Patent Description:
With continuous improvement of living quality of people, functional requirements for faucets are also increasing, and automatic faucets are becoming more and more popular in people's lives, especially in public places. A conventional automatic faucet has a single performance, which only makes the waterway be blocked or unblocked by using the sensor to control the solenoid valve. Since it is impossible to control the water output during use, the automatic faucet is very inconvenient in use, and it is also very inconvenient to use the automatic faucet in a case that the water is required to be outputted for a long time.

Hence, there's technology of combining a sensing component with a mechanical faucet, when people use the faucet in the manual mode to get water for a long time, the automatic mode of the faucet also works normally, which causes unnecessary interference to the user. When adjusting the amount of the water output, the flow through the flow control valve is easily to be adjusted directly to zero, and thus, the faucet may not be able to output water when sensing control is used again, and the flow control valve must be re-operated to output water, which is not convenient. Besides, those who don't know the reason may have the misconception that the faucet has been damaged. Chinese Patent <CIT> discloses an integrated temperature-adjusting dual-control automatic faucet, which provides two waterways for manual operation and sensing control respectively, but the structure of the device is very complicated. <CIT> discloses an electronic faucet system, including a spout assembly and a valve body assembly. The spout assembly includes a sensor assembly having an infrared sensor, and the valve body assembly includes a manual valve member. The valve body assembly supplies mixed water to an actuator driven valve, which is controlled by a controller, to control the flow of mixed water supplied to the spout assembly. A position sensor is provided to sense the position of valve member and handle. The handle may be moved from an OFF position to any of a plurality of ON positions, and the OFF position includes a plurality of positions wherein handle is adjusted angularly away from Hall Effect sensor, but not by an amount necessary to cause water flow through valve member. When the handle is moved out of the OFF position, the water is permitted to flow to the spout assembly, and a "valve ON signal" is sent to the controller.

Therefore, a problem to be solved by those skilled in the art is to provide a simple structure for controlling the electronic faucet more intelligently.

A water output device and control method is provided according to the present application, which overcomes the shortcomings of the conventional technology described in the background.

The water output device provided according to the present application includes:.

Preferably, in a case that the detection component detects that the flow adjusting component increases the flow rate to pass the first position (the flow adjusting component is changed from the first position to a position where the flow rate is greater than the flow rate corresponding to the first position), the detection component sends a signal to the control component, and the control component opens the waterway electronic valve according to the signal.

Preferably, the flow adjusting component further has a closed position where the flow rate is zero, the flow adjusting component is provided with a physical blocking member, in the case that the flow adjusting component reduces the flow rate to the first position (the flow adjusting component is changed from a position, where the flow is greater than the flow rate corresponding to the first position, to the first position), the flow adjusting component is affected by the physical blocking member and cannot directly continue changing to the closed position.

Preferably, the flow adjusting component is a flow adjusting mechanical valve controlled by a knob, and the flow rate of the outputted water is changed by changing an opening degree of the flow adjusting mechanical valve via rotating the knob.

Preferably, the first position is embodied as a flow adjusting range with a flow rate greater than zero; in a case that the detection component detects that the flow adjusting component is changed from a position, where a flow rate is greater than a maximum flow rate in the flow adjusting range, to the first position, the detection component sends the signal to the control component, and the control component closes the waterway electronic valve according to the signal.

Preferably, the electronic sensor component includes one or a combination of a sensing module for sensing a proximity signal, a touch module for sensing a touch signal, a wireless remote control module and a gesture control module, and the control component controls the waterway electronic valve according to signal sent by the electronic sensor component.

Preferably, for signal control of the waterway electronic valve, the sensing module has a lowest priority level, so that the waterway electronic valve opend by modules other than the sensing module cannot be closed by the sensing module.

A control method for a water output device is provided according to the present application, including the following steps:.

Preferably, the flow adjusting component further has a closed position where the flow rate is zero, the flow adjusting component is provided with a physical blocking member, so that when the flow adjusting component reduces the flow rate to the first position (the flow adjusting component is changed from a position, where the flow rate is greater than the flow rate corresponding to the first position, to reach the first position), it is affected by the physical blocking member and cannot directly continue changing to the closed position.

Preferably, mechanical resistance which is overcome while the flow adjusting component is changed from the first position to the closed position is greater than mechanical resistance which is overcome while the flow adjusting component reduces the flow rate to reach the first position (the flow adjusting component is changed from a position, where the flow rate is greater than the flow rate corresponding to the first position, to the first position).

Preferably, the flow adjusting component adjusts the flow rate of the outputted water by rotating a knob, and the knob must be pressed and rotated at the same time, to change the flow adjusting component from the first position to the closed position.

