Electronic faucet controlled by handle

An electronic faucet controlled by handle contains: a body, a control assembly, a water pipe set, a solenoid valve, and a magnetic sensing device. The body includes a handle seat and an outlet. The control assembly includes a valve member and a rotary lever rotated toward an opened position and a closed position. The water pipe set includes a cold-water inlet pipe, a hot-water inlet pipe, and a mixing outlet pipe. The solenoid valve is secured on the mixing outlet pipe and is opened to flow the mixing water, and the solenoid valve is closed to stop the mixing water. The magnetic sensing device includes a magnetic element mounted on the rotary lever. In addition, a magnetic sensor is fixed between the handle seat and the valve member adjacent to the magnet element.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a faucet, and more particularly to an electronic faucet controlled by handle which control a ratio of cold water and hot water.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A conventional faucet controlled by handle controls water supply after rotating a rotary lever to mix a ratio of cold water and hot water as disclosed in TW Utility Model No. M318692.

A conventional electronic faucet controls a ratio of cold water and hot water after rotating a rotary lever by ways of a touch switch, and then a signal is transmitted to a control panel and is processed to open or close a solenoid valve, thus supplying water or stopping supplying the water.

However, the touch switch is in a large size to increase production cost and installation space. Furthermore, contact point of the touch switch is broken easily, such as getting rusty.

To overcome such problem, a non-touch switch, such as a reed switch or a hall sensor for matching with a magnetic element is employed to replace the touch switch.

For example, a hall effect sensor disclosed in US Publication No. 20060289343A1 is fixed on a faucet, but it is applicable for filters, such as a sediment filters, carbon filters, or RO membrane of RO filtering system. In other words, the hall effect sensor is merely used in non-electronic faucet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an electronic faucet controlled by handle which is compact and is fixed easily to reduce production cost.

To obtain the above objective, an electronic faucet controlled by handle provided by the present invention contains: a body, a control assembly, a water pipe set, a solenoid valve, and a magnetic sensing device.

The body is mounted on a washbasin and includes a handle seat and an outlet.

The control assembly is fixed on the handle seat of the body and includes a valve member and a rotary lever rotated to control the valve member. The rotary lever is rotated toward an opened position and a closed position.

The water pipe set includes a cold-water inlet pipe, a hot-water inlet pipe, and a mixing outlet pipe communicating with the valve member of the control assembly to guide cold water and hot water into the valve member and to guide mixing water, in which the cold water and the hot water are mixed, out of the outlet of the body via the valve member.

The solenoid valve is secured on the mixing outlet pipe and opened to flow the mixing water, and the solenoid valve is closed to stop the mixing water.

The magnetic sensing device includes a magnetic element mounted on the rotary lever and includes a magnetic sensor fixed between the handle seat and the valve member adjacent to the magnet element.

When the rotary lever is rotated toward the opened position, the magnetic element moves away from the magnetic sensor, such that the magnetic sensor diminishes or disappears its magnetic force to open the solenoid valve, thus flowing the mixing water.

When the rotary lever is rotated toward the closed position, the magnetic element moves close to the magnetic sensor, hence the magnetic sensor is sensed by the magnetic force to close the solenoid valve, thus stopping the mixing water.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference toFIGS. 1 to 3, an electronic faucet1controlled by handle according to a first embodiment of the present invention comprises: a body10, a control assembly20, a water pipe set30, a solenoid valve40, and a magnetic sensing device50.

The body10is mounted on a washbasin2and includes a handle seat11and an outlet12.

The control assembly20is fixed on the handle seat11of the body10and includes a valve member21and a rotary lever22rotated to control the valve member21. The rotary lever22is rotated toward an opened position and a closed position. As shown inFIG. 2, the rotary lever22is rotated toward the closed position, and it is rotated downwardly to locate at the opened position indicated by an imaginary line.

The water pipe set30includes a cold-water inlet pipe31, a hot-water inlet pipe32, and a mixing outlet pipe33communicating with the valve member21of the control assembly20to guide cold water and hot water into the valve member21and to guide mixing water, in which the cold water and the hot water are mixed, out of the outlet12of the body10via the valve member21. In this embodiment, the mixing outlet pipe33is in connection with a pull-out spray head34, wherein when the spray head34is not pulled outwardly, it is positioned on the outlet12of the body10.

The solenoid valve40is secured on the mixing outlet pipe33and is opened to flow the mixing water, and the solenoid valve40is closed to stop the mixing water. In this embodiment, the solenoid valve40is disposed in an accommodation case400.

