EP3444406A1

EP3444406A1 - Thermostatic faucet for placing articles thereupon

Info

Publication number: EP3444406A1
Application number: EP18158345.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Yongqiang He; Xianqing Ye; Hongxing Hong
Original assignee: Xiamen Lota International Co Ltd
Current assignee: Xiamen Lota International Co Ltd
Priority date: 2017-08-16
Filing date: 2018-02-23
Publication date: 2019-02-20
Anticipated expiration: 2038-02-23
Also published as: EP3444406B1; CN207298009U; DK3444406T3

Abstract

A thermostatic faucet for placing an article thereupon comprises a plastic inner body (1) and a metal housing (2). The metal housing (2) is not in contact with water. The plastic inner body (1) is in contact with water. The plastic inner body (1) plays the role of thermal insulation, so that the heat of the hot water passage won't be conducted to the metal housing (2). The metal housing (2) is formed with a shelf board (23). The shelf board (23) shields a water inlet end, which effectively avoids the risk of scalding when the hot water passes through the water inlet end and realizes the complete anti-scald function of the thermostatic faucet body. In the thermostatic faucet, a cold water passage, a hot water passage, a mixed water passage and a water outlet passage are integrally formed in the plastic inner body (1). The parts are reduced, the production process is simplified, the manufacturing cost of the thermostatic faucet is lowered, and the risk of water leakage generated by the multiple components is reduced.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a thermostatic faucet structure, and more particularly to a thermostatic faucet capable of placing an article.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Most of thermostatic faucets on the market are mainly made of copper, which is expensive and leads to higher manufacturing costs. Moreover, the thermal conductivity of a copper material is good. When in use, hot water easily makes the surface temperature of the faucet body too high. The faucet body may scald the user.
In order to solve this problem, Chinese Patent Publication No. CN203115189U discloses a thermostatic faucet structure which is directly connected to a temperature control mechanism through a copper pipe. The copper pipe is an independent hot water inlet passage and is not in contact with an outer housing, so that the faucet won't scald the user. The faucet adopts the outer housing which is not in contact with water and an all-plastic inner core structure. This can reduce the amount of copper greatly and reduce the material cost significantly.
However, the copper pipe needs to be connected to a hot water supply pipe and the temperature control mechanism through a water inlet connector and a water outlet connector respectively, and then a hot water passage can be formed. That is, the hot water passage of thermostatic faucet structure is formed by multiple components, which has high risk of water leakage.
Furthermore, the water inlet end of the thermostatic faucet structure is still exposed to the outside, and users are still at risk of scalding during use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a thermostatic faucet capable of placing an article. An outer housing is provided with a shelf board to shield a hot water inlet end, preventing scald. A cold water passage and a hot water passage are integrally formed in a plastic inner body to reduce the parts, simplify the assembly and lower the manufacturing cost.
In order to achieve the aforesaid object, the thermostatic faucet of the present invention comprises a metal housing, a plastic inner body connected in the metal housing through a limit device, a flow shaft seat and a thermostatic shaft seat which pass through the metal housing and are connected to two ends of the plastic inner body. The plastic inner body is provided with a first water inlet connector, a second water inlet connector and a water outlet. The water outlet is connected with a water outer connector. The first water inlet connector is connected with the thermostatic shaft seat through a chamber of the plastic inner body to form a first water inlet passage. The second water inlet connector is connected with the thermostatic shaft seat to form a second water inlet passage. The first water inlet passage is a hot water passage or a cold water passage, correspondingly, the second water inlet passage is a cold water passage or a hot water passage. The flow shaft seat cooperates with the plastic inner body to form a chamber communicated with the water outlet to form a water outlet passage. The metal housing includes a front housing and a rear end cover to mate with each other. The front housing is formed with a shelf board. The shelf board shields upper ends of the first water inlet connector and the second water inlet connector.
Preferably, the limit device includes at least four positioning posts disposed on an inner sidewall of the front housing and screws mated with the positioning posts. The plastic inner body is fitted between the positioning posts. The screws pass through the plastic inner body and are locked and secured to the positioning posts, respectively.
Preferably, the plastic inner body has a first chamber, a second chamber, a third chamber and a mating chamber therein. The second chamber, the third chamber and the mating chamber communicate with each other. The mating chamber is connected between the second chamber and the third chamber. The flow shaft seat passes through the metal housing and is partially accommodated in the second chamber connected to one end of the mating chamber. The flow shaft seat cooperates with the second chamber to form a water outlet chamber. The thermostatic shaft seat passes through the metal housing and is partially accommodated in the third chamber and connected to another end of the mating chamber. The first water inlet connector is connected to a sidewall of the first chamber and communicates with the first chamber. One end of the first chamber communicates with the thermostatic shaft seat in the third chamber. Another end of the first chamber is provided with a plug. The first water inlet connector is connected with the thermostatic shaft seat through the first chamber to form the first water inlet passage. An inner chamber of the thermostatic shaft seat, the mating chamber and an inner chamber of the flow shaft seat cooperate with each other to form a mixed water passage. The water outlet is connected with the water outlet chamber to form the water outlet passage.
