JP6716268B2 - Water faucet - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a faucet, and more particularly to a structure for attaching and detaching a water discharge head in a faucet.

BACKGROUND ART There is known a faucet in which a faucet body and a water discharge head which is a tip portion of the water faucet are configured as separate parts, and the water discharge head is replaceable. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a faucet in which a water discharge pipe, which is a water discharge head, is detachably attached to a water discharge pipe body, which is a water faucet body.

JP 2002-81108 A

By the way, in the faucet described in Patent Document 1, the rear end portion of the water discharge pipe is coupled to a water discharge elbow in the water discharge pipe body, and the water discharge pipe is supported by the water discharge pipe body. Specifically, a water discharge pipe having an annular groove into which an O-ring is fitted, an annular protrusion, and a pair of protrusion claws is used, and a rear end portion of the water discharge pipe is inserted through an insertion hole of a water discharge pipe body to engage a water discharge elbow. Abut the stop hole. At this time, the water discharge pipe is supported by the water discharge pipe body by sandwiching the pair of projection claws around the insertion hole of the water discharge pipe body, and the rear end portion of the water discharge elbow is supported by the annular projection abutting around the communication hole. Abut the locking hole. Then, the O-ring is fitted to the inner peripheral surface of the locking hole portion to secure the sealed state. With this configuration, the water discharge pipe is supported by the water discharge elbow.

However, with the faucet described in Patent Document 1, when the water discharge pipe that is in close contact with the water discharge elbow is removed, water remaining in the water discharge pipe or the water discharge elbow may leak inside the water discharge pipe body. Also, when re-installing, the water discharge pipe will be connected to the water discharge elbow in the water discharge pipe body that is the faucet main body, but at this time, if these connection parts do not adhere sufficiently , There is a risk that water will leak from these connections inside the water discharge pipe body. If water leaks inside the faucet body, the discovery may be delayed and water may invade an originally dry area outside the sink, which may increase damage caused by the water leak. As described above, the conventional faucet has room for improvement from the viewpoint of reducing the possibility of water leakage in the faucet body.

The object of the present invention is made in view of such a problem, and provides a faucet technology in which the water discharge head can be replaced and the possibility of water leakage in the faucet body can be reduced. It is in.

In order to solve the above problems, a water faucet according to an aspect of the present invention includes a water passage member, a water faucet body portion having a housing mounted so as to cover at least a side surface of the water passage member, and a water faucet body portion. And a water discharge head that is detachably attached. The water-permeable member and the water-discharging head communicate with each other, and has a tubular member that is provided so as to project from the faucet body, and the housing projects from the portion that covers the side surface of the water-permeable member, and the joint pipe into which the tubular member is inserted. has, in the water discharge head, have a storage portion for storing tubular member and joint pipe, one end of the tubular member is connected to the water passing portion of the water discharge head, the other end of the tubular member, is connected to the water passage member through the joint pipe, the tubular member may be have a water passage leading to the inside from the water flow member to the water discharge head.

According to this aspect, since the water passing member and the water discharge head are connected to each other and the cylindrical member is provided so as to project from the faucet body, even when the water discharge head is removed, the upstream end of the tubular member is Since it is still connected to the water passage member inside the faucet body, the risk of water leakage inside the faucet body can be reduced.

Another aspect of the present invention is a water discharge head. The water spouting head is a water spouting head that is detachably attached to the faucet body, and the water spouting head has an accommodating portion that accommodates a protruding pipe portion that projects from a side surface of the faucet body. The protruding pipe portion includes a joint pipe and a tubular member that is inserted into the joint pipe and a part of which is exposed. The accommodating portion has a first accommodating portion surrounding the tubular member and a second accommodating portion surrounding the joint pipe.

According to this aspect, since the accommodating portion has the first accommodating portion that surrounds the tubular member of the protruding pipe portion and the second accommodating portion that surrounds the joint pipe, the accommodating portion has a two-stage structure. By forming a seal between the first accommodating portion and the tubular member to suppress water leakage, and surrounding the joint pipe in the second accommodating portion, radial play can be suppressed.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a faucet technology in which the water discharge head can be replaced and the possibility of water leakage in the faucet body can be reduced.

It is a side view of the water faucet which concerns on embodiment. It is a disassembled perspective view of the water faucet which concerns on embodiment. It is a disassembled perspective view of the water discharge head of the water faucet which concerns on embodiment. It is a side view of the periphery of the protruding pipe part of the water faucet according to the embodiment. It is explanatory drawing explaining the periphery of the joint pipe of the water faucet which concerns on embodiment. It is a side view of the cylindrical member of the water faucet which concerns on embodiment. It is explanatory drawing explaining the process in which a tubular member engages with a joint pipe. It is sectional drawing of the water discharge head of the water tap which concerns on embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the water discharge head which has a water purifying function. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the water faucet with the water discharge head of FIG. 9 attached. It is a side view explaining the connection mechanism of the faucet which concerns on a modification.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on the preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. The same or equivalent constituent elements and members shown in each drawing will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicative description will be appropriately omitted. In addition, the dimensions of the members in each drawing are appropriately enlarged or reduced for easier understanding. Further, in each drawing, some of the members that are not important for explaining the embodiment are omitted.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a water faucet 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the water faucet 100. The faucet 100 has a detachable structure that can be exchanged by general users. The water discharge head 106 shown in FIG. 1 is a type that does not have a water purification function. Hereinafter, description will be made based on the XYZ orthogonal coordinate system. The direction X corresponds to the horizontal left-right direction, the direction Y corresponds to the horizontal front-back direction, and the direction Z corresponds to the vertical up-down direction. The direction Y and the direction Z are orthogonal to the direction X, respectively. The direction X may be described as left or right, the direction Y may be described as front or rear, and the direction Z may be described as upward or downward. In FIG. 1, when viewing the faucet 100 from the direction of arrow P, the right side is called the right and the left side is called the left.

