Drain plug device

Abstract

To provide a drain plug device capable of further reliably preventing abnormality of a release wire due to bending.SOLUTION: A holding part 43 comprises a tubular curving restricting part 432 that protrudes downward from a portion where a support projection 44 is formed on an inner periphery and forms a lower opening of the holding part 43. The portion of an outer peripheral surface of an outer tube 52 that is a starting point of bending is defined as a bending start part S and an allowable bending radius of a release wire 5 is defined as R (mm) when bending the portion of the release wire 5 immediately outside a case part 62. Further, when a vertical circle VC passing through the bending start part S centered at a point separated by R from the bending start part S in a direction perpendicular to a central axis CL is taken in the cross section including the central axis CL of the holding part 43, at least a portion of the curving restricting part 432 overlaps with the virtual circle VC or is positioned outside the virtual circle VC in the cross section.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a drain plug device for opening and closing a drain outlet of a tank body. [Background technology]

[0002] The drain plug device has a plug cover attached to the drain outlet of a tank body (for example, a bathtub or a washbasin), and is used to remotely operate the plug cover to switch the drain outlet between open and closed states.

[0003] Known drain plug devices include a support shaft mechanism, an attachment member, and a release wire in addition to the plug cap (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The support shaft mechanism is a mechanism for moving the plug cap up and down and includes a support shaft that can move up and down and has a plug cap attached to its upper end, and a case (cylindrical portion) that holds the support shaft in a vertically movable state. The attachment member holds the support shaft mechanism in the drainage flow path and includes a cylindrical holding portion through which the support shaft mechanism is inserted and a support protrusion that protrudes from the inner surface of the holding portion and supports the support shaft mechanism from below. The release wire includes a cylindrical outer tube (tube member) whose end is attached to the case, and an inner wire (transmission member) that is inserted and can move back and forth relative to the outer tube. In such drain plug devices, the inner wire moves in response to operation of a specific operating portion (e.g., an operating button), transmitting a driving force from the inner wire to the support shaft. As a result, the plug cap moves, switching the open / close state of the drain outlet.

[0004] The case has a tube outlet that opens downward, and the release wire passes through the tube outlet and protrudes from the lower end of the case to the outside of the case. The portion of the release wire located outside the case and near the tube outlet (i.e., the portion immediately outside the case) is often bent or maintained in a curved state during installation or maintenance (e.g., part replacement) of the device, or due to its positional relationship with surrounding components (e.g., piping for draining wastewater). For example, when installing the device, the release wire located inside the piping may be pulled out of the piping through a horizontal hole in the piping, or the path of the release wire may be adjusted for some reason (e.g., interference with insulation or various piping), and the release wire may be pulled toward the operating unit, causing the portion of the release wire to be bent. Furthermore, the device may ultimately be installed with the bent state maintained. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-214813 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, when the release wire is bent at this portion, it is prone to bending at an excessively small bending radius, which may cause various abnormalities in the release wire (for example, damage or increased resistance to movement of the inner wire).

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a drain plug device that can more reliably prevent abnormalities in the release wire due to bending. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The following describes each of the means suitable for achieving the above object, with specific effects of the corresponding means added as necessary.

[0009] Means 1. A support shaft mechanism having a rod-shaped support shaft that can move up and down, and a case part that has a tube outlet that opens downward and holds the support shaft in a state that allows it to move up and down; an attachment member having a cylindrical holding portion in which the support shaft mechanism is disposed; a plug cover that can open and close a drain outlet formed in the tank body in accordance with the up and down movement of the support shaft; a cylindrical outer tube having an end attached to the case portion; and a bendable release wire having an inner wire inserted in a state capable of reciprocating relative to the outer tube, The release wire passes through the tube outlet, exits from the lower end of the case portion, and passes through the lower opening of the holding portion. A drain plug device configured to operate the plug cover by transmitting a driving force from the inner wire to the support shaft as the inner wire reciprocates, the attachment member has a support protrusion that protrudes from an inner periphery of the holding portion and supports the support shaft mechanism from below, the holding portion includes a cylindrical bending restriction portion that protrudes downward from a portion where the support protrusion is formed on an inner periphery and that forms the lower opening of the holding portion, for restricting excessive bending of the release wire; when a portion of the release wire that is located outside the case portion and in the vicinity of the tube outlet is bent, a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the outer tube that is a starting point of the bend is defined as a bend start portion, The allowable bending radius of the release wire is R (mm), In a cross section including the central axis of the holding portion, when an imaginary circle is drawn that passes through the bending start portion and has its center at a point that is a distance R from the bending start portion in a direction away from the inner wire and perpendicular to the central axis, In the cross section, at least a part of the bending restriction portion is configured to overlap with the imaginary circle or to be located outside the imaginary circle. And, The bending start portion is configured to be located above the lower end of the case portion. A drain plug device characterized by:

