faucet

Abstract

To easily dispose a clearance closing portion at a predetermined position.SOLUTION: A water faucet 10 has a water faucet main body 20 having a water faucet body 11, a top cover 30 for covering an upper part of the water faucet body 11, and an under back cover 40 for covering a lower part and a rear part of the water faucet body 11, and is used by being fitted to a wall surface W. The under back cover 40 has a clearance closing portion for closing a clearance between the wall surface W and the top cover 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 17

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a faucet.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a faucet. As shown in FIG. 20, it is described that the faucet 80 has a faucet body 81, a main body cover 84 composed of an upper cover 82 and a lower cover 83, and a bracket 85. It is also described that it has a gap cover 86 for concealing the gap between the main body cover 84 and the wall surface. The bracket 85 is attached to the faucet body 81 with screws 87. Screws are screwed into a pair of screw holes 85a of the bracket 85 and a pair of screw holes 82a of the upper cover 82 to connect the bracket 85 and the upper cover 82. Also, the gap cover 86 is sandwiched between the lower cover 83 and the bracket 85, and screws are screwed into a pair of screw holes 83a of the lower cover 83, another pair of screw holes 85b of the bracket 85, and a pair of screw holes of the gap cover 86. Thereby, the lower cover 83, the bracket 85, and the gap cover 86 are connected.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in the faucet 80 of Patent Document 1, since it is necessary to connect the gap cover 86 to the bracket 85 using screws separately from the main body cover 84, there is a problem that it takes time and effort to arrange the gap cover 86 at a predetermined position.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The faucet of embodiment 1 comprises a faucet body having a faucet body, a top cover covering the upper part of the faucet body, and an under back cover covering the lower part and rear of the faucet body, and is a faucet used by being mounted on a wall, wherein the under back cover has a gap closing part that closes the gap between the wall and the top cover.

[0006] With this configuration, since the underback cover has a gap-closing section, there is no need to attach a separate component to serve as the gap-closing section. Therefore, the gap-closing section can be easily positioned in the desired location.

[0007] Embodiment 2 is a faucet in Embodiment 1, wherein the underback cover has a position adjustment part that adjusts the position of the underback cover relative to the faucet body in the front-rear direction of the faucet. With this configuration, even if the size of the gap between the wall surface and the rear end of the top cover changes, the position of the underback cover can be adjusted to suitably close the gap.

[0008] Embodiment 3 is a faucet in Embodiment 1 or Embodiment 2, wherein the underback cover has a position adjustment part that adjusts the position of the top cover relative to the faucet body in the front-rear direction of the faucet. This configuration makes it possible to suppress a decrease in the aesthetic design of the faucet.

[0009] Embodiment 4 is a faucet in Embodiment 2, wherein a first stay is attached to the faucet body, the under back cover is positioned relative to the faucet body by being connected to the first stay, and the position adjustment part is provided at the connection between the under back cover and the first stay. This configuration makes it easy to form the position adjustment part. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the faucet of the present invention, the gap sealing portion can be easily positioned in a predetermined location. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the faucet. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the faucet from another angle. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the faucet with the top cover omitted. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the faucet. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the first stage. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the first stage from another angle. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a front view of the first stage. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a front view of the first stage during the process of being attached to the faucet body. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a front view of the first stage in a state of being attached to the faucet body. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a perspective view of the second stage. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a perspective view of the second stage from another angle. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a perspective view of the under-back cover. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a plan view of the under-back cover. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a perspective view of the under-back cover during the process of attaching the first stage and the second stage. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is a front view of the under-back cover with the first stage and the second stage attached. [Figure 16] Figure 16 is a perspective view of the top cover during the process of attaching the second stage. [Figure 17] Figure 17 is a cross-sectional view of the upper half of the faucet seen at the position of line A-A in Figure 15 and the lower half seen at the position of line B-B in Figure 15. [Figure 18] Figure 18 is a front view of the first stage of the modified example. [Figure 19] Figure 19 is a front view of the first stage of another modified example. [Figure 20]Figure 20 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional faucet.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0012] Embodiments of the faucet will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the faucet 10 is installed on the bathroom wall surface W. Hereinafter, the vertical direction, horizontal direction, and front-rear direction when viewing the faucet 10 toward the wall surface W side will be described as the vertical direction, horizontal direction, and front-rear direction of the faucet 10, respectively.

