JP7353961B2 - faucet cover - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a faucet cover that is attached to the base of a faucet.

Faucets attached to sinks in kitchens and bathrooms tend to accumulate water at their bases, causing limescale to form, which is not only unhygienic, but also visually unpleasant.
The formation of limescale can be prevented by wiping off the water that has accumulated at the base of the faucet, but it is troublesome to wipe it off every time the faucet is used.

Therefore, covers that are attached to the base of a faucet, such as those disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, are known as a means for easily suppressing the formation of limescale at the base of a faucet.
The faucet covers of Patent Documents 1 and 2 are band-shaped bodies made of materials that easily absorb moisture, such as nonwoven fabric or sponge, and are used by being wrapped around the base of the faucet.
Water that drips from the faucet's outlet along the body and down to the base is absorbed by the faucet cover.
Therefore, water is prevented from accumulating at the base of the faucet, and the formation of limescale is prevented to a certain extent.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-209665 JP2012-158908A

However, since the faucet covers of Patent Documents 1 and 2 absorb moisture, they are often in a damp state, and can themselves become a source of limescale.
Furthermore, since a wet faucet cover containing water is always wrapped around the base of the faucet, the base itself remains damp to a certain extent, making it impossible to sufficiently prevent the formation of limescale. Furthermore, if the damp condition continues, there are concerns that bacteria will breed and mold will grow, which may make it unhygienic.

Here, it is possible to use a quick-drying material as the material for the faucet cover, but once it absorbs water, it will remain in a damp state that can cause limescale etc. No fundamental solution will be reached.
There is also a concern that water may seep into the base of the faucet through the seams of the wrapped band-shaped faucet cover.
In order to sufficiently prevent the occurrence of limescale and the like at the base of the faucet, it is necessary to remove water from the base of the faucet.

Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a faucet cover that allows water to be removed from the base of the faucet, thereby preventing the formation of limescale and the like.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the faucet cover according to the invention has a bottom wall provided with a mounting hole in the center through which the faucet can be inserted when it is attached to the base of the faucet, and The sink has an outer peripheral wall that stands up, and an inner peripheral wall that rises from the hole edge of the mounting hole that is the inner peripheral edge of the bottom wall, and the outer peripheral wall has a part cut out in the circumferential direction. The structure was designed to have a facing discharge port.
The structure is such that water is received in the space surrounded by the bottom wall and the inner and outer peripheral walls, and the water can be discharged from the outlet toward the sink.

By configuring the faucet cover in this way, water that flows from the outlet of the faucet down the body and drips down to the base will be caught by the faucet cover, blocked by the inner and outer peripheral walls, and prevented from leaking to the outside. There isn't. Once a certain amount has been stored, it is discharged into the sink through the outlet, so the base of the faucet does not get wet. Therefore, the base of the faucet can be kept dry, and limescale and the like can be prevented from forming.
Compared to the conventional case where a band-shaped cover is wrapped around the cover, since there are no seams, water is prevented from penetrating into the base of the faucet through the seams.

In the faucet cover according to the invention, the faucet cover is made of an elastically deformable material, and when installed, the faucet is inserted through the faucet with the mounting hole widened and expanded in diameter, and the diameter of the mounting hole is reduced by the restoration elasticity. It is preferable to adopt a configuration in which the inner peripheral wall can be brought into close contact with the outer periphery of the faucet.

With this configuration, it can be easily attached to the base of a faucet by pulling the attachment hole with your fingers to widen it, passing it from the outlet of the faucet to the base, and releasing the force of spreading it with your fingers at the base. can.
When installed, the inner peripheral wall of the faucet cover can be brought into close contact with the outer periphery of the faucet, which prevents water from entering through the gap between the inner peripheral wall and the outer periphery of the faucet and wetting the base of the faucet. be done.

In the faucet cover according to the invention, it is preferable that the bottom wall be sloped downward toward the outlet.

With this configuration, the water stored in the space defined by the bottom wall and the inner and outer circumferential walls tends to flow toward the outlet due to its own weight, so that the water is facilitated to be discharged from the outlet.

In the faucet cover according to the invention, it is preferable to employ a configuration in which the height of the inner circumferential wall is greater than the height of the outer circumferential wall.

With this configuration, when a large amount of water is stored in the space defined by the bottom wall and the inner and outer peripheral walls due to a large amount of water dripping from the faucet, the water can overcome the outer peripheral wall. Although it may flow out, the water level will not exceed the outer wall. Therefore, water does not flow out over the inner circumferential wall which is higher than the outer circumferential wall.
This prevents the water in the faucet cover from climbing over the inner circumferential wall and making the base of the faucet wet.

