JPH1121968A - Bathtub drainage device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [PROBLEMS] To provide a drain plug device which is also used as a safety device for an automatic hot water supply device which does not supply hot water if the user forgets to close the plug. SOLUTION: An operation button 63 returns to a position before the ascending limit at the time of opening, and returns to the ascending limit position at the time of closing. The return height position of the operation button 63 or the predetermined portion of the operation shaft 62 differs between the time of closing and the time of opening, and the switch D for turning on the controller C1 at the predetermined position of the operation button 63 or the operation shaft 62 at the time of closing is changed. The controller C1 is turned off and the automatic water heater C is not operated by utilizing the difference in the return position of the operation button 63 or the predetermined portion of the operation shaft 62 at the time of opening.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a drain plug device for remotely controlling the opening and closing of a drain plug in a bathtub by an operation unit installed at an arbitrary position. More specifically, an automatic hot water supply device does not operate when the drain plug is opened. The present invention relates to a drain plug device which is also used as a safety device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a drain plug device that remotely controls the opening and closing of a drain plug in a drain section by operating an operating member provided on an upper edge surface or the like of a bathtub is, for example, an operating member and an operating force transmission mechanism. (For example, a striated body), and the operating body is moved up and down by pushing and pulling the operating body to open and close the drain plug. Also, the operating body and the drain disclosed in JP-A-5-346029 are disclosed. Various types have been developed, such as a type in which an operating force transmission mechanism (a thrust lock mechanism and a transmission linear body or the like) is communicated with a plug and an operating body is vertically moved to alternately hold and release the open state of the drain plug. The above drain plug device can push and pull the operating body, and can open and close the water tap of the bathtub only by the pushing operation. Further, the height of the operating body is different between when the plug is opened and when the plug is closed, so that the state of the drain plug can be confirmed only by looking at the operating body.

[0003]

Nowadays, automatic water heaters for automatically supplying hot water to bathtubs have become quite popular in ordinary households. Remote control of a controller of the automatic water heater enables a desired amount of water to be supplied. Hot water can be easily set by setting the temperature. That is, when doing housework in a living room, kitchen, or the like that is separated from the bathroom, or when going out, the controller can be remotely operated to supply hot water. However, in the above drain plug device, since the opening and closing of the plug is a manual operation, the controller of the automatic hot water supply device is operated by remote control while the plug is in the open state, and the hot water is drained as it is for a long time. There are many problems that can be very uneconomical without noticing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a drain plug device that also serves as a safety device that does not supply hot water when an automatic hot water supply device is left unplugged.

[0005]

Technical means taken to achieve the above object are a drainage part having a drainage plug for opening and closing a drainage port at the bottom of a bathtub, and the drainage plug has an operating force transmission mechanism. A push operation unit having an operation body which is remotely connected via the operating force transmission mechanism to open and close the drain plug connected through the
In the drain plug device in which the position of the predetermined position of the operating member or the component of the operating force transmission mechanism at the time of opening and closing the drain plug is different, the controller of the automatic water heater is turned on when the predetermined position at the time of closing is detected. And the controller of the automatic water heater is turned off when the predetermined position is not detected.
That is, a detecting means for performing the detection is provided.

The operating force transmitting mechanism may be any mechanism that can open and close the drain cock by pushing the operating body and hold the position of the operating body at the time of opening and closing. For example, the operating body is pushed. And a structure in which a drain plug is opened and closed by pulling, and a structure is provided in which a sliding resistance is applied to an operating body so that the operating body does not move up and down unless it is artificially operated to maintain a predetermined position.

The operating force transmitting mechanism may be provided with a striated body for transmitting the pressing force of the operating body and a thrust lock mechanism.

The above-mentioned predetermined position means a stop position at the time of opening and closing the components of the operating force transmitting mechanism which is moved by pushing, and examples of the components include an operating body and an operating shaft. .

The above-mentioned detecting means turns on the switch when a predetermined position of the operating member or the component of the operating force transmitting mechanism at the time of closure is turned on.
Then, a controller that turns on the controller, a controller that turns on the controller based on an output of a sensor that detects the predetermined position when the plug is closed, and the like are given. ON / OFF of the controller means stopping and activating the function of the controller, such as turning on / off the power circuit of the controller and turning on / off the output circuit to the water heater in the controller. (OF
In F), the water heater does not operate, and only when the function is activated (ON), the water heater operates by remote control operation or manual operation.

