JP2011122356A - Automatic faucet - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatic faucet capable of preventing the application of a tensile force to a cord inside a water discharge pipe, even when the tensile force is applied to a portion, exposed below the water discharge pipe, of the optical fiber cord elongated into the water discharge pipe. <P>SOLUTION: This automatic faucet automatically discharges water by detecting a detection object by means of a sensor which comprises a floodlight portion and a light receiving portion, provided in the water discharge pipe 12. In the automatic faucet, an engaging protrusion 118 protruding to a radial outside from an outer surface of the water discharge pipe 12 in the water discharge pipe 12 is provided in a fixed state in the optical fiber cord 50 constituting a part of the sensor; a retainer portion 128 for making the engaging protrusion 118 abut downward is provided inside the water discharge pipe 12; and an anti-coming-off mechanism for preventing coming-off by receiving the tensile force applied to the cord 50 includes the engaging protrusion 118 and the retainer portion 128. The anti-coming-off mechanism performs unidirectional regulation, that is, allows the movement of the cord 50 in an upward direction as a reverse direction while regulating the movement of the cord 50 in a downward pulling direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic faucet that automatically discharges water from a water outlet based on detection by a sensor.

Conventionally, it has a sensor for projecting light from a light projecting unit provided in a water discharge pipe, receiving reflected light from a detection target such as a user's hand in a light receiving unit provided in the water discharge pipe, and detecting the detection target, Automatic faucets that automatically discharge water based on detection by sensors are widely used in public toilets and toilets.
Usually, the sensor determines that there is a detection target when the amount of received light is larger than a set threshold value.
In such an automatic water faucet, conventionally, the light projecting unit and the light receiving unit are often provided at the tip of the water discharge pipe.

By the way, in the conventional automatic faucet, a light emitting element such as an LED that emits light is used as the light projecting unit, and a light receiving element such as a photodiode or phototransistor is used as the light receiving unit at the tip of the water discharge pipe. A water discharge tube connected to the light emitting element and the light receiving element is connected to the light emitting driving circuit for causing the light emitting element to emit light and the photoelectric conversion circuit for converting the light received by the light receiving element into an electrical signal and processing the signal. As a result, the shape of the tip of the water discharge pipe inevitably increases in shape, and the entire water discharge pipe becomes thicker and larger, which impairs the design and design. Was produced.
This problem occurs not only when the sensor main body including the light emitting element, the light receiving element, and the sensor circuit is provided at the tip of the water discharge pipe, but also when the sensor main body is provided at the water discharge pipe at another location.

Therefore, a sensor main body including a light emitting element, a light receiving element, and a sensor circuit is arranged outside the water discharge pipe, and an optical fiber cord is extended from the sensor main body and passed through the water discharge pipe. It is conceivable that the tip portion of the optical fiber and the tip portion of the optical fiber on the light receiving side are respectively positioned on the tip portion of the water discharge pipe, and the light projecting portion and the light receiving portion are constituted by these tip portions. In that case, it is possible to avoid an increase in the size of the water discharge pipe due to the sensor body including the light emitting element, the light receiving element and the sensor circuit.
Here, when the sensor main body is arranged outside the water discharge pipe, it is usually stored in a functional unit box that accommodates an electromagnetic valve and other components arranged in a lower space of a mounting base such as a counter.

For example, in Patent Document 1 below, a sensor body including a light emitting element, a light receiving element, and a sensor circuit is arranged in a control box (function unit box) below a wash counter, and an optical fiber cord is extended therefrom. An automatic faucet in which this is inserted into the water discharge pipe is disclosed.
In the device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the light projecting portion and the light receiving portion are respectively arranged in the middle portion of the water discharge tube in the tube axis direction, and the optical fiber cord is placed inside the water discharge tube until reaching the intermediate position. It is extended.

  However, in this case, as specifically shown in Patent Document 1, the optical fiber cord is exposed in the lower space of the mounting base such as a counter between the water discharge pipe and the functional unit box. It may happen that the exposed portion of the cord is accidentally pulled during installation of the faucet, subsequent maintenance work, or cleaning.

  When the exposed portion of the cord is pulled in such a manner, the optical fiber is damaged inside the water discharge tube by the pulling force, or is pulled to the tip of the optical fiber attached to the water discharge tube, that is, the light projecting portion or the light receiving portion. If the force is applied, they may be displaced from the regular position, or may be damaged or damaged, and in any case, the function as a sensor is impaired.

A similar problem is that a sensor main body including a light emitting element, a light receiving element, and a sensor circuit is provided at the tip of the water discharge pipe, and the electric wiring cord extends from the sensor main body along the water discharge pipe. This may occur even when the water pipe extends from the water discharge pipe to the lower space of the mounting base and is connected to the functional unit box disposed in the lower space.
If a tensile force is applied to the electrical wiring cord exposed in the space below the mounting base such as a counter, a force is applied to the electrical wiring connection to the sensor body inside the water discharge pipe, causing the electrical wiring to break at the connection. Or the sensor main body connected to this may be damaged.

