JP2020026613A - Faucet device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a faucet device capable of improving the operability.SOLUTION: A faucet device A includes: a faucet body 10 that has a water supply function; and a channel switching handle 35 for water supply operation supported on the faucet main body 10 so as to swing about a horizontal axis P. The channel switching handle 35 includes: a connecting portion 36 disposed adjacent to the faucet main body 10 on the left and right sides and coaxially with the axis P; and an operation unit 44 extending from the connecting unit 36 and having a movable range only within the range W of the entire width of the faucet body 10 in the left-right direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a faucet device.

  Patent Literature 1 discloses a faucet apparatus in which a switching handle is provided on a right side of a faucet body having a water supply function, and a temperature control handle is provided on a left side of the faucet body. By operating the switching handle, the water supply mode can be switched between water stoppage, shower and callan. By operating the temperature control handle, the supply water temperature can be adjusted.

JP 2010-189842 A

  In the above faucet device, two handles are arranged on the side surface of the faucet body. Therefore, in both cases of temperature control and water supply mode switching, in order to grasp the handle, it is necessary to extend the hand greatly to the left or right side of the faucet main body, and the operability is not good. There was a problem.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, and has as an object to solve the problem of improving operability.

The faucet device of the present invention,
A faucet body having a water supply function,
A handle for water supply operation swingably supported on the faucet main body around a horizontal axis,
The handle is
A connecting portion disposed adjacent to the faucet body on the left and right sides and coaxially with the axis;
An operating part extending from the connecting part and having a movable range only within the entire width of the faucet body in the left-right direction.

  Since the movable range of the operating portion of the handle is only within the range of the entire width of the faucet body in the left-right direction, it is not necessary to extend the hand greatly when grasping the operating portion. Therefore, the faucet apparatus of the present invention is excellent in operability when performing a water supply operation.

  In the present invention, the water supply function includes a temperature adjustment function for adjusting the water supply temperature and a flow path switching function for switching the water supply mode to one of water stoppage, a shower, and a curan. Further, the water supply operation means at least one of a temperature adjustment operation for adjusting the water supply temperature and a flow path switching operation for switching the water supply mode to one of water stoppage, shower, and curan.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the water faucet device of the first embodiment. Exploded perspective view of a faucet device A perspective view showing a state in which a flow path switching handle is attached to the water supply unit. Plan view showing a state where the flow path switching handle is at the water stop position. Side view showing the swing range of the flow path switching handle when performing the flow path switching operation

  In the water faucet device of the present invention, the movable range of the operation unit may be only the front side of the front and rear center of the water faucet body. According to this configuration, it is not necessary to extend the hand to the inner side of the faucet body when gripping the operation unit, so that the operability is excellent.

  In the faucet device of the present invention, the handle may perform a flow path switching operation for switching a water supply mode to one of water stoppage, a shower, and a curan. During bathing, the operation of switching the water supply mode to one of water stoppage, shower and callan is frequently performed, and thus the effect of improving operability is high.

<Example 1>
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the following description, the front and rear directions are defined as the front in FIG. 4 and the left in FIG. Regarding the vertical direction, the directions appearing in FIGS. 1 to 3 and 5 are defined as upward and downward as they are. Regarding the left and right directions, the directions shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 are defined as left and right as they are.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the faucet device A of the first embodiment includes a faucet main body 10, a temperature adjustment handle 30, and a flow path switching handle 35 (the handle described in the claims). Have been. The faucet device A is attached to a bathroom wall or the like. The faucet main body 10 is configured by assembling the water supply unit 11 and the housing 15, and has a flat block shape whose height is smaller than the width (horizontal direction) as a whole.

