JP2023086504A - Water discharge device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a water discharge device that allows a sufficiently wide water landing area to be secured with a compact configuration.SOLUTION: A water discharge device (1) includes a water discharge device body (10) and a vibration generation element (22) for discharging water while reciprocatorily vibrating water in a predetermined vibration plane. The vibration generation element includes: a water supply passage (24); a collision part (30) arranged so as to close a part of a flow passage cross section of the water supply passage for generating vortexes rotating in directions opposite to each other on a downstream side; a vortex train passage (26) provided on a downstream side of the water supply passage so as to guide the formed vortexes; a flow diffusion part (27) provided in the middle of the vortex train passage; and a water discharge passage (28) for discharging the water guided by the vortex train passage. The flow diffusion part is composed of a step part formed so as to narrow the flow passage of the vortex train passage in a height direction toward the downstream side, a height of the step part being 50% or less of a height of the vortex train passage.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a water discharger, and more particularly to a water discharger that discharges water while vibrating it back and forth.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2017-108830 (Patent Document 1) describes a water discharging device. This water discharger is provided with a vibration generating element that discharges the supplied water while reciprocally vibrating it. The vibration generating element includes a water supply passage, a collision section provided at the downstream end of the water supply passage, a vortex generation passage that guides a vortex generated by water colliding with the collision section, and a vortex generation passage downstream of the water supply passage. a spout passage provided. Water supplied to the water discharging device flows into the water supply passage of the vibration generating element and collides with the collision portion provided at the downstream end thereof. When the water collides with the collision part, vortices are generated alternately in opposite directions in the vortex-generating passage on the downstream side, and are guided toward the downstream side by the vortex-generating passage. The water flow including the vortex guided by the vortex generation passage is discharged while reciprocatingly vibrating from the outlet passage having a flow passage cross-sectional area narrower than that of the vortex generation passage.

JP 2017-108830 A

According to the vibration generating element described in Patent Literature 1, linear water is discharged while reciprocally vibrating, so water can land in a wide range while having a compact configuration. Therefore, when the vibration generating element described in Patent Literature 1 is applied to a shower device, it can be expected that showering comfort will be improved while ensuring a sufficient degree of freedom in the design of the shower head. However, in the vibration generating element described in Patent Document 1, even if the angle of the reciprocating vibration of the jetting water is increased in order to further widen the landing range of the jetting water, the landing range of the jetting water only extends linearly. There is a problem that the water area cannot be expanded sufficiently. That is, when the vibration generating element is applied to a shower device, even if the water landing area becomes linearly longer, the amount of wasted water that does not hit the user's body increases, and the comfort of showering does not improve.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a water discharger that has a compact configuration and is capable of ensuring a sufficiently wide landing area.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a water discharging device that discharges water while reciprocatingly vibrating the water, comprising: a main body of the water discharging device; a vibration generating element that spouts water while allowing water to flow into the water supply passage, and the vibration generating element is located downstream of the water supply passage so as to block a part of the cross section of the water supply passage. A collision portion arranged at an end portion and causing water guided by the water supply passage to collide to generate vortices in opposite directions alternately on the downstream side thereof, and a water supply passage for guiding the vortex formed by the collision portion. a vortex line passage provided downstream of the vortex line passage, the width in the direction parallel to the vibration plane being wider than the height in the direction perpendicular to the vibration plane; a discharge passage for discharging the water guided by the vortex passage, and the flow diffusing portion is composed of a stepped portion formed to narrow the flow path in the height direction of the vortex passage toward the downstream side. , the height of the step is less than 50% of the height of the vortex train passage.

In the present invention configured as described above, the water supplied flows into the water supply passage of the vibration generating element provided in the water discharger main body. The inflowing water collides with a collision part arranged to block a part of the flow passage cross section of the water supply passage, and vortices are generated alternately on the downstream side, and the water flow including the generated vortices is , is guided by a swirl passage provided downstream of the feed water passage. Further, the water guided by the vortex passage is discharged through the discharge passage while reciprocating in the vibration plane. Further, in the middle of the vortex passage, a flow diffusing portion is provided which is formed by a stepped portion formed to narrow the flow path in the height direction of the vortex passage toward the downstream side.

According to the present invention configured as described above, alternately counter-rotating vortices generated on the downstream side of the collision portion are guided by the vortex train passage and discharged from the discharge passage. can be reciprocated within the plane of vibration. In addition, since a stepped portion that narrows the flow passage in the height direction is provided in the middle of the vortex passage as a flow diffusing portion, the water discharged from the discharge passage flows in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane. also spread to As a result, it is possible to ensure a sufficiently wide landing area with a compact configuration.

In the present invention, preferably, the height of the discharge passage is equal to or higher than the minimum height of the swirl passage.
According to the present invention configured as described above, since the height of the discharge passage is equal to or higher than the minimum height of the vortex-line passage, the flow diffusing portion causes the flow in the height direction of the vortex-line passage. The diffused water discharged from the discharge passage can be easily diffused in the direction perpendicular to the vibration plane.

In the present invention, preferably, the vortex line passage is configured by connecting an upstream member in which the upstream side of the vortex line passage is formed and a downstream member in which the downstream side of the vortex line passage is formed.

According to the present invention configured as described above, since the vortex passage is configured by connecting the upstream member and the downstream member, the vibrating vibration having the water supply passage, the collision portion, the vortex passage, and the discharge passage is provided. The generating element can be easily molded.

In the present invention, the stepped portion is preferably formed at the connecting portion between the upstream member and the downstream member.
According to the present invention configured as described above, since the stepped portion is formed at the connecting portion between the upstream member and the downstream member, the stepped portion can be easily formed as the flow diffusion portion in the middle of the swirl passage. can do.

