Shower head

Abstract

Provided is a shower head with which a comfortable showering sensation can be achieved.　This shower head comprises: a head body with a flow path through which a fluid can flow; and a mist generation member that is attached to the head body and atomizes the fluid supplied from the flow path. The mist generation member includes a nozzle member and an attachment member which is attached to the nozzle member. The nozzle member includes: one surface facing the flow passage; another surface different from the one surface; a mist generation hole having a first inflow port in the one surface and a discharge port in the other surface; and a groove. The mist generation hole includes a recess that is recessed with reference to the one surface and defined by an inner surface extending from an opening edge of the first inflow port toward the other surface; and a nozzle hole having a second inflow port in the inner surface and extending from the second inflow port to the discharge port. The groove is disposed on the inner surface and communicates with the flow path and the nozzle hole. The attachment member is accommodated in the recess.

Description

shower head

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a showerhead.

[0002] Conventionally, showerheads capable of discharging mist-like water have been known. For example, the following technology has been proposed for discharging mist-like water. In this technology, a mist guide with a spiral vortex surface is attached inside a mist restrictor hole (mist-forming hole) formed in a spray nozzle plate (see JP 2020-11034 A).

[0003] With this configuration, the gap between the spiral surface of the mist guide and the inner circumferential surface of the mist restriction hole forms a spiral mist flow path. As water flows down the mist flow path, a spiral flow is generated. When this spiral flow is ejected from the outlet, the water breaks down into fine particles and becomes mist.

[0004] In showerheads with the above configuration, the mist guide dimensions are not stable, which can cause the droplet size of the mist to vary, resulting in large droplets, which can make showering more comfortable.

[0005] This specification discloses a technology that can realize a comfortable bathing experience.

[0006] The technology disclosed in this specification can be realized in the following forms, for example: (1) A showerhead disclosed in this specification includes a head main body having a flow path through which a fluid can flow, and a mist generating member attached to the head main body and configured to turn the fluid supplied from the flow path into a mist, the mist generating member including a nozzle member, the nozzle member having one surface facing the flow path, another surface different from the one surface, a mist forming hole having a first inlet in the one surface and an outlet in the other surface, and a groove, the mist forming hole including a recess recessed relative to the one surface and defined by an inner surface extending from an opening edge of the first inlet toward the other surface, and a nozzle hole having a second inlet on the inner surface and extending from the second inlet to the outlet, the groove being disposed on the inner surface and communicating with the flow path and the nozzle hole, and a mounting part having an abutment surface that contacts the inner surface is housed within the recess.

[0007] According to the above configuration, the grooves can be formed with high precision. This makes it easy to design the grooves to stably generate mist with small particle sizes. This allows for the stable generation of mist with small particle sizes, thereby achieving a comfortable shower experience.

[0008] (2) In the showerhead described in (1) above, the inner surface may have a bottom surface having the second inlet and an inner circumferential surface extending from the bottom surface to the first inlet, and the groove may have a first groove arranged on the inner circumferential surface and a second groove arranged on the bottom surface and communicating with the first groove and the nozzle hole.

[0009] According to this configuration, by making the shapes of the first groove and the second groove different from each other, it is possible to easily design the groove shape according to the required performance, thereby increasing the degree of freedom in design.

[0010] (3) In the showerhead described in (2) above, the width of the second groove may be smaller than the width of the first groove.

[0011] With this configuration, the width of the second groove is narrower than the width of the first groove, thereby narrowing the flow path. This allows the fluid to pass through the second groove at high speed and be supplied to the nozzle hole. This allows the fluid to swirl at higher speed inside the nozzle hole. This makes it possible to generate mist with small particle size.

[0012] (4) In the showerhead described in (2) or (3) above, the second groove may extend along a tangent to a curve that forms the opening edge of the second inlet.

[0013] With this configuration, the fluid flows from the first groove along the inner surface of the nozzle hole, which allows the fluid to swirl more smoothly inside the nozzle hole, thereby enabling the mist with small particle size to be generated stably.

[0014] (5) In the showerhead according to any one of (2) to (4) above, the first groove may extend perpendicular to the bottom surface.

[0015] This configuration makes it easier to create a mold for manufacturing the nozzle member compared to when the first groove extends obliquely relative to the bottom surface. Therefore, the first groove can be formed with greater precision. This allows for more stable generation of mist with smaller particle size.

[0016] (6) The showerhead according to any one of (2) to (5) above may have four or more first grooves and four or more second grooves.

