Patent Application
20230313515
The present utility model relates to the technical field of urinals, in particular to a modularized induction flushing device for a urinal and an induction urinal with the modularized induction flushing device.
Generally, in order to realize an automatic flushing function of a urinal after use, a traditional manner is to provide a human body detection inductor on the urinal, so that once a human body or object approaches the urinal, the inductor is triggered to operate and achieve flushing. Although a variety of inductive trigger manners have been developed, there is still much room for improvement for different application environments and specific needs of different users.
The purpose of the present utility model is to provide a modularized induction flushing device. When applied to a urinal, the modularized induction flushing device may achieve the assembly and/or replacement of modularized assemblies based on different application environments and/or different user needs, thereby achieving diversified applications of products in a cost-effective and convenient manner, and improving the user experience and satisfaction.
Therefore, according to one aspect of the present utility model, a modularized induction flushing device for a urinal is provided. The modularized induction flushing device comprises a water inlet and outlet assembly, a water drainage assembly, an electromagnetic valve assembly, and a power supply assembly, wherein the modularized induction flushing device further comprises an induction module, the induction module is associated with the electromagnetic valve assembly and attached to the water inlet and outlet assembly and/or the water drainage assembly, wherein the induction module is configured to be switched between at least two induction modes in a replaceable manner, and the electromagnetic valve assembly responds to different induction modes of the induction module to control flushing of the urinal.
According to the above technical concept, the embodiments of the present utility model may further comprise any one or more of the following alternative forms.
In some alternative forms, the induction module comprises at least two of an infrared induction assembly, a conductance induction assembly, and a capacitive induction assembly.
In some alternative forms, the water inlet and outlet assembly comprises a water inlet pipe connected with the electromagnetic valve assembly, a water outlet pipe, and a flushing nozzle removably connected with the water outlet pipe, and the flushing nozzle is adapted to be arranged on an upper portion of the urinal and is at least provided with a flushing opening.
In some alternative forms, the infrared induction assembly comprises an infrared induction controller connected with the electromagnetic valve assembly, and an infrared induction probe connected with the infrared induction controller, and the infrared induction probe is attached to the water inlet and outlet assembly.
In some alternative forms, the infrared induction probe is attached to the flushing nozzle, and the flushing nozzle is provided with a slot allowing the infrared induction probe to be exposed.
In some alternative forms, the conductance induction assembly comprises a conductance inductor connected with the electromagnetic valve assembly, and the conductance inductor is adapted to be attached to an inner wall of a back side of the urinal adjacent to the water drainage assembly, and is not in contact with liquid in the urinal.
In some alternative forms, the conductance induction assembly further comprises an inductor bracket, the inductor bracket is provided with a clamping groove for accommodating the conductance inductor, and is attached to the inner wall of the back side of the urinal through an adhesive, the conductance inductor is removably accommodated within the clamping groove through an adhesive, and the inductor bracket has an outer surface fitting with a profile of the inner wall of the back side of the urinal.
In some alternative forms, the capacitive induction assembly comprises a capacitive inductor connected with the electromagnetic valve assembly and electrodes connected with the capacitive inductor, the capacitive inductor is removably bonded to the water drainage assembly, and the electrodes are attached to an outer wall of a water inlet port of the water drainage assembly and are not in contact with the liquid in the urinal.
In some alternative forms, the capacitive induction assembly comprises at least two electrodes arranged in sequence along a water drainage direction.
In some alternative forms, the water drainage assembly further comprises a sealing plug disposed between the outer wall of the water inlet port and a water drainage pipe opening of the urinal, and the sealing plug covers the electrodes.
In some alternative forms, the modularized induction flushing device further comprises a mounting plate adapted to be fixed to a wall, and the water drainage assembly communicates with a sewage pipeline through the mounting plate, wherein the electromagnetic valve assembly, the power supply assembly, and/or the induction module are directly fixed to the inner wall of the back side of the urinal through a bracket, or the bracket is fixed to the mounting plate through a connecting frame.
In some alternative forms, the bracket comprises a bottom board and at least one support board extending out from the bottom board in parallel and/or at an angle, and the support board is provided with a support cantilever and/or a support buckle extending out approximately parallel to the bottom board, so as to be used for fixing the electromagnetic valve assembly, the power supply assembly, and/or the induction module.
In some alternative forms, the connecting frame is configured as a connecting board fixed to the mounting plate in an attached manner, and is provided with a pair of clamping ribs protruding out from the connecting board, the bracket comprises mounting lugs extending out from the bottom board at an angle, and the mounting lugs are adapted to be removably clamped into the pair of clamping ribs.
In some alternative forms, the connecting frame is configured to be in a Y shape and comprises a notch for forming avoidance with the water drainage assembly.
According to another aspect of the present utility model, an induction urinal is provided. The induction urinal comprises a urinal body and the above-mentioned modularized induction flushing device for the urinal, wherein before or after the modularized induction flushing device is assembled to the urinal body, the induction module is attached to the water inlet and outlet assembly and/or the water drainage assembly in a replaceable manner to realize switching of at least two induction modes.
