JPH0215478Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) This invention relates to a discharge device that can alternately and repeatedly discharge hot water and water in a pulsating flow.

(Prior art) A rotary body that is rotated by water flow is arranged in the spout of a shower head, and hot water or water is intermittently discharged through an opening formed in a part of the rotary body. Shower devices that discharge and generate so-called pulsating flow are already commercially available. This shower device was intended to stimulate the skin by the pulsating flow discharged intermittently and to have a pine surge effect, such as alleviating stiff shoulders.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) However, this shower device has a structure that can discharge only hot water or water intermittently, and the alternating switching from hot water to cold water and from cold to hot water is done by the faucet itself. This could only be done by opening and closing the handle. Therefore, this device can provide thermal and cold stimulation, which is said to have excellent effects on stiff shoulders, etc.
That is, the alternating repetition of hot stimulation by hot water and cold stimulation by water is extremely troublesome, as the handle of the faucet body must be opened and closed each time.

In view of the above-mentioned problems, this invention allows the handle of the faucet body to remain in a constant state, that is, without the need for opening/closing operations, and automatically repeats hot water and cold water alternately, and moreover, in a pulsating flow. It is an object of the present invention to provide a discharge device capable of discharging.

(Means for solving the problem) Therefore, in order to achieve the above purpose, this invention
It consists of the following composition. That is, the discharge device according to this invention includes a water inlet into which water flows, a mixed hot water inlet into which a mixture of hot water and water flows, and a valve body that opens and closes both of these ports. Then, this valve body is operated by a temperature actuator that is sensitive to temperature changes between the water and the mixed hot water, and the water inlet and the mixed hot water inlet are automatically opened and closed alternately. and water are alternately discharged.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example in which the discharge device according to the invention is embodied in a thermostatic mixing valve with shower will be described based on FIGS. 1 to 3.

Reference numeral 1 in the figure is a thermostatic mixing valve body that automatically controls the temperature of mixed hot water by operating a control valve using a thermoelement that is sensitive to changes in the temperature of mixed hot water. 2 is the temperature control handle,
3 is a switching handle that switches the flow of hot water to the discharge pipe 4 or to the first shower head 5, which is usually a shower.

Separately from the first shower head 5, a second shower head 6 is attached to the valve body 1, which discharges hot water and water alternately and in a pulsating manner. The discharge device A for discharging hot water and water to the second shower head 6 is shown in detail in FIG.

That is, the discharge device A is provided in an insertion hole 7 formed in the upper part of the main body 1, and one end thereof is closed by a screwing lid 8. 9 is a water inlet into which water supplied from a water supply source flows; 10 is a main body 1
This is a mixed hot water inlet into which a mixture of hot water and cold water whose temperature is controlled to a predetermined temperature by a known thermostat (not shown) built into the inlet, and these two ports 9 and 10 are , and communicates with the insertion hole 7. The mixed hot water supplied to the mixed hot water inlet 10 is hot water having a temperature within a predetermined temperature range set relatively high by the temperature control handle 2.

A hot water valve seat 11 is provided on the inner end surface of the lid 8, and
A water valve seat 12 is formed on one end surface of the opening of the water inlet 9, respectively. 13 corresponds to the hot water valve seat 11 and the water valve seat 12, respectively. Hot water valve 14 and water valve 1
The valve body is a cylindrical valve body having a cylindrical shape 5, and is movable back and forth in its axial direction so as to alternately approach and separate from the hot water valve seat 11 and the water valve seat 12. Here, desirably, the length l between the two valves 14 and 15 is slightly smaller than the distance between the hot water valve seat 11 and the water valve seat 12, that is, the length l between the hot water valve 14 and the water valve seat 11 is formed by the hot water valve 14 and the water valve seat 11. The gap or the gap formed between the water valve 15 and the water valve seat 12 is configured to be as small as possible. A water inlet 16 is formed together with the water valve 15 by cutting out a part of the circumferential surface of the valve body 13, and when the water valve 15 is not in close contact with the water valve seat 12, water is allowed to flow through the water inlet 9. is starting to flow into the country.

Further, the valve body 13 includes a partition plate portion 17 integrally formed at its front end, and this partition plate portion 17
By loading a spring 18 between the water valve 15 and the lid 8, the water valve 15 is pressed against the water valve seat 12. Reference numeral 19 denotes a through hole formed through the partition plate portion 17.

20 is a temperature actuator equipped with a temperature sensing part 21 that senses temperature changes, and a base end part 22 thereof.
passes through the center of the partition plate portion 17, and is prevented from coming off from the valve body 13 by an E ring 23. An element that expands and contracts in response to temperature changes, such as wax, is enclosed within the temperature sensing section 21, and the expansion or contraction of this element allows the rod 24 to move in and out from its tip.

However, it is preferable that the sensitivity of the temperature sensing part 21 is not very sensitive, and it is preferable that the rod appears and disappears in response to a temperature change, for example, after several seconds. For this purpose, a wax with slow response may be selected, or the thickness of the case forming the temperature sensing portion 21 may be increased. Further, the temperature sensing section 21 is set in advance to be sensitive to temperatures within a predetermined temperature range.