[0017] With this configuration, the fluid flows into the nozzle holes from all four sides. This allows the fluid to swirl more smoothly inside the nozzle holes. This allows mist with small particle sizes to be generated stably. Furthermore, the flow rate of the fluid flowing into each mist forming hole can be made sufficient. This ensures the amount of fluid discharged from the showerhead.

[0018] The technology disclosed in this specification can be realized in various forms, for example, in the form of a shower head and a discharge method thereof.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a showerhead according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the showerhead according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged front view of the showerhead according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view showing the periphery of a mist forming hole in a nozzle member according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged view showing a state in which a mounting member is mounted inside a mounting recess in a mist generating member according to an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 3.

[0020] A. Embodiments: A-1. Configuration of Showerhead 10: This embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. The showerhead 10 of this embodiment is configured to change the water (an example of a fluid) discharge state by switching between multiple flow paths corresponding to multiple discharge modes. The multiple discharge modes include, for example, "mist mode," "straight mode," "pure straight mode," "jet mode," and "massage mode." Mist mode discharges water in a mist-like state. Straight mode discharges water with higher water pressure and more force than mist mode. Pure straight mode discharges water with a higher density than straight mode. Jet mode discharges water with the highest water pressure. Massage mode discharges water intermittently. The showerhead 10 has the function of discharging water in a mist-like state when "mist mode" is selected as the discharge mode. In this embodiment, "water" includes hot water and cold water.

[0021] (Overall Configuration of Showerhead 10) As shown in FIG. 2 , the showerhead 10 includes a head body 100, a mist generating member 500 attached to the head body 100 for generating mist, an operating ring 600 for switching between multiple emission modes, and a cover 700.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2 , the head body 100 includes a cover member 200, a fixed flow path member 300 fixed inside the cover member 200, and a movable flow path member 400 rotatably assembled to the fixed flow path member 300. The fixed flow path member 300 and the movable flow path member 400 form a flow path through which water can flow. The movable flow path member 400, mist generating member 500, and cover 700 are arranged inside an operation ring 600, in this order starting from the side closest to the fixed flow path member 300. The movable flow path member 400, mist generating member 500, and cover 700 are configured to rotate relative to the fixed flow path member 300 in conjunction with the rotation of the operation ring 600. In the following description, the side of the showerhead 10 on which the cover 700 is arranged is referred to as the front.

[0023] (Cover Member 200) As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the cover member 200 includes a cover body 210 and a grip portion 220 connected to the cover body 210. Examples of materials for the cover member 200 include synthetic resins such as ASA resin (acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate copolymer resin) and ABS resin (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer resin), metals such as stainless steel, and synthetic rubbers such as EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber). The cover body 210 is dome-shaped with an opening on the front side. The grip portion 220 is generally cylindrical and houses a water pipe 230 inside. The water pipe 230 is connected to a water heater (not shown) via a shower hose.

[0024] (Fixed Flow Path Member 300) As shown in FIG. 2, the fixed flow path member 300 includes a base portion 310, a mounting shaft 320, and a joint portion 330. Examples of materials for the fixed flow path member 300 include synthetic resins such as ABS resin (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer resin), metals such as stainless steel, and synthetic rubbers such as EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber). The base portion 310 has a thick, disk-like shape overall and is fixed inside the cover body 210. The mounting shaft 320 is cylindrical and protrudes forward from the center of the base portion 310. The joint portion 330 is tubular and extends from the base portion 310 to be connected to the water pipe 230. As shown in FIG. 4, the mounting shaft 320 has a threaded hole 322 opening at its front end.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 4, the fixed flow path member 300 has a base flow path 340 therein. The base flow path 340 is in communication with the internal space of the joint portion 330. As shown in Fig. 2, the base flow path 340 has a base outlet 340out that opens to the front surface of the fixed flow path member 300. As shown in Fig. 2, a rubber packing 350 is arranged around the base outlet 340out.

