JP2007239230A - Kitchen faucet and kitchen counter - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a kitchen faucet which automatically changes its spouting location or spouting direction and spouts water in a wide range in a sink, and to provide a kitchen counter which is provided with the kitchen faucet. <P>SOLUTION: In the kitchen counter 500, a movable faucet 720 of the kitchen faucet 700 is provided with a driving section 721 to which water is fed from water works, and a spouting section 722 to which water is fed from the driving section 721, for spouting the water. The spouting section 722 is formed of a connection pipe 723 and a nozzle 724 having spouting holes 725 formed in a side surface thereof. The driving section 721 drives the spouting section 722 to carry out reciprocative rotation about a central axis of the connection pipe 723 and the nozzle 724 as a rotating axis, based on pressure or momentum of the fed water. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a kitchen faucet capable of discharging water over a wide range and a kitchen counter equipped with the kitchen faucet.

  Usually, in a kitchen counter, a kitchen faucet for discharging water into the sink is provided above the sink. For such kitchen faucets, water can be discharged over a wide area in the sink by changing the water discharge position or direction when washing many dishes at once or washing large dishes. Is preferred.

  Therefore, Patent Document 1 proposes a technique of providing a water discharge pipe for washing dishes in addition to a normal water discharge head. That is, the faucet described in Patent Document 1 is provided with a water discharge pipe having a long hole formed along its longitudinal direction, and can switch between discharging water from the water discharge head or discharging water from the water discharge pipe. It is said that. Moreover, the water discharge pipe is rotatably attached to the faucet body. Patent Document 1 describes that water can be discharged over a wide area in the sink.

JP 2000-027248 A

  However, the conventional faucet described in Patent Document 1 has the following problems. That is, in order to discharge water over a wide area in the sink, the user must continue to manually rotate the water discharge pipe, and the user's hand is blocked. On the other hand, in order to clean tableware, it is usually necessary for the user to work with both hands. Therefore, it is inconvenient because the user cannot discharge water over a wide range while washing the dishes.

  The present invention has been made on the basis of recognition of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to automatically change the water discharge position or direction to discharge water to a wide range in the sink and the kitchen water tap. It is to provide a kitchen counter with a stopper.

According to one aspect of the invention,
A drive that generates reciprocating motion using the supplied water;
The reciprocating motion is imparted by the drive unit, and the water is supplied from the drive unit to discharge the water.
A kitchen faucet characterized by comprising:

According to another aspect of the invention,
A kitchen counter comprising the kitchen faucet is provided.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the water faucet position or direction can be changed automatically, and the kitchen faucet and kitchen counter which can discharge water to the wide range in a sink are realizable.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a kitchen counter according to this embodiment. FIG. 1 shows an example in which the kitchen counter according to the present embodiment is installed in a kitchen room of a general house.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the present embodiment, a sink 600 is provided on the upper surface of the kitchen counter 500, and an overhang portion 602 is provided on one side of the upper surface of the kitchen counter 500 behind the sink 600. A kitchen faucet 700 is installed on the upper surface of the overhang portion 602. In the kitchen faucet 700, a normal faucet 710, a movable faucet 720, and a valve 730 are provided. The valve 730 communicates with a water supply (not shown) and switches whether water supplied from the water supply is discharged from the normal water tap 710 or the movable water tap 720.

The movable faucet 720 is provided with a drive unit 721 to which water is supplied from the water supply, and a water discharge unit 722 that is supplied with water from the drive unit 721 and discharges the water.
The water outlet 722 is connected to the drive unit 721 and connected to the connecting pipe 723 into which the water discharged by the drive unit 721 flows, and the water supplied to the downstream side of the connecting pipe 723 through the connecting pipe 723. And a nozzle 724 for discharging water into the sink 600. The nozzle 724 is a straight pipe, one end of which is connected to the connecting pipe 723 and the other end is sealed, and a plurality of water outlet holes 725 are formed on the side surface.
The drive unit 721 reciprocates and rotates the water discharge unit 722 around the central axis of the connection pipe 723 and the nozzle 724 using the pressure or momentum of the supplied water. The configuration of the drive unit 721 will be described in detail later with a specific example.

  Note that, for example, a gas or electric water heater (not shown) is provided on the upstream side of the tap water connected to the kitchen faucet 700, and water of a desired temperature is supplied to the kitchen faucet 700. Supplied. That is, in this specification, there is no restriction | limiting in the temperature of "water", It shall include both what is called "cold water" and "hot water." In addition to tap water, “water” includes functional water used as kitchen water, for example, purified water, water whose pH has been changed, and the like. Furthermore, the normal water tap 710 can control both the temperature and the flow rate of the water to be discharged, for example, by operating a lever. Note that the normal water tap 710 may not be provided. Furthermore, a drain outlet 601 is provided at the bottom of the sink 600 and communicates with a sewer (not shown). Furthermore, in addition to the sink 600 and the kitchen faucet 700, the kitchen counter 500 may be provided with a detergent nozzle, a water purification nozzle, and the like. A storage or the like may be provided.

Next, the operation of the kitchen faucet according to this embodiment will be described.
In the kitchen faucet 700, water is supplied from the water supply to the drive unit 721 of the movable faucet 720 by switching the valve 730. Accordingly, the drive unit 721 uses the pressure or momentum of the water to rotate the connection pipe 723 and the nozzle 724 of the water discharge unit 722 as indicated by an arrow M with the central axis as a rotation axis. Water is discharged to the tube 723. The water discharged to the connecting pipe 723 flows through the connecting pipe 723 and flows into the nozzle 724, and flows out as water W from the water outlet hole 725. At this time, since the nozzle 724 is reciprocatingly rotated, the water discharge direction from the water discharge hole 725 is repeatedly changed within a certain angle range. As a result, water can be discharged from a wide range in the sink 600.

Next, the effect of the kitchen faucet according to the present embodiment will be described.
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the water discharger 722 changes the water discharge direction by supplying water to the water discharger 722 while the driving unit 721 reciprocates the water discharger 722. While being able to drain water. Thereby, water can be discharged to a wide range in the sink 600. Moreover, since the change in the direction of water discharge is automatically performed, the user can freely use both hands. That is, water can be discharged in a wide range in a hands-free manner.

  Thereby, for example, these dishes can be washed while spraying water evenly on a large amount of dishes or large dishes. As a result, it is possible to perform a flow operation when pre-washing or rinsing the tableware. Alternatively, by putting unwashed dishes or dishes with detergent bubbles in a dedicated drainer, and discharging water from the dishes, a large amount of dishes can be prewashed or rinsed at once. Or when washing large dishes such as a pot, the entire pot can be sprayed with little movement. Thereby, the labor which moves a heavy pan can be reduced.

  Moreover, since water can be poured from various angles with respect to a to-be-washed object, when washing vegetables etc., the stain | pollution | contamination attached to various parts of vegetables can be removed efficiently. Furthermore, since the water discharge angle is temporally changed, the water flow discharged to a certain portion at a certain moment is sufficiently strong, and the effect of removing dirt can be sufficiently exerted.

  On the other hand, if only a wide range is to be wetted, for example, a plurality of water discharge pipes that do not move automatically as described in Patent Document 1 are provided, and water is simultaneously spread over a wide range without moving the water discharge pipe. A method of spreading the water flow and a method of dispersing a water flow by providing a large number of water outlet holes in the lower half of a single water discharge pipe are also conceivable. Can be wet, but the cleaning effect by the water flow is small.

  Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the water discharge direction is changed by rotating the straight tubular nozzle 724 disposed on the back side of the sink 600, water can be discharged over a wide range in the sink 600. Nevertheless, the kitchen faucet 700 can be downsized and installation space can be saved.

  Furthermore, since the drive part 721 produces | generates a reciprocating rotational motion using the pressure or the force of the water supplied from the water supply, it is not necessary to use electric power. Therefore, since it is not necessary to provide a motor or the like and no countermeasures against electric leakage are required, the cost is low, the size is compact, and the power cost is not required. Moreover, since the water used for generating the reciprocating rotational motion is discharged as it is, there is no waste water and it is economical.

Next, the specific example for implement | achieving the drive part 721 of the kitchen faucet 700 which concerns on this embodiment is demonstrated.
First, a first specific example will be described. The drive unit in this specific example is a positive displacement drive unit that generates a reciprocating rotational motion using the pressure of water.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the drive unit of this example.
FIG. 3 is a perspective cross-sectional view illustrating the drive unit of this example.
FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the drive unit as seen from the bottom side, and FIG. 4B is a perspective cross-sectional view thereof.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the drive unit according to this example as seen from the side.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA ′ shown in FIG.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a main valve and a slide bar in the drive unit according to the specific example.

