JP2686896B2 - Assembly method of hot and cold water mixing device using functional module - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[Object of the invention]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a faucet device such as a hot and cold water mixing device, and more particularly to a method of assembling a hot and cold water mixing device using a modular functional unit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A hot and cold water mixing apparatus mixes water from a tap and the like from a water heater to form a hot and cold water mixture having a desired temperature, and supplies the hot and cold water mixture obtained to a shower or a faucet at an arbitrary flow rate. It is supposed to do. For this reason, the hot and cold water mixing device is equipped with an automatic temperature control function section and a fluid control function section for performing opening / closing, flow rate control, and switching.

The usage conditions of the hot and cold water mixing apparatus and the user's demands for the mixing apparatus are variously different. Therefore, various types of hot and cold water mixing devices having different designs such as size, appearance, material, function, price, etc. are manufactured. Conventionally, hot water mixing devices having different designs are currently designed and manufactured for each model. Therefore, the parts of the device are generally different for each model.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 56-24147 discloses that the temperature control function part of the hot and cold water mixing device is manufactured in the form of a cartridge (module) and this cartridge is mounted on the main body of the mixing device. It is also possible to modularize the fluid control function unit. If the various functional parts of the hot and cold water mixing device can be modularized in this way, the modules of the same standard can be commonly used for hot and cold water mixing devices of different designs, so various hot and cold water of various varieties can be provided according to the user's request. It would be possible to mass-produce the components while reducing the cost, while providing a mixing device. Also, the modules could easily be replaced if the parts deteriorate or wear during use.

[0005]

When providing a hot and cold water mixing apparatus of various designs using such a functional module, it is desirable that the functional module can be incorporated into a mixing apparatus of any size. An object of the present invention is to promote commonality of functional modules by assembling a hot and cold water mixing apparatus using functional modules by adapting functional modules of the same standard to apparatus bodies having different radial dimensions. is there.

[0006]

Configuration of the Invention

According to the present invention, in assembling a hot and cold water mixing apparatus using a functional module, a functional module having a radial dimension adapted to a body having a predetermined radial dimension is prepared. When the functional module is mounted on the main body having a radial dimension larger than a predetermined dimension, a radial adapter is arranged between the main body and the module.

[0007]

The functional module can be designed to have the greatest common divisor dimension common to a given plurality of different models, the radial dimension of which can be adapted to the predetermined minimum dimension of the body. When providing a larger radial dimension device, a functional module can be adapted to a larger diameter body by placing a radial adapter between the body and the module.

[0008]

The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, FIG. 1 shows an example of a hot and cold water mixing apparatus having a minimum radial dimension suitable for incorporating a functional module, the dimensions of the functional module being adapted to this hot and cold water mixing apparatus. The hot and cold water mixing device 10 has a main body 12, to which hot water is supplied from a hot water side metal fitting 14 and a water side metal fitting 16, respectively. An automatic temperature control module and a control valve module, which will be described later, are stored in the main body 12 as functional modules.
By operating 8, the temperature of the hot and cold mixture can be increased or decreased,
By operating the switching handle 20, the spout 22
Alternatively, switching of supply of the hot and cold water mixture to the shower hose 24 and flow rate control are performed.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the main body 12 is formed by fitting an outer case 26 and an inner tube 28 in a liquid-tight manner, and a temperature control module 30 is mounted inside the inner tube 28. There is. A hot water inlet passage, a water inlet passage, and a hot water mixture outlet passage are defined between the outer case 26 and the inner tube 28 by a seal member. More specifically, on the outer circumference of the inner tube 28,
The left and right O-ring grooves 32 and 34 extending in a substantially circumferential direction are formed by a pair of annular projections protruding outward in the radial direction.
And two intermediate O-ring grooves 36 and 38 in the shape of a closed loop extending substantially in the axial direction are formed. The left and right O-ring grooves 32 and 34 have O-rings 40 and 42, respectively.
4 (as shown in FIG. 4) and O-rings (not shown in FIG. 3) and O-rings 44 (as shown in FIG. 4) are placed in the intermediate O-ring grooves 36 and 38, respectively.

A hot water inlet passage 46 is formed by the inner peripheral surface of the outer case 26, the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube 28, and an O-ring (not shown in FIG. 3) mounted in the groove 36. The hot water inlet passage 46 communicates with the hot water side leg fitting 14, and supplies hot water to the hot water inlet port 50 of the temperature control module 30 through an opening 48 formed in the inner tube 28. A water inlet passage 52 is formed between the inner peripheral surface of the outer case 26 and the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube 28 between the left and right O-rings 40 and 42. The water inlet passage 52 communicates with the water side leg fitting 16 and supplies water to the water inlet port 56 of the temperature control module 30 through the opening 54 formed in the inner tube 28. Further, a hot and cold water mixture outlet passage 58 is formed by the inner peripheral surface of the outer case 26, the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube 28 and the O-ring 44.
It communicates with a control valve module (discussed below with reference to FIG. 4) through an opening 60 formed in the inner tube 28 and is adapted to supply the hot and cold mixture to the spout 22.