The operation of the above-mentioned technical means is as follows. When the operating body is pushed to close the drain plug, a predetermined position of the operating body or a constituent member of the operating force conversion mechanism is detected, and the controller of the automatic water heater is turned on. I do. On the other hand, when the operation body is pushed to open the drain plug, it is not detected and the controller of the automatic water heater is turned off. Therefore, hot water cannot be supplied at the time of opening, and hot water can be supplied at the time of closing, by utilizing the positional difference between the predetermined positions at the time of opening and closing.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 3 show an example of an embodiment of a drain plug device A according to the present invention. The drain plug device A includes a drain section 1 provided at the bottom of a bathtub,
And an operating portion 6 provided on the upper edge surface b of the bathtub B, for example, and an operating force transmitting mechanism A1 connecting the both.

The drain section 1 includes a drain pipe 2 having a drain port 21 fixed to the bottom of a bathtub, a drain plug 11 for opening and closing the drain port 21, and a support shaft 1 vertically provided on a lower surface of the drain plug 11.
And 2. The support shaft 12 of the drain plug 11 is vertically movably inserted into a mechanical box 3 which constitutes a part of an operating force transmitting mechanism A1 described later. Moves up and down to open and close the drain port 21.

The operating section 6 has a bottomed cylindrical operating cylinder 7 fixed to the upper edge surface b of the bathtub B, a release guide 8 attached to the operating cylinder 7, and a vertically movable movable member. And an operation body 61 to be guided.

The release guide 8 is fixedly screwed into a lower end of the guide cylinder 81 and a guide cylinder 81 penetratingly mounted on the operation cylinder 7.
, A striatum A10 constituting a part of the operating force transmission mechanism A1
And a housing cylinder 82 having a housing recess 821 for housing.

The guide cylinder 81 has an attachment flange 812 which is hooked on the bottom surface of the operation cylinder 7 at the upper end, and a female thread 811 which is threaded on the inner surface at the lower end.

The operating body 61 has an operating shaft 62 penetrating the guide cylinder 81 so as to be vertically movable, and an operating button 63 fixed to the upper end of the operating shaft 62 and vertically moving close to the inner peripheral surface of the operating cylinder 7. It is composed of The operating shaft 62 has an O-ring 621 provided on the outer periphery thereof, which is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the guide cylinder 81, and a flange 6 protruding from the lower end of the guide cylinder 81.
22 are integrally formed. An O-ring 631 is provided on the outer periphery of the operation button 63 to contact the inner peripheral surface of the operation cylinder.

The housing cylinder 82 is provided with a male screw portion 822 which is screwed to the female screw portion 811 of the guide tube on the upper outer periphery. The operation shaft 6 is provided on the bottom of the guide cylinder 81.
One end of a linear body A10 directly connected to a plunger 13 'for vertically moving the plunger 2 is inserted and fixed, and a spring 100 for urging the operation shaft 62 upward is moved to the plunger 13'.
It is arranged around.

The operating force transmitting mechanism A1 includes a mechanical box 3 having a built-in thrust lock mechanism 4, and a striated body A10 for operating the thrust lock mechanism 4. The thrust lock mechanism 4 locks the support shaft 12 at one end of the vertical movement path, and then repeats the operation of releasing the lock. The thrust lock mechanism 4 allows the mechanical box 3 and the mechanical box 3 to move up and down. It is engaged with the inserted support shaft 12. The striated body A10 is composed of a core material (core) A11 formed in a coil shape with a wire material such as a steel wire, and a core guide A12 slidably covered with the core material. Further, in this linear body A10, the plunger 13 is directly connected to the core material A11 at one end side as described above, and the plunger cylinder 5 is integrally connected to the core guide A12 at the other end side. Core material in jar 5
A11 and plunger 13 are directly connected.

The plunger cylinder 5 is erected on the bottom surface of the mechanical box 3 by screwing in, and the plunger 13 can be protruded and retracted in the mechanical box 3 by operating the operation body 61 described above. Above plunger cylinder 5
Is a recess 12A recessed in the axial direction from the lower end of the support shaft 12.
The support shaft 12 is pushed up by the plunger 13 which is loosely inserted therein and protected by the plunger cylinder 5 pushing up the bottom of the concave portion 12A.

A fixing ring 41, a rotating ring 42, and an engaging wall 31 of a thrust lock mechanism 4 which are removably engaged with each other are provided on the outer periphery of the support shaft 12 and the inner peripheral surface of the mechanical box 3.

