Faucet

Abstract

To provide a faucet that prevents unintentional contact between a tool and a cover during connection work between a water supply pipe and a connection part.SOLUTION: A faucet comprises: a water flow member that has a water flow passage inside that communicates a connection part 511 to the water supply pipe and a water discharge port; and a cover 2 that houses the water flow member, wherein the water flow member has a tool hooking part 515 for hooking a tool when connecting the connection part 511 to the water supply pipe, and the faucet has a cover protection part 63 that has an end part 515a of the tool hooking part 515 located outside the cover 2 in a width direction with the tool hooking part 515 directed in the width direction, and an end part 63a located above the cover 2 in an upward direction with the tool hooking part 515 directed in the width direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a faucet, in particular to a faucet having a cover. [Background technology]

[0002] Automatic faucets have been known as water faucets for some time. These automatic faucets are equipped with a power source (battery), a detection sensor, an electromagnetic valve, a water passage member, etc., and further equipped with a cover that houses these components inside.

[0003] In addition, since an automatic faucet is used by connecting it to a water supply pipe installed on a wall or the like, a connection part is formed in the water-passing member, and the work of connecting the water supply pipe to this connection part is required. Specifically, the water supply pipe is formed with a female thread, and the connection part of the water-passing member of the automatic faucet is formed with a male thread, and the two are connected by screwing them together.

[0004] Here, because the work of connecting the water supply pipe and the connection part is performed using a tool (e.g., an adjustable wrench), the water-passing member of the automatic faucet is formed with a tool hook for hanging the tool during work. This tool hook protrudes outward in the width direction from the cover, so that the tool will not hit the cover when hung on the tool hook, preventing contact between the tool and the cover (water discharge part 5 shown in Figure 4 of Patent Document 1, however, no part number is given to the tool hook). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-11150 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 8(a), the tool is so-called U-shaped, and when the tool is hung on the tool hanging part, there is a part where the tool is located opposite the upper part of the cover. In addition, since the work of connecting an automatic faucet involves a rotational movement, the direction of the force applied to the tool is not constant, and when the tool is hung on the tool hanging part, the tool and the faucet may unintentionally move relative to each other. Specifically, when the tool moves downward (in the direction of the arrow) from the state shown in FIG. 8(a) relative to the cover, it will come into contact with the cover as shown in FIG. 8(b). In particular, the force applied to the tool becomes larger toward the end of the connection work, so the force with which the tool comes into contact with the cover becomes stronger, and the impact may cause the cover to deform. In such a case, the deformed cover may interfere with the member stored inside, making it difficult to attach or remove the cover. This is not limited to automatic faucets, but applies to faucets equipped with a cover that stores a water-permeable member inside.

[0007] In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a faucet that prevents unintentional contact between a tool and a cover when connecting a water supply pipe and a connection part. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The faucet for solving the above problem comprises a water-passing member having an internal water passage that connects a connection portion to a water supply pipe and a water outlet, and a cover that houses the water-passing member, wherein the water-passing member has a tool hanging portion for hanging a tool when connecting the connection portion to the water supply pipe, and when the tool hanging portion is oriented in the width direction, an end of the tool hanging portion is located widthwise outer than the cover, and when the tool hanging portion is oriented in the width direction, a cover protection portion is provided whose end is located above or below the cover in at least one of the vertical directions.

[0009] In the faucet, the cover protection portion is formed at a position that overlaps with the tool hanging portion in the axial direction. In the faucet, the end of the cover protection portion has a flat surface.

