JP7795193B2 - Drain plug device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a drain plug device having a plug cover that can open and close the drain outlet of a tank body.

The drain plug device has a plug cover attached to the drain outlet of a tank (e.g., a bathtub or washbasin), and the drain outlet is opened and closed by moving the plug cover up and down.

Some drain plug devices have a flow path component (for example, a cylindrical drain outlet member inserted into the drain outlet or piping connected in series to the drain outlet member) that forms the flow path for the wastewater that flows through the drain outlet, a support shaft mechanism that is movable up and down and has a rod-shaped support shaft to which the plug cover is attached, and an attachment member for holding the support shaft mechanism within the flow path component (i.e., the wastewater flow path).

Another known attachment member has a cylindrical holding portion within which the support shaft mechanism is placed, with a protruding support protrusion formed on the lower inner periphery of the holding portion, which supports the support shaft mechanism from below (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The holding portion of such an attachment member has a slit that extends vertically and opens at the lower end. The provision of the slit makes it easier to elastically deform the holding portion and expand its lower opening, making it easier to insert (install) the support shaft mechanism into the holding portion through the lower opening.

The support protrusion can also be configured with a tapered surface that gradually approaches the central axis of the holder as it extends upward. By configuring it in this way, the upper portion of the support shaft mechanism can be brought into contact with the tapered surface while the support shaft mechanism is pushed into the holder, allowing the lower opening of the holder to expand naturally without any special work to enlarge it, thereby making it even easier to install (insert) the support shaft mechanism into the holder.

JP 2015-214813 A

However, with the attachment member described above, when the support shaft mechanism is pressed into the holding portion while contacting the tapered surface, the upper portion of the support shaft mechanism can easily shift and come out of the lower opening of the holding portion, or the support shaft mechanism can easily become unsteady (the central axis of the support shaft mechanism can become misaligned with the central axis of the holding portion). Therefore, the support shaft mechanism must be inserted carefully into the holding portion, which could reduce the efficiency of maintenance work such as device installation and part replacement.

In addition, to make it easier to open the lower opening of the holding part, three or more slits (for example, four) may be provided, and the holding part may be configured with multiple holding pieces, at least the lower parts of which are separated by these slits. In this case, when the support shaft mechanism is pressed into the holding part while contacting the tapered surface, the force exerted when this is done (as the holding part deforms due to this force) may cause some holding pieces to be displaced outward, while other holding pieces are displaced inward (towards the central axis of the holding part). If such displacement of the holding pieces occurs inward, these displaced holding pieces may prevent the support shaft mechanism from being inserted into the holding part.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a drain plug device that allows the support shaft mechanism to be more easily inserted into the holding portion, thereby improving workability.

Below, each means suitable for achieving the above objective will be explained item by item. Where necessary, the specific effects of the corresponding means will also be noted.

Means 1. A plug cover for opening and closing a drain outlet provided in the tank body;
a flow path forming portion that forms a flow path for drainage water that flows through the drain outlet;
a support shaft mechanism having a rod-shaped support shaft to which the stopper cap is attached and a cylindrical case portion that holds the support shaft therein in a state in which the support shaft can move up and down;
The drainage system includes a cylindrical holder having the support shaft mechanism disposed therein, and an attachment member disposed in the drainage flow path,
A drain plug device configured so that the open/close state of the drain outlet can be switched by the up and down movement of the support shaft,
The attachment member includes:
an outer ring portion that forms a continuous ring;
four connecting portions connecting an inner peripheral surface of the outer ring portion and an outer peripheral surface of the holding portion,
The holding portion is
four slits extending in the vertical direction and opening at the lower ends;
four holding pieces whose lower portions are spaced apart from one another by the slits;
The support shaft mechanism has an insertion assist surface that gradually approaches the central axis of the holding portion in an upward direction, and a support protrusion that protrudes from the inner surface of the holding piece portion and supports the support shaft mechanism from below,
by bringing an upper portion of the support shaft mechanism into contact with the insertion assist surface and pushing the support shaft mechanism into the holding portion, the holding portion is elastically deformed to expand a lower opening of the holding portion, and the support shaft mechanism can be inserted into the holding portion through the lower opening,
The holding portion is
a cylindrical insertion guide portion that extends in the vertical direction below the support protrusion and is configured so that an upper portion of the support shaft mechanism can be disposed inside the insertion guide portion when the upper portion of the support shaft mechanism is in contact with the insertion assist surface ;
a ring-shaped portion to which upper portions of the plurality of holding pieces are connected,
As the holding piece portions, two holding piece portions with protrusions that are provided with the support protrusions and two holding piece portions without protrusions that are not provided with the support protrusions are provided,
the protruding holding piece portions and the non-protruding holding piece portions are alternately provided along the circumferential direction of the holding portion, and are each connected to the outer ring portion by the connecting portion,
The drain plug device is characterized in that the insertion guide portion is composed of the lower portion of the protruding retaining piece portion and the lower portion of the non-protruding retaining piece portion, and when the upper portion of the support shaft mechanism is brought into contact with the insertion auxiliary surface and the support shaft mechanism is pushed into the holding portion, the inner surface portion corresponding to the lower portion of the non-protruding retaining piece portion comes into contact with the case portion, thereby preventing inward displacement of the lower portion of the non-protruding retaining piece portion due to the force applied when pushing it in.