[0013] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the faucet 10 has a faucet body 20 including a faucet body 11, a top cover 30 covering the upper part of the faucet body 11, and an under-back cover 40 covering the lower part and the rear part of the faucet body 11. Further, the faucet 10 has an under cover 50 covering the front side of the lower part of the faucet body 11, a first stay 60 attached to the faucet body 20, and a second stay 70 attached to the under-back cover 40.

[0014] A water discharge pipe 12 for a faucet and a hose 13 for a shower head are connected to the faucet body 20. Further, a flow rate adjustment handle 14 is rotatably attached to the right end of the faucet body 20. A temperature adjustment handle 15 is rotatably attached to the left end of the faucet body 20. The flow rate adjustment handle 14 is a handle for adjusting the flow rate of the water discharged from the water discharge pipe 12 and a shower head (not shown) by rotation. The temperature adjustment handle 15 is a handle for adjusting the temperature of the mixed water discharged from the faucet body 20 by rotation.

[0015] Hereinafter, each member constituting the faucet 10 will be described. <Faucet Body 20> As shown in Figure 4, the faucet body 20 has a cylindrical faucet body 11 that extends in the left-right direction. The faucet body 11 has a pair of openings at its rear end for connecting a pair of sockets 23 (described later) and an opening for connecting an L-shaped pipe 24 (described later) (also called an L-shaped pipe opening). It also has an opening at its lower end for connecting a water outlet pipe 12 (see Figure 1) (also called a water outlet pipe opening). Furthermore, it has an opening at its right end for connecting a shaft member 21 connected to a flow rate adjustment handle 14 (described later) (also called a right opening). It has an opening at its left end for connecting a shaft member (not shown) connected to a temperature adjustment handle 15 (described later) (also called a left opening). Note that all of the above openings of the faucet body 11 are not shown.

[0016] The faucet body 20 includes a valve member (not shown) housed inside the faucet body 11, and a pair of sockets 23 connected to the socket opening of the faucet body 11 and arranged in parallel in the left-right direction.

[0017] Furthermore, the faucet body 20 has an L-shaped pipe 24 connected to an L-shaped pipe opening at a position between the pair of sockets 23. Each of the pair of sockets 23 is connected to the faucet body 11 using a cap nut 25 and a grane (not shown). The grane is used to connect the cap nut 25 to the socket 23 in a way that allows it to rotate around the axis of the cap nut 25 and prevents it from coming loose in the axial direction. The cap nut 25 and grane are used as part of the socket 23 and are preferably pre-assembled to the socket 23. These cap nuts 25 and grane are also included in the faucet body 20. The pair of sockets 23 are also connected to a water supply pipe and a hot water supply pipe (neither shown) located on the back side of the wall W.

[0018] The shower head hose 13 is connected to the faucet body 11 via an L-shaped pipe 24. The spout pipe 12 for the faucet is connected to the spout pipe opening of the faucet body 11. As shown in Figure 4, the faucet body 20 has a shaft member 21 connected to the flow rate adjustment handle 14 and a shaft member (not shown) connected to the temperature adjustment handle 15.

[0019] Furthermore, the faucet body 20 includes a nut member 26 that secures the shaft member 21 connected to the flow rate adjustment handle 14 to the right opening, and a nut member 27 that secures the shaft member connected to the temperature adjustment handle 15 to the left opening.

[0020] The system is configured such that operating the flow rate adjustment handle 14 or the temperature adjustment handle 15 allows the valve member to be operated via the shaft member 21 or the like. Furthermore, the flow rate adjustment handle 14, temperature adjustment handle 15, shower head hose 13, faucet spout 12, water supply pipe, and hot water supply pipe are not included in the faucet body 20. In addition, the flow rate adjustment handle 14 and temperature adjustment handle 15 each have collars 28 on the inside in the left-right direction, and these collars 28 are also not included in the faucet body 20.

[0021] The materials of the faucet body 11 and socket 23 are not particularly limited. For example, copper alloy can be used as the material for the faucet body 11 and socket 23. <Top Cover 30> As shown in Figures 1-3, with the faucet 10 installed on the wall W, the top cover 30 covers the upper part of the faucet body 11. Specifically, the top cover 30 covers the upper part of the faucet body 11 and the front side of the upper part of the socket 23.

[0022] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 4, the top cover 30 has a rectangular plate-shaped top wall 31 that is long in the left-right direction. The top cover 30 has side walls that extend downward in the thickness direction of the top wall from each side of the top wall 31. The side walls extending from the front end, rear end, right end, and left end of the top wall 31 are called the front side wall 32, rear side wall 33, right side wall 34, and left side wall 35, respectively. The front side wall 32 extends diagonally downward and forward from the front end of the top wall 31.