In the present invention, preferably, the height of the upstream end of the spiral passage provided in the downstream member is lower than the height of the downstream end of the spiral passage provided in the upstream member.
According to the present invention configured as described above, the height at the upstream end of the vortex-line passage provided in the downstream member is lower than the height at the downstream end of the vortex-line passage provided in the upstream member. Therefore, it is possible to reliably form a step portion that narrows the flow path of the vortex passage in the height direction toward the downstream side at the connecting portion between the upstream member and the downstream member.

In the present invention, the height of the vortex passage provided in the downstream member is preferably constant.
According to the present invention configured as described above, since the height of the vortex passage provided in the downstream member is configured to be constant, collapse of the vortex generated by water colliding with the collision portion is suppressed. and the vortex street can be reliably guided.

In the present invention, preferably, the stepped portion is formed in the middle of the vortex passage formed in the downstream member.
According to the present invention configured as described above, since the stepped portion is formed in the middle of the vortex passage formed in the downstream member, the distance from the collision portion to the stepped portion can be increased, and the flow can be reduced. A vortex can be sufficiently developed by the time it reaches the stepped portion, which is the diffusion portion.

In the present invention, preferably, the stepped portion is provided on one of the inner wall surfaces of the vortex passageway, the inner wall surface being oriented in a direction parallel to the vibration plane.
According to the present invention configured as described above, since the stepped portion is provided on one of the inner wall surfaces oriented in the direction parallel to the vibration plane, the height of the vortex train passage on the downstream side of the stepped portion is It is possible to sufficiently secure the flow, so that the flow can be oscillated back and forth within a predetermined plane of vibration, and can also be diffused in the direction perpendicular to the plane of vibration.

In the present invention, preferably, the vortex street passage has a constant height in the direction perpendicular to the plane of vibration on the downstream side of the stepped portion, and the inner wall surface of the vortex street passage facing the stepped portion The passage is bent so as to widen the passage in the height direction toward the downstream side.

According to the present invention configured as described above, the spiral passageway is configured to have a constant height on the downstream side of the stepped portion, and the inner wall surface of the spiral passageway facing the stepped portion is located on the downstream side of the spiral passageway. Since it is bent so as to widen the flow path in the height direction, the direction of the water flow passing through the vortex row passage can be changed to the inner wall surface side facing the stepped portion, and it is perpendicular to the vibration plane. can spread in all directions.

In the present invention, the vibration generating element preferably includes a bypass passage for allowing water to flow into the vortex passage from the downstream side of the collision portion, and a part of the inner wall surface of the bypass passage is formed by the downstream member. The water discharging device according to any one of claims 3 to 9, wherein the water discharging device is formed.

According to the present invention configured as described above, since the vibration generating element is provided with the bypass passage, the amplitude of the reciprocating vibration of the water discharged from the vibration generating element, etc., can also be changed by the flow rate of the water flowing in from the bypass passage. can be adjusted. In addition, since a part of the inner wall surface of the bypass passage is formed by the downstream member, the vibration generating element having the bypass passage can be easily formed.

In the present invention, preferably, only the inner wall surface located on the most downstream side of the bypass passage is formed by the downstream member.
According to the present invention configured as described above, only the inner wall surface of the bypass passage located on the most downstream side is formed by the downstream member, so by connecting the upstream member and the downstream member, By separating the portion where the cross-sectional area of the flow path changes from the impinging portion, the vortex formed by the impinging portion can be sufficiently developed.

In the present invention, preferably the upstream member is made of a hard member and the downstream member is made of a soft member.
According to the present invention configured as described above, by forming the upstream member from a hard member, it is possible to suppress deformation of the vortex passage due to the water pressure in the upstream portion where the water pressure is relatively high. . Further, by forming the downstream member with a soft material, even if the calcium component contained in the tap water accumulates and solidifies in the discharge passage at the downstream end, the portion of the discharge passage is elastically deformed and accumulated. Calcium components (scale) can be easily removed.

According to the water discharger of the present invention, it is possible to ensure a sufficiently wide landing area with a compact configuration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is the exploded perspective view which looked at the discharging apparatus by 1st Embodiment of this invention from upper direction. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is the exploded perspective view which looked at the discharging apparatus by 1st Embodiment of this invention from the downward direction. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a functional member is attached to a sprinkler plate in the water discharger according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the water discharger according to the first embodiment of the present invention, with a functional member attached to the sprinkler plate; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VV of FIG. 4, in which only the portion of one vibration generating element is extracted and drawn. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 5; 1 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a vibration generating element cut in a direction parallel to a vibration plane in the water discharger according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. It is a figure which shows the state of the water discharged from the vibration generation element with which the water discharging apparatus of this embodiment is equipped. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the state of water discharged from a vibration generating element according to a comparative example, in which no flow diffusing portion is provided; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the state of water discharged from a vibration generating element according to a comparative example in which the height of the stepped portion of the flow diffusing portion is set to 60% of the height of the vortex passage. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing a vibration generating element composed of two members in the water discharger according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing an integrally constructed vibration generating element; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification of the vibration generating element in the water discharging device according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification of the vibration generating element in the water discharging device according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification of the vibration generating element in the water discharging device according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a shower head, which is a water discharging device according to a second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a full cross-sectional view of a shower head, which is a water discharging device according to a second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 7 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a vibration generating element provided in a showerhead according to a second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the vibration generating element cut in a direction parallel to the vibration plane in the showerhead according to the second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the vibration generating element cut in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane in the showerhead according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

Next, a water discharging device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a water discharging device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, viewed from above. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the water discharging device according to the first embodiment of the present invention as seen from below.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the water discharger 1 of the present embodiment is a so-called hand shower, and includes a water discharger main body 10, a spray plate 12 attached to the water discharger main body 10, and a spray plate 12. and a functional member 14 attached to the back.

