An operating panel mechanism

Abstract

The present invention provides an operating panel mechanism, which belongs to the technical field of shower equipment. It solves the problem of poor stability in the use of existing operating panel structures. This operating panel mechanism is used to cooperate with an operating valve with a swingable valve stem, and includes a plate-shaped plate body, a sliding member, and a push button arranged on the front side of the plate body. The plate body is provided with a long strip-shaped slide groove, the front end of the sliding member is fixed to the push button, and the push button can drive the sliding member to move back and forth along the length of the slide groove. The operating panel mechanism also includes a cylindrical connecting member arranged on the rear side of the plate body, the axis of the connecting member is arranged perpendicular to the plate body, the front end of the connecting member is connected to the sliding member, the connecting member has a connecting hole for the above-mentioned valve stem to pass through, and the port at the rear end of the connecting member has a flared portion, the aperture of the flared portion is larger than the aperture of other positions of the connecting hole. This operating panel mechanism has the advantage of good stability in use.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of shower equipment and relates to an operating panel mechanism. Background Art

[0002] A showerhead typically consists of a faucet, an overhead showerhead, and a hand shower. A handle on the faucet controls the opening and closing of the water path within the faucet, thereby controlling the flow and amount of water from the overhead showerhead and hand showerhead. As people's expectations for showerhead style and aesthetics continue to rise, the number of products using control panels for water path control is increasing.

[0003] For example, a showerhead has been designed and patented in China, with application number 202122050490.4 and publication number CN216124322U. The showerhead comprises a showerhead body and a circuit board. The showerhead body is equipped with a water inlet, an operating panel, and at least one water outlet. The operating panel has at least one pressing portion. The circuit board is adhered to the inner wall of the operating panel and includes a controller and first micro-deformation pressure-sensing elements facing each pressing portion. When the showerhead is in operation, the first micro-deformation pressure-sensing elements sense the pressure exerted on the corresponding pressing portion, generating a first pressure-sensing signal. Upon receiving the first pressure-sensing signal, the controller controls the opening or closing of the water outlet or adjusts the water flow rate.

[0004] However, the use of this shower head requires a separate battery box to be set up in the shell for power supply. The use environment of the shower head is humid, which has a great impact on the battery box and circuit components, shortening their service life and affecting the reliability and stability of the shower head. 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 operation panel mechanism to solve the problem of poor stability in use of the existing operation panel structure.

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

[0007] The cam is fixed to the cam face, and the cam face is fixed with the push button, and the push button is connected with the cam face to the cam face. The cam face is fixed with the push button, and the push button is connected with the push button to the cam face. The cam face is fixed with the push button, and the push button is connected with the push button to the cam face. The cam face is fixed with the push button, and the push button is connected with the push button to the cam face. The cam face is fixed with the push button, and the push button is connected with the push button

[0008] When this operation panel mechanism is installed, the plate body is set vertically, and its rear side is used for setting the operating valve. The swingable valve stem on the operating valve is set toward one side of the plate body, the push button is located on the front side of the plate body, and the connecting piece is located on the rear side of the plate body. The operating valve matched with this operation panel mechanism adopts a valve in which the valve stem swings to control the movement of the valve core. The aperture of the connecting hole is larger than the width of the outer end of the valve stem. The outer end of the valve stem is inserted into the connecting hole from the port at the rear end of the connecting piece.

[0009] During operation, the push button is pushed along the length of the chute, driving the sliding member and the connector to move horizontally. The outer end of the valve stem is affected by the inner wall of the connector, causing it to swing, thereby controlling the movement of the valve core in the operating valve to adjust the water flow or open and close the valve. Here, the larger aperture at the rear end of the connector provides space for the valve stem to swing, preventing interference from the inner wall of the connecting hole on the valve stem swing, ensuring stable and reliable operation.

