JP2012132161A - Single lever faucet - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a single lever faucet that can make a click feeling at an adjustment position of a predetermined degree of mixture and water discharge amount when the degree of mixture of cool water and hot water or the water discharge amount is adjusted by rotational operation of an operation lever in a horizontal or a vertical direction.SOLUTION: A single lever faucet is configured to adjust the degree of mixture of cool water and hot water by horizontal rotation of an operation lever 17 and to adjust the water discharge amount by vertical rotation of the operation lever 17. On either one of a faucet body B or the operation lever 17, first ribs 50a, 50b extending horizontally and a second rib 50c extending vertically are continuously formed. On the other one, a steel ball 42 with which the ribs 50a to 50c are engaged is provided. The single lever faucet is configured to make a click feeling because of the engagement of the first ribs 50a, 50b and the second rib 50c with the steel ball 42.

Description

  The present invention relates to a single lever faucet that is used in, for example, a kitchen, a washroom, a bath, etc., and can easily adjust the degree of mixing of cold water and hot water and the amount of water discharged with a single operation lever.

  In general, in this type of single lever faucet, the mixing degree of cold water and hot water is adjusted by the horizontal rotation of the operation lever, and the water discharge amount is adjusted by the vertical rotation of the operation lever. It has become. In the single lever faucet having such a configuration, since the operation lever has a small vertical rotation width, even when the operation lever is slightly rotated, it is easy to be fully opened or fully closed at once. There was a problem that it was difficult to adjust the water discharge. Further, even when the operation lever is rotated in the horizontal direction, there is a problem that it is difficult to adjust the mixing degree of the cold water and the hot water because the mixing boundary position between the cold water and the hot water is difficult to understand.

  In order to cope with such a problem, for example, a single lever faucet having a configuration as disclosed in Patent Document 1 has been proposed. In this conventional configuration, a concave spherical surface is formed on the inner surface of the base of the operation lever, and a hard ball is elastically projected from the concave spherical surface. A convex spherical surface is formed on the faucet body corresponding to the operation lever, and a plurality of hemispherical concave portions that can engage with the hard sphere are arranged in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction on the convex spherical surface. When the mixing degree of cold water and hot water or the amount of water discharge is adjusted by the horizontal or vertical rotation of the operation lever, the hard balls engage with the hemispherical recesses arranged in the horizontal or vertical direction. Thus, a click feeling is generated.

JP-A-6-81383 (3rd page, right column, paragraph 18, FIGS. 11 and 12)

  However, in this conventional single lever faucet, as described above, a plurality of hemispherical recesses are arranged on the convex spherical surface of the faucet body at a predetermined pitch in the lateral direction and the longitudinal direction. There is a gap between the hemispherical concave portions arranged adjacent to each other. For this reason, when the operating lever is turned up and down or horizontally with the hard ball corresponding to the gap between the horizontal or vertical hemispherical recesses, the hard ball engages with the hemispherical recesses. However, there is a problem that it is not possible to obtain a click feeling due to relative movement through the gap between the hemispherical recesses.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to such problems existing in the prior art. The purpose of this is to adjust the mixing degree or discharge rate of cold water and hot water by rotating the operating lever in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction. It is in providing a single lever faucet that can.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adjusts the mixing degree of cold water and hot water by rotating the operating lever in the horizontal direction, and adjusts the water discharge amount by rotating the operating lever in the vertical direction. In the single lever faucet, the first rib extending in the horizontal direction and the second rib extending in the vertical direction are continuously formed in one of the faucet body and the operation lever, and the rib is formed in the other. Protrusions to be engaged are provided, and the first rib and the second rib are engaged with the protrusions so that a click feeling is generated.

