shower head

Abstract

To provide a shower head capable of using either shower water containing microbubbles or normal shower water switched by a simple operation.SOLUTION: A shower head 1 includes: a body part 2 having a hollow part 11c that communicates a third opening 12c1 and a first opening 11d, and an inner diameter part 12a; a spray plate 4 attached to the first opening 11d; and a cartridge 3 disposed so as to be attached to / detached from the hollow part 11c inside the spray plate 4 with a single touch. The cartridge 3 is equipped with microbubble generation mechanism 8 for generating microbubbles in the water passing inside. It is possible to discharge water containing microbubbles when the cartridge 3 is attached to the body part 2, and it is possible to discharge the water that does not contain microbubbles when the cartridge 3 is detached.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a showerhead, and more particularly to a showerhead capable of discharging hot or cold water (hereinafter referred to as "water") containing microbubbles. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, showerheads equipped with a microbubble generating mechanism that ejects water containing microbubbles from a nozzle to improve massage and cleaning performance have been known. The showerhead disclosed in Patent Document 1 is formed by inserting a rear-side component, a flow straightening plate, a liquid flow swirl component, a holding member, an intermediate component, and a front-side component into the case body in this order from the opening side and assembling them to the case body. Water introduced into the case body from a liquid inlet passage is transformed into a swirling flow as it passes through the flow straightening plate and the liquid flow swirl component. Air is introduced from the outside, generating a vortex containing microbubbles. This vortex breaks down as it passes through the intermediate component, generating small-diameter, high-density microbubbles, which are then ejected to the outside from the liquid outlet port in the front-side component, still containing the high-density microbubbles. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-178661 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned conventional technology, the microbubble generating mechanism disposed in the case body is configured so that it cannot be easily detached from the case body, which makes it difficult to switch between discharging water containing microbubbles and discharging normal water without microbubbles using the same showerhead with a simple operation.

[0005] In view of these problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a showerhead that can be used to provide either a shower containing microbubbles or a normal shower with a simple operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The first invention of the present invention is a shower head comprising a main body with an internal space connecting a water inlet and a water outlet, a spray plate attached to the water outlet, and a cartridge arranged in the internal space inside the spray plate so that it can be attached and detached with a single touch. The cartridge is equipped with a microbubble generating mechanism that generates microbubbles in the water passing through it, and when the cartridge is attached to the main body, it is possible to dispense water containing microbubbles, and when the cartridge is removed from the main body, it is possible to dispense water without containing microbubbles.

[0007] According to the first aspect of the present invention, by simply attaching and detaching the cartridge to and from the interior space of the showerhead with a single touch, it is possible to selectively use a shower of water containing microbubbles or a regular shower of water without microbubbles, thereby providing a showerhead with enhanced functionality.

[0008] A second aspect of the present invention is the microbubble generating mechanism according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the microbubble generating mechanism comprises a case portion having a cylindrical inner tube portion formed inside the cartridge between an inlet on one end side and an outlet on the other end side, and a plurality of disk-shaped members arranged coaxially and overlapping with each other about a central axis of the inner tube portion of the case portion, the disk-shaped members being provided with through holes for passing water in a thickness direction, the through holes having first and second through hole portions arranged in the thickness direction, the first through hole portion being formed on one surface of the disk-shaped members in the thickness direction and having a diameter greater than 100 mm, the diameter being ... A plurality of fan-shaped one-side openings arranged at equal intervals around the center and at one side are formed as holes that gradually rotate in the same rotational direction around the central axis as they move toward the other side in the thickness direction of the disc-shaped member, and are inclined relative to the one side; the second through-hole portion is formed as an annular hole that opens to the other side by connecting the other-side openings of the first through-hole portion in the direction of the other side; and when the disc-shaped members are stacked and arranged within the inner cylindrical portion, the through-holes are connected to form a water flow path from the inlet to the outlet.

