Faucet

Abstract

To provide a faucet with improved assemblability.SOLUTION: In a faucet having a body part 3, and a cover 2 that accommodates the body part 3 inside, the body part 3 comprises: a water passage member 4 that has therein a water passage for communicating a connection part 11 for a water supply pipe and a water discharge port 31, and a valve part 22 for opening and closing the water passage based on a detection signal from a sensor; and a valve drive unit 6 that is provided on an upper part of the water passage member 4 to supply electric power to the valve part 22 and control opening and closing of the valve part 22. The water passage member 4 is provided with: first mounting parts 13, 15, 30 for directly or indirectly mounting the valve drive unit 6; and first restricting parts 13, 15b that restricts movement of the valve drive unit 6 from a normal position in an assembly direction of the cover 2 by fitting or abutment.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sensor-type faucet. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Faucets are known that are equipped with a sensor for detecting an object and that automatically stop water from flowing from a water outlet based on a detection signal from the sensor. The automatic faucet described in Patent Document 1 is configured by assembling a water discharge section, a valve section, a power supply section, a control circuit section, etc., inside a cylindrical case. The water discharge section is connected to a water supply system as a water supply source via a pipe extending from the automatic faucet to the outside, and is equipped with a water discharge member having a water passage provided therein. The valve section is equipped with a solenoid valve that operates when power is supplied from the power supply section. The solenoid valve opens and closes the water passage based on commands from the control circuit section. The power supply section and the control circuit section, and the solenoid valve and the control circuit section are each connected by wiring. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-011150 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The automatic faucet described in Patent Document 1 is generally assembled as follows. First, the valve unit and control circuit unit are placed on top of the water-discharge member, and while holding them by hand, they are each fixed in place by screwing. Next, while storing the wiring under the power supply unit, the power supply unit is placed on top of the water-discharge member, and while holding the power supply unit by hand, it is fixed to the water-discharge member by screwing. Next, the lower case is fixed to the water-discharge member by screwing, and the upper case is slid and assembled to the lower case.

[0005] As described above, in the conventional faucet assembly method, there are multiple parts that need to be fixed by screws. Also, when screwing, each part needs to be held by hand. Therefore, the efficiency of the assembly work is low, and there is room for improvement. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the faucet of the present invention is a faucet having a main body and a cover that houses the main body, wherein the main body has an internal water passage that connects a connection to a water supply pipe with a water outlet, and is equipped with a water-passing member having a valve that opens and closes the water passage based on a detection signal from a sensor, and a valve drive unit that is provided on the upper part of the water-passing member and supplies power to the valve and controls the opening and closing of the valve, and the water-passing member is provided with a first mounting portion on which the valve drive unit is directly or indirectly mounted, and a first regulating portion that, by engaging or abutting, regulates the valve drive unit from moving from its normal position in the direction of assembly of the cover.

[0007] When assembling the faucet, the main body part to be housed inside the cover is assembled, and the cover is attached to the main body part. The main body part includes a water-permeable member and a valve drive unit provided on the upper part of the water-permeable member. Since the water-permeable member is provided with a first mounting part, the valve drive unit can be temporarily placed on the upper part of the water-permeable member when assembling the main body part. This allows the valve drive unit and the water-permeable member to be maintained in a temporarily placed state without being held by hand or fixed by screwing. In addition, the water-permeable member is provided with a first restricting part that restricts the valve drive unit from moving from a regular position in the direction in which the cover is attached. Therefore, even if the valve drive unit remains in a temporarily placed state, it is restricted from moving in the assembly direction together with the cover when the cover is attached. The water-permeable member and the valve drive unit are assembled in the regular positions without being fixed by screwing. The above configuration improves the ease of assembly of the faucet.

