TWI502116B - Spray member assembly - Google Patents

Description

Spray member assembly

The present invention generally relates to a spray member assembly that includes a spray member, a drive assembly, and a bracket assembly. More specifically, the present invention relates to a spray member assembly for a toilet/bathtub. The spray member assembly advantageously exhibits maximum smoothness of operation, allowing the spray member to extend and retract without bounce or slip.

The spray member assembly has the desired features, such as the extension and retraction of the spray member, the sized and shaped bracket assembly to receive the spray member in the retracted position. Despite the attractiveness of the spray components, there are still many aspects that can be sought for improvement. For example, it is desirable to have a drive assembly to extend and retract the spray member. It is also desirable to have a drive assembly that engages the inwardly curved portion of the bracket assembly to minimize bounce or slip. In general, there is a need to improve the spray member drive assembly and overcome the deficiencies of the prior art.

Prior art methods include U.S. Patent No. 5,050,249. This patent relates to a human intimate partial washing apparatus having a washing nozzle that can be extended and retracted. The movable rack is formed on a portion of the washing nozzle, and the fixed rack is formed on the surface of the nozzle support. A pinion meshes the movable rack and the fixed rack. The motor rotates the pinion to drive the pinion on the fixed rack and causes the wash nozzle to move. U.S. Patent No. 6,782,562 describes a toilet seat washer having a movable syringe. A driven pinion on the injection arm engages the secondary pinion and the drive pinion on the operating device engages the primary pinion. The interlocking mechanism connects the reverse pinion and the secondary pinion. The reverse pinion meshes with the main pinion. This patent discloses manual pushing or pulling on an operating device to rotate the pinion, thereby causing the syringe to extend or retract.

U.S. Patent No. 6,959,459 is directed to a body washing unit for a toilet wherein the first tube is rotatably coupled to the second tube and the second tube is rotatably coupled to the third tube. The driver rotates the second tube such that the third tube rotates about the axis of the second tube. A converter rotates the third tube about its axis such that the spray nozzle on the third tube moves between the standby position and the use position. This patent describes the automatic operation of spraying a nozzle after the user operates the switch.

Other prior art includes the following. The international patent application publication No. WO/2006/079232 relates to a spray toilet of a shower toilet which is sleeved on a duct and protrudes from the duct, and the duct is further sleeved on the guide sleeve and protrudes from the guide sleeve. A flexible strap is attached to the spray arm. The motor drives a gear that engages the toothed surface of the flexible strap, thereby moving the flexible strap, which movement causes the spray arm and catheter to extend and retract. Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-125193 describes a washing toilet seat having a drying function. The drive mechanism partially engages the surface of the curved drying nozzle. The curved drying nozzle is movable between a receiving position and a reciprocating operating position for spraying air onto the user.

By the method of the present invention, it has been determined that a number of features of the prior art, such as such patents and patent applications, may have defects and undesirable attributes, results or effects. The method of the present invention recognizes and solves problems such as these to provide improvements that have not been available to date. In general, the method of the present invention more fully satisfies the need to connect the drive assembly to the spray member, move the spray member between the retracted position and the extended position, and has a fixed bracket assembly for guiding Introducing and accommodating the spray member in the retracted position. Moreover, the method of the present invention provides an inwardly curved portion of the bracket assembly that engages the drive assembly to minimize bounce or slip.

One aspect or embodiment of the present invention is directed to an improved spray member assembly that includes a spray member, a drive assembly, and a bracket assembly. The invention includes an extendable and retractable spray member. For example, a curved bidet wand can be stored in a retracted position and can extend into the bidet basin area to spray liquid and/or air onto the user's body area.

According to another aspect or embodiment, the spray member is coupled to at least one of the drive assembly and the bracket assembly. When the spray member is extended or retracted, the spray member moves with the drive assembly and/or the carriage assembly. The drive assembly or bracket assembly is fixed, allowing for a more streamlined and durable assembly.

In yet another aspect or embodiment, the drive assembly engages an inwardly curved surface of the bracket assembly. The bracket assembly is sized and shaped to receive the spray member in the retracted position. The drive assembly engages the inwardly curved surface of the bracket assembly to allow for smooth movement of the spray member by minimizing sliding or bounce of the drive assembly.