[0010] In the faucet, the flat surface is an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the width direction. In the faucet, the cover protection portion is formed separately from the water-passing member. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, unintentional contact between a tool and a cover can be prevented during the work of connecting a water supply pipe and a connection portion. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the automatic faucet from diagonally below and front. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3(a) is a bottom view of the cover body, FIG. 3(b) is a plan view of the same, and FIG. 3(c) is a side view of the same. [Figure 4] FIG. 4(a) is a plan view of the connection member, FIG. 4(b) is a side view of the same, and FIG. 4(c) is a rear view of the same. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5(a) is a plan view of the support member, FIG. 5(b) is a side view of the same, and FIG. 5(c) is a rear view of the same. [Figure 6] FIG. 6(a) is a plan view of the base end side in an assembled state, FIG. 6(b) is a side view of the same, and FIG. 6(c) is a rear view of the same. [Figure 7] 7A and 7B are explanatory diagrams of how to attach the automatic faucet of the present embodiment using a tool, in which Fig. 7A shows a state in which the tool is not in contact with the cover protection part, and Fig. 7B shows a state in which the tool is in contact with the cover protection part. [Figure 8] An explanatory diagram of the installation of a conventional automatic faucet using a tool. Fig. 8(a) shows the state where the tool is not in contact with the cover, and Fig. 8(b) shows the state where the tool is in contact with the cover. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] An embodiment of an automatic faucet 1 embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 to 7. Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of the automatic faucet 1 attached to a wall, viewed diagonally from below and from the front. The automatic faucet 1 is connected to a water supply pipe (not shown) installed on the wall of a washbasin or sink, and spouts clean water (hereinafter simply referred to as "water") from a water supply source. In addition, a washbasin, sink, etc. (not shown) is disposed below the automatic faucet 1 to receive the spouted water.

[0014] 1, when attached to a wall, automatic faucet 1 is covered almost entirely by cylindrical cover 2, with detection sensor 41 and water outlet 532 located below the tip side. In addition, a roughly conical decorative sleeve 3 is fitted onto cover 2 to cover the base end of cover 2. Automatic faucet 1 is of a sensor detection type, and when detection sensor 41 detects a hand or the like positioned below water outlet 532, water is discharged, and when it is no longer detected, water discharge is stopped.

[0015] 1 and 2 respectively define the tip (side) and base (side), top (side) and bottom (side), and width directions for the automatic faucet 1 and each of the components that make up the automatic faucet 1. Specifically, the tip (side) and base (side) are the directions in which the cylindrical cover 2 extends, and this direction is also called the axial direction. The direction of the central axis 511s of the connection screw part 511, which will be described later, is parallel to the axial direction. Also, the direction perpendicular to the axial direction and the up-down direction (the left-right direction in Figs. 4(c), 5(c), and 6(c)) is called the width direction.

[0016] FIG. 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the automatic faucet 1. The automatic faucet 1 is mainly composed of a cover 2, a decorative sleeve 3, a valve drive unit 4, a water-passing member 5, and a support member 6. The cover 2 is composed of a cover body 21 and a lid cover 22, and the valve drive unit 4, the water-passing member 5, and the support member 6 can be stored inside the cover 2. The cover body 21 is made of a metal such as stainless steel, and is cylindrical with both ends open. The lid cover 22 is disc-shaped with the same diameter as the outer diameter of the cover body 21, and is detachable from the tip opening of the cover body 21.

[0017] As shown in Figures 3(a) to 3(c), a plurality of openings (including notches) are formed on the circumferential surface of the cover body 21. First, as shown in Figure 3(a), a rectangular sensor opening 211 and a circular water outlet opening 212 are formed in this order from the tip on the lower tip side of the cover body 21. Furthermore, a plurality of openings are also formed in the circumferential direction on the base end side of the cover body 21.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 3(a), a water stop valve opening 213 is formed in the lower part of the base end side of the cover body 21. The water stop valve opening 213 is U-shaped and cut out from the base end edge 214 of the cover body 21 toward the tip. As shown in FIG. 3(b), two protective part openings 215 are formed in the upper part of the base end side of the cover body 21. The two protective part openings 215 are rectangular and elongated in the width direction and cut out from the base end edge 214 of the cover body 21 toward the tip, and are formed symmetrically with respect to a line (shown by a broken line in FIG. 3(a) and FIG. 3(b)) that divides the cover body 21 in the width direction in a plan view (rear view). An upper through hole 216 is formed in the cover body 21 on the tip side between the two protective part openings 215.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 3(c), hanging part openings 217 are formed on both side surfaces of the base end of the cover body 21. The two hanging part openings 217 are substantially square-shaped cut out from the base end edge 214 of the cover body 21 toward the tip, and are formed symmetrically with respect to a line (shown by a dashed line in Figs. 3(a) and 3(b)) that divides the cover body 21 in the width direction in a plan view (rear view). Side through holes 218 are formed on the tip side of each hanging part opening 217 in the cover body 21. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a resin protective cover 219 is attached to the opening edge of the sensor opening 211 of the cover body 21.

