Drain plug device

Abstract

To provide a drain plug device capable of easily inserting a support shaft mechanism into a holding part and improving workability.SOLUTION: A drain plug device is configured such that a support shaft mechanism 5 can be inserted into a holding part 43 through a lower opening of the holding part 43 by pushing the support shaft mechanism 5 into the holding part 43 while bringing an upper part of the support shaft mechanism 5 into contact with an insertion assist surface 434b. The holding part 43 extends vertically below a support protrusion part 434 and comprises a tubular insertion guide part 435 in which the upper part of the support shaft mechanism 5 can be arranged in a state in which the upper part of the support shaft mechanism 5 is in contact with the insertion assist surface 434b. The insertion guide part 435 prevents the lower part of a holding piece part 433 from being displaced inward due to the force when the insertion guide part is pushed in by contacting a case part 52 at the inner surface part when the support shaft mechanism 5 is pushed into the holding part 43 while being in contact with the insertion assist surface 434b.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a drain plug device having a plug cover that can open and close a drain outlet of a tank body. [Background technology]

[0002] A drain plug device has a plug cover attached to the drain outlet of a tank body (for example, a bathtub or a washbasin), and opens and closes the drain outlet by moving the plug cover up and down.

[0003] Drain plug devices include a flow path component (for example, a cylindrical drain outlet member inserted into the drain outlet or piping connected in series to the drain outlet member) that forms the flow path for the wastewater flowing through the drain outlet, a support shaft mechanism that is movable up and down and has a rod-shaped support shaft to which the plug cover is attached, and an attachment member for holding the support shaft mechanism within the flow path component (i.e., the drainage flow path).

[0004] Also, an attachment member is known that has a cylindrical holding portion in which a support shaft mechanism is placed, and a protruding support protrusion is formed on the lower inner periphery of the holding portion, and is configured to support the support shaft mechanism from below by the support protrusion (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The holding portion of such an attachment member has a slit that extends in the vertical direction and opens at the lower end. The provision of the slit makes it easier to elastically deform the holding portion and expand its lower opening, making it easier to insert (install) the support shaft mechanism into the holding portion through the lower opening.

[0005] The support protrusion may be configured to have a tapered surface that gradually approaches the central axis of the holding part as it extends upward. With this configuration, by pressing the support shaft mechanism into the holding part while bringing the upper part of the support shaft mechanism into contact with the tapered surface, the lower opening of the holding part can be naturally enlarged without any special work being done to enlarge the lower opening, which in turn makes it easier to install (insert) the support shaft mechanism into the holding part. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-214813 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, with the above-described attachment member, when the support shaft mechanism is pressed into the holding portion while contacting the tapered surface, the upper portion of the support shaft mechanism tends to shift and come out of the lower opening of the holding portion, or the support shaft mechanism tends to become unsteady (the central axis of the support shaft mechanism shifts from the central axis of the holding portion). Therefore, the insertion of the support shaft mechanism into the holding portion must be done carefully, which may lead to a decrease in workability for maintenance such as device installation and part replacement.

[0008] Furthermore, in order to make it easier to open the lower opening of the holding part, three or more slits (for example, four slits) may be provided, and the holding part may be configured to have multiple holding pieces with at least their lower parts separated by these slits. In this case, when the support shaft mechanism is pressed into the holding part while being brought into contact with the tapered surface, the force exerted when this is done (as the holding part is deformed by this force) may displace some holding pieces outward while other holding pieces are displaced inward (towards the central axis of the holding part). If such displacement of the holding pieces occurs inward, these displaced holding pieces may prevent the support shaft mechanism from being inserted into the holding part.

[0009] The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a drain plug device that allows the support shaft mechanism to be more easily inserted into the holding portion, thereby improving workability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The following describes each of the means suitable for achieving the above object, with specific effects of the corresponding means added as necessary.

[0011] Means 1. A plug cover for opening and closing a drain outlet provided in the tank body; a flow path forming portion that forms a flow path for drainage water that flows through the drain outlet; a support shaft mechanism having a rod-shaped support shaft to which the stopper cap is attached and a cylindrical case portion that holds the support shaft therein in a state in which the support shaft can move up and down; The drainage system includes a cylindrical holder having the support shaft mechanism disposed therein, and an attachment member disposed in the drainage flow path, A drain plug device configured so that the open / close state of the drain outlet can be switched by the up and down movement of the support shaft, The attachment member includes: an outer ring portion that forms a continuous ring; four connecting portions connecting an inner peripheral surface of the outer ring portion and an outer peripheral surface of the holding portion, The holding portion is It extends vertically and opens at the bottom 4 pieces With a slit, The slits separate at least the lower portions of the four a holding piece portion; The support shaft mechanism has an insertion assist surface that gradually approaches the central axis of the holding portion in an upward direction, and a support protrusion that protrudes from the inner surface of the holding piece portion and supports the support shaft mechanism from below, by bringing an upper portion of the support shaft mechanism into contact with the insertion assist surface and pushing the support shaft mechanism into the holding portion, the holding portion is elastically deformed to expand a lower opening of the holding portion, and the support shaft mechanism can be inserted into the holding portion through the lower opening, The holding portion 、 before a cylindrical insertion guide portion extending in the vertical direction below the support protrusion and configured so that an upper portion of the support shaft mechanism can be placed inside when the upper portion of the support shaft mechanism is in contact with the insertion assist surface; 、 a ring-shaped portion to which upper portions of the plurality of holding pieces are connected, As the holding piece portions, two holding piece portions with protrusions that have the support protrusions and two holding piece portions without protrusions that do not have the support protrusions are provided, the protruding holding piece portions and the non-protruding holding piece portions are alternately provided along the circumferential direction of the holding portion, and are each connected to the outer ring portion by the connecting portion, The insertion guide portion is The retaining member is configured by a lower portion of the protruding retaining piece portion and a lower portion of the non-protruding retaining piece portion, When the support shaft mechanism is pushed into the holding portion while the upper portion of the support shaft mechanism is brought into contact with the insertion assist surface, corresponding to the lower part of the non-projecting holding piece part The inner surface portion comes into contact with the case portion, and the force generated when the case is pressed in is reduced. No collision A drain plug device characterized in that it is configured to prevent inward displacement of a lower portion of a holding piece.

