JP7476677B2 - Shower equipment - Google Patents

Description

The disclosed embodiment relates to a shower device.

Conventionally, there is known a shower device that includes a shower hanger that holds a shower head so that it can rotate around a horizontal axis, and allows the user to rotate the shower head around the axis to adjust the inclination of the shower head.

In such a shower device, the shower hanger holds the shower head at one end by inserting the cylindrical base end of the shower head, which is the held part, into a cylindrical holding part, and at the other end is attached to a slide bar that extends vertically so that it can slide in the extension direction (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

There is also a known shower device that uses this type of shower hanger to move the shower head above the user's head and then tilt it to an angle close to horizontal, allowing water to be sprayed from above, creating a so-called overhead bath (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

JP 2018-111958 A JP 2013-22384 A

When the showerhead is tilted closer to horizontal as described above, i.e. when the holding part is rotated 45 degrees or less from the horizontal, the showerhead is held by relying on the frictional force between the held part and the inner circumferential surface (holding surface) of the holding part. In this case, the lower part of the held part abuts against the holding surface to become the fulcrum, and the rear part of the held part abuts against the upper part of the holding surface to become the point of action.

However, with the above-mentioned shower hanger, when the shower head is tilted to its maximum angle, the line connecting the point of application to the fulcrum points diagonally downward, creating a large downward moment. For example, vibrations that occur when switching the water flow from the shower head on and off, or vibrations that occur when the shower hanger slides along the slide bar, can cause the held part to come loose from the holding part, causing the shower head to fall off.

One aspect of the embodiment has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a shower device that can prevent the shower head from falling off.

The shower device according to one aspect of the embodiment is a shower device equipped with a shower hanger that holds a shower head, and the shower hanger includes a holding part into which a cylindrical base end of the shower head is inserted and which holds the shower head rotatably around a horizontal axis up to 45 degrees or less with respect to the horizontal. The holding part is formed from an opening at one end to an opening at the other end that is smaller in diameter than the opening at the one end, and has a holding surface that surrounds the held part when the shower head is held, a front contact part formed on the holding surface that contacts the lower part of the held part when the shower head is held and serves as a fulcrum, and a rear contact part formed on the holding surface that contacts the rear part of the held part when the shower head is held and serves as a point of action. The rear contact part is formed by a protrusion that contacts the rear part of the held part below the front contact part when the holding part is rotated and tilted up to 45 degrees or less with respect to the horizontal, and contacts the rear part of the held part below the front contact part even when the holding part is tilted to its maximum.

With this configuration, even when the shower head (holding part) is tilted as close to horizontal as possible, i.e., when the holding part is rotated less than 45 degrees from the horizontal, the line connecting the rear contact part (point of application) to the front contact part (fulcrum) points diagonally upwards, so that the downward moment applied to the held part (the base end of the shower head) when the shower head is held is small, and the held part is less likely to come off the holding part. This makes it possible to further prevent the shower head from falling off.

In particular, when switching the water flow from the shower head on and off, water pressure acts suddenly on the shower head, and the reaction force can cause the shower head to move, but this configuration can prevent the shower head from falling off.

In addition, in the shower device, the rear contact portion contacts the held portion at two symmetrical positions. Specifically, by supporting the shower head with two contact portions, it is possible to prevent the shower head from rotating in the left-right direction.

This configuration allows for more stable contact than when there is only one rear contact part (point of action).

In addition, in the shower device, when the holding part is tilted, the rear contact part contacts the rear part of the held part below the front contact part by a recess formed in the upper part of the holding surface.

With this configuration, the rear contact portion (point of action) can be formed so that the shower head (holding portion) is tilted and contacted at two horizontally aligned positions (a pair) by the recesses in the holding surface. In this way, it is possible to easily realize a configuration in which the line connecting the rear contact portion (point of action) to the front contact portion (fulcrum) points diagonally upward, for example, without the need to provide a separate protrusion made of rubber or the like.

In addition, in the shower device, the protrusion extends linearly from the front to the rear, and the rear abutment portion is formed at a predetermined position on the protrusion.

