JP3727559B2 - Mixer tap - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a mixing faucet that mixes hot water and water to automatically adjust the temperature of the mixed water, and more particularly to a mixing faucet using a temperature sensitive spring made of a shape memory alloy as a temperature sensing element.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A mixing faucet that mixes hot water and water to adjust the temperature of the mixed water is capable of constantly discharging the mixed water at a certain temperature, because the temperature of the mixed water changes depending on the hot water pressure or the fluctuation of the feed water pressure. Since this is not possible, thermostatic mixing taps that can be automatically adjusted to return to the set temperature are known. Thermostat type mixing faucets use a wax element as a means to sense the temperature of the mixed water, and adjust the temperature of the hot water inlet and water inlet by moving the control valve by the thermal expansion and contraction of the wax element. The mixed water of the temperature set with the handle is discharged, but the heat amount of the mixed water is not directly transmitted to the wax element, the response to the temperature change is slow, the fluctuation of the hot water supply pressure or the water supply pressure, the temperature adjustment handle When the set temperature is changed by operating, there is a problem that the undershoot or overshoot is temporarily large, which causes cold water or hot water to be sprinkled. Especially when the overshoot is large, hot hot water is spouted suddenly. It was bad.
[0003]
Therefore, recently, a mixed faucet using a temperature-sensitive spring made of a shape memory alloy instead of the wax element has become widespread. JP-A-9-152050, FIGS. 3 and 4 (FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b) of the present application) are known as a mixing faucet using a temperature-sensitive spring made of such a shape memory alloy. There is something. 3A and 3B, the cartridge 55 having an automatic temperature control function is connected to the temperature control handle 52 and is detachably mounted from the left end portion of the main body 51. The member 56, the second member 60, and the third member 61 can be integrally coupled by screw joining, and the control valve is disposed on the second member 60 such that both end surfaces in the axial direction face the hot water supply chamber 53 and the water chamber 54, respectively. 63 is movably incorporated between the water valve seat 59 and the water valve seat 62, and a spindle 57 having one end connected to the temperature control handle 52 is rotatably incorporated in the first member 56. 56, a feed screw member 58 screwed to the spindle 57 is incorporated so as to move only in the axial direction relative to the first member 56 and not rotate around the axis, and a control valve 63 is installed in the water valve. A bias spring 64 for biasing toward the 62 side is accommodated, and a temperature sensitive spring 65 made of a shape memory alloy for biasing the control valve 63 toward the hot water valve seat 59 is accommodated in the third member 61. .
[0004]
Therefore, by operating the temperature adjustment handle 52, the control valve 63 is moved via the feed screw member 58 and the bias spring 64, and the respective opening degrees on the water valve seat 62 side and the hot water valve seat 59 side are adjusted. When the temperature of the mixed water is set and the temperature of the mixed water changes due to the supply pressure or temperature fluctuation of water and hot water, the temperature-sensitive spring 65 expands and contracts, and the temperature of the mixed water is maintained at the set temperature by correcting the temperature. It is.
[0005]
In assembling the cartridge, the first member accommodates the spindle, the feed screw member and the bias spring separately, the second member accommodates the control valve, and the third member senses. It is necessary to accommodate a thermal spring, accommodate a large number of articles in each member and screw it together, and the assembly work is cumbersome, the productivity is poor, and it is not suitable for mass production. I couldn't.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention uses a shape memory alloy temperature-sensitive spring to improve the workability by reducing the number of parts when assembling a cartridge equipped with an automatic temperature adjustment function in a mixing faucet that adjusts the temperature of mixed water. It is an object of the present invention to make it possible to manufacture at low cost.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention includes a main body in which a hot water chamber, a water chamber, and a mixing chamber are formed in the axial direction, and a storage chamber communicating with each chamber is formed, and a cartridge that is mounted in the storage chamber of the main body and has a temperature adjustment function. The cartridge forms a hot water inlet that communicates with the hot water chamber of the main body and a water inlet that communicates with the water chamber, and slides in the axial direction to supply the amount of hot water from the hot water inlet and the water from the water inlet. A control valve that adjusts the supply amount of the gas, a temperature-sensitive spring made of a shape memory alloy that biases the control valve from one side, and a bias spring that biases the control valve from the other side. In the mixing faucet which adjusts the temperature of the mixed water by adjusting the biasing force of the bias spring by the operation of the temperature adjusting handle connected through the cartridge, the cartridge is coupled integrally by screwing and fastening the first member and the second member Temperature control for the first member Housing and the spindle, via the screwed on the outer circumference of the spindle nut housing and a feed screw member coupled to the spring receiving member and the bias spring, the the second member and the control valve and the temperature-sensitive spring for interlocking the bundle It is a thing.