  Therefore, in the single lever faucet of the present invention, when adjusting the mixing degree of cold water and hot water by the horizontal rotation operation of the operation lever, the operation lever is in any rotation state in the vertical direction, The second rib engages with the protrusion at a predetermined mixing degree adjustment point, for example, at a mixing boundary position between cold water and hot water, and a click feeling is generated. In addition, when the water discharge amount is adjusted by rotating the operation lever in the vertical direction, the first rib is protruded from the protrusion at the predetermined water discharge amount adjustment position regardless of the rotation state of the operation lever in the horizontal direction. Engage to produce a click feeling. Therefore, when the operation lever is rotated in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction, a click feeling can be appropriately generated at each adjustment point of the predetermined mixing degree and water discharge amount.

  In the above configuration, the faucet body has a convex spherical surface, the operation lever has a concave spherical surface covering the convex spherical surface, and the first rib and the second rib are one of both spherical surfaces, A protrusion may be provided on the other of the two spherical surfaces.

  As described above, according to the present invention, when adjusting the mixing degree or the water discharge amount of cold water and hot water by rotating the operation lever in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction, each adjustment of the predetermined mixing degree and the water discharge amount is performed. The effect that a click feeling can be appropriately generated in the place is exhibited.

Sectional drawing which shows the single lever faucet of one Embodiment. The principal part disassembled perspective view of the single lever faucet of FIG. The perspective view which decomposes | disassembles and shows the cartridge for the hot water mixing in the water tap. FIG. 3 is a plan sectional view showing the relationship between a fixed disk and a movable disk of the cartridge. The principal part sectional view which expands and shows the click feeling generating structure in the faucet. The perspective view of the click feeling generation | occurrence | production structure. The block diagram for demonstrating the effect | action of the click feeling generation | occurrence | production structure.

An embodiment of a single lever faucet embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 2, in a faucet body 11 of a single lever faucet (hereinafter simply referred to as a faucet), a hot water inflow passage 12 connected to a water heater, a water inflow passage 13 connected to a water pipe, and A mixed hot water outflow passage 14 through which the mixed hot water flows out is provided. A discharge pipe 15 communicating with the mixed hot water outflow passage 14 and extending obliquely upward is rotatably supported at the lower part of the faucet body 11. A hot water mixing cartridge 16 is replaceably mounted on the upper part of the faucet body 11. A covering member 18 that covers the outer periphery of the base end of an operation base 17A of an operation lever 17 to be described later is mounted on the upper portion of the cartridge 16. A cover 19 that covers the cartridge 16 and the covering member 18 is disposed on the faucet body 11, and a female screw 19 a at the lower inner periphery thereof is screwed into a male screw 11 a at the upper part of the faucet body 11, whereby the faucet body 11. It is fixed to. The faucet body B is constituted by the faucet body 11, the covering member 18 and the cover 19.

  Next, the cartridge 16 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a packing 21 is fitted into the recess in the housing case 20. The packing 21 is formed with a hot water inflow passage 22, a water inflow passage 23 and a mixed hot water outflow passage 24 which communicate with the hot water inflow passage 12, the water inflow passage 13 and the mixed hot water outflow passage 14, respectively. A ceramic fixed disk 25 is disposed on the packing 21. The fixed disk 25 has a hot water inflow passage 26 communicating with the hot water inflow passage 22 of the packing 21, a water inflow passage 27 communicating with the water inflow passage 23, and a mixed hot water outflow passage 28 communicating with the mixed hot water outflow passage 24. Yes.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a ceramic movable disk 29 is slidably arranged on the fixed disk 25 in a slidable manner. The movable disk 29 is formed with a mixing communication passage 30 through which hot water (hot water) flowing from the hot water inflow passage 26 or water (cold water) flowing from the water inflow passage 27 flows out to the mixed hot water outflow passage 28. A cover plate 31 that closes the upper part of the mixing communication passage 30 is attached on the movable disk 29, and a holding recess 32 that holds the lower end portion of the operation base 17 </ b> A of the operation lever 17 is provided on the upper surface thereof. A support 33 for supporting the operation base 17 </ b> A of the operation lever 17 is provided on the cover plate 31, and an insertion space 34 for inserting the operation base 17 </ b> A of the operation lever 17 is formed in the support 33. .