[0010] The "allowable bending radius of the release wire" refers to the smallest bending radius at which the release wire can be used without being damaged or impeded in function. In addition, a slit may be provided in the holding part to make it easier to insert the support shaft mechanism into the holding part. In this case, the cross section including the central axis of the holding part refers to a cross section that passes through a position that avoids the slit.

[0011] According to the above-described means 1, in a cross section including the central axis of the holding portion, at least a portion of the bend restricting portion formed on the lower portion of the holding portion is configured to overlap with or be located outside the imaginary circle. Therefore, when the portion of the release wire located outside the case and near the tube outlet (i.e., the portion of the release wire immediately outside the case) is bent, the release wire comes into contact with the bend restricting portion, thereby more reliably preventing the release wire from being bent at a bend radius less than the allowable bend radius (R). This more reliably prevents abnormalities in the release wire due to bending (e.g., damage or increased resistance to movement in the inner wire). Furthermore, since excessive bending of the release wire can be more reliably prevented without special consideration during installation or maintenance of the device, the operability of device installation, etc. can be improved.

[0012] Furthermore, according to the above-mentioned means 1, the bending restriction portion has a relatively simple structure and can prevent the release wire from bending excessively. Therefore, it is possible to suppress increases in costs related to the manufacturing of the device.

[0013] Also, The above means 1 According to the invention, the bending start portion is configured to be located above the lower end of the case portion (for example, located inside the tube outlet). This allows the size of the bending restricting portion (for example, the vertical length of the bending restricting portion) to be reduced while at least a portion of the bending restricting portion overlaps with the imaginary circle or is located outside the imaginary circle in the cross section. As a result, it is possible to improve the convenience of handling the device and reduce material costs.

[0014] means 2 The support shaft mechanism is disposed in the holding portion through a lower opening of the holding portion, the bending restriction portion has a cylindrical shape with an inner diameter larger than an outer diameter of the case portion, a means for configuring the cross section so that at least the lower end of the bending restriction portion or a portion thereof in the vicinity thereof overlaps with the imaginary circle or is located outside the imaginary circle; 1 The drain plug device according to claim 1.

[0015] The above means 2 According to this, when the support shaft mechanism is inserted into the holding part through the lower opening of the holding part, the bending restriction part can be used as a guide for the support shaft mechanism. Therefore, the support shaft mechanism can be easily inserted into the holding part, and the workability for installing the device can be further improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the drain plug device. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the drain plug device.

[0017] One embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, the drain plug device 1 is attached to a bathtub 100, which serves as a tank body. The bathtub 100 has a bottom surface 101 that forms the bottom surface of the bathtub, and a drain port 102 is formed through the bottom surface 101.

[0018] The drain plug device 1 comprises a drain outlet member 2, a pipe 3, an attachment member 4, a release wire 5, a support shaft mechanism 6, and a plug lid 7.

[0019] The drain outlet member 2 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is inserted into the drain outlet 102 so that its central axis is 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.

[0020] The piping 3 forms a flow path for the wastewater that flows through the drain outlet 102, and is a pipe with at least the upper part being cylindrical. The piping 3 has a female threaded portion 31 on the inner circumference of its upper end, into which the male threaded portion 22 can be screwed. The piping 3 is then positioned below the bottom surface 101 so that it is approximately coaxial with the drain outlet 102. The drain outlet member 2 is then inserted into the drain outlet 102 and the piping 3 from above the bottom surface 101, and the male threaded portion 22 is screwed into the female threaded portion 31. The bottom surface 101 is then sandwiched between the flange portion 21 and the upper end surface of the piping 3, thereby connecting the drain outlet member 2 and the piping 3, and both are attached to the bathtub 100.

