Water discharge device

Abstract

To provide a water discharge device which can sufficiently suppress an abnormal sound generated from a vibration generation element.SOLUTION: A water discharge device (1) for discharging water while vibrating water in a reciprocating manner comprises: a water discharge device body (10); and a vibration generation element (22). The vibration generation element comprises: a water supply passage (24); a collision part (30) with which water guided by the water supply passage collides; a vortex train passage (26) which guides a vortex formed by the collision part; and a discharge passage (28) which discharges water. The vortex train passage is formed by fitting an upstream side fitting part (18a) of an upstream side member (18) to a downstream side fitting part (20a) of a downstream side member (20). The upstream side member or downstream side member includes a vibration suppression part (18b) which suppresses the vibration of the upstream side member due to the vortex generated in the vortex train passage. When fitting the upstream side fitting part to the downstream side fitting part, the upstream side fitting part or the downstream side fitting part is elastically deformed by a prescribed amount by providing the vibration suppression part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a water discharger, and more particularly to a water discharger that discharges water while vibrating it back and forth. [Background technology]

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2021-35439 (Patent Document 1) describes a water discharge device. This water discharge device is equipped with a vibration generating element that discharges supplied water while vibrating it back and forth. The vibration generating element has a water supply passage, a hot and cold water collision section provided at the downstream end of the water supply passage, a vortex generating passage that guides vortices generated by water colliding with the hot and cold water collision section, and a water discharge port passage provided downstream of the vortex generating passage. Water supplied to the water discharge device flows into the water supply passage of the vibration generating element and collides with the hot and cold water collision section provided at its downstream end. When the water collides with the hot and cold water collision section, vortices are generated in alternating counter-rotating directions in the downstream vortex generating passage, which are then guided downstream by the vortex generating passage. The water flow, including the vortices guided by the vortex generating passage, is discharged while vibrating back and forth from a water discharge port passage whose flow path cross-sectional area is narrower than that of the vortex generating passage.

[0003] The vibration generating element described in Patent Document 1 has a hot and cold water collision section between the water supply passage and the vortex generating passage, and a water outlet passage with a narrow cross-sectional area is provided downstream of the vortex generating passage. Because of this structure of the vibration generating element, it is difficult to integrally mold it from resin. For this reason, the vibration generating element described in Patent Document 1 is constructed by fitting a first member, which includes the water supply passage, the hot and cold water collision section, and the upstream portion of the vortex generating passage, with a second member, which includes the downstream portion of the vortex generating passage.

[0004] Furthermore, in the vibration generating element described in Patent Document 1, the first upstream member is made of a hard member, and the second downstream member is made of a soft member. This prevents abnormal noises from being generated by hunting from the vibration generating element. That is, when hot or cold water flows into the approximately rectangular inlet (water supply passage) of the vibration generating element, the inlet repeatedly deforms, flattening and then returning to its original shape, causing abnormal noises. In the vibration generating element described in Patent Document 1, the first member provided with the water supply passage is made of a hard member to prevent deformation of the member, thereby suppressing the generation of abnormal noises. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-35439 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the present inventors have discovered that even if the generation of abnormal noise due to hunting is suppressed as in the invention described in Patent Document 1, abnormal noise still occurs from the vibration generating element due to a different mechanism.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a water discharger that can sufficiently suppress abnormal noise generated from a vibration generating element. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a water discharger that discharges water while vibrating it back and forth, the water discharger comprising: a water discharger main body; and a vibration generating element that is provided on the water discharger main body and discharges water while vibrating it back and forth within a predetermined vibration plane, the vibration generating element comprising: a water supply passage into which supplied water flows; a collision section that is arranged at the downstream end of the water supply passage so as to block part of the flow path cross section of the water supply passage and that generates vortices that alternately rotate in opposite directions downstream when the water guided by the water supply passage collides with the collision section; a vortex street passage that is provided downstream of the water supply passage so as to guide the vortices formed by the collision section; and a discharge passage that discharges the water guided by the vortex street passage. The vortex passage is formed by fitting an upstream mating portion of an upstream member, on which the upstream side of the vortex passage is formed, with a downstream mating portion of a downstream member, on which the downstream side of the vortex passage is formed, together. One of the upstream mating portion and the downstream mating portion is made of a soft material, and the other is made of a hard material having a larger elastic modulus than the soft material. Either the upstream member or the downstream member is provided with a vibration suppression portion that suppresses vibration of the upstream member caused by vortices generated in the vortex passage. When the upstream mating portion and the downstream mating portion are fitted together, the provision of the vibration suppression portion causes the one of the upstream mating portion and the downstream mating portion made of the soft material to undergo a predetermined amount of elastic deformation.

[0009] In the present invention configured as described above, water flowing into the water supply passage of the vibration-generating element provided in the water discharger main body collides with the collision portion, generating vortices in alternately opposite directions downstream. The water flow containing the generated vortices is guided by the downstream vortex passage and discharged from the discharge passage while vibrating back and forth within a predetermined vibration plane. The vortex passage is formed by connecting an upstream member, which defines its upstream side, with a downstream member, which defines its downstream side. That is, the vortex passage is formed by mating an upstream mating portion provided on the upstream member with a downstream mating portion provided on the downstream member. Furthermore, the upstream member or the downstream member is provided with a vibration suppression portion that suppresses vibration of the upstream member due to vortices generated in the vortex passage. Due to the provision of this vibration suppression portion, when the upstream mating portion and the downstream mating portion are mated, the one of the upstream mating portion and the downstream mating portion made of a soft material undergoes a predetermined amount of elastic deformation.

