Abstract
To provide a spout apparatus which is easily maintainable by a user even when, in a fluid device utilizing Karman vortices, scale adheres to the Karman vortex generating portion. A spout apparatus for discharging hot or cold water while causing it to reciprocally oscillate, having a spout apparatus body and an oscillating element; whereby the oscillating element has a water supply passage, a vortex generating passage, and a spout port passage; the spout port passage is formed of an elastically deformable soft member and is attached to the spout apparatus body so that a user can manipulate the spout port passage to deform it; and the vortex generating passage is formed of an elastically deformable soft member, and is integrally formed with the spout port passage so that deformations of the spout port passage can be transmitted to this vortex generating passage.
Claims
1. A spout apparatus for discharging hot or cold water with reciprocal motion, comprising: a spout apparatus body; a sprinkler plate disposed on a surface of the spout apparatus body; and an oscillating element, attached to the spout apparatus body, for discharging supplied hot or cold water with reciprocal motion; wherein the oscillating element comprises: a water supply passage into which hot or cold water supplied from the spout apparatus body flows; a vortex generating passage, disposed downstream of the water supply passage, including a hot or cold water collision portion arrayed to block a portion of a flow path cross section, whereby the collision of a portion of hot or cold water guided from the water supply passage to the hot or cold water collision portion alternately produces oppositely circulating vortexes on the downstream thereof; and a spout port passage disposed on the downstream side of the vortex generating passage, for discharging hot or cold water guided from the vortex generating passage with reciprocal motion; wherein the spout port passage is formed of an elastically deformable soft material, and is attached to the spout apparatus body so that a user can manipulate and deform the spout port passage; wherein the vortex generating passage is formed of the elastically deformable soft material, and is integrally formed with the spout port passage so that deformation of the spout port passage is transmitted to the vortex generating passage; wherein a leading end of the spout port passage is projected beyond a front surface of the sprinkler plate, whereas the hot or cold water collision portion is disposed inside of the front surface of the sprinkler plate; and wherein the downstream end of the water supply passage has a constant cross section.
2. The spout apparatus of claim 1, wherein the oscillating element further comprises a seal portion for watertightly attaching to the spout apparatus body, the seal portion is integrally formed together with the vortex generating passage with the elastically deformable soft material, and wherein a recess disposed on a surface of the sprinkler packing is formed between the seal portion and the vortex generating passage to prevent deformations of the seal portion from being transmitted to the spout port passage or the vortex generating passage.
3. The spout apparatus of claim 2, wherein the recess is disposed upstream of the vortex generating passage.
4. The spout apparatus of claim 1, wherein the oscillating element comprises a plurality of oscillating elements, and the oscillating elements are integrally formed as a single piece, and affixing portions for affixing to the spout apparatus body are disposed relative to each of the oscillating elements.
5. The spout apparatus of claim 1, wherein the downstream end of the water supply passage has a rectangular cross section.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES
(1) FIG. 1: An exterior view of a spout apparatus 1 in the present invention.
(2) FIG. 2: An exploded perspective view of the spout apparatus 1 in the present invention.
(3) FIG. 3: A cross section of the spout apparatus 1 in the present invention.
(4) FIG. 4: An exterior view of an oscillating element 2 in the present invention.
(5) FIG. 5A: A schematic view of the oscillation of spout water in the present invention.
(6) FIG. 5B: A schematic view of the oscillation of spout water in the present invention.
(7) FIG. 6: An expanded cross section close to the seal portion 40 in the present invention.
(8) FIG. 7A: A schematic view of scale removal in the present invention.
(9) FIG. 7B: A schematic view of scale removal in the present invention.
(10) FIG. 7C: A schematic view of scale removal in the present invention.
(11) FIG. 7D: A schematic view of scale removal in the present invention.
(12) FIG. 8: A cross section of the shower nozzle 16 in the present invention.
(13) FIG. 9: An exploded perspective view seen from the rear side of the spout apparatus 1 in the present invention.
(14) FIG. 10A: A schematic of the appearance when water pressure is applied to the oscillating element 2 in a comparative example.
