Patent ID: 8579217
Filing Date: 2013-11-12
Classification: E03C

Abstract:
1. A food waste disposer system, comprising: a grind chamber having a grind mechanism powered by an electric motor; an inlet through which food waste is introduced into the grind section; a valve that controls the flow of flushing water to the disposer from a source of flushing water, the valve coupled to a controller; a visual detection sensor that visually detects the presence of food waste at the inlet, the visual detector coupled to the controller, wherein the visual detection sensor is a photo-sensor having a light source and a light detector, the photo-sensor oriented so that light from the light source is directed at the inlet of the disposer about which a baffle is disposed and reflected by food waste at the inlet to the light detector to trigger the light detector, the baffle made of a dark material that itself does not reflect sufficient light from the light source back to the light detector to trigger the light detector; and the controller responsive to the visual detection sensor detecting the presence of food waste at the inlet of the disposer and controlling the valve to increase the flow of flushing water supplied to the food waste disposer.