[0026] (Movable flow path member 400) As shown in Fig. 2, the movable flow path member 400 is disposed in front of the base portion 310. Examples of materials for the movable flow path member 400 include synthetic resins such as ASA resin (acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate copolymer resin), metals such as stainless steel, and synthetic rubbers such as EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber). The movable flow path member 400 includes a flow path forming portion 410 and a retaining portion 440.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 2 , the flow path forming portion 410 has a thick disk shape overall and a through-hole 411 in the center. As shown in FIG. 4 , the mounting shaft 320 is inserted into the through-hole 411, whereby the movable flow path member 400 is rotatably supported by the fixed flow path member 300 around the mounting shaft 320. The flow path forming portion 410 has multiple flow paths corresponding to the multiple discharge modes described above. As shown in FIG. 7 , the multiple flow paths include a mist flow path 412. Water flows through this mist flow path 412 when the "mist mode" is selected as the discharge mode. The mist flow path 412 has a mist inlet (not shown) on its rear surface facing the base portion 310 and multiple mist outlets 412out on its front surface on the opposite side.

[0028] 2, the retaining portion 440 includes a cylindrical base 441 and a cylindrical retaining protrusion 442 having an outer diameter smaller than that of the base 441. The base 441 protrudes from the front surface of the flow path forming portion 410 toward the mist generating member 500. The retaining protrusion 442 protrudes from the base 441 toward the mist generating member 500. A plurality of mist outlets 412out are arranged around each retaining portion 440.

[0029] (Mist generating member 500) As shown in Fig. 2, the mist generating member 500 is disposed in front of the movable flow path member 400. Examples of materials for the mist generating member 500 include synthetic resins such as ASA resin (acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate copolymer resin), metals such as stainless steel, and synthetic rubbers such as EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber). As shown in Fig. 4, the mist generating member 500 includes a nozzle member 510 and a plurality of mounting members 570 (an example of a mounting portion) that are mounted to the nozzle member 510.

[0030] 2, 4, 5, and 7, the nozzle member 510 includes a nozzle plate 511, multiple mist projections 520, and multiple mist cylinders 512. The nozzle plate 511 is generally disk-shaped and has a through-hole 515 in the center. The mist projections 520 project forward from the nozzle plate 511. The mist cylinders 512 are cylindrical and extend from the nozzle plate 511 toward the movable flow path member 400.

[0031] 2 and 3, the multiple mist projections 520 are arranged side by side in a circle along the outer periphery of the nozzle member 510. As shown in Fig. 7, the base end of each mist projection 520, which is close to the nozzle plate 511, is cylindrical. Furthermore, the tip of each mist projection 520, which is forward of the base end, is generally frustoconical in shape, with the diameter decreasing as it gets further away from the nozzle plate 511.

[0032] Each of the multiple mist cylinders 512 is positioned corresponding to a corresponding one of the multiple mist protrusions 520. As shown in FIG. 7 , each mist cylinder 512 is cylindrical and slightly larger than the retaining portion 440, allowing the retaining portion 440 to be received therein. The rear edge of the mist cylinder 512 contacts the front surface of the movable flow path member 400. The opening edge of each mist cylinder 512 is positioned to surround the multiple mist outlets 412out disposed around each retaining portion 440. This allows water flowing out from the mist outlets 412out to flow into the mist cylinder 512. A holding portion 513 for holding the mounting member 570 is disposed adjacent to the nozzle plate 511 inside each mist cylinder 512. In the holding portion 513, an opposing surface 514 (an example of one surface) that faces the movable flow path member 400 faces the mist flow path 412 (more specifically, the mist outlet 412out).

[0033] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 , the nozzle member 510 has multiple mist forming holes 530. Each mist forming hole 530 is a through-hole, has a first inlet 531 in the opposing surface 514, and has an outlet 533 in the tip surface 521 (an example of the other surface) of the mist protrusion 520. Each mist forming hole 530 has a mounting recess 540 (an example of a recess) recessed relative to the opposing surface 514, and a mist nozzle hole 550 (an example of a nozzle hole) communicating with the mounting recess 540. Each mist forming hole 530 communicates with the mist flow path 412 via the internal space of the mist tube 512. From the perspective of ensuring a water discharge volume sufficient to ignite the water heater, it is preferable that the nozzle member 510 have 10 or more mist forming holes 530.

