JP2019196602A - Tap post - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a tap post capable of coping with automatic water-sprinkling, simplifying a piping structure and reducing water leakage risk, and having excellent design.SOLUTION: A tap post 1 comprises: a columnar outer case 2 having hollow inside; a water feed pipe 3 having a water discharge port 43 opened to a frame wall part 10; a faucet 4 opening/closing the water discharge port; and a water-sprinkling control device 6 passing liquid in the water feed pipe from the water feed pipe toward a water-sprinkling pipe 5 and controlling flow of the passing liquid. The water-sprinkling control device comprises: a branching part 70 passing a part of the liquid fed to the water feed pipe toward the water-sprinkling pipe; a switching valve 71 changing over between an allowing state of allowing communication of the water feed pipe inside with the water-sprinkling pipe inside and a closing state of closing the communication of the water feed pipe inside with the water-sprinkling pipe inside; and a control part 72 controlling the changing over of the switching valve. The control part allows input operation from the outside of the outer case, and is arranged inside the outer case and above the water feed pipe.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a faucet column.

With the recent increase in gardening preferences, planting has begun to take place regardless of the housing environment, such as detached houses or apartment houses such as apartments. When performing this kind of planting, it is necessary to water the plants etc. (hereinafter referred to as irrigation) on a daily basis. For example, in the case of leaving a house for a long time in a detached house, or in a housing complex, In the case where is not resident, irrigation cannot be performed properly.
Furthermore, when planting, the need to reduce the effort of irrigation to plants as much as possible is increasing.

Therefore, in view of the above-described background, technical development for automation of irrigation has been performed.
For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a configuration in which a standing pipe is attached to a so-called underground faucet buried underground, and an automatic irrigation device is attached to a water outlet of the standing pipe. Patent Document 2 below discloses a configuration in which, for example, an automatic irrigation device is attached to a faucet of a faucet column. Patent Document 3 below discloses a configuration in which a water suspending pipe is branched from a water faucet arranged at the upper end of a water faucet column, and an automatic irrigation device is attached in the middle of the water suspending pipe. Note that the automatic irrigation apparatus is accommodated in a box provided integrally with the faucet column.

JP 2001-279735 A JP 2000-236761 A JP 2004-204463 A

  However, in the case of the automatic irrigation apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the automatic irrigation apparatus is installed at a standing pipe attached to an underground faucet, so that the installation position of the automatic irrigation apparatus is lowered. For this reason, when operating the automatic irrigation device, the user needs to operate while lowering his / her posture, for example, a squatting posture or a posture where his / her waist is bent, and the operability is poor.

On the other hand, in the case of the automatic irrigation device described in Patent Documents 2 and 3, the installation position can be made higher than that of the automatic irrigation device described in Patent Document 1, so that the operability can be improved. Can be expected.
However, in the case of the automatic irrigation device described in Patent Document 2, since the faucet is attached, the water discharged from the faucet is dedicated to irrigation, and it becomes difficult to use it for purposes other than irrigation. End up. Therefore, it is not convenient and there is room for improvement. Furthermore, since the automatic irrigation device having a certain volume is attached to the faucet, it is easy to affect the design and design of the faucet column itself, and the aesthetics of the faucet column is reduced.

In addition, in order to prevent water discharged from the faucet from being dedicated to irrigation, for example, two or more outlets, that is, branch joints having a plurality of branched water outlets are connected to the faucet after retrofitting. It is conceivable to connect a faucet for use other than irrigation to a water outlet other than the water outlet to which the irrigation device is connected.
However, in this case, since the branch joint has many connection portions, for example, problems such as water leakage or poor connection are likely to occur. In particular, when a user who is unfamiliar with the construction connects the branch joint by retrofitting, it is difficult to appropriately perform the connection work, and the risk of the above-mentioned problems tends to increase.

  Further, in the case of the automatic irrigation device described in Patent Document 3, it is necessary to provide a box for accommodating the automatic irrigation device integrally with the faucet column, so that it looks bad and reduces the appearance of the faucet column. End up. Furthermore, since it is necessary to provide a spilling pipe or the like inside the faucet column, the internal piping structure becomes complicated and there is room for improvement.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and its object is to be able to deal with automatic irrigation, to simplify the piping structure and to reduce the risk of water leakage, and to be excellent. It is to provide a faucet column having a good design.

(1) A faucet column according to the present invention has a columnar outer case having a frame wall portion, the inside of which is hollow, a water outlet opening in the frame wall portion, and an inside of the outer case. A water supply pipe that is disposed along the outer case and in which the supplied liquid flows inside toward the water outlet, a water tap that is attached to the water outlet and opens and closes the water outlet, and the water pipe An irrigation control device that controls the flow of the liquid that flows through the water supply pipe and the irrigation control device that allows the liquid in the water supply pipe to flow toward the irrigation pipe disposed outside the outer case. Is connected to the water supply pipe and the irrigation pipe, and is provided in the branch part for passing a part of the liquid supplied into the water supply pipe toward the irrigation pipe, and the branch part, Allowance for allowing communication between the water supply pipe and the irrigation pipe A switching valve that switches between a state and a shut-off state that blocks communication between the water supply pipe and the irrigation pipe, and a control unit that controls switching of the switching valve. An input operation can be performed from the outside of the case, and the inside of the outer case is disposed above the water supply pipe.

According to the faucet column according to the present invention, the liquid can be discharged from the faucet through the spout by opening the faucet such as a faucet. Therefore, liquid can be discharged arbitrarily using a water tap, and it can be used for purposes other than irrigation.
By the way, a part of the liquid supplied into the water supply pipe can be passed through the branching portion to the irrigation pipe side. At this time, by switching the switching valve from the shut-off state to the permissible state by the control unit, a part of the liquid can be passed from the water supply pipe side to the irrigation piping side, and the liquid discharged from the irrigation piping is For example, plants can be irrigated. On the contrary, by switching the switching valve from the permissible state to the shut-off state by the control unit, it is possible to shut off a part of the liquid from the water supply pipe side to the irrigation pipe side, so that irrigation can be stopped.

