JP2022039629A - Automatic faucet - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide an automatic faucet with a retractable and storable spout and excellent waterproofing against water intrusion. [Solution] An automatic faucet U comprising a faucet body, a cylindrical spout holder S1 protruding from the faucet body, and a spout connected to a retractable hose H and inserted and held at the tip of the spout holder S1, the spout holder S1 is provided with a sensor 3 for automatic water discharge, wiring 4 extending from the sensor 3 to the faucet body, a passage member 2 forming a passage for the hose H, and a sealing member 6 having a wire passing portion 61 for avoiding interference with the wiring 4 and sealing a gap between the passage member 2 and the inner surface of the spout holder S1, and a drainage portion for draining at least a portion of the water accumulated inside the spout holder S1 is formed on the tip side of the sealing member 6 in the spout holder S1, and the wire passing portion 61 is provided at a higher position than the drainage portion. [Selected Figure] Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to an automatic faucet provided with a spout that can be pulled out and stored with respect to a spout holder provided with a sensor for controlling water discharge, and having a structure for preventing water from entering the inside of the spout holder.

Conventionally, as a technique related to such a faucet device, for example, there is one shown in the following Patent Document 1 (see [0014] to [0017], [0029], FIGS. 1 to 4, etc.).

In this faucet device, a spout holder (spout main body 16) having a substantially arc shape extends from the faucet main body (body 12), and a spout (spout head 21) to which a hose 24 is connected is pulled out from the tip thereof. -It is installed so that it can be stored.

A sensor (sensor unit 26) is provided at the tip of the spout holder, and wiring (electric wire cord 29) is arranged from here to the inside of the faucet body.

In this conventional technique, when assembling a faucet device, the electric wire cord can be wired in a predetermined position without being twisted.

Specifically, a sensor unit that detects the human body in a non-contact manner and performs a water discharge operation is provided at the tip of the spout holder, and wiring extending from this is provided below the faucet body through the inside of the spout holder. It is arranged even on a valve or the like.

The wiring is arranged between the hose guide inserted inside the spout holder and the inner surface of the spout holder. The hose guide is a substantially cylindrical member formed by rolling a synthetic resin plate so that the edges overlap with each other. A step is generated in the overlapping portion between the edge portions, and the wiring is arranged in this step portion to stabilize the position inside the spout holder.

A rectangular parallelepiped lock member is provided in the middle of the wiring, and is fixed to a cylindrical holding member provided at the base end of the spout holder. As a result, the posture of the wiring arranged inside the spout holder is stabilized, and it is possible to prevent the wiring from being twisted when the spout holder is attached to the faucet main body.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-166266

Conventionally, in a faucet device provided with a spout that can be pulled out and stored, there is a problem that water should be suppressed from entering the inside of the spout holder, for example, when the spout is pulled out and stored. This is to prevent water that has entered the inside of the spout holder from reaching the inside of the faucet body or under the kitchen sink. In particular, if the spout holder has wiring inside as in the above-mentioned conventional technique, the water stop treatment becomes more difficult.

In that respect, the spout holder of the prior art has a gooseneck shape, and the connection portion with the spout is located at a position greatly lowered from the apex of the gooseneck. Therefore, it is not necessary to consider the infiltration of water from the tip of the spout holder. Actually, in the description and drawings in the specification, no special member is provided at the tip of the spout holder.

However, when the spout can be pulled out and stored, it may be inconvenient if the pulling direction of the spout is limited downward as in the prior art. In addition, when the gooseneck protrudes greatly upward, the kitchen environment in which the faucet device can be installed may be limited. In order to eliminate such inconvenience, it may be required that the height of the spout holder is inconspicuous or that the spout is pulled out in an upward direction.

In that case, it is essential to take measures against inundation from the end of the spout holder, and in particular, it is necessary to enhance the inundation prevention effect in automatic faucets having wiring inside. Has not been realized. As described above, it has been conventionally required to provide an automatic faucet having a spout that can be pulled out and stored and having an excellent water-proofing function.

(Characteristic composition)
The characteristic configuration of the automatic faucet according to the present invention is
The faucet body and
A tubular spout holder that protrudes from the faucet body and
It is equipped with a spout that is connected to a hose that can be pulled out and is inserted and held at the tip of the spout holder.
The spout holder is provided with a sensor for automatic water discharge, wiring from the sensor to the faucet body, a passage member forming a passage for the hose, and a passage portion for avoiding interference with the wiring. A sealing member for sealing the gap between the member and the inner surface of the spout holder is provided.
A drainage portion for draining at least a part of the water accumulated inside the spout holder is formed on the tip side of the spout holder with respect to the sealing member, and the wire passage portion is provided at a position higher than the drainage portion. It is characterized by the fact that it is drained.