[0020] The valve drive unit 4 is a unit structure consisting of a detection sensor 41, a control board 42 having a control unit, a power source (not shown), etc., and controls the water discharge of the automatic faucet 1. Since the valve drive unit 4 is stored inside the cover body 21, its upper part is semi-cylindrical. The detection sensor 41 detects a hand, etc., and is located below the tip of the valve drive unit 4. When stored in the cover 2, it is located opposite the sensor opening 211 as shown in FIG. 1. The control board 42 having the control unit controls the opening and closing of the valve of the valve unit 52 based on the detection result of the detection sensor 41. The power source supplies driving power to the detection sensor 41, etc., and is composed of a dry cell.

[0021] The water passage member 5 forms a water passage for discharging water from the water supply pipe in the automatic faucet 1. The water passage member 5 is composed of a connection member 51, a valve unit 52, and a water discharge member 53 in this order from the base end.

[0022] Fig. 4(a) shows a plan view of the connection member 51, Fig. 4(b) shows a side view of the same, and Fig. 4(c) shows a rear view of the same. Note that the dashed lines in each figure indicate the cover 2. The connection member 51 is a member that connects the automatic water faucet 1 to the water supply pipe and has a water passage formed therein that sends water from the water supply pipe to the valve unit 52, and is made of a metal such as brass. From the base end side, the connection member 51 has a connection screw portion 511, a connection member main body 512, and an attachment portion 513 formed integrally.

[0023] The connection screw portion 511 is cylindrical with male threads 514 on the outer periphery, and the inside serves as a water passage. The center of rotation when the male threads 514 of the connection screw portion 511 are screwed into the water supply pipe is called the central axis 511s, and is shown by a long dashed line in Figures 4(a) and 4(b) and by a dot in Figure 4(c). A connection member main body 512 having a water passage therein is located at the tip of the connection screw portion 511. The connection member main body 512 is formed with a tool hook 515 on which a tool, for example both jaws of an adjustable wrench, is hooked when connecting the automatic faucet 1 to the water supply pipe.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 4(a), the tool hanging portion 515 is configured to protrude outward on both sides in the width direction in a plan view, and is formed line-symmetrically with respect to the central axis 511s in the plan view. Also, as shown in Fig. 4(b), both ends of the tool hanging portion 515 in the width direction form flat hanging surfaces 515a. The distance between the hanging surfaces 515a is longer than the width of the cover main body 21, more specifically, the width of the cover 2 at a position overlapping with the tool hanging portion 515 in the axial direction. The hanging surfaces 515a are formed line-symmetrically with respect to the central axis 511s in a side view shown in Fig. 4(b).

[0025] 4(c), the tool hanging portion 515 is configured to protrude outward in both width directions at intervals of 180 degrees with respect to the central axis 511s in rear view. Therefore, when the connecting member 51 is stored in the cover 2, the tool hanging portion 515 faces outward in both width directions, and both hanging surfaces 515a are positioned protruding from the hanging portion openings 217 of the cover 2. In addition, the base end surface 515b of the tool hanging portion 515 is substantially flush with the base end edge 214 of the cover 2.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 4(b) and 4(c), a water stop valve 516 is attached below the connection member body 512, and the water passage in the connection member 51 can be opened and closed. As shown in FIG. 4(a), an upper screw hole 517 is formed facing upward on the top surface of the connecting member main body 512, and as shown in FIG. 4(b), a side screw hole 518 is formed facing outward in the width direction on the tip side of the tool hanging portion 515 of both side surfaces of the connecting member main body 512.