In the faucet cover according to the invention, the bottom wall has a plurality of ribs extending between the inner and outer circumferential walls and distributing water toward the outlet, and the ribs terminate before reaching the outer circumferential wall or the inner circumferential wall. A configuration can be adopted.

With this configuration, the ribs direct the flow of water stored in the faucet cover toward the outlet, thereby promoting water discharge.
In addition, since the ribs end before reaching the outer or inner wall, the ribs do not block and stagnate water near the outer or inner wall, allowing the water to flow smoothly toward the outlet. realizable.

In the faucet cover according to the invention, it is preferable to adopt a configuration in which the faucet cover further includes a separate auxiliary ring that is placed over the inner circumferential wall in the installed state.

With this configuration, water flowing from the outlet of the faucet through the body is more reliably prevented from penetrating into the base of the faucet due to the double structure of the auxiliary ring and the inner circumferential wall.

By configuring the faucet cover according to the invention as described above, it is possible to promote the drainage of water from the base of the faucet and prevent the formation of limescale and the like.

(a) is a perspective view of the faucet cover body as seen from above, (b) is a perspective view as seen from below (a) is a top view of the faucet cover body, (b) is a sectional view indicated by the arrow in (a), and (c) is a bottom view. A perspective view showing how the faucet cover body is attached to the base of the faucet (a) is a side view, and (b) is a longitudinal sectional view showing how the faucet cover body is attached to the base of the faucet. A perspective view showing the procedure for attaching the faucet cover body to the base of the faucet (a) is a perspective view of the auxiliary ring, (b) is a top view, and (c) is a sectional view indicated by the arrow in (b). Vertical sectional view showing how the auxiliary ring is attached to the base of the faucet

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
The faucet cover consists of a faucet cover body 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and an auxiliary ring 20 shown in FIG. 6.
First, the faucet cover main body 10 is attached as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, and then the auxiliary ring 20 is attached from above as shown in FIG. 7, respectively, to the base of the faucet F adjacent to the sink S. This prevents water that drips from the outlet H from accumulating at the base of the faucet F and causing limescale and the like. In addition, the faucet to which the faucet cover of the present invention is attached is not limited to a faucet installed in a kitchen sink, but also includes faucets installed in a sink other than a kitchen, such as a washbasin.

The faucet cover main body 10 and the auxiliary ring 20 are made of a material that can be elastically deformed and cannot absorb moisture.
Such a material is not particularly limited, but silicone rubber can be exemplified. The hardness of the silicone rubber is preferably one in which the durometer hardness (measured with a type A durometer for medium hardness) according to JIS K 6253 is 10 or more and 50 or less, more preferably 20 or more and 40 or less. Note that rubbers, resins, etc. other than silicone rubber can also be used as long as they are elastically deformable materials.
Since it is made of a material that cannot absorb moisture, the faucet cover body 10 and the auxiliary ring 20 themselves are prevented from becoming wet with water and becoming a source of limescale and the like.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the faucet cover main body 10 has a tray-shaped shape including a bottom wall 11, and an inner circumferential wall 12 and an outer circumferential wall 13 rising from the bottom wall 11, respectively.
As shown in FIG. 3, the faucet cover main body 10 can receive water dripping from the faucet F in a space defined by a bottom wall 11, an inner circumferential wall 12, and an outer circumferential wall 13. .
As shown in the figure, the bottom wall 11 is provided with a circular mounting hole 11a in the center thereof into which a water faucet can be inserted. The inner circumferential wall 12 rises from the edge of the mounting hole 11a, and the outer circumferential wall 13 rises from the outer circumferential edge of the bottom wall 11.
As shown in Fig. 5, when attaching the faucet cover body 10 to the faucet F, pull the attachment hole 11a with your fingers to widen it, insert the faucet F, and then release the force from your fingers. By deflating.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the entire bottom wall 11 has a shape imitating a tree leaf. The portion of the bottom wall 11 corresponding to the tip of the leaf becomes gradually narrower and becomes more pointed, and the portion corresponding to the base of the leaf (connection to the petiole) is recessed toward the mounting hole 11a.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, when the faucet cover main body 10 is attached to the faucet F, the bottom wall 11 has its leaf tip located on the front side of the faucet when viewed from the sink S, and the leaf base is positioned in front of the faucet when viewed from the sink S. Position it on the back side of faucet F.
In this case, since the base of the leaf is recessed, it is easy to attach the faucet cover body 10 to the faucet F even when the space behind the faucet F in a kitchen or the like is not very large. .

