JP7626652B2 - Water passing device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a water passage device.

Patent Document 1 discloses a water discharge switching mechanism for a water faucet that is configured to be able to switch between shower water discharge and straight water discharge. The water discharge switching mechanism of Patent Document 1 includes a water-permeable member having an internal flow path, a switching valve body that switches the hot and cold water discharge state inside the water-permeable member, a seesaw-shaped switching button that controls the position of the switching valve body, and a case member that houses the water-permeable member. The switching button is supported so that it can swing relative to the outer surface of the water-permeable member. The switching button has a pair of operating arms that engage from the outside with a pin provided on the outer surface of the switching valve body. In the water discharge switching mechanism of Patent Document 1, the switching valve body slides in the opening and closing directions based on the swinging of the switching button, thereby switching the water discharge state inside the water-permeable member.

JP 2017-036637 A

When a load is applied to the switching button due to a switching operation or the like, a force acts on the operating arm engaged with the switching valve body, causing it to deform in a direction away from the water-permeable member. Deformation of the operating arm in a direction away from the water-permeable member causes the engagement relationship between the operating arm and the pin of the water-permeable member to become unstable. Therefore, if the operating arm deforms excessively in a direction away from the water-permeable member, the switching valve body cannot be moved smoothly when the switching button is operated.

To solve these problems, in the water discharge switching mechanism of Patent Document 1, a recess for accommodating an operating arm is provided in the water-permeable member that accommodates the switching valve body, and the operating arm is positioned between the water-permeable member and the switching valve body. The inner surface of the recess is provided in a position close to the operating arm. In this case, the operating arm abuts against the inner surface of the recess in the water-permeable member, thereby suppressing deformation of the operating arm in a direction away from the water-permeable member. However, providing the above-mentioned recess in the water-permeable member leads to a more complex and larger shape of the water-permeable member. Therefore, depending on the shape of the case member in which the water-permeable member is accommodated, a problem occurs in that it is difficult to provide the above-mentioned recess in the water-permeable member.

The water passage device that solves the above problem includes a water passage member having a water passage inside, a valve body that controls the flow of hot and cold water through the water passage, and an operating member for operating the valve body, and the operating member is provided with an operating arm that is connected to the valve body and moves the valve body based on the operation of displacing the operating member. The water passage device includes a case member that houses the water passage member, and the operating arm is disposed between the valve body and the case member, and the case member is provided with a restricting portion that is disposed in a position where the operating arm is sandwiched between the case member and the valve body and restricts deformation of the operating arm in a direction away from the valve body.

According to the above configuration, when the operating arm tries to deform in a direction away from the valve body, the operating arm abuts against the restricting portion, restricting further deformation of the operating arm. Since the restricting portion is provided in the case member that houses the water-passing member, the provision of the restricting portion can prevent the water-passing member from becoming complicated in shape and large in size.

In the above water passage device, it is preferable that the case member has a peripheral wall surrounding the water passage member, and the restricting portion is a protruding portion protruding from the peripheral wall.
The restricting portion may be deformed by being pushed by the operating arm. According to the above configuration, since the restricting portion is provided separately from the peripheral wall surrounding the water-passing member, it is possible to prevent the influence of the deformation of the restricting portion from extending to the peripheral wall, which may cause the peripheral wall to be deformed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the appearance of the water-passing device from being damaged due to the deformation of the restricting portion.

In the above water passage device, it is preferable that the case member is formed by combining a first case and a second case, the regulating part is provided in the first case, and the second case is provided with an auxiliary regulating part that is arranged in a position sandwiching the regulating part between the operating arm and the second case and regulates deformation of the regulating part in a direction away from the valve body.

According to the above configuration, when the restricting portion tries to deform in a direction away from the valve body, the restricting portion abuts against the auxiliary restricting portion, thereby restricting further deformation of the restricting portion. This prevents the restricting portion from being pushed by the operating arm and deforming, thereby reducing the effect of the restricting portion in restricting deformation of the operating arm.

In the above water passing device, it is preferable that the auxiliary regulating portion is a protruding portion that protrudes from the peripheral wall.
The auxiliary restricting portion may be deformed by being pushed by the restricting portion. According to the above configuration, since the auxiliary restricting portion is provided separately from the peripheral wall surrounding the water passing member, it is possible to prevent the influence of the deformation of the auxiliary restricting portion from extending to the peripheral wall, which may cause the peripheral wall to be deformed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the appearance of the water passing device from being damaged due to the deformation of the auxiliary restricting portion.