[0023] As shown in Figure 4, the rear wall 33 has a notch 33a extending upward from the lower end of the rear wall 33 on the central side, excluding both ends in the left-right direction. The periphery of this notch 33a abuts against the gap closing portion of the under back cover 40, which will be described later. However, the periphery of the notch 33a may not abut against the gap closing portion of the under back cover 40, and there may be a small gap between it and the gap closing portion of the under back cover 40.

[0024] The right side wall 34 has a notch 34a at its front end in the front-rear direction, extending upward from the lower end of the right side wall 34. This notch 34a is configured to allow the shaft member 21 of the flow rate adjustment handle 14 to pass through, preventing the shaft member 21 from contacting the top cover 30.

[0025] The left side wall 35 has a notch 35a at its front end in the front-rear direction, extending upward from the lower end of the left side wall 35. This notch 35a is configured so that the left end of the faucet body 11 is inserted through it, preventing the left end of the faucet body 11 from contacting the top cover 30.

[0026] As shown in Figure 16, the top cover 30 has a pair of screw holes 31a on the underside of the top wall 31 for connecting the second stay 70, which will be described later. The material of the top cover 30 is not particularly limited. For example, resin can be used as the material for the top cover 30.

[0027] <Underback Cover 40> As shown in Figures 1-3, with the faucet 10 installed on the wall W, the underback cover 40 covers the lower and rear parts of the faucet body 11. Specifically, the underback cover 40 covers the rear side of the lower part of the faucet body 11. Furthermore, the underback cover 40 also covers the lower part of the pair of sockets 23, both outer sides of the pair of sockets 23 in the left-right direction, and the rear side of the upper part of the sockets 23. In other words, the underback cover 40 is positioned to surround the outer circumference of the pair of sockets 23. The state in which the underback cover 40 is positioned to surround the outer circumference of the pair of sockets 23 is referred to as the state in which the underback cover 40 covers the rear part of the faucet body 11.

[0028] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the underback cover 40 has a rectangular plate-shaped bottom wall 41 that is long in the left-right direction when the faucet 10 is installed on the wall surface W. The underback cover 40 has side walls 42 that extend upward in the thickness direction of the bottom wall 41 from both ends in the longitudinal direction of the bottom wall 41. At the upper end of the side wall 42 opposite to the bottom wall 41 side, there is an upper wall 43 that connects the side walls 42 together.

[0029] The underback cover 40 has two partition walls 44 that extend upward from the bottom wall 41 in the thickness direction of the bottom wall 41. The upper end of each partition wall 44 is connected to the top wall 43. The wall surface of each partition wall 44 extends approximately parallel to the wall surface of the side wall 42. The two partition walls 44 are positioned to divide the bottom wall 41 into approximately three equal parts in the left-right direction.

[0030] The underback cover 40 has an inclined wall 45 extending forward from the front end of the bottom wall 41. The wall surface of the inclined wall 45 is parallel to the left-right direction and inclined upward with respect to the front in the front-rear direction. The inclined wall 45 has a pair of socket openings 45a along the left-right direction.

[0031] As shown in Figure 15, a pair of socket openings 45a are provided to expose the shut-off valve 23a of the socket 23. As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the underback cover 40 has a central opening 45b inside a pair of socket openings 45a. The central opening 45b is provided for inserting a hose 13 for the shower head.

[0032] The underback cover 40 has a middle wall 46 at the front end of the inclined wall 45. The wall surface of the middle wall 46 extends approximately parallel to the wall surface of the bottom wall 41. The middle wall 46 is located approximately midway between the bottom wall 41 and the top wall 43 in the vertical direction. The length of the middle wall 46 in the left-right direction is longer than the length of the bottom wall 41 in the same direction. The middle wall 46 has a pair of extensions 46a extending in the front-rear direction at both ends in the left-right direction. The outer and rear ends of the extensions 46a have outer peripheral walls 47 extending upward in the thickness direction of the middle wall 46.

[0033] The underback cover 40 has a rectangular plate-shaped projection wall 48 that protrudes upward from the center of the middle wall 46 in the left-right direction. The projection wall 48 protrudes upward from the front edge of the central opening 45b. The upper end of the projection wall 48 has a notch 48a that extends downward. This notch 48a has an inverted circular shape that protrudes downward. As will be described later, when the various components constituting the faucet 10 are assembled, the notch 48a of the projection wall 48 is close to the lower side of the L-shaped pipe 24 of the faucet body 20.