The fixing ring 41 is provided with teeth (not shown) continuously formed in a sawtooth shape at the upper end edge of the ring, and projections (not shown) are provided on the outer periphery thereof at intervals of 90 degrees to support the support shaft. 12
Is fitted and fixed to the upper part of the outer periphery of the cylindrical body 12A.
The rotating ring 42 has teeth (not shown) formed at the lower end edge of the ring similarly to the fixing ring 41 and is engaged with and linked to the rotating ring 42, and has a projection (not shown) on the outer periphery thereof. It is freely and rotatably fitted to the outer periphery of the cylindrical body 12A.

The engaging wall 31 extends vertically at 90-degree intervals on the inner peripheral surface of the mechanical box 3, and projects from the fixing ring 41 (not shown) and the rotating ring 42 (not shown). )
And a guide groove (not shown) for engaging the projection (not shown) of the rotating ring 42 in a detachable manner at the upper end edge of the guide groove 31A. Has formed.

In the drain plug device A thus configured, the operating button 63 of the operating unit 6 is pressed down to move the support shaft 12 pushed up by the plunger 13 through the striated body A10 to move the supporting shaft 12 up and down. At one end side (the upper end side of the vertical movement path in the drawing) of the thrust lock mechanism 4 is locked by meshing with the teeth (not shown) of the upper end edge of the engagement wall 31; The drain plug 11 is kept open (see FIG. 3).

Next, when the operation button 63 is pressed down, the rotating ring 42 is disengaged from the upper end edge of the engaging wall 31 by the meshing linkage with the fixing ring 41 and is simultaneously rotated to release the lock. It is possible to alternately open and close the drain plug 11 which is lowered by its own weight to be in the closed state (see FIG. 1).

The spring 100 is moved from the lower limit position of the operation button 63 (the position where the lower surface of the operation button 63 contacts the upper surface of the release guide 8) with the operation of pressing down the operation button 63 when opening the operation button 63. Is formed so as to have a length (L) just enough to urge it to the position before the ascending limit (solid line in FIG. 2), and is not compressed by its own weight of the operation button 63, but is compressed for the first time by an artificial depression operation. Set to force.

The weight of the operation button 63 is lighter than that of the drain plug 11.

Therefore, when the drain plug 11 is closed, the upper surface of the operation button 63 is flush with the upper surface of the operation cylinder 7,
When the drain plug 11 is opened, the upper surface of the operation button 63 is held at a position lower than the upper surface of the operation cylinder 7, so that the return position of the operation button is different. That is, since the predetermined position of the operation button 63 at the time of opening / closing the drain plug 11 is different, the opening / closing state can be confirmed by visually observing the operation unit 6.

A DC circuit C2 for the controller C1 in the automatic hot water supply device C is provided at the bottom of the accommodation recess 821.
Detection means D for N, OFF control is provided. In the present embodiment, a case is shown in which the detection means D is a switch (to be described with a reference character D in the following).

The switch D has been subjected to a waterproofing process as a whole. The switch D is inserted through the bottom of the housing cylinder 82 and is fixed by screws 20. In the figure, reference numeral 200 denotes a packing for waterproofing, which together with the waterproofing of the switch D and the O-rings 621 and 631 of the operating body 61 prevents water from entering the inside of the switch D in the event of water leakage, thereby preventing a leakage accident. It is possible to do. The switch D may be of a structure that retracts when pressed and returns when released, or a structure that repeats ascending and descending each time it is pressed and that maintains its lowered position.

The switch D is used for opening the operation button 6
3, that is, the operation button 6
Operation button 63 in the state shown in FIG.
At the height of the operation shaft 62, the height is set so as to be in contact with the flange portion 622 of the operation shaft 62 and pushed.
2 to turn on DC circuit C2 for controller C1
When the FF is turned on and the stopper is closed as shown in FIG.
3 rises flush with the upper surface of the operation cylinder 7, and the flange 622 moves away from the switch D accordingly, so that the DC circuit C2 for the controller C1 is turned on. That is, the switch D detects a predetermined position of the flange portion 622 that moves up and down with the up and down movement of the predetermined position when the operation button 63 is opened and closed, and turns ON and OFF the DC circuit C2 of the controller C1.
Have been to be.