The water output device according to this application may be a faucet, a shower head, etc..

Compared with the background technology, the technical solution of the present application has the following advantages:.

The present application is described in further detail hereinafter with reference to the drawings and specific embodiments.

As shown in <FIG>, a water output device includes a temperature adjusting component <NUM>, a flow adjusting component <NUM>, a waterway electronic switch <NUM>, an electronic sensor component and a control component <NUM>. The control component <NUM> is communicatively connected to the waterway electronic switch <NUM> and the electronic sensor component respectively. The electronic sensor component is used for sensing a water demand signal and sending the signal to the control component <NUM>, the flow adjusting component <NUM> is used for adjusting a flow rate of outputted water, and the temperature adjusting component <NUM> is used for adjusting a temperature of the outputted water. The waterway electronic switch <NUM> is used for opening or closing a waterway under control of signal, and the control component <NUM> controls the waterway electronic switch <NUM> according to the signal sent by the electronic sensor component.

The flow adjusting component <NUM> has a closed position where the flow rate is zero, a fully open position where the flow rate is maximum, and a first position between the closed position and the fully open position (the flow rate corresponding to the first position is greater than zero). The water output device further has a detection component <NUM> for detecting a flow adjusting position of the flow adjusting component <NUM>, and the detection component <NUM> is communicatively connected to the control component <NUM>. When the detection component <NUM> detects that the flow adjusting component <NUM> reduces the flow rate to reach the first position (that is, the flow adjusting component <NUM> is changed from a position, where the flow rate is greater than the flow rate corresponding to the first position, to the first position), the detection component <NUM> sends a signal to the control component <NUM>, and the control component <NUM> turns off the waterway electronic switch <NUM> according to the signal. When the detection component <NUM> detects that the flow adjusting component <NUM> increases the flow rate to pass the first position (that is, the flow adjusting component <NUM> is changed from the first position to a position where the flow rate is greater than the flow rate corresponding to the first position), the detection component <NUM> sends a signal to the control component <NUM>, and the control component <NUM> turns on the waterway electronic switch <NUM> according to the signal.

A control method for the water output device in this embodiment includes the following steps:.

In this embodiment, as shown in <FIG>, the flow adjusting component <NUM> is a flow adjusting mechanical valve controlled by a knob, and an opening degree of the flow adjusting mechanical valve is changed by rotating the knob, so as to change the flow rate of the outputted water. The knob is rotated between the closed position A and the fully open position C, and the first position B is located between the closed position A and the fully open position C. The flow rate increases when the knob is rotated counterclockwise while decreases when the knob is rotated clockwise. Correspondingly, the detection component <NUM> may be an angle sensor for detecting a rotation angle of the knob. However, it is not limited to this, the flow adjusting component <NUM> may be in other manners, for example, the flow rate of the outputted water may be controlled by rotation of a motor.

The function of the electronic sensor component in this application is to sense the water demand signal and send the signal to the control component <NUM>, to control the waterway electronic switch <NUM>. The electronic sensor component may include one or a combination of a sensing module <NUM> for sensing a proximity signal, a touch module <NUM> for sensing a touch signal, a wireless remote control module and a gesture control module. Therefore, the water demand signal may be a contact or non-contact signal, which includes but not limited to: the detection component <NUM> detects that the flow adjusting component <NUM> is changed to pass the first position to reach a position where the flow rate is greater than the flow rate corresponding to the first position, or the sensing module <NUM> senses the proximity signal, or the touch module <NUM> senses the touch signal. , wherein the corresponding actions are represented by rotating the knob, approaching of a human body or an object, touching related components, or the like.

In this embodiment, the electronic sensor component includes the sensing module <NUM> for sensing the proximity signal and the touch module <NUM> for sensing the touch signal. Specifically, when a human body or an object enters a sensing area of the sensing module <NUM>, the sensing module <NUM> sends a signal to the control component <NUM>, and the control component <NUM> turns on the waterway electronic switch <NUM>; when the human body or the object leaves the sensing area of the sensing module <NUM>, the sensing module <NUM> sends a signal to the control component <NUM>, and the control component <NUM> turns off the waterway electronic switch <NUM>. When the touch module <NUM> is touched, the touch module <NUM> sends a signal to the control component <NUM>, and the control component <NUM> turns on or turns off the waterway electronic switch <NUM>.

Therefore, in this embodiment, each of the touch module <NUM>, the sensing module <NUM> and the detection component <NUM> may send the signal to the control component <NUM>, and the control component <NUM> controls the waterway electronic switch <NUM> according to the signal. For signal control of the waterway electronic switch <NUM>, an order of priority level is that, the detection component <NUM> and the touch module <NUM> have the same priority level, which is higher than a priority level of the sensing module <NUM>, and the sensing operation is effective on the premise that the waterway electronic switch <NUM> is off.

