Water discharging device

Abstract

The present invention provides a water-discharging device capable of effectively suppressing abnormal noise generated by a vibration-generating element. Specifically, the present invention is a water-discharging device (1) that discharges water while reciprocating vibration, having a water-discharging device body (10) and a vibration-generating element (22). The vibration-generating element is characterized by comprising: a water supply channel (24); a collision part (30) for water guided by the water supply channel to collide; a vortex street channel (26) for guiding vortices formed by the collision part; and a discharge channel (28) for discharging water. The vortex street channel is constructed by fitting an upstream side fitting part (18a) of an upstream side component (18) and a downstream side fitting part (20a) of a downstream side component (20) together. A vibration suppression part (18b) is provided on the upstream side component or the downstream side component to suppress the vibration of the upstream side component caused by the vortex generated in the vortex street channel. By providing the vibration suppression part, when the upstream side fitting part and the downstream side fitting part are fitted together, the upstream side fitting part or the downstream side fitting part undergoes a predetermined amount of elastic deformation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a water-discharging device, and more particularly to a water-discharging device that discharging water while simultaneously vibrating it back and forth. Background Technology

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-35439 (Patent Document 1) describes a water-discharging device. This device includes a vibration-generating element that discharges supplied water while it reciprocates. The vibration-generating element comprises: a water supply channel; a hot and cold water collision section disposed at the downstream end of the water supply channel; a vortex-generating channel for guiding vortices generated by the collision of water with the hot and cold water collision section; and a discharge port channel disposed downstream of the vortex-generating channel. Water supplied to the water-discharging device flows into the water supply channel of the vibration-generating element and collides with the hot and cold water collision section disposed at its downstream end. Through the collision of water with the hot and cold water collision section, vortices rotating in opposite directions are generated alternately in the vortex-generating channel on the downstream side, and are guided downstream through the vortex-generating channel. The water flow containing vortices, guided by the vortex-generating channel, is discharged while reciprocating through the discharge port channel, which has a narrower cross-sectional area than the vortex-generating channel.

[0003] The vibration generating element described in Patent Document 1 has a hot and cold water collision section between a water supply channel and a vortex generating channel, and a discharge port with a narrow cross-sectional area is provided on the downstream side of the vortex generating channel. Because of this structure, it is difficult to integrally mold the vibration generating element with resin. Therefore, the vibration generating element described in Patent Document 1 is constructed by fitting a first component, which has the water supply channel, the hot and cold water collision section, and the vortex generating channel, to a second component, which has the vortex generating channel, on the downstream side.

[0004] Furthermore, in the vibration generating element described in Patent Document 1, the first component on the upstream side is constructed with a rigid material, and the second component on the downstream side is constructed with a soft material. This suppresses abnormal noise caused by oscillations from the vibration generating element. Specifically, when hot or cold water flows into the roughly rectangular inlet (water supply channel) of the vibration generating element, the inlet is flattened and repeatedly deforms to regain its original shape, resulting in abnormal noise. In the vibration generating element described in Patent Document 1, the aim is to suppress deformation of the component and thus suppress abnormal noise by using a rigid material to construct the first component with the water supply channel.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-108830 (Patent Document 2) describes a water-discharging device. This device includes a vibration-generating element that discharges supplied water while it reciprocates. The vibration-generating element comprises: a water supply channel; a collision section disposed at the downstream end of the water supply channel; a vortex-generating channel that guides vortices generated by the collision between the water and the collision section; and a discharge port channel disposed downstream of the vortex-generating channel. Water supplied to the water-discharging device flows into the water supply channel of the vibration-generating element and collides with the collision section disposed at its downstream end. Through the collision between the water and the collision section, vortices rotating in opposite directions are generated alternately in the vortex-generating channel on the downstream side and guided downstream by the vortex-generating channel. The water flow containing vortices, guided by the vortex-generating channel, is discharged while reciprocating through the discharge port channel, which has a narrower cross-sectional area than the vortex-generating channel.

[0006] Patent documents

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-35439

[0008] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-108830 Summary of the Invention

[0009] However, the inventors have discovered that even if the generation of abnormal noise caused by oscillation is suppressed as in the invention described in Patent Document 1, abnormal noise can still be generated from the vibration generating element through different mechanisms.

[0010] Furthermore, according to the vibration generating element described in Patent Document 2, since it ejects a linear stream of water while reciprocating, it allows for a compact design while covering a wider area. Therefore, when the vibration generating element described in Patent Document 1 is applied to a shower head, sufficient freedom in shower head design can be ensured, and an improvement in the showering experience can be expected. However, even when the angle of the reciprocating vibration of the water jet is increased to further expand the water coverage area in the vibration generating element described in Patent Document 1, the water coverage area only extends linearly, resulting in a problem that the water coverage area cannot be sufficiently expanded. In other words, when the vibration generating element is applied to a shower head, even if the water coverage area becomes linearly longer, it only increases the amount of water that does not touch the user's body, and the showering experience is not significantly improved.

[0011] Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a water discharge device that can effectively suppress abnormal noise generated by vibration generating elements.

[0012] Furthermore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a water discharge device that can sufficiently ensure a wide water contact area with a compact configuration.

[0013] To address the aforementioned problems, the present invention provides a water-discharging device that causes water to reciprocate and vibrate while being discharged. The device comprises: a water-discharging device body; and a vibration-generating element disposed on the water-discharging device body, causing water to reciprocate and vibrate within a predetermined vibration plane while being discharged. The vibration-generating element includes: a water supply channel for incoming water; a collision section disposed at the downstream end of the water supply channel in a manner that partially closes the flow channel cross-section, generating opposing rotating vortices on its downstream side by colliding with the water guided by the water supply channel; a vortex street channel disposed downstream of the water supply channel to guide the vortices formed by the collision section; and a discharge channel for discharging the water guided by the vortex street channel. The channel is constructed by fitting an upstream side fitting portion of an upstream component forming an upstream vortex street channel with a downstream side fitting portion of a downstream component forming a downstream vortex street channel. Either the upstream side fitting portion or the downstream side fitting portion is formed of a soft material, and the other side is formed of a hard material with a higher elastic modulus than the soft material. A vibration suppression portion is provided on the upstream side component or the downstream side component to suppress the vibration of the upstream side component caused by vortices generated in the vortex street channel. By providing the vibration suppression portion, when the upstream side fitting portion and the downstream side fitting portion are fitted together, the one of the upstream side fitting portion and the downstream side fitting portion made of soft material will undergo a predetermined amount of elastic deformation.

[0014] In this invention, water flowing into the water supply channel of the vibration generating element provided on the main body of the water discharge device collides with the collision part and generates opposing rotating vortices on the downstream side. The water flow containing the generated vortices is guided by the vortex street channel on the downstream side and discharged from the discharge channel while reciprocating within a predetermined vibration plane. The vortex street channel is constructed by connecting an upstream side member having its upstream side formed and a downstream side member having its downstream side formed. That is, the vortex street channel is constructed by fitting an upstream side fitting part provided on the upstream side member and a downstream side fitting part provided on the downstream side member to each other. Furthermore, a vibration suppression part is provided on the upstream side member or the downstream side member to suppress the vibration of the upstream side member caused by the vortex generated in the vortex street channel. By providing this vibration suppression part, when the upstream side fitting part and the downstream side fitting part are fitted together, one of the upstream side fitting parts and the downstream side fitting part, which is made of a soft material, will undergo a predetermined amount of elastic deformation.

[0015] The inventors discovered that even when using a rigid material to construct the upstream component to suppress oscillation-induced noise, it is still insufficient to adequately suppress the noise generated by the vibration-generating element, which forms the vortex street channel of the vibration-generating element. Based on the inventors' in-depth research, it was found that the noise originates from an aeolus sound generated within the vibration-generating element. Specifically, when hot or cold water collides with the collision part located within the vibration-generating element, and a Karman vortex is generated downstream, an aeolus sound is produced by this vortex. This aeolus sound causes the entire upstream component of the vibration-generating element to vibrate, resulting in a harsh noise. Since this aeolus-induced noise is caused by the vibration of the entire upstream component, its mechanism differs from that of noise caused by oscillation, which is generated by deformation of the upstream component. Therefore, even using a rigid material to construct the upstream component cannot adequately suppress the noise.

[0016] According to the present invention configured as described above, a vibration suppression part is provided on the upstream or downstream component. This vibration suppression part can suppress the vibration of the upstream component caused by vortices generated in the vortex street channel. By providing the vibration suppression part, when the upstream and downstream fitting parts are fitted together, one of the upstream and downstream fitting parts, which is made of soft material, undergoes a predetermined amount of elastic deformation. Therefore, the upstream component can be firmly fixed to the downstream component, and even if wind noise is generated inside the upstream component, the vibration of the upstream component caused by this can be suppressed, thereby sufficiently suppressing the generation of abnormal noise. Furthermore, according to the present invention configured as described above, since either the upstream or downstream fitting part is formed of a soft material and the other is formed of a hard material, the viscosity of the soft material can be used to attenuate the vibration of the upstream component, thereby sufficiently suppressing the generation of abnormal noise.

[0017] In this invention, it is preferable to provide the vibration suppression part on at least the portion of the upstream or downstream mating part that is further downstream than the collision part.

[0018] As described above, the wind noise is generated in a portion downstream of the impact portion of the vibration generating element. According to the present invention configured as described above, since the vibration suppression portion is provided in a portion downstream of the impact portion, the upstream component can be strongly suppressed at the location where the wind noise is generated, thereby more effectively suppressing abnormal noises caused by the wind noise.

[0019] In this invention, it is preferable to configure the vibration suppression part such that one of the upstream and downstream fitting parts, which is made of a soft material, undergoes elastic deformation at least in a direction parallel to the vibration plane.

[0020] The Karman vortex generated downstream of the collision portion of the vibration-generating element produces pressure changes in a direction parallel to the vibration plane, thereby generating a wind-blown sound. Therefore, the vibration of the upstream component causing the wind-blown sound is a vibration parallel to the vibration plane. According to the present invention configured as described above, since the vibration suppression portion causes the upstream or downstream fitting portion to elastically deform at least in a direction parallel to the vibration plane, the movement of the upstream component in the direction parallel to the vibration plane can be more forcefully suppressed, thereby effectively suppressing the generation of abnormal noise.

[0021] In this invention, it is preferable to configure the vibration suppression part such that one of the upstream side fitting part and the downstream side fitting part, which is made of soft material, undergoes elastic deformation in both directions parallel to the vibration plane and perpendicular to the vibration plane.

[0022] According to the present invention configured in this way, since the vibration suppression part causes the upstream or downstream fitting part to elastically deform in the direction parallel to the vibration plane and in the direction perpendicular to the vibration plane, the upstream component can be firmly pressed, thereby more effectively suppressing the generation of abnormal noise.

[0023] In this invention, it is preferable to provide a plurality of vibration generating elements on the body of the water discharge device, and to integrate the downstream components of these vibration generating elements.

[0024] According to the present invention configured in this way, since the downstream components of multiple vibration generating elements are integrated, even when the downstream components are constructed of soft materials, the rigidity of the downstream components can be improved, and the vibration of the upstream components can be sufficiently suppressed.

[0025] In this invention, it is preferable to provide multiple vibration generating elements on the main body of the water dispensing device, and to integrate the downstream components of these vibration generating elements. On the other hand, the upstream components of the multiple vibration generating elements are separately constructed.

[0026] According to the present invention configured in this way, by integrating the downstream side components of the multiple vibration generating elements, the rigidity of the downstream side components can be utilized, and on the other hand, by separately configuring the upstream side components of the multiple vibration generating elements, the vibrations of the multiple upstream side components can be prevented from resonating and reinforcing each other, thereby effectively suppressing the generation of abnormal noise.