As shown in FIG. 2, the faucet 100 includes a faucet body portion 112 having a protruding pipe portion 20 protruding from a side surface of the body, and a water discharge head 106 detachably attached to the faucet body portion 112. The protruding pipe portion 20 includes a joint pipe 118, and a tubular member 172 that is inserted into the joint pipe 118 and partially exposed in the axial direction. The water discharge head 106 accommodates the protruding pipe portion 20. It has a housing portion 10. The joint pipe 118 and the tubular member 172 will be described later.

(Faucet body)
As shown in FIG. 1, the water faucet body 112 includes a water passage member 84, a housing 86, and a water discharge handle 102. The water passage member 84 includes the connection joint 82, the column portion 108, and the water passage 110. The housing 86 includes the protruding tube portion 20, the rotating portion 104, and the strut cap 114. The protruding tube portion 20 protrudes radially from the rotating portion 104, which is the side surface of the main body, preferably obliquely upward. Hereinafter, the direction along the central axis M of the protruding tube portion 20 is called the axial direction, and the direction orthogonal to the central axis M is called the radial direction.

The column 108 is fixed to a kitchen or the like and has a water pipe 110 therein. The rotating unit 104 is installed so as to cover the column unit 108. The rotating unit 104 rotates in the horizontal direction around the column unit 108. The rotating portion 104 is resin-plated and has an outer surface provided with a plated surface having metallic luster. The column cap 114 is provided on the upper side of the rotating unit 104 and is connected to the column unit 108. The rotating portion 104 is positioned by the column cap 114 so as not to come out vertically. When the user vertically moves the water discharge handle 102 on the column cap 114, the water discharge handle 102 moves the operation protrusion 116 back and forth, thereby opening and closing a valve (not shown) built in the column unit 108.

(Protruding pipe part)
As shown in FIG. 2, the protruding pipe portion 20 includes a joint pipe 118 and a tubular member 172. The joint pipe 118 is a tubular portion that continuously projects from the rotating portion 104. The tubular member 172 is inserted inside the joint pipe 118 and connected to the connection joint 82 through the water passage port 124. The connection joint 82 is connected to the water pipe 110 via a valve. The water discharge head 106 is detachably attached to the rotating unit 104 in a state where the projecting pipe portion 20 is accommodated. As shown in FIG. 1, the end portion of the water discharge head 106 faces the side surface portion (outer peripheral surface) of the rotating portion 104. That is, the water discharge head 106 and the rotating part 104 (water faucet body part 112) face each other at the base of the joint pipe 118 where the joint pipe 118 branches from the rotating part 104.

The water discharge head 106 includes a housing portion 10 that houses the protruding tube portion 20. The water discharge head 106 accommodates up to the base portion of the joint pipe 118 when mounted. The water discharge head 106 is preferably in contact with the outer surface of the rotating portion 104, but is at least close to the outer surface of the rotating portion 104 so that the joint portion between the rotating portion 104 and the water discharging head 106 is inconspicuous.

(Fastener)
An insertion port 122 extending in the circumferential direction is provided in the lower portion of the water discharge head 106. After inserting the projecting tube portion 20 into the housing portion 10 of the water discharge head 106, the user inserts the fastener 120 from the insertion port 122. The fastener 120 has a clip shape and is made of, for example, a resin having a predetermined strength and elasticity. When the water discharge head 106 is mounted on the faucet body 112, the projecting pipe 20 is housed in the housing 10 of the water discharge head 106, and the water discharge head 106 is pushed toward the rotating part 104. Next, the fastener 120 is pushed by hand through the insertion port 122. The water discharge head 106 is fixed to the rotating portion 104 by the fastener 120 gripping (holding) the joint pipe 118 like a clip. If the fastener 120 is removed, the water discharge head 106 can be removed from the faucet body 112 by pulling the water discharge head 106 in the axial direction.

The "detachable" in the present embodiment does not include a structure for completely fixing the water discharge head 106 and the faucet body 112 by adhesion, welding, or the like. It is preferable that a general user can attach/detach at home by himself/herself, and that a special tool for attachment/detachment such as a screwdriver is not essential. Therefore, in the water faucet 100 of the present embodiment, the water discharge head 106 and the water faucet body 112 are fixed by the fastener 120. The fastener 120 can be inserted and removed with a finger or a nail without using a tool. The fastener 120 may be removed by hooking an arbitrary metal rod or the like. Using the fastener 120 is not an essential configuration.

