JP2008173538A - Water purifier - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a water purifier which is fit to a faucet and whose portion of a hole for discharging a shower is formed from a stainless steel plate. <P>SOLUTION: The water purifier is provided with: a main body part in which a changeover valve is incorporated; a filter cartridge to be attached detachably to the main body part. The main body part is provided with: an original water receiving port for receiving original water; an original water discharging port for discharging original water; and a cartridge connection port having an original water sending port for sending original water to the filter cartridge. A hole for discharging original water straightly is arranged in a central part of the original water discharging port and many holes for discharging the shower of the original water are arranged in an almost circular part on the periphery of the original water discharging port. Many holes for discharging the shower of the original water are bored in the almost circular part consisting of the circular stainless steel plate having a notch in the peripheral part. Each of the inner and outer peripheries of the circular stainless steel plate is held between two portions consisting of a resin constituting a lower body of the main body part. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a water purifier that has a straight discharge port or a shower-like discharge port in a water purifier body and is attached to a faucet.

  Many faucet direct-coupled water purifiers have been proposed in which the main body is attached to a faucet and the flow path is switched by a switching valve. This type of water purifier has been proposed in which raw water is directly discharged from the main body, and purified water is discharged from the main body or directly from a cartridge attached to the main body. In general, raw water or purified water is discharged by operating a switching lever linked to a switching valve.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, three spheres are built in the main body as a switching valve, and any one discharge method can be selected from a raw water straight shape, a raw water shower shape, and purified water discharged from a cartridge by a switching lever. ing.

  The raw water straight and raw water shower-like discharge ports are generally provided on the lower surface of the main body. The main body part is mostly made of resin, and the shower part is also provided with a shower hole directly in the resin. For this reason, when attached to a faucet and used for a long period of time, water, detergent, and the like rebounded in the kitchen, and a biofilm may be formed around the shower hole or the shower hole may be blocked.

  On the other hand, as shown in Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3, a method has been proposed in which the shower portion of the water purifier is made of a stainless steel plate. Patent Document 2 discloses a stainless steel plate having shower sprinkling holes provided in two or more rings. The raw water discharged from the inner annular shower sprinkling hole is characterized by being discharged toward the central axis of the stainless steel plate.

Patent Document 3 discloses a mode in which a hole for insert molding is provided in a stainless steel plate, and a reinforcing rib is fixed by insert molding with resin.
JP-A-9-144913 JP 2004-230360 A JP 2004-322066 A

  In the conventional water purifiers disclosed in Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3, since a stainless steel plate of about 0.3 mm is used, the inner surface of the stainless steel plate is not deformed so as not to deform the stainless steel plate that directly receives the raw water pressure. A hole for insert molding is provided in the vicinity of the periphery, and the stainless steel thin plate is held from both the outer periphery and the inner periphery. As a result, since the range in which the shower holes can be arranged becomes small, the spraying direction is changed depending on the position of the shower holes so that the shower can be sprayed in a wide range.

  However, although it is not impossible to process a thin stainless steel plate as described above, processing accuracy is required, which is disadvantageous from the viewpoint of cost. Furthermore, since the plate thickness is as thin as about 0.3 mm, there is a risk of clogging easily once the biofilm adheres.

In order to solve the above-described problem, the water purifier of the present invention is characterized by the following requirement (1), and preferably satisfies the following requirements (2) to (6). Consists of the following (1).
(1) A water purifier comprising a main body part having a switching valve therein and a filtration cartridge detachably attached to the main body part, the main body part comprising a raw water receiving port for receiving raw water, and a raw water discharge for discharging raw water. It has an outlet and a cartridge connection port provided with a raw water feed port for passing the raw water to the filtration cartridge, and the raw water discharge port has a raw water straight discharge hole at the center and a large number of circular rings around its periphery. This is an annular stainless steel plate having a structure in which a large number of raw water shower discharge holes are provided, and a substantially annular portion in which a large number of raw water shower discharge holes are provided. The inner peripheral edge and the outer peripheral edge of the annular stainless steel plate are sandwiched between resins constituting the lower body of the main body.
(2) The annular stainless steel plate is formed integrally with the lower body of the main body.
(3) The annular stainless steel plate has an inner peripheral edge and an outer peripheral edge sandwiched between ribs, and a rib that directly connects the inner peripheral edge and the outer peripheral edge.
(4) The rib which connects the said inner periphery and outer periphery is 1-3 provided toward the back of a water purifier.
(5) The annular stainless steel plate has a thickness in the range of 0.5 to 1.0 mm.
(6) The portion of the raw water shower outlet to which the annular stainless steel plate is attached is a separate member that can be detached from the main body.

  According to the present invention, even when the shower discharge hole portion of the small water purifier directly connected to the faucet is formed of a stainless steel plate, the stainless steel plate is formed when integrally formed with the resin by providing a notch on the outer periphery of the stainless steel plate. Can be fixed so as not to rotate. In addition, when the stainless steel plate is sandwiched by providing a rib that directly connects the periphery of the straight discharge port provided at the approximate center of the stainless steel plate and the outer periphery of the stainless steel plate, the stainless steel plate can be fixed more firmly. it can. Furthermore, when the rib is provided toward the rear of the water purifier, it seems to the user that the shower is discharged uniformly. At the same time, the shower holes can be processed with uniform orientation and hole size. Here, by setting the plate thickness to 0.5 to 1.0 mm, it is difficult to be deformed even during molding or use. Furthermore, the shower-like discharge port to which the stainless steel plate is attached is configured to be detachable from the main body, so that it is possible to provide a water purifier that can be easily removed and removed even if dirt is attached to the shower-like discharge port.

  Hereinafter, it demonstrates using drawing etc. which show preferable one Embodiment of the water purifier of this invention. The present invention is not particularly limited by these drawings.

