Flush control

A method of controlling a siphon flush flow and a trap reseal flow to a sanitary fixture, said method comprising:

• opening both a high flow valve and a low flow valve disposed in parallel high and low flow paths between a water supply and the sanitary fixture;
• sensing flow through the low flow path;
• determining the sum of the flows through the low and high flow paths using the sensed flow through the low flow path and using a proportional flow restriction relationship of the high and low flow paths;
• correcting the sum of the flows to compensate for the nonproportional reduced flow through the high flow path when the high flow valve is partly open;
• and
• closing the high flow valve when the corrected sum reaches a volume equal to a desired siphon flush flow volume.

A method for detecting a user in a user detection field in front of a flush controller for a sanitary fixture, said method comprising the steps of:

• emitting light into the user detection field;
• sensing the amounts of light reflected from spaced locations in the user detection field;
• determining a ratio of the sensed amounts;
• and
• using the ratio to locate a user in the user detection field.

A method for controlling the initiation of a flush operation of a sanitary fixture comprising:

• (a) repeatedly performing a user location routine including:
• (i) emitting light along a plurality of different light paths extending into a user detection field near the sanitary fixture;
• (ii) aiming a plurality of detectors along different detection paths into the user detection field to intersect the light paths at an array of spaced detection locations;
• (iii) sensing the amounts of light reflected at the arrayed locations;
• (iv) determining a plurality of ratios of the sensed amounts of light;
• (v) comparing the determined ratios with a series of reference numbers corresponding to the presence of a user at predetermined locations in the user detection field;
• (vi) concluding that a user is present in the user detection filed if there is match between a determined ratio and a reference number and concluding that no user is present in the user detection field if there is no match between a determined ratio and a reference number;
• (b) counting the time that a user remains in the user detection field until a first predetermined time elapses;
• (c) after said counting step, summing the time that no user is present in the user detection field until a second predetermined time elapses immediately after the first predetermined time;
• and
• (d) initiating a flush operation if both said counting and summing steps are completed.

A flush controller for a sanitary fixture comprising:

• a housing having an inlet for connection to a water supply and an outlet for connection to the sanitary fixture;
• a valve for controlling flow from said inlet to said outlet;
• a control system operative in response to an initiation signal for opening said valve to initiate a flushing operation;
• a user sensing system for detecting the presence of a user of the sanitary fixture;
• said user sensing system including a plurality of radiation emitters and a plurality of radiation detectors;
• means connected to said detectors and responsive to radiation reflected by a user from said emitters to said detectors for providing said initiation signal;
• said emitters being aimed along discrete and spaced apart emission lines extending away from said housing;
• and detectors being aimed along discrete and spaced apart detection lines extending away from said housing;
• and
• each of said emission lines intersecting each of said detection lines.

A method for adapting a flush controller for toilet and urinal applications and for right or left water supply installations;

• the flush controller having a valve assembly including a valve body with a vertically extending outlet port and a horizontally extending inlet port, a low flow valve located at a first region of the valve assembly, a high flow valve receiving location at a second region of the valve assembly, and a override switch receiving location at a third region of the valve assembly;
• the low flow valve having a low flow valve electrical connector, the flush controller optionally having a high flow valve with a high flow valve electrical connector at the high flow valve receiving location and optionally having an override switch with a switch connector at the override switch receiving location;
• the flush controller further having an electrical circuit board including a plurality of electrical terminals arrayed at spaced locations over the surface of the circuit board;
• said method comprising:
• omitting the high flow valve for urinal applications and mounting the high flow valve at the high flow valve receiving location for toilet applications;
• rotating the valve assembly around a vertical axis to point the inlet port either to the right or the left;
• connecting the low flow valve electrical connector to circuit board terminals adjacent the first region of the valve assembly;
• if the high flow valve is present, then connecting the high flow valve electrical connector to circuit board terminals adjacent the second region of the valve assembly;
• and
• initializing a control circuit for the flush controller by testing the circuit board electrical terminals for the presence or absence of the override switch.

A method for configuring and operating a flush controller for toilet or urinal control with right or left water inlet, said method comprising:

• positioning a valve assembly so that an inlet of the valve assembly is directed either to the right or to the left for a corresponding right or left water inlet connection;
• orienting a circuit board having an array of electrical terminals in one of two positions for a right or left water inlet connection respectively;
• interconnecting electrical components of the valve assembly to selected terminals of the circuit board in a plurality of different connection patterns for a plurality of different flush controller configurations;
• testing the array of circuit board terminals to detect a connection pattern corresponding to a flush controller configuration;
• and
• initializing a flush controller operating system with information about the connection pattern.