The rotating part 104 may be rotated by applying a rotational force to the water discharge head 106 to operate it. At this time, the stress due to the rotation concentrates on the root portion of the joint pipe 118. Therefore, it is desirable to improve the connection strength between the joint pipe 118 and the rotating portion 104. Therefore, in the water faucet 100 of the present embodiment, an outer diameter enlarged portion 174 having an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the central portion of the joint pipe 118 is provided at the base portion of the joint pipe 118. The outer diameter enlarged portion 174 has, for example, a tapered shape.

The water discharge head 106 is mounted by being pushed toward the rotating portion 104 so as to accommodate all or part of the outer diameter enlarging portion 174. The water discharge head 106 may have its end portion abutted on the outer surface of the rotating portion 104 to completely accommodate the outer diameter enlarging portion 174.

(Water discharge head)
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the water discharge head 106. The water discharge head 106 includes an outer shell 126, an inner pipe 128, a water discharge port member 130, and a flow regulating member 132.

(Inner tube)
The inner pipe 128 is a tubular member extending substantially in the axial direction, and the housing portion 10 is provided at the upstream end thereof. The housing portion 10 houses the tubular member 172 and the protruding pipe portion 20 including the joint pipe 118. The inner pipe 128 has a water passage portion 184 (see also FIG. 1) that is a passage for water, and tap water passes from the water passage 110 through the tubular member 172 and the water passage portion 184 of the inner pipe 128. Then, the water reaches the water outlet member 130, passes through the flow regulating member 132, and is discharged to a sink (not shown). A valve (not shown) is connected to the water pipe 110. The valve is built in the column 108 and is opened and closed by the water discharge handle 102 and the operation protrusion 116.

The outer shell 126 is a casing of the water discharge head 106, and is a tubular member that covers the outer side of the inner pipe 128. That is, the water discharge head 106 has a double structure of the inner tube 128 and the outer shell 126. Since the water discharge head 106 has a double structure, the strength of the water discharge head 106 as a whole is improved. The rotating unit 104 is rotatably supported with the supporting column 108 as a rotation axis. The water discharge head 106 is connected to the protruding pipe portion 20 branched from the rotating portion 104. As the rotating unit 104 rotates, the water discharge head 106 rotates together with the rotating unit 104. Further, the connection joint 82 and the tubular member 172 rotate together with the water discharge head 106.

Since the water discharge head 106 is provided on the extension of the protruding pipe portion 20, by rotating the water discharge head 106 in the horizontal direction, the rotational force is transmitted to the joint pipe 118 of the protruding pipe portion 20 as it is. Therefore, the rotating operation by the user can be transmitted as the rotating force of the rotating unit 104. The protruding tube portion 20 does not form an external appearance when the water discharge head 106 is attached.

The inner pipe 128 may extend from the water spout member 130 to the end of the outer shell 126 facing the rotating portion 104 so as to cover substantially the entire area of the outer shell 126. In particular, the end portion of the inner tube 128 and the end portion of the outer shell 126 are substantially aligned. When the inner pipe 128 is attached to the faucet body 112, the inner pipe 128 is pushed so as to accommodate all or part of the outer diameter enlarged portion 174. The inner pipe 128 may have a shape in which a part of the inner pipe 128 projects from the end of the outer shell 126.

Since the outer shell 126 constitutes the appearance, aesthetics are important. Since the inner tube 128 is covered by the outer shell 126, the appearance is less likely and the aesthetics are less important. Since the inner pipe 128 is a passage for water and is directly joined to the joint pipe 118, high working accuracy is required especially for the inner structure thereof.

The outer shell 126 and the inner tube 128 can be formed from a resin material such as ABS resin or polyacetal by a molding process. In this case, it is advantageous to reduce the weight and cost of the outer shell 126 and the inner tube 128. By reducing the weight of the outer shell 126, the water discharge head 106 for replacement can be easily carried. The outer shell 126 is resin-plated and has a plated surface having metallic luster on the outer surface.

In the step of plating the resin component, the resin component is immersed in a high-temperature plating solution, so that the resin component may be deformed due to the high-temperature stress and the processing accuracy may be lowered. Therefore, in the water discharge head 106 in the embodiment, the inner pipe 128 is covered with the outer shell 126 to form a double structure, so that a plated surface is formed on the outer shell 126 where aesthetics are important, and processing accuracy is important. The tube 128 is configured to have no plating surface. In particular, the inner pipe 128 has a non-plated surface on the entire surface including the first housing portion 186 and the second housing portion 188.

The outer side surface of the rotating portion 104 has a curved surface shape that is a cylindrical shape. The end surface of the outer shell 126 and the end surface of the inner tube 128 have a shape that matches the curved surface shape of the outer surface of the rotating portion 104. In particular, the end surface of the outer shell 126 and the end surface of the inner tube 128 have a shape that matches the tapered surface of the outer diameter enlarged portion 174. With this configuration, the water discharge head 106 and the rotating portion 104 can be connected without a gap.

