Faucet equipment

Abstract

A faucet device is provided that can prevent the threads of a resin flow path member from being crushed when a single lever is attached to the resin flow path member. [Solution] The faucet device 1 of the present invention comprises a single-lever cartridge 14 that mixes hot and cold water and stops the flow of water, an operating handle 12 that operates the single-lever cartridge 14, a hot and cold water flow path member 20c made of resin located below the single-lever cartridge 14, an outer casing member 18 located on the outside of the hot and cold water flow path member 20c, and a metal single-lever cartridge holder 24 that supports the single-lever cartridge 14 within the outer casing member 18, the hot and cold water flow path member 20c having a protrusion 30 on which a female thread 32 is formed, and the single-lever cartridge holder 24 having a flange 28 for connecting the single-lever cartridge 14 to the hot and cold water flow path member 20c and a male thread 26 that screws into the female thread 32 of the hot and cold water flow path member 20c.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a faucet device, and more particularly to a faucet device used in a bathtub or the like. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, Patent Document 1 describes a faucet device (hot and cold water mixing faucet) that incorporates a water-conducting member into which a water-conducting channel for hot and cold water flows is formed inside the outer shell member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. CN20509047 Publication Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When a resin flow path member is used in the hot and cold water mixing faucet of Patent Document 1, a single lever cartridge that mixes hot and cold water and stops the water discharge must be attached to this resin flow path member using a single lever cartridge retainer. In this case, because the single lever cartridge retainer is made of metal and the flow path member is made of resin, a new problem occurs when the installer of the faucet device screws the two together too tightly, causing the threads of the resin member to be crushed.

[0005] The inventors of this invention have diligently conducted research and have solved the aforementioned new problem that arises when attaching a single-lever cartridge to this resin flow channel member.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the problems of the prior art, and aims to provide a faucet device that can prevent the threads of a flow channel member from being stripped when a single lever is attached to a resin flow channel member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the faucet device of the present invention comprises a single-lever cartridge for mixing and stopping the flow of hot and cold water, a single operating handle for operating the mixing and stopping of hot and cold water by the single-lever cartridge, a resin flow path member provided below the single-lever cartridge, an outer casing member provided outside the flow path member, and a metal single-lever cartridge retainer that supports the single-lever cartridge within the outer casing member. The flow path member has a projection, and a female thread is formed on this projection. The single-lever cartridge retainer has a flange for connecting the single-lever cartridge to the flow path member and a male thread that screws into the female thread of the flow path member. When the single-lever cartridge and the flow path member are connected, the bottom surface of the flange of the single-lever cartridge retainer and the top surface of the projection of the flow path member come into contact. In the present invention configured in this way, even if the installer of the faucet device tightens the single-lever cartridge too hard onto the flow path member using the single-lever cartridge retainer (applying excessive torque), the bottom surface of the flange of the single-lever cartridge retainer and the top surface of the projection of the flow path member come into contact. As a result, the female threads of the flow path member are not crushed, and furthermore, the flow path member is not compressed.

[0008] In the present invention, preferably, the upper surface of the projection of the flow channel member has a tapered shape that slopes downward toward the outside. In the present invention configured as described above, when an installer of a faucet device tightly fastens a single-lever cartridge to the flow path member using a single-lever cartridge retainer, the projection of the flow path member tends to move inward (to the right in Figure 5). However, the wedge effect of the flange of the single-lever cartridge retainer pushes the projection of the flow path member outward, preventing damage to the projection itself. In other words, damage to the threaded portion of the flow path member is solved by applying the flange of the single-lever cartridge retainer to the upper surface of the projection of the flow path member.

[0009] In the present invention, preferably, the single-lever cartridge has a hot water hole and a cold water hole in its front region through which hot water flows in, and a mixed water hole in its rear region through which mixed hot and cold water flows out. Seals are formed over these hot water hole, cold water hole, and mixed water hole, and the projection of the flow path member is wider in front of the rearmost end when viewed from above. In the present invention configured in this way, the front region is more susceptible to load than the rear region due to the thickness of the seals of the two holes (the hot water hole and the cold water hole) and the reaction force of the water pressure. However, since the projection of the flow channel member is wider in front of the rearmost end when viewed from above, the rigidity of the front region of the projection of the flow channel member is increased, thereby improving reliability.

