Water faucet device

Abstract

To provide a water faucet device that can be slimmed down by eliminating the need for a sound-deadening net, while suppressing abnormal noise caused by resonance of the handle.SOLUTION: There is provided a water faucet device comprising: a cartridge having a valve function; and a handle having a fixed shaft portion connected to the cartridge and a skirt portion provided on the outer periphery of the fixed shaft portion so as to cover the fixed shaft portion. A vibration-damping material for damping the vibration of the handle is provided between the fixed shaft portion and the skirt portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] In order to improve the design of faucet devices, there is a demand for them to be made more compact (slimmer).

[0003] The present inventor discovered that in order to make the faucet device more compact, it is preferable to omit (eliminate) the sound-absorbing mesh (and the space in which the sound-absorbing mesh is housed) that was installed to suppress cavitation that occurs when water is passing through.

[0004] On the other hand, the inventors of the present invention have also discovered that if the sound-absorbing mesh is omitted, cavitation is not sufficiently suppressed, and the vibrations generated in the valve cartridge (cartridge having a valve function) by the cavitation can cause the lever handle to resonate, resulting in abnormal noise.

[0005] Then, through repeated and intensive research, the inventors discovered that the generation of the above-mentioned abnormal noise could be effectively suppressed by providing a vibration-damping material (vibration-damping spacer) that converts the energy of vibrations generated in the valve cartridge into heat and dissipates it.

[0006] Examples of prior art documents include Patent Document 1 (Utility Model Registration No. 2551441) regarding a sound absorbing net for suppressing cavitation, and Patent Document 2 (JP Patent Publication No. 2008-208950) regarding a flow straightening fin for suppressing cavitation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Utility model registration No. 2551441 [Patent Document 2] JP 2008-208950 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The present invention was invented based on the above findings. The object of the present invention is to provide a faucet device that can be slimmed down by eliminating the need for a sound-absorbing mesh, while suppressing the generation of abnormal noise caused by resonance of the handle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention is a faucet device comprising a cartridge having a valve function, and a handle having a fixed shaft portion connected to the cartridge and a skirt portion arranged to cover the fixed shaft portion on the outer circumferential side of the fixed shaft portion, wherein a vibration-damping material for damping the handle is arranged between the fixed shaft portion and the skirt portion.

[0010] According to the present invention, the vibration energy generated in the cartridge having the valve function is converted to heat and dissipated due to the presence of the vibration-damping material provided between the fixed shaft portion and the skirt portion, so that the resonance of the handle is effectively suppressed and the generation of abnormal noise is effectively suppressed. This makes it possible to omit (eliminate) the sound-absorbing net (and the space in which the sound-absorbing net is housed), and thus to realize a slimmer faucet device.

[0011] Preferably, the vibration-damping material is provided so as to come into contact with an inner peripheral surface of the skirt portion.

[0012] According to the inventor's verification, when such a feature is adopted, the resonance suppression effect of the handle is better. When the vibration-damping material is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the skirt portion, it is assumed that the amplitude during resonance is maximized on this inner peripheral surface, and therefore it is considered to be favorable for the resonance suppression effect.

[0013] Moreover, the vibration-damping material is preferably in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the skirt portion at three or more points spaced apart in the circumferential direction (preferably at roughly equal intervals). (The three or more contact points are preferably selected in a well-balanced manner with respect to the central axis of the fixed shaft portion in a plan view. For example, the three or more contact points are preferably in a positional relationship such that a polygon connecting them includes (surrounds) the central axis of the fixed shaft portion in a plan view.)

[0014] According to the inventor's verification, when such a feature is adopted, the resonance suppression effect of the steering wheel is better, which is believed to be because the vibration suppression action is well balanced in the circumferential direction.

[0015] It is also preferable that the vibration-damping material has an inner protrusion that protrudes toward the inner peripheral surface of the skirt portion and is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the skirt portion via the inner protrusion.

[0016] In this case, it is easy to more reliably realize the contact point between the vibration-damping material and the inner peripheral surface of the skirt portion at the designed position.