  The drive unit 100 according to this specific example is a specific example of the drive unit 721 shown in FIG. In the drive unit 100, a housing 102 is provided. The housing 102 is formed so that the housing lids 104 and 105 are connected to both sides of the frame-shaped housing main body 103 so that the inside becomes hollow. Further, from one side of the housing 102, that is, the side where the housing lid 104 is disposed, the water discharge cylinder 180 protrudes through the housing lid 104. The water discharge cylindrical body 180 has a hollow structure having a water discharge flow path 182 inside, and the tip thereof is open and communicated with the connecting pipe 723 shown in FIG. As will be described later, when water is introduced into the water inlets 112 and 114 provided in the housing 102, the water discharge cylinder 180 reciprocally rotates in the direction of the arrow M with the central axis as a rotation axis.

Next, the internal structure of the drive unit 100 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, a core 120 including a core body 121 and a core lid 122 is discharged into a fan-shaped housing space formed by the housing body 103 and the housing lids 104 and 105. The water tube body 180 is accommodated so as to be rotatable about the central axis. That is, the core 120 is connected to a water discharge cylinder 180 penetrating through the housing 102, and rotates while dividing the fan-shaped housing space into a first pressure chamber 116 and a second pressure chamber 118. In FIG. 6, the first pressure chamber 116 is disposed on the right side as viewed from the core 120, and the second pressure chamber 118 is disposed on the left side in the diagram. Based on this, for convenience of explanation, the pressure chamber 116 side is also simply referred to as “right side” and the pressure chamber 118 side is also simply referred to as “left side” when viewed from the core 120.

  Water is introduced into the pressure chambers 116 and 118 from the water inlets 112 and 114, respectively. A seal 127 is provided at a sliding portion between the core 120 and the inner wall of the housing 102 for smooth sliding while maintaining liquid tightness. In addition, a seal 126 is provided on the sliding portion between the water discharge cylinder 180 and the housing 102 for the same purpose. The seals 127 and 126 are also made of a material that keeps fluid-tight and smoothly slides. For example, Teflon (registered trademark), NBR (nitrile rubber), EPDM (ethylene propylene rubber), and POM (polyacetal). Etc. can be used. Note that “liquid-tight” as used herein only needs to ensure a state sufficient to cause a pressure difference between the left and right pressure chambers.

Next, the structure of the core 120 will be described.
A core inner flow path 124 is formed in the middle of the core 120, and the core inner flow path 124 communicates with a water discharge flow path 182 provided in the water discharge cylinder 180. In addition, the core 120 is provided with introduction ports 132 and 134 for communicating the core internal flow path 124 with the pressure chambers 116 and 118. Then, main valves 142 and 144 as valve bodies are provided so as to cross the inner core flow path 124. When the main valve 144 moves away from the core 120, the inlet 134 is opened, and when the main valve 142 moves away from the core 120, the inlet 132 is opened.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the left and right main valves 142 and 144 are connected by a connecting rod 149 and installed so as to be movable left and right through the inlets 132 and 134 provided in the core body 121 and the core lid 122. Has been. That is, the main valves 142 and 144 are installed so as to be movable left and right with a predetermined stroke with respect to the core 120. Ribs 143 are formed on the main valves 142 and 144, and the main valves 142 and 144 are configured to move coaxially with the introduction ports 132 and 134. When the main valves 142 and 144 move in directions away from the core 120, the groove portions 145 provided between the ribs 143 become the openings of the introduction ports 132 and 134, thereby forming a water channel.

  In addition, the drive unit 100 is provided with control means for controlling the operation of the main valves 142 and 144. As will be described later, the control means includes slide bars 146 and 148 and a leaf spring 160. When the core 120 reaches the end on the pressure chamber 116 side in the moving region, the control means makes the pressure in the pressure chamber 116 higher than the pressure in the pressure chamber 118, and the core 120 moves in the moving region. The main valves 142 and 144 are operated to open the inlets 132 and 134 so that the pressure in the pressure chamber 118 becomes higher than the pressure in the pressure chamber 116 when the end of the pressure chamber 118 is reached. Change the degree. That is, the opening degree of the inlets 132 and 134 is set so that the magnitude relationship between the pressures in the pressure chambers 116 and 118 is reversed with the pressure in the pressure chamber 116 and the pressure in the pressure chamber 118 equal to each other. It is something to change.

  More specifically, when the core 120 reaches the end on the pressure chamber 116 side in the moving region, the control means determines that the flow path resistance from the pressure chamber 116 to the core inner flow path 124 is the pressure chamber. The main valves 142 and 144 are actuated to change the opening degree of the inlets 132 and 134 so that the flow resistance between the core 118 and the core inner passage 124 becomes larger. When reaching the end on the chamber 118 side, the flow resistance from the pressure chamber 118 to the core inner flow path 124 is larger than the flow resistance from the pressure chamber 116 to the core inner flow path 124. Then, the main valves 142 and 144 are operated to change the opening degree of the introduction ports 132 and 134.

  In the present specification, the “opening degree” of the introduction port is a parameter that determines the flow path resistance of the water flowing between the introduction port and the valve body. For example, in the state shown in FIG. 6, the flow resistance of the flow path formed between the inlet 132 and the main valve 142 is the flow resistance of the flow path formed between the inlet 134 and the main valve 144. Higher than channel resistance. In this case, the opening degree of the introduction port 132 is smaller than the opening degree of the introduction port 134. The movement range of the core 120 refers to a space where the core 120 actually moves when the driving unit 100 is operated. Further, the end of the moving area refers to an end in the moving direction of the core 120.

  Next, a specific configuration of the control unit will be described. As described above, the control means includes the slide bars 146 and 148 and the leaf spring 160. The leaf spring 160 is supported by the core body 121 in a state in which both ends thereof are pressed toward each other, and the center portion thereof is curved so as to be convex on the right side and is convex on the left side. Two states of the curved state are stable states. The slide bars 146 and 148 pass through the main valves 142 and 144 coaxially and are connected to each other with the leaf spring 160 interposed therebetween. The length of the slide bars 146 and 148 is longer than the length of the main valves 142 and 144. Therefore, the slide bars 146 and 148 are installed so as to be movable to the left and right with a stroke longer than the operation stroke of the main valves 142 and 144. ing.

  The operation of the main valves 142 and 144 for changing the opening degree of the introduction ports 132 and 134 is determined by the slide bars 146 and 148. That is, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the left and right slide bars 146, 148 are connected with the compressed leaf spring 160 interposed therebetween, and the urging force toward the right end or the left end depending on the bending direction of the leaf spring 160. Receive. As a result, the slide bars 146 and 148 are biased by the leaf spring 160 to move relative to the core, and the movement of the slide bars 146 and 148 causes the main valves 142 and 144 to move relative to the core. It moves relatively, and the inlets 132 and 134 are controlled alternatively to either the fully open state or the fully closed state.

Hereinafter, the operation of the drive unit of this example will be described.
FIGS. 8A to 8C are schematic diagrams for explaining the operation of the drive unit of this example.
First, FIG. 6A shows a state in which the slide bars 146 and 148 are biased toward the left side by the action of the leaf spring 160 (see FIG. 3). At this time, the main valves 142 and 144 are also urged to the left by the slide bar 146, so that the introduction port 132 is closed and the introduction port 134 is opened.

  When water is supplied to the water inlets 112 and 114 at substantially the same pressure in this state, the water introduced into the pressure chamber 118 from the water inlet 114 as indicated by the arrow A is transferred from the inlet 134 as indicated by the arrow C. It flows into the core inner channel 124 and flows out through the water discharge channel 182 as indicated by the arrow D. On the other hand, the water introduced into the pressure chamber 116 from the water inlet 112 as indicated by the arrow B has no outflow path because the inlet 132 is closed. For this reason, the pressure in the pressure chamber 116 is higher than the pressure in the pressure chamber 118. That is, by providing a difference in the opening degree of the inlets 132 and 134, a difference occurs in the flow path resistance, resulting in a pressure difference. As a result, the core 120 is pushed and rotated in the direction of the arrow M.

  When the core 120 moves in the direction of the arrow M, the volume of the pressure chamber 116 increases and the volume of the pressure chamber 118 decreases accordingly. For this reason, the water in the pressure chamber 118 is pushed out by the amount of water flowing into the pressure chamber 116 along the path indicated by the arrow B, and is included in the amount of water discharged from the flow path 182.

  When the core 120 continues to rotate and the slide bar 148 comes into contact with the inner wall of the housing 102 and is pressed against the core 120, the bending direction of the leaf spring 160 is reversed, as shown in FIG. As described above, the slide bars 146 and 148 are biased toward the opposite side. Then, when the slide bar 148 pushes the main valve 144, the main valves 142 and 144 also move to the right (clockwise direction). That is, the introduction port 132 is opened and the introduction port 134 is closed.

  In the state shown in FIG. 8B, the water introduced from the water inlet 112 into the pressure chamber 116 as indicated by the arrow B flows from the inlet 132 into the core flow path as indicated by the arrow C. 124 and flows out through the water discharge channel 182 as indicated by the arrow D. On the other hand, as shown by the arrow A, the water introduced into the pressure chamber 118 from the water inlet 114 has no outflow path because the inlet 134 is closed. As a result, a pressure difference is generated in the pressure chambers 116 and 118, and the core 120 starts to rotate toward the right side as indicated by an arrow M.