[0009] According to the second aspect of the present invention, the first through-hole portions of the through-holes of the multiple disk-shaped members arranged in a stacked manner in the case portion are formed as holes inclined relative to the one surface, with the fan-shaped openings on one surface gradually rotating in the same rotational direction around the central axis as they move from one surface of the disk-shaped members to the other surface. When the disk-shaped members are arranged in a stacked manner inside the inner cylindrical portion, the first through-hole portions and second through-hole portions of adjacent disk-shaped members communicate with each other, and the multiple disk-shaped members as a whole form part of a flow path from the inlet to the outlet. This allows the microbubble generation mechanism to be formed by simply arranging disk members of the same shape in a stacked manner inside the inner cylindrical portion, thereby reducing the number of parts required and facilitating assembly into the inner cylindrical portion.

[0010] The third invention of the present invention is characterized in that, in the second invention, the disc-shaped members are formed with a convex portion disposed on one surface and protruding outward to prevent relative circumferential and radial movement between adjacent disc-shaped members when the disc-shaped members are stacked and arranged inside the inner cylindrical portion, and a concave portion disposed on the other surface that can receive and engage with the convex portion.

[0011] According to the third invention, when multiple disc-shaped members are stacked and arranged inside the inner cylindrical portion, the convex and concave portions of adjacent disc-shaped members engage with each other to prevent relative movement in the circumferential and radial directions, thereby enabling a stable flow path from the inlet to the outlet to be formed with a simple structure.

[0012] A fourth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the third aspect, the convex portion and the concave portion are formed at the center and the outer peripheral edge of the disk-shaped member.

[0013] According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the advantageous effects of the third aspect, the plurality of disc-shaped members are prevented from moving relative to each other in the radial direction by the engagement of the convex portions and concave portions at the centers of adjacent disc-shaped members, and are prevented from moving relative to each other mainly in the circumferential direction by the engagement of the convex portions and concave portions at the outer peripheries of adjacent disc-shaped members, thereby more reliably preventing relative movement in the circumferential and radial directions, and forming a more stable flow path from the inlet to the outlet. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shower head according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the outside. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the shower head in the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a main body in the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the cartridge in the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a disk-shaped member disposed in a cartridge. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a disk-shaped member in the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a disk-shaped member in the embodiment. [Figure 9]9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IX-IX of FIG. 8. [Figure 10] FIG. 3 is a side view of the disk-shaped member in the embodiment. [Figure 11] 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XI-XI of FIG. 10. [Figure 12] 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XII-XII of FIG. 10. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The configuration of a showerhead 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 12. Showerhead 1 is used in a bathroom by being held by the user's hand, or by being attached to a fixture fixed to a wall or other surface.

[0016] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, showerhead 1 has a resin main body 2, a cartridge 3 disposed inside main body 2, and a spray plate 4 attached to main body 2. In each figure, the direction in which water is sprayed from spray plate 4 is indicated by an arrow as OUT.

[0017] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the main body 2 has a main body 10 that allows water to pass through to the inside, a front cover 5 that covers the OUT side of the main body 10, and a rear cover 6 that covers the side of the main body 10 opposite the OUT side.

[0018] The main body 10 has a cup-shaped cup portion 11 that opens in the OUT direction and a pipe-shaped supply pipe portion 12 that supplies water to the cup portion 11. The cup portion 11 has a bottom surface 11a that is substantially circular when viewed from the OUT direction and a side surface portion 11b that extends from the outer peripheral edge of the bottom surface 11a toward the OUT direction. The area surrounded by the bottom surface 11a and the side surface portion 11b is formed as a substantially cylindrical hollow portion 11c. The shape of the hollow portion 11c is formed to match the outer shape of the cartridge 3. The inner diameter side of the end of the side surface portion 11b opposite the bottom surface 11a is formed as a circular first opening 11d. A second opening 11e is provided on the side surface portion 11b on the side of the supply pipe portion 12, connecting the inner diameter portion 12a of the supply pipe portion 12 to the hollow portion 11c. A male thread 11f1 for attaching the sprinkler plate 4 is formed on the end of the outer diameter portion 11f of the side portion 11b opposite the bottom surface portion 11a. The supply pipe portion 12 is generally cylindrical with a curved central axis, and the inner diameter portion 12a forms a water passage. One end of the supply pipe portion 12 is watertightly connected to the second opening 11e of the cup portion 11 via an opening / closing mechanism 12b that opens and closes the inner diameter portion 12a. A first cap 12b1 is placed on the OUT side of the opening / closing mechanism 12b, and a second cap 12b2 is placed on the opposite side. Pressing the first cap 12b1 in the direction opposite the OUT direction closes the inner diameter portion 12a to stop water flow, and pressing the second cap 12b2 in the OUT direction opens the inner diameter portion 12a to allow water to flow. The other end of the supply pipe portion 12 is formed with an expanded diameter portion 12c. The expanded diameter portion 12c is a portion to which one end of a hose (not shown), one end of which is connected to a water faucet (not shown), is connected in a watertight state. An opening provided in the expanded diameter portion 12c is the third opening 12c1, from which water is supplied to the inner diameter portion 12a. As a result, water whose temperature and flow rate have been adjusted in the faucet is supplied to the inner diameter portion 12a. Here, the hollow portion 11c and the inner diameter portion 12a correspond to the "internal space" in the claims. Furthermore, the first opening 11d and the third opening 12c1 correspond to the "water outlet" and the "water supply port" in the claims, respectively.