[0012] According to the above-mentioned means 1, by disposing the support shaft mechanism inside the cylindrical insertion guide part (here "cylindrical" means that it is cylindrical overall, although it is interrupted by slits), it is possible to increase the stability of the support shaft mechanism when it is inserted into the holding part (particularly when the insertion starts), and to make it less likely that the support shaft mechanism will shift or wobble. Therefore, it is possible to insert the support shaft mechanism into the holding part very easily, and it is possible to improve the workability of maintenance such as installation of the device and replacement of parts.

[0013] Furthermore, when the support shaft mechanism is pushed into the holding portion while contacting the insertion assist surface, the inner surface of the insertion guide portion comes into contact with the case portion, thereby preventing the lower part of the holding piece from being displaced inward by the force of the pushing (associated with deformation of the holding portion due to the force). This more reliably prevents the holding piece from being positioned in a way that would hinder the insertion of the support shaft mechanism. As a result, the support shaft mechanism can be inserted into the holding portion more easily, further improving the workability of installing the device.

[0014] moreover, The above means 1 According to the document, the retaining pieces include retaining pieces with support protrusions and retaining pieces without support protrusions, and the support protrusions are provided on only some of the retaining pieces. Therefore, compared to when all of the retaining pieces are provided with support protrusions, the force required to insert the support shaft mechanism into the retaining piece can be reduced, and the support shaft mechanism can be inserted more smoothly into the retaining piece. This further improves the ease of work involved in installing the device.

[0015] On the other hand, the above means 1 In this case, the upper parts of the protruding retaining piece portion and the non-protruding retaining piece portion are connected to the annular portion, so when the support shaft mechanism is pushed into the retaining portion while being brought into contact with the insertion assist surface in order to insert the support shaft mechanism into the retaining portion, there is a risk that the non-protruding retaining piece portion will be more likely to be displaced inward (towards the central axis of the retaining portion) in line with the outward displacement of the protruding retaining piece portion.

[0016] In this regard, the above means 1 According to the present invention, when the support shaft mechanism is pushed into the holding portion while contacting the insertion assist surface, the inner surface of the insertion guide provided on the non-protruding holding piece is brought into contact with the case, thereby restricting the displacement of the non-protruding holding piece inward (toward the central axis of the holding portion). This more reliably prevents the non-protruding holding piece from being positioned in a way that obstructs the insertion of the support shaft mechanism, making it even easier to insert the support shaft mechanism into the holding portion. As a result, the ease of installation of the device can be significantly improved.

[0017] means 2 The means is characterized in that the case part is arranged inside the insertion guide part when the upper part of at least one of the support shaft and the case part is brought into contact with the insertion assist surface without substantially expanding the lower opening of the holding part. 1 The drain plug device according to claim 1.

[0018] In this means, the phrase "a state in which the upper portion of at least one of the support shaft and the case portion is brought into contact with the insertion assist surface without substantially expanding the lower opening of the holding portion" can be more specifically expressed as "a state in which, when inserting the support shaft mechanism into the holding portion, the lower opening of the holding portion begins to expand so that if the support shaft mechanism is moved further into the holding portion, the support shaft mechanism (as a whole) will be able to pass inside the support protrusion, and the upper portion of at least one of the support shaft and the case portion is brought into contact with the insertion assist surface without substantially expanding the lower opening of the holding portion." Also, the phrase "without substantially expanding the lower opening of the holding portion" is intended to include not only a case in which the holding portion is not elastically deformed and the lower opening of the holding portion is not expanded at all from its natural state, but also a case in which the holding portion is slightly elastically deformed and the lower opening of the holding portion is slightly expanded from its natural state (means described later). 3 (The same applies to

[0019] The above means 2 According to this, the upper portions of at least one of the support shaft and the case portion are brought into contact with the insertion assist surface without substantially expanding the lower opening of the holding portion, i.e., at the very beginning of the operation of pushing the support shaft mechanism into the holding portion, the case portion is positioned inside the insertion guide portion. Therefore, from the very beginning of the operation of pushing the support shaft mechanism into the holding portion (i.e., the very beginning of the operation), it is possible to make the support shaft mechanism less likely to shift or wobble. Furthermore, from the very beginning of the operation, it is possible to effectively restrict the inward displacement of the holding pieces, thereby more reliably preventing the holding pieces from being positioned in a way that would obstruct the insertion of the support shaft mechanism. As a result, it is possible to extremely easily insert the support shaft mechanism into the holding portion.

