Flow regulator and outlet terminal

Abstract

This invention provides a flow regulator and a water outlet terminal. The flow regulator includes: an inlet chamber; the inlet chamber includes an elastic bottom wall, the elastic bottom wall includes at least one cantilever portion, the cantilever portion defining at least one side wall of an outlet transverse channel; the side wall of the outlet transverse channel extends a distance along the water inlet direction of the inlet chamber; when water flows through the inlet chamber, the cantilever portion can rotate away from the inlet chamber when the water pressure increases, causing the side walls of the outlet transverse channel to tilt relative to each other, and the inlet of the outlet transverse channel to be correspondingly reduced. Applying this technical solution provides a flow regulator with a simple, integrated structure that achieves excellent throttling effect and can operate without assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a flow regulator and a water outlet terminal. Background Technology

[0002] Flow regulators are used to install in sanitary water pipes to determine the maximum amount of water drawn from the pipe, independent of water pressure. Such flow regulators have been known in various embodiments. Prior art flow regulators have annular throttling fluids made of elastically deformable material, which are disposed in the flow passage of the regulator housing and define a control gap between the throttling fluid and the regulating profile. The flow cross-section inside the control gap is variable due to the deformation of the throttling fluid under the pressure of the flowing medium. However, prior art flow regulators have many components and require assembly before operation, making assembly cumbersome. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a flow regulator and a water outlet terminal.

[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the present invention provides a flow regulator, comprising: an inlet chamber; the inlet chamber includes an elastic bottom wall, the elastic bottom wall includes at least one cantilever portion, the cantilever portion defining at least one side wall of an outlet transverse channel; the side wall of the outlet transverse channel extends a distance along the water inlet direction of the inlet chamber; when water flows through the inlet chamber, the cantilever portion can rotate away from the inlet chamber when the water pressure increases, causing the side walls of the outlet transverse channel to tilt relative to each other, and the inlet of the outlet transverse channel to be correspondingly reduced.

[0005] In a preferred embodiment, the cantilever includes a connecting base plate and an extended straight wall disposed at the edge of the connecting base plate, the extended straight wall extending a distance along the water inlet direction of the water inlet chamber to define the sidewall of the water outlet transverse channel.

[0006] In a preferred embodiment, the elastic bottom wall includes at least two cantilever portions, and the extended straight walls of two adjacent cantilever portions define two opposing sidewalls of the water outlet channel; the top ends of the extended straight walls of the two adjacent cantilever portions can approach each other when the water pressure increases so that the inlet of the water outlet channel is correspondingly reduced.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment, the elastic bottom wall includes four cantilever portions arranged circumferentially, with two adjacent cantilever portions forming a water outlet groove, and the four water outlet grooves connected to form a cross-shaped notch; each cantilever portion includes two perpendicularly extending straight walls.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment, the edge of the connecting base plate is connected to an upright wall extending a distance along the water inlet direction of the water inlet chamber, the outer side of which defines the extended upright wall; a pressure-bearing space is formed between the upright wall and the connecting base plate to withstand water pressure.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the top surface of the upright wall is a plane.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the edge of the connecting base plate is connected to an upright wall extending a distance along the water inlet direction of the water inlet chamber, the outer side of which defines the extended upright wall; a pressure-bearing space for bearing water pressure is formed between the upright wall and the connecting base plate; the top surface of the upright wall is an arc surface; and the height of the upright wall gradually decreases in the direction away from the center of the cross-shaped notch.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the inlet chamber further includes a surrounding wall connected to the resilient bottom wall.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the outer peripheral wall of the enclosure further includes a connection feature for connecting to the water outlet pipe.

[0013] The present invention also provides a water outlet terminal, including the aforementioned flow regulator.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0015] A flow regulator includes: an inlet chamber; the inlet chamber includes an elastic bottom wall, the elastic bottom wall includes at least one cantilever portion, the cantilever portion defining at least one side wall of an outlet transverse channel; the side wall of the outlet transverse channel extends a distance along the water inlet direction of the inlet chamber; when water flows through the inlet chamber, the cantilever portion can rotate away from the inlet chamber when the water pressure increases, so that the side walls of the outlet transverse channel are inclined to each other, and the inlet of the outlet transverse channel is correspondingly reduced.

[0016] The flow regulator of the present invention has a simple, integrated structure and can achieve a better throttling effect. It can work without assembly. The sidewall of the outlet horizontal groove extends a distance along the water inlet direction of the inlet chamber. Therefore, the cantilever only needs to rotate a small angle to achieve flow control, and has high sensitivity. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the flow regulator in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the elastic bottom wall in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the flow regulator in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the flow regulator in the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the flow regulator in the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the flow regulator in the third embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0024] See Figures 1-6 A flow regulator is provided, which is installed on a water outlet terminal, which can be a faucet, shower head, or any other device used for drainage and requiring flow rate adjustment based on water pressure. The water outlet terminal has a water outlet pipe, and the flow regulator is arranged on the water outlet pipe.

