A dilution assembly, a foaming assembly, a shower controller and a shower system

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of thick and thin adjusting assembly, for adjusting how many functional liquid is input to foaming assembly, comprising: operating member, PCB circuit board;The inductor is provided on the PCB circuit board, and the inductor is used to sense the position change of the operating member;The signal output of the PCB circuit board is to liquid pump to control liquid pump to start to pump into functional liquid to foaming assembly;The operating member moves under the action of external force to make the operating member and inductor relative movement, the inductor senses the position change of the operating member and different signal is correspondingly output to the liquid pump to change the power of liquid pump.The utility model further provides a kind of foaming assembly, including the thick and thin adjusting assembly as above.The utility model further provides a kind of shower controller, including liquid pump and the foaming assembly as above.The utility model further provides a kind of shower system, including the shower controller and water outlet terminal as above, and the foam outlet of foaming assembly is connected with water outlet terminal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a bathroom product, and more particularly to a shower system. Background Technology

[0002] In the current showerhead technology field, some showerheads have a soap dispenser chamber. When soap is needed, it is usually squeezed or pressed out of the chamber, mixed with the incoming water, and then foamed before flowing out. However, the amount of soap dispensed by this pressing or squeezing method cannot be accurately controlled, resulting in an inaccurate control over the soap concentration, which fails to meet user requirements. Utility Model Content

[0003] The main technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a concentration adjustment component that allows users to adjust the amount of functional liquid entering the foaming component, thereby controlling the concentration of the foaming liquid.

[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this utility model provides a concentration adjustment component for adjusting the amount of functional liquid input to a foaming component, comprising: an operating component and a PCB circuit board; a sensor is provided on the PCB circuit board for sensing changes in the position of the operating component; the signal output of the PCB circuit board is sent to a liquid pump to control the pump to start pumping functional liquid into the foaming component.

[0005] The operating component moves under the action of an external force so that the operating component moves relative to the sensor. The sensor senses the position change of the operating component and causes the PCB circuit board to output different signals to the liquid pump to change the power of the liquid pump.

[0006] In a preferred embodiment: the operating element is a knob, the sensor is a Hall sensor, the operating element is provided with a magnet that cooperates with the Hall sensor, and the operating element drives the magnet to rotate relative to the Hall sensor.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment: the signal is a PWM signal; when the knob drives the magnet to rotate clockwise, the duty cycle of the PWM signal output by the signal output terminal of the PCB circuit board increases; when the knob drives the magnet to rotate counterclockwise, the duty cycle of the PWM signal output by the signal output terminal of the PCB circuit board decreases.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment: it further includes a rotating shaft and a magnet holder, the magnet holder having an opening on the side facing the rotating shaft; one end of the rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the knob, and the other end is inserted into the magnet holder through the opening, and a clamping space for fixing the magnet is defined between the end face of the other end and the inner wall of the magnet holder.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the other end of the rotating shaft is fixed to the magnet mounting base by a threaded connection.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment: the magnet holder has a first chamber communicating with the opening, and the inner wall of the first chamber extends radially inward with a ring of protrusions to divide the first chamber into a first region and a second region that are communicating with each other; the other end of the rotating shaft is placed in the first region, and the magnet is placed in the second region and abuts against the rotating shaft in the first region.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the device further includes a PCB mounting bracket and an LED ring for fixing the PCB circuit board; the PCB mounting bracket has a mounting opening corresponding to the area of ​​the Hall sensor, the LED ring is fixed at the mounting opening, and the magnet mounting bracket passes through the mounting opening and sets the magnet and the Hall sensor coaxially.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment: it further includes a magnetic assembly fixing seat, which is mounted on the lamp ring and has a second chamber for accommodating the magnetic assembly fixing seat; a pressure cap is fixedly connected to the second chamber and abuts against the side of the magnetic assembly fixing seat away from the bottom of the second chamber.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the sensor is a potentiometer or an encoder.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment: the signal is a plurality of gear switching signals preset on the PCB circuit board, each gear switching signal corresponding to a different voltage.