Therefore, irrigation of plants and the like can be performed, for example, in an arbitrary time zone by appropriately controlling the switching valve such as the switching timing of the switching valve, the time for maintaining the allowable state or the cutoff state, etc. It can be carried out. Therefore, it can be used as a faucet column that can handle automatic irrigation.
In addition, since a part of the liquid supplied to the water supply pipe is branched and used for irrigation, the liquid can be discharged from the water tap even when irrigation is performed. Therefore, the liquid can be discharged from the faucet without being affected by irrigation, and can be used for purposes other than irrigation.

  In particular, since the control unit is disposed inside the outer case and above the water supply pipe, when operating the control unit in order to perform control setting of the switching valve, the user has a low posture. It is possible to perform the operation without doing this. Therefore, it is possible to provide a faucet column having good operability. Furthermore, since the control unit and the switching valve are configured separately, and a simple configuration is sufficient to connect the branch portion provided with the switching valve to the water supply pipe, unlike the conventional case, the outer casing is There is no need to configure multiple pipes in a complicated manner. Therefore, the piping structure in the outer case can be simplified, and a faucet column having a good fit can be obtained.

  Furthermore, since the control unit is disposed in the outer case, it is difficult to affect the appearance of the outer case. Therefore, by designing the outer case and the faucet into a wide variety of designs, it is possible to obtain a faucet column having excellent design. In addition, unlike conventional automatic irrigation devices that are connected later, it is not necessary to involve users who are unfamiliar with the construction, and as described above, the piping structure can be simplified and branch points can be reduced. The risk of water leakage can be reduced.

(2) An operation window is formed in a portion of the frame wall portion that is located above the water outlet, and the control unit includes an operation unit that can be input from the outside of the outer case through the operation window. You may prepare.

  In this case, since the operation part can be easily and appropriately operated from the outside of the outer case through the operation window, it is possible to further improve the operability.

(3) The outer case may be installed in a state where a lower end portion is embedded, and the switching valve may be disposed in a state embedded in the outer side of the outer case.

  In this case, since the switching valve is disposed outside the outer case, the outer case can be designed compactly. Furthermore, since the switching valve is disposed below the installation surface, the switching valve can be made inconspicuous, and the appearance of the outer case is hardly affected. Therefore, it can be set as the faucet | pillar column which comprises the further outstanding design property.

(4) The switching valve may be disposed inside the outer case.

  In this case, since the switching valve itself is disposed inside the outer case, the appearance of the outer case is hardly affected. Therefore, it can be set as the faucet | pillar column which comprises the further outstanding design property.

(5) The irrigation control device may be electrically connected to an external power source through a wiring portion disposed inside the outer case.

  In this case, since stable power supply can be received from an external power supply, stable automatic irrigation can be performed over a long period of time. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to provide an internal power source such as a battery, the configuration can be further omitted, and a more compact faucet column can be obtained.

  According to the faucet column according to the present invention, it is possible to cope with automatic irrigation, to simplify the piping structure and to reduce the risk of water leakage, and to have excellent design.

It is an appearance perspective view showing a 1st embodiment of a faucet pillar concerning the present invention. It is an external appearance perspective view of the faucet column which shows the state which opened the operation door shown in FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the faucet column shown in FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the solenoid valve and connection member shown in FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the state which opened the solenoid valve from the state shown in FIG. It is an external appearance perspective view which shows 2nd Embodiment of the faucet pillar which concerns on this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the faucet column shown in FIG. It is a fragmentary longitudinal cross-sectional view of the faucet pillar which shows the modification of 2nd Embodiment.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, an embodiment of a faucet column according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the faucet pillar 1 of this embodiment is installed outdoors, such as a garden, a garage, and a park. Specifically, the faucet column 1 is disposed adjacent to a faucet pan P provided outdoors, and is installed in a state of being erected substantially perpendicular to the installation surface S. Moreover, the faucet pillar 1 is installed in a state where a part thereof is buried in the ground.
However, the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, the faucet column 1 may be installed regardless of the faucet pan P.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the faucet column 1 includes a columnar outer case 2 whose inside is hollow, and a liquid W that is disposed inside the outer case 2 and supplied with water (see FIG. 4 and the like). A water supply pipe 3 that flows through the inside, a faucet (water faucet) 4 that is attached to the outer case 2 and closes a water outlet 43, which will be described later, and irrigation disposed from the water supply pipe 3 to the outside of the outer case 2 An irrigation control device 6 that controls the flow of the liquid W that is allowed to flow while the liquid W in the water supply pipe 3 is allowed to flow toward the service pipe 5 is provided.

(Outer case)
The outer case 2 has four frame wall portions 10 and is formed in a square shape in cross section that opens upward and downward. However, the shape of the outer case 2 is not limited to this case, and may be, for example, a rectangular shape in cross-sectional view, a polygonal shape other than a square, an elliptical shape, or a circular shape, and may be changed as appropriate.

  Of the four frame wall portions 10, the frame wall portion 10 facing the faucet pan P side is referred to as a front wall portion 11, the frame wall portion 10 facing the front wall portion 11 is referred to as a rear wall portion 12, The remaining two frame wall portions 10 facing each other are referred to as side wall portions 13. The frame wall 10 may be made of a resin such as hard vinyl chloride resin or polypropylene resin, or may be made of a metal such as aluminum or stainless steel.

  In the present embodiment, the direction in which the front wall portion 11 and the rear wall portion 12 face each other is referred to as the front-rear direction L, and the front wall portion 11 side in the front-rear direction L is referred to as the front, and the rear wall portion 12 side is referred to as the rear. Furthermore, an axis that passes through the center of the outer case 2 and extends vertically in a cross-sectional view is referred to as a central axis O1 of the faucet column 1.

At the upper end portion of the outer case 2, a top cap 15 having a cylindrical shape that closes the upper end opening is attached. The top cap 15 is integrally fixed to the outer case 2 by, for example, fitting, bonding, welding or the like, and is closed in a state where the upper end opening is sealed.
A bottomed cylindrical bottom cap 16 that closes the lower end opening is attached to the lower end of the outer case 2 buried in the ground. Similar to the top cap 15, the bottom cap 16 is integrally fixed to the outer case 2 and is closed in a state where the lower end opening is sealed.