[0021] In this embodiment, annular sealing members 8 and 9 made of an elastically deformable material (e.g., resin, rubber, etc.) are disposed between the flange 21 and the surface (upper surface) of the bottom portion 101, and between the upper end surface of the piping 3 and the back surface (lower surface) of the bottom portion 101. These sealing members 8 and 9 prevent water leakage from between the drain outlet member 2 and the piping 3 and the bathtub 100.

[0022] The attachment member 4 is for holding the support shaft mechanism 6 in the drainage flow path, that is, inside the drain outlet member 2 and the piping 3. The attachment member 4 includes an outer ring portion 41, a connecting portion 42, and a holding portion 43.

[0023] The outer ring portion 41 has a circular ring shape and functions as an attachment portion for the attachment member 4 to the drain outlet member 2 and the piping 3. In this embodiment, the outer ring portion 41 is attached to the drain outlet member 2 by, for example, placing it on a step provided on the inner circumference of the drain outlet member 2. The outer ring portion 41 (attachment member 4) may be attached to the inner portion of the piping 3, or may be attached to the inner portions of both the drain outlet member 2 and the piping 3.

[0024] The connecting portions 42 are portions that connect the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring portion 41 and the outer peripheral surface of the holding portion 43, and a plurality of them (for example, four at equal intervals) are provided at intervals along the circumferential direction of the holding portion 43. The wastewater flows downstream through the gaps between the connecting portions 42. The number and shape of the connecting portions 42 may be changed as appropriate.

[0025] The holding portion 43 has a cylindrical shape as a whole, and the support shaft mechanism 6 is disposed inside the holding portion 43. The holding portion 43 has a plurality of slits 431 (four in this embodiment) that extend in the vertical direction and open at the lower end of the holding portion 43. The lower opening of the holding portion 43 can be enlarged by elastically deforming the holding portion 43 so that the width of the slits 431 increases. In this embodiment, the width of the slits 431 at the lower part of the holding portion 43 is equal to or less than half the outer diameter of the release wire 5. The attachment member 4 will be described in further detail later.

[0026] The release wire 5 is used to transmit the driving force generated by the displacement of a predetermined operating part (for example, an operating button) to a support shaft 61 (described later) of the support shaft mechanism 6. The release wire 5 includes an inner wire 51 made of a metal wire part or the like, and a long, tubular outer tube 52 made of resin or the like. The inner wire 51 is inserted through the outer tube 52 and is capable of reciprocating relative to the outer tube 52.

[0027] In addition, the operating device (not shown) equipped with the operating unit is provided with a locking mechanism (e.g., a thrust locking mechanism) not shown for locking the inner wire 51 in a forward movement (moving from the operating unit side to the support shaft mechanism 6 side) state, thereby locking the inner wire 51 and, in turn, the support shaft 61 described later in a forward (upward) movement state.

[0028] The release wire 5 also passes through a tube outlet 622 b (described later), exits from the lower end of the case 62 (described later), and passes through the lower opening of the holder 43 .

[0029] In addition, the outer diameter of the release wire 5 is larger than the width of the slit 431. Therefore, the release wire 5 does not get into the slit 431.

[0030] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the release wire 5 is installed in a curved state at the portion located outside the case portion 62 and near the tube outlet 622b (i.e., the portion immediately outside the case portion 62) due to considerations such as the drain plug device 1 and its surrounding structure, installation space, etc. The release wire 5 may also be installed in a state where the portion immediately outside the case portion 62 is not curved (extending linearly). However, even if the release wire 5 is ultimately installed in an uncurved state, it is possible that the portion of the release wire 5 may be temporarily curved during installation of the drain plug device 1, for example.

[0031] The allowable bending radius of the release wire 5 is R (mm). The bending radius is the distance from the center of bending to the outer peripheral surface of the outer tube 52 located on the side of the center of bending, and the allowable bending radius is the minimum bending radius at which the release wire 5 can be used without causing damage or functional impairment (for example, excessive increase in movement resistance of the inner wire 51).