According to the above-mentioned method 1, by placing the support shaft mechanism inside the cylindrical insertion guide section ("cylindrical" here means that it is cylindrical overall, despite being interrupted by slits), the stability of the support shaft mechanism can be increased when it is inserted into the holding section (particularly when the insertion begins), making it less likely for the support shaft mechanism to shift or wobble. This makes it extremely easy to insert the support shaft mechanism into the holding section, improving the workability of maintenance such as device installation and part replacement.

Furthermore, when the support shaft mechanism is pushed into the holding portion while contacting the insertion assist surface, the inner surface of the insertion guide portion comes into contact with the case portion, preventing the lower part of the holding piece from being displaced inward by the force of the pushing (as a result of deformation of the holding portion due to this force). This more reliably prevents the holding piece from being positioned in a way that would hinder the insertion of the support shaft mechanism. As a result, it becomes even easier to insert the support shaft mechanism into the holding portion, further improving the ease of work involved in installing the device, etc.

Furthermore, according to the above-mentioned means 1 , the holding pieces are provided with protruding holding pieces that have support protrusions and non-protruding holding pieces that do not have support protrusions, and the support protrusions are provided on only some of the multiple holding pieces. Therefore, compared to when support protrusions are provided on all holding pieces, the force required to insert the support shaft mechanism into the holding piece can be reduced, and the support shaft mechanism can be inserted into the holding piece more smoothly. This further improves the workability involved in installing the device.

On the other hand, in the above-mentioned means 1 , since the upper parts of the protruding retaining piece portion and the non-protruding retaining piece portion are connected to the annular portion, when the support shaft mechanism is pushed into the retaining portion while being brought into contact with the insertion assist surface in order to insert the support shaft mechanism into the retaining portion, there is a risk that the non-protruding retaining piece portion will be more likely to be displaced inward (towards the central axis of the retaining portion) in accordance with the outward displacement of the protruding retaining piece portion.

In this regard, according to the above-mentioned means 1 , when the support shaft mechanism is pushed into the holding portion while contacting the insertion assist surface, the inner surface of the insertion guide provided on the non-protruding holding piece is brought into contact with the case, thereby restricting the displacement of the non-protruding holding piece inward (toward the central axis of the holding portion). This more reliably prevents the non-protruding holding piece from being positioned in a way that would hinder the insertion of the support shaft mechanism, making it even easier to insert the support shaft mechanism into the holding portion. As a result, the workability of installing the device can be extremely effectively improved.

Means 2. The drain plug device according to Means 1, characterized in that the case portion is arranged inside the insertion guide portion when the upper portion of at least one of the support shaft and the case portion is brought into contact with the insertion assist surface without substantially expanding the lower opening of the holding portion .

In this means, the phrase "a state in which the upper portion of at least one of the support shaft and the case portion is in contact with the insertion assist surface without substantially expanding the lower opening of the holding portion" can be more specifically defined as "a state in which, when inserting the support shaft mechanism into the holding portion, the lower opening of the holding portion begins to expand so that if the support shaft mechanism is moved further into the holding portion, the support shaft mechanism (as a whole) can pass through the inside of the support protrusion, and the upper portion of at least one of the support shaft and the case portion is in contact with the insertion assist surface without substantially expanding the lower opening of the holding portion." Furthermore, the phrase "without substantially expanding the lower opening of the holding portion" is intended to include not only a case in which the holding portion is not elastically deformed and the lower opening of the holding portion is not expanded at all from its natural state, but also a case in which the holding portion is slightly elastically deformed and the lower opening of the holding portion is slightly expanded from its natural state (the same applies to Means 3 described below).

According to the above-described means 2 , the upper portions of at least one of the support shaft and the case portion are brought into contact with the insertion assist surface without substantially expanding the lower opening of the holding portion, i.e., the case portion is positioned inside the insertion guide portion at the very beginning of the operation of pushing the support shaft mechanism into the holding portion. Therefore, from the very beginning of the operation, the support shaft mechanism is less likely to shift or wobble. Furthermore, from the very beginning of the operation, the inward displacement of the holding piece can be effectively restricted, more reliably preventing the holding piece from being positioned in a way that would obstruct the insertion of the support shaft mechanism. As a result, the support shaft mechanism can be inserted into the holding portion with great ease.

In addition, because the cylindrical case that holds the support shaft within itself is thicker than the support shaft, the support shaft mechanism can be brought closer to the inner surface of the insertion guide portion compared to a configuration in which only the support shaft is positioned inside the insertion guide portion at the initial stage of the operation. This more effectively prevents the support shaft mechanism from shifting or wobbling, further increasing the ease with which the support shaft mechanism can be inserted into the holding portion.

Means 3 : The support shaft is configured so that its upper portion protrudes from the case portion,
A drain plug device as described in means 1 or 2, characterized in that when the support shaft mechanism is inserted into the holding portion through the lower opening of the holding portion, the upper part of the support shaft can be inserted through the inside of the support protrusion and above the support protrusion in the holding portion without substantially expanding the lower opening of the holding portion.

