JP3599169B2 - Valve device for switching water channel of faucet - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a valve device for switching a water channel of a faucet device suitable for switching a water channel of a shower head.
[0002]
[Prior art]
FIG. 5 shows an example of a conventional shower head.
In the figure, reference numeral 200 denotes a main body of a shower head, in which a main water passage 202 is formed.
Reference numeral 204 denotes a water sprinkling member, which is attached and fixed to an end of the main body 200 by screw connection.
[0003]
A rectification water discharge hole (straight water discharge hole) 206 for discharging rectification water is formed in the center of the water spray member 204, and a number of shower water discharge holes 208 are formed around the rectification water discharge hole.
Reference numeral 210 denotes a rectification network for rectifying the water discharged from the rectification water discharge port 206.
[0004]
Reference numeral 212 denotes a first branch waterway that guides water from the main waterway 202 to the straightening water discharge port 206, and reference numeral 214 denotes a second branch waterway that guides water from the main waterway 202 to the shower water discharge hole 208.
The rectifying water discharge hole 206 and the shower water discharge hole 208 are provided so as to communicate with the first branch water channel 212 and the second branch water channel 214, respectively.
[0005]
A valve plate 216 has a first opening 218 communicating with the first branch waterway 212 and a second opening 219 (see FIG. 5B) communicating with the second branch waterway 214. One is selectively opened by the valve body 220 and the other is closed.
[0006]
The distal end of the main body 200 forms a cylindrical valve case 222, in which a valve body 220 is housed.
The valve body 220 has a ball valve portion 224 serving as a main portion thereof, a spring 228 for resiliently pressing the ball valve portion 226 downward through a presser 226, and a shaft portion 229. Is connected to the operation unit 230 provided so as to protrude therefrom.
[0007]
In the case of this shower head, in the state shown in FIG. 5, that is, under the state where the ball valve 224 closes the first opening 218, water from the main water passage 202 flows into the second branch water passage 214 through the second opening 219. Then, the shower water is discharged from the plurality of shower water holes 208 to the outside.
[0008]
On the other hand, when the operation part 230 is operated to move the valve element 220 and the second opening 219 is closed by the ball valve part 224, water from the main waterway 202 flows through the first opening 218 to the first branch waterway 212. Then, the water is rectified and discharged to the outside through the rectification water discharge hole 206.
[0009]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the case of this shower head, the first opening 218 or the second opening 219 is closed while the ball valve portion 224 of the valve body 220 is partially fitted in the first opening 218 or the second opening 219, and When closing the opening of the ball valve portion 224, the ball valve portion 224 escapes from the currently closed first opening 218 or the second opening 219, moves on the valve plate 216, and reaches the other opening again. Fits into the opening to close the other opening.
[0010]
Therefore, this shower head has an advantage that a switching feeling, that is, a clicking feeling can be easily obtained when switching between the water discharge from the straightening water discharging port 206 and the water discharging from the shower water discharging hole 208, but the first operation is performed when the switching operation is performed. The ball valve portion 224 fitted in the opening 218 or the second opening 219 must be moved out of those openings against the water pressure from the main channel 202 and then moved to the other opening. The operation resistance is large, and there is a problem in operability.
[0011]
As means for solving this problem, the valve portion of the valve body 220 is formed as a flat valve portion having a larger diameter than the first opening 218 and the second opening 219, and the valve portion is positioned at a position where the first opening 218 is closed and the second opening 218 is closed. It is conceivable to slide the upper surface of the valve plate 216 between the position where the opening 219 is closed.
In this case, the resistance at the time of moving the valve body 220 is small, and the switching operation of the water channel can be performed lightly.
[0012]
On the other hand, however, in this case, from the user's point of view, when the operation unit 230 is operated, it is not known when the waterway has been completely switched, and the switching feeling at the time of the waterway switching operation, that is, the click feeling cannot be obtained. Such a problem arises.
[0013]
The above description has been given by taking the valve device for switching the water channel in the shower head as an example. However, this problem is a problem that can occur in other valve devices for switching the water channel in a faucet device.
[0014]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The waterway switching valve device of the present invention has been devised to solve such a problem.
According to the first aspect, (a) the upstream main channel, (b) the first branch channel and the second branch channel on the downstream side, and (c) the first branch channel is connected to the main channel. A first opening for communication and a second opening for communicating the second branch waterway with the main waterway; (d) movably provided between a closed position of the first opening and a closed position of the second opening; For switching a water channel of a faucet device having a valve body for selectively opening one of the first opening and the second opening and closing the other, and (e) an operation unit for moving and operating the valve body. The valve device, wherein the valve body accommodates the valve body or a member fixed to the valve case and a leaf spring on one of the valve body and a projection on the other, and the projection is provided on the leaf spring. Forming a mountain-shaped portion for overcoming, and positioning the projection and the mountain-shaped portion with the valve element closing the first opening. Middle placed formed in a position to overcome the projecting outs該山shaped portion which moves into position or vice versa to close the et second opening, a further inner of the main water channel said plate spring inside the valve casing The valve body is opened at a portion where the valve body is housed, and a communication hole for guiding the water pressure of the main water passage is opened inside the valve case and outside the plate spring.
