JP5268251B2 - Drain plug device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a drain stopper device capable of improving a sealing performance, improving aging resistance and weather resistance, facilitating the pull-out work of a drain stopper, prolonging the service life of a chain, eliminating the projection of a connection part of the drain stopper and the chain and sweeping away displeasure during use. <P>SOLUTION: In the drain stopper device including the drain stopper detachably mounted on a drain port provided in a bottom part of a bathtub and the chain whose one end is connected to the drain stopper and the other end is connected to the bathtub, a groove is provided in the lower surface of an outer peripheral flange part of the drain stopper tightly attached to the edge part of the drain port of the bathtub. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a drain plug device for opening and closing a drain outlet of a bathtub, and in particular, improving sealing performance, improving aging resistance and weather resistance, facilitating attachment / detachment work of a drain plug for opening and closing a drain outlet. The present invention relates to a device devised so as to eliminate discomfort when using a bathtub.

  The bathtub is configured as shown in FIG. 3, for example. First, there is a bathroom 101, and a bathtub 103 is accommodated and arranged in the bathroom 101. A water supply faucet 107 is attached to a predetermined position of the wall 105 of the bathroom 101. By opening the water supply faucet 107, water or hot water is supplied into the bathtub 103.

  Further, a drain outlet 109 is formed at a predetermined position at the bottom of the bathtub 103, and a drain plug 111 is detachably attached to the drain outlet 109. One end of a chain 113 is connected to the drain plug 111, and the other end of the chain 113 is connected to a predetermined position on the inner wall of the bathtub 103. The main part of the drain plug 111 is made of natural rubber.

  In use, the drain plug 111 is attached to the drain port 109 and the drain port 109 is closed. In this state, the water supply faucet 107 is opened to supply water or hot water into the bathtub 103. On the other hand, after use, the drain plug 111 is pulled out via the chain 113 to open the drain port 109. Thereby, the water or hot water in the bathtub 103 is discharged.

In addition, there exists patent document 1 etc. as what discloses the structure of the drain plug of the same kind, for example.
JP 07-22691 A

The conventional configuration has the following problems.
First, there was a problem that the sealing performance was poor. In this case, a gap is generated between the drain plug 111 and the drain port 109, and water or hot water in the bathtub 103 leaks through the gap. The reason why a gap is formed between the drain plug 111 and the drain port 109 is the deterioration of the natural rubber drain plug 111 due to secular change.
Another problem is that the operation is troublesome when the drain plug 111 is pulled out after use. This is because a large water pressure is acting on the drain plug 111, and the drain plug 111 is in full contact with the edge of the drain port 109. In particular, when a large number of bathtubs 103 are installed as in a hotel or an inn, and all of them are drained, it is a heavy burden.
Furthermore, as another problem, the connecting portion between the drain plug 111 and one end of the chain 113 protrudes greatly above the drain plug 111, and the tub user hits the body when taking a bath. There was a problem of feeling uncomfortable.

  The present invention has been made based on such points. The purpose of the present invention is to improve the sealing performance, improve the aging resistance and weather resistance, facilitate the pull-out operation of the drain plug, and extend the life of the chain. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a drain plug device that can eliminate the bulge of the connecting portion between the drain plug and the chain, and can eliminate discomfort during use.

In order to achieve the above object, a drain plug device according to claim 1 of the present invention includes a drain plug provided at the bottom of a bathtub and detachably attached to a drain outlet, one end of which is connected to the drain plug, and the other end of the drain plug. A drain plug device comprising a chain connected to the bathtub, wherein a groove is provided on a lower surface of the outer peripheral flange portion of the drain plug that is in close contact with an edge of the drain port of the bathtub, and the groove has air inside. der which is in close contact with the edge of the drain port in a state that penetrates is, the drain plug includes a drain plug body, a connecting metal fitting one end of the chain are furnished to the discharge valve body is connected A bottom cap incorporated into the bottom of the drain plug body, and between the drain plug body and the coupling bracket, between the drain plug body and the bottom cap, and between the coupling bracket and the bottom cap. There is an engagement structure between them. The engagement structure between the drain plug main body and the coupling metal fitting consists of the engagement structure between the stepped portion of the drain plug main body and the flange of the coupling metal fitting, and the convex part of the drain plug main body and the concave part of the coupling metal fitting. The engagement structure between the drain plug main body and the bottom cap includes an engagement structure between another stepped portion of the drain plug main body and the flange of the bottom cap, and a drain plug. It is comprised from the engagement structure of the recessed part of a main body, and the convex part of a bottom cap, and the engagement structure between the said coupling metal fitting and a bottom cap is the collar part of a coupling metal fitting, and the collar part of a bottom cap. And the engagement structure of the concave portion of the connecting metal fitting and the convex portion of the bottom cap .