[0034] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the middle wall 46 has a pair of screw holes (also called first screw holes) 46b on both the left and right outer sides. The first screw holes 46b are screw holes for connecting the first stay 60, which will be described later, to the under back cover 40. The first screw holes 46b function as connecting parts for connecting the first stay 60 to the under back cover 40.

[0035] Furthermore, the middle wall 46 has a pair of screw holes (also called second screw holes) 46c at the rear end of the pair of extensions 46a. The second screw holes 46c are for connecting the second stay 70, which will be described later, to the under back cover 40. The first screw holes 46b and the second screw holes 46c have an elongated shape in the front-rear direction.

[0036] As shown in Figure 14, the first screw hole 46b of the underback cover 40 has an elongated shape in the front-to-back direction, allowing the position of the first stay 60 connected to the underback cover 40 to be adjusted in the front-to-back direction. Since the first stay 60 is attached to the faucet body 20, the position of the underback cover 40 relative to the faucet body 20 can be adjusted in the front-to-back direction. Therefore, the first screw hole 46b of the underback cover 40 functions as a position adjustment part that adjusts the position of the underback cover 40 relative to the faucet body 20 in the front-to-back direction of the faucet 10.

[0037] The second screw hole 46c of the under back cover 40 has an elongated shape in the front-to-back direction, allowing the position of the second stay 70 connected to the under back cover 40 to be adjusted in the front-to-back direction. As described later, the top cover 30 is connected to the second stay 70, so the second screw hole 46c of the under back cover 40 functions as a position adjustment part that adjusts the position of the top cover 30 relative to the under back cover 40 in the front-to-back direction of the faucet 10.

[0038] Furthermore, the second screw hole 46c of the under back cover 40, together with the first screw hole 46b, also functions as a position adjustment part that adjusts the position of the top cover 30 relative to the faucet body 20 in the front-to-back direction of the faucet 10.

[0039] The material of the underback cover 40 is not particularly limited. For example, resin can be used as the material for the underback cover 40. <Undercover 50> As shown in Figure 4, the under cover 50 covers the front side of the lower part of the faucet body 11. When the faucet 10 is installed on the wall W and viewed from the left or right, the under cover 50 has a roughly semicircular shape with a convex lower side.

[0040] The under cover 50 has three notches 50a at its rear end to expose the pair of socket openings and the L-shaped pipe opening of the faucet body 11. It also has an opening 50b at its lower end to expose the water outlet opening of the faucet body 11. The under cover 50 is positioned relative to the faucet body 20 by attaching a nut member 51 (see Figure 17) to the water outlet opening of the faucet body 11 from below this opening 50b. It also has notches 50c and 50d at its right and left ends to allow a part of the faucet body 20, such as a shaft member 21, to be inserted.

[0041] The material of the undercover 50 is not particularly limited. For example, resin can be used as the material for the undercover 50. <Stage 1, 60> As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the first stay 60 has a long plate-shaped horizontal wall 61 and a pair of vertical walls 62 extending from one long side at both ends of the horizontal wall 61 in the longitudinal direction to one side in the thickness direction of the horizontal wall 61.

[0042] Furthermore, the first stay 60 has a pair of bent walls 63 at the lower ends of the pair of vertical walls 62, which are bent in the thickness direction of the pair of vertical walls 62 and in the opposite direction to the horizontal wall 61. The first stay 60 has screw holes 63a in the pair of bent walls 63.

[0043] As shown in Figure 7, the first stay 60 attached to the faucet body 20 is viewed from the front when the faucet 10 is installed on the wall W. In this view, one of the pair of vertical walls 62 (the right vertical wall 62 in Figure 7) has a notch 62a in the center in the vertical direction, extending from the left end to the right end in the horizontal direction. The right end of the right notch 62a has a semicircular shape that is convex to the right.

[0044] The other of the pair of vertical walls 62 (the left vertical wall 62 in Figure 7) has a notch (also called the left notch) 62b in the center in the left-right direction, extending from the lower end to the upper end in the vertical direction. The upper end of the left notch 62b has a semicircular shape that is convex upwards.

[0045] The material of the first stay 60 is not particularly limited. For example, stainless steel can be used as the material for the first stay 60. <Stage 2, 70> As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the second stay 70 has a long plate-shaped horizontal wall 71 and a pair of vertical walls 72 extending from one long side at both ends of the horizontal wall 71 in the longitudinal direction to one side in the thickness direction of the horizontal wall 71.