[0010] The present inventors discovered that even when the upstream member constituting the vortex passage of the vibration generating element is made of a hard material to suppress the abnormal noise caused by hunting, the abnormal noise generated by the vibration generating element still cannot be sufficiently suppressed. As a result of extensive research, the present inventors discovered that the abnormal noise is caused by Aeolian noise generated within the vibration generating element. Specifically, when hot or cold water impinges on a collision section provided within the vibration generating element and generates Karman vortices downstream, these vortices generate Aeolian noise. The generated Aeolian noise causes the entire upstream member of the vibration generating element to vibrate, resulting in an annoying abnormal noise. Because the abnormal noise caused by Aeolian noise is generated by the vibration of the entire upstream member, its mechanism is different from that of the abnormal noise caused by hunting, which is generated by deformation of the upstream member. Therefore, even if the upstream member is made of a hard material, the abnormal noise cannot be sufficiently suppressed.

[0011] According to the present invention configured as described above, the upstream or downstream member is provided with a vibration suppression portion that suppresses vibration of the upstream member caused by vortices generated in the vortex street passage. By providing the vibration suppression portion, when the upstream fitting portion and the downstream fitting portion are fitted together, the one of the upstream fitting portion and the downstream fitting portion made of a soft material undergoes a predetermined amount of elastic deformation. This firmly secures the upstream member to the downstream member, and even if Aeolian sounds are generated inside the upstream member, vibration of the upstream member caused by the Aeolian sounds can be suppressed, thereby sufficiently suppressing the generation of abnormal noise. Furthermore, according to the present invention configured as described above, since one of the upstream fitting portion and the downstream fitting portion is made of a soft material and the other is made of a hard material, vibration of the upstream member can be damped by the viscosity of the soft material, thereby sufficiently suppressing the generation of abnormal noise.

[0012] In the present invention, the vibration suppressing portion is preferably provided at least in a portion of the upstream fitting portion or the downstream fitting portion downstream of the collision portion. As described above, Aeolian sounds are generated downstream of the collision point of the vibration generating element. According to the present invention configured as described above, the vibration suppression unit is provided downstream of the collision point, so the upstream member can be strongly suppressed at the location where Aeolian sounds are generated, and abnormal noise caused by Aeolian sounds can be more effectively suppressed.

[0013] In the present invention, the vibration suppressing portion is preferably configured to elastically deform one of the upstream fitting portion and the downstream fitting portion, which is made of a soft material, at least in a direction parallel to the vibration plane.

[0014] Karman vortices generated downstream of the collision portion of the vibration generating element cause pressure fluctuations parallel to the vibration plane, generating Aeolian sounds. Therefore, the vibration of the upstream member caused by Aeolian sounds is vibration parallel to the vibration plane. According to the present invention configured as described above, the vibration suppression section elastically deforms the upstream fitting section or the downstream fitting section at least in a direction parallel to the vibration plane, thereby more strongly suppressing movement of the upstream member in a direction parallel to the vibration plane and effectively suppressing the generation of abnormal sounds.

[0015] In the present invention, the vibration suppression portion is preferably configured to elastically deform either the upstream mating portion or the downstream mating portion, whichever is made of a soft material, in a direction parallel to the vibration plane and in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane.

[0016] According to the present invention configured in this manner, the vibration suppression portion elastically deforms the upstream mating portion or the downstream mating portion in a direction parallel to the vibration plane and in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane, thereby firmly holding the upstream member and more effectively suppressing the generation of abnormal noise.

[0017] In the present invention, preferably, a plurality of vibration generating elements are provided in the water discharger main body, and the downstream members of these vibration generating elements are integrated. According to the present invention configured in this manner, the downstream members of multiple vibration generating elements are integrated, so even if the downstream member is made of a soft material, the rigidity of the downstream member can be increased and vibration of the upstream member can be sufficiently suppressed.

[0018] In the present invention, preferably, the water discharge device main body is provided with a plurality of vibration generating elements, and the downstream members of these vibration generating elements are integrated, while the upstream members of the plurality of vibration generating elements are configured as separate bodies.

[0019] According to the present invention configured in this manner, the downstream members of the multiple vibration generating elements are integrated to increase the rigidity of the downstream members, while the upstream members of the multiple vibration generating elements are configured as separate bodies, which prevents the vibrations of the multiple upstream members from resonating and strengthening each other, thereby reliably suppressing the generation of abnormal noise.

[0020] In the present invention, the vibration suppressing portion is preferably configured by a rib-like protrusion provided on the surface of the upstream fitting portion or the downstream fitting portion. According to the present invention configured in this manner, the vibration suppression portion is composed of a rib-shaped protrusion, so that the amount of elastic deformation of the upstream mating portion or the downstream mating portion can be easily controlled, and an appropriate noise suppression effect can be obtained. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to the water discharger of the present invention, abnormal noise generated from the vibration generating element can be sufficiently suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a water discharge device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, seen from above. [Figure 2] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a water discharge device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from below. [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which each upstream member is attached to a sprinkler plate in a water discharge device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a cross-sectional view of the water discharge device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which each upstream member is attached to the water spray plate. [Figure 5] 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which an upstream member is removed from a sprinkler plate in a water discharge device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which an upstream member is attached to a sprinkler plate in a water discharge device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 7] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the water discharger according to the first embodiment of the present invention, taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 6. FIG. [Figure 8] 8 is a cross-sectional view of the water discharger according to the first embodiment of the present invention, taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7. FIG. [Figure 9] 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a vibration generating element according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating an integrally formed vibration generating element as a comparative example. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of a vibration generating element provided in the water discharger of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a shower head according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a full cross-sectional view of a showerhead according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a vibration generating element provided in a shower head according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a vibration generating element provided in a shower head according to a second embodiment of the present invention, taken in a direction parallel to the vibration plane. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Next, a water discharger according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a water discharger according to a first embodiment of the present invention, as seen from above, and Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a water discharger according to a first embodiment of the present invention, as seen from below.

