JP2002201682A - Feed water supply device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To actuate and open an electrically driven valve provided on a channel, even if a feed water supply device stopping the supply of water by supplying power to the valve to close the valve is provided in a place where it is difficult to operate, or if there is no power supply. SOLUTION: The feed water supply device 10 has a solenoid valve 34 provided on a channel 32 and opened and closed to supply water and to stop the supply of water. A plunger valve element is remotely operated for movement by operation of a foot pedal 37 without depending on a power source that stores electric power in advance, so as to actuate the valve 34 for opening. Then a magnet is moved together with the foot pedal 37 and its magnetic force is exerted on the plunger valve element by means of a magnetic force transmitting member 41 to move the valve element to an opened position.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a water supply device suitable for use in flushing devices for toilets such as faucets and flush valves, and more particularly to water supply and opening by opening and closing an electrically driven valve such as a solenoid valve provided on a water channel. The present invention relates to a water supply device for stopping water supply, and particularly to a water supply device having a characteristic in an operation means of an electric drive valve.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventionally, a human body is sensed by a sensor, and based on the sensing, an electric drive valve provided on a water channel is automatically opened to supply water, and after a certain amount of water flows, A water supply device that closes an electric drive valve to stop water supply, or automatically stops an electric drive valve to stop water supply when a person moves and deviates from sensing by a sensor. The water supply device is used as a faucet device such as an automatic faucet, or as a flushing device for a toilet such as a flush valve.

However, in the case of this type of conventional water supply apparatus, a power supply for opening and closing the electrically driven valve is required. Electric wiring work for connection to the water supply device is required, and the work for installing the water supply device becomes large, and the installation cost of the water supply device becomes high. Furthermore, when a commercial power supply is used as a power supply, the water supply device becomes inoperable during a power failure.

On the other hand, when a battery such as a dry battery is used as a power source, the amount of power that can be stored in advance is limited.
If the human body is constantly sensed by using the electric power, the electric power will be consumed during that time. In addition, when the electric drive valve is opened, a large amount of electric power will be consumed temporarily. There is a problem that tends to cause cutting. In this type of water supply device, if the battery runs out, the water supply device becomes inoperable.

[0005] In this case, for example, it is conceivable to provide a generator provided with a water wheel that rotates in a water flow on a water channel. By doing so, it is possible to generate electric power using the water flow and to close the electric drive valve using the electric power. Alternatively, sensing by a sensor can be performed using the electric power generated there. Thus, even when a battery is used as a power source, power consumption of the battery can be suppressed, and the battery life can be extended.

[0006] However, even in such a case, electric power for opening the electric drive valve is still required, and it is difficult to perform the operation from the start of water supply to the stop of water supply with no power supply as long as a normal electric drive valve is used. .

Therefore, it is conceivable to open an electrically driven valve such as a solenoid valve by a human operation without using a power source in which electric power is stored in advance. In such a case, the water supply device can be operated without a power source. It is also possible to work. Alternatively, even when a power supply is used, it is possible to reduce the power required when the electric drive valve is opened, and to suppress power consumption.

[0008] However, in general, an electrically driven valve such as a solenoid valve of a faucet device is located at a deep portion under a counter or inside a kitchen cabinet, and also in a flushing device for flushing a toilet such as a flush valve. Is usually installed in a place where it is difficult to operate, and in such a case, it is difficult for the user to directly operate the electric drive valve to operate the water supply device.

[0009]

The water supply device of the present invention has been devised to solve such a problem. According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a water supply apparatus, wherein an electrically driven electric drive valve having a plunger valve body made of a magnetic material is provided on a water channel, and water supply and water supply stoppage are performed by opening and closing the electric drive valve. Wherein the plunger valve body is remotely operated and moved by a human operation without using a power source that stores electric power in advance, and the electric drive valve is actuated. And

According to a second aspect, in the first aspect, the electric drive valve is an electromagnetic valve.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, as a remote control device for the remote control, an operation force applied by an operation unit is applied to the plunger valve body at a position separated from the operation unit. It is characterized by using a device having a transmitting means for transmitting.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect, the transmission means has a non-stretchable inner member and an outer member that allows the inner member to pass therethrough and guide the movement of the inner member. There is a feature.