The water discharger main body 10 has a water discharge head portion 10a and a grip portion 10b, and is configured to allow supplied water to flow therein.
The water spray plate 12 is a substantially disc-shaped member and is attached to the water discharge head portion 10 a of the water discharge device main body 10 . As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of cylindrical water nozzles 16 are provided on the front surface of the water spray plate 12 so as to protrude.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the functional member 14 is attached to the center of the back side of the sprinkler plate 12, and together with a part of the sprinkler plate 12, constitutes five vibration generating elements. This vibration generating element is configured to discharge water while reciprocally vibrating supplied water within a predetermined vibration plane. Details of the vibration generating element will be described later.

The water discharger 1 of this embodiment is designed so that the supplied water flows into the water discharger main body 10 and passes through the water spray nozzles 16 of the water spray plate 12 attached to the water discharge head portion 10a and the vibration generating element to be sprayed as a shower. is configured to The water discharged from each watering nozzle 16 is discharged in a line, and the water discharged from each vibration generating element is discharged while reciprocally vibrating within a predetermined vibration plane.

Next, the vibration generating element will be described with new reference to FIGS. 3 to 7. FIG.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the functional member 14 is attached to the sprinkler plate 12, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view thereof. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 4, in which only one vibration generating element portion is extracted and drawn. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the vibration generating element cut in a direction parallel to the vibration plane.

The vibration generating element 22 is configured by connecting the upstream member 18 and the downstream member 20 (FIG. 5). That is, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, five upstream members 18 are annularly connected to form the functional member 14 described above. Moreover, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 , the downstream member 20 is formed integrally with the water spray plate 12 , and a part of the water spray plate 12 functions as the downstream member 20 .

That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the downstream member 20 includes a rear portion 20a (FIG. 1) formed to protrude to the back side of the water spray plate 12, and a rear portion 20a (FIG. 1) formed to protrude to the front side of the water spray plate 12. The front portion 20b (FIG. 2) is configured as a flattened front portion 20b. Thus, in this embodiment, by attaching the functional member 14 to the back side of the sprinkler plate 12, the five vibration generating elements 22 arranged in a ring are configured. Further, in the present embodiment, the functional member 14 (upstream member 18) is made of a hard member (for example, POM (polyacetal)), and the water spray plate 12 (downstream member 20) is made of a soft member (for example, TPE (thermoplastic elastomer)). In the present embodiment, the functional member 14 is connected to the water spray plate 12 by fitting them together. can also The hard member may be a member having sufficient strength not to be deformed by normal water supply pressure, such as ABS resin (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer). Also, the soft member may be any member that can be easily elastically deformed by the application of force by the user, such as silicone rubber.

As shown in FIG. 5, the vibration generating element 22 includes a water supply passage 24 into which supplied water flows, a vortex passage 26 provided downstream of the water supply passage 24, and water guided by the vortex passage. and a discharge passage 28 for discharging water. Furthermore, a collision part 30 is provided at the downstream end of the water supply passage 24 so as to block a part of the cross section of the water supply passage 24 . A flow diffusing portion 27 is provided in the middle of the swirl passage 26 . Each vibration generating element 22 is configured to discharge supplied water from the downstream end of the discharge passage 28 while reciprocally vibrating the supplied water within a vibration plane parallel to the paper surface of FIG.

As described above, each vibration generating element 22 is composed of two members, the upstream member 18 and the downstream member 20. The upstream member 18 includes the water supply passage 24 and the vortex passage 26. An upstream part is formed. Further, the downstream member 20 is formed with a portion on the downstream side of the swirl passage 26 and a discharge passage 28 . That is, the vortex passage 26 is formed in the upstream member 18 on the upstream side and in the downstream member 20 on the downstream side, and is configured by connecting the upstream member 18 and the downstream member 20 . Furthermore, a flow diffusion portion 27 provided in the middle of the swirl passage 26 is formed at the connecting portion between the upstream member 18 and the downstream member 20 .

The water supply passage 24 is a passage having a constant cross-sectional dimension and shape, which is configured so that the water that has flowed into the water discharging device main body 10 flows. Moreover, the water supply passage 24 is formed to have a flat rectangular cross section in which the width in the direction parallel to the vibration plane is greater than the height in the direction perpendicular to the vibration plane. Further, downstream of the water supply passage 24, a vortex passage 26 having the same cross-sectional shape is continuously provided.

The collision part 30 is provided at the downstream end of the water supply passage 24 so as to block a part of the cross section of the water supply passage 24 . That is, the collision part 30 is provided so as to connect two inner wall surfaces parallel to the vibration plane that form the water supply passage 24 and the swirl passage 26 (FIG. 6). In the present embodiment, the collision part 30 is formed in the shape of a right-angled isosceles triangle when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the plane of vibration (FIG. 5), and the water supply passage 24 is arranged so that the oblique side thereof faces the upstream side. is placed in the center of the When the water guided by the water supply passage 24 collides with the collision portion 30, a vortex train _V1 alternately rotating in opposite directions is generated on the downstream side in a plane parallel to the vibration plane.

The vortex train passage 26 is formed downstream of the water supply passage 24 and is configured to guide the vortex formed by the impingement portion 30 . Further, the vortex passage 26 is a passage formed so as to be continuous with the water supply passage 24 at its upstream portion with the same cross-sectional dimensions and shape. That is, the vortex passage 26 is a passage having a flat rectangular cross-section in which the width in the direction parallel to the vibration plane is wider than the height in the direction perpendicular to the vibration plane. The vortex formed by the collision part 30 is guided by the vortex row passage 26 and moves downstream while growing.

