Automatic faucet and kitchen

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an automatic faucet that has a simple structure and can accurately stop water when the container is full of water. A sensor unit configured to detect a distance to a detection target, a switching unit configured to switch between a water discharge and a water stop, and a control unit configured to control the switching unit according to a detection result of the sensor unit are provided. The control unit has an automatic water stop mode in which a mode is switched to the water stop when an amount of variation in a distance for a predetermined time detected by the sensor unit is smaller than a predetermined threshold value.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An automatic faucet comprising:
 a sensor unit configured to detect a distance to a detection target;   a switching unit configured to switch between a water discharge and a water stop; and   a control unit configured to control the switching unit according to a detection result of the sensor unit, wherein   the control unit has an automatic water stop mode in which a mode is switched to the water stop when an amount of variation in a distance for a predetermined time detected by the sensor unit is smaller than a predetermined threshold value.   
     
     
         2 . The automatic faucet of  claim 1 , wherein
 the control unit switches a mode to the water stop when the amount of variation in the distance for the predetermined time detected by the sensor unit is smaller than the threshold value a plurality of times in a row in the automatic water stop mode.   
     
     
         3 . The automatic faucet of  claim 1 , wherein
 the control unit sets, as the predetermined time, the elapsed time at which the amount of variation in the distance becomes greater than the threshold value before the amount of variation in the distance becomes smaller than the threshold value for a predetermined elapsed time and the amount of variation in the distance becomes smaller than the threshold value for the predetermined elapsed time in the automatic water stop mode.   
     
     
         4 . The automatic faucet of  claim 3 , wherein
 the control unit calculates the amount of variation in the distance before the amount of variation in the distance for the predetermined time becomes smaller than the threshold value, according to a cross-sectional area of a container to which water is discharged.   
     
     
         5 . The automatic faucet of  claim 1 , wherein
 the control unit switches a mode to the water stop when the amount of variation in the distance for the predetermined time detected by the sensor unit in the automatic water stop mode is smaller than the threshold value set according to a cross-sectional area of a container to which water is discharged.   
     
     
         6 . The automatic faucet of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a water discharge pipe configured to include a water discharge port, wherein   the sensor unit is provided on a front side of the water discharge port in the water discharge pipe.   
     
     
         7 . A kitchen comprising:
 the automatic faucet of  claim 1 ; and   a sink, wherein   a lower end of the automatic faucet is provided on a top surface of an edge of the sink.   
     
     
         8 . The automatic faucet of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a water discharge pipe configured to include a water discharge port, wherein   the sensor unit is provided on a front side of the water discharge port in the water discharge pipe.   
     
     
         9 . A kitchen comprising:
 the automatic faucet of claim  8 ; and   a sink, wherein   a lower end of the automatic faucet is provided on a top surface of an edge of the sink.   
     
     
         10 . The kitchen of  claim 7 , wherein
 the automatic faucet is provided at a position where the sensor unit is configured to sense an inside of the sink below a height of the top surface.