  The water purifier of the present invention is a faucet direct-coupled water purifier that is fixed to a faucet of a home kitchen or the like, as shown in FIGS. It is comprised from the part 2 and the filtration cartridge 3 etc. which accommodated the filter medium. By operating a switching lever 70 provided on the side of the main body 2, (1) a “raw water shower” mode in which raw water flowing from the faucet 4 through the raw water inlet is discharged as shower water as it is, (2) The “raw water straight” mode for discharging straight water as it is and (3) the “purified water” mode for supplying the raw water to the filtration cartridge 3 are sequentially switched to three discharge modes. The raw water supplied to the filtration cartridge 3 is filtered by an adsorbent such as activated carbon, a hollow fiber membrane or the like, and discharged from the purified water discharge port 204 as purified water.

  First, the main body 2 will be described.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the main body 2 includes a switching valve body 20 including a camshaft 40 and a plurality of switching valves, a switching lever 70 connected to the camshaft 40, and a switching lever. A ratchet mechanism or a one-way clutch mechanism for transmitting the rotation operation to the camshaft, and a return spring 80 for returning the switching lever to the original position are provided. Here, three valve bodies 30, 31, and 32 are provided as a plurality of switching valves. Furthermore, the lower body 60 provided with the raw water straight discharge port portion 66 and the raw water shower discharge port portion 67, the upper body 50 provided with the opening portion from which the switching valve body 20 protrudes on the upper surface, and the switching valve body 20 are connected to the flow rate integration. A raw water pipe 110 having a built-in unit, a liquid crystal display unit 170 for displaying a result of integrating the flow rate, and the like are provided.

  A raw water inlet 10 is provided in the upper part of the switching valve main body 20, and a ring-shaped packing 11 is mounted around the raw water inlet 10. The main body 2 is screwed into the main body 20 and attached to the faucet 4 to be supported and fixed. The water flow relaxation member 14 is sandwiched upstream of the valve bodies 30, 31, 32 so that the valve bodies 30, 31, 32 do not move due to the water pressure of the raw water flowing in via the raw water inlet 10. The adapter 12 may be formed in the shape of a hollow disk having a notch and may be sandwiched at the tip of the faucet 4 in addition to being screwed into the male thread portion of the faucet 4.

  Next, the structure of the discharge mode switching mechanism using the switching valve will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the switching valve main body 20 is provided on the downstream side of the raw water inlet 10 at the upper part of the substantially cylindrical body, and has a plurality of discharge ports 21, 22, 23 for distributing the flow of raw water inside, Spaces for storing the valve bodies 30, 31, and 32 that close the discharge ports are provided. Moreover, the opening part 26 for inserting the camshaft 40 which operates the link 30a, 31a, 32a which comprises the valve bodies 30,31,32 up and down and switches a discharge outlet is provided in the side surface. A ball receiving portion 29 for receiving a ball 46 provided on the camshaft 40 is provided on the outer periphery of the opening portion 26. Further, two ribs 25a and 25b are provided so as to surround the opening 26 provided on the side surface of the substantially cylindrical body. A spring case 28 for housing a return spring 80 for restoring the position of the switching lever 70 is provided on the rear surface of the substantially cylindrical body.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the valve bodies 30, 31, and 32 are composed of links 30a, 31a, and 32a and packings 30b, 31b, and 32b. The links 30a, 31a, and 32a have a quadrangular shape into which a cam shaft 40 described later can be inserted. The packings 30b, 31b, and 32b are attached below the links 30a, 31a, and 32a, close the discharge ports 21, 22, and 23 from above, and are lifted upward when the valves are opened (lift ) Type of umbrella shape. With respect to each of the discharge ports 21, 22, and 23, since the entire flow hole can be covered in an umbrella shape, a good sealing property can be obtained.

  As shown in FIG. 2, three cams 41, 42, 43 formed integrally with the camshaft 40 are formed on the camshaft 40 that varies the positions of the valve bodies 30, 31, 32. Each of the cams 41, 42, 43 includes a semicircular protrusion A, B, C when the respective cam 41, 42, 43 pushes down each link 30a, 31a, 32a and a protruding protrusion a, b, c when the push up And is composed of a composite cam. That is, the cam portions A, B, and C contact the push-down surfaces X, Y, and Z of the links 30a, 31a, and 32a, and the protrusions a, b, and c contact the push-up surfaces x, y, and z, and the links 30a, 31a. , 32a is moved up and down.

  A ratchet claw receiving portion 44 is provided at the end of the camshaft 40 on the side where the switching lever 70 is attached. Further, in order to ensure that the camshaft 40 rotates without reverse rotation and to provide a click feeling when operating the switching lever, a spring 47 and a ball 46 biased by the spring 47 are provided on a part of the camshaft 40. A so-called click mechanism is provided which is provided in the ball receiving groove 45 and configured to receive the ball 46 in the ball receiving portion 29 having the same pitch as the ratchet teeth 72 formed in the switching lever 70.

  The switching lever 70 is connected to the end of the camshaft 40. A connecting cylinder 74 is provided on the outer periphery of the end of the camshaft by fitting, and a switching lever 70 extends from the end of the connecting cylinder 74 in a right angle direction. A handle portion 75 is provided on the distal end side of the switching lever 70. A spring receiving portion 73 that houses a return spring 80 for returning the switching lever 70 to its original position is provided on the back side of the main body. On the outer periphery of the connecting tube 74, a retaining rib 71 for preventing the retaining tube is provided in an annular shape. Further, ratchet teeth 72 constituting a ratchet mechanism are provided inside the connection cylinder 74.

  The return spring 80 is housed in the spring case 28 of the switching valve body 20 in a state where both ends of the spring wound in a coil shape are slightly extended, and one end of the extension is provided integrally with the switching lever 70. The spring receiving portion 73 is locked to the notch portion. When the switching lever 70 is pushed in, the coil portion of the return spring 80 is compressed, and when the switching lever 70 is released, the switching lever 70 returns to its original position due to the reaction force of the return spring 80.