[0027] In this invention, the vibration suppression part is preferably composed of rib-shaped protrusions provided on the surface of the upstream or downstream mating part.

[0028] According to the present invention configured in this way, since the vibration suppression part is composed of rib-shaped protrusions, it is easy to control the elastic deformation of the upstream or downstream fitting part, thereby obtaining an appropriate noise suppression effect.

[0029] In this invention, it is preferable that the vortex channel is wider in the direction parallel to the vibration plane than in the direction perpendicular to the vibration plane, and a flow diffusion section is provided in the middle of the vortex channel. The flow diffusion section is composed of a step section, which is formed to narrow the flow channel of the vortex channel in the height direction towards the downstream side, and the height of the step section is less than 50% of the height of the vortex channel.

[0030] In this invention, water is supplied into a water supply channel of a vibration-generating element disposed on the body of the water discharge device. The incoming water collides with a collision section configured to close a portion of the flow channel cross-section of the water supply channel, thereby generating opposing rotating vortices on the downstream side. The water flow containing the generated vortices is guided by a vortex street channel disposed downstream of the water supply channel. Furthermore, the water guided by the vortex street channel is discharged through the discharge channel while reciprocating in the vibration plane. In addition, a flow diffusion section consisting of a stepped portion is provided midway through the vortex street channel, the stepped portion being formed to narrow the flow channel of the vortex street channel in the height direction towards the downstream side.

[0031] According to the present invention configured in this way, since the vortexes generated on the downstream side of the collision section, rotating in opposite directions, are guided by the vortex street channel and discharged from the discharge channel, the discharged water can reciprocate within a predetermined vibration plane. Furthermore, since a stepped section is provided in the middle of the vortex street channel as a flow diffusion section, narrowing the flow path of the vortex street channel in the height direction, the water discharged from the discharge channel also diffuses in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane. Thus, a sufficiently wide water contact area can be ensured with a compact configuration.

[0032] In this invention, it is preferable to configure the height of the discharge channel to be a height greater than or equal to the minimum height of the vortex street channel.

[0033] According to the present invention configured in this way, since the height of the discharge channel is configured to be higher than the minimum height of the vortex channel, the flow can diffuse in the height direction of the vortex channel through the flow diffusion section, and the water discharged from the discharge channel can easily diffuse in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane.

[0034] In this invention, the preferred vortex street channel is formed by connecting an upstream side component of the upstream side of the vortex street channel to a downstream side component of the downstream side of the vortex street channel.

[0035] According to the present invention configured in this way, since the vortex channel is constructed by connecting the upstream side component and the downstream side component, it is easy to form a vibration generating element having a water supply channel, a collision part, a vortex channel and a discharge channel.

[0036] In this invention, it is preferable to form the stepped portion on the connection between the upstream side component and the downstream side component.

[0037] According to the present invention configured in this way, since the stepped portion is formed on the connection between the upstream side component and the downstream side component, it is convenient to form the stepped portion as a flow diffusion portion in the middle of the vortex street channel.

[0038] In this invention, it is preferable that the height of the vortex channel provided on the downstream component at the upstream end is lower than the height of the vortex channel provided on the upstream component at the downstream end.

[0039] According to the present invention configured in this way, since the height of the upstream end of the vortex channel provided on the downstream side component is configured to be lower than the height of the downstream end of the vortex channel provided on the upstream side component, a stepped portion that narrows the flow path of the vortex channel in the height direction toward the downstream side can be reliably formed at the connection between the upstream side component and the downstream side component.

[0040] In this invention, it is preferable that the height of the vortex channel provided on the downstream component is constant.

[0041] According to the present invention configured in this way, since the height of the vortex street channel provided on the downstream side component is configured to be constant, the collapse of the vortex generated by the collision between water and the collision part can be suppressed, thereby enabling reliable guidance of the vortex street.

[0042] In this invention, it is preferable to form the stepped portion in the middle of the vortex channel formed on the downstream component.

[0043] According to the present invention configured in this way, since the step portion is formed in the middle of the vortex street channel formed on the downstream component, the distance from the collision portion to the step portion can be extended, and the vortex can be fully developed until it reaches the flow diffusion portion, i.e., the step portion.

[0044] In this invention, it is preferable to set the stepped portion on the inner wall surface of the vortex street channel in a direction parallel to the vibration plane.

[0045] According to the present invention configured in this way, since the step portion is provided on the inner wall surface facing the direction parallel to the vibration plane, the height of the vortex channel on the downstream side of the step portion can be sufficiently ensured, so that the water flow can reciprocate within the specified vibration plane and also diffuse in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane.

[0046] In this invention, it is preferable that the height of the vortex channel in the direction perpendicular to the vibration plane is kept constant on the downstream side of the step portion, and the inner wall surface of the vortex channel opposite to the step portion is bent so that the flow channel of the vortex channel expands in the height direction toward the downstream side.

[0047] According to the present invention configured in this way, since the vortex channel is configured to have a constant height on the downstream side of the step portion, and the inner wall surface of the vortex channel opposite to the step portion is bent in such a way that the flow channel of the vortex channel expands in the height direction toward the downstream side, the direction of the water flow passing through the vortex channel can be changed toward the inner wall surface side opposite to the step portion, thereby enabling it to diffuse in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane.

[0048] In this invention, the vibration generating element preferably has a bypass channel that allows water to flow from a downstream side of the collision section into the vortex street channel, and a portion of the inner wall of the bypass channel is formed by the downstream component.

[0049] According to the present invention configured in this way, since the vibration generating element has a bypass channel, the amplitude of the reciprocating vibration of the water discharged from the vibration generating element can be adjusted by utilizing the flow rate of water flowing into the bypass channel. Furthermore, since a portion of the inner wall surface of the bypass channel is formed by a downstream component, it is also convenient to form a vibration generating element having a bypass channel.

[0050] In this invention, it is preferable that the inner wall surface of the bypass channel located only on its downstream side is formed by a downstream component.

[0051] According to the present invention configured in this way, since the inner wall surface of the bypass channel located only on its downstream side is formed by the downstream side component, by connecting the upstream side component and the downstream side component, the part of the flow channel cross-sectional area that changes can be removed from the collision part, and the vortex formed by the collision part can be fully developed.

[0052] In this invention, the upstream component is preferably formed of a rigid component, and the downstream component is preferably formed of a soft component.

[0053] According to the present invention, by using a rigid component to form the upstream component, deformation of the vortex channel caused by water pressure can be suppressed in the upstream section where water pressure is relatively high. Furthermore, by using a soft component to form the downstream component, even when calcium components contained in tap water accumulate and solidify in the downstream discharge channel, a portion of the discharge channel can be elastically deformed, thereby facilitating the removal of the accumulated calcium components (scale).

[0054] The water-discharging device according to the present invention can effectively suppress abnormal noises generated by vibration-generating elements.

[0055] Furthermore, the water discharge device according to the present invention can ensure a wide water contact area with a compact configuration. Attached Figure Description

[0056] Figure 1This is an exploded perspective view of the water-discharging device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, viewed from above.

[0057] Figure 2 This is an exploded perspective view of the water-dispensing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, viewed from below.

[0058] Figure 3 This is a perspective view showing the state in which each upstream component is mounted on a spray plate in the water-dispensing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0059] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the water-dispensing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, showing each upstream component mounted on a water-spraying plate.

[0060] Figure 5 This is a perspective view showing the state of the water spray device according to the first embodiment of the present invention after the upstream component has been removed from the spray plate.

[0061] Figure 6 This is a perspective view showing the state in which the upstream component is mounted on the spray plate of the water-dispensing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0062] Figure 7 On the water-discharging device of the first embodiment of the present invention, along Figure 6 A sectional view along line VII-VII.

[0063] Figure 8 On the water-discharging device of the first embodiment of the present invention, along Figure 7 A cross-sectional view of line VIII-VIII.

[0064] Figure 9 This is a diagram that schematically represents the vibration generating element in the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0065] Figure 10 This diagram is a schematic representation of a single-piece vibration-generating element as a comparative example.

[0066] Figure 11 This is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the vibration generating element included in the water dispensing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] Figure 12 This is a perspective view showing the appearance of the shower head according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0068] Figure 13 This is a full sectional view of the shower head according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0069] Figure 14This is a perspective cross-sectional view of the vibration generating element of the shower head according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0070] Figure 15 This is a cross-sectional view of the shower head of the second embodiment of the present invention after cutting through the vibration generating element in a direction parallel to the vibration plane.

[0071] Figure 16 This is an exploded perspective view of the water-discharging device according to the third embodiment of the present invention, viewed from above.

[0072] Figure 17 This is an exploded perspective view of the water-discharging device according to the third embodiment of the present invention, viewed from below.

[0073] Figure 18 This is a perspective view showing the state in which functional components are mounted on a spray plate in the water-dispensing device according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0074] Figure 19 This is a cross-sectional view of the water-dispensing device according to the third embodiment of the present invention, showing the functional components mounted on the water spray plate.

[0075] Figure 20 It is along Figure 19 A cross-sectional view of the VV line, selecting and depicting only a portion of one vibration-generating element.

[0076] Figure 21 It is along Figure 20 A sectional view along line VI-VI.

[0077] Figure 22 This is a perspective cross-sectional view of the water-discharging device according to the third embodiment of the present invention, after the vibration generating element has been cut in a direction parallel to the vibration plane.

[0078] Figure 23 This diagram shows the state of water discharged from the vibration generating element of the water discharge device in this embodiment.

[0079] Figure 24 This diagram shows the state of water ejected by the vibration-generating element in a comparative example that has never been equipped with a flow diffuser.

[0080] Figure 25 This diagram shows the state of water ejected from a vibration-generating element in a comparative example where the height of the step section of the flow diffuser is 60% of the height of the vortex channel.

[0081] Figure 26 This is a schematic representation of a vibration generating element consisting of two components in the water dispensing device according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0082] Figure 27It is a diagram that represents a single, integrated vibration-generating element in a stylized manner.

[0083] Figure 28 This is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the vibration generating element in the water dispensing device according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0084] Figure 29 This is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the vibration generating element in the water dispensing device according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0085] Figure 30 This is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the vibration generating element in the water dispensing device according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0086] Figure 31 This is a perspective view showing the appearance of the water-dispensing device, i.e., the shower head, according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0087] Figure 32 This is a full sectional view of the water-dispensing device, i.e., the shower head, according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0088] Figure 33 This is a perspective cross-sectional view of the vibration generating element of the shower head according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0089] Figure 34 This is a cross-sectional view of the shower head according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, after the vibration generating element has been cut in a direction parallel to the vibration plane.

[0090] Figure 35 This is a cross-sectional view of the shower head according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, after the vibration generating element is cut in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane.

