JP4773907B2 - Mounting structure of faucet and operation handle - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a mounting structure for a faucet and an operation handle.

  Conventionally, a faucet provided with a faucet body, a valve device attached to the faucet body, and a lever handle for operating the valve device (the lever handle is a specific example of an operation handle) has been used. It has been. In this type of faucet, the lever handle is attached as follows, for example.

  In other words, this type of valve device is, for example, a housing that forms an outer shell, a fixed valve body that is disposed in a fixed state inside the housing, and a state that can slide relative to the fixed valve body inside the housing. The movable valve body is disposed, and a transmission member is disposed in a swingable state and transmits a driving force loaded by the lever handle to the movable valve body. The lever handle includes, for example, (1) a substantially container-shaped handle body including a ceiling portion and a peripheral wall portion depending from a peripheral portion of the ceiling portion, and (2) protruding downward or obliquely downward from the ceiling portion. In addition, a substantially cylindrical mounting portion (mounting boss) and (3) a handle portion (lever portion) protruding from the outer surface portion of the handle body are provided.

  Of the transmission member, a portion on one end side exposed to the outside of the housing, that is, the “insertion portion” is inserted directly into the attachment portion or in a state of being fitted to the “mounting bush”. The After that, mounting screws or the like are attached to the mounting holes provided in the mounting portion, and the tip portion of this "screw shaft portion" is screwed or locked to the insertion portion, so that the insertion portion The retaining part is secured from the mounting part.

By the way, in order to smoothly perform the “mounting operation of the retaining screw”, a mounting hole is provided in the upper surface portion of the handle body (refer to Patent Document 1, hereinafter referred to as “conventional example 1”), and the handle body. A mounting hole is provided in the front portion (see Patent Document 2, hereinafter referred to as “Conventional Example 2”). According to these conventional examples, the retaining screw can be mounted from the outside of the handle body to the mounting hole through the mounting hole, so that the “retaining screw mounting operation” is smoothly performed. Can do.
JP 2002-356882 A JP-A-8-285126

  However, in the conventional example 1 and the conventional example 2, there is a mounting hole in a “conspicuous portion” of the handle body. Therefore, in order to ensure the aesthetic appearance of the lever handle, it is necessary to attach a sealing member (a cap or the like) to the mounting hole. Therefore, it is necessary to attach and detach the sealing member when assembling the lever handle to the faucet or during maintenance of the lever handle or the faucet. Therefore, the conventional example 1 and the conventional example 2 have a problem that the mounting work of the lever handle and the maintenance work of the lever handle and the like are increased due to the attaching / detaching work of the sealing member.

  On the other hand, by providing a mounting hole on the back of the handle body and making this mounting hole inconspicuous, the sealing member can be omitted. However, in this case, maintenance of the lever handle or faucet becomes difficult or inconvenient. It may be possible. In this type of faucet, it may be possible to omit the use of “screws for retaining”. In this case, there is no need to provide a mounting hole in the handle body, and it is not necessary to use a sealing member. However, there is a possibility that the lever handle may be accidentally detached during use of the faucet.

  The present invention solves the above-described problems, and can reduce the labor of assembly of a lever handle and maintenance of a lever handle or a faucet, a lever faucet applied to such a faucet, etc. An object of the present invention is to provide an operating handle mounting structure.

The faucet of the invention of claim 1
A faucet body, a valve device attached to the faucet body, an operation handle disposed in a tiltable state and operating the valve device;
The operation handle includes a handle body having a recess opening downward, and a mounting portion provided in a substantially cylindrical shape downward or obliquely downward in the recess,
The valve device is provided by the operation handle while having a fixed valve body, a movable valve body slidably disposed with respect to the fixed valve body, and an insertion portion inserted into the attachment portion. A faucet comprising a transmission member for transmitting an operating force to the movable valve body,
The mounting portion is provided with a through-hole penetrating the outer surface portion and the inner surface portion, and a retaining member is attached to the through-hole from the outside of the outer surface portion of the mounting portion. By screwing, locking, or fitting one end portion projecting inward of the inner surface portion to the insertion portion, the insertion portion is prevented from coming off from the mounting portion,
In order to conceal the through-hole using the cover member, a cover member supported in a state in which downward movement is allowed using a predetermined elastic support member is disposed at a position around the mounting portion. And forming a concealing wall
When the cover member is moved downward against the urging force of the elastic support portion, the concealing wall portion moves below the through hole.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the cover member can be used to conceal the through hole and the “detachment preventing member” attached to the through hole. In addition, when the operating handle is attached or detached, if the cover member is moved downward against the urging force of the elastic support portion, “the concealment of the through hole by the concealing wall portion” is released. That is, in the faucet of the invention of claim 1, it is not necessary to use “a sealing member for sealing the through hole”. Therefore, when attaching / detaching the operation handle, the “detaching operation of the sealing member” is not required, and the work of assembling the operation handle and maintaining the operation handle or the faucet can be reduced.

  According to the invention of claim 1, since it is not necessary to use a sealing member, the structure of the operation handle can be simplified. In addition, by reducing the number of components of the operation handle, the sense of unity of the operation handle can be increased, and the aesthetic appearance of the operation handle, and thus the faucet can be improved.