  The water supply unit 11 includes a body 12 having a water supply connection portion 13 and a hot water supply connection portion 14, a temperature control valve unit (not shown) accommodated in a left region in the body 12, and a right region in the body 12. And a valve unit (not shown) for switching the flow passage accommodated therein. The water supply unit 11 switches the water supply mode to one of water stop, shower and callan (a downward water outlet for supplying water from the faucet device A to a washing place or a bathtub) and a temperature adjustment function for adjusting the water supply temperature. And a water supply function including a flow switching function.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, a shower connecting portion 26 that is bent downward from the rear surface of the body 12 is provided at the center in the left-right direction of the body 12 (between the temperature control valve unit and the flow path switching valve unit). Have been. The proximal end of a shower hose 50 having flexibility is connected to the shower connection section 26. A water discharge port 27 for discharging water or hot water is provided on a lower surface of the body 12 at the center in the left-right direction in order to discharge water or hot water downward.

  The housing 15 is formed by combining an upper cover 16, a lower cover 17, and a rear cover 18. The housing 15 houses the water supply unit 11. As shown in FIG. 4, an elongated accent line 19 in the left-right direction is provided at a position on the upper surface of the upper cover 16 in front (front side) of the center C in the front-rear direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, at the left end of the upper surface of the upper cover 16, a circular or cylindrical temperature control sign 20 is provided as means for improving operability when adjusting the water supply temperature. The temperature control sign 20 is composed of a temperature sign 21 and a pair of front and rear temperature control operation signs 22. The temperature mark 21 is formed by engraving characters of 40 ° C. indicating the water supply temperature on the bottom surface of the left end portion of the accent line 19 and is visible from above the accent line 19. When the push button 31 of the temperature adjustment handle 30 (details will be described later) is at the same position as the temperature indicator 21, the water supply temperature is set to 40 ° C. The push button 31 is a projecting member for releasing the restriction on the rotation operation of the temperature adjustment handle 30 to the high temperature side.

  The pair of temperature control operation signs 22 indicate the operation direction of the temperature control handle 30 when adjusting the supply water temperature, and are arranged separately on the rear side and the front side with the 40 ° C. temperature sign 21 interposed therebetween. Have been. When the temperature is to be raised, the temperature adjustment handle 30 is turned to the rear side, so that the letter “H” is displayed on the rear side (rear side) of the temperature indicator 21. When lowering the temperature, the temperature adjustment handle 30 is turned to the near side, so the letter “C” is displayed on the near side (front) of the temperature indicator 21.

  At the right end of the upper surface of the upper cover 16, a channel switching sign 23 is provided as a means for improving operability when switching the water supply mode to one of water stoppage, shower and callan. The flow path switching sign 23 includes a water stop sign 24 and a pair of front and rear switching operation signs 25. The water stop sign 24 is constituted by the right end of the accent line 19. The pair of switching operation signs 25 indicate the operation direction of the flow path switching handle 35 (details will be described later) when switching between the shower and the callan. It is divided and arranged.

  When water is supplied from the shower, the plate-like support portion 37 is pivoted to the back side as the flow path switching handle 35 is swung upward. , A symbol indicating a shower is displayed. When water is supplied from the callan, the plate-like support portion 37 is rotated to the front side as the handle 35 for switching the flow path is swung downward. , A symbol indicating a curan is displayed.

  The temperature adjustment handle 30 is a means for performing an operation (water supply operation) for adjusting the water supply temperature, and is attached to the left end of the water supply unit 11 (the faucet main body 10) as shown in FIGS. I have. The temperature adjustment handle 30 is attached to a valve body (not shown) of the temperature adjustment valve unit so as to be integrally rotatable. The temperature adjustment handle 30 is rotatable about a left-right axis P concentric with the water supply unit 11.

  The temperature adjusting handle 30 protrudes leftward from the left side surface of the faucet body 10 (housing 15). In other words, the temperature adjustment handle 30 is disposed outside the full width area of the faucet body 10 in the left-right direction. On the outer periphery of the temperature adjustment handle 30, a protruding push button 31 for restricting rotation to a high temperature side, and a protruding finger hook portion for hooking a finger when rotating the temperature adjustment handle 30. 32 are provided.