[0015] This utility model also provides a foaming component, characterized by including the concentration adjustment component as described above.

[0016] This invention also provides a shower controller, including a liquid pump and a foaming assembly as described above.

[0017] This utility model also provides a shower system, including a shower controller and a water outlet terminal as described above, wherein the foam outlet of the foaming component is connected to the water outlet terminal.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of this utility model has the following beneficial effects:

[0019] This invention provides a concentration adjustment component. Users can change the relative positions of the magnet and the Hall sensor through the operating mechanism. The Hall sensor detects the position change of the magnet and causes the PCB circuit board to output PWM signals with different duty cycles to change the power of the liquid pump. This changes the amount of functional liquid pumped into the foaming component, thereby achieving stepless adjustment of the concentration of the foaming liquid to meet the needs of different users. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the shower system in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the shower controller in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the water circuit in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the foaming component in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the mandrel in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the mandrel in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 7 for Figure 6 A magnified view of a portion of the image;

[0027] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the concentration adjustment component in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 9 This is an exploded view of the concentration adjustment component in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 10 This is a cross-sectional view of the concentration adjustment component in a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To make the technical solution and features of this utility model clearer, the following detailed description of this utility model is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific examples. It should be understood that these examples are only for illustrating this utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of this utility model. After reading this utility model, any modifications of this utility model by those skilled in the art in various equivalent forms fall within the scope defined by the appended claims.

[0031] refer to Figures 1-10This embodiment provides a shower system, including: a shower controller 1, an overhead shower head 2, and a handheld shower head 3. In addition to the conventional functions of adjusting water temperature, flow rate, and switching between different water outlets, the shower controller 1 in this embodiment also has a soap-dispensing function. That is, foamed soap flows from a specific water outlet through a foaming component, allowing users to conveniently obtain soap with rich, dense foam for body cleaning during showering. This embodiment uses soap as an example, but it could also be shampoo, beauty serum, essential oils, or other functional liquids with fragrance additives. Furthermore, when this foaming component is applied to other products, the functional liquid could also be dishwashing liquid, detergent, or laundry liquid, etc.

[0032] Therefore, the aforementioned shower controller 1 includes an air pump 12, a liquid pump 11, and a foaming component 13. The foaming component 13 is equipped with a water inlet connector 1302, an air pump connector 1303, and a liquid pump connector 1304 at the water inlet channel 136, the air inlet channel 137, and the functional liquid inlet channel 138, respectively. In this way, the water inlet channel 136, the air inlet channel 137, and the functional liquid inlet channel 138 of the foaming component 13 can respectively achieve the purpose of water intake, air intake, and functional liquid intake. Then, these three media are mixed in the foaming component 13 to produce rich and dense foam.

[0033] Specifically, the foaming component 13 also has a foam outlet 131, a first mixing chamber 132, a spiral stirring channel 134, and a second mixing chamber 135; the first mixing chamber 132 is connected to the water inlet channel 136 and the functional liquid inlet channel 138 to form a mixed flow of functional liquid and water; the inlet of the spiral stirring channel 134 is connected to the first mixing chamber 132, and the outlet is connected to the second mixing chamber 135, and the second mixing chamber 135 is also connected between the air inlet channel 137 and the foam outlet 131.

[0034] After the above settings, the three media—water, functional liquid, and air—are not mixed simultaneously in the foaming component 13, but rather in a specific order. Specifically, water and functional liquid are first mixed in the first mixing chamber 132, then thoroughly mixed through the spiral stirring channel 134, and finally enter the second mixing chamber 135 to mix with air. This sequence ensures that the water and functional liquid are fully mixed before contacting the air, resulting in sufficiently rich and dense bubbles, leading to better foaming effects and more uniform and delicate foam.