[0027] A generally cylindrical attachment portion 513 is formed at the tip of the connection member body 512 so as to protrude in the axial direction, and a water passage communicating with the connection screw portion 511 and the connection member body 512 is formed inside.

[0028] 2 has a water passage (not shown) inside, and an on-off valve (not shown) is arranged in the flow path. The on-off valve is composed of an electromagnetic valve, and is controlled to open and close by the valve drive unit 4. The water discharge member 53 has an elbow-shaped water discharge pipe 531 made of synthetic resin, and a water discharge port 532 made of metal. A water passage is formed inside the water discharge pipe 531, and the base end of the water discharge pipe 531 is connected to the tip of the valve unit 52, and the cylindrical water discharge port 532 is detachable from the tip of the water discharge pipe 531.

[0029] Figure 5(a) shows a plan view of the support member 6, Figure 5(b) shows a side view, and Figure 5(c) shows a rear view. In each figure, the cover 2 is shown in dashed lines. The support member 6 serves as a support for the valve drive unit 4 and the water-passing member 5, and can be stored within the cover 2 with the valve drive unit 4 and the water-passing member 5 supported or attached, respectively. The support member 6 is integrally molded from thermoplastic resin.

[0030] A support frame 61 having a rectangular shape in a plan view is formed on the tip side of the support member 6, and the valve drive unit 4 can be installed on this support frame 61 from above. The base end side of the support member 6 has a mounting section 62 that is semi-cylindrical in shape with an upward arc as a whole and is hollow at the bottom, and the water-passing member 5 can be attached from below as shown in Fig. 2. The outer periphery of the top surface on the base end side of the mounting section 62 is formed in an upward semicircular shape that follows the shape of the inner periphery of the cover body 21, and a cover protection section 63 that can come into contact with a tool when connecting the automatic faucet 1 to a water supply pipe is integrally formed on the top surface of the base end.

[0031] The cover protection part 63 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape extending upward from the upper surface of the base end of the mounting part 62. The cover protection part 63 has two protrusions that are symmetrical with respect to a center line (shown by a dashed line in Figs. 5(a) and (c)) that divides the support member 6 in half in the width direction, and these are formed as a pair. Each protrusion of the cover protection part 63 has a rectangular shape that is long in the width direction in a plan view, and the upper end protection surfaces 63a that form the ends of the cover protection part 63 are each flat. Meanwhile, the two protection surfaces 63a are not parallel to each other, but are inclined surfaces that are higher the closer they are to each other.

[0032] In addition, when the support member 6 is stored in the cover 2, the lowest part (the outer part in the width direction) of the protective surface 63a of the cover protection part 63 protrudes upward from the protective part opening 215 of the cover 2. The lowest part (the outer part in the width direction) of the protective surface 63a is located above the upper end of the outer peripheral surface of the cover 2, more specifically, above the upper end of the cover 2 at a position overlapping with the tool hanging part 515 in the axial direction. Here, the upper part of the cover 2 means above a virtual surface (see the dashed line in FIG. 6(c)) that is perpendicular to the hanging surface 515a of the tool hanging part 515 and in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the cover 2. In addition, the base end surface 63b of the cover protection part 63 is approximately flush with the base end edge 214 of the cover 2. A through hole 64 is formed on the tip side between the cover protection parts 63 on the upper surface of the support member 6.