[0046] Furthermore, the second stay 70 has a pair of bent walls 73 at the lower ends of the pair of vertical walls 72, which are in the thickness direction of the pair of vertical walls 72 and bend in the same direction as the horizontal wall 71. The second stay 70 has a pair of screw holes 71a at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the horizontal wall 71. The pair of bent walls 73 also have a pair of screw holes 73a.

[0047] The material of the second stay 70 is not particularly limited. For example, stainless steel can be used as the material for the second stay 70. The faucet 10 is composed of the above-mentioned components.

[0048] Next, we will explain the procedure for attaching the first stay 60 to the faucet body 20. <Installation procedure for the first stay 60 on the faucet body 20> As shown in Figure 8, the right notch 62a of the first stay 60 is engaged with the socket 23 of the faucet body 20. Specifically, the right notch 62a of the first stay 60 is brought close to the right socket 23 from the lower right side, and the tubular portion of the socket 23 is housed inside the right notch 62a.

[0049] As shown in Figure 17, the tubular portion of the socket 23 can be identified as the rear end side of the cap nut 25 in the socket 23. The socket 23 has a reduced diameter portion 23b with a smaller outer diameter around its entire circumference on the rear end side of the cap nut 25. The right notch 62a of the first stay 60 is engaged with the outer circumference of this reduced diameter portion 23b.

[0050] As shown in Figure 9, the first stay 60 is rotated counterclockwise around the right socket 23 so that the tubular portion of the left socket 23 is housed inside the left notch 62b of the first stay 60. At this time, the left notch 62b of the first stay 60 is engaged with the outer circumference of the reduced diameter portion 23b located on the rear end side of the cap nut 25 in the left socket 23. The first stay 60 is attached to the faucet body 20 by following these steps.

[0051] As shown in Figure 9, in the right notch 62a and left notch 62b of the first stay 60, the upper ends of the notches that abut against the tubular portions of the pair of sockets 23 become contact portions P1 of the first stay 60 that abut against the faucet body 20 (sockets 23 in Figure 9). In addition, the right end (contact portion P2) of the right notch 62a and the left end (contact portion P3) and right end (contact portion P4) of the left notch abut against the faucet body 20 from the left and right directions when the faucet body 20 is about to move in the left and right directions. For this reason, these contact portions are also called left and right direction contact portions. By having left and right direction contact portions, the movement of the first stay 60 in the left and right directions relative to the faucet body 20 can be restricted.

[0052] Furthermore, the contact points P1, P2, P3, and P4 of the first stay 60 do not need to be in constant contact with the tubular portion of the socket 23; they may only come into contact when the first stay 60 is about to move. In other words, they may have some play.

[0053] As shown in Figure 17, the right notch 62a and the left notch 62b of the first stay 60 are accommodated in the reduced diameter portion 23b of the socket 23 located on the rear end side of the cap nut 25, thereby restricting the movement of the first stay 60 in the front-rear direction.

[0054] Specifically, the movement of the first stay 60 in the front-rear direction is restricted by the insertion of the right notches 62a and the left notch 62b between the portion of the socket 23 with the normal outer diameter behind the reduced diameter portion 23b and the rear end of the cap nut 25.

[0055] The reduced diameter portion 23b of the socket 23 and the cap nut 25 function as longitudinal direction restrictors that restrict the movement of the first stay 60 in the longitudinal direction. Next, the procedure for attaching the second stay 70 to the top cover 30 will be described.

[0056] <Installation procedure for the second stay 70 on the top cover 30> As shown in Figure 16, the top cover 30 and the second stay 70 are positioned so that a pair of screw holes 31a located on the underside of the top wall 31 of the top cover 30 and a pair of screw holes 71a located on the side wall 71 of the second stay 70 overlap. In this state, the top cover 30 is connected to the second stay 70 by screwing the screws 16 into both screw holes 31a and 71a.

[0057] Next, the assembly procedure for each component of the faucet 10 will be described. <Assembly procedure for each component of the faucet 10> As shown in Figure 4, first, a pair of sockets 23 are connected to the water supply pipe and hot water supply pipe located on the back side of the wall W. This fixes the position of the pair of sockets 23 relative to the wall W.

[0058] Next, the underback cover 40 is brought close to the pair of sockets 23 from the front, so that the shut-off valves 23a of the sockets 23 are exposed through the socket openings 45a of the underback cover 40 (see Figure 15).

[0059] Next, the faucet body 11 is connected to the pair of sockets 23. Specifically, the pair of sockets 23 are connected to the socket openings of the faucet body 11 using cap nuts 25 and lugs. It is preferable that the flow rate adjustment handle 14, temperature adjustment handle 15, and under cover 50 are pre-installed on the faucet body 11, as this allows for more efficient assembly.

