JP4464658B2 - Switching valve and water purifier - Google Patents

Description

  TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a switching valve that can be selected and switched from a plurality of types, and a water purifier having the same, used in a general home.

  Water pollution has been pointed out in the past, and demand for delicious water is increasing, so water purifiers that purify tap water are used in general households. This type of water purifier is attached to the tip of a faucet and removes the odor, mold odor, trihalomethane, etc. of tap water with an adsorbent such as activated carbon, and bacteria, turbidity with a porous hollow fiber membrane. What removes a component etc. is known.

In such a water purifier, as disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, water flows (water discharge mode) such as “purified water”, “raw water shower”, “raw water straight”, etc. There are some that can be used with selection switching. An example of a water purifier having such a function is shown in FIG.
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the water purifier 50 as viewed from above.
This water purifier 50 includes a switching valve 5 connected to a tap 8 of the water supply, and the switching valve 5 is provided with three valve holes 10 corresponding to each water discharge mode. A ball 9 as a valve body is placed on the upstream side of each valve hole 10, and the valve body 9 such as a ball closes the valve hole 10 by the water pressure of water flowing from the tap 8. Further, each valve body 9 is provided with an operation button 7 extending in the horizontal direction so as to oppose the operation button 7 in a desired direction against the urging force of the spring 31 that urges the operation button 7 in a direction away from the valve body 9. By pressing the operation button 7 in the horizontal direction, the valve body 9 can be pushed to open the valve hole 10 and the water discharge mode can be selected.

Further, when the operation button 7 is pressed, the claw portion 51 of the operation button 7 is locked to the slide plate 54, and the selected water discharge mode can be maintained. On the other hand, when another operation button 7 is selected and pressed, the slide plate 54 slides to disengage the previous operation button 7 from the claw portion 51, and the operation button 7 is biased by the biasing force of the spring 31. , The valve hole 10 is closed by the valve body 9. And the water discharge mode switches because the valve hole 10 corresponding to the operation button 7 pressed later opens.
As described above, the switching valve 5 is devised and used which can switch the raw water taken in from the faucet 8 to the water discharge mode by selecting and pressing the operation button 7.
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-41887 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-73555

However, the conventional switching valve and the water purifier as described above have the following problems.
Since the button 7 is disposed in front of the user on the front side of the switching valve 5 so as to operate in the horizontal direction, the depth length of the button 7, the moving stroke of the button 7, and the length of the release mechanism of the button 7 are determined by the switching valve. Protruding from the center of the connection to the user in the horizontal direction, and this makes it difficult to see directly under the water purifier, and it is easy to hit tableware etc. . In addition, since the faucet 8 is often configured to be movable (rotated) along a substantially horizontal plane, when the button 7 is arranged so as to operate in the horizontal direction, the faucet is applied in the direction in which force is applied with a finger during operation. When 8 is moved easily and is difficult to use, and too much force is applied, since the connection of the switching valve 5 to the faucet 8 uses rotation screw fixing, the screw portion rotates and the faucet There is a risk that water will leak from 8 and water leakage may occur, and there is a problem in stability on the operation surface.

In the case of the prior art, when the button 7 is newly selected and pushed in, the button 7 that has been pushed in is disengaged by the movement of the slide plate 54, and is momentarily caused by the urging force of the spring 31. Return to the original position. At the same time, the valve body 9 such as a ball corresponding to the pushed button 7 is also not restricted by a moving member such as a rod connected to the button 7, and moves to the valve hole 10 by the water flow and moves to the valve hole 10. Was to stop the water and stop the water.
At this time, if the user mistakenly presses the button 7 and stops pressing the button 7 at the moment of disengagement, the button 7 returns to the original state before being pressed, that is, All the buttons 7 were in the state before being pushed in, and all the valve holes 10 were closed, and the entire water stop state was achieved.

  In that case, when the water is flowing, the water stop state is instantaneously increased, so that the internal pressure in the switching valve 5 rises rapidly, which may lead to the destruction of the members and the shortening of the service life. Moreover, since water is not discharged from the switching valve 5 in that state, if the user misunderstands that the main tap of the faucet 8 is closed and left to stand for a long time, the water from the connecting portion with the faucet 8 is caused by water pressure. There was a problem that it might lead to leakage.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and provides a switching valve excellent in safety and a water purifier equipped with the same without causing a complete water stoppage state even when the button pressing operation is insufficient. The purpose is to do.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a switching valve which is button-type and can be configured compactly, can be stably operated, has excellent convenience and operability, and a water purifier equipped with the switching valve. is there.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following configuration.
The switching valve of the present invention is a switching valve that selectively switches a plurality of flow paths by pressing a button corresponding to a water discharge state of each flow path, and when none of the buttons is pressed, A total water stop prevention mechanism for discharging water in at least one of the plurality of flow paths is provided.

  Therefore, in the switching valve of the present invention, even when all the buttons are not pushed in during water flow, water discharge is performed in at least one of the plurality of flow paths. It is possible to improve the safety by preventing problems such as water leakage from the connection portion with the faucet.