The discharge passage 28 is a flow path connected to the downstream side of the vortex passage 26 and configured to discharge the water guided by the vortex passage 26 . Further, the width in the direction parallel to the vibration plane at the upstream end of the discharge passage 28 is narrower than the width at the downstream end of the vortex passage 26, and the width is tapered toward the downstream side. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, the height of the upstream end of the discharge passage 28 in the direction perpendicular to the plane of vibration is the same as the height of the downstream end of the vortex passage 26, and tapers toward the downstream side. is getting higher. Therefore, the height of the discharge passage 28 is set to be equal to or higher than the minimum height of the swirl passage 26 . Alternately counter-rotating vortices generated downstream of the collision portion 30 grow in the vortex train passage 26 and are discharged from the discharge passage 28 . At this time, the direction of the water discharged from the discharge passage 28 vibrates reciprocally within the vibration plane by alternately reaching the vortices in opposite directions.
The height of the discharge passage 28 in the direction perpendicular to the vibration plane may not be tapered toward the downstream side, but may be a constant height.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a flow diffusing portion 27 is provided in the middle of the vortex line passage 26. The flow diffusing portion 27 raises the vortex line passage 26 toward the downstream side. It is composed of a step portion formed so as to narrow the flow path in the vertical direction. This step extends across the entire vortex row passage 26 in a direction perpendicular to the flow of water in the vortex row passage 26 and is one of the two inner wall surfaces oriented parallel to the vibration plane. placed on one side. In this manner, a “stepped portion” that narrows the flow path of the vortex passage 26 in the height direction is provided as the flow diffusion portion 27 in the middle of the vortex passage 26 . As a result, part of the water that has flowed through the vortex line passage 26 collides with the "step", causing the water flow in the vortex line passage 26 to generate a small vortex V ₂ ( 6) occurs. As a result, the flow of water in the vortex line passage 26 is moderately diffused in the height direction of the vortex line passage 26 . As a result, in addition to the vortex train _V1 in the vibration plane formed on the downstream side of the collision part 30, the flow diffusion part 27 generates a vortex _V2 in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane, thereby moderately disturbing the flow. occur.

Due to this turbulence in the direction perpendicular to the vibration plane, the water discharged from the discharge passage 28 is appropriately diffused also in the direction perpendicular to the vibration plane. In this embodiment, the height of the stepped portion forming the flow diffusing portion 27 is approximately 30% of the height of the vortex passage 26 . Preferably, the flow diffusing portion 27 is provided with a stepped portion having a height of about 5% or more and about 50% or less of the height of the vortex passage 26 so that the water discharged from the discharge passage 28 is perpendicular to the vibration plane. It diffuses moderately in all directions. That is, if the flow diffusing portion 27 is a stepped portion that is larger than about 50% of the height of the vortex row passage 26, the vortex formed on the downstream side of the collision portion 30 will be greatly destroyed, and the liquid will be discharged from the discharge passage 28. The water will not reciprocate in the vibrating plane, or the amplitude of the reciprocating oscillation will become small. Further, at the stepped portion of less than about 5% of the height of the vortex passage 26, the water discharged from the discharge passage 28 cannot be sufficiently diffused in the direction perpendicular to the plane of vibration.

Here, as shown in FIG. 6, the height of the swirl passage 26 formed in the downstream member 20 and the swirl passage 26 formed in the upstream member 18 are constant over the entire length. The height H ₂ of the spiral row passages 26 of the member 20 and the height H ₁ of the spiral row passages 26 of the upstream member 18 are the same. For this reason, at the connecting portion between the upstream member 18 and the downstream member 20, one inner wall surface of the vortex passage 26 has a stepped portion that narrows the flow path in the height direction toward the downstream side. A bent portion 27a is formed on the other inner wall surface of the spiral passage 26 so as to widen the flow path in the height direction toward the downstream side. The height H ₂ of the spiral passages 26 formed in the downstream member 20 may be lower than the height H ₁ of the spiral passages 26 formed in the upstream member 18 . In this case, a stepped portion narrowing the flow path may be formed as the flow diffusion portion 27 on one inner wall surface of the spiral passage 26, and a spiral passage without a step may be formed on the other inner wall surface.

Further, in this embodiment, as _shown in FIG. It is constructed to have the same width as the width _W1 at the end.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the length L from the upstream end of the collision portion 30 to the downstream end (flow diffusion portion 27) of the swirl passage 26 formed in the upstream member 18 is approximately 6.7 mm, The maximum width W _MAX of the impact portion 30 is configured to be approximately 2 mm. By setting the length L long in this way, the vortex formed by the collision part 30 grows sufficiently to reach the flow diffusion part 27 of the vortex train passage 26 . Therefore, even when the flow is diffused in the direction perpendicular to the vibration plane in the flow diffusion section 27, the collapse of the vortex in the vibration plane formed by the collision section 30 is suppressed. Preferably, the length L from the upstream end of the impingement portion 30 to the flow diffusion portion 27 formed in the vortex passage 26 is 2.0 times or more the maximum width W _MAX of the impingement portion 30 .

Next, with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10, the action of the vibration generating element provided in the water discharger according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the state of the water discharged from the vibration generating element provided in the water discharger of this embodiment. Column A is a photograph of the discharged water photographed from a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane. Column B is a photograph of discharged water photographed in a direction parallel to the plane of vibration. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the state of water discharged from a vibration generating element according to a comparative example in which the flow diffusing portion 27 is not provided. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the state of water discharged from a vibration generating element according to a comparative example in which the height of the stepped portion of the flow diffusing portion 27 is 60% of the height of the vortex passage. 9 and 10, column A shows photographs taken from a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane, and column B shows photographs taken from a direction parallel to the vibration plane.