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the main body 1 of the mixing faucet A has a horizontally long cylindrical shape. A hot water chamber 2 in which hot water is supplied from a hot water supply source in the axial direction of the interior, and water is supplied from the water supply source. A water chamber 3, a storage chamber 4 in which a cartridge 9 having a temperature adjusting function is detachably mounted, and a mixing chamber 5 for supplying mixed water adjusted by the cartridge 9 to the outside are formed. The hot water chamber 2 and the water chamber 3 communicate with the storage chamber 4, and an opening 6 is formed at the left end in the figure for opening the cartridge 9 into the storage chamber 4.
[0009]
The cartridge 9 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and has a structure in which the first member 10 and the second member 14 are screwed and fastened together with the hot water side valve seat member 22 sandwiched between them. Is fitted with a plurality of sealing materials 11, 15, 15 a, is watertightly accommodated in the accommodating chamber 4 from the opening 6 of the main body 1, and is fixed to the main body 1 by screwing a fixing nut 7 into the opening 6. It is assembled.
[0010]
A spindle 12 having one end coupled to the temperature control handle 8 is accommodated in the first member 10 so as to be rotatable and non-displaceable in the axial direction by a clip 12a attached to the outer peripheral surface. A male screw formed on the outer peripheral surface of the spindle 12 The portion 12 b is screwed into a female screw portion 13 a formed on the inner peripheral surface of the feed screw member 13, and the feed screw member 13 has a rotation-preventing convex portion 13 b formed on the outer peripheral surface of the first member 10. It engages with a rail groove 10a drilled in the axial direction of the inner peripheral surface and moves inside the first member 10 in the axial direction by the rotation of the spindle 12, but is configured not to rotate.
[0011]
The second member 14 is formed with an annular hot water inlet 16 communicating with the hot water chamber 2 on the circumferential surface thereof so as to face the hot water chamber 2 of the main body 1 and facing the water chamber 3 of the main body 1. An annular water inlet 17 communicating with 3 is formed, and an outlet 19 communicating with the mixing chamber 5 of the main body 1 is formed on the side surface. As shown in FIG. The ring-shaped strainers 20 and 20 are respectively mounted so as to cover them. The strainer 20 is a ring made of a net material such as a thin metal wire or synthetic resin wire, and the hot water or water supplied from the hot water chamber 2 or the water chamber 3 to the inside of the cartridge 9 always passes through the strainer 20. In this way, the foreign matter contained in the hot water or water is captured by the strainer 20 so as not to enter the inside of the cartridge 9.
[0012]
A control valve 24 is accommodated in the second member 14 so as to be slidable in the axial direction. The control valve 24 is substantially cylindrical and includes an outer peripheral side large diameter portion 25 and an inner peripheral side small diameter portion 26. A hot water side seating portion 25 a seated on the hot water valve seat 23 formed on the front end surface of the hot water side valve seat member 22 at both ends of the large diameter portion 25, and a water valve formed on the inner peripheral side of the water inlet 17. A sealing member 25c which is provided with a water-side seating portion 25b seated on the seat 18, and is in watertight sliding contact with the inner peripheral surface between the hot water inlet 16 and the water inlet 17 of the second member 14 at the approximate center of the outer peripheral surface. Wearing. Further, a support member seating portion 26a for supporting a support member 34, which will be described later, is provided at one end of the small diameter portion 26, and a passage 27 through which hot water and water pass is formed inside the small diameter portion 26. A stirring member 28 that promotes mixing of water is integrally formed. The control valve 24 is slidable in the axial direction between the hot water valve seat 23 and the water valve seat 18, and the supply amount of hot water and water is changed by adjusting the distance between the valve seats 23 and 18. The temperature of the mixed water is adjusted.
[0013]
Inside the cartridge 9, the control valve 24 is slid in the axial direction by operating the temperature adjustment handle 8 to adjust the temperature of the mixed water, and to respond to changes in the mixed water temperature due to pressure fluctuations on the hot water supply side or the water supply side. In order to slide the control valve 24 to reach the set temperature, a bias spring 29 and a temperature sensitive spring 30 are accommodated on both sides of the control valve 24, respectively. The bias spring 29 is formed of a normal spring material having a constant spring constant with respect to a temperature change, and the temperature-sensitive spring 30 is formed of a shape memory alloy such as a nickel / titanium alloy whose spring constant changes with respect to the temperature change. Therefore, the control valve 24 receives the biasing force of the bias spring 29 and the biasing force of the temperature sensitive spring 30 from both sides, the axial position is determined by the balance, and the spring constant of the temperature sensitive spring 30 changes due to the temperature change. Then, the control valve 24 is moved.
