Touch free automatic type water supply device and method

Abstract

A touch free automatic type water supply device includes: a shell; first to third sensors adapted to sense an external object and then generate first to third sensing signals, respectively, wherein the first sensor is adapted to sense the external object located in a front direction of the shell, only the second sensor is adapted to sense the external object located in a side direction of the shell, and only the third sensor is adapted to sense the external object located in another side direction of the shell; an electronic control unit adapted receiving the first to third sensing signals and then generating driving signals, respectively; and a flow control unit, wherein according to the driving signals the flow control unit controls whether water is supplied, whether the flow rate of the supplied water is changed, or whether the supplied water temperature is changed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A touch free automatic type water supply device, comprising:
 a shell comprising a supply outlet, a flow channel and an inlet, wherein the supply outlet is communicated with the inlet through the flow channel;   first to third sensors adapted to sense an external object and then generate first to third sensing signals, respectively, wherein the first sensor is adapted to sense the external object located in a front direction of the shell, only the second sensor is adapted to sense the external object located in a side direction of the shell, and only the third sensor is adapted to sense the external object located in another side direction of the shell;   an electronic control unit electrically connected to the first to third sensors for receiving the first to third sensing signals and then generating driving signals, respectively; and   a flow control unit communicated with the inlet of the shell, wherein according to the driving signals the flow control unit controls whether water of the touch free automatic type water supply device is supplied, whether the flow rate of the supplied water is changed, or whether the supplied water temperature is changed.   
     
     
         2 . The touch free automatic type water supply device according to  claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit comprises:
 a main control circuit board comprising a first microprocessor, which is electrically connected to the first to third sensors and receives the first to third sensing signals and then generating control signals, respectively; and   an auxiliary control circuit board comprising a second microprocessor adapted for receiving the control signals and then generating the driving signals, respectively.   
     
     
         3 . The touch free automatic type water supply device according to  claim 2 , wherein the main control circuit board and the auxiliary control circuit board are integrated to a single component. 
     
     
         4 . The touch free automatic type water supply device according to  claim 2 , wherein the main control circuit board and the shell are integrated to a single component. 
     
     
         5 . The touch free automatic type water supply device according to  claim 2 , wherein the main control circuit board and the shell are distributed into two components independently. 
     
     
         6 . The touch free automatic type water supply device according to  claim 2 , wherein the first to third sensors are disposed on the main control circuit board or the shell. 
     
     
         7 . The touch free automatic type water supply device according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 when the first sensor senses an appearance of the external object, the first sensing signal is an open signal, whereby the water of the touch free automatic type water supply device is supplied; and   when the first sensor senses a disappearance of the external object, the first sensing signal is a closed signal, whereby the water of the touch free automatic type water supply device is not supplied.   
     
     
         8 . The touch free automatic type water supply device according to  claim 7 , wherein:
 when only the second sensor senses a first appearance and a first disappearance of the external object within a first time, the second sensing signal is an open signal, whereby the water of the touch free automatic type water supply device is supplied; and   when only the second sensor senses a second appearance and a second disappearance of the external object within the first time, the second sensing signal is a closed signal, whereby the water of the touch free automatic type water supply device is not supplied.   
     
     
         9 . The touch free automatic type water supply device according to  claim 8 , wherein:
 when the water of the touch free automatic type water supply device is supplied continuously and only the second sensor senses an appearance of the external object beyond a second time, the second sensing signal is a flow increasing signal or a flow decreasing signal, whereby the flow rate of the supplied water of the touch free automatic type water supply device is increased or decreased gradually, wherein the second time is longer than the first time; and   when the flow rate of the supplied water of the touch free automatic type water supply device is increased or decreased gradually and only the second sensor senses a disappearance of the external object beyond the second time, the second sensing signal is a flow keeping signal, whereby the flow rate of the supplied water of the touch free automatic type water supply device is kept.   
     
     
         10 . The touch free automatic type water supply device according to  claim 9 , wherein a flow increasing mode or a flow decreasing mode of the supplied water of the touch free automatic type water supply device indicates that: a plurality setting values are preset, the flow rate of the supplied water of the touch free automatic type water supply device is increased gradually from a lowest setting value to a highest setting value and then is decreased gradually from the highest setting value to the lowest setting value, repetitiously. 
     
     
         11 . The touch free automatic type water supply device according to  claim 8 , wherein:
 when the water of the touch free automatic type water supply device is supplied continuously and only the third sensor senses an appearance of the external object beyond a third time, the third sensing signal is a temperature increasing signal or a temperature decreasing signal, whereby a temperature of the supplied water of the touch free automatic type water supply device is increased or decreased gradually; and   when the temperature of the supplied water of the touch free automatic type water supply device is increased or decreased gradually and only the third sensor senses a disappearance of the external object beyond the third time, the third sensing signal is a temperature keeping signal, whereby the temperature of the supplied water of the touch free automatic type water supply device is kept.   
     