According to the above-mentioned means 3 , when inserting the support shaft mechanism into the holding portion, the upper portion of the support shaft (the portion protruding from the case portion) can be inserted through the inside of the support protrusion and above the support protrusion in the holding portion with no or almost no resistance. Therefore, when the support shaft mechanism is subsequently pushed into the holding portion while contacting the insertion assist surface, it is possible to make it even less likely for the support shaft mechanism to slip or wobble. As a result, it becomes extremely easy to insert the support shaft mechanism into the holding portion.

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway front view of the drain plug device. FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway front view of the attachment member, the support shaft mechanism, and the like. FIG. FIG. FIG. This is a partially broken front view of the attachment member, support shaft mechanism, etc., in a state where the upper part of the support shaft is inserted above the support protrusion on the holding portion through the inside of the support protrusion without substantially expanding the lower opening of the holding portion. 10 is a partially cutaway front view of the attachment member, the support shaft mechanism, etc., in a state in which the upper portion of the support shaft is in contact with the insertion assistance surface without substantially enlarging the lower opening of the holding portion. FIG.

One embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, the drain plug device 1 is attached to a bathtub 100, which serves as a tank body. The bathtub 100 has a bottom wall 101 that forms the bottom surface of the bathtub, and a drain port 102 is formed through the bottom wall 101.

The drain plug device 1 comprises a drain outlet member 2, piping 3, an attachment member 4, a support shaft mechanism 5, and a plug cover 6.

The drain outlet member 2 is cylindrical and is inserted into the drain outlet 102 with its central axis approximately aligned with the central axis of the drain outlet 102. The drain outlet member 2 has a flange 21 that protrudes radially outward from its upper end, and a male thread 22 formed on the outer periphery below the flange 21.

The piping 3 is cylindrical and has a female threaded portion 31 on the inner periphery of its upper end, into which the male threaded portion 22 can be threaded. The drain outlet member 2 is then inserted into the drain 102, and the male threaded portion 22 is threaded into the female threaded portion 31. The flange portion 21 and the upper end surface of the piping 3 sandwich the bottom wall portion 101, thereby connecting the drain outlet member 2 and the piping 3 and attaching them to the bathtub 100.

In this embodiment, annular sealing members 7 and 8 made of an elastically deformable material (e.g., resin, rubber, etc.) are disposed between the underside of the flange 21 and the upper surface of the bottom wall 101, and between the upper end surface of the piping 3 and the lower surface (back surface) of the bottom wall 101. These sealing members 7 and 8 prevent water leakage between the drain outlet member 2, piping 3, and the bathtub 100.

In addition, in this embodiment, the drain outlet member 2 and the inner surfaces of the piping 3 form a flow path for the drainage that flows through the drain outlet 102. Therefore, in this embodiment, the drain outlet member 2 and the piping 3 correspond to the flow path configuration portion 9.

The attachment member 4 is used to hold the support shaft mechanism 5 in the drainage flow path, and is installed in the drainage flow path (i.e., within the flow path configuration portion 9). The configuration of the attachment member 4 will be described in detail later.

The support shaft mechanism 5 is used to move the stopper lid 6 up and down, and includes a cylindrical case portion 51 and a rod-shaped support shaft 52.

The case portion 51 has a larger diameter than the support shaft 52 and holds the support shaft 52 in a state where it can move up and down. The case portion 51 itself is held in a state where it cannot move up and down by an attachment member 4 (holding portion 43, described below) arranged on its outer periphery.

The upper portion of the support shaft 52 is configured to protrude from the case portion 51, and as shown in Figure 2, this upper portion is provided with a shoulder portion 52a, a neck portion 52b, and a head portion 52c, in this order, toward the upper end of the support shaft 52.

The shoulder 52a is tapered, with the outer diameter gradually decreasing toward the top. The maximum outer diameter of the shoulder 52a is larger than the maximum outer diameter of the head 52c. The neck 52b is cylindrical and has a constant outer diameter along the vertical direction (the axial direction of the support shaft 52). The head 52c bulges outward more than the neck 52b, and most of it, except for the top, is larger in diameter than the neck 52b.

In addition, the support shaft 52 is configured so that it can come into contact with the end of a transmission member 10 (e.g., a metal wire) that transmits the driving force generated by the displacement of an operating unit (e.g., a push button, etc.) not shown. The transmission member 10 is arranged so that it can move back and forth on the inner periphery of the cylindrical tube member 11.

In addition, in this embodiment, the operating device (not shown) comprising the operating unit is provided with a locking mechanism (e.g., a thrust lock mechanism) (not shown) that locks the support shaft 52 in an upwardly moved position by locking the transmission member 10 in a forward movement state (movement from the operating unit side toward the support shaft mechanism 5). Meanwhile, the support shaft mechanism 5 (inside the case portion 51) is provided with a return spring (not shown) that applies a force to the support shaft 52 in a downward movement direction.

In this embodiment, when the transmission member 10 moves forward by operating (e.g., pressing) the operating unit, the support shaft 52 is pushed up by the transmission member 10 against the force of the return spring and moves upward. When the operation on the operating unit is released once the support shaft 52 has moved sufficiently upward, the support shaft 52 moves slightly downward, while the locking mechanism locks the transmission member 10 in its forward movement state. As a result, the support shaft 52 is locked in its upward movement state.

