JP2000304141A - Channel switching valve and water purifier - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate the necessity of performing a visual confirmation for rotational amount of a switching operating means at the time of performing a channel switching operation and to improve operability by providing an engagement part that transmission members are engaged at the time of switching a channel on either one of a valve element driving means and a switching operating means and providing a recessed part releasing the transmission members on the other hand. SOLUTION: In a channel switching valve equipped on a water purifier, a valve body is provided with a valve element driving means 12. The means 12 is provided with cam parts 27a to 27c at positions opposed to a plurality of water passages. By rotating the valve element driving means 12 by 40 deg., for instance, a ball within the valve body is pushed up and one of the water passages is opened. A switching operating means rotating and operating this valve element driving means 12 is constituted of a ball receiving part 41 rotating integrally with a lever 5 and steel balls 42a, 42b transmitting rotary force of the lever 5 and the ball receiving part 41 to the valve element driving means 12. Moderation feeling is obtained in cooperation with recessed parts 52a, 52b on the ball receiving part 41 side and engagement parts 52a, 53b on the valve element driving means 12 side.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a flow path switching valve for switching a flow path and a water purifier provided with the flow path switching valve.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a switching valve for a flow path of a fluid such as water, a valve driving means and a lever as described in JP-A-7-116657 are directly connected to each other to rotate the lever. Is transmitted as it is to the valve body driving means to switch the flow path.

However, in this method, the lever must be accurately rotated by a desired angle, and the amount of rotation (lever stop position) must be visually checked every time the lever is operated. there were. If the amount of rotation of the lever deviates from the predetermined amount of rotation without checking (if the stop position of the lever is shifted), a problem has occurred such that a desired flow path cannot be opened and closed.

Therefore, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 10-9413, a system in which a ratchet mechanism is adopted as a passage switching operation means by a lever and a return spring for restoring the lever to a predetermined position is provided. Has also been proposed.

However, when the ratchet mechanism claw is formed of resin for mass production at a low cost, there has been a problem that the claw is broken by repeated operations because the claw is elastically deformed every time a flow path switching operation is performed.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned problems, it is not necessary to visually confirm the amount of rotation of a switching operation means such as a lever every time a flow path switching operation is performed, and It is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive flow path switching valve that can prevent damage due to repeated operations.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided a fuel cell system comprising: a plurality of flow paths; a valve element provided in each flow path;
A valve body driving means provided to be rotatable in one direction and acting on a valve body to selectively switch a plurality of flow paths; a switching operation means for switching a flow path by the valve body driving means; A movably provided transmission member for transmitting an operation force by the operation means to the valve body driving means, and the transmission member is engaged with one of the valve body driving means and the switching operation means when the flow path is switched. The present invention is characterized by a flow path switching valve having an engaging portion and a concave portion for allowing a transmission member to escape therefrom.

Here, the switching operation means is provided rotatably and has rotation restricting means for restricting the amount of rotation, and a lever provided rotatably and a lever are provided. It is preferable to have a return means for returning to the position before the rotation. Preferably, the transmitting member is a sphere or a column.

A preferred embodiment is a water purifier provided with any one of the above-mentioned flow path switching valves and a filtration section containing a filter medium.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In the present embodiment, a water purifier attached to a water tap in a kitchen or the like of a home and provided with a flow path switching valve of the present invention will be described as an example.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a state where a water purifier is attached to a water tap, FIGS. 2 and 3 are partial longitudinal sectional views of FIG.
4 is a right side view of FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a top view of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, a water purifier 1 comprises a main body 2 having a flow path switching valve built therein and a filtering section 3 containing a filter medium. 4 attached. A lever 5 is provided on the main body 2, and by operating the lever 5, the raw water flowing from the water tap 4 is discharged as shower water as it is (raw water shower) or discharged as straight water as it is. (The raw water straight) or supply to the filtration unit 3 can be selectively switched. The raw water supplied to the filtration unit 3 is filtered by an adsorbent such as activated carbon and a hollow fiber membrane,
It is discharged as purified water from the water purification port.

As shown in FIG. 2, the main body 2 includes three balls (valve elements) 11a, 11b, 1
Upper body 13 provided with 1c and valve body driving means 12
And a lower body 16 provided with a raw water shower port 14 and a raw water straight port 15, and a switching operation means 17 for switching a flow path. In the present invention, the valve body and the valve body driving means may be separate bodies as in this embodiment, or may be integrated.

A ring-shaped packing 18 is mounted on the upper body 13, and a mounting nut 20 is attached to the upper body 13 via an adapter 19 screwed into a male thread of the water tap 4.
The main body 2 is attached to the water tap 4 by screwing the main body 2.