As a prior art to the present invention, in Patent Document 2 below, a rubber inner bush is press-fitted to an electric wiring cord, and the electric wiring cord is attached to the mounting hole of the casing by the inner bush and the outer bush. The point which it came to attach is disclosed.
However, this is intended to seal the gap between the cord and the mounting hole in a watertight manner between the inner bush and the outer bush, and is different from the present invention. The cord inserted through the cord insertion hole in the central part of the rubber inner bush is restrained in the axial direction on both the outer and inner sides of the casing by the frictional force between the inner surface of the insertion hole This is different from the present invention.

  Further, Patent Document 3 below discloses that in FIG. 6, the fixing tool attached to the cord of the electric wiring is fitted and fixed to the fixing seat of the cover of the faucet body. When the pulling force is applied to the outside of the cover with respect to the electric wiring cord, the fixing tool is detached from the fixing seat of the cover, and the pulling force is applied to the electric wiring cord inside the cover. Thus, the problem of the present invention cannot be solved and is different from the present invention.

JP-A-6-146356 JP 2000-224740 A JP-A-10-183701

  The present invention is based on the circumstances as described above, and pulls in the extraction direction to the portion exposed to the outside of the water discharge pipe of the cord of the optical fiber or the electric wiring forming a part of the sensor extended inside the water discharge pipe. Even if this force is applied, it is possible to prevent the tensile force from being applied to the cord inside the water discharge pipe, and it is possible to satisfactorily prevent damage to the light projecting part or the light receiving part provided on the cord or the water discharge pipe The purpose is to provide an automatic faucet.

  Thus, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a sensor that projects light from a light projecting section provided on a water discharge pipe and receives reflected light from a detection target by a light receiving section provided on the water discharge pipe to detect the detection target. An automatic water faucet that automatically discharges water based on detection of the detection target by the sensor, wherein an optical fiber or electrical wiring cord forming a part of the sensor is connected to the proximal end side of the water discharge pipe The cord is provided with an engaging convex portion that protrudes radially outward from the outer surface of the cord in a fixed state, while the cord is disposed in the inside of the spout tube. A receiving portion for bringing the engaging convex portion into contact with the outlet in the direction of being extracted from the water discharge pipe through the opening, and receiving the tensile force in the extracting direction applied to the cord between the engaging convex portion and the receiving portion. A retaining mechanism for retaining the cord, and the retaining mechanism While movement restriction in the extraction direction, in the reverse direction is separated the engagement projection from said receiving portion, characterized in that are no intended to permit the movement of the cord.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, a retaining member that is a separate body from the water discharge pipe is attached to the inner surface of the water discharge pipe, and the receiving portion is formed on the retaining member. And

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, a water supply tube for guiding water supply to a water discharge port is provided inside the water discharge pipe, and a cord insertion hole for inserting the cord is provided in the receiving portion of the retaining member. A tube insertion hole through which the water supply tube is inserted is provided in the retaining member, and the retaining member positions the cord and the water supply tube in the radial direction by the cord insertion hole and the tube insertion hole. It is characterized by being.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect, the cord insertion hole and the tube insertion hole are provided adjacent to each other, and the cord insertion hole has a portion on the side of the tube insertion hole that is partially open. The cord insertion hole and the tube insertion hole are continuous in the opening.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the second to fourth aspects, the retaining member has a ring shape having elastic deformability in the radial direction, and can be pushed into the water discharge pipe in a reduced diameter state. It is attached to the inner surface of the water discharge pipe in a later expanded state.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the second to fifth aspects, the retaining member is housed inside the water discharge pipe and in an unexposed state outside the water discharge pipe.

Effects and effects of the invention

  As described above, according to the present invention, the optical fiber or the electric wiring cord forming a part of the sensor is provided with the engaging convex portion protruding from the outer surface in the radial direction in a fixed state. Is provided with a receiving portion that makes the engagement convex portion contact in a direction to be pulled out from the water discharge tube through the opening on the proximal end side of the water discharge tube, and the engagement convex portion and the receiving portion in the extraction direction applied to the cord A retaining mechanism for retaining the cord in response to a tensile force is configured, and the retaining mechanism restricts the movement of the cord in the above-described withdrawal direction, while the engaging convex portion is separated from the receiving portion in the opposite direction. The one-way regulation that allows the movement of

According to the present invention, even if the cord is pulled outward such as below the water discharge pipe, the pulling force is prevented from being applied to the cord inside the water discharge pipe by the action of the retaining mechanism. be able to.
When a tensile force is applied to the cord outside the water discharge pipe, the engaging projection provided on the cord comes into contact with the receiving portion provided inside the water discharge pipe in the tensile direction of the cord, and the tensile force is applied. It is received by the joint convex portion and the receiving portion, and the tensile force is prevented from reaching the portion extending inside the water discharge pipe of the cord.