Referring to <FIG>, control logic of the water output device according to this embodiment is as follows:.

The temperature adjusting component <NUM> according to this application may be a thermostatic valve, and the waterway electronic switch <NUM> may be an electromagnetic valve, that is, cold water and hot water enter the thermostatic valve and flows to the flow adjusting component <NUM> after temperature adjustment, and then flows to the electromagnetic valve after flow adjustment, and finally flows out from a water outlet portion <NUM> of the water output device.

Preferably, the first position may also be a flow adjusting range in which the flow rate is greater than zero, that is, the first position is not a fixed point but as range, and there is a minimum flow rate (not zero) and a maximum flow rate within the range. When the detection component <NUM> detects that the flow adjusting component <NUM> is changed from the position, where the flow rate is greater than the maximum flow rate in the flow adjusting range, to reach the first position, the detection component <NUM> sends a signal to the control component <NUM>, and the control component <NUM> turns off the waterway electronic switch <NUM> according to the signal; when the detection component <NUM> detects that the flow adjusting component <NUM> is changed from the first position to a position where the flow rate is greater than the maximum flow rate in the flow adjusting range, the detection component <NUM> sends another signal to the control component <NUM>, and the control component <NUM> turns on the waterway electronic switch <NUM> according to the another signal.

Preferably, in this embodiment, the flow adjusting component <NUM> is provided with a physical blocking member, so that when the flow adjusting component <NUM> reduces the flow rate to the first position (the flow adjusting component <NUM> is changed from a position, where the flow rate is greater than the flow rate corresponding to the first position, to reach the first position), it is affected by the physical blocking member and cannot directly continue changing to the closed position. Specifically, in this embodiment, when the knob is rotated from the fully open position C to the first position B, it cannot directly pass the first position B and rotate to the closed position A due to the existence of the physical blocking member. The physical blocking member may be configured such that mechanical resistance to be overcome when the knob is changed from the first position B to the closed position A is significantly greater than mechanical resistance to be overcome when the knob is changed from a position where the flow rate is greater than the flow rate corresponding to the first position to reach the first position B. The physical blocking member may also be configured such that the flow adjusting component <NUM> may be changed freely between the first position B and the fully open position C by rotating the knob, but the flow adjusting component <NUM> can be changed from the first position B to the closed position A only when the knob is pressed and rotated at the same time. The specific implementation of the physical blocking member is not limited to the above solutions.

Of course, the flow adjusting component <NUM> may not be provided with a closed position where the flow rate is zero, that is, the flow rate may only be adjusted between the first position and the fully open position. When the detection component <NUM> detects that the flow adjusting component <NUM> is changed to reach the first position, the detection component <NUM> sends a signal to the control component <NUM>, and the control component <NUM> turns off the waterway electronic switch <NUM> according to the signal; when the detection component <NUM> detects that the flow adjusting component <NUM> is changed from the first position to other positions, the detection component <NUM> sends another signal to the control component <NUM>, and the control component <NUM> turns on the waterway electronic switch <NUM> according to the another signal.

The preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown and described above. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the solutions disclosed herein, and should not be regarded as an exclusion of other embodiments, instead, it may be used in various other combinations, modifications and environments, and may be modified according to the above teachings or technology or knowledge in related fields within the scope of the concept of the present invention, which is defined by the following claims.

Claim 1:
A water output device, comprising:
an electronic sensor component configured for sensing a water demand signal;
a waterway electronic valve (<NUM>) configured for opening or closing a waterway under control of a signal;
a flow adjusting component (<NUM>) configured for adjusting a flow rate of outputted water;
an electronic control component (<NUM>), which is communicatively connected to the waterway electronic valve (<NUM>) and the electronic sensor component, wherein the electronic control component (<NUM>) is configured to control the waterway electronic valve (<NUM>) according to a signal sent by the electronic sensor component; and wherein
the water output device further comprises a detection component (<NUM>) configured for detecting a flow adjusting position of the flow adjusting component (<NUM>), and the detection component (<NUM>) is communicatively connected to the electronic control component (<NUM>); characterized in that,
the flow adjusting component (<NUM>) has a first position, and a flow rate corresponding to the first position is greater than zero; and
in a case that the detection component (<NUM>) detects that the flow adjusting component (<NUM>) reduces the flow rate to reach the first position, the detection component (<NUM>) is configured to send a signal to the electronic control component (<NUM>), and the electronic control component (<NUM>) closes the waterway electronic valve (<NUM>) according to the signal.