[0034] The mounting recess 540 is a recess defined by a bottom surface 541 (an example of an inner surface) parallel to the opposing surface 514 and a first inner circumferential surface 542 (an example of an inner surface). The first inner circumferential surface 542 extends from the periphery of the bottom surface 541 to the opening edge of the first inlet 531 and is perpendicular to the bottom surface 541. The mist nozzle hole 550 has a second inlet 532 and is a hole defined by the second inner circumferential surface 551. The second inlet 532 is disposed in the bottom surface 541 and has a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the mounting recess 540. The second inner circumferential surface 551 extends from the opening edge of the second inlet 532 to the opening edge of the outlet 533. The mist nozzle hole 550 has a large diameter portion 550A, a small diameter portion 550C, and a reduced diameter portion 550B. Large diameter section 550A extends from second inlet 532 and has a constant inner diameter. Small diameter section 550C is connected to outlet 533 and has a constant inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of large diameter section 550A. Converging diameter section 550B connects large diameter section 550A and small diameter section 550C and narrows in diameter from large diameter section 550A toward small diameter section 550C. From the viewpoint of stably generating mist with a small particle size, it is preferable that the inner diameter of outlet 533 is small, for example, 1.2 mm or less.

[0035] 5 and 7 , a plurality (four in this embodiment) of first grooves 543 (an example of grooves) are arranged on the first inner circumferential surface 542. A plurality (four in this embodiment) of second grooves 544 (an example of grooves) are arranged on the bottom surface 541.

[0036] Each of the multiple first grooves 543 extends perpendicularly to the bottom surface 541 from the opening edge of the first inlet 531 to the outer periphery of the bottom surface 541. The multiple second grooves 544 extend linearly from the outer periphery of the bottom surface 541 to the opening edge of the second inlet 532. The multiple second grooves 544 are connected to each of the multiple first grooves 543. As shown in FIG. 5 , the multiple second grooves 544 each extend along a tangent T to a curve that forms the opening edge of the second inlet 532. A width W1 of the first groove 543, which is defined by the distance between two side edges of the first groove 543, is larger than a width W2 of the second groove 544, which is defined by the distance between two side edges of the second groove 544. 7, each of the first grooves 543 is disposed in a position directly forward from the mist outlets 412out, so that water flows directly into the first grooves 543 from each mist outlet 412out.

[0037] The mounting member 570 is press-fit into the mounting recess 540. Examples of materials for the mounting member 570 include synthetic resins such as ASA resin (acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate copolymer resin) and ABS resin (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer resin), metals such as stainless steel, and synthetic rubbers such as EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber). As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , the mounting member 570 is cylindrical. The mounting member 570 has a front surface 571 (contact surface) that contacts the bottom surface 541 and a side surface 573 (contact surface) that contacts the first inner circumferential surface 542. The mounting member 570 has a retaining hole 574 in its center. This retaining hole 574 opens to a rear surface 572, opposite the front surface 571. The tip of the retaining protrusion 442 is inserted into the retaining hole 574, thereby preventing the mounting member 570 from falling off from the mounting recess 540. In this embodiment, the mounting portion disposed inside the mounting recess 540 is the mounting member 570, which is an independent member, and is pressed by the retaining portion 440. This allows the mounting member 570 to be tightly attached to the bottom surface 541.

[0038] (Cover 700) As shown in FIG. 2, the protective cover 700 is generally disk-shaped and is disposed in front of the mist generating member 500. Examples of materials for the cover 700 include synthetic resins such as ABS resin (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer resin), metals such as stainless steel, and synthetic rubbers such as EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber). The front surface of the cover 700 may be plated to enhance its appearance. The cover 700 has multiple nozzle insertion holes through which multiple nozzle protrusions can be inserted. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the nozzle insertion holes include multiple mist insertion holes 701. Each mist insertion hole 701 receives a mist protrusion 520.

[0039] (Operation Ring 600) As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the operation ring 600 is ring-shaped and has an outer diameter approximately equal to that of the head body 100. Examples of materials for the operation ring 600 include synthetic resins such as ABS resin (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer resin), metals such as stainless steel, and synthetic rubbers such as EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber). The operation ring 600 is disposed adjacent to the edge of the opening of the head body 100. The operation ring 600 surrounds a portion of the movable flow path member 400, the mist generating member 500, and the cover 700.

[0040] A screw S is threaded onto the mounting shaft 320. The screw S has a screw head SH and a threaded portion ST. A washer WS, which has an outer diameter slightly larger than that of the mounting shaft 320, is sandwiched between the screw head SH and the mounting shaft 320. The washer WS engages with the peripheral portion of the through-hole 411 in the movable flow path member 400, thereby rotatably mounting the movable flow path member 400 to the mounting shaft 320. The movable flow path member 400, the mist generating member 500, and the cover 700 are configured to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the operation ring 600.

[0041] A-2. Operation of the Showerhead 10: When the user turns on the faucet, water supplied from the water heater passes through the shower hose and water pipe 230 and is supplied into the base flow path 340.