In the above water passage device, it is preferable that the operating member is a swing button, the operating arm has an engagement groove into which an engagement protrusion provided on the valve body is slidably inserted, and the valve body is linearly reciprocated based on the operation of swinging the operating member.

When the above configuration is used, the direction of displacement of the rocking button and the direction of displacement of the valve disc are different, so a large load is likely to be applied to the operating arm, which is the connecting part between the rocking button and the valve disc. As a result, the operating arm is likely to deform in a direction that escapes from the load. Therefore, when the above configuration is used, the effect of suppressing deformation of the operating arm is more pronounced.

The water passage device is used as a shower head, and the case member is a gripping portion of the shower head.

The present invention makes it possible to prevent the water-passing member from becoming too complicated and too large in shape while also preventing deformation of the operating arm.

Front view of the shower head. FIG. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1, showing a waterproof state. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1, showing the water discharge state. FIG. FIG. Cross-sectional view of line B-B in Figure 1.

Below, an embodiment of the water passage device of the present invention is described, which is embodied in a shower head. A shower head is generally used by connecting it to a water faucet in a kitchen, washroom, bathroom, etc. via a hose. By operating the operating member, the shower head of this embodiment can be switched between a water discharge state in which hot and cold water supplied from the hose to the shower head is discharged, and a water stop state in which the discharge of hot and cold water is stopped.

As shown in FIG. 1, the shower head 10 comprises a rod-shaped handle 11, which is the base end portion, and a disk-shaped head portion 12, which is the tip end portion. The handle 11 is the portion that a user holds with their hand when using the shower head 10, and is the portion that is connected to a hose (not shown). The head portion 12, which ejects hot and cold water supplied to the shower head 10, is provided on the tip side of the handle 11. Note that hereinafter, the base end side and tip side of the shower head 10 and each of its constituent members refer to the directions shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the shower head 10 comprises a face portion 13 that constitutes the front portion of the head portion 12, a first case 14 that constitutes the front portion of the grip portion 11, and a second case 15 that constitutes the rear portion of the head portion 12 and the rear portion of the grip portion 11. The face portion 13 is configured to convert hot and cold water supplied to the shower head 10 into a shower-like water flow and discharge the water.

The first case 14 and the second case 15 are combined in the front-to-rear direction to form a hollow case member that forms the outer shell of the shower head 10. The portions that make up the gripping portion 11 in the first case 14 and the second case 15 each have a generally arc-shaped cross section, and when combined with each other, they form a peripheral wall 11a that has an annular cross section. The first case 14 is also provided with a window portion 14a for exposing the rocking button 70, which will be described later, to the outside.

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the shower head 10 has an inner pipe 20 and a valve case 21 as water-passing members having passages for hot and cold water inside. Note that the first case 14 and the second case 15 are not shown in Figures 3 and 4.

The inner pipe 20 is a generally cylindrical member that is open at both ends and is disposed in the base end portion within the grip portion 11. The base end portion of the inner pipe 20 is the portion to which the hose is connected. A male thread 20a is formed at the tip end portion of the inner pipe 20.

The valve case 21 is a generally cylindrical member that is open at both ends and is disposed in the base end portion within the grip portion 11. The base end of the valve case 21 is formed with a female thread 21a that screws into the male thread 20a of the inner pipe 20. The inner peripheral surface of the valve case 21 is provided with a reduced diameter portion 22 that reduces in a stepped manner from the base end side (upstream side) to the tip end side (downstream side). The surface on the base end side of the reduced diameter portion 22 is the main valve seat 22a that functions as the valve seat of the main valve 40 described below.

A case body 30 is fixed to the inside of the valve case 21 at a portion closer to the base end than the reduced diameter portion 22. The case body 30 is a bottomed cylindrical member that opens to the tip end, and includes a bottom wall 31 and a cylindrical peripheral wall 32 formed along the periphery of the bottom wall 31. The outer diameter of the peripheral wall 32 of the case body 30 is smaller than the inner diameter of the valve case 21 at the portion where the case body 30 is fixed. A through hole 31a that penetrates the bottom wall 31 is formed in the center of the bottom wall 31 of the case body 30. The case body 30 is fixed in the valve case 21 by being sandwiched between a step portion 21b provided in a portion of the circumferential direction of the inner surface of the valve case 21 and the tip of the inner pipe 20.