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2(b), the entire bottom wall 11 slopes downward from a location corresponding to the base of a tree leaf to a location corresponding to the leaf tip. Further, near the portion corresponding to the tip of the leaf, there is a bent portion 11b that bends downward, and the angle of inclination thereof is even larger.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, when the faucet cover main body 10 is attached to the faucet F, the bent portion 11b faces the opening of the sink S.
Since the bottom wall 11 is slanted, the water received by the faucet cover body 10 tends to flow toward a location corresponding to the tip of a leaf due to its own weight.
As shown in FIG. 2(b), the outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall 11 is located at the lower end of the outer peripheral wall 13 at a location corresponding to the tip of a leaf, and is located above the lower end of the outer peripheral wall 13 at a location corresponding to the leaf base. That is, they are connected diagonally within the frame of the outer peripheral wall 13. Here, the thickness of the bottom wall 11 is approximately constant.
Since the bottom wall 11 is thinner than when the bottom wall 11 itself is made to have a tilted state by varying its thickness, it is easier to elastically deform the faucet cover body 10 when attaching it to the faucet F. It becomes.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the bottom wall 11 is formed with a large number of ribs 11c that imitate the veins of a tree leaf. The ribs 11c as a whole extend radially around the attachment hole 11a in plan view, but their outer ends are deflected so as to face the tips of the leaves.
The water received by the faucet cover main body 10 is distributed along the ribs 11c from the inner end to the outer end, and overall towards the tips of the leaves of the bottom wall 11. There is.
As shown here, the inner end portion of the rib 11c approximately reaches the wall surface of the inner peripheral wall 12. On the other hand, the outer end of the rib 11c terminates in front of the outer peripheral wall 13, and a predetermined gap is formed between the rib 11c and the outer peripheral wall 13.
Since the rib 11c ends before the outer peripheral wall 13, the water flowing along the rib 11c is not blocked by the rib 11c itself, and flows smoothly along the wall surface of the outer peripheral wall 13 toward the leaf tip. It is designed to flow.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the inner circumferential wall 12 has a truncated conical shape, and its outer circumferential surface is inclined so that the diameter at its upper end is smaller than the diameter at its lower end. Therefore, the water that has flowed down along the body of the faucet F is easily guided onto the bottom wall 11 along the inclined outer peripheral surface of the inner peripheral wall 12.
The inner diameter of the upper end of the inner peripheral wall 12 is smaller than the outer diameter of a typical faucet F. Therefore, in the installed state, the upper end of the inner circumferential wall 12 is in close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the faucet to prevent water from leaking to the base of the faucet F. An example of the inner diameter of such an inner circumferential wall 12 is 30 to 40 mm.
The height of the inner circumferential wall 12 is substantially uniform, and is higher than the height of the outer circumferential wall 13, as shown in FIG. 2(b). An example of the height of the inner peripheral wall 12 is 13 to 16 mm, and an example of the height of the outer peripheral wall 13 is 11 to 14 mm.
Therefore, when the amount of water stored in the area divided by the bottom wall 11, the inner peripheral wall 12, and the outer peripheral wall 13 becomes large, as shown in FIG. Even if water may flow out, the water level will not rise any further, so water will not flow over the inner peripheral wall 12.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2(b), almost the entire outer peripheral wall 13 has the same height, but the leaf tips of the bottom wall 11 are The height gradually decreases toward , and a notch is formed at the tip of the leaf to form an outlet 13a.
The water is directed toward the leaf tips by the inclined bottom wall 11 and its ribs 11c, and is discharged from the outlet 13a facing the sink S, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4(b). It has become.
Since the outlet 13a is provided at a position corresponding to the sharp leaf tip of the bottom wall 11, the flow velocity of water increases in the vicinity of the outlet 13a, combined with the large inclination angle of the bent portion 11b. The water falls into the sink S with great force. This prevents water from dripping down the back surface of the bottom wall 11 from the discharge port 13a and staining the area around the sink with water.

As shown in FIG. 6, the auxiliary ring 20 has a truncated conical shape as a whole.
The outer peripheral surface of the auxiliary ring 20 is inclined so that the diameter at the upper end is smaller than the diameter at the lower end. The diameter at the upper end is approximately the same as the diameter at the upper end of the inner circumferential wall 12 of the faucet cover main body 10, and the diameter at the lower end is slightly larger than the diameter at the lower end of the inner circumferential wall 12.
The outer peripheral surface of the auxiliary ring 20 has different inclination angles in its upper half and lower half, with the upper half having a gentler inclination angle and the lower half having a steeper inclination angle. That is, the outer peripheral surface of the auxiliary ring 20 has a shape that bulges outward.
The thickness of the auxiliary ring 20 is approximately constant.

