JP4079738B2 - Faucet direct water purifier - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a faucet direct-coupled water purifier for purifying raw water by filtering the raw water, and more particularly to a faucet direct-coupled water purifier capable of selecting and switching the water discharge state from at least two types of purified water and raw water.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, contamination of water resources has been pointed out, and the demand for delicious water is increasing, so water purifiers that purify tap water are used in ordinary households. Examples of the water purifier include those that remove the odor, mold odor, trihalomethane, and the like of tap water using an adsorbent such as activated carbon, and those that remove bacteria, turbid components, and the like using a porous hollow fiber membrane.
[0003]
As this type of water purifier, raw water is discharged as purified water (purified water), raw water is discharged straight as it is (raw water straight), or raw water is discharged into a shower (raw water shower) selectively. A device having a display unit that can switch the flow path and displays the water discharge state is disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 1).
[0004]
Below, the water purifier disclosed by patent document 1 is demonstrated with reference to FIGS.
[0005]
The water purifier 100 in the illustrated example is schematically constituted by a faucet connection portion 102 having a switching valve structure inside, and a water purification cartridge 104 having a filtering material such as activated carbon and hollow fiber membrane (not shown) inside, as shown in FIG. As shown, the adapter 126 and the fixing ring 127 are attached to the water tap 125.
[0006]
Inside the faucet connection portion 102, tap water supplied from the tap faucet 125 is divided into three flow paths (not shown): a flow path for raw water straight, a flow path for raw water shower, and a flow path for purified water. A switching mechanism 114 for selectively switching is provided. In the switching mechanism 114, three balls 116 are provided corresponding to each flow path, and each ball 116 has a valve function by opening and closing each flow path of the raw water straight, raw water shower, and purified water. Fulfills (see FIG. 9). Each ball 116 selectively opens any one of the flow paths in accordance with the operation of the switching lever 106, thereby switching the water discharge state (raw water straight, raw water shower, purified water).
[0007]
The lower surface of the water purifier 100 is provided with a plurality of water outlets of a raw water straight port 112, a raw water shower port 111, and a purified water outlet 110 corresponding to the raw water straight, raw water shower, and purified water flow paths (FIG. 8). reference). The raw water flowing in from the water tap 125 passes through the water purifier 100 and is discharged from each water outlet according to the selected flow path. In addition, a display unit 103 for displaying the selected water discharge state is disposed at an easily viewable position on the front side of the faucet connection unit 102. The display unit 103 has a cylindrical display rotor 108 that interlocks with the rotation of the shaft member 113 connected to the switching lever 106, and characters and illustrations indicating the selected water discharge state are written on the side surface of the display rotor 108. ing. Thereby, the user can visually confirm the water discharge state currently selected.
[0008]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-162272
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the conventional water purifier described above, water is discharged from different water outlets according to the water discharge state, and since these water outlets are provided on the lower surface of the water purifier, even if the water discharge state is displayed on the display unit However, unless the user remembers in advance the relationship between the water discharge state and the position of the water discharge port, the user cannot know which water discharge port will discharge water unless he / she actually discharges water.
[0010]
This causes waste of water and is not preferable from the viewpoints of economic efficiency and water resource conservation. In addition, for example, after cleaning food or tableware using raw water, if water is required as cooking water, the spout will change each time, causing confusion in the work, and from the viewpoint of work convenience Is also not preferable. This problem is particularly noticeable when appropriate and quick flow path switching operation is required depending on the situation. In addition, recently, more and more than three flow paths can be selected, and water purifiers equipped with a large number of water outlets corresponding thereto are increasing, so it is more difficult for the user to associate the water discharge state with the water outlet. become.
[0011]
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to easily check the position of the water outlet that differs depending on the water discharge state, thereby suppressing wasteful use of water, resulting in excellent economic efficiency, water resource conservation, and work convenience. The purpose is to provide an improved water purifier.
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
To achieve the above object, faucet type water purifier of the present invention, a faucet connecting means, and switching operation means of the water discharge state, selectively a switchable water discharge state by the operation of switching operation means from among a plurality of types accommodates a plurality of water discharge ports provided at different positions in each water discharge state, a filtration material for water purification filtering the raw water, the water purification cartridge that is attached to faucet connection means, display means indicating the water discharge state of being selected and display means for indicating a direction in which the presence of the spout, the faucet type water purifier provided with a presence display means for indicating points in the direction of the display means and the water discharge port illustrating a water discharge state is selected, switching operation of the water discharge state It is characterized in that both display means are switched at the same time in conjunction with the operation of the means .