  “Concealment wall” in the invention of each claim means that “regardless of the operation state of the operation handle (regardless of whether or not the tilting operation is performed), the through hole is formed in front of the faucet (this front). May be only in front of the front or may include left and right diagonal fronts)), in other words, “visible from the user in front of the faucet. It is a wall for concealing in an impossible state. In addition, the “operation handle” of the invention of each claim may be arranged in a state in which only a tilting operation in the vertical direction can be performed, or a tilting operation in the vertical direction and a rotating operation in the horizontal direction. It may be arranged in a state where it can be applied. Further, the valve device according to the invention of each claim includes: (1) a “disk-type sliding valve comprising a fixed disk (one specific example of a fixed valve body) and a movable disk (one specific example of a movable valve body). Or (2) a cylindrical fixed valve body and a cylindrical movable valve body, and the movable valve body is pivoted in a state in which one of the fixed valve body and the movable valve body is inserted into the other. Examples thereof include a “cylindrical sliding valve” that rotates around the center and slides the movable valve body with respect to the fixed valve body.

  Further, the valve device of the invention of each claim includes (a) “temperature adjustment valve device” for adjusting the water discharge temperature, and (b) “water discharge selection for selecting water discharge”. (C) “Valve device for adjusting water discharge temperature and selecting water discharge”, (d) “Valve device for selecting water discharge flow channel” for selecting water discharge flow channel, etc. Can be illustrated. In the valve devices (b) and (c), the water discharge amount may be selected together with the selection of water discharge. In addition, “selection of water discharge flow path” means that when a target faucet includes a plurality of water discharge flow paths (for example, a water discharge flow path connected to a currant and a shower water discharge flow path connected to a shower). It means “selecting the water discharge channel to be used”. In addition, the faucet of the invention of each claim may include a plurality of valve devices. In this case, the invention of each claim may be applied to all the valve devices, or the invention of each claim may be applied only to a specific valve device.

  The “attachment portion” of the invention of each claim protrudes in a substantially cylindrical shape downward or obliquely downward from a portion corresponding to the bottom surface of the recess (the ceiling surface of the inner wall surface) in the handle body. And the hollow part (internal space) of this attachment part is in a state in which its axial center is directed in the vertical direction or diagonally up and down direction, and the “attachment / detachment direction with respect to the hollow part (internal space) of the insertion part” is the vertical direction or The direction is diagonally up and down. The lower end portion of the mounting portion may be in a state of being fitted in the concave portion (a state that does not protrude below the bottom portion of the handle body), or a state of protruding from the concave portion (lower than the bottom portion of the handle body). State).

  In the invention of each claim, the insertion portion may be inserted into the hollow portion (internal space) of the attachment portion, or another member (bush) between the hollow portion (internal space) of the attachment portion and the insertion portion. , Spacers, etc.) may be interposed.

  Various specific embodiments of the “retaining member” of the invention of each claim can be exemplified, for example, a male screw member (a male screw-shaped retaining member having a screw-like haze or plug-like shape) Etc.), pin-shaped retaining members, and the like. In addition, the specific aspects of the “elastic support portion” of the invention of each claim can be variously exemplified, for example, “elastic support portion” configured using a coil spring or a leaf spring, rubber, urethane, or Examples thereof include an “elastic support portion” configured using an elastomer cushion member.

  The “cover member” of the invention of each claim does not necessarily need to surround the entire attachment portion. That is, the size or the like is not particularly limited as long as a concealing wall for concealing the through hole can be formed at a position around the through hole.

The faucet of the invention of claim 2 is the faucet of claim 1,
An outward extension line configured by extending a route line of the through hole toward an outer side of an outer surface portion of the attachment portion passes below a lower end portion of the handle body.

  According to the invention of claim 2, the outward extension line of the through hole passes below the lower end portion of the handle body. For this reason, for example, by following this outwardly extending line straight in the direction of the through hole, the retaining member and the end of the tool can reach the through hole. Therefore, it is possible to further reduce the trouble of assembling the operation handle and maintaining the operation handle or the faucet.

  In addition, in the invention of claim 2, (a) the through-hole of the through-hole is extended forward (may be front front, diagonally forward right, or diagonally forward left). When the operating handle is tilted upward, the through hole can be seen from the front. (B) The through hole has a lateral extension line on the side (even on the right side, left side) The through hole may be visible from the side when the operation handle is tilted upward. In these cases, in particular, it is desirable that the extension line in the outer direction of the through hole is provided in a downwardly inclined manner toward the outer side of the mounting portion so that it can be visually recognized when the operation handle is tilted upward.

The faucet of the invention of claim 3 is the faucet according to claim 1 or claim 2,
The valve device comprises a housing containing the fixed valve body and the movable valve body,
The valve device is fixed to the faucet body using a fixing member that surrounds the housing in a substantially circular shape,
The outer member constituting the outer portion of the faucet includes an opening portion that opens upward, and the upper end portion side of the fixing member protrudes upward from the opening portion,
The cover member is configured using a concealing cover that surrounds the upper end portion side of the fixing member in a substantially circular shape and conceals the upper end portion side of the fixing member.

  According to the invention of claim 3, the object of the invention of claim 1 can be achieved by improving the mounting mode of the cover for concealment. That is, in the invention of claim 3, the cover member is configured by using a concealing cover (that is, a member referred to as a fixed nut cover) for concealing the fixing member (that is, a member referred to as a fixed nut). That is, in the invention of claim 3, a fixing member for fixing a housing and a valve device (that is, a sliding valve cartridge) including a fixed valve body and a movable valve body incorporated in the housing to the faucet body ( A fixing nut). And the cover for concealment for concealing this fixing member so that it may not be exposed as an external appearance is a movable type movable in the vertical direction. In this case, the concealing cover can be moved downward to expose the through hole.

