Friedrich Grohe Aktiengesellschaft

Hans-Peter Rudrich

Heinz-Dieter Eichholz

Hans-Jurgen Ludewig

Werner Kleinhans

A sanitary fixture permits a battery to be packaged with a control and evaluation circuit and a proximity detector for automatic control of a valve. The circuit is set at the factory after final testing with the battery in place to an energy-sparing mode which is maintained, e.g. by a sticker over the receiver of the infrared proximity detector. The normal mode is activated by an infrared signal applied when the unit is installed.

Control device for a sanitary fixture

An infrared proximity sensing circuit for use with sanitary fixtures to control water flow can have an ambient light proximity sensor which can control the period at which the circuit and the sensor are activated or the amplitude of the transmitted infrared power to conserve battery power when the circuit is a battery powered one. The ambient light sensor detects the ambient brightness and the time period of the circuit and the proximity sensor is changed upon the detected ambient brightness falling below the threshold brightness.

Control for a sanitary fixture

A plumbing fixture has a housing adapted to be secured to a support surface, forming a compartment dimensioned to snugly receive a battery, and formed with a passage extending from the compartment to the surface. Contacts exposed in the compartment are positioned to engage terminals of the battery. At least one feed conduit extends from the housing through a hole in the support surface so that liquid can be fed to the housing through the conduit. An electrically controlled valve in the housing is connected to the contacts and to the conduit for altering characteristics of fluid flow through the housing. A battery simulator is provided including a battery-replacement unit dimensioned like the battery, received in the compartment, and having terminals engaging the contacts. A flexible supply cable extends from the unit through the passage and surface and has an outer end outside the housing. A fitting on the outer end can fit with a standard line-voltage supply. Circuitry in the battery simulator converts alternating line-voltage current to low-voltage direct current and supplies the direct current to the terminals of the battery-replacement unit.

Plumbing fixture with line-powered control unit

A fixture provided with proximity sensing for operation of the valve and contactless setting of the parameters of the control circuit for operating the valve of the fixture, can have a nonvolatile memory which is effective independently of the power supply for the control circuit so that the set parameters are maintained in the memory even on battery failure and are available to restore operation with the set parameters when power is restored.

Growing community of inventors

Windischeschenbach, Germany

Hans-Peter Rudrich