As a full water stop prevention mechanism, one button for selecting the water discharge state of a plurality of flow paths is provided corresponding to each flow path, and one of the flow paths corresponds to the flow path. It is closed when a button other than the button is pushed in, is opened when a button other than that corresponding to the channel is not pushed in, and the other channel is pushed with a button corresponding to each channel. It is possible to adopt a configuration that is opened when
As an example of the total water stop prevention mechanism, for example, first and second valve holes in which water is discharged when the first and second flow paths are opened, and the first and second valves, respectively. The first and second valve bodies for opening and closing the holes, and the first and second buttons for selecting the water discharge state of the first and second flow paths, and the first button is pushed in Sometimes, the first valve body moves to open the first valve hole, the second valve body closes the second valve hole, and the first button is pushed in. When the first valve body is not closed, the first valve hole can be closed, and the second valve hole can be closed by the second valve body.

  Therefore, in the present invention, by pushing the first button, the first valve hole can be opened while the second valve hole is closed, and the first flow path can be in a water discharge state. Further, when the second valve hole is closed because the first button is not pushed in, the second valve hole is opened and water is discharged in the second flow path. It is possible to improve safety by preventing the occurrence of problems such as destruction of members due to ascending, shortening of service life, and water leakage from the connection portion with the faucet.

In the present invention, it is also preferable that the first button is released from being pushed when the second button is pushed.
In this case, when the first button is released, the second valve hole is opened and water can be discharged from the second flow path. That is, regardless of whether the second button is pressed, the water discharge state of the first flow path can be selected when the first button is pressed, and when the first button is released, the second flow path is selected. The water discharge state can be selected.

The operation direction of the button is preferably substantially downward.
In this case, the length of the button, moving stroke, etc. do not affect the user's bulge, contributing to compactness, hindering visibility under the faucet, and being easy to touch tableware. Inhibiting sex can also be avoided. In addition, since the force when pushing the button acts downward, the faucet does not rotate (moves), and even when using a rotating screw fixing to connect to the faucet, the screw part does not rotate, Convenience and operability can be improved.

Moreover, the water purifier of this invention is detachably attached to a faucet, and is provided with said switching valve.
Therefore, in the present invention, it is possible to obtain a water purifier excellent in safety, convenience, and operability without causing problems such as destruction of members, shortening of service life, and water leakage from the connection portion with the faucet.

  In the present invention, even if the push operation of the button is insufficient, the water stoppage state does not occur, the safety can be improved without causing the destruction of the member and the shortening of the service life, and the button type can be configured compactly. Therefore, it is possible to realize a switching valve that can be stably operated and is excellent in convenience and operability, and a water purifier equipped with the switching valve.

Hereinafter, embodiments of a switching valve and a water purifier according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8.
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a faucet direct-coupled water purifier 1 which is an embodiment of a water purifier provided with a switching valve of the present invention, and is a faucet connected to a tap faucet 8 by an adapter 3 and a fixing ring 4. A switching valve 5 in which a connection port 2 is formed, a filter medium (not shown) such as activated carbon and a hollow fiber membrane are housed therein, and a water purification cartridge 6 for filtering and purifying water supplied from the tap 8 It is roughly configured. FIG. 2 is a front view of the water purifier 1 of FIG. 1, and the water purifier 1 of this example filters the water discharged from the water purifier 1 by filtering the water from the faucet 8. 1 ”),“ shower (second water discharge state) ”that discharges water in a shower without filtering, and“ straight (first water discharge state) ”that discharges water straight without filtering. A plurality of water discharge states can be selected and switched. Reference numeral 41 denotes a purified water outlet, reference numeral 42 denotes a (raw water) shower outlet, and reference numeral 43 denotes a (raw water) straight outlet. It is. The front upper surface of the switching valve 5 can be pushed downward (in FIG. 1, the back side of the page), and is arranged in a row substantially in a row. Button 7a, a shower button (second button) 7b, and a straight button (first button) 7c.

  In the above configuration, since the buttons 7a to 7c are not arranged to move in the horizontal direction as in the prior art, the depth of the buttons 7a to 7c, the length of the button moving stroke, and the length of the button releasing mechanism are Since it does not occur as a bulge in the horizontal direction and the user side direction from the switching valve connection center, it is difficult to see directly under the water purifier, it is not easy to hit tableware etc., and the operating force is only applied downward, The faucet 8 does not move easily from side to side, and the threaded portion does not loosen from the faucet 8 and can be stably operated.