The temperature control module 30 includes a casing 62.
And a valve seat insert 64 snap-fitted to this casing, and the casing 62 has a hot water inlet port 50.
A water side valve seat 66 communicating with the water inlet port 56 is formed in the valve seat insert 64, and a water side valve seat 68 communicating with the water inlet port 56 is formed in the valve seat insert 64. The casing 62 has a movable mixing valve body 70.
Are slidably fitted and cooperate with valve seats 66 and 68 to control the open area of the hot and cold water inlet ports 50 and 56 to control the temperature of the hot and cold water mixture. A central opening 72 is formed in the mixing valve body 70,
The hot water that has flowed into the hot and cold water mixing chamber 76 from the hot water inlet port 50 through the valve chamber 74 and the central opening 72, and the hot water inlet port 5
The water flowing into the mixing chamber 76 from 6 is mixed in this mixing chamber to form a hot-water mixture.

In the illustrated embodiment, the movable mixing valve body 70.
Is a temperature sensitive coil spring 78 arranged in the hot and cold water mixing chamber 76.
And a bias coil spring 80 disposed in the valve chamber 74.
It is designed to be positioned by balancing with.
The temperature-sensitive coil spring 78 is formed of a shape memory alloy whose spring constant changes according to temperature, and its urging force increases or decreases according to the temperature inside the hot and cold water mixing chamber 76. Due to some reason, the temperature of the mixture in the hot and cold water mixing chamber 76 is controlled by the temperature control handle 1.
When the temperature rises above the target temperature set by 8, the biasing force generated by the temperature-sensitive coil spring 78 increases and displaces the movable mixing valve body 70 to the left side in FIG. 2, so that the inflow of hot water accordingly. The amount is reduced, lowering the mixture temperature.
On the contrary, when the temperature of the mixture in the hot and cold water mixing chamber 76 becomes lower than the target temperature, the biasing force generated by the temperature sensitive coil spring 78 decreases and the movable mixing valve body 70 is displaced to the right side in FIG. , The flow rate of hot water increases and the mixture temperature rises.

The target temperature of the hot and cold mixture is set by rotating the temperature control handle 18 to increase or decrease the preload of the temperature sensitive coil spring 78 and the bias coil spring 80. For this reason, the bias coil spring 80 is supported by the movable spring bearing 82.
Is fitted to the casing 62 axially slidably but non-rotatably by an axial spline 84 formed on its outer circumference and the inner circumference of the module casing 62. The axial position of the movable spring receiver 82 is adjusted by rotating the spindle 86 via the temperature adjustment handle 18. Therefore, an inner screw 88 is formed on the inner circumference of the spring receiver 82, and an outer screw 9 is formed on the outer circumference of the spindle 86.
0 is formed, and the spindle 86 has a movable spring receiver 82.
It is screwed to. The spindle 86 is attached to the casing 62 by a circlip 92 so as to be rotatable and non-displaceable in the axial direction. The temperature control handle 18 is detachably fixed to the spindle 84 by means of serrations 94 and screws 96, so that they both rotate integrally.

In the illustrated embodiment, the inner screw 88 and the outer screw 9
0 is a left-hand thread, and when the spindle 86 is rotated in the direction of arrow 98 in FIG. 1 via the temperature control handle 18, the movable spring receiver 82 moves to the right in FIG. As a result, the temperature-sensitive coil spring 78 and the bias coil spring 80 are compressed while increasing the preload, and the position of the movable mixing valve body 70 determined by the balance between these springs is displaced to the right in FIG. The target temperature of the mixture rises. The target temperature can be lowered by rotating the spindle 86 in the opposite direction.

The hot and cold water mixture thus formed by the temperature control module 30 is sent to the control valve module 100. In the illustrated embodiment, this control valve module 1
00 has an opening / closing function, a flow rate control function, and a switching function,
The hot water mixture is supplied to the spout 22 or the shower hose 24 while controlling the flow rate. Referring to FIGS. 4 to 7, the control valve module 100 includes a spindle 102 that interlocks with the switching handle 20, and a casing 104 that rotatably supports the spindle 102. The casing 104 is an inner tube of the main body 12. Two
8 is attached. In the illustrated embodiment, the control valve module 100 includes a fixed disk 1 made of ceramic, which is precisely machined for shutoff and flow control of the hot and cold water mixture.
06 and the rotary disk 108, and switching of the mixture supply destination is performed by a semi-cylindrical rotary closing member 110 formed on the plastic spindle 102.

That is, as can be seen from FIG. 4, a shim 112, a rotating disk 108, a fixed disk 106, an elastic ring 114, and a fixed disk retainer 116 are mounted on the casing 104 in this order.
16 is snap-fitted to the casing 104. FIG.
And as best seen in FIG. 7, these members 11
Two ports 118, which are diametrically opposed to each other, are formed through 6, 106 and 108. Rotating disk 108
Is an axial extension 120 formed on the spindle 102.
The rotating disc 108 is rotated by
And when in the position shown in FIG. 7, it allows the hot and cold mixture formed by the temperature regulation module 30 to flow through the port 118 and into the interior space 122 of the control valve module 100. Rotating the rotating disk 108 90 ° from this position by turning the switching handle 20 shuts off the mixture flow. Since the fixed disk 106 and the rotary disk 108 are formed of precision-processed ceramic, they have excellent deadline performance.