[0020] Furthermore, since the cylindrical case that holds the support shaft therein is thicker than the support shaft, the support shaft mechanism can be brought closer to the inner surface of the insertion guide portion compared to a configuration in which only the support shaft is positioned inside the insertion guide portion at the initial stage of the operation, which makes it possible to more effectively suppress slippage and wobbling of the support shaft mechanism and further increase the ease of inserting the support shaft mechanism into the holding portion.

[0021] means 3 The support shaft is configured so that its upper portion protrudes from the case portion, When the support shaft mechanism is inserted into the holding portion through the lower opening of the holding portion, the upper portion of the support shaft can be inserted through the inside of the support protrusion to a position above the support protrusion in the holding portion without substantially enlarging the lower opening of the holding portion. 1 or 2 The drain plug device according to claim 1.

[0022] The above means 3According to this, when inserting the support shaft mechanism into the holding portion, the upper portion of the support shaft (the portion protruding from the case portion) can be inserted through the inside of the support protrusion and above the support protrusion in the holding portion with no or almost no resistance. Therefore, when the support shaft mechanism is subsequently pushed into the holding portion while contacting the insertion assist surface, it is possible to make it even less likely for the support shaft mechanism to slip or wobble. As a result, it becomes extremely easy to insert the support shaft mechanism into the holding portion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway front view of the drain plug device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway front view of the attachment member, the support shaft mechanism, and the like. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] This is a partially broken front view of the attachment member, support shaft mechanism, etc., in a state where the upper part of the support shaft is inserted above the support protrusion on the holding portion through the inside of the support protrusion without substantially expanding the lower opening of the holding portion. [Figure 7] 10 is a partially cutaway front view of the attachment member, the support shaft mechanism, etc., in a state in which the upper portion of the support shaft is in contact with the insertion assistance surface without substantially enlarging the lower opening of the holding portion. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] One embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, a drain plug device 1 is attached to a bathtub 100, which serves as a tank body. The bathtub 100 has a bottom wall 101 that forms the bottom surface of the bathtub. A drain port 102 is formed through the bottom wall 101.

[0025] The drain plug device 1 includes a drain outlet member 2, a pipe 3, an attachment member 4, a support shaft mechanism 5, and a plug cover 6.

[0026] The drain outlet member 2 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is inserted into the drain outlet 102 with its own central axis approximately aligned with the central axis of the drain outlet 102. The drain outlet member 2 has a flange portion 21 formed at its upper end portion and protruding radially outward, and a male thread portion 22 formed on the outer periphery below the flange portion 21.

[0027] The piping 3 is cylindrical and has a female threaded portion 31 on the inner periphery of its upper end, into which the male threaded portion 22 can be threaded. Then, the drain outlet member 2 is inserted into the drain 102, and the male threaded portion 22 is threaded into the female threaded portion 31. The flange portion 21 and the upper end surface of the piping 3 sandwich the bottom wall portion 101, thereby connecting the drain outlet member 2 and the piping 3 and attaching them to the bathtub 100.

[0028] In this embodiment, annular sealing members 7 and 8 made of an elastically deformable material (e.g., resin, rubber, etc.) are disposed between the underside of flange 21 and the upper surface of bottom wall 101, and between the upper end surface of piping 3 and the lower surface (back surface) of bottom wall 101. These sealing members 7 and 8 prevent water leakage from between drain outlet member 2, piping 3, and bathtub 100.

[0029] In this embodiment, the drain outlet member 2 and the inner surfaces of the pipe 3 form a flow path for the drainage water that flows through the drain outlet 102. Therefore, in this embodiment, the drain outlet member 2 and the pipe 3 correspond to the flow path forming portion 9.

[0030] The attachment member 4 is for holding the support shaft mechanism 5 in the drainage flow path, and is installed in the drainage flow path (that is, in the flow path forming portion 9). The configuration of the attachment member 4 will be described in detail later.

[0031] The support shaft mechanism 5 is for moving the plug lid 6 up and down, and includes a cylindrical case portion 51 and a rod-shaped support shaft 52.

[0032] The case part 51 has a larger diameter than the support shaft 52 and holds the support shaft 52 therein in a state in which the support shaft 52 can move up and down. The case part 51 itself is held in a state in which it cannot move up and down by an attachment member 4 (holding part 43 described later) arranged on the outer periphery thereof.

[0033] The support shaft 52 is configured so that its upper portion protrudes from the case portion 51, and as shown in Figure 2, the upper portion is provided with a shoulder portion 52a, a neck portion 52b, and a head portion 52c, in this order, toward the upper end of the support shaft 52.

[0034] The shoulder 52a is tapered such that the outer diameter gradually decreases toward the top. The maximum outer diameter of the shoulder 52a is larger than the maximum outer diameter of the head 52c. The neck 52b is cylindrical and has a constant outer diameter along the vertical direction (the axial direction of the support shaft 52). The head 52c bulges outward more than the neck 52b, and most of the head 52c, except for the top, is formed with a larger diameter than the neck 52b.

[0035] In addition, the support shaft 52 is configured so that it can come into contact with the end of a transmission member 10 (for example, a metal wire) for transmitting a driving force caused by the displacement of an operating unit (for example, a push button, etc.) not shown. The transmission member 10 is arranged in a state in which it can move back and forth on the inner periphery of the cylindrical tube member 11.

[0036] In this embodiment, an operating device (not shown) equipped with the operating unit is provided with a locking mechanism (for example, a thrust locking mechanism) (not shown) for locking the support shaft 52 in an upwardly moved state by locking the transmission member 10 in a forward movement state (movement from the operating unit side to the support shaft mechanism 5 side). Meanwhile, the support shaft mechanism 5 (inside the case part 51) is provided with a return spring (not shown) for applying a force to the support shaft 52 in a downward movement direction.