25 is a rod receiver recessed in the vertical wall of the main body forming the insertion hole 7; 26 is a seat plate attached and fixed to the front end of the actuator 20 by an E-ring 27; this seat plate 26 and the partition plate Part 17
A safety spring 28 is loaded between the two. spring 2
The elasticity of spring 8 is made larger than that of spring 18. 2
Reference numeral 9 indicates a through hole formed through the seat plate 27, and reference numeral 30 indicates a discharge port for discharging hot water or water flowing into the temperature sensing portion 21 side to the second shower head 6.

Note that 31 is a switching lever for discharging hot water to the second shower head 6.

(Function) Now, the function of the discharge device according to the present example configured as described above will be explained.

First, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the switching lever 3 is switched to a water-stop state, that is, so that hot water cannot be discharged to either the discharge pipe 4 or the first shower head 5. On the other hand, the switching lever 31 is opened so that hot water can be discharged from the second shower head 6.

Next, the temperature control handle 2 is rotated, and the temperature of the mixed hot water is controlled to a constant temperature by the thermostat inside the main body 1. The temperature of the mixed hot water at this time needs to be set within a predetermined temperature range that the temperature sensing section 21 is sensitive to.

The mixed hot water controlled to a predetermined temperature flows into the discharge device A through the mixed hot water inlet 10 and passes through the through hole 19 to immerse the temperature sensing portion 21 . Then, the temperature sensing section 21 senses the temperature of this mixed hot water, and the wax sealed inside expands. Due to this expansion, the rod 24 is pushed out and presses against the rod receiver 25. Due to the reaction force, the temperature actuator 20 as a whole receives a force in the direction of arrow P, which is transmitted to the valve body 13 via the safety spring 28. Therefore, the valve body 13 moves in the direction of the lid 8,
The hot water valve 14 contacts the hot water valve seat 11 and closes the mixed hot water inlet 10. At the same time, the water valve 15 separates from the water valve seat 12 to open the water inlet 9, and the discharge device A
Water flows inside instead of hot water. The inflowing water is
The temperature sensing section 21 is cooled through the through hole 19. Then, the internal wax contracts and the rod 24 sinks in, so that the reaction force also disappears. Therefore, the valve body 13 moves in the opposite direction to the lid 8 due to the elasticity of the spring 18,
The water valve 15 contacts the water valve seat 12 and closes the water inlet 9, while the mixed hot water inlet 10 opens again to allow mixed hot water to flow in. This will be repeated thereafter.

In this way, the discharge device A alternately and automatically opens and closes the hot water inlet 10 and the water inlet 9 using the valve body 13, and allows a pulsating flow in which hot water and water are alternately repeated to the discharge outlet. Discharge from 30.

However, if the sensitivity of the temperature sensor 21 is very sensitive, the hot water inlet 10 and the water inlet 9 may open and close alternately in an extremely short period of time, and the hot water and water may be mixed. Therefore, in order to eliminate this mixing as much as possible, the sensitivity of the temperature sensing part 21 is made dull as described above, so that even if it is immersed in hot water, it will not be able to immediately sense the temperature change. It is desirable to avoid this.

In addition, the length l between the hot water valve 14 and the water valve 15 is set to be slightly smaller than the distance between the hot water valve seat 11 and the water valve seat 12, that is, the gap between the hot water valve 14 and the hot water valve seat 11, Alternatively, if the gap between the water valve 15 and the water valve seat 12 is configured to be as small as possible, the opening and closing operations of the hot water valve 14 and the water valve 15 will be quick, and hot water and water can be mixed. excluded as far as possible.

Note that in this embodiment, the temperature actuator 2
Although an example has been shown in which the element sealed in the temperature sensing section 21 of 0 is wax, the present invention is not limited to this, and an element such as gas may be used. Furthermore, the temperature actuator may be of a bimetal type instead of such an element type, or may even be one that utilizes a shape memory alloy.

(Effects of the invention) As is clear from the detailed description above, the discharge device of this invention alternately supplies hot water and water.
Furthermore, it can be discharged in a pulsating manner. Therefore, if this pulsating flow is discharged by, for example, a shower head, it is possible to give hot and cold stimulation to the skin, which is extremely useful for treating stiff shoulders and other types of muscle damage.

In addition, since the alternating cycles between hot and cold water are performed automatically, there is no need for troublesome operations such as opening and closing the faucet's handle each time to switch from hot water to cold water.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a shower-equipped thermostatic mixing valve incorporating a discharge device according to this invention, FIG. 2 is a side view with a main part cut away, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the main part. 9...Water inlet, 10...Mixed hot water inlet, 13
... Valve body, 20 ... Temperature actuator.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A water inlet through which water flows, a mixed hot water inlet through which a mixture of hot water and cold water flows, and a valve body that opens and closes both these ports, and the valve body is connected to the temperature between the water and the mixed hot water. Discharge characterized in that hot water and water are alternately and repeatedly discharged by being actuated by a temperature actuator that is sensitive to changes and automatically opening and closing the water inlet and the mixed hot water inlet. Device.