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the support 33 is formed with an insertion hole 35 in a direction orthogonal to the axis thereof. A through hole 36 corresponding to the insertion hole 35 is formed in the operation base 17 </ b> A of the operation lever 17. Then, in a state where the operation base 17A is fitted in the insertion space 34 of the support 33, the rotation base 37 is inserted into the insertion hole 35 and the through hole 36, whereby the operation base 17A is rotated with respect to the support 33. It is supported movably. As shown in FIG. 1, a connecting recess 38 is formed on the lower surface of the base of the operation lever 17, and the upper end of the operation base 17A is fitted into the connection recess 38, whereby the operation lever 17 is rotated. It is configured to be tiltable about the shaft 37. A cover 39 is attached to the upper end opening of the housing case 20 with the fixed disk 25, the movable disk 29, and the like housed therein.

  Then, hot water reaches the mixing communication passage 30 from the hot water inflow passage 12 through the hot water inflow passages 22 and 26 as shown by solid line arrows in FIG. 3, and water flows into the water inflow as shown by broken line arrows in FIG. The passage 13 reaches the mixing communication passage 30 through the water inflow passages 23 and 27. Further, the mixed hot water mixed in the mixing communication passage 30 passes through the mixed hot water outflow passage 24 and the mixed hot water outflow passage 14 through the mixed hot water outflow passage 28 and the discharge pipe 15 as shown by a two-dot chain line arrow in FIG. It is discharged from.

  In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, when the operating lever 17 is rotated in the horizontal direction, the movable disk 29 is relatively rotated in the left-right direction W1 on the fixed disk 25, and hot water flows into the mixing communication passage 30. The opening degree of the path 26 and the water inflow path 27 is changed, and the mixing degree of the cold water and the hot water is adjusted. On the other hand, when the operation lever 17 is turned up and down, the movable disk 29 is relatively moved on the fixed disk 25 in the front-rear direction W2, and the hot water inflow path 26 and the water inflow path with respect to the mixing communication path 30. 27 is changed, and the amount of water discharged from the discharge pipe 15 is adjusted.

Next, a click feeling generating structure for generating a click feeling when the operating lever 17 is rotated in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 5 and 6, the covering member 18 constituting the faucet body B is formed in a substantially hemispherical dome shape having an open bottom surface, and a convex spherical surface 18a is formed on the outer surface thereof. Has been. On the inner peripheral surface of the lower end opening edge of the covering member 18, a female screw 18 b that is screwed into a male screw 39 a provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cover 39 of the cartridge 16 is formed. The covering member 18 is fixed on the cover 39 by screwing the female screw 18b with the male screw 39a. A large-diameter insertion hole 18 c for loosely fitting the operation base 17 </ b> A of the operation lever 17 is formed at the top of the covering member 18. A pair of receiving recesses 41 are formed in the convex spherical surface 18 a of the covering member 18 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and steel balls 42 as protrusions are rotatably accommodated in the receiving recesses 41.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 5, and 6, a cap member 43 that constitutes a part of the operation lever 17 is attached to the upper portion of the covering member 18. The cap member 43 is formed in a substantially hemispherical dome shape having an open bottom surface, and a concave spherical surface 43 a that covers the convex spherical surface 18 a of the covering member 18 is formed on the inner surface thereof. At the top of the cap member 43, a planar square insertion hole 43b for inserting the operation base 17A of the operation lever 17 is formed. A pair of support protrusions 44 are provided on the convex spherical surface 18 a of the cap member 43 at the opening periphery of the insertion hole 43 b, and support grooves 44 a are formed on the upper surfaces of both support protrusions 44.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a vertical hole 45 extending in the axial direction is formed at the upper end of the operation base 17A of the operation lever 17, and a female screw 45a is formed at the upper end opening of the vertical hole 45. Yes. A long hole 46 extending in the direction perpendicular to the axis from the vicinity of the lower end of the vertical hole 45 is formed in the intermediate portion of the operation base 17A. A pin 47 is inserted into the long hole 46 between the support grooves 44 a of both support protrusions 44 of the cap member 43. A compression spring 48 for pressing the pin 47 toward the support groove 44a is accommodated in the vertical hole 45 of the operation base 17A, and is prevented from coming off by a set screw 49 screwed into the female screw 45a of the vertical hole 45. When the pin 47 is pressed by the compression spring 48, the cap member 43 is held so as to be movable relative to the operation base 17A of the operation lever 17 only in the axial direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 to 7, the concave spherical surface 43 a of the cap member 43 is formed with a pair of ribs 50 corresponding to each steel ball 42 on the covering member 18. The rib 50 includes a first hot water side rib 50a extending in the horizontal direction, a first water side rib 50b extending in the horizontal direction at a different height from the first hot water side rib 50a, and both first ribs 50a, 50b. And a second rib 50c extending continuously in the vertical direction. When the operation lever 17 is rotated, the first ribs 50a, 50b or the second ribs 50c are engaged with the steel balls 42, so that a click feeling is generated.