(effect)
The automatic faucet of this configuration has a spout that can be pulled out, and the spout holder is equipped with a sensor for automatic water discharge. When the spout can be pulled out, water easily enters the inside from the end of the spout holder. Therefore, in the automatic faucet having this configuration, a sealing member is provided between the passage member for inserting a hose provided inside the spout holder and the inner surface of the spout holder.

In this configuration, a sensor for automatic water discharge is provided, and wiring extends from this sensor toward the faucet body. Therefore, the sealing member is provided with a wire passage portion for avoiding interference with the wiring.

However, the purpose of this wire passage portion is to avoid interference between the wiring and the sealing member, and it is difficult to ensure sufficient sealing performance while avoiding interference. Therefore, in this configuration, even if water collects at the tip of the spout holder, a drainage section is provided to drain at least a part of this water, and the position of the wiring section is set higher than the drainage section. ing. As a result, it is possible to significantly prevent water from entering the inside of the spout holder via the wire passage portion.

(Characteristic composition)
In the automatic faucet according to the present invention, the drainage portion is the highest of the lower intersections obtained by crossing the vertical line passing through the individual parts of the axis of the spout holder and the inner surface of the spout holder. Includes the configuration of the intersection at the position.

(effect)
The shape of the spout holder is set in various ways in consideration of the convenience of pulling out and storing the spout and the appearance of the design. Therefore, the height difference between the portion on the tip side of the sealing member and the sealing member may be small. In such a case, the spout holder can be drained without any special processing.

That is, even when water collects on the tip side from the sealing member, the water can be discharged from the opening at the tip of the spout holder, and a part of the sealing member can be set at a position higher than the water surface of the stored water. There is.

In this case, the part where the water storage level is the highest is the highest position among the lower intersections obtained by the intersection of the vertical line passing through the individual parts of the axis of the spout holder and the inner surface of the spout holder. It becomes the position of a certain intersection. Therefore, by providing the wire passage portion at a position higher than this intersection, it is possible to suppress water from entering the inside of the spout holder without complicating the structure of the spout holder.

(Characteristic composition)
In the automatic faucet according to the present invention, the drainage portion is the highest of the lower intersections obtained by intersecting the vertical line passing through each part of the axis of the spout holder and the inner surface of the spout holder. It may be a first communication portion formed through the wall portion of the spout holder at a position between the intersection at the position and the sealing member.

(effect)
Depending on the shape of the spout holder, the height from the sealing member to the tip side may be excessive, and the height of the opening of the spout holder may exceed the height of the sealing member. In that case, at the highest point of the lower intersection obtained by the intersection of the vertical line passing through each part of the axis of the spout holder and the inner surface of the spout holder, that is, the part where water may be stored. A first communication portion is formed at a position lower than the wire passage portion at a portion between a certain intersection point and the sealing member. The first communication portion is provided so as to penetrate the wall portion of the spout holder.

As a result, the internal drainage effect of the spout holder is enhanced, and the infiltration of water into the inner part of the spout holder through the wire passage portion is more effectively suppressed.

(Characteristic composition)
In the automatic faucet according to the present invention, the spout holder has a joint member having a holding portion for inserting and holding the spout and a guide surface for slidably inserting the hose, in a state of being separated from the passage member. It is convenient if it is fixed to the tip.

(effect)
In order to smoothly pull out and store the hose, it is convenient to form a guide surface for slidably inserting the hose in the joint member as in this configuration. By providing the guide surface, for example, when the spout is held by the spout holder, the hose is stored along the guide surface so that the posture of the spout naturally approaches the holding posture, and the holding work of the spout becomes easy.

In such a configuration, the gap between the hose and the guide surface is not so wide, and the effect of preventing water from entering the inside of the spout holder through the gap is enhanced. However, since water may be sprinkled toward the joint member in order to clean the spout holder, it is not possible to completely prevent water from entering the inside of the joint member.

Therefore, in this configuration, the joint member and the passage member are provided in a separated state. As a result, even if water infiltrates into the inside of the joint member, the water is guided downward along the back surface of the joint member and the inner surface of the spout holder so that the water infiltrates into the inside of the passage member and the passage member. It prevents water from reaching the passage along the outer surface.

(Characteristic composition)
In the automatic faucet according to the present invention, a second communication portion extending between the inner surface and the outer surface of the passage member is formed at least at the lowermost portion of the end region of the passage member facing the joint member. Can be done.