[0032] The support shaft mechanism 6 is a mechanism for vertically moving the plug 7. As shown in Figure 2, the support shaft mechanism 6 includes a rod-shaped support shaft 61, a cylindrical case portion 62 located on the outer periphery of the support shaft 61, and a return spring 63 that is provided between the outer periphery of the support shaft 61 and the inner periphery of the case portion 62 and is elastically deformable along the longitudinal direction of the support shaft 61.

[0033] The support shaft 61 is a component that supports the plug 7 and is movable up and down on the inner periphery of the case portion 62. The tip portion (upper portion) of the support shaft 61 protrudes from the case portion 62, and the plug 7 is attached to this tip portion. The support shaft 61 also has an absorber spring 611 and a center cylinder 612 inside.

[0034] The absorber spring 611 is made of a specified spring and is elastically deformable in the movement direction (up and down) of the support shaft 61. When the drain outlet 102 is in the open state (when the support shaft 61 is in the forward movement state), if a large downward force is applied to the plug lid 7 (for example, when the plug lid 7 is stepped on), the absorber spring 611 is compressed and deformed, preventing excessive load from being applied to the inner wire 51, etc. Note that Figures 1 and 2 only show the cross sections of the absorber spring 611 and the return spring 63, respectively, in a schematic manner.

[0035] The center tube 612 has a cylindrical shape with a closed tip (upper end) and is capable of reciprocating (up and down) movement along the outer peripheral surface of a thin tube portion 622a (described later) disposed on the inner periphery of the center tube 612. An end of the inner wire 51 is inserted into the center tube 612.

[0036] In this embodiment, the support shaft 61 operates as follows in response to an operation of the operating unit. That is, when the inner wire 51 moves forward by operating (for example, pressing) the operating unit, a driving force is applied from the inner wire 51 to the middle cylinder 612 (support shaft 61), and the support shaft 61 is pushed up against the force of the return spring 63. Then, when the operation of the operating unit is released with the support shaft 61 moving forward to a position above a certain position, the support shaft 61 moves slightly downward, and the locking mechanism locks the inner wire 51 in the forward moving state. As a result, the support shaft 61 is locked in the forward moving (upward moving) state.

[0037] On the other hand, when the operating unit is operated again in this state, the lock mechanism releases the lock on the inner wire 51. When the operation on the operating unit is released, the support shaft 61 moves back (down) together with the inner wire 51 due to the return spring 63, gravity, etc.

[0038] In this embodiment, each time the operating part is operated, the support shaft 61 is alternately locked in a forward (upward) movement state, and then released from the lock, causing the support shaft 61 to move backward (downward).

[0039] The case part 62 includes a case main body part 621 and a closing part 622. The case part 62 itself is held immovably by a holding part 43 arranged on the outer periphery thereof.

[0040] The case main body 621 is cylindrical and has a larger diameter than the support shaft 61, and holds the support shaft 61 therein in a state in which the support shaft 61 can move back and forth (up and down).

[0041] Closing portion 622 includes cylindrical thin tube portion 622a extending in the longitudinal direction of support shaft 61. Thin tube portion 622a is disposed on the inner periphery of center tube 612 and guides the movement of center tube 612. A portion of closing portion 622, which is connected to the base end of thin tube portion 622a, has a larger diameter than thin tube portion 622a and is attached to the lower end of case main body 621. As a result, the opening on the lower end side of case main body 621 is closed by closing portion 622.

[0042] The blocking portion 622 holds the end of the outer tube 52. As a result, the end of the outer tube 52 is attached to the case portion 62.

[0043] Furthermore, a tube outlet 622b that opens downward is formed in the closing portion 622. The tube outlet 622b is an opening for allowing the release wire 5 to exit the case portion 62. The inner diameter of the portion of the closing portion 622 where the tube outlet 622b is formed gradually decreases from the outside of the case portion 62 toward the inside of the case portion 622, and is configured to ultimately become approximately equal to the outer diameter of the release wire 5 (outer tube 52). Therefore, the portion of the closing portion 622 where the tube outlet 622b is formed has a boundary portion B between the portion where the inner diameter gradually decreases and the portion where the inner diameter becomes approximately equal to the outer diameter of the release wire 5 (outer tube 52).