The front wall portion 11 of the outer case 2 is formed with a first mounting hole 17 and a second mounting hole 18 that penetrate the front wall portion 11 in the front-rear direction L.
The first attachment hole 17 is an attachment hole for attaching the faucet 4 and is formed on the upper side of the front wall portion 11. The 2nd attachment hole 18 is an attachment hole for attaching the branch piping 73 mentioned later, and is formed in the lower part side embed | buried in the ground among the front wall parts 11. FIG.

  Further, an operation window 19 for exposing an operation unit 130 to be described later is provided on the front wall portion 11 of the outer case 2 at a portion located above the first mounting hole 17 and the faucet 4 in the front-rear direction. It is formed so as to penetrate L. The operation window 19 is formed in a vertically long front view rectangular shape that is long in the vertical direction. However, the shape of the operation window 19 is not limited to this case, and may be changed as appropriate.

A third mounting hole 20 that penetrates the rear wall 12 in the front-rear direction L is formed in the rear wall 12 of the outer case 2. The third attachment hole 20 is an attachment hole for attaching a water supply pipe 60 to be described later, and is formed on the lower side of the rear wall portion 12 embedded in the ground.
The second mounting hole 18 formed in the front wall portion 11 and the third mounting hole 20 formed in the rear wall portion 12 are formed so as to face the front-rear direction L and have a common front-rear axis. It is arranged on O2.

(Water supply pipe)
As shown in FIG. 3, the water supply pipe 3 includes a straight pipe 30 extending in the vertical direction, an upper joint 31 combined with the upper end of the straight pipe 30, and a lower joint combined with the lower end of the straight pipe 30. 32. In the water supply pipe 3, the liquid W supplied from the water supply pipe 60 through the water supply port 56 described later flows inside toward the water discharge port 43 described later.

The straight pipe 30 is a resin pipe such as a hard vinyl chloride resin, and is disposed between the first mounting hole 17 and the second mounting hole 18 inside the outer case 2. The straight pipe 30 is disposed coaxially with the central axis O1 of the outer case 2.
However, the present invention is not limited to this case, and the straight pipe 30 may be disposed at a position shifted from the central axis O1.

The upper joint 31 is, for example, a resin part such as hard vinyl chloride resin, like the straight pipe 30, and is an L-shaped elbow joint bent at approximately 90 degrees.
The upper joint 31 opens forward, and a part of the upper joint 31 is fixed to the inside of the first mounting hole 17 from the inside of the outer case 2 and the rear end portion of the fixed cylinder 40 is directed rearward. Accordingly, a bent tube 41 bent downward by approximately 90 degrees and a connecting tube 42 extending downward from the lower end portion of the bent tube 41 and opening downward are provided.

A part of the fixed cylinder 40 is fixed inside the first mounting hole 17 by, for example, close fitting, adhesion or locking. Thus, the upper joint 31 is connected to the front wall portion 11 of the outer case 2 via the fixed cylinder 40. The inside of the fixed cylinder 40 is a water discharge port 43 that opens to the front wall portion 11.
An annular bushing 45 having a threaded portion 44 (for example, a female threaded portion) formed on the inner peripheral surface thereof is incorporated into the fixed cylinder 40 by, for example, press fitting. However, the bushing 45 is not essential and may not be provided. In this case, for example, the screw portion 44 may be formed on the inner peripheral surface of the fixed cylinder 40.

  The connecting cylinder 42 is disposed coaxially with the central axis O1. A step portion having an annular stopper wall 46 facing downward is formed at a connection portion between the connecting cylinder 42 and the bent cylinder 41.

  The faucet 4 is screwed to the fixed cylinder 40 of the upper joint 31 configured as described above via a screw portion 44. As a result, the faucet 4 is attached to the front wall portion 11 of the outer case 2 via the upper joint 31, and the water outlet 43 can be opened and closed.

The lower joint 32 is a resin part such as a hard vinyl chloride resin, for example, like the upper joint 31, and is a T-shaped cheese joint.
The lower joint 32 opens forward and rearward, and extends upward from an intermediate portion of the first cylinder 50 in the front-rear direction L while being disposed coaxially with the front-rear axis O2, and has a central axis. A second cylinder 51 disposed coaxially with O1.

The front cylinder 52 located on the front side of the second cylinder 51 in the first cylinder 50 is in contact with the front wall portion 11 from the inside of the outer case 2, for example, and the inner side thereof is in contact with the second mounting hole 18. Communicate. However, the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, a part of the front cylinder 52 may be fixed inside the second mounting hole 18 by, for example, close fitting, adhesion, or locking.
The inner side of the front cylinder 52 is a branch port 53 that opens to the front wall portion 11. A step portion having an annular stopper wall 54 facing forward is formed inside the front cylinder 52.

The rear cylinder 55 located behind the second cylinder 51 in the first cylinder 50 is in contact with, for example, the rear wall portion 12 from the inside of the outer case 2, and the inner side thereof is connected to the third mounting hole 20. Communicate. However, the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, a part of the rear cylinder 55 may be fixed inside the third mounting hole 20 by, for example, close fitting, adhesion, or locking.
The inner side of the rear cylinder 55 is a water supply port 56 opened in the rear wall portion 12. A step portion having an annular stopper wall 57 facing rearward is formed inside the rear cylinder 55.

  The second cylinder 51 is opened upward, and a stepped portion having an annular stopper wall 58 facing upward is formed inside thereof.

The straight pipe 30, the upper joint 31 and the lower joint 32 configured as described above are combined so as to be separable from each other.
Specifically, the upper end portion of the straight pipe 30 is inserted into the inside of the connecting cylinder 42 of the upper joint 31 from below and is closely fitted, for example. Thereby, a certain sealing property is ensured between the outer peripheral surface of the straight pipe 30 and the inner peripheral surface of the connecting cylinder 42. Since the upper end portion of the straight pipe 30 is fitted inside the connecting cylinder 42, the straight pipe 30 and the upper joint 31 are combined so as to be separable.
The upper end opening edge of the straight pipe 30 is in contact with the stopper wall 46 from below. Therefore, the straight pipe 30 and the upper joint 31 are combined together in a state where they are properly positioned in the vertical direction.