  When the core 120 further rotates, the slide bar 146 moves to a position where it abuts against the inner wall of the housing 102 as shown in FIG. When the core 120 further moves from this state and the slide bar 146 is pushed against the core 120, the bending direction of the leaf spring 160 is reversed and biased to the opposite side. Then, similarly to the state shown in FIG. 8A, the introduction port 132 is closed and the introduction port 134 is opened, and the core 120 starts to rotate toward the left side.

Next, the operation of the control means in this example will be described in more detail.
FIGS. 9A to 9D are schematic diagrams for explaining the operation of the control means in this example.
That is, FIG. 6A shows a state in which the leaf spring 160 is curved so that the right side is convex and the slide bars 146 and 148 are urged in this direction. At this time, the introduction port 132 is closed by the main valve 142 and the introduction port 134 is opened by the main valve 144.

  When the core 120 moves rightward in this state, the slide bar 148 comes into contact with the inner wall of the housing 102 as shown in FIG. Since the pressure difference is acting on the core 120, the core 120 moves further to the right in a state where the slide bar 148 is in contact with the inner wall of the housing, and the state shown in FIG. 9B is obtained. That is, the relative position between the core 120 and the slide bar 148 is changed by overcoming the biasing force of the leaf spring 160, and the slide bar 148 is pushed against the core 120. As a result, the leaf spring 160 is also pushed and deformed to the left side to be in a substantially S-shaped state as illustrated in FIG. At this time, a pressure difference acts on the main valves 142 and 144 similarly to the core 120, and the open / close state of the inlets 132 and 134 is not changed.

Thereafter, when the core 120 is further moved and the slide bar 148 is further pushed against the core 120, the bending direction of the leaf spring 160 is reversed to the left as shown in FIG. 9C. Start and bias slide bars 146, 148 to the left.
Then, as shown in FIG. 9D, the main valves 142 and 144 are moved to the left side by the urging force of the leaf spring 160, the introduction port 132 is fully opened, and the introduction port 134 is fully closed.

  As described above, in this specific example, the direction of bending of the compressed leaf spring 160 is appropriately reversed by the slide bars 146 and 148, and the main valves 142 and 144 are operated by using the biasing force, thereby introducing the inlet port. Alternatively, 132 and 134 are controlled to be either fully open or fully closed. That is, by using the urging force of the leaf spring 160, the opening difference between the left and right inlets 132 and 134 is reliably formed for the reversal of the core 120.

  The mechanism of this example that controls the main valves 142 and 144 via the slide bars 146 and 148 plays an extremely important role for the smooth operation of the drive unit 100. In other words, the compressed leaf spring 160 is in a stable state when bent to the right or left, but as shown in FIG. 9B, it becomes a metastable neutral state near the middle of these stable states. There is. In this state, the leaf spring 160 does not generate much urging force to the left or right. Therefore, in this state, if the opening degree of the inlets 132 and 134 becomes substantially the same, water flows from the inlets 132 and 134 on both sides of the core, so that there is no pressure difference, and the movement of the core 120 occurs. Will stop. That is, if the timing for starting the movement of the main valves 142 and 144 is earlier than the timing for reversing the leaf spring 160, the operation of the core 120 may stop.

  On the other hand, according to the present specific example, the slide valves 146 and 148 are provided, and the strokes are adjusted as appropriate, so that the main valves 142 and 144 in the metastable neutral state as shown in FIG. Is still not moved, and the core 120 is kept under pressure by applying pressure. The main valves 142 and 144 can start to move when the leaf spring 160 starts to reverse beyond this neutral state. That is, the movement start timing of the main valves 142 and 142 can be synchronized with the reversal timing of the leaf spring 160.

  In other words, the leaf spring 160 is reversed before the opening difference sufficient to move the core 120 disappears, and the main valves 142 and 144 are moved via the slide bars 146 and 148 by the reversal force (biasing force), The opening difference between the introduction ports 132 and 134 can be reversed to an opening difference sufficient to move the core 120 in the reverse direction.

  In this way, it is possible to solve the problem that the opening degree of the introduction ports 132 and 134 becomes substantially equal when the leaf spring 160 is in a neutral state, and the core 120 stops, and smooth repetitive motion can be realized. .

  Further, in this case, even when starting the water discharge from the state where the core 120 is stopped near the middle of the moving stroke, the main valves 142 and 144 are controlled by the leaf spring 160 at the time of the water discharge start. Thus, one of the introduction ports 132 and 134 is alternatively open, and a pressure difference is formed on both sides of the core 120 to start a stable initial operation. That is, the state where the opening degree of the introduction port 134 is larger than the opening degree of the introduction port 132 and the state where the opening degree of the introduction port 132 is larger than the opening degree of the introduction port 134 can be held alternatively. can do.

  As described above, in this specific example, the moving direction of the core 120, the movable direction of the main valves 142 and 144, the movable direction of the slide bars 146 and 148, and the biasing direction of the leaf spring 160 are substantially the same. Thus, there is no waste in the way the force works, the moving force of the core having a large pressure receiving area can be used effectively, and a smooth and stable operation is possible. That is, a control operation for reversing the magnitude relationship between the opening degrees of the introduction ports 132 and 134 for reversing the core 120 by linking the movement operation of the core 120 and the opening degree control operation is reliable and easy. And a simple and compact valve body and control means. Thereby, the magnitude relationship of the opening degree difference of the inlet is appropriately reversed according to the movement of the core 120, and the core 120 can be operated repeatedly left and right.

  That is, in order to move the core 120, a difference in the opening degree of the inlets 132 and 134 may be provided to generate a pressure difference necessary for movement. Similarly, when the moving direction of the core 120 is reversed, the magnitude relationship between the opening degrees of the introduction ports 132 and 134 may be reversed by the control means. For example, the reversing operation can be performed by changing the ratio of the opening degree of the introduction ports 132 and 134 from 70:30 to 30:70 by the control means. Furthermore, if the opening degree is changed from 100: 0 to 0: 100 by the control means, the most reliable and stable reversing operation is possible.

  In addition, according to this specific example, mechanical power such as electricity is not required, and smooth reciprocal reversal motion is possible only with supply pressure of water or the like, and measures such as installation of a power source, electric shock, or electric leakage are not required. In addition, smooth operation is possible without being affected by disturbances such as electromagnetic noise.

  Furthermore, according to this example, the main valves 142 and 144 and the control means are provided attached to the core 120, so that an external four-way valve, for example, is not required, and smooth reciprocation is achieved with a simple configuration. Reversing motion can be realized. As a result, downsizing becomes easy and the flow path becomes simple, so that pressure loss can be suppressed, and it is advantageous in that a water discharge amount and water discharge pressure can be secured. Further, since the main valves 142 and 144 and the control means are built in the housing 102, a smooth operation strong against disturbance can be realized. Furthermore, regarding water supply, it is only necessary to branch from the same water supply source and connect it to two water inlets, and the workability is excellent. Furthermore, since a water channel is formed inside the moving core and the water discharge casing, it is possible to change the water discharge angle by simply connecting various nozzles or spouts to the tip of the water discharge casing. Workability is also excellent in that no special connection member is required. In particular, even in the case where a kitchen room is installed “retrofitting” on existing equipment, the drive unit of this example is advantageous in that the workability is excellent.

  Note that the stroke (rotation angle) of the rotational movement of the core 120 in this specific example can be set as appropriate depending on the opening angle of the fan-shaped space of the housing 102. Accordingly, the water discharge range can be arbitrarily set in consideration of the size of the sink and water splashing.

  Further, the thrust obtained by the rotation operation is determined by the product of the water pressure applied to the core 120 and the pressure receiving area of the core. Therefore, if the pressure receiving area of the core 120 is increased, a large thrust corresponding to the pressure receiving area can be obtained.

  In this specific example, when the core 120 is reversed, the slide bars 146 and 148 are brought into contact with the inner wall of the housing, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a magnet is provided on the slide bars 146 and 148, while a magnet is provided on the inner wall of the housing, and the slide bars 146 and 148 are stopped relative to the housing by utilizing a repulsive force acting between them. It is also possible. In this case, in the state corresponding to FIGS. 9A to 9C, the slide bars 146 and 148 do not contact the inner wall of the housing 102, and the inner wall of the housing 102 is repelled by the repulsive force of a magnet (not shown). It is in a state of being separated by a predetermined distance. In this way, the core 120 can be reversed without contact. Thereby, for example, the reciprocating motion of the core can be smoothed, or the slide bar can be prevented from coming into contact with the housing and generating sound. In this case, the moving range of the core means not a space where the core should have moved if there is no magnet, but a space where the core actually moves.

Next, a second specific example of the present embodiment will be described. In this specific example, a magnet is used as a control means for reversing the magnitude relationship between the opening degrees of the introduction ports 132 and 134, instead of the leaf spring and the slide bar as in the first specific example described above.
FIGS. 10A to 10D are schematic views showing the operation of the control means in this specific example.

