SANITARY FITTING WITH A MULTI-FUNCTION OPTION AND HYBRID OPERATION

Abstract

The invention relates to a sanitary fitting that is comfortable to use for outputting mains water and prepared water of at least one preparation type, in particular filtered and/or boiling and/or chilled and/or carbonated water, wherein at least one control unit is provided for controlling the respective water flow of the mains water and/or the prepared water, and an operating unit is provided for contactlessly influencing at least one of the water flows, in particular both water flows, and for generating and forwarding control signals to at least one of the control units.

Claims

1. A sanitary fitting for dispensing tap water and treated water of at least one treatment type comprising: at least one control unit for controlling the respective flow of the tap water and/or of the treated water; and an operating unit for contactlessly influencing at least one of the water flows and for generating and passing on control signals to at least one of the control units.

2. The sanitary fitting according to claim 1, wherein the operating unit for contactlessly influencing influences both water flows and is connected to one of the control units for controlling the flow of the tap water and to a control unit for controlling the flow of the treated water in order to forward control signals to the respective control unit.

3. The sanitary fitting according to claim 1, wherein the operating unit for contactlessly influencing has at least one sensor.

4. The sanitary fitting according to claim 1, further comprising an operating unit that can be operated via contact for operating at least one of the water flows and for generating control signals, wherein at least one of the control units is designed to carry out the control on the basis of the control signals from the operating unit that can be operated via contact.

5. The sanitary fitting according to claim 4, wherein both operating units and/or one of the operating unit for contactless influencing and the operating unit that can be operated via contact and/or the operating unit that can be operated via contact are provided for influencing the flow of cold tap water and/or hot tap water.

6. The sanitary fitting according to claim 5, wherein, when control signals from the operating unit for contactless influencing and operating unit that can be operated via contact are present at the same time, at least one of the control units is designed to prioritize the operating unit that can be operated via contact, and to control the water flow on the basis of the control signals from said operating unit that can be operated via contact.

7. The sanitary fitting according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the control units is designed to carry out the control by combining commands from the operating unit for contactlessly influencing and the operating unit that can be operated via contact to execute a further control function.

8. The sanitary fitting according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the control units is a hydraulic unit for influencing one of the water flows or both water flows, and is arranged within a body of the fitting above a water collection basin.

9. The sanitary fitting according to claim 1, further comprising a mixing cartridge and/or an actuating member to premix the water to a predefined temperature.

10. The sanitary fitting according to claim 1, wherein the operating unit that can be operated via contact and/or the operating unit for contactlessly influencing are/is also designed for exerting a further control function canceling or establishing a safety lock when dispensing boiling water.

11. The sanitary fitting according to claim 3, wherein the at least one sensor is designed to that various functions of the operating logic of the fitting are actuated by combining the control signals and/or different use of the sensor by signals tripped for different lengths of time.

12. The sanitary fitting according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the following treatment devices is provided in order to establish one of the treatment types: a boiler for producing hot water and/or a chilling device for producing chilled water and/or a carbonator for producing carbonated water, wherein the carbonator is connected downstream of the chilling device and/or a filter device for filtering water and/or a device for adding flavorings.

13. The sanitary fitting according to claim 1, wherein the treated water is filtered and/or boiling and/or chilled and/or carbonated water and/or water provided with additives and/or flavorings.

14. The sanitary fitting according to claim 3, wherein the sensor is an infrared sensor and/or a TOF sensor and/or a motion detector and/or an inductive sensor and/or a capacitive sensor and/or a voice control mechanism.

15. The sanitary fitting according to claim 4, wherein the operating unit that can be operated by a contact is a single lever mixer.

16. The sanitary fitting according to claim 4, wherein the operating unit that can be operated by a contact has a further sensor.

17. The sanitary fitting according to claim 7, wherein the further control function cancels or establishes a safety lock when dispensing boiling water.

18. The sanitary fitting according to claim 9, wherein the mixing cartridge is a cartridge with an open outlet.

19. The sanitary fitting according to claim 10, wherein the further control function cancels or establishes a safety lock when dispensing boiling water.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the drawings and will be explained in more detail below indicating further details and advantages.