  The flow path switching handle 35 is a means for performing a flow path switching operation (water supply operation) for switching the water supply mode to one of water stoppage, a shower, and a curan. As shown in FIGS. It is attached to the plug body 10 (water supply unit 11). The flow path switching handle 35 has a shape extending in the left-right direction as a whole. The flow path switching handle 35 has a connecting part 36 located at the right end of the flow path switching handle 35, a fitting part 40 located at the left end of the flow path switching handle 35, and an operation part 44. ing.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the connecting portion 36 includes a plate-shaped support portion 37 having a circular shape concentric with the axis P, a connecting function portion 38 protruding coaxially to the left from the plate-shaped support portion 37, And a right arm portion 39 extending radially outward from the outer periphery of the portion 37. The fitting portion 40 is configured to include a ring-shaped support portion 41 having a circular shape concentric with the axis P, and a left arm portion 42 extending radially outward from the outer periphery of the ring-shaped support portion 41. The operation unit 44 has a shape that is long in the left-right direction as a whole, and both left and right end portions of the operation unit 44 are connected to an extension end of the left arm unit 42 and an extension end of the right arm unit 39.

  In a state where the flow path switching handle 35 is attached to the faucet main body 10 (the water supply unit 11), the connecting function unit 38 is housed inside the faucet main body 10, and the valve body of the flow path switching valve unit (not shown). ) So that they can rotate together. The plate-shaped support portion 37 is disposed so as to overlap the right side surface of the faucet main body 10 (housing 15). In other words, the plate-shaped support portion 37 is arranged so as to be adjacent to the faucet main body 10 in the left-right direction. The projecting dimension of the plate-shaped support portion 37 from the right side of the faucet main body 10 is sufficiently smaller than the projecting dimension of the temperature control handle 30 from the left side of the faucet main body 10.

  The ring-shaped support portion 41 is rotatably fitted to the left end of the body 12 of the water supply unit 11. Therefore, the flow path switching handle 35 is supported by the faucet main body 10 at both left and right end portions (the coupling portion 36 and the fitting portion 40), and is coaxial with the water supply unit 11 and the temperature adjustment handle 30 in the left-right axis P. Can be swung up and down with the fulcrum as a fulcrum.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the operation unit 44 is disposed at a position eccentric with respect to the axis P. The operation unit 44 has a length W in the left-right direction over the entire width of the faucet body 10. The operation unit 44 is substantially parallel to the accent line 19. Specifically, the operation unit 44 is curved in such a manner that the distance from the faucet main body 10 (the axis P) increases from the left and right ends to the left and right center.

  As shown by the solid line in FIG. 5, in the water stop state, the operation unit 44 is substantially at the same height as the axis P of the water supply unit 11 serving as the fulcrum of the swing of the flow path switching handle 35, and is located forward of the axis P. (Front of the front end of the upper cover 16). In the swinging process of the flow path switching handle 35, the distance between the operation part 44 and the accent line 19 in the front-rear direction is the largest at the water stop position.

  When water is supplied from the shower, the operation unit 44 of the flow path switching handle 35 is swung upward, as indicated by a dashed line in FIG. As the upward swing angle increases, the amount of water supplied from the shower increases. As the swing angle of the flow path switching handle 35 increases, the operation unit 44 approaches the accent line 19 from the front in a plan view. Therefore, by visually checking the positional relationship of the operation unit 44 with respect to the accent line 19, it is easy to grasp the flow rate of the shower.

  When water is supplied from the callan, the operation unit 44 of the flow path switching handle 35 is swung downward as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. As the downward swing angle increases, the amount of water supplied from the curan increases. In the process of moving from the position where the flow path switching handle 35 is swung up to the maximum angle toward the shower side (upward) to the position where the flow path switching handle 35 is swung up to the maximum angle toward the curan side (downward), the front and rear of the flow path switching handle 35 As shown in FIG. 5, the movable range in the direction is only a region in front (front side) of the center C of the faucet body 10 in the front-rear direction. In addition, since the flow path switching handle 35 swings around the axis P in the left-right direction, the movable range of the flow path switching handle 35 in the left-right direction is only within the range W of the entire width of the faucet body 10.