  Therefore, even if the cord is pulled outside the water discharge pipe, no force is applied to the connection portion of the cord to the water discharge tube, and the optical fiber or electrical wiring is cut at the connection portion, or It is possible to effectively prevent the light projecting unit, the light receiving unit, or the sensor body attached to the water discharge pipe from being displaced, detached, or damaged.

In the present invention, the retaining mechanism is unidirectional to restrict the movement of the cord in only one axial direction.
That is, while restricting the movement of the cord to the outside, such as below the water discharge pipe, in the opposite direction, the engagement convex portion is allowed to be separated from the receiving portion, and the movement of the cord in the opposite direction is allowed. There is.
That is, in the inside of the water discharge pipe, on the back side of the engagement convex portion, the cord is free to move freely in the direction opposite to the direction of the outward discharge of the water discharge pipe (in the direction toward the water discharge opening). There is.

This has the following meaning.
The light projecting unit, light receiving unit, or sensor body, etc. attached to the water discharge pipe can be replaced with a counter, etc. through an opening on the tip side opposite to the base end side of the water discharge pipe when parts need to be replaced or maintained in the event of a failure. It is desirable to be able to take out from the water discharge pipe on the front side of the mounting base.
Alternatively, when the light projecting part, the light receiving part, the sensor main body, etc. are attached to the water discharge pipe together with the water discharge outlet member etc., when performing replacement or maintenance of the parts such as the water discharge outlet member, the water discharge pipe together with the water discharge outlet member etc. It is desirable to be able to take it out from.
By doing so, maintenance work such as parts replacement can be easily performed with good workability.

However, when the cord extending inside the water discharge pipe is restricted to move in the water discharge pipe toward the tip of the water discharge pipe, the light projecting part, the light receiving part, the sensor body, the water discharge port member, etc. are connected to the outside of the water discharge pipe. It becomes impossible to take it out.
However, in the present invention, since the cord extending inside the water discharge pipe is allowed to move toward the front end side of the water discharge pipe, it is possible to easily perform maintenance of each of the above parts with good workability. It becomes.

In the present invention, a retaining member which is a separate body from the water discharge pipe can be attached to the inner surface of the water discharge pipe, and the receiving portion can be configured on the retaining member (Claim 2).
If it does in this way, a receiving part can be easily provided in the inside of a water discharge pipe.

  In the present invention, a water supply tube that guides water supply to the water discharge port is provided inside the water discharge pipe, and a cord insertion hole for inserting the cord is provided in the receiving portion of the retention member, and the retention member In addition, a tube insertion hole for inserting the water supply tube can be provided, and the cord and the water supply tube can be positioned in the radial direction by the cord insertion hole and the tube insertion hole.

  In this way, both the cord and the water supply tube extending inside the water discharge pipe can be well positioned inside the water discharge pipe by the retaining member, and the cord and the water supply tube are placed inside the water discharge pipe at the correct target position. And they can be stored in the water discharge pipe with good fit.

  In this case, the cord insertion hole and the tube insertion hole are provided adjacent to each other, and the cord insertion hole has a portion on the tube insertion hole side as an opening, and the cord insertion hole in the opening. And the tube insertion hole can be made continuous (claim 4).

  In this way, the cord can be easily fitted into the cord insertion hole through the opening to be in the insertion state, while the water supply tube becomes a wall under the state where the water supply tube is inserted into the tube insertion hole. It is possible to satisfactorily prevent the cord in the cord insertion hole from being pulled out from the cord insertion hole to the tube insertion hole side through the opening.

  Therefore, according to the fourth aspect, in order to prevent the cord from coming out from the opening, it is possible to eliminate the necessity of separately providing a closing member in the opening, and accordingly, the number of parts by providing the closing member is reduced. And the problem of increasing the number of man-hours for the assembly will not occur.

  In addition, since the water supply tube acts as a wall to prevent the cord from coming out of the opening, it is possible to make the opening wide so that the cord to the cord insertion hole through the opening can be formed. This makes it easier to perform the fitting operation.

  That is, in order to prevent the cord fitted into the cord insertion hole from coming out of the opening, it may be possible to narrow the width of the opening. In this case, the cord is fitted into the cord insertion hole through the opening. It becomes difficult to work.

  However, in claim 4, since the water supply tube serves as a wall that prevents the cord from coming off through the opening from the cord insertion hole, the opening can be formed wide. Thus, it is possible to further simplify the operation of fitting the cord into the cord insertion hole through the opening.

  The above-mentioned retaining member is formed in a ring shape having elastic deformability in the radial direction, and can be pushed into the water discharge pipe in a reduced diameter state and attached to the inner surface of the water discharge pipe in the expanded diameter state after being pushed in (Claim 5).