  Thus, according to the invention of claim 3, the function as a cover member can be added to the cover for concealment by improving the mounting mode of the cover for concealment. That is, according to the invention of claim 3, since it is not necessary to separately prepare the cover member as a dedicated member, the number of parts can be reduced. Here, as the “outer member” of the invention of claim 3, a cover body (outer cover) covering the faucet body can be exemplified. However, when the faucet body is exposed and constitutes the outer portion of the faucet, this faucet body constitutes a specific example of the “outer member” of the invention of claim 3.

The faucet of the invention of claim 4 is the faucet of claim 3,
The elastic support portion is configured using a coil spring interposed between an outer surface portion of the fixing member and an inner surface portion of the concealing cover.

  According to the invention of claim 4, the assembly of the operation handle and the maintenance of the operation handle or the faucet can be executed more smoothly by moving the concealing cover downward against the urging force of the coil spring. it can.

The operation handle mounting structure of the invention of claim 5 comprises:
An operation handle mounting structure configured to mount the operation handle in a tiltable state with respect to a valve device mounted on the faucet body,
The operation handle includes a handle main body having a concave portion that opens downward, and a mounting portion that is provided in a substantially cylindrical shape downward or obliquely downward in the concave portion,
The valve device is provided by the operation handle while having a fixed valve body, a movable valve body slidably arranged with respect to the fixed valve body, and an insertion portion inserted into the attachment portion. A transmission member for transmitting an operating force to the movable valve body,
The mounting portion is provided with a through-hole penetrating the outer surface portion and the inner surface portion, and a retaining member is attached to the through-hole from the outside of the outer surface portion of the mounting portion. By screwing, locking, or fitting one end portion projecting inward of the inner surface portion to the insertion portion, the insertion portion is prevented from coming off from the mounting portion,
In order to conceal the through-hole using the cover member, a cover member supported in a state in which downward movement is allowed using a predetermined elastic support member is disposed at a position around the mounting portion. And forming a concealing wall
When the cover member is moved downward against the urging force of the elastic support portion, the concealing wall portion moves below the through hole.

  According to the invention of claim 5, it is possible to reduce the trouble of assembling the operation handle and maintaining the operation handle or the faucet. Further, the configuration of any one of claims 2 to 4 may be added to the configuration of the invention of claim 5.

  As described above, according to the inventions of claims 1 to 5, it is possible to reduce the trouble of assembling the operation handle and maintaining the operation handle or the faucet.

  Next, the best mode (hereinafter referred to as “Example”) of the “water faucet” according to each invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  1 and 2, the faucet S includes an outer cover 10, a faucet body 20, a lever handle 30, a valve device 50, a fixing member 60, a concealing cover 70, and a coil spring 80. And. Among these, the faucet main body 20 is arrange | positioned on the installation part 1, as shown in FIG. In addition, this installation part 1 is comprised by the deck part (top plate etc. of a sink).

  As shown in FIG. 1, the faucet body 20 includes a mounting portion 21 that constitutes the upper end portion side, and a cylindrical portion 22 that constitutes the intermediate portion and the lower end portion side. The mounting portion 21 includes a secondary side end of the water supply pipe 24, a secondary side end of the hot water supply pipe (not shown), and a primary side end of the water discharge pipe 25. It is connected. The primary side end of the water supply pipe 24 is connected to the water supply source below the installation part 1, and the primary side end of the hot water supply pipe (not shown) is below the installation part 1. Connected to a hot water supply source. Further, the intermediate portion of the water discharge pipe 25 is inserted in a state that can be pulled out below the installation portion 1, and the secondary end of the water discharge pipe 25 is connected to the water discharge tool T above the installation portion 1. ing.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a male screw portion 26 is formed on the outer peripheral surface on the upper end side of the mounting portion 21. The valve device 50 is mounted on the upper surface portion of the mounting portion 21, and the valve device 50 is mounted on the mounting portion 21 using a fixing member 60 that is mounted on the mounting portion 21 using the male screw portion 26. It is fixed to. A concealing cover 70 is attached to the upper end portion of the fixing member 60 so as to be movable up and down. Details of the valve device 50, the fixing member 60, and the concealing cover 70 will be described later.

  The outer cover 10 constitutes a specific example of the outer member, and constitutes the outer wall of the faucet S. As shown in FIG. 1, the outer cover 10 has a main body portion 11 formed of a substantially cylindrical body whose axial center is directed in the vertical direction, and a slantingly inclined shape from an intermediate portion along the vertical direction of the main body portion 11. And a stand portion 12 protruding from the top. Among these, the main body 11 is a portion that covers the faucet body 20 and the valve device 50 that is fixed to the upper part of the faucet body 20 by using the fixing member 60.