The main valve 40 is housed in the portion of the valve case 21 from the reduced diameter portion 22 to the base end side. The main valve 40 is a cylindrical member overall, and has a large diameter portion 41 located on the base end side and a small diameter portion 42 located on the tip end side. The large diameter portion 41 of the main valve 40 is inserted inside the peripheral wall 32 of the case body 30, and forms a pressure chamber P between it and the case body 30. An annular seal member S1 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the large diameter portion 41 of the main valve 40, which seals between the large diameter portion 41 and the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 32 of the case body 30.

The small diameter portion 42 of the main valve 40 is inserted into the reduced diameter portion 22 of the valve case 21. A plurality of ribs 43 extending in the axial direction of the main valve 40 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 42 of the main valve 40. The ribs 43 are provided at positions that are approximately equally spaced circumferentially along the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 42 to suppress rattling when the small diameter portion 42 of the main valve 40 moves within the reduced diameter portion 22. The outer diameter of the small diameter portion 42 is smaller than the inner diameter of the reduced diameter portion 22 of the valve case 21. A small gap is provided between the ribs 43 of the main valve 40 and the inner peripheral surface of the reduced diameter portion 22 of the valve case 21.

A seal member S2 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the large diameter portion 41 of the main valve 40. The seal member S2 is annular and surrounds the large diameter portion 41, and has a facing portion that faces the main valve seat 22a provided in the valve case 21. A stepped reduced diameter portion 44 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the main valve 40 from the base end side to the tip end side. The reduced diameter portion 44 has an annular surface that faces the bottom wall 31 of the case body 30. An annular seal member S3 is attached to this annular surface to seal between the main valve 40 and the sub-valve 50 described later in a water-stopped state. The surface of the seal member S3 that faces the bottom wall 31 of the case body 30 is the sub-valve seat 44a that functions as the valve seat of the sub-valve 50 described later.

The auxiliary valve 50 is housed inside the pressure chamber P formed between the main valve 40 and the case body 30. The auxiliary valve 50 is a rod-shaped member extending in the axial direction of the main valve 40. The base end of the auxiliary valve 50 is inserted into the through hole 31a in the bottom wall 31 of the case body 30. A small gap is provided between the base end of the auxiliary valve 50 and the inner surface of the through hole 31a, allowing hot and cold water to enter. The tip of the auxiliary valve 50 is inserted into the small diameter portion 42 of the main valve 40. A small gap is provided between the tip of the auxiliary valve 50 and the inner surface of the small diameter portion 42 of the main valve 40, allowing hot and cold water to enter.

The auxiliary valve 50 has a flange 51 at its axial center that protrudes radially outward. The flange 51 is formed to be larger than the inner diameter of the reduced diameter portion 44 of the main valve 40, and has a surface that faces the auxiliary valve seat 44a provided on the main valve 40.

A biasing member F1, such as a spring, is disposed between the flange 51 of the sub-valve 50 and the bottom wall 31 of the case body 30. The biasing member F1 biases the flange 51 toward the sub-valve seat 44a. When the flange 51 of the sub-valve 50 is in contact with the sub-valve seat 44a (water-stopping state shown in FIG. 3), the tip of the sub-valve 50 protrudes further toward the tip side than the main valve 40.

The slide member 60 is accommodated in the valve case 21 in a portion of the valve case 21 that is distal from the reduced diameter portion 22 and is slidable in the axial direction of the valve case 21. The slide member 60 is a substantially cylindrical member that extends in the axial direction of the valve case 21 and is open at both ends. The inside of the peripheral wall 61 of the slide member 60 is a water passage through which hot and cold water flows. The outer diameter of the peripheral wall 61 of the slide member 60 is smaller than the inner diameter of the portion of the valve case 21 distal from the reduced diameter portion 22. The outer peripheral surface of the slide member 60 is fitted with an annular seal member S4 that seals the gap with the inner peripheral surface of the valve case 21. The tip end of the slide member 60 is connected watertightly to the face portion 13.

