Water purifier and faucet

Abstract

To provide a technology capable of discharging purified water containing micro-bubbles without performing construction work on a raw water supply part.SOLUTION: A water purifier 1 comprises a main body 100, a filter material part 200, and a micro-bubble generating part 300. The main body 100 has an inflow entrance 101 for raw water FL1, a water discharge port 102 for discharging at least purified water FL2, and a flow path 103 connecting the inflow entrance 101 to the water discharge port 102. The filter material part 200 is detachably provided in the flow path 103 and is a portion where the raw water FL1 flows in and the purified water FL2 flows out. The micro-bubble generating part 300 is detachably provided in the flow path 103 and is capable of mixing micro-bubbles MB into the purified water FL2 discharged from the water discharge port 102. Additionally, the micro-bubble generating part 300 may be provided in an outflow path 70 where the purified water FL2 flowing out from the filter material part 200 flows to the water discharge port 102 in the flow path 103.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a water purifier and a water faucet. [Background technology]

[0002] Some faucets in system kitchens are equipped with water purifiers. Furthermore, as shown in Patent Document 1, microbubbles are mixed into tap water using a fine bubble water generator inserted midway along a water supply pipe that connects to a branch water supply pipe that branches off for each water faucet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-63993 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, there has been no attempt to discharge purified water containing microbubbles. In addition, the technology described in Patent Document 1 requires work such as cutting the water supply pipe and screwing the fine bubble water generator into the water supply pipe in order to insert the fine bubble water generator into the water supply pipe.

[0005] The present invention discloses a technology that can discharge purified water containing microbubbles without construction work on the raw water supply section. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The water purifier of the present invention is A main body having a raw water inlet, a water outlet for discharging at least purified water, and a flow path connecting the inlet to the water outlet; A filter part that is replaceably provided in the flow path and passes the raw water through a filter part to cause the purified water to flow out; and a microbubble generating unit that is replaceably provided in the flow path and is capable of mixing microbubbles into the purified water discharged from the water outlet.

[0007] In addition, the water purifier of the present invention is A main body having a raw water inlet, a water outlet for discharging at least purified water, and a flow path connecting the inlet to the water outlet; A filter section that passes the raw water through a filter and outputs the purified water; The present invention has an aspect in which the device is provided with a microbubble generating section that is provided in a portion of the flow path where the purified water flowing out from the filter section flows to the water outlet, and that is capable of mixing microbubbles into the purified water flowing out from the filter section.

[0008] The faucet of the present invention also has an aspect including the water purifier and a faucet body that passes the raw water up to the water purifier and discharges at least the purified water to the water purifier. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technology that can discharge purified water containing microbubbles without performing construction work on a raw water supply section. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a system kitchen incorporating a faucet with water purification function. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a vertical cross section of a water purifier. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an example of a water purifier. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing, in a simplified manner, examples of the plate portion of the filter portion, the downstream case, the outflow flow path portion, the first microbubble generating portion, etc. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing a schematic example of a water discharge section. [Figure 6] 4A to 4C are diagrams showing examples of the bottom surface of the water discharger body and the top surface of the air suction path forming member. [Figure 7]FIG. 11 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view illustrating an example of a water discharger including a second microbubble generating section. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing an example in which the water passage position of the outflow channel portion is switched. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an example in which purified water containing microbubbles is discharged from a first water outlet. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an example in which purified water containing microbubbles is discharged from a second water outlet. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an example in which raw water containing microbubbles is discharged from a first water outlet. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an example in which raw water containing microbubbles is discharged from a second water outlet. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic example of a system kitchen incorporating a faucet including a spout-in water purifier. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic example of a system bath in which a faucet including a water purifier is incorporated into a shower head. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following embodiments of the present invention will be described. Of course, the following embodiments are merely illustrative of the present invention, and not all of the features shown in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0012] (1) Overview of the technology included in this invention: First, the outline of the technology included in the present invention will be described with reference to the examples shown in Figures 1 to 14. The figures in the present application are diagrams showing examples in a schematic manner, and the magnification ratios in each direction shown in these figures may differ, and the figures may not be consistent with each other. Of course, each element of the present technology is not limited to the specific example shown by the symbol.

[0013] [Aspect 1] The water purifier 1 according to one aspect of the present technology includes a main body 100, a filter unit 200, and a microbubble generating unit 300. The main body 100 has an inlet 101 for raw water FL1, a water outlet 102 for discharging at least purified water FL2, and a flow path 103 connecting the inlet 101 to the water outlet 102. The filter unit 200 is replaceably provided in the flow path 103, and is a part into which the raw water FL1 flows and into which the purified water FL2 flows out. The microbubble generating unit 300 is replaceably provided in the flow path 103, and is capable of mixing microbubbles MB into the purified water FL2 discharged from the water outlet 102.

[0014] In the above embodiment, the water purifier 1 itself includes the replaceable filter section 200 and the replaceable microbubble generating section 300, and can discharge purified water FL2 containing microbubbles MB. Therefore, the above embodiment can provide a water purifier that can discharge purified water containing microbubbles without construction of the raw water supply section.

[0015] Here, the filter medium includes ion removing members such as activated carbon and ion exchangers. Microbubbles refer to bubbles with a diameter of less than 100 μm. The microbubble generating section mixes microbubbles into the purified water not only by directly mixing microbubbles into the purified water, but also by mixing microbubbles into the raw water supplied to the filter section, thereby mixing the microbubbles into the purified water. The water purifier may be capable of discharging raw water from the water outlet, or may be capable of discharging raw water mixed with microbubbles from the water outlet, or may be capable of discharging purified water not mixed with microbubbles from the water outlet. The above remarks also apply to the following aspects.

[0016] [Aspect 2] The water purifier 1 according to another embodiment of the present technology also includes a main body 100, a filter unit 200, and a microbubble generating unit 300. The main body 100 has an inlet 101 for raw water FL1, a water outlet 102 for discharging at least purified water FL2, and a flow path 103 connected from the inlet 101 to the water outlet 102. The filter unit 200 passes the raw water FL1 through a filter 210 to cause the purified water FL2 to flow out. The microbubble generating unit 300 is provided in a portion (e.g., an outflow flow path 70) in the flow path 103 where the purified water FL2 flowing out from the filter unit 200 flows to the water outlet 102, and can mix microbubbles MB into the purified water FL2 flowing out from the filter unit 200.

[0017] In the above embodiment, the water purifier 1 itself includes the filter section 200 and the microbubble generating section 300 provided in the flow path 103 of the section (70) through which purified water FL2 flowing out from the filter section 200 flows to the water outlet 102, and is capable of discharging purified water FL2 containing microbubbles MB. Therefore, the above embodiment can also provide a water purifier capable of discharging purified water containing microbubbles without construction of a raw water supply section.

