Drain plug device

Abstract

To provide a drain plug device where a water sealing member is not broken or water leakage due to dust caught, etc. does not occur when an operation section is removed for maintenance or cleaning.SOLUTION: A drain plug device includes a plug cover 2 that opens / closes a drainage water port 12, a lifting section 6 that moves up and down the plug cover 2, and an operation section that actuates lifting operation of the lifting section 6. A casing 5 is a member in which a space housing the lifting section 6 and a connection part 7 is formed therein, and the casing 5 connects the lifting section 6 to a pipe 4 in a watertight manner. When maintaining or cleaning the drain plug device, the operation section can be separated from the pipe 4 in a state where the lifting section 6 housed in the casing 5 is connected to the pipe 4 in a watertight manner. Accordingly, the drain plug device can prevent breakage of a water sealing member P or water leakage when the operation section is separated from the pipe 4.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a drain plug device for opening and closing a drain port formed in a tank body such as a washbowl, a sink, or a bathtub.

Background Art

[0002] As a conventional drain plug device, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is known a structure in which an operation is applied to an operation unit, causing a plug lid to move up and down to open and close a drain port formed on the bottom surface of a tank body. The above drain plug device includes a lifting / lowering part on which a plug lid is placed and an operating part (operation part, transmission part) that applies a lifting / lowering motion to the lifting / lowering part. The operation applied to the operation part is transmitted to the lifting / lowering part via the transmission part to lift and lower the plug lid, thereby opening and closing the drain port.

[0003] Also, in the drain plug device described in Patent Document 2, the operating part is a motor driven by energization, and the lifting / lowering part and the operating part are unitized and can be directly detached.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006] In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a drain plug device that prevents water leakage due to damage to the water-stopping member or jamming of debris when the operating part is removed for maintenance or cleaning. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The first invention is a pipe that is continuous with a drain port formed in the tank body, A stopper cover for opening and closing the aforementioned drain port, A lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the aforementioned plug cover, The system includes an operating unit that activates the lifting and lowering movement of the lifting unit, The drain plug device is characterized in that the lifting part can be watertightly connected to the piping while the operating part can be separated from the piping.

[0008] The second invention is a casing for housing the lifting mechanism, A portion of the connection is exposed from the casing and connected to the operating part, The invention is characterized by comprising a water-sealing member disposed between the connecting portion and the casing.

[0009] The third invention is an electric operating unit having a drive unit driven by an opening and closing operation, or a manual operating unit that operates the lifting and lowering movement of the lifting and lowering unit by manual operation, When the electrically operated unit is attached to the piping, the plug cover becomes capable of electrically opening and closing the drain outlet, and when the manually operated unit is attached to the piping, the plug cover becomes capable of manually opening and closing the drain outlet.

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the water stop member from being damaged when the operating part is removed for maintenance or cleaning, or to prevent water leakage due to foreign matter being caught.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011] [Figure 1] It is a cross-sectional view showing the construction state of the drain plug device in the first embodiment. [Figure 2] It is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A' of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] It is a perspective view showing the member configuration of the drain plug device in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] In the first embodiment, it is a cross-sectional view showing the construction state when the manual operating part is attached. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view showing the member configuration of the drain plug device in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a schematic view showing the configuration of the gear part. [Figure 8] It is a cross-sectional view showing the drain plug device in the second embodiment. [Figure 9] It is a cross-sectional view showing the state where the operating part is separated from FIG. 8. [Figure 10] It is a schematic view showing the configuration of the drain plug device in the third embodiment.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, the drain plug device of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description is for facilitating the understanding of the embodiments, and the invention is not limited or understood thereby.

[0013] Hereinafter, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the tank body 1 is a concave washbowl with an open upper part, and a drain port 12 is formed on the bottom surface 11. Also, the tank body 1 is placed on the cabinet C. Further, an operation part S for performing the opening and closing operation of the drain port 12 is arranged at the edge of the tank body 1. The drain port 12 is an opening for discharging the hot and cold water in the tank body 1 as drainage, and can be opened and closed by the lifting and lowering of the plug lid 2.

[0015] The plug lid 2 has a cover part with a packing fitted thereon, a shaft part connected below the cover part, and a strainer for collecting hair and the like during drainage. The plug lid 2 is arranged directly above the lifting part 6, and is lifted and lowered by being pushed up from below by the lifting part 6 to open and close the drain port 12.

[0016] The drain port member 3 is a cylindrical pipe body, and is attached to an opening drilled in the bottom surface 11 of the tank body 1. Also, the drain port member 3 has a drain flow path inside, and forms a drain port 12 for discharging the hot and cold water in the tank body 1 in the state of being attached to the tank body 1.

