Shower head
The shower head's precise groove design in the nozzle member addresses inconsistent droplet sizes, achieving stable small particle mist generation and consistent water flow, enhancing bathing comfort.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2023107752
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-06-30
- Publication Date
- 2025-01-17
AI Technical Summary
Shower heads that generate mist suffer from inconsistent droplet sizes, leading to discomfort during bathing due to the generation of large-sized droplets.
The shower head design includes a nozzle member with precise grooves, featuring a first and second groove configuration that allows for stable generation of small particle mist by controlling fluid flow through the nozzle member, ensuring high precision and consistent mist formation.
The design stabilizes mist particle size, providing a comfortable bathing experience by ensuring consistent droplet sizes and maintaining a designed water flow rate.
Smart Images

Figure 2025006767000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a showerhead. [Background technology]
[0002] Conventionally, showerheads with a function of discharging mist-like water have been known. As a technique for turning water into mist, for example, a technique has been proposed in which a mist guide having a helical swirl surface is attached inside a mist throttling hole (mist forming hole) formed in a watering nozzle plate (Patent Document 1). With this configuration, the gap between the swirl surface of the mist guide and the inner peripheral surface of the mist throttling hole becomes a helical mist flow path. When water flows down the mist flow path, a helical flow is generated, and when this helical flow is sprayed from the outlet, the water breaks down into fine particles and becomes mist. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-11034 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0004] In the showerhead with the above configuration, the mist guide has unstable dimensions, which can cause the droplet size of the mist to vary and result in droplets with a large diameter, which can make the shower less comfortable.
[0005] This specification discloses a technique that can solve the above-mentioned problems. [Means for solving the problem]
[0006] The technology disclosed in this specification can be realized, for example, in the following forms. (1) A showerhead disclosed in this specification comprises a head body having a flow path through which a fluid can flow, and a mist generating member attached to the head body and configured to turn the fluid supplied from the flow path into a mist, wherein the mist generating member comprises a nozzle member, the nozzle member having one surface facing the flow path and another surface different from the first surface, a mist forming hole having a first inlet in the one surface and an outlet on the other surface, the mist forming hole having a recess that is recessed with respect to the one surface and is defined by an inner surface extending from an opening edge of the first inlet toward the other surface, a nozzle hole having a second inlet on the inner surface and extending from the second inlet to the outlet, and a groove disposed on the inner surface and communicating with the flow path and the nozzle hole, and an attachment portion having an abutment surface that comes into contact with the inner surface is accommodated inside the recess.
[0007] According to the above configuration, the grooves can be formed with high precision, and it is easy to design the grooves to stably generate a mist with small particle sizes. This allows the mist with small particle sizes to be stably generated, providing a comfortable shower experience.
[0008] (2) In the showerhead described in (1) above, the inner surface may have a bottom surface having the second inlet and an inner circumferential surface extending from the bottom surface to the first inlet, and the groove may have a first groove arranged on the inner circumferential surface and a second groove arranged on the bottom surface and communicating with the first groove and the nozzle hole.
[0009] According to such a configuration, by making the shapes of the first groove and the second groove different, it is possible to easily design the shape of the groove according to the required performance, thereby increasing the degree of freedom in design.
[0010] (3) In the showerhead described in (2) above, the width of the second groove may be smaller than the width of the first groove.
[0011] With this configuration, the width of the second groove is narrower than the width of the first groove, so the flow path is narrowed, and the fluid passes through the inside of the second groove at high speed and is supplied to the nozzle hole. This allows the fluid to swirl at higher speed inside the nozzle hole, generating a mist with small particle size.
[0012] (4) In the showerhead according to (2) or (3) above, the second groove may extend along a tangent to a curve that constitutes an opening edge of the second inlet.
[0013] With this configuration, the fluid flows from the first groove along the inner surface of the nozzle hole, so that the fluid can swirl more smoothly inside the nozzle hole, thereby enabling a mist with small particle size to be generated stably.
[0014] (5) In the showerhead according to any one of (2) to (4) above, the first groove may extend perpendicular to the bottom surface.
[0015] With this configuration, compared to a case where the first groove extends obliquely relative to the bottom surface, for example, it is easier to create a mold for manufacturing the nozzle member, and the first groove can be formed with greater precision, which makes it possible to generate mist with small particle size more stably.