With this configuration, even if the position of the shower head held by the shower hanger shifts in the front-to-rear direction, i.e., even if the position of the rear part of the held part that abuts against the holding surface changes, the rear abutment part (point of action) can be positioned lower than the front abutment part (fulcrum).

In addition, in the shower device, the rear abutment portion is located in the rear half of the holding surface.

With this configuration, even if the protrusion is small, the rear contact portion (point of action) can be positioned lower than the front contact portion (fulcrum). This prevents the shower hanger from becoming too large, and also prevents the shower device from becoming too large.

The shower device also includes a slide bar that extends vertically, and the shower hanger is attached to the slide bar so that it can slide in the direction of extension.

This configuration prevents the shower head from falling off even if vibrations occur when the shower hanger is moved along the slide bar.

In addition, in the shower device, the shower hanger is connected to the held part and further has a clamp part that clamps the shower hose from the left and right when the holding part is rotated and tilted to 45 degrees or less from the horizontal.

With this configuration, even if the held part comes off the holding part, the shower hose connected to the held part is caught on the clamp part, doubly preventing the shower head from falling off. This further prevents the shower head from falling off.

Furthermore, with this configuration, not only can the holder be held with the shower head tilted at 45 degrees or less from the horizontal, but the clamp can also clamp the shower hose from both sides, even when the shower head is held by the holder and rotated so that it is tilted at 45 degrees or less from the horizontal. In other words, the shower hose can be securely held temporarily without any restrictions on how it is used, and the shower head can be prevented from falling off.

According to one aspect of the embodiment, it is possible to prevent the shower head from falling off.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a shower apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a state in which a shower head is held by the shower hanger according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view (part 1) showing the holding portion of the shower hanger according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view (part 2) showing the holding portion of the shower hanger according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the fulcrum and the point of action acting on the shower head when the shower head is held by the shower hanger according to the embodiment (this example). FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the fulcrum and the point of action acting on the shower head when the shower head is held by the shower hanger according to the comparative example. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a clamp portion of the shower hanger according to the embodiment.

The following describes in detail an embodiment of the shower device disclosed in the present application with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below.

<Shower device>
A shower device 10 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the shower device 10 according to an embodiment. Figure 2 is a side view showing a state in which a shower head 40 is held by a shower hanger 30 according to an embodiment.

Note that Figures 1 and 2 show a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system including a Z-axis whose positive direction is vertically upward (upward). Such Cartesian coordinate systems may also be shown in other figures. In the following, the positive direction of the X-axis is defined as the right, the negative direction of the X-axis as the left, the positive direction of the Y-axis as the front, and the negative direction of the Y-axis as the rear. For this reason, the X-axis direction may be referred to as the left-right direction, the Y-axis direction as the front-back direction, and the Z-axis direction as the up-down direction.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the shower device 10 is installed, for example, in the bathroom BR. The shower device 10 includes a slide bar 20 and a shower hanger 30. The slide bar 20 is attached, for example, to the wall surface WS (see Figure 2) of the bathroom BR. The slide bar 20 includes a bar body 21 and an attachment portion 22.

The bar body 21 is columnar, preferably cylindrical. The bar body 21 is attached so that its extension direction is along the vertical direction. In other words, when attached to the wall surface WS, the bar body 21 extends in the vertical direction. For example, the upper part of the bar body 21 is gently curved backward so that it approaches the wall surface WS as it goes upward.

The mounting parts 22 are provided at both the upper and lower ends of the bar body 21. The mounting parts 22 are attached to the wall surface WS with mounting fixtures 221 (see Figure 2) such as screws, thereby fixing the bar body 21 at a position spaced a predetermined distance from the wall surface WS.

The shower hanger 30 is attached to the slide bar 20 so as to be slidable along the extension direction of the bar body 21 while holding the shower head 40 described below. For example, the shower hanger 30 holds the shower head 40 at one end and is attached to the bar body 21 at the other end.