  The lower end of the straight pipe 30 is inserted from above into the second cylinder 51 of the lower joint 32 and is closely fitted, for example. Thereby, a certain sealing property is ensured between the outer peripheral surface of the straight pipe 30 and the inner peripheral surface of the second cylinder 51. Since the lower end portion of the straight pipe 30 is fitted inside the second cylinder 51, the straight pipe 30 and the lower joint 32 are combined in a separable manner. In addition, the lower end opening edge of the straight pipe 30 is in contact with the stopper wall 58 from above. Therefore, the straight pipe 30 and the lower joint 32 are combined together in a state where they are properly positioned in the vertical direction.

As described above, the straight pipe 30, the upper joint 31, and the lower joint 32 are combined so as to be separable from each other.
Further, a water supply pipe 60 is inserted into the rear cylinder 55 of the first cylinder 50 in the lower joint 32 from the outside of the outer case 2 through the third mounting hole 20 and is closely fitted, for example. Thereby, a certain sealing property is ensured between the outer peripheral surface of the water supply pipe 60 and the inner peripheral surface of the rear cylinder 55. In addition, since the water supply pipe 60 is fitted inside the rear cylinder 55, the lower joint 32 is integrally combined with the rear wall portion 12 of the outer case 2 via the water supply pipe 60. Yes.
The opening edge of the water supply pipe 60 is in contact with the stopper wall 57 from the rear. Therefore, the water supply pipe 60 and the lower joint 32 are combined together in an appropriately positioned state in the left-right direction.

  The water supply pipe 60 is connected to a water supply source (not shown) while being buried in the ground. As a result, the liquid W can be supplied from the water supply pipe 60 into the lower joint 32 through the water supply port 56, and the liquid W is flown in the water supply pipe 3 and the upper joint 31 toward the water discharge port 43. It is possible to supply water.

In the present embodiment, the straight pipe 30, the upper joint 31, and the lower joint 32 are combined so as to be separable from each other. However, the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, the straight pipe 30, the upper joint 31, and the lower joint 32 are connected. They may be fixed so as not to be separated from each other by adhesion or the like. In this case, for example, it is not necessary to form a stepped portion having the stopper wall 46 in the upper joint 31. Similarly, it is not necessary to form a stepped portion having the stopper wall 58 in the lower joint 32.
Further, it is not necessary to form a stepped portion having the stopper wall 54 and a stepped portion having the stopper wall 57 in the lower joint 32. In this case, for example, the water supply pipe 60 is integrally fixed to the inside of the rear cylinder 55 of the lower joint 32 by bonding or the like, and a branch pipe 73 to be described later is integrated to the inside of the front cylinder 52 of the lower joint 32 by adhesion or the like. It may be fixed.

(Irrigation control device)
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the irrigation control device 6 connects the water supply pipe 3 and the irrigation pipe 5 and directs a part of the liquid W supplied into the water supply pipe 3 to the irrigation pipe 5. Branching portion 70 that allows water to flow through, and an allowable state that allows communication between water supply pipe 3 and irrigation pipe 5 and communication between water supply pipe 3 and irrigation pipe 5. An electromagnetic valve (switching valve) 71 that switches between the shut-off states to be shut off and a control unit 72 that controls switching of the solenoid valve 71 are provided.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the branch portion 70 includes the front cylinder 52 of the first cylinder 50, the branch pipe 73 connected to the front cylinder 52, the branch pipe 73 and the irrigation pipe in the lower joint 32 described above. And a connection member 74 for connecting the first and second members.
The lower joint 32 of the present embodiment has a function as the water supply pipe 3 for passing the supplied liquid W toward the faucet 4 and a part of the supplied liquid W to branch the irrigation pipe 5. And a function as a branching portion 70 for passing water toward the water.

The branch pipe 73 is a straight pipe that extends in the front-rear direction L and opens forward and rearward, and is arranged coaxially with the front-rear axis O2 while being embedded in the ground.
The rear end portion of the branch pipe 73 is inserted into the front cylinder 52 in the lower joint 32 from the outside of the outer case 2 through the second mounting hole 18 and closely fits inside the front cylinder 52, for example. . Thereby, a certain sealing property is ensured between the outer peripheral surface of the branch pipe 73 and the inner peripheral surface of the front cylinder 52. Further, since the branch pipe 73 is fitted inside the front cylinder 52, the lower joint 32 is integrally combined with the front wall portion 11 of the outer case 2 via the branch pipe 73. Yes.

  The rear end opening edge of the branch pipe 73 is in contact with the stopper wall 54 from the front. Therefore, the branch pipe 73 and the lower joint 32 are combined together in an appropriately positioned state in the left-right direction. Since the branch pipe 73 is fitted inside the front cylinder 52, a part of the liquid W supplied into the water supply pipe 3 can be passed through the branch port 53 into the branch pipe 73. ing.

The connecting member 74 is disposed on the front side of the front wall portion 11 in the outer case 2 in a state of being buried in the ground, and is formed in a block shape by, for example, a synthetic resin material.
As shown in FIG. 4, the connection member 74 includes a first connection hole 80 opened to the rear side, a second connection hole 81 opened to the front side, and a first flow path communicating with the first connection hole 80. 82, a second flow path 83 communicating with the second connection hole 81, a communication chamber 84 communicating with the first flow path 82 and the second flow path 83 and opening upward. Yes.

The first connection hole 80 and the second connection hole 81 are each formed in a circular shape when viewed from the side, and are arranged coaxially with the longitudinal axis O2.
In the first connection hole 80, the front end portion of the branch pipe 73 is inserted from the rear. The front end portion of the branch pipe 73 is closely fitted, for example, inside the first connection hole 80. Thereby, a certain sealing property is ensured between the outer peripheral surface of the branch pipe 73 and the inner peripheral surface of the first connection hole 80. Further, since the branch pipe 73 is fitted inside the first connection hole 80, the branch pipe 73 and the connection member 74 are combined together.

  In the second connection hole 81, the irrigation pipe 5 is inserted from the front. For example, the end of the irrigation pipe 5 is closely fitted inside the second connection hole 81. Thereby, a certain sealing property is ensured between the outer peripheral surface of the irrigation pipe 5 and the inner peripheral surface of the second connection hole 81. In addition, since the irrigation pipe 5 is fitted inside the second connection hole 81, the irrigation pipe 5 and the connection member 74 are combined together.