  A display ring 100 as a display unit for displaying the water discharge state is provided on the outer peripheral side of the connection tube 74. The display ring 100 has a hollow cylindrical shape, and a display indicating a discharge state such as “raw water”, “shower”, “purified water” or the like is described on the surface. Further, the display ring is provided with a cylindrical rib (not shown) that is slightly smaller than a hollow cylinder having a notch, and this notch is a protrusion raised around the ball receiving groove 45 of the camshaft 40. , The rotation of the camshaft 40 is transmitted to the display ring 100 as it is, and the display ring 100 rotates simultaneously with the camshaft 40.

  The switching valve body 20, the valve bodies 30, 31, 32, the camshaft 40, the switching lever 70, and the display ring 100 are resin molded bodies using ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) resin that can be processed accurately and inexpensively. However, it is not particularly limited, and an AS (acrylonitrile-styrene) resin or a POM (polyoxymethylene, polyacetal) resin that can obtain the same accuracy and strength as the ABS resin is also preferably used.

  Next, the structure of the assembled switching valve will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the valve bodies 30, 31, and 32 are accommodated in the switching valve main body 20, and the camshaft 40 is inserted from the opening 26 provided on the side surface. The cams 41, 42, 43 provided on the camshaft 40 correspond to the positions of the stored valve bodies 30, 31, 32. A ball receiving groove 45 in the camshaft 40 accommodates a ball 46 and a spring 47 so as to come into contact with a ball receiving portion 29 provided on the outer periphery of the opening 26 of the switching valve main body 20.

  A connecting cylinder 74 and a display ring 100 are provided on the outer periphery of the end portion of the camshaft 40 that is connected by the switching lever 70 being inserted. Since the notch of the cylindrical rib attached to the display ring 100 is fitted in the ball receiving groove 45 of the camshaft 40, the display ring 100 rotates together with the camshaft. Only one type of “raw water”, “shower”, and “purified water” displayed on the surface of the display ring 100 corresponding to the operation of the switching lever 70 is the gap between the two ribs 25 a and 25 b provided on the switching valve body 20. 27 (display unit). The gap 27 is provided corresponding to the opening 53 of the upper body 50.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the two ribs 25a and 25b provided on the switching valve main body 20 protrude substantially parallel to the camshaft 40 so as to surround the opening 26 into which the camshaft 40 is inserted, and the end portion thereof is a switching lever. 70 so as to cover the connecting portion with 70. A portion (display portion) to be externally displayed on the display ring 100 is a gap 27 (display portion).

  The switching lever 70 connected to the end portion of the camshaft 40 has a handle portion 75 facing substantially vertically upward from the connection tube 74. Here, the return spring 80 is accommodated in the spring case 28 of the switching valve body 20, and one end of the extended return spring 80 is accommodated in a spring receiving portion 73 attached to the switching lever 70.

  Further, a ratchet claw member 90 is fitted and fixed to a ratchet claw receiving portion 44 provided at the end of the camshaft 40. A lever cap 79 is further fitted and fixed to the switching lever 70 so that the ratchet pawl member 90 does not jump out.

  As shown in FIG. 2, each of the cams 41, 42, and 43 provided on the camshaft 40 is equally arranged in the circumferential direction of the camshaft 40, and the phases of the cams 41, 42, and 43 are In the circumferential direction of the camshaft 40, they are shifted from each other by 40 degrees. The position of each cam 41, 42, 43 in the axial direction of the camshaft 40 is such that the valve body 30, 31 is arranged so as to be able to open and close each mode flow port and contact the seat surfaces 24a, 24b, 24c of each flow port. , 32 positions.

  The reciprocating direction of the switching lever 70 is preferably a direction in which the handle portion 75 of the switching lever 70 is pushed inward with the substantially vertical upward position as a stop position, but may be a direction of pulling forward. The switching lever 70 is rotated by one stroke in a predetermined direction by an operation of pushing backward or a device pulling forward. It automatically returns to its original position after turning. Therefore, if the reciprocating direction of the switching lever 70 is set to be pushed inward, the switching lever 70 can be simply pushed by one stroke toward the back during the switching operation. Switching can be performed with a light operation. In particular, when the tip of the switching lever 70 faces substantially upward, the switching operation for one stroke can be performed by simply pressing the tip of the switching lever with one finger.

  The handle 75 of the switching lever 70 may be substantially vertically downward in addition to being substantially vertically upward. The position of the faucet varies, and in particular, when the faucet is provided at a high position where it is difficult to reach the hand, or when there is not enough space at the top of the faucet, it is better to make the handle portion 75 downward substantially vertically. It becomes easy to operate.

  Next, the switching structure of the switching valve assembled as described above will be described.

  In the embodiment described below, the camshaft 40 is rotated every 40 degrees by one operation of the switching lever 70, that is, the camshaft 40 makes one rotation by nine operations of the switching lever 70, and “clean water”, “raw water”, “shower”. Shows an example when is switched nine times.

  When the user pushes the handle portion 75 of the switching lever 70 backward, the spring receiving portion 73 of the switching lever 70 rotates until it abuts on the operation stopper 61 provided on the lower body 60. The pivoting operation of pushing the switching lever 70 backward is performed on the end of the camshaft 40 by ratchet teeth 72 centering on the rotation fulcrum of the switching lever 70 formed inside the connecting cylinder 74 of the switching lever 70. The rotation is transmitted to the camshaft 40 through the connected ratchet pawl member 90 as a rotational motion for one pitch. As a ratchet mechanism having such ratchet teeth 72 and ratchet pawl members 90, a normal structure may be adopted.

  When the hand is released from the switching lever 70 after the operation, the switching lever 70 returns to the initial position by the return spring 80. At this time, since the spring receiving portion 73 of the switching lever 70 contacts the first rib 25a provided in the switching valve main body 20, the initial position does not shift.