As described above, the vibration generating element 22 provided in the water discharging device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. A flow diffuser 27 is provided. As shown in column A of FIG. 8, the water discharged from the vibration generating element 22 in this embodiment undergoes reciprocating vibration in a sinusoidal shape within the vibration plane. Therefore, the water ejected from the vibration generating element 22 has a wide landing area in the direction parallel to the vibration plane. Furthermore, as shown in column B of FIG. 8, the water discharged from the vibration generating element 22 is diffused in the direction perpendicular to the vibration plane, and the water landing area is relatively wide in the direction perpendicular to the vibration plane. have Therefore, the vibration generating element 22 of the present embodiment can ensure a relatively large landing area.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9, the water discharged from the vibration generating element according to the comparative example, which does not have the flow diffusing portion 27, is reciprocatingly vibrated sinusoidally in the vibration plane (A in FIG. 9). column), the jetted water hardly spreads in the direction perpendicular to the vibration plane (B column in FIG. 9). As described above, in the vibration generating element according to the comparative example in which the flow diffusing portion 27 is not provided as shown in FIG. becomes narrower. That is, in the vibration generating element without the flow diffusing portion 27, the water landing range spreads linearly, so it is difficult to widen the water landing area.

On the other hand, as shown in column B of FIG. 10, in the vibration generating element according to the comparative example in which the height of the step portion of the flow diffusing portion 27 is 60% of the height of the vortex line passage, the direction perpendicular to the vibration plane is However, as shown in column A, almost no reciprocating vibration occurs in the vibration plane. As described above, when the height of the stepped portion constituting the flow diffusion portion 27 exceeds 50% of the height of the vortex passage 26, the vortex formed downstream of the collision portion 30 is broken by the flow diffusion portion 27. As a result, almost no reciprocating vibration occurs in the vibration plane of the jetted water, and the water landing area cannot be widened.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12, manufacturing advantages of composing the vibration generating element 22 from two members will be described. FIG. 11 is a diagram schematically showing the vibration generating element according to the present embodiment, which is composed of two members, and FIG. 12 is a diagram schematically showing the integrally constructed vibration generating element.

As shown in FIG. 11, the vibration generating element 22 of this embodiment is composed of an upstream member 18 and a downstream member 20, and the spiral passage 26 is composed of two members. Therefore, when molding the upstream member 18 by injection molding, the molds M1 and M2 are separated at the collision portion 30, and the molds M1 and M2 are extracted from the upstream side and the downstream side, respectively. be able to. Similarly, when molding the downstream member 20, the molds M3 and M4 are divided at the boundary between the swirl passage 26 and the discharge passage 28, so that the molds M3 and M4 are separated from the upstream and downstream sides. can be removed individually. Therefore, the upstream member 18 and the downstream member 20 can be easily molded by injection molding or the like.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 12, in the integrally molded vibration generating element 32, when performing injection molding, the mold M5 can be pulled out from the upstream side, but the mold M6 is surrounded by a broken line in the figure. part is engaged. For this reason, the mold M6 cannot be easily pulled out from the downstream side, and in order to make this possible, it is necessary to take measures such as selecting a material that can be elastically deformed as the material used for injection molding. . For this reason, when the vibration generating element is integrally molded, there are certain restrictions on the selection of materials, etc., and the divided structure of the vibration generating element 22 as in the present embodiment has a great advantage.

Next, a modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 to 15. FIG.
In the first embodiment described above, as shown in FIG. 6, the discharge passage 28 is configured so that the height of the passage increases toward the downstream side. On the other hand, as a modification, as shown in FIG. 13, the height of the entire discharge passage 34 can be configured to be the same as the height of the swirl passage 26 formed in the downstream member 20 . Further, in the modification shown in FIG. 13, the height H ₄ at the upstream end of the swirl passage 26 provided in the downstream member 20 is equal to the height at the downstream end of the swirl passage 26 provided in the upstream member 18. height _H3 . Therefore, even if an error occurs in the assembly of the upstream member 18 and the downstream member 20, a stepped portion that narrows the flow path of the vortex passage in the height direction can be reliably formed toward the downstream side.

Further, in the first embodiment described above, as shown in FIG. It was provided at the connection part of On the other hand, in the modification shown in FIG. 14, the flow diffusing portion 27 is provided in the middle of the swirl passage 26 provided in the downstream member 20 instead of being provided at the connecting portion of the swirl passage 26. there is According to this modification, the flow diffusing section 27 can be arranged on the downstream side regardless of the connection position between the upstream member 18 and the downstream member 20 . Therefore, the distance from the collision portion 30 to the stepped portion can be increased, and the vortex can be sufficiently developed before reaching the stepped portion, which is the flow diffusion portion 27 .

Alternatively, as in the modification shown in FIG. can be formed higher than the height of the downstream end of the swirl passage 26 formed in the upstream member 18 . According to this modified example, even if the connections of the spiral passages 26 provided in the upstream member 18 and the downstream member 20 are misaligned due to dimensional errors or the like, the spiral passages 26 are not connected at the connecting portion. There is no step that narrows the flow path in the height direction. Therefore, the stepped portion formed in the vortex passage 26 of the downstream member 20 can reliably act as the flow diffusing portion 27 .

