MAY BE PREVENTED

Object of the Invention

The invention relates to a faucet wherein the water flow may be controlled via a mechanical controller and/or in a touchless manner via an electronic controller or the flow may be prevented independently of said controllers.

State of the Art

In every space we need water, such as bathrooms, toilet rooms and kitchens, we use the faucets, which enable the water to be supplied for use in a controlled manner, more specifically, enable the water flow to be started and stopped and the flow rate to be controlled.

With the advancing technology, the use of the faucets able to be controlled in a touchless manner has currently become widespread. Most of the time, a sensor is present on the faucet body and the water flow is started or stopped as a result of said sensor being triggered. Due to the space occupied by the electronic components and certain design limitations, the members enabling the water flow rate or the water mixture temperature to be adjusted are most of the time unable to be included in said faucets and thus it is not possible to adjust the water temperature and flow rate. Although the adjustment of only the water temperature is enabled in some embodiments, the adjustment members employed in such embodiments do not allow the adjustment of the water temperature with the required precision.

In both the mechanically controlled and electronically controlled faucets, the water flow is controlled by only one controller and this may lead to the water leakages and overflows as a result of the wear in said controller. In the faucets with touchless control, the water flow may start as a result of triggering during the cleaning or other involuntary triggering actions and may cause undesirable water consumption. Another drawback of the state of the art is that the faucets lack a child lock and a similar mechanism enabling the prevention of the water flow depending on the preference.

With the faucet according to the invention, the flow rate and the water mixture temperature may be controlled via a mechanical controller and the water flow may be started and stopped via the same controller, the water flow may be started or stopped in a touchless manner, the flow rate and the temperature of the water flow started in a touchless manner may be adjusted via the mechanical controller and the start of the water flow via the mechanical controller as well as in a touchless manner may be prevented by a third controller.

Object of the Invention

An object of the invention is to develop a faucet wherein the water flow may be started and stopped via a mechanical controller or in a touchless manner via an electronic controller and further the start of the water flow via either controller may be prevented.

Another object of the invention is to develop a faucet wherein, in the case the start and stop of the water flow are controlled via the mechanical controller or via the electronic controller, the water flow rate and/or the water mixture temperature may be adjusted via the mechanical controller.

Another object of the invention is to develop a faucet having a controller, which enables to start or stop the water flow in a touchless manner, and a controller, which enables to start or stop the water flow mechanically, and a third controller, which enables to prevent the start of the water flow via both methods.

Description of the Figures

Figure 1: An exploded view of the faucet according to the invention Figure 2: An exploded view of the mixer

Figure 3: An exploded view of the guide

Reference Numerals

1 : Body

2 : Mixer

21 : Mixer body

211 : Mixer water inlet

212 : Mixer water outlet

22 : Mixer arm

23 : Mixer controller

3 : Electronic controller

4 : Guide

41 : Guide body

411 : Guide water inlet

412 : Guide water outlet

42 : Guide arm

43 : Guide controller

5 : Sensor

6 : Flow regulator

7 : Water carrier

8 : Faucet water outlet

Detailed Description of the Invention

The invention relates to a faucet wherein the water flow may be controlled via a mechanical controller and/or in a touchless manner via an electronic controller or the flow may be prevented independently of said controllers. More specifically, the invention relates to a faucet wherein the flow rate and the water mixture temperature may be controlled via a mechanical controller and the water flow may be started and stopped via the same controller, the water flow may be started and stopped in a touchless manner, the flow rate and/or the temperature of the water flow started in a touchless manner may be adjusted via the mechanical controller and the start of the water flow via the mechanical controller as well as in a touchless manner may be prevented by a third controller.

The faucet according to the invention comprises in its most basic form

• at least one mixer (2), which enables to adjust the water mixture temperature and/or flow rate and which at the same time enables to control the start and stop of the water flow,

• at least one electronic controller (3), which enables to start and stop the water flow in a touchless manner, and

• at least one guide (4), which enables to control the start and stop of the water flow via the mixer (2) and/or the electronic controller (3) or enables to prevent the water flow from being started via the mixer (2) as well as the electronic controller (3).

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the mixer (2) comprises at least one mixer body (21) where the hot and/or cold water enter/s; at least one mixer controller (23), which enables to adjust the mixture ratios and the flow rate of the hot and/or cold water entering the mixer body (21) and permits or prevents the passage of water through the mixer body (21); and at least one mixer arm (22), which enables to control the mixer controller (23).