  In this way, after the cord is inserted into the retaining member in advance, such as below the water discharge pipe, the diameter of the retaining member is elastically reduced and pushed into the water discharge pipe so that the retaining member is inside the water discharge pipe. In addition, the cord can be inserted into the retaining member in the water discharge pipe at the same time, and the cord can be easily inserted into the retaining member.

  Further, when the cord insertion hole and the tube insertion hole are provided in the retaining member according to claim 3, the cord and the water supply tube are provided in advance in the cord insertion hole and the tube insertion hole of the retaining member outside such as below the water discharge tube. The cord and the water supply tube can be inserted with respect to the retaining member in the water discharge pipe simultaneously with the assembly of the retaining member to the inner surface of the water discharge pipe. The insertion operation to the member can be easily performed.

In these cases, the retaining member can be stored in an unexposed state inside the water discharge pipe and outside the water discharge pipe (Claim 6).
If the retaining member is touched by the exposed portion of the water discharge pipe, the retaining member may possibly come off from the water discharge pipe. However, if the retaining member is stored inside the water discharge pipe according to claim 6, such a case The trouble can be avoided.

1 is an overall view of an automatic faucet that is an embodiment of the present invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the water discharge pipe in the same embodiment. It is principal part sectional drawing of the front-end | tip part of the water discharging pipe in the embodiment. It is a figure of the spout unit in the embodiment. It is the figure which showed the water discharge unit in the same embodiment in the state before the assembly | attachment to a water discharge pipe. It is a principal part enlarged view of the base end side of the water discharge pipe in the embodiment. It is the figure which showed the securing member in the same embodiment in the state before inserting in a water discharge pipe. FIG. 7 is an AA sectional view and a II sectional view of FIG. 6. It is a figure of other embodiment of this invention.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
In FIG. 1, 10 is an automatic faucet of the present embodiment, and 12 is a water discharge pipe in the automatic faucet 10. Here, the water discharge pipe 12 is made of metal.
The water discharge pipe 12 is installed so as to stand up from a counter (mounting base) 14, and the upper part has an inverted U-shaped gooseneck shape, and its front end surface is inclined forward and downward toward the user.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the water discharge pipe 12 is formed with a substantially elliptical opening 16 corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the water discharge pipe 12 at the distal end surface.

As shown in FIG. 2, the water discharge pipe 12 integrally has a seating portion 18 and an insertion tube 20 extending downward from the seating portion 18 on the base end side.
The insertion tube 20 is inserted through the mounting hole 22 of the counter 14 and protrudes to the lower side of the counter 14, and a fixing nut 26 is screwed into a male screw portion 24 provided on the outer peripheral surface thereof.
The water discharge pipe 12 is attached to the counter 14 such that the seat 18 is seated on the upper surface of the counter 14, and the counter 14 is sandwiched between the seat 18 and the fixing nut 26 via packings 28 and 30. .

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 32 denotes a main body function unit disposed below the counter 14, and 34 denotes a function unit box of the main body function unit 32, in which an electromagnetic valve 36 is accommodated.
The electromagnetic valve 36 is a valve that opens and closes a water supply path for supplying water from a water supply main pipe to a water outlet 58 (FIG. 2) described later. The lower end of the water supply tube 38 connects the joint 40 to the electromagnetic valve 36. Connected through.

The water supply tube 38 is a member that forms a part of the water supply channel, extends upward from the functional unit box 34, and enters the interior of the water discharge pipe 12 from the opening 42 at the base end (lower end) of the water discharge pipe 12. .
The water supply tube 38 further extends inside the water discharge pipe 12 until it reaches the tip.
In this example, the water supply tube 38 is flexible and is made of polyurethane resin.
In FIG. 1, 44 represents a water stop cock.

The functional unit box 34 also accommodates a control unit 46 that includes a microcomputer as a main element, and a sensor main body 48 that forms the main element of the sensor.
The control unit 46 controls the operation of the electromagnetic valve 36, opens the electromagnetic valve 36 based on detection of the detection target by the sensor, and closes the electromagnetic valve 36 when the sensor detects no detection target.

The sensor main body 48 includes a light emitting element such as an LED that emits light (in this case, infrared light), a light receiving element such as a photodiode and a phototransistor, a light emission driving circuit that emits light by the light emitting element, and light received by the light receiving element. A sensor circuit including a photoelectric conversion circuit that converts the signal into an electrical signal and processes the signal.
A light-emitting optical fiber 80 (see FIG. 4) extends from the light-emitting element of the sensor body 48, and a light-receiving optical fiber 82 extends from the light-receiving element.

Reference numeral 50 denotes an optical fiber cord in which the two optical fibers 80 and 82 are bundled into one, and extends from the sensor main body 48 and is discharged from the opening 42 at the proximal end of the water discharge pipe 12 as shown in FIG. It enters the water pipe 12.
The cord 50 further extends inside the water discharge pipe 12 until it reaches the tip.