[0033] Next, we will explain how to assemble the automatic faucet 1. First, the valve drive unit 4 and the water passage member 5 are assembled to the support member 6. The valve drive unit 4 is assembled from above to the support frame 61 on the tip side of the support member 6, and the water passage member 5 is assembled from below to the mounting part 62 on the base end of the support member 6. At the same time, the necessary wiring is also performed.

[0034] 6(a) shows a plan view of the base end side of the cover 2 in which the valve drive unit 4, the water passage member 5, and the support member 6 are assembled and stored, FIG. 6(b) shows a side view of the same, and FIG. 6(c) shows a rear view of the same. The valve drive unit 4 is not shown. As shown in FIG. 6(a) and FIG. 6(c), the tool hanging portion 515 is positioned in a loosely fitted state in the hanging portion opening 217 of the cover 2. Since the distance between both hanging surfaces 515a of the tool hanging portion 515 is longer than the width of the outer peripheral surface of the cover 2 that is positioned overlapping with the tool hanging portion 515 in the axial direction, both hanging surfaces 515a of the tool hanging portion 515 are positioned protruding outward in the width direction from the outer peripheral surface of the cover 2. In addition, the base end surface 515b of the tool hanging portion 515 is approximately flush with the base end edge 214 of the cover 2.

[0035] Moreover, the cover protection part 63 is positioned in a loose fit state in the protection part opening 215 on the upper surface side of the cover 2. Even the lowest parts (outer parts in the width direction) of both protection surfaces 63a of the cover protection part 63 are positioned higher than the upper end of the cover 2, which is at a position overlapping with the tool hanging part 515 in the axial direction. Moreover, the base end surface 63b of the cover protection part 63 is approximately flush with the base end edge 214 of the cover 2. Therefore, the hanging surface 515a of the tool hanging part 515 and the protection surface 63a of the cover protection part 63 are positioned at the overlapping parts in the axial direction.

[0036] In other words, at least a part of the protective surface 63a of the cover protection part 63 is located on an imaginary band connecting both hanging surfaces 515a of the tool hanging part 515 in the plan view shown in FIG. 6(a). Therefore, when viewed from the tool, the protective surface 63a of the cover protection part 63 is located at a position facing the tool when the tool is hung on the tool hanging part 515. Furthermore, the connection screw part 511 is located protruding toward the base end side from the base end edge 214 of the cover 2. The stop valve 516 attached to the connection member 51 is located at the stop valve opening 213 of the cover 2 and protrudes below the cover 2. Furthermore, the upper screw hole 517 of the connection member main body 512 faces the upper through hole 216 of the cover 2 and the through hole 64 of the support member 6, and the side screw hole 518 of the connection member main body 512 faces the side through hole 218 of the cover 2. Then, screws 7 are inserted into the upper through-holes 216 and the side through-holes 218 of the cover 2, respectively, to fix the cover 2, the water-passing member 5, and the support member 6 together.

[0037] Next, we will explain the action when connecting the automatic faucet 1 to a water supply pipe. Note that, in this state, the water outlet 532 and the decorative sleeve 3 have not yet been attached, but for the convenience of explaining the process of connecting to the water supply pipe below, we will refer to it as the automatic faucet 1.

[0038] First, as shown in FIG. 7(a), the connection screw portion 511 located at the base end of the automatic faucet 1 is placed against the water supply pipe, and the tool is hooked on the hook surface 515a of the tool hook portion 515. In this state, the automatic faucet 1 is rotated together with the tool to screw the connection screw portion 511 into the water supply pipe. Note that the automatic faucet 1 may be screwed in by hand without using a tool at the beginning, and the tool may be used when the screwing is tight. When the automatic faucet 1 is screwed in with a tool, the force required for screwing in increases gradually, so that the tool may unintentionally move toward the cover 2 depending on the degree and direction of the force applied to the tool. However, the protective surface 63a of the cover protection portion 63 is located above the cover 2 at a position facing the tool. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the tool comes into contact with the protective surface 63a of the cover protection portion 63 before coming into contact with the cover 2, and even if the tool moves unintentionally with the tool hook portion 515, contact between the tool and the cover 2 is avoided.