[0010] During this working process, the operating panel mechanism can fully cooperate with the rotational swing and axial displacement of the valve stem during operation through the vertical setting of the cylindrical connecting piece and the opening of the connecting hole, and convert the control method of the operating valve swinging the valve stem to adjust the flow into the translation of the push button, which not only realizes the feasibility of mechanical translation valve operation, but also ensures the stability of the operation process.

[0011] In the above-mentioned operating panel mechanism, the rear end of the sliding member has two protruding arc-shaped connecting parts, the two connecting parts are spaced apart on both sides of the sliding member and a clearance gap is formed between the two connecting parts. The two connecting parts are located on the outside of the front end of the connecting member and are threadedly connected to the connecting member. During actual installation, the operating valve and the operating panel mechanism are split structures, and the installation accuracy requirements are relatively high. In particular, when the push buttons and other structures on the operating panel mechanism are designed in multiple groups, it is difficult to ensure that the spacing and angles of each operating valve are the same. The two spaced apart connecting parts and the clearance gap formed between the connecting parts enable the sliding member to achieve a stable connection with the connecting member, and at the same time, allow the connecting member to deflect at a certain angle relative to the sliding member, thereby reducing the installation accuracy requirements and ensuring smooth and stable cooperation between the operating panel mechanism and the operating valve after installation.

[0012] In the aforementioned operating panel mechanism, the connector has multiple external threads on its exterior. These threads are spaced apart axially along the connector, and the outer diameter of the connector between two adjacent threads is no greater than the minor diameter of the threads. These threads allow the connector to be tailored to the distance between the panel and the operating valve, ensuring a stable installation by adjusting the length of the connector to the installation distance.

[0013] In the aforementioned operating panel mechanism, a mounting seat is further fixed to the rear side of the plate body. The sliding member passes through the mounting seat and the plate body, and a guide groove is defined between the mounting seat and the rear side of the plate body to guide the movement of the sliding member. The length of the guide groove is aligned with the length of the slide. The guide groove guides the movement of the sliding member. To ensure smooth movement, a small gap may be provided between the sidewalls of the guide groove and the sliding member, thereby preventing the sliding member from loosening, making the movement of the sliding member more stable and improving the stability of the button operation and the control of the connector.

[0014] In the aforementioned operating panel mechanism, the mounting seat and the plate body are threadedly connected via fasteners. A gasket is further disposed within the guide groove between the slider and the plate body. The slider is partially positioned between the mounting seat and the gasket and can abut against both. The screwed mounting seat and the gasket restrain the slider. The tightening of the fasteners, and thus the degree of restraint on the slider, can be adjusted as needed, thereby reducing friction between the mounting seat, the gasket, and the slider, thereby making operation of the slider and the push button smoother, more convenient, and more stable.

[0015] In the aforementioned operating panel mechanism, the mounting seat is annular, and the connecting portion at the rear end of the slider passes through the mounting seat. A protruding shoulder is provided on the inner side of the mounting seat, and a protruding shoulder is provided on the outer side of the slider. The shoulder is restrained between the shoulder and the spacer. The coordination of the shoulder, the shoulder, and the spacer not only limits the forward and backward position of the slider, preventing it from swinging significantly, but also ensures the stability of the slider during movement, thereby ensuring stable operation.

[0016] In the aforementioned operating panel mechanism, the mounting seat is located on the rear side of the shoulder to form a recessed retaining groove, into which the front end of the connector extends, and the width of the retaining groove is slightly greater than the width of the front end of the connector. The provision of the retaining groove can both limit the front end of the connector and allow the connector to deflect slightly.

[0017] In the aforementioned operating panel mechanism, the front end of the slider is provided with a plurality of protruding connecting teeth (1) distributed circumferentially, the inner side of the push button is provided with connecting teeth (2) that mate with the connecting teeth (1). A connecting screw is also provided through the slider, threadedly connected to the push button, and a gap is provided between the rear end face of the push button and the front end face of the plate. The engagement of the connecting teeth (1) and (2) secures the push button and the slider circumferentially, while the connection of the connecting screw secures the push button and the slider axially, ensuring a stable connection. The gap between the push button and the plate prevents friction or interference between the push button and the plate during movement, which could cause jamming and smoother operation.