(Detachment mechanism)
Next, the attachment/detachment mechanism of the faucet 100 will be described. In the present embodiment, the water discharge head 106 is connected to the faucet body 112 by accommodating the protruding pipe portion 20 protruding from the rotating portion 104 in the accommodating portion 10 of the water discharge head 106. The housing portion 10 includes a first housing portion 186 and a second housing portion 188 described later. A boundary portion that is a joint portion between the water discharge head 106 and the rotating portion 104 is formed at the base of the joint pipe 118 of the protruding pipe portion 20. In the faucet 100, the water discharge head 106 covers the joint pipe 118 and the tubular member 172 of the protruding pipe portion 20 protruding from the side surface of the main body. Therefore, the outer shell 126 of the water discharge head 106 can be designed relatively freely in its inner diameter and outer diameter.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the configuration in which the water discharge head 106 accommodates the protruding pipe portion 20 protruding from the outer surface of the rotating portion 104, the surface of the rotating portion 104 serves as a boundary portion, and therefore the boundary surface is in the axial direction of the water discharging head. The joint is less visible than when it is in the middle of. As shown in FIG. 1, in the water discharge head 106, the inner pipe 128 accommodates the protruding pipe portion 20 and is directly connected to the rotating portion 104. The outer shell 126 covers the connecting portion of the inner pipe 128 and does not directly participate in the connecting portion. Therefore, the outer shell 126 is less likely to be stressed by the connection, and thus the degree of freedom in designing the shape and material of the outer shell 126 can be increased.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the vicinity of the protruding tube portion 20 of the water faucet 100. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the O-ring 152 is not attached. As shown in FIG. 4, the protruding pipe portion 20 includes a joint pipe 118 and a tubular member 172. The tubular member 172 has an outer diameter smaller than the tip of the joint pipe 118, and is inserted inside the joint pipe 118. The tubular member 172 is connected to the joint pipe 118 by a connection mechanism 90 described later. One end 172 a on the upper side (downstream side) of the tubular member 172 projects from the joint pipe 118 in the axial direction and is exposed from the joint pipe 118. The other end 172b on the lower side (upstream side) of the tubular member 172 is inserted into the water passage 124 in the rotating portion 104 and connected to the connection joint 82 (see also FIG. 1). An outer diameter enlarged portion 174 is formed at a connecting portion of the joint pipe 118 with the rotating portion 104. The outer diameter enlarging portion 174 has a tapered shape in which the outer diameter increases as it approaches the rotating portion 104. The joint pipe 118 is integrally formed with the rotating portion 104 by molding a resin material. When removing the joint pipe 118 and the rotating portion 104 from the mold, a portion corresponding to the joint pipe 118 may be extruded. In this case, it is possible to reduce scratches on the rotating portion 104 exposed to the outside.

As shown in FIG. 1, the end surface of the outer shell 126 of the water discharge head 106 and the end surface of the inner pipe 128 face the outer diameter enlarged portion 174. The outer shell 126 and the inner tube 128 are provided with a water discharge head end surface 180 which is a tapered end surface (see also FIG. 8 ). The taper surface of the end surface 180 of the water discharge head faces the taper surface of the outer surface of the outer diameter enlarging portion 174 at a substantially parallel angle. By making the taper surface of the end surface 180 of the water discharge head 106 the same curved surface shape as the taper surface of the outer diameter enlarged portion 174, the gap at the boundary can be made inconspicuous. The water spouting head 106 may face the rotating part 104 when at least a part of the end surface 180 of the water spouting head is in contact with or not in contact with the rotating part 104.

(Container)
As shown in FIG. 1, a water passage portion 184, a first accommodation portion 186, and a second accommodation portion 188 are provided on the inner surface of the inner pipe 128. The water passage portion 184 is a water passage provided on the downstream side of the first storage portion 186. The first accommodating portion 186 is provided on the downstream side of the second accommodating portion 188 and mainly accommodates the tubular member 172. The second storage portion 188 is provided on the upstream side of the first storage portion 186 and mainly stores the joint pipe 118. The upstream end surface 180 of the second storage portion 188 constitutes the end surface 180 of the water discharge head. The first accommodation portion 186 has an inner diameter larger than that of the water passage portion 184, and the second accommodation portion 188 has an inner diameter greater than that of the first accommodation portion 186. Since the accommodating part 10 has a two-stage structure of the first accommodating part 186 having a small diameter and the second accommodating part 188 having a large diameter, a seal is formed between the first accommodating part 186 and the tubular member 172 to prevent water leakage. It is possible to suppress, and it is possible to suppress play in the radial direction between the second accommodating portion 188 and the joint pipe 118.

As shown in FIG. 1, the tubular member 172 has an outer diameter smaller than that of the joint pipe 118, and an O-ring 152 is attached to the outer peripheral surface thereof. The O-ring 152 is made of elastic material such as rubber. The O-ring 152 serves as a seal between the tubular member 172 and the first accommodating portion 186 to prevent water from leaking out.