[0042] When the user rotates the operation ring 600, the movable flow path member 400, the mist generating member 500, and the cover 700 rotate relative to the fixed flow path member 300 in conjunction with the rotation of the operation ring 600. The operation ring 600 is configured to be displaceable between multiple designated positions corresponding to each of the emission modes. Therefore, by rotating the operation ring 600, switching between multiple emission modes is performed. For example, when the operation ring 600 is rotated to a position that designates the mist mode, the mist inlet is positioned to align with the base outlet 340out. Furthermore, the inlets of the other flow paths are blocked by the packing 350. This allows water to flow into the mist flow path 412. As shown by the solid line in Figure 7, water that has passed through the mist flow path 412 enters the inside of the mist tube 512 from the mist outlet 412out, passes through the first groove 543, the second groove 544, and the inside of the mist nozzle hole 550 in order, and is discharged to the outside from the outlet 533.

[0043] The width W1 of the first groove 543 is greater than the width W2 of the second groove 544. In other words, the second groove 544 is a throttled flow path that is narrower than the first groove 543 and the mist nozzle hole 550. When water passes through the inside of the second groove 544, which is a throttled flow path, and flows into the mist nozzle hole 550, the water flows inside the mist nozzle hole 550 while swirling. The water that is ejected from the outlet 533 while swirling at high speed breaks down into fine particles and becomes mist.

[0044] Conventionally, grooves for forming flow paths are arranged in a mist guide attached to the mist throttle hole. Because this mist guide is a small component, it is difficult to maintain the processing precision of the grooves, leading to variations in the groove dimensions. Such variations in the groove dimensions can cause variations in the particle size of the droplets contained in the mist, resulting in the generation of large droplets. This can also cause variations in the flow rate of water ejected from the showerhead 10. In contrast, in this embodiment, the nozzle member 510 is provided with a first groove 543 and a second groove 544. It is easier to process the grooves 543 and 544 in a nozzle member 510 of a certain size than to form grooves in a small mist guide. This allows the grooves 543 and 544 to be formed with precision. This allows for the stable generation of mist with small particle sizes, resulting in a comfortable shower experience. Furthermore, variations in the flow rate of water ejected from the showerhead 10 can be reduced. This makes it easier to eject water at the designed flow rate.

[0045] When hot water supplied from a water heater is discharged from the shower head, the water must be discharged at a certain flow rate or more in order for the water heater to ignite. From the perspective of ensuring a sufficient amount of water flowing into each mist forming hole 530 to ensure a water discharge volume sufficient to ignite the water heater, it is preferable that the nozzle member 510 have four or more first grooves 543 and four or more second grooves 544.

[0046] Additionally, the second groove 544 extends along a tangent line T to the curve that forms the opening edge of the second inlet 532. With this configuration, water flows in from all four sides along the inner surface of the mist nozzle hole 550. This allows the water to swirl more smoothly inside the mist nozzle hole 550. This allows for the stable generation of mist with small particle sizes.

[0047] Furthermore, the first grooves 543 extend perpendicular to the bottom surface 541. With this configuration, it is easier to create a mold for manufacturing the nozzle member 510 compared to, for example, a case in which the grooves extend obliquely relative to the bottom surface. Therefore, the first grooves 543 can be formed with even greater precision. This makes it possible to more stably generate mist with smaller particle sizes.

[0048] A-3. Advantages of this embodiment: As described above, according to this embodiment, the showerhead 10 comprises a head body 100 having a mist flow path 412 through which water can flow, and a mist generating member 500 attached to the head body 100 and converting the water supplied from the mist flow path 412 into mist. The mist generating member 500 comprises a nozzle member 510. The nozzle member 510 has an opposing surface 514 facing the mist flow path 412, a tip surface 521 different from the opposing surface 514, a mist forming hole 530 having a first inlet 531 on the opposing surface 514 and an outlet 533 on the tip surface 521, a first groove 543 and a second groove 544. The mist forming hole 530 is formed on the opposing surface 514. The mounting recess 540 is recessed based on reference number 14 and is defined by a bottom surface 541 and a first inner surface 542 extending from the opening edge of the first inlet 531 toward the tip surface 521, and has a second inlet 532 on the bottom surface 541 and a mist nozzle hole 550 extending from the second inlet 532 to the outlet 533, and a first groove 543 and a second groove 544 are arranged on the first inner surface 542 and the bottom surface 541, respectively, and are connected to the mist flow path 412 and the mist nozzle hole 550, and a mounting member 570 is housed inside the mounting recess 540 and has a front surface 571 in contact with the bottom surface 541 and a side surface 573 in contact with the first inner surface 542.