Inside the peripheral wall 61 of the slide member 60, a plate-shaped push-in portion 62 is formed integrally with the peripheral wall 61. The push-in portion 62 is a portion that pushes the main valve 40 and the sub-valve 50 in a direction away from the main valve seat 22a and the sub-valve seat 44a. The push-in portion 62 protrudes toward the base end beyond the peripheral wall 61 and is formed to a size that allows it to abut against the end faces of the tip side of both the main valve 40 and the sub-valve 50.

The outer peripheral surface of the axial center of the slide member 60 is provided with a cylindrical engagement protrusion 63 that protrudes radially outward. The engagement protrusions 63 are provided at two locations 180 degrees apart on the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 61 of the slide member 60, and these two engagement protrusions 63 protrude in opposite directions. The valve case 21 is also provided with mounting holes 23 for exposing the engagement protrusions 63 of the slide member 60 radially outward. The mounting holes 23 are provided at two locations corresponding to the engagement protrusions 63.

As shown in FIG. 2, the tip end of the valve case 21 is provided with an attachment portion for attaching a rocking button 70 as an operating member for operating the slide member 60. Specifically, the tip end of the valve case 21 is provided with a pair of shaft supports 24 protruding from the outer circumferential surface as the attachment portion. Each of the shaft supports 24 is provided with a through hole 24a. The through holes 24a in the pair of shaft supports 24 are provided so as to be positioned on the same straight line perpendicular to the axial direction of the valve case 21. A rotating shaft 25 is inserted into each through hole 24a.

The valve case 21 has an engagement tube 26 protruding from the outer circumferential surface as the attachment portion, located closer to the tip than the shaft support 24. The engagement tube 26 has a through hole 26a extending in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the rotation shaft 25. Two steel balls 28 are housed in the through hole 26a of the engagement tube 26, and a biasing member F2 composed of a spring or the like is disposed between the two steel balls 28. The biasing member F2 biases the two steel balls 28 so that the steel balls 28 protrude from the openings at both ends of the engagement tube 26.

2 and 5, the rocking button 70 is a box-shaped member that opens on one side and includes an outer wall 71 and a peripheral wall 72 that is formed along the periphery of the outer wall 71. The peripheral wall 72 has two opposing shaft holes 73 through which the pivot shaft 25 is inserted. The inner surface of the outer wall 71 has a shaft support portion 74 having a shaft hole (not shown) through which the pivot shaft 25 is inserted. The rocking button 70 is attached to the valve case 21 by the pivot shaft 25 that is inserted through the shaft support portion 24 of the valve case 21 and the shaft hole 73 of the peripheral wall 72 of the rocking button 70 and the shaft hole (not shown) of the shaft support portion 74. The rocking button 70 attached to the valve case 21 can be rocked around the pivot shaft 25.

The rocking button 70 has a pair of operating arms 75 protruding from the edge of the peripheral wall 72. The operating arms 75 are cantilever-shaped arms whose tips are free ends that are not connected to other parts. An engagement groove 75a is provided on the inner surface of the operating arm 75, extending in the direction in which the operating arm 75 protrudes. The operating arm 75 and the slide member 60 are connected by slidably inserting the engagement protrusion 63 of the slide member 60 into the engagement groove 75a of the operating arm 75. The engagement protrusion 63 slides in the engagement groove 75a in response to an operation to rock the rocking button 70. As a result, the slide member 60 slides in the axial direction of the valve case 21, that is, moves back and forth linearly. In other words, the operating arm 75 having the engagement groove 75a and the engagement protrusion 63 of the slide member 60 form a cam mechanism that converts the rotational movement (rocking) of the rocking button 70 about the rotation shaft 25 into a linear reciprocating movement of the slide member 60.

The rocking button 70 has a pair of retaining arms 76 that protrude from the edge of the peripheral wall 72. The inner surface of the retaining arms 76 is provided with a pair of recesses 77 that are aligned in the direction in which the retaining arms 76 protrude. The recesses 77 are portions into which the steel balls 28 that protrude from the engagement tube portion 26 of the valve case 21 engage due to a convex-concave relationship. The steel balls 28 engage with the recesses 77, thereby holding the rocking button 70 in the water discharge position or the water stop position.

