Faucet

Abstract

To provide a faucet in which operation of a handle hardly affects appearance of the faucet.SOLUTION: A faucet comprises: a faucet body 2; and a handle 7 that has a tubular handle body 20 that is attached to a shaft member 10 having a rotatable rotation shaft 11 protruding from the faucet body 2 and can be rotated integrally with the rotation shaft 11, and a lock mechanism 22 that restricts the handle body 20 from being rotated beyond a predetermined position, wherein the faucet body 2 has a collar 9 covering a radially outer side of the shaft member 10, and the lock mechanism 22 and the collar 9 are separated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] There is a known faucet that can adjust the temperature of the hot and cold water it dispenses. This faucet adjusts the temperature of the hot and cold water it dispenses by turning a temperature control handle, but the temperature control handle is equipped with a locking mechanism that prevents it from being turned in a direction that exceeds a certain temperature (Figures 2 and 3 of Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-135731 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The locking mechanism includes a non-rotating member fixed to the faucet body and a push button that rotates integrally with the handle body. The push button has a restricting piece, and when the temperature control handle body is rotated, the restricting piece of the push button abuts against the non-rotating member, restricting further rotation of the temperature control handle. On the other hand, when the push button is pressed, the position of the restricting piece shifts so that it no longer abuts against the non-rotating member, allowing further rotation of the temperature control handle.

[0005] The non-rotating member described in Patent Document 1 is assembled to the faucet body and is integrally configured with a collar that forms the exterior of the faucet body. For this reason, for example, if the temperature control handle is rotated forcefully, the restricting piece of the push button also abuts forcefully against the non-rotating member. Although the rotation of the non-rotating member is restricted, the impact of the restricting piece of the push button abutting forcefully can cause the non-rotating member to twist in the rotation direction of the temperature control handle. This twisting is an elastic deformation, but because the collar is integrally formed with the non-rotating member, twisting also occurs in the collar. This can result in unnecessary movement of the collar, which is visible from the outside, affecting the exterior appearance of the faucet.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to make it less likely that the operation of the handle will affect the appearance of the faucet. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The invention to solve the above problem is a faucet having a faucet body, a handle attached to an axial member having a rotatable pivot axis protruding from the faucet body, a cylindrical handle body that is rotatable integrally with the pivot axis, and a locking mechanism that prevents the handle body from being rotated beyond a predetermined position, wherein the faucet body has a collar that covers the radial outside of the axial member, and the locking mechanism and the collar are separate entities.

[0008] The locking mechanism comprises a push button that rotates integrally with the handle body and is configured to be able to be pressed radially inward from the outside of the handle body, a biasing member that biases the push button radially outward, and a stopper ring that is attached to the faucet body in a state that prevents it from rotating relative to the faucet body, and the stopper ring is positioned inside the handle body opposite the collar.

[0009] The faucet body has a support portion that supports the stopper ring so that it cannot rotate relative to the faucet body, and also has a regulating portion that abuts against the stopper ring and regulates movement of the stopper ring toward the faucet body.

[0010] When the restricting portion is in contact with the stopper ring, a gap is formed between the handle body and the collar. The stopper ring is made of polybutylene terephthalate. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, operation of the handle is less likely to affect the appearance of the faucet. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the temperature control handle from one end side. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the temperature control handle from the other end side. [Figure 5] Partial cross-sectional view of one end of the faucet. [Figure 6] An explanatory diagram of the positions of the stopper ring and push button. Figure 6(a) is the cold water position, Figure 6(b) is the position where the push button abuts the stopper ring, Figure 6(c) is the position where the push button is pressed down, and Figure 6(d) is the position where the push button has moved to the high temperature side. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] A more detailed explanation follows. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the faucet 1 of this embodiment. The faucet 1 shown in the figure is a deck-type hot and cold water mixer faucet that is installed on the upper surface of the edge of a bathtub or on a bathroom counter, and is capable of discharging hot and cold water by mixing hot water from a hot water supply pipe (not shown) and cold water from a cold water supply pipe (not shown). Note that hereinafter, "hot and cold water" refers collectively to hot water or cold water dispensed from the faucet 1, and includes not only a mixture of hot and cold water, but also cold water alone or hot water only. The left side of the faucet 1 and each component that constitutes the faucet 1 in Figure 1 is referred to as one end, and the right side is referred to as the other end. Furthermore, the "tip" refers to the end located in the protruding direction.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, faucet 1 has faucet body 2 in the center. Faucet body 2 has cover 3 that covers the entire faucet, and inside cover 3 is faucet block 4 (see Figure 2) that has a mixing channel and the like. The top surface of cover 3 is formed in a semi-cylindrical shape. Faucet body 2 also has outlet unit 5 on the top and shower unit 6 on the back.