[0091] Symbol Explanation

[0092] 1-Water discharge device; 10-Water discharge device body; 10a-Water discharge head; 10b-Holding part; 12-Water spray plate; 12a-Nozzle forming part; 12b-Thin plate part; 16-Water spray nozzle; 18-Upstream side part; 18a-Upstream side fitting part; 18b-Vibration suppression part; 20-Downstream side part; 20a-Downstream side fitting part; 20b-Protrusion; 22-Vibration generating element; 24-Water supply channel; 26-Vortex channel; 28-Discharge channel; 30-Collision part; 32-Vibration generating element of comparative example; 34-Vibration generating element; 36-Upstream side part; 36a-Upstream side fitting part; 36 b - Vibration suppression section; 38 - Downstream side component; 38a - Downstream side fitting part; 100 - Shower head; 102 - Shower head body; 102a - Base end; 104 - Vibration generating element; 104a - Water outlet; 104b - Main flow inlet; 104c - Bypass flow inlet; 106 - Water passage forming component; 106a - Main water passage; 106c - Element insertion hole; 118 - Upstream side component; 118a - Upstream side fitting part; 120 - Downstream side component; 120a - Downstream side fitting part; 124 - Water supply channel; 126 - Vortex channel; 128 - Discharge channel; 130 - Collision part; 140 - Second water supply Channel; 142-Bypass channel; 201-Water discharge device; 210-Water discharge device body; 210a-Water discharge head; 210b-Holding part; 212-Water spray plate; 214-Functional component; 216-Water spray nozzle; 218-Upstream side component; 220-Downstream side component; 220a-Back side; 220b-Front side; 222-Vibration generating element; 224-Water supply channel; 226-Vortex channel; 227-Flow diffusion part (step part); 227a-Bend part; 228-Discharge channel; 230-Collision part; 232-Vibration generating element of comparative example; 234-Discharge channel; 300-Flower 302-Shower head body; 302a-Base end; 304-Vibration generating element; 304a-Spray nozzle; 304b-Main flow inlet; 304c-Bypass flow inlet; 306-Water passage forming component; 306a-Main water passage; 306c-Element insertion hole; 318-Upstream side component; 318a-Inner wall surface; 318b-Inner wall surface; 318c-Inner wall surface; 320-Downstream side component; 320a-Inner wall surface; 324-Water supply channel; 326-Vortex channel; 327-Flow diffusion section; 328-Spray channel; 330-Collision section; 340-Second water supply channel; 342-Bypass channel. Detailed Implementation

[0093] Next, the water-dispensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0094] Figure 1 This is an exploded perspective view of the water-discharging device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, viewed from above. Figure 2 This is an exploded perspective view of the water-dispensing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, viewed from below.

[0095] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the water-dispensing device 1 in this embodiment is a so-called handheld shower head, which consists of a water-dispensing device body 10, a spray plate 12 mounted on the water-dispensing device body 10, and a plurality of upstream side components 18 mounted on the back of the spray plate 12.

[0096] The main body 10 of the water discharge device is configured to have a water discharge head 10a and a holding part 10b, and water is supplied to the inside.

[0097] The spray plate 12 is a generally circular plate-shaped component, which is mounted on the spray head 10a of the spray device body 10. Furthermore, as... Figure 2 As shown, multiple cylindrical water nozzles 16 are protruding from the front of the water spray plate 12.

[0098] In addition, such as Figure 1 As shown, five upstream components 18 are arranged in a ring on the back side of the spray plate 12, forming five vibration generating elements together with a portion of the spray plate 12. These vibration generating elements are configured to spray water while causing the supplied water to reciprocate within a predetermined vibration plane. Details of the vibration generating elements will be described later.

[0099] In this embodiment, the water discharge device 1 is configured such that supplied water flows into the water discharge device body 10 and is sprayed through the water spray nozzles 16 of the spray plate 12 mounted on the water discharge head 10a and the vibration generating element. The water discharged from each spray nozzle 16 is discharged in a linear form, and the water discharged from each vibration generating element is discharged while reciprocating within a predetermined vibration plane.

[0100] Next, refer to again Figures 3 to 8 The vibration-generating element is described.

[0101] Figure 3 This is a perspective view showing the state in which each upstream component 18 is mounted on the spray plate 12. Figure 4 This is its sectional view. Furthermore, Figure 5 and Figure 6 This is a perspective view showing an enlarged view of an upstream component 18 and a portion of a spray plate 12 on which the upstream component 18 is mounted. Figure 5 This indicates the state after the upstream component has been removed. Figure 6 This indicates that the upstream component is mounted on the spray plate. Figure 7 It is along Figure 6 A sectional view of line VII-VII. Figure 8 It is along Figure 7 A cross-sectional view of line VIII-VIII.

[0102] like Figure 4 As shown, the spray plate 12 is composed of a nozzle forming member 12a and a thin plate member 12b disposed on the front of the nozzle forming member 12a. The nozzle forming member 12a is composed of a circular plate portion and a plurality of spray nozzles 16 formed in such a way as to protrude from the plate portion toward the front side. The thin plate member 12b is composed of a circular thin plate and is provided with a plurality of holes for each spray nozzle 16 to pass through.

[0103] like Figure 5 As shown, the vibration generating element 22 is constructed by connecting the upstream component 18 and the downstream component 20. That is, in this embodiment, as... Figure 3 As shown, five upstream components 18 are arranged in a ring and are connected to five downstream components 20 respectively to form five vibration generating elements 22. The five downstream components 20 are integrally formed with the spray plate 12 (the nozzle forming component 12a).

[0104] That is, such as Figure 4 As shown, the downstream component 20 consists of a downstream fitting portion 20a formed in a manner that protrudes toward the back side of the spray plate 12. Figure 1 ) and a protrusion 20b formed in such a way as to protrude toward the front side of the spray plate 12. Figure 2 Therefore, in this embodiment, by fitting each upstream component 18 into the downstream fitting portion 20a protruding towards the back side of the spray plate 12, five vibration generating elements 22 arranged in a ring are formed. Thus, in this embodiment, multiple vibration generating elements 22 are provided on the water discharge device body 10, the downstream components 20 of each of the five vibration generating elements 22 are integrated, while the upstream components 18 of each of the five vibration generating elements 22 are separately constructed.

[0105] Furthermore, in this embodiment, each upstream component 18 is formed of a rigid material (e.g., POM (polyacetal)), and the spray plate 12 (downstream component 20) is formed of a soft material (e.g., TPE (thermoplastic elastomer)) with a lower elastic modulus than the rigid material. Thus, in this embodiment, by using the upstream side fitting portion 18a (…) at the top of the upstream component 18… Figure 5 It can be embedded into the downstream fitting portion 20a formed on the back side of the spray plate 12, and the two can be combined. In addition, as a rigid material, any material with strength that will not deform under normal water supply pressure can be used, such as ABS resin (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer). In addition, any soft material can be a component that can easily undergo elastic deformation when force is applied by the user, such as silicone rubber.

[0106] like Figure 7 As shown, the vibration generating element 22 includes: a water supply channel 24 through which supplied water flows in; a vortex channel 26 disposed downstream of the water supply channel 24; and a discharge channel 28 for discharging water guided by the vortex channel. Furthermore, at the downstream end of the water supply channel 24, a collision portion 30 is provided to partially close the flow channel cross-section of the water supply channel 24. Each vibration generating element 22 is configured such that the supplied water flows parallel to... Figure 7 The paper vibrates back and forth in the plane of vibration, and is ejected from the downstream end of the ejection channel 28.

[0107] The water supply channel 24 is a channel with a fixed cross-sectional size and shape for allowing water to flow into the water discharge device body 10. Furthermore, the water supply channel 24 is formed with a flat rectangular cross-section, the width of which is greater in the direction parallel to the vibration plane than its height in the direction perpendicular to the vibration plane. Additionally, downstream of the water supply channel 24, vortex street channels 26 with the same cross-sectional shape are continuously provided.

[0108] At the downstream end of the water supply channel 24, a collision section 30 is provided in such a way that it partially closes off the cross-section of the water supply channel 24. That is, the collision section 30 is configured to connect the two inner wall surfaces parallel to the vibration plane that form the water supply channel 24 and the vortex street channel 26 to each other. Figure 8 Furthermore, in this embodiment, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane, the collision portion 30 is formed into a right-angled isosceles triangle shape and is disposed in the center of the water supply channel 24 with its hypotenuse facing upstream. By causing the water guided by the water supply channel 24 to collide with the collision portion 30, vortices with opposite rotations are generated on the downstream side of the collision portion 30.

[0109] A vortex channel 26 is formed downstream of the water supply channel 24 and is configured to guide the vortex formed by the collision section 30. Furthermore, the vortex channel 26 is a channel formed continuously in its upstream portion with the same cross-sectional dimensions and shape as the downstream end of the water supply channel 24. That is, the vortex channel 26 is a channel with a flat rectangular cross-section, the width of which is formed in the direction parallel to the vibration plane is wider than its height in the direction perpendicular to the vibration plane. The vortex formed by the collision section 30 is guided by this vortex channel 26, thereby growing and moving downstream. Although in this embodiment the vortex channel 26 is configured with a constant width, as a variation, the vortex channel 26 may be configured to narrow in width towards the downstream side.

[0110] The discharge channel 28 is a flow channel connected downstream of the vortex channel 26, configured to discharge water guided by the vortex channel 26. Furthermore, the width of the upstream end of the discharge channel 28 is narrower than the width of the downstream end of the vortex channel 26, and its width tapers towards the downstream side. On the other hand, as... Figure 8 As shown, the height of the discharge channel 28, which is perpendicular to the vibration plane, is the same as the height of the downstream side of the vortex street channel 26, maintaining a constant height from the upstream end to the downstream end. The opposing rotating vortices generated downstream of the collision section 30 grow in the vortex street channel 26 and are discharged from the discharge channel 28. At this moment, due to the interaction of the opposing rotating vortices, the direction of the water discharged from the discharge channel 28 vibrates back and forth within the vibration plane.

[0111] Next, the segmented structure of the vibration generating element 22 will be described.

[0112] As described above, each vibration generating element 22 is composed of two components: an upstream component 18 and a downstream component 20. The upstream component 18 has a water supply channel 24 and an upstream portion of a vortex channel 26 formed therein. Furthermore, the downstream component 20 has a downstream portion of the vortex channel 26 and a discharge channel 28 formed therein. That is, the vortex channel 26 is constructed by forming the upstream side on the upstream component 18 and the downstream side on the downstream component 20, and connecting the upstream component 18 and the downstream component 20. Moreover, the upstream component 18 and the downstream component 20 are joined together by inserting an upstream-side fitting portion 18a provided at the top end (downstream end) of the upstream component 18 into a downstream-side fitting portion 20a provided at the base end (upstream end) of the downstream component 20, thus forming the vibration generating element 22.

[0113] Next, refer to Figure 9 and Figure 10 The advantages of manufacturing the vibration generating element 22, which consists of two components, will be explained. Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram representing the vibration generating element in this embodiment, which consists of two components. Figure 10 This diagram serves as a comparative example, providing a schematic representation of a vibration-generating element that is constructed as a single unit.

[0114] like Figure 9As shown, the vibration generating element 22 of this embodiment is composed of an upstream component 18 and a downstream component 20, and the vortex street channel 26 is composed of two components. Therefore, when the upstream component 18 is formed by injection molding, by pre-splitting the molding dies M1 and M2 at a portion of the collision section 30, the molding dies M1 and M2 can be pulled out from the upstream side and the downstream side respectively. Similarly, when the downstream component 20 is formed, by pre-splitting the molding dies M3 and M4 at the boundary between the vortex street channel 26 and the ejection channel 28, the molding dies M3 and M4 can be pulled out from the upstream side and the downstream side respectively. Therefore, the upstream component 18 and the downstream component 20 can be easily formed by injection molding or the like.

[0115] On the other hand, such as Figure 10 As shown, in the comparative example of the integrally molded vibration generating element 32, although the mold M5 can be pulled out from the upstream side during injection molding, the mold M6 gets stuck with the portion surrounded by the dotted line in the figure. Therefore, it is not easy to pull out the mold M6 from the downstream side, and measures such as selecting a material that can elastically deform as the material for injection molding are required to enable pull-out. Therefore, when the vibration generating element is integrally molded, there are certain limitations on the selection of materials, etc., and it is very advantageous to make the vibration generating element 22 a segmented structure as in this embodiment.