  The stand part 12 is a part for supporting the water discharger T in a detachable state. The stand portion 12 communicates with the internal space of the tubular portion 22 and is inserted through a portion near the “secondary end” of the water discharge pipe 25 in a drawable state. And the base end part of the water discharging tool T is supported by the protrusion part of the stand part 12 in the state which can be extracted.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the valve device 50 includes a housing 51, a fixed valve body (fixed disk) 52, a movable valve body (movable disk) 53, and a transmission member 55. Among these, the housing 51 is comprised using the cylindrical body provided with an opening part in the up-and-down both ends. Further, the housing 51 includes a valve body storage portion 51a positioned below and a transmission member support portion 51b positioned above.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in the housing 51, the inner diameter and the outer diameter of the transmission member support portion 51b are made smaller in steps than the inner diameter and the outer diameter of the valve body storage portion 51a. In the outer peripheral surface of the housing 51, a portion constituting the boundary between the valve body storage portion 51a and the transmission member support portion 51b is a ring-shaped surface (hereinafter referred to as “contacted surface”) 51c directed upward. Further, the transmission member support 51b holds the support member 56 in a rotatable state.

  The fixed valve body 52 is disposed in a fixed state inside the valve body housing 51a, and has a hot water supply valve hole (not shown), a water supply valve hole (not shown), and a hot water outflow hole 52c (see FIG. 3). In the state of penetrating vertically. The primary end of the hot water supply valve hole is always in communication with the secondary end of the hot water supply pipe 24, and the primary end of the hot water supply valve hole is connected to the secondary side of the hot water supply pipe 24. Always in communication with the end. Further, the secondary side end of the hot water outflow hole 52 c is always in communication with the primary side end of the water discharge pipe 25.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the movable valve body 53 is disposed on the upper surface portion of the fixed valve body 52 inside the valve body storage portion 51 a and is slidable on the fixed valve body 52. The movable valve body 53 is provided with a hot water / water mixing recess 53a that opens on the lower surface (that is, the sliding surface with the fixed valve body 52). The movable valve body 53 slides on the fixed valve body 52, and the degree of communication of the hot water valve hole with the hot water mixing recess 53a and the degree of communication of the hot water valve hole with the hot water mixing recess 53a are as follows. By adjusting, the temperature of the hot water flowing into the hot water outlet hole 52c (that is, hot water discharged from the water discharger T) and the amount of discharged water are adjusted. In the upper surface portion of the movable valve element 53, a “pressure receiving recess 53b” for receiving a driving force is opened.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the transmission member 55 can be rotated integrally with the support member 56 and is supported by the support member 56 in a swingable (tilting) state. The lower end 55 a of the transmission member 55 is inserted into the “pressure receiving recess 53 b” inside the housing 51. When the transmission member 55 tilts in a direction to reduce the inclination of the axis, the movable valve body 53 is pressed backward (in a direction away from the user) by the lower end portion 55a of the transmission member 55, and the movable valve body 53 is pressed. Move in a direction away from the user (see FIG. 3). Further, when the transmission member 55 is tilted in the direction of increasing the inclination of the axis, the movable valve body 53 is pressed forward (in a direction approaching the user) by the lower end portion 55a of the transmission member 55, and the movable valve body 53 is pressed. Moves in a direction approaching the user (see FIG. 4). Further, when the transmission member 55 is rotated, the movable valve body 53 is rotated on the fixed valve body 52.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the upper end portion side of the transmission member 55 protrudes above the transmission member support portion 51b (above the housing 51). A specific example of the insertion portion 55 s is configured by the upper end portion side of the transmission member 55. The insertion portion 55s has a substantially rectangular cross section, and has a recess 55u for retaining the opening in the front portion. The insertion portion 55s is attached to the lever handle 30 in a state in which the insertion portion 55s is fitted to a substantially square cylindrical fixing bush 55b. An insertion hole 55c is provided in the front wall of the fixing bush 55b to prevent it from coming off. The insertion hole 55c penetrates the front wall portion of the fixing bush 55b in the thickness direction, and has an axis inclined obliquely downward toward the front (user side) of the faucet S.

  In the present embodiment, the transmission member 55 is constituted by a single member, but this transmission member 55 can also be constituted by using “a plurality of connected members”. Further, at the upper end of the insertion portion 55s, a fixing female screw portion (female screw portion provided in the axial direction of the insertion portion 55s) 55m is exposed. However, the female screw portion 55m is provided to enhance the versatility of the valve device 50, and in the present embodiment, the female screw portion 55m is not used. In other words, the female screw portion 55m is provided so that the valve device 50 can also be applied to a conventional water faucet (a water faucet that is screwed from the upper surface of the lever handle). Further, an insertion hole 55d concentric with the female threaded portion 55m is also provided in the upper wall portion of the fixing bush 55b. This through-hole 55d also defines the valve device 50 as a “conventional faucet”. In this embodiment, the insertion hole 55d is not used. For this reason, in this embodiment, the formation of the female screw portion 55m and the insertion hole 55d can be omitted.

  As shown in FIG.5 and FIG.6, the fixing member 60 is comprised by the cylinder shape provided with the opening part up and down. The fixing member 60 includes an upper part 61, an intermediate part 62, and a lower part 63. Among these, the inner diameter of the upper portion 61 constituting the upper end side of the fixing member 60 is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the transmission member support portion 51b, and the transmission member support portion 51b can be fitted inside the upper portion 61. ing.