Next, when the water purification button 7a is selected or when the straight button 7c is selected, the button is pressed downward to open the selected water channel and fix the button in place. The mechanism will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view seen from the upper surface of the switching valve 5 when the water purification button 7a is selected. FIG. 4 shows the mechanism of the water purification unit in the switching valve 5 when the water purification button 7a is selected and operated. It is the longitudinal cross-sectional view which looked at the movement of from the right side. The illustration of the mechanism related to the straight button 7c and the movement thereof is the same as that of the water purifying button 7a, and therefore will be omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 3 (a), the water purifying button 7a and the straight button 7c are respectively connected to the purifying valve body moving member 11 and the straight valve so as to be interlocked with the movement of the buttons. The body moving members 13 are connected, and they are arranged in parallel in the lateral direction (horizontal direction). A cylindrical valve mechanism 18 is provided inside the switching valve 5. The valve mechanism 18 has a water purification valve hole (first valve hole) 14 and a straight valve hole (first valve hole) on the left and right. A partition plate 19 is provided in which a first valve hole) 16 is arranged, and a valve body built-in cylinder portion 17 having both ends opened in the center is arranged vertically (vertical direction). When the purified water valve hole 14 is opened, tap water is guided to the purified water cartridge 6 and discharged from the purified water outlet 41. When the straight valve hole 16 is opened, the tap water is It is guided to the straight outlet 43 and discharged in a straight shape as raw water.

  Spherical valve bodies (first valve bodies) 20a and 20c that open and close the valve holes 14 and 16 by moving are disposed on the two left and right valve holes 14 and 16, respectively. The cylindrical shafts 22a and 22c (see FIG. 3B) included in the valve body moving members 11 and 13 are inserted into the side surfaces of the valve mechanism 18 so as to be slidable in the horizontal direction. . The shafts 22a and 22c are opposed to each other above the valve holes 14 and 16 at substantially the same height as the centers of the valve bodies 20a and 20c.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 (a) to 4 (c), a U-shaped arm 23 that opens obliquely downward is provided at the bottom of each button 7a. It is integrally supported by a support shaft 29 extending in the direction so as to be rotatable. In the arm 23, a rod-like protrusion 24 a protruding from the valve body moving member 11 is connected (fitted) movably along the groove portion of the arm 23. On the lower side of the valve body moving member 11, a locking plate 27, which is biased upward by a spring 25 and provided with a hook 26a for locking on the upper side, is on one end side (the left end side in FIG. 4). Is provided in a rotatable state with a support shaft (not shown) extending in a horizontal direction (a direction perpendicular to the paper surface) provided at the center of rotation. Further, the valve body moving member 11 is urged in a horizontal direction (downward in FIG. 3 and leftward in FIG. 4) that is separated from the valve hole 14 by the spring 28a.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b), the locking plate 27 is provided with hooks 26a and 26b spaced apart from each other on the left and right. The rod-shaped protrusion 24a of the valve body moving member 11 corresponding to the button 7a can be engaged with the hook 26a located on the left side, and the valve body moving member 13 corresponding to the button 7c is engaged with the hook 26b located on the right side. The rod-shaped protrusion 24c can be engaged. The rod-like protrusions 24b and 24b provided on the left and right sides of the moving member 52 corresponding to the button 7b can be engaged with both the hooks 26a and 26b. This moving member 52 is urged by a spring 28d shown in FIG. 3A in a direction away from the valve element built-in cylinder 18 (downward in FIG. 3A).

  In FIG. 4 (b), when the water purification button 7a is pushed diagonally downward, for example about 6 to 7 mm, with the support shaft 29 at the back as a rotation fulcrum, approximately the horizontal direction of the arm 23 (approximately right in FIG. 4). The rod-shaped protrusion 24a also moves sideways with the movement in the direction), that is, the valve body moving member 11 also slides about 6 to 7 mm in the horizontal direction (rightward in FIG. 4) against the urging force of the spring 28a. The valve body 20a is pushed and moved (moved) by a shaft 22a (described later), the valve hole 14 is opened, and a water purification channel is opened. Further, as the rod-shaped protrusion 24a slides in the horizontal direction (right direction in FIG. 4) and tries to get over the inclined surface of the hook 26a, the locking plate 27 rotates the support shaft at one end (left end in FIG. 4). As the shaft tilts downward and the hook 26a is lowered to the width of the rod-shaped protrusion 24a (the state shown in FIG. 4B), the rod-shaped protrusion 24a gets over the hook 26a. Then, the locking plate 27 returns to the original position by the urging force of the spring 25. The valve body moving member 11 also tries to return to the original position (left direction) by the urging force of the spring 28a, but the rod-like protrusion 24a is caught on the vertical surface of the hook 26a and fixed, that is, the button 7a is also fixed as shown in FIG. The state shown in c) is fixed.

  Similarly, when the straight button 7c is pushed downward, the valve body moving member 13 pushes and moves the valve body 20c by a shaft 22c (described later) to open the valve hole 16 and open the channel for the raw water straight.

Next, the selected water purifying button 7a or the straight button 7c is returned to the original position from the depressed position by pushing the other button downward, and the purified water corresponding to each button. A mechanism for closing the water channel for use or for the raw water straight will be described in detail below with reference to FIG.
In addition, in FIG. 4, although demonstrated using the example of the button 7a for water purification, the same operation | movement is performed also in the case of the button 7c for straight.