[0016] (6) The showerhead according to any one of (2) to (5) above may have four or more first grooves and four or more second grooves.
[0017] With this configuration, the fluid flows into the nozzle hole from all four sides, allowing the fluid to swirl more smoothly inside the nozzle hole. This allows mist with small particle sizes to be generated stably. In addition, the flow rate of the fluid flowing into each mist forming hole can be made sufficient, ensuring the amount of fluid discharged from the showerhead.
[0018] The technology disclosed in this specification can be realized in various forms, for example, in the form of a shear head and a discharge method thereof. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shower head according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a shower head according to an embodiment; [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a partially enlarged front view of a shower head according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] Cross-sectional view of line IV-IV in Figure 3 [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a partially enlarged view showing a portion around a mist forming hole in a nozzle member according to an embodiment; [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a partial enlarged view showing a state in which a mounting member is mounted inside a mounting recess in a mist generating member according to an embodiment; [Figure 7] Cross-sectional view of line VII-VII in Figure 3 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0020] A. Embodiment: A-1. Shower head 10 configuration: An embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 7. The shower head 10 of this embodiment is configured to change the discharge state of water (one example of a fluid) by switching between multiple flow paths corresponding to multiple discharge modes. The multiple discharge modes are, for example, "mist mode", "straight mode", "pure straight mode", "jet mode" and "massage mode". The mist mode is a mode in which mist-like water is discharged, the straight mode is a mode in which water pressure is higher than that of the mist mode and water with more force is discharged, and the pure straight mode is a mode in which water with a higher density is discharged than that of the straight mode. The jet mode is a mode in which water with the highest water pressure is discharged, and the massage mode is a mode in which water is discharged intermittently. The shower head 10 has a function of discharging mist-like water when the "mist mode" is selected as the discharge mode. In this embodiment, "water" includes hot water and cold water.
[0021] (Overall configuration of shower head 10) As shown in FIG. 2, the shower head 10 comprises a head body 100, a mist generating member 500 attached to the head body 100 for generating mist, an operating ring 600 for switching between multiple emission modes, and a cover 700.
[0022] 2, the head body 100 includes a cover member 200, a fixed flow path member 300 fixed inside the cover member 200, and a movable flow path member 400 rotatably assembled to the fixed flow path member 300. The fixed flow path member 300 and the movable flow path member 400 are members that form a flow path through which water can flow. The movable flow path member 400, the mist generating member 500, and the cover 700 are arranged inside the operation ring 600 in this order from the side closer to the fixed flow path member 300, and are configured to rotate relative to the fixed flow path member 300 in conjunction with the rotation of the operation ring 600. In the following description, the side of the shower head 10 on which the cover 700 is arranged is referred to as the front.
[0023] (Cover member 200) As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 4, the cover member 200 includes a cover body 210 and a grip portion 220 connected to the cover body 210. Examples of materials for the cover member 200 include synthetic resins such as ASA resin (acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate copolymer resin) and ABS resin (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer resin), metals such as stainless steel, and synthetic rubbers such as EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber). The cover body 210 is dome-shaped with an opening on the front side. The grip portion 220 is substantially cylindrical, and houses a water pipe 230 inside. The water pipe 230 is connected to a water heater via a shower hose.
[0024] (Fixed flow path member 300) As shown in Fig. 2, the fixed flow path member 300 includes a base portion 310, a mounting shaft 320, and a joint portion 330. Examples of materials for the fixed flow path member 300 include synthetic resins such as ABS resin (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer resin), metals such as stainless steel, and synthetic rubbers such as EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber). The base portion 310 is generally in the shape of a thick disk, and is fixed inside the cover body 210. The mounting shaft 320 is in the shape of a cylinder, and protrudes forward from the center of the base portion 310. The joint portion 330 is in the shape of a cylinder, and extends from the base portion 310 to be connected to the water pipe 230. As shown in Fig. 4, the mounting shaft 320 has a screw hole 322 that opens on the front end surface.
[0025] The fixed flow path member 300 has a base flow path 340 therein, as shown in Fig. 4. The base flow path 340 communicates with the internal space of the joint portion 330, and has a base outlet 340out that opens to the front surface of the fixed flow path member 300, as shown in Fig. 2. A rubber packing 350 is disposed around the base outlet 340out, as shown in Fig. 2.
