AU662036B2 - Battery operated electronic tap - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 P/00/011 2a/5/91 Regulation 3.2 66 2 03 6

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Inventio n T itle BATTER PERATE ELEC RON C 'The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:e

Claims (6)

1. An electronically controlled water valve having: a bistable water valve movable between a stable open position and a stable closed position; electromagnetic valve moving means, for moving the water valve between the open and closed positions; presence detection means, for generating an electronic signal when the presence and/or absence of an object is detected; 1o a low power electronic controller which is predominantly idle, but is periodically activated for short intervals of time, such that the average length of time of controller activity and power consumption is low relative to the average length of time between activations; and a low power battery, powering the presence detection means, valve 15 moving means and controller; o wherein the controller, when activated, in turn activates the presence detection means and, when the presence of an object is first detected or the absence of an object is first detected, the controller activates the valve moving means to open or close the valve.

2. An electronically controlled water valve as 6e9e4l n claim 1 wherein the controller activations are not more frequenL -an two per second.

3. An electronically controlled water valve according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the average length of controller activity, excluding activations during which valve movement occurs, is not more than 3 milliseconds.

4. An electronically controlled water valve according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the duty cycle (as hereinbefore defined) is 0.006 or less.

An electronically controlled water valve according to any one of claims 1 to S4 wherein the water valve is a pilot valve which in turn operates a main valve. ab C:\WINWORDlANDREA NODELETEU294XCL.DOC -I- -7-

6. An electronically controlled water valve substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. DATED 8 June, 1995 PHILLIPS ORMONDE FITZPATRICK Attorneys For: MA1 EN-VANVIG-ZfRAVKO+L NGAR-& CENTIQUE INDUSTRIES PTY LTD ;1 ABSTRACT The battery operatedl electronic tap is disclosed. Imperfect ionis of ex ist irip clectronic taps us ing mains power supply are overcome by low vol tape lhattery supply. The ma in novelIty is a I to ry oper at ion of' the el cctron ic tap, achieved lby the specially des ignedl hat tory operated h)i siL alI) Ic cOt, ronaicnt i c va I ye 3) wh ich uses enrivgy oily) f or chang-i ng t hc u'-d a gecs an( tidLhe i inF r i-ire2d p)v(20reec c dt c L to elecI c tron ic un it 2) w it h cx t ic no I y, low uc r g c con ri u t i on ai c h i ueyeud b)Y I ow dI u t y Y c 1) e r a L i o nri The Cha It t C ry opCerZ teUd elc CC't I iC' ta Co0U I dl 1e UU Scd itS Fp c 1)1 c iincin t of eit i ni dc vc t r on i c andic t F ad i t ionsa I tatps h.