The present invention relates to an improved water tap, water supply system and method for controlling the supply of water to sanitary ware including sinks, basins and baths etc. The present invention is particularly but not exclusively suited to care homes for the elderly and facilities used by those suffering impairment of their mental processes such as, but not limited to, dementia.

Water supply control systems have been developed to restrict the quantity of water delivered from a faucet or tap (generally referred to herein as a“tap”) in a single usage event. Such water supply control systems have also been used to prevent or restrict unattended outflow of water from taps. However, such water supply control systems tend to be complex and expensive to install and use. For example, in US 6003170 a water supply control system is described comprising a mixer tap in the form of a single lever in combination with two separate electrically powered sensors and a controller. One of the sensors is mounted in the cap of the lever tap to detect mechanical movement of the lever and a second sensor is mounted on the underside of the tap to remotely detect physical presence of a user and electrical connections extend between each of the sensors and the controller. In addition, the hot and cold water supplies are fed to a mechanical mixer valve in the cap of the tap. The outlet of the mechanical mixer valve feeds a separate solenoid valve, mounted some distance away from the mechanical valve below the tap, and from the solenoid valve back up into the tap to the tap outlet.

A further problem with conventional water supply control systems arises from the fact that people who suffer from dementia or other forms of impairment of their mental processes can find it difficult to operate the tap or taps. Proper operation of remote sensors, in particular, can be difficult to comprehend for those suffering from impaired mental processes and so they can become confused when water does not start to flow out from a tap that they think they have turned on. As a result the adoption of water supply control systems in the care home environment and in facilities used by those suffering impairment of their mental processes can have the unfortunate effect of making residents/ patients reliant upon staff for assistance.

Additionally, those suffering from impaired mental processes can be confused by new, unfamiliar technology and are more comfortable with equipment which is familiar, such as conventional cross-headed rotary taps for providing water.

The present invention seeks to address the problems discussed above and to provide a water tap and also a water supply system that is suited, although not exclusively, for use in care homes and in facilities used by those suffering from impairment in their mental processes. The present invention further seeks to provide a supply system that may be retro-fitted to a conventional tap used with existing sanitary ware.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a water tap having an inlet, an outlet and passage means effecting fluid communication between the inlet and the outlet, the water tap comprising: a main body incorporating said passage means, inlet and outlet; a handle adapted for rotation in a tap closing direction and a tap opening direction; a housing secured to the main body and providing a rotary encoder arrangement which is isolated from the passage means, the encoder having a stationary target wheel and an associated rotary portion mounted to be driven in rotation by rotation of the handle such that the encoder is adapted to provide a signal indicative of rotation of the handle; and a power source for the encoder; wherein there is a detent arrangement adapted to limit rotation of the handle in the tap closing direction.

In preferred embodiments the encoder is associated with a transmitter such that the signal provided by the encoder is wireless such as by Bluetooth or RF. Alternatively, the encoder is wired by means of wiring extending through a conduit isolated from the passage means.

With some embodiments a spring loaded pin is mounted in the housing, the pin being adapted to ride along an annular cam surface which is rotated by said handle rotation and which provides said detent arrangement in the form of an abutment step. In some situations the housing is configured to replace an existing mechanical valve assembly provided in a conventional water tap.

Often, the housing has an external portion and a portion at a lower end, the handle being connected to a spindle which extends downwardly into the external portion with an annular seal being provided between the spindle and the external portion, wherein the lower portion houses the target wheel and the rotary portion is attached to the lower end of the spindle. In some embodiments the external portion is removably connected to the lower portion and the lower portion is removably connected to the main body of the tap.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a water supply system comprising a tap of the type described above and further comprising a valve for supplying a controllable flow of water to the tap inlet; and a controller in communication with the valve to control said flow of water to the tap inlet, said controller receiving said signal from the encoder; wherein the controller is configured to trigger closure of the valve when the valve has remained open for a predetermined time interval without any handle rotation, subsequent rotation of the handle in a tap opening direction triggering the valve to resume flow of water but the valve remaining closed if subsequent rotation of the handle is in the tap closing direction, and wherein the controller and valve are adapted to provide a rate of flow proportional to the angular rotation of the handle subject to a predetermined maximum rate of flow and subject to a zero flow when the handle is rotated to the detent in the tap closing direction.

Ideally, the controller is further configured to trigger the opening of the valve for a cleansing purge at predetermined times independently of any detected rotation of the handle.

The water supply system of the present invention is adapted to stop the flow of water out of the tap if the tap is abandoned in its‘on’ position whilst ensuring that, from the perspective of the user, the look and feel of the tap connected to the water supply system and its manner of use is familiar. In effect, the underlying electronic control of the supply of water through the tap is substantially invisible to a user. Moreover, the water supply control system of the present invention avoids many of the complexities of known water supply control systems. Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a water supply system according to the present invention including a vertical sectional view of a tap according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the tap shown in figure 1 and illustrating the sectional plane of figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a water supply system according to the present invention including an alternative tap according to the present invention; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the tap with a housing part omitted to show an internal detail.