[0015] The faucet 1 has a temperature control handle 7 at one end of the faucet body 2 and a switching handle 8 at the other end. The temperature control handle 7 is rotatable relative to the faucet body 2, and adjusts the temperature of hot and cold water by rotating it. The switching handle 8 is also rotatable relative to the faucet body 2, and changes the discharge destination and adjusts the discharge volume by rotating it.

[0016] Figure 2 shows an exploded perspective view of one end of the faucet body 2. As shown in the figure, the faucet body 2 is covered by a cover 3, with a faucet block 4 located inside. Collars 9 that constitute the cover 3 are attached to one and the other end of the faucet body 2. The collar 9 on one end covers the radial outside of the shaft member 10, and a part of the shaft member 10 protrudes from the collar 9 towards the one end. The shaft member 10 has a rotating shaft 11 and a fixed shaft 12 fitted around the rotating shaft 11, which together form a thermostat 13 (see Figure 5).

[0017] The rotating shaft 11 protrudes from the fixed shaft 12 toward one end and is rotatable relative to the faucet body 2. The rotating shaft 11 has a relatively small-diameter locking portion 14 located at one end and a relatively large-diameter handle support portion 15 located from the locking portion 14 toward the other end. The locking portion 14 has a diameter that gradually increases toward the one end. The handle support portion 15 has an end face 14a that forms a step between it and the locking portion 14, and the outer surface of the handle support portion 15 is formed with serration teeth 15a that are uneven in the circumferential direction. The rotating shaft 11 forms the movable portion of the thermostat 13, and the rotation of the rotating shaft 11 causes the thermostat 13 to adjust the temperature of hot and cold water within the faucet body 2.

[0018] The fixed shaft 12 fits onto the rotating shaft 11 and is unable to rotate relative to the faucet body 2. The fixed shaft 12 has a ring support portion 17 as a relatively small diameter support portion located on one end side, and a relatively large diameter base portion 18 (see Figure 5) located on the other end side of the ring support portion 17. The ring support portion 17 has serration teeth 17a formed on its outer circumferential surface, which are uneven in the circumferential direction. The serration teeth 17a have a flat surface 17b with no teeth formed in one circumferential position for alignment. The base portion 18 is a cylindrical shaft having an end face 18a (see Figure 5) that forms a step between it and the ring support portion 17.

[0019] As shown in Figure 5, a fixing nut 19 that fits onto the base 18 is arranged radially outside the base 18 so as not to be rotatable relative to the faucet body 2. The fixing nut 19 has a cylindrical inner surface and a polygonal (hexagonal) cylindrical outer surface. The tip (one end side) of the fixing nut 19 is located radially outside the ring support portion 17. Tip portion 19a, which is the axial end portion on one end side of the fixing nut 19, serves as a restricting portion.

[0020] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the temperature control handle 7 includes a cylindrical handle body 20, a cap 21 attached to the tip of the handle body 20, and a locking mechanism 22. The locking mechanism 22 includes a stopper ring 23, a push button 24, and a biasing member 25 that biases the push button 24 radially outward. The handle body 20 includes a cylindrical peripheral wall 26 and an end wall 27 that closes one end of the peripheral wall 26, while the other end of the peripheral wall 26 is open. The handle body 20 is made of ABS resin. The diameter of the handle body 20 is formed to be flush with the semi-cylindrical upper surface of the cover 3 of the faucet body 2. A thin-walled ring receiving portion 28 is formed at the other end of the peripheral wall 26, making the inner diameter of the peripheral wall 26 slightly larger.

[0021] An insertion hole 29 is formed in the end wall 27 of the handle body 20, and a double-cylindrical locking tube portion 30 with a bottom is formed inside the insertion hole 29 and opens to one end. The other end of the insertion hole 29 is a support tube portion 31 with a larger diameter than the locking tube portion 30, and serration grooves 31a are formed on its inner circumferential surface. These serration grooves 31a are coupled to serration teeth 15a formed on the handle support portion 15 of the rotating shaft 11. The axial length of the support tube portion 31 is shorter than that of the handle support portion 15, and the handle body 20 is coupled to the handle support portion 15 with the other end of the locking tube portion 30 abutting against the end face 14a of the rotating shaft 11. An elliptical hole 26a is formed in the peripheral wall 26 of the handle body 20. A push button 24 is disposed on the inner circumferential side of this elliptical hole 26a so that it can be depressed by a biasing member 25. The push button 24 is made of polyacetal (POM) resin and has a shape in which the button 24a and the restricting piece 24b are integrally formed. The button 24a is oval in shape, and the plate-like restricting piece 24b is formed at its base end. The restricting piece 24b protrudes elongatedly from the button 24a toward the other end.