[0008] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the main body further includes a support member provided between the water-passing member and the valve drive unit, the first mounting portion indirectly mounts the valve drive unit by mounting the support member, and the first regulating portion regulates the support member from moving from its normal position in the assembly direction of the cover by engaging with or abutting the support member, and the support member is provided with a second mounting portion on which the valve drive unit is mounted, and a second regulating portion that regulates the valve drive unit from moving from its normal position in the assembly direction of the cover by engaging with or abutting the valve drive unit.

[0009] During maintenance of the faucet, the cover of the faucet may be removed, and components such as the valve drive unit may be removed from and assembled to the water passage member attached to the wall where the faucet is installed. With the above configuration, since the main body is provided with the support member, when assembling the valve drive unit, the valve drive unit can be placed on the support member and then placed on the water passage member together with the support member. This makes it easy to assemble the faucet.

[0010] Furthermore, the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion allow the support member to be temporarily placed on top of the water-passing member, and the valve drive unit to be temporarily placed on top of the support member. The temporary placement state can be maintained without the need to hold the valve drive unit, support member, and water-passing member by hand or secure them with screws. When the cover is assembled, the first regulating portion and the second regulating portion regulate the support member and the valve drive unit from moving together with the cover in the assembly direction. This improves the ease of assembly of the faucet.

[0011] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the support member has a pair of side walls that abut on both sides in the width direction of the water-permeable member. With this configuration, the pair of side walls of the support member can hold both sides of the water-permeable member. Therefore, the support member is stably placed on the top of the water-permeable member. This improves the ease of assembly of the support member.

[0012] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the valve drive unit includes a drive control unit that controls opening and closing of the valve unit based on the detection signal, and a power supply unit that supplies power to the valve unit and the drive control unit, and the drive control unit and the power supply unit are assembled by fitting. With this configuration, the drive control unit and the power supply unit can be integrated without being fixed to each other by screws, improving the ease of assembly of the valve drive unit.

[0013] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the main body abuts against the inner surface of the cover to restrict movement in any direction other than the assembly direction of the cover. With this configuration, the water passage member, support member, and valve drive unit that constitute the main body are positioned inside the cover without being fixed with screws. The main body is prevented from rattling and is held in a stable state. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, the ease of assembly of the faucet can be improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the faucet of the present embodiment, seen from below. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] Partial cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 in Figure 1. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the valve drive unit as viewed from below. [Figure 7] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] A faucet according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The faucet 1 of this embodiment is a sensor-type automatic faucet that operates on a battery and opens and closes a valve body when a sensor detects an object, thereby stopping or releasing water.

[0017] As shown in Figure 1, the faucet 1 is formed in a roughly cylindrical shape and is attached so that its axis is perpendicular to the wall surface W of the bathroom or the like. In the following, the attachment side of the faucet 1 is defined as the base end side, and the opposite side to the attachment side is defined as the tip end side. Additionally, the top and bottom of the faucet 1 are defined in the attached state. The axial direction of the faucet 1, or the axial direction of a cover body 7 described below, is referred to as the axial direction. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the axial direction and the up-down direction of the faucet 1 is referred to as the width direction.

[0018] 2, the faucet 1 includes a cover 2 and a main body 3 housed inside the cover 2. The main body 3 includes a water-passing member 4, a support member 5, and a valve drive unit 6. <About Cover 2> As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the cover 2 includes a substantially cylindrical cover body 7, a decorative cover 8 that covers the base end of the cover body 7, and a cap 9 that closes the tip edge of the cover body 7. A plurality of openings (including notches, the same applies below) are formed on the circumferential surface of the cover body 7. A sensor opening 7a and a water outlet opening 7b are formed on the underside of the cover body 7 from the tip side. A water outlet 31 attached to the water-passing member 4 protrudes from the water outlet opening 7b. A stopcock opening 7c is formed on the underside of the base end of the cover 2, from which the stopcock 12 is exposed. Two abutment openings 7d and three through holes 7e are formed on the base end of the cover 2. In addition, a stopcock opening 8a is formed on the underside of the decorative cover 8, which communicates with the stopcock opening 7c and from which the stopcock 12 is exposed.