[0060] Next, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the first stay 60 is attached to the pair of sockets 23. As shown in Figure 17, the position of the underback cover 40 is adjusted so that the rear end of the underback cover 40 contacts the wall surface W.

[0061] As shown in Figure 14, the underback cover 40 is connected to the first stay 60 by screwing the screw 16 into the first screw hole 46b of the underback cover 40 and the screw hole 63a of the bent wall 63 of the first stay 60. This positions the underback cover 40 relative to the faucet body 20.

[0062] As shown in Figure 15, when the under back cover 40 is connected to the first stay 60, the protruding wall 48 of the under back cover 40 comes into close proximity to the underside of the L-shaped pipe 24 of the faucet body 20. In other words, there is a predetermined gap between the protruding wall 48 of the under back cover 40 and the L-shaped pipe 24 of the faucet body 20, resulting in a state of so-called play.

[0063] The faucet body 20 is sandwiched between the contact portion P1 of the first stay 60 and the protruding wall 48 of the under back cover 40 from above and below. By sandwiching the faucet body 20, the movement of the first stay 60 relative to the faucet body 20 is restricted. Therefore, the protruding wall 48 of the under back cover 40 functions as a restricting part that restricts the movement of the first stay 60 relative to the faucet body 20. By using the protruding wall 48 as a restricting part, it becomes possible to sandwich the faucet body 20 in a more stable state.

[0064] Furthermore, the underback cover 40 has a restricting portion positioned between the pair of sockets 23 in the left-right direction. Furthermore, there may be no gap between the protruding wall 48 of the underback cover 40 and the L-shaped pipe 24 of the faucet body 20, and they may be in contact. Also, the protruding wall 48 of the underback cover 40 may be positioned close to the opening for the L-shaped pipe of the faucet body 11, etc.

[0065] Next, prepare the second stay 70 to which the top cover 30 has already been attached. As shown in Figure 17, the second stay 70 is connected to the under back cover 40 by screwing the screw 16 into the second screw hole 46c of the under back cover 40 and the screw hole 73a of the bent wall 73 of the second stay 70. At this time, the front end of the top cover 30 is first locked to the front end of the under cover 50 which is assembled to the faucet body 11 to align it.

[0066] When the second stay 70 is connected to the under back cover 40, the top cover 30 is positioned on top of the under back cover 40. The periphery of the notch 33a provided in the rear side wall 33 of the top cover 30 abuts against the upper wall 43 of the under back cover 40, and the two are positioned overlapping. The top cover 30 then covers the top of the socket 23.

[0067] The screw holes 31a in the top cover 30, 63a in the bent wall 63 of the first stay 60, and 73a in the bent wall 73 of the second stay 70 have screw grooves into which the screws 16 are screwed. In addition, the first screw hole 46b and second screw hole 46c in the under back cover 40, and the screw hole 71a in the side wall 71 of the second stay 70 are through holes without screw grooves. The under back cover 40 and the second stay 70 are connected to other members with the screws 16 inserted through these through holes.

[0068] By following the above procedure, each component that makes up the faucet 10 is assembled. With all components assembled, the top cover 30 is positioned on the under back cover 40 without being connected to the first stay 60 and without contacting the faucet body 20. The under back cover 40 is positioned relative to the faucet body 20 without contacting the faucet body 20.

[0069] <Mechanism and Effects> The operation of this embodiment will now be described. As shown in Figure 17, when the top cover 30 is positioned relative to the faucet body 20, the top cover 30 is not connected to the first stay 60 and does not come into contact with the first stay 60. Furthermore, the top cover 30 is positioned on the under back cover 40 without coming into contact with the faucet body 20. Because the top cover 30 does not come into contact with the faucet body 20, heat from the faucet body 20 is less likely to be transferred to the top cover 30.

[0070] Furthermore, the rear end of the top cover 30 is positioned to overlap the upper wall 43 of the under back cover 40. The rear end of the top cover 30 and the upper wall 43 of the under back cover 40 have a predetermined overlap T in the front-to-back direction. In addition, the top cover 30 also covers the upper part of the socket 23.

[0071] As a result, when the faucet 10 is viewed from above in the vertical direction, the upper wall 43 of the under back cover 40 is positioned between the wall surface W and the rear end of the top cover 30, thus closing the gap L between the wall surface W and the rear end of the top cover 30. Therefore, the upper wall 43 of the under back cover 40 functions as a gap closing part. Having a gap closing part improves the aesthetic design of the faucet 10. It also prevents people from touching the socket 23. Furthermore, since the gap closing part is provided integrally with the under back cover 40, there is no need to attach a separate component as a gap closing part. Therefore, the assembly of the faucet 10 can be made easier.