  FIG. 10A shows a state in which the core 120 moves from the left side toward the right side and the main valve 144 is in contact with the inner wall of the housing 102. In this specific example, the core 120 is provided with a magnet 170, and the housing 102 is provided with a magnet 174. In this specific example, since the attractive force between the magnet 170 and the magnet 174 is used, one of the magnets 170 and 174 may be replaced with a ferromagnetic material.

  In the state shown in FIG. 10A, the force due to the pressure difference acts on the core 120, so that the core 120 moves further to the right. That is, the core 120 moves further to the right in a state where the main valve 144 is in contact with the housing 102 and fixed in the moving direction.

  Finally, the state shown in FIG. In this state, since the opening degree of the inlets 132 and 134 is substantially the same, a pressure difference due to a difference in flow path resistance does not occur. However, at this time, the core 120 can be further pulled to the right side by the attractive force acting between the magnet 170 and the magnet 174.

  In this case, depending on the value of the sliding resistance of the core 120, the core 120 may stop before the state shown in FIG. In such a case, it is desirable to attract the core 120 by an attractive force acting between the magnet 170 and the magnet 174 in the state between FIG. 10A and FIG.

  When the core 120 is pulled to the right side by the attractive force of the magnet from the state shown in FIG. 10B, the opening degree of the introduction port 132 is larger than the opening degree of the introduction port 134 as shown in FIG. A state is formed. Then, a difference occurs in the flow path resistance of these inlets 132 and 134, and a pressure difference is generated. That is, the pressure on the right side of the core 120 becomes higher, and the core 120 starts to move to the left side. That is, the core 120 can be reversed by reversing the magnitude relationship of the opening degree difference between the introduction ports 132 and 134.

  At this time, the pressure difference also acts on the main valve 144, and a force in the direction of closing the main valve 144 works. As a result, as shown in FIG. 10D, the main valve 144 is completely closed, and the pressure on the right side of the core 120 increases to the maximum value. That is, the maximum driving force to the left is obtained after the core 120 is inverted.

  As described above, if the core 120 can be drawn to the state shown in FIG. 10C by the attractive force acting between the magnet 170 and the magnet 174, the difference in opening between the inlets 132 and 134 is large or small. The relationship can be reversed and the core 120 can be reversed. That is, the core 120 can be reciprocated linearly in the housing 102.

  In this case, the core 120 needs to overcome the attractive force of the magnet after the reversal and move. That is, it is desirable to appropriately set the balance between the force acting on the core 120 due to the pressure difference and the attractive force obtained by the magnet.

  Further, in this specific example, the surfaces of the main valves 142 and 144 (contact surfaces with the housing 102) protrude in a curved shape so that a gap is generated even when the main valves 142 and 144 are in contact with the housing 102. Thus, by reducing the contact area with the housing 102, the pressure difference received by the valve body can be effectively utilized, and the valve body can be smoothly reversed so that the degree of opening is reversed.

  In this specific example, when the core 120 is reversed, the main valves 142 and 144 are brought into contact with the inner wall of the housing 102, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, magnets are provided on the main valves 142 and 144, while magnets are also provided on the inner wall of the housing 102, and the main valves 142 and 144 are moved relative to the housing 102 by utilizing a repulsive force acting between them. It can also be stopped. In other words, in this case, in the state corresponding to FIGS. 10A to 10C, the main valves 142 and 144 do not contact the inner wall of the housing 102, and the repulsive force of the magnet (not shown) causes the housing 102 to It will be in the state away from the inner wall by a predetermined distance. In this way, the core can be reversed without contact.

Next, a third specific example of the present embodiment will be described. The drive part which concerns on this example produces | generates a reciprocating rotational motion using the momentum of the supplied water.
FIG. 11 is a plan view illustrating the impeller chamber of the drive unit according to this example.
FIG. 12 is a plan view illustrating the gear chamber of the drive unit according to this example.
FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the impeller and gears of the drive unit according to this example.
For convenience, the gears are not shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. Moreover, in FIG. 13, components other than the impeller, the gear, and the shaft are not shown.

  In the drive unit 200 according to this example, a housing 201 that is a cylindrical watertight container is provided. The housing 201 includes a bottom plate 201a, a side plate 201b, and a top plate (not shown). An impeller chamber 202 is dug into the bottom plate 201a, and a gear chamber 203 is located above the bottom plate 201a. The impeller chamber 202 and the gear chamber 203 are partitioned by an inner lid 204 connected to the upper surface of the bottom plate 201a, and an opening 205 for allowing water to pass is formed in the inner lid 204. In addition, a water inlet pipe 206 is attached to the side plate 201b. The inside of the water inlet pipe 206 is a water inlet flow path 207 that communicates with the impeller chamber 202.

  In the impeller chamber 202, an impeller 211 is pivotally supported by the bottom plate 201a and is rotatably provided. The direction in which the rotating shaft of the impeller 211 extends is the direction from the bottom plate 201a toward the top plate. Hereinafter, in this specific example, this direction is referred to as “axial direction V”. A shaft 212 extends along the axial direction V from the center portion of the impeller 211, and a tip portion of the shaft 212 is a gear 213. Note that the shaft 212 passes through the inner lid 204, and the gear 213 is located in the gear chamber 203.

  The gear chamber 203 houses a plurality of gears as will be described later. Both gears are rotatably supported by the inner lid 204, and the rotation shaft extends in the axial direction V. These gears are arranged in three layers in the gear chamber 203. In addition to the gear 213, the first layer, which is the lowest layer, is provided with a pair of gears 214 and 215 having a diameter larger than that of the gear 213 and having the same shape. The gear 213 is not in contact with the gear 215 and is engaged only with the gear 214. The gear 214 is engaged with the gear 215. Therefore, the gear 214 and the gear 215 rotate in the opposite directions.

  A shaft 216 extends from the center of the gear 214 along the axial direction V, and a tip portion thereof is a gear 217. The diameter of the gear 217 is smaller than the diameter of the gear 214. Similarly, a shaft 218 extends along the axial direction V from the center of the gear 215, and a tip portion thereof is a gear 219. The shaft 216 and the shaft 218 have the same shape, and the gear 217 and the gear 219 have the same shape. Accordingly, the gear 214, the shaft 216 and the gear 217 are coaxially connected to each other, and the gear 215 and the shaft 218. And the parts to which the gear 219 is connected coaxially have the same shape.

  The gears 217 and 219 are located in the second layer which is an intermediate layer. In addition to these gears 217 and 219, the second layer is provided with a pair of gears 221 and 222 having the same diameter as that of the gears 214 and 215 and having the same shape. The gear 217 is engaged with the gear 221, and the gear 219 is engaged with the gear 222. Therefore, the gear 221 and the gear 222 rotate in the opposite directions.

  A shaft 223 extends from the center of the gear 221 along the axial direction V, and a fan-shaped gear 224 is attached to the tip of the shaft 223. The radius of the gear 224 is slightly smaller than the radius of the gear 221 and its central angle is less than 180 degrees, for example, about 135 degrees. Similarly, a shaft 225 extends from the center of the gear 222 along the axial direction V, and a fan-shaped gear 226 is attached to the tip of the shaft 225. The shaft 223 and the shaft 225 have the same shape, and the gear 226 and the gear 224 have the same shape. Therefore, a component in which the gear 221, the shaft 223 and the sector gear 224 are coaxially connected and a component in which the gear 222, the shaft 225 and the sector gear 226 are coaxially connected have the same shape. The central angles of the fan-shaped gears 224 and 226 may be appropriately set according to a desired rotation angle required for driving.

  The two sector gears 224 and 226 are located in the third layer, which is the uppermost layer. In the third layer, one circular gear 227 is provided in addition to the fan-shaped gears 224 and 226. The radius of the gear 227 is equal to the radius of the sector gears 224 and 226. The sector gears 224 and 226 are arranged so as to engage with the gears 227 alternately.

  The shaft 228 of the gear 227 is hollow inside, and a water discharge channel 229 is formed along the central axis. Two inlets 230 that connect the water discharge channel 229 to the outside of the shaft 228 are formed in a portion of the shaft 228 located in the first layer. On the other hand, the upper end portion of the shaft 228 passes through the top plate of the housing 201 and protrudes outside the housing 201. Thereby, the gear chamber 203 is communicated with the outside of the drive unit 200 via the water discharge channel 229.

Next, the operation of the drive unit 200 according to this example will be described.
As shown by the arrow W1, when water is supplied to the water inlet channel 207 of the water inlet pipe 206, the water flows into the impeller chamber 202 in the tangential direction of the impeller 221 and rotates the impeller 211. In the example shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, this rotational direction is counterclockwise when viewed from the axial direction V. As a result, the gear 213 connected to the impeller 211 rotates counterclockwise, and the gear 214 engaged with the gear 213 rotates clockwise. At this time, the rotational speed of the gear 214 is lower than the rotational speed of the gear 213, and the torque is increased. The gear 215 engaged with the gear 214 rotates counterclockwise at the same rotational speed as the gear 214. As a result, the gear 217 connected to the gear 214 rotates in the clockwise direction, and the gear 219 connected to the gear 215 rotates in the counterclockwise direction.

