Electronic showerhead device

#The present invention relates to an electronic showerhead device and a method for automatically controlling water flow in an electronic showerhead device and in particular to an electronic showerhead device that includes an integrated power source and a sensor for automatically regulating the water flow.

#Automatic flow control for a showerhead usually involves detection of a user by a presence detector followed by activation of a valve that controls the water flow by the presence detector. The presence detector may be located near a faucet handle of a shower or within the showerhead. Most of the prior art electronic showerheads with automatic flow control require external electrical power and sensor placement by qualified technicians, which makes them difficult to install and expensive for retro-fitting existing showerheads.

#Furthermore, the location of the presence detector is critical in order to avoid self-triggering of the showerhead or getting the showerhead valve locked in the ON position.

#FIG. 1 depicts an electronic showerhead device of this invention;

#FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the electronic showerhead device of FIG. 1;

#FIG. 3 is a side view of the electronic showerhead device of FIG. 2;

#The present invention provides an electronic showerhead device that includes an integrated power source and a sensor for automatically regulating the water flow.

#Referring to FIG. 1, electronic showerhead device 100 according to this invention includes a hollow dome-shaped top cover 102 and a two-component bottom portion 101. Bottom portion 101 includes a top component 104 and a bottom component 106. The showerhead device is attached to an inlet water pipe 92 at the top. The bottom surface 106a of bottom component 106 includes an area A with openings 110 arranged so that they form a spray nozzle. In operation, water 90 enters the showerhead 100 through the inlet pipe 92 and exits through openings 110 and forms a parabolic water stream 180, as shown in FIG. 13. Bottom surface 106a of the bottom component 106 also includes a sensor 108 protruding from an opening in area B of the bottom surface adjacent to area A. Sensor 108 is an Infrared (IR) sensor that emits a conical shaped IR beam 150 that extends above and adjacent to the water stream 180. In some embodiments, the conical shaped IR beam 150 is tangential to the water stream 180. Sensor 108 looks for reflected beam signals, and turns “ON” when a certain threshold of reflected IR energy is met or exceeded. Sensor 108 controls an ON/OFF valve for the water stream, as will be described below. Bottom surface 106a of the bottom component 106 also includes a power ON/OFF switch 112 that controls the flow of electrical power to the showerhead device 100, as shown in FIG. 2.

#Referring to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the electronic showerhead device 100 also includes an electronically controlled valve 120 and a battery pack 130 that are located within the hollow dome-shaped top cover 102 above the two-component bottom portion 101. In one example, the electronically controlled valve is an electromagnetic solenoid 120 that is in-line with the inlet water pipe 92 and is configured to receive an electrical signal from the IR sensor 108 and to turn ON or OFF the flow of water 90 in the water stream 180. Electromagnetic solenoid 120 is a “latching” solenoid that utilizes a permanent magnet to maintain a set position without the constant application of an external electrical current.