[0018] In the aforementioned operating panel mechanism, the mounting base is provided with fixing holes extending therethrough. The fixing holes include a large hole and a small hole disposed adjacent to each other. The large hole has a larger diameter than the small hole and is located closer to the panel body than the small hole. The fixing holes are a two-stage structure, which can be used for inserting and fixing fasteners.

[0019] In the above-mentioned operating panel mechanism, a circular hole is formed through the plate body, and a circular rubber ring is fixed on the hole wall of the circular hole. The circular hole is used for connecting with the faucet body.

[0020] Compared with the existing technology, this operation panel mechanism can fully cooperate with the rotational swing and axial displacement of the valve stem during operation through the vertical setting of the cylindrical connecting piece and the opening of the connecting hole, and convert the control method of operating the valve to swing the valve stem to adjust the flow into the translation of the push button, which not only realizes the feasibility of mechanical translation valve operation, but also ensures the stability of the operation process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the first embodiment of the operation panel mechanism.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of another perspective of the first embodiment of the operation panel mechanism.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional structural view of the first embodiment of the operation panel mechanism.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional structural view of the first embodiment of the operation panel mechanism from another perspective.

[0025] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the sliding member in the first embodiment of the operation panel mechanism.

[0026] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of the mounting base in the first embodiment of the operation panel mechanism.

[0027] In the figure, 1. plate body; 11. slide groove; 12. round hole; 2. sliding part; 21. boss; 22. connecting tooth 1; 23. connecting part; 24. clearance gap; 3. push button; 31. connecting tooth 2; 4. connecting part; 41. connecting hole; 42. flared part; 5. mounting seat; 51. shoulder; 52. limiting groove; 53. fixing hole; 54. large hole; 55. small hole; 6. guide groove; 7. gasket; 8. connecting screw; 9. rubber ring; 101. valve body; 102. valve stem. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] 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.

[0029] Example 1

[0030] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the operating panel mechanism is used to cooperate with an operating valve having a swingable valve stem, and includes a plate-shaped plate body 1, an annular mounting seat 5 threadedly connected to the rear side of the plate body 1 by fasteners, a sliding member 2 disposed between the mounting seat 5 and the plate body 1, a push button 3 disposed on the front side of the plate body 1, and a cylindrical connecting member 4 disposed on the rear side of the plate body 1. An elongated slot 11 is formed through the plate body 1. The front end of the sliding member 2 passes through the slot 11 and is fixed to the push button 3. The rear end of the sliding member 2 passes through the mounting seat 5 and is fixed to the connecting member 4. The axis of the connecting member 4 is perpendicular to the plate body 1, and the connecting member 4 has a connecting hole 41 for the valve stem 102 to be inserted and swung. The push button 3 can drive the sliding member 2 to move back and forth along the length of the slot 11. In this embodiment, the outer side of the connecting member 4 has several sections of external threads, which are distributed at intervals along the axial direction of the connecting member 4, and the outer diameter of the connecting member 4 between two adjacent sections of external threads is not larger than the minor diameter of the external threads. The connecting member 4 is threadedly connected to the sliding member 2; a circular hole 12 is also opened through the plate body 1, and a circular rubber ring 9 is fixed on the hole wall of the circular hole 12.

[0031] like Figure 5 As shown, the slider 2 has a protruding shoulder 21 on the outside of its central portion. This shoulder 21 is in the shape of a flat rectangular parallelepiped. Behind this shoulder 21 are two protruding arc-shaped connecting portions 23. These connecting portions 23 are spaced apart on either side of the slider 2, forming two clearance notches 24 between them. Both connecting portions 23 have internal threads that threadably connect to the connector 4. A through hole is formed through the center of the slider 2 in the front-to-back direction, and several protruding connecting teeth 22 are distributed circumferentially on the outside of the front end of the slider 2.