Preferably, two ends of the front housing are formed with a second mating hole and a third mating hole, respectively. The flow shaft seat passes through the second mating hole and is partially accommodated in the second chamber. One end of the flow shaft seat is connected to one end of the mating chamber. Another end of the flow shaft seat is mated with the metal housing and threadedly connected to the second mating hole through a metal lid. The thermostatic shaft seat passes through the third mating hole of the metal housing and is partially accommodated in the third chamber. One end of the thermostatic shaft seat is connected to another end of the mating chamber. Another end of the thermostatic shaft seat is mated with the metal housing and threadedly connected to the third mating hole through another metal lid.
Preferably, inner ends of the second mating hole and the third mating hole are provided with limit bosses. The flow shaft seat and the thermostatic shaft seat are provided with stoppers pressed against the limit bosses. The stoppers are formed with stop surfaces.
Preferably, the plug is a copper plug.
Preferably, an outer periphery of the plastic inner body is formed with plastic ribs.
Preferably, the metal housing is made of zinc alloy. The water outlet connector, the flow shaft seat and the thermostatic shaft seat are formed of copper.
The present invention adopts the metal housing to ensure the quality of the product. The metal housing is not in contact with water. The plastic inner body is in contact with water. The plastic inner body plays the role of thermal insulation, so that the heat of the hot water passage won't be conducted to the metal housing. The metal housing is formed with the shelf board. The shelf board shields the water inlet end, which effectively avoids the risk of scalding when the hot water passes through the water inlet end and realizes the complete anti-scald function of the thermostatic faucet body. In the thermostatic faucet, the cold water passage, the hot water passage, the mixed water passage and the water outlet passage are integrally formed in the plastic inner body. The parts are reduced, the production process is simplified, the manufacturing cost of the thermostatic faucet is lowered, and the risk of water leakage generated by the multiple components is reduced.
In the present invention, the fixing positions of the flow shaft seat and the thermostatic shaft seat relative to the plastic inner body are transferred from the plastic inner body to the metal housing. The connection between the flow shaft seat/the thermostatic shaft seat and the plastic inner body is radial seal to ensure that the plastic inner body is not applied with a force, thereby enhancing the strength performance to ensure the service life of the thermostat faucet. In addition, the metal lids and the metal housing are connected by means of metal threads. Compared with plastic threads, the strength of the metal threads is larger, thereby lowering the risk of leakage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the plastic inner body to be connected to the front housing of the present invention; and
FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the flow shaft seat and the thermostatic shaft seat to be connected to the plastic inner body of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 5, the present invention discloses a thermostatic faucet capable of placing an article. The thermostatic faucet comprises a metal housing 2, a plastic inner body 1 connected in the metal housing 2, a flow shaft seat 3 and a thermostatic shaft seat 4 which pass through the metal housing 2 and are connected to two ends of the plastic inner body 1, a flow valve core 6 connected with the flow shaft seat 3, and a thermostatic valve core 7 connected with the thermostatic shaft seat 4.
The plastic inner body 1 is provided with a first water inlet connector 11, a second water inlet connector 12 and a water outlet 13. The water outlet 13 is connected with a water outer connector 8. The water outlet connector 8 may be a copper water outlet connector. The plastic inner body 1 has a first chamber 14, a second chamber 15, a third chamber 17, and a mating chamber 16 therein. The second chamber 15, the third chamber 17 and the mating chamber 16 communicate with each other. The mating chamber 16 is connected between the second chamber 15 and the third chamber 17. The flow shaft seat 3 passes through the metal housing 2 and is partially accommodated in the second chamber 15 connected to one end of the mating chamber 16. The flow shaft seat 3 cooperates with the second chamber 15 to form a water outlet chamber. The thermostatic shaft seat 4 passes through the metal housing 2 and is partially accommodated in the third chamber 17 and connected to another end of the mating chamber 16. The first water inlet connector 11 is connected to the sidewall of the first chamber 14 and communicates with the first chamber 14. One end of the first chamber 14 communicates with the thermostatic shaft seat 4 in the third chamber 17. Another end of the first chamber 14 is provided with a plug 5. The plug 5 may be a copper plug.