Further, O-rings 124, 126 and 128 mounted on the outer circumference of the casing 104 form annular passages 130 and 132 axially separated between the casing 104 and the inner tube 28. . On the one hand, the annular passage 130 faces the internal space 122 via a port 134 formed in the casing 104, and on the other hand, it communicates with the hot and cold water mixture outlet passage 58 via an opening 60. In addition, the annular passage 132
On the one hand faces the interior space 122 via a port 136 formed in the casing 104,
On the other hand, it communicates with the shower hose 24 through the hot and cold water mixture outlet of the inner tube 28. Therefore,
When the rotary closing member 110 is in the angular position shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the hot and cold water mixture having passed through the rotary disk 108 is supplied to the shower hose 24. Switching handle 20
The spindle 102 is rotated 180 ° from this position by
Upon rotation, port 136 is closed and port 134 is opened, and the hot and cold mixture is supplied to spout 22.

Next, referring to FIG. 8, a case of assembling a hot and cold water mixing apparatus having a larger diameter using the modules having the same dimensions as the temperature control module 30 and the control valve module 100 will be described. This large diameter hot and cold water mixing device 1
The main body 12A of 0A has an outer structure similar to that described above.
It can be composed of the case 26A and the inner tube 28A, but a larger diameter is used. The operating handles 18 and 20 are also designed to have a large diameter. This body 12
Located between A and the respective modules 30 and 100 are radial adapters 140 and 142 having inner diameters adapted to the outer diameters of the modules. The adapter 140 on the temperature control module 30 side has a port 14 that connects the hot and cold water inlet of the main body 12A to the hot and cold water passage of the temperature control module 30.
4 and 146 are formed, the spout side outlet port 148 and the shower side outlet port 150 are formed in the adapter 142 on the control valve module 100 side.

FIG. 9 shows a case where a hot and cold water mixing apparatus 10B having a larger diameter is provided. In this case, inside the main body 152, the same main body 12B as described above with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4 is positioned via the spacer 154, and the main body 152 and the main body 12B are connected by the radial adapter 156. To be done. In the illustrated embodiment, the adapter 156
Is a water inlet fitting 158 fixed to the body 152 and the body 1
Pipe 1 for connecting the inlet fitting 160 fixed to 2B
Although it is composed of 62, an expandable and contractible bellows tube may be used in place of the pipe 162. The connection with the hot water inlet fitting, the connection with the spout 22, and the connection with the shower hose 24 can be performed in the same manner.

Although a specific embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and various design changes may be made. For example, although the temperature adjustment module 30 has been described as having the temperature sensitive element 78 made of a shape memory alloy, a conventional wax temperature sensitive element may be used.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since the functional modules 30 and 100 having the same standard can be adapted to the bodies having different radial sizes, the functional modules can be made common when manufacturing hot and cold water mixing devices of various sizes. Therefore, mass production of functional modules and inventory control are facilitated, and a cheaper hot and cold water mixing apparatus can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an example of a hot and cold water mixing device with minimal radial dimensions suitable for incorporating functional modules.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG.

3A and 3B show the outer appearance of the inner tube. FIG. 3A is a front view, FIG. 3B is a view seen from the arrow B of FIG. 3A, and FIG. It is a C arrow line view of FIG.3 (b).

4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG.

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VV of FIG.

6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI of FIG.

7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VII-VII of FIG.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a functional module incorporated in a hot and cold water mixing apparatus having a larger diameter.

9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IX-IX in FIG. 8, showing a functional module incorporated in a hot and cold water mixing device having a larger diameter.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10: Hot water mixing device with minimum radial dimension 10A, 10B: Large diameter hot water mixing device 12, 12A, 152: Main body of hot water mixing device 30: Temperature control module 100: Control valve module 140, 142, 156: Radial adapter

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. When assembling a hot and cold water mixing apparatus by forming the functional part of the hot and cold water mixing apparatus in the form of a module and mounting the functional module on the apparatus main body, a radial direction suitable for the main body having a predetermined radial dimension. When preparing a functional module having dimensions and mounting the functional module on a main body having a radial dimension larger than the predetermined dimension, a radial adapter is arranged between the main body and the module. Assembly method. 2. The body is formed by an outer case and an inner tube, and the outer case and the inner tube are formed.
The method according to claim 1, wherein a primary passage of hot and cold water is formed by fitting the tube and the tube in a liquid-tight manner via a seal member. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the hot water mixture passage is formed by the outer case and the inner tube. 4. When assembling a faucet device by forming the functional part of the faucet device in the form of a module and mounting the functional module on the device body, a radial direction suitable for a body having a predetermined radial dimension. A faucet device characterized in that when a functional module having dimensions is prepared and the functional module is mounted on a main body having a radial dimension larger than the predetermined dimension, a radial adapter is arranged between the main body and the module. Assembly method.