[0037] In this embodiment, when the operating unit is operated (for example, pressed) to move the transmission member 10 forward, the support shaft 52 is pushed up by the transmission member 10 against the force of the return spring and moves upward. When the operation on the operating unit is released at a stage when the support shaft 52 has moved sufficiently upward, the support shaft 52 moves slightly downward, and the locking mechanism locks the transmission member 10 in the forward movement state. As a result, the support shaft 52 is locked in the upward movement state.

[0038] On the other hand, when the operating unit is operated again in this state, the transmission member 10 moves forward again, and the locking mechanism releases the lock on the transmission member 10. When the operation on the operating unit is released, the biasing force from the return spring moves the support shaft 52 downward, and the transmission member 10 moves back.

[0039] In this manner, in this embodiment, each time the operating portion is operated, the support shaft 52 is alternately locked at the upper position and then unlocked, causing the support shaft 52 to move downward. Note that a locking mechanism for locking the support shaft 52 may be provided in the support shaft mechanism 5.

[0040] Returning to Figure 1, the plug 6 is a plug for opening and closing the drain outlet 102. The plug 6 comprises a disk-shaped plug body 61 made of resin or the like, and an annular packing part 62 formed of an elastically deformable material (for example, resin, rubber, etc.).

[0041] A cylindrical mounting portion 63 is formed at the center of the back surface of the plug lid main body 61, and an inwardly protruding locking portion 63a is provided on the inner surface of the mounting portion 63. The upper portion of the support shaft 52 is inserted into the mounting portion 63, and the locking portion 63a is positioned outside the neck portion 52b (i.e., the head portion 52c is locked by the locking portion 63a when the support shaft 52 moves downward), thereby attaching the plug lid 6 to the upper portion of the support shaft 52.

[0042] In this embodiment, when the operating part is operated (for example, pressed), the support shaft 52 moves upward, causing the plug lid 6 to move upward. Then, as the plug lid 6 moves upward, the packing part 62 moves away from the drain outlet member 2, and the drain outlet 102 enters an open state.

[0043] On the other hand, when the drain outlet 102 is in the closed state, operating the operating part moves the support shaft 52 and the plug 6 downward. As the plug 6 moves downward, the entire outer periphery of the packing part 62 comes into contact with the drain outlet member 2, and the drain outlet 102 enters the closed state.

[0044] As described above, the support shaft 52 is returned by the return spring, and as the packing portion 62 comes into contact with the drain outlet member 2, the support shaft 52 stops at a position slightly above the position at which it has moved down to its maximum extent (see Figure 1. Note that Figure 2 shows the support shaft 52 at its maximum return extent). As a result, when the drain outlet 102 is in the closed state, a downward force is continuously applied from the return spring to the plug lid 6 via the head portion 52c and the locked portion 63a, thereby making it possible to achieve good watertightness.

[0045] Next, we will explain the configuration of the attachment member 4. The attachment member 4 is made of a predetermined elastically deformable resin or the like, and includes an outer ring portion 41, a connecting portion 42, and a holding portion 43, as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

[0046] The outer ring portion 41 has a circular ring shape in a plan view, and functions as a mounting portion for the attachment member 4 to the flow path forming portion 9. In this embodiment, the outer ring portion 41 is mounted to the inner surface of the drain port member 2.

[0047] The connecting portions 42 are portions that connect the inner peripheral surface of the outer annular portion 41 and the outer peripheral surface of the holding portion 43. The connecting portions 42 extend from the outer periphery of the holding portion 43 toward the radially outer side of the holding portion 43, and in this embodiment, two pairs of connecting portions 42 (i.e., a total of four connecting portions) are provided in a positional relationship that sandwiches the holding portion 43 when viewed from above. The wastewater that flows into the flow path configuration portion 9 flows downstream through the gaps between the connecting portions 42.

[0048] The holding portion 43 is for holding the support shaft mechanism 5 (particularly the case portion 51) arranged inside. The holding portion 43 has a cylindrical shape as a whole, and is provided coaxially with the outer ring portion 41 and further inward than the outer ring portion 41. The holding portion 43 has a slit 431.

[0049] The slits 431 are formed between the respective portions of the holding portion 43 that are connected to the connecting portion 42, and three or more (four in this embodiment) slits are provided. Each slit 431 extends in the vertical direction and opens at the lower end of the holding portion 43. Each slit 431 extends to a position above the longitudinal (vertical) center of the holding portion 43, but is configured so as not to communicate with the upper end of the holding portion 43 (i.e., not to open at the upper end of the holding portion 43). By forming such slits 431, the holding portion 43 is configured to include an annular portion 432 located at the upper portion and a plurality (four in this embodiment) of holding piece portions 433 whose lower portions are at least separated from each other by the slits 431.

[0050] The annular portion 432 forms a ring shape that continues in the circumferential direction of the holding portion 43, and the upper portions of the multiple holding pieces 433 are connected together. A pair of upper protrusions 432a that protrude inward are formed on the inner surface of the annular portion 432 at a position between the central axis CL of the holding portion 43. The upper protrusions 432a are intended to prevent the support shaft mechanism 5 from slipping out of the upper opening of the holding portion 43.