According to the water discharging device 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention, alternately counter-rotating vortices generated on the downstream side of the collision portion 30 are guided by the vortex passage 26 and discharged from the discharge passage 28. The water to be injected can be vibrated back and forth within a predetermined vibration plane. In addition, a step portion that narrows the flow path in the height direction of the vortex passage 26 is provided as a flow diffusing portion 27 in the middle of the vortex passage 26, so that the water discharged from the discharge passage 28 is vibrated in a vibration plane. is also diffused in the direction perpendicular to As a result, it is possible to ensure a sufficiently wide landing area with a compact configuration.

Further, according to the water discharging device 1 of the present embodiment, the height of the discharge passage 28 is configured to be equal to or higher than the minimum height of the vortex passage 26 (FIG. 6). The water diffused in the height direction of the vortex passage 26 and discharged from the discharge passage 28 can be easily diffused in the direction perpendicular to the vibration plane.

Furthermore, according to the water discharging device 1 of the present embodiment, since the vortex passage 26 is configured by connecting the upstream member 18 and the downstream member 20, the water supply passage 24, the collision portion 30, and the vortex passage 26 , and the discharge passage 28 can be easily molded.

Further, according to the water discharging device 1 of the present embodiment, since the stepped portion, which is the flow diffusion portion 27, is formed at the connection portion between the upstream member 18 and the downstream member 20, flow diffusion occurs in the middle of the vortex passage. As a portion, a stepped portion can be easily formed.

Furthermore, according to the water discharging device 1 of the present embodiment, the vortex passages 26 provided in the downstream member 20 are configured to have a constant height. can suppress the collapse of the vortex street.

Further, according to the water discharging device 1 of the present embodiment, the stepped portion, which is the flow diffusing portion 27, is provided on one of the inner wall surfaces oriented in the direction parallel to the vibration plane. A sufficient height of the vortex passage 26 can be secured, and the flow can be diffused in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane while reciprocating the flow within a predetermined vibration plane.

Furthermore, according to the water discharging device 1 of the present embodiment, the vortex passage 26 is configured to have a constant height on the downstream side of the step, and the inner wall surface of the vortex passage 26 facing the step is 26 is bent so as to widen the flow path in the height direction toward the downstream side, so that the direction of water flow passing through the vortex passage 26 can be changed to the inner wall surface side facing the stepped portion, It can be diffused in the direction perpendicular to the plane of vibration.

Further, according to the water discharging device 1 of the present embodiment, by forming the upstream member 18 with a hard member, deformation of the vortex passage 26 due to water pressure is suppressed in the upstream portion where the water pressure is relatively high. be able to. In addition, by forming the downstream member 20 with a soft material, even if the calcium component contained in the tap water accumulates and solidifies in the discharge passage 28 at the downstream end, the portion of the discharge passage 28 is elastically deformed. , the deposited calcium component (scale) can be easily removed.

Next, a shower head, which is a water discharging device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 to 20. FIG.
The water discharging device of this embodiment differs from the above-described first embodiment in that the main body of the water discharging device is configured in a cylindrical shape and that the built-in vibration generating element has a bypass passage. Therefore, only the points of this embodiment that are different from the first embodiment will be described below, and descriptions of the same configurations, actions, and effects will be omitted.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the showerhead according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 17 is a full sectional view of the showerhead according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 18 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a vibration generating element provided in the showerhead according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the vibration generating element cut in a direction parallel to the vibration plane, and FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of the vibration generating element cut in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane.

As shown in FIG. 16, the shower head 100 of this embodiment includes a shower head main body 102, which is a generally cylindrical water discharge device main body, and nine water dischargers embedded in the shower head main body 102 in a straight line in the axial direction. and a vibration generating element 104 . In the shower head 100 of this embodiment, when water is supplied from a shower hose (not shown) connected to the base end portion 102a of the shower head main body 102, water reciprocates from the water outlet 104a of each vibration generating element 104. It is discharged while vibrating.

Next, referring to FIG. 17, the internal structure of shower head 100 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 17, the showerhead main body 102 incorporates a water passage forming member 106 that forms a water passage and holds each vibration generating element 104 .
The water passage forming member 106 is a generally cylindrical member and is configured to form a flow path for water supplied inside the shower head body 102 . A shower hose (not shown) is watertightly connected to the base end of the water conduit forming member 106 . In addition, a main water passage 106a is formed inside the water passage forming member 106 to extend substantially in the axial direction.

Furthermore, nine element insertion holes 106c for inserting and holding the respective vibration generating elements 104 are formed in the water passage forming member 106 so as to communicate with the main water passage 106a. Each element insertion hole 106c is formed to extend from the outer peripheral surface of the water passage forming member 106 to the main water passage 106a. Further, the element insertion holes 106c are arranged in a straight line in the axial direction at approximately equal intervals. As a result, the water that has flowed into the main water passage 106a of the water passage forming member 106 flows into each of the vibration generating elements 104 held by the water passage forming member 106 from the rear side thereof, and flows into the water discharge port provided on the front side. It is discharged from 104a.

Next, the configuration of the vibration generating element 104 incorporated in the showerhead of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 18 to 20. FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 18 to 20, the vibration generating element 104 is generally a thin rectangular parallelepiped member, and has a rectangular water discharge port 104a at the front end face and a main inlet 104b at the center of the rear end face. are formed, and bypass inlets 104c are provided on both sides thereof. When each vibration generating element 104 is inserted into the element insertion hole 106c, the main water inlet 104b and the bypass inlet 104c communicate with the main water passage 106a of the water passage forming member 106. As shown in FIG.

The vibration generating element 104 is composed of two members, an upstream member 118 and a downstream member 120, and the upstream member 118 is inserted into the downstream member 120 from the rear side. With this configuration, the second water supply passages 140 are formed between both side surfaces of the upstream member 118 and the inner wall surface of the downstream member 120, respectively.