[0049] With the above configuration, the grooves 543, 544 for turning the water supplied from the mist flow path 412 into mist can be formed with high precision. This makes it easy to design the grooves 543, 544 for stably generating mist with small particle sizes. This allows for the stable generation of mist with small particle sizes, thereby achieving a comfortable shower experience.

[0050] Furthermore, by changing (making different) the shapes of the first groove 543 and the second groove 544, it is possible to easily design the shapes of the grooves 543 and 544 according to the required performance, thereby increasing the degree of freedom in design.

[0051] Furthermore, the width W2 of the second groove 544 is smaller than the width W1 of the first groove 543.

[0052] With this configuration, the width W2 of the second groove 544 is narrower than the width W1 of the first groove 543, thereby narrowing the flow path. As a result, the water passes through the inside of the second groove 544 at high speed and is supplied to the mist nozzle hole 550. This allows the water to swirl at higher speed inside the mist nozzle hole 550. Therefore, it is possible to generate mist with small particle size.

[0053] In addition, the second groove 544 extends along a tangent line T to the curve that forms the opening edge of the second inlet 532 .

[0054] With this configuration, water flows from the first groove 543 along the inner surface of the mist nozzle hole 550. This allows the water to swirl more smoothly inside the mist nozzle hole 550. This allows mist with small particle size to be generated stably.

[0055] Additionally, a first groove 543 extends perpendicular to the first inner circumferential surface 542 .

[0056] With this configuration, it is easier to create a mold for manufacturing the nozzle member 510 compared to, for example, a case where the first grooves 543 extend obliquely relative to the first inner circumferential surface 542. Therefore, the first grooves 543 can be formed with greater precision. This makes it possible to more stably generate mist with smaller particle sizes.

[0057] Furthermore, the nozzle member 510 has four or more first grooves 543 and four or more second grooves 544 .

[0058] With this configuration, water flows into the mist nozzle holes 550 from all four sides. This allows the water to swirl more smoothly inside the mist nozzle holes 550. This allows mist with small particle sizes to be generated stably. Furthermore, the flow rate of water flowing into each mist forming hole 530 can be made sufficient. This ensures a sufficient amount of water is discharged from the showerhead 10.

[0059] B. Modifications: The technology disclosed in this specification is not limited to the above-described embodiment and can be modified into various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the following modifications are also possible. (1) In the above embodiment, the shower head 10 is configured with the "mist mode," "straight mode," "pure straight mode," "jet mode," and "massage mode" as examples of the multiple discharge modes. The discharge modes can be set arbitrarily. For example, the number of discharge modes provided by the shower head may be four or less, or six or more. The types of discharge modes provided by the shower head may also include a bubble mode and / or a stop mode. (2) In the above embodiment, the number of first grooves 543 and second grooves 544 is four each. However, the number of first grooves 543 and second grooves 544 may be three or less, or five or more. (3) In the above embodiment, the width W2 of the second groove 544 is smaller than the width W1 of the first groove 543. In this regard, for example, the width of the first groove and the width of the second groove may be equal to each other. Furthermore, the width of the second groove may be greater than the width of the first groove. (4) The number and arrangement of the mist forming holes can be set arbitrarily. (5) In the above embodiment, the first groove 543 and the second groove 544 each extend linearly. In this regard, the grooves do not have to extend linearly and may, for example, be curved. (6) In the above embodiment, the mounting recess 540 is a recess defined by the bottom surface 541 and the first inner circumferential surface 542. In this regard, the shape of the recess can be set arbitrarily. For example, the recess may have a shape defined by a hemispherical inner surface, or may have a shape whose diameter gradually decreases toward the front. (7) In the above embodiment, the nozzle member 510 has the first groove 543 and the second groove 544. In this regard, the groove extending from the second inlet to the nozzle hole does not have to be divided into the first groove and the second groove. (8) In the above embodiment, the movable flow path member 400, the mist generating member 500, and the cover 700 are configured to rotate relative to the fixed flow path member 300 in conjunction with the rotation of the operation ring 600.In this regard, at least one of the mist generating member 500 and the cover 700 may be configured not to rotate relative to the head body 100. For example, only the movable flow path member 400 may be configured to rotate relative to the head body 100. Alternatively, only the movable flow path member 400 and the mist generating member 500 may be configured to rotate relative to the head body 100. (9) In the above embodiment, each of the multiple first grooves 543 is positioned directly forward from the multiple mist outlets 412out, and water flows directly from each mist outlet 412out into the first groove 543. In this regard, the first groove may be offset from the mist outlet so that water does not flow directly from the mist outlet into the first groove. (10) The mist generating member may be formed of a soft material, such as silicone rubber. In this case, if the mist forming hole becomes clogged, the user can clean the inside of the mist forming hole by manually deforming the mist generating member. (11) In the above embodiment, the mist nozzle hole 550 has a large diameter portion 550A, a reduced diameter portion 550B, and a small diameter portion 550C. The shape of the mist nozzle hole can be arbitrarily set. For example, instead of the large diameter portion and the reduced diameter portion, the mist nozzle hole may have a dome portion extending from the second inlet and defined by a dome-shaped inner circumferential surface. The corner formed by the inner circumferential surface of the dome portion and the inner circumferential surface of the small diameter portion may or may not be chamfered. (12) In the above embodiment, the mounting portion is the mounting member 570, which is an independent member. In this regard, the mounting portion may be, for example, a protrusion that protrudes from the flow path forming portion of the head main body toward the nozzle member and is press-fitted into the recess. This configuration reduces the number of parts. In this embodiment, expressions such as parallel, center, straight, perpendicular, and straight line not only have their strict meanings, but also include the meanings of substantially parallel, center, straight, perpendicular, and straight line.