[0116] Therefore, it is highly beneficial to divide the vibration generating element 22 into an upstream component 18 and a downstream component 20. However, this results in the following problem: the wind noise generated inside the vortex channel 26 causes the entire upstream component 18 to vibrate. To suppress the abnormal noise caused by this wind noise, a vibration suppression part is provided on the outer wall surface of the upstream component 18 of the vibration generating element 22 of the water discharge device 1 in this embodiment.

[0117] That is, such as Figure 5 As shown, in the water discharge device 1 of this embodiment, vibration suppression portions 18b are formed on the vibration generating element 22 on both sides of the generally cuboid-shaped upstream side member 18, perpendicular to the vibration plane. Each vibration suppression portion 18b is a rib-shaped protrusion with a semi-circular cross-section extending in the longitudinal direction (the direction of water flow within the vibration generating element 22) at the center of the outer side of the upstream side member 18. These vibration suppression portions 18b are respectively provided on both sides of the upstream side member 18, and extend from the base end to the top end of the upstream side member 18 in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the vibration suppression portions 18b extend from the water supply channel 24 of the vibration generating element 22 to the middle of the vortex channel 26. Alternatively, as a variation, the vibration suppression portions 18b may be provided only on the portion downstream of the collision portion 30 of the vibration generating element 22.

[0118] The upstream-side fitting portion 18a at the top of the upstream-side component 18 is inserted into the downstream-side fitting portion 20a at the base of the downstream-side component 20, and they fit together. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the vibration suppression portion 18b is composed of rib-shaped protrusions provided on the surface of the upstream-side fitting portion 18a. Here, the width W1 of the rib-shaped protrusions constituting both sides of the vibration suppression portion 18b from top to top is configured to be larger than the width W2 between the inner wall surfaces of the downstream-side fitting portion 20a receiving the upstream-side component 18. Therefore, as... Figure 6 As shown, when the upstream side fitting portion 18a at the top of the upstream side component 18 is fitted into the downstream side fitting portion 20a at the base of the downstream side component 20, the inner wall surface of the downstream side fitting portion 20a undergoes a predetermined amount of elastic deformation in a direction parallel to the vibration plane and perpendicular to the extending direction of the vortex street channel 26. In this embodiment, the upstream side component 18 is formed of a hard material, and the downstream side component 20 is formed of a soft material. Therefore, when the upstream side component 18 is embedded into the downstream side component 20, the upstream side component 18, which is mainly made of a hard material, can cause the inner wall surface of the downstream side fitting portion 20a, which is made of a soft material, to undergo elastic deformation. That is, when the upstream side fitting portion 18a of the upstream side component 18 is inserted into the downstream side fitting portion 20a of the downstream side component 20, the rib-shaped vibration suppression portion 18b formed on the upstream side fitting portion 18a can cause the inner wall surface of the opposite downstream side fitting portion 20a to undergo elastic deformation in a direction parallel to the vibration plane.

[0119] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the width W1 of the rib-like protrusions on both sides of the vibration suppression portion 18b from top to top is configured to be approximately 0.5 mm larger than the width W2 between the inner wall surfaces of the downstream fitting portion 20a receiving the upstream component 18. Thus, by configuring the width W1 to be larger than the width W2, during fitting, by causing a predetermined amount of elastic deformation in either the upstream component 18 or the downstream component 20, the upstream component 18 can be firmly pressed down, thereby suppressing vibrations of the upstream component 18 caused by wind noise. That is, when wind noise is generated inside the upstream component 18, an excitation force parallel to the vibration plane acts on the upstream component 18, but by providing vibration suppression portions 18b on both sides of the upstream component 18, the vibration of the upstream component 18 in the direction parallel to the vibration plane can be effectively suppressed.

[0120] Furthermore, although in this embodiment the upstream component 18 is inserted into the downstream component 20 to achieve engagement, as a variation, the invention can also be configured such that the downstream component is inserted into the upstream component to achieve engagement. In this case, the invention can also be configured such that the vibration suppression portion 18b is formed on the inner wall surface of the upstream engagement portion 18a, causing the outer wall surface of the downstream engagement portion 20a to elastically deform in a direction parallel to the vibration plane. Also, although in this embodiment the vibration suppression portion 18b is provided on the upstream component 18, as a variation, the invention can also be configured such that the vibration suppression portion is provided on the downstream component 20.

[0121] Thus, when the vibration suppression part is provided on the downstream component 20, the upstream component 18 is formed of a hard material, and the downstream component 20 is formed of a soft material, when the upstream fitting part 18a is fitted into the downstream fitting part 20a, the downstream fitting part 20a with the vibration suppression part 18b formed thereon will elastically deform in a direction parallel to the vibration plane by utilizing the inner wall surface of the upstream fitting part 18a opposite to it. On the other hand, when the upstream fitting part 18a is formed of a soft material and the downstream component 20 is formed of a hard material, when the upstream fitting part 18a is fitted into the downstream fitting part 20a, the vibration suppression part 18b formed on the downstream fitting part 20a can cause the inner wall surface of the upstream fitting part 18a opposite to it to elastically deform in a direction parallel to the vibration plane.

[0122] Furthermore, although in this embodiment the downstream component 20 is formed of a soft material and the upstream component 18 is formed of a hard material with a higher elastic modulus than the soft material, as a variation, the downstream fitting portion 20a of the downstream component 20 can be formed of a hard material, and the upstream fitting portion 18a of the upstream component 18 can be formed of a soft material. Moreover, the upstream component 18 and the downstream component 20 do not necessarily need to be made of a single material; they can also be composite materials of soft and hard materials. For example, the upstream component 18 can be formed as a component that integrates the soft and hard materials through two-color molding, with the upstream fitting portion 18a at the top formed of a soft material, and the base end formed of a hard material. Thus, the base end of the upstream component 18 can be formed of a hard material to suppress deformation caused by the oscillation of the upstream component 18, while the upstream fitting portion 18a can be formed of a soft material.

[0123] Next, refer to Figure 11 A modified example of the vibration generating element included in the water discharge device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0124] Figure 11 It is a three-dimensional diagram showing the state of the vibration generating element of the modified example decomposed into upstream and downstream components.

[0125] like Figure 11 As shown, the vibration generating element 34 in the modified example is composed of an upstream side component 36 and a downstream side component 38. In this modified example, the upstream side fitting portion 36a at the top of the upstream side component 36 is also inserted into the downstream side fitting portion 38a at the base of the downstream side component 38, thereby fitting the two together. Furthermore, since the structures of the water supply channel, vortex channel, discharge channel, and collision portion (not shown) formed inside the upstream side component 36 and the downstream side component 38 are the same as those in the first embodiment described above, their description is omitted.

[0126] like Figure 11 As shown, in this modified example, a vibration suppression portion 36b is provided on the upstream side fitting portion 36a of the upstream side member 36. This vibration suppression portion 36b is a rib-shaped protrusion with a semi-circular cross-section formed on the outer surfaces of both sides of the upstream side member 36, extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (perpendicular to the direction of water flow within the vibration generating element 34). Furthermore, the vibration suppression portion 36b is provided on a portion further downstream than the collision portion (not shown) formed inside the upstream side member 36. Additionally, in this modified example, the width W3 of the rib-shaped protrusions constituting the vibration suppression portion 36b from top to top is also configured to be larger than the width W4 between the inner wall surfaces receiving the downstream side fitting portion 38a of the upstream side member 36. Thus, by making the width W3 larger than the width W4, when the components are fitted together, the upstream component 36 can be firmly pressed down by causing the upstream component 36 or the downstream component 38 to undergo a predetermined amount of elastic deformation, thereby suppressing the vibration of the upstream component 36 caused by wind noise.

[0127] Furthermore, although in this modified example the vibration suppression part 36b is provided on both sides of the upstream fitting part 36a of the upstream member 36, the vibration suppression part (not shown) can also be provided on the front and back sides (two outer sides parallel to the vibration plane of the upstream member 36) of the upstream fitting part 36a. In this case, the vibration suppression parts 36b provided on both sides of the upstream member 36 can be connected to the vibration suppression parts (not shown) provided on the front and back sides of the upstream member 36, so that the vibration suppression parts are continuously provided around the outer peripheral surface of the upstream member 36.

[0128] Thus, when vibration-suppressing parts (not shown) are provided on the front and back sides of the upstream fitting part 36a, these vibration-suppressing parts are pressed against the inner wall surfaces of the downstream fitting parts 38a, which are respectively disposed opposite to the vibration-suppressing parts, causing the inner wall surfaces to elastically deform in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane. Furthermore, frictional force acts between the vibration-suppressing parts (not shown) provided on the front and back sides of the upstream fitting part 36a and the inner wall surfaces of the downstream fitting parts 38a disposed opposite to them. Since this frictional force acts in a direction parallel to the vibration plane, it is possible to suppress the vibration of the upstream component 36, which originates from wind noise, in a direction parallel to the vibration plane.

[0129] Furthermore, although in the first embodiment and its variations described above, the vibration suppression part is formed by raising a portion of the upstream side fitting part into a rib shape, it is also possible to form the vibration suppression part entirely without raising a portion. In this case, the width between the two sides of the upstream side fitting part can be configured to be larger than the width between the two inner wall surfaces of the downstream side fitting part, and the upstream and downstream components can be configured such that when the upstream and downstream side fitting parts are fitted together, the upstream or downstream side fitting part undergoes a predetermined amount of elastic deformation.

[0130] According to the first embodiment of the water-discharging device 1 of the present invention, a vibration suppression part 18b is provided on the upstream side component 18. The vibration suppression part 18b is used to suppress the vibration of the upstream side component 18 caused by the vortex generated in the vortex street channel 26. When the upstream side fitting part 18a and the downstream side fitting part 20a are fitted together, the vibration suppression part 18b causes the downstream side fitting part 20a, which is made of soft material, to undergo a predetermined amount of elastic deformation. As a result, the upstream side component 18 can be firmly fixed to the downstream side component 20a, and even if a wind noise is generated inside the upstream side component 18, the vibration of the upstream side component 18 caused by this can be suppressed, thereby sufficiently suppressing the generation of abnormal noise. Furthermore, according to the water-discharging device 1 of this embodiment, since the downstream side fitting part 20a is formed of soft material and the upstream side fitting part 18a is formed of hard material, the vibration of the upstream side component 18 can be attenuated by utilizing the viscosity of the soft material, thereby sufficiently suppressing the generation of abnormal noise.

[0131] Furthermore, according to the water discharge device 1 of this embodiment, since the vibration suppression part 18b is provided on the part that is further downstream than the collision part 30, the upstream part 18 can be strongly suppressed at the part where the wind noise is generated, thereby more effectively suppressing the abnormal noise caused by the wind noise.

[0132] Furthermore, according to the water discharge device 1 of this embodiment, since the vibration suppression part 18b causes the downstream fitting part 20a to undergo elastic deformation in a direction parallel to the vibration plane, the movement of the upstream component 18 in a direction parallel to the vibration plane can be suppressed more forcefully, thereby effectively suppressing the generation of abnormal noise.

[0133] Furthermore, according to the water discharge device 1 of this embodiment, by integrating the downstream side component 20 of the plurality of vibration generating elements 22, the rigidity of the downstream side component 20 can be improved. On the other hand, by separately configuring the upstream side component 18 of the plurality of vibration generating elements 22, the vibrations of the plurality of upstream side components 18 can be prevented from resonating and reinforcing each other, thereby effectively suppressing the generation of abnormal noise.

[0134] Next, refer to Figures 12 to 15 The water-dispensing device, i.e., the shower head, according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0135] The water-discharging device of this embodiment differs from the first embodiment described above in that the main body of the water-discharging device is cylindrical and the built-in vibration generating element has a bypass channel. Therefore, only the differences between this embodiment and the first embodiment will be described below, while descriptions of the same configuration, function, and effect will be omitted.