On the other hand, if the operating unit is operated again in this state, the transmission member 10 moves forward again, and the lock on the transmission member 10 by the locking mechanism is released. Then, when the operation on the operating unit is released, the support shaft 52 moves downward due to the biasing force from the return spring, and the transmission member 10 moves back.

In this embodiment, each time the operating unit is operated, the support shaft 52 is alternately locked in the upper position and then released, moving downward. A locking mechanism for locking the support shaft 52 may also be provided in the support shaft mechanism 5.

Returning to Figure 1, the plug 6 is a plug for opening and closing the drain outlet 102. The plug 6 comprises a disk-shaped plug body 61 made of resin or the like, and an annular packing portion 62 formed from an elastically deformable material (e.g., resin, rubber, etc.).

A cylindrical mounting portion 63 is formed at the center of the back surface of the lid body 61, and a locking portion 63a protruding inward is provided on the inner surface of the mounting portion 63. The upper portion of the support shaft 52 is inserted into the mounting portion 63, with the locking portion 63a positioned outside the neck portion 52b (i.e., the head portion 52c locks onto the locking portion 63a when the support shaft 52 moves downward), thereby attaching the lid 6 to the upper portion of the support shaft 52.

In this embodiment, the support shaft 52 moves upward in response to an operation (e.g., pressing) of the operating unit, causing the plug lid 6 to move upward. As the plug lid 6 moves upward, the packing portion 62 moves away from the drain outlet member 2, opening the drain outlet 102.

On the other hand, when the drain outlet 102 is in the closed state, operating the operating part causes the support shaft 52 and plug lid 6 to move downward. As the plug lid 6 moves downward, the entire outer periphery of the packing portion 62 comes into contact with the drain outlet member 2, closing the drain outlet 102.

As mentioned above, the support shaft 52 is returned by the return spring, and as the packing portion 62 comes into contact with the drain outlet member 2, the support shaft 52 stops at a position slightly higher than the position at which it moved maximum downward (see Figure 1; Figure 2 shows the support shaft 52 at its maximum return position). As a result, when the drain outlet 102 is closed, a downward force is continuously applied from the return spring to the plug lid 6 via the head portion 52c and the engaging portion 63a, thereby achieving excellent watertightness.

Next, the structure of the attachment member 4 will be described. The attachment member 4 is formed from a predetermined elastically deformable resin or the like, and as shown in Figures 3 and 4, includes an outer ring portion 41, a connecting portion 42, and a holding portion 43.

The outer ring portion 41 has a circular ring shape in plan view and functions as an attachment portion for the attachment member 4 to the flow path configuration portion 9. In this embodiment, the outer ring portion 41 is attached to the inner surface of the drain outlet member 2.

The connecting portions 42 connect the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring portion 41 and the outer peripheral surface of the retaining portion 43. The connecting portions 42 extend from the outer periphery of the retaining portion 43 toward the radially outer side of the retaining portion 43, and in this embodiment, two pairs (i.e., four in total) are provided, positioned to sandwich the retaining portion 43 when viewed from above. Wastewater that flows into the flow path configuration portion 9 flows downstream through the gaps between each connecting portion 42.

The retaining portion 43 is used to hold the support shaft mechanism 5 (particularly the case portion 51) located inside. The retaining portion 43 is cylindrical overall and is located coaxially with the outer ring portion 41, further inward than the outer ring portion 41. The retaining portion 43 has a slit 431.

The slits 431 are formed between each portion of the holding portion 43 that is connected to the connecting portion 42, and three or more slits (four in this embodiment) are provided. Each slit 431 extends in the vertical direction and opens at the lower end of the holding portion 43. Furthermore, each slit 431 extends to a position above the longitudinal (vertical) center of the holding portion 43, but is configured so that it does not communicate with the upper end of the holding portion 43 (i.e., does not open at the upper end of the holding portion 43). By forming such slits 431, the holding portion 43 is configured to include an annular portion 432 located at the top and multiple (four in this embodiment) holding piece portions 433 whose lower portions are separated from each other by the slits 431.

The annular portion 432 forms a continuous ring in the circumferential direction of the holding portion 43, with the upper portions of the multiple holding pieces 433 connected together. A pair of upper protrusions 432a protruding inward are formed on the inner surface of the annular portion 432 at a position between the central axis CL of the holding portion 43. The upper protrusions 432a are intended to prevent the support shaft mechanism 5 from slipping out of the upper opening of the holding portion 43.

The number of retaining pieces 433 provided is the same as the number of slits 431, and each retaining piece 433 is elastically deformable inward and outward directions of the retaining portion 43 (radial direction of the retaining portion 43). Furthermore, because a connecting portion 42 is connected to the outer peripheral surface of each retaining piece 433, elastic deformation of the retaining piece 433 can also cause elastic deformation of the outer ring portion 41. Furthermore, a pair of retaining pieces 433 facing each other across the central axis CL of the retaining portion 43 are each formed with a support protrusion 434.

