US 5,224,685 AGranted

Power-saving controller for toilet flushing

OwnerSing Chiang, Chin H. Hsiehinventors

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A power-saving controller for toilet flushing includes a passive pyroelectricity detecting device connected to a microcomputer, which is further connected to an active infrared detecting device, and a switch device such that when a user is nearby the toilet in a relatively long distance, the passive detecting pyroelectricity detecting device will respond to generate a first triggering signal to the microcomputer, which in turn generates a second triggering signal to actuate the active infrared detecting device to detect whether a user is using the toilet, if so, then the active infrared detecting device will respond to generate a third triggering signal to feed back to the microcomputer, which in turn enables a timer to count therein, until the user leaves the toilet position, causing the third triggering signal to terminate, which in turn triggers the microcomputer to programmably generate a fourth triggering signal to turn on the switch device, which in turns activates a pumping motor connected thereto to pump water to flush the toilet.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A power-saving controller for a toilet flushing device comprising:

a DC power supply for providing required power for the whole controller having a 5-volt output and a 9-volt output;
a pyroelectricity detecting means (20) for sensing temperature from a user nearby and responding to generate a first triggering signal;
a microcomputer (10) coupled to said pyroelectricity detecting means (20) for responding to said first triggering signal and generating a second triggering signal;
an active infrared detecting means (30) coupled to said microcomputer (10) for responding to said second triggering signal and being activated to detect whether a user is in toilet position, such that when a user is in toilet position, said active infrared detecting means (30) will respond to generate a third triggering signal and feed the third triggering signal to said microcomputer (10) to start a program for time counting until the user leaves, beyond the sensing range of said infrared detecting means (30), eliminating said third triggering signal, stopping counting of said timer, and causing said microcomputer (10) to output a fourth triggering signal;
a switch means (40) having a triggering terminal (41) coupled to said microcomputer (10) for responding to said fourth triggering signal and being activated to be conductive to a ground;
a pumping motor (50) including an eccentric shaft (4) having a positive terminal connected to said 9-volt terminal of said DC power supply (60) and a negative terminal connected to said switch means (40) such that when said switch means (40) is conductive to ground, said pumping motor (50) rotates as long as said switch means (40) is conductive.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.