[0022] The cap 21 has a disk-shaped cap portion 21a and a press-fit tubular portion 21b that protrudes from the cap portion 21a toward the other end. The cap 21 is inserted into the insertion hole 29 of the handle body 20 from one end, and the press-fit tubular portion 21b is press-fit into the locking tubular portion 30, which forms a double cylinder of the handle body 20, and is in contact with the inside of the locking tubular portion 30, thereby suppressing elastic deformation of the locking tubular portion 30 toward the outside in the radial direction. This fixes the handle body 20 to the rotating shaft 11, and the handle body 20 can rotate integrally with the rotating shaft 11.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 5, a stopper ring 23 is disposed within the ring accommodating portion 28 of the handle body 20. The stopper ring 23 is supported by the ring support portion 17 of the fixed shaft 12 so as to be non-rotatable relative to the faucet body 2. The stopper ring 23 is radially spaced from the ring accommodating portion 28 and does not contact the handle body 20. The stopper ring 23 is made of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). The stopper ring 23 has a disk-shaped base plate 32, and a cylindrical portion 33 is formed on the surface of the other end of this base plate 32. A communication hole 34 is formed inside the base plate 32, connecting the base plate 32 and the cylindrical portion 33. Serration grooves 34a are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the communication hole 34, and are coupled with the serration teeth 17a of the ring support portion 17. The serration grooves 34a have teeth 34b that are wider than the others at one circumferential location for alignment. The axial length of the cylindrical portion 33 is shorter than the length from the tip 19a of the fixing nut 19 to the end face 18a between the base 18 and the ring support portion 17 of the fixed shaft 12, and the cylindrical portion 33 is fitted inside the fixed nut 19. Therefore, the stopper ring 23 is coupled to the ring support portion 17 with the base plate 32 abutting against the tip 19a of the fixing nut 19 and the tip of the cylindrical portion 33 not abutting against the end face 18a of the fixed shaft 12, and is therefore unable to rotate together with the fixed shaft 12 relative to the faucet body 2.

[0024] 3 and 6, a surface on one end side of the base plate 32 of the stopper ring 23 is formed with an arc-shaped outer peripheral wall portion 35 along the outer periphery of the base plate 32, and a cylindrical inner peripheral wall portion 36 located radially inward of and spaced apart from the outer peripheral wall portion 35. A vertical wall portion 37 spanning the inner peripheral wall portion 36 is formed at the end of the outer peripheral wall portion 35 in the direction of rotation of the temperature control handle 7 toward the high temperature side. The outer peripheral wall portion 35 and the inner peripheral wall portion 36 are formed in positions that overlap with the restricting piece 24b of the push button 24 in the axial direction, and when the push button 24 is biased by the biasing member 25, the restricting piece 24b is located concentrically with the outer peripheral wall portion 35.

[0025] As shown in Figures 2, 3, and 5, the collar 9 is a substantially cylindrical member integrally formed from ASA (acrylate styrene acrylonitrile) resin. The collar 9 has a fitting portion 38 that can be fitted into the other cover 3 (cover 3 excluding the collar 9) of the faucet body 2 from one end, and an exterior portion 39 that constitutes the exterior of the faucet body 2 as the cover 3. The fitting portion 38 is formed in an inverted U-shape in side view, following the shape of the opening at one end of the other cover 3 of the faucet body 2, and covers the radial outside of the shaft member 10. The exterior portion 39 is formed contiguous with the fitting portion 38, and the boundary with the fitting portion 38 is formed in an inverted U-shape in side view, similar to the fitting portion 38, but one end is cylindrical. The exterior portion 39 consists of a main body portion 40 and a tubular portion 41 formed at one end of the main body portion 40. The main body portion 40 is formed thicker than the fitting portion 38, and is flush with the surface of the other cover 3 when attached. The main body 40 faces the other end of the peripheral wall 26 of the handle body 20 with a gap in the axial direction.

[0026] The tubular portion 41 has the same diameter as the base plate 32 of the stopper ring 23, and an end surface 42 extending radially inward is formed at its axial tip. A through hole 43 large enough to fit the fixing nut 19 loosely is formed in the center of the end surface 42. The tubular portion 41 is formed to a length such that, when the faucet body 2 is in a state in which the collar 9 is attached, the end surface 42 is positioned slightly toward the other end than the tip 19a of the fixing nut 19. Therefore, when the temperature control handle 7 is attached to the faucet body 2, the tubular portion 41 of the collar 9 is spaced radially from the ring accommodating portion 28 of the handle body 20, and the end surface 42 faces the base plate 32 of the stopper ring 23 with an axial gap. In other words, the collar 9 is not in contact with the handle body 20 or the stopper ring 23. The axial distance between the end surface 42 of the collar 9 and the base plate 32 of the stopper ring 23 is longer than the axial distance between the exterior portion 39 of the collar 9 and the handle body 20.