  In the intermediate portion 62 located immediately below the upper portion 61, the outer diameter and inner diameter thereof are made larger in steps than the outer diameter and inner diameter of the upper portion 61. Further, the inner diameter of the intermediate part 62 is substantially equal to the inner diameter of the valve body storage part 51a. Furthermore, the outer diameter of the lower part 63 located immediately below the intermediate part 62 is larger than the outer diameter of the intermediate part 62 in a step shape. Further, the inner diameter of the lower part 63 is made equal to the inner diameter of the intermediate part 62, and the valve body storage part 51 a can be fitted inside the intermediate part 62 and the lower part 63.

  As shown in FIG. 6, on the outer peripheral surface of the fixing member 60, a portion located at the boundary between the upper portion 61 and the intermediate portion 62 is a ring-shaped surface that is directed upward (hereinafter referred to as a “pressed surface”). 65. Further, on the outer peripheral surface of the fixing member 60, a portion located at the boundary between the intermediate portion 62 and the lower portion 63 is also a ring-shaped surface (hereinafter referred to as “regulating surface”) 66 that points upward. Further, “a male screw portion 67 for retaining” is provided at a portion located on the upper end side of the intermediate portion 62 on the outer peripheral surface of the fixing member 60.

  As shown in FIG. 6, in the inner peripheral surface of the fixing member 60, a portion located at the boundary between the upper portion 61 and the intermediate portion 62 is referred to as a ring-shaped surface (hereinafter referred to as “contact surface”) that faces downward. ) 68. In addition, a female screw portion 69 that can be screwed with the male screw portion 26 of the mounting portion 21 is provided in a portion located on the lower end side on the inner peripheral surface of the fixing member 60. ,

  In the present embodiment, after the valve device 50 is mounted on the upper surface portion of the mounting portion 21, the fixing member 60 is mounted on the mounting portion 21. That is, the female screw portion 69 of the fixing member 60 is screwed into the male screw portion 26 of the mounting portion 21 while covering the valve device 50 with the fixing member 60 (see FIG. 2). At this time, the transmission member support portion 51 b is fitted to the upper portion 61, the valve body storage portion 51 a is fitted to the intermediate portion 62 and the lower portion 63, and the contact surface 68 of the fixing member 60 is contacted with the housing 51. It abuts on the contact surface 51c from above.

  Thereby, as shown in FIG. 2, the valve device 50 is fixed to the faucet body 20. At this time, the transmission member support portion 51 b (that is, the portion on the upper end side of the fixing member 60) is exposed upward from the opening at the upper end of the main body portion 11. Further, the insertion portion 55 s of the transmission member 55 is exposed upward through the opening on the upper end side of the fixing member 60.

  The concealment cover 70 is a cover body for covering the upper end portion of the fixing member 60, and is configured in a substantially cylindrical shape with openings at the top and bottom as shown in FIGS. The concealment cover 70 can be packaged on the upper end side of the fixing member 60 while maintaining a predetermined clearance. Further, the inner diameter of the upper end side portion (upper opening side portion) 71 of the concealing cover 70 is reduced in a stepped shape.

  As shown in FIG. 6, on the inner peripheral surface of the concealment cover 70, the lower end portion of the upper end side portion (upper opening side portion) 71 has a ring-shaped surface (hereinafter referred to as “pressed surface”) directed downward. 73) is provided. In addition, on the inner peripheral surface of the concealment cover 70, a “female retaining female screw portion 74” is provided at a position located on the lower end side.

  The coil spring 80 has an outer shape as shown in FIG. 5 and constitutes a specific example of an elastic support portion. The outer diameter of the coil spring 80 is slightly smaller than the outer diameters of the pressed surface 65 and the pressed surface 73, and the inner diameter of the coil spring 80 is slightly smaller than the inner diameters of the pressed surface 65 and the pressed surface 73. (See FIG. 2). The inner diameter of the coil spring 80 is larger than the outer diameter of the upper portion 61, but smaller than the outer diameter of the intermediate portion 62.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the concealing cover 70 is attached to the upper end portion of the fixing member 60 with the coil spring 80 interposed between the pressed surface 65 and the pressed surface 73. The Specifically, the concealment cover 70 is attached to the fixing member 60 from above with the coil spring 80 interposed between the pressed surface 65 and the pressed surface 73. That is, with the coil spring 80 inserted inside the concealing cover 70, the concealing cover 70 is rotated in one direction so that the “unscrewing female screw portion 74” of the concealing cover 70 and the fixing member 60 The “retaining male screw portion 67” is screwed. Even after the screwing of the female screw portion 74 and the male screw portion 67 is completed, when the amount of rotation of the concealment cover 70 is further increased, the female screw portion 74 has passed the male screw portion 67 downward. It becomes.

  At this time, since the coil spring 80 is interposed in a compressed state between the pressed surface 65 and the pressed surface 73, an upward biasing force is applied from the coil spring 80 to the concealing cover 70. However, even if an upward biasing force is applied to the concealing cover 70, the female screw portion 75 below the male screw portion 67 cannot get over the male screw portion 67 (see the concealment cover 70 as described above). Therefore, the concealing cover 70 is kept attached to the upper end portion of the fixing member 60.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 2, the upper half 75 of the concealment cover 70 protrudes above the main body 11, and the lower half 76 of the concealment cover 70 is between the fixing member 60 and the main body 11. Inserted into. In addition, an empty space 78 is formed between the lower end 77 of the concealment cover 70 and the regulation surface 66 (see FIG. 2). For this reason, when the concealment cover 70 is pressed downward, the concealment cover 70 can move downward (moves downward within a range until the lower end 77 contacts the restriction surface 66). In this embodiment, the upper opening of the fixing member 60 is positioned below the upper opening of the concealing cover 70.