The water discharge position of the rocking button 70 is the position where hot and cold water is discharged, and the water stop position is the position where hot and cold water discharge is stopped. The position of the rocking button 70 shown in FIG. 3 is the water stop position, and the position of the rocking button 70 shown in FIG. 4 is the water discharge position. The rocking button 70 moves between the water discharge position and the water stop position by rocking around the pivot 25 based on the user's operation. The rocking button 70 rocks within a rocking range that is set as the range between the water discharge position and the water stop position.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the first case 14 constituting the front portion of the gripping portion 11 includes a first peripheral wall 80 constituting the peripheral wall 11a of the gripping portion 11, and a pair of plate-shaped restricting portions 81 protruding from the inner surface of the first peripheral wall 80 toward the valve case 21. The pair of restricting portions 81 are provided at two locations sandwiching the window portion 14a therebetween in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the valve case 21.

7, each of the regulating parts 81 is provided in the grip part 11 radially outward of the mounting hole 23 of the valve case 21 so as to cover the mounting hole 23. Therefore, each of the regulating parts 81 is disposed at a position where the operating arm 75 of the swing button 70 is sandwiched between the slide member 60 and the regulating part 81. Each of the regulating parts 81 is in close proximity to or in contact with the operating arm 75. More specifically, each of the regulating parts 81 is in close proximity to or in contact with a portion of the range in which the engaging protrusion 63 of the operating arm 75 slides. The distance between the regulating part 81 and the operating arm 75 is, for example, equal to or less than the thickness of the operating arm 75. Each of the regulating parts 81 is formed in a plate shape having a predetermined length in the axial direction of the valve case 21 so as to be in close proximity to or in contact with the operating arm 75 regardless of the position of the swing button 70 within the swing range.

2 and 7, the second case 15 constituting the rear portion of the gripping portion 11 includes a second peripheral wall 82 constituting the peripheral wall 11a of the gripping portion 11, and a pair of wall-shaped auxiliary restricting portions 83 that protrude from the inner surface of the second peripheral wall 82 toward the valve case 21. As shown in FIG. 7, each of the pair of auxiliary restricting portions 83 is disposed in the gripping portion 11 at a position where the restricting portion 81 of the first case 14 is sandwiched between the operating arm 75 and the pair of auxiliary restricting portions 83, and is adjacent to or in contact with the restricting portion 81. The distance between the auxiliary restricting portion 83 and the restricting portion 81 is, for example, equal to or less than the thickness of the restricting portion 81.

Next, we will explain the water stop state and water discharge state of the shower head 10. The following explanation is based on the assumption that hot and cold water is being supplied to the inner pipe 20 of the shower head 10 from the faucet and hose.

Figure 3 shows the inside of the shower head 10 in a water-stop state where the discharge of hot and cold water supplied to the inner pipe 20 has stopped. When in the water-stop state, the rocking button 70 is held in a water-stop position where the tip of the operating arm 75 is tilted toward the tip of the valve case 21. At this time, the sliding member 60 is pulled up toward the tip of the valve case 21 by the operating arm 75 and is held in a position away from the main valve 40 and sub-valve 50.

When in a water-stopped state, the flange 51 of the sub-valve 50 comes into contact with the sub-valve seat 44a provided on the main valve 40 due to the biasing force of the biasing member F1. The flange 51 of the sub-valve 50 comes into contact with the sub-valve seat 44a, which is formed by the seal member S3, thereby stopping water flow between the inner circumferential surface of the reduced diameter portion 44 of the main valve 40 and the sub-valve 50. At this time, hot and cold water only enters the pressure chamber P through the through hole 26a of the valve case 21, and is not discharged downstream. Therefore, the pressure chamber P is in a high-pressure state with an increased internal pressure.

Then, based on the internal pressure of the pressure chamber P, which is in a high-pressure state, the seal member S2 attached to the outer peripheral surface of the large diameter portion 41 of the main valve 40 comes into contact with the main valve seat 22a provided in the reduced diameter portion 22 of the valve case 21. This stops water flow between the reduced diameter portion 22 of the valve case 21 and the main valve 40. As a result, hot and cold water is not supplied to the face portion 13, and the discharge of hot and cold water from the face portion 13 is stopped.