[0017] The pipe 4 is a pipe body continuous from the drain port 12, and has a main pipe part 41 and a branch pipe part 42. The main pipe part 41 is a cylindrical vertical pipe part through which the drainage from the drain port 12 flows, and the drain port member 3 is connected to the upper end. The branch pipe part 42 is a cylindrical horizontal pipe part opened in a substantially horizontal direction from the side surface of the main pipe part 41. One end communicates with the main pipe part 41, and the lifting part 6 is watertightly connected to the other end via a casing 5. On the outer surface of the main pipe part 41 of the above pipe 4, screw holes H1 and H2 are opened above and below the branch pipe part 42 in the same direction as the branch pipe part 42, and a screw hole H3 is opened in the tangential direction of the main pipe part 41 on the side of the branch pipe part 42.

[0018] The casing 5 is a component with an internal space for housing the lifting section 6 and the connecting section 7. One end has a mounting opening 51 into which the branch pipe section 42 is inserted, and the other end has a communication opening 52 into which the connecting section 7 is positioned. A watertight sealing member P is fitted around the outer circumference of the mounting opening 51, and the mounting opening 51 and the branch pipe section 42 are connected in a watertight manner. Through holes 53 and 54 are through holes formed in positions that coincide with screw holes H1 and H2, and are open above and below the mounting opening 51 of the casing 5. The screw hole H4 is located on the outside of the communication opening 52 and is opened in the same direction as the screw hole H3.

[0019] The above-mentioned pipe 4 and casing 5 are connected by screwing screws 10 through through holes 53 and 54, respectively, into screw holes H1 and H2.

[0020] The lifting section 6 is rod-shaped and raises and lowers the plug cover 2. One end protrudes toward the center of the main pipe section 41 via the mounting opening 51 and branch pipe section 42 of the casing 5, and the other end has a hexagonal opening 61 to which the connecting section 7 is attached. When the lifting section 6 is opened or closed by the operating section S, it performs a lifting operation to raise and lower the plug cover 2. In the first embodiment, the lifting section 6 rotates around the opening 61 to push up the plug cover 2 and open the drain port 12, and rotates in the opposite direction to the upward movement to lower the plug cover 2 by its own weight and close the drain port 12.

[0021] The connecting portion 7 is cylindrical and connected to the lifting portion 6 and the operating portion 8. It rotates when driven by the operating portion 8 and transmits this rotation to the lifting portion 6. The connecting portion 7 has a protrusion 71 that connects to the lifting portion 6, a recess 72 that connects to the operating portion 8, and a groove 73 into which the water-stopping member P is fitted. The protrusion 71 is a hexagonal prism shape formed on the lifting section 6 side and is inserted through the opening 61 of the lifting section 6. The recess 72 is recessed in the axial direction of the connecting portion 7, and teeth that engage with the operating portion 8 are formed on its inner surface. The recess 72 is also exposed from the casing 5, and the operating portion 8 is connected to it. The groove 73 is formed on the outer circumference of the connecting portion 7, and an annular water-stopping member P is fitted into it.

[0022] The above-mentioned connection portion 7 is made watertight by the watertight member P fitted into the groove 73, which contacts the connection portion 7 and the communication opening 52, allowing the communication opening 52 to rotate within the casing 5 in response to the operation of the operating part 8.

[0023] The operating unit 8 has a drive unit 81 that is driven by an opening / closing operation applied to the operating unit S, and a circuit board (not shown) that constitutes a control circuit for controlling the operation of the drive unit 81, and is connected to the piping 4 and the casing 5. The operating unit 8 is also connected to the operating unit S by a cable 9, and the opening / closing operation applied to the operating unit S is transmitted to the operating unit 8 through the cable 9. The drive unit 81 is a motor, and has a shaft 811 protruding from it that rotates when power is applied. The shaft 811 is rotatable in both directions based on the instructions on the substrate, and has teeth formed on it that engage with a recess 72 exposed from the casing 5. Through holes 82 and 83 are through holes formed on the outer surface of the operating part 8 at positions that coincide with screw holes H3 and H4.

[0024] The operation of the drive unit 81 is controlled by a signal output from the circuit board, and the rotation direction of the shaft 811 is determined based on the open / closed state of the drain port 12 detected by a sensor (not shown). Furthermore, the operating part is connected to the piping 4 and casing 5 by screwing screws 10 through the through holes 82 and 83, respectively, and then screwing them into the screw holes H3 and H4.

[0025] In the drain plug device described above, when an opening or closing operation is performed on the operating unit S, the drain port 12 is opened and closed as follows.