According to the modularized induction flushing device of the present utility model, the replaceable induction module is provided that can switch the induction modes according to different needs and improve the use experience of a user, the modularized induction flushing device is easy to implement, the performance is obviously improved, the modularized induction flushing device can be applied to various occasions, and the diversified requirements of the user are met.
Other features and advantages of the present utility model will be better understood by the following alternative embodiments described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals identify the same or similar components, wherein:
The implementation and use of the embodiments are discussed in detail below. However, it should be understood that the specific embodiments discussed are merely illustrative of specific manners to implement and use the present utility model, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present utility model. The expressions of structural positions of various components, for example, “upper,” “lower,” “top,” “bottom,” and other directions at the time of description are not absolute, but relative. These expressions for the directions are appropriate when various components are arranged as shown in the drawings, but when the positions of the various components in the drawings are changed, these expressions for the directions are also changed accordingly.
Herein, the expression “comprise” or its synonymous similar expressions “include,” “contain,” “have,” etc. are open-ended and do not exclude additional unlisted elements, steps, or compositions. The expression “consist of” excludes any element, step, or composition not specified. The expression “essentially consist of” means that the scope is limited to the specified elements, steps, or compositions, plus optionally existing elements, steps, or compositions that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristics of the claimed subject matter. It should be understood that the expression “comprise” encompasses the expressions “essentially consist of” and “consist of.”
Herein, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined, the terms “mount,” “connect,” “attach,” and the like are to be understood in a broad sense, for example, they may be fixed connection, removable connection, or integration; and they may be direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediary, or they may be internal communication of two elements or an interaction relationship between two elements. A person skilled in the art may understand the specific meanings of the above terms herein according to specific situations.
Herein, the terms “first,” “second,” and other expressions are not used to limit the sequence and quantity of assemblies, unless otherwise specified.
In order to realize an automatic flushing function of a urinal after use, inductors with various induction modes have been developed to meet different usage needs. Among them, the most traditional technology is to provide an infrared sensor on the urinal, an operating principle of which is that the infrared transmitter emits infrared rays of a certain wavelength, the infrared rays are reflected by a human body or object approaching the urinal, and then an infrared receiver receives the infrared rays and judges the strength of a reflected signal to realize automatic induction flushing. Generally, the infrared sensor is arranged in an additionally-disposed space on the urinal, and factors such as wiring layout need to be considered. In addition, it has been realized that an infrared induction manner is susceptible to environmental impact, may not accurately determine the existence of a target object, easily causes false flushing, and results in the waste of water resources.
In some manners that adopt inductors capable of accurately judging whether to carry out flushing, for example, capacitive inductors or conductance (or inductance) inductors, due to the increase in costs of the inductors, urinals with such inductors may not be widely used, which limits the product universality. Moreover, such inductors are generally disposed to be in contact with liquid in the urinal, resulting in the deposition of dirt, thereby affecting the detection performance, which is not conducive to later use and maintenance.
Therefore, the present utility model aims to provide a modularized induction flushing device. By modularization of induction assemblies, induction modules with different induction modes, for example, at least two of an infrared induction assembly, a conductance induction assembly, and a capacitive induction assembly, are replaced based on different needs, so that a urinal is suitable for various occasions.
In combination with the first embodiment shown in
In combination with what is shown in
In the first embodiment, as shown in
In this embodiment, since the induction end of the infrared induction probe is integrated at the position of the flushing nozzle, and interference with the water outlet pipe 330 is avoided during mounting and use, space at the position of the flushing nozzle and within the accommodating cavity of the urinal is utilized advantageously without affecting the flushing performance, and no additional mounting space is required to be configured for the infrared induction probe. In addition, the position of the infrared induction probe also corresponds to the regular use position of a user, and induction and detection are more accurate. After a sensing signal is transmitted to the infrared induction controller, the infrared induction controller transmits a signal to the electromagnetic valve assembly connected thereto, and then the electromagnetic valve assembly controls a flushing valve to open for implementing flushing. Thus, an existing urinal with the infrared induction mode is improved at the least cost.
As mentioned above, e concept of the present utility model lies in the replaceability of the induction module/induction mode. On the basis that the first embodiment meets the usage needs of most users, a modularized universal urinal may be obtained by means of the modularized induction flushing device according to the present utility model by replacing different induction assemblies and/or flushing nozzles.