[0039] Then, once the connection screw portion 511 is screwed into the water supply pipe using a tool, the decorative sleeve 3 is attached, and the water outlet 532 is attached, the installation of the automatic faucet 1 is complete. An abutment portion (not shown) is provided on the inner surface of the decorative sleeve 3. This abutment portion abuts against the side surface of the cover protection portion 63 when the decorative sleeve 3 is attached, and the decorative sleeve 3 is positioned by restricting its rotation about the central axis 511s. The automatic faucet 1 can be removed by simply reversing the above connection procedure. Even if the tool unintentionally moves toward the cover 2, the tool will come into contact with the protective surface 63a of the cover protection portion 63 before it comes into contact with the cover 2, protecting the cover 2, as described above.

[0040] According to the automatic faucet 1 of the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) In the above embodiment, when the tool hanging portion 515 is oriented in the width direction, the hanging surface 515a, which is the end of the tool hanging portion 515, is located outside the cover 2 in the width direction. Also, when the tool hanging portion 515 is oriented in the width direction, the cover protection portion 63 has a protective surface 63a, which is the end, located above the cover 2. Therefore, even if the tool hanging portion 515 and the tool move relative to each other during the connection work of the automatic faucet 1, the tool will come into contact with the protective surface 63a of the cover protection portion 63 before the cover 2, preventing unintended contact between the tool and the cover 2.

[0041] (2) The cover protection portion 63 is formed at a position overlapping with the tool hanging portion 515 in the axial direction. Therefore, the cover protection portion 63 is located at a position facing the tool when the tool is hung on the tool hanging portion 515, and therefore contact between the tool and the cover 2 can be prevented.

[0042] (3) The upper end of the cover protection portion 63 is a protection surface 63a, which can protect the cover 2 from tools over a wide area. (4) The protective surface 63a of the cover protective portion 63 is an inclined surface inclined in the width direction, and in particular, both inner sides of the pair of protective surfaces 63a are higher upward. Therefore, the higher inner side of the two protective surfaces 63a is more likely to come into contact with a tool, and even if the protective surface 63a is deformed, it is more likely to deform toward the lower outer side, so that the cover protective portion 63 is less likely to be crushed. Since the cover protective portion 63 and its protective surface 63a are symmetrical with respect to the center line that divides the support member 6 in half in the width direction, the tool makes line contact with both inner sides that are the highest of the pair of protective surfaces 63a in parallel with the central axis 511s. Therefore, the torque when tightening the tool is less likely to be transmitted to the protective surface 63a compared to when the tool makes surface contact with the protective surface 63a, and deformation of the cover protective portion 63 can be suppressed.

[0043] (5) The cover protection part 63 is formed separately from the water-permeable member 5. Therefore, if the cover protection part 63 comes into contact with a tool and is deformed, it can be replaced separately from the water-permeable member 5. (6) The cover protection portion 63 is positioned in a loose fit state in the protection portion opening 215 of the cover 2. Therefore, even if the cover protection portion 63 comes into contact with a tool and is deformed, the deformed cover protection portion 63 is unlikely to come into contact with the protection portion opening 215 of the cover 2.

[0044] (7) The cover protection part 63 is formed as a part of the support member integrally molded from thermoplastic resin. Therefore, when a tool comes into contact with the cover protection part 63, the cover protection part 63 deforms to absorb the impact, and the impact on the water-permeable member 5 can be reduced.

[0045] The above embodiment may be modified as follows. Although the cover protection portion 63 is formed on the support member 6 , the cover protection portion 63 is not limited to the support member 6 , and may be formed on the connection member 51 .