[0024] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the water-discharging device 1 of this embodiment is a so-called hand shower, and is composed of a water-discharging device main body 10, a spray plate 12 attached to the water-discharging device main body 10, and a plurality of upstream members 18 attached to the back of the spray plate 12.

[0025] The water discharger main body 10 has a water discharge head portion 10a and a grip portion 10b, and is configured so that supplied water flows into the inside. The sprinkler plate 12 is a generally disc-shaped member that is attached to the water discharge head portion 10a of the water discharger main body 10. As shown in Figure 2, the sprinkler plate 12 has a plurality of cylindrical sprinkler nozzles 16 protruding from its front surface.

[0026] 1, five upstream members 18 are attached in a ring shape to the rear side of sprinkler plate 12, and together with parts of sprinkler plate 12, form five vibration generating elements. These vibration generating elements are configured to discharge supplied water while vibrating it back and forth within a predetermined vibration plane. Details of the vibration generating elements will be described later.

[0027] The water discharger 1 of this embodiment is configured so that supplied water flows into the water discharger main body 10 and is discharged as a shower through the sprinkler nozzles 16 and vibration generating elements of the sprinkler plate 12 attached to the water discharge head portion 10a. The water discharged from each sprinkler nozzle 16 is discharged in a single line, and the water discharged from each vibration generating element is discharged while vibrating back and forth within a predetermined vibration plane.

[0028] Next, the vibration generating element will be described with reference to FIGS. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the state in which each upstream member 18 is attached to the sprinkler plate 12, and Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view thereof. Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged perspective views of one upstream member 18 and a portion of the sprinkler plate 12 to which it is attached, with Fig. 5 showing the state in which the upstream member has been removed and Fig. 6 showing the state in which the upstream member has been attached to the sprinkler plate. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in Fig. 7.

[0029] As shown in Figure 4, spray plate 12 is composed of nozzle forming member 12a and thin plate member 12b arranged in front of nozzle forming member 12a. Nozzle forming member 12a is composed of a circular plate portion and multiple spray nozzles 16 formed to protrude from this plate portion toward the front side. Thin plate member 12b is composed of a circular thin plate and has multiple holes for passing each spray nozzle 16 through.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 5, a vibration generating element 22 is formed by connecting an upstream member 18 and a downstream member 20. That is, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3, five upstream members 18 are arranged in a ring shape and are connected to five downstream members 20 formed integrally with the spray plate 12 (the nozzle forming member 12a thereof), thereby forming five vibration generating elements 22.

[0031] That is, as shown in Figure 4, the downstream member 20 is composed of a downstream fitting portion 20a (Figure 1) formed so as to protrude from the back side of the sprinkler plate 12, and a protruding portion 20b (Figure 2) formed so as to protrude from the front side of the sprinkler plate 12. As a result, in this embodiment, five vibration generating elements 22 arranged in a ring are formed by fitting each upstream member 18 into the downstream fitting portion 20a protruding from the back side of the sprinkler plate 12. In this way, in this embodiment, a plurality of vibration generating elements 22 are provided in the water discharger main body 10, and the downstream members 20 of the five vibration generating elements 22 are integrated, while the upstream members 18 of the five vibration generating elements 22 are formed as separate bodies.

[0032] In this embodiment, each upstream member 18 is made of a hard material (e.g., POM (polyacetal)), while the sprinkler plate 12 (downstream member 20) is made of a soft material (e.g., TPE (thermoplastic elastomer)) with a lower elastic modulus than the hard material. Thus, in this embodiment, the upstream mating portion 18a (FIG. 5) at the tip of the upstream member 18 is fitted into the downstream mating portion 20a formed on the back side of the sprinkler plate 12, thereby joining the two. The hard material may be any material strong enough to withstand normal water supply pressure, such as ABS resin (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer). The soft material may be any material that easily elastically deforms when a user applies force, such as silicone rubber.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 7, vibration generating element 22 has a water supply passage 24 into which supplied water flows, a vortex street passage 26 provided downstream of this water supply passage 24, and a discharge passage 28 from which the water guided by the vortex street passage is discharged. Furthermore, a collision portion 30 is provided at the downstream end of water supply passage 24 so as to block a portion of the flow path cross section of water supply passage 24. Each vibration generating element 22 is configured to discharge the supplied water from the downstream end of discharge passage 28 while vibrating the supplied water back and forth within a vibration plane parallel to the plane of Fig. 7.

[0034] The water supply passage 24 is a passage with a uniform cross-sectional size and shape, configured to allow water that has flowed into the water discharger body 10 to flow in. The water supply passage 24 is formed to have a flattened rectangular cross section in which the width in the direction parallel to the vibration plane is greater than the height in the direction perpendicular to the vibration plane. Furthermore, downstream of the water supply passage 24, a vortex street passage 26 configured with the same cross-sectional shape is provided continuously.

[0035] The collision section 30 is provided at the downstream end of the water supply passage 24 so as to block a portion of the flow path cross section of the water supply passage 24. That is, the collision section 30 is provided so as to connect two inner wall surfaces parallel to the vibration plane that form the water supply passage 24 and the vortex street passage 26 (FIG. 8). In this embodiment, the collision section 30 is formed in the shape of a right-angled isosceles triangle when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane, and is disposed in the center of the water supply passage 24 with its hypotenuse facing upstream. When the water guided by the water supply passage 24 collides with this collision section 30, vortices are generated downstream that rotate in opposite directions.