  Then, the gear 221 engaged with the gear 217 rotates counterclockwise, and the gear 222 engaged with the gear 219 rotates clockwise. At this time, the rotational speeds of the gears 221 and 222 are lower than the rotational speeds of the gears 217 and 219, and the torque is increased. As a result, the sector gear 224 connected to the gear 221 rotates counterclockwise, and the sector gear 226 connected to the gear 222 rotates clockwise.

  As described above, the two sector gears 224 and 226 alternately engage with the gear 227. Thus, the gear 227 rotates clockwise when the gear 224 is engaged, and rotates counterclockwise when the gear 226 is engaged. As a result, the gear 227 performs a reciprocating rotational movement. Thereby, the shaft 228 connected to the gear 227 also performs reciprocating rotation.

  At this time, the water that has rotated the impeller 211 flows into the gear chamber 203 through the opening 205 of the inner lid 204, and further into the shaft 228 through the inlet 230 as indicated by an arrow W2. Into the water discharge channel 229 and discharged from the upper end of the shaft 228 as indicated by an arrow W3. Accordingly, the kitchen faucet 700 (see FIG. 1) according to the first embodiment can be realized by communicating the water discharge channel of the shaft 228 with the connecting pipe 723 shown in FIG.

Also in this specific example, similarly to the first and second specific examples described above, a reciprocating rotational motion can be imparted to the water outlet 722 (see FIG. 1) using water supplied from the water supply. .
The positive displacement drive unit according to the first and second specific examples described above generates a reciprocating rotation using the pressure of water, but the impeller type drive unit according to this specific example is The reciprocating rotational motion is generated using the momentum of water. For this reason, the drive unit according to this example is easy to obtain a high rotational speed as compared with the first and second examples, but it is somewhat difficult to obtain a large torque. However, the balance between the rotational speed and the torque can be adjusted to some extent by selecting the impeller design and the gear engagement ratio.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
14 and 15 are schematic perspective views illustrating the kitchen faucet according to this embodiment. FIG. 14 shows a case where a movable faucet is used, and FIG. 15 shows a case where a normal faucet is used. Indicates. 14 and 15, the same components as those illustrated in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the kitchen counter 501 in this embodiment differs in the structure of the sink 610 compared with the kitchen counter 500 in the above-mentioned 1st Embodiment. In other words, an overhang portion 611 is formed at the center on the back side of the sink 610, and a turntable 612 is provided on the upper surface of the overhang portion 611 so as to be rotatable within a predetermined angle range. A kitchen faucet 700 including a normal faucet 710 and a movable faucet 720 is attached to the turntable 612. The normal faucet 710 and the movable faucet 720 are arranged so that the spout of the normal faucet 710 and the nozzle 724 of the movable faucet 720 extend, for example, in a direction separated from each other by 90 degrees when viewed from the center of the turntable 621. ing. Further, a valve 730 for switching whether water is discharged from the normal faucet 710 or the movable faucet 720 is provided in an area where the turntable 612 is not provided on the upper surface of the overhang portion 611. The configurations of the normal water tap 710 and the movable water tap 720 are the same as those in the first embodiment. That is, any of the drive units according to the first to third specific examples of the first embodiment described above can be used as the drive unit 721 of the movable faucet 720, for example.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIG. 14, when the movable faucet 720 is used, the angle of the turntable 612 is adjusted, and the nozzle 724 of the movable faucet 720 is pulled out to the front side. At this time, the normal water tap 710 is located on the back side of the sink 610. In this state, the valve 730 is switched to supply water from the water supply to the movable faucet 720. As a result, the drive unit 721 reciprocates and rotates the connecting pipe 723 and the nozzle 724 of the water discharge unit 722 as indicated by an arrow M with the central axis as a rotation axis, and discharges water from the water discharge hole 725 of the nozzle 724. . At this time, since the nozzle 724 is reciprocatingly rotated, the water discharge direction from the water discharge hole 725 repeatedly changes within a certain angle range. As a result, water can be discharged from a wide range in the sink 610.

  At this time, the turntable 612 may be manually rotated while the nozzle 724 is reciprocally rotated. Thereby, the manual revolving motion of the turntable 612 is superimposed on the automatic reciprocating revolving motion of the nozzle 724, and water can be discharged to a wider range.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 15, when using the normal faucet 710, the turntable 612 is rotated and the normal faucet 710 is pulled out to the near side. At this time, the movable faucet 720 moves to the back side of the sink 610. In this state, the valve 730 is switched to supply water to the normal water tap 710 from the water supply.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, by providing the turntable 612, the normal faucet 710 and the movable faucet 720 are pulled out toward the front side and the unused side is located at the back side. be able to. Thereby, the faucet which is not used does not interfere with the cleaning operation. Further, if the turntable 612 is manually rotated during the cleaning operation using the movable faucet 720, water can be discharged from a wider range. Operations and effects other than those described above in the present embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment described above.

  The rotation angle range of the turntable 612 is selected from the state in which the nozzle 724 is pulled out toward the front side as shown in FIG. 14 and the state in which the normal water tap 710 is pulled out to the front side as shown in FIG. It is desirable that the angle range be such that it is possible, for example, 90 degrees or more. In addition, in order to manually turn the turntable 612 while discharging water from the nozzle 724 to discharge water to a wider range, the rotation angle range of the turntable 612 is preferably larger than 90 degrees. 180 degrees is preferable. By setting the rotation angle range to 180 degrees, the nozzle 724 can be rotated in a range from one back side of the sink 610 to the other back side, and the entire region of the sink 610 can be covered.

  In the present embodiment, the movable faucet 720 may be provided with a plurality of nozzles 724. At this time, for example, the plurality of nozzles may be arranged in a fan shape with the drive unit 721 as the center by changing the direction in which the central axis extends between the plurality of nozzles. Thereby, it can be made to discharge with respect to a still wider range.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 16 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a kitchen faucet according to this embodiment. In FIG. 16, the same components as those shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.
FIG. 17 is a schematic view illustrating the kitchen faucet piping according to this embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 16, a sink 620 is provided on the upper surface of the kitchen counter 502. When viewed from above, the outer edge of the sink 620 has a semicircular shape that is convex toward the front. An overhang portion 621 is formed at the center of the back side of the sink 620. When viewed from above, the outer edge of the overhang 621, that is, the shape of the inner edge of the sink 620 is also a semicircular shape that is convex toward the near side, and forms the outer edge of the overhang 621 with the center of the semicircle that forms the outer edge of the sink 620. The centers of the semicircles agree with each other. For this reason, the shape of the sink 620 is a semi-annular shape as viewed from above.

  The overhanging portion 621 is provided with a movable faucet 720. The drive part 721 in the movable faucet 720 is housed inside the overhang part 621. A spout 726 is drawn upward from the drive unit 721. The spout 726 passes through the upper surface of the overhang portion 621, and most of the spout 726 is located above the overhang portion 621. In the spout 726, almost half of the side connected to the drive unit 721 is a straight tube, and almost half of the other side is curved in a semicircular shape, forming a J-shaped curved tube as a whole. And the edge part of the side which is not connected with the drive part 721 in the spout 726 becomes the water outlet 727 which faced below.

  As shown in FIG. 17, for example, a positive displacement drive unit according to the first or second specific example of the first embodiment described above can be used for the drive unit 721. Accordingly, the drive unit 721 is provided with two water inlets 112 and 114 connected to the water supply 800, and the water supply water 800 has an opening / closing valve 731 for switching whether or not to supply water to the water inlets 112 and 114. Is provided. Further, the drive unit 721 is provided with a bypass pipe 732 that bypasses between the two pressure chambers, and the bypass pipe 732 is provided with a bypass valve 733 that switches whether or not water flows through the bypass pipe 732. Yes. As shown in FIG. 16, the opening / closing valve 731 and the bypass valve 733 are attached to the upper surface of the overhang portion 621.

  Further, the kitchen faucet according to the present embodiment is not usually provided with a faucet, and a region other than the sink 620 on the upper surface of the kitchen counter 502 is a work space 503.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.
By opening the opening / closing valve 731, water is supplied from the water supply 800 to the drive unit 721. When the spout 726 is to be rotated, the bypass valve 733 is closed. Accordingly, the drive unit 721 causes the spout 726 to reciprocate as indicated by an arrow M, with the central axis at the end on the drive unit 721 side as the rotation axis. In addition, the drive unit 721 discharges water from the water outlet 727 of the spout 726 downward. Thereby, water can be discharged to almost the entire area of the sink 620.

  On the other hand, when it is desired to discharge water at one place without rotating the spout 726, the bypass valve 733 is opened. Thereby, the pressure difference between the two pressure chambers in the drive unit 721 is eliminated, and the rotational movement of the spout 726 is stopped. Thereby, water can be discharged in a state where the water outlet 727 is fixed at an arbitrary position.