As shown in FIG. 3, a water discharge port member 52 is housed inside the distal end portion of the water discharge pipe 12.
In this example, the water discharge port member 52 is made of resin (here, POM resin (polyacetal resin)), and has a substantially elliptical cylindrical shape corresponding to the shape of the tip of the water discharge pipe 12 as a whole.

  This water discharge port member 52 is integrally provided with a cylindrical insertion portion 54, and after the insertion portion 54 is press-fitted into the water supply tube 38, a band-shaped fastening member that tightens the water supply tube 38 from the outer peripheral surface. 56 is connected to the water supply tube 38 and fixed.

As shown also in FIG. 4, the opening at the tip of the water discharge port member 52 forms a water discharge port 58, and the discharge water discharged inside the water discharge port member 52 is slightly behind the water discharge port 58. A discharge end member 60 for defining a pattern is accommodated.
In this embodiment, the discharge end member 60 rectifies and discharges the flow of water sent through the water supply tube 38. That is, the discharge pattern of discharged water is discharged as a bundle of rectified discharged water.

In the present embodiment, the discharge end member 60 and the water discharge port member 52 form a water discharge port unit 66 together with a light projecting unit 62 and a light receiving unit 64 described later.
In the spout unit 66, the discharge end member 60 and the spout member 52 are commonly fixed in a fixing hole 68 provided in the spout pipe 12 by a fixing member 67 shown in FIG.

The fixing member 67 is a circular push button type member, and includes a circular outer peripheral wall portion 70, a first fitting convex portion 71 rising from the center portion thereof, and an upper end of the first fitting convex portion 71. Further, a second fitting convex portion 72 having a small diameter projecting upward is integrally provided, and the second fitting convex portion 72 is fitted into the fitting hole 74 of the discharge end member 60, and the first fitting convex portion 72 is inserted into the fitting hole 74. Are fitted to the water discharge pipe 12 in a state in which the fitting convex part 71 is fitted into the through-hole fitting hole 76 of the water discharge port member 52 and the outer peripheral wall part 70 is fitted into the circular fixing hole 68 of the water discharge pipe 12. Thus, the discharge end member 60 and the water discharge port member 52 are fixed to the water discharge pipe 12 in a determined state.
As shown in FIG. 3B, the fixing member 67 has a pair of claws 78 on the left and right when viewed from the front. 12 is secured.

In FIG. 4, 80 is a light projecting side optical fiber, and 82 is a light receiving side optical fiber. 64 is configured.
The light projecting unit 62 is provided with a lens 84 for imparting directivity to the projected light.
The optical fibers 80 and 82 are integrally provided with an annular convex portion 86 for fixing the optical fibers 80 and 82 to the water outlet member 52 in an axially positioned state.

In this embodiment, the water discharge port member 52 has a main body portion 88 and a cover 90 that covers the upper surface thereof.
The main body 88 is provided with deep holding grooves 92A and 94A extending in the axial direction of the optical fibers 80 and 82, and corresponding shallow holding grooves 92B and 94B are also provided on the cover 90 side. Optical fibers 80 and 82 are fitted into the grooves 92A and 92B and 94A and 94B and held there.

The holding grooves 92A, 92B and 94A, 94B are provided with concave portions 96A, 96B and 98A, 98B corresponding to the convex portions 86 of the optical fibers 80, 82. The optical fiber 80 has the convex portions 86 and the concave portions 96A, 96B. The optical fiber 82 is fixed and held in the axially positioned state with respect to the water discharge port member 52 by the concave-convex fitting between the convex portion 86 and the concave portions 98A, 98B.
The water outlet member 52 is provided with a U-shaped notch-shaped light projecting window 100 and light receiving window 102 at the front end.

  In addition, a pair of curved elastic arms 104 are integrally formed on the cover 90, and the cover 90 elastically connects the claw 106 at the tip of the pair of elastic arms 104 to the corresponding locking projection 108 of the main body 88. By being locked, the main body 88 is assembled.

In this embodiment, the sensor is constituted by the sensor main body 48 shown in FIG. 1, the cord 50 extending therefrom, and the light projecting unit 62 and the light receiving unit 64 configured by the distal ends of the optical fibers 80 and 82. When the sensor detects an object to be detected, usually a hand that is put out by the user, the electromagnetic valve 36 opens under the control of the control unit 46, and water is automatically discharged from the water outlet 58 of FIG.
When the user pulls in the hand and moves out of the detection area by the sensor, the sensor does not detect the hand. Here, the electromagnetic valve 36 is closed under the control of the control unit 46 and the water discharged from the water outlet 58 is discharged. Stop.

As shown in FIG. 6, the cord 50 is formed as a single cord by placing optical fibers 80 and 82 in the tube 110.
In this embodiment, tube 110 comprises a heat shrink tube.
This heat-shrinkable tube is a well-known tube. When heat is applied while the optical fibers 80 and 82 are passed through the tube, the heat-shrinkable tube is shrunk into a pre-stored shape, and the optical fibers 80 and 82 are tightly wrapped from the outside. It becomes a state.