  Next, the lever handle 30 will be described with reference to FIG. The lever handle 30 includes a handle body 31, a mounting boss 32, and a handle portion 38 that protrudes forward from the front surface portion of the handle body 31. By the way, in the lever handle 30 of the embodiment, when the axis of the handle portion 38 is horizontal and the protruding end portion of the handle portion 38 is directed to the front of the water tap S (on the user side), the lever handle 30 is provided. Is the basic attitude. This basic posture is a state in which no operation is applied to the lever handle 30, that is, a state in which the lever handle 30 is not subjected to water discharge operation or temperature adjustment operation, in other words, a "neutral state". Hereinafter, the structure and mounting method of the lever handle 30 will be described with reference to the case where the lever handle 30 is in this basic posture.

  The handle body 31 has a substantially container shape having a recess 35 with an opening 35a disposed below. More specifically, it includes a substantially disk-shaped ceiling portion 31a and a peripheral wall portion 31b that hangs down from the peripheral edge of the ceiling portion 31a. However, the total height of the peripheral wall portion 31b is the longest at the portion 31f corresponding to the front portion of the handle body 31, and is the shortest at the portion 31g corresponding to the rear portion of the handle main body 31, and from the portion 31f corresponding to the front portion to the rear portion. It is comprised so that it may reduce gradually toward the corresponding site | part 31g.

  The handle portion 38 protrudes forward from a portion 31 f corresponding to the front surface portion of the handle main body 31. The handle portion 38 is constituted by a long rod-shaped body.

  The mounting boss 32 is a portion constituting a specific example of the mounting portion, and is configured in a substantially rectangular tube shape. The mounting boss 32 protrudes obliquely rearward from the inner wall portion of the handle main body 31 (“rearward” is a direction away from the user) in the concave portion 35 of the handle main body 31. In other words, the mounting boss 32 has a hollow portion (substantially square pillar-shaped hollow portion) 32a into which the above-described fixing bush 55b can be fitted, and the axial center of the hollow portion 32a is directed rearward. "Slanted downward slope". More specifically, this mounting boss 32 protrudes in a substantially cylindrical shape obliquely downward from the back surface of the ceiling portion 31a, with the hollow portion 32a being made "inclined downward inclined" toward the rear.

  The front wall portion 32b of the mounting boss 32 is provided with a through hole 32c that penetrates in the thickness direction (that is, penetrates the outer surface portion and the inner surface portion of the mounting boss 32). The through-hole 32c has an inclined axis that is inclined downward toward the front (user side) of the faucet S. Further, the opening on the “outer peripheral surface side of the mounting boss 32” in the through hole 32 c is located on the lower end side of the mounting boss 32. The axial center (route line) of the through-hole 32c is extended toward the outside of the mounting boss 32 (in this embodiment, in front of the water tap S). 8 ”passes below the lower end of the handle body 31. That is, the outer side extension line L passes below the lower end portion of the peripheral wall portion 31b, more specifically below the lower end portion of the “region 31f corresponding to the front surface portion of the handle body 31 in the peripheral wall portion 31b”. ing. An internal thread portion 32d is provided on the inner wall portion of the through hole 32c.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the insertion portion 55s is inserted into the hollow portion 32a of the mounting boss 32 with the fixing bush 55b interposed therebetween, so that the lever Assembly of the handle 30 to the transmission member 55 is performed. That is, when the state in which the lever handle 30 is assembled to the transmission member 55 (hereinafter referred to as “assembled state”) is observed, the fixing bush 55 b is fitted into the hollow portion 32 a of the mounting boss 32. The insertion portion 55s is fitted inside the fixing bush 55b.

  When this assembled state is configured, the axial center of the through hole 32c of the mounting boss 32 and the axial center of the insertion hole 55c of the fixing bush 55b are aligned. In this state, the lever handle 30 can be attached to the transmission member 55 by mounting the male screw member 85 from the outside of the through hole 32c. The male screw member 85 shows a specific example of a retaining member, and can be configured using, for example, a screw or a plug.

  The male screw member 85 is attached as follows. That is, the shaft portion of the male screw member 85 is inserted while being screwed into the through hole 32c, and the shaft portion is inserted into the insertion hole 55c. Thereby, the one end part 85b side (the front-end | tip part side of the external thread member 85) of a shaft part is made to reach the inner side of the fixing bush 55b. Then, the “one end portion 85b side (tip end side)” enters the recess 55u for preventing the insertion portion 55s from coming off, thereby completing the attachment of the lever handle 30 to the transmission member 55. The “one end portion 85b side (tip end side)” may be screwed into the recess 55u for retaining, may only be fitted, or may only be locked. When the one end 85b side (tip end side) is screwed into the retaining recess 55u, it is desirable to provide a female screw portion on the inner wall of the retaining recess 55u.