[0018] [Aspect 3] The water outlet 102 may include a first water outlet 111 capable of discharging at least the purified water FL2 in a first water outlet shape 601 (e.g., a straight shape), and a second water outlet 112 capable of discharging at least the purified water FL2 in a second water outlet shape 602 (e.g., a shower shape) different from the first water outlet shape 601. The flow path 103 may include a first outflow flow path 71 that guides the purified water FL2 flowing out of the filter part 200 to the first water outlet 111, and a second outflow flow path 72 that guides the purified water FL2 flowing out of the filter part 200 to the second water outlet 112. The main body 100 may include a flow path switching mechanism 2 that can switch the outflow flow path through which the purified water FL2 flowing out of the filter part 200 passes from among the multiple outflow flow paths 70. The microbubble generator 300 may include a first microbubble generator 310 provided in the first outlet flow path 71 and a second microbubble generator 320 provided in the second outlet flow path 72. The above aspect can provide a water purifier that can switch the discharge shape of purified water containing microbubbles without performing construction work on the raw water supply section.

[0019] Here, the water discharge shape includes a straight shape, a shower shape, and the like. The water outlet may include a third water outlet capable of ejecting the purified water in a third water outlet shape different from the first water outlet shape and the second water outlet shape. The plurality of outlet flow paths may include a third outlet flow path that guides the purified water that has flowed out of the filter section to the third water outlet. The microbubble generator may include a third microbubble generator provided in the third outlet flow path. In this application, the terms "first", "second", ... are terms for distinguishing between components among a plurality of components having similarities, and do not indicate an order. Which components among a plurality of components are "first", "second", ... may be determined relatively. The above remarks also apply to the following aspects.

[0020] [Aspect 4] The main body 100 may include a flow path switching mechanism 2 capable of switching between discharging the purified water FL2 flowing out from the filter section 200 from the water outlet 102 and discharging the raw water FL1 from the water outlet 102. The water purifier 1 may switch between discharging the purified water FL2 mixed with the microbubbles MB and the raw water FL1 mixed with the microbubbles MB. The above aspect makes it possible to provide a water purifier that can switch between discharging purified water containing microbubbles and raw water containing microbubbles without requiring construction work on the raw water supply section.

[0021] [Aspect 5] The water outlet 102 may include a plurality of shower outlets 113 from which the purified water FL2 is discharged in a shower shape (an example of the second water outlet shape 602). As illustrated in Fig. 7 and other figures, the flow path 103 may include individual outlet flow paths 106 through which the purified water FL2 flowing out from the filter section 200 is divided for each of the shower outlets 113. The microbubble generating section 300 may have an air suction path 330 that is divided for each of the individual outlet flow paths 106 and connected to the outside in order to generate the microbubbles MB. The above aspect can generate microbubbles while suppressing water leakage from the air suction path.

[0022] [Aspect 6] Furthermore, a faucet 700 according to one aspect of the present technology includes the water purifier 1 according to any one of aspects 1 to 5, and a faucet body 702 that passes the raw water FL1 to the water purifier 1 and discharges at least the purified water FL2 to the water purifier 1. This aspect can provide a faucet that can discharge purified water containing microbubbles without construction of a raw water supply section.

[0023] (2) Examples of faucets that include water purifiers: Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system kitchen SY1 incorporating a faucet 700 with a water purification function. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the water purifier 1. In the system kitchen SY1 shown in FIG. 1, a cabinet 802, a concave sink 803, a faucet 700, and the like are assembled on a horizontally extending counter 801. The faucet 700 includes a faucet body 702 having a tiltable opening lever 703, and a water purifier 1 removably attached to a water purifier attachment part 710 of the faucet body 702. The water purifier attachment part 710 is at the tip of the faucet body 702. Therefore, the water purifier 1 can be said to be an integrated part that is directly connected to a faucet, and when sold independently, it can be said to be an integrated product. Tap water (an example of raw water FL1) is supplied to the faucet body 702 from a water supply pipe (not shown). Of course, when there is a branch water supply pipe that branches off for each faucet, tap water is supplied from the water supply pipe to the faucet body 702 via the branch water supply pipe. Hereinafter, the tap water supplied to the water purifier 1 will be referred to as raw water FL1. The faucet body 702 passes raw water FL1 to the water purifier 1 and discharges at least purified water FL2 to the water purifier 1. The tap opening lever 703 allows raw water FL1 to be supplied from the water purifier attachment part 710 to the water purifier 1 when it is in the open position (e.g., an upper position in the tilting range), and stops the supply of raw water FL1 when it is in the closed position (e.g., a lower position in the tilting range).

[0024] From the above, the water purifier 1 does not include an element of a water supply pipe (including a branch water supply pipe), and the water purifier 1 can be said to be an element added to the part of the faucet 700 where the raw water FL1 flows in. The water purifier 1 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is an integrated element in which the filter part 200 and the first microbubble generating part 310 are each provided replaceably for the flow path 103 of the main body 100. Furthermore, the main body 100 is provided with a rotary type flow path switching mechanism 2 that switches the discharge mode by turning a lever part (an example of an operating part) 90. The flow path switching mechanism 2 can switch whether the fluid FL discharged from the water outlet 102 is raw water FL1 or purified water FL2, and can switch the shape of the fluid FL discharged from the water outlet 102, i.e., the discharge shape, between a straight shape (an example of a first water discharge shape 601) and a shower shape (an example of a second water discharge shape 602). Here, the water discharge mode is a concept that includes both the water discharge shape and the water discharge fluid (the discharged fluid FL). For example, if the water discharge modes include "straight purified water", "shower purified water", "straight raw water", and "shower raw water", there are four types of water discharge modes.

[0025] The positional relationship described in this specification is merely an example. Therefore, changing the left-right direction to the up-down direction or the front-back direction, changing the up-down direction to the left-right direction or the front-back direction, changing the front-back direction to the left-right direction or the up-down direction, changing the rotation direction to the opposite direction, and the like are also included in this technology. In addition, the identity of the direction, position, etc. is not limited to strict agreement, and includes deviation from strict agreement due to errors, etc. "Orthogonal" is also not limited to strict 90°, and includes deviation from strict 90° due to errors, etc.