[0026] (Movable flow path member 400) 2, the movable flow path member 400 is disposed in front of the base portion 310. Examples of materials for the movable flow path member 400 include synthetic resins such as ASA resin (acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate copolymer resin), metals such as stainless steel, and synthetic rubbers such as EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber). The movable flow path member 400 includes a flow path forming portion 410 and a retaining portion 440.
[0027] As shown in FIG. 2, the flow path forming part 410 is a thick disk-like shape as a whole, and has a through hole 411 in the center. As shown in FIG. 4, the mounting shaft 320 is inserted into the through hole 411, so that the movable flow path member 400 is supported rotatably with the mounting shaft 320 as the center of rotation with respect to the fixed flow path member 300. The flow path forming part 410 has a plurality of flow paths corresponding to the above-mentioned plurality of discharge modes. As shown in FIG. 7, the plurality of flow paths includes a mist flow path 412 through which water flows when the "mist mode" is selected as the discharge mode. The mist flow path 412 has a mist inlet (not shown) on the rear surface facing the base part 310, and has a plurality of mist outlets 412out on the front surface on the opposite side.
[0028] 2, the retaining portion 440 includes a cylindrical base 441 that protrudes from the front surface of the flow path forming portion 410 toward the mist generating member 500, and a cylindrical retaining protrusion 442 that protrudes from the base 441 toward the mist generating member 500 and has an outer diameter smaller than that of the base 441. Multiple mist outlets 412out are arranged around each retaining portion 440.
[0029] (Mist generating member 500) 2, the mist generating member 500 is disposed in front of the movable flow path member 400. Examples of materials for the mist generating member 500 include synthetic resins such as ASA resin (acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate copolymer resin), metals such as stainless steel, and synthetic rubbers such as EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber). The mist generating member 500 includes a nozzle member 510 and a plurality of mounting members 570 (an example of a mounting portion) that are mounted to the nozzle member 510.
[0030] 2, 4, 5, and 7, the nozzle member 510 includes a nozzle plate 511, multiple mist projections 520, and multiple mist cylinders 512. The nozzle plate 511 is generally disk-shaped and has a through-hole 515 in the center. The mist projections 520 project forward from the nozzle plate 511. The mist cylinders 512 are cylindrical and extend from the nozzle plate 511 toward the movable flow path member 400.
[0031] 2 and 3, the multiple mist protrusions 520 are arranged side by side in a circle along the outer periphery of the nozzle member 510. As shown in Fig. 7, each mist protrusion 520 has a cylindrical base end close to the nozzle plate 511, and a generally truncated cone shape whose diameter decreases the further away from the nozzle plate 511.
[0032] Each of the mist cylinders 512 is disposed at a position corresponding to each of the mist protrusions 520. As shown in FIG. 7, each mist cylinder 512 is tubular and slightly larger than the retaining portion 440, and can receive the retaining portion 440 inside. The rear end edge of the mist cylinder 512 is in contact with the front surface of the movable flow path member 400. The opening edge of each mist cylinder 512 is positioned so as to surround the mist outlets 412out disposed around each retaining portion 440, and water flowing out from the mist outlets 412out flows into the inside of the mist cylinder 512. Inside each mist cylinder 512, a holding portion 513 for holding the mounting member 570 is disposed at a position adjacent to the nozzle plate 511. In the holding portion 513, an opposing surface 514 (an example of one surface) facing the movable flow path member 400 faces the mist flow path 412 (more specifically, the mist outlet 412out).
[0033] As shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 7, the nozzle member 510 has a plurality of mist forming holes 530. Each mist forming hole 530 is a through hole having a first inlet 531 in the facing surface 514 and an outlet 533 in the tip surface 521 (an example of the other surface) of the mist protrusion 520, and is composed of a mounting recess 540 (an example of a recess) recessed based on the facing surface 514, and a mist nozzle hole 550 (an example of a nozzle hole) communicating with the mounting recess 540. Each mist forming hole 530 communicates with the mist flow path 412 through the internal space of the mist tube 512. From the viewpoint of ensuring a water discharge amount sufficient to ignite the water heater, it is preferable that the nozzle member 510 has 10 or more mist forming holes 530.