     
         12 . The touch free automatic type water supply device according to  claim 11 , wherein a temperature increasing mode or a temperature decreasing mode of the supplied water of the touch free automatic type water supply device indicates that:
 a plurality setting values are preset, the temperature of the supplied water of the touch free automatic type water supply device is increased gradually from a lowest setting value to a highest setting value and then is decreased gradually from the highest setting value to the lowest setting value, repetitiously.   
     
     
         13 . The touch free automatic type water supply device according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a fourth sensor disposed on the shell or the main control circuit board for sensing an external object located in a top direction of the shell and then generating a fourth sensing signal, wherein the electronic control unit is electrically connected to the fourth sensor for receiving the fourth sensing signal and then generating a driving signal; and   a drain unit communicated with a drainage outlet of a container, and controlling whether the container is drained according to the driving signal.   
     
     
         14 . The touch free automatic type water supply device according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 when the fourth sensor senses an appearance of the external object, the fourth sensing signal is an open signal, whereby the container is drained; and   when the fourth sensor senses a disappearance of the external object beyond a predetermined time, the fourth sensing signal is a closed signal, whereby the container is not drained.   
     
     
         15 . The touch free automatic type water supply device according to  claim 2 , wherein the main control circuit board further comprises a display panel, which is electrically connected to the first microprocessor for displaying the flow rate of the supplied water or the temperature of the supplied water. 
     
     
         16 . The touch free automatic type water supply device according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a fifth sensor disposed on the main control circuit board or the shell for sensing an external object located in a top direction of the main control circuit board and then generating a fifth sensing signal; and   a potable water control unit communicated with the inlet of the shell, and controlling whether the potable water is supplied according to the driving signal.   
     
     
         17 . The touch free automatic type water supply device according to  claim 16 , wherein:
 when the fifth sensor senses an appearance of the external object, the fifth sensing signal is a potable water open signal, whereby the potable water of the touch free automatic type water supply device is supplied; and   when the fifth sensor senses a disappearance of the external object, the fifth sensing signal is a potable closed signal, whereby the potable water of the touch free automatic type water supply device is not supplied.   
     
     
         18 . A touch free automatic type water supply method, comprising the following steps of:
 providing a first sensor and a second sensor adapted to sense an external object and then generate a first sensing signal and a second sensing signal, respectively;   when the first sensor senses an appearance of the external object, the first sensing signal is an open signal, whereby the water of the touch free automatic type water supply device is supplied;   when the first sensor senses a disappearance of the external object, the first sensing signal is a closed signal, whereby the water of the touch free automatic type water supply device is not supplied;   when only the second sensor senses a first appearance and a first disappearance of the external object within a first time, the second sensing signal is an open signal, whereby the water of the touch free automatic type water supply device is supplied; and   when only the second sensor senses a second appearance and a second disappearance of the external object within the first time, the second sensing signal is a closed signal, whereby the water of the touch free automatic type water supply device is not supplied.   
     
     
         19 . The touch free automatic type water supply method according to  claim 18 , further comprising the following steps of:
 when the water of the touch free automatic type water supply device is supplied continuously and only the second sensor senses an appearance of the external object beyond a second time, the second sensing signal is a flow increasing signal or a flow decreasing signal, whereby the flow rate of the supplied water of the touch free automatic type water supply device is increased or decreased gradually, wherein the second time is longer than the first time; and   when the flow rate of the supplied water of the touch free automatic type is increased or decreased gradually and only the second sensor senses a disappearance of the external object beyond the second time, the second sensing signal is a flow keeping signal, whereby the flow rate of the supplied water of the touch free automatic type water supply device is kept.   
     
     
         20 . The touch free automatic type water supply method according to  claim 18 , further comprising the following steps of:
 providing a third sensor adapted to sense the external object and then generate a third sensing signal;   when the water of the touch free automatic type water supply device is supplied continuously and only the third sensor senses an appearance of the external object beyond a third time, the third sensing signal is a temperature increasing signal or a temperature decreasing signal, whereby a temperature of the supplied water of the touch free automatic type water supply device is increased or decreased gradually; and   when the temperature of the supplied water of the touch free automatic type water supply device is increased or decreased gradually and only the third sensor senses a disappearance of the external object beyond the third time, the third sensing signal is a temperature keeping signal, whereby the temperature of the supplied water of the touch free automatic type water supply device is kept.