[0026] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the water purifier 1. FIG. 4 is an exploded view illustrating the plate portion 220 of the filter portion 200, the downstream case 20, the outflow flow passage portion 60, the first microbubble generating portion 310, and the like, in a simplified manner in the cross section shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a bottom view illustrating the water discharge portion 80 including the water discharge portion main body 81 and the air suction path forming member 85. FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of the bottom surface of the water discharge portion main body 81 and the upper surface of the air suction path forming member 85. FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating the water discharge portion 80 including the second microbubble generating portion 320. FIG. 8 is a plan view illustrating the downstream facing surface 60a of the outflow flow passage portion 60 where the water flow position is switched. In addition, in order to easily show the combination of the through holes (26, 27) and the outflow passages (71, 72), in FIG. 8, the through holes (26, 27) are shown in bold lines, and the through holes (26, 27) through which the fluid FL does not flow out are marked with an X.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 3, the water purifier 1 includes a cap 18, an upstream case 10, a filter section 200, a downstream case 20, a spring 57, a ball 56, an outflow passage section 60, a fixing ring 58, a seal member 318, a first microbubble generating section 310, a lever section 90, and a water discharge section 80. As shown in FIGS. 2, 5 to 7, the water discharge section 80 includes a second microbubble generating section 320 that is configured by fitting a water discharge section main body 81 and an air suction passage forming member 85 together. The first microbubble generating section 310 and the second microbubble generating section 320 are included in a microbubble generating section 300 that can mix microbubbles MB (see FIGS. 9 to 12) into purified water FL2 discharged from a water discharge port 102. The main body 100 having an inlet 101, a water discharge port 102, and a flow passage 103 refers to the portion of the water purifier 1 excluding the filter section 200 and the microbubble generating section 300.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 2, the cap 18 has a female thread 19 for fitting into the upstream case 10, and has a through hole corresponding to the inlet 101 of the raw water FL1. The upstream case 10 and the downstream case 20 accommodate a filter part 200. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the upstream case 10 has a male thread 11 for screwing into the female thread 19 of the cap 18, and a female thread 12 for fitting into the downstream case 20, and has a through hole 13 for passing the raw water FL1 flowing in from the inlet 101. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the downstream case 20 has a plate part 21 having a male thread 25 for fitting the fixing ring 58, an outer extension part 22 having a male thread 24 for screwing into the female thread 12 of the upstream case 10, and an inner extension part 23. When the female thread portion 12 is screwed into the male thread portion 24, the upstream case 10 is fitted into the downstream case 20, and a storage portion 15 for storing the filter portion 200 is formed inside both cases (10, 20). The plate portion 21 has an upstream facing surface 20a, a recess 22a on the outer side of the inner extension portion 23, a recess 23a on the inner side of the inner extension portion 23, a raw water passage hole 26 which is a through hole connected to the recess 22a, and a purified water passage hole 27 which is a through hole connected to the recess 23a.

[0029] The filter section 200 includes a filter 210, a plate section 220, a cover section 230, an outer cylinder section 240, and the like. The filter 210 has a closed end 211 on the inlet 101 side, an open end 212 with a recess 214 along the rotation center line AX1, and a side surface 213 between the closed end 211 and the open end 212. Inside the filter 210, there are many fine holes through which the fluid FL can pass. The filter 210 can be made of activated carbon, an ion-removing member such as an ion exchanger or a chelating resin, a hollow fiber membrane, an antibacterial agent, or at least a combination of these. When the filter 210 is a material that adsorbs impurities such as activated carbon or an ion-removing member, the filter 210 can be called an adsorbent, and the filter section 200 can be called an adsorbent section. When at least a part of the filter 210 is activated carbon, the filter 210 can be called an activated carbon material, and the filter section 200 can be called an activated carbon material section. As shown in FIG. 4, the plate portion 220 has a through hole 222 aligned with the recess 214 of the filter medium 210, and is provided with a cylindrical extension portion 224 extending downstream. The extension portion 224 has a recess 225 recessed from the extension end and connected to the through hole 222. The cover portion 230 covers the closed end 211 of the filter medium 210. The outer tube portion 240 is a cylindrical member formed of a material that allows the raw water FL1 to pass through, such as a nonwoven fabric. Note that a member that allows the purified water FL2 to pass through may also be provided on the inner surface of the recess 214 of the filter medium 210. The filter medium 210 may be an aggregate of granular bodies, a molded body, or the like.

[0030] As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the downstream case 20 has a raw water passage hole 26 through which the raw water FL1 flows out and a purified water passage hole 27 through which the purified water FL2 flows out on the upstream facing surface 20a. The upstream facing surface 20a is called the upstream facing surface 20a because it faces the downstream facing surface 60a of the outflow flow passage section 60 located downstream of the downstream case 20. The outer extension portion 22 has a recess 22a recessed from the extension end and connected to the raw water passage hole 26. The inner extension portion 23 is located inside the outer extension portion 22 and is partially integrated with the outer extension portion 22. The inner extension portion 23 has a recess 23a recessed from the extension end and connected to the purified water passage hole 27. The extension portion 224 of the plate portion 220 is inserted into the recess 23a. When the upstream case 10 is removed from the downstream case 20, the filter section 200 can be removed from the storage section 15. By inserting a new filter section 200 into the storage section 15 and then fitting the upstream case 10 into the downstream case 20, the raw water FL1 can be purified with the new filter section 200. In this way, the filter section 200 is provided in the storage section 15 included in the flow path 103 so as to be replaceable. Therefore, when the purification performance or water passing capacity of the filter section 210 is reduced, the user can restore the purification performance or water passing capacity by replacing the old filter section 200 with a new filter section 200.

[0031] When purified water FL2 is discharged from the water outlet 102, raw water FL1 flowing in from the inlet 101 passes through the outer tube 240 of the filter part 200, enters the inside of the filter 210 from the side surface 213, is purified, and flows out from the recess 214 as purified water FL2. In this way, the filter part 200 passes the raw water FL1 through the filter 210 to cause purified water FL2 to flow out. For example, when the filter 210 contains activated carbon, the raw water FL1 is filtered and impurities are adsorbed, and residual chlorine is removed from tap water. The purified water FL2 flowing out from the recess 214 passes through the through hole 222 and flows out into the recess 225, that is, the recess 23a of the downstream case 20. Therefore, the recess 214, the recess 225, and the purified water passing hole 27 are examples of the purified water supply path 105 that supplies the purified water FL2 to the outflow flow path 70. When raw water FL1 is discharged from the water outlet 102, the raw water FL1 flowing in from the inlet 101 passes through the outside of the filter section 200 in the storage section 15 and flows out into the recess 22a of the downstream case 20. Therefore, the outer portion of the filter section 200 in the storage section 15 and the raw water passing hole 26 are an example of a raw water supply passage 104 that supplies the raw water FL1 to the outflow passage 70.

[0032] The compression coil spring 57 and the ball 56 are a group of components that, together with the lever portion 90, create a clicking sensation when the outflow channel portion 60 is switched to one of the water passage positions (P1 to P4). A recess is formed in the downstream opposing surface 60a of the outflow channel portion 60 in accordance with each of the water passage positions (P1 to P4), and the clicking sensation is created when the ball 56, pressed by the spring 57, enters the aforementioned recess at the water passage position (P1 to P4).