Figure 4 shows the inside of the shower head 10 in a discharge state where it discharges hot and cold water supplied to the inner pipe 20. When in the discharge state, the rocking button 70 is held in a water discharge position where the tip of the operating arm 75 is tilted toward the base end of the valve case 21. At this time, the sliding member 60 is pulled down toward the base end of the valve case 21 by the operating arm 75, and the pushing portion 62 provided on the sliding member 60 abuts against the main valve 40 and the sub-valve 50. The sliding member 60 is then held in a position where it pushes the main valve 40 and the sub-valve 50 toward the base end against the internal pressure of the pressure chamber P and the biasing force of the biasing member F1.

When in the discharge state, the main valve 40 is pushed toward the base end by the pushing portion 62 of the slide member 60, and is separated from the main valve seat 22a provided in the reduced diameter portion 22 of the valve case 21. The sub-valve 50 is pushed toward the base end by the pushing portion 62 of the slide member 60, and the flange portion 51 is separated from the sub-valve seat 44a provided on the main valve 40.

When in the discharge state, the hot water supplied to the inner pipe 20 flows into the water passage in the valve case 21. The hot water that flows into the valve case 21 mainly flows from the outside of the main valve 40 and the case body 30 to the reduced diameter section 22, passing between the reduced diameter section 22 and the small diameter section 42 of the main valve 40 and flowing downstream of the reduced diameter section 22. In addition, a part of the hot water that flows into the valve case 21 flows into the pressure chamber P, passing between the inner surface of the main valve 40 and the sub-valve 50 and flowing downstream of the reduced diameter section 22. The hot water that flows downstream of the reduced diameter section 22 of the valve case 21 is supplied to the face section 13 through the inside of the slide member 60. As a result, the hot water is discharged from the face section 13.

The sub-valve 50 is provided to reduce the operating force required to transition from a stopped state to a discharge state. When in the stopped state shown in FIG. 3, the tip of the sub-valve 50 protrudes further toward the tip side than the main valve 40. Therefore, when transitioning from a stopped state to a discharge state based on the operation of the rocking button 70, the sub-valve 50 is pushed in first and separated from the sub-valve seat 44a. This causes some of the hot and cold water in the pressure chamber P to flow downstream, reducing the pressure in the pressure chamber P. The main valve 40 is then pushed in and separated from the main valve seat 22a. Because the main valve 40 is pushed in after the pressure in the pressure chamber P is reduced, the operating force required to push the main valve 40 against the pressure in the pressure chamber P can be reduced.

In this embodiment, the inside of the inner pipe 20 and the inside of the valve case 21 and the inside of the slide member 60 form the water passage. In this embodiment, the main valve 40, the sub-valve 50, and the slide member 60 form a valve body that controls the flow of hot and cold water through the water passage.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.
7, in this embodiment, a restricting portion 81 is provided on the first case 14 and is disposed on the radially outer side of the operating arm 75. This restricting portion 81 is in close proximity to or in contact with the operating arm 75. Therefore, when the operating arm 75 tries to deform in a direction away from the slide member 60, the operating arm 75 abuts against the restricting portion 81, thereby restricting further deformation of the operating arm 75. The direction in which the operating arm 75 moves away from the slide member 60 is, in other words, the direction in which the pair of operating arms 75 open and the operating arms 75 disengage from the engaging protrusions 63 of the slide member 60.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second case 15 is provided with an auxiliary restricting portion 83 that is arranged radially outward of the restricting portion 81. This auxiliary restricting portion 83 is in close proximity to or in contact with the restricting portion 81. Therefore, when the restricting portion 81 is pushed by the operating arm 75 and attempts to deform in a direction away from the slide member 60, the restricting portion 81 comes into contact with the auxiliary restricting portion 83, thereby restricting further deformation of the restricting portion 81.

Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described.
(1) The shower head 10 includes a valve case 21 having a water passage therein, a main valve 40, an auxiliary valve 50, and a slide member 60 for controlling the flow of hot and cold water through the water passage, and a rocking button 70 as an operating member for operating the slide member 60. The rocking button 70 is provided with an operating arm 75 that is connected to the slide member 60 and moves the slide member 60 based on an operation to displace the rocking button 70. The shower head 10 includes a first case 14 as a case member that houses the valve case 21. The operating arm 75 is disposed between the slide member 60 and the first case 14. The first case 14 is provided with a restricting portion 81 that is disposed in a position where the operating arm 75 is sandwiched between the slide member 60 and the first case 14 and restricts deformation of the operating arm 75 in a direction away from the slide member 60.