[0035] In this embodiment, the functional liquid inlet channel 138 and the water inlet channel 136 are connected to the first mixing chamber 132 in different directions. Specifically, in this embodiment, the functional liquid inlet channel 138 and the water inlet channel 136 are connected to the first mixing chamber 132 in mutually perpendicular directions. This allows the functional liquid and water to collide due to their different flow directions upon entering the mixing chamber, increasing their mixing effect. Similarly, the spiral stirring channel 134 and the air inlet channel 137 are connected to the second mixing chamber 135 in different directions. This also increases the mixing effect between the mixed flow and air. In this embodiment, the liquid inlet direction of the stirring channel 134 is perpendicular to the axis of the second mixing chamber 135.

[0036] Furthermore, to further enhance the mixing effect of air and the mixed flow, multiple layers of filters 1351 are spaced apart along the direction of the gas flow channel within the second mixing chamber 135. The multiple layers of filters 1351 can cut and output foam from the air and mixed flow, thus increasing the cutting effect, thereby increasing the foam density and forming smaller and more numerous bubbles.

[0037] Furthermore, since the functional liquid is relatively viscous before mixing with water, its flow rate in the functional liquid inlet channel 138 is slow. This leads to an imbalance in the ratio of functional liquid to water in the first mixing chamber 132, resulting in a low proportion of functional liquid in the resulting mixture. Therefore, it is necessary to accelerate the functional liquid so that it can quickly flow from the functional liquid inlet channel 138 into the first mixing chamber 132. To this end, the functional liquid inlet channel 138 has a gradually narrowing channel diameter structure 1381 on one side connected to the first mixing chamber 132. Utilizing the Venturi effect, when the functional liquid flows through this gradually narrowing channel diameter structure 1381, its flow velocity increases, achieving acceleration and facilitating its outflow. The gradually narrowing channel diameter structure 1381 connects to the first mixing chamber 132 through a spray nozzle 1382. The functional liquid is sprayed out from the spray nozzle 1382, making it easier to disperse when mixed with water, resulting in a better mixing effect.

[0038] Meanwhile, although the functional fluid is accelerated, the water still needs to be decelerated so that the water and functional fluid can mix more gently in the first mixing chamber 132 to form a mixed flow. Therefore, a pressure reducing valve 1361 is installed in the water inlet channel 136 to decelerate the water flowing into the first mixing chamber 132. The pressure reducing valve 1361 is a common structure already existing in the prior art and is a direct application of the prior art. Therefore, the structure of the pressure reducing valve 1361 will not be described in detail in this application.

[0039] In this embodiment, to achieve a more compact structure, the spiral stirring channel 134 is located outside the functional liquid inlet channel 138. That is, the spiral stirring channel 134 and the functional liquid inlet channel 138 are located on the same side of the first mixing chamber 132, except that the flow direction of the functional liquid in the functional liquid inlet channel is opposite to the flow direction of the mixed flow in the spiral stirring channel 134. This nests the functional liquid inlet channel 138 and the spiral stirring channel 134 together, resulting in a more compact structure and reducing the overall volume of the foaming assembly.

[0040] Furthermore, to prevent backflow of water, air, and functional fluid, one-way valves are respectively provided in the water inlet channel 136, the air inlet channel 137, and the functional fluid inlet channel 138. The structure of the one-way valve is also a common structure in the prior art, and will not be elaborated on in this embodiment.

[0041] Finally, to achieve the above structure, the foaming component 13 in this embodiment includes a housing 130 and a mandrel 139; the housing 130 is provided with the water inlet channel 136, the foam outlet 131, the air inlet channel 137, and a channel 1301 that simultaneously connects the liquid pump 11, the air pump 12, the first mixing chamber 132, and the second mixing chamber 135; the mandrel 139 is disposed in the channel 1301, and the functional liquid inlet channel 138 is provided axially through the mandrel 139; the outer wall of the mandrel 139 is provided with a thread 1391 or a spiral structure to form the spiral stirring channel 134 between the outer wall of the mandrel 139 and the inner wall of the channel 1301.