The interior of the upper body 13 has three water passages 2
1a, 21b, 21c by the partition plate 22 is opened,
It is partitioned into an upper chamber 23 and a lower chamber 24.

The upper chamber 23 has three balls (valve elements) 1.
1a, 11b, 11c are three water passages 21a, 21
b, 21c. Ball 1
1a is fitted into the water passage 21a, the lower end of the ball 11a projects into the lower chamber 24, and the water passage 21a is closed. The same applies to the balls 11b and 11c.

In the cylindrical lower chamber 24, the valve body driving means 1 is provided.
2 are provided rotatably, and O-rings 25a, 25b, 25c arranged at predetermined positions of the valve body driving means 12 are
It is engaged with the inner wall surface of the lower chamber 24 in a watertight manner. As a result, the lower chamber 24 is divided into three sections, a flow path leading from the water passage 21a to the raw water supply port 26 for supplying raw water to the filtration unit 3, a flow path leading from the water path 21b to the raw water straight port 15, A flow path from the water passage 21c to the raw water shower port 14 is formed.

As shown in FIG. 2, the valve body driving means 12 is provided at a position facing the water passages 21a, 21b, 21c.
Cam portions 27a, 27b and 27c are provided. The cam portions 27a, 27b, and 27c are connected to the valve body driving unit 12 shown in FIG.
As shown in the cross-sectional view of the cam portion, one of the cam portions 27a, 27b, and 27c is formed by rotating the valve body driving unit 12 by, for example, 40 degrees. Is selectively turned upward, and the lower end of the ball protruding into the lower chamber 24 is pushed up to form three water passages 21a and 21.
b, 21c can be opened. That is, by rotating the valve body driving means 12 by a predetermined angle by the switching operation means 17 described later, the water passage 21
a, 21b, or 21c is opened, and the raw water flowing from the water tap 6 is discharged as shower water as it is, or discharged as straight water as it is.
Can be supplied.

The materials of the balls (valve elements) 11a, 11b and 11c include rubbers such as nitrile rubber (NBR), ethylene propylene rubber (EPDM), fluorine rubber and silicon rubber, and iron, stainless steel and aluminum. Metals, and plastics and ceramics such as ABS resin, polypropylene, nylon (polyamide), and polyacetal may be used. In the case of using a relatively hard material such as metal or ceramics, it is preferable to attach rubber to opposing water passages. When a metal ball as a core is covered with rubber, the weight is heavier than that of rubber alone, and there is an effect of improving the sealing property. Further, the shape of the valve body is not limited to a spherical body, and may be conical or cylindrical,
It may be umbrella-shaped. In order to improve the sealing performance when the water passage is closed, it may be biased in the water passage direction.

On the side of the upper body 13, a joint 31 is
The joint 31 is provided with a raw water supply port 26 for supplying raw water to the filtration unit 3. Raw water supply port 26 and raw water receiving port 6 of filtration unit 3
2 is configured to be detachable by a bayonet mechanism.

Next, the switching operation means 17 for rotating the valve drive means 12 will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 8 to 10, the switching operation means 17 includes a lever 5, a ball receiving portion 41 which rotates integrally with the lever 5, a lever 5 and a ball receiving portion 41. (Transmission members) 42a, 42b, etc., for transmitting the turning force of the above to the valve body driving means 12.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the lever 5 is pivotally supported near both ends of the upper body 13 and the lower body 16, and rotates around the same central axis as the valve body driving means 12. ing. The lever 5 may be of a both-ends support type or a one-ends support type.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the lever 5 is pushed down in the direction of arrow A, the lever 5 is rotated counterclockwise (as viewed from the right side) until the lever 5 comes into contact with the operation stopper (rotation restricting means) 43. Case) rotate. When the operation is stopped and the finger is released while the lever 5 is in contact with the operation stopper 43, the torsion coil spring (return means) 44 rotates clockwise, and FIG.
(The sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 2) returns to the position before the rotation. As shown in FIG. 7, a protrusion 45 provided on the lever 5 has an origin stopper provided on the lower body.
(Rotation restricting means) The torsion coil spring 44
The repulsive force prevents the lever 5 from rotating clockwise. 8 shows a cross section taken along the line CC of FIG. 2 in a state where the lever 5 is in a position before the rotation, and FIG. 9 shows a state in which the lever 5 is rotated 8 ° counterclockwise. 10 is shown in FIG. 10, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 in which the lever 5 is rotated counterclockwise by 40 °.