The shower hanger 30 comprises a hanger body 31, an operating part 32, a holding part 33, and a slide bar attachment part 34.

When the user moves the hanger body 31 while operating (pressing) the operating part 32 with his/her fingers, the shower hanger 30 is slid along the extension direction of the bar body 21 at the slide bar attachment part 34 through which the bar body 21 is inserted, and when the user stops operating the operating part 32 (releasing his/her fingers from the operating part 32 and the operating part 32 returning to its original position), the position in the extension direction of the bar body 21, i.e., the position in the up-down direction, is fixed. Details of the shower hanger 30 will be described later using Figure 3 onwards.

The shower device 10 may be configured to include a shower head 40 and a shower hose 50. As shown in FIG. 2, the shower head 40 includes a water discharge portion 41, a grip portion 42, and a held portion 43. The water discharge portion 41 has a water discharge surface 411. A plurality of water discharge holes 411a are formed on the water discharge surface 411. The water discharge portion 41 discharges hot or cold water supplied from a faucet (not shown) from the water discharge holes 411a.

The grip portion 42 is the part that the user holds in his/her hand when using the shower head 40, and is formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape. The water discharge portion 41 and the grip portion 42 form the external appearance of the shower head 40.

The held portion 43 is a cylindrical portion that is held by the shower hanger 30, and is provided at the end (base end) of the gripping portion 42 opposite the water discharge portion 41. The held portion 43 is the base end of the shower head 40, and is also the connection portion with the shower hose 50 that extends from the faucet.

The held portion 43 is, for example, cylindrical. The held portion 43 is also formed in a tapered shape, for example, with a smaller diameter at the tip end, which is on the shower hose 50 side, than at the base end, which is on the grip portion 42 side.

As shown in FIG. 2, the shower hanger 30 holds the shower head 40 by holding the held portion 43 of the shower head 40 with the holding portion 33 described below. The shower hanger 30 holds the held portion 43 by inserting the cylindrical (cylindrical) held portion 43 into the holding portion 33. The shower hanger 30 holds the shower head 40 in the holding portion 33 so that the shower head 40 can rotate around a horizontal axis AX up to 45 degrees or less from the horizontal. Note that the axis AX does not have to be strictly horizontal because the shower hanger 30 may tilt, and it also includes an axis that is approximately horizontal.

As shown in FIG. 2 , when the shower head 40 is held, a downward force F _M is generated due to the weight of the shower head 40, and a relationship is established between a force point P2 on the shower head 40 side and a point of application P3 on the rear part of the held portion 43, with the lower part of the held portion 43 as a fulcrum P1.

Here, in order for the shower head 40 to not fall off the shower hanger 30, the point of application P3 needs to be located below the fulcrum P1. In other words, the angle α of the line (straight line) L connecting the point of application P3 to the fulcrum P1 with respect to the horizontal line _LH is positive, and the line L connecting the point of application P3 to the fulcrum P1 points diagonally upward from the point of application P3 to the fulcrum P1.

On the other hand, if the point of action P3 is located above the fulcrum P1, that is, if the angle α of the line L connecting the point of action P3 to the fulcrum P1 with respect to the horizontal line _LH becomes negative and the line L connecting the point of action P3 to the fulcrum P1 points diagonally downward from the point of action P3 to the fulcrum P1, the shower head 40 will fall off the shower hanger 30 or will be prone to falling off.

<Shower hanger>
Next, the shower hanger 30 will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 7. Figures 3 and 4 are side cross-sectional views showing the holding part 33 of the shower hanger 30 according to the embodiment. Note that Figure 3 shows the state in which the held part 43 of the shower head 40 is held, and Figure 4 shows an enlarged view of only the holding part 33.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the holding portion 33 has a holding surface 331, a slit 333, a front abutment portion 334 (see Figure 4), and a rear abutment portion 335. The holding surface 331 is the inner peripheral surface of the holding portion 33. The holding surface 331 is a surface formed from one end opening 332a on the front side to the other end opening 332b on the rear side. When the shower head 40 is held, the holding surface 331 surrounds the held portion 43 and contacts the outer peripheral surface of the held portion 43.