In this example, the heat-shrinkable tube is subjected to an adhesive treatment, and its inner surface is bonded and fixed to the outer surfaces of the optical fibers 80 and 82 in the contracted state.
Here, Sumitube C (material is polyolefin) manufactured by Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. is used as the heat shrinkable tube 110.
In FIG. 6, 112 is a core in the optical fibers 80 and 82, 114 is a clad, and 116 is a coating film covering the core, and here, both are made of resin.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the engagement convex portion 118 that protrudes radially outward from the outer surface of the cord 50 is integrally formed in the water discharge tube 12 and in the vicinity of the proximal end of the water discharge tube 12. Is provided.
This engagement convex part 118 is also comprised with the heat contraction tube.

  Specifically, by applying heat in a state where a heat shrinkable tube having a predetermined dimension in the axial direction is set on the outer surface of the cord 50, the heat shrinkable tube is shrunk into a pre-stored shape, and this is adhered to the outer surface of the cord 50. An engaging convex portion 118 is formed.

  Here, the heat-shrinkable tube forming the engaging projection 118 is preliminarily bonded, and the tube shrunk by heating is fixed to the outer surface of the cord 50 by the adhesive and integrated.

Therefore, the engagement convex portion 118 is substantially immovable in the axial direction both upward and downward in FIG. 6 with respect to the outer surface of the cord 50. That is, the engaging convex portion 118 moves integrally with the cord 50 in the axial direction.
Here, as the heat-shrinkable tube forming the engagement convex portion 118, here, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. Sumitube W3C (material is polyolefin) is used.

As shown in FIG. 6, a retaining member 120 is attached to the proximal end (lower end) of the water discharge pipe 12.
The retaining member 120 is made of a circular and C-ring resin (here, POM resin (polyacetal resin)) having an opening 122 at a predetermined position in the circumferential direction as shown in FIG. 7, and is elastic in the radial direction. Has deformability.

Here, the retaining member 120 is in a free-form state before being attached to the water discharge pipe 12, and the outer diameter thereof is larger than the inner diameter of the insertion pipe 20 in the water discharge pipe 12.
A protrusion 124 is integrally formed in a strip shape along the outer peripheral surface of the retaining member 120.

On the other hand, the insertion tube 20 is formed with a groove 126 corresponding to the protrusion 124 extending along the inner peripheral surface thereof.
The retaining member 120 is pushed into the insertion tube 20 in a state of being reduced in diameter, and is attached to the insertion tube 20 by fitting the protrusion 124 into the groove 126 in a diameter-expanded state after the pushing.

  The retaining member 120 is integrally formed with a receiving portion 128 that abuts the engaging convex portion 118 of FIG. 6 downward in the drawing, and a cord insertion hole 130 through which the cord 50 is inserted into the receiving portion 128. Is provided.

  The retaining member 120 is also provided with a tube insertion hole 132 through which the water supply tube 38 is inserted adjacent to the cord insertion hole 130, and the cord 50 and the water supply tube 38 can be inserted therethrough.

The retaining member 120 is formed by inserting the cord 50 through the cord insertion hole 130 and inserting the water supply tube 38 through the tube insertion hole 132, so that each of them is arranged radially in the water discharge pipe 12, specifically in the insertion pipe 20. Position.
Here, the retaining member 120 is housed inside the water discharge pipe 12 in an unexposed state outside the water discharge pipe 12.

On the outer peripheral surface of the retaining member 120, vertical grooves 134-1 and 134-2 are provided at two positions separated by 180 °.
One groove 134-1 is provided with a hooking portion 136 at the lower end in the drawing. The other groove 134-2 is provided with a similar hooking portion 136 at the upper end in the drawing.

  These grooves 134-1 and 134-2 are used when the retaining member 120 attached to the inside of the insertion tube 20 is taken out from the insertion tube 20. Specifically, these grooves 134-1 and 134 are used. By inserting the tip of a tool such as a screwdriver into -2 and applying a downward force by hooking on the hooking portion 136, the retaining member 120 can be taken out from the insertion tube 20 to the outside.

  Here, the hook portion 136 is provided in the upside down position in the grooves 134-1 and 134-2 even when the retaining member 120 is attached to the insertion tube 20 in the upside down direction, that is, either upside down. This is because the retaining member 120 can be taken out from the insertion tube 20 by using any of the grooves and the hooking portion 136 even when attached in this direction. In other words, the retaining member 120 can be attached to the insertion tube 20 in any direction in the vertical direction.