It is an object of at least one embodiment of the present invention to provide a spray member assembly comprising: a movable spray member; a bracket having a guide surface; a drive assembly including a drive member and an engagement member, wherein the engagement member engages the guide a lead surface, and wherein the movable spray member is coupled to at least one of the drive assembly and the bracket.

In one aspect of the invention, the spray member is fixedly attached to the drive assembly. In another aspect of the invention, the spray member is fixedly attached to the bracket. In still another aspect of the invention, the drive device is a motor. In another aspect of the invention, the drive device is an actuator. In another aspect of the invention, the drive device is a manually operated drive device.

In another aspect of the invention, the engagement member is a gear. In still another aspect of the invention, the engagement member is a pin. In another aspect of the invention, the guiding surface is arcuate. In another aspect of the invention, the guiding surface is toothed. In another aspect of the invention, the guiding surface is an inner curved rack. In still another aspect of the invention, the guiding surface is an inner curved groove. In another aspect of the invention, the guiding surface is substantially rigid.

In yet another aspect of the invention, at least one of the drive assembly and the bracket are fixedly attached to the bidet. In another aspect of the invention, the spray member has an arcuate shape. In another aspect of the invention, the spray member is a bow shaped bidet cleaning bar. In another aspect of the invention, the spray member is an arcuate bidet cleaning rod further comprising a liquid spray opening and a gas outflow opening.

The detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein as claimed; however, it is understood that the disclosed embodiments are only illustrative of the invention, and the invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, the specific details disclosed herein are not to be construed as limiting, but only the basis of the scope of the claims and the teachings. .

1 and 2 illustrate an embodiment of a bidet 20. 3 through 5 illustrate an embodiment of a spray member assembly generally designated 30. The spray member assembly 30 includes a spray member 40, a drive assembly 60, and a bracket assembly 80. The spray member assembly 30 can extend and retract the spray member 40. For example, the spray member 40 can be extended for use in the bidet 20 and retracted for storage when not needed.

In the illustrated embodiment, the spray member 40 includes a liquid outlet 42 and a gas outlet 44 having separate openings in the spray member 40. Alternatively, spray member 40 may have only liquid outlet 42, only gas outlet 44, or both liquid outlet 42 and gas outlet 44 may be located in the same outlet. Liquid outlet 42 provides a liquid jet. For example, the liquid outlet 42 can provide a flushing jet of water to the area of the user's body (not shown) in the bidet 20. Gas outlet 44 provides a gas stream. The gas outlet 44 can provide a flow of warm air to, for example, an area of the user's body in the bidet 20 . In the illustrated embodiment, the spray member 40 is fixedly attached to the drive assembly 60. Alternatively, the spray member 40 can be fixedly attached to the bracket assembly 80. The spray member 40 can be sized and shaped as desired. For example, the spray member 40 can be arcuate or straight. In the illustrated embodiment, the spray member 40 is arched upwardly in the longitudinal direction to allow for a more compact bidet housing.

The drive assembly 60 includes a drive device 62 and an engagement member 64, as shown in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. Drive device 62 can be any industry standard drive device used to cause movement of spray member 40. For example, the drive device 62 can be a motor, an actuator, or a manual device such as a crank, lever, or sliding handle. In the illustrated embodiment, the drive device 62 is a motor. Engagement member 64 engages bracket assembly 80. Engagement member 64 can be, for example, a gear, an axle, or a pin. In the illustrated embodiment as seen in FIG. 3, the engagement member 64 is a gear assembly including a base gear 66 and meshing gear 68. Drive device 62 further includes a drive gear 70. Drive gear 70 engages base gear 66 and meshing gear 68 engages bracket assembly 80. Alternatively, for example, the engagement member 64 can be a drive gear 70 with the drive gear 70 engaging the bracket assembly 80. In the illustrated embodiment, the drive device 62 and the engagement member 64 are mounted to the drive bracket 72. Mounting bracket 74 attaches drive assembly 60 to spray member 40. Alternatively, the drive assembly 60 can be attached to the spray member 40 by, for example, a housing, an outer casing, or by a drive bracket 72.