[0019] The front cover part 5 is a member that opens in the direction opposite the OUT direction and is shaped to cover the OUT side of the main body part 2, and has a circular opening 5a that exposes the first opening 11d when attached to the main body part 2, and a round hole 5b through which the first cap 12b1 passes in a loose-fitting state. The rear cover part 6 is a member that opens in the OUT direction and is shaped to cover the side of the main body part 2 opposite the OUT direction, and has a round hole 6a through which the second cap 12b2 passes in a loose-fitting state when attached to the main body part 2. When the main body part 2 is placed inside and the openings of the front cover part 5 and the rear cover part 6 are aligned and attached by screwing or the like, the main body part 2 is covered with only the first opening 11d and the expanded diameter part 12c exposed to the outside.

[0020] As shown in Figures 2, 3 and 5, the cartridge 3 has a housing portion 7 that is approximately cylindrical and cup-shaped and opens in the OUT direction, and six disk-shaped members 20 that are arranged in a stacked manner inside the housing portion 7.

[0021] The housing 7 has a bottom wall 7a that is substantially circular when viewed from the OUT direction and a side wall 7b that extends from the outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall 7a toward the OUT direction. The housing 7 is shaped so that it can be fitted into the hollow portion 11c of the cup portion 11 with the opening facing the OUT direction. When fitted, a fourth opening 7c is provided on the supply pipe 12 side, cut out from the bottom wall 7a to the side wall 7b. The housing 7 has a protrusion 7d that protrudes from the bottom wall 7a toward the OUT direction. The inside of the protrusion 7d is formed as a cylindrical inner diameter portion 7d1 with its central axis CA. The side of the inner diameter portion 7d1 facing the supply pipe 12 is connected to the fourth opening 7c, and the side of the inner diameter portion 7d1 opposite the supply pipe 12 is a circular fifth opening 7d2. The diameter of the inner diameter portion 7d1 is set to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the disc-shaped member 20. The fifth opening 7d2 and the inner diameter portion 7d1 are coaxial, and the diameter of the fifth opening 7d2 is slightly smaller than the diameter of the inner diameter portion 7d1. The protrusion 7d is configured so that the central axis CA of the inner diameter portion 7d1 is tilted approximately 10 degrees in the OUT direction with respect to the direction F of the water flow discharged from the second opening 11e of the cup portion 11 into the cartridge 3. Regarding the up-down direction shown in Figures 3 and 5 to 10, the direction of the fifth opening 7d2 on the inner diameter portion 7d1 is the top, and the direction of the fourth opening 7c is the bottom. Hereinafter, the up-down direction may be used as necessary. Herein, the protrusion 7d and the inner diameter portion 7d1 correspond to the "case portion" and the "inner cylinder portion," respectively. Furthermore, the fourth opening 7c and the fifth opening 7d2 correspond to the "inlet" and the "outlet," respectively.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 6 to 12 , the disk-shaped member 20 has a circular upper surface 21 and a circular lower surface 22, and is formed in a generally disk-like shape with the diameter of the outer diameter surface 23 being slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the inner diameter portion 7d1 of the protrusion 7d. An annular recess 22a is formed on the lower surface 22 side. The annular recess 22a has an outer surface 22a1 formed by a circle centered on the central axis CA extending upward, and an inner surface 22a2 formed by a circle centered on the central axis CA extending upward. The annular recess 22a has a rectangular cross section cut along a plane perpendicular to the lower surface 22 and extending radially. The distance between the lower surface 22 and the bottom surface 22a3 of the annular recess 22a, which is the depth of the annular recess 22a in the thickness direction of the disk-shaped member 20, is set to approximately half the thickness of the disk-shaped member 20. The upper surface 21, the lower surface 22, and the annular recess 22a correspond to the “one surface,” the “other surface,” and the “second through-hole portion,” respectively, in the claims.