[0033] Annular inner seal members 51-54 having a relatively small diameter and an annular outer seal member 55 having a relatively large diameter surrounding the inner seal members 51-54 are attached to the downstream opposing surface 60a of the outflow passage section 60. The outflow passage section 60 has, on the downstream opposing surface 60a, an annular groove 71a (see FIGS. 4 and 8) into which the inner seal member 51 is inserted, an annular groove 72a (see FIG. 8) into which the inner seal member 52 is inserted, an annular groove 73a (see FIGS. 4 and 8) into which the inner seal member 53 is inserted, an annular groove 74a (see FIG. 8) into which the inner seal member 54 is inserted, and an annular groove 60b (see FIGS. 4 and 8) into which the outer seal member 55 is inserted. In the outflow flow passage section 60, the portion surrounded by the groove 71a is the first outflow flow passage 71 that guides the fluid FL to the first water outlet 111, the portion surrounded by the groove 72a is the second outflow flow passage 72 that guides the fluid FL to the second water outlet 112, the portion surrounded by the groove 73a is the first blocking portion 73 that prevents the fluid FL from flowing out from the passing holes (26, 27), and the portion surrounded by the groove 74a is the second blocking portion 74 that prevents the fluid FL from flowing out from the passing holes (26, 27). Here, the outflow flow passage 70 collectively refers to the first outflow flow passage 71 and the second outflow flow passage 72, and the flow passage 103 connecting the inlet 101 to the water outlet 102 collectively refers to the raw water supply passage 104, the purified water supply passage 105, and the outflow flow passage 70. The downstream facing surface 60a is further formed with a plurality of pressure relief holes 75 for releasing to the outside the pressure of the fluid FL applied to the downstream facing surface 60a while the water passage position (P1 to P4) is being switched.

[0034] The outflow flow passage portion 60 further includes an outer wall 61 having a male thread portion 64 for fitting the water discharge portion main body 81 and a fitting portion 65 for fitting the lever portion 90, an inner wall 62 having a groove 62a into which the seal material 318 is inserted, and a flange portion 63 extending outward. A first outflow flow passage 71 is formed on the inner side of the inner wall 62, which is connected to the first water discharge port 111 from the inside of the groove 71a. A second outflow flow passage 72 is formed on the inner side of the outer wall 61 and on the outer side of the inner wall 62, which is connected to the second water discharge port 112 from the inside of the groove 72a. The flange portion 63 is disposed between the upstream facing surface 20a of the downstream case 20 and the lower part of the fixing ring 58 so that the rotational position around the rotation center line AX1 can be changed. The fitting portion 65 has a concave-convex shape that fits into the fitting portion 91 of the lever portion 90.

[0035] The fixing ring 58 has a female thread portion 59 that screws into the male thread portion 25 of the downstream case 20. A lower portion of the fixing ring 58 extends inward, and the inner diameter thereof is smaller than the outer diameter of the flange portion 63. When the fixing ring 58 is fitted into the downstream case 20, the upstream opposing surface 20a of the downstream case 20 and the lower portion of the fixing ring 58 rotatably hold the flange portion 63.

[0036] The first microbubble generating unit 310 has a flange portion 313 extending outward from the edge of the inlet 311 on the inner wall 62 side, and is disposed via an annular seal material 318 at a location where the fluid FL flows out on the inner wall 62 of the outflow flow path section 60. The first microbubble generating unit 310 is fixed to the first outflow flow path 71 by sandwiching the flange portion 313 between the seal material 318 inserted into the groove 62a of the inner wall 62 and the water discharger main body 81. The first microbubble generating unit 310 has an air suction port 312 on its side for mixing external air into the fluid FL, and mixes air from the air suction port 312 into the fluid FL flowing in from the inlet 311, breaks the air into fine particles with the internal mesh, and discharges the fluid FL from the first discharge port 111. As a result, purified water FL2 or raw water FL1 containing microbubbles MB is discharged in a straight shape from the first discharge port 111. The seal members (51 to 55, 318) may be made of a material such as an elastomer containing rubber, and the seal members (51 to 55, 318) may be made of an O-ring or the like having elasticity.

[0037] The lever portion 90 has a fitting portion 91 that fits into the fitting portion 65 of the outflow flow path portion 60. The fitting portion 91 has a concave-convex shape that fits into the fitting portion 65 of the outflow flow path portion 60. A user can rotate the outflow flow path portion 60 that constitutes the flow path switching mechanism 2 by performing an operation of rotating the lever portion 90 that is fitted into the outflow flow path portion 60.

[0038] As shown in Figs. 2 and 6, the water discharger main body 81 has a plurality of through holes 83 for fitting the air suction path forming member 85, and is provided with a female screw portion 82 that screws into the male screw portion 64 of the outflow flow path portion 60. The air suction path forming member 85 has a plurality of shower outlets 113 as a second water discharge port 112, and is provided with a hook 86 inserted into the through hole 83 of the water discharger main body 81. The second water discharge port 112 including the plurality of shower outlets 113 discharges purified water FL2 or raw water FL1 containing microbubbles MB in a shower shape. The plurality of shower outlets 113 shown in Fig. 6 include a plurality of shower outlets 114 on the outside and a plurality of shower outlets 115 on the inside, centered on the rotation center line AX1. When the hooks 86 of the air suction path forming member 85 are inserted into each through-hole 83 of the water discharger main body 81, each hook 86 gets caught on the water discharger main body 81, and the air suction path forming member 85 fits into the water discharger main body 81. This state is shown in Figure 5. Furthermore, when a strong force is applied to the air suction path forming member 85 so as to pull it away from the water discharger main body 81, the air suction path forming member 85 can be removed from the water discharger main body 81.

[0039] As shown in Figs. 2, 6, and 7, the water discharger main body 81 and the air suction path forming member 85 have individual outlet flow paths 106 that separate the fluid FL for each shower outlet 113, and air suction paths 330 that introduce air AR into each individual outlet flow path 106. Each individual outlet flow path 106 is connected to the shower outlet 113 from the water discharger main body 81 via the air suction path forming member 85 along the rotation center line AX1. Each air suction path 330 is connected to the individual outlet flow path 106 from the outside. As shown in Fig. 6, the water discharger main body 81 has grooves that become multiple air suction paths 330 on the surface facing the air suction path forming member 85. As shown in Figs. 5 and 7, between the water discharger main body 81 and the air suction path forming member 85, a gap CL1 that is connected to the outer shower outlet 114 via the multiple air suction paths 330, and a gap CL2 that is connected to the inner shower outlet 115 via the multiple air suction paths 330 are formed. The multiple air suction paths 330 are an example of the second microbubble generation unit 320 that mixes microbubbles MB into the fluid FL flowing through the individual outflow flow paths 106. Since the water discharge unit 80 is detachable from the outflow flow path section 60, the second microbubble generation unit 320 is also provided in the flow path 103 so as to be replaceable.

[0040] The materials for the cap 18, case (10, 20), plate portion 220, lid portion 230, outflow flow path portion 60, fixing ring 58, first microbubble generating portion 310, lever portion 90, water discharge portion 80, etc. are not particularly limited, and general-purpose materials such as resin and stainless steel can be used.

[0041] In this example, the outflow flow passage section 60, the seal material 318, the first microbubble generating section 310, the lever section 90, and the water discharge section 80 are elements that rotate around the rotation center line AX1. On the other hand, the cap 18, the case (10, 20), the filter section 200, the spring 57, the ball 56, and the fixing ring 58 are elements that do not rotate. The lever section 90 can rotate the outflow flow passage section 60 and the like 360° relative to the non-rotating elements described above so as to pass through a plurality of water passing positions (P1 to P4) shown in Figs. 8 to 12. Figs. 8 to 12 show a first water passing position P1 that realizes a straight-shaped purified water discharge, a second water passing position P2 that realizes a shower-shaped purified water discharge, a third water passing position P3 that realizes a straight-shaped raw water discharge, and a fourth water passing position P4 that realizes a shower-shaped raw water discharge.

