Device for controlling and/or regulating the supply of a medium, devices of this type comprising washing or drying units and a corresponding method

A method of contact-less controlling of a supply of a medium through a supply unit for a washstand for washing parts of the body, the supply unit including at least one shut-off member and an actuating element, each shut-off member having a closed position and a plurality of flow regulating open positions using said actuating element, the washstand including a sensor device for contact-less determination of the presence of the parts of the body to be impinged upon using the medium, wherein this sensor device includes at least two sensor cells designed to act as transmitters or receivers for generating at least one electrical field and also of detecting a change in the at least one electrical field as a function of the parts of the body that are in the electrical field;

• the method comprising:
• using the sensor device for detecting a presence of the parts of the body in the at least one electrical field and for registering a relative position of the parts of the body in relation to the washstand;
• the sensor device outputting signals that are a function of the presence and relative position of the parts of the body;
• and
• using the signals to act on the actuating elements to bring the shut-off member into one of the open positions corresponding to the presence and the position of the parts of the body to be impinged by the medium.