The figures show a water supply system 10 suitable for use in care homes and other facilities used by people with impaired mental processes. The water supply system 10 generally comprises a tap 11 connected to a water supply conduit 12. The tap 11 is adapted for use with conventional sinks, baths and other sanitary ware 13 (generally referred to as basins) with the tap 11 mounted on the top surface of the basin 13 or its surround. The conduit 12 usually extends through a hole in the basin 13 and is held in place by means of a screw threaded clamp 14 provided on a threaded end of the conduit 12. A valve 15 is provided and this valve 15 controls the flow of water along the conduit 12 to the tap 11. Opening and closing of the valve 15 is controlled by an electronic controller 16 to control the flow of water through the valve 15 to the conduit 12 and hence to the tap 11. The controller 16 is adapted to receive signals from the tap 11 , as described in more detail below, and controls the operation of the valve 15 accordingly.

The tap 11 itself is preferably conventional in appearance and comprises a main body 20 incorporating passage means 21 between an inlet 22 which is adapted to be sealingly connected to the water supply conduit 12 and an outlet 23 which in use would be positioned over a bowl part of the basin 13. Atop the main body 20 is a housing 24 which in the illustrated embodiment comprises an external portion 25 connected to an internal lower portion 26. Ideally this connection is removable for assembly/maintenance purposes. The lower portion 26 provides a cavity 27 which is sealingly isolated from the water passage 21. A handle 28 is provided atop the housing 24 and is shown as being a conventional cross-head type of design in plan view, although the actual design of the handle 28 can vary enormously. The use of a conventional cross-head design is ideal because of the familiarity of the design with persons having impaired mental processes (similarly the external design of the external portion 25 and the main body 20 can be effected so as to be similar to conventional designs). The handle 28 has or is attached to a spindle 29 depending downwardly therefrom and into the housing 24. An annular seal such as an O-ring seal 30 is provided between the spindle 29 and an internal surface of the housing 24 in order to prevent water from entering the inside of the housing 24 by splashing, for example.

The lower end of the spindle 29 is provided with a flange having a cam surface 31 which rotates with rotation of the handle 28. The housing portion 25 provides a location for a spring loaded pin 32 which rides along the cam surface 31. The cam surface 31 has a stop detent or abutment stop 33 against which the pin 32 will abut when the handle 28 is rotated in a tap closing direction. This will prevent the handle 28 being rotated further in the tap closing direction, thereby replicating the closing of a conventional tap. Rotation of the handle 28 in the tap opening direction is not affected by the abutment stop and can continue without end. Other detent arrangements would of course be suitable and other cam surfaces are envisaged, perhaps as a groove (with a detent) in the spindle side wall.

The lowermost end of the spindle 29 carries a rotary portion 41 of an electronic encoder 40, together with associated electronics, such that the rotary portion 41 rotates with the handle 28. The rotary portion 41 extends into the cavity 27 of the lower portion 26 of the housing 24 and faces a stationary target wheel 42 of the encoder which target wheel 42 is mounted on the lower portion 26. The precise form of the encoder 40 can be varied and the target wheel could be a circumferential one surrounding a rotary portion mounted on the spindle. The handle 28 also provides a power source 50 which is ideally replaceable in the form of one or more batteries. In this example the power source 50 is accessible via a removable top cap 51 and suitable wiring connections are provided such that the power is transmitted to the encoder 40. In other arrangements the power source 50 may be disposed within the housing 24, spindle 29 or main body 20.

The encoder 40 is adapted to produce a signal which is indicative of the direction of rotation of the handle 28, either in the tap opening direction or tap closing direction, and indicative of the amount of that rotation, i.e. the amount of angular rotation of the handle 28 in a particular direction. That signal is then transmitted to the controller 16 for onward control of the opening/closing of the valve 15 and hence the flow of water to the tap outlet 23 depending on that signal. The encoder 40 with its associated electronics can provide that signal to the controller 16 either wirelessly via inbuilt transmission means such as Bluetooth or RF transmitter (as in figure 1) or via signal wiring 55 (as in figure 3). Such signal wiring 55 extends through a sealed conduit 56 which extends from the lower housing 26, through the internal fluid passage 21 of the tap and through a sealed end fixing 57 provided on the conduit 12 as shown in figure 3. The end fixing 57 also provides a water inlet 58 connecting the valve 15 to the conduit 12.

The controller 16 can be programmed to operate the valve 15 in many alternative ways. In standard use of the water supply system 10, anti-clockwise (tap-opening) rotation of the handle 28 by a user causes corresponding rotation of the spindle 29 and rotary portion 41 of the encoder 40 which sends a signal to the controller 16 that the tap has been turned on by the user. In response, the controller 16 sends a signal to the valve 15 to open the valve and thereby allow water to flow past the valve through the water conduit 12 to the tap spout/outlet 23. Further rotation of the tap handle 28 by the user is possible and the controller 16 controls the valve 15 to provide a flow of water proportional to the amount of angular rotation of the handle 28 in the tap opening direction thereby replicating the variable flow rates obtainable during use of a conventional mechanical water tap. There is of course a maximum flow rotate such that rotation of the handle in the tap opening direction beyond a certain angular rotation will just result in said maximum flow rate.