The ball receiving portion 41 which rotates integrally with the lever 5 has a holding portion 51 for holding the steel balls 42a and 42b.
a and 51b, and recesses 52a and 52b of a movable steel ball larger than the steel ball are formed. On the other hand, the valve body driving means 12 has an engaging portion 5 with which the steel balls 42a and 42b engage.
3a and 53b are provided every 40 degrees. Further, sliding surfaces 54a and 54b are formed, which are continuous with the engaging portions 53a and 53b, and which move away from the central axis of the valve body driving means 12 as they extend clockwise.

As shown in FIG. 8, when the lever 5 is at the initial position, the steel ball 42a is stopped near the engaging portion 53a. When the lever 5 is depressed and rotated counterclockwise by 8 °, as shown in FIG.
When the lever 5 is further rotated in the counterclockwise direction by being sandwiched between the holding portion 51a of the first and the engagement portion 53a of the valve body driving means 12,
The ball receiving portion 41, the steel ball 42a, and the valve body driving means 12 rotate integrally. That is, the operating force applied to the lever 5 and the ball receiving portion 41 is transmitted to the valve body driving means 12 by the steel ball 42a. At this time, in the present invention, unlike the conventional method employing the ratchet mechanism, the claw portion formed of the resin molded product does not deform each time the operation is performed, so that the switching operation force transmitting portion is not damaged. It is unlikely to occur. When the lever 5 and the ball receiving portion 41 are rotated by 48 degrees from the initial position, the operation stopper 43
As a result, the rotation of the lever 5 is stopped. Therefore, the valve body driving means 12 accurately rotates and stops by 40 °, which is 8 ° smaller than the lever 5 and the ball receiving portion 41. Thereafter, when the finger is released from the lever 5, the torsion coil spring (return means) 44 rotates clockwise as described above.
At this time, the steel ball 42a is inserted into the concave portion 52 of the ball receiving portion 41.
a is pushed by the edge portion 55a of the a.
The concave portion 5 of the ball receiving portion 41 beyond the edge portion 56a of 4a
Enter 2a. That is, when the lever 5 rotates clockwise, the valve body driving means 12 does not rotate. Lever-5
When the steel ball 42a returns to the position before the rotation and stops, the steel ball 42a is moved from the concave portion 52a by its own weight to the adjacent engaging portion 53.
It falls to b and stops.

The movement of another steel ball 42b shown in FIGS. 8 to 10 is the same as that of the steel ball 42a. The concave portion 52b also stops at a position higher than the engaging portion 53 so that the steel ball 42b falls into the engaging portion 53 from the concave portion 52b at the initial position.

In this embodiment, two pairs of steel balls, holding portions and concave portions are provided, but one pair or three or more pairs may be provided. In the case of two pairs, even if one steel ball does not fall from the recessed portion to the engaging portion for some reason, if the other is at a normal position, the operating force of the switching operating means can be transmitted to the valve body driving means. Because it is possible, it can be said that it is more reliable than one pair.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the valve driving means 12 has a display member 81 indicating the switching state of the flow path.
Has been fixed. On the outer peripheral surface of the display member 81, "raw water shower", "raw water straight", and "purified water" (characters and sketches) are printed at intervals of 40 °, and are displayed through transparent windows 82 provided in the upper body. , One of which is visible. By operating the lever 5, the valve body driving means 12
Is rotated by 40 °, the display member 81 is also rotated by 40 ° and the display is switched. This display is for the purpose of confirming the switching state even when the water tap 4 is closed, and is not for adjusting the stop angle of the valve body driving means 12.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a coil spring 83 and small balls 84a, 84b
Is provided, and when the valve element operating means 12 stops, the small ball 84a,
84b fits into recesses (not shown) provided at 40 ° intervals in the upper body 13 and emits a sound, so that it can be recognized that the switching operation has been completed.

Next, the filtering section 3 will be briefly described.

As shown in the vertical sectional view of FIG. 3, the filtering section 3 is provided with a raw water receiving port 62 for receiving raw water from the raw water supply port 26 on the side of the container 61, and for filtering raw water at the lower portion. A plurality of shower ports (filtered water ports) 63 for discharging purified water are provided. In the container 61, a cylindrical body 64 in which the hollow fiber membrane bundle 68 is folded and stored in an inverted U-shape,
The container 61 is water-tightly erected by a cylindrical projection 61 a and an O-ring 65 formed on the inner bottom surface of the container 61. At the lower end of the hollow fiber membrane bundle, the space between the hollow fiber membranes and the space between the hollow fiber membrane and the cylindrical body 64 are sealed and fixed (potting) by the curable resin 69 at the lower part of the cylindrical body 64.
Each hollow fiber membrane is open toward the shower port 63. An adsorbent layer 70 made of activated carbon, zeolite, ion exchange resin, chelate resin or the like is provided between the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 64 and the inner wall surface of the container 61. A ring-shaped filter 6 above and below
6, 67 are provided. Further, the upper part of the container 61 is opened so that the hollow fiber membrane bundle 68 and the adsorbent 70 can be easily filled, and the transparent cap 71 is fitted so that the degree of dirt of the hollow fiber can be easily seen from the outside. Further, a lid 72 is provided on the transparent cap 71 so as to be detachable from the container 61.

