The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 29, 2000
Filed:
Feb. 23, 1999
Graham H Paterson, Wilmington, DE (US);
Willard A Denham, Greenville, DE (US);
Speakman Company, Wilmington, DE (US);
Abstract
A sensor assembly for use with a sink having a faucet hydraulically connected to an electrically operated on/off mechanism for controlling the flow of water from the faucet into the sink. The sensor assembly includes a fiber optic proximity sensor mounted adjacent the sink. The fiber optic proximity sensor directs a visible or infrared ray toward a user's legs, via a transmit fiber, and detects the presence and absence of a user in the immediate vicinity of the sink, via a receive fiber. The senor assembly also includes an adjustable pipe clamp for connecting the sensor assembly to the drain tube of the sink, and a ball-and-socket flexible connector. The ball-and-socket flexible connector provides a conduit through which the transmit and receive fibers are connected to the fiber optic proximity sensor, wherein the proximity sensor electrically connects with the on/off mechanism for controlling the on/off mechanism, so as to turn on the faucet when the presence of the user is detected and turn off the faucet when the absence of a user is detected. The sensor assembly further includes an adjustable connecting means for connecting the sensor assembly to a sink drain tube positioned adjacent to the on/off mechanism.