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the mixer body (21) has at least one mixer water inlet (211) via which the hot and/or cold water enter/s said mixer body (21). The mixer body (21) preferably has two mixer water inlets (211), one for the hot water and one for the cold water. The mixture ratio and the flow rate of the water entering the mixer body (21) via the mixer water inlet (211) are adjusted by the mixer controller (23) positioned on the mixer body (21), and the water, the flow rate and the mixture temperature of which have been adjusted, leaves the mixer body (21) via the mixer water outlet (212). The mixer controller (23) further provides control over whether the water entering the mixer body (21) via the mixer water inlet (211) is to be permitted to leave the mixer body (21) via the mixer water outlet (212) or whether said flow is to be prevented.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the guide (4) comprises at least one guide body (41), via which the water enters the guide (4) and which directs the water to the electronic controller (3) or to the water outlet of the faucet or prevents the passage of water to both; at least one guide controller (43), which enables to determine the direction of the water entering the guide body (41); and at least one guide arm (42), which enables to control the guide controller (43).

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the guide body (41) has at least one guide water inlet (411), via which the water enters said guide body (41), and at least one guide water outlet (412), via which the water leaves said guide body (41). In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the guide body (41) has two guide water outlets (412), one for enabling to direct the water to the faucet water outlet (8) and one for enabling to direct the water to the electronic controller (3).

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the guide (4) is disposed at a position after the mixer (2), and the water, the temperature and/or flow rate of which have been adjusted in the mixer (2) and which leaves the mixer (2) via the mixer water outlet (212), enters the guide (4) via the guide water inlet (411). In this way, the water, the temperature and/or flow rate of which have been adjusted, is supplied for use by being directed by the guide (4) directly to the faucet water outlet (8) or is transmitted to the electronic controller (3) to enable the flow to be controlled by said electronic controller (3), or said guide (4) prevents the water flow in a manner independent of the electronic controller (3) or the mixer (2), by preventing the water from being directed to both the faucet water outlet (8) and the electronic controller (3). In other words, the guide (4) has

• a manual control setting, which enables the water coming from the mixer (2) to be directed to the faucet water outlet (8) and in which the water flow rate, the water temperature and the start and the stop of the flow are controlled directly by the mixer (2), • an automatic control setting, in which the start or stop of the flow of water, the temperature and flow rate of which have been adjusted by the mixer (2), is controlled by the electronic controller (3) in a touchless manner, and

• a lock setting, in which the water entering the guide (4) is prevented from exiting the guide (4), i.e. the water flow is prevented independently of the mixer (2) and the electronic controller (3).

A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises at least one sensor (5), which enables the electronic controller (3) to be controlled in a touchless manner. Depending on said sensor (5) being triggered, the electronic controller (3) permits the water, which has been directed by the guide (4) to said electronic controller (3), to be directed to the faucet water outlet (8) or prevents the same from being directed to the faucet water outlet (8). In a preferred embodiment of the invention, upon the sensor (5) being triggered, the electronic controller (3) permits the flow and prevents the flow after a predefined duration. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the electronic controller (3) permits the water flow when the sensor (5) is triggered a first time and prevents the water flow when the sensor (5) is triggered a second time.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the electrical energy is transmitted to the electronic controller (3) and/or the sensor (5) or the transmission of the electrical energy to the same is interrupted according to the position of the guide (4). More particularly, the transmission of power to the electronic controller (3) and/or the sensor (5) is interrupted when the guide (4) is at the position where it directs the water directly to the faucet water outlet (8), i.e. when the guide (4) is at the manual control setting, and/or when the guide is at the lock setting where the water entering the guide (4) is prevented from exiting the guide (4), i.e. where the water flow is prevented independently of the mixer (2) and the electronic controller (3). In this way, the undesirable power consumption is prevented in cases where the power is not needed. A preferred embodiment of the invention has a position detection member, which enables to detect the position of the guide (4). In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the position detection member may be a sensor capable of detecting the proximity and/or motion, while it is also possible for the same to be a switch or a button. A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises at least one water carrier (7), preferably one water carrier (7) for hot water and one water carrier (7) for cold water, said water carrier (7) enabling the water in the water installation to be conveyed to the mixer (2). The water carrier (7) is preferably a hose.

A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises at least one flow regulator (6), which is positioned at the faucet water outlet (8) and enables the water flow to be regulated. The flow regulator (6) is preferably an aerator.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the electronic controller (3) is an electronically controlled valve.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the mixer (2) and/or the guide (4) is/are positioned on the faucet body (1) and the electronic controller (3) is positioned on the guide body (41).

A faucet, wherein the start and stop of the flow may be controlled mechanically or in a touchless manner depending on the preference, wherein the water flow rate and the water mixture temperature may be controlled in both of the cases where the flow is started mechanically and in a touchless manner, and wherein said faucet has a lock position making it possible to prevent the water flow from being started both mechanically and in a touchless manner, is developed within the scope of the invention. In this way, the start of the water flow may be controlled in the manner desired based on the preferences and the needs, the flow may be controlled mechanically when an outage occurs in the power required for the touchless control or when the touchless control system fails for any reason, the setbacks possible to occur in use are precluded, and, owing to the lock mode, the start of the flow mechanically as well as a in a touchless manner may be prevented in cases where the flow is not desired and the incidents of overflow possible to occur in case of a failure are precluded.