As described above, according to the drain plug device according to the present invention, the drain plug that is detachably attached to the drain port provided at the bottom of the bathtub, and one end of the drain plug is connected to the drain and the other end is connected to the bathtub. In the drain plug device comprising the above-described chain, a groove is provided on the lower surface of the outer peripheral flange portion of the drain plug that is in close contact with the edge of the drain port of the bathtub. When it is stretched, it will be in close contact with the edge of the drain port with air entering the groove, thereby increasing the water-stopping property and facilitating the draining operation of the drain plug. . For example, this is extremely effective when a large number of bathtubs are installed as in hotels and inns. In addition, the life of the chain can be extended.
Further, when a plurality of the grooves are formed concentrically, the above effect can be further ensured.
Further, when the connecting portion between the one end of the chain and the drain plug is housed in the drain plug, the bulge disappears, so that discomfort during use can be eliminated.
Further, when a connection fitting is embedded in the drain plug and one end of the chain is connected to the connection fitting, a desired configuration can be obtained with a relatively simple configuration.
Further, when the main part of the drain plug is made of silicon rubber, aging resistance and weather resistance are improved and deterioration due to secular change is eliminated, so that stable sealing performance can be obtained over a long period of time.
Further, the drain plug is constituted by a drain plug body, a coupling metal fitting that is installed in the drain plug body and to which one end of the chain is connected, and a bottom cap that is incorporated in the bottom of the drain plug body, When an engagement structure is provided between the drain plug body and the coupling fitting, between the drain plug body and the bottom cap, and between the coupling fitting and the bottom cap, the drainage is integrated more firmly. A plug can be obtained.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a drain plug device according to the present embodiment, FIG. 1 (a) is a side view showing the entire configuration of the drain plug device, and FIG. 1 (b) is a line bb of FIG. 1 (a). It is an arrow view.
First, there is a drain plug 1. The drain plug 1 includes a drain plug body 3, a connection fitting 5 embedded in the drain plug body 3, and a bottom cap 7 attached to the lower surface side of the drain plug body 3. One end of a chain 9 is connected to the connecting metal fitting 5. A fixing tool 11 is connected to the other end of the chain 9 and is attached to the upper part of the inner wall of the bathtub (not shown) via the fixing tool 11.

  The drain plug body 3 is made of silicon rubber, and has a substantially hollow cylindrical shape with a central portion passing therethrough. The penetrating part is a through hole 13. Further, the drain plug body 3 is provided with a flange portion 15, and is seated on the edge portion 18 of the drain port 16 of the bathtub through the flange portion 15.

  The connecting metal fitting 5 is made of stainless steel and has a substantially hollow cylindrical shape. Further, one end of the chain 9 is built in the hollow portion 17 of the connecting metal fitting 5. Further, a stepped portion 19 is formed in the connecting metal fitting 5, and the stepped portion 19 is installed in a state of being engaged with the stepped portion 21 on the drain plug body 3 side. or. The connection fitting 5 is provided with a recess 23, and on the other hand, a projection 25 that engages with the recess 23 is formed on the drain plug body 3 side.

  Although it is the said bottom cap 7, this is also a product made from a silicone rubber like the drain plug main body 3 already demonstrated. Further, the bottom cap 7 is formed with a flange portion 27, and this flange portion 27 is installed in a state of being engaged in a groove 29 formed in the drain plug body 3. Further, the connecting metal fitting 5 already described has a recess 31, while the bottom cap 7 has a protrusion 33 that engages with the recess 31.

The chain 9 has a structure in which a plurality of balls 35 are connected via a plurality of rod bodies 37.
And in the hollow part 17 of the connection metal fitting 7, the said ball | bowl 35 is connected in the state embedded by one.

  Next, the manufacturing process of the drain plug 1 will be described. First, there is a mold (not shown) having a predetermined shape, and the connecting metal fitting 5 is disposed in the mold, and a silicone rubber resin is poured into the mold. As a result, the drain plug body 3 and the coupling fitting 7 are molded in an integrated state. On the other hand, the bottom cap 7 is molded using a separately prepared mold (not shown). Then, the bottom cap 7 is pushed into and integrated with the bottom portion of the integrally formed drain plug main body 3 using a press machine (not shown).