[0015]
[Action and effect of the invention]
As described above, in the valve device of the first aspect, a leaf spring is provided on one of the valve case or the member fixed to the valve case and the valve body, and a projection is provided on the other, and a mountain shape for the projection to ride over the leaf spring. In the case of this valve device, the projection and the mountain-shaped portion are formed so that the projection gets over the mountain-shaped portion while the valve body moves between the first opening and the second opening. , even when the valve body of the flat-shaped valve body to move the valve body switching feeling when switching operation of the waterway, i.e. click feeling is obtained, that good operability and operating feeling is obtained .
[0016]
By the way, if the main water channel is opened inside the valve case and inside the leaf spring and at the portion where the valve body is accommodated, the leaf spring is pushed outward by the pressure of the water flowing into the valve case from the main water channel. It may be crushed and the leaf springs and projections may not work effectively to give a click feeling.
[0017]
However, in the present invention , the communication hole for guiding the water pressure from the main water channel is opened in the valve case and on the outside of the leaf spring, so that the water pressure acts on both the outside and the inside of the leaf spring. it is possible to prevent such a leaf spring will be crushed by the water pressure, Ru can be exhibited satisfactorily operating click feeling by the leaf springs and the projections.
[0018]
【Example】
Next, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a shower head will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 denotes a main body of the shower head, in which a main water passage 12 is formed.
Numeral 14 denotes a watering member which has a cylindrical shape and is attached to the main body 10 by screw connection.
A rectifying water discharge hole 16 is formed in the center of the bottom of the water sprinkling member 14, and a shower water discharge hole 18 composed of a number of small holes is formed therearound.
[0019]
Reference numerals 22 and 24 denote a first branch waterway and a second branch waterway, respectively. The rectifying water discharge port 16 is formed to communicate with the first branch waterway 22, and the shower water discharge hole 18 is formed to communicate with the second branch waterway 24. ing.
The rectifying member 20 is provided on the first branch waterway 22.
[0020]
Reference numeral 26 denotes a valve plate having a smooth upper surface.
The valve plate 26 is provided with a first opening 28 communicating with the first branch water passage 22 and a second opening 30 (see FIG. 2) communicating with the second branch water passage 24, one of which is a valve body. 32 is alternatively closed and the other is open.
[0021]
The distal end of the main body 10 is a cylindrical valve case 34, in which the valve body 32 is movably accommodated.
The valve body 32 has a valve portion 35 serving as a main portion thereof, a spring 36 for resilient the valve portion 35 downward, and a shaft portion 38. The shaft portion 38 is provided so as to protrude from the outer surface of the main body 10. The operation unit 40 is integrally rotated.
[0022]
The valve section 35 is a flat valve section having a larger diameter than each of the first opening 28 and the second opening 30.
An annular O-ring groove having an open lower surface is formed in the valve portion 35, and an O-ring 41 having a larger diameter than each of the first opening 28 and the second opening 30 is held therein. The O-ring 41 is slidably in contact with the upper surface of the valve plate 26.
[0023]
An outflow chamber 42 through which water from the main water channel 12 flows out is formed inside the main body 10, and an opening 44 of the main water channel 12 is located in the upper rear portion of the outflow chamber 42 in the drawing.
Reference numeral 46 denotes an arc-shaped guide plate for dispersing water flowing out of the opening 44 into the outflow chamber 42.
[0024]
Numeral 48 denotes a partition plate hanging downward in FIG. 1A along the outflow chamber 42, and a leaf spring 50 is disposed outside the partition plate 48 (left side in FIG. 1).
Here, most of the leaf spring 50 is in a state of being exposed to the outflow chamber 42.
[0025]
The leaf spring 50 has a mountain-shaped portion 52 protruding toward the valve body 32, and a hooking projection protrudingly provided on the main body 10 at both upper and lower portions in FIG. 1B of the mountain-shaped portion 52. It is hung on 54.
The plate spring 50 is also integrally formed with a guide protrusion 53 projecting leftward in the figure from the mountain-shaped portion 52, and the guide protrusion 53 serves as a guide between a pair of protrusions 55 fixed to the main body 10. It is slidably fitted in the groove 56.
[0026]
From the main water channel 12, a communication hole 58 for guiding the water pressure of the main water channel 12 to the left side of the leaf spring 50 in the drawing, that is, to the outside on the opposite side to the valve body 32, branches and extends.
In FIG. 1B, reference numeral 60 denotes an opening of the communication hole 58, and the water pressure from the main water channel 12 acts on the leaf spring 50 rightward in the drawing, that is, on the outflow chamber 42 side.