Since the outer diameter enlarged portion 174 is formed at the base of the joint pipe 118, the joint between the joint pipe 118 and the rotating portion 104 is strengthened. Since the curved surface shape of the end surface 180 of the water discharge head is the same curved surface shape as the outer diameter enlarged portion 174, the boundary portion is less noticeable. The “same curved surface shape” as used herein means that the end surface 180 of the water discharge head does not have a large gap, for example, a gap of 1.0 mm or more between the water discharge head 106 and the outer diameter enlarged portion 174. This means bringing the shape closer to the curved surface shape of the outer diameter enlarged portion 174.

(Connection mechanism)
Next, the connection mechanism 90 for connecting the tubular member 172 to the joint pipe 118 will be described. It is desirable for the tubular member 172 to be easily connected to the joint pipe 118 and the connection joint 82 for construction purposes, but when the water discharge head 106 is removed from the faucet body 112, the tubular member 172 is unintentionally connected. It is necessary to prevent the 172 from coming off the fitting pipe 118. Therefore, in the water faucet 100 of the embodiment, the tubular member 172 is connected to the joint pipe 118 by rotating the tubular member 172 with respect to the joint pipe 118 in the circumferential direction of the tubular member 172. The connection mechanism 90 is provided. By having such a connecting mechanism 90, the tubular member 172 is rotated in the opposite direction even when it is detached from the joint pipe 118. Therefore, the tubular member 172 may unintentionally come off from the joint pipe 118. Can be made smaller.

In order to bring the other end 172b on the upstream side of the tubular member 172 into close contact with the water passage 124, the tubular member 172 is preferably mounted so as to be pushed axially into the joint pipe 118. Therefore, in the water faucet 100 of the embodiment, the connection mechanism 90 causes the tubular member 172 to rotate in the circumferential direction of the tubular member 172 with respect to the joint pipe 118, so that the tubular member 172 rotates the shaft of the joint pipe 118. It is configured to be displaced in the direction. By rotating the tubular member 172, the tubular member 172 is displaced toward the upstream side of the joint pipe 118 in the axial direction, so that the other end 172b is pressed against the water passage port 124 to improve the adhesion between them. You can

Conversely, when the other end 172b has been in close contact with the water passage port 124 for a long period of time, the other end 172b may stick to the water passage port 124 and may not come off easily. Particularly, in the faucet having the O-ring 155 at the connecting portion as in the present embodiment, the O-ring 155 may be attached to the surrounding members due to long-term use. In this case, the O-ring 155 is peeled from the surrounding members, and the tubular member 172 is pulled out from the joint pipe 118 in the axial direction, which may require excessive force. In the present embodiment, the tubular member 172 is axially displaced from the joint pipe 118 toward the downstream side by rotating the tubular member 172 with respect to the joint pipe 118 in the direction opposite to that at the time of connection, and thus the other end 172b. It can be easily removed by peeling it from the water passage 124.

Next, the connection mechanism 90 of the water faucet 100 of the embodiment will be described in detail. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the periphery of the joint pipe 118. In FIG. 5, a circle F is a view of the periphery of the joint pipe 118 as seen from above, and a circle G is a view of the joint pipe 118 as seen from the axial direction. FIG. 6 is a side view of the tubular member 172. 6A is a view as seen from a side in a posture in which the engaging protrusions 192 of the tubular member 172 are located on both upper and lower sides, and FIG. 6B is an engaging protrusion of the tubular member 172. It is the figure which looked at the part 192 from the protrusion direction. In FIG. 6, the arrow T indicates the downstream side in the axial direction.

It is desirable that the connection mechanism 90 has a simple structure and is easy to produce. Therefore, in the water faucet 100 of the embodiment, the engaging groove portion is provided on one of the inner surface of the joint pipe 118 and the outer surface of the tubular member 172, and the inner surface of the joint pipe 118 and the other outer surface of the tubular member 172 are provided. Engagement protrusions that engage with the engagement groove portions are provided. In the water faucet 100, as shown in FIG. 5, an engagement groove portion 190 is provided on the inner surface of the joint pipe 118. The engagement groove portion 190 includes a groove portion 190a and a groove portion 190b that extend in the circumferential direction, respectively. The groove portion 190a and the groove portion 190b are provided at positions facing each other with a distance of approximately 180 degrees in the circumferential direction. The groove portion 190a and the groove portion 190b of the engaging groove portion 190 penetrate from the inner surface of the joint pipe 118 toward the outer surface thereof. The joint pipe 118 is provided with an introduction groove 191 extending from the end surface of the joint pipe 118 along the axial direction and connected to the engagement groove portion 190. The introduction groove 191 includes an introduction groove 191a connected to the groove portion 190a and an introduction groove 191b connected to the groove portion 190b. The introduction groove 191 does not penetrate from the inner surface to the outer surface of the joint pipe 118, and has a concave shape. The engagement groove portion 190 may also be formed in a concave shape that does not penetrate from the inner surface to the outer surface of the joint pipe 118.