  When the switching lever 70 returns to the initial position, the pawl of the ratchet pawl member 90 engages with the ratchet teeth 72 in the rotational direction by the pawl of the ratchet pawl member 90 that can be elastically displaced toward the gap 44 a of the ratchet pawl receiving portion 44. However, when the switching lever 70 returns, the ratchet pawl member 90 contracts by the spring action in the gap 44a of the ratchet pawl receiving portion 44, and the engagement with the ratchet teeth 72 is released. It idles and only the switching lever 70 returns to the initial position. Therefore, the movement (operating force) of the switching lever 70 is intermittently transmitted to the camshaft 40 only in one rotation direction via the ratchet mechanism, and the camshaft 40 is rotated only in one direction every time the switching lever 70 is operated. It has become so. At the same time, the display ring 100 is rotated only in one direction every time the switching lever 70 is operated.

  Such a transmission mechanism can be achieved by an ordinary one-way clutch mechanism in addition to the ratchet mechanism as described above.

  Since the cams 41, 42, 43 of the camshaft 40 are inserted into the corresponding quadrilateral links 30 a, 31 a, 32 a, when the camshaft 40 rotates by one pitch of the ratchet teeth 72, each link 30 a , 31a and 32a, the one valve body of the valve bodies 30, 31, and 32 is pushed up and the remaining two valve bodies are pushed down.

  Since the packings 30b, 31b, and 32b attached to the valve bodies 30, 31, and 32 have an umbrella shape, each discharge port 21, 22, and 23 can be covered in an umbrella shape so that the entire circulation hole can be covered. Is obtained. Furthermore, compared to a valve body with an O-ring, etc., there is no factor that increases the driving force due to the frictional force caused by the fitting of the O-ring, etc., so that it can be driven with a much smaller force. This can contribute to a significant reduction.

  When the valve body 30, 31, 32 is driven using the camshaft 40, the camshaft cam can be directly engaged with the valve body as described above. Driving the valve body via a link such as a gear that can be engaged is also a preferable aspect in that a smoother operation can be obtained.

  In addition, the valve body operation amount per operation of the switching lever 70 needs to correspond to the phase shift of each cam of the camshaft. The number of cams corresponding to each valve element is not necessarily one, and a plurality of cams may be arranged in the camshaft circumferential direction with respect to one valve element. As a result, the corresponding valve element can be driven each time the cams arranged in the circumferential direction come to a predetermined position. The rotation amount of the camshaft per operation of the switching lever 70 may be adjusted to such conditions, and may be 360 degrees / (integer multiple n of the number of discharge modes). The value of n may be 1, but it is desirable that the value of n is 2 or 3 in order to further reduce the necessary amount of rotation and to further reduce the amount of operation of the switching lever 1 and further improve operability. The value of n can be up to about 5, but if it becomes too large, the switching reliability is adversely affected. In such a water purifier according to the present invention, the switching lever can be operated only by pushing or pulling in a constant direction, and it is unconditionally operated for a predetermined stroke. Etc. are not required at all, and can be switched by an extremely simple operation. In addition, since a certain stroke is operated for each operation, there is no element that causes an error in the operation amount, and the reliability of the operation is extremely high. In addition, since the switch lever is automatically returned to its original position, only a light one-touch operation is required for switching.

  Next, the lower body 60 will be described.

  The lower body 60 is provided with raw water discharge ports corresponding to the raw water shower port 21 and the raw water straight port 22 provided in the switching valve main body 20. A raw water straight discharge port 66 having a straight discharge hole 63b for discharging the raw water in a straight shape is disposed at a substantially central portion of the raw water discharge port. A raw water shower discharge port 67 having a large number of shower discharge holes 63a for discharging in a shape is provided.

  The raw water straight port 22 provided in the switching valve main body 20 and the raw water straight discharge port 66 provided in the lower body 60 are disposed on a substantially coaxial extension line, so that the raw water is uniformly discharged vertically downward. Can do.

  On the other hand, the raw water shower outlet 67 provided in the lower body 60 is disposed in a substantially annular portion on the peripheral side of the raw water outlet, and a number of shower discharge holes 63 a are formed in the annular stainless steel plate 62. It is installed. The inner peripheral edge and the outer peripheral edge of the annular stainless steel plate 62 are integrally formed so as to be sandwiched by the resin of the lower body 60. As shown in FIG. 7, since a plurality of notches 64 are provided on the outer peripheral edge of the stainless steel plate 62, the stainless steel plate 62 after integral molding is prevented from rotating or coming off in the lower body. Yes. Further, in order to firmly fix the stainless steel plate 62 to the lower body, two support beams (ribs) 65 that connect the inner peripheral edge and the outer peripheral edge are provided, and the stainless steel plate 62 is supported and fixed. The number of support beams 65 is not particularly limited. However, as the number of support beams 65 increases, the number of shower holes 63a decreases and uniform shower discharge becomes difficult. Further, the position at which the support beam 65 is provided is not particularly limited. However, in order to obtain a uniform shower, it is preferable to arrange the support beam 65 evenly. If the support beam 65 is provided on the rear side, it is difficult for a user who operates the water purifier 1 from the front side to notice that there is no shower discharge hole in the support beam portion, and the shower seems to be discharged uniformly. .

  If the stainless steel plate 62 is made of stainless steel having a rust prevention capability of SUS304 or higher, it will not rust even after being in contact with tap water for several years or more, and can be used cleanly in a kitchen or the like. If the plate thickness of the stainless steel plate 62 is about 0.3 to 1.0 mm and the diameter of the shower discharge hole 63a is about 0.5 to 1.0 mm, the pressure loss of the shower discharge hole 63a can be reduced. When the plate thickness is 1.0 mm or more, it becomes difficult to perforate the shower discharge hole 63a, and when it is less than 0.3 mm, it is difficult to maintain flatness. More preferably, when the plate thickness is 0.6 mm and the diameter of the shower discharge hole is 0.8 mm, uniform shower discharge can be realized while reducing pressure loss.

