Automatic faucet

Abstract

An automatic faucet contains a body including a spout; a spray head mounted on the spout to be pulled outward or retracted inward; an optical detecting device fixed on the spout to detect a hand of a user and to transmit a digital signal; wherein between a transmitting direction of an infrared ray and a water flowing direction of the spray head is formed an angle, and the angle is between 150 to 190 degrees; a controlling device to receive the digital signal of the optical detecting device and to control the water to flow out of the spray head.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An automatic faucet comprising:
 a body including a spout;   a spray head mounted on the spout to be pulled outward or retracted inward;   an optical detecting device fixed on the spout to detect a hand of a user and to transmit a digital signal; wherein between a transmitting direction of an infrared ray and a water flowing direction of the spray head is formed an angle, and the angle is between 150 to 190 degrees;   a controlling device to receive the digital signal of the optical detecting device and to control the water to flow out of the spray head.   
     
     
         2 . The automatic faucet as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the optical detecting device is used to detect a displacement of a finger and includes a light source to emit light and reflect the light by ways of the finger; an image sensor to receive the light reflected from the finger so as to further detect a fingerprint of the finger and to judge the displacement of the finger; a processing unit coupled with the image sensor to transform a fingerprint image into the digital signal. 
     
     
         3 . The automatic faucet as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the light source is an infrared-ray transmitter to transmit the infrared ray. 
     
     
         4 . The automatic faucet as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the image sensor is a CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) image sensor. 
     
     
         5 . The automatic faucet as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the processing unit is a digital signal processor (DSP). 
     
     
         6 . The automatic faucet as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the optical detecting device also includes a housing disposed on the spray head, and the housing includes the light source, the image sensor, and the processing unit fixed therein; the housing also includes an opening fixed thereon to emit the light. 
     
     
         7 . The automatic faucet as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the housing is made of IR transparent material. 
     
     
         8 . The automatic faucet as claimed in  claim 1  further comprises:
 a water supply pipeline and a closing valve; 
 the water supply pipeline being connected with the spray head and used to flow the water out of the spray head, thus supplying water; 
 the closing valve being fixed on the water supply pipeline to be controlled by the controlling device. 
 
     
     
         9 . The automatic faucet as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the optical detecting device is fixed on one side of the spray head adjacent to the user. 
     
     
         10 . The automatic faucet as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the optical detecting device is fixed on one side of the spray head adjacent to the user. 
     
     
         11 . The automatic faucet as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the optical detecting device is fixed above a holding portion of the spray head. 
     
     
         12 . The automatic faucet as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the optical detecting device is fixed above a holding portion of the spray head. 
     
     
         13 . The automatic faucet as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the body includes an outlet pipe, and the spout is formed on an outlet end of the outlet pipe.