[0017] It is also preferable that the vibration-damping material be in continuous contact with the inner peripheral surface of the skirt portion in the circumferential direction.

[0018] The vibration-damping material preferably has a tensile strength of 30 to 40 MPa and a tensile elongation of 200% or more.

[0019] According to the inventors' verification, when such a material with low elasticity and high viscosity is used, the damping ratio can be effectively increased, and the resonance suppression effect of the handle can be improved.

[0020] More specifically, the vibration-damping material is preferably made of PE.

[0021] According to the verification by the inventors of the present invention, when a material with low elasticity and high viscosity such as PE is used, the damping ratio can be effectively increased and the effect of suppressing resonance of the handle is better. Furthermore, PE has another advantageous feature of excellent waterproofness. Effect of the Invention

[0022] According to the present invention, the vibration energy generated in the cartridge having the valve function is converted to heat and dissipated due to the presence of the vibration-damping material provided between the fixed shaft portion and the skirt portion, so that the resonance of the handle is effectively suppressed and the generation of abnormal noise is effectively suppressed. This makes it possible to omit (eliminate) the sound-absorbing net (and the space in which the sound-absorbing net is housed), and thus to realize a slimmer faucet device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a water faucet device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the water faucet device of FIG. 1 (for convenience of illustration, a vibration-damping spacer is not shown). [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective bottom view of the handle of the water faucet device of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the handle of FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a vibration-damping spacer of the water faucet device of FIG. 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the vibration-damping spacer of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 7 is a bottom view showing the state in which the vibration-damping spacer of FIGS. 5 and 6 is attached to the handle of FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] (composition) An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a faucet device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the faucet device 1 of this embodiment, Fig. 3 is a perspective bottom view of a handle 20 of the faucet device 1 of this embodiment, and Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the handle 20 of the faucet device 1 of this embodiment. (In Fig. 2, the vibration-damping spacer 30 is omitted.)

[0025] The faucet device 1 according to this embodiment is disposed, for example, behind (at the back) of a kitchen sink.

[0026] A hot water inlet and a water supply inlet are provided on the lower wall of the kitchen sink, and the hot water inlet is connected via a hot water supply solenoid valve and a hot water supply pipe to a cartridge 10 within the base end of the faucet device 1 that has a valve function (including both a temperature control function by mixing hot and cold water and a flow control function), and the water supply inlet is connected to the same cartridge 10 via a water supply solenoid valve and a water supply pipe.

[0027] The cartridge 10 is a type of cartridge called a single lever cartridge, and is capable of controlling (operating) flow and temperature adjustments. Specifically, hot water is supplied through a hot water supply pipe, cold water is supplied through a water supply pipe, and the water is mixed to a desired flow rate and temperature according to the position and posture of the cartridge 10, and then discharged through a water outlet pipe 12.

[0028] The cartridge 10 has a lever connection part 11 that is a substantially square prism-shaped part that protrudes upward, and the lever connection part 11 is supported so that it can be rotated left and right and up and down (towards the user / rear) independently. Temperature is adjusted by the left and right rotation position (angle) of the lever connection part 11, and flow is adjusted by the up and down rotation position (angle) of the lever connection part 11.

[0029] The fixed shaft portion 21 of the handle (lever handle) 20 is fitted and fixed to the lever connection portion 11. As shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the shape of the hollow portion 21a of the fixed shaft portion 21 is formed to a size and shape that allows the lever connection portion 11 to be fitted therein. Meanwhile, the outer shape of the fixed shaft portion 21 in this embodiment is different in two stages, upper and lower, and is a cylinder that is visually recognized as a substantially rectangular shape with four rounded corners in a plan view, and is a cylinder that is visually recognized as a substantially rectangular shape that corresponds to an inner periphery 33 of a vibration damping spacer 30 described later.

[0030] The handle 20 also has a skirt portion 22 that is provided on the outer circumferential side of the fixed shaft portion 21 so as to cover the fixed shaft portion 21. The skirt portion 22 is generally cylindrical (a cutout area (relief area) is provided in the lower area on the rear side to allow for up and down rotation operation).