  In the state shown in FIG. 4 (c), when a button (7b or 7c) other than the one shown in the figure is pushed downward, the rod-like protrusion 24b or 24c (see FIG. 3) connected to the button is moved horizontally (in FIG. ) To get over the inclined surface of the hook 26a or 26b. At that time, the locking plate 27 is inclined downward with the one end (left end in FIG. 4) as an axis, and is lowered to the width of the rod-shaped protrusion 24a. Then, the valve body moving member 11 moves in the horizontal direction (leftward in FIG. 4) while being pushed by the urging force of the spring 28a, and passes through the state of FIG. 4 (b) to the state of FIG. 4 (a). That is, the button 7a also returns to the position before the pressing operation. Here, since the valve body 20a is not subject to the position restriction of the valve body moving member 11, it is returned to the valve hole 14 by the water flow and the water channel for water purification is closed.

  Subsequently, the selection of the shower button 7b is canceled by selecting the water purification button 7a or the straight button 7c from the state in which the shower button 7b has been selected and pushed in advance and then pressing the button 7b downward. A mechanism for closing the shower valve hole and closing the water channel will be described below in detail with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 3 (a), with respect to the central shower button 7b, the moving valve for the shower has a different structure from that used for the left water purification button 7a and the right straight button 7c. A member 12 is provided. The shower valve body moving member 12 is not connected to the shower button 7b, and the shower valve hole 15 is linked to the movement of the water purifying or straight valve body moving members 11 and 13. It is arranged in a structure having a flat contact portion 30 pressed against a part of the water purifying or straight valve body moving members 11 and 13 so that the opening and closing operation is performed.

  As shown in FIG. 3B, the contact portion 30 is formed with through holes 30a and 30b through which the shafts 22a and 22c of the valve body moving members 11 and 13 are movably penetrated. In addition, a shaft 22b that extends in the horizontal direction and is movably fitted to the valve body built-in cylinder portion 17 projects from the center portion of the contact portion 30. As shown in FIG. 5, a spring 28 b is wound around the shaft 22 b to urge the contact portion 30 in the horizontal direction (downward in FIG. 3, leftward in FIG. 5) away from the valve element built-in cylinder portion 17. ing.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the valve body built-in cylindrical portion 17 has a shower valve hole (second valve hole) 15 formed at the top, and moves to the lower side (downstream side) of the valve valve by moving it. A spherical valve body (second valve body) 20b that opens and closes the hole 15 and a pedestal 21 having a cross-sectional shape in plan view that holds the valve body 20b are disposed. When the shower valve hole 15 is opened, the tap water is guided to the shower outlet 42 and discharged as a shower in the form of raw water.

  In FIG. 5A, when the water purification button 7a or the straight button 7c indicated by the dotted line is selected and pushed downward, the shower button 7b (not shown) is released (not pushed in). In addition, the shower valve body moving member 12 moves forward while the abutting portion 30 is pressed against the water purifying or straight valve body moving member (not shown), against the urging force of the spring 28b ( The shaft 22b provided on the shower valve body moving member 12 slides in the same manner.

Here, an inclined surface 53 is formed at the tip of the shaft 22b so as to gradually move upward as it goes toward the operator side (left side in FIG. 5), and the bottom of the base 21 is also inclined in parallel with the inclined surface 53. Has been. Therefore, as the button 7a or 7c is pushed, the shaft 22b slides forward (rightward in FIG. 5), and as shown in FIG. 5 (b), the shaft 22b enters under the pedestal 21 on which the valve body 20b is loaded and tilts. The base 21 and the valve body 20 b are lifted along the surface 53. When the shaft 22b is slid forward, the shaft 22b pushes the pedestal 21 and the valve body 20b upward by at least the thickness thereof, and the valve body 20b is moved to the shower valve hole 15 as shown in FIG. The shower valve hole 15 is closed by pressing from below (from the downstream side), and the water channel for the raw water shower is closed and water is stopped.
That is, by pushing in the button 7a or 7c, the valve holes 14 or 16 corresponding to these buttons 7a and 7c are opened.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the water stop mechanism that moves the valve body 20b upward by the valve body moving member 12 and closes the valve hole 15 against the water pressure from the downstream side of the valve hole 15 as described above. As one of the examples, it was used for a shower part that is frequently used. Therefore, as in the prior art, the ball is moved by a moving member such as a rod to open the valve hole 15 to discharge water, and the higher the water pressure, the higher the operating force of the button and the lighter pressing force is required. In the button type that is said to be excellent, it demonstrates an excellent effect of preventing a decrease in convenience. Moreover, the outstanding effect that the influence on the member in the switching valve 5 does not become severe by the sudden internal pressure rise at the time of water stop is also exhibited. Furthermore, in an environment where the water pressure is extremely high such as in a high-rise apartment that has been increasing in recent years, it is possible to further suppress the influence of members at the time of water stop and the increase in button operation force.

  Next, a mechanism for opening the water channel of the shower by pressing the button downward when the center shower button 7b is selected will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. The mechanism for fixing the shower button 7b at a fixed position is the same as the mechanism for fixing the other buttons described above, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  In FIG. 3, when the shower button 7b is pushed diagonally downward by about 6 to 7 mm, the moving member 52 having the rod-shaped protrusion 24b slides by about 6 to 7 mm in the horizontal direction, and the sliding rod-shaped protrusion 24b has hooks 26a and 26b. The locking plate 27 tilts downward with one end as an axis, and the engagement of the rod-shaped protrusion 24a or 24c with the hooks 26a and 26b is released according to the movement of the locking plate 27. Therefore, when the valve body moving member 11 or 13 is slid by the urging force of the spring 28a or 28c, the water purifying button 7a or the straight button 7c is released from the pushed-in state via the arm 23, and is returned to the original state. Returning, the valve body 20a or 20c returns to the valve hole 14 or 16, and each water discharge state waterway is closed.