[0044] When a portion of the release wire 5 located outside the case portion 62 and near the tube outlet 622b (i.e., the portion immediately outside the case portion 62) is bent, the inner wire 51 and the outer tube 52 are bent, and the outer surface of the outer tube 52 is configured so that a portion located to the side of the boundary portion B becomes the starting point of the bend. Hereinafter, this portion that becomes the starting point of the bend will be referred to as a bend start portion S. In this embodiment, the bend start portion S is located inside the tube outlet 622b and is located above the lower end of the case portion 62.

[0045] The return spring 63 is provided in a compressed state and applies a retracting force in the return direction to the support shaft 61. In this embodiment, the retracting force is applied to the support shaft 61 by the elastic force generated by the return spring 63.

[0046] Returning to Figure 1, plug lid 7 is a plug for opening and closing drain outlet 102. Plug lid 7 includes a disk-shaped lid portion 71 made of a predetermined resin or the like, a guide portion 72 formed to protrude from the back surface of lid portion 71, a cylindrical insertion portion 73 provided closer to the center of the back surface of lid portion 71 than guide portion 72, and an annular packing portion 74 attached to the outer periphery of the back surface of lid portion 71.

[0047] The guide portion 72 is disposed on the outer periphery of the holding portion 43, and moves along the outer periphery of the holding portion 43 in accordance with the reciprocating movement (up and down movement) of the support shaft 61. The guide portion 72 is provided to prevent the stopper lid 7 from tilting or shifting in position along the horizontal direction when the stopper lid 7 moves back and forth.

[0048] The insertion portion 73 is a portion through which the tip end portion of the support shaft 61 is inserted, and functions as a portion where the plug lid 7 is attached to the support shaft 61. In this embodiment, the tip end portion of the support shaft 61 is fitted into the insertion portion 73, thereby attaching the plug lid 7 to the tip end portion.

[0049] The packing portion 74 is formed of an elastically deformable material (for example, resin or rubber) and has an annular shape. In this embodiment, when the drain outlet 102 is in a closed state, if the support shaft 61 moves forward (upward) in response to an operation on the operating unit, the packing portion 74 becomes separated from the drain outlet member 2. Then, the locking mechanism maintains the support shaft 61 and the plug lid 7 in a forward (upward) state, thereby maintaining the drain outlet 102 in an open state.

[0050] On the other hand, when the drain outlet 102 is in the open state, if the locking mechanism is released by operating the operating part, the support shaft 61 moves back (down) due to the retracting force applied by the return spring 63. Then, as the support shaft 61 moves back (down), the plug lid 7 moves back (down), and the entire outer periphery of the packing part 74 comes into contact with the drain outlet member 2, so that the drain outlet 102 is closed.

[0051] When the drain outlet 102 is closed, the support shaft 61 is positioned in a position closer to the drain outlet 102 than when it has returned to its maximum extent, due to the contact of the packing part 74 with the drain outlet member 2. This maintains the state in which the retraction force is transmitted from the return spring 63 to the plug lid 7, making it possible to achieve good watertightness.

[0052] Next, a more detailed description will be given of the attachment member 4. The attachment member 4 includes a support protrusion 44 as shown in FIG.

[0053] The support protrusion 44 protrudes inward (toward the central axis CL of the holding portion 43) from the inner surface on the lower side of the holding portion 43, and is intended to support from below the support shaft mechanism 6 inserted into the holding portion 43. The support protrusion 44 has an upward-facing fall-off prevention surface 44a and an obliquely downward-facing insertion assistance surface 44b.

[0054] The fall-off prevention surface 44a is a surface that comes into contact with the lower end surface of the support shaft mechanism 6 inserted into the holding portion 43. The fall-off prevention surface 44a has a shape that extends in a direction perpendicular to the central axis CL of the holding portion 43, so that even if a downward force is applied to the support shaft mechanism 6, elastic deformation of the holding portion 43 that would cause the lower opening of the holding portion 43 to expand does not occur. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent the support shaft mechanism 6 from falling out of the lower opening of the holding portion 43.