[0060] 10: Shower head 100: Head body 200: Cover member 210: Cover body 220: Grip portion 230: Water pipe 300: Fixed flow path member 310: Base portion 320: Mounting shaft 322: Threaded hole 330: Joint portion 340: Base flow path 340out: Base outlet 350: Gasket 400: Movable flow path member 410: Flow path forming portion 411: Through hole 412: Mist flow path 412out: Mist outlet 440: Retaining portion 441: Base portion 442: Retaining protrusion 500: Mist generating member 510: Nozzle member 511: Nozzle plate 512: Mist cylinder 513: Holding portion 514: Opposing surface (one surface) 515: Through hole 520: Mist protrusion 521: Tip surface (other surface) 530: Mist forming hole 531: First inlet 532: Second inlet 533: Outlet 540: Mounting recess (recess) 541: Bottom surface (inner surface) 542: First inner circumferential surface (inner surface, inner circumferential surface) 543: First groove (groove) 544: Second groove (groove) 550: Mist nozzle hole (nozzle hole) 551: Second inner circumferential surface 570: Mounting member (mounting part) 571: Front surface (contact surface) 572: Rear surface 573: Side surface (contact surface) 574: Anti-detachment hole 600: Operation ring 700: Cover 701: Mist insertion hole S: Screw SH: Screw head ST: Threaded portion T: Tangent line W1: Width of first groove W2: Width of second groove WS: Washer

Claims

1. A showerhead comprising: a head body having a flow path through which a fluid can flow; and a mist generating member attached to the head body and turning the fluid supplied from the flow path into a mist, wherein the mist generating member comprises a nozzle member, the nozzle member having one surface facing the flow path and another surface different from the first surface, a mist forming hole having a first inlet on the one surface and an outlet on the other surface, and a groove, the mist forming hole having: a recess that is recessed relative to the one surface and defined by an inner surface extending from an opening edge of the first inlet towards the other surface, a nozzle hole having a second inlet on the inner surface and extending from the second inlet to the outlet, the groove is arranged on the inner surface and communicates with the flow path and the nozzle hole, and an attachment part having an abutment surface that comes into contact with the inner surface is housed inside the recess.

2. The showerhead of claim 1, wherein the inner surface has a bottom surface having the second inlet and an inner circumferential surface extending from the bottom surface to the first inlet, and the grooves have a first groove arranged in the inner circumferential surface and a second groove arranged in the bottom surface and communicating with the first groove and the nozzle hole.

3. The showerhead of claim 2, wherein the width of the second groove is smaller than the width of the first groove.

4. The showerhead according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the second groove extends along a tangent to a curve that constitutes an opening edge of the second inlet.

5. The showerhead according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the first groove extends perpendicular to the bottom surface.

6. The showerhead according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the first grooves and the second grooves each have four or more grooves.

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