[0042] When the outflow passage section 60 is in the first water passing position P1, the first outflow passage 71 is aligned with the purified water passing hole 27, the first blocking section 73 blocks the raw water passing hole 26, and the second outflow passage 72 and the second blocking section 74 face the upstream opposing surface 20a. In this case, as shown in Fig. 9, raw water FL1 is not discharged from the water outlet 102, and purified water FL2 is discharged from the first water outlet 111 in a straight shape (first discharge shape 601). When the outflow channel section 60 at the first water passage position P1 is rotated 90° clockwise in Fig. 8, the outflow channel section 60 becomes the second water passage position P2. In this case, the second outflow channel 72 is aligned with the purified water passing hole 27, the second blocking section 74 blocks the raw water passing hole 26, and the first outflow channel 71 and the first blocking section 73 face the upstream opposing surface 20a. In this case, as shown in Fig. 10, raw water FL1 is not discharged from the water outlet 102, and purified water FL2 is discharged from the second water outlet 112 in a shower shape (second discharge shape 602).

[0043] 8, the outflow channel section 60 is rotated 90° clockwise to the third water passage position P3. In this case, the first outflow channel 71 is aligned with the raw water passing hole 26, the first blocking portion 73 blocks the purified water passing hole 27, and the second outflow channel 72 and the second blocking portion 74 face the upstream opposing surface 20a. In this case, as shown in FIG. 11, purified water FL2 is not discharged from the water outlet 102, and raw water FL1 is discharged from the first water outlet 111 in a straight shape (first discharge shape 601). 8, the outflow channel section 60 is rotated 90° clockwise to a fourth water passage position P4. In this case, the second outflow channel 72 is aligned with the raw water passage hole 26, the second blocking portion 74 blocks the purified water passage hole 27, and the first outflow channel 71 and the first blocking portion 73 face the upstream opposing surface 20a. In this case, as shown in FIG. 12, purified water FL2 is not discharged from the water outlet 102, and raw water FL1 is discharged from the second water outlet 112 in a shower shape (second discharge shape 602).

[0044] When the outflow channel section 60 at the fourth water passage position P4 is rotated 90° clockwise in Fig. 8, the outflow channel section 60 becomes the first water passage position P1. Therefore, the outflow channel section 60 can be rotated 360° so as to pass through the water passage positions (P1 to P4). The outflow channel section 60 can also be rotated counterclockwise in Fig. 8. As described above, the flow path switching mechanism 2 is capable of switching between discharging the purified water FL2 flowing out from the filter section 200 from the outlet 102 or discharging the raw water FL1 from the outlet 102, and is capable of switching the outflow path 70 through which the aforementioned purified water FL2 or raw water FL1 passes between the first outflow path 71 and the second outflow path 72.

[0045] By the way, one method of mixing microbubbles MB into the discharged purified water FL2 is to insert a fine bubble water generator into the water supply pipe (raw water supply section), but this requires work such as cutting the water supply pipe and screwing the fine bubble water generator into the water supply pipe. In this specific example, by incorporating both the filter section 200 and the microbubble generating section 300 into the water purifier 1 provided in the faucet body 702 to which raw water FL1 is supplied from the raw water supply section, it is possible to discharge microbubble-containing purified water, i.e., purified water FL2 containing microbubbles MB, without construction of the raw water supply section. In particular, by appropriately replacing the filter section 200 and the microbubble generating section 300 incorporated in the water purifier 1, the discharge flow rate of the microbubble-containing purified water can be sufficiently secured for a long period of time. In addition, since the microbubble generating section 300 is disposed downstream of the filter section 200, it is not necessary to pass the microbubbles MB through the filter section 200, and the discharge flow rate of the microbubble-containing purified water can be increased.

[0046] Usually, a fluid FL containing bubbles (air bubbles) with a diameter of 1 μm or more and less than 100 μm is cloudy. Bubbles contained in such a cloudy fluid FL rise very slowly and may dissolve and disappear in the fluid FL. Note that microbubbles are bubbles with a diameter of less than 100 μm, and although microbubbles in the narrow sense have a diameter of 1 μm or more, the microbubbles contained in the fluid FL include nanobubbles with a diameter of less than 1 μm. Of course, as long as microbubbles with a diameter of less than 100 μm are contained in the fluid FL, bubbles with a diameter of 100 μm or more may be contained in the fluid FL.

[0047] The first microbubble generator 310 included in the microbubble generator 300 is provided in a first outflow passage 71 connected to a first water discharge port 111 that makes the discharged fluid have a straight shape, as shown in FIGS. The first microbubble generating unit 310 may be any of various foamers that mix microbubbles MB into the fluid FL passing through the first water outlet 111. The size of the bubbles to be mixed into the fluid FL discharged from the first water outlet 111 can be adjusted by the cross-sectional shape of the air suction passage that connects the air suction port 312 to the internal flow path, the fineness of the internal mesh, and the like. Therefore, the cross-sectional shape of the air suction passage and the fineness of the internal mesh may be adjusted so that microbubbles MB with a diameter of less than 100 μm are mixed into the fluid FL. For example, by making the internal mesh finer, the diameter of the bubbles mixed into the fluid FL can be reduced, and by making the internal mesh coarser, the diameter of the bubbles mixed into the fluid FL can be increased.

[0048] The second microbubble generator 320 included in the microbubble generator 300 is provided in the second outlet flow path 72 connected to the second water outlet 112 that makes the discharged fluid into a shower shape, as shown in Figs. 2, 5 to 7. This second outlet flow path 72 includes a plurality of individual outlet flow paths 106 connected to a plurality of shower water outlets 113 that constitute the second water outlet 112. The cross-sectional area of ​​the individual outlet flow path 106 in the downstream air suction path forming member 85 is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the individual outlet flow path 106 in the upstream water outlet body 81. When the cross section of the individual outlet flow path 106 is circular, it can be said that the inner diameter of the individual outlet flow path 106 in the downstream air suction path forming member 85 is larger than the inner diameter of the individual outlet flow path 106 in the upstream water outlet body 81. The pressure of the fluid FL flowing through the individual outlet flow path 106 is suddenly reduced as the cross-sectional area of ​​the individual outlet flow path 106 increases midway, and microbubbles MB are generated in the fluid FL. In addition, since the portion where the cross-sectional area is large is connected to the air suction path 330 connected from the outside, air AR is introduced from the outside into the fluid FL flowing through the individual outflow channels 106, and microbubbles MB are mixed into the fluid FL. Therefore, it can be said that the second microbubble generating unit 320 has air suction paths 330 that are separated for each individual outflow channels 106 and connected from the outside in order to generate microbubbles MB. The cross-sectional area of ​​the air suction path 330 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the individual outflow channels 106. When the cross sections of the air suction path 330 and the individual outflow channels 106 are both circular, it can be said that the inner diameter of the air suction path 330 is smaller than the inner diameter of the individual outflow channels 106. The size of the bubbles to be mixed into the fluid FL discharged from the shower water outlet 113 can be adjusted by the cross-sectional area of ​​the air suction path 330, the cross-sectional area of ​​the individual outflow flow path 106, etc. Therefore, the cross-sectional area of ​​the air suction path 330, the cross-sectional area of ​​the individual outflow flow path 106, etc. may be adjusted so that microbubbles MB with a diameter of less than 100 μm are mixed into the fluid FL. For example, by reducing the inner diameter of the air suction path 330, the diameter of the bubbles mixed into the fluid FL can be reduced, and by increasing the inner diameter of the air suction path 330, the diameter of the bubbles mixed into the fluid FL can be increased.