  At this time, the shower valve body moving member 12 is not subjected to the position restriction by the contact portion 30 of the water purifying and straight valve body moving members 11 and 13, and is thus moved to the operator side by the biasing force of the spring 28 b. Since the shaft 22b that has moved and pressed the valve body 20b moves and moves away from the bottom of the valve body 20b, the valve body 20b descends to open the shower valve hole 15, and the water channel for the raw water shower is opened. (The state shown in FIG. 5A).

  Next, when none of the buttons are pushed in, not all the valve holes are closed, and a full water stop prevention mechanism that always opens one valve hole and discharges water will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 below. Explained.

In FIG. 6, when the water purification button 7 a and the straight button 7 c are not pushed in, the valve body moving members 11 and 13 interlocking with the two are held in a state before sliding about 6 to 7 mm in the horizontal direction. Therefore, the valve bodies 20a and 20c corresponding to the two remain on the corresponding valve holes 14 and 16 and close the water channels.
On the other hand, whether or not the shower button 7b is pushed in, the shower valve body moving member 12 is moved away from the water purifying valve body moving member 11 and the straight valve body moving member 13. Since the position is not restricted by the contact portion 30, the shaft 22b that has been pressed upward by the urging force of the spring 28b is moved and held, and the shaft 22b that has pressed the valve body 20b upward is displaced from below the valve body 20b. Therefore, the valve body 20b is lowered, the shower valve hole 15 is opened, and the water channel is opened (the state shown in FIG. 5A).

  That is, when none of the water purifying button 7a, the shower button 7b, or the straight button 7c is pushed in, the valve holes are not closed but the shower valve hole 15 is always opened and the shower is opened. Water will be discharged. Therefore, even if the user accidentally pushes the button and stops pushing the button at the moment when the engagement is disengaged, all the valve holes 14 are released even if all the buttons are in the state before being pushed. It is said that there is no possibility that the internal pressure in the switching valve 5 suddenly rises, leading to destruction of members and shortening of the service life. Exhibits excellent effects. Further, since water is discharged from the switching valve 5 in that state, the user misunderstands that the main plug of the faucet 8 is closed and left for a long time, and water leaks from the connection with the faucet 8 due to water pressure. The excellent effect that there is no possibility of being connected to is also demonstrated.

  Next, a multiple press prevention mechanism that prevents simultaneous pressing of at least two buttons will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 7, a partition plate 19 is provided in the valve mechanism portion 18 having a cylindrical shape, and the valve body movement restraining member 32 can be shifted to the left and right on the center rear plate so as to be operable. Are arranged as follows. More specifically, a groove 55 having a substantially arc shape (C shape) in plan view is formed inside the valve mechanism portion 18, and the valve bodies 20 a and 20 c are disposed on one end side and the other end side of the groove 55, respectively. The valve body movement restraining member 32 is movably disposed along the groove 55 between the valve bodies 20a and 20c. And the valve body movement suppression member 32 has the circular arc shape (C shape) curved according to the inner side shape of the valve mechanism part 18, and has the valve body contact part 33 in the right-and-left end part.

  Here, the length of the valve body movement suppressing member 32 in the bending direction (circumferential direction) is, for example, as shown in FIG. 3A, the valve body (here, 14) moved from one valve hole (here, 14). The distance between the end of 20a) and the end of the other non-moving valve body (here 20c) is substantially matched. Therefore, the pushing operation of the water purification button 7a causes the valve body movement suppression member 32 to advance to the movement region of the other valve body (here 20c) via one valve body (here 20a). Even if the straight button 7c is pushed in the state, the movement of the other valve body 20c is suppressed by the valve body movement suppressing member 32. Further, when the water purification button 7a and the straight button 7c are to be pushed in at the same time, the valve body moving members 11 and 13 slide in the horizontal direction and the respective valves placed on the valve holes 14 and 16 Although the body 20a, 20c is pushed and moved, the two valve bodies are brought into contact with the valve body contact portions 33 at the left and right end portions of the valve body movement restraining member 32 which have advanced into the movement region of the both valve bodies 20a, 20c. 20 cannot move, that is, the water purification button 7a and the straight button 7c cannot be pushed in simultaneously.

  With the above configuration, even if the plurality of buttons 7a to 7c are pushed simultaneously due to misuse or mischief of a child, all the buttons 7a to 7c are pushed and do not enter a multi-push state, and water is discharged from a plurality of locations of the switching valve 5. It has an excellent effect that it never happens. In addition, there is an excellent effect that any one of the buttons is not pushed in and always remains, and the situation where the use of the switching valve 5 becomes impossible does not occur. In addition, it is preferable that these effects can be achieved at a low cost and at a low cost by adding one valve element movement restraining member 32 as in this embodiment. Moreover, since the movement suppression member 32 moves in the circumferential direction, it can contribute to space saving as compared with linear movement or the like.