A fifth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the third aspect, the transmitting means has an air tube and internal air, and transmits the operating force using the air as a medium.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the third to fifth aspects, the remote control device has a moving member that is moved by the transmission means.

According to a seventh aspect, in the sixth aspect, the moving member is a magnet, and the plunger valve body is moved by a magnetic attractive force or a repulsive force.

According to a eighth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first and second aspects, as the remote control device for the remote control,
A magnet that moves in position with the operating unit, and a magnetic force transmitting member made of a magnetic material that transmits a magnetic force to the plunger valve body by contact with the magnet and moves the plunger valve body by magnetic attraction or repulsion. It is characterized by using what is provided.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to eighth aspects, the operation of opening the electric drive valve is performed by remote control, and the operation of closing the valve is performed by supplying power to the electric drive valve. It is characterized by the following.

According to claim 10, in claim 9,
A hydraulic power generator is provided on the water channel to generate power using the water flow in the water channel, and the power generated by the hydraulic power generator is supplied to the electric drive valve.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to tenth aspects, the electric drive valve maintains the open state after the valve is opened and the closed state after the valve is closed without power supply. It is characterized by being a latch type valve.

A twelfth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the eleventh aspect, the latch-type electrically driven valve has a latch magnet that holds the valve in a valve-opening position by a magnetic force.

[0021]

As described above, the water supply device of the present invention comprises a plunger valve element of an electric drive valve made of a magnetic material.
In this water supply device, the electric drive valve is operated, for example, under a counter, by moving it by remote operation by a person without using a power source that stores power in advance and operating the electric drive valve. Even in the case where the operation part is installed at an appropriate position in the back part, the inside of the cabinet, or the rear part of the toilet bowl, the electric drive valve can be smoothly and smoothly operated by providing the operation part at an appropriate position. .

Here, the electric drive valve may be an electromagnetic valve (claim 2).

In the present invention, the remote control device may have a transmission means for transmitting the operation force applied by the operation section to the plunger valve body at a position separated therefrom (claim 3). . With this configuration, the operating force applied by the operating section can be transmitted to the plunger valve body by the transmitting means, and can be moved.

Here, the means for transmitting the operating force may include a non-stretchable inner member, and an outer member that allows the inner member to be inserted thereinto and guides its movement (claim 4). .

Alternatively, the transmitting means may include an air tube and internal air, and transmit the operating force using the air as a medium. In these cases, the remote control device can be provided with a moving member that moves by the transmission means. Further, in this case, the moving member may be a magnet, and the plunger valve may be moved by a magnetic attraction or repulsive force of the magnet (claim 7).

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a remote control device, wherein a magnet which moves together with the operation unit and a magnetic force is transmitted to the plunger valve body by contact with the magnet, and this is converted into a magnetic attractive force or a repulsive force. And a magnetic force transmitting member made of a magnetic material to be moved by moving the plunger valve in this case.

In the present invention, while the valve-opening operation of the electric drive valve is performed by remote control, the valve closing operation can be performed by supplying power to the electric drive valve (claim 9).

In this case, it is possible to provide a hydraulic power generator on the water channel and supply the electric power generated by the hydraulic power generator to the electric drive valve to close it. . In this case, it is possible to operate the water supply device that supplies and stops water supply by opening and closing the electric drive valve without power supply.

If the water supply device can be operated without a power supply, it is not necessary to perform complicated and large-scale electrical wiring work unlike a conventional water supply device using a commercial power supply. The installation cost can be kept low. Further, the water supply device can be operated without any trouble even during a power failure.