[0072] Furthermore, when individual faucets 10 are attached to the wall W, the protruding positions of the sockets 23 relative to the wall W may differ. These differences in the protruding positions of the sockets 23 also change the position of the faucet body 20 in the front-to-back direction. Consequently, the size of the gap L between the wall W and the rear end of the top cover 30 also changes.

[0073] The first screw hole 46b of the under back cover 40 functions as a position adjustment part, so that if the gap L is large, the position of the under back cover 40 can be adjusted relative to the faucet body 20 within the range of the overlap T. This makes it possible to close the gap L between the wall surface W and the rear end of the top cover 30.

[0074] Furthermore, the first screw hole 46b and the second screw hole 46c of the under back cover 40 function as position adjustment parts for adjusting the position of the top cover 30 relative to the faucet body 20. This allows the position of the top cover 30 to be adjusted when the position of the under back cover 40 is adjusted relative to the faucet body 20. By aligning the positions of the under cover 50 and the top cover 30, a decrease in the aesthetic appearance of the faucet 10 can be suppressed.

[0075] Furthermore, the first stay 60 has a contact portion P1 that abuts against a pair of sockets 23 of the faucet body 20, and the under back cover 40 has a restricting portion that restricts the movement of the first stay 60 by sandwiching the faucet body 20 together with the contact portion P1 of the first stay 60. Therefore, the movement of the first stay 60 relative to the faucet body 20 can be effectively restricted.

[0076] Furthermore, the underback cover 40 has a restricting portion (protruding wall 48) positioned between a pair of sockets 23 in the left-right direction. Since the faucet body 20 is sandwiched between the two upper contact portions P1 and the lower restricting portion (protruding wall 48) at a total of three points, the rotational movement of the first stay 60 relative to the faucet body 20 can be effectively restricted.

[0077] The effects of this embodiment will now be explained. (1) The under back cover 40 has a gap closing portion that closes the gap L between the wall surface W and the rear end of the top cover 30.

[0078] Since the gap closing section is integrated with the under back cover 40, there is no need to attach a separate component as the gap closing section. Therefore, the gap closing section can be easily positioned in the desired location.

[0079] Furthermore, by closing the gap L between the wall surface W and the rear end of the top cover 30 with the gap closing section, the aesthetic design of the faucet 10 can be improved. In addition, it is possible to prevent people from touching the socket or other parts through the gap L.

[0080] (2) The under back cover 40 has a position adjustment part that adjusts the position of the under back cover 40 relative to the faucet body 20 in the front-rear direction of the faucet 10. Even if the size of the gap L between the wall surface W and the rear end of the top cover 30 changes due to the different protruding positions of the individual sockets 23, the position of the under back cover 40 can be adjusted relative to the faucet body 20. Therefore, the gap L between the wall surface W and the rear end of the top cover 30 can be suitably closed.

[0081] (3) The under back cover 40 has a position adjustment part that adjusts the position of the top cover 30 relative to the faucet body 20 in the front-rear direction of the faucet 10. Therefore, by adjusting the position of the top cover 30 relative to the faucet body 20, a decrease in the aesthetic appearance of the faucet 10 can be suppressed.

[0082] (4) The under back cover 40 has a first stay 60 attached to the faucet body 20, and the under back cover 40 is positioned relative to the faucet body 20 by being connected to the first stay 60. The under back cover 40 has a position adjustment part at the connection point between the under back cover 40 and the first stay 60 that adjusts the position of the under back cover 40 relative to the faucet body 20 in the front-rear direction of the faucet 10. Compared to a configuration in which the under back cover 40 is directly connected to the faucet body 20, it becomes easier to form the position adjustment part. Therefore, the degree of design freedom in forming the position adjustment part is increased.

[0083] <Example of changes> This embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that they do not contradict each other technically.

[0084] The shape of the first stay 60 is not limited to the shape of this embodiment. As shown in Figure 18, the shape of the right notch 62a of the first stay 60 may be symmetrical to the shape of the left notch 62b.

[0085] As shown in Figure 19, the shapes of the right notch 62a and the left notch 62b of the first stay 60 may extend from the inner end to the outer end in the left-right direction, and also extend from the lower end to the upper end in the up-down direction.