[0051] The number of holding pieces 433 provided is the same as the number of slits 431, and each holding piece 433 is elastically deformable inward and outward directions of the holding portion 43 (radial directions of the holding portion 43). Since the connecting portion 42 is connected to the outer peripheral surface of each holding piece 433, elastic deformation of the outer ring portion 41 can occur in conjunction with elastic deformation of the holding piece 433. Furthermore, a pair of holding pieces 433 facing each other with the central axis CL of the holding portion 43 therebetween are each formed with a support protrusion 434.

[0052] The support protrusions 434 protrude inward (toward the central axis CL) from the lower inner surface of the holding piece portion 433, and are intended to support from below the support shaft mechanism 5 inserted into the holding portion 43. Each support protrusion 434 has an upward-facing fall-off prevention surface 434a and an obliquely downward-facing insertion assistance surface 434b.

[0053] The fall-off prevention surface 434a is a surface that comes into contact with the lower end surface of the support shaft mechanism 5 inserted into the holding portion 43. The fall-off prevention surface 434a has a shape that extends in a direction perpendicular to the central axis CL of the holding portion 43. As a result, even if a downward force is applied to the plug lid 6, for example, and thereby a downward force is applied to the support shaft mechanism 5 inserted into the holding portion 43, elastic deformation of the holding piece portion 433 that would enlarge the lower opening of the holding piece portion 433 (such that the gap between the two support protrusions 434 would widen) does not occur. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent the support shaft mechanism 5 from coming off the lower opening of the holding portion 43.

[0054] The insertion assist surface 434b is an inclined surface that gradually approaches the central axis CL of the holding portion 43 as it extends upward. The insertion assist surface 434b facilitates insertion of the support shaft mechanism 5 into the holding portion 43. More specifically, when the support shaft mechanism 5 is pushed into the holding portion 43 while the upper portion of the support shaft mechanism 5 is in contact with the insertion assist surface 434b in order to insert the support shaft mechanism 5 into the holding portion 43, the insertion assist surface 434b makes it possible to expand the lower opening of the holding portion 43 by utilizing the pushing force applied to the support shaft mechanism 5 without applying any special force to the attachment member 4 for expanding the lower opening of the holding portion 43, thereby facilitating insertion of the support shaft mechanism 5 into the holding portion 43.

[0055] In this embodiment, the support protrusions 434 are not provided on all of the holding piece portions 433, but are provided only on a pair of holding piece portions 433 that have the central axis CL of the holding portion 43 therebetween. That is, in this embodiment, the holding piece portions 433 are provided with a protruding holding piece portion 433a that has the support protrusion 434, and a non-protruding holding piece portion 433b that does not have the support protrusion 434. In this embodiment, the inner surface of the non-protruding holding piece portion 433b is smooth and has no irregularities.

[0056] By providing the protruding holding piece portion 433a and the non-protruding holding piece portion 433b as described above, when the support shaft mechanism 5 is pushed into the holding portion 43 while contacting the insertion assist surface 434b in order to insert the support shaft mechanism 5 into the holding portion 43, the protruding holding piece portion 433a elastically deforms outward (toward the radially outer side of the holding portion 43). On the other hand, a force is generated in the non-protruding holding piece portion 433b in a direction that causes elastic deformation inward (toward the radially inner side of the holding portion 43) due to the influence of the elastic deformation of the protruding holding piece portion 433a. Note that this force is generated by the elastic deformation of the annular portion 432 and the elastic deformation of the outer annular portion 41 into an elliptical shape in a plan view, etc., due to the elastic deformation of the protruding holding piece portion 433a.

[0057] In addition, when the attachment member 4 is viewed along the central axis CL of the holding portion 43, the size of the gap formed between the two support protrusions 434 is set to be slightly smaller than the maximum outer diameter of the head 52c (see Figure 5. In Figure 5, the portion of the head 52c having the maximum outer diameter is indicated by a dotted line).

[0058] Furthermore, the holding portion 43 includes an insertion guide portion 435 extending in the vertical direction below the support protrusion 434. The insertion guide portion 435 is a portion into which an upper portion of the support shaft mechanism 5 is disposed when the support shaft mechanism 5 is inserted into the holding portion 43 (particularly at the beginning of insertion), and serves to guide the insertion of the support shaft mechanism 5 into the holding portion 43 and prevent the support shaft mechanism 5 from swinging during insertion. In this embodiment, the inner surface of the insertion guide portion 435 is continuous with the lowermost portion of the insertion assist surface 434b and extends vertically (in a direction parallel to the central axis CL) from the lowermost portion. However, the inner surface of the insertion guide portion 435 does not have to extend in a direction strictly parallel to the central axis CL. In this embodiment, the insertion guide portion 435 has a discontinuous shape in the circumferential direction of the holding portion 43 due to the presence of the slits 431, but is cylindrical overall.

[0059] Next, we will explain in more detail how the support shaft mechanism 5 is inserted into the holding portion 43. In this embodiment, the support shaft mechanism 5 is inserted into the holding portion 43 after the drain outlet member 2 and the piping 3 are attached to the bathtub 100, but before the attachment member 4 is attached to the flow path configuration portion 9 (the drain outlet member 2 in this embodiment).

[0060] When inserting the support shaft mechanism 5 into the holder 43, first, the support shaft mechanism 5 is pulled out through the flow path forming portion 9 to the water storage space side of the bathtub 100 (above the bottom wall portion 101 in FIG. 1).