The magnetic sensing device50, as shown inFIG. 5, includes a magnetic element51mounted on the rotary lever22and includes a magnetic sensor52fixed between the handle seat11and the valve member21adjacent to the magnet element51. In this embodiment, the magnetic element51is a magnet, and the magnetic sensor52is a reed switch.

When the rotary lever22is rotated toward the opened position, the magnetic element51moves away from the magnetic sensor52, such that the magnetic sensor52diminishes or disappears its magnetic force to open the solenoid valve40, hence the mixing water flows out of the spray head34via the mixing outlet pipe33. When the rotary lever22is rotated toward the closed position, the magnetic element51moves close to the magnetic sensor52, hence the magnetic sensor52is sensed by the magnetic force to close the solenoid valve40, thus stopping the mixing water flowing out of the spray head34.

Referring further toFIGS. 4 and 5, the valve member21has a holder211locked in the handle seat11, a valve core212mounted in the holder211, and a lid213screwing with the holder211to fix the valve core212in the holder211.

The valve core212has a driving shaft214. The rotary lever22has a base221and an operating extension222extending outwardly from the base221. The base221is fitted with the operating shaft214of the valve core212, such that the rotary lever22is rotated to drive the driving shaft214.

As illustrated inFIGS. 2 and 5, when the rotary lever22is located at the closed position, the driving shaft214is parallel to an axis X of the valve core212, and when the rotary lever22is rotated toward the opened position, a first angle θ forms between the driving shaft214and the axis X. In this embodiment, the first angle θ is within 15 to 45 degrees. With reference toFIG. 6, the rotary lever22is positioned at an intermediate position, i.e., a mixing-water supply position, and the rotary lever22is rotated a second angle θ1 clockwise or counterclockwise, wherein the second angle θ1 is 45 degrees. When the rotary lever22is rotated clockwise, a ratio of the mixing water gradually increases until one of the cold water and the hot water completely flows, and when the rotary lever22is rotated counterclockwise, another ratio of the mixing water gradually increases until the other of the cold water and the hot water completely flows.

With reference toFIG. 2, the magnetic sensor52is coupled with an outer wall of the holder211. As shown inFIGS. 7 and 8, the holder211has a fixing slot215defined thereon and has a threaded orifice216proximate to the fixing slot215. The magnetic sensor52includes a housing521, a reed switch522fixed in the housing521, a transmission wire523electrically connected with the reed switch522to transmit a sensing signal, an adjusting bolt524, and a spring525; the housing521is retained in the fixing slot215of the holder211, and the housing521has a positioning portion526extending outwardly therefrom, wherein the positioning portion526has a through hole527formed thereon, such that the adjusting bolt524is inserted through the through hole527of the positioning portion526to screw with the threaded orifice216of the holder211, and the magnetic sensor52is coupled with the holder211. It is to be noted that the spring525is fitted on the adjusting bolt524between the positioning portion526and the holder211to abut against the positioning portion526, hence when the adjusting bolt524is rotated tightly to press the spring525, it also drives the housing521and the reed switch522to move away from the magnetic element51along the fixing slot215. When the adjusting bolt524is rotated loosely, the housing521and the reed switch522are pushed by the spring525to move close to the magnetic element51along the fixing slot215. In other words, no matter the rotary lever22is located at the opened position or the closed position, the adjusting bolt524is rotated to adjust a distance between the magnetic sensor52and the magnetic element51, thus randomly adjusting a magnetic force between the magnetic sensor52and the magnetic element51.

As shown inFIGS. 4 and 9, the magnetic element51is coupled with an outer wall of the base221of the rotary lever22. The base221of the rotary lever22has an arcuate face223formed thereon, and the magnetic element51is arcuate to connect with the arcuate face223by using adhesive agent. As illustrated inFIG. 11, since the magnetic element51is arcuate, the rotary lever22is rotated toward any one of a cold-water supply position, a hot-water supply position, and the mixing-water supply position.

With reference toFIGS. 2 to 4, the control assembly20further includes a decorative cover23having a retaining portion232for retaining with the outer wall of the holder211of the valve member21and for covering the handle seat11of the body10, such that the valve member21is covered in the handle seat11, and the base221of the rotary lever22is accommodated in the decorative cover23. As shown inFIGS. 10 and 11, the decorative cover23has a chamber232so that when the rotary lever22is shifted toward the closed position or the opened position, the driving shaft214of the valve core212and the base221of the rotary lever22move downwardly or upwardly.