[0014]
The feed screw member 13 has a nut 32 on the inner periphery of the cylindrical portion 13c in a state where the bias spring 29 and the spring receiving member 31 are fitted on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 13c formed so as to protrude so as to face the control valve 24. When screwed, the small-diameter flange 31a formed at one end of the spring receiving member 31 engages with the head portion 32a of the nut 32, and the spring receiving member 31 is movably coupled between the feed screw member 13 and the nut 32. The bias spring 29 is coupled in a compressed state between an annular receiving portion 13d formed on the feed screw member 13 and an annular large-diameter flange portion 31b formed on the other end of the spring receiving member 31. Therefore, the other end of the spring receiving member 31 is supported by the small diameter portion 26 of the control valve 24.
[0015]
The temperature-sensitive spring 30 is formed between the flange 35 of the support member 34 housed in the temperature-sensitive greenhouse 33 formed on the second member 14 and the annular flange 21 formed on the inner peripheral surface of the second member 14. The support member 34 is elastically supported by the support member seating portion 26a of the control valve 24 by the urging force of the temperature-sensitive spring 30, and the urging force is applied to the water valve seat 18 with respect to the control valve 24. The water-side seating portion 25b can be expanded in the direction of widening, the position of the control valve 24 can be adjusted with the bias spring 29, and the mixed water at a preset temperature can be continuously supplied by operating the temperature adjustment handle 8. It has a function to adjust the temperature automatically.
[0016]
The procedure for assembling the cartridge 9 in this embodiment will be described. After the spindle 12 is accommodated in the first member 10, the clip 12a is locked to the outer periphery of the spindle 12 from the outside of the first member 10, and the spindle 12 is rotated. Possible but not axially displaceable. Next, when the feed screw member 13 is engaged with the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 13c with the bias spring 29 and the spring receiving member 31, the female screw portion 13a is screwed into the male screw portion 12b of the spindle 12 and the spindle 12 is rotated. The convex portion 13 b formed on the outer peripheral surface of the feed screw member 13 moves toward the inside of the first member 10 in a state of being engaged with the rail groove 10 a formed on the inner peripheral surface of the first member 10.
[0017]
Next, the hot water side valve seat member 22 is sandwiched between the inner peripheral surface of the opening of the first member 10 and the outer peripheral surface of the feed screw member 13, and the second member 14 in which the control valve 24 and the temperature sensitive spring 30 are accommodated. When the first member 10 is screwed, the assembly of the cartridge 9 is completed.
[0018]
In the mixing faucet of the present invention, when the temperature of the mixed water passing through the temperature-sensitive greenhouse 33 becomes higher than the temperature set by the temperature control handle 8, the temperature-sensitive spring 30 is deformed so that the axis becomes longer because the spring constant increases. Since the control valve 24 is moved to the left in FIG. 1 via the support member 34, the distance between the hot water valve seat 23 and the hot water side seating portion 25a is reduced, and the water valve seat 18 and the water side seating portion 25b The interval increases, the flow rate of water supplied from the water chamber 3 to the cartridge 9 increases, and the temperature of the mixed water is returned to the set value.
[0019]
Next, when the temperature of the mixed water passing through the temperature-sensitive greenhouse 33 becomes lower than the temperature set by the temperature control handle 8, the temperature-sensitive spring 30 is deformed so that the axis is shortened because the spring constant becomes low, and the water valve seat 18 Between the hot water valve seat 23 and the hot water side seating portion 25a, the flow rate of hot water supplied from the hot water chamber 2 to the cartridge 9 is increased, and the temperature of the mixed water is increased. Return to the set temperature.
[0020]
The case where normal mixed water is discharged from the mixing faucet A will be described. In FIG. 1, the same amount of hot water and water is supplied from the hot water inlet 16 and the water inlet 17 of the cartridge 9 and mixed at a predetermined temperature. The mixed water passes through the mixing chamber 5 and is discharged outside. In this case, the temperature setting is performed by rotating the temperature control handle 8 to move the axial position of the feed screw member 13 linked to the spindle 12 and changing the biasing force of the bias spring 29 to thereby bias the temperature-sensitive spring 30. And the axial position of the control valve 24 is slid to adjust the distance between the hot water valve seat 23 and the hot water side seating portion 25a and the distance between the water valve seat 18 and the water side seating portion 25b.