  Further, in the present embodiment, a concave portion 31p that is continuous with the “hollow portion 32a of the mounting boss 32” is opened in the lower surface portion of the ceiling portion 31a. That is, the concave portion 31p is aligned coaxially with the insertion hole 55d and the female screw portion 55m described above, and the thickness of the ceiling portion 31a is reduced at the site where the concave portion 31p is formed. This is because the formation portion (the portion where the thickness is reduced) of the recess 31p applies the valve device 50 to a “conventional faucet (a faucet of a type that is screwed from the upper surface of the lever handle)”. In this case, it is a site where it is planned to form “an insertion hole for a male screw member”. That is, it is easy to form “an insertion hole for a male screw member for attachment” or the like in the ceiling portion 31a by providing a portion with a reduced thickness on the ceiling portion 31a. That is, in the present embodiment, the lever handle 30 can be easily transferred to a “conventional faucet” in accordance with a change in circumstances or the like, but from the lever handle 30 of the present embodiment, this recess 31p, that is, “ It is also possible to exclude “the thin part for diversion”.

  In this embodiment, when the lever handle 30 is attached to the transmission member 55, the upper half portion 75 of the concealing cover 70 surrounds the lower end portion side of the attachment boss 32 (see FIG. 2 and the like). . Since the through hole 32c is opened on the lower end side of the mounting boss 32, a concealing wall portion 75h is formed in front of the through hole 32c by the upper half portion 75 of the concealing cover 70.

  As shown in FIG. 4, when the lever handle 30 is tilted (when the handle portion 38 is tilted upward), the opening 35 a is tilted upward in the direction of the user. Among them, the “lower part” can be visually recognized. In addition, the “outer direction extension line L (shown in FIG. 8) L” of the through hole 32 c passes below the lower end portion of the handle body 31. However, in the present embodiment, a concealing wall portion 75h exists in the “lower portion of the recess 35”. For this reason, the user cannot visually recognize the through hole 32c and the male screw member 85 attached to the through hole 32c.

  Next, a specific example of the procedure for attaching and detaching the lever handle 30 configured as described above will be described. That is, in the mounting operation of the lever handle 30, first, the “insertion portion 55 s with the fixing bush 55 b mounted” is inserted into the hollow portion 32 a of the mounting boss 32 (or “the fixing bush 55 b is fitted. The insertion portion 55s is inserted into the mounting boss 32 "), and the lever handle 30 is tilted upward.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 8, the concealing cover 70 is moved downward against the urging force of the coil spring 80, and the concealing wall 75h is moved below the through hole 32c. Thereby, the through-hole 32c becomes visible from the front. Then, the “male screw member 85” is attached to the through hole 32c and the insertion hole 55c from the outside of the through hole 32c, and the “one end 85b side (tip end side) of the male screw member 85” is connected to the fixing bush. When it reaches the inside of 55b (that is, the recess 55u for retaining), the mounting operation of the lever handle 30 is completed.

  In the operation of removing the lever handle 30, first, the lever handle 30 is tilted upward as shown in FIG. At this time, the concealing cover 70 is moved downward while opposing the biasing force of the coil spring 80, the concealing wall 75h is moved below the through hole 32c, and the through hole 32c is visible from the front. To do. Then, the male screw member 85 is removed to the outside of the through hole 32c. When the lever handle 30 is removed from the transmission member 55, the removal operation of the lever handle 30 is completed. Thereafter, maintenance is performed on the components of the faucet S (the lever handle 30, the faucet body 20, the valve device 50, the fixing member 60, the concealing cover 70, the coil spring 80) as necessary, or the configuration of the faucet S The parts can be exchanged as necessary, and the faucet S can be maintained.

  According to the present embodiment, the through hole 32 c and the male screw member 85 can be concealed using the concealment cover 70. In addition, when the concealing cover 70 is moved downward against the urging force of the coil spring 80 when the lever handle 30 is attached or detached, the “concealment of the through hole 32c by the concealing wall 75h” is released. That is, in the faucet S of the present embodiment, it is not necessary to use a “sealing member”. Therefore, when the lever handle 30 is attached / detached, the “sealing member attaching / detaching operation” is not required, and it is possible to reduce the troubles such as assembly and maintenance of the lever handle 30.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, in the lever handle 30, “a portion that has been conventionally configured as a separate sealing member from the handle body 31” can be configured as a part of the handle body 31. That is, according to this embodiment, the structure of the lever handle 30 can be simplified. In addition, by reducing the number of components of the lever handle 30, the sense of unity of the lever handle can be enhanced, and the aesthetic appearance of the lever handle 30 and thus the faucet S can be improved.

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the outward extension line L (illustrated in FIG. 8) L of the through hole 32c passes below the lower end portion of the handle body 31. By tracing straight in the direction of the hole 32c, the male screw member 85 and the end of the tool can reach the through hole 32c. For this reason, according to the present Example, the effort of the assembly of the lever handle 30 and the maintenance of the lever handle 30 or the faucet S can be further reduced.

  According to the present embodiment, the cover member is configured using the concealment cover 70. That is, the housing 51 and the fixing device 60 for fixing the valve device (sliding valve cartridge) 50 including the fixed valve body 52 and the movable valve body 53 incorporated in the housing 51 to the faucet body 20 are provided. The concealing cover 70 for concealing the fixing member 60 so as not to be exposed as an external appearance is a movable type that can move in the vertical direction. In this case, the concealing cover 70 can be moved downward to expose the through hole 32c. Then, by moving the concealing cover 70 downward against the urging force of the coil spring 80, the assembly of the lever handle 30 and the like can be performed more smoothly.