The irrigation pipe 5 extends to an irrigation target such as a plant (not shown) in a state of being buried in the ground, for example. The irrigation pipe 5 is connected with various irrigation units such as a sprinkler and a dripping nozzle. As a result, the liquid W flowing in the irrigation pipe 5 can be irrigated by the irrigation object.
The irrigation pipe 5 does not have to be buried in the ground. For example, the irrigation pipe 5 may be exposed to the ground on the way to the irrigation target and laid so as to crawl on the ground as it is.

The first flow path 82 extends forward from the first connection hole 80 and then extends upward and communicates with the communication chamber 84. The second flow path 83 extends rearward from the second connection hole 81 and then extends upward and communicates with the communication chamber 84.
The communication chamber 84 is formed so as to be recessed, for example, in a circular shape in plan view from the upper surface of the connection member 74. A portion of the bottom surface of the communication chamber 84 located between the first flow path 82 and the second flow path 83 is a seating surface 85 on which a valve shaft 101 of a diaphragm 90 to be described later abuts so as to be separated upward. It is said that.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the connection member 74 configured as described above is accommodated in an accommodation box 61 that is, for example, integrally combined with the front wall portion 11 of the outer case 2 while being embedded in the ground. ing. However, the accommodation box 61 is not essential and may not be provided.

The electromagnetic valve 71 is housed in the housing box 61 in a state of being integrally combined with the connection member 74.
The electromagnetic valve 71 includes a shut-off state (see FIG. 4) that blocks communication between the first flow path 82 and the second flow path 83 through the communication chamber 84, and the first flow path 82 through the communication chamber 84. This is a so-called two-way solenoid valve that switches between an allowable state (see FIG. 5) that allows communication with the inside of the second flow path 83. As a result, the solenoid valve 71 allows a communication between the water supply pipe 3 and the irrigation pipe 5 and a shut-off state (see FIG. 4) for blocking communication between the water supply pipe 3 and the irrigation pipe 5. It is possible to switch between the states (see FIG. 5).

  As shown in FIG. 4, the electromagnetic valve 71 includes a diaphragm 90 disposed in the communication chamber 84, a movable plunger 91 that is disposed above the diaphragm 90 and is a movable iron core that can move up and down, and a movable plunger. And a drive unit 92 for driving 91.

  The diaphragm 90 is disposed, for example, on the inner side of the peripheral wall that defines the communication chamber 84, and an annular frame portion 100 that is closely fitted to the inner surface of the frame portion 100, and can be separated from the seating surface 85 from above. A vertical axis O3 that includes a valve shaft portion 101 that makes contact and an annular elastic membrane portion 102 that connects the outer peripheral surface of the valve shaft portion 101 and the inner peripheral surface of the frame portion 100 and penetrates the center of the communication chamber 84 up and down. And are arranged coaxially.

  The diaphragm 90 closes the communication chamber 84 from above because the frame portion 100 is fitted inside the peripheral wall that defines the communication chamber 84. The elastic film portion 102 urges the valve shaft portion 101 upward away from the seating surface 85 and elastically supports the valve shaft portion 101 so as to be movable downward.

  The drive unit 92 is disposed on the upper surface of the connection member 74 and has a cylindrical magnetic frame 110 made of a magnetic material such as iron, and a cylindrical shape that is arranged in the magnetic frame 110 and made of synthetic resin or the like. The bobbin 111, the magnetic frame 110 and the bobbin 111 are disposed between the bobbin 111, the coil 112 wound around the bobbin 111, the fixed core disposed above the bobbin 111 and fixed to the inside of the magnetic frame 110. 113 and a coil spring 114 disposed between the movable plunger 91 and the fixed core 113.

  The magnetic frame 110 and the fixed core 113 are covered with a protective cover 115 made of a non-magnetic material and formed in a top cylinder shape. However, the protective cover 115 is not essential and may not be provided.

  The movable plunger 91 is formed in a columnar shape and is arranged coaxially with the vertical axis O3, and is housed inside the bobbin 111 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. The lower end portion of the movable plunger 91 is in contact with the valve shaft portion 101 of the diaphragm 90 from above.

As described above, the coil spring 114 is disposed between the movable plunger 91 and the fixed core 113.
The coil spring 114 is disposed in a compressed state and biases the movable plunger 91 downward by its own elastic restoring force (biasing force). Therefore, the valve shaft 101 of the diaphragm 90 is pushed down by the movable plunger 91 and is in contact with the seating surface 85. That is, the electromagnetic valve 71 is closed.
As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, when no drive current is supplied to the coil 112, the diaphragm 90 and the movable plunger 91 cause the inside of the first flow path 82 and the second flow path 83 to pass through the communication chamber 84. It is possible to block communication with the.

  On the other hand, when the drive current is supplied to the coil 112, the movable plunger 91 moves upward against the biasing force of the coil spring 114 by electromagnetic force as shown in FIG. . As a result, the valve shaft portion 101 moves upward by the elastic restoring force of the elastic film portion 102 and is separated from the seating surface 85. Therefore, the electromagnetic valve 71 is opened, and communication between the first flow path 82 and the second flow path 83 through the communication chamber 84 can be permitted.

  As described above, by switching between energization and non-energization of the coil 112, the electromagnetic valve 71 can be opened or closed, and the first flow path 82 and the second flow path 83 through the communication chamber 84 can be opened. It is possible to switch between a permissible state that allows communication with the inside and a blocked state that blocks communication between the first flow path 82 and the second flow path 83 through the communication chamber 84.

  The electromagnetic valve 71 configured as described above is formed with an electrical connection terminal such as a connector (not shown). As shown in FIG. 3, a first wiring (including a power supply line and a signal line) 120 connected to the control unit 72 is connected to the electrical connection terminal. Thereby, the solenoid valve 71 is electrically connected to the control unit 72 via the first wiring 120, and the operation is controlled by the control unit 72.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the control unit 72 is disposed inside the outer case 2 and in a storage space R secured above the water supply pipe 3.
The control unit 72 includes an operation unit 130 that can be input from the outside, and various control parts (not shown) that have various electronic components (not shown) and control at least the electromagnetic valve 71 based on input operations by the operation unit 130 I have.