Referring toFIGS. 1 and 3, the electronic faucet1further comprises an infrared sensor60for sensing a distance to a user, such that the solenoid valve40is opened and is closed, and the solenoid valve40is controlled by the magnetic sensing device50and the infrared sensor60. The infrared sensor60is installed on the body10.

As illustrated inFIG. 1, the electronic faucet1further comprises a controlling panel401mounted in the accommodation case400to receive the sensing signal from the magnetic sensing device50via the transmission wire523, and then the sensing signal is processed to transmit a control signal to open or close the solenoid valve40.

As shown inFIGS. 4 and 9, the base221of the rotary lever22has a circular fence224connecting with the operating extension222, a peripheral fence225coupling with the circular fence224, and a fitting pedestal226extending outwardly from the peripheral fence225and retained with the driving shaft214of the valve core212. Between the peripheral fence225and the fitting pedestal226is defined a groove227to accommodate a part of the decorative cover23. The fitting pedestal226has an arcuate fringe223formed around an outer wall thereof to contact with the magnetic element51.

With reference toFIG. 13, a difference of an electronic faucet1acontrolled by handle of a second embodiment from that of the first embodiment comprises: a magnetic sensor53which is a hall sensor.

Referring further toFIGS. 14 to 16, the electronic faucet1acontrolled by handle of the second embodiment also comprises a magnetic sensing device500, and the magnetic sensing device500includes a sensing module530. As shown inFIG. 21, the sensing module530has the magnetic sensor53, a flexible print circuit (FPC)54welding with the magnetic sensor53, an affix loop55welding with the flexible print circuit54, and a transmission wire541electrically connected with the flexible print circuit54to transmit a sensing signal to a controlling panel401. The affix loop55is fitted on a lid213so that the sensing module530is fixed on a valve member21. The flexible print circuit54is bendable and is laminated to be accommodated between the handle seat11and the valve member21.

As illustrated inFIGS. 15 and 16, the flexible print circuit54further has a light emitting diode (LED)542, the handle seat11has a notch111formed thereon and has a light shield112disposed on the notch111. The light emitting diode (LED)542emits lights via the light shield112, when the rotary lever22is rotated toward the opened position, hence the user distinguishes the electronic faucet1ais in a water supply state. When the rotary lever22is rotated toward the closed position, the light emitting diode (LED)542stops emitting the light, hence the user distinguishes the electronic faucet1ais in a water stop state.

With reference toFIG. 15, the valve member21further has a locking element217for locking with the lid213and for retaining with the decorative cover23, such that the affix loop55is limited on the lid213, and the decorative cover23is positioned on the valve member21.

Referring toFIGS. 17 to 20, the base221of the rotary lever22has a circular fence224connecting with the operating extension222, a peripheral fence225coupling with the circular fence224, and a fitting pedestal226extending outwardly from the peripheral fence225, wherein between the peripheral fence225and the fitting pedestal226is defined a groove227. The magnetic sensing device500includes a magnetism module510, and the magnetism module510has a rack511mounted in the groove227and has a plurality of magnetic elements51arcuately arranged on the rack511. The rack511is locked on the peripheral fence225by ways of a screw bolt512.

As shown inFIGS. 21 to 23, each of the plurality of magnetic elements51is formed in a column shape, and the plurality of the magnetic elements51are arcuately arranged on the rack511. Accordingly, the rotary lever22is rotated toward any one of a cold-water supply position, a hot-water supply position, and a mixing-water supply position. For example, the rotary lever22is rotated a third angle02counterclockwise toward one of the cold-water supply position and the hot-water supply position, as illustrated inFIG. 22. In addition, the rotary lever22is rotated a fourth angle θ3 clockwise toward the other of the cold-water supply position and the hot-water supply position, as illustrated inFIG. 23.

Preferably, at least one of the plurality of magnetic elements51corresponds to the magnetic sensor52, hence the magnetic sensing device500operates well.

Thereby, the electronic faucet of the present invention controls the solenoid valve to open or close by using the magnetic sensing device, thus starting and stopping water supply of the electronic faucet.

Preferably, the magnetic sensing device is compact and is fixed easily to reduce production cost. For instance, the magnetic sensor53of the second embodiment is the hall sensor welded on the flexible print circuit54, and the flexible print circuit54is bendable and is laminated to be accommodated easily between the handle seat11and the valve member21.

The magnetic sensing device has no any contact points therein to avoid defective contact and to be operated sensitively and stably.

Furthermore, an installation position of the magnetic sensor52is adjusted based on using requirement.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiments of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. The scope of the claims should not be limited by the preferred embodiments set forth in the examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as a whole.