[0031] The handle 20 also has an upper wall portion 23 that is integral with the skirt portion 22 to provide the upper surface of the skirt portion 22. The upper wall portion 23 integrally supports the upper surface of the fixed shaft portion 21.

[0032] Furthermore, the handle 20 has a lever portion 24 that protrudes forward. In this embodiment, the lever portion 24 protrudes smoothly and slightly obliquely upward from the front side of the skirt portion 22 and the front side of the upper wall portion 23 further forward.

[0033] The handle 20 is made of zinc die-cast.

[0034] Here, as a feature of the present invention, in this embodiment, a vibration-damping spacer 30 serving as a vibration-damping material for damping vibration of the handle 20 is provided between the fixed shaft portion 21 and the skirt portion 22. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the vibration-damping spacer 30 of the faucet device 1 of this embodiment, and Figure 6 is a plan view of the vibration-damping spacer 30 of the faucet device 1 of this embodiment.

[0035] The vibration-damping spacer 30 of this embodiment has a shape pattern that is symmetrical front-to-back and left-to-right, as shown in FIGS.

[0036] The outer periphery 31 of the vibration-damping spacer 30 is substantially cylindrical, and is provided with outer protruding ribs 32a-32d (outer protrusions) that protrude toward the inner periphery of the skirt portion 22 of the handle 20 at four circumferentially even positions on the outer periphery. Each of the outer protruding ribs 32a-32d is a rib having a substantially semicircular cross section.

[0037] The inner periphery 33 of the vibration-damping spacer 30 is tubular and appears as a substantially rectangular shape with four rounded corners in a plan view (see FIG. 6).

[0038] Furthermore, in the vibration-damping spacer 30 of this embodiment, the outer peripheral portion 31 and the inner peripheral portion 33 are integrated via a rib pattern that is symmetrical in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction as shown in Figures 5 and 6. The rib pattern also defines screw holes 35a, 35b for screwing the vibration-damping spacer 30 into the handle 20.

[0039] In addition, a semicircular cutout 36 is provided on the front side of the vibration-damping spacer 30 in this embodiment to avoid interference with a screw (not shown) for fixing the handle 20 and the vibration-damping spacer 30 to the lever connection portion 11 of the cartridge 10. (In this embodiment, a similar cutout 36 is also provided on the rear side, giving priority to a shape that is symmetrical from front to rear.)

[0040] The vibration-damping spacer 30 of this embodiment is made of PE, and has a tensile strength of 30 to 40 MPa and a tensile elongation of 200% or more.

[0041] 7 is a bottom view showing the state in which the vibration-damping spacer 30 is attached to the handle 20 of this embodiment. The vibration-damping spacer 30 is press-fitted between the upper stage portion 21c of the fixed shaft portion 21 of the handle 20 and the skirt portion 22, and is further attached by screwing the screws 45a, 45b into the handle 20 using the screw holes 35a, 35b.

[0042] (Action and effect) According to the faucet device 1 of this embodiment configured as described above, the vibration energy generated in the cartridge 10 having a valve function is converted into heat and dissipated due to the presence of the vibration-damping spacer 30 provided between the fixed shaft portion 21 and the skirt portion 22. This effectively suppresses resonance of the handle 20 and effectively suppresses the generation of abnormal noise. This makes it possible to omit (eliminate) the sound-absorbing net (and the space in which the sound-absorbing net is housed), and thus makes it possible to slim down the faucet device 1.

[0043] Furthermore, in the faucet device 1 of this embodiment, the vibration-damping spacer 30 is provided so as to contact the inner peripheral surface of the skirt portion 22. This provides a better resonance suppression effect for the handle 20. It is presumed that the vibration-damping spacer 30 contacting the inner peripheral surface of the skirt portion 22 maximizes the amplitude during resonance on the inner peripheral surface, thereby providing a favorable resonance suppression effect.

[0044] In addition, the vibration-damping spacer 30 of this embodiment contacts the inner peripheral surface of the skirt portion 22 at four points (three or more points) that are equally spaced apart in the circumferential direction, so that the vibration-damping action is well-balanced in the circumferential direction, and the steering wheel resonance suppression effect is improved.