[0061] Then, the upper portion of the support shaft mechanism 5 is inserted into the lower opening of the holding portion 43 (i.e., inside the insertion guide portion 435). At this time, as described above, the size of the gap formed between the support protrusions 434 is slightly smaller than the maximum outer diameter of the head portion 52c, and therefore, the upper portion of the support shaft 52 (head portion 52c in this embodiment) can be inserted through the inside of the support protrusions 434 and above the support protrusions 434 of the holding portion 43 (see FIG. 6 ) without substantially enlarging the lower opening of the holding portion 43 (i.e., without substantially elastically deforming the holding portion 43).

[0062] The phrase "without substantially enlarging the lower opening of the holding portion 43" is intended to include not only a case where the holding portion 43 is not elastically deformed and the lower opening of the holding portion 43 is not enlarged at all from its natural state, but also a case where the holding portion 43 is elastically deformed only slightly and the lower opening of the holding portion 43 is slightly enlarged from its natural state (for example, a state where the lower opening of the holding portion 43 is enlarged by 1 mm or less from its natural state). Therefore, the above-mentioned phrase "without substantially enlarging the lower opening of the holding portion 43" has the latter meaning.

[0063] Next, a pushing step is performed in which the support shaft mechanism 5 is pushed and inserted into the holding portion 43. That is, the support shaft mechanism 5 is pushed into the holding portion 43 while the upper portion (shoulder portion 52a in this embodiment) of the support shaft mechanism 5 is brought into contact with the insertion assist surface 434b (see FIG. 7). This causes the holding portion 43 (particularly the protruding holding piece portion 433a) to elastically deform outward, enlarging the lower opening of the holding portion 43, and the support shaft mechanism 5 can be inserted and installed in the holding portion 43 through the lower opening and the inside of both support protrusions 434.

[0064] At the very beginning of the pushing process, that is, in a state where further movement of the support shaft mechanism 5 toward the inside of the holding portion 43 would start to cause the expansion of the lower opening of the holding portion 43 (more specifically, the expansion of the lower opening of the holding portion 43 so that the entire support shaft mechanism 5 can pass inside the support protrusion 434), when the upper portion (shoulder portion 52a) of at least one of the support shaft 52 and the case portion 51 is brought into contact with the insertion assist surface 434b (the state in FIG. 7 ) without substantially expanding the lower opening of the holding portion 43, the case portion 51 is disposed inside the insertion guide portion 435. Particularly in this embodiment, the case portion 51 is disposed over the entire inside of the insertion guide portion 435 along the direction of the central axis CL of the holding portion 43, and the uppermost portion of the case portion 51 is positioned above the uppermost portion of the insertion guide portion 435.

[0065] Furthermore, in the pushing-in process, when the protruding holding piece portion 433a is elastically deformed outward (the lower opening of the holding portion 43 is enlarged) as a result of the support shaft mechanism 5 being pressed against the insertion assist surface 434b, as described above, a force directed inward (toward the central axis CL of the holding portion 43) is generated in the non-protruding holding piece portion 433b due to the influence of the elastic deformation of the protruding holding piece portion 433a. Therefore, there is concern that the lower portion of the non-protruding holding piece portion 433b will be displaced inward due to this pushing force. However, in this embodiment, the inner surface portion of the insertion guide portion 435 (the portion with the scattered dots in FIG. 4) comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the case portion 51, thereby preventing the lower portion of the non-protruding holding piece portion 433b from being displaced inward.

[0066] After the support shaft mechanism 5 is inserted into the holding portion 43, the installation of the drain plug device 1 is completed by attaching the attachment member 4 to the flow path configuration portion 9 (drain outlet member 2) and attaching the plug cover 6 to the support shaft 52.

[0067] As described above in detail, according to this embodiment, by arranging the support shaft mechanism 5 inside the cylindrical insertion guide portion 435, it is possible to improve the attachment stability (stability related to insertion and attachment) of the support shaft mechanism 5 when it is inserted into the holding portion 43 (particularly when the insertion begins), and to make it more unlikely that the support shaft mechanism 5 will shift or wobble. Therefore, it is possible to insert the support shaft mechanism 5 into the holding portion 43 very easily, and it is possible to improve the workability related to maintenance such as installation of the drain plug device 1 and part replacement (for example, replacement of the attachment member 4, the support shaft mechanism 5, etc.).

[0068] Furthermore, when the support shaft mechanism 5 (shoulder 52a in this embodiment) is pushed into the holding portion 43 while contacting the insertion assist surface 434b, the inner surface of the insertion guide portion 435 comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the case portion 51, thereby preventing the lower portion of the holding piece portion 433 (non-protruding holding piece portion 433b in this embodiment) from being displaced inward due to the force of the pushing. This more reliably prevents the holding piece portion 433 (non-protruding holding piece portion 433b) from being positioned in a way that obstructs the insertion of the support shaft mechanism 5. As a result, the support shaft mechanism 5 can be inserted into the holding portion 43 more easily, and the ease of installation of the drain plug device 1 can be further improved.

[0069] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the holding piece portions 433 are provided with protruding holding piece portions 433a that have support protrusions 434 and non-protruding holding piece portions 433b that do not have support protrusions 434, and the support protrusions 434 are provided on only some of the multiple holding piece portions 433. Therefore, compared to when support protrusions 434 are provided on all of the holding piece portions 433, the force required to insert the support shaft mechanism 5 into the holding portion 43 can be reduced, and the support shaft mechanism 5 can be inserted more smoothly into the holding portion 43. This can further improve the ease of work involved in installing the drain plug device 1.