[0036] The vortex street passage 26 is formed downstream of the water supply passage 24 and is configured to guide the vortices formed by the collision section 30. The vortex street passage 26 is formed so that its upstream portion continues to the downstream end of the water supply passage 24 with the same cross-sectional dimensions and shape. That is, the vortex street passage 26 has a flattened rectangular cross section whose width in the direction parallel to the vibration plane is wider than its height in the direction perpendicular to the vibration plane. The vortices formed by the collision section 30 grow and move downstream as they are guided by the vortex street passage 26. In this embodiment, the vortex street passage 26 has a constant width. However, as a modification, the vortex street passage 26 can be formed so that its width narrows toward the downstream side.

[0037] The discharge passage 28 is a flow path connected downstream of the vortex street passage 26 and is configured to discharge the water guided by the vortex street passage 26. The width of the upstream end of the discharge passage 28 is narrower than the width of the downstream end of the vortex street passage 26, and tapers toward the downstream side. As shown in FIG. 8 , the height of the discharge passage 28 in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane is the same as the height of the vortex street passage 26 on the downstream side, and is constant from the upstream end to the downstream end. Alternately counter-rotating vortices generated downstream of the collision section 30 grow in the vortex street passage 26 and are discharged from the discharge passage 28. The alternate arrival of the counter-rotating vortices causes the direction of the water discharged from the discharge passage 28 to oscillate back and forth within the vibration plane.

[0038] Next, the division structure of the vibration generating element 22 will be described. As described above, each vibration generating element 22 is composed of two members, an upstream member 18 and a downstream member 20. The upstream member 18 is formed with the water supply passage 24 and the upstream portion of the vortex passage 26. The downstream member 20 is formed with the downstream portion of the vortex passage 26 and the discharge passage 28. That is, the upstream side of the vortex passage 26 is formed in the upstream member 18, and the downstream side is formed in the downstream member 20, and the vortex passage 26 is formed by connecting the upstream member 18 and the downstream member 20. Furthermore, the upstream member 18 and the downstream member 20 are joined by fitting the upstream fitting portion 18a provided at the tip (downstream end) of the upstream member 18 into the downstream fitting portion 20a provided at the base end (upstream end) of the downstream member 20, thereby constituting the vibration generating element 22.

[0039] Next, the advantages in manufacturing obtained by constructing the vibration generating element 22 from two members will be described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. Figure 9 is a diagram schematically illustrating a vibration generating element according to this embodiment that is constructed from two members, and Figure 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating a vibration generating element that is constructed as one piece as a comparative example.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 9 , the vibration generating element 22 of this embodiment is composed of an upstream member 18 and a downstream member 20, and the vortex street passage 26 is composed of two members. Therefore, when molding the upstream member 18 by injection molding, the molding dies M1 and M2 are divided at the collision section 30, which allows the molding dies M1 and M2 to be removed from the upstream and downstream sides, respectively. Similarly, when molding the downstream member 20, the molding dies M3 and M4 are divided at the boundary between the vortex street passage 26 and the discharge passage 28, which allows the molding dies M3 and M4 to be removed from the upstream and downstream sides, respectively. Therefore, the upstream member 18 and the downstream member 20 can be easily molded by injection molding or the like.

[0041] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 10, when injection molding is performed on the vibration generating element 32 of the comparative example, the molding die M5 can be pulled out from the upstream side, but the molding die M6 engages at the portion surrounded by the dashed line in the figure. Therefore, the molding die M6 cannot be easily pulled out from the downstream side. To make this possible, measures such as selecting an elastically deformable material for injection molding are necessary. Therefore, when molding a vibration generating element as a single unit, certain restrictions are imposed on the selection of materials, etc., and there are significant advantages to using a divided structure for the vibration generating element 22 as in this embodiment.

[0042] While there are significant advantages to having the vibration generating element 22 divided into the upstream member 18 and the downstream member 20, it does cause a problem in that the entire upstream member 18 vibrates due to Aeolian noises generated inside the vortex passage 26. To suppress the generation of abnormal noises caused by Aeolian noises, the vibration generating element 22 provided in the water discharger 1 of this embodiment is provided with a vibration suppression section on the outer wall surface of the upstream member 18.

[0043] That is, as shown in FIG. 5, in the vibration generating element 22 provided in the water discharger 1 of this embodiment, vibration suppressing portions 18b are formed on both side surfaces of the upstream member 18, which are substantially rectangular parallelepiped-shaped and perpendicular to the vibration plane. These vibration suppressing portions 18b are rib-shaped protrusions with semicircular cross sections that extend in the longitudinal direction (the direction in which water flows within the vibration generating element 22) at the center of the outer side surface of the upstream member 18. These vibration suppressing portions 18b are provided on both side surfaces of the upstream member 18, respectively, and extend in the longitudinal direction of the upstream member 18 from the base end to the tip end of the upstream member 18. Therefore, the vibration suppressing portions 18b extend from the water supply passage 24 of the vibration generating element 22 to partway through the vortex street passage 26. Alternatively, as a modified example, the vibration suppressing portions 18b may be provided only in the portion of the vibration generating element 22 downstream of the collision portion 30.

[0044] The upstream fitting portion 18a at the tip of the upstream member 18 is inserted into the downstream fitting portion 20a at the base end of the downstream member 20, and they are fitted together. In this embodiment, the vibration suppression portion 18b is formed by rib-like protrusions provided on the surface of the upstream fitting portion 18a. The width W1 from top to top of the rib-like protrusions on both sides of the vibration suppression portion 18b is configured to be larger than the width W2 between the inner wall surfaces of the downstream fitting portion 20a that receives the upstream member 18. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6 , when the upstream fitting portion 18a at the tip of the upstream member 18 is fitted into the downstream fitting portion 20a at the base end of the downstream member 20, the inner wall surface of the downstream fitting portion 20a is elastically deformed by a predetermined amount in a direction parallel to the vibration plane and perpendicular to the extension direction of the vortex street passage 26. In this embodiment, the upstream member 18 is made of a hard material, and the downstream member 20 is made of a soft material. For this reason, when the upstream member 18 is fitted into the downstream member 20, the upstream member 18, which is made of a hard material, elastically deforms the inner wall surface of the downstream fitting portion 20a, which is made of a soft material. That is, when the upstream fitting portion 18a of the upstream member 18 is fitted into the downstream fitting portion 20a of the downstream member 20, the rib-shaped vibration suppression portions 18b formed on the upstream fitting portion 18a elastically deform the opposing inner wall surface of the downstream fitting portion 20a in a direction parallel to the vibration plane.

