Adjustable cold water discharge structure

Abstract

The present invention provides an adjustable cold water discharge structure, belonging to the technical field of shower equipment. It solves the problem of the inconvenience of using existing control valves with a cold water discharge function. The adjustable cold water discharge structure includes a shell having a water inlet and a water outlet, a temperature sensing component disposed within the shell, and a drain outlet on the side of the shell. The temperature sensing component can detect the temperature of the medium within the shell and connect one of the water outlet and the drain outlet to the water inlet. A cylindrical drain cylinder is rotatably mounted on the outside of the shell, and the side of the drain cylinder also has a drain hole connected to the drain outlet. The inner sides of both ends of the drain cylinder form a seal with the shell. The adjustable cold water discharge structure has the advantage of being easy to use.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of shower equipment and relates to an adjustable cold water discharge structure. Background Art

[0002] Showers are the most commonly used showering device in daily life. As living standards continue to improve, people's demand for showering comfort and convenience is also increasing. For example, in winter, although most users have various water heaters at home, after starting to use them, a large amount of cold water will inevitably remain in the pipes between the water heater and the shower. People often need to pre-drain the water before showering to drain the remaining cold water in the pipes, and then repeatedly manually test the water temperature to determine whether it is suitable for showering, which is quite inconvenient.

[0003] To this end, people have designed a control valve and a switching valve device with a cold water discharge function, and applied for a Chinese patent with the application number: 201510022883.0; its announcement number: CN105840908B; the control valve and the switching valve device with a cold water discharge function include a valve body part, which is provided with a water inlet and a water outlet; a piston, which can be slidably connected in the valve body part and the sliding direction is X-direction; a slide tube, which is sealed and slidably connected in the valve body part along the X-direction; a temperature sensing part and a back pressure spring, the temperature sensing part can sense the water flowing through the valve body part to generate deformation, and the temperature sensing part can press against the piston through the deformation to generate a pushing force to open the on-off channel; a handle mechanism, which is movably connected to the valve body part and is transmission-connected to the slide tube, so that the slide tube can be driven to slide by the movement of the handle mechanism. In the control valve and switching valve device with cold water discharge function, the temperature of the water flow is sensed by the temperature-sensing part to control the on and off of the water flow by deformation. When the cold water is drained and the water temperature rises, the water flow stops, providing a more intuitive prompt for the user.

[0004] However, when the control valve and switching valve device with cold water discharge function is in use, whether it is discharging cold water or hot water, it flows out through the same outlet and then flows to the water outlet panel of the shower device for discharge. Existing shower devices often have water outlets including overhead showers, hand showers, and faucets located at the bottom, and the water outlet position needs to be switched by a knob. If the water outlet position of the shower device is not determined, it is very easy for cold water to flow directly from the water outlet panel of the overhead shower or the higher-positioned hand shower when the water is turned on, soaking the user, causing trouble for the user. The user needs to first turn on the faucet at a low flow rate, confirm the water outlet position, and then increase the flow rate or switch the water outlet position, which is very inconvenient. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to address the above-mentioned problems existing in the prior art and to propose an adjustable cold water discharge structure to solve the problem that the existing control valve with a cold water discharge function is inconvenient to use.

[0006] The purpose of the present invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0007] An adjustable cold water discharge structure includes a shell with a water inlet and a water outlet, a temperature sensing component is arranged in the shell, and is characterized in that the side of the shell also has a drain outlet, the temperature sensing component can detect the temperature of the medium in the shell and make one of the water outlet and the drain outlet connected to the water inlet, a cylindrical drain cylinder is rotatably provided on the outside of the shell, and the side of the drain cylinder also has a drain hole connected to the drain outlet, and a seal is formed between the inner sides of the two ends of the drain cylinder and the shell.

[0008] This adjustable cold water drain mechanism is installed in a shower device or connected to a shower device's piping during use. A temperature sensor detects the temperature of the water flowing into the housing and connects one of the water outlet and drain port to the water inlet. For example, when the water temperature is low, the outlet is closed, the drain port is connected, and cold water is discharged from the drain port and drain hole. When the water temperature is high, the drain port is closed, the outlet is connected, and hot water flows into the shower device through the outlet for discharge.