The slit 333 is formed along the direction in which the held portion 43 is inserted so as to open a portion of the holding surface 331.

As shown in FIG. 4, the front abutment portion 334 is formed on the holding surface 331. When the shower head 40 is held, the front abutment portion 334 abuts against the lower part of the held portion 43. The front abutment portion 334 abuts against the lower part of the held portion 43, forming the fulcrum P1 (see FIG. 2) described above. The front abutment portion 334 is an edge portion (upper edge portion) 333a that forms the boundary between the slit 333 and the holding surface 331, and since it is two points aligned horizontally, it abuts against the held portion 43 at two positions symmetrical in the left-right direction.

The rear abutment portion 335, like the front abutment portion 334, is formed on the holding surface 331. When the shower head 40 is held, the rear abutment portion 335 abuts against the rear of the held portion 43. The rear abutment portion 335 abuts against the rear of the held portion 43, forming the above-mentioned point of action P3 (see FIG. 3). Like the front abutment portion 334, the rear abutment portion 335 is two points aligned horizontally.

As a result, the rear contact portion 335 contacts the held portion 43 at two positions that are symmetrical in the left-right direction.

When the shower head 40 is rotated around the axis AX (see FIG. 1) and tilted closer to the horizontal, i.e., when the holding part 33 is tilted around the axis AX to 45 degrees or less from the horizontal, the rear abutment part 335 abuts against the held part 43 below the front abutment part 334, thereby preventing the shower head 40 from falling off.

The rear contact portion 335 contacts the held portion 43 below the front contact portion 334 even when the shower head 40 (holding portion 33) is tilted as close to horizontal as possible. For this reason, the rear contact portion 335 is formed by the protrusion 335a of the holding surface 331.

The protrusion 335a is a portion that protrudes relatively more than other portions of the holding surface 331 due to the formation of the recess 336 on the upper portion of the holding surface 331, and abuts against the held portion 43 before other portions. It is an edge portion that extends linearly from the front to the rear and is the boundary between the recess 336 and the holding surface 331.

The rear abutment portion 335 is formed at a predetermined position of the linear protrusion 335a. As shown in FIG. 4, the rear abutment portion 335 is located in the rear half of the holding surface 331. Note that the protrusion 335a is not limited to being protruded relatively by the recess 336, and may be, for example, a projection that actually protrudes from the holding surface 331.

Even when the shower head 40 (holding portion 33) is tilted as close to horizontal as possible, the rear contact portion 335 contacts the held portion 43 below the front contact portion 334, preventing the shower head 40 from falling off. From here, the mechanism for preventing the shower head 40 from falling off will be explained using Figures 5 and 6.

Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the fulcrum P1 and the point of application P3 acting on the shower head 40 when the shower head 40 is held by the shower hanger 30 according to the embodiment (this example). Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the fulcrum P1 and the point of application P3 acting on the shower head 40 when the shower head 40 is held by the shower hanger 30A according to the comparative example. Note that the left half of Figures 5 and 6 shows the water discharge part 41 of the shower head 40, but both figures show lines L1a and L2a that are parallel to the lines L1 and L2 that connect the point of application P3 to the fulcrum P1 shown in the right half.

The shower hanger 30 holds the shower head 40 by relying on the frictional force between the outer circumferential surface of the held portion 43 and the inner circumferential surface of the holding portion 33, i.e., the holding surface 331. As shown in Fig. 5, in this example, even when the shower head 40 is tilted to the maximum, the angle α1 of the line L1 connecting the point of application P3 to the fulcrum P1 with respect to the horizontal line _LH is positive, and the line L1 connecting the point of application P3 to the fulcrum P1 points diagonally upward from the point of application P3 to the fulcrum P1.