[0045] In this embodiment, the width W1 from top to top of the rib-like protrusions on both sides that make up the vibration suppression portion 18b is configured to be approximately 0.5 mm larger than the width W2 between the inner wall surfaces of the downstream fitting portion 20a that receives the upstream member 18. In this way, by configuring the width W1 larger than the width W2, when the upstream member 18 or the downstream member 20 is fitted, the upstream member 18 can be firmly held down by elastically deforming the upstream member 18 or the downstream member 20 by a predetermined amount, thereby suppressing vibration of the upstream member 18 caused by Aeolian sounds. In other words, when Aeolian sounds are generated inside the upstream member 18, an exciting force acts on the upstream member 18 in a direction parallel to the vibration plane. However, by providing the vibration suppression portions 18b on both side surfaces of the upstream member 18, vibration of the upstream member 18 in a direction parallel to the vibration plane can be effectively suppressed.

[0046] In addition, in this embodiment, the upstream member 18 is fitted into the downstream member 20 by inserting them into each other. However, as a modified example, the present invention can also be configured so that the downstream member is fitted into the upstream member by inserting the downstream member into the upstream member. In this case, the present invention can also be configured so that the vibration suppression portion 18b is formed on the inner wall surface of the upstream fitting portion 18a and the outer wall surface of the downstream fitting portion 20a is elastically deformed in a direction parallel to the vibration plane. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the upstream member 18 is provided with the vibration suppression portion 18b. However, as a modified example, the present invention can also be configured so that the downstream member 20 is provided with the vibration suppression portion.

[0047] In this way, if the downstream member 20 is provided with a vibration suppression portion, the upstream member 18 is made of a hard material, and the downstream member 20 is made of a soft material, when the upstream fitting portion 18a is fitted into the downstream fitting portion 20a, the downstream fitting portion 20a, on which the vibration suppression portion 18b is formed, is elastically deformed in a direction parallel to the vibration plane by the opposing inner wall surface of the upstream fitting portion 18a. On the other hand, if the upstream fitting portion 18a is made of a soft material and the downstream member 20 is made of a hard material, when the upstream fitting portion 18a is fitted into the downstream fitting portion 20a, the vibration suppression portion 18b formed on the downstream fitting portion 20a is elastically deformed in a direction parallel to the vibration plane by the opposing inner wall surface of the upstream fitting portion 18a.

[0048] In this embodiment, the downstream member 20 is formed of a soft material, and the upstream member 18 is formed of a hard material having a greater elastic modulus than the soft material. However, as a modification, the downstream mating portion 20a of the downstream member 20 can be formed of a hard material, and the upstream mating portion 18a of the upstream member 18 can be formed of a soft material. Furthermore, the upstream member 18 and the downstream member 20 do not necessarily need to be made of a single material, but can also be made of a composite material of a soft material and a hard material. For example, the upstream member 18 can be molded as a member in which a soft material and a hard material are integrated by two-color molding, with the upstream mating portion 18a on the tip side formed of a soft material and the base end side of the upstream member 18 formed of a hard material. This makes it possible to form the base end side of the upstream member 18 of a hard material, suppressing deformation of the upstream member 18 due to hunting, while forming the upstream mating portion 18a of a soft material.

[0049] Next, a modified example of the vibration generating element provided in the water discharger according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which the vibration generating element according to the modified example is disassembled into an upstream member and a downstream member.

[0050] 11, the vibration generating element 34 according to the modified example is composed of an upstream member 36 and a downstream member 38. In this modified example, the upstream fitting portion 36a at the tip of the upstream member 36 is fitted into the downstream fitting portion 38a at the base end of the downstream member 38, thereby fitting the two together. Furthermore, the structures of the water supply passage, vortex passage, discharge passage, and collision portion (not shown) formed inside the upstream member 36 and the downstream member 38 are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 11 , in this modification, a vibration suppression portion 36b is provided on the upstream fitting portion 36a of the upstream member 36. The vibration suppression portions 36b are rib-like protrusions with semicircular cross sections formed on the outer surfaces of both sides of the upstream member 36 so as to extend in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (a direction perpendicular to the direction of water flow within the vibration generating element 34). The vibration suppression portions 36b are provided downstream of a collision portion (not shown) formed inside the upstream member 36. Note that, in this modification as well, the width W3 from top to top of the rib-like protrusions on both sides that make up the vibration suppression portion 36b is configured to be larger than the width W4 between the inner wall surfaces of the downstream fitting portion 38a that receives the upstream member 36. In this way, by configuring the width W3 to be larger than the width W4, when the upstream member 36 or the downstream member 38 is fitted, a predetermined amount of elastic deformation is caused, thereby firmly holding the upstream member 36 and suppressing vibrations of the upstream member 36 caused by Aeolian sounds.

[0052] In this modification, the vibration suppression portions 36b are provided on both side surfaces of the upstream fitting portion 36a of the upstream member 36, but vibration suppression portions (not shown) can also be provided on the front and back surfaces of the upstream fitting portion 36a (two outer surfaces parallel to the vibration plane of the upstream member 36). In this case, the vibration suppression portions 36b provided on both side surfaces of the upstream member 36 can be connected to the vibration suppression portions (not shown) provided on the front and back surfaces of the upstream member 36, and the vibration suppression portions can be provided continuously around the outer circumferential surface of the upstream member 36.