[0046] The cover protection part 63 may be a separate body independent of the connection member 51 and the support member 6. For example, a screw member or a bolt member with a high head height may be used in the upper screw hole 517 of the connection member main body 512, and the screw member or the bolt member may be made to be higher than the cover 2 when screwed into the upper screw hole 517, and the screw member or the bolt member may be made to serve as the cover protection part 63. In this case, the upper through hole 216 of the cover 2 is made large enough to allow the head of the screw member or the bolt member to fit loosely, so that when a tool comes into contact with the screw member or the bolt member that is the cover protection part 63, the impact is not transmitted to the cover 2. In this case, since there is no upper surface between the cover 2 and the connection member 51, it is preferable to fix the cover 2 and the connection member 51 separately using the screw 7.

[0047] The pair of protective surfaces 63a of the cover protective portion 63 may be parallel surfaces instead of inclined surfaces. Also, the protective surfaces 63a may be curved or uneven instead of flat surfaces. It is sufficient that the tool hits the surface before the cover 2.

[0048] Although two cover protection parts 63 are formed as a pair, one cover protection part may be used. It is sufficient that the protection surface 63a of the cover protection part 63 is positioned above the outer circumferential surface of the cover 2. Although the cover protection portion 63 is provided above the cover 2 with the tool hook portion 515 facing the width direction, it may be provided below the cover 2 instead of above. In other words, the cover protection portion 63 may be configured to protrude below the lower end of the cover 2.

[0049] Next, the technical ideas that can be understood from the above-described embodiment and other examples will be described below together with their effects. (a) The cover protection part is characterized in that it is made of a thermoplastic resin. Therefore, according to the invention described in (a), when the cover protection part comes into contact with a tool, the cover protection part deforms to absorb the impact, and the impact is less likely to be transmitted to the faucet. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1...automatic faucet (faucet), 2...cover, 4...valve drive unit, 5...water-passing member, 6...support member, 63...cover protection part, 63a...protective surface (end of cover protection part 63), 511...connection part, 515...tool hanging part, 515a...hanging surface (end of tool hanging part), 532...water outlet.

Claims

1. a water passage member having a water passage therein that connects a connection portion to a water supply pipe and a water outlet; A cover for housing the water-permeable member, The water passage member has a tool hook portion on which a tool is hooked when connecting the connection portion to the water supply pipe, When the tool hook portion is oriented in the width direction, an end portion of the tool hook portion is located outside the cover in the width direction, a cover protection portion having an end portion located above or below the cover in at least one of the up and down directions when the tool hook portion is oriented in the width direction, A faucet characterized in that the cover is positioned between the tool hanging portion and the cover protection portion.

2. a water passage member having a water passage therein that connects a connection portion to a water supply pipe and a water outlet; A cover for housing the water-permeable member, The water passage member has a tool hook portion on which a tool is hooked when connecting the connection portion to the water supply pipe, When the tool hook portion is oriented in the width direction, an end portion of the tool hook portion is located outside the cover in the width direction, a cover protection portion having an end portion located above or below the cover in at least one of the up and down directions when the tool hook portion is oriented in the width direction, A faucet characterized in that an end of the cover protection portion has a flat surface.

3. a water passage member having a water passage therein that connects a connection portion to a water supply pipe and a water outlet; A cover for housing the water-permeable member, The water passage member has a tool hook portion on which a tool is hooked when connecting the connection portion to the water supply pipe, When the tool hook portion is oriented in the width direction, an end portion of the tool hook portion is located outside the cover in the width direction, a cover protection portion having an end portion located above or below the cover in at least one of the up and down directions when the tool hook portion is oriented in the width direction, The faucet, wherein the cover protection portion is formed separately from the water-passing member.

4. The faucet according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the cover protection portion is formed at a position overlapping with the tool hook portion in the axial direction.

5. The faucet according to claim 2 , wherein the flat surface is an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the width direction.

6. The faucet according to claim 1 or 3, wherein an end of the cover protection portion has a flat surface.

7. The faucet according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cover protection portion is formed separately from the water-passing member.

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