[0136] Figure 12 This is a perspective view showing the appearance of the shower head according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 13 This is a full sectional view of the shower head according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 14 This is a perspective cross-sectional view of the vibration generating element of the shower head according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 15 It is a cross-sectional view of the vibration-generating element cut in a direction parallel to the vibration plane.

[0137] like Figure 12 As shown, the shower head 100 of this embodiment has a generally cylindrical water-dispensing device body, namely the shower head body 102, and nine vibration generating elements 104 arranged in a straight line along the axial direction and embedded in the shower head body 102. When water is supplied from the shower hose (not shown) connected to the base end 102a of the shower head body 102, the shower head 100 of this embodiment dispenses water while reciprocating through the water outlets 104a of each vibration generating element 104.

[0138] Next, refer to Figure 13 The internal structure of the shower head 100 is explained.

[0139] like Figure 13As shown, a water passage forming component 106 is built into the shower body 102. The water passage forming component 106 maintains each vibration generating element 104 while forming the water passage.

[0140] The water passage forming component 106 is a generally cylindrical component and is configured to form a flow channel for water supplied to the interior of the shower head body 102. A shower hose (not shown) is watertightly connected to the base end of the water passage forming component 106. Furthermore, a main water passage 106a extending generally in the axial direction is formed inside the water passage forming component 106.

[0141] Furthermore, nine element insertion holes 106c for inserting and holding each vibration generating element 104 are formed on the water passage forming member 106 in a manner communicating with the main water passage 106a. Each element insertion hole 106c is formed to extend from the outer peripheral surface of the water passage forming member 106 to the main water passage 106a. In addition, each element insertion hole 106c is formed in a straight line in the axial direction at approximately equal intervals. As a result, water flowing into the main water passage 106a of the water passage forming member 106 flows into each vibration generating element 104 held on the water passage forming member 106 from its back side and is discharged from the outlet 104a provided on the front side.

[0142] Next, refer to Figure 14 and Figure 15 The configuration of the vibration generating element 104 built into the shower head of this embodiment will be described. Furthermore, Figure 14 and Figure 15 This is a cross-sectional view of the vibration generating element 104 cut by a plane parallel to the vibration plane. The vibration generating element 104 is symmetrically configured with respect to this cross-section.

[0143] like Figure 14 and Figure 15 As shown, the vibration generating element 104 is a thin, generally rectangular parallelepiped component. A rectangular water outlet 104a is provided on its front end face, a main flow inlet 104b is formed in the center of its rear end face, and bypass flow inlets 104c are provided on both sides of it. When each vibration generating element 104 is inserted into the element insertion hole 106c, the main flow inlet 104b and the bypass flow inlet 104c are connected to the main water passage 106a of the water passage forming component 106.

[0144] Furthermore, the vibration generating element 104 is composed of two components: an upstream component 118 and a downstream component 120. The upstream fitting portion 118a of the upstream component 118 is inserted from the back side into the downstream fitting portion 120a of the downstream component 120. With this configuration, second water supply channels 140 are formed between the two side surfaces of the upstream component 118 and the inner wall surface of the downstream component 120. Figure 15 In addition, in this embodiment, the downstream component 120 is also formed of a soft material, and the upstream component 118 is also formed of a hard material with a higher elastic modulus than that of the soft material.

[0145] And, as Figure 15 As shown, inside the vibration generating element 104, a water supply channel 124, a vortex channel 126, and a discharge channel 128 are formed sequentially from the upstream side. Furthermore, a collision section 130 is provided at the downstream end of the water supply channel 124. Here, the upstream sides of the water supply channel 124 and the vortex channel 126 are formed inside the upstream component 118, while the downstream side of the vortex channel 126 and the discharge channel 128 are formed inside the downstream component 120.

[0146] The water supply channel 124 is a straight channel with a constant rectangular cross-section extending from the main inlet 104b on the back side of the vibration generating element 104.

[0147] The vortex street channel 126 is a rectangular cross-section channel that is continuously arranged downstream of the water supply channel 124. That is, in this embodiment, the water supply channel 124 and the upstream side of the vortex street channel 126, which are located inside the upstream side component 118, extend in a straight line with the same cross-sectional shape. Furthermore, the downstream side portion of the vortex street channel 126 is located inside the downstream side component 120.

[0148] The discharge channel 128 is a channel provided on the downstream side in connection with the vortex street channel 126, and is configured to widen in width as it faces downstream. Furthermore, the height of the discharge channel 128 is constant. The cross-sectional area of ​​the flow channel at the upstream end of the discharge channel 128 is smaller than that of the vortex street channel 126, thus narrowing the vortex-containing water flow guided by the vortex street channel 126 and discharging it from the discharge port 104a.

[0149] Furthermore, on both sides of the vortex street channel 126, rectangular bypass channels 142 are respectively provided opposite to each other. Figure 15Water flowing in from each of the second water supply channels 140 flows through each bypass channel 142 and enters the vortex street channel 126 from the side of the vortex street channel 126, further downstream than the collision section 130. Each bypass channel 142 is provided at the connection between the upstream side member 118 and the downstream side member 120. Therefore, a portion of the inner wall surface constituting the bypass channel 142 is provided on the downstream side member 120, and the remainder is provided on the upstream side member 118. As a result, it is not necessary to configure a forming mold (not shown) for forming the bypass channel 142 to be pulled out in the direction (side) towards the bypass channel 142, thus facilitating the forming of the vibration generating element 104 having the bypass channel 142.

[0150] On the other hand, a collision portion 130 formed on the downstream end of the water supply channel 124 is configured to close a portion of the flow channel cross-section of the water supply channel 124. This collision portion 130 is a triangular prism-shaped section extending in a manner connecting opposing walls (top and ground) in the height direction of the water supply channel 124, and is arranged in an island shape at the center in the width direction of the water supply channel 124. The cross-section of the collision portion 130 is formed into a right-angled isosceles triangle, with its hypotenuse arranged orthogonally to the central axis of the water supply channel 124. Furthermore, the right-angled portion of the right-angled isosceles triangle is arranged facing downstream.

[0151] And, as Figure 14 As shown, vibration suppression portions 118b are provided on both sides of the upstream component 118. These vibration suppression portions 118b are rib-shaped protrusions with a semi-circular cross-section extending at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the upstream component 118 (the direction in which hot and cold water flow within the vibration generating element 104). Furthermore, although in this embodiment vibration suppression portions 118b are provided on the entire side surface of the upstream component 118, as a variation, vibration suppression portions 118b may not be provided on the portion facing the second water supply channel 140.

[0152] Furthermore, the upstream-side fitting portion 118a at the top of the upstream-side member 118, where the vibration suppression portion 118b is formed, is inserted into the downstream-side fitting portion 120a of the downstream-side member 120, and the upstream-side member 118 and the downstream-side member 120 are fitted together. Here, the width W5 between the tops of each vibration suppression portion 118b provided on the upstream-side fitting portion 118a is configured to be larger than the width W6 between the inner wall surfaces of the downstream-side fitting portion 120a that receives the upstream-side fitting portion 118a. Therefore, as Figure 15As shown, when the upstream component 118 and the downstream component 120 are fitted together, the downstream fitting portion 120a of the downstream component 120, which is mainly made of soft material, undergoes a predetermined amount of elastic deformation in a direction parallel to the vibration plane. As a result, the upstream component 118 is firmly pressed down by the downstream component 120.

[0153] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a Karman vortex is generated on the downstream side of the vibration generating element 104 by providing a collision part 130, causing the water discharged from the outlet 104a to vibrate back and forth. Since the upstream component 118 is firmly pressed down by the downstream component 120 even when a wind-blown sound is generated in the vibration generating element 104 due to the Karman vortex, the vibration of the upstream component 118 caused by the wind-blown sound can be sufficiently suppressed.

[0154] Furthermore, as described above, bypass channels 142 are provided on both sides of the vortex channel 126 in an opposite manner, and water from the second water supply channel 140 flows into the bypass channels 142. Therefore, the bypass channels 142 cause water to flow in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the vortex channel 126 extends.

[0155] Hot and cold water from each bypass channel 142 will merge with the water flow containing the Karman vortex formed by the collision section 130 from the side. That is, the water flowing in through the bypass channel 142 bypasses the collision section 130 and flows into the vortex street channel 126.

[0156] Thus, since the water from each bypass channel 142 merges with the water flow containing the Karman vortex formed by the collision section 130 within the vortex street channel 126, the change in flow velocity in the outlet 104a decreases as the vortex street advances. Consequently, the deflection of the ejected water decreases, and the vibration amplitude of the jet water decreases. That is, by appropriately setting the ratio of the flow rate of water flowing into the vortex street channel 126 through the collision section 130 to the flow rate of water flowing into the bypass channel 142, the vibration amplitude of the water can be freely designed.

[0157] According to the second embodiment of the water discharge device of the present invention, since the vibration generating element 104 has a bypass channel 142 ( Figure 15 Therefore, the amplitude of the reciprocating vibration of the water discharged from the vibration generating element 104 can be adjusted by utilizing the flow rate of water flowing in from the bypass channel 142. In addition, since a portion of the inner wall surface of the bypass channel 142 is formed by the downstream component 120, it is also convenient to form the vibration generating element 104 having the shape of the bypass channel 142.

[0158] Next, the water-dispensing device according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0159] Figure 16This is an exploded perspective view of the water-discharging device according to the third embodiment of the present invention, viewed from above. Figure 17 This is an exploded perspective view of the water-discharging device according to the third embodiment of the present invention, viewed from below.

[0160] like Figure 16 and Figure 17 As shown, the water spraying device 201 of this embodiment is a so-called handheld shower head, which consists of a water spraying device body 210, a spray plate 212 mounted on the water spraying device body 210, and a functional component 214 mounted on the back of the spray plate 212.

[0161] The water discharge device body 210 has a water discharge head 210a and a holding part 210b, and is configured to have supplied water flowing into it.

[0162] The water spray plate 212 is a generally circular plate-shaped component, which is mounted on the water spray head 210a of the water spray device body 210. Furthermore, as... Figure 17 As shown, multiple cylindrical water nozzles 216 are provided in a protruding manner on the front of the water spray plate 212.

[0163] In addition, such as Figure 16 As shown, functional component 214 is mounted at the center of the back side of spray plate 212, forming five vibration generating elements together with a portion of spray plate 212. These vibration generating elements are configured to cause supplied water to be ejected while reciprocating within a predetermined vibration plane. Details of the vibration generating elements will be described later.

[0164] In this embodiment, the water discharge device 201 is configured such that supplied water flows into the water discharge device body 210 and is sprayed through the spray nozzles 216 of the spray plate 212 mounted on the water discharge head 210a and the vibration generating element. The water discharged from each spray nozzle 216 is discharged in a linear form, and the water discharged from each vibration generating element is discharged while reciprocating within a predetermined vibration plane.

[0165] Next, refer to again Figures 18 to 22 The vibration-generating element is described.

[0166] Figure 18 This is a perspective view showing the state in which the functional component 214 is installed on the water spray plate 12. Figure 19 This is its sectional view. Furthermore, Figure 20 It is along Figure 19 A cross-sectional view of the VV line, selecting and depicting only a portion of one vibration-generating element. Figure 21 It is along Figure 20 A cross-sectional view of the VI-VI line. Figure 22 It is a three-dimensional sectional view after the vibration-generating element has been cut in a direction parallel to the vibration plane.