According to the present embodiment, the working space can be widened by rotating the spout itself and limiting the width of the sink to substantially the water landing range. In addition, according to the present embodiment, the spout is configured by a curved pipe so that the spout water outlet is arranged at a position off the rotation axis of the spout, and the spout rotation motion is converted into the revolving motion of the water outlet. Thus, the position of the water outlet can be repetitively moved along the arcuate trajectory.
In this specification, the term “curved pipe” refers to a pipe that is curved or bent at least at one place even if there is a part that is linear, for example, formed by bending one place on a straight pipe. The “L-shaped tube” and the U-shaped tube formed by bending two portions of the straight tube are also included in the “curved tube”.
Operations and effects other than those described above in the present embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment described above.

Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 18 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a kitchen faucet according to this embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 18, a sink 630 is provided on the upper surface of the kitchen counter 504, and kitchen faucets 740 are provided on both sides of the sink 630 on the kitchen counter 504. That is, the kitchen faucet 740 includes a normal faucet 710 and a movable faucet 750, and the normal faucet 710 is disposed on one side of the sink 630, and the movable faucet 750 is on the other side of the sink 630. It is arranged in the direction. The normal water faucet 710 and the movable water faucet 750 have different water supply pipes. 18 shows an example in which the normal faucet 710 is disposed on the right side of the sink 630 and the movable faucet 750 is disposed on the left side of the sink 630, this arrangement is arbitrary. Usually, the faucet may be arranged on the left side and the movable faucet may be arranged on the right side.

  The movable faucet 750 is provided with a drive unit 751, and a nozzle 752 serving as a water discharge unit is drawn from the surface of the drive unit 751 on the normal faucet 710 side. The nozzle 752 has an L shape including a short side portion 752a and a long side portion 752b. That is, the short side portion 752a of the nozzle 752 is once pulled out to the normal faucet 710 side from the drive unit 751, and then bent substantially at a right angle, and the long portion 752b extends to the near side. A plurality of water outlet holes (not shown) are formed in the long side portion 752b of the nozzle 752 along the longitudinal direction thereof. In addition, the long hole extended in the longitudinal direction of the long side part 752b may be formed as a water discharge hole. The nozzle 752 is attached to the drive unit 751 so as to be rotatable about the central axis of the short side portion 752a.

  Further, the movable faucet 750 is provided with support portions 753a and 753b that support the drive portion 751, and in the support portion 753a, a pipe for supplying water from a water supply (not shown) to the drive portion 751 ( (Not shown) is inserted. An open / close valve 754 for switching whether or not to supply water to the drive unit 751 is provided in the middle of the pipe. The on-off valve 754 is attached to the side surface of the support portion 753a.

  The drive unit 751 causes the nozzle 752 to reciprocate linearly along the direction in which the short side portion 752a extends. The configuration of the drive unit 751 will be described in detail later with a specific example. Other configurations in the present embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.
By opening the opening / closing valve 754, water is supplied from the water supply to the drive unit 751 of the movable faucet 750. As a result, the drive unit 751 uses this water to cause the nozzle 752 to reciprocate linearly as indicated by the arrow M, and to discharge water to the nozzle 752. The water discharged to the nozzle 752 flows through the nozzle 752 and flows out as water W from the water discharge hole. At this time, since the nozzle 752 reciprocates linearly in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the water outlet holes are arranged, the position of the water outlet holes repeatedly changes within a certain region. As a result, the wide area in the sink 630 Water can be drained against the range.

  On the other hand, when the movable faucet 750 is not used, the nozzle 752 is rotated 90 degrees to retract the long side portion 752b above the short side portion 752a. Moreover, since water is supplied to the normal faucet 710 by a separate system from the movable faucet 750, it can be used independently of the movable faucet 750. Operations other than those described above in the present embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment described above.

Next, the effect of this embodiment will be described.
In the present embodiment, by reciprocating linearly moving the nozzle 752, the water can be discharged while changing the position of the water discharge hole formed in the long side portion 752b. Thereby, water can be discharged to a wide range in the sink 630. Further, at this time, since water can be poured from almost the same distance to the objects to be cleaned placed at various positions in the sink 630, a uniform cleaning effect can be obtained in a wide range in the sink 630. Can do.

  In the present embodiment, the normal water tap 710 and the movable water tap 750 have separate water supply pipes, and therefore the normal water tap 710 and the movable water tap 750 can be used simultaneously. Further, when the movable faucet 750 is not used, the long side portion 752b of the nozzle 752 is positioned above the short side portion 752a, so that the long side portion 752b can be retracted to the back side of the sink 630. Thus, the long side portion 752b does not interfere with the cleaning operation. The effects of the present embodiment other than those described above are the same as those of the first embodiment described above.

Next, the specific example for implement | achieving the drive part 751 of the kitchen faucet 740 which concerns on this embodiment is demonstrated.
19 to 22 are schematic diagrams for explaining the operation mechanism of the drive unit according to this example.
A drive unit 300 illustrated in FIGS. 19 to 22 is a specific example of the drive unit 751 illustrated in FIG. The operation mechanism of the drive unit 300 is the same as the operation mechanism of the drive unit 100 (see FIGS. 2 to 10) according to the first specific example of the first embodiment described above. The difference is that it is not a dynamic motion but a reciprocating linear motion.

  That is, the drive unit 300 includes a core 320 that is movably provided in the housing 302. As a result, the interior of the housing 302 is divided into two pressure chambers 316 and 318 by the core 320. The core 320 has a hollow structure, and the hollow space forms a core inner flow path 324 that communicates with the water discharge flow path 382 provided in the water discharge cylinder 380. Further, the inner core flow path 324 communicates with the pressure chambers 316 and 318 via the inlets 332 and 334, respectively.

  The core 320 is provided with main valves 342 and 344 that change the opening degree of the inlets 332 and 334. The core 320 is provided with control means for controlling the main valves 342 and 344. By providing a difference in the opening degree of the inlets 332 and 334 by the control means, the flow resistances of the left and right flow paths from the water inlet to the core internal flow path 324 are made different, whereby the left and right pressure chambers 316 and 318 The core 320 can be moved using the pressure difference generated in

  In the state shown in FIG. 19, the control means urges the main valves 342 and 344 to the right, and the water inlet 334 is opened on the right side of the core 320. Therefore, the water supplied from the water inlet 314 flows into the core inner channel 324 from the pressure chamber 318 through the path indicated by the arrow C, and flows through the water discharge channel 382 provided in the water discharge cylinder 380. And flows out as shown by arrow D. On the other hand, the water supplied from the water inlet 312 of the housing 302 has no outflow path. For this reason, the pressure in the pressure chamber 316 is higher than the pressure in the pressure chamber 318. As a result, the core 320 moves in the direction of arrow M.

  As shown in FIG. 20, when the core 320 moves in the housing 302 to the right end or near the right end of the moving stroke, the main valves 342 and 344 move to the left under the control of the control means. Then, the right inlet 334 of the core 320 is closed and the left inlet 332 is opened. In this state, the water supplied from the water inlet 312 flows from the pressure chamber 316 through the inlet 332 into the core inner flow path 324 as indicated by the arrow C, and is indicated by the arrow D. As shown in FIG. On the other hand, the water supplied from the water inlet 314 cannot flow out because there is no outflow path. As a result, the pressure in the pressure chamber 318 becomes higher than the pressure in the pressure chamber 316, and the core 320 moves to the left as shown by the arrow M in FIGS.

  When the core 320 continues to move to the left and reaches the left end or near the left end of the housing 302 as shown in FIG. 22, the main valves 342 and 344 move to the right under the control of the control means. Then, as described above with reference to FIG. 19, the left inlet 332 of the core 320 is closed and the right inlet 334 is opened. As a result, the pressure in the pressure chamber 318 decreases, the pressure in the pressure chamber 316 increases, and the core 320 moves to the right as indicated by the arrow M. Thereafter, by repeating the operation described above with reference to FIGS. 19 to 22, the core 320 continues to move in the housing 302 repeatedly from side to side.

Hereinafter, the structure of the drive unit 300 according to this example will be described in more detail.
FIG. 23 is a perspective view illustrating a drive unit according to this example.
FIG. 24 is a perspective sectional view illustrating a drive unit according to this example.
FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a drive unit according to this example.
26 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB ′ shown in FIG.

  In the drive unit 300 of this specific example, a cylindrical water discharge cylinder 380 protrudes from a housing 302 formed by a housing body 303 and a housing lid 304. The water discharge cylinder 380 has a hollow structure having a water discharge channel 382 inside, and is open at the tip.

  When water is introduced into the water inlets 312 and 314 provided in the housing 302, the water discharge cylinder 380 reciprocates linearly in the direction of the arrow M. Therefore, if the nozzle 752 shown in FIG. 18 is attached to the tip of the water discharge cylinder 380, a movable faucet whose water discharge position moves repeatedly can be configured.