[0019] <About water-permeable material 4> As shown in Figures 2 to 4, a connecting tube 11 is formed at the base end of the water-passing member 4, which is connected to a water supply pipe (not shown). A cylindrical water discharge pipe 30 extending in the axial direction is formed at the tip of the water-passing member 4, and a water discharge port 31 that opens downward is attached to the tip of the water discharge pipe 30. A water passage 32 that connects the connecting tube 11 and the water discharge port 31 is provided inside the water-passing member 4. A valve unit 20 having a valve portion that opens and closes the water passage 32 based on a detection signal from a sensor 62a is provided at the middle part of the water-passing member 4 in the axial direction.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 4, a stop valve 12 is attached to the lower base end of the water-passing member 4. The stop valve 12 is for manually stopping water from the water outlet 31 during maintenance of the faucet 1, etc. An abutment portion 13 extending in the width direction is formed at the top of the stop valve 12. An abutment surface 13a extending in the vertical direction is formed at the tip side of the abutment portion 13, and a mounting surface 13b extending in the axial direction is formed on the upper side.

[0021] A cover fixing portion 14 extending in the width direction is formed on the tip side of the abutment portion 13. A screw hole 14a opening in the width direction is formed in the cover fixing portion 14. The length of the abutment portion 13 in the width direction is longer than the length of the cover fixing portion 14 in the width direction. Therefore, both ends of the abutment portion 13 in the width direction protrude from both ends of the cover fixing portion 14 in the width direction.

[0022] An upwardly extending protrusion 15 is formed at the widthwise intermediate portion of the abutting portion 13 and the cover fixing portion 14. A screw hole 15a opening upward is formed at the base end side of the protrusion 15, and a locking hole 15b with a circular cross section opening upward is formed at the tip side. A protrusion 16 extending in the width direction is formed at the lower portion on the tip side of the cover fixing portion 14.

[0023] The valve unit 20 is of an internal pilot type, and has a main valve section 21 equipped with a diaphragm valve, and a sub-valve section 22 equipped with a pilot valve. A wiring (not shown) is connected to the sub-valve section 22, which is connected to a wiring 64a drawn from a sensor unit 62 (described later) via a connector 64c. When the pilot valve is driven based on a detection signal from the sensor 62a, the diaphragm valve opens the water passage 32, and water is discharged from the water outlet 31. A flat plate material 23 is attached to the upper surface of the main valve section 21. A sub-valve fixing section 24 that is wider than the tip end of the sub-valve section 22 and the main valve section 21 is formed at the base end of the sub-valve section 22.

[0024] <About support member 5> 2 and 3, the support member 5 is attached from above the water-passing member 4, and houses the valve drive unit 6 in its upper portion. A wire housing 51 that houses wires 63, 64 is formed at the base end of the support member 5, and a power supply housing 52 that houses a battery box 61 and a sensor unit 62 is formed at the tip end. The wire housing 51 is located above the valve unit 20, and the power supply housing 52 is located above the water discharge pipe 30.

[0025] 5, the wiring housing 51 has a pair of side walls 51a formed by cutting out an upward semi-cylindrical peripheral wall in the axial direction, and an upward semi-cylindrical peripheral wall 51b. The portion surrounded by the pair of side walls 51a and the peripheral wall 51b constitutes a wiring space 53 that accommodates the wiring 63, 64. The plate material 23 of the valve unit 20 is located below the wiring space 53, and the plate material 23 functions as the bottom surface of the wiring space 53.

[0026] A pair of notches 54 are formed on both sides in the width direction of the peripheral wall 51b of the wiring housing portion 51. The notches 54 are cut out in a rectangular shape in side view, and have a notch edge 54a extending in the up-down direction and a notch edge 54b extending in the axial direction. A pair of screw openings 51c are formed on both sides in the width direction of the peripheral wall 51b at the tip side of the notch 54. In addition, a through hole 51d is formed in the upper part of the peripheral wall 51b.