[0023] The upper portion of the annular recess 22a of the disk-shaped member 20 is provided with eight inclined through holes 21a arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction around the central axis CA. As shown in Fig. 8, opening 21a1 in the upper surface 21 of inclined through hole 21a is shaped as a part of a sector-shaped portion having a central angle θ1 of 22.5 degrees about the central axis CA, surrounded by arcs 21a11, 21a12, radial portions 21a13, and 21a14. The circle including arc 21a11 is the inner circle C1, and the circle including arc 21a12 is the outer circle C2. A second radial line DL2 including radial portion 21a13 intersects with a first radial line DL1 including radial portion 21a14 at an angle of 22.5 degrees. 8, when the disk-shaped member 20 is disposed within the inner diameter portion 7d1 of the protrusion 7d of the housing 7, the central axis of the disk-shaped member 20 coincides with the central axis CA, and the radial line including the radial portion 21a14 coincides with the first radial line DL1, so the central axis CA and the first radial line DL1 are shown in this state. The openings 21a1 adjacent in the circumferential direction overlap when rotated 45 degrees around the central axis CA. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 11, the openings 21a2 in the bottom surface 22a3 of the annular recess 22a are rotated 15 degrees, or the central angle θ2, counterclockwise from the opening 21a1 around the central axis CA when viewed from the top-bottom direction. Arc 21a11 corresponds to arc 21a21, arc 21a12 corresponds to arc 21a22, radial portion 21a13 corresponds to radial portion 21a23, and radial portion 21a14 corresponds to radial portion 21a24. Third radial line DL3, which includes radial portion 21a24, intersects first radial line DL1 at an angle of 15 degrees. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 12, opening 21a3 in the vertical center portion between top surface 21 and bottom surface 22a3 is rotated counterclockwise by 7.5 degrees, which is the central angle θ3, around central axis CA when viewed from the direction in which central axis CA extends. Arc 21a11 corresponds to arc 21a31, arc 21a12 corresponds to arc 21a32, radial portion 21a13 corresponds to radial portion 21a33, and radial portion 21a14 corresponds to radial portion 21a34. A fourth radial line DL4 including radial portion 21a34 intersects with first radial line DL1 at an angle of 7.5 degrees.That is, each inclined through-hole 21a has a shape formed by gradually rotating opening 21a1 on top surface 21 counterclockwise around central axis CA in FIG. 8 as it approaches bottom surface 22a3. This provides dispersion to water flowing through inclined through-hole 21a from opening 21a2 via opening 21a3 to opening 21a1, thereby breaking down air into microbubbles. Note that in FIGS. 8, 11, and 12, only one of the eight inclined through-holes 21a is indicated by a reference numeral to avoid complication. Here, inclined through-hole 21a corresponds to the "first through-hole portion" in the claims, and the combination of inclined through-hole 21a and annular recess 22a corresponds to the "through-hole" in the claims. Furthermore, openings 21a1 and 21a2 correspond to the "first-side opening" and "second-side opening," respectively.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 7 to 10 , the pair of peripheral fitting protrusions 24 are provided between the outer diameter surface 23 and the outer side surface 22a1 of the upper surface 21, in a circumferential direction centered on the first radial line DL1, and protrude upward. The circumferential dimension of each peripheral fitting protrusion 24 perpendicular to the first radial line DL1 is approximately half the radius of the outer diameter surface 23, and the protruding height of each peripheral fitting protrusion 24 from the upper surface 21 is approximately half the vertical dimension of the outer diameter surface 23. The apex of each peripheral fitting protrusion 24 is chamfered. The pair of peripheral fitting recesses 25 are provided between the outer diameter surface 23 and the outer side surface 22a1 of the lower surface 22, in a circumferential direction centered on the second radial line DL2, and are recessed upward. Each peripheral fitting recess 25 is formed in a shape that fits into the corresponding peripheral fitting protrusion 24. A central fitting protrusion 26 protruding upward is provided at the center of the inner circle C1 of the upper surface 21. The radius of the central fitting protrusion 26 is approximately half the radius of the inner circle C1, and the height of the central fitting protrusion 26 protruding from the upper surface 21 is approximately half the vertical dimension of the outer diameter surface 23. The apex of the central fitting protrusion 26 is chamfered. A central fitting recess 27 recessed upward is provided at the center of the inner circle C1 of the lower surface 22. The central fitting recess 27 is shaped to fit into the central fitting protrusion 26. When vertically adjacent disc-shaped members 20 are stacked together by fitting the pair of peripheral fitting protrusions 24 into the pair of peripheral fitting recesses 25 and the central fitting protrusion 26 into the central fitting recess 27, the adjacent disc-shaped members 20 are rotated counterclockwise around the central axis CA by a central angle θ1 of 22.5 degrees in FIG. 8 . Here, the peripheral fitting protrusion 24 and the central fitting protrusion 26, and the peripheral fitting recess 25 and the central fitting recess 27 correspond to the "protrusion" and the "recess" in the claims, respectively.

