Patent US3673166A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent EP0228908A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0228908A2
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EP
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Water supply control apparatus
Assignee: Toto Ltd
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Filing: 1986-12-24
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-12-24
Abstract
Abstract A water supply control apparatus includes a flushing device (1) to be supplied with water, a water supply valve (4) for controlling the supply of water to the flushing device, a driving signal generator for selectively generating driving signals of first and second periods, respectively, a sensor (31,33) responsive to one, at a time, of the driving signals for detecting whether there is a user of the flushing device at one of the first and second periods, to produce a sensor signal selectively including a user-present signal and a user-absent signal of said one period, and a control circuit (2) responsive to the sensor signal for controlling the water supply valve (4). The control circuit includes a first control section having a switching element responsive to the user-absent signal for issuing a first switching signal to the driving signal generator to generate the driving signal of the first period and responsive to the user-present signal for issuing a second switching signal to the driving signal generator to generate the driving signal of the second period and an output element responsive to the sensor signal for issuing a water supply valve control signal, a second control section responsive to the water supply valve control signal for controlling the water supply valve, and a battery (5) as a power supply for operating the water supply valve, the driving signal generator, the sensor, and the first and second control sections. The second period is shorter than the first period.
Inventors
- 👤 Takao Yoshida
- 👤 Kiyoshi Fujino
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 11:15
CPC Classifications
E; E03; E03D; E03D5/00; E03D5/10; E03D5/105; H; H03; H03K; H03K17/00; H03K17/94; H03K17/941; H03K2217/00; H03K2217/94; H03K2217/941; H03K2217/94116
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
250 words
A water supply control apparatus comprising: a flushing device (1) to be supplied with water; and water supply valve means (4) for controlling the supply of water to said flushing device; characterised by driving signal generator means (301, 302, 303) for selectively generating driving signals of first and second periods, respectively; sensor means (3) responsive to one, at a time, of said driving signals for detecting whether there is a user of said flushing device at one of said first and second periods, to produce a sensor signal selectively including a user-present signal and a user-absent signal of said one period; control circuit means (300) responsive to said sensor signal for controlling said water supply valve means (4); and said control circuit means including: first control means having switching means (307,308,310) responsive to said user-absent signal for issuing a first switching signal to said driving signal generator means to generate the driving signal of the first period and responsive to said user-present signal for issuing a second switching signal to said driving signal generator means to generate the driving signal of the second period and output means (311-316) responsive to said sensor signal for issuing a water supply valve control signal; second control means (400) responsive to said water supply valve control signal for controlling said water supply valve means; and a battery (5) as a power supply for operating said water supply valve means, said driving signal generator means, said sensor means, and said first and second control means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
250 words
A water supply control apparatus comprising: a flushing device (1) to be supplied with water; and water supply valve means (4) for controlling the supply of water to said flushing device; characterised by driving signal generator means (301, 302, 303) for selectively generating driving signals of first and second periods, respectively; sensor means (3) responsive to one, at a time, of said driving signals for detecting whether there is a user of said flushing device at one of said first and second periods, to produce a sensor signal selectively including a user-present signal and a user-absent signal of said one period; control circuit means (300) responsive to said sensor signal for controlling said water supply valve means (4); and said control circuit means including: first control means having switching means (307,308,310) responsive to said user-absent signal for issuing a first switching signal to said driving signal generator means to generate the driving signal of the first period and responsive to said user-present signal for issuing a second switching signal to said driving signal generator means to generate the driving signal of the second period and output means (311-316) responsive to said sensor signal for issuing a water supply valve control signal; second control means (400) responsive to said water supply valve control signal for controlling said water supply valve means; and a battery (5) as a power supply for operating said water supply valve means, said driving signal generator means, said sensor means, and said first and second control means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
51 words
A water supply control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said water supply valve means includes a water supply on-off valve and a latching solenoid (4) having solenoid coils (4a,4b) for respectively opening and closing said water supply on-off valve, said solenoid coils having respective input terminals connected to said battery.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
A water supply control apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said second period is shorter than said first period.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
A water supply control apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said sensor means comprises an infrared radiation sensor having a light-emitting element (31) and a light detector element (32).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
81 words
A water supply control apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein said switching means comprises: a first pulse generator (310) responsive to said user-present signal for generating a user-present pulse at each period of said user-present signal; a second pulse generator (307) responsive to said user-absent signal for generating a user-absent pulse at each period of said user-absent signal; and hold means (304,308) responsive to the water supply valve control signal from said output means for holding said second switching signal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
74 words
A water supply control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said first control means further includes counter means (309) for continuously issuing an output signal from the time when it counts a predetermined number of successive user-present pulses from said first pulse generator and for cutting off said output signal when it counts said user-absent pulse, said output means continuously issuing said water supply valve control signal when it has received said output signal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
66 words
A water supply control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said first control means further includes stopper means (314,315,316) for stopping said water supply valve control signal from said output means when the number of second periods of the driving signal from said driving signal generator means has reached a predetermined number while said water supply valve control signal is being supplied from said output means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
156 words
A water supply control apparatus according to claim 2 or any of claims 3 to 7 when appendant to claim 2, wherein said second control means comprises: pulse generator means (404) for generating a valve-opening pulse when said water supply control signal starts to be received and a valve-closing pulse when said water supply valve control signal has been received; valve-opening energizing means (409) for supplying an electric current from said battery to said valve-opening solenoid coil; valve-closing energizing means (419) for supplying an electric current from said battery to said valve-closing solenoid coil; energization selecting means (401,402,403) responsive to said valve-opening pulse for applying an energization signal to said valve-opening energizing means and responsive to said valve-closing pulse for applying an energization signal to said valve-closing energizing means; and inflection point detecting means (410-416) for detecting inflection points inherent in said valve-opening and -closing solenoid coils when the valve-opening and -closing solenoid coils are energized.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
79 words
A water supply control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said inflection point detecting means comprises comparator means (415,416) responsive to an energization current from at least one of said valve-opening and -closing solenoid coils via the corresponding energizing means for comparing the current from said one solenoid coil with a current curve inherent in said one solenoid coil thereby to detect said inflection point, and for generating a detection completion signal after said inflection point has been detected.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
73 words
A water supply control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said inflection point detecting means comprises comparator means (415,416) responsive to an energization current from said valve-closing solenoid coil via said valve-closing energizing means for comparing the current from said valve-closing solenoid coil with a current curve inherent in said valve-closing solenoid coil thereby to detect said inflection point, and for generating a detection completion signal after said inflection point has been detected.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
46 words
A water supply control apparatus according to claim 9 or 10, wherein said energization selecting means has input means (405,406) for receiving said detection completion signal, and is responsive to said detection completion signal for issuing a de-energization signal to said valve-opening and -closing energizing means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
53 words
A water supply control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said energization selecting means has energization stopping means (407) for forcibly cutting off the energization signal applied to at least one of said valve-opening and -closing energizing means upon elapse of a predetermined period of time after said valve-opening pulse has been applied.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
32 words
A water supply control apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said energization selecting means further includes a warning lamp (418) energizable at the same time that said energization stopping means is operated.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
42 words
A water supply control apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein said water supply valve means comprises a solenoid-operated valve openable in response to said water supply valve control signal and closable in the absence of said water supply valve control signal.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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