  The scope of each invention is not limited to the specific modes shown in the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be exemplified within the scope of each invention. That is, in this embodiment, the elastic support portion is configured by using the coil spring 80 that is separate from the cover member (the concealment cover 70), but the elastic support portion is provided integrally with the cover member (the concealment cover 70). You can also. Further, the mode of the elastic support portion is not limited to the coil spring 80, but may be an elastic body configured using a leaf spring, rubber, or elastomer.

  For example, one or a plurality of leaf springs (which may be separate from or integral with the cover member) are disposed below the cover member (the cover 70 for concealment), and the leaf springs are arranged. The cover member (the cover 70 for concealment) may be urged upward by bending. In particular, it is possible to exemplify a mode in which a plurality of “long plate springs” are arranged in a circular shape below the cover member (the concealment cover 70).

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, an example in which an elastic support portion is disposed below the cover member (the concealment cover 70) and the cover member (the concealment cover 70) is supported by the elastic support portion is illustrated. You may support a cover member (covering cover 70) using the elastic support part arrange | positioned at the upper part of the covering cover 70). In this embodiment, the operation handle is shown as an example of a lever handle. However, the mode of the operation handle is not limited to the lever handle, and a cylindrical handle or a handle having one or more dents on the side surface. In addition, a handle having one or more protrusions on the side surface can be exemplified.

  The present invention can be used, for example, in the field of manufacturing, selling, installing, processing and the like of faucets.

It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the water tap of an Example. It is a principal part expanded longitudinal cross-sectional view of FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the valve apparatus of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which performed tilting operation to the lever handle which comprises the water tap of FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a fixing member, a coil spring, and a concealing cover in the faucet of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a fixing member and a concealing cover in the water faucet of FIG. 1. It is a principal part expanded longitudinal cross-sectional view of FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the valve apparatus of FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the valve apparatus of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

S; faucet,
10; outer cover (outer member),
20; faucet body,
30; lever handle,
31; handle body,
32; mounting boss (mounting part),
38; handle part,
50; valve device,
51; housing;
52; fixed valve body,
53; movable valve body,
55; a transmission member;
55s; insertion part,
60; fixing member,
70; cover for concealment,
80; coil spring (elastic support part),
85; Male screw member (member for retaining).

Claims (5)

A faucet body, a valve device attached to the faucet body, an operation handle disposed in a tiltable state and operating the valve device;
The operation handle includes a handle body having a recess opening downward, and a mounting portion provided in a substantially cylindrical shape downward or obliquely downward in the recess,
The valve device is provided by the operation handle while having a fixed valve body, a movable valve body slidably disposed with respect to the fixed valve body, and an insertion portion inserted into the attachment portion. A faucet comprising a transmission member for transmitting an operating force to the movable valve body,
The mounting portion is provided with a through-hole penetrating the outer surface portion and the inner surface portion, and a retaining member is attached to the through-hole from the outside of the outer surface portion of the mounting portion. By screwing, locking, or fitting one end portion projecting inward of the inner surface portion to the insertion portion, the insertion portion is prevented from coming off from the mounting portion,
In order to conceal the through-hole using the cover member, a cover member supported in a state in which downward movement is allowed using a predetermined elastic support member is disposed at a position around the mounting portion. And forming a concealing wall
The faucet according to claim 1, wherein when the cover member is moved downward against the urging force of the elastic support portion, the concealing wall portion moves below the through hole.   An outer side extension line configured by extending a route line of the through hole toward an outer side direction of an outer surface portion of the attachment portion passes below a lower end portion of the handle body. Item 1. The faucet according to item 1. The valve device comprises a housing containing the fixed valve body and the movable valve body,
The valve device is fixed to the faucet body using a fixing member that surrounds the housing in a substantially circular shape,
The outer member constituting the outer portion of the faucet includes an opening portion that opens upward, and the upper end portion side of the fixing member protrudes upward from the opening portion,
The cover member is configured by using a concealing cover that surrounds the upper end side of the fixing member in a substantially circular shape and conceals the upper end side of the fixing member. The faucet according to 2.   The faucet according to claim 3, wherein the elastic support portion is configured by using a coil spring interposed between an outer surface portion of the fixing member and an inner surface portion of the concealing cover. An operation handle mounting structure configured to mount the operation handle in a tiltable state with respect to a valve device mounted on the faucet body,
The operation handle includes a handle main body having a concave portion that opens downward, and a mounting portion that is provided in a substantially cylindrical shape downward or obliquely downward in the concave portion,
The valve device is provided by the operation handle while having a fixed valve body, a movable valve body slidably arranged with respect to the fixed valve body, and an insertion portion inserted into the attachment portion. A transmission member for transmitting an operating force to the movable valve body,
The mounting portion is provided with a through-hole penetrating the outer surface portion and the inner surface portion, and a retaining member is attached to the through-hole from the outside of the outer surface portion of the mounting portion. By screwing, locking, or fitting one end portion projecting inward of the inner surface portion to the insertion portion, the insertion portion is prevented from coming off from the mounting portion,
In order to conceal the through-hole using the cover member, a cover member supported in a state in which downward movement is allowed using a predetermined elastic support member is disposed at a position around the mounting portion. And forming a concealing wall
The operating handle mounting structure, wherein when the cover member is moved downward against the urging force of the elastic support portion, the concealing wall portion moves below the through hole.

Images