US 12,325,987 B2
Electronic faucet with auto focus
Andy Ejung Kim, Lake Forest, CA (US); Adam William Tracy, Irvine, CA (US); and Kevin Pasma, Lake Forest, CA (US)
Assigned to ASSA ABLOY Americas Residential Inc., New Haven, CT (US)
Filed by ASSA ABLOY Americas Residential Inc., New Haven, CT (US)
Filed on Apr. 6, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/714,256.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/171,867, filed on Apr. 7, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0325508 A1, Oct. 13, 2022
Int. Cl. E03C 1/05 (2006.01); E03C 1/04 (2006.01)
CPC E03C 1/057 (2013.01) [E03C 1/0405 (2013.01)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A faucet comprising:
a faucet body comprising a faucet spout having an outlet portion, wherein the outlet portion includes a first outlet and a second outlet, the first outlet different than the second outlet, wherein the first outlet includes a check valve and the second outlet includes a push seal, and wherein the outlet portion defines a flow pathway, the first outlet and the second outlet in flow communication with the flow pathway;
a sensor assembly configured to detect an object within a space proximate the faucet spout, wherein the sensor assembly includes at least two optical sensors housed within a housing;
a spray pattern controller operationally coupled to the push seal and configured to automatically adjust a spray pattern selected from a plurality of spray patterns being dispensed through the faucet spout, wherein when the push seal is closed water flows through the first outlet once pressure proximate the check valve is above a predetermined threshold and when the push seal is open water flows through the second outlet, wherein the plurality of spray patterns includes a first spray pattern defined by the first outlet and a different second spray pattern defined by the second outlet, the first spray pattern having a first flow pattern cross-sectional area and the second spray pattern having a second flow pattern cross-sectional area that is greater than the first flow pattern cross-sectional area; and
a controller electronically coupled to the sensor assembly and the spray pattern controller, the controller configured to receive a signal from the sensor assembly and capable of determining a desired spray pattern selected from the plurality of spray patterns based on (1) classifying a size of the object as among a plurality of sizes including at least a first size and a second size, the second size being larger than the first size, and (2) actuating the spray pattern controller to select one of (a) the first outlet and the first flow pattern cross-sectional area in response to classifying the object as being the first size or (b) the second outlet and the second flow pattern cross-sectional area in response to classifying the object as being of the second size.