A four-way water distribution valve and water outlet device

Abstract

This invention provides a four-way water distribution valve, relating to the field of valve fittings technology, comprising a valve body and a rotor disposed on the valve body; wherein the valve body has an inlet, a first outlet, a second outlet, and a third outlet, and the rotor has a first channel, a second channel, and a third channel, the first channel being arranged through the rotor along a direction perpendicular to the rotor's axis, and the second and third channels being symmetrically arranged along the first channel and located on the outer wall of the rotor; the inlet is configured to operably drive the rotor to switch between a first position, a second position, and a third position; when the rotor is in the first position, the inlet is connected to the first outlet via the first channel; when the rotor is in the second position, the inlet is connected to the second outlet via the second channel; and when the rotor is in the third position, the inlet is connected to the third outlet via the third channel. This application has few key components, a simple structure, and low cost. A water outlet device is also provided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of valve fittings technology, and more specifically, to a four-way water distribution valve and a water outlet device. Background Technology

[0002] The diverter valve is used for pipeline selection. By rotating or pressing, it drives the inlet to switch / select the outlet to conduct water, thereby meeting the needs of existing water outlet devices (such as showers). As the functions of water outlet devices become more and more numerous, the number of outlets of the diverter valve also needs to be increased accordingly. However, existing diverter valves generally have two outlets and have a complex structure and high cost, which cannot meet the market demand. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention discloses a four-way water distribution valve, which aims to improve the problems of existing water distribution valves having few outlets, complex structure, and high cost.

[0004] The present invention adopts the following solution:

[0005] A four-way water distribution valve includes a valve body and a rotor disposed on the valve body. The valve body has an inlet, a first outlet, a second outlet, and a third outlet. The rotor has a first channel, a second channel, and a third channel. The first channel extends through the rotor along a direction perpendicular to its axis. The second and third channels are symmetrically arranged along the first channel and located on the outer wall of the rotor. The inlet is configured to operably drive the rotor to switch between a first position, a second position, and a third position, thereby selecting one outlet for connection. When the rotor is in the first position, the inlet is connected to the first outlet via the first channel. When the rotor is in the second position, the inlet is connected to the second outlet via the second channel. When the rotor is in the third position, the inlet is connected to the third outlet via the third channel.

[0006] As a further improvement, the first channel is a straight hole that passes through the center of the rotor, and the second and third channels are arc-shaped grooves formed by recesses along the sidewall of the rotor.

[0007] As a further improvement, the first outlet, the second outlet, and the third outlet are arranged in an array along the circumference of the valve body, and the included angle between the two outlets is 120°.

[0008] As a further improvement, the inlet is positioned between the second outlet and the third outlet, and is opposite to the first outlet.

[0009] As a further improvement, the rotor is disposed within the mounting hole of the valve body and is limited by a clamping element.

[0010] As a further improvement, the sidewall of the rotor is sealed to the sidewall of the mounting hole.

[0011] As a further improvement, a mounting hole for fitting the handle is provided along the axial direction of the rotor, and a stop portion is provided in the mounting hole.

[0012] Another water outlet device is provided, including a water outlet body and a four-way water distribution valve as described above disposed within the water outlet body.

[0013] By adopting the above technical solution, the present invention can achieve the following technical effects:

[0014] The key components of this application are only the rotor and the valve body, which have a simple structure and low cost. Furthermore, it features three outlets, meeting market demand for multi-outlet water distribution valves and thus enhancing market competitiveness. In addition, adding an outlet channel to the outer wall of the rotor allows for an increase in the number of outlets while maintaining the same valve core volume, preventing the valve core from becoming too large and affecting the appearance of the water outlet device. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present invention and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of one embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A structural diagram from another perspective;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figures 4 to 6 These are cross-sectional views of the rotor in the first, second, and third positions, respectively.

[0020] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the rotor structure according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the valve body according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 9 This is an exploded view of one embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Icons: 1-Valve body; 11-Inlet; 12-First outlet; 13-Second outlet; 14-Third outlet; 15-Mounting hole; 16-Through hole;

[0024] 2-Rotor; 21-First channel; 22-Second channel; 23-Third channel; 24-Assembly hole; 241-Stop part;

[0025] 3-Clamping component. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to represent selected embodiments of the invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] Example

[0028] Combination Figures 1 to 9 This embodiment provides a four-way water distribution valve, including a valve body 1 and a rotor 2 disposed on the valve body 1. The valve body 1 has an inlet 11, a first outlet 12, a second outlet 13, and a third outlet 14. The rotor 2 has a first channel 21, a second channel 22, and a third channel 23. The first channel 21 extends through the rotor 2 along a direction perpendicular to its axis. The second channel 22 and the third channel 23 are symmetrically arranged along the first channel 21 and located on the outer wall of the rotor 2. The inlet 11 is configured to operably drive the rotor 2 to switch between a first position, a second position, and a third position, thereby selectively opening one outlet. Specifically, when the rotor 2 is in the first position, the inlet 11 is connected to the first outlet 12 via the first channel 21; when the rotor 2 is in the second position, the inlet 11 is connected to the second outlet 13 via the second channel 22; and when the rotor 2 is in the third position, the inlet 11 is connected to the third outlet 14 via the third channel 23.