[0055] The insertion assist surface 44b is an inclined surface that gradually approaches the central axis CL of the holding portion 43 as it extends upward, and is intended to facilitate insertion of the support shaft mechanism 6 into the holding portion 43. More specifically, when the support shaft mechanism 6 is pushed into the holding portion 43 while the upper portion of the support shaft mechanism 6 is brought into contact with the insertion assist surface 44b in order to insert the support shaft mechanism 6 into the holding portion 43, the insertion assist surface 44b makes it possible to expand the lower opening of the holding portion 43 by utilizing the pushing force applied to the support shaft mechanism 6 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 6 into the holding portion 43.

[0056] Furthermore, an upper protrusion (not shown) that protrudes inward is formed on the upper inner surface of the holding portion 43, and the support shaft mechanism 6 (particularly the case portion 62) inserted into the holding portion 43 is held in a state where it is sandwiched between the upper protrusion and the support protrusion 44.

[0057] Furthermore, the holding portion 43 has a bending restriction portion 432 that protrudes downward from the portion where the support protrusion 44 is formed on the inner periphery and forms a lower opening of the holding portion 43. The bending restriction portion 432 is intended to restrict excessive bending of the release wire 5, and has a cylindrical shape (this "cylindrical shape" means that it is cylindrical overall, although it is interrupted by slits 431) with an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the case portion 62.

[0058] In order to restrict excessive bending of the release wire 5, the bend restricting portion 432 is configured as follows: In other words, in a cross section including the central axis CL of the holding portion 43 (the cross section in FIG. 3 ; however, in this embodiment, the cross section passes through a position that avoids the slit 431), when an imaginary circle VC is drawn that passes through the bend start portion S and is centered at a point R (allowable bending radius) away from the bend start portion S in a direction away from the inner wire 51 and perpendicular to the central axis CL, at least a portion of the bend restricting portion 432 (a portion excluding the outer surface) overlaps with the imaginary circle VC or is located outside the imaginary circle VC. Particularly in this embodiment, the bend restricting portion 432 is configured such that at least the lower end or a portion in the vicinity thereof overlaps with the imaginary circle VC or is located outside the imaginary circle VC in the cross section.

[0059] In addition, in this embodiment, the support shaft mechanism 6 (case portion 62) is placed on the inner circumference of the bending control portion 432, and the support shaft mechanism 6 is then pushed into the holding portion 43, thereby making it possible to install the support shaft mechanism 6 within the holding portion 43.

[0060] As described above in detail, according to this embodiment, in a cross section including the central axis CL of the holding portion 43, at least a portion of the bend restricting portion 432 is configured to overlap with or be outside the imaginary circle VC. Therefore, when the portion of the release wire 5 located outside the case portion 62 and near the tube outlet 622b (i.e., the portion of the release wire 5 immediately outside the case portion 62) is bent, the release wire 5 comes into contact with the bend restricting portion 432, thereby more reliably preventing the release wire 5 from being bent at a bending radius less than the allowable bending radius (R). This more reliably prevents abnormalities in the release wire 5 due to bending (e.g., damage to the release wire 5, increased resistance to movement in the inner wire 51, etc.). Furthermore, excessive bending of the release wire 5 can be more reliably prevented without special consideration during installation or maintenance of the drain plug device 1, thereby improving the ease of installation and other operations related to the device.

[0061] Furthermore, excessive bending of the release wire 5 can be prevented by the bending restriction portion 432 having a relatively simple structure, which makes it possible to suppress increases in costs associated with the manufacture of the device.

[0062] Furthermore, the bending start portion S is configured to be located above the lower end of the case portion 62 (located inside the tube outlet 622b in this embodiment). This allows the size of the bending restricting portion 432 (for example, the vertical length of the bending restricting portion 432) to be made smaller while at least a portion of the bending restricting portion 432 is configured to overlap with the imaginary circle VC or to be located outside the imaginary circle VC in the cross section. As a result, it is possible to improve the convenience of handling the device and reduce material costs.

