# US 7,743,788 B2 · Faucet assembly with water quality indicator

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- Number: US 7,743,788 B2
- Document ID: US7743788B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/455,399
- Filed: 2006-06-19
- Published: 2006-12-28
- Granted: 2010-06-29
- Earliest claimed: 2005-06-17
- Assignees: Watts Regulator Co.
- Inventors: Craig A. Schmitt; Mark Henss; Shannon Murphy
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7743788B2

## CPC

- E03C 1/04: Water-basin installations specially adapted to wash-basins or baths (valves, faucets, mixing valves, taps F16K)
- C02F 9/20: Portable or detachable small-scale multistage treatment devices, e.g. point of use or laboratory water purification systems
- C02F 1/001: {Processes for the treatment of water whereby the filtration technique is of importance (C02F1/44 takes precedence; construction of filters in general B01D24/00 - B01D41/00)}
- C02F 1/283: {using coal, charred products, or inorganic mixtures containing them}
- C02F 1/441: {by reverse osmosis}
- C02F 2209/005: Processes using a programmable logic controller [PLC]
- C02F 2209/05: Conductivity or salinity
- C02F 2209/44: Time
- C02F 2307/06: Mounted on or being part of a faucet, shower handle or showerhead
- E03C 2201/40: Arrangement of water treatment devices in domestic plumbing installations
- Y10T 137/8225: Position or extent of motion indicator
- Y10T 137/8242: Electrical
- Y10T 137/9464: Faucets and spouts
- E03C: DOMESTIC PLUMBING INSTALLATIONS FOR FRESH WATER OR WASTE WATER (not connected to either water-supply main or to waste pipe A47K; devices of the kind used in the ground E03B, E03F); SINKS
- C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A faucet assembly including a base defining a water delivery passageway, a valve member received in the base and movable between a closed position wherein flow through the water delivery passageway is blocked and an opened position wherein flow through the water delivery passageway is permitted, a magnet secured to the valve member such that, when the valve member is rotated to the opened position, the magnet is aligned with a sensor bore of the base, and when the valve member is rotated to the closed position, the magnet is unaligned with the sensor bore, a metal rod positioned in the sensor bore, and a Hall effect sensor positioned below the base in alignment with the sensor bore and adapted to switch on when the magnet is aligned with the sensor bore and switch off when the magnet is unaligned with the sensor bore.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A faucet assembly comprising:
a base including a water delivery passageway extending between bottom and top ends of the base, a valve assembly bore extending from a sidewall of the base to the water delivery passageway, and a sensor bore extending from the bottom end of the base to the valve assembly bore;
a valve member received in the valve assembly bore of the base for rotation about a longitudinal axis extending between a first end received in the water delivery passageway and a second end extending out of the base, wherein the valve member is adapted to be rotated between a closed position wherein flow through the water delivery passageway is blocked and an opened position wherein flow through the water delivery passageway is permitted;
a magnet secured to the valve member such that, when the valve member is rotated to the opened position, the magnet is aligned with the sensor bore intersecting the valve assembly bore, and when the valve member is rotated to the closed position, the magnet is unaligned with the sensor bore;
a metal rod positioned in the sensor bore; and
a Hall effect sensor positioned below the bottom end of the base in alignment with the sensor bore and adapted to switch on when the magnet is aligned with the sensor bore and switch off when the magnet is unaligned with the sensor bore.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A faucet assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a processor connected to the Hall effect sensor and programmed to sum a filter usage time equal to time that the Hall effect sensor is switched on.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

A faucet assembly according to claim 2, further comprising first and second light emitting diodes (LEDs) connected to the processor, wherein the processor is programmed to activate the first LED when the Hall effect sensor is switched on and the filter usage time is less than a predetermined usage limit, and activate the second LED when the Hall effect sensor is switched on and the filter usage time is equal to or greater than the predetermined usage limit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

A faucet assembly according to claim 3, wherein the processor is further programmed to sum filter installment time equal to overall time since filter replacement and activate the second LED when the Hall effect sensor is switched on and the filter installment time is equal to or greater than a predetermined filter life limit.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

A faucet assembly according to claim 3, wherein the processor, the LEDs and the Hall effect sensor are mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB), and the PCB is mounted within a housing secured to the bottom end of the base, and wherein the PCB includes a battery contact and a battery clip for receiving a battery for providing power for the PCB, and wherein the assembly further includes a battery drawer removably received in an opening of the housing and adapted to support a battery between the battery contact and the battery clip.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

A faucet assembly according to claim 5, wherein the housing also includes a window that receives an LED light tube mounted over the LEDs of the PCB.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A faucet assembly according to claim 1, further comprising:
first and second LEDs;
a first electrical resistance sensor for insertion into an inlet of a RO membrane and a second electrical resistance sensor for insertion into a permeate water outlet of the RO membrane; and
a processor connected to the Hall effect sensor, the first and second LEDs, and the first and the second electrical resistance sensors, wherein the microprocessor is programmed to,
compare the electrical resistance of the water in the inlet and the electrical resistance of the water in the outlet to get a percent total dissolved solids (TDS) reduction, and
activate the first LED when the Hall effect sensor is switched on and the percent TDS reduction is greater than a predetermined percent TDS reduction limit, and activate the second LED when the Hall effect sensor is switched on and the percent TDS reduction is less than the predetermined percent TDS reduction limit.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

A faucet assembly according to claim 7, further comprising two switches connected to the processor that can be set in four different configurations associated with four different predetermined percent TDS reduction limits.

### Claim 9

A faucet assembly comprising:
a base defining a water delivery passageway; a valve member adapted to be moved between a closed position wherein flow through the water delivery passageway is blocked and an opened position wherein flow through the water delivery passageway is permitted;
a sensor housing secured to a bottom end of the base and including an opening;
a printed circuit board (PCB) secured within the sensor housing and having mounted thereon a battery contact, a battery clip, and a processor, wherein the processor is electrically connected to the battery contact and the battery clip; and a battery drawer removably received in the opening of the sensor housing and adapted to support a battery between the battery contact and the battery clip when the battery drawer and the battery are inserted into the opening of the sensor housing;
first and second light emitting diodes (LEDs) mounted on the PCB and operatively connected to the processor, wherein the sensor housing also includes a window that receives an LED light tube mounted over the LEDs of the PCB;
a metal rod extending from the valve member, through the base, into the sensor housing;
a magnet secured to the valve member such that, when the valve member is rotated to the opened position, the magnet is aligned with the metal rod, and when the valve member is rotated to the closed position, the magnet is unaligned with the metal rod; and
a Hall effect sensor mounted on the PCB below the metal rod and connected to the processor, wherein the Hall effect sensor is adapted to switch on when the magnet is aligned with the metal and switch off when the magnet is unaligned with the metal rod;
wherein the processor is programmed to activate the LEDs only when the Hall effect sensor is switched on.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

A faucet assembly according to claim 9, wherein the processor is programmed to sum a filter usage time equal to time that the Hall effect sensor is switched on, activate the first LED when the Hall effect sensor is switched on and the filter usage time is less than a predetermined usage limit, and activate the second LED when the Hall effect sensor is switched on and the filter usage time is equal to or greater than the predetermined usage limit.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

A faucet assembly according to claim 9, wherein the processor is programmed to sum filter installment time equal to overall time since filter replacement, activate the first LED when the Hall effect sensor is switched on and the filter installment time is less than a predetermined filter life limit, and activate the second LED when the Hall effect sensor is switched on and the filter installment time is equal to or greater than a predetermined filter life limit.