[0027] 3, a cylindrical locking tube 55 protruding downward is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 51b. The outer diameter of the locking tube 55 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the locking hole 15b of the protrusion 15 formed at the base end of the water-passing member 4.

[0028] 5, a pair of side walls 56 are formed at the tip of the wiring housing section 51, the pair of side walls 51a being connected to the tips of the pair of side walls 51a and extending in the vertical direction. Three ribs 56a, 56b, 56c extending in the vertical direction are formed on the outer surface of the side wall 56. The rib 56a on the tip side is formed on the tip edge of the side wall 56.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 5, the power supply housing 52 is formed in a shape that extends from the lower end edge of the side wall 56 of the wiring housing 51 toward the tip side in the axial direction. An opening 52a is formed in the lower part of the power supply housing 52, and a flat mounting part 52b is formed on the periphery of the opening 52a. A connecting wall 57 extending in the width direction is formed on the base end part of the power supply housing 52. A pipe abutting surface 57a is formed on the lower surface of the connecting wall 57 by being cut in an upward circular shape and extending in the axial direction. A pair of engagement walls 58 are formed on the tip side of the connecting wall 57 so as to face each other in the width direction.

[0030] <Valve drive unit 6> As shown in Figures 2 and 6, the valve drive unit 6 includes a battery box 61, a sensor unit 62, and wiring 63, 64. The battery box 61 is formed in a semi-cylindrical shape and houses a battery inside. An engagement claw 61a is formed on the side of the battery box 61. As shown in Figure 6, a pair of engaged portions 61b are formed on both sides in the width direction at the axial middle portion of the battery box 61.

[0031] The axial length of battery box 61 is longer than the axial length of sensor unit 62, and the base end of battery box 61 protrudes in the axial direction from the base end of sensor unit 62. A flat surface portion 61c is formed on the lower surface of the portion of battery box 61 protruding from sensor unit 62.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 6, the sensor unit 62 includes a storage case 65 and a control board 62c that is housed inside the storage case 65 and has a sensor 62a and a control unit 62b mounted thereon. The control unit 62b controls water discharge based on a detection signal from the sensor 62a. A fitting hole 65a into which the fitting claw 61a of the battery box 61 fits is formed on the side of the storage case 65. The battery box 61 and the storage case 65 are integrated by fitting the fitting claw 61a into the fitting hole 65a. A flat surface portion 65b is formed on the periphery of the lower surface of the storage case 65.

[0033] 6, the wiring 63 is formed by connecting a wiring 63a drawn from the battery box 61 and a wiring 63b drawn from the sensor unit 62 by a connector 63c. Power from the battery is supplied to the sensor unit 62 by the wiring 63. The wiring 64 is formed by connecting a wiring 64a drawn from the sensor unit 62 and a wiring (not shown) drawn from the sub-valve portion 22 by a connector 64c. Power from the battery is supplied to the sub-valve portion 22 via the sensor unit 62 by the wiring 64, and the operation of the sub-valve portion 22 is controlled based on a detection signal from the sensor 62a.

[0034] <Assembling the Faucet 1> Next, the assembly work of the faucet 1 will be described together with its function. 2, first, the support member 5 is assembled to the upper part of the water-passing member 4. As shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, the support member 5 is assembled so that the wiring accommodating portion 51 is located at the base end of the water-passing member 4 and the power supply accommodating portion 52 is located at the upper part of the water discharge pipe 30.