Further, as shown in FIG. 19, inside the vibration generating element 104, a water supply passage 124, a swirl passage 126, and a discharge passage 128 are formed in this order from the upstream side. A collision part 130 is provided at the downstream end of the water supply passage 124 . Here, the water supply passage 124 and the upstream side of the swirl passage 126 are formed inside the upstream member 118 , and the downstream side of the swirl passage 126 and the discharge passage 128 are formed inside the downstream member 120 . .

The water supply passage 124 is a linear passage having a rectangular cross section with a constant cross section and extending from the main inlet 104b on the back side of the vibration generating element 104 .

The vortex passage 126 is a passage with a rectangular cross section provided downstream of the water supply passage 124 and continuously with the water supply passage 124 . That is, in this embodiment, the upstream sides of the water supply passage 124 and the swirl passage 126 provided inside the upstream member 118 extend in a straight line with the same cross-sectional shape. Further, the downstream side of the vortex passage 126 is provided inside the downstream member 120 .

Here, as shown in FIG. 20, the height H 6 at the upstream end of the spiral passage 126 formed in the downstream member 120 and the height H ₆ at the downstream end of the spiral passage 126 formed in the upstream member 118 _H5 are configured at the same height. The vortex passages 126 of the downstream member 120 and the upstream member 118 are connected to each other while being displaced in the height direction, and a flow diffusing portion 127 is formed at the connecting portion. That is, a flow diffusion portion 127 that narrows the flow path of the spiral passage 126 in the height direction toward the downstream side is provided at the connection portion of the spiral passage 126 of the downstream member 120 and the spiral passage 126 of the upstream member 118. , a step is formed. A portion of the water flowing in the vortex row passage 126 impinges on this "step", thereby spreading the water flow in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane. Further, as shown in FIG. 19, the width _W6 of the spiral passage 126 at the upstream end of the downstream member 120 is configured to be the same as the width _W5 of the spiral passage 126 at the downstream end of the upstream member 118. .

The discharge passage 128 is a passage provided on the downstream side so as to communicate with the swirl passage 126, and is configured so that its width increases toward the downstream. Also, the height of the discharge passage 128 is configured to be constant. The flow channel cross-sectional area at the upstream end of the discharge passage 128 is smaller than the flow channel cross-sectional area of the vortex line passage 126, and the water flow including the vortex line guided by the vortex line passage 126 is throttled and discharged from the water outlet 104a. be done.

Further, bypass passages 142 having a rectangular cross section are provided on both side surfaces of the vortex passage 126 so as to face each other. The water flowing in from each of the second water supply passages 140 passes through each bypass passage 142 and flows into the vortex passage 126 from the side surface of the vortex passage 126 on the downstream side of the collision portion 130 . Each bypass passage 142 is provided at a connecting portion between the upstream member 118 and the downstream member 120 . Therefore, a portion of the inner wall surface forming the bypass passage 142 is provided on the downstream member 120 and the remaining portion is provided on the upstream member 118 .

In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, only the downstream side inner wall surface 120a constituting the bypass passage 142 is provided in the downstream member 120, and the remaining inner wall surface 118a and the inner wall surface 118b and 118c are provided on the upstream member 118 . Thus, in this embodiment, the bypass passage 142 is provided at the connecting portion between the upstream member 118 and the downstream member 120 . As a result, there is no need to remove a mold (not shown) for molding the bypass passage 142 toward the direction (side) of the bypass passage 142, and the vibration generating element 104 having the bypass passage 142 can be manufactured. It can be easily molded.

In addition, as a modification, the present invention is configured such that only the inner wall surface 118a positioned most upstream is formed in the upstream member 118, and the other inner wall surfaces 118b, 118c, and 120a are formed in the downstream member 120. can also Alternatively, the invention can be configured such that inner wall surface 118a is formed on upstream member 118, inner wall surface 120a is formed on downstream member 120, and inner wall surfaces 118b, 118c are formed by upstream member 118 and downstream member 120. Can be configured.

On the other hand, the collision part 130 formed at the downstream end of the water supply passage 124 is provided so as to partially block the cross section of the water supply passage 124 . The collision part 130 is a triangular prism-shaped part extending so as to connect the wall surfaces (ceiling surface and floor surface) of the water supply passage 124 facing each other in the height direction. are placed. The cross section of the collision part 130 is formed in the shape of an isosceles right triangle, the oblique side of which is arranged to be perpendicular to the central axis of the water supply passage 124, and the right angle portion of the isosceles right triangle faces the downstream side. are arranged as

By providing the collision part 130, a Karman vortex is generated on the downstream side thereof, and the water discharged from the water discharge port 104a is reciprocatingly vibrated. In addition, as described above, the bypass passages 142 are provided on both side surfaces of the swirl passage 126 so as to face each other, and water flows through the bypass passages 142 from the second water supply passage 140 . Therefore, the bypass passage 142 allows water to flow in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the swirl passage 126 extends.

The hot water from each bypass passage 142 joins the flow including the Karman vortices formed by the collision portion 130 from the side. That is, water flowing through the bypass passage 142 bypasses the impingement portion 130 and flows into the swirl passage 126 .

In this way, since the water from each bypass passage 142 joins the flow containing the Karman vortices formed by the collision part 130 in the vortex train passage 126, the change in the flow velocity at the water discharge port 104a accompanying the progress of the vortex train is become smaller. As a result, the deflection of the water discharged from the discharge passage 128 is reduced, and the vibration amplitude of the jetted water in the vibration plane is reduced. That is, the vibration amplitude of water can be freely designed by appropriately setting the ratio of the flow rate of water flowing into the vortex passage 126 through the collision portion 130 and the flow rate of water flowing in from the bypass passage 142. can. Further, the water flowing in the vortex passage 126 is appropriately diffused in the height direction of the vortex passage 126 by the flow diffusing portion 127 provided in the middle. As a result, the water discharged from the discharge passage 128 is also diffused in the direction perpendicular to the vibration plane.