[0086] The first stay 60 in Figures 18 and 19 can be brought closer to the faucet body 20 from above and attached from above to the tubular portion of the pair of sockets 23. In this embodiment, the first screw hole 46b and the second screw hole 46c of the underback cover 40 had an elongated shape in the front-to-back direction, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The screw holes 63a and 73a of the first stay 60 and the second stay 70, which are positioned to overlap with the first screw hole 46b and the second screw hole 46c of the underback cover 40 and are screwed in with the screw 16, may also have an elongated shape in the front-to-back direction.

[0087] In other words, the screw hole 63a of the first stay 60 may function as a position adjustment part to adjust the position of the under back cover 40 relative to the faucet body 20. The screw hole 73a of the second stay 70 may function as a position adjustment part to adjust the position of the top cover 30 relative to the under back cover 40. The screw hole 73a of the second stay may function together with the screw hole 63a of the first stay 60 as a position adjustment part to adjust the position of the top cover 30 relative to the faucet body 20.

[0088] The shape of the pair of screw holes 31a provided on the underside of the top wall 31 of the top cover 30 is not particularly limited. Similarly, the shape of the screw holes 71a in the side wall 71 of the second stay 70 is not particularly limited. These screw holes 31a, 71a may have a shape that is elongated in the front-to-back direction. If the pair of screw holes 31a provided on the underside of the top wall 31 of the top cover 30 have a shape that is elongated in the front-to-back direction, these screw holes 31a function as a position adjustment part that adjusts the position of the top cover 30 relative to the faucet body 20 in the front-to-back direction of the faucet 10. That is, the top cover 30 may have a position adjustment part that adjusts the position of the top cover 30 relative to the faucet body 20 in the front-to-back direction of the faucet 10.

[0089] The first stay 60 may be omitted. The under back cover 40 may be directly connected to the faucet body 20. For example, the under back cover 40 may be positioned relative to the faucet body 20 by providing a screw hole in the faucet body 11 and screwing a screw 16 into this screw hole and the first screw hole 46b of the under back cover 40.

[0090] The second stay 70 may be omitted. That is, the top cover 30 may not be connected to the second stay 70, but may be directly connected to the under back cover 40. For example, the upper wall 43 of the under back cover 40 may have screw holes, and the under back cover 40 and the top cover 30 may be connected by screwing screws 16 into these screw holes and into screw holes 31a in the top wall 31 of the top cover 30.

[0091] Furthermore, the top cover 30 may be integrated with the top wall 31 and have legs that protrude downward from the back side of the top wall 31. The screw holes provided in these legs may be aligned with the second screw holes 46c of the under back cover and connected by screws 16.

[0092] The undercover 50 may be omitted. The underback cover 40 and the undercover 50 may be molded as a single unit, and the underback cover 40 may also serve as the undercover 50.

[0093] In this embodiment, the protruding wall 48 of the underback cover 40 functioned as a restricting portion that described the movement of the first stay 60 relative to the faucet body 20, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The restricting portion that restricts the movement of the first stay 60 relative to the faucet body 20 may be omitted.

[0094] Furthermore, in the underback cover 40, the protruding wall 48 may be omitted, and the middle wall 46 of the underback cover 40 may be configured to be close to the lower side of the L-shaped pipe 24 of the faucet body 20 when the various components constituting the faucet 10 are assembled. In other words, the middle wall 46 of the underback cover 40 may function as a restricting part.

[0095] The pair of sockets 23 in this embodiment may be omitted. For example, the faucet body 20 may be directly connected to the water supply pipe and hot water supply pipe located on the back side of the wall W. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0096] 10...faucet, 11...faucet body, 20...faucet main body, 30...top cover, 40...under back cover, W...wall.

Claims

1. A faucet body equipped with a faucet body, A top cover that covers the upper part of the aforementioned faucet body, A faucet having an underback cover that covers the lower and rear parts of the faucet body, and which is used to be mounted on a wall, The faucet is characterized in that the under back cover has a gap closing portion that closes the gap between the wall surface and the top cover.

2. The faucet according to claim 1, wherein the under back cover has a position adjustment part that adjusts the position of the under back cover relative to the faucet body in the front-rear direction of the faucet.

3. The faucet according to claim 1, wherein the under back cover has a position adjustment part that adjusts the position of the top cover relative to the faucet body in the front-rear direction of the faucet.

4. Having a first stay attached to the faucet body, The under back cover is positioned relative to the faucet body by being connected to the first stay. The faucet according to claim 2, wherein the position adjustment part is located at the connection between the under back cover and the first stay.

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