In this case, in the present invention, a latch-type valve that maintains the open state after opening and the closed state after power-off without power supply can be used as the electrically driven valve ( Claim 11). By using such a latch-type valve, it is not necessary to supply power to the electrically driven valve to keep the valve open after the valve is opened, and power is supplied only when the valve is closed. Can be closed. Therefore, the power consumption can be reduced by using the latch type electric drive valve. Also, without necessarily relying on a generator using water flow,
It becomes easy to close the electrically driven valve at a necessary timing by using another power source.

In the case of using the latch-type electric drive valve, a latch magnet can be provided in the electric drive valve so that the valve body reaching the valve opening position can be held by the magnetic force. (Claim 12). With this configuration, a latch-type electrically driven valve can be configured with a simple configuration.

[0032]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which the water supply device of the present invention is applied as a kitchen faucet device will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 denotes a water supply device serving as a faucet device of the kitchen, 12 denotes a sink, 14 denotes a cabinet of the sink 12, and 16 denotes a counter that forms a top plate. On this counter 16, a water discharging unit 20 is installed in an upright state. The water discharge unit 20 itself has a water supply and water supply stop function and has a water discharge main body 22. The water discharge unit 20 performs water discharge and water discharge stop therein, and controls a water discharge temperature by adjusting a mixing amount of water and hot water. A built-in valve is provided.

A water discharge pipe 26 extends upward from the water discharge main body 22 above the sink 18, and discharges water from the water discharge port 28 at the end thereof toward the sink 18.

An operation lever 24 of a single lever type is provided on the upper part of the water discharge main body 22 so as to be rotatable vertically and horizontally. In the case of this example, the water discharge and the water discharge stop are performed by rotating the operation lever 24 up and down, and the water discharge temperature is adjusted by rotating the operation lever 24 right and left.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 30 denotes a main pipe for water supply and hot water supply protruding into the cabinet 14 from the rear wall of the cabinet 14, and water and hot water from these main pipes 30 are supplied to a water passage 32 and a hot water passage 32, respectively. The water is sent to the water discharging section 20 through In this example, the waterway 32 inside the cabinet 14
Main body mechanism 35 of water supply device 10 having solenoid valve 34 on top
Is provided.

On the other hand, a foot pedal 37 as a remote control unit is provided outside the cabinet 14 and at the feet, and the foot pedal 37 and the electromagnetic valve 34 are substantially formed by a magnetic force transmitting plate (magnetic force transmitting member) 41. Connected.

In this example, as shown in detail in FIG. 3, the solenoid valve 34 is a pilot valve for pilot-operating the main valve having the main valve element 36 as a main component.
This is a latch-type valve that maintains the open state after opening the valve and the closed state after closing the valve without power supply.

The main valve element 36 is a diaphragm type valve element. When the main valve element 36 is seated on the valve seat 38, the water passage 3 is closed.
2 is shut off. That is, the upstream waterway 32a and the downstream waterway 3
2b is in a non-communication state. A back pressure chamber 40 is formed on the back side (upper side in the figure) of the main valve body 36, and the main valve body 36 is normally in a state of being seated on the valve seat 38 by the pressure inside the back pressure chamber 40. .

The back pressure chamber 40 and the downstream water passage 32b are
The main valve body 36 communicates with a center hole 42 formed in the center thereof, and the center hole 42 is closed by a plunger valve body 44 made of a magnetic material.

When the plunger valve body 44 moves upward in the drawing, the water in the back pressure chamber 40 flows out to the downstream water passage 32b, that is, the pressure in the back pressure chamber 40 decreases. As a result, the valve is opened by the water supply pressure of the upstream water passage 32a.

On the other hand, when the plunger valve body 44 moves downward in FIG. 3 and the center hole 42 is closed, the upstream water passage 32a is closed.
The water in the back pressure chamber 40 passes through a small hole formed in the main valve body 36
, Whereby the pressure inside the back pressure chamber 40 increases, and the main valve body 36 finally closes due to the pressure.