[0070] In addition, even if further movement of the support shaft mechanism 5 into the holding portion 43 would cause the lower opening of the holding portion 43 to expand, the upper portion of at least one of the support shaft 52 and the case portion 51 (in this embodiment, the upper portion of the support shaft 52) ​​is in contact with the insertion assist surface 434b without substantially expanding the lower opening of the holding portion 43. That is, in the initial stage of the operation of pushing the support shaft mechanism 5 into the holding portion 43 (the pushing step), the case portion 51 is positioned inside the insertion guide portion 435. Therefore, even from the very beginning of the pushing step, it is possible to more effectively prevent the support shaft mechanism 5 from slipping or wobbling. Furthermore, even from the very beginning of the pushing step, it is possible to effectively restrict the inward displacement of the holding piece portion 433 (in this embodiment, the non-protruding holding piece portion 433b), thereby more reliably preventing the holding piece portion 433 (non-protruding holding piece portion 433b) from being positioned in a position that would obstruct the insertion of the support shaft mechanism 5. As a result, it is possible to extremely easily insert the support shaft mechanism into the holding portion 43.

[0071] Furthermore, because the case portion 51 is thicker than the support shaft 52, the support shaft mechanism 5 can be brought closer to the inner surface of the insertion guide portion 435 at the initial stage of the pushing process, compared to a configuration in which only the support shaft 52 is disposed inside the insertion guide portion 435. This makes it possible to more effectively suppress slippage and wobbling of the support shaft mechanism 5, further increasing the ease of inserting the support shaft mechanism 5 into the holding portion 43. Particularly in this embodiment, at the initial stage of the pushing process, the case portion 51 is disposed over the entire inner surface of the insertion guide portion 435 along the central axis CL, and the uppermost portion of the case portion 51 is positioned higher than the uppermost portion of the insertion guide portion 435, making it possible to extremely effectively suppress slippage and wobbling of the support shaft mechanism 5.

[0072] Furthermore, when inserting the support shaft mechanism 5 into the holding portion 43, the upper portion (head portion 52c in this embodiment) of the support shaft 52 can be inserted through the inside of the support protrusion 434 to a position above the support protrusion 434 of the holding portion 43 with no or almost no resistance. Therefore, when the support shaft mechanism 5 (shoulder portion 52a) is subsequently pressed into the holding portion 43 while contacting the insertion assist surface 434b, it is possible to make it even more unlikely that the support shaft mechanism 5 will slip or wobble. As a result, it becomes possible to insert the support shaft mechanism 5 into the holding portion 43 extremely easily.

[0073] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be implemented as follows: Of course, other applications and modifications not exemplified below are also possible.

[0074] (a) In the above embodiment, the upper portion (shoulder portion 52a) of the support shaft 52 is configured to be in contact with the insertion assist surface 434b at the very beginning of the pushing-in process. In contrast to this, the upper portion of the case portion 51 (for example, the portion extending from the upper surface to the outer circumferential surface of the case portion 51) may be configured to be in contact with the insertion assist surface 434b at the very beginning of the pushing-in process. Of course, the case portion 51 and the support shaft 52 may both be configured to be in contact with the insertion assist surface 434b at the very beginning of the pushing-in process.

[0075] (b) In the above embodiment, the upper portion of the support shaft 52 (head portion 52c in this embodiment) can be inserted through the inside of the support protrusion 434 above the support protrusion 434 in the holding portion 43 without substantially expanding the lower opening of the holding portion 43 (i.e., without substantially elastically deforming the holding portion 43), but this configuration is not necessarily required.

[0076] Therefore, the lower opening of the holding portion 43 may be configured to need to be enlarged to some extent in order to insert the upper portion (head portion 52c) of the support shaft 52 through the inside of the support protrusion 434 and above the support protrusion 434 of the holding portion 43. In this configuration, the lower opening of the holding portion 43 can be enlarged by pressing the support shaft mechanism 5 into the holding portion 43 while bringing the upper portion (head portion 52c) of the support shaft 52 into contact with the insertion assist surface 434b.

[0077] In addition, in such a configuration, in order to suppress shifting or wobbling of the support shaft mechanism 5, it is preferable to configure the case portion 51 so that it is positioned inside the insertion guide portion 435 when the upper portion (head portion 52c) of the support shaft 52 is in contact with the insertion auxiliary surface 434b without substantially expanding the lower opening of the holding portion 43.

[0078] (c) In the above embodiment, four slits 431 are provided, but three or five or more slits 431 may be provided. Note that the configuration of the connecting portion 42 (for example, the number of connecting portions 42) may be changed as appropriate depending on the number of slits 431, etc. (However, this is just a reference example) .

[0079] (d) In the above embodiment, the lower opening of the holding portion 43 is only slightly enlarged to allow the upper portion (head 52c) of the support shaft 52 to be inserted through the inside of the support protrusion 434 and above the support protrusion 434 of the holding portion 43. In contrast, the lower opening of the holding portion 43 may be configured to be able to be inserted through the inside of the support protrusion 434 and above the support protrusion 434 of the holding portion 43 without enlarging it at all.

[0080] (e) In the above embodiment, the support protrusions 434 are provided on two of the four holding pieces 433, but the holding pieces 433 on which the support protrusions 434 are provided may be changed as appropriate. (However, this is just a reference example) .

[0081] (f) In the above embodiment, the attachment member 4 is attached to the drain outlet member 2, but it may also be attached to the piping 3, or to both the drain outlet member 2 and the piping 3.