[0032] like Figure 3 As shown, the inner side of the push button 3 has a connecting tooth 2 31 that cooperates with the connecting tooth 1 22. The cooperation between the connecting tooth 1 22 and the connecting tooth 2 31 realizes the circumferential fixation of the push button 3 and the sliding member 2. A connecting screw 8 is passed through the through hole of the sliding member 2. The head of the connecting screw 8 rests on the rear side of the sliding member 2. The rod of the connecting screw 8 passes through the front end of the sliding member 2 and is threadedly connected to the push button 3. After being fixed, there is a distance between the rear end face of the push button 3 and the front end face of the plate body 1.

[0033] The port at the rear end of the connector 4 has a flared portion 42, the aperture of which is larger than the aperture of other positions of the connecting hole 41 and the two are transitioned by a conical surface. The valve body 101 is arranged behind the connector 4, and the outer end of the valve stem 102 extends into the rear end of the connector 4.

[0034] like Figure 6 As shown, the mounting base 5 is provided with several fixing holes 53. Each fixing hole 53 comprises a large hole 54 and a small hole 55, each of which is adjacent to each other. The large hole 54 has a larger diameter than the small hole 55 and is closer to the plate 1 than the small hole 55. The mounting base 5 has two elongated, protruding sidewalls 51 on opposite sides of the inner hole. A recessed retaining groove 52 is formed behind the retaining groove 51 on the mounting base 5. The front end of the connector 4 extends into the retaining groove 52. The width of the retaining groove 52 is greater than the width of the guide groove 6 and slightly greater than the width of the front end of the connector 4. In this embodiment, the fixing holes 53 can be installed by placing a sealing ring around the head of the fastener. After the fastener is inserted into the fixing hole 53, the sealing ring expands and rests against the transition between the large hole 54 and the small hole 55, securing the fastener within the fixing hole 53.

[0035] like Figure 4 As shown, a recessed mounting groove is defined on the rear side of the plate body 1, surrounding the slide 11. The groove has a roughly rectangular cross-section and houses an annular gasket 7, the outer edge of which abuts against the groove wall. When the mounting seat 5 is secured to the rear side of the plate body 1, the front end of the mounting seat 5 presses the gasket 7 against the bottom surface of the groove. A guide groove 6 is formed between the shoulder 51 of the mounting seat 5 and the gasket 7. The guide groove 6 surrounds the slide 11, and its length aligns with that of the slide 11. The shoulder 21 at the widest point of the slider 2 is positioned between the shoulder 51 and the gasket 7, with a gap between them. The width of the guide groove 6 is slightly greater than the width of the shoulder 21 of the slider 2. In this embodiment, the gasket 7, mounting seat 5, and connector 4 are all made of plastic, specifically a plastic with high strength and a low coefficient of friction.

[0036] When the operation panel mechanism is installed, the plate body 1 is set vertically and blocks the operation valve, the push button 3 faces forward, the connecting piece 4 faces backward, and the length direction of the slide groove 11 is set up and down. The operation valve matched with the operation panel mechanism uses a valve in which the valve stem 102 swings to control the movement of the valve core. The connecting hole 41 at the rear end of the connecting piece 4 is sleeved on the outside of the outer end of the valve stem 102. The aperture of the connecting hole 41 needs to be larger than the width of the outer end of the valve stem 102.

[0037] When in use, the push button 3 is pushed along the length direction of the slide groove 11, that is, the push button 3 is pushed in the up and down directions. The push button 3 drives the sliding part 2 and the connecting part 4 to move horizontally, so that the valve stem 102 is driven to swing, thereby controlling the movement of the valve core in the valve body 101 to achieve water flow regulation or valve opening and closing control.