Reference numeral 46 denotes a solenoid coil of the solenoid valve 34, and the plunger valve body 44 is pushed downward in the drawing by the electromagnetic repulsive force of the solenoid coil 46. The plunger valve body 44 includes a spring 48
The valve is biased downward in the drawing, i.e., in the valve closing direction, and when moved to the valve opening position, the valve is opened against the biasing force of the spring 48 by the magnetic force of the latch magnet 52 provided inside the casing 50. Is held. After the plunger valve body 44 moves to the valve closing position, the valve is kept closed by the urging force of the spring 48.

As shown in FIG. 3, the foot pedal 3
7 is rotatable around a shaft 54 and is constantly urged in a return direction by a spring 56. This foot pedal 37 also has a magnet 5 on its back side.
8 is attached, and its magnet 58 moves in position with the rotation of the foot pedal 37.

The magnet 58 is shown in FIG.
When the foot pedal 37 is depressed as shown in FIG. 3 (II) from the state described above, the magnetic force transmission plate 41 is brought into contact with the magnetic force transmission plate 41, and the magnetic force of the magnet 58 is transmitted to the electromagnetic valve.

Here, as shown in FIG. 3 (II), the plunger valve body 44 made of a magnetic material is pulled up in the figure, and is held in the pulled up state, that is, the valve opened state by the latch magnet 52. You. Then, the main valve body 36 is opened by the water supply pressure of the upstream water passage 32a,
Here, the water channel 32 is in a water-passing state, and water and hot water from the water supply and hot water supply main pipe 30 are discharged from the water discharge section 2 on the counter 16.
Sent to 0. At this time, when the operation lever 24 is in the open operation state, the water and hot water sent to the water discharging section 20 are discharged from the water discharging main body 2.
The water is mixed inside 2 and discharged from the water discharge port 28 at the tip of the water discharge pipe 26 toward the sink 18.

Since the solenoid valve 34 is a latch-type valve, the solenoid valve 34 remains open even if the foot pedal 37 depressed as shown in FIG. State is maintained.

As shown in FIG. 2, in this example, a hydraulic power generator 62 for generating power by rotating a water wheel 60 is provided on a water channel 32. That is, power is generated by the hydraulic power generator 62 by the water flow inside the water channel 32. The electric power generated by the hydraulic power generator 62 is supplied to the electromagnetic valve 34 via the valve driving unit 66 under the control of the control unit 64, whereby the electromagnetic valve 34 is closed.

In the water supply apparatus 10 of the present embodiment as described above, even if the solenoid valve 34 is located in a place where operation inside the cabinet 14 is difficult, the valve can be smoothly and smoothly opened.

In the water supply apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the valve opening operation of the solenoid valve 34 is performed by remote operation by a human operation without using a power source, and the valve closing operation is performed by the electric power generated by the hydraulic power generator 62. Is done by supplying
The water supply device 10 can be operated without power supply from the start of water supply to the stop of water supply, so that it is not necessary to perform troublesome and large-scale electrical wiring work unlike a water supply device using a conventional commercial power supply. Installation cost can be kept low. Further, the water supply device 10 can be operated without any trouble even during a power failure.

Since the water supply device 10 of this embodiment uses the latch type solenoid valve 34, the solenoid valve 3 is continuously operated after the valve is opened.
It is not necessary to supply power to the power supply 4 and power can be supplied and closed only when the valve is closed, so that power consumption can be reduced.

The water supply device 10 of the present invention is not only configured as a faucet device as shown in the above embodiment, but also as a toilet flushing device for supplying flush water to the toilet to perform flushing.
Alternatively, it can be applied as other various water supply devices. In this case, the integrated flow rate of the water flowing through the water channel 32 is measured, and when the flow rate reaches a predetermined constant flow rate, the solenoid valve 34 is closed to thereby supply the water from the fixed water stop device, that is, the water supply port. After the start, the water supply can be automatically stopped when the amount of supplied water reaches a certain amount of supplied water.