[0021]
In this case, when the supply pressure on the hot water side rises and the temperature of the mixed water passing through the temperature-sensitive greenhouse 33 becomes higher than the temperature set by the temperature control handle 8, the temperature-sensitive spring 30 has a higher spring constant and becomes longer in the axial direction. The control valve 24 is slid leftward in the figure. As a result, the interval between the hot water valve seat 23 and the hot water side seating portion 25a is reduced, the interval between the water valve seat 18 and the water side seating portion 25b is increased, and the flow rate of the water supplied from the water inlet 17 is increased. Operates so that the temperature drops to the set value.
[0022]
On the other hand, if the supply pressure on the water side rises and the temperature of the mixed water passing through the sensation greenhouse 33 falls below the temperature set by the temperature control handle 8, the temperature-sensitive spring 30 has a lower spring constant, and the bias spring It is deformed so as to be shortened in the axial direction by the urging force of 29, and the control valve 24 is slid rightward in the drawing. Thereby, the space between the hot water valve seat 23 and the hot water side seating portion 25a is widened, the space between the water valve seat 18 and the water side seating portion 25b is narrowed, and the flow rate of hot water supplied from the hot water inlet 16 is increased. Operates so that the temperature rises to the set value.
[0023]
Due to the action of the temperature-sensitive spring 30, the control valve 24 slides between the hot water valve seat 23 and the water valve seat 18 even when the hot water or water supply pressure fluctuates, so that the mixed water has a target temperature. It is adjusted to become.
[0024]
【The invention's effect】
In the present invention, a main body in which a hot water chamber, a water chamber, and a mixing chamber are formed in the axial direction and a storage chamber communicating with each chamber is formed, and a cartridge that is mounted in the storage chamber of the main body and has a temperature adjustment function. The cartridge forms a hot water inlet that communicates with the hot water chamber of the main body and a water inlet that communicates with the water chamber, and slides in the axial direction to supply the amount of hot water from the hot water inlet and the water from the water inlet. A control valve that adjusts the supply amount of the gas, a temperature-sensitive spring made of a shape memory alloy that biases the control valve from one side, and a bias spring that biases the control valve from the other side. In the mixing faucet which adjusts the temperature of the mixed water by adjusting the biasing force of the bias spring by the operation of the temperature adjusting handle connected through the cartridge, the cartridge is coupled integrally by screwing and fastening the first member and the second member The first member is temperature controlled. Housing and the spindle, via the screwed on the outer circumference of the spindle nut housing and a feed screw member coupled to the spring receiving member and the bias spring, the the second member and the control valve and the temperature-sensitive spring for interlocking the handle Therefore, the cartridge can be assembled by accommodating the first spring in a state in which the bias spring is coupled to the feed screw member and screwing and fastening the first member and the second member, thereby reducing the number of parts at the time of assembly. As a result, workability is greatly improved, work time is shortened, and a mixed water faucet can be manufactured at low cost.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front longitudinal sectional view showing a main part of a mixing faucet of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a cartridge.
3A and 3B are explanatory diagrams of the prior art, in which FIG. 3A is an enlarged view of a main part, and FIG. 3B is an exploded perspective view.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body 2 Hot water chamber 3 Water chamber 4 Accommodating chamber 5 Mixing chamber 8 Temperature control handle 9 Cartridge 10 First member 12 Spindle 13 Feed screw member 14 Second member 16 Hot water inlet 17 Water inlet 24 Control valve 29 Bias spring 30 Temperature sensitive spring A Mixer tap

Claims (1)

A main body in which a hot water chamber, a water chamber, and a mixing chamber are formed in the axial direction and a storage chamber communicating with each chamber is formed, and a cartridge that is mounted in the storage chamber of the main body and has a temperature adjusting function. Forms a hot water inlet that communicates with the hot water chamber of the main body and a water inlet that communicates with the water chamber, and slides the inside in the axial direction to control the amount of hot water supplied from the hot water inlet and the amount of water supplied from the water inlet. A control valve for adjusting, a temperature sensitive spring made of a shape memory alloy that urges the control valve from one side, and a bias spring that urges the control valve from the other side are housed, and are connected via a cartridge and a spindle. In the mixing tap that adjusts the temperature of the mixed water by adjusting the biasing force of the bias spring by operating the temperature adjusting handle, the cartridge has a structure in which the first member and the second member are screwed and fastened together. The first member has a temperature control handle A spindle for joint, it via a screwed on the outer circumference of the spindle nut housing and a feed screw member coupled to the spring receiving member and biasing spring, which is the second member accommodates the control valve and the temperature-sensitive spring A mixing faucet characterized by.

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