(15) FIG. 10B: A schematic of the appearance when water pressure is applied to the oscillating element 2 in a comparative example.
(16) FIG. 10C: A schematic of the appearance when water pressure is applied to the oscillating element 2 in a comparative example.
(17) FIG. 10D: A schematic of the appearance when water pressure is applied to the oscillating element 2 in a comparative example.
(18) FIG. 11A: A schematic of the appearance when water pressure is applied to the oscillating element 2 in an embodiment of the present invention.
(19) FIG. 11B: A schematic of the appearance when water pressure is applied to the oscillating element 2 in an embodiment of the present invention.
(20) FIG. 12A: A schematic of the appearance when water pressure is applied to the oscillating element 2 in a variant example of the present invention.
(21) FIG. 12B: A schematic of the appearance when water pressure is applied to the oscillating element 2 in a variant example of the present invention.
(22) FIG. 13: A diagram showing the constitution of the fluid device set forth in Patent Document 3.
EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
(23) Below, referring to figures, we explain the spout apparatus 1 in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an external view of the spout apparatus 1 of the present invention. The spout apparatus 1 is what is known as a hand shower, and is made up of a spout apparatus body 10 and oscillating elements 2 disposed on the spout apparatus body 10. The spout apparatus body 10 broadly comprises a spout head 12 and a holding portion 14. Two types of spout ports consisting of multiple spout nozzles 16 and oscillating elements 2 are disposed on the spout head 10; spouting can occur simultaneously in each of these, or spouting can be achieved by switching successively between them.
(24) FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the spout apparatus 1 in the present invention. The spout head 12 is composed of a sprinkler packing 4 comprising a soft member having a sprinkler plate 18 disposed on its surface, oscillating elements 2, and spout nozzles 16. Multiple opening portions are disposed on the sprinkler plate 18; from these opening portions, the oscillating element 2 and spout nozzles 16 are assembled in a form projecting on the surface.
(25) FIG. 3 is a cross section of the spout apparatus 1 in the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the sprinkler packing 4 is affixed so as to be sandwiched between a spout head main unit 120 and the sprinkler plate 18. A water supply path 140 is formed inside the holding portion 14, and hot or cold water supplied from a shower hose, not shown, is supplied to the spout head 12.
(26) FIG. 4 is an external view of the oscillating element 2 in the present invention. The oscillating element 2 has an approximately rectangular spout port, and is a nozzle for spouting water while reciprocally oscillating in the longitudinal direction of that rectangle. There are respectively a pair of first wall surface portions 242 on the long sides matching the direction in which hot or cold water reciprocally oscillates, and a pair of second wall surface portions 244 on the short sides perpendicular thereto, and the first wall surface portions 242 are thicker than the second wall surface portions 244.
(27) FIGS. 5A and 5B are a schematic diagrams showing the appearance of an operating oscillating element 2 in the main unit. FIG. 5A is a cross section through A-A in FIG. 4, but as shown here, a passage with a rectangular cross section is formed inside the oscillating element 2 so as to penetrate in the long direction. This passage is formed as a water supply passage 20, a vortex generating path 22, and a spout port passage 26 in that sequence from the upstream side of this path. The water supply passage 20 is a straight passage with a constant rectangular cross section extending from the inflow port on the rear side of the oscillating elements 2.
(28) The vortex generating path 22 is a passage with a rectangular cross section disposed so as to connect with the water supply passage 20 (without level differences) at the downstream side of the water supply passage 20. I.e., it has the same dimensions and shape from the water supply passage 20 to the vortex generating path 22. The spout port passage 24 is a rectangular cross section passage disposed to connect with the vortex generating path 22 still further downstream of the vortex generating path 22. The spout port passage 24 is comprised so that its length in the direction of the long side of the cross sectional rectangle is shorter than the vortex generating path 22, and its cross section is small.