[0042] Furthermore, in this embodiment, to further enhance the mixing effect of the mixed flow in the spiral stirring channel 134, the outer wall of the mandrel 139 is provided with protrusions 1392 spaced circumferentially. These protrusions 1392 form obstruction surfaces for the mixed flow, and an acceleration channel is formed between adjacent protrusions 1392. That is, when the mixed flow flows in the spiral stirring channel 134, it stops flowing when it encounters an obstruction surface and accelerates when it encounters an acceleration channel, thus achieving a rapid stop-and-go effect in the spiral stirring channel 134, allowing the water and functional liquid in the mixed flow to mix more thoroughly. In this embodiment, the thread 1391 is divided into two sections, and the protrusions 1392 are located between the two sections of the thread 1391. That is, after the mixed flow rapidly stops and goes through the protrusions 1392, it will continue its spiral motion through another section of the thread 1391, achieving a secondary spiral stirring effect.

[0043] Since the water outlet is not always intended to dispense soapy liquid with abundant foam, in this embodiment, a first solenoid valve 15 and a second solenoid valve 16 are connected in series between the water outlet and the flow regulating valve 14 of the shower controller 1. The first solenoid valve 15 is connected to both the second and second solenoid valves and is also connected to the first mixing chamber 132. The second solenoid valve 16 is connected to the second mixing chamber 135. Therefore, when both the first and second solenoid valves 15 and 16 are open, the water flows directly into the second mixing chamber 135 after passing through the series-connected valves 15 and 16, and then enters the water outlet from the foam outlet 131, achieving the basic shower function. When the soap-dispensing function is needed, the first solenoid valve 15 is opened and the second solenoid valve 16 is closed, allowing water to enter the first mixing chamber 132. The soap-dispensing function can then be achieved by controlling the liquid pump 11 and the air pump 12 to operate. In this embodiment, the water outlet for the soap-dispensing function is the handheld shower head 3. Therefore, the overhead shower head 2 and the lower water outlet function only require a solenoid valve 17 or 18 to control the opening or closing of their respective flow channels to achieve water flow and shut-off for the overhead shower head 2 and the lower water outlet function. To achieve the switching of the above functions, the control panel of the shower controller 1 is equipped with buttons corresponding to the water outlet and soap-dispensing functions of each water outlet. These buttons send control signals to the corresponding solenoid valves, controlling their operation. The buttons are touch-sensitive, and each solenoid valve is connected to the PCB control panel, receiving an opening signal via a touch switch outside the showerhead.

[0044] This embodiment uses a spiral stirring channel as an example. As a simple alternative, a vibrating channel can also be used instead of a spiral stirring channel. When the mixed flow passes through the vibrating channel, vibration is used to achieve thorough mixing of the functional liquid and water. The vibrating channel can consist of a vibrating rod installed within the channel, driven by an ultrasonic device. Alternatively, the entire channel can be driven to vibrate directly by an ultrasonic device.

[0045] Furthermore, while the aforementioned structure achieves the goal of dispensing soap solution from the water outlet, the concentration of the soap solution is not adjustable, failing to meet the needs of users in different scenarios or by different users. Therefore, the foaming component 13 in this embodiment further includes a concentration adjustment component 19, used to adjust the amount of functional liquid input by the liquid pump to the foaming component 13, thereby changing the concentration of the soap solution. Specifically, the concentration adjustment component 19 includes: an operating element and a PCB circuit board 191; a Hall sensor 1911 is provided on the PCB circuit board 191, and the operating element is provided with a magnet 192 that cooperates with the Hall sensor 1911; the signal output terminal of the PCB circuit board 191 outputs a PWM signal to the liquid pump 11 to control the liquid pump 11 to start pumping functional liquid into the foaming component 13;

[0046] In this embodiment, the operating component is a knob 193. The knob 193 causes the magnet 192 and the Hall sensor 1911 to rotate relative to each other. The Hall sensor 1911 senses the position change of the magnet 192 and outputs PWM signals with different duty cycles to the liquid pump 11 to change the power of the liquid pump 11. Specifically, the initial power of the liquid pump 11 is 2.64W, corresponding to 10 power levels. When the magnet 192 rotates 36° clockwise, the power of the liquid pump 11 increases by 0.05W; conversely, when the magnet 192 rotates 36° counterclockwise, the power of the liquid pump 11 decreases by 0.05W. The Hall sensor 1911 detecting the angle change of the magnet 192 is existing technology. In this embodiment, the Hall sensor 1911 used is the KTH5701, a low-power 16-bit digital output 3D Hall chip. In this embodiment, a PWM signal is used as an example, but it can also be different voltage signals, etc. When the knob 193 is turned clockwise or counterclockwise, the signal output terminal of the PCB board can output a gear switching signal, which increases or decreases the power of the liquid pump.