According to the water discharging apparatus of the second embodiment of the present invention, since the vibration generating element 104 has the bypass passage 142 (FIG. 18), the amplitude of the reciprocating vibration of the water discharged from the vibration generating element 104 can be It can also be adjusted by the flow rate of water flowing in from passage 142 . Further, since a part of the inner wall surface of the bypass passage 142 is formed by the downstream member 120, the vibration generating element 104 having the bypass passage 142 can be easily formed.

Further, according to the water discharger of the present embodiment, the bypass passage 142 has only the inner wall surface 120a (FIG. 20) located on the most downstream side formed by the downstream member 120, so that the bypass passage 142 is connected. The part where the cross-sectional area of the vortex passage 126 changes by connecting the upstream member 118 and the downstream member 120 is separated from the collision part 130, and the collision part The vortex formed by 130 can be fully developed.

Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, various modifications can be made to the above-described embodiments. In particular, in the above-described embodiments, the present invention was applied to a shower head, but any water discharge device such as a faucet device used in a kitchen sink or washbasin, a hot water washing device provided on a toilet seat, etc. The present invention can be applied to In addition, in the above-described embodiments, the showerhead is provided with a plurality of vibration generating elements, but the water discharging device can be provided with any number of vibration generating elements depending on the application, and a single vibration generating element can be provided. It is also possible to construct a water discharging device provided with the element.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, both members are fitted by fitting the upstream member into the downstream member. It is also possible to configure

In the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the shape of the passage in the vibration generating element was described using terms such as "width" and "height" for the sake of convenience. The direction of installation is not specified, and the vibration generating element can be used in any direction. For example, the vibration generating element can be used with the direction of "height" in the above-described embodiment directed horizontally.

Reference Signs List 1 water discharge device 10 water discharge device main body 10a water discharge head portion 10b grip portion 12 sprinkler plate 14 functional member 16 sprinkler nozzle 18 upstream member 20 downstream member 20a rear portion 20b front portion 22 vibration generating element 24 water supply passage 26 vortex passage 27 flow Diffusion part (stepped part)
27a bent portion 28 discharge passage 30 collision portion 32 vibration generating element according to the comparative example 34 discharge passage 100 shower head 102 shower head main body 102a base end portion 104 vibration generating element 104a water discharge port 104b main inlet 104c bypass inlet 106 water passage forming member 106a Main water passage 106c Element insertion hole 118 Upstream member 118a Inner wall surface 118b Inner wall surface 118c Inner wall surface 120 Downstream member 120a Inner wall surface 124 Water supply passage 126 Vortex row passage 127 Flow diffusing portion 128 Discharge passage 130 Collision portion 140 Second water supply passage 142 bypass passage

Claims (12)

A water discharge device that discharges water while reciprocally vibrating the water,
a water discharger main body;
a vibration generating element provided in the main body of the water discharging device for discharging water while reciprocally vibrating the water within a predetermined vibration plane;
The vibration generating element is
a water supply passage into which supplied water flows;
Disposed at the downstream end of the water supply passage so as to block a part of the cross section of the water supply passage, the water guided by the water supply passage collides with each other to alternately rotate downstream. a collision part that generates a vortex of
A vortex row passage is provided downstream of the water supply passage so as to guide the vortex formed by the collision portion, and has a width in a direction parallel to the vibration plane greater than a height in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane. and,
a flow diffusing section provided in the middle of the vortex passage;
a discharge passage for discharging the water guided by the vortex passage,
The flow diffusing portion is composed of a step portion formed to narrow the flow path in the height direction of the vortex line passage toward the downstream side, and the height of the step portion is the height of the vortex line passage. 50% or less of the water discharging device. 2. The water discharging device according to claim 1, wherein the height of the discharge passage is equal to or higher than the minimum height of the vortex passage. 3. Water discharge according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the spiral passageway is formed by connecting an upstream member having an upstream side of the spiral passageway and a downstream member having a downstream side of the spiral passageway. Device. 4. The water discharging device according to claim 3, wherein the stepped portion is formed at a connecting portion between the upstream member and the downstream member. 5. The water discharging device according to claim 4, wherein the height of the upstream end of the vortex passage provided in the downstream member is lower than the height of the downstream end of the vortex passage provided in the upstream member. 6. The water discharging device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the vortex passage provided in the downstream member has a constant height. 4. The water discharging device according to claim 3, wherein the step portion is formed in the middle of the vortex passage formed in the downstream member. The water discharging device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the stepped portion is provided on one of the inner wall surfaces of the vortex passageway, the inner wall surface being oriented in a direction parallel to the vibration plane. . The spiral passage has a constant height in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane on the downstream side of the stepped portion, and an inner wall surface of the spiral passage facing the stepped portion 9. The water discharging device according to claim 8, wherein the channel is bent so as to widen the flow path in the height direction toward the downstream side. The vibration generating element includes a bypass passage for allowing water to flow into the vortex passage from the downstream side of the collision portion, and a part of the inner wall surface of the bypass passage is formed by the downstream member. Item 10. The water discharging device according to any one of Items 3 to 9. 11. The water discharging device according to claim 10, wherein only the inner wall surface of the bypass passage located on the most downstream side is formed by the downstream member. The water discharging device according to any one of claims 3 to 11, wherein the upstream member is made of a hard member, and the downstream member is made of a soft member.

Images