(29) A hot or cold water collision portion 26 is disposed between the water supply passage 20 and the vortex generating path 22. This hot or cold water collision portion 26, as shown in FIG. 5B (a cross section through B-B in FIG. 4), is a triangle-shaped part extending to join with the wall surfaces (the ceiling surface and floor surface) opposing one another in the height direction of the water supply passage 20, and is disposed as an island at the center in the width direction of the water supply passage 20. The cross section of the hot or cold water collision portion 26 is formed as an isosceles triangle, wherein the two equal length sides are disposed to face downstream. By disposing this hot or cold water collision portion 26, a Karman vortex is formed within the vortex generating path 22, and hot or cold water spouted from the hot or cold water collision portion 26 reciprocally oscillates.
(30) Note that of the hot or cold water collision portion 26, the surface area of the surface on which hot or cold water flowing from the water supply passage 20 collides, i.e., the flow path cross sectional area in the part of the water supply passage 20 blocked off by the hot or cold water collision portion 26, is constituted to be larger than the flow path cross sectional area of the spout port passage 24.
(31) FIG. 6 shows an expanded cross section of the spout head 12. As described earlier, the sprinkler packing 4 is affixed so as to be sandwiched between the spout head main unit 120 and the sprinkler plate 18. At this point, the sprinkler packing 4 also serves as a seal member for sealing between the spout head main unit 120 and the sprinkler plate 18, and has a seal portion 40 for making a watertight seal between the two. By being pressed by both elements, the seal portion 40 serves as a structure for assuring watertightness. Left alone, deformation caused by pressing causes the entire soft sprinkler packing 4 to spread out, such that the oscillating elements 2 and the spout nozzles 16 also distort, affecting spouting. To inhibit this, a deformation limiting portion 42 is disposed close to the seal portion 40. By this deformation limiting portion 42, distortion of the seal portion 40 is cut off further upstream than the oscillating element 2, so that distortion of the oscillating elements 2 or the spout nozzles 16 is suppressed, and aesthetic spouting is maintained.
(32) A part of the sprinkler packing 4 is disposed with a tiny gap as a deformation limiting member 6 in the vicinity of the oscillating elements 2. As described below, this deformation limiting member 6 is provided to suppress expansion of the oscillating elements 2 caused by water pressure. Note that damage to the oscillating elements 2 through contact with the deformation limiting member 6 when the spout apparatus 1 is assembled can be suppressed by forming a tiny gap between the deformation limiting member 6 and the oscillating elements 2.
(33) Next we explain the arrangement for removing scale in the present invention, referring to the FIGS. 7A-7D schematic.
(34) Scale occurs when silica or calcium contained in municipal water is gradually deposited on the wall surface of a water conduit. In the spout apparatus 1, as shown in FIG. 7A, there is gradual deposit and accumulation on the spout nozzles 16, the water supply passage 20, the vortex generating path 22, the spout port passage 24, and so forth. When scale adheres and deposits at such locations, it affects the generation of Karman vortices and spouting, so there is a potential that spout water oscillation or spouting itself will distort.
(35) At this point, pressure is applied by a finger or the like from the side surface of the spout port passage 24 projecting on the surface of the sprinkler plate 18, as shown in FIG. 7B. When this happens, as shown in FIG. 7C, deformation of the spout port passage 24 is transmitted to the water supply passage 20, and scale falls off due to the respective deformations. When water is spouted in this state, as shown in FIG. 7D, the fallen scale is flushed out and removed from the oscillating element 2.
(36) As shown in FIG. 8, the oscillating element 2 comprises a soft member as the sprinkler packing 4 in an integrated piece with the spout nozzles 16, the seal portion 40, etc. Thus multiple functions such as sealing between the sprinkler plate 18 and the spout head main unit 120 can be given to a single member without transferring the deformation of the oscillating element 2 spout port passage 24 to the vortex generating path 22, and without providing separate seal members.
(37) As shown in FIG. 9, multiple oscillating elements 2 are disposed on the sprinkler packing 4. At this point, the sprinkler packing 4 and the reverse surface of the sprinkler plate 18 make contact around the respective oscillating elements 2 and act as an affixing portion. Thus when force is applied such that an oscillating element 2 spout port passage 24 deforms, the locations reached by the deformation are limited to the area surrounding each of the oscillating elements 2. Stated different, the force applied to the spout port passage 24 can be utilized to distort each of the oscillating elements 2 so that scale can be efficiently removed. If affixing portions are not provided in this way, force is absorbed by the deformation of the entire sprinkler packing 4, and there is a possibility that the vortex generating path 22 will not deform well, and scale will not be fully removed.
