Apparatus and control system for multi-gestural control of water delivery devices
AssigneeKohler Mira Limited
InventorsCHRISTOPHER IAN THOMPSON, Xiangzhen Zhu
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Abstract
A water delivery device includes a body, a user interface, a mixing valve, a first capacitive sensor pad, and a second capacitive sensor pad. The body includes a spout. The user interface is provided on the spout. The mixing valve is contained within the body and is configured to be in fluid communication with a hot water source and a cold water source. The first capacitive sensor pad is provided below the user interface. The second capacitive sensor pad is provided below the user interface laterally adjacent to the first capacitive sensor pad, and is physically separated from the first capacitive sensor pad.
Claims20
A water delivery device comprising:
- a body including a spout;
- a user interface provided on the spout;
- a mixing valve contained within the body and configured to be in fluid communication with a hot water source and a cold water source;
- a first capacitive sensor pad provided below the user interface;
- and
- a second capacitive sensor pad provided below the user interface laterally adjacent to the first capacitive sensor pad, wherein the second capacitive sensor pad is physically separated from the first capacitive sensor pad.
A faucet assembly comprising:
- a body including a spout;
- a user interface provided on the spout;
- a mixing valve disposed in the body and configured to be in fluid communication with a hot water source and a cold water source;
- a first capacitive sensor pad provided below the user interface on the spout and configured to increase a temperature of a flow of water flowing from the mixing valve;
- a second capacitive sensor pad provided below the user interface on the spout laterally adjacent to the first capacitive sensor pad and configured to decrease the temperature of the flow of water flowing from the mixing valve, wherein the second capacitive sensor pad is physically separated from the first capacitive sensor pad;
- and
- a controller operatively coupled to the first capacitive sensor pad, the second capacitive sensor pad, and the mixing valve;
- wherein the controller is configured to receive a signal from the first or the second capacitive sensor pad and to transmit a corresponding signal to the mixing valve to control a flow of water from at least one of the hot water source or the cold water source so as to change the temperature of the flow of water flowing from the mixing valve.
A water delivery device comprising:
- a spout;
- a mixing valve configured to be in fluid communication with a hot water source and a cold water source;
- a first capacitive sensor pad provided in the spout and configured to increase a temperature of a flow of water flowing from the mixing valve;
- a second capacitive sensor pad provided in the spout laterally adjacent to the first capacitive sensor pad, wherein the second capacitive sensor pad is physically separated from the first capacitive sensor pad and is configured to decrease the temperature of the flow of water;
- and
- a controller operatively coupled to the mixing valve, the first capacitive sensor pad, and the second capacitive sensor pad;
- wherein each of the first and second capacitive sensor pads is configured to be activated by a user to control a flow of water from at least one of the hot water source or the cold water source to adjust a temperature of the flow of water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.