[0038] Example 2

[0039] The technical solution of this embodiment is roughly the same as that of embodiment 1, except that the guide structure does not adopt structures such as the mounting seat 5 and the guide groove 6, but includes an annular guide ring protruding from the rear side of the plate body 1, and the sliding member 2 is inserted into the guide ring and the guide ring and the sliding member 2 are transitionally matched.

[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 operating panel mechanism for cooperating with an operating valve having a swingable valve stem (102), comprising a plate-shaped plate body (1), a sliding member (2), and a push button (3) arranged on the front side of the plate body (1), wherein a long strip-shaped slide groove (11) is provided through the plate body (1), the front end of the sliding member (2) is fixed to the push button (3), and the push button (3) can drive the sliding member (2) to move back and forth along the length direction of the slide groove (11), characterized in that: The operating panel mechanism also includes a cylindrical connecting member (4) arranged on the rear side of the plate body (1), the axis of the connecting member (4) is arranged perpendicular to the plate body (1), the front end of the connecting member (4) is connected to the sliding member (2), the connecting member (4) has a connecting hole (41) for the valve stem (102) to pass through, the end of the connecting member (4) has a flared portion (42), the aperture of the flared portion (42) is larger than the aperture of other positions of the connecting hole (41), the rear end of the sliding member (2) has two protruding arc-shaped connecting portions (23), the two connecting portions The parts (23) are arranged at intervals on both sides of the sliding member (2) and a clearance gap (24) is formed between the two connecting parts (23). The two connecting parts (23) are located on the outside of the front end of the connecting member (4) and are threadedly connected to the connecting member (4). A mounting seat (5) is also fixed to the rear side of the plate body (1). The sliding member (2) passes through the mounting seat (5) and the plate body (1) and a guide groove (6) is provided between the mounting seat (5) and the rear side of the plate body (1) to guide the movement of the sliding member (2). The length direction of the guide groove (6) is consistent with the length direction of the sliding groove (11).

2. An operating panel mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer side of the connecting piece (4) has several sections of external threads, the sections of external threads are spaced apart along the axial direction of the connecting piece, and the outer diameter of the connecting piece between two adjacent sections of external threads is not greater than the minor diameter of the external threads.

3. The operating panel mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting seat (5) is threadedly connected to the plate body (1) via a fastener, and a gasket (7) is further provided in the guide groove (6) between the sliding member (2) and the plate body (1). The sliding member (2) is partially located between the mounting seat (5) and the gasket (7) and can abut against both of them respectively.

4. An operating panel mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that: The mounting seat (5) is annular, the rear end of the sliding member (2) passes through the mounting seat (5), the inner side of the mounting seat (5) has a protruding shoulder (51), the outer side of the sliding member (2) has a protruding shoulder (21), and the shoulder (21) is limited between the shoulder (51) and the gasket (7).

5. An operating panel mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that: The mounting seat (5) is located at the rear side of the shoulder (51) to form a recessed limiting groove (52), the front end of the connecting member (4) extends into the limiting groove (52), and the width of the limiting groove (52) is slightly larger than the width of the front end of the connecting member (4).

6. An operating panel mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The outer side of the front end of the sliding member (2) is provided with a plurality of protruding connecting teeth (22) distributed along the circumferential direction, and the inner side of the push button (3) is provided with a connecting tooth (31) that matches the connecting tooth (22). A connecting screw (8) is also provided in the sliding member (2), and the connecting screw (8) is threadedly connected to the push button (3). There is a gap between the rear end surface of the push button (3) and the front end surface of the plate body (1).

7. An operating panel mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A fixing hole (53) is formed through the mounting seat (5), and the fixing hole (53) includes a large hole (54) and a small hole (55) arranged adjacent to each other. The diameter of the large hole (54) is larger than the diameter of the small hole (55), and the large hole (54) is closer to the plate body (1) than the small hole (55).

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