[0009] During use, a separate drain hole is provided on the side of the housing as a water outlet, allowing the cold water to be discharged separately without entering the shower device, thus preventing the user from being wetted by the cold water discharged from the shower device. The user can open and close the faucet with confidence, making it more convenient to use. At the same time, after the cold water is drained separately, the shower device will automatically switch to hot water. The result is intuitive and visible, and no additional operation is required, which is convenient for use. Depending on the actual use location, the direction of the drain hole on the side of the drain cylinder can be changed by rotating the drain cylinder circumferentially, thereby changing the direction of the cold water discharge, preventing the discharged cold water from splashing to other locations, and facilitating the user's adaptive application of the cold water discharge.

[0010] In the above-mentioned adjustable cold water discharge structure, the outer side of the drain cylinder near one end of the water inlet has a protruding projection, and the drain hole is provided at the protruding portion at an angle relative to the axis of the drain cylinder, and the outlet of the drain hole is closer to the water inlet relative to the inlet of the drain hole. When installing this adjustable cold water discharge structure, due to the water inlet and outlet direction of the shower equipment, the water inlet of the shell is often installed downward, and a protruding projection is provided on the outer side of the downward end of the drain cylinder, and the drain hole is provided in the protruding portion, thereby extending the length of the drain hole and ensuring the guiding effect of the drain hole on the discharge of cold water, so that the discharged cold water is discharged downward, avoiding the situation where the cold water is sprayed horizontally onto the wall or the human body, and reducing splashing, which is convenient for users to use. At the same time, the structural design of the protruding portion makes it possible to more intuitively understand the adjusted cold water discharge direction when adjusting the angle of the drain cylinder circumferentially, which facilitates the user's adjustment.

[0011] In the aforementioned adjustable cold water drainage structure, the inner sides of the drain cylinder at both ends are sealed against the outer sides of the housing by sealing rings tightly pressed between them. This seal between the drain cylinder and the housing ensures that cold water is discharged exclusively from the drain holes. Furthermore, the friction of the sealing rings, pressed tightly between the drain cylinder and the housing, provides real-time positioning for the rotating drain cylinder. This friction ensures the drain cylinder remains in place at any angle, making adjustment more convenient.

[0012] In the aforementioned adjustable cold water drain structure, the housing comprises a main body and a connector threadedly connected to the main body. The main body has a protruding, annular stopper (1) on its exterior, and the connector has a protruding stopper (2) on its exterior. The drain cylinder is held in place between these two stoppers. This threaded connection of the main body and connector positions the drain cylinder, facilitating installation while preventing significant axial movement of the drain cylinder. This ensures the stability of the drain cylinder's axial position and facilitates manual adjustment of the drain cylinder's circumferential angle.

[0013] In the aforementioned adjustable cold water drainage structure, a concave, annular connecting groove is formed on the inner side of the drain cylinder, corresponding to the drain outlet, and circumferentially around the axis of the drain cylinder. The drain hole is connected to the connecting groove, and the connection point between the drain hole and the connecting groove is closer to the water inlet than the drain outlet. The staggered position of the drain hole inlet and the drain outlet reduces the velocity and impact of the water flow during cold water discharge, thereby reducing the impact range of the cold water discharge.

[0014] In the above-mentioned adjustable cold water discharge structure, the housing is cylindrical, with the water inlet and outlet located at opposite ends. The temperature sensing assembly includes a temperature sensing element, a cylindrical switch member sleeved outside the temperature sensing element, and an elastic member. The switch member is fixed to the temperature sensing element. The switch member can move under the elastic force of the elastic member to block the water inlet and outlet. The temperature sensing element can drive the switch member to move and block the water inlet and outlet upon detecting an increase in the temperature of the medium within the housing. The elastic member and the temperature sensing element cooperate to achieve water temperature detection and automatic water path selection, eliminating the need for additional operation and providing convenient use.

[0015] In the above-mentioned adjustable cold water discharge structure, a limit seat is provided in the shell near the water outlet, and a water outlet for water to flow through is formed between the outer side of the limit seat and the inner wall of the shell. The switch component can approach the limit seat and form a seal with the limit seat under the elastic force of the elastic component.

[0016] In the above-mentioned adjustable cold water discharge structure, the limit seat has a concave limit hole on the side facing the water inlet, and the temperature sensing element has a protruding rod-shaped telescopic part, and the end of the telescopic part rests against the bottom of the limit hole under the elastic force of the elastic member.