The support protrusions 434 protrude inward (toward the central axis CL) from the lower inner surface of the holding piece 433 and are intended to support the support shaft mechanism 5 inserted into the holding piece 43 from below. Each support protrusion 434 has an upward-facing anti-detachment surface 434a and an insertion assistance surface 434b facing diagonally downward.

The anti-slip surface 434a is the surface that comes into contact with the lower end surface of the support shaft mechanism 5 inserted into the holding portion 43. The anti-slip surface 434a has a shape that extends in a direction perpendicular to the central axis CL of the holding portion 43. As a result, even if a downward force is applied to the plug lid 6, for example, and a downward force is applied to the support shaft mechanism 5 inserted into the holding portion 43, elastic deformation of the holding piece portion 433 that would enlarge the lower opening of the holding piece portion 433 (such as widening the gap between the two support protrusions 434) is not caused. This effectively prevents the support shaft mechanism 5 from coming out of the lower opening of the holding portion 433.

The insertion assist surface 434b is an inclined surface that gradually approaches the central axis CL of the holding portion 43 as it extends upward. The insertion assist surface 434b facilitates insertion of the support shaft mechanism 5 into the holding portion 43. More specifically, when the support shaft mechanism 5 is pushed into the holding portion 43 while the upper portion of the support shaft mechanism 5 is in contact with the insertion assist surface 434b to insert the support shaft mechanism 5 into the holding portion 43, the insertion assist surface 434b enables the pushing force applied to the support shaft mechanism 5 to expand the lower opening of the holding portion 43 without the need to apply any special force to the attachment member 4 to expand the lower opening of the holding portion 43, thereby facilitating insertion of the support shaft mechanism 5 into the holding portion 43.

In this embodiment, the support protrusions 434 are not provided on all of the holding piece portions 433, but only on a pair of holding piece portions 433 that have the central axis CL of the holding portion 43 between them. That is, in this embodiment, the holding piece portions 433 include a protruding holding piece portion 433a that has a support protrusion 434, and a non-protruding holding piece portion 433b that does not have a support protrusion 434. In this embodiment, the inner surface of the non-protruding holding piece portion 433b is smooth and free of irregularities.

By providing the protruding retaining piece portion 433a and the non-protruding retaining piece portion 433b as described above, when the support shaft mechanism 5 is inserted into the retaining portion 43 and pushed into the retaining portion 43 while contacting the insertion assist surface 434b, the protruding retaining piece portion 433a elastically deforms outward (radially outward of the retaining portion 43). Meanwhile, a force is generated in the non-protruding retaining piece portion 433b, which causes it to elastically deform inward (radially inward of the retaining portion 43) due to the influence of the elastic deformation of the protruding retaining piece portion 433a. This force is generated by the elastic deformation of the annular portion 432 and the elastic deformation of the outer annular portion 41 into an elliptical shape in plan view, which occurs as a result of the elastic deformation of the protruding retaining piece portion 433a.

In addition, when the attachment member 4 is viewed along the central axis CL of the holding portion 43, the size of the gap formed between the two support protrusions 434 is set to be slightly smaller than the maximum outer diameter of the head 52c (see Figure 5. In Figure 5, the portion of the head 52c with the maximum outer diameter is indicated by a two-dot chain line).

Furthermore, the holding portion 43 is provided with an insertion guide portion 435 extending vertically below the support protrusion 434. The insertion guide portion 435 is a portion into which the upper portion of the support shaft mechanism 5 is positioned when inserting the support shaft mechanism 5 into the holding portion 43 (particularly when the insertion begins), and serves to guide the insertion of the support shaft mechanism 5 into the holding portion 43 and prevent the support shaft mechanism 5 from swinging during insertion. In this embodiment, the inner surface of the insertion guide portion 435 is continuous with the lowermost portion of the insertion assist surface 434b and extends vertically (parallel to the central axis CL) from that lowermost portion. However, the inner surface of the insertion guide portion 435 does not have to extend strictly parallel to the central axis CL. In this embodiment, the insertion guide portion 435 has a discontinuous shape in the circumferential direction of the holding portion 43 due to the presence of the slits 431, but is cylindrical overall.

Next, the insertion of the support shaft mechanism 5 into the holding portion 43 will be described in more detail. In this embodiment, the insertion of the support shaft mechanism 5 into the holding portion 43 is performed after the drain outlet member 2 and piping 3 are attached to the bathtub 100, but before the attachment member 4 is attached to the flow path configuration portion 9 (in this embodiment, the drain outlet member 2).

To insert the support shaft mechanism 5 into the holding portion 43, first pull the support shaft mechanism 5 through the flow path configuration portion 9 toward the water storage space of the bathtub 100 (above the bottom wall portion 101 in Figure 1).

Then, the upper portion of the support shaft mechanism 5 is inserted into the lower opening of the holding portion 43 (i.e., inside the insertion guide portion 435). At this time, as described above, the size of the gap formed between the support protrusions 434 is slightly smaller than the maximum outer diameter of the head portion 52c. Therefore, the upper portion of the support shaft 52 (head portion 52c in this embodiment) can be inserted through the inside of the support protrusions 434 and above the support protrusions 434 of the holding portion 43 (see Figure 6) without substantially enlarging the lower opening of the holding portion 43 (i.e., without substantially elastically deforming the holding portion 43).