[0010] In the present invention, the flow path member is preferably fixed to the outer shell member by a fixing portion, and the axis of this fixing portion is offset from the axis of the operating handle in a top view. In the present invention configured as described above, when the operating handle is turned, the flow path member, the single lever cartridge connected thereto, and the single lever cartridge retainer are displaced together in the rotational direction around the fixed part, and the outer surface of the single lever cartridge retainer comes into contact with the rigid outer casing member. As a result, the operating handle receives a load, which reduces the load on the resin flow path member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the faucet device of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the threads of the flow channel member from being stripped when attaching a single lever to the resin flow channel member. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a faucet device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a side view of a faucet device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 3 is a top cross-sectional view of a water faucet device according to an embodiment of the present invention, taken along line III-III in FIG. 2. [Figure 4]4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a water faucet device according to an embodiment of the present invention taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion X in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 1 is a bottom view of a single lever cartridge of a water faucet device according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from below. [Figure 7] 2 is a top view of a flow path member of a water faucet device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] A water faucet device according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. First, the overall structure of a water faucet device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a water faucet device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a side view of a water faucet device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a top cross-sectional view of a water faucet device according to an embodiment of the present invention taken along line III-III in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 1, the user side of the water faucet device 1 is the front, the wall side is the rear, and the right side as viewed from the user is the right side and the left side is the left side.

[0014] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the faucet device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a faucet body 2, a water-side inlet 4 and a hot water-side inlet 6 for mounting the faucet body 2 to a wall. The faucet body 2 is equipped with a spout 8 that spouts hot and cold water (mixed water), and is capable of spouting hot and cold water from a spout 10 provided at the tip of the spout 8. Furthermore, the faucet body 218 is equipped with a single-lever cartridge 14 (see Figure 4) that mixes hot and cold water and stops the spout, and a single operating handle 12 for operating this single-lever cartridge 14. The spout 8 forms part of an outer casing member 18, which will be described later.

[0015] The aforementioned water-side inlet 4 is connected to a water supply pipe, allowing room-temperature tap water to flow in, while the hot water-side inlet 6 is connected to a water heater, allowing hot water at a set temperature to flow in.

[0016] Next, the specific structure of the faucet device 1 will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 7. Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a faucet device according to an embodiment of the present invention taken along line IV-IV in Figure 1, and Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of part X in Figure 4. Figure 6 is a bottom view of the single-lever cartridge of a faucet device according to an embodiment of the present invention seen from below, and Figure 7 is a top view of the flow path member of a faucet device according to an embodiment of the present invention seen from above.

[0017] First, as shown in Figure 4, the faucet body 2 of the faucet device 1 is provided with a single-lever cartridge 14 inside. An operating member 16 is attached to the upper side of this single-lever cartridge 14, and an operating handle 12 is attached to the upper end 16a of this operating member 16. A valve device (not shown) is built into the single-lever cartridge 14, and this valve device is used to mix hot and cold water and to stop the water discharge.

[0018] The operating handle 12 is rotated along the outer circumferential surface of the upper end 16a of the operating member 16, thereby mixing the hot and cold water and adjusting the temperature of the discharged water. In addition, the operating handle 12 can be moved up and down around the horizontal shaft 16b of the operating member 16 as the rotation center to stop the water discharge, i.e., to change the amount of water discharged.