  Further, when the button fixing / restoring mechanism used in the present invention is provided between the faucet connection port 2 into which water flows in and between the buttons in the horizontal direction, the length of the mechanism is projected to the user side. Therefore, it becomes difficult to see the part directly under the water purifier 1 due to the obstruction, and it becomes easy to hit tableware and the like, which is not preferable for practical use. As shown in the present embodiment, the arm 23, the rod-shaped protrusion It is preferable to provide a mechanism below the buttons 7a to 7c by combining 24a to 24c, the locking plate 27, the hooks 26a and 26b, the springs 28a to 28d, and the like to solve these problems.

The size of the button according to the present invention is preferably set to about 1 to 3 cm ² because the switching valve body becomes large if it is too large, and it is difficult to press it with a fingertip if it is too small. Also, in the case of three-stage switching, if the distance between the left and right buttons is too small, the fingertip touches the button and is difficult to press, and if too large, the switching valve body becomes large. It is preferable to set it to about 3 cm.

  If the operation distance of the button used in the present invention is too large, quick switching cannot be performed, the main body becomes large, and if it is too small, a clear switching feeling cannot be obtained, and the amount of movement of the valve body is insufficient. It is preferable to set to about 9 mm. Further, the maximum load of the button pressing operation force is difficult to press if it is too large, and if it is too small, a clear switching feeling cannot be obtained. Therefore, it is preferable to set it to 2.9 to 6.9 N at a normal pressing position.

  The arrangement of the buttons used in the present invention is preferably for water purification, (raw water) shower, and (raw water) straight in order from the left when the number of switching stages is three. The reason for this is that in water work in the kitchen, the most frequently used are (raw water) shower and purified water, so these buttons are easy to see and can be operated quickly. In addition, in general, the majority of users are right-handed people, operate the buttons and faucets with the right hand, and often draw water with a cup etc. with the left hand. It is optimal to provide a water purification outlet on the left side of the lower surface of the main body. In this case, it is easier for the user to set the water purification button at the left position closest to the water purification outlet.

  The button used in the present invention is preferably replaced with a different one depending on the preference of color and size, and can be replaced and repaired when it becomes dirty or damaged. In other words, it is preferable that the button is composed of two parts of a main body having a housing and an arm 23, and the housing is easily detachable from the main body. As a method for fixing the casing, it is preferable to use press-fitting with an uneven claw or a screw such as a tapping screw. In addition, if the attachment / detachment of the housing is made easier and it is important to obtain the anti-slip effect when pressed together with a finger, at least a part of the surface portion and the mating portion of the housing may be replaced with NBR, EPDM, It may be made of soft materials such as silicone rubber, fluoro rubber, polystyrene or polyolefin thermoplastic elastomer, and the case may be press-fitted into the body using the elastic force of the soft material. preferable.

  In the present embodiment, a transparent portion formed of a transparent material such as a transparent ABS resin or an acrylic resin is provided on the surface or in the vicinity of the buttons 7a to 7c so that at least a portion of the penetrating portion is visible. It is preferable that a sign indicating the selected place (pressed state) is displayed in the portion. The sign display mechanism will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

  In FIG. 1, among the three buttons 7a to 7C, the left water purification button 7a is selected, and the transparent portion (translucent portion) 44 having a window shape provided on the button surface is in a selected state. Correspondingly, a sign portion 45 of a square-shaped sign is displayed. FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the movement of the mechanism in the vicinity of the button of the switching valve 5 as seen from the right side. As shown in FIG. 8A, the sign portion 45 has the buttons 7a to 7c in a non-pressed state. When it is located outside the visual field range through the transparent portion 44 and the valve body moving members 11, 13, 52 are slid and fixed to the horizontal right direction by about 6 to 7 mm with the buttons 7a to 7c being pushed. , And located within the field of view through the transparent portion 44. That is, the sign portion 45 is configured such that different displays are performed in the visual field range of the transparent portion 44 depending on whether the buttons 7a to 7c are pressed or not, and the sign 45 portion that displays the pressed state from above the buttons. It is possible to see.

  In the present embodiment, the sign part 45 is tilted together with the push-in operation, and the sign part 45 is also tilted in a direction that is easy for the user to see according to the tilt, thereby making the sign part 45 remarkably easy to see. Achieved. More specifically, a mechanism is provided so that the tip is tilted about 10 to 40 ° from the horizontal plane while the button is pressed, and the axis behind is tilted downward as a support shaft, and the sign is directly below the button penetration after tilting. A mechanism is provided so that the portion 45 is slid and fixed. Further, the sign portion 45 is also tilted 10 to 40 degrees from the horizontal plane toward the rear side (operator side) of the button pressing direction.