[0167] The vibration generating element 222 is constructed by connecting the upstream component 218 and the downstream component 220. Figure 20 That is, in this embodiment, such as... Figure 18 As shown, the five upstream components 218 are connected in a ring and constitute the aforementioned functional component 214. Furthermore, in this embodiment, as... Figure 19 As shown, the downstream component 220 is integrally formed with the water spray plate 212, and a portion of the water spray plate 212 functions as the downstream component 220.

[0168] That is, such as Figure 19 As shown, the downstream component 220 consists of a back portion 220a formed in such a way as to protrude toward the back side of the spray plate 212. Figure 16 ) and the front part 220b formed in such a way as to protrude toward the front side of the spray plate 212. Figure 17 Therefore, in this embodiment, by mounting the functional component 214 to the back side of the spray plate 212, five vibration generating elements 222 arranged in a ring are formed. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the functional component 214 (upstream component 218) is formed of a rigid component (e.g., POM (polyacetal)), and the spray plate 212 (downstream component 220) is formed of a soft component (e.g., TPE (thermoplastic elastomer)). Although in this embodiment the functional component 214 is embedded into the spray plate 212 to combine the two, the upstream component 218 and the downstream component 220 can also be combined using any method such as adhesive bonding or welding. As for the rigid component, any component with strength sufficient to prevent deformation under normal water pressure can be used, such as ABS resin (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer). Furthermore, the soft component can be any component that easily undergoes elastic deformation under user force, such as silicone rubber.

[0169] like Figure 20 As shown, the vibration generating element 222 includes: a water supply channel 224 through which supplied water flows in; a vortex channel 226 disposed downstream of the water supply channel 224; and a discharge channel 228 through which water guided by the vortex channel is discharged. Furthermore, at the downstream end of the water supply channel 224, a collision section 230 is provided to partially close the flow channel cross-section of the water supply channel 224. Additionally, a flow diffusion section 227 is provided midway through the vortex channel 226. Each vibration generating element 222 is configured such that the supplied water flows parallel to... Figure 20 The paper vibrates back and forth in the plane of vibration, and is ejected from the downstream end of the ejection channel 228.

[0170] Furthermore, as described above, each vibration generating element 222 is composed of two components: an upstream component 218 and a downstream component 220. The upstream component 218 has a water supply channel 224 and an upstream portion of the vortex channel 226. The downstream component 220 has a downstream portion of the vortex channel 226 and a discharge channel 228. That is, the vortex channel 226 is constructed by forming the upstream side on the upstream component 218, the downstream side on the downstream component 220, and connecting the upstream component 218 and the downstream component 220. A flow diffusion section 227, located midway through the vortex channel 226, is formed at the connection between the upstream component 218 and the downstream component 220.

[0171] The water supply channel 224 is configured such that the cross-sectional dimensions and shape of the water flowing into the water discharge device body 210 remain constant. Furthermore, the water supply channel 224 is formed with a flat rectangular cross-section, the width of which is greater in the direction parallel to the vibration plane than its height in the direction perpendicular to the vibration plane. Additionally, downstream of the water supply channel 224, a vortex street channel 226 with the same cross-sectional shape is continuously provided.

[0172] At the downstream end of the water supply channel 224, a collision section 230 is provided in such a way that it partially closes the cross-section of the water supply channel 224. That is, the collision section 230 is configured to connect the two inner wall surfaces parallel to the vibration plane that form the water supply channel 224 and the vortex street channel 226 to each other. Figure 21 Furthermore, in this embodiment, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane, the collision portion 230 is formed into a right-angled isosceles triangle shape. Figure 20 It is positioned in the center of the water supply channel 224 with its hypotenuse facing upstream. By causing the water guided by the water supply channel 224 to collide with the collision part 230, vortex streets V1 with opposite rotations are generated alternately on the downstream side of the collision part 230 in a plane parallel to the vibration plane.

[0173] A vortex street channel 226 is formed downstream of the water supply channel 224 and is configured to guide the vortex formed by the collision section 230. Furthermore, the vortex street channel 226 is a channel formed in its upstream portion with the same cross-sectional dimensions and shape as the water supply channel 224, connected together. That is, the vortex street channel 226 is a channel with a flat rectangular cross-section, the width of which in the direction parallel to the vibration plane is wider than its height in the direction perpendicular to the vibration plane. The vortex formed by the collision section 230 is guided by this vortex street channel 226, thereby growing and moving downstream.

[0174] The discharge channel 228 is a flow channel connected to the downstream side of the vortex street channel 226, configured to discharge water guided by the vortex street channel 226. Furthermore, the width of the discharge channel 228 at its upstream end in the direction parallel to the vibration plane is narrower than the width at the downstream end of the vortex street channel 226, and its width tapers towards the downstream side. And, as... Figure 21 As shown, the height of the upstream end of the discharge channel 228, perpendicular to the vibration plane, is the same as the height of the downstream end of the vortex street channel 226, and the height increases in a conical shape towards the downstream side. Therefore, the height of the discharge channel 228 is configured to be above the minimum height of the vortex street channel 226. The opposing vortices generated downstream of the collision section 230 grow in the vortex street channel 226 and are discharged from the discharge channel 228. At this moment, because the opposing vortices interact, the direction of the water discharged from the discharge channel 228 reciprocates within the vibration plane.

[0175] In addition, the height of the discharge channel 228 in the direction perpendicular to the vibration plane can also be configured to be a constant height, instead of tapering upwards towards the downstream side.

[0176] Next, as Figure 21 and Figure 22 As shown, a flow diffuser 227 is provided midway through the vortex channel 226. This flow diffuser 227 is composed of a stepped portion, which is formed to narrow the flow path of the vortex channel 226 in the height direction towards the downstream side. The stepped portion extends across the entire vortex channel 226 in a direction perpendicular to the water flow within the vortex channel 226, and is positioned on one of two inner wall surfaces facing a direction parallel to the vibration plane. Thus, a "stepped portion" is provided midway through the vortex channel 226 as the flow diffuser 227, narrowing the flow path of the vortex channel 226 in the height direction. Consequently, a portion of the water flowing in the vortex channel 226 collides with the "stepped portion," thereby generating small vortices V2 in the water flow within the vortex channel 226 in the plane perpendicular to the vibration plane. Figure 21 As a result, the water flow within the vortex channel 226 is appropriately diffused in the height direction of the vortex channel 226. Thus, in addition to the vortex street V1 formed in the vibration plane downstream of the collision section 230, vortices V2 in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane are generated through the flow diffusion section 227, thereby generating appropriate water flow turbulence.

[0177] Through the turbulence in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane, the water discharged from the discharge channel 228 will also diffuse appropriately in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane. In this embodiment, the height of the step portion constituting the flow diffusion section 227 is configured to be approximately 30% of the height of the vortex channel 226. As the flow diffusion section 227, it is preferable to provide a step portion with a height of approximately 5% to approximately 50% of the height of the vortex channel 226, so that the water discharged from the discharge channel 228 will also diffuse appropriately in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane. That is, when the flow diffusion section 227 is formed as a step portion larger than approximately 50% of the height of the vortex channel 226, the vortex formed on the downstream side of the collision section 230 will be significantly disrupted, causing the water discharged from the discharge channel 228 to be unable to reciprocate within the vibration plane, or the amplitude of the reciprocating vibration to become smaller. Furthermore, at the step portion, which is less than 5% of the height of the vortex channel 226, the water ejected from the discharge channel 228 cannot be sufficiently diffused in a direction perpendicular to the plane of vibration.

[0178] Here, as Figure 21 As shown, the heights of the vortex channel 226 formed on the downstream component 220 and the vortex channel 226 formed on the upstream component 218 are constant along their entire length, and the height H2 of the vortex channel 226 in the downstream component 220 is the same as the height H1 of the vortex channel 226 in the upstream component 218. Therefore, at the connection between the upstream component 218 and the downstream component 220, a step portion is formed on the inner wall surface of one side of the vortex channel 226 as a flow diffusion portion 227, which narrows the flow channel in the height direction towards the downstream side, and a bend portion 227a is formed on the inner wall surface of the other side of the vortex channel 226, which bends in a manner that widens the flow channel in the height direction towards the downstream side. In addition, the height H2 of the vortex channel 226 formed on the downstream component 220 can also be configured to be lower than the height H1 of the vortex channel 226 formed on the upstream component 218. In this case, a vortex street channel can also be constructed in which a step portion that narrows the flow channel is formed as a flow diffusion portion 27 on one inner wall surface of the vortex street channel 26, and no step portion is formed on the other inner wall surface.

[0179] Furthermore, in this embodiment, such as Figure 20 As shown, the width W2 of the upstream end of the vortex channel 226 formed on the downstream side component 220 is configured to be the same as the width W1 of the downstream end of the vortex channel 226 formed on the upstream side component 218.

[0180] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the length L from the upstream end of the collision section 230 to the downstream end (flow diffusion section 227) of the vortex street channel 226 formed on the upstream side member 218 is approximately 6.7 mm, and the maximum width W of the collision section 230 is...MAX It is configured to be approximately 2 mm. Thus, by setting the length L to be relatively long, the vortex formed by the collision section 230 will grow sufficiently up to the flow diffusion section 227 of the vortex street channel 226. Therefore, even if the water flow diffuses in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane at the flow diffusion section 227, the collapse of the vortex within the vibration plane formed by the collision section 230 can be suppressed. Preferably, the length L from the upstream end of the collision section 230 to the flow diffusion section 227 formed on the vortex street channel 226 is configured such that the maximum width W of the collision section 230 is approximately 2 mm. MAX More than 2.0 times that.

[0181] Next, refer to Figures 23 to 25 The function of the vibration generating element in the water discharge device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be explained.

[0182] Figure 23 This diagram shows the state of water ejected from the vibration generating element of the water ejection device in this embodiment. Column A is a photograph taken from a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane, and column B is a photograph taken from a direction parallel to the vibration plane. Figure 24 This diagram shows the state of water ejected by the vibration generating element in a comparative example that has never had the flow diffusion section 227 installed. Figure 25 This diagram shows the state of water ejected from the vibration-generating element in a comparative example where the height of the step portion of the flow diffuser 27 is 60% of the height of the vortex channel. Additionally, in Figure 24 , Figure 25 In the text, column A indicates photos taken from a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane, and column B indicates photos taken from a direction parallel to the vibration plane.

[0183] exist Figure 23 The water discharge device 201 of the embodiment of the present invention shown has a vibration generating element 222, as described above, provided with a flow diffusion section 227 consisting of a stepped portion with a height 30% of the height of the vortex channel 226. For example... Figure 23 As shown in column A, the water ejected from the vibration generating element 222 in this embodiment reciprocates in a sinusoidal wave pattern within the vibration plane. Therefore, the water ejected from the vibration generating element 222 has a wider coverage area in the direction parallel to the vibration plane. Furthermore, as... Figure 23 As shown in column B, the water ejected from the vibration generating element 222 also diffuses in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane, thus having a wide water-covering area in the same direction. Therefore, a wide water-covering area can be ensured on the vibration generating element 222 in this embodiment.

[0184] On the contrary, such as Figure 24As shown, although the water ejected by the vibration generating element of the comparative example, which does not have a flow diffusion section 227, vibrates in a sinusoidal wave pattern within the vibration plane ( Figure 24 (Column A), but in the direction perpendicular to the plane of vibration, the water discharge hardly expands ( Figure 24 (Column B). Thus, in Figure 24 In the comparative example of the vibration generating element without the flow diffusion section 227, the water does not diffuse in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane, thus narrowing the water-covering area in the direction perpendicular to the vibration plane. That is, since the water-covering area expands linearly in the vibration generating element without the flow diffusion section 227, it is difficult to increase the water-covering area.