The bracket assembly 80 includes a bracket 82 and a guide surface 84. For example, the bracket assembly 80 is fixedly attached to one device, another bracket or wall. In the illustrated embodiment, the bracket assembly 80 is fixedly attached to the bidet 20 . Or, for example, the bracket assembly 80 can be moved and the drive assembly 60 can be fixedly attached to the bidet 20 . The bracket assembly 80 is sized and shaped to receive at least a portion of the spray member 40 in a fully retracted position, as seen in FIG. The spray member 40 can alternatively be prevented from being fully retracted by correspondingly setting the size and shape of the bracket assembly 80, or by fixedly attaching the spray member 40 to the drive assembly 60 or bracket assembly 80 at suitable locations. return. In the illustrated embodiment, the bracket assembly 80 has a guide surface 84 that is engaged by the engagement member 64. The guide surface 84 can be a body surface of the bracket 82, a path (such as a slot or groove) that is attached to the bracket assembly or bracket 82 of the bracket 82. For example, the guide surface 84 can be further toothed or smooth. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the guide surface 84 is a gear bar that is mounted to the bracket 82.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, drive gear 70 is rotated by drive means 62 to rotate base gear 66 in the opposite direction. The meshing gear 68 rotates in the same direction as the base gear 66. The meshing gear 68 engages the toothed surface of the guide surface 84 such that the meshing gear 68 moves along the guide surface 84. The inner bend of the guide surface 84 causes the meshing gear 68 to optimally engage the guide surface 84, thereby minimizing bounce or slip between the meshing gear 68 and the guide surface 84.

To extend the spray member 40 from the retracted position as illustrated in Figure 7, the drive device 62 is activated by a signal source (not shown) such as a controller, button or switch. The drive device 62 causes the meshing gear 68 to move along the guide surface 84 toward the basin 25 of the bidet 20. Since the drive device 62 is fixedly attached to the spray member 40, the spray member 40 moves along the same arcuate path as the drive assembly 62 such that the spray member 40 projects outwardly into the basin 25. When the spray member 40 is in the fully extended position as seen in Figure 6, the drive means 62 is stopped. Alternatively, the drive device 62 can be stopped at any point along the guide surface 84 to allow the spray member 40 to have a variety of extended positions as desired. When the driving device 62 is activated by receiving a signal, the spray member 40 is retracted so that the driving device 62 and the meshing gear 68 rotate in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation thereof during the extension of the spray member 40. The meshing gear 68 moves away from the basin 25 along the guiding surface 84 such that the spray member 40 retracts inwardly toward the bracket 82. When the spray member 40 is in the fully retracted position as seen in Figure 7, the drive means 62 is stopped. Alternatively, the drive device 62 can be stopped at any point along the guide surface 84 to allow the spray member 40 to have multiple retracted positions as desired.

FIG. 8 illustrates another embodiment of a spray member assembly generally designated 130. The spray member assembly 130 has a spray member 40 that is fixedly attached to the drive device 162 by an engagement member 164. Drive device 162 is an actuator that is attached to engagement member 164. Engagement member 164 is a pin that engages within guide surface 184 on bracket assembly 180. Drive device 162 is pivotally attached to a fixed surface 186 (such as a bracket or housing).

FIG. 9 illustrates another embodiment of a spray member assembly generally designated 230. The spray member assembly 230 has a spray member 40 that is fixedly attached to the drive device 262 by a mounting bracket 74. Drive device 262 is a manually operated drive device, such as a rotatable handle that is coupled to drive gear 270. Drive gear 270 engages guide surface 84 of bracket assembly 80. The drive device 262 can be manually rotated in one direction to extend the spray member 40 and can be manually rotated in the opposite direction to retract the spray member 40.

It will be appreciated that various modifications to the described embodiments of the above-described embodiments are apparent to those skilled in the art, such as variations and modifications of the spray member drive assembly and/or its components. This includes combinations of features individually disclosed or claimed herein (including explicitly including additional combinations of such features, or other types of spray member assemblies). For example, the spray member assembly can have more than one spray member or drive device. Again, there are many possible variations in materials and configurations. Such modifications and/or combinations are within the skill of the invention and are intended to be within the scope of the invention.