Next, the operation of the click feeling generating structure of the single lever faucet configured as described above will be described.
Now, for example, when the operation lever 17 is arranged on the hot water side near the mixing boundary position between cold water and hot water at the horizontal rotation position, and at the water stop position at the vertical rotation position. As shown at position P1 in FIG. 7, the steel ball 42 is disposed in the vicinity of the upper side of the hot water side first rib 50a in the vicinity of the right side of the second rib 50c. In this state, when the operation lever 17 is turned upward, the amount of hot water mixed water discharged is adjusted according to the turning amount. At this time, the cap member 43 is relatively rotated upward with respect to the covering member 18, and the steel ball 42 is relatively moved from the position P1 to the position P2 at the adjustment point of the small water discharge amount at the initial stage of the rotation operation of the operation lever 17. A click feeling is generated by engaging the hot water side first rib 50a. Therefore, it can be easily recognized from the click feeling that the adjustment of the discharge amount of the hot and cold water mixture has exceeded a predetermined small discharge amount portion.

  On the other hand, the operation lever 17 is disposed on the cold water side in the vicinity of the mixing boundary position between the cold water and the hot water in the horizontal rotation position, and is disposed in the water stop position in the vertical rotation position. In this case, as shown at a position P3 in FIG. 7, the steel ball 42 is arranged in the vicinity of the left side of the second rib 50c so as to be separated from the water side first rib 50b. In this state, when the operation lever 17 is rotated upward, the amount of cold water discharged is adjusted according to the amount of rotation. Also in this case, the cap member 43 is relatively rotated upward with respect to the covering member 18, and the steel ball 42 is relatively moved with respect to the hot water first rib 50a from the position P3 to the position P5 via the position P4. . And in the adjustment part of the large water discharge amount in the latter stage of the turning operation of the operation lever 17, the steel ball 42 is relatively moved from the position P4 to the position P5 and is engaged with the water side first rib 50b, thereby generating a click feeling. To do. Therefore, it can be easily recognized from the click feeling that the adjustment of the amount of cold water discharged exceeds a predetermined large amount of water discharged.

  Further, when the operation lever 17 is rotated to the left in the horizontal direction, for example, in a state where the amount of cold water discharged is adjusted, the degree of mixing of cold water and hot water is changed and adjusted according to the amount of rotation. At this time, the cap member 43 is relatively rotated to the left with respect to the covering member 18, and the steel ball 42 is relatively moved from the position P4 to the position P2 near the mixing boundary position between the cold water and the hot water, and the second rib 50c. A click feeling is generated by engaging with. On the contrary, even when the operation lever 17 is rotated to the right in the horizontal direction with the small amount of hot water discharged, the steel ball 42 is positioned in the vicinity of the mixing boundary position between cold water and hot water. A click feeling is generated by the relative movement from P2 to the position P4 and engagement with the second rib 50c. Therefore, it can be easily recognized from these click feelings that the mixing degree adjustment of the cold water and the hot water has exceeded the mixing boundary position.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) In this single lever faucet, when the mixing degree of cold water and hot water is adjusted by rotating the operating lever 17 in the horizontal direction, the operating lever 17 is in any rotating state in the vertical direction. A click feeling is generated by the engagement between the second rib 50c extending in the vertical direction and the steel ball 42 at an adjustment point of a predetermined mixing degree, for example, at a mixing boundary position between cold water and hot water. Even when the water discharge amount is adjusted by rotating the operation lever 17 in the vertical direction, the horizontal direction can be adjusted at the predetermined water discharge amount adjustment position regardless of the horizontal rotation of the operation lever 17. Due to the engagement between the first ribs 50a and 50b extending to the steel ball 42 and the steel ball 42, a click feeling is generated. Therefore, when the operation lever 17 is rotated in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction, it is possible to generate a click feeling at a predetermined mixing degree and water discharge amount adjustment point.