[0025] The procedure for arranging six disk-shaped members 20 in the inner diameter portion 7d1 of the protrusion 7d in the housing 7 will be described below. The top disk-shaped member 20 is inserted into the inner diameter portion 7d1 from the side of the fourth opening 7c from the top surface 21 until the tops of the pair of peripheral fitting protrusions 24 abut against the underside of the peripheral portion of the fifth opening 7d2. Next, the second disk-shaped member 20 is inserted into the inner diameter portion 7d1 from the side of the fourth opening 7c from the top surface 21 until the pair of peripheral fitting protrusions 24 are fitted into the pair of peripheral fitting recesses 25 of the top disk-shaped member 20, and the central fitting recess 27 is fitted into the central fitting protrusion 26 until they abut against the underside 22. Next, the disc-shaped members 20 are inserted one by one into the inner diameter portion 7d1 from the side of the fourth opening 7c, from the upper surface 21 side. The pair of peripheral fitting protrusions 24 are fitted into the pair of peripheral fitting recesses 25 of the disc-shaped member 20 inserted immediately before, and the central fitting recess 27 is fitted into the central fitting protrusion 26, so that the disc-shaped members 20 abut against the lower surface 22. This state is clearly shown in Figure 5. As a result, vertically adjacent disc-shaped members 20 are stacked and circumferentially offset from each other by a central angle θ1 of 22.5 degrees. At this time, when viewed from the vertical direction, the openings 21a2 on the lower surface 22 and the openings 21a1 on the upper surface 21 of adjacent disc-shaped members 20 are offset counterclockwise from the central axis CA by a central angle θ2 of 15 degrees. This facilitates turbulence in the water flow, providing a better dispersion effect and breaking down the air into microbubbles. The lower surface 22 of the bottommost disk-shaped member 20 of the six disk-shaped members 20 arranged in a stacked manner is fixed vertically immovably to the housing 7 from below by means not shown. At this time, the central axis of the inner diameter portion 7d1 and the central axis of the six disk-shaped members 20 arranged in a stacked manner coincide with each other to form a central axis CA. The inclined through-holes 21a and the annular recesses 22a of the six disk-shaped members 20 arranged in a stacked manner communicate with each other to form a cavity H. In this state, the supply pipe 12, the lower portion of the inner diameter portion 7d1, the cavity H, and the interior of the housing 7 communicate with each other to form a flow path from the opening of the expanded diameter portion 12c to the first opening 11d. The microbubble generation mechanism 8 is composed of the protrusion 7d disposed within the housing 7 and the six disk-shaped members 20 arranged in a stacked manner within the inner diameter portion 7d1 of the protrusion 7d.In place of the above-described method, the disc-shaped members 20 may be assembled in advance in a stack of six as shown in FIG. 6, and then the six stacked disc-shaped members 20 may be inserted and arranged together in the inner diameter portion 7d1.