  Since the raw water shower port 21 provided in the switching valve main body 20 is discharged only to a part of the annular portion of the stainless steel plate 62, when the raw water has a high water pressure or a large flow of water flows, it flows from the shower discharge hole 63a. There is a risk that the raw water will not be discharged uniformly. Therefore, in the space between the raw water shower port 21 provided in the switching valve body 20 and the stainless steel plate 62, a rectifying plate 68 for uniformly feeding the raw water to the stainless steel plate 62 is provided, and the discharge direction of the shower is made constant. Improves shower uniformity. The material of the current plate 68 is not particularly limited, but an ABS resin, an AS resin, or the like that can be processed with high accuracy is preferable.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the rectifying plate 68 has a substantially disc shape having a plurality of water passage holes, and is substantially in the center so that it can be fitted into the raw water straight discharge port portion 66 provided in the lower body 60. A straight introduction port is perforated in the portion, and a cylindrical rib 68a for being fitted and fixed to the raw water straight discharge port portion 66 is erected around the straight introduction port. Is provided. Since a large number of water passage holes 68b are formed in the annular portion, raw water can be supplied to the stainless steel plate 62 for shower discharge in a uniform state. If the diameter of the water passage hole 68b is larger than that of the shower discharge hole 63a provided in the stainless steel plate 62, it is a preferable aspect in that the raw water supplied to the shower discharge hole 63a can be made more uniform. Further, when the rectifying plate 68 is attached to the raw water straight discharge port portion 66 so that the tubular rib 68a is vertically downward, it is a preferable aspect in that the raw water is supplied more uniformly to the rectifying plate 68 and can be discharged as a uniform shower. .

  As for the raw water shower outlet, FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment in which the lower body 60 and the stainless steel plate 62 are integrally formed. However, a discharge member 60a is provided as a separate member that allows the peripheral portion of the stainless steel plate 62 to be attached and detached. May be. In this case, the lower body 60 and the discharge member 60a including the stainless steel plate 62 can use a known attachment method such as a screw or bayonet connection. If the main body and the detachable discharge member 60a are provided, if the shower discharge hole 63a or the straight discharge hole 63b is contaminated with water stains, the shower discharge hole 63a or the straight discharge hole 63b can be removed and cleaned. It is preferable in that it can be replaced with a new one.

  Next, it will be described that a coating film made of a transparent resin material is formed on the outer surface of the resin body constituting the main body.

  The main body is composed of an upper body 50 and a lower body 60, most of which is made of a resin molded product. That is, the members constituting the outside of the upper body 50 and the lower body 60 are mainly made of a resin body. A coating film made of a transparent resin material containing a fluorine-based resin or a silicone-based resin is provided on the outer surface of the resin body. This coating film is obtained by applying an adhesion enhancer to the outer surface of the resin body, and then applying a fluorine-based or silicone-based reactive curable material containing a catalyst such as dibutyltin, aluminum complex, zirconia complex, titanium oxide, It is a film formed by reactive curing.

  A normal primer agent can be used as an adhesion enhancer for undercoating the outer surface of the resin body before applying the transparent resin material. The brimer agent acts to roughen the outer surface of the resin and increase the coating surface area. As a result, the adhesiveness of the transparent resin material to be applied next can be increased. The adhesion enhancer is not limited to a primer, and other known adhesion enhancers can also be used.

  In the present invention, in order to increase the water repellency of the outer surface of the water purifier main body, a fluorine resin or a silicone resin excellent in water repellency is used as the transparent resin material to be applied. Examples of the fluorine-based resin include a tetrafluoroethylene copolymer.

  The catalyst contained in the fluorine-based or silicone-based reactive curable material is not particularly limited as long as it has an effect of promoting the reactive curing of the coating material, and dibutyltin, aluminum complex, zirconia complex, titanium oxide, etc. are preferably used. It is done. Of these, dibutyltin is preferably used because of its speed of curing and ease of handling.

  On the other hand, if the thickness of the coating film is too thin, such as less than 10 μm, there is a concern that the coating on the resin on the outer surface cannot be sufficiently applied without unevenness or peeling due to long-term use. On the other hand, if it is too thick to exceed 30 μm, inconveniences such as being caught when fitting with other members occur. From such a point, the thickness of the coating film is preferably in the range of 10 to 30 μm.

  A resin molded product made of a resin such as ABS is frequently used for the body constituting the main body of the water purifier, but a transparent hard resin film as described above is formed on the outer surface of the main body by coating. Thereby, the water repellency on the outer surface of the body is remarkably increased. Therefore, even if the water purifier is used in an environment where sewage containing detergent etc. is likely to splash and adhere, such as in a kitchen, the splashing water is bounced from the outer surface of the water purifier and is difficult to adhere, so that bacteria can grow. Thus, it is possible to prevent the formation of a dirt layer, and it is possible to maintain a state free of dirt for a long period of time.

  Next, an electrical component that integrates the flow rate and displays the result will be described.

  As shown in FIGS. 11 to 14, the electrical unit includes a flow rate detection unit 120, a water wheel 130, a power supply unit 140, a display unit 150, a liquid crystal display unit 170, and the like.

  The flow rate detection unit 120 is provided inside the raw water supply pipe 110 that flows from the switching valve in the main body of the water purifier to the filtration cartridge. As shown in FIG. 11, the flow rate detection unit 120 mainly includes a magnetic switch 121 that opens and closes according to rotation of a magnet 136 provided in a water wheel 130 described later, and a magnetic switch holder 122 that supports and fixes the magnetic switch 121. And are provided.

  The water turbine 130 has a cylindrical shaft portion 131 formed with two blades 132a and 132b, and a rotating shaft into which a rotating shaft 113 provided inside the raw water supply pipe 110 is inserted at one end of the shaft portion 131. A hole 133 is provided, and a magnet attachment hole 134 for embedding the magnet 136 is provided at the other end.