The color of the sign portion 45 should be a vivid color such as red or orange so as to stand out as much as possible, and it is preferable to change the color so that it is different from the button color in a color-sensitive manner. Since it becomes difficult, 9 mm ² or more is preferable. In the present embodiment, the sign portion 45 is a square-filled sign. However, the sign portion 45 is appropriately configured by devising a design such as a character, a picture, a symbol, a character, etc. without painting other shapes such as a circle. It is preferable.

Further, it is preferable that the sign portion 45 is formed by applying a fluorescent material containing tritium or the like to at least a part so that it can be recognized visually even when there is little illumination. It is preferable that a light reflecting material such as the above is attached to at least a part.
Further, in order to change the brightness and make it easier to recognize, it is more preferable to use a part of the light emitter, and if low cost is important, it is preferable to use a single color LED. It is more preferable to use LEDs that are lit in multiple colors at the same time, if the recognition is further improved, the design is improved, and the quality is improved.

  If the spring 28 used in the present embodiment is too large in stiffness and spring constant, the push-in force of the button becomes large and the button operation becomes heavy, and if it is too small, the restoring operation of the button becomes dull and completely restored. Since it becomes impossible to complete, it is preferable to use the one of about 0.49 to 2.45 N / mm. As the length, if it is too long, the switching valve main body 5 becomes large, so 20 mm or less is preferable. As the material, stainless steel 304, which is resistant to rusting and highly durable, is preferable because it is likely to be splashed with water from the usage environment and frequently receives a compressive load.

  The valve body moving members 11 to 13 used in the present embodiment have a long shaft 22 that is columnar on the valve mechanism 18 side, and slides horizontally to push the valve bodies 20a to 20c such as balls. When moving, it is preferable to have a high strength so as not to be worn, to have a rust prevention property, and to bend, and as a material, if it is a metal, it is an austenitic stainless steel, more preferably a stainless steel 304 steel. A material such as 18Cr-8Ni-based is preferable. If plastic, engineering plastic polyacetal is preferable. Further, it is preferable to provide at least 0.2 mm or more of C chamfering or R chamfering at the tip of the shafts 22a to 22c so as not to damage the valve bodies 20a to 20c, and the shaft 22b of the valve body moving member 12 for shower. In order to make it easy to lift an object, it is preferable to have a tapered shape having an inclination of at least 60 ° or less on the upper side. When the valve body moving members 11 to 13 are molded by molding the main material as the engineering plastic, and the shafts 22a to 22c made of the metal material are insert-molded at the time of molding, as a single component member, the cost is low. Excellent moldability and high strength are obtained, which is preferable.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, when the shafts 22 a and 22 c of the valve body moving members 11 and 13 press the valve bodies 20 a and 20 c inside the valve mechanism portion 18 used in the present embodiment, It is preferable to provide a shaft bending prevention guide 34 that contacts and supports the valve bodies 20a and 20c in which the shafts 22a and 22c are accommodated by water pressure so as not to bend and bend. The shape is preferably a hemispherical projection with a height of 0.5 mm or more that is easy to mold and has little frictional resistance, and the position and number are at least one place as close to the valve bodies 20a and 20c as possible along the axis. It is preferable to provide the above.

  Further, when plastic is used as the material of the shafts 22a to 22c with emphasis on the merit of easy molding and low cost, since the plastic is insufficient in rigidity, the bending prevention guide 34 of the present invention has the bending prevention effect. It is absolutely necessary. In addition, when the valve bodies 20a and 20c are moved in the lateral direction by the shafts 22a and 22c, the shafts 22a and 22c only need to protrude near the center of the valve bodies 20a and 20c. If the thrust position is slightly deviated, the shafts 22a and 22c are more likely to warp and may hinder sufficient movement of the valve body. Even in this case, the shafts 22a and 22c are less likely to warp. It is preferable to provide the bending prevention guide 34 described above.

  A packing 35 that is incorporated in the side surface of the valve mechanism unit 18 used in the present embodiment shown in FIG. 6 and seals the shafts 22a to 22c of the valve body moving members 11 to 13 that slide in the horizontal direction is small. In addition, it is important to reduce the operating force of the buttons 7a to 7c by using one having a low sliding resistance, and it is preferable to use a V packing, U packing or Y packing having an outer diameter of 10 mm or less. Is preferably nitrile rubber or fluororubber having excellent wear resistance.

  In addition, the valve bodies 20a to 20c used in the present embodiment shown in FIG. 6 and the like are small in size, are difficult to wear and have good sealing properties, and are preferably spheres. If the switching valve itself is enlarged and is too small, the corresponding valve holes 14 to 16 are also reduced and the flow rate is reduced. Therefore, the diameter is preferably 4 to 9 mm. The material is preferably stainless steel 304 or engineering plastic polyacetal for the same reason as described above.

  About the base 21 for showers used for this invention shown by FIG. 5, if the valve body 20b is a ball | bowl, it will be loaded and it will be able to rotate freely, and it has sufficient water flow path. As in this embodiment, it is preferable that the plates are arranged in a radial shape such as a cross, and the loading surface is hemispherical. On the other hand, if the valve body 20b is an O-ring loaded cylindrical plug or a mushroom type packing plug, For cost reduction, it is preferable to form integrally with these stoppers. As a material, a material that is lightweight, does not wear, and has high strength is preferable, and engineering plastic polyacetal is preferable. If the low cost is more important than the wear durability of the valve body 20b, the pedestal 21 is preferably deleted, and the valve body 20b itself is directly pushed up by the shaft 22b.