[0026] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the sprinkler plate 4 has a circular thin plate portion 4a and an outer ring portion 4b. The thin plate portion 4a is a stainless steel circular plate with a thickness of approximately 0.5 mm, and several hundred sprinkler holes 4a1 with a diameter of approximately 0.5 mm are formed in a regular pattern. The outer ring portion 4b, an annular member made of resin, is disposed around the outer periphery of the thin plate portion 4a. Specifically, the outer ring portion 4b has an outer portion 4b1 having an inverted triangular shape whose radial cross section has its apex facing the OUT direction, and a cylindrical inner portion 4b2 having a generally rectangular radial cross section extending from the outer portion 4b1 in the direction opposite the OUT direction. An outer stepped surface 4b11 is formed on the radially outer side of the outer portion 4b1 where it connects to the inner portion 4b2, and an inner stepped surface 4b12 is formed on the radially inner side of the outer portion 4b1 where it connects to the inner portion 4b2. A female thread portion 4b21 is formed on the radially inner surface of the inner portion 4b2, which can be threaded onto the male thread portion 11f1 of the cup portion 11. The thin plate portion 4a is arranged so that its outer peripheral edge portion abuts against the inner stepped surface 4b12 of the outer peripheral ring portion 4b from the inside in the OUT direction, thereby constituting the sprinkler plate 4.

[0027] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, when the showerhead 1 is to dispense water containing microbubbles, the cartridge 3 is inserted into the cavity 11c of the main body 2, and the spray plate 4 is attached to the main body 2 to prevent the cartridge 3 from falling out. Specifically, the spray plate 4 is attached by threading the female thread 4b21 of the outer ring 4b of the spray plate 4 into the male thread 11f1 of the cup 11 of the main body 2. At this time, the outer stepped surface 4b11 of the outer ring 4b abuts against the periphery of the opening 5a of the front cover 5, smoothly connecting the outer surfaces of the outer ring 4b and the front cover 5, improving the appearance quality. The inner stepped surface 4b12 of the outer ring 4b abuts against the OUT end of the side surface 11b of the cup 11 via the O-ring R, maintaining a watertight seal. In this state, when water is supplied from the supply pipe 12 of the main body 2, the water supplied from the fourth opening 7c of the cartridge 3 to the inner diameter portion 7d1 is converted into water containing microbubbles by the microbubble generating mechanism 8. The water containing microbubbles then fills the cartridge 3 and is then discharged from the multiple spray nozzles 4a1 of the spray plate 4. Alternatively, if you want to discharge regular water that does not contain microbubbles, you can simply attach the spray plate 4 to the main body 2 without inserting the cartridge 3 into the cavity 11c of the main body 2. In this state, when water is supplied from the supply pipe 12 of the main body 2, the water that does not contain microbubbles fills the cavity 11c of the main body 2 and is then discharged from the multiple spray nozzles 4a1 of the spray plate 4.

[0028] This embodiment, configured as described above, offers the following advantages. By simply attaching and detaching the cartridge 3 to and from the hollow portion 11c of the main body 2, the showerhead 1 can selectively use a shower of water containing microbubbles or a regular shower of water without microbubbles. This provides a showerhead with enhanced functionality.

[0029] Furthermore, the inclined through-holes 21a of the six disc-shaped members 20 stacked in the inner diameter portion 7d1 of the protruding portion 7d of the cartridge 3 have openings 21a1 that are gradually rotated counterclockwise around the central axis CA in FIG. 8 from the top surface 21 toward the bottom surface 22a3 of the disc-shaped members 20. When the six disc-shaped members 20 are placed in the inner diameter portion 7d1 of the protruding portion 7d, the inclined through-holes 21a and the annular recesses 22a of adjacent disc-shaped members 20 communicate with each other in the vertical direction to form a cavity H, which is part of the flow path from the fourth opening 7c to the fifth opening 7d2. This allows the inclined through-holes 21a to disperse water and generate microscopic air bubbles. Furthermore, because it is sufficient to stack disc-shaped members 20 of the same shape coaxially in the inner diameter portion 7d1 of the protruding portion 7d, fewer parts are required and assembly into the inner diameter portion 7d1 of the protruding portion 7d is easy.