According to the above configuration, the deformation of the operating arm 75 in the direction away from the slide member 60 is restricted by the restricting portion 81. Because the restricting portion 81 is provided on the first case 14 that houses the valve case 21, the provision of the restricting portion 81 can be prevented from making the shape of the valve case 21 more complex and larger. Therefore, according to the above configuration, even if it is difficult to form the restricting portion 81 on the valve case 21, the deformation of the operating arm 75 can be effectively restricted.

(2) The first case 14 has a first peripheral wall 80 that surrounds the valve case 21 , and the restricting portion 81 is a protruding portion that protrudes from the first peripheral wall 80 .
The restricting portion 81 may be deformed by being pressed by the operating arm 75. According to the above configuration, since the restricting portion 81 is provided separately from the first peripheral wall 80 that surrounds the valve case 21, it is possible to prevent the influence of the deformation of the restricting portion 81 from extending to the first peripheral wall 80, which would cause the first peripheral wall 80 to be deformed as well. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the appearance of the showerhead 10 from being damaged due to the deformation of the restricting portion 81.

(3) The case member that houses the valve case 21 is formed by combining a first case 14 and a second case 15. The second case 15 is provided with an auxiliary restricting portion 83 that is disposed in a position that sandwiches the restricting portion 81 between the operating arm 75 and the second case 15, and that restricts deformation of the restricting portion 81 in a direction away from the slide member 60.

According to the above configuration, the deformation of the restricting portion 81 in the direction away from the slide member 60 is restricted by the auxiliary restricting portion 83. This prevents the restricting portion 81 from being pushed by the operating arm 75 and deforming, thereby reducing the effect of the restricting portion 81 in suppressing the deformation of the operating arm 75. In addition, the first peripheral wall 80 on which the restricting portion 81 is provided is also deformed as the restricting portion 81 is pushed by the operating arm 75 and this prevents the appearance of the shower head 10 from being damaged.

(4) The second case 15 has a second peripheral wall 82 that surrounds the valve case 21 , and the auxiliary restricting portion 83 is a protruding portion that protrudes from the second peripheral wall 82 .
The auxiliary regulating part 83 may be deformed by being pressed by the regulating part 81. According to the above configuration, the auxiliary regulating part 83 is provided separately from the second peripheral wall 82 that surrounds the valve case 21, so that the influence of the deformation of the auxiliary regulating part 83 on the second peripheral wall 82, which would cause the second peripheral wall 82 to deform, can be prevented. Therefore, the appearance of the showerhead 10 can be prevented from being damaged due to deformation of the auxiliary regulating part 83.

(5) The operating member is a rocking button 70, and the operating arm 75 has an engagement groove 75a into which the engagement protrusion 63 provided on the slide member 60 is slidably inserted, and causes the slide member 60 to move back and forth linearly based on the operation of rocking the rocking button 70.

When configured as described above, the direction of displacement of the rocking button 70 and the direction of displacement of the slide member 60 are different. Therefore, a large load is applied to the operating arm 75, which is the connecting part between the rocking button 70 and the slide member 60. This makes it easier for the pair of operating arms 75 to deform in a direction to escape from the load, i.e., in a direction in which the pair of operating arms 75 open. Therefore, when configured as described above, the effect of suppressing deformation of the operating arms 75 is more pronounced.

This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that no technical contradiction occurs.
The restricting portion 81 may be provided on the second case 15 and the auxiliary restricting portion 83 may be provided on the first case 14 .

The protruding direction of the restricting portion 81 protruding from the first peripheral wall 80 and the protruding direction of the auxiliary restricting portion 83 protruding from the second peripheral wall 82 are not limited to the above embodiment. It is preferable that the restricting portion 81 and the auxiliary restricting portion 83 protrude in a direction different from the direction in which the operating arm 75 deforms. In this case, the influence of the deformation of the restricting portion 81 and the auxiliary restricting portion 83 is less likely to extend to the first peripheral wall 80 and the second peripheral wall 82.

- The shape of the auxiliary regulating portion 83 may be changed. For example, the auxiliary regulating portion 83 may be a protrusion-like portion that protrudes from the second peripheral wall 82 of the second case 15, or a portion of the second peripheral wall 82 of the second case 15 may be made thicker, and a portion of the inner surface of the second peripheral wall 82 may be used as the auxiliary regulating portion 83. The number of auxiliary regulating portions 83 may also be changed. For example, two or more auxiliary regulating portions 83 may be provided on one side. The auxiliary regulating portion 83 may also be omitted.