[0034] The mounting recess 540 is a recess defined by a bottom surface 541 (an example of an inner surface) parallel to the opposing surface 514, and a first inner circumferential surface 542 (an example of an inner surface) extending from the periphery of the bottom surface 541 to the opening edge of the first inlet 531 and perpendicular to the bottom surface 541. The mist nozzle hole 550 is disposed on the bottom surface 541, has a second inlet 532 having a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the mounting recess 540, and is a hole defined by a second inner circumferential surface 551 extending from the opening edge of the second inlet 532 to the opening edge of the outlet 533. Mist nozzle hole 550 has large diameter section 550A that extends from second inlet 532 and has a constant inner diameter, small diameter section 550C that is connected to outlet 533 and has a constant inner diameter and is smaller than large diameter section 550A, and narrowing section 550B that connects large diameter section 550A and small diameter section 550C and narrows from large diameter section 550A toward small diameter section 550C. From the viewpoint of stably generating mist with a small particle size, it is preferable that the inner diameter of outlet 533 is small, for example, 1.2 mm or less.
[0035] As shown in Figures 5 and 7, a plurality (four in this embodiment) of first grooves 543 (an example of a groove) are arranged on the first inner surface 542, and a plurality (four in this embodiment) of second grooves 544 (an example of a groove) are arranged on the bottom surface 541.
[0036] Each of the first grooves 543 is a groove that extends perpendicularly to the bottom surface 541 from the opening edge of the first inlet 531 to the outer periphery of the bottom surface 541. The second grooves 544 are grooves that extend linearly from the outer periphery of the bottom surface 541 to the opening edge of the second inlet 532, and are connected to each of the first grooves 543. As shown in FIG. 5, each of the second grooves 544 extends along a tangent T to a curve that constitutes the opening edge of the second inlet 532. A width W1 of the first groove 543 defined by the distance between two side edges of the first groove 543 is larger than a width W2 of the second groove 544 defined by the distance between two side edges of the second groove 544. As shown in FIG. 7, each of the multiple first grooves 543 is positioned straight forward from the multiple mist outlets 412out so that water flows straight into the inside of the first groove 543 from each mist outlet 412out.
[0037] The mounting member 570 is press-fitted into the mounting recess 540. Examples of the material of the mounting member 570 include synthetic resins such as ASA resin (acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate copolymer resin) and ABS resin (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer resin), metals such as stainless steel, and synthetic rubbers such as EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber). As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the mounting member 570 is cylindrical and has a front surface 571 (contact surface) that is in close contact with the bottom surface 541, and a side surface 573 (contact surface) that is in close contact with the first inner peripheral surface 542. The mounting member 570 has a retaining hole 574 in the center that opens into a rear surface 572 opposite to the front surface 571. The tip of the retaining protrusion 442 is inserted into the retaining hole 574 to prevent the mounting member 570 from falling off from the mounting recess 540. In this embodiment, the mounting portion arranged inside the mounting recess 540 is an independent member, that is, mounting member 570, and is pressed by anti-slip portion 441, so that mounting member 570 can be firmly attached to bottom surface 541.
[0038] (Cover 700) As shown in FIG. 2, the cover 700 is generally disk-shaped and is disposed in front of the mist generating member 500. Examples of materials for the cover 700 include synthetic resins such as ABS resin (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer resin), metals such as stainless steel, and synthetic rubbers such as EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber). The front surface of the cover 700 may be plated to enhance the appearance. The cover 700 has a plurality of nozzle insertion holes through which a plurality of nozzle protrusions can be inserted. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the nozzle insertion holes include a plurality of mist insertion holes 701. Each mist protrusion 520 is inserted inside each mist insertion hole 701.
[0039] (Operation Ring 600) 2 and 4, the operation ring 600 is in the shape of a ring having an outer diameter approximately equal to that of the head body 100. Examples of materials for the operation ring 600 include synthetic resins such as ABS resin (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer resin), metals such as stainless steel, and synthetic rubbers such as EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber). The operation ring 600 is disposed adjacent to the opening edge of the head body 100, and surrounds a part of the movable flow path member 400, the mist generating member 500, and the cover 700.
[0040] A screw S having a screw head SH and a threaded portion ST is screwed onto the mounting shaft 320. A washer WS having an outer diameter one size larger than that of the mounting shaft 320 is sandwiched between the screw head SH and the mounting shaft 320, and the washer WS engages with the peripheral portion of the through hole 411 in the movable flow path member 400, thereby rotatably mounting the movable flow path member 400 to the mounting shaft 320. The movable flow path member 400, the mist generating member 500, and the cover 700 are configured to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the operation ring 600.