[0027] Next, the operation of the temperature control handle 7 of the faucet 1 will be described, particularly the positional relationship between the restricting piece 24b of the push button 24 and the outer peripheral wall portion 35 of the stopper ring 23. Note that the biasing member 25 is not shown in the drawings.

[0028] FIG. 6 shows the relative positions of the stopper ring 23 and the push button 24. FIG. 6(a) shows the position of the push button 24 when the temperature control handle 7 is in the cold water position. When the temperature control handle 7 (not shown) is rotated from this position toward the high-temperature side (counterclockwise in the figure), the push button 24 also rotates counterclockwise in the figure. When the temperature control handle 7 reaches a certain discharge temperature (e.g., 40°C), the restricting piece 24b of the push button 24 abuts against the outer peripheral wall 35 of the stopper ring 23, as shown in FIG. 6(b), and further rotation of the temperature control handle 7 toward the high-temperature side is restricted. To further rotate the temperature control handle 7 toward the high-temperature side from this state, the push button 24 is pressed down. Then, as shown in FIG. 6(c), the restricting piece 24b also moves radially inward to a position where it no longer abuts against the outer peripheral wall 35, allowing it to move circumferentially between the outer peripheral wall 35 and the inner peripheral wall 36. Therefore, even if the temperature control handle 7 is rotated to the high temperature side, the regulating piece 24b can move while sliding against the outer wall portion 35 or the inner wall portion 36, as shown in Figure 6(d), and high-temperature hot water can be discharged.

[0029] When the temperature control handle 7 is rotated vigorously from the position shown in FIG. 6(a), the restricting piece 24b of the push button 24 abuts against the outer peripheral wall 35 with force. The stopper ring 23, which has the outer peripheral wall 35, does not rotate because it is serrated and connected to the fixed shaft 12. However, the impact of the restricting piece 24b hitting the outer peripheral wall 35 causes the outer peripheral wall 35 to twist in the circumferential direction, which in turn causes the stopper ring 23 to twist in the circumferential direction. This twisting can cause the stopper ring 23 to elastically deform in the circumferential direction. That is, the stopper ring 23 elastically deforms so that it rotates slightly in the circumferential direction, but the deformation quickly returns to normal. Meanwhile, the collar 9 is separate from the stopper ring 23 and is positioned at a distance from the stopper ring 23. Therefore, even if the stopper ring 23 elastically deforms, the deformation only occurs in the stopper ring 23 and is not transmitted to the collar 9.

[0030] According to the faucet 1 of the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) In the above embodiment, the stopper ring 23 that constitutes the locking mechanism 22 is formed separately from the collar 9, and therefore, movement such as elastic deformation of the stopper ring 23 is not transmitted to the collar 9. For example, when the temperature control handle 7 is rotated forcefully and the push button 24 hits the stopper ring 23 ( FIG. 6(b) ), the impact may cause the stopper ring 23 to elastically deform in the circumferential direction. However, this deformation is limited to the stopper ring 23 and is not transmitted to the collar 9. Therefore, even if the temperature control handle 7 is operated, the movement of the locking mechanism 22 is not transmitted to the collar 9, and the appearance of the faucet 1 is not affected.

[0031] (2) The stopper ring 23 is located inside the handle body 20. In particular, the base plate 32 of the stopper ring 23 is located opposite the collar 9 inside the ring accommodating portion 28 of the handle body 20. Therefore, even if the stopper ring 23 is twisted by operating the temperature control handle 7, only the stopper ring 23, which is not exposed to the outside of the faucet 1 and cannot be seen from the outside, is twisted, and the appearance of the faucet 1 is not affected.

[0032] (3) The stopper ring 23 is serrated-connected to the ring support portion 17 of the fixed shaft 12 and is supported so as not to be rotatable relative to the faucet body 2. In addition, the base plate 32 of the stopper ring 23 abuts against the tip portion 19a of the fixing nut 19 of the faucet body 2, restricting movement of the stopper ring 23 toward the other end. This makes it easy to determine the distance between the stopper ring 23 and the opposing collar 9.