Referring to the second embodiment shown in
In this embodiment, the induction module is a conductance induction assembly 500, and the conductance induction assembly comprises a conductance inductor 520 connected with the electromagnetic valve assembly. In some embodiments, the conductance inductor 520 is advantageously integrated with electrodes so that a sensing signal may be transmitted to the electromagnetic valve assembly by, for example, a wireless communication manner without the need for additional arrangement of wires. As shown in
In the shown embodiment, the conductance induction assembly is conveniently attached to the inner wall of the back side of the urinal adjacent to the water drainage assembly by a bonding manner; and when a user uses the urinal, whether there is urine flowing on a wall surface of the inner cavity of the urinal may be accurately sensed, thereby providing a sensing signal to the electromagnetic valve assembly to realize flushing. For liquids such as clear water or a toilet cleaner used for cleaning the urinal, the conductance induction assembly may not be triggered to generate a signal, and waste of water resources caused by false flushing is avoided. Under this induction mode, the conductance induction assembly adopts a manner of in no contact with the liquid, which avoids the problem of inductive failure, especially of the conductance inductor, caused by the dirt. In some embodiments, if the water drainage assembly is clogged due to, for example, too much dirt, the conductance induction assembly arranged adjacent to the water drainage assembly may also sense and detect a change in conductivity to provide an accurate signal for the electromagnetic valve assembly, so that the use comfort of the user will not be affected by water overflow or splashing caused by continuous flushing.
In some embodiments, the conductance induction assembly 500 further comprises an inductor bracket 510. In combination with what is shown in
By the adoption of the conductance induction mode, the deficiency that the infrared induction mode requires an induction window and the defect of induction failure are overcome, and the conductance induction mode has the advantages of high detection sensitivity and fast response. Due to the characteristic that the conductance induction assembly is easy to remove and mount, a user may perform replacement by himself before or after the modularized induction flushing device is assembled to the urinal, so as to update the urinal or superimpose different induction modes. For example, when the user desires to superimpose two induction modes, only the conductance induction assembly needs to be bonded to the inner wall of the back side of the urinal, which is quick and convenient, so that the deficiency of the infrared induction assembly may be made up by the conductance induction assembly. In the embodiment that only the conductance induction mode is adopted, the flushing nozzle 333 of the first embodiment shown in
In this embodiment, the induction module is a capacitive induction assembly 600. The capacitive induction assembly comprises a capacitive inductor 610 connected with the electromagnetic valve assembly and electrodes connected with the capacitive inductor. The capacitive inductor 610 is removably bonded to the water drainage assembly, for example, directly to the elbow 353 by adhesive tape or hook and loop fasteners, so as to facilitate fixation during use and removal during later maintenance and replacement. The electrodes are attached to the water inlet port 351 of the water drainage assembly by, for example, adhesive tape, and preferably at least two electrodes are arranged in sequence along the water drainage direction. The figures exemplarily show a first electrode 620 and a second electrode 630 affixed to the position of the water inlet port 351 of the water drainage assembly. Only when the two electrodes receive a fixed signal pulse simultaneously, is the control triggered to realize an anti-interference function. Advantageously, the electrodes are arranged on an outer wall of the water inlet port 351, thereby being in no contact with the liquid in the urinal and avoiding induction failure caused by dirt.
As shown in
It is known that solutes of the water and the urine are different, and whether there is water in the elbow may also affect the capacitance of the solutes. The capacitive induction mode is adapted to accurately sense a change in the solute of urine, and is adapted to sense whether the position of the water drainage assembly is clogged, so as to avoid overflow. When the dirt flows into the elbow 353 through the water inlet port 351 of the water drainage assembly and causes a change in the solute capacitance of the liquid in the elbow 353, the capacitive induction assembly transmits a signal to the electromagnetic valve assembly after sensing a change signal, thereby controlling the flushing valve to open for implementing flushing. When water remains stationary and reaches a level similar to submerging the electrodes, a sensing signal may also be obtained, and it will not continue to flush and cause overflow.
Similarly, depending on different application scenarios and/or user needs, the capacitive induction assembly of this embodiment is also adapted to be used in substitution or in superposition with the above-mentioned infrared induction assembly d/or conductance induction assembly.
In addition to the replaceability design of the induction module, the present utility model also improves a fixing manner of the modularized induction flushing device in the urinal. Generally, the electromagnetic valve assembly and the power supply assembly are mounted in an accommodating chamber of the back side of the urinal, the accommodating chamber is located at a bottom of the urinal body, and there is a problem of inconvenience to remove and mount when maintenance or replacement is required.
Going back to
In some embodiments, as shown in
The fixing between the bracket and the connecting frame may be selected as fastener connection, bonding, clamping, or other appropriate manners. In some embodiments, as shown in
Through the above-mentioned improvement of the fixing manner of the modularized induction flushing device, when the electromagnetic valve assembly, the power supply assembly, and/or the infrared induction controller needs to be maintained or replaced, only the bracket needs to be removed, and the operation is convenient. Thus, the modularized induction flushing device of the present utility model is adapted to more diversified product designs.
It should be understood here that the embodiments shown in the drawings only show alternative configurations, shapes, sizes, and arrangement forms of the optional components of the modularized induction flushing device according to the present utility model, which however are only illustrative rather than limiting, and that other shapes, sizes, and arrangement forms may also be adopted without departing from the spirit and scope of the present utility model.
The technical contents and technical features of the present utility model have been disclosed above. However, it may be understood that a person skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications to the disclosed concept under the inventive idea of the present utility model, all of which fall within the protection scope of the present utility model. The above description of the embodiments is intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive, and the protection scope of the present utility model is defined by the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202220799825.4 | Mar 2022 | CN | national |