[0053] When vibration suppression portions (not shown) are provided on the front and rear surfaces of the upstream fitting portion 36a, the vibration suppression portions are pressed against the inner wall surfaces of the downstream fitting portion 38a, which are provided opposite the vibration suppression portions, elastically deforming the inner wall surfaces in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane. Furthermore, frictional forces act between the vibration suppression portions (not shown) provided on the front and rear surfaces of the upstream fitting portion 36a and the inner wall surfaces of the downstream fitting portion 38a, which are provided opposite them. Because this frictional force acts in a direction parallel to the vibration plane, it is possible to suppress vibrations of the upstream member 36 parallel to the vibration plane, which are caused by Aeolian sounds.

[0054] Furthermore, in the first embodiment and the modified example described above, the vibration suppression portion is formed by raising a portion of the upstream fitting portion in a rib-like manner, but instead of raising a portion, the entire side surface of the upstream fitting portion can also be configured as the vibration suppression portion. In this case, the width between the opposite side surfaces of the upstream fitting portion is configured to be larger than the width between the opposite inner wall surfaces of the downstream fitting portion, and the upstream and downstream members are configured so that when the upstream and downstream fitting portions are mated, the upstream or downstream fitting portion is elastically deformed by a predetermined amount.

[0055] According to the water discharger 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention, the upstream member 18 is provided with a vibration suppression portion 18b that suppresses vibration of the upstream member 18 caused by vortices generated in the vortex street passage 26. When the upstream fitting portion 18a and the downstream fitting portion 20a are fitted together, the vibration suppression portion 18b elastically deforms the downstream fitting portion 20a, which is made of a soft material, by a predetermined amount. This firmly fixes the upstream member 18 to the downstream member 20a. Even if Aeolian sounds are generated inside the upstream member 18, the vibration of the upstream member 18 caused by the Aeolian sounds can be suppressed, and the generation of abnormal sounds can be sufficiently suppressed. Furthermore, according to the water discharger 1 of this embodiment, the downstream fitting portion 20a is made of a soft material and the upstream fitting portion 18a is made of a hard material. Therefore, the viscosity of the soft material can damp the vibration of the upstream member 18, and the generation of abnormal sounds can be sufficiently suppressed.

[0056] Furthermore, according to the water discharge device 1 of this embodiment, the vibration suppression section 18b is provided in a portion downstream of the collision section 30, so that the upstream member 18 can be strongly suppressed at the portion where the Aeolian sound is generated, and abnormal noises caused by the Aeolian sound can be more effectively suppressed.

[0057] Furthermore, according to the water discharge device 1 of this embodiment, the vibration suppression portion 18b elastically deforms the downstream fitting portion 20a in a direction parallel to the vibration plane, so that movement of the upstream member 18 in a direction parallel to the vibration plane can be more strongly suppressed, and the generation of abnormal noise can be effectively suppressed.

[0058] Furthermore, according to the water discharge device 1 of this embodiment, the downstream member 20 of the multiple vibration generating elements 22 is integrated to increase the rigidity of the downstream member 20, while the upstream member 18 of the multiple vibration generating elements 22 is constructed as a separate body, which prevents the vibrations of the multiple upstream members 18 from resonating and strengthening each other, thereby reliably suppressing the generation of abnormal noise.

[0059] Next, a shower head, which is a water discharge device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, will be described with reference to FIGS. The water discharger of this embodiment differs from the first embodiment described above in that the water discharger main body is configured in a cylindrical shape and the built-in vibration generating element is equipped with a bypass passage. Therefore, in the following, only the differences between this embodiment and the first embodiment will be described, and a description of the same configurations, actions, and effects will be omitted.

[0060] Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a showerhead according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 13 is a full cross-sectional view of the showerhead according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 14 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a vibration generating element provided in the showerhead according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the vibration generating element cut in a direction parallel to the vibration plane.

[0061] As shown in Figure 12, the showerhead 100 of this embodiment has a showerhead body 102, which is a generally cylindrical water discharger body, and nine vibration generating elements 104 embedded and aligned in a straight line along the axial direction within the showerhead body 102. When water is supplied to the showerhead 100 of this embodiment from a shower hose (not shown) connected to the base end 102a of the showerhead body 102, the water is discharged from the water outlet 104a of each vibration generating element 104 while vibrating back and forth.

[0062] Next, the internal structure of the showerhead 100 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 13, a water passage forming member 106 that forms a water passage and holds each vibration generating element 104 is built into the shower head body 102 . The water passage forming member 106 is a generally cylindrical member configured to form a flow path for water supplied inside the showerhead body 102. A shower hose (not shown) is watertightly connected to the base end of the water passage forming member 106. A main water passage 106a extending generally axially is formed inside the water passage forming member 106.

[0063] Furthermore, the water passage forming member 106 is formed with nine element insertion holes 106c for inserting and holding each vibration generating element 104, and the holes 106c communicate with the main water passage 106a. Each element insertion hole 106c is formed to extend from the outer peripheral surface of the water passage forming member 106 to the main water passage 106a. The element insertion holes 106c are also formed at approximately equal intervals and aligned in a straight line in the axial direction. As a result, water that flows into the main water passage 106a of the water passage forming member 106 flows from the back side into each vibration generating element 104 held in the water passage forming member 106 and is discharged from the water outlet 104a provided on the front side.