[0045] Furthermore, the vibration-damping spacer 30 of this embodiment has outer protruding ribs 32a-32d that protrude toward the inner peripheral surface of the skirt portion 22, and contacts the inner peripheral surface of the skirt portion 22 via the outer protruding ribs 32a-32d. This makes it easier to more reliably realize the contact points between the vibration-damping spacer 30 and the inner peripheral surface of the skirt portion 22 at the designed positions.

[0046] In addition, the vibration-damping spacer 30 of this embodiment is made of PE, and has a tensile strength of 30 to 40 MPa and a tensile elongation of 200% or more. By using such a material with low elasticity and high viscosity, the damping ratio can be effectively increased, and the resonance suppression effect of the handle is better. Furthermore, PE has another advantageous feature of excellent waterproofness.

[0047] (Modification) In the embodiment described above, the vibration-damping spacer 30 contacts the handle 20 via the outer protruding ribs 32a-32d, but in addition to this, or instead of this, an embodiment can also be adopted in which the vibration-damping spacer continuously contacts the inner surface of the skirt portion 22 in the circumferential direction.

[0048] The present invention includes the following features (inventions). [Feature 1] A cartridge having a valve function; A handle having a fixed shaft portion connected to the cartridge and a skirt portion provided on an outer circumferential side of the fixed shaft portion so as to cover the fixed shaft portion; A water faucet device comprising: A vibration-damping material for damping the vibration of the handle is provided between the fixed shaft portion and the skirt portion. A water faucet device characterized by the above. [Feature 2] The vibration-damping material is provided so as to come into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the skirt portion. 2. The faucet device according to claim 1, [Feature 3] The vibration-damping material is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the skirt portion at three or more points spaced apart in the circumferential direction. 3. A water faucet device according to feature 1 or 2. [Feature 4] The vibration-damping material has an inner protrusion that protrudes toward the inner peripheral surface of the skirt portion and is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the skirt portion via the inner protrusion. A water faucet device according to any one of features 1 to 3. [Feature 5] The vibration-damping material is in continuous contact with the inner peripheral surface of the skirt portion in the circumferential direction. A water faucet device according to any one of features 1 to 4. [Feature 6] The vibration-damping material has a tensile strength of 30 to 40 MPa and a tensile elongation of 200% or more. A water faucet device according to any one of features 1 to 5. [Feature 7] The vibration-damping material is made of PE. A water faucet device according to any one of features 1 to 6. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1 Faucet equipment 10 Cartridge 11 Lever connection part 12 Outlet pipe 20 Handle 21 Fixed shaft part 21a Hollow part 22 Skirt Club 23 Upper wall 24 Lever section 30 Vibration-damping spacer 31 Outer periphery 32a~32d Outside protrusion rib 33 Inner circumference 35a, 35b screw holes 36 Notch 45a, 45b screws

Claims

1. A cartridge having a valve function; A handle having a fixed shaft portion connected to the cartridge and a skirt portion provided on an outer circumferential side of the fixed shaft portion so as to cover the fixed shaft portion; A water faucet device comprising: A vibration-damping material for damping the vibration of the handle is provided between the fixed shaft portion and the skirt portion. A water faucet device characterized by the above.

2. The vibration-damping material is provided so as to come into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the skirt portion. The water faucet device according to claim 1 .

3. The vibration-damping material is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the skirt portion at three or more points spaced apart in the circumferential direction. The water faucet device according to claim 1 .

4. The vibration-damping material has an inner protrusion that protrudes toward the inner peripheral surface of the skirt portion and is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the skirt portion via the inner protrusion. The water faucet device according to claim 1 .

5. The vibration-damping material is in continuous contact with the inner peripheral surface of the skirt portion in the circumferential direction. The water faucet device according to claim 1 .

6. The vibration-damping material has a tensile strength of 30 to 40 MPa and a tensile elongation of 200% or more. The water faucet device according to claim 1 .

7. The vibration damping material is made of PE. The water faucet device according to claim 1 .

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