  The magnet 136 is inserted into the magnet mounting hole 134 so that the straight line connecting the N pole and S pole and the rotating shaft of the water wheel 130 are perpendicular to prevent falling off and rusting due to water contact. A stopper member (not shown) is put on the opening of the magnet mounting hole 134 and bonded or welded. In order to prevent the magnet 136 from dropping and rusting, it is preferable to insert the magnet 136 into the magnet mounting hole 134 and then seal the opening of the magnet mounting hole 134 with a curable resin 135 (sealing material). . A polyurethane resin or an epoxy resin is used as the curable resin. In order to prevent the magnet 136 from rusting, the magnet itself may be coated. In addition to the rare-earth magnet having a strong magnetic force, the magnet 136 may be a ferrite magnet.

  The water turbine 130 configured as described above is pivotally supported from the downstream side by a rotating shaft 113 so as to be rotatable in the raw water supply pipe 110. The water turbine 130 may be an axial flow type whose rotation axis is parallel to the direction of water purification or orthogonal. The number of blades of the water wheel is two, but it may be one or three or more.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the magnetic switch 121 is inserted into a magnetic switch holder 122 and sealed and fixed with a curable resin 123 (sealing material). Two terminals of the magnetic switch 121 are connected to the display unit 150 shown in FIG. 14 by lead wires (not shown), and a pulse signal generated by opening / closing the magnetic switch 121 is transmitted to the display unit 150. As shown in FIG. 13, the magnetic switch holder 122 that houses the magnetic switch 121 is in contact with the outer periphery of the raw water supply pipe 110 and is fixed in the vicinity of the water wheel 130.

  In the flow rate detection unit 120 configured as described above, when the raw water flows into the filtration cartridge 3, the water wheel 130 rotates, the magnet 136 embedded in the water wheel 130 rotates, and the magnetic field changes accordingly. When the magnet 136 rotates once, the magnetic switch 121 opens and closes twice, and as a result, a pulse signal for two cycles is transmitted and transmitted to the display unit 150.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 13, the raw water supply pipe 110 is configured to be fitted and fixed to a cartridge water supply opening 23 provided on the rear side portion of the switching valve main body 20. The fitting portion 23 a of the cartridge water supply port 23 is provided with a fixing rib 23 b. An engaging portion 112 corresponding to the fixing rib 23b is provided at the raw water outlet 111 which is an end of the raw water feeding pipe 110 to be fitted into the fitting portion 23a, and is provided at the other end of the raw water feeding pipe 110. When exchanging the filtration cartridge 3 attached to the bayonet connection portion 114, the raw water supply pipe 110 is prevented from rotating.

  Inside the cartridge water supply port 23, a rotation shaft 113 for supporting the water wheel 130 is provided at a substantially axial center of the raw water supply pipe 110. After the water wheel 130 is inserted into the rotation shaft 113, the rotation shaft 113 is inserted into the cartridge water supply port 23. Insert and fix. At this time, since the water turbine 130 is provided in the cartridge water supply port 23 so that the water wheel 130 does not move inside the raw water supply pipe 110, the water wheel 130 can be rotated without being moved by the flow of raw water. It has become.

  As shown in the exploded perspective view of FIG. 12, the power supply unit 140 mainly fixes a battery holder 144 provided in the main body 2, a coin-type manganese dioxide lithium battery 141 (hereinafter referred to as a battery 141), and a battery in a watertight manner. The detachable battery cover 142 and the anode metal fitting 143a and the cathode metal fitting 143b provided on the battery holder 144 are configured.

  The battery cover 142 has a cylindrical battery mounting portion 145 and an O-ring 146 on its outer periphery. When the battery cover 142 is mounted on the battery holder 144 by the bayonet mechanism, water enters the battery mounting portion 145. To prevent it. Since the notch 147 is provided in the cylindrical battery mounting portion 145, the battery can be easily removed by hooking a finger. The surface of the battery cover 142 is provided with a recess 148 for inserting and turning a coin, and characters and illustrations indicating the standard of the battery and the rotation direction for opening and closing are engraved around the recess. Therefore, the user can remove the battery cover 142 from the battery holder 144 and replace the battery 141 with a coin after confirming the battery standard and the rotation direction of the battery cover 142.

  The anode metal fitting 143a and the cathode metal fitting 143b provided in the battery holder 144 are respectively connected to the display unit 150 shown in FIG. 14 by lead wires, and the electric power from the battery 141 is supplied to the display unit 150. The lead wire is fixed to the battery holder 144 via a rubber cap 149, and the rubber cap 149 penetrates the anode fitting 143a, the cathode fitting 143b, and further the battery mounting portion 145 through the lead wire. Is preventing.

  The battery 141 may be a primary battery or a secondary battery. In addition to a lithium battery such as a manganese dioxide lithium battery that can stably supply power at a relatively high voltage for a long period of time, an alkaline dry battery, a manganese dry battery, a silver oxide A battery, an air zinc battery, etc. may be sufficient. The shape is preferably a small battery such as a button shape or coin shape that is lightweight and does not require a large installation space. In the case of a small battery, the main body does not significantly increase in size or increase in weight, and the cost does not increase significantly.

  Next, the display unit 150 will be described with reference to FIG.

  The display unit 150 is provided at an easily viewable position on the front side of the water purifier. The display unit 150 includes a circuit board 151 provided with a CPU, a transparent substrate holder 152, a substrate frame 153 that supports and fixes the circuit board 151 to the substrate holder 152, and a liquid crystal display unit 170. The CPU receives power supply from the power supply unit 140, performs calculation based on the pulse signal from the flow rate detection unit 120, and sends an output signal to the liquid crystal display unit 170.