[0041] A-2. Operation of shower head 10: When a user turns on the water faucet, water supplied from the water heater passes through the shower hose and water pipe 230 and is supplied into base flow path 340.
[0042] When the user rotates the operation ring 600, the movable flow path member 400, the mist generating member 500, and the cover 700 rotate relative to the fixed flow path member 300 in conjunction with the rotation of the operation ring 600. The operation ring 600 is displaceable between a plurality of designated positions corresponding to each of the emission modes, thereby switching between a plurality of emission modes. For example, when the operation ring 600 is rotated to a position that designates the mist mode, the mist inlet is disposed at a position that matches the position of the base outlet 340out, and the inlets of the other flow paths are blocked by the packing 350. As a result, water flows into the mist flow path 412. As shown by the solid line in FIG. 7, the water that has passed through the mist flow path 412 enters the inside of the mist tube 512 from the mist outlet 412out, passes through the first groove 543, the second groove 544, and the inside of the mist nozzle hole 550 in order, and is discharged to the outside from the discharge port 533.
[0043] Width W1 of first groove 543 is greater than width W2 of second groove 544. In other words, second groove 544 is a throttled flow path narrower than first groove 543 and mist nozzle hole 550. When water passes through the inside of second groove 544, which is a throttled flow path, and flows into mist nozzle hole 550, the water flows inside mist nozzle hole 550 while swirling. The water discharged from outlet 533 while swirling at high speed is broken down into fine particles and becomes mist.
[0044] Here, as in the past, when a groove for forming a flow path is arranged in a mist guide attached inside a mist throttle hole, this mist guide is a small member, so it is difficult to maintain processing accuracy, and the dimensions of the groove are likely to vary. Due to such variations in the dimensions of the groove, the particle size of the droplets contained in the mist may vary, and droplets with a large particle size may be generated. In addition, the flow rate of water discharged from the shower head 10 may also vary. In contrast, in this embodiment, a first groove 543 and a second groove 544 are arranged in the nozzle member 510. Since it is easier to process the nozzle member 510, which has a certain size, to provide the grooves 543 and 544 than to provide grooves in a small mist guide, the grooves 543 and 544 can be formed with high accuracy. This allows mist with a small particle size to be generated stably, and a comfortable showering experience can be achieved. In addition, it is easy to suppress variations in the flow rate of water discharged from the shower head 10 and discharge water at the designed flow rate.
[0045] When hot water supplied from a water heater is discharged from the shower head, the water needs to be discharged at a certain flow rate or more in order for the water heater to ignite. From the viewpoint of ensuring a sufficient amount of water flowing into each mist forming hole 530 and ensuring a water discharge amount sufficient to ignite the water heater, it is preferable that the nozzle member 510 has four or more first grooves 543 and four or more second grooves 544.
[0046] Additionally, second groove 544 extends along tangent line T of the curve that constitutes the opening edge of second inlet 532. With this configuration, water flows in from all four sides along the inner surface of mist nozzle hole 550, so that the water swirls more smoothly inside mist nozzle hole 550. This allows mist with small particle size to be generated stably.
[0047] Moreover, the first groove 543 extends perpendicularly to the bottom surface 541. With this configuration, compared to, for example, a case in which the groove extends obliquely to the bottom surface, it becomes easier to create a mold for manufacturing the nozzle member 510, and the first groove 543 can be formed with greater precision. This makes it possible to generate mist with a small particle size more stably.
[0048] A-3. Advantages of this embodiment: As described above, according to this embodiment, the shower head 10 comprises the head body 100 having the mist flow passage 412 through which water can flow, and the mist generating member 500 which is attached to the head body 100 and turns the water supplied from the mist flow passage 412 into a mist. The mist generating member 500 comprises a nozzle member 510. The nozzle member 510 has an opposing surface 514 which faces the mist flow passage 412, a tip surface 521 which is different from the opposing surface 514, and a mist forming hole 530 which has a first inlet 531 on the opposing surface 514 and an outlet 533 on the tip surface 521. The mist forming hole 530 is recessed with respect to the opposing surface 514, and the opening of the first inlet 531 is The nozzle has a mounting recess 540 defined by a bottom surface 541 and a first inner surface 542 extending from the rim toward the tip surface 521, a mist forming hole 530 having a second inlet 532 in the bottom surface 541 and a mist nozzle hole 550 extending from the second inlet 532 to the outlet 533, and a first groove 543 and a second groove 544 arranged on the bottom surface 541 and the first inner surface 542, respectively, and communicating with the mist flow path 412 and the mist nozzle hole 550. A mounting member 570 is housed inside the mounting recess 540 and has a front surface 571 in contact with the bottom surface 541 and a side surface 573 in contact with the first inner surface 542.