Therefore, when the hot water supply temperature, hot water supply start time and the like are input by direct input or remote input to the operation panel C5, and the drain plug 11 is opened due to forgetting to close, the switch D is connected to the DC circuit of the controller C1. To turn off C2, the water heater C3 and the solenoid valve C4 become inoperable. When the drain plug 11 is closed, the DC circuit C2 for the controller C1 is turned on, and the water heater C3 is operable. The electromagnetic valve C4 is opened to enable automatic hot water supply. (See Fig. 8)

Hereinafter, another embodiment of the drain plug device A according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The same parts as those in the above-described embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

The drain plug device A includes a thrust lock mechanism 4
Is provided in the operation unit 6, and a mechanical box 9 in which the thrust lock mechanism 4 is built in the operation cylinder 7 in the operation unit 6.
Is installed. The structure of the drainage section 1 is a well-known structure which pushes up a support shaft 12 for supporting the drainage plug 11 by a plunger directly connected to the striatum A10, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

The thrust lock mechanism 4 includes a movable locking portion 10 that is vertically movable and non-rotatably inserted into the mechanical box 9 and has a locking tooth 101 at an end on the forward side, and the movable locking portion 10. It is rotatably attached to the fixing ring 41 fixed to the operation shaft 62 of the penetrating operation body 61 and the plunger 13 'directly connected to the core material A11 of the striated body A10, and each time the operation shaft 62 is pushed and moved. A rotating ring 42 which is advanced by the fixed ring 41 and locks and unlocks the locking teeth 101, is mounted between the mechanical box 9 and the rotating ring 42, and the rotating ring 42 is attached to the movable locking portion 10. And a spring 300 acting in a direction to push up the movable locking portion 10 and the mechanical box 9.
And a shock absorber E opposed to the above.

The mechanical box 9 is formed in a cylindrical shape with two guide grooves 91 extending in the axial direction from the upper end to the middle in the inner periphery thereof.
Is formed, and the movable locking portion 10 and the shock absorber E are provided in a range where the guide groove 91 in the mechanical box 9 is formed.
Are arranged. Note that the shock absorber E may have a shock-absorbing function, and for example, a spring or the like may be used.

The movable locking portion 10 has an upper end in the axial direction as a bottom portion,
The fixed ring 41 and the rotating ring 42 are formed in a cylindrical shape having a concave portion that slides in the axial direction. A fixed ring 41 and a rotating ring 42
Is formed in the guide groove 103 for guiding the shaft in the axial direction.
Further, a projection 102 that fits into the guide groove 91 is formed on the outer periphery of the movable locking portion 10.
, The movable locking portion 10 can move up and down with respect to the mechanical box 9 and cannot rotate. The movable locking portion thus formed is constantly urged downward by the shock absorber E in the vertical movement.

The fixed ring 41 and the rotating ring 42 are the same as those in the above-described embodiment. The fixed ring 41 is fixed to the tip of the operation shaft 62 and can move up and down with respect to the movable locking portion 10. And cannot be rotated. The rotating ring 42 is rotatably attached to the plunger 13 'connecting the linear body A10, and
The locking ring 41 is moved forward and backward by the fixing ring 41 each time the operation button 63 is pressed to unlock and unlock the locking teeth 101. or,
The rotating ring 42 is held by a compression spring S attached between the ring and the plunger 13 '.

The operating body 61 is held by a spring 300 interposed between the bottom of the mechanical box 9 and the plunger 13 '. Therefore, when the operation button 63 is pushed down to the lower limit position to release the lock between the rotating ring 42 and the locking teeth 101, the operation button 63 is pushed upward by the repulsive force of the spring 300, and the upper limit position is maintained.
When the operation button 63 is pushed down again to the lower limit position, the rotating ring 42 rotates in a direction in which the rotating ring 42 is locked with the locking teeth 101. , And the operation button 63 is held at this locked position, that is, at a position before the lower limit.

With the above-described structure, even if the drain plug 11 is accidentally stepped on the plug-like body and a large load is applied to the plunger 13 ', the load can be moved via the operation shaft 62. The shock absorber E absorbs and alleviates the shock while pushing the locking portion 10 upward, so that the destruction of the thrust lock mechanism 4 is prevented.

The operating cylinder 7 in the operating section 6 thus constructed
The detection means (switch) D of the DC circuit C2 for the controller C1 in the automatic hot water supply device C is attached to the bottom of the.

The switch D is used for opening the operation button 6
3, that is, the height of the operation button 63 in the state shown in FIG. 2 in which the upper surface is one step lower than the upper surface of the operation cylinder 7,
When the button is opened, the DC circuit C2 for the controller C1 is turned off by pressing the operation button 63 when the button is opened, and when the valve is closed as shown in FIG. The controller C1 rises flush with the upper surface of the operation cylinder 7 and moves away from the switch D.
Is turned on. That is, the switch D
A predetermined position when the operation button 63 is opened and closed is detected, and the DC circuit C2 of the controller C1 is turned ON and OFF. As described above, when the switch D is opened, a load is applied to the drain cock so that the operation button 63 is pressed.
When the operating button 63 is raised, the hot water may be supplied by being turned on in the open state. Therefore, even if the operation button 63 is raised, the OFF state can be maintained. It is good to use the thing of the structure which can hold | maintain the state while repeating.