(effect)
By forming a second communication portion extending between the inner surface and the outer surface in the end region of the passage member, even if water enters the inside of the passage member, there is an opportunity to discharge the water to the outside of the passage member. Can be provided. According to this configuration, water is easily discharged to the outside of the passage member, and the water once discharged to the outside of the passage member is a spout holder based on the effect of the communication portion set to an appropriate height. It is discharged to the outside of the spout holder from the tip opening of the spout holder or the first communication portion.

A perspective view showing the appearance of the automatic faucet according to the first embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows the internal structure of the spout holder which concerns on 1st Embodiment An exploded perspective view showing the internal structure of the spout holder according to the first embodiment. Side view showing the appearance of the automatic faucet according to the second embodiment

[First Embodiment]
(Overview)
The automatic faucet U of the present invention is capable of pulling out and retracting the spout S2 with respect to the faucet body B, and prevents water from entering the inside of the faucet body B as much as possible during the operation. Is. The first embodiment of the automatic faucet U of the present invention is shown below together with FIGS. 1 to 3.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the automatic faucet U according to the present embodiment is connected to a faucet main body B, a spout holder S1 protruding from the faucet main body B, and a hose H that can be pulled out. It is provided with a spout S2 that is inserted and held at the tip of the holder S1.

The spout holder S1 and the spout S2 have a substantially semicircular appearance when both are connected. With the automatic faucet U installed, the connection between the spout S2 and the spout holder S1 is located just near the top of the arc.

At the tip of the spout S2, for example, a discharge portion S3 capable of switching between purified water and raw water, switching between direct current water and shower water, and the like is provided.

A joint member 1 for holding the spout S2 while inserting the hose H is provided at the tip of the spout holder S1. Further, a passage member 2 that forms a passage for the hose H is provided inside the spout holder S1. Further, a sensor 3 for automatic water discharge is arranged on the side surface of the spout holder S1. Here, for example, an infrared sensor, a capacitance type proximity sensor, or the like is used, and automatic water discharge is performed when the user brings his / her hand close to it. A wiring 4 extending from the sensor 3 to the faucet body B via the inside of the spout holder S1 extends.

(Joint member)
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a joint member 1 is attached to the tip opening S1a of the spout holder S1. A convex holding portion 11 is formed at the tip of the joint member 1 and fits with the tubular end of the spout S2. An annular groove portion 12 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the holding portion 11, and an engaging member (not shown) of the snap joint provided in the spout S2 engages with the groove portion 12.

At the center of the holding portion 11, a cylindrical guide surface 13 whose inner diameter is set according to the outer diameter of the hose H is formed. By providing the guide surface 13, for example, when the spout S2 is held by the spout holder S1, the hose H is stored along the guide surface 13 so that the posture of the spout S2 naturally approaches the holding posture and the spout S2 is held. Work becomes easy.

The gap between the guide surface 13 and the hose H is set to, for example, 0.5 to 2 mm at the widest portion. This enables smooth withdrawal and storage of the hose H, and greatly suppresses the ingress of water. This gap size is set to such an extent that water can be prevented from entering even when water is applied when cleaning the end surface of the spout holder S1, for example.

A diameter-expanded portion 14 is formed on the inner surface of the holding portion 11 on the tip end side with respect to the guide surface 13 so that the inner diameter is slightly widened to regulate the extending direction of the hose H. As a result, the angle of the hose H with respect to the guide surface 13 can be kept at a predetermined angle, and the hose H is prevented from being caught on the guide surface 13.

A flange portion 15 having an enlarged diameter is provided at the base end portion of the holding portion 11. The fixing position of the joint member 1 is defined by the flange portion 15 coming into contact with the tip of the spout holder S1. A convex portion 16a that determines the rotational posture with respect to the spout holder S1 is formed on the side opposite to the holding portion 11 with the flange portion 15 interposed therebetween. A recess 16b with which the convex portion 16a engages is provided in a part of the tip opening S1a of the spout holder S1. With these configurations, when the joint member 1 is attached to the spout holder S1, the protruding direction of the holding portion 11 is appropriately set. A female screw portion 17a is formed on the lower surface of the joint member 1, and the screw member 17c is screwed and fixed via the hole portion 17b formed at the corresponding position of the spout holder S1.

(Aisle member)
Inside the spout holder S1, a passage member 2 that defines the passage of the hose H is arranged. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the passage member 2 is a cylindrical member having a curvature corresponding to the shape of the spout holder S1. The end portion of the passage member 2 is inserted into the second passage member 5 arranged further to the back and the position is fixed.

As shown in FIG. 2, the passage member 2 is attached in a state of being separated from the joint member 1. By doing so, even if water enters the inside of the joint member 1, the water can be guided downward along the back surface of the joint member 1 and the inner surface of the spout holder S1 to the inside of the passage member 2. The inflow of water can be prevented.