[0017] In the aforementioned adjustable cold water discharge structure, the outer side of the temperature sensing element near the water inlet has a protruding stop shoulder. The outer side of the temperature sensing element near the water outlet is threadedly connected to a stop ring. The inner wall of the switch element has a protruding, annular shoulder that extends between the stop ring and the stop shoulder. The threaded stop ring and the stop shoulder secure the switch element, effectively preventing manufacturing errors and ensuring stable fixation of the temperature sensing element and switch element. Furthermore, it facilitates disassembly, maintenance, and replacement of different temperature sensing elements or switch elements, thus providing a wide range of applications.

[0018] In the above-mentioned adjustable cold water discharge structure, the temperature sensing element includes a paraffin temperature sensing package or an SMA temperature sensing package.

[0019] Compared with the existing technology, this adjustable cold water discharge structure has the following advantages:

[0020] 1. A drainage hole is separately provided on the side of the shell, so that the cold water can be discharged separately without entering the shower equipment, thus avoiding the situation where the user is wetted by the cold water from the shower equipment. The user can open and close the faucet with confidence, which is more convenient to use.

[0021] 2. After draining the cold water from the drain hole on the side of the shell, it will automatically switch to hot water discharge from the shower device. The result is intuitive and visible, and no additional operation is required, which is convenient to use.

[0022] 3. According to the actual use place and supporting equipment, the direction of the drainage hole on the side of the drainage cylinder can be changed by rotating the drainage cylinder circumferentially, thereby changing the direction of cold water discharge, avoiding the discharged cold water from splashing to other locations, and facilitating the user's adaptive application of cold water discharge. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the adjustable cold water discharge structure.

[0024] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the adjustable cold water discharge structure when the drain outlet is closed.

[0025] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the drainage cylinder in the adjustable cold water drainage structure.

[0026] In the figure, 1. Shell; 11. Water inlet; 12. Water outlet; 13. Drain outlet; 14. Main body; 14a. Limiting part 1; 15. Connecting body; 15a. Limiting part 2; 16. Limiting seat; 16a. Limiting hole; 17. Water outlet; 2. Drain cylinder; 21. Drain hole; 22. Protruding part; 23. Connecting groove; 3. Sealing ring; 4. Temperature sensing element; 41. Telescopic part; 42. Limiting shoulder; 5. Switch member; 51. Boss; 6. Elastic member; 7. Limiting ring. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The following are specific embodiments of the present invention and the accompanying drawings to further describe the technical solutions of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0028] like Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the adjustable cold water discharge structure includes a cylindrical shell 1, the two ends of the shell 1 are respectively a water inlet 11 and a water outlet 12, and a limit seat 16, a temperature sensing component and a sealing part fixed to the shell 1 are arranged in sequence from the water outlet 12 to the water inlet 11 in the shell 1.

[0029] A water outlet 17 is formed between the outer side of the stopper 16 and the inner wall of the housing 1. The temperature sensing assembly includes a temperature sensing element 4 having a protruding, rod-shaped telescopic portion 41, a cylindrical switch 5 coaxially arranged with the housing 1, and an elastic member 6. The stopper 16 has a second annular seal at the end facing the switch 5. When the switch 5 moves toward the water outlet 12 under the elastic force of the elastic member 6, the end of the switch 5 abuts against the second seal, forming a seal between the switch 5 and the stopper 16. Furthermore, a first annular seal is fixed to the outer side of the end of the switch 5 near the water outlet 12. This seal forms a seal between the outer side of the switch 5 and the inner wall of the housing 1. When the switch 5 abuts against the second seal under the elastic force of the elastic member 6, the seal between the first and second seals blocks the water outlet 17, preventing communication between the water inlet 11 and the water outlet 12. A water gap is formed between the inner side of the switch member 5 and the outer side of the temperature sensing element 4 for water to flow through.

[0030] The side of the limit seat 16 facing the water inlet 11 includes a recessed limit hole 16a. The end of the telescopic portion 41 extends into the limit hole 16a and, under the elastic force of the elastic member 6, abuts the bottom of the limit hole 16a. The temperature sensing element 4 is disposed within the switch member 5. A protruding, annular limit shoulder 42 is provided on the outer side of the temperature sensing element 4 near the water inlet 11. An annular limit ring 7 is threadedly connected to the outer side of the temperature sensing element 4 near the water outlet 12. The inner wall of the switch member 5 includes a protruding, annular shoulder 51. This shoulder 51 extends between the limit ring 7 and the limit shoulder 42. When the limit ring 7 is screwed in, the shoulder 51 is pressed against the limit shoulder 42, thereby securing the switch member 5 and the temperature sensing element 4.