[0035] As shown in Figs. 3 and 7, at this time, the entire main valve section 21 and the base end of the sub-valve section 22 of the water-passing member 4 are located at the bottom of the wiring space 53 of the support member 5, and the tip end of the sub-valve section 22 is located in the area surrounded by the side wall 56. The peripheral wall 51b of the support member 5 is placed on the upper surface of the protruding section 15 of the water-passing member 4, and the locking tube 55 of the support member 5 is engaged with the locking hole 15b of the protruding section 15. Furthermore, the notch edge 54b of the notch section 54 of the support member 5 is placed on the placement surface 13b of the abutting section 13 of the water-passing member 4. Furthermore, the connecting wall 57 of the support member 5 is placed on the upper surface of the discharge pipe 30 of the water-passing member 4, and the pipe abutting surface 57a of the connecting wall 57 abuts against the upper peripheral surface of the discharge pipe 30. As a result, the support member 5 is temporarily placed on the upper part of the water-passing member 4. The protruding portion 15, the contact portion 13, and the water discharge pipe 30 of the water-passing member 4 correspond to a first mounting portion defined in the claims.

[0036] 4 and 5, the inner surface of the peripheral wall 51b of the support member 5 abuts against both widthwise ends of the cover fixing portion 14 of the water-permeable member 4. The screw openings 51c of the peripheral wall 51b are located at the positions of the screw holes 14a of the cover fixing portion 14. Furthermore, the inner surfaces of the side walls 51a of the support member 5 abut against both widthwise ends of the projection portion 16 of the water-permeable member 4 and both widthwise ends of the sub-valve fixing portion 24. The peripheral wall 51b and the side walls 51a of the support member 5 sandwich both widthwise ends of the water-permeable member 4, stabilizing the temporary placement state of the support member 5.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 7, when the support member 5 is placed on the top of the water-permeable member 4, the notch edge 54b of the notch portion 54 of the support member 5 abuts against the abutment surface 13a of the abutment portion 13 of the water-permeable member 4. Also, as shown in FIG. 3, the locking tube 55 of the support member 5 is engaged with the locking hole 15b of the protruding portion 15 of the water-permeable member 4. This restricts the support member 5 from moving toward the base end in the axial direction relative to the water-permeable member 4. The temporary placement state of the support member 5 is stabilized. The abutment portion 13 and the locking hole 15b of the water-permeable member 4 correspond to the first restricting portion defined in the claims. Furthermore, the engagement of the locking hole 15b with the locking tube 55 restricts the support member 5 from moving toward the tip end in the axial direction relative to the water-permeable member 4.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 2, the valve drive unit 6 is then assembled to the upper part of the support member 5. As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the valve drive unit 6 accommodates the battery box 61 and the sensor unit 62 in the power supply housing 52 of the support member 5 with the wiring 63, 64 drawn out laterally. As shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the flat part 65b of the housing case 65 of the sensor unit 62 is placed on the placement part 52b of the power supply housing 52. At this time, the part of the housing case 65 in which the sensor 62a and the control part 62b are housed is located below the opening 52a of the power supply housing 52. In addition, the flat part 61c of the battery box 61 is placed on the connecting wall 57 of the power supply housing 52. The placement part 52b and the connecting wall 57 of the support member 5 correspond to the second placement part defined in the claims.

[0039] 5 and 6, the engaging walls 58 of the support member 5 engage with the engaged portions 61b on both widthwise sides of the battery box 61. As a result, the battery box 61 and the sensor unit 62 are supported in a state in which both widthwise sides are sandwiched between the engaging walls 58.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 7, when the valve drive unit 6 is placed on the upper part of the support member 5, the base end surface of the battery box 61 of the valve drive unit 6 abuts against the rib 56a of the support member 5. This restricts the valve drive unit 6 from moving toward the base end in the axial direction relative to the support member 5. The temporarily placed state of the battery box 61 and the sensor unit 62 is stabilized. The rib 56a of the support member 5 corresponds to a second restricting portion defined in the claims. In addition, the base end edge of the engaged portion 61b of the valve drive unit 6 abuts against the base end edge of the engaging wall 58 of the support member 5. This restricts the valve drive unit 6 from moving toward the tip end in the axial direction relative to the support member 5.