As shown in FIG. 7, the cord insertion hole 130 is partially formed with an opening 138 on the tube insertion hole 132 side, and the cord insertion hole 130 and the tube insertion hole 132 are continuous in the opening 138. It has become a state.
Therefore, when the cord 50 is inserted into the cord insertion hole 130, the cord 50 can be fitted into the cord insertion hole 130 from the opening 138 and can be inserted there.
The opening 138 has a large opening width, the opening width of which is slightly narrower than the long diameter side dimension of the cord 50 as shown in FIG. 8B.

However, under the state where the water supply tube 38 is inserted into the tube insertion hole 132 as shown in FIG. 8B, the water supply tube 38 works as a wall, so that the cord 50 is inserted through the opening 138. It is practically difficult to extract from the hole 130.
That is, in this embodiment, the water supply tube 38 inserted through the tube insertion hole 132 serves as a wall that prevents the cord 50 from coming out of the cord insertion hole 130.
As shown in FIG. 8A, the cord insertion hole 130 has a smaller radial dimension than the engaging convex portion 118 provided integrally with the cord 50 as a matter of course.

In this embodiment, even if a tensile force acts on the cord 50 in the space below the water discharge pipe 12 in the extraction direction, the tensile force is applied between the engagement convex portion 118 and the receiving portion 128 of the retaining member 120. The cord 50 is received by contact and is prevented from being removed from the water discharge pipe 12.
That is, the engaging convex portion 118 and the receiving portion 128 form a retaining mechanism that prevents the cord 50 from coming out of the water discharge pipe 12.

  Even if a downward pulling force acts on the cord 50 in the space below the water discharge pipe 12 by this retaining mechanism, the tensile force does not reach the portion inside the water discharge pipe 12 in the cord 50, and therefore the tip of the water discharge pipe 12. The force does not act on the light projecting unit 62 and the light receiving unit 64 of the unit.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, the engaging convex portion 118 and the receiving portion 128 are only positioned facing each other in the vertical direction in the figure, and they are not connected to each other. Therefore, when an upward force is applied to the cord 50, the cord 50 can move in the upward direction while separating the engaging convex portion 118 from the receiving portion 128.

In this embodiment, the water discharge unit 66, the water supply tube 38, and the cord 50 can be assembled to the water discharge pipe 12 as follows.
That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the discharge end member 60, the water discharge port member 52, the light projecting unit 62, and the light receiving unit 64 are assembled in advance to form the water discharge unit 66, and in this state, the water supply tube 38, The cord 50 is inserted into the water discharge pipe 12 through the opening 16 at the tip of the water discharge pipe 12. In addition, the water discharge unit 66 is inserted into the water discharge pipe 12 through the opening 16.

The ring-shaped retaining member 120 is assembled to the water supply tube 38 and the cord 50 protruding downward from the water discharge tube 12, and the insertion tube 20 of the water discharge tube 12 is deformed in a reduced diameter in this state. Push it in to release the diameter reducing force.
Then, the retaining member 120 expands to return to the original shape, and at this time, the protrusion 124 on the outer peripheral surface is fitted into the groove 126 on the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube 20, and here the retaining member 120 is inserted into the insertion tube 20, that is, the insertion tube 20. It becomes a state assembled to the water discharge pipe 12.
At the same time, the cord 50 and the water supply tube 38 are inserted through the cord insertion hole 130 and the tube insertion hole 132 of the retaining member 120 inside the water discharge pipe 12, and they are positioned in the radial direction inside the water discharge pipe 12. Become.

  In the present embodiment, when the light emitting unit 62, the light receiving unit 64, the water outlet member 52, and the discharge end member 60 need to be replaced due to a failure, or when other maintenance needs to be performed, this is easily performed. It can be performed.

Specifically, in a state where the lower ends of the water supply tube 38 and the cord 50 are removed from the functional unit box 34 of FIG. 1, and the fixing member 67 is removed from the water discharge pipe 12 and the fixing to the water discharge unit 66 is released. By pulling out the spout unit 66 from the opening 16 at the tip of the spout pipe 12 as shown in FIG. 5, it is possible to easily replace those parts and perform other maintenance operations.
At this time, since the cord 50 can freely move upward in the water discharge pipe 12, there is no problem that the above-described retaining mechanism becomes an obstacle.

  According to the present embodiment as described above, even when the cord 50 is pulled outward below the water discharge pipe 12, the cord 50 is pulled inside the water discharge pipe 12 by the action of the retaining mechanism. Is prevented from being applied.

  Therefore, it is possible to prevent the light projecting unit 62 and the light receiving unit 64 from being damaged by the pulling force, and the optical fibers 80 and 82 from being cut or damaged at the connection portion to the water discharge pipe 12.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, since the code | cord | chord 50 can be freely moved upwards in the water discharge pipe 12, the light projection part 62, the light-receiving part 64, the water discharge port member 52, and discharge end member which were attached to the water discharge pipe 12 are now made. Replacement of parts and maintenance work at the time of 60 failures can be easily performed with good workability.