[0049] When microbubbles MB are mixed into the second outflow passage 72 before it is divided into the individual outflow passages 106, the cross-sectional area of ​​the air suction passage increases, which may cause water leakage, that is, leakage of the fluid FL from the second outflow passage 72 through the air suction passage. Since the air suction passage 330 is divided into each of the individual outflow passages 106 and connected to the outside, the cross-sectional area of ​​the air suction passage 330 can be small, and water leakage from the air suction passage 330 is suppressed.

[0050] The microbubble generating section 300 of this specific example is provided replaceably in the outflow flow path 70 through which the purified water FL2 flowing out from the filter section 200 flows to the water outlet 102. The female screw portion 82 of the water discharger 80 is screwed into the male screw portion 64 of the outflow flow path portion 60. When the water discharger 80 is turned in a direction to remove it from the outflow flow path portion 60, the water discharger 80 can be removed from the outflow flow path portion 60. At this time, the first microbubble generator 310 and the sealant 318 shown in Figs. 2 to 4 are removed from the outflow flow path portion 60 together with the water discharger 80 while being placed on the water discharger main body 81. The first microbubble generator 310 can then be removed from the first outflow flow path 71. By placing a new first microbubble generator 310 and the sealant 318 on the water discharger main body 81 and then fitting the water discharger 80 into the outflow flow path portion 60, the flange portion 313 of the first microbubble generator 310 is sandwiched between the sealant 318 in the groove 62a of the outflow flow path portion 60 and the water discharger main body 81. As a result, a new first microbubble generator 310 is fixed to the first outflow flow path 71, and microbubbles MB can be mixed into the discharge fluid by the new first microbubble generator 310. In this manner, the first microbubble generator 310 is provided so as to be replaceable with respect to the first outflow flow path 71. Therefore, if the microbubble generation capacity or water passage capacity decreases due to clogging or the like of the first microbubble generator 310, the user can restore the microbubble generation capacity or water passage capacity by replacing the old first microbubble generator 310 with a new first microbubble generator 310.

[0051] Further, the water discharger 80 is provided with a portion of the second outflow passage 72 including the second microbubble generator 320. Thus, by removing the water discharger 80 from the outflow passage 60 and fitting a new water discharger 80 into the outflow passage 60, the new second microbubble generator 320 can mix microbubbles MB into the discharged fluid. In this manner, the second microbubble generator 320 is provided replaceably with respect to the second outflow passage 72. Therefore, if the microbubble generation capacity or water passage capacity is reduced due to clogging or the like of the second microbubble generator 320, the user can restore the microbubble generation capacity or water passage capacity by replacing the old water discharger 80 with a new water discharger 80. The hook 86 of the air suction path forming member 85 is inserted removably into the through hole 83 of the water discharger body 81. Therefore, by removing the old air suction path forming member 85 from the water discharger body 81 and fitting a new air suction path forming member 85 to the water discharger body 81, microbubbles MB can be mixed into the discharged fluid by the new second microbubble generating unit 320. In this case as well, the second microbubble generating unit 320 can be said to be provided replaceably with respect to the second outflow flow path 72.

[0052] The method for assembling the water purifier 1 is not particularly limited, but for example, the water purifier 1 can be assembled as follows. First, the spring 57 and the ball 56 are set in the downstream case 20, the downstream facing surface 60a of the outflow flow passage section 60 to which the sealing material (51-55) is attached is aligned with the upstream facing surface 20a of the downstream case 20, and the fixing ring 58 is fitted to the outflow flow passage section 60 in this state. Next, the lever section 90 is fitted to the outflow flow passage section 60 in this state, and the water discharge section 80 with the first microbubble generating section 310 and the sealing material 318 placed on the water discharge section main body 81 is fitted to the outflow flow passage section 60. Furthermore, the filter section 200 is inserted into the downstream case 20, the upstream case 10 is fitted to the downstream case 20, and the water purifier attachment section 710 of the faucet main body 702 shown in FIG. 1 is aligned with the through hole 13 of the upstream case 10, and the cap 18 is fitted to the upstream case 10, completing the assembly of the water purifier 1. Of course, the order in which the components are fitted together can be changed as appropriate. For example, the upstream case 10 may be fitted into the downstream case 20 before the water discharge section 80 is fitted into the outflow flow path section 60 .

[0053] (3) Actions and effects of faucets including water purifiers that mix microbubbles into purified water: FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic example of a state in which the outflow channel portion 60 is in the first water passing position P1 and purified water FL2 containing microbubbles MB is discharged from the first water discharge port 111. When the outflow flow passage section 60 is in the first water passage position P1, purified water FL2 flowing out from the recess 214 of the filter section 200 passes through the purified water supply passage 105, flows into the first outflow flow passage 71 from the purified water passing hole 27, passes through the first microbubble generation section 310, and is discharged from the first water discharge port 111. The first microbubble generation section 310 introduces air AR from the outside into the purified water FL2 passing through the inside, and mixes microbubbles MB. As a result, the first water discharge port 111 discharges the purified water FL2 containing microbubbles MB in a straight shape (first water discharge shape 601).

[0054] FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view that illustrates a schematic example of a state in which the outflow channel section 60 is in the second water passing position P2 and purified water FL2 containing microbubbles MB is discharged from the second water discharge port 112. When the outflow flow passage section 60 is in the second water passage position P2, the purified water FL2 flowing out from the recess 214 of the filter section 200 flows through the purified water supply passage 105 and flows into the second outflow flow passage 72 from the purified water passing hole 27, passes through the second microbubble generating section 320, and is discharged from the second water outlet 112. Here, the purified water FL2 flowing through the second outflow flow passage 72 is divided into each shower outlet 113 and flows through the individual outflow flow passages 106 (see FIG. 7), and air AR is introduced from the outside into the purified water FL2 flowing through each individual outflow flow passage 106, and microbubbles MB are mixed in. In this way, the second microbubble generating section 320 introduces air AR from the outside into the purified water FL2 passing through the second outflow flow passage 72, and mixes in microbubbles MB. As a result, the second water outlet 112 discharges the purified water FL2 containing microbubbles MB in a shower shape (second water outlet shape 602).