As shown in FIG. 7, when attaching the faucet cover to the faucet F, first attach the faucet cover main body 10 as described above, and then spread it by pulling the auxiliary ring 20 with your fingers. F is inserted into the faucet cover body 10 so as to cover the inner peripheral wall 12 of the faucet cover main body 10, and then the finger is removed to reduce the diameter and bring the faucet cover into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the faucet F.
The outer circumferential surface of the auxiliary ring 20 has a shape convexly bulging outward as described above, making it easy to cover the inner circumferential wall 12 of the faucet cover main body 10 from above.
As shown in the figure, in the installed state, the auxiliary ring 20 and the inner circumferential wall 12 of the faucet cover body 10 are doubly in close contact with each other on the upper and lower sides of the outer circumferential surface of the faucet F. This prevents water that has flowed down the body of the faucet from entering the base of the faucet.

The embodiments disclosed this time are illustrative in all respects and are not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, and includes all modifications and variations within the scope of the claims and equivalents thereto.

For example, the shape of the bottom wall 11 of the faucet cover main body 10 is not limited to the embodiment, and may be circular, oval, water droplet, or the like. When the shape of the bottom wall 11 is a water droplet, the outlet 13a may be provided at a point where the water droplet is sharp. The arrangement pattern of the ribs 11c is not limited to the embodiment, and may be omitted.
The auxiliary ring 20 can also be omitted.

10 Faucet cover main body 11 Bottom wall 11a Mounting hole 11b Bent part 11c Rib 12 Inner peripheral wall 13 Outer peripheral wall 13a Discharge port 20 Auxiliary ring F Faucet H Discharge port S Sink

Claims (5)

A faucet cover that can be attached to the base of a faucet adjacent to a sink,
a bottom wall provided with a mounting hole in the center through which the water faucet can be inserted in the mounted state ;
an outer peripheral wall rising from the outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall;
an inner peripheral wall rising from the hole edge of the mounting hole, which is the inner peripheral edge of the bottom wall;
The outer peripheral wall has a discharge port formed by cutting out a part of the peripheral wall in the circumferential direction and facing the sink in the attached state,
Water is received in a space surrounded by the bottom wall and the inner and outer peripheral walls, and the water can be discharged from the outlet toward the sink,
The height of the inner circumferential wall is greater than the height of the outer circumferential wall . A faucet cover that can be attached to the base of a faucet adjacent to a sink,
a bottom wall provided with a mounting hole in the center through which the water faucet can be inserted in the mounted state ;
an outer peripheral wall rising from the outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall;
an inner peripheral wall rising from the hole edge of the mounting hole, which is the inner peripheral edge of the bottom wall;
The outer peripheral wall has a discharge port formed by cutting out a part of the peripheral wall in the circumferential direction and facing the sink in the attached state,
Water is received in a space surrounded by the bottom wall and the inner and outer peripheral walls, and the water can be discharged from the outlet toward the sink,
The bottom wall has a plurality of ribs extending between the inner and outer circumferential walls and distributing the water toward the outlet, and the ribs terminate before reaching the outer circumferential wall or the inner circumferential wall. Bung cover. A faucet cover that can be attached to the base of a faucet adjacent to a sink,
a bottom wall provided with a mounting hole in the center through which the water faucet can be inserted in the mounted state ;
an outer peripheral wall rising from the outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall;
an inner peripheral wall rising from the hole edge of the mounting hole, which is the inner peripheral edge of the bottom wall;
The outer peripheral wall has a discharge port formed by cutting out a part of the peripheral wall in the circumferential direction and facing the sink in the attached state,
Water is received in a space surrounded by the bottom wall and the inner and outer peripheral walls, and the water can be discharged from the outlet toward the sink,
The faucet cover further includes a separate auxiliary ring that is placed over the inner peripheral wall in the attached state . Made of elastically deformable material,
At the time of mounting , the faucet is inserted into the mounting hole with its diameter enlarged, and the diameter of the mounting hole is reduced by the restoring elasticity, so that the inner circumferential wall can come into close contact with the outer periphery of the faucet. The faucet cover according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . The faucet cover according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the bottom wall is sloped downward toward the outlet.

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