As shown in FIG. 2, the operation unit 130 is arranged to be operable through an operation window 19 formed on the front wall portion 11 of the outer case 2, and an operation panel on which input units 131 such as various switches and buttons are formed. 132 is provided. In the illustrated example, the operation panel 132 is provided with a display unit 133 that displays various types of information input using the input unit 131.
The user can perform various settings necessary for irrigation, for example, via the input unit 131, and can arbitrarily control the electromagnetic valve 71.

  The control unit 72 configured as described above is electrically connected to an external power source (not shown) through the second wiring (wiring unit) 121 mainly disposed inside the outer case 2 as shown in FIG. It is connected. The second wiring 121 mainly includes a power supply line. Similarly, the first wiring 120 described above is also mainly disposed inside the outer case 2.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, an operation door 135 that closes the operation window 19 so as to be openable is connected to the front wall portion 11 of the outer case 2 via a hinge portion 136. The operation door 135 is, for example, a single door that can be rotated in the left-right direction via the hinge 136.
However, the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, the operation door 135 may be formed so as to open upward, or the operation door 135 may be formed so as to be removable from the front wall portion 11. Further, the operation door 135 is not essential and may not be provided.

(Operation of faucet column)
Next, an operation when the faucet pillar 1 configured as described above is used will be described.
As an initial state, it is assumed that the control unit 72 is not energized to the coil 112 and the electromagnetic valve 71 is set in a closed state.

  In such an initial state, for example, by opening the faucet 4 shown in FIG. 1, the liquid W can be spouted from the faucet 4 through the spout 43. Therefore, the liquid W can be discharged arbitrarily using the faucet 4 and can be used for various purposes other than irrigation.

  A part of the liquid W supplied from the water supply pipe 60 into the lower joint 32 through the water supply port 56 flows into the branch pipe 73 through the branch port 53, and from the inside of the branch pipe 73 as shown in FIG. It flows into the first flow path 82. However, since the electromagnetic valve 71 is closed, the valve shaft portion 101 of the diaphragm 90 is pressed downward by the movable plunger 91 that receives the urging force of the coil spring 114 and is in contact with the seating surface 85.

  Thereby, the electromagnetic valve 71 is in a cut-off state in which the communication between the first flow path 82 and the second flow path 83 through the communication chamber 84 is blocked. That is, the electromagnetic valve 71 is in a cut-off state that cuts off the communication between the water supply pipe 3 and the irrigation pipe 5. Therefore, the liquid W that has flowed into the first flow path 82 remains on the first flow path 82 side in the communication chamber 84 without flowing into the second flow path 83.

  Next, when the drive current is supplied by energizing the coil 112 by the control unit 72, the movable plunger 91 is moved upward against the urging force of the coil spring 114 by electromagnetic force, as shown in FIG. Can be moved toward. Therefore, the valve shaft portion 101 of the diaphragm 90 can be moved upward by the elastic restoring force of the elastic membrane portion 102 and separated from the seating surface 85. As a result, the electromagnetic valve 71 can be opened, and the first passage through the communication chamber 84 from the blocked state in which the communication between the first flow path 82 and the second flow path 83 through the communication chamber 84 is blocked. It is possible to switch to an allowable state that allows communication between the flow path 82 and the second flow path 83. That is, the solenoid valve 71 can be switched to an allowable state that allows communication between the water supply pipe 3 and the irrigation pipe 5.

  Therefore, the liquid W in the first flow path 82 can flow into the second flow path 83 through the communication chamber 84 and can flow into the irrigation pipe 5. That is, a part of the liquid W can be passed from the water supply pipe 3 side to the irrigation pipe 5 side. Therefore, the liquid W discharged from the irrigation pipe 5 can be irrigated to an irrigation target such as a plant.

In addition, when the energization from the control unit 72 to the coil 112 is stopped and de-energization is performed during the irrigation described above, the movable plunger 91 is biased by the coil spring 114 as shown in FIG. It is pushed down again by (elastic restoring force). Thereby, the valve shaft 101 of the diaphragm 90 can be pushed down via the movable plunger 91 and brought into contact with the seating surface 85. Therefore, the electromagnetic valve 71 can be closed, and the first flow through the communication chamber 84 from the allowable state in which the communication between the first flow path 82 and the second flow path 83 through the communication chamber 84 is allowed. It is possible to switch to a blocked state in which the communication between the path 82 and the second flow path 83 is blocked.
As a result, it is possible to shut off part of the water W from the water supply pipe 3 side to the irrigation pipe 5 side again, and to stop irrigation.

  As described above, the solenoid valve 71 can be controlled to be opened or closed by switching between energization and de-energization of the coil 112 using the control unit 72. For this reason, the operation unit 130 is used to appropriately control the electromagnetic valve 71 such as the switching timing of the electromagnetic valve 71 and the time during which the allowable state or the cutoff state is maintained. Can be performed, for example, in an arbitrary time zone. Therefore, it can be used as a faucet column 1 that can handle automatic irrigation.

  As a specific example, for example, by energizing the coil 112 every morning at 5 am and controlling the electromagnetic valve 71 via the control unit 72 to stop energizing the coil 112 at 6 am, Irrigation can be performed automatically only during the 1 hour period from 5 am to 6 am. Thus, it is possible to perform automatic irrigation in a time zone desired by the user.

  In addition, since a part of the liquid W supplied to the water supply pipe 3 is branched and used for irrigation, the liquid W can be discharged from the faucet 4 even when irrigation is performed. Therefore, the liquid W can be used for purposes other than irrigation without being affected by irrigation.

In particular, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the control unit 72 is disposed in the housing space R inside the outer case 2 and above the water supply pipe 3. When performing the operation of the control unit 72 to perform the operation, the user can perform the operation without lowering the posture. Therefore, it is possible to obtain the faucet column 1 having good operability.
In addition, since the operation unit 130 can be easily and appropriately operated from the outside of the outer case 2 through the operation window 19 simply by opening the operation door 135, it is possible to further improve the operability.