On the outer surface of the cylindrical member 172, as shown in FIG. 6, an engagement protrusion 192 that engages with the engagement groove 190 is provided. The engaging protrusions 192 are protrusions that protrude outward in the radial direction, and are protruded from the protrusions 192a that are engaged with the groove portions 190a and the groove portions 190b, respectively, and are located at positions facing each other approximately 180 degrees apart in the circumferential direction. And a portion 192b. The convex portion 192a and the convex portion 192b are formed such that a cross section perpendicular to the protruding direction has a circular shape, an oval shape, a rectangular shape, a polygonal shape, or the like.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a process in which the tubular member 172 engages with the joint pipe 118. FIG. 7 shows the engagement groove 190 extending in the circumferential direction in the vertical direction, and shows a process in which the engagement protrusion 192 moves in the engagement groove 190. In FIG. 7, the arrow T indicates the downstream side in the axial direction. As shown in FIG. 7, the engagement groove portion 190 has an inlet portion 190m connected to the introduction groove 191 and an inner portion 190n circumferentially separated from the inlet portion 190m. The inlet portion 190m and the inner portion 190n are formed in a staggered manner by shifting in the axial direction. First, the engagement protrusion 192 enters the introduction groove 191 from the end surface of the joint pipe 118, as indicated by 192(1) in FIG. Next, the engagement protrusion 192 moves to the inlet 190m along the axial direction, as indicated by 192(2) in FIG. Next, as the cylindrical member 172 is rotated, the engagement protrusion 192 moves to the inner portion 190n along the circumferential direction, as indicated by 192(3) in FIG. At this time, since the inner part 190n is formed on the back side (the faucet body side) in a step different from the inlet part 190m, in the process of the engaging projection 192 moving from the inlet part 190m to the inner part 190n, The member 172 is displaced to the inner side of the joint pipe 118 in the axial direction.

As an example, the connection mechanism 90 is configured such that when the tubular member 172 rotates counterclockwise with respect to the joint pipe 118, the tubular member 172 is displaced in the direction of coming out of the joint pipe 118 and when the tubular member 172 rotates clockwise, The member 172 may be configured to be displaced in a direction in which it is pushed into the joint pipe 118. As described above, the connection mechanism 90 is configured such that the tubular member 172 is connected to the joint pipe 118 by rotating the tubular member 172 with respect to the joint pipe 118, and the tubular member 172 is joined. The tubular member 172 is configured to be displaced in the axial direction of the joint pipe 118 by rotating the pipe 118.

(Specific structure)
Next, a specific structure of the faucet 100 will be described. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the water discharge head 106 of the water faucet 100 according to the embodiment. The water discharge head 106 is connected to the water faucet body 112 of FIG. Hereinafter, a faucet in which the water spouting head 106 having no water purifying function is attached to the faucet body 112 may be referred to as a faucet 100a. As shown in FIG. 8, the inner pipe 128 of the water discharge head 106 is connected to the water discharge port member 130. An O-ring 154 is sandwiched between the inner pipe 128 and the spout member 130. The outlet of the water spout member 130 is capped by the rectifying member 132. The rectifying member 132 rectifies the flowing water from the inner pipe 128 to convert it into foam water.

As shown in FIG. 1, the tubular member 172 is inserted into the joint pipe 118, and the other end 172 b on the lower side of the tubular member 172 is connected to the water passage port 124. Water is stopped by an O-ring 155 between the other end 172b of the tubular member 172 and the water passage 124.

The water discharge head 106 is fixed to the joint pipe 118 by the fastener 120 gripping the joint pipe 118 with the joint pipe 118 inserted in the inner pipe 128. In particular, the fastener 120 is inserted from the insertion port 122a of the outer shell 126 and holds the joint pipe 118 through the insertion port 122b of the inner pipe 128.

(Water purification function)
Next, the water discharge head 148 having a water purification function will be described. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the water discharge head 148 having a water purifying function, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the water faucet 100b in which the water discharge head 148 is attached to the water faucet body 112. The water faucet 100b is obtained by removing the water discharge head 106 having no water purifying function from the water faucet body 112 of the water faucet 100a and replacing it with a water discharging head 148 having a water purifying function.

The water discharge head 148 includes an inner tube 170, an outer shell 164, a water discharge member 160, a water purification handle 162, an O ring 166, a valve 168, a cartridge holder 156, and a water purification cartridge 158. The outer circumference of the inner tube 170 is covered by an outer shell 164. The water discharge head 148 has a double structure of an inner tube 170 and an outer shell 164. The inner pipe 170 accommodates the protruding pipe portion 20 including the joint pipe 118 and the tubular member 172. The water discharge member 160 is attached to the downstream end of the inner pipe 170. The purified water handle 162 is an operation member for switching between raw water and purified water, and is provided on the side surface of the outer shell 164 near the downstream side.

The cartridge holding portion 156 is provided as a part of the inner pipe 170, which is fitted to the inner pipe 170. The O-ring 166 is inserted between the inner tube 170 and the cartridge holding portion 156. The water purification cartridge 158 is built in the cartridge holder 156. The water purification cartridge 158 can be replaced by removing the water discharge member 160.