[0034] FIG. 1 shows a schematic section through a sanitary fitting according to the present invention; and

[0035] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a further sanitary fitting according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a schematic section through a sanitary fitting 1 according to the present invention having a fitting body 2 (water tap) to which a water outlet 3 is attached. A conveying capacity 4 leads to this water outlet 3, the conveying capacity being able to be fed from two water flows, specifically the line 5 for plain tap water (water without further treatment, filtered or prefiltered) and the line 6 for treated water. For this purpose, the line 6 for treated water is schematically connected to a water treatment device 7, not specified in any detail.

[0037] The water treatment device may be, for example, a boiler with which water up to boiling water can be produced. However, it may also be a carbonator which is coupled to a chilling device and with which sparkling water is produced. It is also conceivable for a plurality of treatment devices for several treatment types to be connected in parallel and provide a large number of treatment functions.

[0038] The treatment device 7 is fed by a water supply line 8 which can coincide, for example, with the line 5.

[0039] The fitting 1 initially comprises an operating unit 9 which can be operated purely via contact and which comprises a one-hand-operation lever 9.1 and a rotary knob 9.2. The one-hand-operation lever 9.1 can be used to control the conveyed quantity of water or the volumetric flow rate, and the rotary knob 9.2 can be used to control the water temperature.

[0040] Furthermore, further sensors 10.1 and 10.2 are also provided, which together form the contactless operating unit 10. The sensor 10.1 is integrated directly in the sanitary fitting 1. The sensor 10.1 may be, for example, an infrared sensor or a TOF sensor which recognizes when a person is in the immediate vicinity of the sanitary fitting, in particular, the hands are moving in the direction of the fitting 1. The sensor 10.2 is a voice recognition box which can be placed at a central point in the area.

[0041] The operating unit 9 that can be operated via contact can forward control signals in principle also in the form of mechanical control signals by way of, for example, valves being directly actuated. According to the present exemplary embodiment from FIG. 1, an electronics signal is forwarded to a control unit 11 via the lines 11.1 and 11.2 by the mechanical operation, and the control unit can, in turn, conduct control signals to a mixing unit 12 or to the treatment device 7 via the lines 11.3, 11.4.

[0042] Analogously to this, the sensors 10.1 and 10.2 pass on signals to the control unit 13 via corresponding lines 13.1, 13.2. The line 13.2 may be, in particular, a wireless connection, such as a Bluetooth™ connection for example. The control unit 13 generates control signals which are forwarded to the mixing unit 12 and, respectively, to the treatment unit 7 via the lines 13.3 and, respectively, 13.4.

[0043] In the present exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1, the interconnection of the control units 11, 13 is provided such that, in particular, the signals can also be coupled to one another since the control units 11, 13 are linked to one another or interconnected via the line 14. This allows control signals from the operating unit 9 that can be operated via contact and from the contactlessly working operating unit 10 to be combined and therefore for the command spectrum for different functions to be able to be extended.

[0044] One of the sensors may trigger, for example, in the case of a brief (<1 second) recognition signal of an object, such as the hand for example, the flow of plain tap water. In the case of a renewed recognition signal, the flow of plain tap water is stopped, this corresponding to an ON/OFF function. At the same time, a hybrid function of the fitting 1 is therefore identified. If the sensor is activated for longer than 1 second, for example, that is to say is exposed to a recognition signal which lasts for longer than 1 second, the hot water function of the multi-function fitting is enabled (for example, also possible by a specific rotation/push combination of a rotary/push knob). As long as the recognition signal is present, a hot water function can be operated. Safety functions such as child protection against boiling water, for example, can be implemented using this or a similar combination.

[0045] The control units 11, 13 can be combined, for example, by a logic circuit by way of the different signals from the sensors being linked via logic links and therefore the corresponding control signals being produced.

[0046] The water outlet 3 is located directly above a water collection basin 15 which is situated beneath the level of the mixing cartridge 12.