  Furthermore, since the control unit 72 and the electromagnetic valve 71 are configured separately, and a simple configuration in which the branch unit 70 provided with the electromagnetic valve 71 is simply connected to the water supply pipe 3 is sufficient, it is different from the conventional one. There is no need to configure a plurality of pipes in the outer case 2 in a complicated manner. Therefore, the piping structure in the outer case 2 can be simplified, and the faucet column 1 having a good structure can be obtained.

Further, since the control unit 72 is disposed in the outer case 2, it is difficult to affect the appearance of the outer case 2. Therefore, by designing the outer case 2 and the faucet 4 in a wide variety of designs, the faucet column 1 having excellent design can be obtained.
In addition, unlike conventional automatic irrigation devices that are connected later, it is not necessary to involve users who are unfamiliar with the construction, and as described above, the piping structure can be simplified and branch points can be reduced. The risk of water leakage can be reduced.

  As described above, according to the faucet column 1 of the present embodiment, it is possible to cope with automatic irrigation, simplify the piping structure and reduce the risk of water leakage, and have an excellent design. Can be provided.

Furthermore, since the solenoid valve 71 is disposed outside the outer case 2, the outer case 2 can be designed more compactly. Further, since the electromagnetic valve 71 is disposed below the installation surface S, the electromagnetic valve 71 can be made inconspicuous, and the appearance of the outer case 2 is hardly affected. Therefore, it is easy to provide excellent design properties.
Furthermore, since the control unit 72 is connected to the external power source through the second wiring 121, it can receive a stable power supply from the external power source and can perform stable automatic irrigation over a long period of time. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to provide an internal power source such as a battery, the configuration can be further omitted, and the faucet column 1 can be made more compact.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the faucet pillar according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
Note that in the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.
In 1st Embodiment, although arrange | positioned in the state with which the electromagnetic valve 71 was embed | buried under the ground, in this embodiment, the electromagnetic valve 71 is arrange | positioned on the ground.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, in the faucet column 140 of the present embodiment, the electromagnetic valve 71 is disposed above the installation surface S. Specifically, an accommodation space R1 that opens rearward is formed in a portion of the faucet pan P that is located in front of the outer case 2, and an electromagnetic valve 71 is disposed in the accommodation space R1. Thereby, the solenoid valve 71 can be hidden using the faucet pan P, making the solenoid valve 71 inconspicuous.

Corresponding to the position of the electromagnetic valve 71, the second mounting hole 18 is formed above the installation surface S in the front wall portion 11 of the outer case 2.
Furthermore, the water supply pipe 3 of the present embodiment includes an upper joint 31, a lower joint 141, an intermediate joint 142, a first straight pipe 143, and a second straight pipe 144.

Similarly to the upper joint 31, the lower joint 141 is a resin part such as a hard vinyl chloride resin, and is an L-shaped elbow joint bent at approximately 90 degrees.
The lower joint 141 opens rearward, contacts the outer case 2 from the inside with respect to the rear wall portion 12, and communicates with the third mounting hole 20, and from the front end portion of the fixed tube 150. A bent cylinder 151 bent upward by about 90 degrees toward the front, and a connecting cylinder 152 extending upward from the upper end of the bent cylinder 151 and opening upward are provided. The connecting cylinder 152 is arranged coaxially with the central axis O1 of the outer case 2.

  The inner side of the fixed cylinder 150 is a water supply port 56 opened in the rear wall portion 12. A water supply pipe 60 is inserted into the fixed cylinder 150 from the outside of the outer case 2 through the third mounting hole 20 and is closely fitted, for example. Further, since the water supply pipe 60 is fitted inside the fixed cylinder 150, the lower joint 141 is integrated with the rear wall portion 12 of the outer case 2 via the water supply pipe 60. Yes.

The intermediate joint 142 is disposed between the upper joint 31 and the lower joint 141. The intermediate joint 142 is a resin part such as a hard vinyl chloride resin, and is a T-shaped cheese joint.
The intermediate joint 142 opens upward and downward and is disposed coaxially with the central axis O1. The intermediate joint 142 opens forward, and from the intermediate portion in the vertical direction of the first intermediate cylinder 160. And a second intermediate tube 161 extending forward.

The upper cylinder 163 located above the second intermediate cylinder 161 in the first intermediate cylinder 160 is opened upward. The lower cylinder 164 located below the second intermediate cylinder 161 in the first intermediate cylinder 160 is opened downward.
For example, the second intermediate cylinder 161 is in contact with the front wall portion 11 from the inner side of the outer case 2, and the inner side communicates with the second mounting hole 18. The inner side of the second intermediate cylinder 161 is a branch port 53 that opens to the front wall portion 11.

The first straight pipe 143 is disposed between the upper joint 31 and the intermediate joint 142, and is disposed coaxially with the central axis O1. The upper end portion of the first straight pipe 143 is inserted into the connecting cylinder 42 of the upper joint 31 from below and is closely fitted inside the connecting cylinder 42. Further, since the first straight pipe 143 is fitted inside the connecting cylinder 42, the upper joint 31 and the first straight pipe 143 are detachably combined. Note that the upper joint 31 and the first straight pipe 143 may be fixed integrally so as not to be separated by fixing the upper end portion of the first straight pipe 143 to the inside of the connecting cylinder 42 by, for example, bonding.
The lower end portion of the first straight pipe 143 is inserted from above into the upper cylinder 163 of the intermediate joint 142 and is closely fitted inside the upper cylinder 163. Further, since the first straight pipe 143 is fitted inside the upper cylinder 163, the first straight pipe 143 and the intermediate joint 142 are combined so as to be separable. In addition, the intermediate joint 142 and the first straight pipe 143 may be fixed integrally so as not to be separated by fixing the lower end portion of the first straight pipe 143 to the inner side of the upper cylinder 163 by, for example, adhesion.