[0064] Next, the configuration of the vibration generating element 104 built into the shower head of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 14 and 15. Figures 14 and 15 are cross-sectional views of the vibration generating element 104 cut along a plane parallel to the vibration plane, and the vibration generating element 104 is configured symmetrically with respect to this cross section. 14 and 15, the vibration generating element 104 is a generally thin rectangular parallelepiped member with a rectangular outlet 104a provided on its front end face, a main inlet 104b formed in the center of its rear end face, and bypass inlets 104c on both sides. When each vibration generating element 104 is inserted into an element insertion hole 106c, the main inlet 104b and bypass inlet 104c communicate with the main water passage 106a of the water passage forming member 106.

[0065] The vibration generating element 104 is composed of two members, an upstream member 118 and a downstream member 120, and the upstream fitting portion 118a of the upstream member 118 is inserted into the downstream fitting portion 120a of the downstream member 120 from the rear side. With this configuration, second water supply passages 140 (FIG. 15) are formed between both side surfaces of the upstream member 118 and the inner wall surface of the downstream member 120. In this embodiment, the downstream member 120 is also made of a soft material, and the upstream member 118 is made of a hard material with a higher elastic modulus than the soft material.

[0066] 15, a water supply passage 124, a vortex passage 126, and a discharge passage 128 are formed inside the vibration generating element 104 in this order from the upstream side. A collision section 130 is provided at the downstream end of the water supply passage 124. The water supply passage 124 and the upstream side of the vortex passage 126 are formed inside the upstream member 118, and the downstream side of the vortex passage 126 and the discharge passage 128 are formed inside the downstream member 120.

[0067] The water supply passage 124 is a linear passage that extends from the main inlet 104b on the rear side of the vibration generating element 104 and has a constant rectangular cross section.

[0068] Vortex passage 126 is a passage with a rectangular cross section that is provided downstream of and continuous with water supply passage 124. That is, in this embodiment, the upstream sides of water supply passage 124 and vortex passage 126 provided inside upstream member 118 extend in a straight line with the same cross section. In addition, the downstream portion of vortex passage 126 is provided inside downstream member 120.

[0069] The discharge passage 128 is a passage provided downstream so as to communicate with the vortex street passage 126, and is configured so that its width increases downstream. The height of the discharge passage 128 is also constant. The flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the discharge passage 128 at the upstream end is smaller than the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the vortex street passage 126, so that the water flow containing the vortex street guided by the vortex street passage 126 is constricted before being discharged from the water outlet 104a.

[0070] Furthermore, bypass passages 142 ( FIG. 15 ) with rectangular cross sections are provided on both side surfaces of the vortex passage 126 so as to face each other. Water flowing in from each second water supply passage 140 passes through each bypass passage 142 and flows into the vortex passage 126 from the side surface of the vortex passage 126 downstream of the collision section 130. Each bypass passage 142 is provided at the connection between the upstream member 118 and the downstream member 120. Therefore, a part of the inner wall surface constituting the bypass passage 142 is provided in the downstream member 120, and the remaining part is provided in the upstream member 118. This eliminates the need to configure a mold (not shown) for molding the bypass passage 142 so as to be pulled in the direction (side) of the bypass passage 142, and makes it possible to easily mold the vibration generating element 104 having the bypass passage 142.

[0071] On the other hand, the collision section 130 formed at the downstream end of the water supply passage 124 is provided so as to block part of the flow path cross section of the water supply passage 124. This collision section 130 is a triangular prism-shaped section that extends so as to connect opposing wall surfaces (ceiling surface and floor surface) in the height direction of the water supply passage 124, and is arranged like an island in the center of the width direction of the water supply passage 124. The cross section of the collision section 130 is formed in the shape of a right-angled isosceles triangle, and is arranged so that its hypotenuse is perpendicular to the central axis of the water supply passage 124, and the right angle of the right-angled isosceles triangle faces downstream.

[0072] 14, vibration suppression portions 118b are provided on both side surfaces of the upstream member 118. These vibration suppression portions 118b are rib-shaped protrusions with semicircular cross sections that extend perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the upstream member 118 (the direction in which hot and cold water flows within the vibration generating element 104). In this embodiment, the vibration suppression portions 118b are provided on the entirety of both side surfaces of the upstream member 118, but as a modified example, the vibration suppression portions 118b do not need to be provided on the portions facing the second water supply passage 140.

[0073] Furthermore, the upstream fitting portion 118a at the tip of the upstream member 118, on which the vibration suppression portion 118b is formed, is inserted into the downstream fitting portion 120a of the downstream member 120, and the upstream member 118 and the downstream member 120 are fitted together. The width W5 between the tops of the vibration suppression portions 118b provided on the upstream fitting portion 118a is configured to be larger than the width W6 between the inner wall surfaces of the downstream fitting portion 120a that receives the upstream fitting portion 118a. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 15 , when the upstream member 118 and the downstream member 120 are fitted together, the downstream fitting portion 120a of the downstream member 120, which is made of a soft material, is elastically deformed by a predetermined amount in a direction parallel to the vibration plane. This allows the upstream member 118 to be firmly held by the downstream member 120.

[0074] Furthermore, in the vibration generating element 104 provided in this embodiment, by providing a collision section 130, a Kármán vortex is generated downstream thereof, causing the water discharged from the water outlet 104a to vibrate back and forth. Even if Aeolian sounds are generated inside the vibration generating element 104 by these Kármán vortices, the upstream member 118 is firmly held down by the downstream member 120, so that the vibration of the upstream member 118 caused by the Aeolian sounds can be sufficiently suppressed.

[0075] Furthermore, as described above, the bypass passages 142 are provided on both side surfaces of the vortex street passage 126 so as to face each other, and water flows in from the second water supply passage 140 through the bypass passage 142. Therefore, the bypass passage 142 allows water to flow in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the vortex street passage 126.