  The internal structure of the drive unit 300 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 24 to 26, the core body 321 and the core cover 322 are formed in the cylinder space of the housing 302 formed by the housing body 303 and the housing cover 304. A core 320 is housed movably. The core 320 is connected to a water discharge cylinder 380 protruding from the housing 302, and moves inside the housing into a first pressure chamber 316 and a second pressure chamber 318 like a piston. Water is introduced into the pressure chambers 316 and 318 from the water inlets 312 and 314, respectively. A seal portion 326 is provided at a sliding portion between the core 320 and the inner wall of the housing 302 so as to smoothly slide while maintaining liquid tightness. In addition, a seal 384 is provided on the sliding portion between the water discharge cylinder 380 and the housing 302 for the same purpose. The materials of these seals 326 and 384 are the same as the seals 126 and 127 shown in FIG.

Next, the structure of the core 320 will be described.
By combining the core lid 322 with the core main body 321, an inner core flow path 324 is formed, and the inner core flow path 324 communicates with the water discharge flow path 382 provided in the water discharge cylinder 380. . The core main body 321 and the core lid 322 are provided with inlets 332 and 334 for communicating the core flow path 324 and the pressure chambers 316 and 318, respectively.

  Then, main valves 342 and 344, slide bars 346 and 348, and a leaf spring 360 are provided so as to cross the core inner flow path 324. The shapes of the main valve, slide bar, and leaf spring and the relationship between them are as described above with reference to FIG. Also, these operations are as described above with reference to FIG.

Hereinafter, the operation of the drive unit according to this example will be described.
FIGS. 27A to 27C are schematic views showing the reciprocating operation of the drive unit according to this example.
That is, FIG. 6A shows a state in which the slide bars 346 and 348 are urged toward the right side by the action of the leaf spring 360. At this time, the main valves 342 and 344 are also urged toward the right side by the slide bar 346, so that the inlet 332 is closed and the inlet 334 is opened.

  When water is supplied to the water inlets 312 and 314 at substantially the same pressure in this state, the water introduced into the pressure chamber 318 from the water inlet 314 as indicated by the arrow B is transferred from the inlet 334 as indicated by the arrow C. It flows into the core inner flow path 324 and flows out as shown by the arrow D through the water discharge flow path 382 communicating with the left and right.

  On the other hand, the water introduced into the pressure chamber 316 from the water inlet 312 as indicated by the arrow A has no outflow path because the inlet 332 is closed, and increases the pressure in the pressure chamber 316. That is, by providing a difference in the opening degree of the inlets 332 and 334, a difference occurs in the channel resistance and a pressure difference occurs. As a result, the pressure in the pressure chamber 316 is higher than that in the pressure chamber 318, and the core 320 is pushed and moved in the direction of the arrow M.

  When the core 320 continues to move further in the direction of arrow M from the state shown in FIG. 27A and the slide bar 348 comes into contact with the inner wall of the housing 302 and is pushed against the core, the leaf spring 360 is bent. The direction is reversed, and as shown in FIG. 27B, the slide bars 346 and 348 are urged toward the left side. Then, when the slide bar 348 pushes the main valve 344, the main valves 342 and 344 also move to the left. That is, the introduction port 332 is opened and the introduction port 334 is closed.

  In the state shown in FIG. 27B, the water introduced into the pressure chamber 316 from the water inlet 312 as indicated by the arrow A passes through the core inner passage from the inlet 332 as indicated by the arrow C. It flows into 324 and flows out as shown by the arrow D through the water discharge channel 382. On the other hand, as shown by the arrow B, the water introduced into the pressure chamber 318 from the water inlet 314 has no outflow path because the inlet 334 is closed. As a result, the pressure in the pressure chamber 318 becomes higher than the pressure in the pressure chamber 316 and a pressure difference is generated on both sides of the core 320, so that the core 320 starts moving toward the left side as indicated by the arrow M. .

  When the core 320 continues to move, the slide bar 346 moves to a position where it abuts against the inner wall of the housing 302 as shown in FIG. When the core 320 further moves from this state and the slide bar 346 is pushed against the core 320, the bending direction of the leaf spring 360 is reversed and urged to the right side. Then, similarly to the state shown in FIG. 27A, the introduction port 332 is closed and the introduction port 334 is opened, and the core 320 starts moving toward the right side.

  As described above, according to this specific example, by providing the core 320 with the main valves 342 and 344 as valve bodies, and the control means including the slide bars 346 and 348 and the leaf spring 360, Depending on the movement, the magnitude relationship of the opening degree difference between the introduction ports 332 and 334 can be reversed as appropriate, and the core 320 can be repeatedly operated left and right. The stroke of the reciprocating motion of the core 320 in this specific example can be appropriately set according to the length of the housing 302 and the thickness (width) of the core 320.

  In this specific example, the housing inner space has a columnar shape, and the cylindrical water discharge cylinder 380 is provided at the center of the cylindrical core 320. Therefore, the water discharge cylinder 380 can be rotated. That is, when the nozzle 752 (see FIG. 18) is attached to the tip of the water discharge cylinder 380, the nozzle 752 can rotate and can be retracted upward when not in use.

  In this specific example, the thrust obtained in the reciprocating linear motion is determined by the product of the water pressure applied to the core 320 and the pressure receiving area of the core. Therefore, if the pressure receiving area of the core 320 is increased, a large thrust corresponding to the pressure receiving area can be obtained.

Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 28 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a kitchen faucet according to this embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 28, in the kitchen counter 505 in the present embodiment, two nozzles are pulled out from the movable faucet as compared to the kitchen counter 504 (see FIG. 18) according to the fourth embodiment described above. Is different.

  That is, a sink 630 is provided on the upper surface of the kitchen counter 505, and a kitchen faucet 770 including a normal faucet 710 and a movable faucet 760 is provided on both sides of the sink 630 on the kitchen counter 505. ing. The normal faucet 710 is disposed on one side of the sink 630, the movable faucet 760 is disposed on the other side of the sink 630, and the normal faucet 710 and the movable faucet 750 have a water supply pipe. It is a separate system. 28 shows an example in which the normal faucet 710 is disposed on the left side of the sink 630 and the movable faucet 760 is disposed on the right side of the sink 630, but this may be reversed.

  The movable faucet 760 is provided with a drive unit 761, and the nozzles 762 are drawn from the front and back surfaces of the drive unit 761. The nozzle 762 is once pulled out in the direction away from the drive unit 761, then bent 90 degrees, extended toward the sink 630, bent 90 degrees again, reached the side of the drive unit 761, and bent again 90 degrees. Extending in a direction away from the drive unit 761 and reaching the tip. A portion from the bent portion to the leading end crosses over the sink 630, and a plurality of water discharge holes (not shown) are formed in this portion. In addition, a long hole may be formed as a water discharge hole. The nozzle 762 is rotatably attached to the drive unit 761.

  The drive unit 761 causes the nozzle 762 to reciprocate linearly along the direction indicated by the arrow M. The configuration of the drive unit 761 will be described in detail later with a specific example. An opening / closing valve 764 for switching whether or not to supply water supplied from the water supply to the drive unit 761 is provided in the vicinity of the drive unit 761 on the upper surface of the kitchen counter 505. Other configurations in the present embodiment are the same as those in the fourth embodiment described above.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.
By opening the opening / closing valve 764, water is supplied from the water supply to the drive unit 761 of the movable faucet 760. Accordingly, the drive unit 761 uses this water to cause the nozzle 762 to reciprocate linearly as indicated by an arrow M, and to discharge water to the nozzle 762. The water discharged to the nozzle 762 flows through the nozzle 762 and flows out as water W from the water outlet hole. At this time, since the nozzle 762 reciprocates linearly in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the water outlet holes are arranged, the position of the water outlet holes repeatedly changes within a certain region. As a result, the wide area in the sink 630 Water can be drained against the range.

  On the other hand, when the movable faucet 760 is not used, the two nozzles 762 are rotated 90 degrees and retracted above the drive unit 761. Moreover, the normal water tap 710 can be used independently of the movable water tap 760. Operations other than those described above in the present embodiment are the same as those in the fourth embodiment described above.

Next, the effect of this embodiment will be described.
In the present embodiment, by discharging water from the two nozzles 762, it is possible to discharge water over a wider range in the sink 630 as compared with the case of one nozzle. In addition, since water can be applied to the objects to be cleaned placed at various positions in the sink 630 from substantially the same distance, a uniform cleaning effect can be obtained. Furthermore, since the water supply pipes are separate systems for the normal water tap 710 and the movable water tap 760, both water taps can be used simultaneously. Furthermore, when the movable faucet 760 is not used, the nozzle 762 can be retracted above the drive unit 761. For this reason, in the example shown in FIG. 28, when the right side toward the drive unit 761 is a wall, the nozzle 762 can be retracted to the wall side. Thereby, when the movable water tap 760 is not used, the nozzle 762 does not get in the way. The effects of the present embodiment other than those described above are the same as those of the first embodiment described above.