The phrase "without substantially enlarging the lower opening of the retaining portion 43" is intended to include not only a situation in which the retaining portion 43 is not elastically deformed and the lower opening of the retaining portion 43 is not enlarged at all from its natural state, but also a situation in which the retaining portion 43 is only slightly elastically deformed and the lower opening of the retaining portion 43 is slightly enlarged from its natural state (for example, a situation in which the lower opening of the retaining portion 43 is enlarged by 1 mm or less from its natural state). Therefore, the aforementioned phrase "without substantially enlarging the lower opening of the retaining portion 43" has the latter meaning.

Next, a pushing process is performed, in which the support shaft mechanism 5 is pushed into the holding portion 43. That is, the upper portion of the support shaft mechanism 5 (shoulder portion 52a in this embodiment) is brought into contact with the insertion assist surface 434b (see Figure 7), and the support shaft mechanism 5 is pushed into the holding portion 43. This causes the holding portion 43 (particularly the protruding holding piece portion 433a) to elastically deform outward, expanding the lower opening of the holding portion 43, and the support shaft mechanism 5 can be inserted and installed into the holding portion 43 through the lower opening and the inside of both support protrusions 434.

In the very beginning of the pushing process, that is, when further movement of the support shaft mechanism 5 into the holding portion 43 begins to cause the lower opening of the holding portion 43 to expand (more specifically, the lower opening of the holding portion 43 expands to the point where the entire support shaft mechanism 5 can pass inside the support protrusion 434), when the upper portion (shoulder 52a) of at least one of the support shaft 52 and the case portion 51 is brought into contact with the insertion assist surface 434b (as shown in Figure 7) without causing the lower opening of the holding portion 43 to expand substantially, the case portion 51 is positioned inside the insertion guide portion 435. In particular, in this embodiment, the case portion 51 is positioned throughout the entire inside of the insertion guide portion 435 along the central axis CL of the holding portion 43, and the top of the case portion 51 is positioned above the top of the insertion guide portion 435.

Furthermore, during the pushing process, when the protruding holding piece 433a elastically deforms outward (the lower opening of the holding portion 43 expands) as the support shaft mechanism 5 presses against the insertion assist surface 434b, as described above, the elastic deformation of the protruding holding piece 433a generates a force inward (toward the central axis CL of the holding portion 43) on the non-protruding holding piece 433b. Therefore, there is concern that the lower part of the non-protruding holding piece 433b may be displaced inward due to this pushing force. However, in this embodiment, the inner surface of the insertion guide portion 435 (the part with the scattered dots in Figure 4) comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the case portion 51, thereby preventing the lower part of the non-protruding holding piece 433b from displacing inward.

After inserting the support shaft mechanism 5 into the holding portion 43, the installation of the drain plug device 1 is completed by attaching the attachment member 4 to the flow path configuration portion 9 (drain outlet member 2) and attaching the plug lid 6 to the support shaft 52.

As described above in detail, according to this embodiment, by arranging the support shaft mechanism 5 inside the cylindrical insertion guide portion 435, the installation stability (stability related to insertion and installation) of the support shaft mechanism 5 when it is inserted into the holding portion 43 (particularly when the insertion begins) can be improved, making it less likely for the support shaft mechanism 5 to shift or wobble. Therefore, the support shaft mechanism 5 can be inserted into the holding portion 43 very easily, improving the ease of maintenance such as installing the drain plug device 1 and replacing parts (e.g., replacing the attachment member 4, support shaft mechanism 5, etc.).

Furthermore, when the support shaft mechanism 5 (shoulder 52a in this embodiment) is pressed into the holding portion 43 while contacting the insertion assist surface 434b, the inner surface of the insertion guide portion 435 contacts the outer peripheral surface of the case portion 51, preventing the lower portion of the holding piece portion 433 (non-protruding holding piece portion 433b in this embodiment) from being displaced inward due to the force of the pressing. This more reliably prevents the holding piece portion 433 (non-protruding holding piece portion 433b) from being positioned in a way that would hinder the insertion of the support shaft mechanism 5. As a result, it is even easier to insert the support shaft mechanism 5 into the holding portion 43, further improving the ease of installation of the drain plug device 1.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the retaining pieces 433 include a protruding retaining piece 433a equipped with a support protrusion 434 and a non-protruding retaining piece 433b equipped with no support protrusion 434, and the support protrusion 434 is provided on only some of the multiple retaining pieces 433. Therefore, compared to when support protrusions 434 are provided on all retaining pieces 433, the force required to insert the support shaft mechanism 5 into the retaining portion 43 can be reduced, and the support shaft mechanism 5 can be inserted more smoothly into the retaining portion 43. This further improves the ease of installation of the drain plug device 1.