[0013]
In the faucet direct-coupled water purifier of the present invention, the water discharge state is switched by the operation of the switching operation means, and water is discharged from a different water discharge port for each water discharge state. Therefore, by having the display member that simultaneously indicates the water discharge state and the direction in which the water discharge port exists on the display member as described above, the user can recognize the water discharge state and the position of the water discharge port without actually discharging water. become able to.
[0014]
To increase the recognition of the display, it is preferable display means indicates a direction in which the presence of the spout is an arrow. Recognizability is further enhanced by using different arrow types for each water discharge state or color-coding according to the water discharge state.
[0015]
The water purifier of the present invention is simply used in a general household or the like having a faucet connection portion provided with faucet connection means connected to a water faucet and a water purification cartridge containing a filtering material for purifying raw water. It is preferably applied to a faucet direct connection type water purifier. In such a water purifier, the display member is provided inside the faucet directly connected water purifier so that it can be seen through a display window formed on the front surface when the faucet directly connected water purifier is connected to the water tap. can do. In this case, the display member is a cylindrical rotor that is rotatably provided in conjunction with the operation of the switching operation means, and the direction in which the display means indicating the selected water discharge state and the water discharge port exist on the side surface of the rotor. By providing the display means for indicating the display, switching of the display by the display member is realized with a simple configuration. In addition, it is preferable that the operation direction of the switching operation means and the rotation direction of the display member be the same direction so that the user can operate the switching operation means without a sense of incongruity.
[0016]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0017]
FIG. 1 is a top view of a water purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of the water purifier 1 shown in FIG.
[0018]
The water purifier 1 of the present embodiment is a faucet-directly connected water purifier, and includes a faucet connection portion 2 attached to the water tap 25 by an adapter 26 and a fixing ring 27, and a water purification cartridge 4 for purifying raw water.
[0019]
A switching dial 6 is provided on the side of the faucet connection portion 2. By operating the switching dial 6, tap water that is raw water flowing into the faucet connection portion 2 from the tap faucet 25 is discharged as purified water. (Purified water), as it is, it can be switched among three types of water discharge (raw water shower) as shower water, or water discharge (raw water straight) as straight water as it is. A raw water straight port 12 that is a spout at the time of raw water straight and a raw water shower port 11 that is a spout at the time of raw water shower are provided on the lower surface of the faucet connection portion 2 so as to open downward. On the other hand, at the time of water purification, tap water is supplied from the tap connection part 2 to the water purification cartridge 4 and is filtered there. A purified water outlet 10 which is a water outlet at the time of water purification is provided on the lower surface of the water purification cartridge 4.
[0020]
Furthermore, the display part 3 which displays a water discharge state is arrange | positioned at the front part of the faucet connection part 2. FIG. Here, the “front surface” means a surface on the side facing the user when the water purifier 1 is installed in a usable state, that is, attached to the water tap 25 in an actually used direction.
[0021]
A filter medium for filtering tap water is accommodated in the water purification cartridge 4. As the filter medium, conventionally used adsorbents such as granular activated carbon, calcium sulfite, and fibrous activated carbon, and filtration membranes such as porous hollow fiber membranes, porous flat membranes, and ceramic filters are appropriately used according to specifications and purposes. Select and fill the appropriate amount. As the filtration membrane, it is preferable to use a porous hollow fiber membrane that can remove bacteria and is excellent in filtration performance.
[0022]
In consideration of moldability and strength, the main material of the water purifier 1 is preferably a plastic material such as ABS, AS, or PP.
[0023]
Below, the detailed structure of the faucet connection part 2 is demonstrated.
[0024]
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the faucet connection portion 2 of the water purifier shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the faucet connection portion 2 of the water purifier shown in FIG.
[0025]
The faucet connection portion 2 includes a connection portion body 5 constituting the exterior body, a switching mechanism portion 14 and a display rotor 8 provided in the connection portion body 5 as main components.
[0026]
As shown in FIG. 3, there are provided three water passages 15 a, 15 b, and 15 c that constitute a part of the flow path for each of three types of water discharge states of purified water, raw water shower, and raw water straight, as shown in FIG. 3. It has been. The flow path at the time of water purification passes through the raw water supply port 19 provided in the side part of the switching mechanism part 14 from the water flow path 15a and leads to the water purification cartridge 4. The flow path at the time of raw water straight passes through the water flow path 15b and leads to the raw water straight port 12. The flow path at the time of raw water shower passes through the water passage 15c and leads to the raw water shower port 11.