[0025] The flow regulator includes an inlet chamber 10, which includes an elastic bottom wall 1 and a peripheral wall 4 connected to the periphery of the elastic bottom wall 1. The elastic bottom wall 1 is made of a material that can elastically deform. In this embodiment, the inlet chamber 10 is integrally injection molded, that is, the elastic bottom wall 1 is made of plastic.

[0026] The elastic bottom wall 1 includes at least one cantilever portion 11, which defines at least one side wall 21 of a water outlet transverse channel 2. The water outlet transverse channel 2 penetrates the elastic bottom wall 1. When water enters the water inlet chamber 10, the water flow can pass through the water outlet transverse channel 2. In the disclosed embodiment, the water outlet transverse channel 2 is straight, but in some simple alternatives, the water outlet transverse channel 2 can also extend in a roughly arc-shaped or smooth curve, without limitation. The side wall 21 of the water outlet transverse channel 2 extends a distance along the water inlet direction of the water inlet chamber 10. When water flows through the water inlet chamber 10, the cantilever portion 11 can rotate away from the water inlet chamber 10 when the water pressure increases, so that the side walls 21 of the water outlet transverse channel 2 are inclined to each other, and the inlet of the water outlet transverse channel 2 is correspondingly reduced. In the disclosed embodiment, the outlet transverse channel 2 is composed of two opposing sidewalls 21, one or both of which can be formed by a cantilever portion 11. When no water is flowing through, the two sidewalls 21 are parallel to the water inlet direction of the inlet chamber 10 and are parallel to each other. At this time, the end of the two sidewalls 21 closest to the inlet chamber 10 forms the inlet of the outlet transverse channel 2, and the end of the two sidewalls 21 away from the inlet chamber 10 forms the outlet of the outlet transverse channel 2. When water flows through the inlet chamber 10, if the water pressure on the elastic bottom wall 1 fails to cause its elastic deformation, the water flows directly out through the outlet transverse channel 2. When the water pressure on the elastic bottom wall 1 increases, the cantilever portion 11 rotates away from the inlet chamber 10, causing the side walls 21 of the outlet transverse channel 2 to tilt relative to each other. In the disclosed embodiment, one side wall 21 may tilt, or both side walls 21 may tilt. In this case, the tops of the two side walls 21 approach each other, narrowing the inlet of the outlet transverse channel 2. Furthermore, the outflow rate of the outlet transverse channel 2 can remain approximately constant. Additionally, because the side walls 21 of the outlet transverse channel 2 extend a distance along the inlet direction of the inlet chamber 10, the cantilever portion 11 only needs to rotate a small angle to achieve flow control, resulting in high sensitivity. In the disclosed embodiment, the inlet direction of the inlet chamber 10 is along the axial direction of the inlet chamber.

[0027] First Embodiment

[0028] See Figures 1-3, in the present embodiment, the outer peripheral wall 4 of the surrounding wall further includes a connection feature portion 41 for connecting to the water outlet pipe, and the connection feature portion 41 is an external thread on the outer peripheral wall 4 of the surrounding wall, which is used for screwing into the water outlet pipe. The cantilever portion 11 includes a connection bottom plate 111 and an extended straight wall 112 arranged at the edge portion of the connection bottom plate 111. The extended straight wall 112 extends a certain distance along the water inlet direction of the water inlet chamber 10 to define the side wall 21 of the water outlet cross groove 2. In the present embodiment, the elastic bottom wall 1 includes a slotted groove extending in a "ji" shape to divide the elastic bottom wall 1 into multiple cantilever portions 11. The cantilever portions 11 are in a block shape, and the end face of the end of the cantilever portion 11 forms the extended straight wall 112. Two adjacent cantilever portions 11 are arranged in parallel. In the present embodiment, the end face of the end of the cantilever portion 11 and the side surface of other parts of the elastic bottom wall 1 form the two side walls 21 of the water outlet cross groove 2. When the water pressure borne by the cantilever portion 11 increases, the side wall 21 defined by the end face of the end of the cantilever portion 11 inclines towards the other side wall 21. The connection bottom plate 111 can be understood as the part from the start end to the end of the cantilever portion 11.