In addition, even if further movement of the support shaft mechanism 5 into the retaining portion 43 would cause the lower opening of the retaining portion 43 to expand, the upper portion of at least one of the support shaft 52 and the case portion 51 (in this embodiment, the upper portion of the support shaft 52) is in contact with the insertion assist surface 434b without substantially expanding the lower opening of the retaining portion 43. That is, at the very beginning of the operation of pushing the support shaft mechanism 5 into the retaining portion 43 (the pushing process), the case portion 51 is positioned inside the insertion guide portion 435. Therefore, even at the very beginning of the pushing process, the support shaft mechanism 5 is less likely to shift or wobble. Furthermore, even at the very beginning of the pushing process, the inward displacement of the holding piece portion 433 (in this embodiment, the non-protruding holding piece portion 433b) can be effectively restricted, further reliably preventing the holding piece portion 433 (non-protruding holding piece portion 433b) from being positioned in a way that would obstruct the insertion of the support shaft mechanism 5. As a result, the support shaft mechanism can be inserted into the retaining portion 43 with great ease.

Furthermore, because the case portion 51 is thicker than the support shaft 52, the support shaft mechanism 5 can be brought closer to the inner surface of the insertion guide portion 435 at the very beginning of the pushing process, compared to a configuration in which only the support shaft 52 is positioned inside the insertion guide portion 435. This more effectively prevents the support shaft mechanism 5 from shifting or wobbling, further increasing the ease with which the support shaft mechanism 5 can be inserted into the holding portion 43. In particular, in this embodiment, at the very beginning of the pushing process, the case portion 51 is positioned over the entire inside of the insertion guide portion 435 along the central axis CL, and the top of the case portion 51 is positioned above the top of the insertion guide portion 435, thereby extremely effectively preventing the support shaft mechanism 5 from shifting or wobbling.

Furthermore, when inserting the support shaft mechanism 5 into the holding portion 43, the upper portion of the support shaft 52 (head portion 52c in this embodiment) can be inserted through the inside of the support protrusion 434 and above the support protrusion 434 on the holding portion 43 with little or no resistance. Therefore, when the support shaft mechanism 5 (shoulder portion 52a) is then pressed into the holding portion 43 while contacting the insertion assist surface 434b, it is possible to make it even less likely for the support shaft mechanism 5 to shift or wobble. As a result, it becomes extremely easy to insert the support shaft mechanism 5 into the holding portion 43.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be implemented, for example, as follows. Of course, other applications and modifications not exemplified below are also possible.

(a) In the above embodiment, the upper portion (shoulder 52a) of the support shaft 52 is configured to be in contact with the insertion assist surface 434b at the very beginning of the pushing process. Alternatively, the upper portion of the case 51 (for example, the portion extending from the upper surface to the outer periphery of the case 51) may be configured to be in contact with the insertion assist surface 434b at the very beginning of the pushing process. Of course, the case 51 and the support shaft 52 may both be configured to be in contact with the insertion assist surface 434b at the very beginning of the pushing process.

(b) In the above embodiment, the upper portion of the support shaft 52 (head portion 52c in this embodiment) can be inserted through the inside of the support protrusion 434 and above the support protrusion 434 on the holding portion 43 without substantially enlarging the lower opening of the holding portion 43 (i.e., without substantially elastically deforming the holding portion 43), but this configuration is not necessarily required.

Therefore, the lower opening of the holding portion 43 may need to be enlarged to some extent in order to insert the upper portion (head 52c) of the support shaft 52 through the inside of the support protrusion 434 and above the support protrusion 434 on the holding portion 43. In this configuration, the lower opening of the holding portion 43 can be enlarged by pressing the support shaft mechanism 5 into the holding portion 43 while bringing the upper portion (head 52c) of the support shaft 52 into contact with the insertion assistance surface 434b.

Furthermore, in this configuration, in order to prevent the support shaft mechanism 5 from shifting or wobbling, it is preferable to configure the case portion 51 so that it is positioned inside the insertion guide portion 435 when the upper portion (head portion 52c) of the support shaft 52 is in contact with the insertion assist surface 434b without substantially enlarging the lower opening of the holding portion 43.

(c) In the above embodiment, four slits 431 are provided, but three or five or more slits 431 may be provided. Note that the configuration of the connecting portions 42 (for example, the number of connecting portions 42) may be changed as appropriate depending on the number of slits 431, etc. (However, this is a reference example) .

(d) In the above embodiment, the lower opening of the holding portion 43 is only slightly enlarged so that the upper portion (head 52c) of the support shaft 52 can be inserted through the inside of the support protrusion 434 and above the support protrusion 434 on the holding portion 43. In contrast, the lower opening of the holding portion 43 may be configured to be able to be inserted through the inside of the support protrusion 434 and above the support protrusion 434 on the holding portion 43 without enlarging it at all.

(e) In the above embodiment, two of the four holding pieces 433 are provided with support protrusions 434, but the holding pieces 433 on which the support protrusions 434 are provided may be changed as appropriate (however, this is just a reference example) .

(f) In the above embodiment, the attachment member 4 is intended to be attached to the drain outlet member 2, but it may also be intended to be attached to the piping 3, or to both the drain outlet member 2 and the piping 3.

In addition, while in the above embodiment the attachment member 4 includes an outer ring portion 41, it may not include the outer ring portion 41. In this case, the end of the connecting portion 42 located opposite the holding portion 43 may be configured to be attached to the flow path forming portion 9 (e.g., the drain outlet member 2).

Furthermore, the outer ring portion 41 is not limited to a continuous ring shape, but may be a ring shape with a broken portion (however, this is just a reference example) .