[0047] To enable the knob 193 to rotate the magnet 192, this embodiment also includes a rotating shaft 194 and a magnet fixing base 195. The magnet fixing base 195 has an opening on the side facing the rotating shaft 194. One end of the rotating shaft 194 is fixedly connected to the knob 193, and the other end is inserted into the magnet fixing base 195 through the opening. A clamping space for fixing the magnet 192 is defined between the end face of the other end and the inner wall of the magnet fixing base 195. Since the rotating shaft 194 is fixedly connected to both the magnet fixing base 195 and the knob 193, rotating the knob 193 will cause the magnet fixing base 195 to rotate together via the rotating shaft 194, and the magnet 192 inside the magnet fixing base 195 will also rotate. Furthermore, the clamping action of the rotating shaft 194 and the magnet fixing base 195 can fix the magnet 192 inside the magnet fixing base 195, thereby preventing the magnet 192 from shaking and causing false detection by the Hall sensor 1911.

[0048] In this embodiment, to achieve the connection between the rotating shaft 194 and the magnet fixing seat 195, the other end of the rotating shaft 194 is fixed to the magnet fixing seat 195 by a threaded connection. By setting the depth of the internal thread extension of the magnet fixing seat 195, the depth of the rotating shaft 194 inserted into the magnet fixing seat 195 can be controlled, thereby making the rotating shaft 194 abut against the magnet 192 inside the magnet fixing seat 195.

[0049] Specifically, the magnet holder 195 has a first chamber 1951 communicating with the opening, and the inner wall of the first chamber 1951 extends radially inward with a ring of protrusions 1952 to divide the first chamber 1951 into a first region and a second region that are communicating with each other; the other end of the rotating shaft 194 is placed in the first region, and the magnet 192 is placed in the second region and abuts against the rotating shaft 194 in the first region.

[0050] Furthermore, since the Hall sensor 1911 used in this embodiment is a KTH5701, it is a 3D Hall chip. This means it can detect not only the angle rotated by the magnet 192 in the XY plane, but also the displacement of the magnet 192 along the Z-axis. Therefore, this characteristic can be used to achieve more functions. For example, this embodiment also includes a PCB mounting base 196 and an LED ring 197 for fixing the PCB circuit board 191. The PCB mounting base 196 has a mounting opening corresponding to the area of ​​the Hall sensor 1911. The LED ring 197 is fixed at the mounting opening, and the magnet mounting base 195 passes through the mounting opening, coaxially aligning the magnet 192 with the Hall sensor 1911. The PCB circuit board 191 can also be used to control both sides of the LED bead 1912, causing the light emitted by the LED bead 1912 to be emitted from the LED ring 197. For example, by pressing the knob 193, the magnet 192 and the Hall sensor 1911 move relative to each other along the Z-axis, and the PCB circuit board 191 outputs a signal to control the LED bead 1912 to light up or turn off. The 1912 LED can indicate the amount of remaining functional liquid in the shower using different colors or brightness, so that users know whether functional liquid needs to be added.

[0051] To install the magnet mounting base 195, this embodiment also includes a magnet assembly mounting base 198, which is mounted on the lamp ring 197 and has a second chamber 1981 for accommodating the magnet mounting base 195. A pressure cap 199 is fixedly connected to the second chamber 1981 and abuts against the side of the magnet mounting base 195 away from the bottom of the second chamber 1981. Specifically, the magnet assembly mounting base 198 is fixed to the lamp ring 197 by bolts 1982.

