US 12,146,303 B2
Water flow management system and method for urinal
Steve Cummings, New South Wales (AU); Michael Fritzsche, Neukirchen/Erzgebirge (DE); Mark Ebert, Oelsnitz/Erzgebirge (DE); and Dragan Music, New South Wales (AU)
Assigned to Caroma Industries Limited, North Sydney (AU); and micas AG, Oelsnitz (DE)
Appl. No. 17/257,840
Filed by Caroma Industries Limited, North Sydney (AU); and micas AG, Oelsnitz (DE)
PCT Filed Jul. 10, 2019, PCT No. PCT/AU2019/050723
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 4, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/010396, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 16, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 2018902514 (AU), filed on Jul. 11, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0293004 A1, Sep. 23, 2021
Int. Cl. G05D 7/06 (2006.01); E03B 7/07 (2006.01); G05B 19/042 (2006.01); G08B 21/18 (2006.01)
CPC E03B 7/075 (2013.01) [E03B 7/071 (2013.01); G05B 19/042 (2013.01); G05D 7/0623 (2013.01); G05D 7/0635 (2013.01); G08B 21/18 (2013.01); G05B 2219/25312 (2013.01); G08C 2200/00 (2013.01); G08C 2201/51 (2013.01)] 28 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A water flow management system including a valve, the valve being adapted to communicate with at least one water flow detector and a set of water usage products comprising a urinal with an associated urinal water flow detector and urinal valve adapted to control water flow to the urinal, wherein the water flow detector detects water flow to the set of water usage products, wherein the valve includes a processor that is arranged to determine:
an operational status of the set of water usage products, a water flow status of the water flow detector, and whether, on the basis of the operational status and the water flow status, the water flow to the set of water usage products requires alteration,
wherein the operational status includes determining that a water flow rate to the urinal is less than a predetermined minimal flow rate based on the water flow rate measured by the urinal water flow detector,
wherein the alteration includes increasing the water flow rate and/or pressure to the urinal by operating at least one second valve adapted to supply water to a respective one of the water usage products other than the urinal without operating the urinal water flow valve,
and
wherein the processor is adapted to operate the at least one second valve to effect the required alteration.