In this state, the downward force (its own weight) F _M acts in a direction that holds the shower head 40. When the water discharge reaction force F _R is applied to point P4 of the water discharge portion 41 of the shower head 40, the frictional force between the outer circumferential surface of the held portion 43 and the rear abutment portion 335 (see FIG. 4 ) decreases, but the downward force (its own weight) F _M acts as a force F1a in a direction that holds the shower head 40 on the line L1 (L1a) connecting the point of application P3 to the fulcrum P1, so that a force F1 in a direction that holds the held portion 43 by the holding portion 33 is applied to the held portion 43.

In contrast, as shown in FIG. 6, in the comparative example, when the shower head 40 is in the most tilted state, the angle α2 of the line L2 connecting the point of action P3 to the fulcrum P1 with respect to the horizontal line _LH is negative, and the line L2 connecting the point of action P3 to the fulcrum P1 points obliquely downward from the point of action P3 to the fulcrum P1.

In this state, the downward force (its own weight) F _M acts in a direction that causes the shower head 40 to fall off. When a water discharge reaction force F _R is applied to point P4 of the water discharge portion 41 of the shower head 40, the frictional force between the outer circumferential surface of the held portion 43 and the rear abutment portion 335 (see FIG. 4) decreases, and the downward force (its own weight) F _M acts as a force F2a on the line L2 (L2a) connecting the point of application P3 to the fulcrum P1 in a direction that causes the shower head 40 to fall off, so that a force F2 is applied to the held portion 43 in a direction that causes it to fall off from the holding portion 33A.

Thus, according to the above-described embodiment, even when the shower head 40 (holding portion 33) is tilted as close to horizontal as possible (at 45 degrees or less from the horizontal), the line L1 connecting the rear abutment portion 335 (point of application P3) to the front abutment portion 334 (point of support P1) points diagonally upward, so that the downward moment applied to the held portion 43 while the shower head 40 is held is small, and the held portion 43 is less likely to come off the holding portion 33. This makes it possible to further prevent the shower head 40 from falling off.

In addition, the rear contact portion 335, which serves as the point of action P3, contacts the held portion 43 at two symmetrical positions, allowing for more stable contact than when there is only one rear contact portion 335 (point of action P3).

In addition, when the shower head 40 (holding portion 33) is tilted, the recess 336 of the holding surface 331 can form two positions aligned horizontally (left and right), i.e., the rear abutment portion 335 that serves as the point of action P3 so as to abut in a pair. In this way, for example, without providing a separate protrusion made of rubber or the like, it is possible to easily realize a configuration in which the line L1 connecting the rear abutment portion 335 (point of action P3) to the front abutment portion 334 that serves as the fulcrum P1 points diagonally upward.

In addition, since the protrusion 335a extends linearly from the front to the rear, and the rear abutment portion 335 serving as the action point P3 is formed at a predetermined position of the protrusion 335a, even if the position of the shower head 40 held by the shower hanger 30 shifts in the front-to-rear direction, i.e., even if the position of the held portion 43 abutting the holding surface 331 changes, the rear abutment portion 335 (action point P3) can be positioned lower than the front abutment portion 334 serving as the fulcrum P1.

In addition, because the rear contact portion 335 is located in the rear half of the holding surface 331, even if the protrusion 335a is small, the rear contact portion 335, which serves as the point of action P3, can be positioned lower than the front contact portion 334, which serves as the fulcrum P1. This makes it possible to prevent the shower hanger 30 from becoming larger, and furthermore, makes it possible to prevent the shower device 10 from becoming larger.

In the above embodiment, the protrusion 335a is formed by forming the recess 336 in the holding surface 331 and protruding it relatively from other parts, but for example, a protrusion made of rubber or the like may be provided on the holding surface 331 to form the protrusion. Even with this configuration, the line L1 connecting the rear contact portion 335, which is the point of action P3, to the front contact portion 334, which is the fulcrum P1, will point diagonally upward. Also, in the case of a rubber protrusion, the frictional force is large, so the holding force of the shower head 40 is increased.