[0019] Next, the faucet body 2 is equipped with an outer casing member 18, which is made of zinc. A resin flow path member 20 is incorporated inside this outer casing member 18. The flow path members 20 include a hot water flow path member 20a (see Figures 3 and 7) that forms a hot water water path through which hot water flows, a water flow path member 20b (see Figures 3 and 7) that forms a water water path through which cold water flows, and a hot and cold water flow path member 20c that forms a hot and cold water water path through which hot water, cold water, and mixed water flow. The hot and cold water flow path member 20c is connected to the single lever cartridge 14 on its upstream side and to a resin water hose 22 provided inside the spout 8 on its downstream side, so that hot and cold water is discharged from the spout 10 after passing through the water hose 22.

[0020] As shown in Figure 4, a fixing hole 21 is formed on the rear side of the hot and cold water flow channel member 20c. A bolt 23 is inserted into this fixing hole 21 from the outer casing member 18 on the lower side of the hot and cold water flow channel member 20c, and the hot and cold water flow channel member 20c is fixed to the outer casing member 18 by this bolt 23. This bolt 23 is a fixing part, and its axis is represented as J1.

[0021] Next, as described above, since the operating handle 12 is attached to the operating member 16 of the single lever cartridge 14, the axis J2 of the operating handle 12 is the operating member 16. As shown in Fig. 4, the axis J1 of the bolt 23, which is the fixing part, and the axis J2 of the operating member 16 are located at positions offset in the front-rear direction by a value Y. The axis J1 and the axis J2 are located at positions that are not offset in the left-right direction.

[0022] As shown in Figure 4, a nearly cylindrical single-lever cartridge retainer 24 made of metal (such as stainless steel) is attached to the side of the single-lever cartridge 14. This single-lever cartridge retainer 24 supports the single-lever cartridge 14 and connects the single-lever cartridge 14 to the hot and cold water flow path member 20c.

[0023] Here, the single lever cartridge holder 24 has a male screw 24 formed on its lower surface, and further, above the position where this male screw 24 is formed, a flange portion 28 extending outward is formed to connect the single lever cartridge 14 to the hot and cold water flow path member 20c.

[0024] The hot and cold water flow channel member 20c has a cylindrical projection 30 that extends vertically. The inner surface of this projection 30 has a female thread 32 that engages with the male thread 26 of the single lever cartridge retainer 24 described above. The single lever cartridge 14 is connected to the hot and cold water flow channel member 20c by the engagement of the male thread 26 of the single lever cartridge retainer 24 with the female thread 32 of the projection 30 of the hot and cold water flow channel member 20c.

[0025] As shown in Figure 5, the bottom surface 28a of the flange portion 28 of the single cartridge retainer 24 extends outward in a nearly horizontal direction. On the other hand, the upper surface 30a of the projection 30 of the hot and cold water flow channel member 20c that contacts the bottom surface 28a of the flange portion 28 has a tapered shape that slopes downward outward.

[0026] As shown in Figure 6, the bottom surface 14a of the single-lever cartridge 14 has a hot water inlet 34, a cold water inlet 36, and a mixed water inlet 38 through which mixed hot and cold water (hot and cold water) flows out. The hot water inlet 34 and cold water inlet 36 are located in the front area (user side), and the mixed water inlet 38 is located in the rear area (wall side). Furthermore, a sealing surface 40 is formed by an integrally provided seal around the hot water hole 34, the water hole 36, and the mixing water hole 38 on the bottom surface 14a of the single lever cartridge 14.

[0027] As shown in Figure 7, the flow channel member 20 includes a hot water flow channel member 20a provided on the left side, a cold water flow channel member 20b provided on the right side, and a hot and cold water flow channel member 20c through which hot water, cold water, and mixed water flow. On the upper surface 30c of the projection 30 of the hot and cold water flow channel member 20c, the front width W1 is formed to be wider than the rearmost width W2.

[0028] Next, the effects and advantages of the faucet device according to the embodiment of the present invention described above will be described.

[0029] In the faucet device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, even if the installer of the faucet device 1 tightens the single lever cartridge 14 strongly onto the hot and cold water flow channel member 20c using the single lever cartridge retainer 24 (applying excessive torque), the bottom surface 28a of the flange portion 28 of the single lever cartridge retainer 24 and the projection 30 of the hot and cold water flow channel member 20c come into contact. As a result, the female thread 32 of the hot and cold water flow channel member 20c is not crushed, and furthermore, the hot and cold water flow channel member 20c is not compressed.