[0052] As a simple alternative to this embodiment, the Hall sensor + magnet method can be replaced with other sensing methods in the prior art, as long as they can detect changes in the relative position of the knob. For example, an encoder or a potentiometer can achieve the above function. The encoder changes the pulse count pair by rotating the knob, thus outputting PWM signals with different duty cycles to the liquid pump 11 to change the power of the liquid pump 11. The potentiometer can be a sliding rheostat; by rotating the knob, it changes the resistance pair and outputs PWM signals with different duty cycles to the liquid pump 11 to change the power of the liquid pump 11.

[0053] The above is only one specific embodiment of the present utility model, but the design concept of the present utility model is not limited thereto. Any non-substantial modifications made to the present utility model using this concept shall be deemed as an infringement of the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A concentration adjustment component for adjusting the amount of functional liquid input to a foaming component, characterized in that... Includes: an operating component and a PCB circuit board; the PCB circuit board is equipped with a sensor for sensing changes in the position of the operating component; the signal output of the PCB circuit board is sent to a liquid pump to control the start of the liquid pump to pump functional liquid into the foaming assembly; The operating component moves under the action of an external force so that the operating component moves relative to the sensor. The sensor senses the position change of the operating component and causes the PCB circuit board to output different signals to the liquid pump to change the power of the liquid pump.

2. The concentration adjustment component according to claim 1, characterized in that: The operating component is a knob, the sensor is a Hall sensor, and the operating component is equipped with a magnet that cooperates with the Hall sensor. The operating component drives the magnet to rotate relative to the Hall sensor.

3. The concentration adjustment component according to claim 2, characterized in that: The signal is a PWM signal. When the knob drives the magnet to rotate clockwise, the duty cycle of the PWM signal output from the signal output terminal of the PCB circuit board increases; when the knob drives the magnet to rotate counterclockwise, the duty cycle of the PWM signal output from the signal output terminal of the PCB circuit board decreases.

4. The concentration adjustment component according to claim 2, characterized in that: It also includes a rotating shaft and a magnet holder, the magnet holder having an opening on the side facing the rotating shaft; one end of the rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the knob, and the other end is inserted into the magnet holder through the opening, and a clamping space for fixing the magnet is defined between the end face of the other end and the inner wall of the magnet holder.

5. The concentration adjustment component according to claim 4, characterized in that: The other end of the rotating shaft is fixed to the magnet mounting base by a threaded connection.

6. The concentration adjustment component according to claim 4, characterized in that: The magnet holder has a first chamber communicating with the opening, and the inner wall of the first chamber extends radially inward with a ring of protrusions to divide the first chamber into a first region and a second region that are communicating with each other; the other end of the rotating shaft is placed in the first region, and the magnet is placed in the second region and abuts against the rotating shaft in the first region.

7. The concentration adjustment component according to claim 4, characterized in that: It also includes a PCB mounting bracket and an LED ring for fixing the PCB circuit board; the PCB mounting bracket is provided with a mounting port corresponding to the area of ​​the Hall sensor, the LED ring is fixed at the mounting port, and the magnet mounting bracket passes through the mounting port and sets the magnet and the Hall sensor coaxially.

8. The concentration adjustment component according to claim 7, characterized in that: It also includes a magnetic assembly mounting base, which is installed on the lamp ring and has a second chamber for accommodating the magnetic assembly mounting base; a pressure cap is fixedly connected to the second chamber and abuts against the side of the magnetic assembly mounting base away from the bottom of the second chamber.

9. The concentration adjustment component according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sensor is a potentiometer or an encoder.

10. The concentration adjustment component according to claim 1, characterized in that: The signals are multiple gear switching signals preset on the PCB circuit board, and each gear switching signal corresponds to a different voltage.

11. A foaming component, characterized in that... Includes the concentration adjustment component as described in any one of claims 1-10.

12. A shower controller, characterized in that... Includes a liquid pump and the foaming assembly as described in claim 11.

13. A shower system, characterized in that... The shower controller and water outlet terminal as described in claim 12 are included, wherein the foam outlet of the foaming component is connected to the water outlet terminal.

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