  In addition, operation buttons are provided on the circuit board 151. As the operation buttons, a reset button 155 for returning the display contents to the initial state and a cartridge selection button 156 for setting the type of cartridge are provided. Here, the circuit board 151 is disposed in the board holder 152 so that water does not enter, but it is necessary to be able to press an operation button provided thereon. Therefore, an opening for operation is formed in the portion corresponding to the operation button of the substrate holder 152, and this opening is water-tightly closed with an elastic film. As the elastic film, flat switch rubbers 157 and 158 are fitted, and resin-like fixing frames 159a and 160a are arranged on the switch rubber so as to cover the periphery of the switch rubber, and the inside of the fixing frame is in close contact with the substrate holder. Ultrasonic welding as you do. Therefore, ultrasonic welds 159b and 160b are formed on the back surfaces of the fixed frames 159a and 160a at portions that are in close contact with the substrate holder 152, respectively.

  The display unit 150 assembled as described above is housed inside the water purifier body, that is, in a space constituted by the upper body 50 and the lower body 60. The lower body 60 is provided with a rib (not shown) for positioning the display unit 150, and the display unit 150 is fixed. Switch operation portions 51 a and 52 a are provided at positions corresponding to the switch rubbers 157 and 158 of the upper body 50. Since the switch operation parts 51a and 52a are provided with members provided with protrusions 51b and 52b on the back side, pressing the switch operation parts 51a and 52a causes the back side protrusions 51b and 52b to deform the switch rubber. Thus, the reset button 155 or the cartridge selection button 156 is reached, and an operation of pressing these buttons is performed. An elastic sheet is attached to the surface side of the switch operation portions 51a and 52a.

  By pressing the switch operation portions 51a and 52a arranged on the outer surface in this way, the reset button 155 and the cartridge selection button 156 arranged in the substrate holder can be pushed. Accordingly, the button pressing operation at the time of resetting or cartridge selection is simplified. In addition, since it is not necessary to press the button with a pointed object such as a pencil, the rubber on the button surface due to the pointed object is eliminated, and the waterproof effect can be maintained for a long period of time. Operation can be prevented. Further, since the projections 51b and 52b on the back side of the switch operating portion have a shape without an acute angle portion, there is no fear that the switch rubber is broken.

  In addition, in order to prevent water from entering the substrate holder 152 from the outside and causing the circuit substrate 151 to malfunction, the circuit substrate 151 and the liquid crystal display unit 170 are inserted into the substrate holder 152 and fixed by the substrate frame 153. Therefore, it is preferable to perform waterproofing by sealing with a curable resin 154 (sealing material). By performing waterproofing in this manner, it is not necessary to individually waterproof each part, and the manufacturing process can be simplified and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. As the curable resin 154, a two-component mixed polyurethane resin or epoxy resin may be used.

  Next, the liquid crystal display unit 170 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the liquid crystal display unit 170 is directly supported and fixed to the circuit board 151 and is positioned at the upper front portion of the main body unit 2 so that the user can easily see it during use. The liquid crystal display unit 170 can be arranged at a position distant from the circuit board and connected with a lead wire or the like, but the signal can be transmitted more reliably if it is directly supported and fixed to the circuit board 151.

  The circuit board 151 provided with the CPU calculates the integrated flow rate that has passed through the flow rate detection unit 120 based on the pulse signal from the flow rate detection unit 120 and displays the result. The display method includes a filtration cartridge replacement display element 171 that counts down the integrated flow rate and informs the cartridge life, a battery replacement display element 172 that displays a replacement time accompanying a voltage drop of the power supply unit 140, and a cartridge type display that displays the type of the filtration cartridge. An element 173 is provided, and these are turned on, turned off, and blinking to display the cartridge life, battery life, and cartridge type.

  As a method for displaying the cartridge life, in addition to counting down the integrated flow rate, a method of counting up from zero, a method of sequentially turning on or off a plurality of blocks, and the like may be adopted.

  The filtration cartridge 3 is prepared with a plurality of filtration cartridges 3 having different lifetimes depending on the capacity and capacity of the adsorbent layer 211 and the like filled therein. The user can select the filtration cartridge 3 as appropriate according to the capacity and life, and operates the cartridge selection button 156 described above according to the selected filtration cartridge 3 to set an appropriate cartridge life.

  Next, the filtration cartridge 3 will be briefly described with reference to FIG.

  In the filtration cartridge 3, a raw water inlet 203 connected to a raw water outlet 101 provided in the raw water pipe 100 is provided at a side portion of the container 201, and raw water taken from the raw water inlet 203 is provided at a lower portion of the container 201. A purified water discharge port 204 including a plurality of shower holes for filtering and discharging the purified water as purified water is provided. A cylindrical projection 202 formed on the inner bottom surface of the container 201 has a lower end of a cylindrical body 205 fitted and erected via an O-ring 206, and an outer peripheral surface of the upper and lower ends of the cylindrical body 205 is a ring-shaped primary filter 207. , And are fixed to the inner wall surface of the container 201 via the secondary filter 208.

  Inside the cylindrical body 205, there is disposed a hollow fiber membrane bundle 209 in which a plurality of hollow fiber membranes are bundled and folded and stored in an inverted U shape. Both ends of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 209 are sealed and fixed by filling a gap between the hollow fiber membranes at the bottom of the cylindrical body 205 and a curable resin 210 as a sealant between the hollow fiber membrane and the cylindrical body 205. (Potting). Since the potting portion is partially cut and removed before fitting into the container 201, the end of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 209 is open toward the purified water discharge port 204.

  In a substantially cylindrical space formed between the cylindrical body 205 and the inner wall surface of the container 201, an adsorbent layer 211 made of activated carbon, zeolite, ion exchange resin, chelate resin, or the like is disposed. In addition, a transparent cap 212 is fitted on the upper part of the container 201 so that the hollow fiber membrane bundle 209 and the adsorbent layer 211 can be easily filled into the container 201 and the dirt of the hollow fiber can be clearly seen from the outside. . Further, a lid 214 is detachably provided on the upper portion of the transparent cap 212 with the container 201.