[0030] In the faucet device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the installer of the faucet device 1 tightly tightens the single-lever cartridge 14 into the hot and cold water flow path member 20c with the single-lever cartridge retainer 24, the protrusion 30 of the hot and cold water flow path member 20c tends to move inward (to the right in Figure 5), but the wedge effect of the flange 28 of the single-lever cartridge retainer 24 pushes the protrusion 30 of the hot and cold water flow path member 20c outward, preventing damage to the protrusion 30 itself. In other words, damage to the threaded portion of the hot and cold water flow path member 30c is prevented by having the flange 28 of the single-lever cartridge retainer 24 abut against the upper surface 30a of the protrusion 30 of the hot and cold water flow path member 20c.

[0031] In the faucet device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the front region is more susceptible to load than the rear region due to the thickness of the seal 40 of the two holes (hot water hole 34 and cold water hole 36) and the reaction force of water pressure, but the protrusion 30 of the hot water / cold water flow path member 20c is formed so that the front width W1 is wider than the width W2 of the rear end when viewed from above, so the rigidity of the front region of the protrusion 30 of the hot water / cold water flow path member 20c is increased, thereby improving reliability.

[0032] In the faucet device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the operating handle is turned horizontally, the hot and cold water flow path member 20c and the single lever cartridge 14 and single lever cartridge holder 24 connected to it are displaced together in the rotational direction around the axis J1 of the bolt 23, and the outer surface of the single lever cartridge holder 24 comes into contact with the highly rigid outer casing member, so that the operating handle 12 receives a load, thereby reducing the load on the resin flow path member 20. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 1. Faucet device 2. Faucet body 4 Water side inlet 6 Hot water side inlet 8 Spout 10 Spout 12 Operating handles 14 Single-lever cartridge 14a Base 16 Operating Member 16a top end 16b horizontal axis 18 Outer shell components 20 Flow path member 20a Hot water flow path member 20b Water flow path member 20c Hot and cold water flow path member 21 Fixing hole 22 Water supply hose 23 Bolt (fixed part) 24 Single-lever cartridge retainer 26 Male thread 28 Collar 28a Bottom 30 Protrusion 30a top surface 32 Female thread 34 Hot Water Hole 36 water hole 38 Mixing water hole 40 stickers J1 Bolt axis J2 Axis of the operating handle W1 Width of the front of the upper surface of the protrusion W2 Width of rear end of protrusion rib

Claims

1. A faucet device comprising: a single-lever cartridge that mixes hot and cold water and stops the flow of water; This single lever cartridge has a single operating handle for mixing hot and cold water and stopping the water flow. a resin flow path member provided below the single lever cartridge; an outer shell member provided on the outside of the flow path member; A metal single lever cartridge holder is provided within the outer shell member to support the single lever cartridge, the flow path member has a protrusion portion on which a female screw is formed, the single lever cartridge presser includes a flange for connecting the single lever cartridge to the flow path member and a male screw that screws into a female screw of the flow path member, When the single lever cartridge and the flow path member are connected, the bottom surface of the flange of the single lever cartridge retainer comes into contact with the top surface of the protrusion of the flow path member.

2. The water faucet device according to claim 1 , wherein the upper surface of the protrusion of the flow path member is tapered downwardly toward the outside.

3. The single lever cartridge has a hot water hole through which hot water flows and a water hole through which cold water flows in its front region, and a mixed water hole through which mixed water of hot water and cold water flows out in its rear region, and seals are formed in these hot water hole, water hole and mixed water hole, and the protrusion portion of the flow path member is formed wider forward than at the rear end when viewed from above.

4. A flow path member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the flow path member is fixed to the outer casing member by a fixing portion, and the axis of the fixing portion is offset from the axis of the operating handle when viewed from above.

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