(g) In the above embodiment, the attachment member 4 is attached to the flow path configuration portion 9 (the drain outlet member 2) after the drain outlet member 2 and piping 3 are attached to the bathtub 100. However, the attachment member 4 may be attached to the flow path configuration portion 9 at the same time as the drain outlet member 2 and piping 3 are attached to the bathtub 100. For example, a step on which the outer ring portion 41 can be placed may be provided on the inner surface of the piping 3 below the female thread portion 31, and the outer ring portion 41 may be placed on this step, and the male thread portion 21 may be threaded into the female thread portion 31 to attach the drain outlet member 2 and piping 3 to the bathtub 100 (bottom wall portion 101). At the same time, the attachment member 4 placed on the step may be attached to the flow path configuration portion 9. In such a configuration, the outer ring portion 41 may be sandwiched between the step and the lower end surface of the drain outlet member 2, for example, to attach the attachment member 4 to the flow path configuration portion 9.

(h) In the above embodiment, the drain outlet 102 is configured to be closed when the plug lid 6 (packing portion 62) comes into contact with the drain outlet member 2. However, the drain outlet 102 may also be configured to be closed when the plug lid 6 (packing portion 62) comes into contact with a portion other than the drain outlet member 2 (for example, the bottom wall portion 101).

(i) In the above embodiment, a bathtub 100 is used as an example of a tank body, but the tank body to which the technical concept of the present invention can be applied is not limited to a bathtub. Therefore, the technical concept of the present invention may also be applied to tank bodies other than bathtubs, such as washbasins and kitchen sinks, for example.

1...Drain plug device, 4...Attachment member, 5...Support shaft mechanism, 6...Plug cover, 9...Flow path configuration portion, 43...Retaining portion, 51...Case portion, 52...Support shaft, 100...Tub (tank body), 102...Drain outlet, 431...Slit, 432...Annular portion, 433...Retaining piece portion, 433a...Protruding retaining piece portion, 433b...Non-protruding retaining piece portion, 434...Support protrusion, 434b...Insertion assist surface, 435...Insertion guide portion.

Claims (3)

a plug cover for opening and closing a drain outlet provided in the tank body;
a flow path forming portion that forms a flow path for drainage water that flows through the drain outlet;
a support shaft mechanism having a rod-shaped support shaft to which the stopper cap is attached and a cylindrical case portion that holds the support shaft therein in a state in which the support shaft can move up and down;
The drainage system includes a cylindrical holder having the support shaft mechanism disposed therein, and an attachment member disposed in the drainage flow path,
A drain plug device configured so that the open/close state of the drain outlet can be switched by the up and down movement of the support shaft,
The attachment member includes:
an outer ring portion that forms a continuous ring;
four connecting portions connecting an inner peripheral surface of the outer ring portion and an outer peripheral surface of the holding portion,
The holding portion is
four slits extending in the vertical direction and opening at the lower ends;
four holding pieces whose lower portions are spaced apart from one another by the slits;
The support shaft mechanism has an insertion assist surface that gradually approaches the central axis of the holding portion in an upward direction, and a support protrusion that protrudes from the inner surface of the holding piece portion and supports the support shaft mechanism from below,
by bringing an upper portion of the support shaft mechanism into contact with the insertion assist surface and pushing the support shaft mechanism into the holding portion, the holding portion is elastically deformed to expand a lower opening of the holding portion, and the support shaft mechanism can be inserted into the holding portion through the lower opening,
The holding portion is
a cylindrical insertion guide portion that extends in the vertical direction below the support protrusion and is configured so that an upper portion of the support shaft mechanism can be disposed inside the insertion guide portion when the upper portion of the support shaft mechanism is in contact with the insertion assist surface ;
a ring-shaped portion to which upper portions of the plurality of holding pieces are connected,
As the holding piece portions, two holding piece portions with protrusions that are provided with the support protrusions and two holding piece portions without protrusions that are not provided with the support protrusions are provided,
the protruding holding piece portions and the non-protruding holding piece portions are alternately provided along the circumferential direction of the holding portion, and are each connected to the outer ring portion by the connecting portion,
The drain plug device is characterized in that the insertion guide portion is composed of the lower portion of the protruding retaining piece portion and the lower portion of the non-protruding retaining piece portion, and when the upper portion of the support shaft mechanism is brought into contact with the insertion auxiliary surface and the support shaft mechanism is pushed into the holding portion, the inner surface portion corresponding to the lower portion of the non-protruding retaining piece portion comes into contact with the case portion, thereby preventing inward displacement of the lower portion of the non-protruding retaining piece portion due to the force applied when pushing it in. The drain plug device of claim 1, characterized in that when the upper portion of at least one of the support shaft and the case portion is brought into contact with the insertion assistance surface without substantially expanding the lower opening of the holding portion, the case portion is positioned inside the insertion guide portion. The support shaft is configured so that an upper portion thereof protrudes from the case portion,
A drain plug device as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that when the support shaft mechanism is inserted into the holding portion through the lower opening of the holding portion, the upper part of the support shaft can be inserted through the inside of the support protrusion and above the support protrusion in the holding portion without substantially expanding the lower opening of the holding portion.