Now, a plurality of (three in the case of this embodiment) annular projections 41 are projected and formed on the back side of the flange portion 15 of the drain plug main body 3 already described. An annular groove 43 is formed between the three annular protrusions 41. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to improve the water stop performance and facilitate the work of removing the drain plug 1. That is, when the drain port is closed by the drain plug 1, the annular groove 41 is in close contact with the air, thereby improving the water stop performance and closing the drain port by the drain plug 1. This is because when the drain plug 1 is pulled out to be drained after being supplied and used, it can be pulled out with a small force.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the following operations and effects can be achieved.
First, the sealing performance can be greatly improved. This is because the main part of the drain plug 1 is made of silicon rubber. Specifically, the drain plug main body 3 and the bottom cap 7 are made of silicon rubber, which can enhance aging resistance and weather resistance, and thereby deteriorate even after long-term use. Without this, stable sealing performance can be maintained over a long period of time.
Moreover, the work of pulling out the drain plug 1 after using the bathtub is greatly facilitated. This is because a plurality of annular projections 41 are provided on the back side of the flange 15 of the drain plug body 3 of the drain plug 1, and a plurality of annular grooves 43 are formed between the annular projections 41, This is because a non-contact portion is provided. That is, since the air tightly enters the annular groove 43, the sealing performance is improved, and a small force is required when pulling out the drain plug 1 after using the bathtub. Such an effect is extremely effective when a plurality of bathtubs are installed such as hotels and inns, and all of them must be subjected to wastewater treatment, and work for drainage is easy. As a result, the working time is greatly shortened.
In the case of this embodiment, the connecting portion between the drain plug 1 and the chain 9 is configured not to protrude greatly above the drain plug 1, so that the protruding portion hits the body during use as in the prior art. Neither will the user feel uncomfortable.
or,
Looking at the configuration of the drain plug 1, in the relationship between the drain plug body 1 and the connection bracket 5, the engagement structure between the flange portion 19 of the connection bracket 5 and the stepped portion 21 of the drain plug body 3, for connection Due to the engagement structure between the concave portion 23 of the metal fitting 5 and the convex portion 23 on the drain plug body 3 side, the integration of the two is assured. Similarly, in the relationship between the connecting metal fitting 5 and the bottom cap 7, the integration of both is ensured by the engagement structure of the concave portion 31 of the connecting metal fitting 5 and the convex portion 33 of the bottom cap 7. . Further, in the relationship between the drain plug main body 1 and the bottom cap 7, both are integrated by the engagement structure of the flange portion 27 of the bottom cap 7 and the groove 29 of the drain plug main body 1. And the drain plug main body 3, the connection metal fitting 5, and the bottom cap 7 are united firmly, and these structures can provide the stable function over a long period of time.

Since various tests were conducted for the case where the drain plug device according to the present embodiment was used and the case where the conventional product was used, the effect of the drain plug device according to the present embodiment was confirmed.
There are two types of tests, one conducted based on the “bathtub performance test method” of JIS standard and the other conducted by the applicant based on a unique standard.

First, “water stop test A” was performed. This is as follows. First, grasp the place 10cm from the bottom of the drain plug chain, let it fall freely from the position 1cm right above the drain port, close the drain port, and press the drain port with 50N (5.1kgf) force from above Closed. Next, water is supplied until the water depth near the drain outlet becomes 40 cm. And the amount of water leaks after 1 hour passes after water supply is measured.
As a result, in the case of the drain plug device according to the present embodiment, the amount of water leakage was 0.001 (liter) or less. Moreover, regarding this test, the leakage amount of the conventional product was 0.001 (liter) or less. The acceptable range of JIS is within 0.03 (liter) / h (hour).

Next, “water stop test B” was performed. First, a place 10 cm from the bottom of the chain 9 of the drain plug 1 is gripped and freely dropped from a position 1 cm directly above the drain port to close the drain port. After that, water is supplied until the water depth near the drain becomes 40 cm without pressing. And the amount of water leaks after 1 hour passes after water supply is measured.
As a result, in the case of the drain plug 1 according to the present embodiment, the amount of water leakage was 0.12 (liter). In addition, regarding this test, the leakage amount of the conventional product exceeded 0.3 (liter). The acceptable range of JIS is within 0.3 (liter) / h (hour). Therefore, the conventional product cannot pass, but in the case of this embodiment, it is well within the pass range.