  The faucet apparatus A of the first embodiment includes a faucet body 10 having a water supply function, and a handle for switching a flow path for a water supply operation supported on the faucet body 10 so as to be swingable about an axis P in the left-right direction. 35. The channel switching handle 35 includes a connecting portion 36 and an operation portion 44. The connecting portion 36 is disposed adjacent to the faucet main body 10 on the left and right sides and coaxially with the axis P. The operation unit 44 has a form extending substantially parallel to the axis P from the outer periphery of the plate-shaped support unit 37 constituting the connection unit 36. Since the movable range of the operation unit 44 is limited only within the range W of the entire width of the faucet body 10 in the left-right direction, it is not necessary to extend the hand largely in the left-right direction when grasping the operation unit 44. Therefore, the faucet apparatus A of the first embodiment is excellent in operability when performing the water supply operation.

  In the first embodiment, the water supply function includes a temperature adjustment function for adjusting the water supply temperature and a flow path switching function for switching the water supply mode to one of water stoppage, a shower, and a curan. Further, the water supply operation means a flow path switching operation for switching the water supply form to any of water stoppage, a shower, and a curan. However, as another embodiment, the water supply operation is performed by controlling a temperature for adjusting a water supply temperature. It may be an adjustment operation.

  Further, the movable range of the operation unit 44 is limited only to the front side of the center C of the faucet body 10 in the front-rear direction. According to this configuration, it is not necessary to extend the hand to the far side (rear end side) of the faucet body 10 when swinging the flow path switching handle 35 by grasping the operation unit 44, so that operability is improved. Are better.

  Further, during bathing, the frequency of switching the water supply mode to one of water stoppage, shower, and curran by the flow path switching handle 35 is higher than the frequency of adjusting the temperature by the temperature adjustment handle 30. Focusing on this point, a configuration in which the movable range of the operation unit 44 is limited to only the range W of the entire width of the faucet main body 10 in the left-right direction is applied not to the temperature adjustment handle 30 but to the flow path switching handle 35. did. Thereby, the effect of improving operability is enhanced.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.
(1) In the above embodiment, the movable range of the operation unit is only the front side of the center of the faucet in the front-rear direction, but the movable range of the operation unit may include the back side of the center of the faucet in the front-rear direction. Good.
(2) In the above embodiment, the handle is for switching the flow path, but the handle may be for adjusting the temperature.
(3) In the above embodiment, only one of the two handles (for switching the flow path) has the movable range limited to the range of the entire width of the faucet main body. In both cases, the movable range may be limited to the range of the entire width of the faucet body.
(4) In the above embodiment, the operating portion of the handle has a length that covers the entire region in the left-right direction of the faucet body, but the operating portion may have a length shorter than the left-right dimension of the faucet body. Good.
(5) In the above embodiment, the faucet main body is constituted by the water supply unit and the housing, but the faucet main body may be constituted by only the water supply unit.

A: faucet device P: axis W: range of full width of faucet body 10: faucet body 35: handle for switching channels (handle)
36 ... Connecting part 44 ... Operation part

Claims (3)

A faucet body having a water supply function,
A handle for water supply operation swingably supported on the faucet main body around a horizontal axis,
The handle is
A connecting portion disposed adjacent to the faucet body on the left and right sides and coaxially with the axis;
A faucet device, comprising: an operating portion extending from the connecting portion and having a movable range only within a range of the entire width of the faucet body in the left-right direction.   The faucet device according to claim 1, wherein a movable range of the operation unit is only a front side of a center of the faucet body in the front-rear direction.   3. The faucet device according to claim 1, wherein the handle performs a flow path switching operation for switching a water supply mode to one of water stoppage, a shower, and a curan.

Images