[0029] In one embodiment, the first channel 21 is a straight hole penetrating the center of the rotor 2, and the second channel 22 and the third channel 23 are arc-shaped grooves formed by recesses along the sidewall of the rotor 2, with the center of the arc-shaped grooves concentric with the rotor 2. Preferably, the first outlet 12, the second outlet 13, and the third outlet 14 are arranged in an array along the circumference of the valve body 1, with an included angle of 120° between two outlets, so that the rotation angle is the same when switching between the three positions, thereby improving the operability of the water distribution valve. The inlet 11 and each outlet are provided with a small-sized extension section corresponding to the outlet channel of the rotor 2. For example, the inlet 11 is configured between the second outlet 13 and the third outlet 14, and is opposite to the first outlet 12. When the rotor 2 is in the first position, the first outlet 12 is aligned and connected with the first channel 21, and the water flows from the inlet 11 to the first channel 21 and flows out from the first outlet 12. The rotor 2 rotates 60° clockwise from the first position to the second position, or rotates 60° counterclockwise from the first position to the third position.

[0030] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the key components are only the rotor 2 and the valve body 1, which has a simple structure, low cost, and three water outlets, which can meet the market demand for multi-outlet water distribution valves, thereby improving market competitiveness. In addition, the addition of a water outlet channel on the outer wall of the rotor 2 can increase the number of water outlets while keeping the volume of the valve core unchanged, avoiding the valve core from becoming too large and affecting the appearance of the water outlet device.

[0031] Based on the above embodiments, in an optional embodiment of the present invention, the rotor 2 is disposed within the mounting hole 15 of the valve body 1 and is limited by the clamping member 3. The mounting hole 15 of the valve body 1 is a stepped hole with two steps of different diameters: a sealing step with a smaller diameter and an mounting step with a larger diameter. One end of the rotor 2, which has a water outlet channel, is disposed within the sealing step, and the other end of the rotor 2 is disposed within the mounting step. The mounting step is also provided with threads adapted to the clamping member 3. By tightening the clamping member 3, the rotor 2 is limited within the mounting hole 15.

[0032] Preferably, the sidewall of rotor 2 is in a sealing fit with the sealing step sidewall of mounting hole 15. The mating surfaces of rotor 2 and mounting hole 15 are sufficiently smooth to ensure a seal between the two sidewalls. The inner walls of rotor 2 and mounting hole 15 can be made of ceramic material. Mounting hole 15 is a blind hole. The sealing surface between rotor 2 and mounting hole 15 is tapered, with the tapered diameter increasing from the sealing step to the mounting step to prevent water leakage towards the mounting step. This is not a specific limitation.

[0033] In another embodiment, an assembly hole 24 for fitting a handle is provided along the axial direction of the rotor 2, and a stop portion 241 is provided in the assembly hole 24. During installation, the valve core is placed in the water outlet device, and the assembly portion of the handle is inserted into the assembly hole 24 for positioning. The rotor 2 is rotated by driving the handle.

[0034] Another embodiment provides a water outlet device, including a water outlet body and a four-way diverter valve as described in any of the above embodiments, disposed within the water outlet body. The water outlet body can be a faucet, showerhead, or other device requiring fluid switching. The valve body 1 has multiple through holes 16 for adaptation and limiting with the water outlet body. The inlet 11 and each outlet correspond to the inlet and outlet channels on the water outlet body. By default, the inlet is connected to the first outlet 12, and switching to other outlets is achieved by driving the rotor 2 to rotate. For example, when the water outlet body is a shower faucet, by default, the first outlet 12 is connected to the showerhead, the second outlet 13 is connected to the overhead shower, and the third outlet 14 is connected to the bottom outlet; however, this is not limited to these specific connections.

[0035] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. All technical solutions that fall within the scope of the present invention are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A four-way water distribution valve, characterized in that, It includes a valve body and a rotor mounted on the valve body; the valve body is provided with an inlet, a first outlet, a second outlet, and a third outlet. The rotor is provided with a first channel, a second channel and a third channel. The first channel is arranged through the rotor along a direction perpendicular to the axis of the rotor. The second channel and the third channel are symmetrically arranged along the first channel and are located on the outer wall of the rotor. The inlet is configured to operably drive the rotor to switch between a first position, a second position, and a third position, thereby selecting an outlet for connection; when the rotor is in the first position, the inlet is connected to the first outlet via the first channel; when the rotor is in the second position, the inlet is connected to the second outlet via the second channel; when the rotor is in the third position, the inlet is connected to the third outlet via the third channel. The first channel is a straight hole that passes through the center of the rotor, and the second and third channels are arc-shaped grooves recessed along the side wall of the rotor; the first, second, and third water outlets are equidistantly arranged along the circumference of the valve body so that the included angle between the two water outlets is 120°; the water inlet is arranged between the second and third water outlets and is opposite to the first water outlet.

2. The four-way water distribution valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotor is disposed within the mounting hole of the valve body and is limited by a clamping element.

3. The four-way water distribution valve according to claim 2, characterized in that, The sidewall of the rotor is sealed to the sidewall of the mounting hole.

4. The four-way water distribution valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotor is provided with a mounting hole along its axial direction to fit the handle, and the mounting hole is provided with a stop portion.

5. A water outlet device, characterized in that, It includes a water outlet body and a four-way water distribution valve as described in any one of claims 1-4, disposed within the water outlet body.

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