A plurality of window portions 21 are formed at the end portion of the passage member 2 on the side closer to the joint member 1. One of them is a plurality of first window portions 21a provided along the edge portion of the end portion of the passage member 2. The first window portion 21a discharges the water that has entered the inside of the passage member 2 to the outside. In particular, the first window portion 21a located below discharges the water that has entered the inside of the passage member 2 to the outside by gravity. On the other hand, the first window portion 21a located above collides with the inner surface of the passage member 2 when water vigorously flows into the passage member 2 from the gap between the joint member 1 and the hose H, and the passage member 2 It allows water that is about to bounce inside the window to pass through to the outside.

Further, at the lowermost position of the edge portion of the passage member 2, a second window portion 21b having a slightly large size and along the longitudinal direction of the passage member 2 is formed. With this configuration, the water flowing downward along the back surface of the joint member 1 can be efficiently flowed downward to the outside of the passage member 2.

Inside the second window portion 21b, an arm portion 22 having elasticity is formed so as to protrude from a part of the passage member 2, and a downward claw portion 23 is formed at the tip of the arm portion. The claw portion 23 engages with the second communication portion P2 formed through the lower wall portion of the spout holder S1. The second communication unit P2 will be described later.

(Sealing member)
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, an annular sealing member 6 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the inner end portion of the passage member 2. The sealing member 6 seals the gap between the passage member 2 and the spout holder S1 and prevents water from flowing into the faucet body B side through the outer peripheral portion of the passage member 2. be.

The sealing member 6 is arranged so as to fit on a plane passing through the bending center of the spout holder S1. That is, it is arranged in a plane perpendicular to the axis X of the spout holder S1 at the installation location. By arranging in this way, the degree to which the sealing member 6 is compressed and deformed by the spout holder S1 and the passage member 2 can be equalized along the circumferential direction. Therefore, there is no inconvenience such as a decrease in the sealing effect of water at a specific location.

However, a wiring portion 61 for laying the wiring 4 of the sensor 3 is formed at a predetermined position of the sealing member 6. This is a concave portion provided at a part of the sealing member 6 along the circumferential direction. The dimension of the wire passage portion 61 is such that, for example, the width of the notch along the circumferential direction is about 5 to 6.5 mm. With this dimension, the wiring portion 61 is not pushed open by the wiring 4. Since the sealing function is guaranteed by the installation height of the wiring portion 61 as described later, the adhesion to the wiring 4 at the relevant portion is not essential. However, the wiring portion 61 may be slightly expanded by the contact with the wiring 4, and the adhesion with the wiring 4 may be improved.

The sealing member 6 is not affected by water pressure or the like. Therefore, a lip portion 62 that is easily deformed is provided on the outer peripheral portion so as to linearly contact the spout holder S1 and maintain this contact state for a long time. Further, at the time of assembly, the sealing member 6 is installed inside the spout holder S1 first, and the cross-sectional shape is made angular so that the passage member 2 can be easily inserted later. Further, in order to facilitate the insertion of the passage member 2, an inclined surface 63 is formed on the inner peripheral surface over the entire circumference as shown in FIG.

The higher the position where the wire passage portion 61 is provided, the more the water sealing function is exhibited. However, as shown in FIG. 2, at least the mounting posture of the sealing member 6 is in a state where the faucet main body B and the spout holder S1 are installed. , Set higher than the lowest level L in the tip opening S1a of the spout holder S1. As a result, even when water collects in the tip of the spout holder S1, the tip opening S1a of the spout holder S1 becomes a drainage portion, and water is discharged from the lowest position of the tip opening S1a. As a result, it is possible to prevent water from entering the inner portion of the spout holder S1 via the wire passage portion 61.

Apart from this example, the tip opening S1a of the spout holder S1 may not be at the highest position of the spout holder S1, and the position between the sealing member 6 and the tip opening S1a may be the highest position. In this case, the drainage portion is set at the highest intersection of the lower intersections obtained by the intersection of the vertical line passing through each part of the axis X of the spout holder S1 and the inner surface of the spout holder S1. The Rukoto.

The height of the wire passage portion 61 also changes depending on the length of the passage member 2, the shape of the spout holder S1, the extension angle, and the like. The requirement to be satisfied is that water is discharged from a portion lower than the wire passage portion 61 such as the lowest position of the tip opening S1a before water enters the inside of the spout holder S1 from the wire passage portion 61. be. For this purpose, if the spout holder S1 has a smaller angle between the axis X of the spout holder S1 and the horizontal direction at the site where the sealing member 6 is installed, the spout holder S1 has a wire passage portion 61. The height of the is easy to set.