[0063] Additionally, in this embodiment, when the support shaft mechanism 6 is disposed (inserted) into the holding portion 43 through the lower opening of the holding portion 43, the bending restriction portion 432 can be used as a guide for the support shaft mechanism 6. Therefore, the support shaft mechanism 6 can be easily disposed (inserted) into the holding portion 43, and the workability for installing the device can be further improved.

[0064] 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.

[0065] (a) Although not described in the above embodiment, it is preferable to set the length of the bend restricting portion 432 and the width of the slit 431 so that, when the release wire 5 is bent and brought into contact with the portion of the holding portion 43 (bending restricting portion 432) that forms the slit 431, the outer peripheral surface of the outer tube 52 located within the slit 431 does not come into contact with the imaginary circle VC when a cross section including the central axis CL of the holding portion 43 and the central axis of the release wire 5 is taken. With this configuration, even when the release wire 5 is bent toward the slit 431, it is possible to more reliably prevent the release wire 5 from bending at a bending radius less than the allowable bending radius (R). Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent abnormalities in the release wire 5 due to bending.

[0066] (b) In the above embodiment, the curvature start portion S is configured to be located above the lower end of the case portion 62. However, for example, by configuring the entire area of ​​the portion of the blocking portion 622 that forms the tube outlet 622b to have the same inner diameter as the outer diameter of the outer tube 52, the curvature start portion S may be located at the same height as the lower end of the case portion 62. (However, this is just a reference example) .

[0067] (c) In the above embodiment, the drain outlet 102 is configured to be closed when the plug lid 7 (gasket portion 74) 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 7 (gasket portion 74) comes into contact with a part other than the drain outlet member 2 (for example, the bottom portion 101).

[0068] (d) 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]

[0069] 1...drain plug device, 4...attachment member, 5...release wire, 6...support shaft mechanism, 7...plug cover, 43...holding portion, 44...support protrusion, 51...inner wire, 52...outer tube, 61...support shaft, 62...case portion, 432...bending control portion, 622b...tube outlet, S...bending start portion, VC...imaginary circle.

Claims

1. a support shaft mechanism including a rod-shaped support shaft that can move up and down, and a case portion that has a tube outlet that opens downward and that holds the support shaft in a state that allows it to move up and down; an attachment member having a cylindrical holding portion in which the support shaft mechanism is disposed; a plug cover that can open and close a drain outlet formed in the tank body in accordance with the up and down movement of the support shaft; a cylindrical outer tube having an end attached to the case portion; and a bendable release wire having an inner wire inserted in a state capable of reciprocating relative to the outer tube, The release wire passes through the tube outlet, exits from the lower end of the case portion, and passes through the lower opening of the holding portion. A drain plug device configured to operate the plug cover by transmitting a driving force from the inner wire to the support shaft as the inner wire reciprocates, the attachment member has a support protrusion that protrudes from an inner periphery of the holding portion and supports the support shaft mechanism from below, the holding portion includes a cylindrical bending restriction portion that protrudes downward from a portion where the support protrusion is formed on an inner periphery and that forms the lower opening of the holding portion, for restricting excessive bending of the release wire; when a portion of the release wire that is located outside the case portion and in the vicinity of the tube outlet is bent, a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the outer tube that is a starting point of the bend is defined as a bend start portion, The allowable bending radius of the release wire is R (mm), In a cross section including the central axis of the holding portion, when an imaginary circle is drawn that passes through the bending start portion and has its center at a point that is a distance R from the bending start portion in a direction away from the inner wire and perpendicular to the central axis, In the cross section, at least a part of the bending restriction portion is configured to overlap with the imaginary circle or to be located outside the imaginary circle, A drain plug device characterized in that the bending start portion is configured to be positioned above the lower end of the case portion.

2. the support shaft mechanism is disposed in the holding portion through a lower opening of the holding portion, the bending restriction portion has a cylindrical shape with an inner diameter larger than an outer diameter of the case portion, The drain plug device according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the cross section, at least the lower end or a portion thereof of the curvature regulating portion is configured to overlap with the imaginary circle or to be located outside the imaginary circle.

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