[0049] According to the above configuration, the grooves 543, 544 for turning the water supplied from the mist flow path 412 into a mist can be formed with high precision, and the grooves 543, 544 for stably generating a mist with small particles can be easily designed. Therefore, a mist with small particles can be stably generated, providing a comfortable bathing experience.
[0050] Furthermore, by changing the shapes of the first groove 543 and the second groove 544, the shapes of the grooves 543 and 544 can be easily designed according to the required performance, thereby increasing the degree of freedom in design.
[0051] Furthermore, the width W2 of the second groove 544 is smaller than the width W1 of the first groove 543.
[0052] According to this configuration, the width W2 of the second groove 544 is narrower than the width W1 of the first groove 543, so that the flow path is narrowed, and the water passes through the inside of the second groove 544 at high speed and is supplied to the mist nozzle hole 550. This allows the water to swirl at higher speed inside the mist nozzle hole 550, and generates a mist with a small particle size.
[0053] Further, the second groove 544 extends along a tangent line T of the curve that constitutes the opening edge of the second inlet 532 .
[0054] With this configuration, the water flows from the first groove 543 along the inner surface of the mist nozzle hole 550, so that the water can swirl more smoothly inside the mist nozzle hole 550. This allows mist with small particle size to be generated stably.
[0055] Additionally, a first groove 543 extends perpendicular to the first inner circumferential surface 542 .
[0056] According to such a configuration, for example, compared to a case where the first groove 543 extends obliquely with respect to the first inner circumferential surface 542, it is easier to create a mold for manufacturing the nozzle member 510, and it is possible to form the first groove 543 with greater precision. As a result, it is possible to more stably generate a mist with a small particle size.
[0057] Furthermore, the nozzle member 510 has four or more first grooves 543 and four or more second grooves 544.
[0058] With this configuration, water flows into the mist nozzle hole 550 from all four sides, allowing the water to swirl more smoothly inside the mist nozzle hole 550. This allows mist with small particle sizes to be generated stably. Also, the flow rate of water flowing into each mist forming hole 530 can be made sufficient, ensuring the amount of water discharged from the showerhead 10.
[0059] B. Variations: The technology disclosed in this specification is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the following modifications are also possible. (1) In the above embodiment, the multiple release modes set in the shower head 10 are exemplified as "mist mode," "straight mode," "pure straight mode," "jet mode," and "massage mode," but the release modes can be set arbitrarily. For example, the number of release modes that the shower head has may be four or less, or six or more. The types of release modes that the shower head has may also include a bubble mode and a stop water mode. (2) In the above embodiment, the first grooves 543 and the second grooves 544 each have four grooves. However, the first grooves 543 and the second grooves 544 may each have three or less grooves, or five or more grooves. (3) In the above embodiment, the width W2 of the second groove 544 is smaller than the width W1 of the first groove 543. However, for example, the width of the first groove and the width of the second groove may be equal to each other. Also, the width of the second groove may be larger than the width of the first groove. (4) The number and arrangement of the mist forming holes are optional. (5) In the above embodiment, the first groove 543 and the second groove 544 each extend linearly. However, the grooves do not have to extend linearly and may, for example, be curved. (6) In the above embodiment, mounting recess 540 was a recess defined by bottom surface 541 and first inner circumferential surface 542. However, the shape of the recess may be arbitrary. For example, it may be a recess defined by a hemispherical inner surface, or it may be a recess whose diameter gradually decreases toward the front. (7) In the above embodiment, the nozzle member 510 has the first groove 543 and the second groove 544. However, the groove extending from the second inlet to the nozzle hole does not have to be divided into the first groove and the second groove. (8) In the above embodiment, the movable flow path member 400, the mist generating member 500, and the cover 700 are configured to rotate relative to the fixed flow path member 300 in conjunction with the rotation of the operation ring 600, but at least one of the mist generating member 500 and the cover 700 may not rotate relative to the head body 100. For example, only the movable flow path member 400 may rotate relative to the head body 100, or only the movable