Plumbing control system and method for prisons
AssigneeBauer Industries, Inc.
InventorDaniel C. Shaw
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flushing control system for prisons and the like includes a fixture and a source of water. A solenoid operated valve is interposed between the fixture and the source for regulating the flow of water to the fixture. A capacitance sensor is operably associated with the fixture for requesting operation of the valve. A control mechanism is operably associated with the capacitance sensor and with the valve for causing operation of the valve to be delayed for a selected period after the sensor has been operated and for limiting the number of operations of said valve per unit time.
Claims22
Flushing control system for prisons and the like, comprising:
- (a) a fixture;
- (b) a source of water;
- (c) means interposed between said fixture and said source for regulating the flow of water to said fixture;
- (d) means operably associated with said fixture for requesting operation of said regulating means;
- and,
- (e) control means operably associated with said requesting means and with said regulating means for causing operation of said regulating means to be delayed for a selected period after said requesting means has been operated and for limiting the number of operations of said regulating means per unit time.
A control system for a prison plumbing system, comprising:
- (a) a plurality of spaced fixtures;
- (b) a source of water;
- (c) a first plurality of flow regulating means, each of said flow regulating means interposed between one of said fixtures and said source;
- (d) a first plurality of capacitance sensors, each sensor positioned proximate one of said fixtures and operable to request operation of the associated fixture;
- and,
- (e) control means operably associated with each of said flow regulating means and with said capacitance sensors for causing operation of a flow regulating means upon the expiration of at least a predetermined period subsequent to operation of the associated sensor and for limiting the number of operations of each flow regulating means per unit time.
The method of controlling operation of prison fixtures and the like, comprising the steps of:
- (a) signaling to a control means a request for operation of a prison fixture;
- (b) preventing operation of the fixture if operation thereof would exceed a predetermined number of operations per unit time and delaying operation of the fixture for a predetermined period if operation thereof would not exceed the predetermined number of operations per unit time;
- and,
- (c) operating the fixture for a selected period after the predetermined period has expired.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.