[0055] FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic example of a state in which the outflow channel section 60 is in the third water passage position P3 and raw water FL1 containing microbubbles MB is discharged from the first water discharge port 111. When the outflow channel section 60 is in the third water passage position P3, raw water FL1 that flows into the water purifier 1 from the inlet 101 passes through the raw water supply channel 104, flows into the first outflow channel 71 from the raw water passing hole 26, passes through the first microbubble generation section 310, and is discharged from the first water discharge port 111. The first microbubble generation section 310 introduces air AR from the outside into the raw water FL1 passing through the inside, and mixes microbubbles MB into it. As a result, the first water discharge port 111 discharges the raw water FL1 containing microbubbles MB in a straight shape (first water discharge shape 601).

[0056] FIG. 12 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic example of a state in which the outflow channel section 60 is in the fourth water passage position P4 and the raw water FL1 containing microbubbles MB is discharged from the second water discharge port 112. When the outflow passage section 60 is in the fourth water passage position P4, the raw water FL1 flowing into the water purifier 1 from the inlet 101 flows through the raw water supply passage 104, flows through the raw water passage hole 26 into the second outflow passage 72, passes through the second microbubble generator 320, and is discharged from the second water outlet 112. Here, the raw water FL1 flowing through the second outflow passage 72 is divided into each shower outlet 113 and flows through the individual outflow passages 106 (see FIG. 7), and air AR is introduced from the outside into the raw water FL1 flowing through each individual outflow passage 106, and microbubbles MB are mixed in. In this way, the second microbubble generator 320 introduces air AR from the outside into the raw water FL1 passing through the second outflow passage 72, and mixes in microbubbles MB. As a result, the second water outlet 112 discharges the raw water FL1 containing microbubbles MB in a shower shape (second water outlet shape 602).

[0057] As described above, the faucet 700 including the water purifier 1 of this specific example can discharge purified water FL2 containing microbubbles MB without construction of the water supply pipe (raw water supply section). In particular, by appropriately replacing the filter section 200 and the microbubble generating section 300, the user can use purified water FL2 containing microbubbles MB for a long period of time. In addition, since the microbubble generating section 300 is located downstream of the filter section 200, there is no decrease in the flow rate of the fluid FL containing microbubbles MB as it passes through the filter section 200. In addition, when the water purifier does not have a microbubble generating section and the fine bubble water generator is inserted into the water supply pipe, it is difficult to ensure a sufficient discharge flow rate of purified water containing microbubbles. This is because pressure loss occurs in the raw water passing through the fine bubble water generator and pressure loss occurs in the fluid passing through the filter section, and the degree of pressure loss occurring in the raw water passing through the fine bubble water generator is unknown, so the discharge flow rate of purified water discharged from the water purifier varies. Since the water purifier 1 of this specific example is an integrated product including the filter section 200 and the microbubble generating section 300, it is possible to design it taking into account both the pressure loss of the fluid FL passing through the filter section 200 and the pressure loss of the purified water FL2 passing through the microbubble generating section 300. Therefore, the water purifier 1 can be designed to ensure a desired discharge flow rate.

[0058] The following benefits are expected from the ease of use of purified water FL2 containing microbubbles MB. (Benefit 1) When washing vegetables, the cleaning action of Microbubbles MB increases cleaning power, and the action of Purified Water FL2 prevents the vegetables from losing Vitamin C. (Benefit 2) By removing the residual chlorine in the raw water FL1 by the filter section 200, the food cooked using the purified water FL2 is free of unpleasant flavors. Furthermore, the permeation action of the microbubbles MB allows the purified water FL2 to easily penetrate the ingredients, making the food more delicious. (Benefit 3) Residual chlorine in the raw water FL1 is removed by the filter section 200, reducing rough hands when washing dishes, and the moisturizing effect of microbubbles MB also reduces rough hands. (Benefit 4) The cleaning power of Microbubbles MB makes it easier to remove dirt and slime from drains, kitchens, etc. (Benefit 5) When using purified water FL2 containing Microbubbles MB in a home garden, the antibacterial effect of Microbubbles MB improves the growth of vegetables, and the removal of residual chlorine and the reduction of impurities also improves the growth of vegetables.

[0059] As described above, the water faucet 700 including the water purifier 1 of this specific example is capable of discharging useful purified water containing microbubbles without the need for construction of a raw water supply section.

[0060] (4) Variation: The present invention contemplates various modifications. The faucets to which the present technology can be applied are not limited to faucets installed in system kitchens, but may also be faucets installed in washbasins, system baths, etc., faucets installed in factories, faucets installed outdoors, etc. The raw water FL1 is not limited to tap water, but may be industrial water or the like. In the water purifier 1, the microbubble generating section 300 is not limited to being provided downstream of the filter section 200, and may be provided upstream of the filter section 200. Even if the microbubble generating section 300 is provided upstream of the filter section 200, the microbubbles MB can be mixed into the purified water FL2 discharged from the water outlet 102 by mixing the microbubbles MB into the raw water FL1 passed through the filter section 200. The water purifier 1 may include a switching mechanism capable of switching whether or not to mix microbubbles MB into the fluid FL discharged from the water outlet 102. Even in this case, useful microbubble-containing purified water can be easily used. The flow path switching mechanism 2 is not limited to a rotary type, and may be a slide type mechanism that switches the water discharge mode by a slide operation, etc. In addition, the flow path switching mechanism 2 may be capable of switching the water discharge mode from among three types of water discharge modes excluding any one of the four types of water discharge modes described above.

[0061] The water discharge shape to be switched may be three or more types, such as a straight shape, a narrow-range shower shape, a wide-range shower shape, etc. The discharge fluid to be switched may also be three or more types, such as raw water, purified water with a low degree of purification, and purified water with a high degree of purification. On the other hand, even when the flow path switching mechanism 2 does not have a function of switching between purified water FL2 and raw water FL1 and the flow path switching mechanism 2 switches the discharge shape of the purified water FL2, useful purified water containing microbubbles can be easily used. Also, even when the flow path switching mechanism 2 does not have a function of switching the discharge shape and the flow path switching mechanism 2 switches between purified water FL2 and raw water FL1, useful purified water containing microbubbles can be easily used. Of course, even when the water purifier 1 does not have the flow path switching mechanism 2 and the water purifier 1 always discharges purified water containing microbubbles, useful purified water containing microbubbles can be easily used.

[0062] As illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14, water purifiers to which the present technology can be applied include various types. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating a system kitchen SY1 incorporating a faucet 700A including a spout-in water purifier 1A. The concept of the spout-in water purifier 1A is included in the concept of the water purifier 1 described above, and the concept of the faucet 700A is included in the concept of the faucet 700 described above.

[0063] In the system kitchen SY1 shown in Fig. 13, a cabinet 802, a concave sink 803, a faucet 700A, etc. are incorporated into a counter 801. The faucet 700A includes a faucet body 702 having a tiltable opening lever 703, and a spout-in water purifier 1A incorporated into the spout of the faucet body 702. Raw water FL1 is supplied to the faucet body 702 from a water supply pipe (not shown). The filter section 200 is replaceably provided in the flow path 103 in the spout, and the microbubble generating section 300 is also replaceably provided in the flow path 103 in the spout. The filter section 200 passes the raw water FL1 flowing in from the inlet 101 through the internal filter material, causing purified water FL2 to flow out. 13 is provided in a portion of the flow path 103 where purified water FL2 flowing out from the filter section 200 flows to the water outlet 102, and mixes microbubbles MB into the purified water FL2 flowing out from the filter section 200. Therefore, the main body 100 having the inlet 101, the water outlet 102, and the flow path 103 is provided in the spout. The main body 100 may be provided with a flow path switching mechanism similar to the flow path switching mechanism 2 described above. As a result of the above, useful purified water containing microbubbles is discharged from the water outlet 102.