[0031] In this embodiment, the elastic member 6 is a tower spring, and its two ends respectively abut against the shell 1 and the temperature sensing element 4; the temperature sensing element 4 can be a paraffin temperature sensing package or an SMA temperature sensing package; the sealing portion includes a circular ring-shaped sealing seat fixed to the shell 1 and a circular ring-shaped sealing member fixed on the sealing seat, which can abut against the end of the switch member 5 facing the water inlet 11 and form a seal between the switch member 5 and the sealing seat, and the tower spring is passed through the sealing seat.

[0032] The side of the housing 1 also features a drain port 13. When the temperature sensing element 4 detects that the temperature of the medium within the housing 1 has risen to a set value, the telescopic portion 41 of the temperature sensing element 4 is pushed out. Because the limit seat 16 is fixed within the housing 1, the temperature sensing element 4 drives the switch element 5 toward the sealing portion until the end of the switch element 5 abuts against the sealing element in the sealing portion, forming a seal. Since the drain port 13 is axially positioned between the sealing portion and the first sealing element in the housing 1, the seal formed between the first sealing element and the sealing portion blocks the drain port 13. In other words, the temperature sensing component can detect the temperature of the medium within the housing 1 and connect one of the water outlet 12 and the drain port 13 to the water inlet 11.

[0033] A cylindrical drain cylinder 2 is rotatably mounted on the outer side of the shell 1 . The side of the drain cylinder 2 also has a drain hole 21 that is always connected to the drain port 13 . The inner sides of both ends of the drain cylinder 2 are sealed with the shell 1 .

[0034] Specifically, the outer side of the drain barrel 2 near the water inlet 11 has a protruding portion 22, which transitions to the outer side surfaces of the drain barrel 2 at other locations via an arc-shaped surface. The drain hole 21 is obliquely arranged in the protruding portion 22 relative to the axis of the drain barrel 2, and the outlet of the drain hole 21 is closer to the water inlet 11 than the inlet of the drain hole 21. The inner side of the drain barrel 2 has a concave, annular connecting groove 23 around the axis of the drain barrel 2 at a position corresponding to the drain outlet 13. The axial width of the connecting groove 23 is greater than the axial width of the drain outlet 13. The drain barrel 21 is connected to the bottom of the connecting groove 23. The connection point between the drain hole 21 and the connecting groove 23 is staggered from the position of the drain outlet 13, and the connection point is closer to the water inlet 11 than the drain outlet 13.

[0035] The housing 1 comprises a cylindrical main body 14 and a connector 15 threadedly connected to the main body 14. The exterior of the main body 14 features a protruding, annular stopper 14a, while the exterior of the connector 15 features a protruding stopper 2 15a. The ends of the drain cylinder 2 are respectively restrained by the stopper 14a and the stopper 2 15a to prevent axial movement of the drain cylinder 2 relative to the housing 1. A sealing ring 3 is tightly pressed between the inner and outer sides of the drain cylinder 2 and the exterior of the housing 1 to achieve a seal. In this embodiment, the drain cylinder 2 further comprises a cylindrical connection at the outlet of the drain hole 21, which allows for connection to an external pipeline, such as a hose.

[0036] When installed, this adjustable cold water discharge structure can be connected to the shower equipment or the pipe of the shower equipment. The temperature sensing component in the shell 1 detects the water temperature of the water flowing into the shell 1 to control whether water flows out from the drain port 13 and the water outlet 12.

[0037] When the water temperature is low, the telescopic portion 41 of the temperature sensing element 4 retracts, and the temperature sensing element 4 and the switch member 5 move toward the water outlet 12 under the elastic force of the elastic member 6. The switch member 5 rests on the second seal member on the limit seat 16, and the water outlet 17 is blocked by the first and second seal members. No water flows out of the water outlet 12. At the same time, because the switch member 5 is away from the sealing seat, the drain port 13 is opened and connected with the water inlet 11. The cold water flows from the drain port 13 into the communicating groove 23 and is discharged through the drain hole 21.

[0038] When the water temperature is high, the telescopic portion 41 of the temperature sensing element 4 extends, pushing the temperature sensing element 4 and the switch member 5 to overcome the elastic force of the elastic member 6 and move to rest against the sealing seat, closing the drain port 13 and connecting the water outlet 12, and hot water flows into the shower device from the water outlet 12 for discharge.