(38) FIGS. 10A-10D schematically shows the appearance when water pressure is applied to the oscillating elements 2 in a comparative example. In this comparative example there is no deformation limiting member 6 provided, in contrast to the invention embodiment. When no water pressure is applied, no deformation occurs, as shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B. When a certain water pressure or greater is applied, however, then as shown in FIGS. 10C and 10D, the oscillating elements 2 composed of a soft material distort greatly to the outside due to the water pressure on the vortex generating path 22 and the like. Because oscillation of spout water in the oscillating elements 2 varies depending on the size of the Karman vortex generated in the vortex generating path 22, large changes of this part lead to a risk that spouting may not occur as planned. Also, since there is also spreading in the height direction, as shown in FIG. 10D, there is a risk that the hot or cold water collision portion 26 will be greatly pulled in the long direction, ultimately breaking.
(39) In comparison, FIGS. 11A and 11B schematically show the appearance when water pressure is applied to the oscillating elements 2 in an embodiment of the invention. In the embodiment, a deformation limiting member 6 is disposed close to the oscillating elements 2. By this means, expansion of the oscillating elements 2 can be suppressed by the deformation limiting member 6 even when water pressure is applied to the oscillating elements 2 composed of a soft material. In other words, specified dimensions for the oscillating elements 2 can be maintained even when significant water pressure is acting thereon.
(40) FIGS. 12A and 12B shows a oscillating elements 2 in a variant example of the invention. In this variant example, because expansion of the oscillating elements 2 under the action of water pressure is suppressed, a water pressure action portion 60 is provided in place of the deformation limiting member of the embodiment. By placing this water pressure action portion around the side surfaces of the vortex generating path 22, the water pressure acting in a direction which spreads the vortex generating path 22 from inside balances the water pressure acting to shrink the vortex generating path 22 from the outside, with the result that expansion of the oscillating elements 2 can be suppressed.
(41) In the embodiment of the present invention, as in the variant example, the oscillating elements 2 are constituted by a soft material so as to suppress the expansion of the oscillating elements 2; scale can be removed and specified dimensions can be maintained even when a high water pressure acts upon the oscillating elements, so that spouting can be maintained and the durability of the oscillating elements 2 can be improved.
(42) Note that in the spout port passage 24, as shown in FIG. 4, the long direction second wall surface portions 244 are thicker than the short direction first wall surface portions 242. By making thicker long direction first wall surface portions 242 on which oscillating kinetic energy acts in addition to water pressure, the durability of the first wall surface portions 242, which contribute to formation of the oscillation, can be improved, and the occurrence of cracks and the like can be suppressed. Also, deformation of the first wall surface portions 242 can be suppressed and oscillating spouting at a desired amplitude can be accomplished, even when a high water pressure is imparted to the spout port passage 24.
(43) On the other hand the second wall surface portions 244 may have a thin constitution; i.e., they may be formed to deform easily. Thus deformation can be accomplished by deforming with a light force even when removing scale by deforming with a finger or the like.
(44) The above completes an explanation of the present invention with reference to an embodiment. The present invention is not limited to the embodiment above, and may be designed as appropriate within the scope of the invention. For example, an oscillating element alone may be used as the type of water spouting, or three or four types may be combined and used. Also, the vortex generating passage may be formed by a hard material and integrally formed with the spout port passage.
DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
(45) spout apparatus: 1 spout apparatus body: 10 spout head: 12 spout head main unit: 120 holding portion: 14 water supply path: 140 spout nozzle: 16 sprinkler plate: 18 oscillating elements: 2 water supply passage: 20 vortex generating path: 22 spout port passage: 24 first wall surface portions: 242 second wall surface portions: 244 hot or cold water collision portion: 26 sprinkler packing: 4 seal portion: 40 deformation limiting portion: 42 affixing portion: 44 deformation limiting member: 6 water pressure action portion: 60