The second straight pipe 144 is disposed between the intermediate joint 142 and the lower joint 141, and is disposed coaxially with the central axis O1. The upper end portion of the second straight pipe 144 is inserted from below into the lower cylinder 164 of the intermediate joint 142 and is closely fitted inside the lower cylinder 164. Further, since the second straight pipe 144 is fitted inside the lower cylinder 164, the intermediate joint 142 and the second straight pipe 144 are detachably combined. Note that the intermediate joint 142 and the second straight pipe 144 may be integrally fixed so as not to be separated by fixing the upper end portion of the second straight pipe 144 to the inside of the lower cylinder 164 by, for example, adhesion.
The lower end of the second straight pipe 144 is inserted from above into the connecting cylinder 152 of the lower joint 141 and is closely fitted inside the connecting cylinder 152. Further, since the second straight pipe 144 is fitted inside the connecting cylinder 152, the second straight pipe 144 and the lower joint 141 are detachably combined. Note that the lower joint 141 and the second straight pipe 144 may be integrally fixed so as not to be separated by fixing the lower end portion of the second straight pipe 144 to the inside of the connecting cylinder 152 by, for example, bonding.

The branch pipe 73 is connected to the electromagnetic valve 71 disposed in the accommodation space R1 of the faucet pan P, and is inserted from the front into the second intermediate cylinder 161 in the intermediate joint 142 through the second mounting hole 18. The second intermediate cylinder 161 is closely fitted inside.
Thereby, a part of the liquid W supplied into the water supply pipe 3 can be passed through the branch port 53 and into the branch pipe 73 so as to be passed through the solenoid valve 71 side.

In the present embodiment, the second intermediate cylinder 161, the branch pipe 73, and the connection member 74 that connects the branch pipe 73 and the irrigation pipe 5 function as the branch portion 70 in the intermediate joint 142.
The intermediate joint 142 has a function as the water supply pipe 3 for passing the supplied liquid W toward the faucet 4, and a part of the supplied liquid W is branched to pass the water toward the irrigation pipe 5. Function as the branching section 70 to be made. The irrigation pipe 5 can be arranged so as to extend outward from the side wall of the faucet pan P as shown in FIG.

Even in the case of the faucet column 140 of the present embodiment configured as described above, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be achieved.
In addition, in the case of the present embodiment, it is not necessary to embed the electromagnetic valve 71 in the ground, so that the construction is easy and, for example, maintenance can be easily handled. Moreover, since the solenoid valve 71 is made inconspicuous by using the faucet pan P, good design properties can be maintained.

(Modification of the second embodiment)
In the second embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, the solenoid valve 71 may be a faucet column 170 disposed inside the outer case 2.
In this case, since the solenoid valve 71 itself can be arranged and hidden inside the outer case 2, the appearance of the outer case 2 is hardly affected. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a faucet column 170 having further excellent design.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, these embodiment is shown as an example and is not intending limiting the range of invention. Each embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Each embodiment includes, for example, those that can be easily assumed by those skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those that are in an equivalent range.

  For example, in each of the above embodiments, the faucet 4 is adopted as the water tap. However, the faucet 4 is not limited to the faucet 4 and can be opened and closed, and can be opened and closed except for the faucet 4. You may adopt the thing. For example, a single faucet or a mixed faucet may be adopted as the water faucet.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the faucet 4 is attached to the front wall portion 11 of the outer case 2, the electromagnetic valve 71 is disposed on the front wall portion 11 side, and the water supply pipe 60 is connected to the rear wall portion 12 side. These positional relationships are not limited to this case, and may be changed as appropriate. For example, you may employ | adopt the structure which arrange | positions the solenoid valve 71 in the rear wall part 12 side, or connects the water supply piping 60 to the front wall part 11 side.
Furthermore, although the operation window 19 was formed in the front wall part 11 to which the faucet 4 was attached, it is not limited to this case, The position of the operation window 19 may be changed suitably. For example, the operation window 19 may be formed on the rear wall 12 side.

  Furthermore, the configuration of the electromagnetic valve 71 is not limited to the above embodiments, and other known configurations of the electromagnetic valve 71 may be adopted. In any case, based on an instruction from the control unit 72, the permissible state allowing the communication between the water supply pipe 3 and the irrigation pipe 5 and the communication between the water supply pipe 3 and the irrigation pipe 5 are blocked. Any electromagnetic valve (switching valve) that switches the shut-off state to be performed may be used.

1, 140, 170 ... faucet column 2 ... outer case 3 ... water supply pipe 4 ... faucet (water faucet)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 5 ... Piping for irrigation 6 ... Irrigation control apparatus 10 ... Frame wall part 19 ... Operation window 43 ... Water outlet 70 ... Branch part 71 ... Solenoid valve (switching valve)
72: Control unit 121 ... Second wiring (wiring unit)
130 ... operation unit

Claims (5)

A columnar outer case having a frame wall portion and having a hollow inside;
A water supply pipe having a water outlet opening in the frame wall portion, disposed along the outer case inside the outer case, and a water supply pipe through which the supplied water flows toward the water outlet,
A faucet that is attached to the spout and opens and closes the spout;
An irrigation control device for controlling the flow of the liquid to be passed while allowing the liquid in the water supply pipe to flow toward the irrigation pipe disposed outside the outer case from the water supply pipe,
The irrigation control device comprises:
A branch part for connecting the water supply pipe and the irrigation pipe and allowing a part of the liquid supplied into the water supply pipe to flow toward the irrigation pipe;
A switching valve that is provided in the branch portion and switches between an allowable state that allows communication between the water supply pipe and the irrigation pipe, and a blocking state that blocks communication between the water supply pipe and the irrigation pipe; ,
A control unit for controlling the switching of the switching valve,
The control part is a faucet column that can be input from the outside of the outer case, and is disposed inside the outer case and above the water supply pipe. In the faucet pillar according to claim 1,
An operation window is formed in a portion of the frame wall portion located above the water outlet,
The said control part is a faucet column provided with the operation part which can be input-operated from the outer side of the said outer case through the said operation window. In the faucet pillar according to claim 1 or 2,
The outer case is installed with the lower end embedded therein,
The switching valve is a faucet column disposed in a state of being buried outside the outer case. In the faucet pillar according to claim 1 or 2,
The switching valve is a faucet column disposed inside the outer case. In the faucet pillar according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The irrigation control device is a faucet column that is electrically connected to an external power source through a wiring portion disposed inside the outer case.

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