The shape of the restricting portion 81 may be changed. For example, the restricting portion 81 may be shaped so that the length in the axial direction of the valve case 21 is short, and the restricting portion 81 is shaped so that it approaches or abuts against the operating arm 75 only when the rocking button 70 is in a specific position. In this case, it is preferable that the restricting portion 81 is shaped so that it approaches or abuts against the operating arm 75 at least in the water discharge position, that is, in the position of the rocking button 70 when the valve body is in a position that resists the biasing force acting on the valve body. The restricting portion 81 may also be a protrusion-shaped restricting portion that protrudes from the first peripheral wall 80 of the first case 14. In a configuration in which the auxiliary restricting portion 83 is omitted, a part of the first peripheral wall 80 of the first case 14 may be made thicker, and a part of the inner surface of the first peripheral wall 80 may be used as the restricting portion 81.

- In the above embodiment, the case member is formed by combining two separate cases, the first case 14 and the second case 15, but the number of separate cases that make up the case member and the method of division are not limited to the above embodiment. In addition, the case member may be formed from a single member.

The configuration of the valve body and water passage member that control the flow of hot and cold water through the water passage is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment. For example, the main valve 40 and the slide member 60 may be integrally formed, or the sub-valve 50 may not be provided.

The operating member is not limited to the swing button 70 that swings around the pivot shaft 25, but may be any member that includes an operating arm 75 that is connected to the valve body. For example, the operating member may be a slide button that slides in the axial direction of the valve case 21.

The valve body and operating member are not limited to a configuration for switching between hot and cold water discharge and stop, but can be applied to any configuration for controlling the flow of hot and cold water through a water passage. For example, the valve body and operating member may be for switching between shower water discharge and straight water discharge.

The configuration of the above embodiment is not limited to the shower head 10, but can be applied to any water passage device that has a valve body and an operating member that controls the flow of hot and cold water through a water passage.

10... shower head, 14... first case, 15... second case, 21... valve case, 60... slide member, 70... rocking button, 75... operation arm, 81... restricting portion, 83... auxiliary restricting portion.

Claims (6)

The device includes a cylindrical water passage member having a water passage therein, a valve body for controlling the flow of hot and cold water through the water passage, and an operating member for operating the valve body.
The operating member is provided with an operating arm that is connected to the valve body and moves the valve body based on an operation of displacing the operating member,
A case member that houses the water-passing member,
The valve body is provided with a slide member that reciprocates in the axial direction of the water-passing member within the water-passing member, and is configured to switch between a water discharge state in which hot and cold water is discharged and a water stop state in which the discharge of hot and cold water is stopped based on the displacement of the slide member,
The water passage member includes an attachment hole for exposing the slide member radially outward,
the operating arm is disposed between the slide member and the case member and engages with a portion of the slide member that is exposed through the mounting hole ,
The case member is provided with a restricting portion that restricts deformation of the operating arm,
A water-passing device characterized in that the regulating portion is positioned radially outward of the mounting hole in the water-passing member so as to sandwich the operating arm between the regulating portion and the slide member, and is close to or in contact with the operating arm . The case member includes a peripheral wall surrounding the water-passing member,
The water passage device according to claim 1 , wherein the restricting portion is a protruding portion protruding from the peripheral wall. the case member is configured by combining a first case and a second case,
The restriction portion is provided on the first case,
The second case is provided with an auxiliary restricting portion that restricts deformation of the restricting portion,
The water passage device described in claim 2, wherein the auxiliary regulating portion is positioned radially outward of the mounting hole in the water passage member so as to sandwich the regulating portion between the operating arm and the auxiliary regulating portion , and is adjacent to or in contact with the regulating portion . The second case includes a peripheral wall surrounding the water-passing member,
The water passage device according to claim 3 , wherein the auxiliary restriction portion is a protruding portion protruding from the peripheral wall. The operating member is a rocking button,
A water passage device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the operating arm has an engagement groove into which an engagement protrusion provided on the slide member is slidably inserted, and the slide member is moved back and forth linearly based on an operation of swinging the operating member. The water passage device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which is used as a shower head, and the case member is a gripping portion of the shower head.

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