20 ‧ ‧ bidet

25‧‧‧ basin

30‧‧‧Spray component assembly

40‧‧‧Spray components

42‧‧‧Liquid exports

44‧‧‧ gas export

60‧‧‧Drive assembly

62‧‧‧ drive devices

64‧‧‧Meshing members

66‧‧‧Base gear

68‧‧‧Meshing gear

70‧‧‧ drive gear

72‧‧‧ drive bracket

74‧‧‧ mounting bracket

80‧‧‧ bracket assembly

82‧‧‧ bracket

84‧‧‧ guiding surface

130‧‧‧spray component assembly

162‧‧‧ drive device

164‧‧‧ Engagement members

180‧‧‧ bracket assembly

184‧‧‧ guiding surface

186‧‧‧Fixed surface

230‧‧‧spray component assembly

262‧‧‧ drive device

270‧‧‧ drive gear

1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a bidet; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the bidet of FIG. 1; and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a spray member assembly having an extension Figure 4 is a top plan view of the spray member assembly of Figure 3, the spray member assembly having a spray member in a retracted position; Figure 5 is a bottom view of the spray member assembly of Figure 3, the spray The component assembly has a spray member in a partially extended position; Figure 6 is a side cross-sectional view of a portion of the bidet having the spray member assembly of Figure 3 in a fully extended position; Figure 7 is in a fully retracted position Figure 3 is a side cross-sectional view of one portion of the bidet assembly of the spray member assembly; Figure 8 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of the spray member assembly; and Figure 9 is yet another embodiment of the spray member assembly Side view.

30. . . Spray member assembly

40. . . Spraying member

60. . . Drive assembly

62. . . Drive device

64. . . Meshing member

66. . . Base gear

68. . . Meshing gear

70. . . Drive gear

72. . . Drive bracket

74. . . Mounting bracket

80. . . Bracket assembly

82. . . bracket

Claims (18)

A spray member assembly comprising: a movable spray member; a bracket configured to be fixedly attached to the bidet and having a guide surface; a drive assembly including a drive bracket, a driving device mounted on the driving bracket, and an engaging member mounted on the driving bracket, wherein the engaging member is a gear assembly including a base gear and a meshing gear, and the meshing gear meshes the guide a surface; wherein the drive device includes a drive gear that engages the base gear; and wherein the movable spray member is coupled to one of the drive assembly and the bracket. A spray member assembly comprising: a movable spray member; a bracket configured to be fixedly attached to a bidet and having a guide surface; and a drive assembly including a drive carrier a mounting device mounted on the drive bracket, and an engagement member including at least one gear, wherein the engagement member is mounted to the drive bracket and engages the guide surface; wherein the spray member is fixedly attached to The drive bracket of the drive assembly. The spray member assembly of claim 1, wherein the spray member is fixedly attached to the bracket. The spray member assembly of claim 1, wherein the drive device comprises a horse Da. The spray member assembly of claim 1, wherein the drive device comprises an actuator. The spray member assembly of claim 1, wherein the drive device comprises a manually operated drive device. The spray member assembly of claim 2, wherein the engagement member comprises a gear assembly including a base gear and a meshing gear, and the meshing gear engages the guide surface, and wherein the drive device includes a meshing gear Drive gear. The spray member assembly of claim 2, wherein the engagement member further comprises a pin. The spray member assembly of claim 1, wherein the guide surface is curved. The spray member assembly of claim 1, wherein the guide surface is toothed. The spray member assembly of claim 1, wherein the guide surface is an inner curved rack. The spray member assembly of claim 1, wherein the guide surface is an inner curved groove. The spray member assembly of claim 1, wherein the guide surface is substantially rigid. The spray member assembly of claim 1, wherein one of the drive assembly and the bracket is fixedly attached to a bidet. The spray member assembly of claim 1, wherein the spray member has a bow Shape. The spray member assembly of claim 1, wherein the spray member is an arcuate bidet cleaning rod. The spray member assembly of claim 1, wherein the spray member is an arcuate bidet cleaning rod further comprising a liquid spray opening and a gas outflow opening. The spray member assembly of claim 7, wherein the drive gear is rotated by the drive device and drives the base gear to rotate in an opposite direction relative to the drive gear, wherein the mesh gear is in the base gear Rotating in the same direction, and wherein the meshing gear engages a toothed surface of the guiding surface to drive relative movement between the meshing gear and the bracket such that the spray member is in a fully extended position with a complete Move between retracted positions.