[0027]
As shown in FIG. 1B, a substantially semicircular projection 62 is formed integrally with the valve body 32.
The projection 62 and the mountain-shaped portion 52 of the leaf spring 50 are arranged such that the projection 62 gets over the mountain-shaped portion 52 during the movement between the closed position of the first opening 28 and the closed position of the second opening 30 in the valve body 32. Their positions are defined.
[0028]
In the case of the shower head of this example, when the valve element 32 is in the state shown in FIGS. 2A and 3I, that is, when the valve element 32 is in the state in which the first opening 28 is closed, the water from the main waterway 12 is closed. Flows into the second branch channel 24 through the second opening 30, and is further shower-discharged to the outside through the shower discharge hole 18.
[0029]
By operating the operation unit 40 to move the valve body 32 (see FIG. 3 (II)) and closing the second opening 30 as shown in FIGS. 2 (B) and 3 (III), the main Water from the water channel 12 flows into the first branch water channel 22 through the first opening 28, and is rectified and discharged (straight water discharge) from the rectified water discharge hole 16 to the outside.
[0030]
In this example, the operation unit 40 is operated to move the valve body 32 between the closed position of the first opening 28 and the closed position of the second opening 30, and the flow of water from the main waterway 12 is divided into the second branch. When the switching operation is performed to the water channel 24 or the first branch water channel 22, the projection 62 of the valve body 32 causes the leaf spring 50 to bend in the left-right direction in FIG. Get over and rotate.
[0031]
For this reason, even when the valve portion of the valve body 32 is a flat valve portion 35, a good switching feeling, that is, a clicking feeling is obtained at the time of water channel switching, and a good operation feeling is obtained.
In addition, by appropriately adjusting the spring force of the leaf spring 50, it is possible to prevent the operation resistance when the valve body 32 is operated from becoming excessively large and the operation from becoming heavy.
[0032]
Further, in this example, a communication hole 58 for guiding the water pressure from the main water channel 12 is opened in the valve case 34 and outside the leaf spring 50 so that the water pressure acts on both the outside and the inside of the leaf spring 50. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the leaf spring 50 from being crushed by the water pressure, and it is possible to satisfactorily exert an operation click feeling by the leaf spring 50 and the projection 62.
[0033]
FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the present invention.
In this example, a purification cartridge 64 is disposed on the second branch water channel 24. Tap water that has flowed into the second branch water channel 24 is purified by the water purification cartridge 64, and water is purified from the large number of shower water discharge holes 18. As the shower is to be spouted.
[0034]
On the other hand, the water sprinkling member 14 is formed with a shower water discharge port 66 of raw water at the end of the first branch water path 22 so that the raw water flowing into the first branch water path 22 is shower-water discharged from the shower water discharge port 66. Has become.
That is, in this example, the valve 32 switches between shower water discharge of raw water and shower water discharge of purified water.
The other points are the same as in the above embodiment.
[0035]
The embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, but this is merely an example.
For example, in the above embodiment, the projection 62 is provided on the valve body 32 side, and the leaf spring 50 is provided on the valve case 34 side. Conversely, a projection is provided on the valve case 34 side, and on the valve body 32 side. It is also possible to provide a leaf spring.
Further, the present invention can be configured in various modified forms without departing from the gist thereof, such as being applicable as a valve device for switching a water channel of a faucet device other than the shower head.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a main part of a shower head according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing an operation state of the shower head of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a plan sectional view showing an operation state of the shower head of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a view showing a main part of a shower head according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a main part of a conventional shower head.
[Explanation of symbols]
12 Main water channel 22 First branch water channel 24 Second branch water channel 26 Valve plate 28 First opening 30 Second opening 32 Valve body 34 Valve case 35 Valve part 40 Operating part 42 Outflow chamber 50 Leaf spring 52 Mountain shape part 54 Hook projection 55 Projection 58 Communication hole 62 Projection

Claims (1)

(A) an upstream main channel, (b) a first branch channel and a second branch channel on the downstream side, and (c) a first opening and the second branch connecting the first branch channel to the main channel. A second opening for communicating the water passage with the main water passage, and (d) any of the first opening and the second opening movably provided between a closed position of the first opening and a closed position of the second opening. A valve device for switching a water channel of a faucet device, comprising: a valve body for selectively opening one or the other and closing the other; and (e) an operation unit for moving the valve body.
A valve case accommodating the valve body therein or a member fixed to the valve case and a leaf spring on one of the valve bodies and a projection on the other, and the plate spring has a mountain-shaped portion for the projection to get over. Forming and projecting the projections and the mountain-shaped portion from the position where the valve element closes the first opening to the position where the valve body closes the second opening or vice versa. The main water passage is further opened at a portion inside the leaf spring inside the valve case and accommodating the valve body, and at a portion inside the valve case and outside the leaf spring, A valve device for switching a water channel of a faucet device, wherein a communication hole for guiding water pressure of a main water channel is opened.

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