[0041] After the battery box 61 and the sensor unit 62 are accommodated in the power supply accommodating section 52 , the wires 63 , 64 are accommodated in the wiring space 53 of the wire accommodating section 51 . 7, the water-passing member 4, the support member 5, and the valve drive unit 6 are assembled to form the main body 3. The wire housing 51 of the support member 5 is formed into an upwardly facing semi-cylindrical shape overall, and the battery box 61 is formed into a semi-cylindrical shape. Therefore, the upper half of the main body 3, in which the support member 5 and the valve drive unit 6 are assembled to the water-passing member 4, has a semi-cylindrical shape.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 2, the cover body 7 is assembled to the main body 3 from the axial tip side toward the base end side. The abutment portion 13 and protrusion 15 serving as a first regulating portion formed on the water-passing member 4, and the rib 56a serving as a second regulating portion formed on the support member 5, regulate the movement of the support member 5 and the valve drive unit 6 in the assembly direction of the cover body 7 relative to the water-passing member 4. The support member 5 and the valve drive unit 6 are prevented from shifting from the correct positions in which they are assembled in a temporary placement state.

[0043] 2, the abutment opening 7d of the assembled cover body 7 abuts against the abutment portion 13 of the water-passing member 4, restricting further movement. The main body 3 abuts against the inner circumferential surface of the cover body 7 at the peripheral wall 51b, side wall 51a, ribs 56a, 56b, 56c of the support member 5, the outer surface of the battery box 61, and the like. This restricts the main body 3 from moving in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the cover body 7.

[0044] After the cover body 7 is assembled, screws S1 are tightened into the through holes 7e on both sides of the cover body 7, the screw openings 51c of the support member 5, and the screw holes 14a of the water-permeable member 4. Additionally, screws S2 are tightened into the through holes 7e at the top of the cover body 7, the through holes 51d of the support member 5, and the screw holes 15a of the water-permeable member 4. Next, the decorative cover 8 is assembled, and the cap 9 is attached. The faucet 1 is assembled by attaching the water outlet 31 to the water-permeable member 4 through the water outlet opening 7b of the cover body 7.

[0045] <Effects of the faucet 1 of this embodiment> (1) In the faucet 1 of this embodiment, the water-passing member 4 has the support member 5 placed on the mounting surface 13b of the abutment portion 13, the upper surface of the protruding portion 15, and the upper circumferential surface of the discharge pipe 30. Therefore, when assembling the main body 3, the support member 5 can be temporarily placed on the top of the water-passing member 4. Also, the support member 5 has the valve drive unit 6 placed on the upper surface of the mounting portion 52b of the power source storage portion 52 and the upper surface of the connecting wall 57. Therefore, when assembling the main body 3, the valve drive unit 6 can be temporarily placed on the top of the support member 5. When assembling the main body 3, it is not necessary to hold the constituent members by hand or fasten them with screws, improving the ease of assembly of the faucet 1.

[0046] (2) The support member 5 abuts against the abutment surface 13a and the locking hole 15b of the abutment portion 13 of the water-passing member 4, and is restricted from moving from the correct position in the direction in which the cover body 7 is assembled. In addition, the valve drive unit 6 abuts against the rib 56a of the side wall 56 of the support member 5, and is restricted from moving from the correct position in the direction in which the cover body 7 is assembled. Therefore, even if the support member 5 and the valve drive unit 6 are left in a temporary placement state, they are restricted from moving in the assembly direction together with the cover body 7. The support member 5 and the valve drive unit 6 can be assembled in the correct position relative to the water-passing member 4 without being fixed with screws. This improves the ease of assembly of the faucet 1.

[0047] (3) The valve drive unit 6 is placed on the upper part of the support member 5. Therefore, when assembling the valve drive unit 6 during maintenance of the faucet 1, the faucet 1 can be placed on the water-passing member 4 together with the support member 5 with the valve drive unit 6 placed on the support member 5.