(2) In this single lever faucet, a convex spherical surface 18a is formed on the covering member 18 of the faucet body B, and a concave spherical surface 43a is formed on the cap member 43 of the operation lever 17, and the first rib 50a, 50b and the second rib 50c are provided on one of the spherical surfaces 18a, 43a, and a steel ball 42 is provided on the other of the spherical surfaces 18a, 43a. Therefore, the first ribs 50a, 50b and the second ribs 50c and the steel balls 42 can be easily arranged to be able to engage with each other, and at the time of the horizontal or vertical rotation of the operation lever 17, By the engagement between the first ribs 50a, 50b or the second ribs 50c and the steel balls 42, a click feeling can be appropriately generated.
(Example of change)
In addition, this embodiment can also be changed and embodied as follows.

-Without providing the cap member 43, the concave spherical surface is directly formed on the inner surface of the proximal end of the operating lever 17, and the steel ball 42 is provided on the concave spherical surface.
A convex spherical surface is formed on the faucet body B such as the cover 19 that is different from the covering member 18, and the rib 50 including the first ribs 50a and 50b and the second rib 50c is formed on the convex spherical surface.

A steel ball 42 is provided on the faucet body B side, and a rib 50 including the first ribs 50a and 50b and the second rib 50c is provided on the operation lever 17 side.
-A plurality of hot water side first ribs 50a and a plurality of water side first ribs 50b are arranged in parallel at intervals, and when the operation lever 17 is rotated in the vertical direction, clicks are made at different adjustment points of a plurality of discharge amounts. Make up a feeling.

  A plurality of second ribs 50c are arranged in parallel at intervals, and configured so that a click feeling is generated at a plurality of different adjustment points of the mixing degree when the operation lever 17 is rotated in the horizontal direction.

-Omit the water side 1st rib 50b.
The first ribs 50a and 50b and the second rib 50c are provided at positions different from those in the above embodiment. For example, the second rib 50c is provided in the hot water high temperature region, or the first ribs 50a and 50b are provided in the intermediate water discharge amount region.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Water faucet body, 16 ... Cartridge for mixing hot water, 17 ... Operation lever, 17A ... Operation base, 18 ... Cover member, 18a ... Convex spherical surface, 25 ... Fixed disk, 29 ... Moving disk, 42 ... As protrusion Steel balls, 43 ... cap members, 43a ... concave spherical surfaces, 50 ... ribs, 50a ... first hot water side ribs, 50b ... first ribs on water side, 50c ... second ribs, B ... faucet body.

Claims (2)

In the single lever faucet that adjusts the mixing degree of cold water and hot water by rotating the operating lever in the horizontal direction and adjusting the water discharge amount by rotating the operating lever in the vertical direction,
In one of the faucet body and the operation lever, a first rib extending in the horizontal direction and a second rib extending in the up-down direction are continuously formed, and the other is provided with a protrusion with which the rib is engaged, A single lever faucet, wherein the first rib and the second rib are engaged with the protrusions to cause a click feeling. The faucet body is formed with a convex spherical surface, the operation lever is formed with a concave spherical surface covering the convex spherical surface, the first rib and the second rib are formed on one of both spherical surfaces, and the protrusion is formed on both spherical surfaces. The single lever faucet according to claim 1, wherein the single lever faucet is provided on the other side.

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