[0076] The hot and cold water from each bypass passage 142 joins the side of the flow containing Karman vortices formed by the collision section 130. That is, the water flowing in through the bypass passage 142 bypasses the collision section 130 and flows into the vortex street passage 126.

[0077] In this way, the water from each bypass passage 142 joins the flow containing Karman vortices formed by the collision section 130 in the vortex street passage 126, so the change in flow velocity at the water outlet 104a due to the progression of the vortex street is reduced. This reduces the deflection of the discharged water and the vibration amplitude of the sprayed water. In other words, by appropriately setting the ratio between the flow rate of water flowing into the vortex street passage 126 through the collision section 130 and the flow rate of water flowing in from the bypass passage 142, the vibration amplitude of the water can be freely designed.

[0078] According to the water discharger of the second embodiment of the present invention, the vibration generating element 104 is provided with a bypass passage 142 (FIG. 15), so the amplitude of the reciprocating vibration of the water discharged from the vibration generating element 104 can also be adjusted by the flow rate of the water flowing in from the bypass passage 142. Furthermore, because part of the inner wall surface of the bypass passage 142 is formed by the downstream member 120, the vibration generating element 104 in a form that includes the bypass passage 142 can also be easily molded.

[0079] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, various modifications can be made to the above-described embodiments. In particular, in the above-described embodiments, the present invention is applied to a shower head. However, the present invention can be applied to any water discharge device, such as a faucet device used in a kitchen sink or washbasin, or a warm water cleaning device attached to a toilet seat. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiments, the shower head is provided with multiple vibration generating elements, but the water discharge device can be provided with any number of vibration generating elements depending on the application, and a water discharge device with a single vibration generating element can also be configured.

[0080] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the upstream member was fitted into the downstream member, thereby fitting the two members together. However, it is also possible to configure the downstream member to be fitted into the upstream member, thereby fitting the two members together.

[0081] In the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the shape of the passage in the vibration generating element is described using terms such as "width" and "height" for convenience, but these terms do not specify the direction in which the vibration generating element is installed, and the vibration generating element can be used in any direction. For example, the vibration generating element can be used with the "height" direction in the above-described embodiment oriented horizontally. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1. Water discharge device 10. Water discharge device body 10a Water discharge head 10b Grip part 12 Sprinkler plate 12a Nozzle forming member 12b Thin plate member 16 Watering nozzle 18 Upstream member 18a Upstream fitting part 18b Vibration suppressor 20 Downstream member 20a Downstream fitting part 20b Protrusion 22 Vibration generating element 24 Water supply passage 26 Vortex Street Passage 28 Discharge passage 30 Collision part 32 Vibration generating element according to comparative example 34 Vibration generating element 36 Upstream member 36a Upstream fitting part 36b Vibration suppressor 38 Downstream member 38a Downstream fitting part 100 shower heads 102 shower head body 102a Proximal end 104 Vibration generating element 104a Outlet 104b Mainstream inlet 104c Bypass inlet 106 Waterway forming members 106a Main waterway 106c Element insertion hole 118 Upstream member 118a Upstream fitting part 120 Downstream member 120a Downstream fitting portion 124 Water supply passage 126 Vortex Street Passage 128 Discharge passage 130 Collision part 140 2nd water supply passage 142 Bypass Passage

Claims

1. A water discharge device that discharges water while vibrating back and forth, A water discharge device body, a vibration generating element that is provided in the water discharger body and that discharges water while vibrating the water back and forth within a predetermined vibration plane, The vibration generating element is a water supply passage into which the supplied water flows; a collision section that is disposed at a downstream end of the water supply passage so as to block a portion of a flow path cross section of the water supply passage, and that generates vortices in alternate opposite directions downstream when water guided by the water supply passage collides with the collision section; a vortex street passage provided downstream of the water supply passage so as to guide the vortex formed by the collision portion; a discharge passage for discharging the water guided by the vortex street passage, the vortex passage is formed by fitting together an upstream fitting portion of an upstream member in which the upstream side of the vortex passage is formed and a downstream fitting portion of a downstream member in which the downstream side of the vortex passage is formed, one of the upstream fitting portion and the downstream fitting portion is formed of a soft material, and the other is formed of a hard material having a larger elastic modulus than the soft material, a vibration suppression section is provided in the upstream member or the downstream member to suppress vibration of the upstream member in a direction parallel to a vibration plane of the upstream member caused by vortices generated in the vortex street passage, A water discharge device characterized in that when the upstream mating portion and the downstream mating portion are mated, the vibration suppression portion is provided, so that the one of the upstream mating portion and the downstream mating portion made of the soft material is elastically deformed a predetermined amount.

2. The water discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the vibration suppressing portion is provided at least in a portion of the upstream fitting portion or the downstream fitting portion downstream of the collision portion.

3. A water discharge device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein by providing the vibration suppression portion, when the upstream mating portion and the downstream mating portion are mated, the one of the upstream mating portion and the downstream mating portion made of the soft material is elastically deformed at least in a direction parallel to the vibration plane.

4. A water discharge device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein by providing the vibration suppression portion, when the upstream mating portion and the downstream mating portion are mated, the one of the upstream mating portion and the downstream mating portion made of the soft material is configured to elastically deform in a direction parallel to the vibration plane and in a direction perpendicular to the vibration plane.

5. 5. The water discharger according to claim 1, wherein the water discharger main body is provided with a plurality of vibration generating elements, and downstream members of these vibration generating elements are integrated.

6. A water-discharging device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the water-discharging device main body is provided with a plurality of vibration-generating elements, and the downstream members of these vibration-generating elements are integrated, while the upstream members of the plurality of vibration-generating elements are configured as separate bodies.

7. The water discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the vibration suppressing portion is configured by a rib-like protrusion provided on a surface of the upstream fitting portion or the downstream fitting portion.

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