  As shown in FIG. 7 and the like, the thicknesses of the valve body movement suppressing member 32 and the locking plate 27 used in this embodiment are preferably 2 mm or more because they are deformed when receiving an operating force if they are too thin. For the same reason as above, the material is preferably stainless steel 304 or engineering plastic polyacetal.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the buttons 7 a to 7 c and the sign portion 45 are located in a place where the user can most visually recognize and recognize, that is, when the switching valve 5 is connected to the faucet 8. Most preferably, the upper wall is provided at a position on the user side. Further, in this embodiment, the switching valve 5 is switched in three stages, but is not particularly limited to this, and in accordance with the gist of the present invention, if a similar member or mechanism is used, two-stage switching or 4 Even more than stage switching can be appropriately configured. In addition, although the selector valve 5 is provided in the water purifier 1 (directly connected to the faucet), of course, the same effect can be obtained for water-related devices such as a stationary water purifier, an alkali ion water conditioner, and a mineral water generator. It can be provided.

  The main materials of the switching valve 5 of the present invention and the water purifier 1 having the same are ABS resin, AS resin, polypropylene resin, polyethylene resin, polycarbonate resin, methacrylic resin, polystyrene in consideration of moldability and strength. Resins, MS resins, nylon resins, and plastics such as poly-4-methylpentene-1 are preferred. Moreover, as a filtering material stored in the inside of the water purification cartridge 6, conventionally used adsorbents such as granular activated carbon, calcium sulfite and fibrous activated carbon, filtration of porous hollow fiber membranes, porous flat membranes, ceramic filters, etc. The membrane may be appropriately selected according to the specification, purpose, etc. and filled in an 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.

  According to the water purifier 1 provided with the switching valve 5 according to the present invention, it has a small button switching mechanism, the faucet 8 is not moved or tightened, the button operating force is suppressed, Measures to prevent water and multiple pushes have been made, and these are connected to the tip of the faucet 8 in particular, and there is a strong demand for compactness, and the use of children and elderly people can be considered. This is particularly effective in a faucet directly connected water purifier that requires appropriate, quick and safe switching of the water discharge state when washing the inside of a bottle or the whole vegetable.

It is a top view which shows the faucet direct connection type water purifier which is one Example of the switching valve of this invention, and a water purifier provided with the same. It is a front view of the water purifier of FIG. (A) is the cross-sectional view seen from the upper surface of the switching valve with which the water purifier of FIG. 1 is equipped, (b) is a top view which shows the structure of a valve body moving member. (A)-(c) is the longitudinal cross-sectional view which looked at the movement of the mechanism of the water purification part of the switching valve with which the water purifier of FIG. 1 is provided from the right side surface. (A)-(c) is the longitudinal cross-sectional view which looked at the motion of the mechanism of the shower part of the switching valve with which the water purifier of FIG. 1 is provided from the right side surface. It is the cross-sectional view seen from the upper surface when the shower-water channel of the switching valve with which the water purifier of FIG. 1 is equipped is opened. It is the cross-sectional view seen from the upper surface at the time of pushing and operating the button for water purification and the button for straight of the switching valve with which the water purifier of FIG. 1 is equipped. (A), (b) is the longitudinal cross-sectional view which looked at the motion of the mechanism of the button vicinity of the switching valve with which the water purifier of FIG. It is the cross-sectional view seen from the upper surface of the faucet direct connection type water purifier which is one Example of the conventional water purifier.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Water purifier, 5 ... Switching valve, 6 ... Water purification cartridge, 7a ... Water purification button (1st button), 7b ... Shower button (2nd button), 7c ... Straight button (1st button) Button), 14 ... Water purification valve hole (first valve hole), 15 ... Shower valve hole (second valve hole), 16 ... Straight valve hole (first valve hole), 20a, 20c ... valve body (first valve body), 20b ... valve body (second valve body), 44 ... transparent part (translucent part), 45 ... sign part

Claims (4)

A switching valve for selectively switching a plurality of flow paths by pressing a button corresponding to the water discharge state of each flow path,
One button is provided corresponding to each water discharge state, one valve hole corresponding to each water discharge state, and one valve element for opening and closing the valve hole are arranged , and any of the buttons A switching valve, comprising: a full water stop prevention mechanism that discharges water in at least one of the plurality of flow paths when water is not pushed in. One prior Symbol passage is closed when the button other than corresponding to the flow path is pushed, is released when the button other than corresponding to the flow path is not pushed, the other flow of The switching valve according to claim 1, wherein the passage has a full water stop prevention mechanism that is opened when a button corresponding to each flow path is pushed. 2. The switching valve according to claim 1, wherein the button releases a push state of another button by an operation of pushing one button. A water purifier, which is detachably attached to a faucet and includes the switching valve according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

more than

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