The valve 168 is provided inside the cartridge holding unit 156. The valve 168 is pushed out by the water purification cartridge 158 set in the cartridge holding portion 156 to connect the inner pipe 170 and the cartridge holding portion 156. The valve 168 is closed by the water pressure in the inner pipe 170 when the water purification cartridge 158 is removed. That is, the valve 168 is a safety device for preventing the water in the inner pipe 170 from being directly ejected from the tip of the water discharge head 148 when the water purification cartridge 158 is removed in the water-passing state.

From the viewpoint of securing a work space for the user, it is preferable that the water discharge space, which is a space between the water discharge head 106 and the sink, is large. Therefore, in the faucet 100 of the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the angle θ formed by the upper surface of the water discharge head 106 and the faucet body 112 is an acute angle. With such a configuration, the downstream side of the water discharge head 106 is located higher than in the case where the angle θ is an obtuse angle, so that the distance from the sink becomes longer and the water discharge space can be widened.

Next, the features of the water faucet 100 thus configured will be described.
The water faucet 100 includes a water passage member 84, a water faucet body portion 112 having a housing 86 that covers the water passage member 84, and a water discharge head 106 detachably attached to the water faucet body portion 112. The tubular member 172 connects the water passage member 84 and the water discharge head 106, and is provided so as to project from the faucet body 112. Therefore, even when the water discharge head 106 is removed from the faucet body 112, the other end 172b on the upstream side of the tubular member 172 remains connected to the water passage member 83 inside the faucet body 112. The risk of water leakage inside the faucet body 112 can be reduced compared to a faucet without a tubular member.

The faucet 100 includes a joint pipe 118 and a tubular member 172 inserted into the joint pipe 118 in the protruding pipe portion 20, and the water discharge head 106 includes a housing portion 10 that houses the protruding pipe portion 20. Therefore, the accommodating portion 10 accommodates the protruding pipe portion 20 having a double structure including the joint pipe 118 and the tubular member 172 inserted into the joint pipe 118, so that the tubular member is stable. It becomes hard to stick and the connection strength is improved.

The faucet 100 includes a connection mechanism configured to connect the tubular member 172 to the faucet body 112 by rotating the tubular member 172 with respect to the faucet body 112. Therefore, the tubular member 172 can be easily connected to the faucet body 112 with a comparatively small force as compared with a faucet configured to be connected by pushing the tubular member into the faucet body 112 along the axial direction. can do. Further, if the tubular member is pushed in along the axial direction, there is a concern that the member may be deformed depending on how the force is applied. Since the faucet 100 is connected by being rotated, the risk of deforming the member can be reduced.

The faucet 100 includes a connection mechanism 90 configured to connect the tubular member 172 to the joint pipe 118 by rotating the tubular member 172 with respect to the joint pipe 118. Therefore, the tubular member 172 can be easily connected to the joint pipe 118 with a relatively small force. Further, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the tubular member 172 will unintentionally come off the joint pipe 118.

The faucet 100 is configured such that the connecting mechanism 90 causes the tubular member 172 to be displaced in the axial direction of the joint pipe 118 by rotating the tubular member 172 with respect to the joint pipe 118. When the 172 is mounted, the tubular member 172 is configured to be displaced toward the upstream side of the joint pipe 118 by the rotation of the tubular member 172, and when the tubular member 172 is removed, the tubular member 172 is rotated in the reverse direction to remove the joint pipe 118. Can be configured to be displaced toward the downstream side. With this configuration, the tubular member 172 can be attached to and detached from the joint pipe 118 with a small force.

In the faucet 100, the connection mechanism 90 includes an engaging groove portion 190 provided on the inner surface of the joint pipe 118 and an engaging convex portion 192 provided on the outer surface of the tubular member 172 and engaging with the engaging groove portion 190. Contains. The engaging groove portion 190 and the engaging convex portion 192 configured as described above can be easily resin-molded by a mold having a relatively simple structure, and thus are advantageous in terms of productivity and mold cost.

The description has been given above based on the embodiment of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that these embodiments are exemplifications, that various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the claims of the present invention, and that such modifications and changes are also within the scope of the claims of the present invention. It is about to be done. Therefore, the description and drawings in this specification should be treated as illustrative rather than limiting.

(Modification)
Next, a faucet 200 according to a modified example will be described. FIG. 11 is a side view illustrating the connection mechanism 93 of the water faucet 200. 11A is a side view of the periphery of the protruding pipe portion 220 corresponding to FIG. 4, and FIG. 11B is a side view showing the joint pipe 218 in cross section. The faucet 200 is different from the faucet 100 in that the connection mechanism 90 is removed and a connection mechanism 93 is added, and other configurations are the same, and thus duplicated description will be omitted. The faucet 200 includes a joint pipe 218 in place of the joint pipe 118 and a tubular member 272 in place of the tubular member 172. As shown in FIG. 11B, the connection mechanism 93 includes a female screw portion 92 provided on the inner surface of the joint pipe 218 and a male screw portion 94 provided on the outer surface of the tubular member 272 and screwed into the female screw portion 92. Including. Since the female screw portion 92 has a spiral inclination, when the male screw portion 94 is screwed into the female screw portion 92, the rotational force is converted into the thrust in the axial direction, and the tubular member 272 is displaced along the axial direction. Since the female screw portion 92 is provided on the tip side of the joint pipe 218, it is easy to see and has good workability.