In this case, as means for measuring the integrated flow rate, a pulse is generated by rotation of the water wheel 60 in the hydroelectric generator 62 and the number of pulses is counted to measure the integrated flow rate, or the control unit 64 With a function, it is possible to measure the integrated flow rate by measuring the time from the start of water supply. Alternatively, the electric power generated by the hydroelectric generator 62 may be charged (stored) in a capacitor, and the amount of water until the charged voltage becomes a constant voltage may be measured as an integrated flow rate.

FIG. 4 uses a condenser as the measuring means,
An example of a case where the water supply device 10 is configured as a fixed amount water stopping device is conceptually shown. In this figure, the hydroelectric generator 62
The electric power generated in is charged in the capacitor 68, and when the charging voltage of the capacitor 68 reaches the set value as shown in FIG. 5A, the valve driving unit 66 is driven by the signal from the control unit 64. , The driving power is supplied to the solenoid valve 34. Here, the solenoid valve 34 is closed, and the flow of water through the water channel 32 is stopped. That is, the water supply from the water supply port 63 is stopped.

For power supply to the solenoid valve 34, the power generated by the hydraulic power generator 62 may be supplied directly to the solenoid valve 34, or the power stored in the capacitor 68 may be discharged to release the solenoid valve 34. May be supplied.

The charging voltage of the condenser 68 increases in proportion to the total rotation amount of the water wheel 60 in the hydraulic generator 62, that is, the integrated flow rate of the water passage 32. When the charging voltage reaches the set value, the solenoid valve 34 is closed by the valve drive unit 66 as shown in FIG. 5B.

In the above embodiment, the solenoid valve 34 is remotely operated by depressing the foot pedal 37. Of course, the remote operation unit is provided at a certain height.
By manually operating this, the solenoid valve 34 can be opened by remote control.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show another embodiment of the remote control device. In FIG. 6, reference numeral 70 denotes a remote operation unit. When the remote operation unit 70 is pushed by hand or foot, air pressure is generated in the pump unit 72. The generated air pressure is transmitted to the cylinder 76 provided on the solenoid valve 34 side through the air tube 74, and as shown in FIG. 7, the piston 78 therein is pushed down by the air pressure in the figure. A magnet 58 is provided at the distal end of the piston 78. When the magnet 58 is pushed downward in the drawing, the plunger valve body 36 made of a magnetic material is pulled upward in the drawing, and the pulling position,
That is, the state is maintained at the valve opening position. As a result, the water channel 32 is opened, and water flows through the water channel 32.

After the solenoid valve 34 is opened, drive power is supplied to the solenoid coil 46, and the solenoid valve 34 is closed by energization of the solenoid coil 46 as in the above embodiment. . Further, the remote operation unit 70 that has been pushed is returned to the original position by the spring 56, which is the same as in the above embodiment.

FIG. 8 shows still another embodiment of the remote control device. This example is an example in which a transmission means includes a non-stretchable inner member and an outer member that penetrates the inner member and guides movement of the inner member. Specifically, in this example, the release 80 is used as the transmission means.

The release 80 is a release wire (inner member) 82 which is flexible and non-stretchable in the axial direction.
And an outer tube (outer member) 84 through which the release wire 82 is inserted to serve as a guide during movement. One end of the release wire 82 is connected to the remote control unit 70 and the other end is connected to the push pin 86, and when an operation force is applied to the remote control unit 70,
The operating force is transmitted to the push pin 86 with the movement of the release wire 82. As a result, the push pin 86 is pushed upward in the figure. Then, the plunger valve body 44 of the solenoid valve 34 is pushed upward by the push pin 86 in the figure, and the solenoid valve 34 is opened. The remote control unit 7
0 is urged by a spring 56 in the return direction.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, but this is merely an example. For example, in the above example, the hydraulic power generator 62 is provided, and the solenoid valve 34 is operated to close with the electric power generated there. However, a power source such as a primary battery or a secondary battery may be separately provided depending on the case. It is also possible to make the electromagnetic valve 34 be closed by the power supply.