[0064] 14 is a schematic diagram of a system bath SY2 in which a faucet 700B including a water purifier 1B is incorporated into a shower head 720. The concept of the water purifier 1B is included in the concept of the water purifier 1 described above, and the concept of the faucet 700B is included in the concept of the faucet 700 described above. The faucet 700B includes a faucet body 702 having a button 704 for opening and a shower hose 705, and a shower head 720 attached to a shower head attachment part 711 of the faucet body 702. The shower head attachment part 711 is at the tip of the shower hose 705. The faucet body 702 is supplied with raw water FL1 from a water supply pipe (not shown). The filter part 200 is replaceably provided in the flow path 103 in the shower head 720, and the microbubble generating part 300 is also replaceably provided in the flow path 103 in the shower head 720. The filter part 200 passes the raw water FL1 flowing in from the inlet 101 through the internal filter material to cause purified water FL2 to flow out. The microbubble generating part 300 shown in FIG. 14 is provided in the part of the flow path 103 where the purified water FL2 flowing out from the filter part 200 flows to the water outlet 102, and mixes microbubbles MB into the purified water FL2 flowing out from the filter part 200. Therefore, a main body 100 having an inlet 101, a water outlet 102, and a flow path 103 is provided in the shower head 720. The main body 100 may include a flow path switching mechanism similar to the flow path switching mechanism 2 described above.

[0065] As described above, shower head 720 discharges purified water containing microbubbles in a shower shape from water outlet 102. When shower head 720 is detachable from shower hose 705, water purifier 1B can be said to be an integrated component that is directly connected to the shower hose, and when sold separately, it can be said to be an integrated product.

[0066] (5) Conclusion: As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technology that can discharge purified water containing microbubbles without constructing a raw water supply section through various aspects. Of course, even if the technology is composed only of the constituent elements according to the independent claims, the basic actions and effects described above can be obtained. In addition, configurations in which the configurations disclosed in the above examples are substituted with each other or the combination is changed, configurations in which the configurations disclosed in the publicly known techniques and the above examples are substituted with each other or the combination is changed, etc. The present invention also includes these configurations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 1...Water purifier, 1A...Spout-in water purifier, 1B...Water purifier, 2...flow path switching mechanism, 10...upstream case, 11...male thread portion, 12...female thread portion, 13...through hole, 15…container, 18...Cap, 19...Female thread portion, 20... downstream case, 20a... upstream facing surface, 21... plate portion, 22...Outer extension part, 23...Inner extension part, 24,25...Male thread part, 26: raw water passage hole, 27: purified water passage hole, 58...Fixing ring, 59...Female thread portion, 60... outflow passage portion, 60a... downstream side facing surface, 61: outer wall; 62: inner wall; 62a: groove; 63: flange portion; 64...male thread portion, 65...fitting portion, 70...Outlet flow path, 71: first outflow passage, 72: second outflow passage, 73: first blocking portion, 74: second blocking portion, 80: water outlet portion; 81: water outlet portion main body; 82: female thread portion; 83: through hole; 85: air suction path forming member, 86: hook, 90: Lever portion (example of operating portion), 91: Fitting portion, 100: main body, 101: inlet, 102: outlet, 103: flow path, 104... raw water supply channel, 105... purified water supply channel, 106... individual outflow channel, 111...first water outlet, 112...second water outlet, 113, 114, 115...shower water outlet, 200: filter portion, 210: filter material, 214: recess, 220: plate portion, 222: through hole, 224: extension portion, 225: recess portion, 230: Lid portion, 240: Outer cylinder portion, 300…Microbubble generating unit, 310...first microbubble generating unit, 311: inlet; 312: air suction port; 313: flange portion; 318...Sealing materials, 320: second microbubble generating unit; 330: air suction passage; 601...first water discharge shape, 602...second water discharge shape, 700, 700A, 700B... Faucet, 702... Faucet body, 705... Shower hose, 710...water purifier mounting portion, 711...shower head mounting portion, 720...shower head, AR: Air, AX1: center line of rotation, CL1, CL2... gap, FL...Fluid, FL1...Raw water, FL2...Purified water, MB: Microbubbles, P1...first water flow position, P2...second water flow position, P3...third water flow position, P4...fourth water flow position, SY1...system kitchen, SY2...system bathroom.

Claims

1. A main body having a raw water inlet, a water outlet for discharging at least purified water, and a flow path connecting the inlet to the water outlet; A filter part that is replaceably provided in the flow path and passes the raw water through a filter part to cause the purified water to flow out; A water purifier comprising: a microbubble generating unit that is replaceably provided in the flow path and is capable of mixing microbubbles into the purified water discharged from the water outlet.

2. A main body having a raw water inlet, a water outlet for discharging at least purified water, and a flow path connecting the inlet to the water outlet; A filter section that passes the raw water through a filter and outputs the purified water; The water purifier is provided with a microbubble generating section provided in a portion of the flow path where the purified water flowing out from the filter section flows to the water outlet, and capable of mixing microbubbles into the purified water flowing out from the filter section.

3. The water outlet includes a first water outlet capable of discharging at least the purified water in a first water outlet shape, and a second water outlet capable of discharging at least the purified water in a second water outlet shape different from the first water outlet shape, The flow path includes a first outflow flow path that guides the purified water flowing out of the filter portion to the first water outlet, and a second outflow flow path that guides the purified water flowing out of the filter portion to the second water outlet, The main body includes a flow path switching mechanism capable of switching an outflow flow path through which purified water flowing out from the filter portion passes from among the plurality of outflow flow paths, 3. The water purifier according to claim 1, wherein the microbubble generator includes a first microbubble generator provided in the first outlet flow path and a second microbubble generator provided in the second outlet flow path.

4. The main body is provided with a flow path switching mechanism capable of switching between discharging the purified water flowing out of the filter portion from the water outlet or discharging the raw water from the water outlet, 3. The water purifier according to claim 1, wherein the purified water having the microbubbles mixed therein and the raw water having the microbubbles mixed therein are selectively discharged.

5. The water outlet includes at least a plurality of shower outlets from which the purified water is discharged in a shower shape, The flow path includes individual outflow flow paths that separate the purified water flowing out from the filter portion for each of the shower outlets, 3. The water purifier according to claim 1, wherein the microbubble generating unit has an air suction passage that is separated for each of the individual outflow channels and connected to an outside in order to generate the microbubbles.

6. The water purifier according to claim 1 or 2, A faucet comprising: a faucet body that passes the raw water up to the water purifier and discharges at least the purified water to the water purifier.

Images