As an example, the connection mechanism 93 is configured such that when the tubular member 272 rotates counterclockwise with respect to the joint pipe 218, the tubular member 272 is displaced in the direction of coming out of the joint pipe 218, and when the tubular member 272 rotates clockwise, The member 272 is configured to be displaced in the direction in which it is pushed into the joint pipe 218. With this configuration, the tubular member 272 can be removed from the joint pipe 218 with a small force, and the tubular member 272 can be attached to the joint pipe 218 with a small force.

The water faucet 200 of the modification has the same configuration as the water faucet 100 of the embodiment, and thus has the characteristics of the water faucet 100 described above. Further, in the water faucet 200 of the modified example, since the joint pipe 218 is in uniform contact with the tubular member 272 over the entire circumference, it is easy to ensure the coaxiality of the joint pipe 218 with respect to the tubular member 272.

In the description of the faucet 100 of the embodiment, an example in which the tubular member 172 is inserted into the joint pipe 118 protruding from the rotating portion 104 of the faucet body 112 has been described, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, the tubular member may be configured to project outward from the faucet body without providing the joint pipe projecting from the faucet body.

In the description of the faucet 100 of the embodiment, an example in which the tubular member 172 is connected to the faucet body 112 by rotating with respect to the faucet body 112 has been described, but the invention is not limited thereto. For example, the tubular member may be connected to the faucet body using a separate member such as a pin.

In the description of the water faucet 100 of the embodiment, the example in which the engagement groove portion 190 includes two groove portions, that is, the groove portion 190a and the groove portion 190b, has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The engaging groove portion 190 may include one groove portion or three or more groove portions.

In the description of the water faucet 100 of the embodiment, the example in which the engagement groove portion 190 is provided on the inner surface of the joint pipe 118 and the engagement convex portion 192 is provided on the outer surface of the tubular member 172 has been described, but the invention is not limited thereto. Absent. The engagement groove may be provided on the tubular member, and the engagement protrusion may be provided on the joint pipe.

In the drawings used for the description, the cross-sections of some of the members are hatched in order to clarify the relationship between the members, but the hatching does not limit the materials or materials of these members.

100 water faucet, 10 accommodating part, 20 protruding pipe part, 82 connecting joint, 84 water passage member, 86 housing, 90 connecting mechanism, 92 female screw part, 93 connecting mechanism, 94 male screw part, 102 spouting handle, 104 rotating part, 106 Water spout head, 108 strut portion, 110 water pipe, 112 water faucet body portion, 114 strut cap, 116 operation protrusion, 118 joint pipe, 120 fastener, 122 insertion port, 124 water passage port, 126 outer shell, 128 inner pipe, 130 water spout member, 132 straightening member, 148 water spout head, 156 cartridge holding part, 158 water purification cartridge, 160 water spout member, 162 water purification handle, 164 outer shell, 170 inner tube, 172 tubular member, 174 outer diameter expansion part, 184 Water passage portion, 186 first housing portion, 188 second housing portion, 190 engaging groove portion, 192 engaging convex portion.

Claims (6)

A water passage member, and a water faucet body portion having a housing mounted so as to cover at least a side surface of the water passage member,
A water discharge head detachably attached to the faucet body,
A tubular member that is provided so as to communicate the water passage member and the water discharge head and project from the water faucet body portion;
The housing has a joint pipe that projects from a portion that covers a side surface of the water-passing member and into which the tubular member is inserted.
The water discharge head have a housing portion for housing the tubular member and joint pipe,
One end side of the tubular member is connected to the water passage portion of the water discharge head, the other end side of the tubular member is connected to the water passage member penetrating the joint pipe,
It said tubular member, faucets, characterized in that the organic water passage leading from the water passage member therein to the water discharge head. The connection mechanism configured to connect the tubular member to the faucet body by rotating the tubular member with respect to the faucet body. The described faucet. The water according to claim 2, wherein the connection mechanism is configured so that the tubular member is connected to the joint pipe by rotating the tubular member with respect to the joint pipe. plug. The said connection mechanism is comprised so that the said tubular member may be displaced to the axial direction of the said joint pipe by rotating the said tubular member with respect to the said joint pipe. Faucet. The connection mechanism is
An engagement groove portion provided on one of the inner surface of the joint pipe and the outer surface of the tubular member,
The faucet according to claim 3 or 4, further comprising: an engagement convex portion that is provided on the other of the inner surface of the joint pipe and the outer surface of the tubular member and that engages with the engagement groove portion. The connection mechanism is
A female thread portion provided on the inner surface of the joint pipe;
Provided on the outer surface of the tubular member, the faucet according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that it comprises a male screw portion screwed into the female screw portion.

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