Next, the specific example for implement | achieving the drive part 761 of the kitchen faucet 770 which concerns on this embodiment is demonstrated.
FIG. 29 is a perspective cross-sectional view illustrating a drive unit according to this example. In FIG. 29, the same components as those shown in FIGS. 23 to 27 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 29, the drive unit 400 according to this specific example has a water discharge tubular body 380 in the middle compared to the drive unit 300 according to the specific example of the fourth embodiment described above (for example, see FIG. 24). The difference is that they are provided on both sides of the child 320. Thereby, the water discharge cylinder 380 protrudes from both sides of the housing 302. The pair of water discharge cylinders 380 reciprocate synchronously in the same direction while discharging water. Configurations, operations, and effects other than those described above in the present specific example are the same as those in the specific example of the fourth embodiment described above.

  The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to specific examples. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and specific examples thereof. That is, even if a person skilled in the art has changed the design of any element constituting the kitchen faucet and kitchen counter of the present invention, the scope of the present invention is within the scope of the present invention as long as it has the gist of the present invention. Is included. For example, the position of the kitchen faucet on the kitchen counter, the shape of the sink, the outer shape of the driving part of the movable faucet, the shape of the spout or nozzle, the size and shape of the water outlet, the rotational angle of the reciprocating rotational motion and the reciprocating motion Even those in which those skilled in the art appropriately change the stroke of the linear motion, the motion speed, etc. are included in the scope of the present invention as long as the gist of the present invention is included. In each of the above-described embodiments, it is sufficient that at least a movable faucet is provided, and a normal faucet may not be provided.

  For example, in each of the above-described embodiments and specific examples thereof, a speed adjusting unit that adjusts the rotation speed of the nozzle or the reciprocating linear motion speed may be provided. Such speed adjusting means can be realized, for example, by providing a sliding member that gives variable sliding resistance to the water discharge cylinder. Alternatively, it can be realized by providing a valve mechanism for blocking water supplied to one of the two water inlets of the housing. Alternatively, this can be realized by providing a bypass water channel between two pressure chambers and providing an on-off valve for controlling the flow rate of the bypass water channel. Thereby, the movement speed of a nozzle can be adjusted to a user's favorite speed. If such speed adjusting means is provided, the nozzle can be fixed at an arbitrary position or angle by stopping the movement of the nozzle.

  Further, in each of the above-described embodiments and specific examples thereof, stroke adjusting means for adjusting the angular range of the reciprocating rotational motion or the stroke of the reciprocating linear motion may be provided. Such a stroke adjusting means can be realized, for example, in a positive displacement type drive unit by providing a variable terminal that contacts the slide bar of the core in at least one of the left and right pressure chambers. Further, in the impeller type drive unit, this can be realized by providing a gear box for selecting an engagement ratio between gears.

  Further, in each of the above-described embodiments and specific examples thereof, the speed may be different between the forward path and the return path in the reciprocating motion of the nozzle. For example, in a positive displacement type drive unit, this can be realized by making the flow resistances of water supplied to the left and right pressure chambers different. Or it can also be realized by varying the amount of water leaking from one pressure chamber to the other pressure chamber or the flow path in the core. Alternatively, it can be realized by making the pressure receiving area of the core different between the right and left pressure chambers.

It is a typical perspective view which illustrates the kitchen counter which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which illustrates the drive part of the 1st specific example of 1st Embodiment. It is a perspective sectional view which illustrates the drive part of the 1st example. (A) is the perspective view which looked at the drive part concerning the 1st example from the bottom side, and (b) is the perspective sectional view. It is sectional drawing which looked at the drive part concerning the 1st example from the side. It is sectional drawing by the A-A 'line shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which illustrates the main valve and slide bar in the drive part concerning the 1st example. (A) thru | or (c) are the schematic diagrams explaining operation | movement of the drive part of this example. (A) thru | or (d) are the schematic diagrams explaining operation | movement of the control means in this example. (A) thru | or (d) is a schematic diagram which shows operation | movement of the control means in the 2nd specific example of 1st Embodiment. It is a top view which illustrates the impeller chamber of the drive part which concerns on the 3rd specific example of this embodiment. It is a top view which illustrates the gear chamber of the drive part which concerns on a 3rd example. It is a typical perspective view which illustrates the impeller and gearwheel of the drive part which concern on a 3rd specific example. It is a typical perspective view which illustrates the kitchen faucet concerning a 2nd embodiment of the present invention, and shows the case where a movable faucet is used. It is a typical perspective view which illustrates the kitchen faucet concerning this embodiment, and shows the case where a usual faucet is used. It is a typical perspective view which illustrates the kitchen faucet concerning a 3rd embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram which illustrates piping of the kitchen faucet which concerns on this embodiment. It is a typical perspective view which illustrates the kitchen faucet concerning a 4th embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram explaining the operation mechanism of the drive part which concerns on the specific example of 4th Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the operation mechanism of the drive part which concerns on this example, and shows the operation | movement following FIG. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the operation mechanism of the drive part which concerns on this example, and shows the operation | movement following FIG. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the operation mechanism of the drive part which concerns on this example, and shows the operation | movement following FIG. It is a perspective view which illustrates the drive part concerning this example. It is a perspective sectional view which illustrates the drive part concerning this example. It is sectional drawing which illustrates the drive part which concerns on this example. It is sectional drawing by the B-B 'line shown in FIG. (A) thru | or (c) is a schematic diagram which shows the reciprocating operation | movement of the drive part which concerns on this example. It is a typical perspective view which illustrates the kitchen faucet concerning a 5th embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a perspective cross-sectional view illustrating a drive unit according to a specific example of a fifth embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

100, 300, 400 Drive unit 102, 302 Housing 103, 303 Housing body 104, 105, 304 Housing lid 112, 114, 312, 314 Water inlet 116, 118, 316, 318 Pressure chamber 120, 320 Core 121, 321 Core body 122, 322 Core lid 124, 324 Core flow path 126, 127, 326, 384 Seal 132, 134, 332, 334 Inlet 142, 144, 342, 344 Main valve 143 Rib 146, 148, 346, 348 Slide bar 149 Connecting rod 160, 360 Leaf spring 170, 174 Magnet 180, 380 Water discharge cylinder 182 and 382 Water discharge channel 200 Drive unit 201 Housing 201a Bottom plate 201b Side plate 202 Impeller chamber 203 Gear chamber 204 Inner lid 205 Opening 206 Inlet pipe 207 Incoming water flow 211 Impeller 212, 216, 218, 223, 225, 228 Shaft 213, 214, 215, 217, 219, 221, 222, 224, 226, 227 Gear 229 Discharge channel 500, 501, 502, 504, 505 Kitchen counter 503 Work space 600, 610, 620, 630 Sink 601 Drain port 602, 611, 621 Overhang part 612 Turntable 700, 740, 770 Kitchen faucet 710 Normal faucet 720, 750, 760 Movable faucet 721, 751, 761 Drive unit 722 Water outlet 723 Connection pipe 724, 752, 762 Nozzle 725 Water outlet 726 Spout 726 Water outlet 730 Valve 731, 754, 764 Open / close valve 732 Bypass pipe 733 Bypass valve 752a Short side part 752b Long side part 753a, 733 53b Support 800

Claims (7)

A drive that generates reciprocating motion using the supplied water;
The reciprocating motion is imparted by the drive unit, and the water is supplied from the drive unit to discharge the water.
A kitchen faucet characterized by comprising:   The kitchen faucet according to claim 1, wherein the reciprocating motion is a reciprocating rotational motion. The water discharge part has a straight pipe having a water discharge hole formed on its side surface,
The kitchen faucet according to claim 2, wherein the reciprocating rotational motion is a motion of rotating the straight pipe with a central axis as a rotational axis. The water discharge portion has a bent pipe that is supplied with water at one end thereof and discharges the water from the other end portion,
3. The kitchen faucet according to claim 2, wherein the reciprocating rotational motion is a motion of rotating the bent pipe with a vertical axis passing through the one end as a rotational axis.   The kitchen faucet according to claim 1, wherein the reciprocating motion is a reciprocating linear motion. The drive unit is
A housing having a space inside;
A core that is movable in the space while dividing the space into first and second pressure chambers, and has a core flow path inside;
A water discharge cylinder having a water discharge flow path communicating with the flow path in the core and reaching the outside of the housing;
A first water inlet for introducing water into the first pressure chamber;
A second water inlet for introducing water into the second pressure chamber;
A first inlet for introducing water from the first pressure chamber into the core flow path;
A second inlet for introducing water from the second pressure chamber into the core flow path;
A valve body for changing the opening of the first and second inlets;
When the core reaches the end of the moving region on the first pressure chamber side, the pressure in the first pressure chamber is made higher than the pressure in the second pressure chamber, and the core The valve body is operated so that the pressure in the second pressure chamber is higher than the pressure in the first pressure chamber when the end of the moving region on the second pressure chamber side is reached. Control means for changing the opening of the first and second inlets;
The kitchen faucet according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by comprising:   A kitchen counter comprising the kitchen faucet according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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