Plumbing control system and method for prison's and push button therefor
OwnerDaniel C. Shaw, Donald F. Bushinventors
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Abstract
A controlled plumbing fixture includes a plumbing fixture having an electromechanical valve for regulating the flow of water. A control assembly is operably associated with the valve for controlling operation thereof. A self-calibrating push button is operably associated with the control assembly for supplying a demand signal thereto and for thereby causing the control assembly to supply a control signal to the valve for causing operation thereof.
Claims26
A controlled plumbing fixture, comprising:
- (a) a plumbing fixture;
- (b) electromechanical valve means operably associated with said fixture for regulating the flow of water thereto;
- (c) control means operably associated with said valve means for controlling operation thereof;
- and
- (d) a self-calibrating push button operably associated with said control means for supplying a demand signal thereto and for thereby causing said control means to supply a control signal to said valve means for causing operation thereof.
A controlled plumbing fixture, comprising:
- (a) a plumbing fixture;
- (b) an electromechanically operated valve operably associated with said fixture for regulating the flow of water thereto;
- (c) a push button plunger operably associated with said fixture for being operated by a user of said fixture;
- (d) biasing means operably associated with said plunger for urging said plunger in a first direction toward the user;
- (e) movable sensor means spaced from said plunger for generating a demand signal upon a user moving said plunger into operative association with said sensor means;
- and
- (f) control means operably associated with said sensor means and said valve for causing said valve to operate when said control means receive a demand signal.
A self-calibrating push button, comprising:
- (a) a housing having a central chamber and first and second spaced openings therein;
- (b) a plunger positioned and movable within said chamber and having a portion extending through one of said openings;
- (c) biasing means operably associated with said plunger for urging said plunger toward said one opening;
- (d) sensor means operably associated with said housing and having a portion extending through the other one of said openings and into said chamber toward said plunger;
- and
- (e) means operably associated with said sensor means for permitting said sensor means to move in response to movement of said plunger towards said other one opening and for maintaining said sensor means thereafter at the position to which it was moved.
A method of calibrating a push button having a plunger, a spring operably associated with the plunger for urging the plunger in a first direction, and a sensor, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) moving the plunger in a second direction opposite to the first direction and thereby engaging the sensor and moving the sensor in the second direction;
- and
- (b) securing the sensor in the position to which it was moved by the plunger.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.