[0026] First, when the stopper cover 2 is in the lowered position, the packing fitted to the cover portion comes into contact with the periphery of the drain port 12, thereby closing the drain port 12 and allowing the tank body 1 to store hot water inside. When an opening or closing operation is performed on the operating unit S, the drive unit 81 is driven via the cable 9, causing the shaft 811 to rotate. The rotation of the shaft 811 is then transmitted to the lifting unit 6 via the connecting unit 7, causing the lifting unit 6 to rotate around the opening 61. As the lifting section 6 rotates as described above, the end of the lifting section 6 is displaced upward, causing the stopper cover 2 to be pushed up and the drain port 12 to open. At this time, the hot water stored in the tank 1 is discharged from the drain port 12 and is discharged through the main pipe section 41 to the underfloor piping. When the opening and closing operation is applied to the operating unit S again while the plug cover 2 is in the raised position, the shaft 811 rotates in the opposite direction to when the plug cover 2 was lowering, causing the end of the lifting unit 6 to be displaced downwards. At this time, the plug cover 2 lowers due to its own weight, and the drain port 12 is closed.

[0027] In the drain plug device described above, the casing 5 is watertightly connected to the main pipe section 41, and the communication port 52 is watertightly sealed by a watertight sealing member P. As a result, the space inside and outside the casing 5 is separated by the watertight sealing member P, and the lifting section 6 is watertightly connected to the piping 4 by the casing 5. Here, a portion of the connection part 7 (the recess 72) is exposed from the casing 5, and the operating part 8 is connected to the connection part 7 from the outside of the partitioned space in the recess 72. Therefore, during maintenance or cleaning, the operating part 8 can be separated from the piping 4 while the casing 5 and the lifting part 6 housed in the casing 5 remain watertightly connected to the piping 4 by removing the screws 10 screwed into the screw holes H3 and H4. This makes it possible to prevent damage to the water-stopping member P and water leakage when the drain plug device is separated from the piping 4.

[0028] Here, the operating unit 8 was an electrically operated unit having a drive unit 81 that is driven by an opening and closing operation by the operating unit S, but it may also be a manually operated unit that operates the lifting and lowering movement of the lifting unit 6 by manual operation. In this case, if the electrically operated unit is attached to the piping 4, the plug cover 2 will be in a state where the drain port 12 can be opened and closed electrically, and if the manually operated unit is attached to the piping, the plug cover 2 will be in a state where the drain port can be opened and closed manually. By doing so, it is possible to appropriately change whether the plug cover 2 is raised and lowered electrically or manually as needed. In addition, by making the lifting and lowering unit 6 a common component, it is possible to reduce the number of components in the device.

[0029] An example of the manual operating unit is shown below with reference to Figures 5 to 7. When the manual operating unit is installed, the operating unit S has a push-button switch, and the plug cover 2 is raised or lowered based on this push operation.

[0030] The manually operated part, the operating section 84, has a release wire 85 and a gear section 86. The release wire 85 consists of a cylindrical outer tube and a metal inner wire. In response to manual operation performed on the operating unit S, the inner wire moves back and forth inside the outer tube, thereby transmitting the opening and closing operation to the gear unit 86. The gear section 86 consists of a flat rack with gear teeth formed on it and a circular pinion that meshes with the rack. The rack is connected to an inner wire, and the pinion is connected to a connection section 7.

[0031] When the operating unit S is manually operated, the operating unit 84, which is the manual opening and closing part, transmits the manual operation to the gear unit 86 via the release wire 85. At this time, the gear unit 86 converts the forward and backward movement of the inner wire into rotational movement, causing the connecting unit 7 to rotate. As the lifting section 6 rotates, the end of the lifting section 6 is displaced upward, causing the stopper cover 2 to rise and the drain opening 12 to open. Conversely, when the connecting section 7 rotates in the opposite direction, the end of the lifting section 6 is displaced downward, closing the drain opening 12.

[0032] [Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment described above.

[0033] In the first embodiment described above, the drain plug device could only be opened or closed electrically or manually, by selecting and installing either an electrically operated unit or a manually operated unit. In the drain plug device according to the second embodiment, both electric and manual raising and lowering of the plug cover 2 is possible.

[0034] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, in the second embodiment, the lifting unit 6 consists of an operating unit S that is operated manually, a release wire 85 that transmits the operation applied to the operating unit S to the plug cover 2, a connecting unit 7 that transmits the operation of the operating unit 8 to the lifting unit 6, a casing 5 that houses the operating unit S, and a guide tube 100 on which the release wire 85 is arranged and which is watertightly connected to the branch pipe section 42 of the piping 4. Furthermore, the lifting unit 6 is watertightly connected to the piping 4 that is continuous with the drain port 12. Here, an operating unit 8 having a drive unit 81 is positioned on the outside of the casing 5, and it is possible to operate the lifting and lowering movement of the lifting unit 6 via the connecting unit 7. Furthermore, the connecting unit 7 can rotate while remaining watertight with respect to the casing 5 by a watertight sealing member P, and the space inside and outside the casing 5 is partitioned. Therefore, during maintenance and cleaning, the operating unit 8 can be separated from the piping 4 while the lifting unit 6 remains watertightly connected to the piping 4.