In the above embodiment, the shower hanger 30 is movable in the extension direction of the slide bar 20 (bar body 21), but the present invention is not limited to this and may be fixed to the wall WS of the bathroom BR. Even if the shower hanger 30 is fixed, it is possible to prevent the shower head 40 from falling off due to the water discharge reaction force F _R.

The clamp portion 35 of the shower hanger 30 will now be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the clamp portion 35 of the shower hanger 30 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, the shower hanger 30 further includes the clamp portion 35.

The clamp portion 35 clamps the shower hose 50, which is connected to the held portion 43 (see FIG. 2) of the shower head 40, from the left and right. The bottom surface of the shower hanger 30 is formed with an insertion hole 36 through which the shower hose 50 is inserted when holding the shower head 40, and which communicates with the holding surface 331 of the holding portion 33. The clamp portion 35 is provided on the bottom surface of this hanger body 31.

The clamp portion 35 is formed by a pair of protrusions 351 that form a notch in front of the insertion hole 36. The distance between the pair of protrusions 351 is smaller than the diameter of the shower hose 50. Therefore, when the shower hose 50 moves downward, its movement is restricted. In other words, the shower hose 50 can be temporarily held on the bottom surface of the shower hanger 30.

In this way, according to the embodiment described above, even if the held portion 43 comes off the holding portion 33, the shower hose 50 connected to the held portion 43 is caught by the clamp portion 35, so that the shower head 40 can be doubly prevented from falling off. This further prevents the shower head 40 from falling off.

In the above embodiment, the clamp portion 35 is formed using the insertion hole 36 on the bottom surface of the shower hanger 30, but this is not limited thereto. For example, a separate mechanism for clamping the shower hose 50 on the bottom surface of the shower hanger 30 may be provided. Even with this configuration, it is possible to doubly prevent the shower head 40 from falling off, and it is possible to further prevent the shower head 40 from falling off.

Further advantages and modifications may readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

10 shower device 20 slide bar 30 shower hanger 33 holding portion 331 holding surface 332a one end opening 332b other end opening 334 front contact portion 335 rear contact portion 335a protrusion 336 recess 35 clamp portion 40 shower head 43 held portion 50 shower hose AX axis L, L1, L2 line connecting the point of action to the fulcrum L _H horizontal line P1 fulcrum P3 point of action α, α1, α2 angle of line connecting the point of action to the fulcrum with respect to the horizontal line

Claims (7)

A shower apparatus including a shower hanger for holding a shower head,
The shower hanger is
a holder into which a cylindrical base end of the showerhead is inserted and which holds the showerhead rotatably around a horizontal axis up to 45 degrees or less with respect to the horizontal;
The holding portion is
a holding surface that is formed from one end opening to another end opening having a diameter smaller than that of the one end opening and that surrounds the held portion in a state in which the showerhead is held;
a front contact portion formed on the holding surface, the front contact portion contacting a lower portion of the held portion while holding the shower head, and serving as a fulcrum;
a rear contact portion formed on the holding surface, the rear contact portion contacting a rear portion of the held portion while holding the shower head,
The rear abutment portion is
A shower device formed by a protrusion that abuts the rear of the held part below the front abutment part when the holding part is rotated and tilted to 45 degrees or less from the horizontal, and that abuts the rear of the held part below the front abutment part even when the holding part is tilted to its maximum. The shower device according to claim 1, wherein the rear contact portion contacts the held portion at two positions that are symmetrical on the left and right. The shower device according to claim 2, wherein the rear contact portion contacts the rear of the held portion below the front contact portion by a recess formed in the upper part of the holding surface when the holding portion is tilted. The shower device according to claim 3, wherein the protrusion extends linearly from the front to the rear, and the rear abutment is formed at a predetermined position on the protrusion. The shower device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the rear abutment portion is located at the rear half of the holding surface. Further comprising a slide bar extending in the vertical direction,
The shower apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the shower hanger is attached to the slide bar so as to be slidable in its extension direction. The shower hanger is connected to the held part, and further has a clamp part that clamps the shower hose from the left and right when the holding part is rotated to an angle of 45 degrees or less from the horizontal. The shower device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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