  In the present embodiment, the retaining member 120 is provided with a cord insertion hole 130 and a tube insertion hole 132, and the cord 50 and the water supply tube 38 are radially arranged in the water discharge pipe 12 through the cord insertion hole 130 and the tube insertion hole 132. Can be positioned.

  In addition, the cord insertion hole 30 has a portion on the tube insertion hole 132 side that is partially an opening 138, and the cord insertion hole 130 and the tube insertion hole 132 are continuous in the opening 138. While the cord 50 can be easily fitted into the cord insertion hole 130 through the opening 138 to be in the insertion state, the water supply tube 38 becomes a wall under the state where the water supply tube 38 is inserted into the tube insertion hole 132. It is possible to satisfactorily prevent the cord 50 in the cord insertion hole 130 from coming out to the tube insertion hole 132 side through the opening 138.

  Therefore, according to this embodiment, in order to prevent the cord 50 from slipping out from the opening 138, it is possible to eliminate the need to separately provide a closing member in the opening 138. Therefore, by providing the closing member. It does not cause problems such as an increase in the number of parts and an increase in the number of steps for assembling the parts.

  Further, since the water supply tube 38 acts as a wall to prevent the cord 50 from coming out of the opening 138, the opening 138 can be formed wide, and thereby, through the opening 138. The operation of fitting the cord 50 into the cord insertion hole 130 can be made easier.

FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of the present invention.
In this example, the water discharge pipe 12 has a pipe shape with a circular cross section, and the insertion pipe 20 is separated from the upper part located above the counter 14 and is screwed to the upper part. Furthermore, except for the fact that the insertion tube 20 is provided with a flange-shaped seating portion 18, it is basically the same as the above embodiment, and the other details are not described here.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, this is merely an example.
For example, in the present invention, a sensor main body is disposed at the tip of a water discharge pipe, etc., and a cord of an electrical wiring is extended from the sensor body along the water discharge pipe and connected to a functional unit box in a lower space of the water discharge pipe. It is also applicable to automatic water faucets, and in the above embodiment, a retaining member that is separate from the water discharge pipe is attached to the water discharge pipe, and a receiving portion inside the water discharge pipe is provided. It is also possible to provide such a receiving part integrally with the water discharge pipe.
In addition, this invention can be comprised in the form which added the various change in the range which does not deviate from the meaning.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Automatic faucet 12 Water discharge pipe 16 Opening 38 Water supply tube 50 Code 58 Water discharge port 62 Light emitting part 64 Light receiving part 66 Water discharge unit 118 Engaging convex part 120 Holding member 128 Receiving part 130 Code insertion hole 132 Tube insertion hole 138 Opening part

Claims (6)

It has a sensor that projects light from a light projecting unit provided on the water discharge pipe, receives reflected light from the detection target by a light receiving unit provided on the water discharge pipe, and detects the detection target, and the detection target by the sensor An automatic faucet that automatically discharges water based on the detection of
The optical fiber or electrical wiring cord forming a part of the sensor is extended into the water discharge pipe through the opening on the proximal end side of the water discharge pipe,
The cord is provided with an engaging convex portion that protrudes radially outward from the outer surface of the cord in a fixed state, and the cord is disposed in the water discharge pipe in a direction in which the cord is extracted from the water discharge pipe through the opening. A receiving portion for contacting the mating convex portion is provided, and a retaining mechanism for retaining the cord by receiving a tensile force in the pulling direction applied to the cord at the engaging convex portion and the receiving portion is configured.
The retaining mechanism restricts the movement of the cord in the withdrawal direction, while separating the engagement convex portion from the receiving portion in the reverse direction to allow the cord to move. And automatic faucet.   2. The automatic faucet according to claim 1, wherein a stopper member that is a separate body from the water discharge pipe is attached to the inner surface of the water discharge pipe, and the receiving portion is formed on the stopper member.   3. The water supply tube according to claim 2, wherein a water supply tube that guides water supply to a water discharge port is provided inside the water discharge pipe, and a cord insertion hole through which the cord is inserted is provided in the receiving portion of the retention member. The member is provided with a tube insertion hole through which the water supply tube is inserted, and the retaining member positions the cord and the water supply tube in the radial direction by the code insertion hole and the tube insertion hole. And automatic faucet.   The cord insertion hole and the tube insertion hole are provided adjacent to each other according to claim 3, and the cord insertion hole is partially opened at a portion on the tube insertion hole side. An automatic water faucet characterized in that the cord insertion hole and the tube insertion hole are continuous.   In any one of Claims 2-4, the said retaining member has made the ring shape which has elastic deformation ability in radial direction, can be pushed into the inside of the water discharge pipe in a diameter-reduced state, and is in the diameter-expanded state after pushing. An automatic faucet that is attached to the inner surface of a water discharge pipe.   6. The automatic faucet according to claim 2, wherein the retaining member is housed inside the water discharge pipe in an unexposed state outside the water discharge pipe.

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