[0048] (4) The support member 5 is formed with side walls 51a that abut against both widthwise ends of the overhanging portion 16 of the water-passing member 4 and both widthwise ends of the sub-valve fixing portion 24. The support member 5 can maintain a temporary placement state with both widthwise ends of the water-passing member 4 sandwiched between the pair of side walls 51a. The temporary placement state of the support member 5 is stable, improving the assembly of the faucet 1.

[0049] (5) The battery box 61 and the sensor unit 62 of the valve drive unit 6 are integrated by fitting the fitting claws 61a into the fitting holes 65a. Therefore, there is no need to screw the battery box 61 and the sensor unit 62 together. This improves the ease of assembly of the valve drive unit 6.

[0050] (6) The main body 3 abuts against the inner surface of the cover body 7. Therefore, not only is movement in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the cover body 7 restricted, but movement in any direction other than the assembly direction of the cover body 7 is restricted. The water passage member 4, the support member 5, and the valve drive unit 6 are positioned inside the cover body 7 without being fixed with screws. The body 3 is prevented from rattling, and is held stably inside the cover body 7.

[0051] (7) The locking tube 55 of the support member 5 engages with the locking hole 15b of the protruding portion 15 of the water-passing member 4, thereby restricting the support member 5 from moving toward the axial tip side relative to the water-passing member 4. In addition, the base end edge of the engaged portion 61b of the battery box 61 engages with the base end edge of the engagement wall 58 of the support member 5, thereby restricting the valve drive unit 6 from moving toward the axial tip side relative to the support member 5. This stabilizes the temporary placement state of the valve drive unit 6 and the support member 5. In addition, when the cover body 7 is removed during maintenance of the faucet 1, the valve drive unit 6 and the support member 5 are prevented from unintentionally coming off. This improves the ease of assembly of the faucet 1.

[0052] The above embodiment can be modified as follows: The embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that no technical contradiction occurs. In the faucet 1 of the above embodiment, the valve drive unit 6 is placed on top of the water-passing member 4 via the support member 5, but the support member 5 can be omitted. In this case, the water-passing member 4 may be provided with a first mounting portion for mounting the valve drive unit 6, and the valve drive unit 6 may be directly mounted thereon. In addition, the water-passing member 4 may be provided with a first restriction portion for restricting movement of the valve drive unit 6 in the assembly direction of the cover body 7.

[0053] In the faucet 1 of the above embodiment, the movement of the support member 5 in the assembly direction of the cover body 7 is restricted by abutting against the abutment surface 13a of the abutment portion 13 of the water-passing member 4, but this is not limited to this. The movement in the assembly direction may be restricted by fitting the support member 5 with the water-passing member 4. The same applies to the restriction of movement between the support member 5 and the valve drive unit 6.

[0054] The position of the first mounting portion of the water-passing member 4 is not limited to that in the above embodiment. It is sufficient if the support member 5 can be held in a temporarily placed state. The same applies to the second mounting portion of the support member 5. The position of the first restricting portion of the water passing member 4 is not limited to that in the above embodiment. It is sufficient if it can restrict the movement of the support member 5. The same applies to the second restricting portion of the support member 5.

[0055] The valve drive unit 6 may be fixed to the support member 5 by screws. Also, the support member 5 may be fixed to the water passing member 4 by screws. The support member 5 does not have to be formed with a pair of side walls 51a that abut against both widthwise sides of the water-permeable member 4. For example, the length of the side walls 51a in the vertical direction is short, and the shape does not have to sandwich both widthwise sides of the water-permeable member 4.

[0056] The battery box 61 and the sensor unit 62 do not have to be assembled by fitting together. For example, they may be fixed together by screws. The shape of the faucet 1 is not particularly limited. It does not have to be substantially cylindrical. Furthermore, the shapes of the water passage member 4, the support member 5, and the valve drive unit 6 are not particularly limited.