Further, in some cases, the solenoid valve 34 can be closed using a commercial power supply. In the above example, the plunger valve body 44 is moved to the valve opening position by remote control only when the solenoid valve 34 is opened. However, when a commercial power supply or the like is used, the It is also possible to move the plunger valve body 44 to the valve closing position by remote control. Furthermore, the water supply device of the present invention can be applied not only to kitchen faucets and other faucet devices, but also applicable to flushing devices such as flush valves and other water supply devices. It can be configured in a form in which various changes are made without departing from the gist thereof.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a water supply device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of the water supply device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the configuration and operation of a solenoid valve in the water supply device of the same embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a case where the water supply device of the present invention is configured as a constant-quantity water stopping device.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of the principle of fixed water stoppage of the water supply device of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a view showing another example of the remote control device in the water supply device of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an operation explanatory view showing a state of operation of the solenoid valve by the remote operation device in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing still another embodiment of the remote control device in the water supply device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Water supply device 32 Water path 34 Solenoid valve (Electric drive valve) 37 Foot pedal (Remote operation part) 41 Magnetic force transmission plate (Magnetic force transmission member) 44 Plunger valve body 52 Latch magnet 58 Magnet 62 Hydroelectric generator 70 Remote operation part 74 Air tube 80 Release (transmission means) 82 Release wire (inner member) 84 Outer tube (outer member)

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Yasuhiro Shirai 5-1-1 Koiehoncho, Tokoname-shi, Aichi Prefecture Inax Corporation (72) Inventor Tomoyuki Mizuno 5-1-1 Koiehonmachi, Tokoname-city, Aichi Prefecture Inax Corporation F term (reference) 2D060 CA07 CA15 3H056 AA03 BB32 BB50 CA08 CB02 CD06 DD04 GG05 3H106 DA07 DA13 DA27 DA35 DB02 DB12 DB23 DB32 DC02 DD03 EE22 EE48 FB29 GA15 GC16 GC29 KK06

Claims (12)

[Claims] An electric drive valve having a plunger valve body made of a magnetic material and electrically driven is provided on a water channel, and water supply and water supply stop are performed by opening and closing the electric drive valve. In the water supply device, the plunger valve body is remotely operated and moved by a human operation without using a power source in which electric power is stored in advance, and the electric drive valve is operated. 2. The water supply device according to claim 1, wherein the electric drive valve is a solenoid valve. 3. The remote control device for remote control according to claim 1, wherein a transmission means for transmitting an operation force applied by an operation unit to the plunger valve body at a position separated from the operation unit. A water supply device characterized by using what is provided. 4. The transmission device according to claim 3, wherein the transmission means includes a non-stretchable inner member and an outer member that penetrates the inner member and guides the movement of the inner member. Water supply. 5. The water supply device according to claim 3, wherein the transmitting means has an air tube and internal air, and transmits the operating force using the air as a medium. 6. The water supply device according to claim 3, wherein the remote control device has a moving member that is moved by the transmission means. 7. The water supply device according to claim 6, wherein the moving member is a magnet, and moves the plunger valve element by magnetic attraction or repulsion. 8. The plunger valve according to claim 1, wherein the remote control device for the remote control transmits a magnet force to the plunger valve body by contacting the magnet with the operation unit. And a magnetic force transmitting member made of a magnetic material for moving the plunger valve body by magnetic attraction or repulsion. 9. The electric drive valve according to claim 1, wherein the electric drive valve is opened by remote control, while the electric valve is closed by supplying power to the electric drive valve. A water supply device characterized by the above-mentioned. 10. A hydraulic power generator according to claim 9, wherein a hydraulic power generator is provided on the water channel to generate electric power by a water flow in the water channel, and the electric power generated by the hydraulic power generator is supplied to the electric drive valve. A water supply device characterized by the above-mentioned. 11. A latch-type valve according to claim 1, wherein said electrically driven valve maintains an open state after opening and a closed state after closing without power supply. A water supply device, characterized in that: 12. The water supply device according to claim 11, wherein the latch-type electrically driven valve has a latch magnet for holding a valve body in a valve-open position by a magnetic force.