The first water inlet connector 11 is connected with the thermostatic shaft seat 4 through the first chamber 11 to form a first water inlet passage. The second water inlet connector 12 is connected with the thermostatic shaft seat 4 to form a second water inlet passage. The first water inlet passage is a hot water passage or a cold water passage, correspondingly, and the second water inlet passage is a cold water passage or a hot water passage. An inner chamber of the thermostatic shaft seat 4, the mating chamber 16 and an inner chamber of the flow shaft seat 3 cooperate with each other to form a mixed water passage. The water outlet 13 is connected with the water outlet chamber to form a water outlet passage.
The outer periphery of the plastic inner body 1 may be formed with plastic ribs and connected with the metal housing by interference fit, so that the mating precision of the plastic inner body and the metal housing can be controlled better to achieve zero clearance fit.
The metal housing 2 is made of zinc alloy and includes a front housing 21 and a rear end cover 22. The front housing 21 is formed with a shelf board 23. The shelf board 23 shields the upper ends of the first water inlet connector 11 and the second water inlet connector 12. The middle of the front housing 21 is provided with a first mating hole 211 through which the water outlet connector 8 passes. Two ends of the front housing 21 are respectively formed with a second mating hole 212 and a third mating hole 213 through which the flow shaft seat 3 and the thermostatic shaft seat 4 pass. The inner sides of the second mating hole 212 and the third mating hole 213 are provided with screw threads. The inner ends of the second mating hole 212 and the third mating hole 213 are provided with limit bosses 216. The inner sidewall of the front housing 21 is provided with at least four positioning posts 214 for fixing the plastic inner body 1. The positioning posts 214 are configured to limit the vertical and lateral movement of the plastic inner body 1 in the front housing 21. The positioning posts 214 have positioning holes 2141. The positioning holes 2141 cooperate with screws 215 to limit the plastic inner body 1 in the front housing 21 from moving back and forth. Finally, the plastic inner body 1 is fixed in the front housing 21. The metal housing 2 plays a limiting role on the plug 5 on the plastic inner body 1 to prevent the plug 5 from being detached from the plastic inner body 1 under the action of water pressure. The rear end cover 22 is provided with a fourth mating hole 221 and a fifth mating hole 222 through which the first water inlet connector 11 and the second water inlet connector 12 pass.
The flow valve core 6 is connected in the flow shaft seat 3. The flow shaft seat 3 passes through the second mating hole 212 of the metal housing 2 and is partially accommodated in the second chamber 15. One end of the flow shaft seat 3 is connected to one end of the mating chamber 16. Another end of the flow shaft seat 3 is mated with the metal housing 2 and threadedly connected to the second mating hole 212 through a metal lid 32. One end of the flow shaft seat 3, mated with the metal housing 2, is formed with a stopper 31. The stopper 31 is formed with a stop surface 33 to prevent the flow shaft seat 3 from rotating when the flow valve core 6 is adjusted. When the flow shaft seat 3 is connected to the plastic inner body 1, the stopper 31 is pressed against the limit boss 216 of the second mating hole 212.
The thermostatic valve core 7 is connected in the thermostatic shaft seat 4. The thermostatic shaft seat 4 passes through the third mating hole 213 of the metal housing 2 and is partially accommodated in the third chamber. One end of the thermostatic shaft seat 4 is connected another end of the mating chamber 16. Another end of the thermostatic shaft seat 4 is mated with the metal housing 2 and threadedly connected to the third mating hole 213 through another metal lid 42. One end of the thermostatic shaft seat 4, mated with the metal housing 2, is formed with a stopper 41. The stopper 41 is formed with a stop surface 43 to prevent the thermostatic shaft seat 4 from rotating when the thermostatic valve core 7 is adjusted. When the thermostatic shaft seat 4 is connected to the plastic inner body 1, the stopper 41 is pressed against the limit boss 216 of the third mating hole 213.
The present invention adopts the metal housing 2 to ensure the quality of the product. The metal housing 2 is not in contact with water. The plastic inner body 1 is in contact with water. The plastic inner body 1 plays the role of thermal insulation, so that the heat of the hot water passage won't be conducted to the metal housing 2. The metal housing 2 is formed with the shelf board 23. The shelf board 23 shields the first water inlet connector 11 and the second water inlet connector 12, which effectively avoids the risk of scalding when the hot water passes through the water inlet end and realizes the complete anti-scald function of the thermostatic faucet body. In the thermostatic faucet, the cold water passage, the hot water passage, the mixed water passage and the water outlet passage are integrally formed in the plastic inner body 1. The parts are reduced, the production process is simplified, the manufacturing cost of the thermostatic faucet is lowered, and the risk of water leakage generated by the multiple components is reduced.
In the present invention, the fixing positions of the flow shaft seat 3 and the thermostatic shaft seat 4 relative to the plastic inner body 1 are transferred from the plastic inner body 1 to the metal housing 2. The connection between the flow shaft seat 3/the thermostatic shaft seat 4 and the plastic inner body 1 is radial seal to ensure that the plastic inner body is not applied with a force, thereby enhancing the strength performance to ensure the service life of the thermostat faucet. In addition, the metal lids 32, 42 and the metal housing 2 are connected by means of metal threads. Compared with plastic threads, the strength of the metal threads is larger, thereby lowering the risk of leakage.
Although particular embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the present invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.