[0039] During the installation or use of this adjustable cold water discharge structure, if the cold water discharge direction is inappropriate, which is not conducive to drainage or pipeline connection, the user can manually rotate the drain cylinder 2, and regard the protrusion 22 on the drain cylinder 2 as the position of the drainage hole 21, and rotate the drain cylinder 2 circumferentially to a suitable position of the protrusion 22. Due to the friction of the sealing ring 3 between the drain cylinder 2 and the shell 1, the circumferential position of the drain cylinder 2 can be positioned after adjustment and will no longer rotate at will.

[0040] The specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the spirit of the present invention. Persons skilled in the art may make various modifications, additions, or substitutions to the described specific embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An adjustable cold water discharge structure, comprising a housing (1) having a water inlet (11) and a water outlet (12), wherein a temperature sensing component is provided in the housing (1), characterized in that: The side of the shell (1) also has a drain port (13). The temperature sensing component can detect the temperature of the medium in the shell (1) and connect one of the water outlet (12) and the drain port (13) to the water inlet (11). The outer side of the shell (1) is rotatably provided with a cylindrical drain cylinder (2). The side of the drain cylinder (2) also has a drain hole (21) connected to the drain port (13). The inner sides of both ends of the drain cylinder (2) and the shell (1) are sealed. The temperature sensing component includes a temperature sensing element (4), a cylindrical switch member (5) and an elastic member (6). The switch member (5) is fixed to the temperature sensing element (4). The switch member (5) can move under the elastic force of the elastic member (6) and block the water inlet (11) and the water outlet (12). The temperature sensing element (4) can drive the switch element (5) to move and block the water inlet (11) and the drain outlet (13) after detecting that the temperature of the medium in the shell (1) rises. The shell (1) has a limit seat (16) near the water outlet (12). A water outlet (17) is formed between the outer side of the limit seat (16) and the inner wall of the shell (1) for water to flow through. The switch element (5) can approach the limit seat (16) under the elastic force of the elastic member (6) and form a seal with the limit seat (16). The limit seat (16) has a concave limit hole (16a) on the side facing the water inlet (11). The temperature sensing element (4) has a protruding rod-shaped telescopic part (41). The end of the telescopic part (41) is pressed against the bottom of the limit hole (16a) under the elastic force of the elastic member (6).

2. The adjustable cold water discharge structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer side of the drainage cylinder (2) near one end of the water inlet (11) has a protruding portion (22); the drainage hole (21) is obliquely opened at the protruding portion (22) relative to the axis of the drainage cylinder (2); the outlet of the drainage hole (21) is closer to the water inlet (11) than the inlet of the drainage hole (21).

3. The adjustable cold water discharge structure according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The inner sides of the two ends of the drainage cylinder (2) and the outer side of the shell (1) are sealed by a sealing ring (3) tightly pressed between the two.

4. The adjustable cold water discharge structure according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The shell (1) comprises a main body (14) and a connecting body (15) threadedly connected to the main body (14); the outer side of the main body (14) has a protruding annular limiting portion 1 (14a); the outer side of the connecting body (15) has a protruding limiting portion 2 (15a); the drain cylinder (2) is limited between the limiting portion 1 (14a) and the limiting portion 2 (15a).

5. The adjustable cold water discharge structure according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A connecting groove (23) is provided on the inner side of the drain cylinder (2) at a position corresponding to the drain outlet (13) and surrounding the axis of the drain cylinder (2). The drain hole (21) is connected to the connecting groove (23), and the connecting point between the drain hole (21) and the connecting groove (23) is closer to the water inlet (11) than the drain outlet (13).

6. The adjustable cold water discharge structure according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The shell (1) is cylindrical, and the water inlet (11) and the water outlet (12) are respectively located at two ends of the shell (1).

7. The adjustable cold water discharge structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The outer side of the temperature sensing element (4) near the water inlet (11) has a protruding limit shoulder (42), and the outer side of the temperature sensing element (4) near the water outlet (12) is threadedly connected to a limit ring (7). The inner wall of the switch member (5) has a protruding annular shoulder (51), and the shoulder (51) extends between the limit ring (7) and the limit shoulder (42).

8. The adjustable cold water discharge structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The temperature sensing element (4) includes a paraffin temperature sensing package or an SMA temperature sensing package.

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