[0027]
A shaft member 13 connected to and fixed to the switching dial 6 and having a primary gear 18 attached to one end thereof is rotatably supported by the switching mechanism portion 14. The three balls 16a, 16b, and 16c that constitute the switching valve are disposed corresponding to the water passages 15a, 15b, and 15c, respectively. Cams 17a, 17b, and 17c are fixed to the shaft member 13 at positions facing the three water passages 15a, 15b, and 15c.
[0028]
Accordingly, when the switching dial 6 is rotated by a predetermined angle, the shaft member 13 is rotated by a predetermined angle, and any one of the balls 16a, 16b, 16c is selectively pushed up by the cams 17a, 17b, 17c. As a result, any one of the water passages 15a, 15b, and 15c is opened, and from the purified water discharge port 10 (see FIG. 2), the raw water shower port 11 or the raw water straight port 12 according to the rotation of the switching dial 6. Water discharge is possible.
[0029]
The display rotor 8 is disposed in a region of the switching mechanism portion 14 on the front side of the connection portion body 5. As shown in FIG. 5, the display rotor 8 has a triangular tube shape, and characters “purified water”, “straight”, and “shower” representing the three types of water discharge states in the present embodiment are shown on each side surface. Has been. Further, in each side surface of the display rotor 8, in addition to the characters representing the water discharge state, the direction in which each water discharge port (purified water discharge port 10, raw water shower port 11, raw water straight port 12) corresponding to the water discharge state exists. Are indicated by arrows 23a, 23b, and 23c.
[0030]
A rotor shaft 9 protrudes from both ends of the display rotor 8, and a secondary gear 20 is fixed to one end of the rotor shaft 9.
[0031]
Returning to FIG. 4 again, the internal structure of the faucet connector 2 will be described. The display rotor 8 is rotatably attached to the faucet connection portion 2 by pivotally supporting the rotor shaft 9 with a bearing portion provided in the switching mechanism portion 14. Thereby, the secondary gear 20 fixed to the rotor shaft 9 meshes with the intermediate gear 22 fixed to the intermediate shaft 21 rotatably provided inside the faucet connection portion 2. The intermediate gear 22 meshes with the primary gear 18, and the rotation of the primary gear 18 is transmitted to the secondary gear 20 via the intermediate gear 21.
[0032]
Therefore, when the switching dial 6 is rotated, the display rotor 8 is also rotated in the same direction as the switching dial 6. Thereby, the user can operate the switching dial 6 without a sense of incongruity. If it is not necessary to make the rotation direction of the switching dial 6 coincide with the rotation direction of the display rotor 8, the intermediate gear 22 is eliminated and the primary gear 18 is removed in order to reduce the size and cost by reducing the number of parts. It is good also as a structure which the secondary gear 20 meshes directly.
[0033]
In the present embodiment, the gear ratio is adjusted such that when the switching dial 6 is rotated 40 °, the display rotor 8 is rotated 120 °. If the operation angle of the changeover dial 6 to the next change is large, the operation distance becomes large and difficult to use, and if it is small, a firm operation feeling and a feeling of touching are reduced. Therefore, it is preferable to set it as 30-60 degrees, and it is set as 40 degrees in this embodiment.
[0034]
The side surface of the display rotor 8 is visible through a display window 7 that constitutes a part of the display unit 3, which is an opening formed in the front surface of the connection unit body 5. A transparent plastic cover such as acrylic resin or polycarbonate resin is preferably fitted into the display window 7 in order to prevent each side surface of the display rotor 8 from becoming dirty due to splashing or scattering of water. . Further, it is preferable that the cover can be attached and detached using a press-fit structure at the fitting portion between the cover and the display window 7 or that the cover can be opened and closed using a hinge structure so that the inside of the cover can be cleaned. Further, in order to make the display easier to see, the cover is preferably designed to have a lens shape by appropriately designing the thickness, shape, etc. so that the display rotor 8 display can be enlarged.
[0035]
The content displayed on the display unit 3 is switched as shown in FIGS. 6A to 6C according to the operation of the switching dial 6, that is, the water discharge state. Arrows 24a, 24b, and 24c obtained by further extending the arrows 23a, 23b, and 23c corresponding to the respective water discharge states are provided on the front surface of the connection portion body 5.