[0029] Second Embodiment

[0030] Refer to Figures 4-5 , in the present embodiment, the outer peripheral wall 4 of the surrounding wall further includes a connection feature portion 41 for connecting to the water outlet pipe, and the connection feature portion 41 is a flange portion at the top end of the surrounding wall. The cantilever portion 11 includes a connection bottom plate 111 and an extended straight wall 112 arranged at the edge portion of the connection bottom plate 111. The extended straight wall 112 extends a certain distance along the water inlet direction of the water inlet chamber 10 to define the side wall of the water outlet cross groove 2. The elastic bottom wall 1 includes at least two cantilever portions 11. The extended straight walls 112 of two adjacent cantilever portions 11 define the two opposite side walls 21 of the water outlet cross groove 2; the tops of the extended straight walls 112 of two adjacent cantilever portions 11 can approach each other when the water pressure increases so that the entrance of the water outlet cross groove 2 is correspondingly reduced. In the present embodiment, the elastic bottom wall 1 includes four circumferentially arranged cantilever portions 11. Two adjacent cantilever portions 11 respectively form a water outlet cross groove 2, and the four water outlet cross grooves 2 are connected to form a cross-shaped notch; the cantilever portion 11 includes two mutually perpendicular extended straight walls 112.

[0031] In the present embodiment, a vertical wall 113 extending a certain distance along the water inlet direction of the water inlet chamber 10 is connected to the edge portion of the connection bottom plate 111. The outside of the vertical wall 113 defines the extended straight wall 112; a pressure-bearing space 3 for bearing water pressure is formed between the vertical wall 113 and the connection bottom plate 111. The top end face 1131 of the vertical wall 113 is a flat surface.

[0032] When water flows through the inlet chamber 10, if the water pressure on the elastic bottom wall 1 fails to cause it to deform elastically, the water flows directly out through the outlet transverse channel 2. When the water pressure on the elastic bottom wall 1 increases, the tops of the two side walls 21 move closer together to narrow the inlet of the outlet transverse channel 2. Furthermore, the outflow rate of the outlet transverse channel 2 can remain approximately constant. In this embodiment, the closer the outlet transverse channel 2 is to the cross-shaped notch, the greater the narrowing of the inlet. Therefore, the sensitivity to changes in the outflow rate at the center of the cross-shaped notch is higher.

[0033] Third Embodiment

[0034] See Figure 6 The difference between the third embodiment and the second embodiment is that the top surface 1131 of the vertical wall 113 is an arc surface; and the height of the vertical wall 113 gradually decreases along the direction away from the center of the cross-shaped notch.

[0035] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the design concept of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any non-substantial modifications made to the present invention by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention using this concept shall be deemed as an infringement of the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flow regulator, characterized in that, include: The water inlet chamber includes an elastic bottom wall, which includes at least one cantilever portion. The cantilever portion defines at least one side wall of an outlet transverse channel. The side wall of the outlet transverse channel extends a distance along the water inlet direction of the water inlet chamber. When water flows through the water inlet chamber, the cantilever portion can rotate away from the water inlet chamber when the water pressure increases, causing the side walls of the outlet transverse channel to tilt relative to each other, and the inlet of the outlet transverse channel to shrink accordingly. When no water is flowing through, the two side walls of the outlet transverse groove are parallel to the water inlet direction of the inlet chamber and are parallel to each other. The cantilever includes a connecting base plate and an extended straight wall arranged at the edge of the connecting base plate. The extended straight wall extends a distance along the water inlet direction of the water inlet chamber to define the side wall of the water outlet channel. The edge of the connecting base plate is connected to an upright wall that extends a distance along the water inlet direction of the water inlet chamber. The outer side of the upright wall defines the extended straight wall. A pressure-bearing space is formed between the upright wall and the connecting base plate to withstand water pressure.

2. A flow regulator as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic bottom wall includes at least two cantilever sections, and the extended straight walls of two adjacent cantilever sections define two opposing sidewalls of the water outlet channel; the tops of the extended straight walls of two adjacent cantilever sections can move closer to each other when the water pressure increases so that the inlet of the water outlet channel is correspondingly reduced.

3. A flow regulator as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The elastic bottom wall includes four cantilever sections arranged circumferentially, with two adjacent cantilever sections forming a water outlet groove, and the four water outlet grooves connected to form a cross-shaped notch; the cantilever section includes two perpendicularly extending straight walls.

4. A flow regulator as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The top surface of the vertical wall is a plane.

5. A flow regulator as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The top surface of the upright wall is curved; the height of the upright wall gradually decreases in the direction away from the center of the cross-shaped notch.

6. A flow regulator as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The water inlet chamber also includes a surrounding wall connected to the elastic bottom wall.

7. A flow regulator as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The outer perimeter of the enclosure also includes a connecting feature for connecting to the water outlet pipe.

8. A water outlet terminal, characterized in that, Includes the flow regulator as described in any one of claims 1-7.

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