[0035] [Third Embodiment] Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment described above.

[0036] In the first embodiment described above, the operating unit 8 was attached to the piping 4 via the casing 5 near the drain port 12, but as shown in Figure 10, the operating unit 8 may be positioned at a location away from the drain port 12. In the third embodiment, the tank body 1 is a bathtub.

[0037] In the third embodiment, the lifting unit 6 consists of a casing 5 housing the connecting unit 7 and a release wire 85 that transmits operation to the drain cover 2. One end of the release wire 85 is positioned directly below the drain opening 12, and the other end extends to the bathroom wall and is connected to the operating unit 8 via the connecting unit 7. In the third embodiment, the inner wire of the release wire 85 moves back and forth by the operating unit 8, which pushes up the drain cover 2 and opens and closes the drain opening 2. The third embodiment, by having the above configuration, makes it possible to install the operating unit 8 even if the space below the tank body 1 is narrow. Furthermore, in the drain plug device according to the third embodiment, similar to the first and second embodiments, a portion of the connecting portion 7 is exposed from the lifting portion 6, and the connecting portion 7 is rotatable while remaining watertight to the lifting portion 6 by a watertight sealing member (not shown). Therefore, during maintenance or cleaning, the operating portion 8 can be separated from the piping 4 while the lifting portion 6 remains watertightly connected to the piping 4.

[0038] While the embodiments of the present invention are described above, the drain plug device of the present invention may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in the first embodiment, the casing 5 was watertightly connected to the pipe 4 by a watertight sealing member P, and the lifting unit 6 was watertightly connected to the pipe 4 by being housed inside the casing 5. However, there are no limitations on the structure for making it watertight, such as attaching the watertight sealing member P to the lifting unit 6 itself and directly connecting it watertightly to the pipe 4. Furthermore, although the water-stopping member P was a packing made of rubber or the like, it may also be made into a water-stopping member P using a technology that replaces the packing, such as a liquid magnet. Furthermore, the tank body is not limited to washbasins or bathtubs; it may also be other types of tank bodies such as kitchen sinks. Furthermore, in each embodiment, the operating unit for electrically opening and closing may be placed at any position, such as the edge or wall of the tank body 1, and may be operable by a portable terminal. Furthermore, although the drive unit 81 for electric opening and closing was a motor in each embodiment, it may also be a solenoid that operates when energized. In addition, the structure of the drive unit is not limited to a solenoid, and can be a compressor that operates using air pressure, etc. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0039] 1 tank body 11 Bottom 12 Drain 2 Bottle lid 3. Drainage outlet component 4 Piping 41 Main pipe section 42 Branch pipe section 5. Casing 51 Mounting opening 52 connecting ports 53 Throughpores 54 Throughpores 6. Lifting section 61 Aperture 7 Connection part 71 Convex part 72 recesses 73 Groove 8, 84 Operating part 81 Drive unit 811 axis 82, 83 Through-holes 85 Release Wire 86 Gear section 9 Cables 10 screws 100 Guide Tubes H1, H2, H3, H4 screw holes S Operation section P Water-stopping material

Claims

1. A piping system having a main pipe section that is continuous with a drain port formed in the tank body, and branch pipe sections that open on the side of the main pipe section, A stopper cover for opening and closing the aforementioned drain port, A lifting mechanism connected to the branch pipe section for raising and lowering the plug cover, An operating unit that activates the lifting and lowering movement of the lifting unit, A casing connected to the branch pipe section with the lifting section retracted, A portion of the casing is exposed, and a connecting portion is connected to the operating part and transmits the operation of the operating part to the lifting part, The system includes a watertight sealing member that connects the aforementioned piping and the aforementioned lifting section in a watertight manner. A drain plug device characterized in that the lifting part housed in the casing is connected to the piping in a watertight manner, and the operating part can be separated from the piping.

2. The drain plug device according to claim 1, characterized in that the water-stopping member is disposed between the connection portion and the casing.

3. The operating unit is an electrically operated unit having a drive unit that is driven by an opening and closing operation, or a manually operated unit that operates the lifting and lowering movement of the lifting unit by manual operation, The drain plug device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that when the electrically operated part is attached to the piping, the plug cover becomes capable of electrically opening and closing the drain outlet, and when the manually operated part is attached to the piping, the plug cover becomes capable of manually opening and closing the drain outlet.

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