[0185] On the other hand, although Figure 25 As shown in column B, in a comparative example where the height of the step portion of the flow diffuser 227 is configured to be 60% of the height of the vortex channel, the water diffuses in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane, but as shown in column A, almost no reciprocating vibration occurs within the vibration plane. Thus, when the height of the step portion constituting the flow diffuser 227 exceeds 50% of the height of the vortex channel 226, the vortex formed on the downstream side of the collision portion 230 is disrupted by the flow diffuser 227, and almost no reciprocating vibration occurs within the vibration plane of the water discharge, thereby failing to expand the water contact area.

[0186] Next, refer to Figure 26 and Figure 27 The advantages of manufacturing the vibration generating element 22, which consists of two components, will be explained. Figure 26 This is a schematic diagram representing the vibration generating element in this embodiment, which consists of two components. Figure 27 It is a diagram that represents a single, integrated vibration-generating element in a stylized manner.

[0187] like Figure 26 As shown, the vibration generating element 222 of this embodiment is composed of an upstream component 218 and a downstream component 220, and the vortex street channel 226 is composed of two components. Therefore, when the upstream component 218 is formed by injection molding, by pre-splitting the molding dies M1 and M2 at a portion of the collision section 230, the molding dies M1 and M2 can be pulled out from the upstream side and the downstream side respectively. Similarly, when the downstream component 220 is formed, by pre-splitting the molding dies M3 and M4 at the boundary between the vortex street channel 226 and the ejection channel 228, the molding dies M3 and M4 can be pulled out from the upstream side and the downstream side respectively. Therefore, the upstream component 218 and the downstream component 220 can be easily formed by injection molding or the like.

[0188] On the other hand, such as Figure 27As shown, in the integrally molded vibration generating element 232, although the mold M5 can be pulled out from the upstream side during injection molding, the mold M6 gets stuck with the part surrounded by the dotted line in the figure. Therefore, it is not easy to pull out the mold M6 from the downstream side. In order to make it possible to pull out, measures such as selecting a material that can be elastically deformed as the material for injection molding are required. Therefore, when the vibration generating element is integrally molded, there are certain limitations on the selection of materials, etc. Therefore, it is very beneficial to make the vibration generating element 222 a segmented structure as in this embodiment.

[0189] Next, refer to Figures 28 to 30 A variation of the third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0190] In the third embodiment described above, such as Figure 21 As shown, the discharge channel 228 is configured such that its height increases as it faces downstream. Conversely, as a variation, such as Figure 28 As shown, the overall height of the discharge channel 234 can also be configured to be the same as the height of the vortex channel 226 formed on the downstream component 220. Furthermore, in Figure 28 In the modified example shown, the height H4 of the upstream end of the vortex channel 226 provided on the downstream component 220 is configured to be lower than the height H3 of the downstream end of the vortex channel 226 provided on the upstream component 218. Therefore, even if there are errors in the installation of the upstream component 218 and the downstream component 220, it is possible to reliably form a stepped portion that narrows the flow path of the vortex channel in the height direction towards the downstream side.

[0191] Furthermore, in the third embodiment described above, such as Figure 21 As shown, a flow diffusion section 227 is provided at the connection between the vortex channel 226 provided on the upstream component 218 and the vortex channel 226 provided on the downstream component 220. Conversely, in Figure 29 In the modified example shown, the flow diffusion section 227 is not provided on the connection portion of the vortex street channel 226, but rather in the middle of the vortex street channel 226 provided on the downstream component 220. According to this modified example, the flow diffusion section 227 can be positioned on the downstream side, regardless of the connection position between the upstream component 218 and the downstream component 220. Therefore, the distance from the collision portion 230 to the step portion can be extended, allowing the vortex to develop sufficiently until it reaches the flow diffusion section 227, i.e., the step portion.

[0192] Or, like Figure 30As shown in the modified example, the flow diffusion section 227 can be provided midway in the vortex channel 226 provided on the downstream component 220, and the height of the upstream end of the vortex channel 226 formed on the downstream component 220 can be made higher than the height of the downstream end of the vortex channel 226 formed on the upstream component 218. According to this modified example, even if there is an offset in the connection of the vortex channels 226 provided on each component due to dimensional errors such as those of the upstream component 218 and the downstream component 220, a step portion that narrows the flow path of the vortex channel 226 in the height direction will not be formed at the connection. Therefore, the step portion formed in the vortex channel 226 of the downstream component 220 can reliably function as the flow diffusion section 227.

[0193] According to the third embodiment of the water discharge device 201 of the present invention, since the vortexes generated downstream of the collision section 230 and rotating in opposite directions are guided by the vortex street channel 226 and discharged from the discharge channel 228, the discharged water can reciprocate within a predetermined vibration plane. Furthermore, since a stepped section is provided in the middle of the vortex street channel 226 as a flow diffusion section 227, narrowing the flow path of the vortex street channel 226 in the height direction, the water discharged from the discharge channel 228 also diffuses in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane. Thus, a sufficiently wide water contact area can be ensured with a compact configuration.

[0194] Furthermore, according to the water discharge device 201 of this embodiment, since the height of the discharge channel 228 is configured to be a height greater than or equal to the minimum height of the vortex channel 226... Figure 21 Therefore, the water discharged from the discharge channel 228 can diffuse in the height direction of the vortex channel 226 through the flow diffusion section 227, and can easily diffuse in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane.

[0195] Furthermore, according to the water discharge device 201 of this embodiment, since the vortex channel 226 is constructed by connecting the upstream side component 218 and the downstream side component 220, it is easy to form the vibration generating element 222 having the water supply channel 224, the collision part 230, the vortex channel 226 and the discharge channel 228.

[0196] Furthermore, according to the water discharge device 201 of this embodiment, since the flow diffusion section 227, i.e. the step section, is formed on the connection between the upstream side component 218 and the downstream side component 220, it is convenient to form the step section as the flow diffusion section in the middle of the vortex channel.

[0197] Furthermore, according to the water discharge device 201 of this embodiment, since the height of the vortex channel 226 provided on the downstream side component 220 is configured to be constant, the collapse of the vortex generated by the collision between water and the collision part 230 can be suppressed, thereby enabling reliable guidance of the vortex street.

[0198] Furthermore, according to the water discharge device 201 of this embodiment, since the flow diffusion section 227, i.e. the step section, is provided on the inner wall surface facing the direction parallel to the vibration plane, the height of the vortex channel 226 on the downstream side of the step section can be sufficiently ensured, so that the water flow can reciprocate within the specified vibration plane and diffuse in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane.

[0199] Furthermore, according to the water discharge device 201 of this embodiment, since the vortex channel 226 is configured to have a constant height on the downstream side of the step portion, and the inner wall surface of the vortex channel 226 opposite to the step portion is bent so that the flow channel of the vortex channel 226 expands in the height direction toward the downstream side, the direction of the water flow passing through the vortex channel 226 can be changed toward the inner wall surface side opposite to the step portion, thereby enabling it to diffuse in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane.

[0200] Furthermore, according to the water discharge device 201 of this embodiment, by forming the upstream side component 218 with a rigid component, deformation of the vortex channel 226 caused by water pressure can be suppressed in the upstream section where the water pressure is relatively high. Furthermore, by forming the downstream side component 220 with a soft component, even when calcium components contained in tap water accumulate and solidify in the downstream discharge channel 228, partial elastic deformation of the discharge channel 228 can be achieved, thereby facilitating the removal of accumulated calcium components (scale).

[0201] Next, refer to Figures 31 to 35 The water-dispensing device, i.e., the shower head, of the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0202] The water-discharging device of this embodiment differs from the third embodiment described above in that the main body of the water-discharging device is cylindrical and the built-in vibration-generating element has a bypass channel. Therefore, only the differences between this embodiment and the third embodiment will be described below, while descriptions of the same structure, function, and effect will be omitted.

[0203] Figure 31 This is a perspective view showing the appearance of the shower head according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. Figure 32 This is a full sectional view of the shower head according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. Figure 33 This is a perspective cross-sectional view of the vibration generating element of the shower head according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. Figure 34This is a cross-sectional view after the vibration-generating element has been cut in a direction parallel to the vibration plane. Figure 35 It is a cross-sectional view after the vibration-generating element has been cut in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane.

[0204] like Figure 31 As shown, the shower head 300 of this embodiment has a generally cylindrical water-dispensing device body, namely the shower head body 302, and nine vibration generating elements 304 arranged in a straight line along the axial direction and embedded in the shower head body 302. When water is supplied from the shower hose (not shown) connected to the base end 302a of the shower head body 302, the shower head 300 of this embodiment dispenses water while reciprocating through the water outlets 304a of each vibration generating element 304.

[0205] Next, refer to Figure 32 The internal structure of the shower head 300 is explained.

[0206] like Figure 32 As shown, a water passage forming component 306 is built into the shower body 302. The water passage forming component 306 maintains each vibration generating element 304 while forming the water passage.

[0207] The water passage forming component 306 is a generally cylindrical component and is configured to form a flow channel for water supplied to the interior of the shower head body 302. A shower hose (not shown) is watertightly connected to the base end of the water passage forming component 306. Furthermore, a main water passage 306a extending generally in the axial direction is formed inside the water passage forming component 306.

[0208] Furthermore, nine element insertion holes 306c for inserting and holding each vibration generating element 304 are formed on the water passage forming member 306 in a manner communicating with the main water passage 306a. Each element insertion hole 306c is formed to extend from the outer peripheral surface of the water passage forming member 306 to the main water passage 306a. In addition, each element insertion hole 306c is formed in a roughly equal-spaced straight line in the axial direction. As a result, water flowing into the main water passage 306a of the water passage forming member 306 flows into each vibration generating element 304 held on the water passage forming member 306 from its rear side and is discharged from the water outlet 304a provided on the front side.

[0209] Next, refer to Figures 33 to 35 The configuration of the vibration generating element 304 built into the shower head of this embodiment will be described.

[0210] like Figures 33 to 35As shown, the vibration generating element 304 is a thin, roughly rectangular parallelepiped component. A rectangular water outlet 304a is provided on its front end face, a main flow inlet 304b is formed in the center of its rear end face, and bypass flow inlets 304c are provided on both sides of it. When each vibration generating element 304 is inserted into the element insertion hole 306c, the main flow inlet 304b and the bypass flow inlet 304c are connected to the main water passage 306a of the water passage forming component 306.

[0211] Furthermore, the vibration generating element 304 consists of two components: an upstream component 318 and a downstream component 320. The upstream component 318 is inserted into the interior of the downstream component 320 from the rear side. With this configuration, a second water supply channel 340 is formed between the two sides of the upstream component 318 and the inner wall of the downstream component 320.

[0212] And, as Figure 34 As shown, inside the vibration generating element 304, a water supply channel 324, a vortex channel 326, and a discharge channel 328 are formed sequentially from the upstream side. Furthermore, a collision part 330 is provided at the downstream end of the water supply channel 324. Here, the upstream sides of the water supply channel 324 and the vortex channel 326 are formed inside the upstream component 318, while the downstream side of the vortex channel 326 and the discharge channel 328 are formed inside the downstream component 320.

[0213] The water supply channel 324 is a straight channel with a constant rectangular cross-section extending from the main inlet 304b on the back side of the vibration generating element 304.

[0214] The vortex channel 326 is a rectangular cross-section channel that is continuously arranged downstream of the water supply channel 324. That is, in this embodiment, the water supply channel 324 and the upstream side of the vortex channel 326, both located inside the upstream component 318, extend in a straight line with the same cross-sectional shape. Furthermore, the downstream side of the vortex channel 326 is located inside the downstream component 320.