[0047] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a further sanitary fitting according to the present invention. The entire fitting 1 is fed by a cold water line 8.1 and a hot water line 8.2. The cold water line 8.1 branches: [0048] either in order to be treated by means of the water treatment device 7 (be it by a carbonator or a chilling device or a filter or else by a boiler) [0049] or in order to be conducted through without treatment or to be mixed with hot water 8.2.

[0050] The branch which is not provided with the treatment device 7 branches for a second time here, specifically: [0051] in one case the cold water from the supply line 8.1 is conducted directly to an actuating member 20 for tap water, which actuating member is regulated or controlled via a control unit 21 for tap water. The control unit 21 is operated via a contactless operating unit which, as already shown in FIG. 1, as a sensor, parallel I/O, as a voice control means, as is available under the trade name “Alexa” for example. [0052] The other branch leads to an actuating member 18 for tap water, which actuating member causes hot water from the supply line 8.2 to be admixed in order to obtain a desired water temperature. The actuating member 18 is integrated into a mechanical overall operating unit 23 here, with the actuating member 18 being directly controlled via a control unit 11 which, in turn, can be operated by the user by way of an operating unit that can be operated via contact.

[0053] The branch which is provided with the treatment device 7 can likewise be operated contactlessly via the operating unit 10. The water treatment device 7 is controlled via an actuating member 19 which, for its part, is controlled by the control unit 13. The control unit 13 is operated either contactlessly, as already explained, via the operating unit 10, but may also be operated mechanically via the operating unit 22. Prioritization of mechanical as opposed to contactless operation may be provided in the control unit 13, or a decision is made on the basis of the chronological order of the signals.

[0054] All the exemplary embodiments and developments of the present invention share the common feature that a sanitary fitting in the form of a multi-function fitting can be combined with a contactless operating unit and therefore can also be extended, in particular, to the hybrid fitting, primarily for tap water.

[0055] In a particularly preferred exemplary embodiment, the flow of tap water (that is to say the cold water and/or hot water from the regular water line without treatment) can be influenced by means of operating units which are combined with one another for contactless influencing and/or for influencing with contact. Therefore, specifically for the water flow which is to be used fundamentally most frequently, a broad operating spectrum is available which can be conveniently adapted in an optimal manner to the given situations, for example, in the case of the operator having sticky hands requiring cleaning when cooking/baking, or in the case of a change in operator in the event of which operation should proceed in as self-explanatory a manner as possible. In the case of parallel operation of the operating unit working contactlessly or the operating unit working with contact, prioritization can be predetermined via the control units, so that one overrides the other, with it advantageously being possible for the operating unit which works with contact to be granted preference in order to avoid incorrect operation.

REFERENCE SIGNS

[0056] 1 Sanitary fitting [0057] 2 Fitting body/water tap [0058] 3 Water outlet [0059] 4 Conveying line [0060] 5 Line for plain tap water [0061] 6 Line for treated water [0062] 7 Water treatment device [0063] 8 Water supply line [0064] 8.1 Supply line for cold water [0065] 8.2 Supply line for hot water [0066] 9 Operating unit that can be operated via contact [0067] 9.1 One-hand-operation lever [0068] 9.2 Rotary knob [0069] 10 Contactless operating unit [0070] 10.1 Contactless sensor [0071] 10.2 Contactless sensor (voice control means) [0072] 11 Control unit [0073] 11.1 Signal line [0074] 11.2 Signal line [0075] 11.3 Line for control signal [0076] 11.4 Line for control signal [0077] 12 Mixing unit [0078] 13 Control unit [0079] 13.1 Signal line [0080] 13.2 Signal line [0081] 13.3 Line for control signal [0082] 13.4 Line for control signal [0083] 14 Line for linking the control units [0084] 15 Water collection basin [0085] 18 Actuating member for tap water [0086] 19 Actuating member for treated water [0087] 20 Actuating member for tap water [0088] 21 Control unit for tap water [0089] 22 Operating unit for treated water [0090] 23 Mechanical overall operating unit