[0082] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the attachment member 4 includes the outer ring portion 41, but may not include the outer ring portion 41. In this case, the end of the connecting portion 42 located on the opposite side to the holding portion 43 may be configured to be attached to the flow path forming portion 9 (for example, the drain outlet member 2).

[0083] Furthermore, the outer ring portion 41 is not limited to a continuous ring, but may be a ring with a broken portion. (However, this is just a reference example) .

[0084] (g) In the above embodiment, an example is given in which the attachment member 4 is attached to the flow path forming portion 9 (the drain outlet member 2) after the drain outlet member 2 and the piping 3 are attached to the bathtub 100. However, the attachment member 4 may be attached to the flow path forming portion 9 at the same time as the drain outlet member 2 and the piping 3 are attached to the bathtub 100. For example, a step on which the outer ring portion 41 can be placed may be provided on the inner surface of the piping 3 below the female thread portion 31, and with the outer ring portion 41 placed on this step, the male thread portion 21 may be screwed into the female thread portion 31 to attach the drain outlet member 2 and the piping 3 to the bathtub 100 (bottom wall portion 101), and the attachment member 4 placed on the step may be attached to the flow path forming portion 9. In this configuration, the outer ring portion 41 may be sandwiched between the step and the lower end surface of the drain outlet member 2, for example, to attach the attachment member 4 to the flow path forming portion 9.

[0085] (h) In the above embodiment, the drain outlet 102 is configured to be closed when the plug lid 6 (gasket portion 62) comes into contact with the drain outlet member 2, but the drain outlet 102 may also be configured to be closed when the plug lid 6 (gasket portion 62) comes into contact with a part other than the drain outlet member 2 (for example, the bottom wall portion 101).

[0086] (i) In the above embodiment, the bathtub 100 is used as an example of a tank body, but the tank body to which the technical concept of the present invention can be applied is not limited to a bathtub. Therefore, the technical concept of the present invention may be applied to tank bodies other than a bathtub, such as a washbasin or a kitchen sink. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 1...drain plug device, 4...attachment member, 5...support shaft mechanism, 6...plug cover, 9...flow path configuration portion, 43...holding portion, 51...case portion, 52...support shaft, 100...bathtub (tank body), 102...drain outlet, 431...slit, 432...annular portion, 433...holding piece portion, 433a...protruding holding piece portion, 433b...non-protruding holding piece portion, 434...support protrusion portion, 434b...insertion assistance surface, 435...insertion guide portion.

Claims

1. a plug cover for opening and closing a drain outlet provided in the tank body; a flow path forming portion that forms a flow path for drainage water that flows through the drain outlet; a support shaft mechanism having a rod-shaped support shaft to which the stopper cap is attached and a cylindrical case portion that holds the support shaft therein in a state in which the support shaft can move up and down; The drainage system includes a cylindrical holder having the support shaft mechanism disposed therein, and an attachment member disposed in the drainage flow path, A drain plug device configured so that the open / close state of the drain outlet can be switched by the up and down movement of the support shaft, The attachment member includes: an outer ring portion that forms a continuous ring; four connecting portions connecting an inner peripheral surface of the outer ring portion and an outer peripheral surface of the holding portion, The holding portion is four slits extending in the vertical direction and opening at the lower ends; four holding pieces whose lower portions are spaced apart from one another by the slits; The support shaft mechanism has an insertion assist surface that gradually approaches the central axis of the holding portion in an upward direction, and a support protrusion that protrudes from the inner surface of the holding piece portion and supports the support shaft mechanism from below, by bringing an upper portion of the support shaft mechanism into contact with the insertion assist surface and pushing the support shaft mechanism into the holding portion, the holding portion is elastically deformed to expand a lower opening of the holding portion, and the support shaft mechanism can be inserted into the holding portion through the lower opening, The holding portion is a cylindrical insertion guide portion that extends in the vertical direction below the support protrusion and is configured so that an upper portion of the support shaft mechanism can be disposed inside the insertion guide portion when the upper portion of the support shaft mechanism is in contact with the insertion assist surface; a ring-shaped portion to which upper portions of the plurality of holding pieces are connected, As the holding piece portions, two holding piece portions with protrusions that are provided with the support protrusions and two holding piece portions without protrusions that are not provided with the support protrusions are provided, the protruding holding piece portions and the non-protruding holding piece portions are alternately provided along the circumferential direction of the holding portion, and are each connected to the outer ring portion by the connecting portion, The drain plug device is characterized in that the insertion guide portion is composed of the lower portion of the protruding retaining piece portion and the lower portion of the non-protruding retaining piece portion, and when the upper portion of the support shaft mechanism is brought into contact with the insertion auxiliary surface and the support shaft mechanism is pushed into the holding portion, the inner surface portion corresponding to the lower portion of the non-protruding retaining piece portion comes into contact with the case portion, thereby preventing inward displacement of the lower portion of the non-protruding retaining piece portion due to the force applied when pushing it in.

2. The drain plug device of claim 1, characterized in that when the upper portion of at least one of the support shaft and the case portion is brought into contact with the insertion assistance surface without substantially expanding the lower opening of the holding portion, the case portion is positioned inside the insertion guide portion.

3. The support shaft is configured so that an upper portion thereof protrudes from the case portion, A drain plug device as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that when the support shaft mechanism is inserted into the holding portion through the lower opening of the holding portion, the upper part of the support shaft can be inserted through the inside of the support protrusion and above the support protrusion in the holding portion without substantially expanding the lower opening of the holding portion.

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