Subsequent clockwise rotation of the tap handle 28 by the user to‘close’ the tap, results in the encoder 40 sending a signal to the controller 16 to reduce flow from the valve 15 and if the abutment stop is reached then the encoder will send a signal to the controller 16 to close the valve and thereby halt the flow of water of the tap 11. As stated earlier, the abutment stop prevents further clockwise (tap closing) rotation of the tap handle 28 such that the user experiences a familiar restriction to continued clockwise rotation of the tap handle when the tap handle has been moved to its fully closed position.

Ideally, when the tap is turned on by the user, in addition to issuing a signal to the valve 15 to open, the controller 16 also triggers the start of a timer which monitors the duration of time the valve 15 remains open. If the valve remains open for a period of timing equaling or exceeding a predetermined time interval, e.g. 3 mins, the controller 16 is programmed to close the valve 15 automatically. The predetermined time interval may be a pre-programmed threshold or may be a time threshold input into the controller 16 by the operator of the water supply system. Subsequent clockwise rotation of the tap handle 10 has no effect on the controller 16 or the valve 15 because the valve is already closed. If the opening of the valve 15‘times-out’ and closes due to inactivity, the controller 16 is preferably programmed to open the valve 15 again on subsequent rotation of the handle 28 in the opening direction. In this way, a user can approach and use the tap 11 in a normal manner even after an instance of timed-out closure.

Those components of the water supply system which are exposed to the water flowing through to the outlet/spout 23 are preferably manufactured in drinking water compliant materials such as, but not limited to, brass and plastics.

In the preferred embodiments illustrated, the encoder 40 is in communication with the controller 16 and the valve 15 is actuated by the controller 16. This ensures that the controller 16 is able to monitor usage of the tap and provide reliable data on the regularity and the timing of when the tap is used. Such usage tracking is particularly important in a care home environment as it provides corroborative evidence that necessary regular cleaning is taking place.

Indirect actuation of the valve 15 via the controller 16 also enables the controller 16 to intervene where unusual activity/usage of the tap is detected. For example, unusual activity might involve a user turning the tap on and off repeatedly in a short period of time. As the controller 16 is programmed to record data relating to how often the tap is used, that data may be used to identify unusual activity. Where unusual activity is detected, the controller 16 may be programmed to apply a time-out to further actuation of the valve 15 for a predetermined time period. For example, following the identification of unusual activity, the controller 16 may deactivate the valve 15 for a period of time such as 30 minutes or more. Similarly, unusual activity may involve inadequate use of the water facilities. Here too, irregular or very limited use of the tap detected by the controller 16 can result in an alarm being generated by the controller 16 or, for example, the requirement for a cleansing purge of the basin.

The illustrated embodiments can enable retro-fitting to existing, conventional taps. In conventional taps of this sort, the main body 20 has an upper opening, usually screw threaded, opposite and above the inlet 22. In this opening a mechanical valve with associated handle is attached to the main body and it is this mechanical valve which controls flow through the passage means 21 to the outlet/spout 23. The illustrated embodiments of the present invention can utilize the upper opening to sealingly receive the lower portion 26 of the housing 24, thereby closing the upper opening whilst ensuring (i) that the cavity 27 of the housing 24 remains out of fluid communication with the water passage 21 and (ii) that the water passage is not closed-off. The lower housing 26 is shown as being threadedly connected to the main body 20 of the tap and the upper or external housing 25 is secured to the lower housing, conveniently by means of a further screw threaded connection shown as 60 in figure 4, the handle 28 being mounted on the top of the spindle 29.

Hence the system can be utilized with an existing tap by removing the mechanical valve and top housing and replacing with the above-described lower housing/encoder/upper housing. It is also envisaged that the existing handle 28 can also be used with the existing main body and this can improve the familiarity of the tap to the user.

Alternatively the main body could be formed without the upper opening and the cavity 27 for the encoder could be cast as a recess in the main body, isolated from the water passage 21 , to which the external housing 25 is secured.

With the water supply system described herein, a user is able to turn the tap on and off as normal and ideally the tap is the same as or at least similar in look and feel to the type of taps with which the user is familiar. In particular, with the water supply system described herein the user experiences the same restriction to continued closing rotation of the tap via the abutment stop/pin. Familiarity in look and feel of environments and the utilities in those environments, such as water utilities, is particularly important for people suffering from dementia or other impairment of their mental processes. Such familiarity endows people suffering from dementia or other impairment of their mental processes with a greater degree of confidence when using water utilities and enables them to retain some degree of independence in the use of water utilities.

It will be appreciated by the skilled reader that the invention is readily applicable to other tap designs including mixer taps, dual taps, lever operated taps. It is to be understood that the tap and water supply system described above are only embodiments of the tap and water supply system of the present invention. Changes may be made to the components and the arrangement of those components without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.