The attachment means such as the mechanical box 9 attached to the operation section 6 and the drain section 1 include:
As shown in the present embodiment, the operation cylinder 7 and the drainage cylinder 2 are provided with the insertion holding cylinder F in which the lower half portion is cut in the axial direction to form the elastic holding piece F1. While the convex portion F2 is formed inside the tip portion, a groove G facing the convex portion F2 is provided around the outer periphery of the mechanical box 9 and the like, and the mechanical box 9 and the like are inserted into the insertion holding tube F, The protrusion F2 may be fixed by elastically engaging the groove G.

Thus, when attaching and detaching the mechanical box 9 and the like, there is no need for any tools or parts for attachment, and it can be attached and detached by a one-touch operation of holding and pushing in by hand, and pulling and removing. In addition, even if a load greater than the locking force of the elastic holding tube F is applied to the mechanical box 9 or the like from below by an obstacle or the like during transportation of the bathtub, the mechanical box 9 is automatically disengaged and the operation unit 6 and the drainage unit 1 are damaged. Can be prevented beforehand.

Although the above embodiment has been described in detail based on the type in which the operating body is operated up and down, for example, the thrust lock mechanism is operated by pushing the operating body in a direction orthogonal to the side wall surface of the bathtub. It can also be of a type that is kept open and closed by the combined use of a wire and a striatum. In this case, the structure is the same as that of the above-described embodiment except that the operation unit is oriented in a direction perpendicular to the back side of the side wall of the bathtub.

The detecting means D is not limited to a switch, but may be any sensor that detects a predetermined position of the operating body as described above. The detection point may be any part as long as its position can be changed at the time of opening and closing the operation button and the operation shaft connected to the operation button as described above. Further, when the operating force transmission mechanism is a kick lever type in which a predetermined position is quantitatively changed, such as a type in which opening and closing are performed by pushing and pulling an operating body, the switch is turned ON by the kick lever. The controller may be turned off or the controller may be turned on when a sensor detects a difference between the predetermined positions.

Although not included in the present invention, in addition to the above-described manual operation of opening and closing the drain plug device, for example, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 in JP-A-5-346029. Alternatively, an automatic operation type may be used in which a cam is rotated by driving a motor by a switch operation, and the operation body is pushed by the rotation of the cam to open and close the stopper.

According to the present invention, the position of the predetermined position of the operating body or the constituent member of the operating force transmitting mechanism is different between when the plug is closed and when the plug is opened, and when the plug is closed, the predetermined position is detected and the controller is turned on. Therefore, it is possible to provide a drain plug device that also serves as an excellent safety device that does not supply hot water from the automatic hot water supply device when the plug is opened. In addition, since the controller of the automatic water heater is turned ON and OFF by focusing on the point that the predetermined position of the operating body or the constituent member in the operating force transmission mechanism differs between the time of opening and the time of closing, the detection means is provided. Nevertheless, retrofitting is very easy.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of an embodiment of the present invention and showing a state where a drain port is closed.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line (2)-(2) of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a state in which a drain port of the drain plug device is opened.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the embodiment of the present invention and showing a state where a drain port is closed.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a state in which a drain port of the drain plug device is opened.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along lines (6)-(6) of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line (7)-(7) of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a state where the water heater is incorporated in an automatic hot water supply apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

A: Drain tap device B: Bathtub 1: Drain section
11: Drain tap 4: Thrust lock mechanism 6: Operation unit 61:
Operation body 62: Operation button 63: Operation axis C: Automatic water heater C1: Controller C2: DC circuit
D: Switch A1: Operating force transmission mechanism 7: Operation cylinder 8: Release guide

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A drainage unit having a drainage plug for opening and closing a drainage port at the bottom of a bathtub, and the drainage plug is connected via an operating force transmission mechanism to open and close the drainage plug remotely via the operating force transmission mechanism. A push operation unit having an operation body to be operated, wherein the drain plug is opened, the predetermined position of the component of the operating body or the operating force transmission mechanism at the time of closure is different in the position of the drain plug device,
Detecting means for turning on the controller of the automatic water heater when detecting the predetermined position at the time of closing and turning off the controller of the automatic water heater when not detecting the predetermined position. Stopper device.