles. After the emission signals touch the bottom of the basin 31 of the washstand 30, they will reflect and form a signal received by the common infrared-ray receiver 22. In this preferred embedment, the infrared-ray emitter 21 of the second electric eye 202 is formed with a comparatively long distance between its emitting point and the bottom of the basin 31 from which signals reflect, so a signal received is comparatively weak. Under this condition, the IC board 13 installed in the faucet body 10 will control the second electric eye 202 under an ON condition, while the first electric eye 201 will then be turned off, letting the second electric eye 202 received a comparatively weak signal serve as a main signal emission source to carry out detecting and inducing for elevating inductive sensitivity.

In using, as shown in FIG. 6, since the signal emitted by the infrared-ray emitter 21 of the second electric eye 202 is aligned to the bottom of the basin 31 and passes through the outflow route of the spout 11 of the faucet body 10; therefore, at whatever level a user's hands may be positioned under the spout 11, they can be detected and induced by the second electric eye 202. Synchronously, according to change of the intensity of the signal received, the second electric eye 202 will automatically turn on the feed water valve 12 of the faucet body 10 to permit water to flow out of the spout 11 of the faucet body 10 for washing.

To sum up, the multiple-electric-eye automatic induction faucet in the present invention is able to elevate detecting and inducing sensitivity and enlarge a detecting range in height, having hardly any dead angle in inducing and convenient in using and operating.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made therein and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications that may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A multiple-electric-eye automatic induction faucet comprising:

A faucet body assembled on a washstand with a basin, said faucet body formed with a spout: and
A first electric eye and a second electric eye installed on said faucet body and positioned close to each other, the signal emitting directions of said two electric eyes aligned to the bottom of said basin of said wash stand and passing through the outflow route of said spout of said faucet body, according to the extent of intensity of receptive signals, one of said two electric eyes optionally controlled to be turned on and the other controlled to be turned off according to the extend of intensity of signals received, said electric eye turned on carrying out induction and controlling water to flow out of said spout of said faucet body.

2. The multiple-electric-eye automatic induction faucet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal emitting directions of said first and said second electric eye are not paralleled but intersected and formed with preset included angles.

3. The multiple-electric-eye automatic induction faucet as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and said second electric eye are respectively provided with an infrared-ray emitter and have a common infrared-ray receiver.

4. The multiple-electric-eye automatic induction faucet as claimed in claim 1, wherein an IC board is installed in the interior of said faucet body, said IC board turning on one of said two electric eyes having received comparatively weak signal, said IC board turning off the other of said two electric eyes having received comparatively strong signal

Patent History
Publication number: 20070094787
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 2, 2005
Publication Date: May 3, 2007
Applicant:
Inventor: Su Hwang (Park Nan-Tou)
Application Number: 11/263,898
Classifications
Current U.S. Class: 4/623.000
International Classification: E03C 1/05 (20060101);