[0030] Furthermore, when the six disk-shaped members 20 are stacked, a pair of peripheral fitting recesses 25 of adjacent disk-shaped members 20 is fitted into a pair of peripheral fitting protrusions 24, and the central fitting protrusions 26 is fitted into the central fitting recess 27. This prevents the disk-shaped members 20 from moving relative to each other in the circumferential and radial directions, so that a flow path from the fourth opening 7c to the fifth opening 7d2 can be stably formed with a simple structure.

[0031] While specific embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to those external appearances and configurations, and various modifications, additions, and deletions are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the following can be mentioned.

[0032] 1. In the above embodiment, the microbubble generating mechanism 8 is configured with the protruding portion 7d disposed inside the housing portion 7 and six disk-shaped members 20 arranged one on top of the other inside the inner diameter portion 7d1 of the protruding portion 7d. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any structure is possible as long as the microbubble generating mechanism 8 is arranged inside the cartridge 3 and can be attached to and detached from the main body portion 2 together with the cartridge 3 with a single touch.

[0033] 2. In the above embodiment, the sprinkler plate 4 must be attached or detached when inserting the cartridge 3 into the hollow portion 11c of the main body 2. However, this is not limiting, and the cartridge 3 may be inserted or removed from the hollow portion 11c while the sprinkler plate 4 remains attached to the main body 2.

[0034] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the description of the above embodiments, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 1 shower head, 2 main body portion, 3 cartridge, 4 spray plate, 7 housing portion, 7c fourth opening (inlet), 7d protrusion portion (case portion), 7d1 inner diameter portion (inner cylinder portion), 7d2 fifth opening (outlet), 8 microbubble generating mechanism, 10 main body portion, 11 cup portion, 11c hollow portion (internal space), 11d first opening (water outlet), 12 supply pipe portion, 12a inner diameter portion (internal space), 12c1 third opening (water supply port), 20 disc-shaped member, 21 upper surface (one surface), 21a inclined through hole (first through hole portion, through hole), 21a1 opening (one surface side opening), 21a2 opening (other surface side opening), 22 lower surface (other surface), 22a annular recess (second through hole portion, through hole), 24 Peripheral fitting convex portion (convex portion), 25 peripheral fitting concave portion (concave portion), 26 central fitting convex portion (convex portion), 27 central fitting concave portion (concave portion), CA central axis

Claims

1. A shower head, The device has a main body having an internal space connecting a water inlet and a water outlet, a water spray plate attached to the water outlet, and a cartridge disposed in the internal space inside the water spray plate so as to be detachable with one touch, The cartridge is equipped with a microbubble generating mechanism that generates microbubbles in the water passing through it, When the cartridge is attached to the main body, water containing microbubbles can be discharged, When the cartridge is removed from the main body, water containing no microbubbles can be discharged; The microbubble generating mechanism includes a case portion having a cylindrical inner tube portion formed inside the cartridge between an inlet at one end and an outlet at the other end, and a plurality of disk-shaped members arranged coaxially and overlapping with each other about the central axis of the inner tube portion of the case portion.

2. In claim 1, The disk-shaped member is provided with a through hole through which water passes in the thickness direction of the plate, The through hole has a first through hole portion and a second through hole portion arranged in the plate thickness direction, the first through-hole portion is formed as a hole inclined with respect to one surface, the first through-hole portion being a plurality of fan-shaped one-surface openings provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction around the central axis on one surface of the disc-shaped member in the plate thickness direction, the one-surface openings gradually rotating in the same rotational direction around the central axis as they move toward the other surface of the disc-shaped member in the plate thickness direction, the second through-hole portion is formed as an annular hole that connects the other-surface side openings of the first through-hole portion in the direction of the other surface and opens to the other surface, When the disk-shaped members are placed one on top of the other in the inner cylindrical portion, the through holes communicate with each other to form a water flow path from the inlet to the outlet.

3. In claim 2, The showerhead has a convex portion disposed on one surface and protruding outward to prevent relative circumferential and radial movement between adjacent disk-shaped members when the disk-shaped members are stacked inside the inner cylindrical portion, and a concave portion disposed on the other surface that can receive and engage with the convex portion.

4. 4. The showerhead according to claim 3, wherein the protrusions and recesses are formed at the center and outer periphery of the disk-shaped member.

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