As the material of the sealing member 6, an elastic body is preferable because sealing property and assembling property are important. From the viewpoint of sealing property, EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber), NBR (nitrile rubber), TPE (thermoplastic elastomer), and PE (polyethylene) are preferable. Of these, NBR was used to realize a wide range of seals and reduce costs.

In order to further avoid the situation where water collects at the tip of the spout holder S1, as shown in FIG. 2, the first communication portion P1 and the first communication portion P1 and the first communication portion P1 of the spout holder S1 are located on the tip side of the sealing member 6 with respect to the sealing member 6. A two communication portion P2 is provided.

The first communication portion P1 is provided in a state of penetrating downward at the lowermost portion of the wall portion of the spout holder S1 between the tip opening S1a and the sealing member 6 and close to the sealing member 6. The hole diameter of the first communication portion P1 is set to, for example, 3 to 5 mm. This is convenient because a reliable drainage function can be obtained.

Apart from this example, if the height of the spout holder S1 at the position between the tip opening S1a and the sealing member 6 is the highest, the installation position of the first communication portion P1 is set. It will be one of the parts that may store water. That is, the intersection at the highest position among the lower intersections obtained by the intersection of the vertical line passing through each portion of the axis X of the spout holder S1 and the inner surface of the spout holder S1, the sealing member 6, and the like. It is preferable to provide a portion between them at a position lower than the line portion 61.

As shown in FIG. 2, another second communication portion P2 is provided on the side of the tip opening S1a with respect to the first communication portion P1. The second communication portion P2 mainly engages with the claw portion 23 of the passage member 2, but has a hole diameter larger than the outer diameter of the claw portion 23. As a result, the second communication portion P2 is also provided with a drainage function, and the water level in the vicinity of the sealing member 6 is surely prevented from reaching the communication portion 61 and entering the inner portion of the spout holder S1.

[Second Embodiment]
As shown in FIG. 4, the automatic faucet U of the present invention can also be applied to a spout S2 and a spout holder S1 having a linear shape.

When the spout holder S1 is linear, the height difference between the wire passage portion 61 of the sealing member 6 and the lowest position of the tip opening S1a becomes large depending on the length of the passage member 2. Therefore, it is preferable that the wire passage portion 61 provided in the sealing member 6 is provided in the vicinity of the top of the annular region.

The automatic faucet according to the present invention is provided with a spout that can be pulled out and stored with respect to a spout holder equipped with a sensor for controlling water discharge, and is widely used for automatic faucets that are required to prevent water from entering the inside of the spout holder. Can be applied.

1 Joint member 11 Holding part 13 Guide surface 2 Passage member 3 Sensor 4 Wiring 6 Sealing member 61 Connection part B Faucet body H Hose L Bottom position P1 First communication part P2 Second communication part S2 Spout S1 Spout holder S1a Tip opening U automatic faucet

Claims (5)

The characteristic configuration of the automatic faucet according to the present invention is
The faucet body and
A tubular spout holder that protrudes from the faucet body and
It is equipped with a spout that is connected to a hose that can be pulled out and is inserted and held at the tip of the spout holder.
The spout holder is provided with a sensor for automatic water discharge, wiring from the sensor to the faucet body, a passage member forming a passage for the hose, and a passage portion for avoiding interference with the wiring. A sealing member for sealing the gap between the member and the inner surface of the spout holder is provided.
A drainage portion for draining at least a part of the water accumulated inside the spout holder is formed on the tip side of the spout holder with respect to the sealing member, and the wire passage portion is provided at a position higher than the drainage portion. Automatic faucet that has been. Claimed to be the intersection where the drainage portion is located at the highest position among the lower intersections obtained by intersecting the vertical line passing through the individual portions of the axis of the spout holder and the inner surface of the spout holder. The automatic faucet according to 1. The drainage portion is sealed with the intersection at the highest position of the lower intersections obtained by intersecting the vertical line passing through the individual parts of the axis of the spout holder and the inner surface of the spout holder. The automatic faucet according to claim 1, which is a first communication portion formed through the wall portion of the spout holder at a position between the member and the member. From claim 1, a joint member having a holding portion for inserting and holding the spout and a guide surface for slidably inserting the hose is fixed to the tip of the spout holder in a state of being separated from the passage member. The automatic faucet according to any one of 3. The automatic faucet according to claim 4, wherein a second communication portion extending between an inner surface and an outer surface of the passage member is formed at least at the lowermost portion of the end region of the passage member facing the joint member.

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