It is a front view of the water purifier which shows one embodiment of this invention. (A) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the water purifier shown in FIG. (B) is a side view of the camshaft shown in FIG. 2, (c) is a longitudinal sectional view of each cam provided on the camshaft shown in FIG. 2, and (d) is a valve shown in FIG. It is a front view of a body. It is right side sectional drawing of the water purifier shown in FIG. (A) is a right side view of the switching valve body, (b) is an AA sectional view of the switching valve body shown in FIG. 4 (a), and (c) is FIG. 4 (a). It is BB sectional drawing of the switching valve main body shown. (A) is a top view of an upper body, (b) is a bottom view of an upper body. (A) is a top view of a lower body, (b) is a schematic sectional drawing which shows another aspect of a lower body. It is a top view of a stainless steel plate. It is a front view of the water purifier which shows one embodiment of this invention. (A) is a top view of a baffle plate, (b) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the baffle plate of Fig.9 (a). It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a raw | natural water water pipe. (A) is an exploded perspective view of a water wheel, and (b) is an exploded perspective view of a flow rate detection unit. It is a disassembled perspective view of a power supply part. It is upper part sectional drawing of the water purifier main body containing a water wheel and a flow volume detection part. (A) is a front view of a display part, (b) is AA sectional drawing of Fig.14 (a), (c) is BB sectional drawing of Fig.14 (a). . (D) is a front view of a liquid crystal display part. It is sectional drawing of a cartridge.

Explanation of symbols

1: Water purifier
2: Main unit 3: Filtration cartridge 4: Faucet 10: Raw water inlet 11: Packing 12: Adapter 13: Mounting nut 14: Water flow relaxation member 20: Switching valve main body 21: Raw water shower port 22: Raw water straight port 23: Cartridge feed Water port 23a: fitting portion 23b: fixing rib 23c: turbine wheel fixing shafts 24a, 24b, 24c: seat surface 25a: first rib 25b: second rib 26: opening 27: gap 28: spring case 29: ball holder Part 30: Valve body 30a: Link 30b: Packing 31: Valve body 31a: Link 31b: Packing 32: Valve body 32a: Link 32b: Packing 40: Camshafts 41, 42, 43: Cam 44: Ratchet claw receiving part 44a: Gap 45: Ball groove receiver 46: Ball 47: Spring 50: Upper body 51: First switch operation part 51a: Projection (back side)
52: 2nd switch operation part 52a: Protrusion (back side)
53: Opening 54: Opening 55: Seal 60: Lower body 60a: Discharge member 61: Operation stopper 62: Stainless steel plate 63a: Shower discharge hole 63b: Straight discharge hole 64: Notch 65: Support beam 66: Raw water straight discharge Outlet part 67: Raw water shower outlet part 68: Rectifying plate 68a: Mounting rib 68b: Water passage hole 70: Switching lever 71: Locking rib 72: Ratchet tooth 73: Spring receiving part 74: Connection cylinder 75: Handle part 79: Lever cap 80: Return spring 90: Ratchet claw member 100: Display ring 110: Raw water supply pipe 111: Raw water outlet 112: Engaging portion 113: Rotating shaft 114: Bayonet connecting portion 120: Flow rate detecting portion 121: Magnetic switch 122: Magnetic switch holder 123: curable resin 130: water wheel 131: shaft 132: blade 133: blade 134: rotating shaft 135: curable resin 136: magnet 140: power supply unit 141: battery 142: battery cover 143a: anode fitting 143b: cathode fitting 144: battery holder 145: battery mounting part 146: O-ring 147: notch 148: recess 149: rubber Cap 150: Display 151: Circuit board 152: Board holder 153: Board frame 154: Curable resin 155: Reset button 156: Cartridge selection button 157, 158: Elastic film (switch rubber)
159a, 160a: fixed frames 159b, 160b: ultrasonic welding part 170: liquid crystal display part 171: filtration cartridge replacement display element 172: battery replacement display element 173: cartridge type display element 201: container 202: cylindrical projection 203: raw water receiver Inlet 204: Clean water discharge port 205: Cylindrical body 206: O-ring 207: Primary filter 208: Secondary filter 209: Hollow fiber membrane bundle 210: Curable resin 211: Adsorbent layer 212: Transparent cap 213: Bayonet connection part 214 :lid

Claims (6)

A water purifier consisting of a main body part that incorporates a switching valve inside, and a filtration cartridge that is detachably attached to the main body part, the main body part being a raw water receiving port for receiving raw water, a raw water discharge port for discharging raw water, A cartridge connection port provided with a raw water feed port for passing the raw water to the filtration cartridge, and the raw water discharge port has a raw water straight discharge hole in the center, and a large number of raw water showers in the substantially annular part of the periphery It is a structure in which the discharge holes are arranged, and the substantially annular part in which many raw water shower discharge holes are arranged consists of an annular stainless steel plate with a number of shower discharge holes drilled and notched in the peripheral part, A water purifier characterized in that the inner peripheral edge and the outer peripheral edge of the annular stainless steel plate are sandwiched between resins constituting the lower body of the main body. The water purifier according to claim 1, wherein the annular stainless steel plate is integrally formed with the lower body of the main body. 3. The annular stainless steel plate according to claim 1, wherein an inner peripheral edge and an outer peripheral edge are sandwiched by ribs, and a rib that directly connects the inner peripheral edge and the outer peripheral edge is formed on the annular stainless steel plate. Water purifier. The water purifier according to claim 3, wherein 1 to 3 ribs connecting the inner peripheral edge and the outer peripheral edge are provided toward the rear of the water purifier. The water purifier according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the annular stainless steel plate has a thickness in a range of 0.5 to 1.0 mm. The water purifier according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a portion of the raw water shower discharge port to which the annular stainless steel plate is attached is a separate member that can be detached from the main body.

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