Claims

A thermostatic faucet capable of placing an article, comprising a metal housing (2), a plastic inner body (1) connected in the metal housing (2) through a limit device, a flow shaft seat (3) and a thermostatic shaft seat (4) which pass through the metal housing (2) and are connected to two ends of the plastic inner body (1); the plastic inner body (1) being provided with a first water inlet connector (11), a second water inlet connector (12) and a water outlet (13), the water outlet (13) being connected with a water outer connector (8); the first water inlet connector (11) being connected with the thermostatic shaft seat (4) through a chamber of the plastic inner body (1) to form a first water inlet passage, the second water inlet connector (12) being connected with the thermostatic shaft seat (4) to form a second water inlet passage; one of the first water inlet passage and the second water inlet passage being a hot water passage, the other of the first water inlet passage and the second water inlet passage being a cold water passage; the flow shaft seat (3) cooperating with the plastic inner body (1) to form a chamber communicated with the water outlet (13) to form a water outlet passage; the metal housing (2) including a front housing (21) and a rear end cover (22) to mate with each other, the front housing (21) being formed with a shelf board (23), the shelf board (23) shielding upper ends of the first water inlet connector (11) and the second water inlet connector (12).
The thermostatic faucet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the limit device includes at least four positioning posts (214) disposed on an inner sidewall of the front housing (21) and screws (215) mated with the positioning posts (214), the plastic inner body (1) is fitted between the positioning posts (214), and the screws (215) pass through the plastic inner body (1) and are locked and secured to the positioning posts (214), respectively.
The thermostatic faucet as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the plastic inner body (1) has a first chamber (14), a second chamber (15), a third chamber (17) and a mating chamber (16) therein, the second chamber (15), the third chamber (17) and the mating chamber (16) communicate with each other, the mating chamber (16) is connected between the second chamber (15) and the third chamber (17); the flow shaft seat (3) passes through the metal housing (2) and is partially accommodated in the second chamber (15) connected to one end of the mating chamber (16), the flow shaft seat (3) cooperates with the second chamber (15) to form a water outlet chamber; the thermostatic shaft seat (4) passes through the metal housing (2) and is partially accommodated in the third chamber (17) and connected to another end of the mating chamber (16); the first water inlet connector (11) is connected to a sidewall of the first chamber (14) and communicates with the first chamber (14), one end of the first chamber (14) communicates with the thermostatic shaft seat (4) in the third chamber (17), another end of the first chamber (14) is provided with a plug (5); the first water inlet connector (11) is connected with the thermostatic shaft seat (4) through the first chamber (11) to form the first water inlet passage; an inner chamber of the thermostatic shaft seat (4), the mating chamber (16) and an inner chamber of the flow shaft seat (3) cooperate with each other to form a mixed water passage; and the water outlet (13) is connected with the water outlet chamber to form the water outlet passage.
The thermostatic faucet as claimed in claim 3, wherein two ends of the front housing (21) are formed with a second mating hole (212) and a third mating hole (213) respectively, the flow shaft seat (3) passes through the second mating hole (212) and is partially accommodated in the second chamber (15), one end of the flow shaft seat (3) is connected to one end of the mating chamber (16), another end of the flow shaft seat (3) is mated with the metal housing (2) and threadedly connected to the second mating hole (212) through a metal lid (32); the thermostatic shaft seat (4) passes through the third mating hole (213) of the metal housing (2) and is partially accommodated in the third chamber (17), one end of the thermostatic shaft seat (4) is connected to another end of the mating chamber (16), and another end of the thermostatic shaft seat (4) is mated with the metal housing (2) and threadedly connected to the third mating hole (213) through another metal lid (42).
The thermostatic faucet as claimed in claim 4, wherein inner ends of the second mating hole (212) and the third mating hole (213) are provided with limit bosses (216), the flow shaft seat (3) and the thermostatic shaft seat (4) are provided with stoppers (31, 41) pressed against the limit bosses (216), and the stoppers (31, 41) are formed with stop surfaces (33, 43).
The thermostatic faucet as claimed in claim 3, wherein the plug (5) is a copper plug.
The thermostatic faucet as claimed in claim 1, wherein an outer periphery of the plastic inner body (1) is formed with plastic ribs.
The thermostatic faucet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the metal housing (2) is made of zinc alloy; the water outlet connector (8), the flow shaft seat (3) and the thermostatic shaft seat (4) are formed of copper.