System and Method for Hospitality Water Cleansing and Monitoring

A system, for use with a three-basin sink including three fluid-holding basins, each including a basin drain, the system comprising:

• three operating assemblies, each associated with one of the basins in the three-basin sink, each operating assembly comprising:
• an actuator;
• and
• a housing, the housing comprising:
• a plug structure at, or near, a bottom portion of the housing for selectively blocking the respective basin drain;
• a drain valve comprising an inlet adjacent a bottom portion of the housing controlled by the actuator to be in an open position or a closed position, wherein, when the drain valve is in the open position, fluid in the respective basin is able to flow through the drain valve into the respective drain and, when the drain valve is in the closed position, fluid in the respective basin is unable to flow through the valve into the respective basin drain;
• one or more sensors from among a temperature sensor, a cleanliness sensor, and a liquid level sensor;
• three water valves operable between open and closed conditions to selectively deliver water to each of the three basins;
• one or both of a soap dispenser pump and a sanitizer pump operatively connectable to soap and sanitizer reserves, respectively, and operable between active and inactive conditions for selectively delivering soap and sanitizer from the respective reserves to at least one of the three basins;
• and
• a processor receiving input from the plurality of sensors and sending commands for controlling the actuator, the one or more water valves, and the soap and/or sanitizer dispenser pumps such that in response to the commands from the processor, one or more of the actuators open or close their respective drain valves, the one or more water valves open or close, and the soap and/or sanitizer dispenser pumps are active or inactive, such that the system is capable of automatically filling and draining each basin to maintain a desired range of concentrations of a fluid comprising one or more of water, soap, and sanitizer, and to maintain the fluid in each basin at a desired amount or height and within a desired range of temperature.

An assembly for placement in a sink or bathtub having one or more basins having a drain comprising:

• a passageway through which, when the assembly is in use in a basin, fluid in the basin is able to flow toward the drain;
• a structure configured to be situated relative to the passageway operable between open and closed positions selectively blocking the passageway when in a closed position and not blocking the passageway when in an open position, such that fluid in a basin is able to flow through the passageway when the structure is in the open position but not when the structure is in the closed position;
• an actuator controlling the position of the structure between the closed position and the open position;
• one or more sensors determining at least a first fluid level in the basin and a second fluid level in the basin;
• a processor configured to receive one or more inputs from the one or more sensors and to communicate with the actuator, wherein, in response to receiving a first set of one or more inputs from the one or more sensors, the processor generates and communicates a first set of one or more outputs to the actuator causing the actuator to position the structure in the open position, further wherein, in response to receiving a second set of one or more inputs from the one or more sensors, the processor generates and communicates a second set of one or more outputs to the actuator causing the actuator to position the structure in the closed position.

A method of automatically draining and filling a basin of a sink or tub with water comprising:

• sending a first signal from a controller to an actuator associated with a drain in the basin to close the drain preventing any fluid in the basin from exiting the basin through the drain;
• sending a second signal from the controller to one or more water supply valves controlling flow of water from one or more water supplies to cause water to flow into the basin;
• sending a third signal from the controller to the one or more water supply valves when fluid in the basin reaches a predetermined amount or height of fluid, thereby preventing additional water from flowing into the basin;
• and
• sending a fourth signal from the controller to the actuator associated with the drain to open the drain allowing water in the basin to exit the basin through the drain.

A method of automatically draining and filling two or more basins of a single sink or tub, or each basin of two or more adjacent sinks or tubs, with a fluid, wherein, for each basin, the method comprises:

• sending a first signal from a controller to an actuator associated with a drain in the basin to close the drain preventing any fluid in the basin from exiting the basin through the drain;
• sending a second signal from the controller to one or more water supply valves controlling flow of water from one or more water supplies to cause water to flow into the basin;
• sending a third signal from the controller to the one or more water supply valves when fluid in the basin reaches a predetermined amount or height of fluid, thereby preventing additional water from flowing into the basin;
• and
• sending a fourth signal from the controller to the actuator associated with the drain to open the drain allowing water in the basin to exit the basin through the drain.

An apparatus for draining and filling a basin of a sink or tub with water comprising:

• one or more water supply valves configured to control flow of water from one or more water supplies operable between an open condition and a closed condition in response to one or more signals (each a “water valve signal”) received from a controller, wherein the water from the water supply is able to flow through the one or more water supply valves when the one or more water supply valves are in the open condition and water from the water supply is unable to flow through the one or more valves when the one or more valves are in the closed condition;
• a plug configured to be associated with a drain in the basin, the plug operable between an open condition and a closed condition in response to one or more signals (each a “drain plug signal”) received from the controller, wherein a fluid in the basin is able to flow into the drain when the plug is in the open condition and the fluid in the basin is unable to flow into the drain when the plug is in the closed condition;
• and
• one or more sensors detecting an amount or height of the fluid in the basin, wherein the one or more sensors send a signal to the controller which processes the signal and sends a first water valve signal to the one or more water supply valves causing the one or more water supply valves to be in the closed condition, or validate that the one or more water supply valves are in the closed condition, when the one or more sensors detects a first amount or height of the fluid in the basin or sends a second water valve signal to the one or more water supply valves causing the one or more water supply valves to be in the open condition, or validate that the one or more water supply valves are in the open condition, when the one or more sensors detects a second amount or height of the fluid in the basin.

An apparatus for automatically draining and filling two or more basins of a single sink or tub, or each basin of two or more adjacent sinks or tubs, with a fluid, wherein, for each basin, the apparatus comprises:

• one or more water supply valves configured to control flow of water from one or more water supplies operable between an open condition and a closed condition in response to one or more signals (each a “water valve signal”) received from a controller, wherein the water from the water supply is able to flow through the one or more water supply valves when the one or more water supply valves are in the open condition and water from the water supply is unable to flow through the one or more valves when the one or more valves are in the closed condition;
• a plug configured to be associated with a drain in the basin, the plug operable between an open condition and a closed condition in response to one or more signals (each a “drain plug signal”) received from the controller, wherein a fluid in the basin is able to flow into the drain when the plug is in the open condition and the fluid in the basin is unable to flow into the drain when the plug is in the closed condition;
• and
• one or more sensors detecting an amount or height of the fluid in the basin, wherein the one or more sensors send a signal to the controller which processes the signal and sends a first water valve signal to the one or more water supply valves causing the one or more water supply valves to be in the closed condition, or validate that the one or more water supply valves are in the closed condition, when the one or more sensors detects a first amount or height of the fluid in the basin or sends a second water valve signal to the one or more water supply valves causing the one or more water supply valves to be in the open condition, or validate that the one or more water supply valves are in the open condition, when the one or more sensors detects a second amount or height of the fluid in the basin.