Urinal and urinal flushing control method

Abstract

A urinal and a urinal flushing control method. The urinal includes a urinal body, an electromagnetic valve for turning on and off flushing, a capacitive sensor for sensing a liquid amount on an outer wall of the urinal body, and a controller for receiving a capacitance value signal to control on and off of the electromagnetic valve. The controller sets a flushing timing reference point when determining that a capacitance value exhibits a dropping trend after a first period since the electromagnetic valve is controlled to be turned off, and controls to turn on the electromagnetic valve when the flushing timing reference point is present for a second period. The above solution can reduce the chance of erroneous flushing and facilitate the adaptability respect to the glazed surface of the urinal body.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A urinal, comprising:
 a urinal body;   an electromagnetic valve, configured to turn on and off flushing water flushing an outer wall of the urinal body;   a capacitive sensor, disposed on an inner wall of the urinal body to sense a liquid amount at a corresponding location on the outer wall of the urinal body and transmit a capacitance value signal; and   a controller, electrically connected with the capacitive sensor to receive the capacitance value signal and electrically connected with the electromagnetic valve to control on and off of the electromagnetic valve,   wherein:   the controller sets a flushing timing reference point when determining that a dropping trend is present after a first period since the electromagnetic valve is controlled to be turned off, and controls to turn on the electromagnetic valve and removes the flushing timing reference point when the flushing timing reference point is present for a second period.   
     
     
         2 . The urinal as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the capacitive sensor is disposed on the inner wall of the urinal body at a location near a draining port. 
     
     
         3 . A urinal flushing control method, comprising:
 disposing an electromagnetic valve to turn on and off flushing water flushing an outer wall of a urinal body;   disposing a capacitive sensor on an inner wall of the urinal body to sense a liquid amount at a corresponding location on the outer wall of the urinal body and transmit a capacitance value signal;   setting a flushing timing reference point when determining that a capacitance value exhibits a dropping trend after a first period since the electromagnetic valve is controlled to be turned off, and controlling to turn on the electromagnetic valve and, at the same time, remove the flushing timing reference point when the flushing timing reference point is present for a second period.   
     
     
         4 . The urinal flushing control method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the flushing timing reference point is set as a starting point of the dropping trend. 
     
     
         5 . The urinal flushing control method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the electromagnetic valve is controlled to be turned off when the electromagnetic valve is controlled to be turned on for a third period. 
     
     
         6 . The urinal flushing control method as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein a self-cleaning timing reference point is further set when the electromagnetic valve is controlled to be turned off, and the electromagnetic valve is controlled to be turned on and, at the same time, the self-cleaning timing reference point is removed when the self-cleaning timing reference point is present for a fourth period, wherein the self-cleaning timing reference point is further removed when the flushing timing reference point is set. 
     
     
         7 . The urinal flushing control method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein:
 the capacitance value is collected, stored, and compared every fifth period,   the capacitance value is determined as exhibiting the dropping trend if capacitance values collected in m earlier sessions before a current session are stable, and the capacitance value collected in the current session drops,   wherein being stable indicates that an absolute value of a difference between the capacitance value collected in each of the m earlier sessions before the current session and an average of the capacitance values collected in the m sessions is consistently less than a first value, and   dropping indicates that the capacitance value collected in the current session is less than the average of the capacitance values collected in the m earlier sessions before the current session and an absolute value of a difference between the capacitance value collected in the current session and the average of the capacitance values collected in the m earlier sessions before the current session is greater than the first value.   
     
     
         8 . The urinal flushing control method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein:
 the capacitance value is collected, stored, and compared every fifth period,   the capacitance value is determined as exhibiting the dropping trend if the capacitance value collected in a current session and capacitance values collected in n earlier sessions all drop with respect to a capacitance value collected in a previous session, and capacitance values collected in m even earlier sessions are stable,   wherein being stable indicates that an absolute value of a difference between the capacitance value collected in each of the m sessions even earlier than the n sessions before the current session and an average of the capacitance values collected in the m sessions is consistently less than a first value.   
     
     
         9 . The urinal flushing control method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein if the capacitance value is determined as exhibiting a rising trend during a period in which the flushing timing reference point is still present, the flushing timing reference point is removed. 
     
     
         10 . The urinal flushing control method as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein:
 the capacitance value is collected, stored, and compared every fifth period,   the capacitance value is determined as exhibiting the rising trend if capacitance values collected in m earlier sessions before a current session are stable, and the capacitance value collected in the current session rises,   wherein being stable indicates that an absolute value of a difference between the capacitance value collected in each of the m earlier sessions before the current session and an average of the capacitance values collected in the m sessions is consistently less than a first value, and   rising indicates that the capacitance value collected in the current session is greater than the average of the capacitance values collected in the m earlier sessions before the current session and an absolute value of a difference between the capacitance value collected in the current session and the average of the capacitance values collected in the m earlier sessions before the current session is greater than the first value.   
     
     
         11 . The urinal flushing control method as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein:
 the capacitance value is collected, stored, and compared every fifth period,   the capacitance value is determined as exhibiting the rising trend if the capacitance value collected in a current session and capacitance values collected in n earlier sessions are all rising with respect to a capacitance value collected in a previous session, and capacitance values collected in m even earlier sessions are stable,   wherein being stable indicates that an absolute value of a difference between the capacitance value collected in each of the m sessions even earlier than the n sessions before the current session and an average of the capacitance values collected in the m sessions is consistently less than a first value.