[0036]
The switching operation and display of the water purifier 1 of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described mainly with reference to FIGS. 3 and 6.
[0037]
Fig.6 (a) shows the display in case purified water is discharged. In this state, in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 3, the ball 16a is pushed up by the cam 17a, and the water purification passage 15a is opened. The tap water supplied from the water tap 25 and flowing into the switching mechanism 14 is supplied to the raw water supply port 19 through the water passage 15a and flows into the water purification cartridge 4 (see FIG. 2). The tap water that has flowed into the water purification cartridge 4 is filtered and discharged from the water purification outlet 10 (see FIG. 2) on the lower surface.
[0038]
In the display unit 3, the display rotor 8 is in a state where a surface described as “purified water” can be seen from the display window 7. The purified water outlet 10 is located on the lower surface of the purified water cartridge 4, and this position is indicated by an arrow 23 a on the display rotor 8 and an arrow 24 a displayed on the connection body 5.
[0039]
Next, when the switching dial 6 is rotated by 40 °, the cam 17c pushes up the ball 16c to open the water passage 15c, and tap water is discharged from the raw water shower port 11 as a raw water shower. At the same time, the display rotor 8 is also rotated by 120 °, so that the surface described as “shower” is visible from the display window 7 as shown in FIG. The raw water shower port 11 for discharging the raw water shower is located on the lower surface of the connection portion body 5, but the position thereof is indicated by an arrow 23 b on the display rotor 8 and an arrow 24 b displayed on the connection portion body 5. The
[0040]
When the switching dial 6 is further rotated by 40 °, the cam 17b pushes up the ball 16b to open the water passage 15b, and tap water is discharged from the raw water straight port 12 as a raw water straight. At the same time, the display rotor 8 is further rotated by 120 °, and the surface described as “straight” is visible from the display window 7 as shown in FIG. The raw water straight port 12 that discharges the raw water straight is located at a position different from the raw water shower port 11 on the lower surface of the body body 5, but the position is indicated by the arrow 23 c on the display rotor 8 and the connection part body. This is indicated by the displayed arrow 24c.
[0041]
As described above, the water purifier 1 of the present embodiment selectively switches the water discharge state by the switching operation, and the water discharge position is also switched according to the water discharge state, but the water discharge state is displayed in conjunction with the switching operation. Since the arrows 23a, 23b, and 23c indicating the direction of the water discharge port in the selected water discharge state are written on the side surface of the display rotor 8 to be displayed, the user not only discharges the water purifier 1 but also discharges the water. The position of the water mouth can also be easily recognized at a glance. As a result, since the position of the spout can be known without actually spitting water, the user can start water spouting in a state where an object to be cleaned, a container or the like is previously placed below the predetermined spout. Wasteful use can be suppressed. Further, even when the water discharge state is switched, it is not confused from which water outlet the water is discharged, and the convenience of work can be improved.
[0042]
In particular, in the present embodiment, the arrows 23a to 23c and 24a to 24c are indicated by different line types for each ejection state, that is, solid lines, dotted lines, one-dot chain lines, and the like. Thereby, the user can more easily determine the discharge state and the position of the water outlet. Furthermore, when the arrows 23a to 23c and 24a to 24c are described in different colors for each ejection state, for example, red, blue, yellow, etc., it becomes easier to distinguish. When the arrows 23a to 23c and 24a to 24c are color-coded, the colors of the raw water straight and the raw water shower may be the same color, and the two colors may be divided into the raw water and the purified water, instead of color-coded for each discharge state. Further, in the present embodiment, the arrows 24a to 24c are also provided on the body body 5, but the arrows 24a to 24c are not provided, and the position of the water discharge port may be indicated only by the arrows 23a to 23c of the display rotor 8. .
[0043]
The opening area of the display window 7 is preferably ² to 5 cm ² in consideration of recognition of characters and arrows and the space-saving property of the water purifier. In addition, the characters and arrows used for display can be appropriately configured by adding a sign, a pattern, etc., and devising the design by using conventionally used printing or stickers.