[0215] Here, as Figure 35As shown, the height H6 of the upstream end of the vortex channel 326 formed on the downstream component 320 and the height H5 of the downstream end of the vortex channel 326 formed on the upstream component 318 are configured to be the same. The vortex channels 326 of these downstream components 320 and upstream components 318 are staggered in the height direction and connected, thereby forming a flow diffusion section 327 at their connection. That is, a step is formed as a flow diffusion section 327 at the connection between the vortex channel 326 of the downstream component 320 and the vortex channel 326 of the upstream component 318, and the flow diffusion section 327 narrows the flow path of the vortex channel 326 in the height direction towards the downstream side. A portion of the water flowing within the vortex channel 326 collides with this "step," thereby causing the water flow to diffuse in a direction perpendicular to the plane of vibration. Furthermore, as... Figure 34 As shown, the width W6 of the vortex channel 326 at the upstream end of the downstream component 320 is configured to be the same as the width W5 of the vortex channel 326 at the downstream end of the upstream component 318.

[0216] The discharge channel 328 is a channel provided on the downstream side in connection with the vortex street channel 326, and is configured to widen in width as it faces downstream. Furthermore, the height of the discharge channel 328 is constant. The cross-sectional area of ​​the flow channel at the upstream end of the discharge channel 328 is smaller than that of the vortex street channel 326, thus narrowing the vortex-containing water flow guided by the vortex street channel 326 and discharging it from the discharge port 304a.

[0217] Furthermore, on both sides of the vortex channel 326, rectangular bypass channels 342 are respectively provided opposite to each other. Water flowing in from each of the second water supply channels 340 flows into the vortex channel 326 from the side of the vortex channel 326 via the bypass channels 342, further downstream than the collision section 330. Each bypass channel 342 is provided at the connection between the upstream side member 318 and the downstream side member 320. Therefore, a portion of the inner wall surface constituting the bypass channel 342 is provided on the downstream side member 320, and the remainder is provided on the upstream side member 318.

[0218] In this embodiment, such as Figure 34 , Figure 35As shown, only the inner wall surface 320a, which constitutes the bypass channel 342, is provided on the downstream component 320, while the remaining inner wall surfaces 318a, 318b, and 318c are provided on the upstream component 318. Thus, in this embodiment, the bypass channel 342 is provided at the connection between the upstream component 318 and the downstream component 320. Therefore, it is unnecessary to configure a forming mold (not shown) for forming the bypass channel 342 to be pulled out laterally towards the bypass channel 342, thereby facilitating the forming of the vibration generating element 304 having the bypass channel 342.

[0219] Furthermore, as a variation, the present invention can be configured such that only the inner wall surface 318a located on the upstream side is formed on the upstream side member 318, while the other inner wall surfaces 318b, 318c, and 320a are formed on the downstream side member 320. Alternatively, the present invention can be configured such that the inner wall surface 318a is formed on the upstream side member 318, the inner wall surface 320a is formed on the downstream side member 320, and the inner wall surfaces 318b and 318c are formed by the upstream side member 318 and the downstream side member 320.

[0220] On the other hand, a collision portion 330 formed on the downstream end of the water supply channel 324 is configured to close a portion of the flow channel cross-section of the water supply channel 324. This collision portion 330 is a triangular prism-shaped section extending in a manner connecting opposing walls (ceiling surface and ground surface) in the height direction of the water supply channel 324, and is arranged in an island shape at the center in the width direction of the water supply channel 324. The cross-section of the collision portion 330 is formed into a right-angled isosceles triangle shape, with its hypotenuse arranged orthogonally to the central axis of the water supply channel 324. Furthermore, the right-angled portion of the right-angled isosceles triangle is arranged facing downstream.

[0221] By providing the collision section 330, a Karman vortex is generated on its downstream side, causing the water discharged from the outlet 304a to reciprocate. Furthermore, as described above, bypass channels 342 are provided on both sides of the vortex street channel 326 in an opposing manner, and water from the second water supply channel 340 flows through the bypass channels 342. Therefore, the bypass channels 342 cause water to flow in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the vortex street channel 326 extends.

[0222] Hot and cold water from each bypass channel 342 merges with the water flow containing the Karman vortex formed by the collision section 330 from the side. That is, the water flowing in through the bypass channel 342 bypasses the collision section 330 and flows into the vortex street channel 326.

[0223] Thus, since the water from the bypass channel 342 merges with the water flow containing the Karman vortex formed by the collision section 330 within the vortex street channel 326, the change in flow velocity at the discharge port 304a decreases as the vortex street advances. Consequently, the deflection of the water discharged from the discharge channel 328 decreases, and the vibration amplitude of the jet water within its vibration plane decreases. That is, by appropriately setting the ratio of the flow rate of water flowing into the vortex street channel 326 from the collision section 330 to the flow rate of water flowing into the bypass channel 342, the vibration amplitude of the water can be freely designed. Furthermore, the water flowing within the vortex street channel 326 is appropriately diffused along the height direction of the vortex street channel 326 through the flow diffuser 327 provided midway. As a result, the water discharged from the discharge channel 328 also diffuses in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane.

[0224] According to the fourth embodiment of the water discharge device of the present invention, since the vibration generating element 304 has a bypass channel 342 ( Figure 33 Therefore, the amplitude of the reciprocating vibration of the water discharged from the vibration generating element 304 can be adjusted by utilizing the flow rate of water flowing in from the bypass channel 342. In addition, since a portion of the inner wall surface of the bypass channel 342 is formed by the downstream component 320, it is also convenient to form the vibration generating element 304 having the shape of the bypass channel 342.

[0225] Furthermore, according to the water discharge device of this embodiment, since the bypass channel 342 only has its inner wall surface 320a located on its most downstream side ( Figure 35 Since it is formed by the downstream component 320, by connecting the bypass channel 342, by connecting the part of the vortex street channel 326 whose flow channel cross-sectional area has changed to the upstream component 318 and the downstream component 320, the part whose flow channel cross-sectional area has changed can leave the collision section 330 and allow the vortex formed by the collision section 330 to develop fully.

[0226] While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, various modifications can be made to these embodiments. In particular, although the present invention is applied to a showerhead in the above embodiments, it can also be applied to any water-dispensing device such as a faucet for a kitchen sink or washbasin, or a warm water washing device for a toilet seat. Furthermore, although the showerhead has multiple vibration-generating elements in the above embodiments, the water-dispensing device can have any number of vibration-generating elements depending on the application, and a water-dispensing device with a single vibration-generating element can also be constructed.

[0227] Furthermore, although in the above embodiment the two components are fitted together by embedding the upstream component into the downstream component, it is also possible to fit them together by embedding the downstream component into the upstream component.

[0228] Furthermore, although in the above embodiments of the present invention, for convenience, terms such as "width" and "height" are used to describe the shape of the channels within the vibration generating element, these terms are not used to specify the direction in which the vibration generating element is disposed; the vibration generating element can be used in any direction. For example, the vibration generating element can also be used with the "height" direction in the above embodiments oriented horizontally.

Claims

1. A water discharge device that discharges water while reciprocally oscillating the water, characterized by comprising: a water discharge device body; and an oscillation generating element provided on the water discharge device body to discharge water while reciprocally oscillating the water in a prescribed oscillation plane, the oscillation generating element including: a water supply passage through which water supplied from outside is introduced; a collision portion provided on a downstream side end portion of the water supply passage so as to close a part of a flow passage cross section of the water supply passage, and to interactively generate vortices rotating in opposite directions on a downstream side thereof by colliding water guided by the water supply passage; a vortex street passage provided on a downstream side of the water supply passage so as to guide the vortices generated by the collision portion; and a discharge passage that discharges water guided by the vortex street passage, the vortex street passage being formed by fitting an upstream side fitting portion of an upstream side member that forms an upstream side of the vortex street passage and a downstream side fitting portion of a downstream side member that forms a downstream side of the vortex street passage to each other, either one of the upstream side fitting portion and the downstream side fitting portion being formed of a soft material, and the other being formed of a hard material having a greater elastic coefficient than the soft material, a vibration suppressing portion being provided on the upstream side member or the downstream side member to suppress oscillation of the upstream side member caused by the vortices generated in the vortex street passage, and one of the upstream side fitting portion and the downstream side fitting portion formed of the soft material being elastically deformed by a prescribed amount when the upstream side fitting portion and the downstream side fitting portion are fitted to each other.

2. The water discharge device according to claim 1, characterized in that the vibration suppressing portion is provided on at least a portion of the upstream side fitting portion or the downstream side fitting portion that is more downstream than the collision portion.

3. The water discharge device according to claim 1, characterized in that one of the upstream side fitting portion and the downstream side fitting portion formed of the soft material is elastically deformed at least in a direction parallel to the oscillation plane when the upstream side fitting portion and the downstream side fitting portion are fitted to each other by the provision of the vibration suppressing portion.

4. The water discharge device according to claim 1, characterized in that one of the upstream side fitting portion and the downstream side fitting portion formed of the soft material is elastically deformed in a direction parallel to the oscillation plane and a direction perpendicular to the oscillation plane when the upstream side fitting portion and the downstream side fitting portion are fitted to each other by the provision of the vibration suppressing portion.

5. The water discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a plurality of the oscillation generating elements are provided on the water discharge device body, and downstream side members of the oscillation generating elements are integrated.

6. The water discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a plurality of the oscillation generating elements are provided on the water discharge device body, and downstream side members of the oscillation generating elements are integrated, and upstream side members of the oscillation generating elements are separately provided. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 7. The water discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the vibration suppression portion is composed of a rib-shaped protrusion provided on a surface of the upstream-side fitting portion or the downstream-side fitting portion.

8. The water discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the vortex passage is formed so as to have a width in a direction parallel to the vibration plane that is wider than a height in a direction at right angles to the vibration plane, and a flow diffusion portion is provided midway through the vortex passage, the flow diffusion portion is composed of a step portion that narrows the flow passage of the vortex passage in the height direction toward the downstream side, and the height of the step portion is 50% or less of the height of the vortex passage.

9. The water discharge device according to claim 8, wherein the discharge passage is formed so as to have a height that is equal to or greater than the minimum height of the vortex passage.

10. The water discharge device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the vortex passage is composed by connecting an upstream-side member that forms the upstream side of the vortex passage and a downstream-side member that forms the downstream side of the vortex passage.

11. The water discharge device according to claim 10, wherein the step portion is formed on a connecting portion of the upstream-side member and the downstream-side member.

12. The water discharge device according to claim 11, wherein the height on the upstream end of the vortex passage provided on the downstream-side member is formed so as to be lower than the height on the downstream end of the vortex passage provided on the upstream-side member.

13. The water discharge device according to claim 10, wherein the height of the vortex passage provided on the downstream-side member is constant.

14. The water discharge device according to claim 10, wherein the step portion is formed midway through the vortex passage formed on the downstream-side member.

15. The water discharge device according to claim 8, wherein the step portion is provided on an inner wall surface of the vortex passage that faces in a direction parallel to the vibration plane.

16. The water discharge device according to claim 15, wherein on the downstream side of the step portion, the height of the vortex passage in a direction at right angles to the vibration plane is formed so as to be constant, and an inner wall surface of the vortex passage opposite the step portion is curved so as to expand the flow passage of the vortex passage in the height direction toward the downstream side.

17. The water discharge device according to claim 10, wherein the vibration-generating element is provided with a bypass passage that allows water to flow from a position downstream of the collision portion to the vortex passage, and a portion of an inner wall surface of the bypass passage is formed by the downstream-side member.

18. The water discharge device according to claim 17, wherein only an inner wall surface of the bypass passage on the most downstream side thereof is formed by the downstream-side member.

19. The water discharge device according to claim 10, wherein the upstream-side member is formed of a hard member, and the downstream-side member is formed of a soft member.

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