[0033] (4) When the tip 19a of the fixing nut 19 is in contact with the stopper ring 23, there is a gap between the handle body 20 and the collar 9 in both the axial and radial directions. Therefore, even when the temperature control handle 7 is operated, the temperature control handle 7 does not come into contact with the collar 9, and movement such as rotation of the temperature control handle 7 is prevented from being transmitted to the collar 9.

[0034] (5) The stopper ring 23 is formed separately from the collar 9. This allows the stopper ring 23 and the collar 9 to be made of materials suited to their respective roles. Specifically, the stopper ring 23 is made of PBT. PBT has excellent wear properties, allowing the push button 24 to slide smoothly against the stopper ring 23 over the long term. Furthermore, unlike the stopper ring 23, the push button 24 is made of POM, which improves the sliding performance of the two.

[0035] (6) The axial distance between the end face portion 42 of the collar 9 and the base plate 32 of the stopper ring 23 is longer than the axial distance between the main body portion 40 of the collar 9 and the peripheral wall 26 of the handle body 20. Therefore, even if twisting of the stopper ring 23 is accompanied by axial deformation, the stopper ring 23 is less likely to come into contact with the collar 9.

[0036] The above embodiment may be modified as follows. The materials used to form the faucet body 2, the stopper ring 23, and the push button 24 are not limited to those used in the above embodiment and may be changed.

[0037] Although the stopper ring 23 is positioned in the axial direction by abutting against the tip portion 19a of the fixing nut 19, this is not limited to this. For example, the stopper ring 23 may be positioned by abutting the tip of the cylindrical portion 33 against the end face 18a of the fixed shaft 12.

[0038] The axial distance between the end face portion 42 of the collar 9 and the base plate 32 of the stopper ring 23, and the axial and radial distances between the main body portion 40 of the collar 9 and the peripheral wall 26 of the handle main body 20 may each be changed in length.

[0039] The materials used for each component may be changed. For example, in the above embodiment, different resins may be used for the stopper ring 23 and the push button 24. In this case, the push button 24 slides against the stopper ring 23, and it is preferable in terms of sliding properties to use different resins for the two.

[0040] 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 axial distance between the end face of the collar and the base plate of the stopper ring is longer than the axial distance between the main body of the collar and the peripheral wall of the handle body. This makes it difficult for the stopper ring to come into contact with the collar, even if twisting of the stopper ring involves axial deformation. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1...faucet, 2...faucet body, 3...cover, 7...temperature control handle (handle), 9...collar (cover), 10...shaft member, 11...rotating shaft, 12...fixed shaft, 17...ring support part (support part), 19...fixing nut, 19a...tip part (regulating part), 20...handle body, 22...locking mechanism, 23...stopper ring, 24...push button, 25...biasing member

Claims

1. The faucet body and a handle attached to an axis member having a rotatable pivot shaft protruding from the faucet body, the handle having a cylindrical handle body that can rotate integrally with the pivot shaft, and a locking mechanism that prevents the handle body from being rotated beyond a predetermined position; A faucet having The faucet body has a collar that covers the radial outside of the shaft member, The locking mechanism and the collar are separate, The locking mechanism includes a push button that rotates integrally with the handle body and that can be pushed radially inward from the outside of the handle body, a biasing member that biases the push button radially outward, and a stopper ring that is attached to the faucet body in a state that prevents it from rotating relative to the faucet body. The stopper ring is positioned inside the handle body and faces the collar with a gap in the axial direction of the shaft member.

2. The faucet body and a handle attached to an axis member having a rotatable pivot shaft protruding from the faucet body, the handle having a cylindrical handle body that can rotate integrally with the pivot shaft, and a locking mechanism that prevents the handle body from being rotated beyond a predetermined position; A faucet having The faucet body has a collar that covers the radial outside of the shaft member, The locking mechanism and the collar are separate, The locking mechanism includes a push button that rotates integrally with the handle body and that can be pushed radially inward from the outside of the handle body, a biasing member that biases the push button radially outward, and a stopper ring that is attached to the faucet body in a state that prevents it from rotating relative to the faucet body. the stopper ring is located inside the handle body and faces the collar; The faucet is characterized in that the stopper ring is positioned closer to the handle than the faucet body in the axial direction of the shaft member than the collar.

3. A faucet as described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the faucet body has a support portion that supports the stopper ring so that it cannot rotate relative to the faucet body, and has a regulating portion that abuts the stopper ring and regulates movement of the stopper ring toward the faucet body.

4. The faucet according to claim 3, wherein a gap exists between the handle body and the collar when the restricting portion is in contact with the stopper ring.

5. 5. The faucet according to claim 1, wherein the stopper ring is made of polybutylene terephthalate.

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