Subsequently, the water purifier 1 configured as described above.
Will be described.

FIG. 2 shows a state in which the raw water is filtered by the filtration section 3 and discharged as purified water, and the lever 5 is in the initial position. When you open the tap 4 in this state,
The raw water flows in from the raw water inlet 28, passes through the water passage 21a opened by the cam portion 27a pushing up the ball 11a, and flows to the raw water supply port 26. Then, the water flows into the filtration unit through the raw water receiving port 62 of the filtration unit 3, is filtered by an adsorbent such as activated carbon and a hollow fiber membrane, and is then discharged from the shower port 63.

When the lever 5 is operated and rotated until it hits the operation stopper 43, the turning power of the lever 5 and the ball receiving portion 41 provided integrally with the lever 5 is increased by the steel ball 42a. , 42b to the valve body driving means 12, and the valve body driving means 12 rotates exactly 40 °. Then, instead of the cam portion 27a of the valve body driving means 12, 27c
Faces upward, the water passage 21a is closed, and the water passage 21c is opened. Therefore, the raw water is discharged from the raw water shower port 14 through the water passage 21c.

Then, when the finger is released from the lever 5, the lever 5 is rotated in the reverse direction by the torsion coil spring 44, and FIG.
And stops at the origin stopper 46 shown in FIG. At this time, the steel balls 42a and 42b are
b, the valve body driving means 12 does not rotate.

When the lever 5 is pushed down again,
As described above, the valve body driving means 12 rotates exactly 40 °,
The water passage 21c is closed and the water passage 21b is opened. Therefore, the raw water passes through the water passage 21b and is discharged from the raw water straight port 15.

As described above, the switching operation of the flow path is performed by the lever.
This can be achieved simply by pushing down and rotating the one in one direction.
If the lever 5 is rotated until the lever 5 hits the operation stopper 43, the valve body driving means 12 rotates by a required amount, and there is no problem that the flow path which needs to be closed is not closed. As a result, there is no need to accurately adjust the amount of rotation of the lever 5 and it is not necessary to visually check the amount of rotation each time the operation is performed. Further, unlike the conventional method employing the ratchet mechanism, the claw portion formed of the resin molded product does not deform each time the operation is performed, so that there is no problem that the operation force transmission portion is damaged. .

In the present invention, the holding portion 51 and the concave portion 52 are provided in the ball receiving portion 41 of the switching operation means, and the engaging portion 53 is provided in the valve body driving means 12 in the above embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 11, the switching operation means may be provided with an engaging portion, and the valve body driving means may be provided with a concave portion or the like.

Although the rotation angle of the valve body driving means 12 when the lever 5 is operated once is set to 40 °, the number of branch passages × ω (rotation angle) × n = 360 (where n is Positive integer)
If it satisfies, it does not have to be 40 °. As described above, if the number of branch channels is 3, ω = 120 when n = 1 and ω when n = 2.
= 60, n = 3, ω = 40, n = 4, ω = 30, n = 5
Ω = 24.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the lever 5 and the ball receiving portion 41 are of an integral type, but need not necessarily be of an integral type as long as rotational power can be transmitted. With a structure in which the rotational power is transmitted using gears or the like, the amount of rotation of the lever can be set arbitrarily.

[0043]

The flow path switching valve of the present invention comprises a plurality of flow paths, a valve element for selectively opening and closing each of the plurality of flow paths,
A valve body driving means for rotating in one direction and driving the valve body, a switching operation means for switching operation of opening and closing of the flow path, and a freely movable, transmitting operation force by the switching operation means to the valve body driving means; A transmission member, and one of the valve body driving means and the switching operation means is provided with an engagement portion with which the transmission member is engaged at the time of the switching operation, and the other is provided with a recessed portion of the transmission member. The operating force of the switching operation means is transmitted to the valve body driving means via the transmission member engaged with the joining portion, and the valve body driving means can be rotated. Since the transmission member is freely movable, it is not required to be elastically deformed at the time of switching the flow path, so that the transmission member is not easily damaged. Further, when the operation of returning the switching operating means to the position before the rotation is performed, the valve driving means does not rotate because the transmitting member enters the recess.