[0044]
Moreover, in this embodiment, although the water purifier 1 which selectively discharges the raw water by selectively switching the three types of water discharge states of the purified water, the raw water straight, and the raw water shower, there are two types of water discharge states to be switched. Alternatively, four or more types may be used. Depending on the type of water discharge state, the number and form of the flow paths in the switching mechanism unit 14 are changed. As for the type of the switching mechanism section 14, a ball type switching valve is used in the present embodiment, but a rotor valve or a disk valve can also be used.
[0045]
In the present embodiment, the display rotor 8 has a triangular cylindrical shape corresponding to the type of water discharge state. However, the display rotor 8 may have a cylindrical shape or a polygonal cylindrical shape that is equal to or more than a square shape. In addition, when the types of flow paths are two types and four or more types, a cylindrical display rotor can be used, and a polygonal cylindrical shape having the same or more side surfaces as the number of types of the flow paths. A display rotor can also be used.
[0046]
In the present embodiment, the switching operation of the flow path is configured to be performed by the switching dial 6, but is not limited to the dial type as long as the user can rotate the shaft member 13 by operating from the outside. A switching lever such as a stick or U-shape may be used. When the switching lever is used, the switching lever may be urged upward by a spring member, and the flow path may be switched only by pushing down the switching lever using a ratchet mechanism.
[0047]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the selected water discharge state and the position of the water discharge port are displayed at the same time, so that the user can discharge the water discharge state and the position of the water discharge port without actually discharging water. Can be recognized at a glance. As a result, wasteful use of water can be suppressed and work convenience can be improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a top view of a faucet-directly connected water purifier that is an embodiment of the water purifier of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a front view of the water purifier shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a faucet connection portion of the water purifier shown in FIG.
4 is a cross-sectional view of the faucet connection portion of the water purifier shown in FIG.
FIGS. 5A and 5B are perspective views showing a state in which the display rotor shown in FIG. 4 is attached to the faucet connection portion, and FIGS. 5A and 5B show different side surfaces.
FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining display on a display rotor for each water discharge state.
FIG. 7 is a top view of a conventional faucet directly connected water purifier.
FIG. 8 is a front view of the water purifier shown in FIG.
9 is a cross-sectional view of the faucet connection portion of the water purifier shown in FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Water purifier 2 Faucet connection part 3 Display part 4 Water purification cartridge 5 Connection part body 6 Switching dial 7 Display window 8 Display rotor 9 Rotor shaft 10 Purified water outlet 11 Raw water shower port 12 Raw water straight port 13 Shaft member 14 Switching mechanism 15a, 15b, 15c Water passages 16a, 16b, 16c Balls 17a, 17b, 17c Cam 18 Primary gear 19 Raw water supply port 20 Secondary gear 21 Intermediate shaft 22 Intermediate gears 23a, 23b, 23c, 24a, 24b, 24c Arrow 25 Water tap 26 Adapter 27 fixing ring

Claims (6)

Faucet connection means;
A switching operation means for discharging water;
A plurality of water discharge ports which the available selectively switching the water discharge state by the operation of switching operation means from among a plurality of types, provided at different positions in each water discharge state,
Containing a filter medium for purifying raw water, and a water purification cartridge attached to the faucet connection means;
Display means for indicating the selected water discharge state and display means for indicating the direction in which the water discharge port exists;
In the faucet direct water purifier with
The display means for indicating the selected water discharge state and the display means for indicating the direction in which the water discharge port exists are configured such that both display means are simultaneously switched in conjunction with the operation of the water discharge state switching operation means. , Faucet-direct water purifier. It said display means indicates the presence direction of the spout is an arrow, faucet type water purifier according to claim 1. The display means for indicating the selected water discharge state and the display means for indicating the direction in which the water discharge port exists are displayed on one display member that is interlocked with the operation of the water discharge state switching operation means. Item 3. A faucet directly connected water purifier according to item 1 or 2. Wherein the display member is a cylindrical rotor which is provided rotatably in conjunction with the operation of the prior SL switching operation unit, the display that indicates the direction in which the presence of the display means and the spout showing the water discharge state in which the selected The faucet directly connected water purifier according to claim 3, wherein the means is provided on a side surface of the rotor. The faucet direct-coupled water purifier according to claim 4, wherein an operation direction of the switching operation means and a rotation direction of the display member are the same direction. The said display member is provided in the inside of a faucet direct connection type water purifier so that it can be seen through the display window formed in the front part at the time of connecting a faucet direct connection type water purifier to the said water tap. The faucet direct connection type water purifier according to any one of the above.

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