Next, “water stop test C” was performed. The water is supplied until the drain outlet is closed by the drain plug 1 until the water is almost full. Then, after grasping a 45 cm place from the bottom of the chain 9 and pulling it up and draining it, the water depth near the drain port is lowered to 40 cm, and then the drain plug 1 is dropped from the position 1 cm above the drain port and closed. And the amount of water leaks after 1 hour passes after closing is measured.
As a result, in the case of the drain plug 1 according to the present embodiment, the amount of water leakage was 0.001 (liter). In addition, regarding this test, the leakage amount of the conventional product was also 0.001 (liter). The acceptable range of JIS is within 0.3 (liter) / h (hour).

Next, a tensile test was performed separately from the above various water stop tests.
First, a destructive test was performed by applying a tensile force of 200 N (20.3 kgf). In this case, neither the present embodiment nor the conventional product was damaged or deformed in the chain or the drain plug. The acceptable range of JIS is defined as that no damage or deformation occurs in the chain or connecting ring when a destructive test is performed by applying a tensile force of 200 N (20.3 kgf).
The test so far is a test performed based on the “bathtub performance test method” of JIS standard.

Next, based on the applicant's own criteria, the pulling force of the drain plug when water was filled was measured. That is, an appropriate amount of water was filled in the bathtub (about 70% of the full water capacity), and the pulling force when the drain plug was opened by pulling the chain by pulling the chain was measured. In the case of the drain plug according to the present embodiment, it was 10.4 N (1.06 kgf, average of 10 times), whereas in the case of the conventional product, 42.3 N (4.31 kgf, average of 10 times). Value). In the case of the present embodiment, it can be opened with a very small force as compared with the prior art.

The present invention is not limited to the one embodiment.
First, the configuration of the back side of the collar portion 15 of the drain plug body is not limited to the illustrated one, and various numbers of annular protrusions and annular grooves are assumed.
In addition, the illustrated configuration is merely an example.

The present invention relates to a drain plug device that is detachably attached to a drain outlet of a bathtub, and in particular, has been devised so as to improve sealing performance, facilitate attachment / detachment work, and eliminate discomfort when using a bathtub. For example, it is suitable as a drain plug device for a bathtub in a hotel or inn.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a figure which shows one embodiment of this invention, FIG. 1 (a) is a side view which shows the whole structure of a drain plug device, FIG.1 (b) is a bb arrow line view of FIG.1 (a). . It is a figure which shows one embodiment of this invention, and is a fragmentary sectional view which expands and shows the II section of Fig.1 (a). It is the figure used for description of a prior art example, and is a perspective view which shows the structure of the whole bathtub.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Drain plug 3 Drain plug main body 5 Connecting metal fitting 7 Bottom cap 9 Chain 19 Recess part of connecting metal 21 Stepped part 23 Recess part of connecting metal fitting 25 Convex part of drain plug main body 27 Drain part of bottom cap 29 Drain plug main body Groove 31 Coupling concave portion 33 Bottom cap convex portion 41 Annular projection 43 Annular groove

Claims (1)

In the drain plug device comprising: a drain plug provided at the bottom of the bathtub and detachably attached to the drain port; and a chain having one end connected to the drain plug and the other end connected to the bathtub.
A groove is provided on the lower surface of the outer peripheral flange of the drain plug that is in close contact with the edge of the drain of the bathtub,
The groove is all SANYO in a state that enters into the air inside is in close contact with the edge of the drain port,
The drain plug is composed of a drain plug main body, a coupling fitting that is built in the drain plug main body and to which one end of the chain is connected, and a bottom cap that is incorporated into the bottom of the drain plug main body.
An engagement structure is provided between the drain plug main body and the coupling metal fitting, between the drain plug main body and the bottom cap, and between the coupling metal fitting and the bottom cap, respectively.
The engagement structure between the drain plug main body and the coupling metal fitting includes an engagement structure between the stepped portion of the drain plug main body and the flange portion of the coupling metal fitting, a convex part of the drain plug main body, and a concave part of the coupling metal fitting. The engagement structure of
The engagement structure between the drain plug main body and the bottom cap includes an engagement structure between another stepped portion of the drain plug main body and the flange of the bottom cap, a concave portion of the drain plug main body, and a convex portion of the bottom cap. The engagement structure of
The engagement structure between the coupling metal fitting and the bottom cap includes an engagement structure between the collar part of the coupling metal part and the collar part of the bottom cap, and engagement between the concave part of the coupling metal part and the convex part of the bottom cap. A drain plug device characterized by comprising a structure.

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