In the case where the switching operation means performs the switching operation of the flow path by rotation and has a rotation restricting means for restricting the amount of rotation of the switching operation means, the switching operation means is set at a predetermined angle. It is possible to rotate easily and accurately only, and the valve body driving means can be accurately rotated by a predetermined angle. That is, the flow path can be easily and reliably switched, and it is not necessary to visually confirm the stop angle every time the operation is performed unlike the conventional flow path switching valve. Further, the switching operation means performs the switching operation of the flow path by rotation, and,
In the case where there is provided a rotating lever and a return means for returning the lever to the position before the rotation, the switching operation means can be easily rotated by the lever, and when the lever is released, the switching operation means is automatically initialized. Since the lever returns to the position, it is possible to switch the flow path many times simply by rotating the lever in one direction at a certain easy-to-operate position, which is very convenient.

Further, when the transmitting member is a sphere or a column, the transmitting member is smoothly moved from the engaging portion to the concave portion and from the concave portion to the next engaging portion.
And the power can be transmitted reliably.

When the above-described flow path switching valve is applied to a water purifier provided with a filtration unit accommodating a filter medium, the flow path can be switched easily and reliably, so that it can be used in a kitchen or the like. In addition, selection of raw water and purified water can be easily and reliably performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing a state in which a water purifier equipped with a flow path switching valve according to one embodiment of the present invention is attached to a water tap.

FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a main body of the water purifier shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic vertical sectional view of a filtration unit of the water purifier shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a schematic top view of the water purifier shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a schematic right side view of the water purifier shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a cam portion provided in the valve body driving means.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line CC of FIG. 2 in an initial position.

FIG. 9 shows the lever and the switching operation means at 8 ° from the initial position.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. 2 when rotated.

FIG. 10 shows the lever and the switching operation means moved from the initial position to 4
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. 2 when rotated by 8 °.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view of a switching operation means of a flow path switching valve according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: water purifier 2: main body part 3: filtration part 4: tap water tap 5: lever 11a: ball (valve element) 11b: ball (valve element) 11c: ball (valve element) 12: valve Body driving means 13: Upper body 14: Raw water shower port 15: Raw water straight port 16: Lower body 17: Switching operation means 18: Packing 19: Adapter 20: Mounting nut 21a: Water path 21b: Water path 21c: Water path 22: Partition plate 23: Upper chamber 24: Lower chamber 25a: O-ring 25b: O-ring 25c: O-ring 26: Raw water supply port 27a: Cam section 27b: Cam section 27c: Cam section 28: Raw water inlet 31: Joint 32: O Ring 41: ball receiving portion 42a: steel ball (transmission member) 42b: steel ball (transmission member) 43: operation stopper (rotation restricting means) 44 : Torsion coil spring (return means) 45: concave part 46: origin stopper (rotation restricting means) 51 a: holding part 51 b: holding part 52 a: concave part 52 b: concave part 53 a: engaging part 53 b: engaging part 54 a: Sliding surface 54b: Sliding surface 55a: Edge 55b: Edge 61: Container 61a: Cylindrical projection 62: Raw water receiving port 63: Shower port 64: Cylindrical body 65: O-ring 66: Filter 67: Filter 68: Hollow fiber membrane Bundle 69: Curable resin 70: Adsorbent layer 71: Transparent cap 72: Lid 81: Display member 82: Transparent window 83: Coil spring 84a: Small ball 84b: Small ball

Claims (6)

[Claims] A plurality of flow paths; a valve element provided in each flow path;
A valve body driving means provided to be rotatable in one direction and acting on a valve body to selectively switch a plurality of flow paths; a switching operation means for switching a flow path by the valve body driving means; A movably provided transmission member for transmitting an operation force by the operation means to the valve body driving means, and the transmission member is engaged with one of the valve body driving means and the switching operation means when the flow path is switched. A flow path switching valve having an engaging portion and a concave portion for allowing a transmitting member to escape therefrom. 2. The flow path switching valve according to claim 1, wherein the switching operation means is provided rotatably and has rotation restricting means for restricting the amount of rotation. 3. The switching operation means includes a lever provided rotatably.
3. The flow path switching valve according to claim 1, further comprising a return means for returning the lever to a position before the rotation. 4. The flow path switching valve according to claim 1, wherein the transmission member is a sphere. 5. The flow path switching valve according to claim 1, wherein the transmission member is a cylindrical body. 6. A water purifier comprising: the flow path switching valve according to claim 1; and a filtration unit containing a filter medium.