[0057] The contact points between the main body 3 and the inner surface of the cover main body 7 are not limited to those in the above embodiment. The cover body 7 and the cap 9 may be integrated together.

[0058] The decorative cover 8 may be omitted. The technical ideas understood from the above-described embodiments and modifications will be described below. (i) A faucet having a main body and a cover that houses the main body, wherein the main body has an internal water passage connecting a connection to a water supply pipe and a water outlet, and is equipped with a water-passing member having a valve that opens and closes the water passage based on a detection signal from a sensor, a support member provided on an upper part of the water-passing member, and a valve drive unit provided on the upper part of the support member for supplying power to the valve and controlling the opening and closing of the valve, wherein the water-passing member is provided with a first mounting portion for mounting the support member, and a first regulating portion that regulates the movement of the support member in the direction of assembly of the cover by engaging or abutting with the support member, and the support member is formed with a pair of first side walls that sandwich the sides of the water-passing member.

[0059] (b) The faucet described in (a) above, characterized in that the support member is provided with a second mounting portion for mounting the valve drive unit, and a second regulating portion for regulating movement of the valve drive unit in the assembly direction of the cover by engaging with or abutting the valve drive unit.

[0060] (C) The faucet described in (A) or (B) above, wherein the support member is formed with a pair of second side walls that sandwich the sides of the valve drive unit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 1...faucet, 2...cover, 3...main body, 4...water-passing member, 5...support member, 6...valve drive unit, 11...connecting tube (connecting portion), 13...abutment portion (first mounting portion, first regulating portion), 15...protruding portion (first mounting portion), 15b...engaging hole (first regulating portion), 22...auxiliary valve portion (valve portion), 30...outlet pipe (first mounting portion), 31...outlet, 32...water passage, 52b...mounting portion (second mounting portion), 56a...rib (second regulating portion), 57...connecting wall (second mounting portion), 61...battery box (power supply portion), 62...sensor unit (drive control portion), 62a...sensor.

Claims

1. A faucet having a main body and a cover body that houses the main body therein, The cover body is a cylindrical member constituted by a single member, and is assembled to the main body portion in the axial direction of the cover body, The main body portion is a water passage member having a water passage therein that connects a connection portion to a water supply pipe and a water outlet, and having a valve portion that opens and closes the water passage based on a detection signal from a sensor; a valve drive unit provided on an upper portion of the water passage member for supplying power to the valve portion and controlling opening and closing of the valve portion; a support member provided between the water passage member and the valve drive unit, The main body is configured to be able to maintain a temporary placement state in which the valve drive unit is placed on the water passage member via the support member during assembly before the cover body is attached, The water passing member is provided with a first placement portion on which the support member is placed and a first restriction portion that restricts movement of the support member in the temporary placement state, the first regulating portion is a part of an outer surface of the water-permeable member and abuts against the support member in the assembly direction of the cover body to regulate the support member from moving from a normal position in the assembly direction of the cover body, the support member is provided with a second mounting portion on which the valve drive unit is mounted and a second restricting portion that restricts movement of the valve drive unit in the temporarily placed state, The second regulating portion is a part of the outer surface of the support member and abuts against the valve drive unit in the assembly direction of the cover body, thereby regulating the movement of the valve drive unit from its normal position in the assembly direction of the cover body.

2. The support member is provided with a pair of side walls aligned in a width direction perpendicular to both the vertical direction and the axial direction of the cover body, The faucet according to claim 1 , wherein the pair of side walls sandwich the water-passing member in the width direction in the temporary placement state.

3. the valve drive unit includes a drive control unit that controls opening and closing of the valve portion based on the detection signal, and a power supply unit that supplies power to the valve portion and the drive control unit, The faucet according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the drive control unit is assembled to the power supply unit by fitting.

4. A faucet as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the main body abuts against the inner surface of the cover body, thereby positioning the water-passing member, the valve drive unit, and the support member.

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