flow path member 400 and the mist generating member 500 may rotate relative to the head body 100. (9) In the above embodiment, each of the multiple first grooves 543 is positioned straight forward from the multiple mist outlets 412out, so that water flows straight from each mist outlet 412out into the inside of the first groove 543. However, the position of the first groove may be offset from the mist outlets so that water does not flow straight from the mist outlet into the inside of the first groove. (10) The mist generating member may be made of a soft material such as silicone rubber, because if the mist forming hole becomes clogged, it will be possible to manually deform the mist generating member and clean the inside of the mist forming hole. (11) In the above embodiment, the mist nozzle hole 550 has the large diameter portion 550A, the reduced diameter portion 550B, and the small diameter portion 550C, but the shape of the mist nozzle hole is arbitrary, and for example, instead of the large diameter portion and the reduced diameter portion, a dome portion extending from the second inlet and defined by a dome-shaped inner circumferential surface may be provided. The corner formed by the inner circumferential surface of the dome portion and the inner circumferential surface of the small diameter portion may or may not be chamfered. (12) In the above embodiment, the mounting portion is an independent member, that is, mounting member 570. However, the mounting portion may be, for example, a protrusion that protrudes from the flow passage forming portion of the head main body toward the nozzle member and is press-fitted into the recess. With such a configuration, the number of parts can be reduced. [Explanation of symbols]
[0060] 10: shower head 100: head body 200: cover member 210: cover body 220: grip portion 230: water pipe 300: fixed flow path member 310: base portion 320: mounting shaft 322: screw hole 330: joint portion 340: base flow path 340out: base outlet 350: packing 400: movable flow path member 410: flow path forming portion 411: through hole 412: mist flow path 412out: mist outlet 440: retaining portion 441: base portion 442: retaining protrusion 500: mist generating member 510: nozzle member 511: nozzle plate 512: mist tube 513: holding portion 514: facing surface (one surface) 515: through hole 520: mist protrusion 521: tip surface (other surface) 530: Mist formation hole 531: First inlet 532: Second inlet 533: Outlet 540: Mounting recess (recess) 541: Bottom surface (inner surface) 542: First inner circumferential surface (inner surface, inner circumferential surface) 543: First groove (groove) 544: Second groove (groove) 550: Mist nozzle hole (nozzle hole) 551: Second inner circumferential surface 570: Mounting member (mounting part) 571: Front surface (contact surface) 572: Rear surface 573: Side surface (contact surface) 574: Anti-pullout hole 600: Operation ring 700: Protective cover 701: Mist insertion hole S: Screw SH: Screw head ST: Threaded portion T: Tangent line W1: Width of first groove W2: Width of second groove WS: Washer
Claims
1. A head body having a flow path through which a fluid can flow; a mist generating member attached to the head body and configured to turn the fluid supplied from the flow path into a mist, The mist generating member includes a nozzle member, The nozzle member is A surface facing the flow path; Another surface different from the one surface; A mist forming hole having a first inlet on the one surface and an outlet on the other surface, a recess defined by an inner surface that is recessed with respect to the one surface and extends from an opening edge of the first inlet toward the other surface; a nozzle hole having a second inlet on the inner surface and extending from the second inlet to the outlet; A mist forming hole having a groove disposed on the inner surface and communicating with the flow path and the nozzle hole; having A mounting portion having a contact surface that contacts the inner surface is accommodated inside the recess. Shower head.
2. The inner surface is a bottom surface having the second inlet; and an inner circumferential surface extending from the bottom surface to the first inlet; having The groove is A first groove disposed on the inner circumferential surface; a second groove disposed on the bottom surface and communicating with the first groove and the nozzle hole; having 10. The showerhead of claim 1.
3. The width of the second groove is smaller than the width of the first groove.
3. The showerhead of claim 2.
4. The second groove extends along a tangent to a curve that constitutes an opening edge of the second inlet. The showerhead according to claim 2 or 3.
5. The first groove extends perpendicular to the bottom surface. The showerhead according to claim 2 or 3.
6. The first grooves and the second grooves each have four or more. The showerhead according to claim 2 or 3.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Shower head and mist generation unit
JP2020011034A