The present invention pertains to a spouting apparatus for discharging hot or cold water while causing it to reciprocally oscillate.
Patent Documents 1-3 below set forth a spouting apparatus utilizing an oscillating phenomenon based on a fluid device. In such spout apparatuses, the spout water spray direction can be changed without providing a movable member, thus affording the advantage that a spout apparatus capable of spouting over a wide range can be achieved using a simple and compact constitution.
In the spout apparatus set forth in Patent Document 3 below, as shown in
However, when the spout apparatus set forth in Patent Document 3 is used over a long period in a region where there is high calcium content in the municipal water, the calcium component hardens on interior wall surfaces and the resulting scale adheres thereto. When scale adheres in this way to the inner wall surface of the spout port, the oscillation amplitude and oscillation frequency, etc. of the spout water changes, resulting in the problem that the desired spouting cannot be achieved. This scale is difficult to remove by force of water flow alone, but it is possible to remove by physical scraping, or by deforming the wall surface itself to which the scale is adhered. It is therefore preferable to form the spout port portion of an elastically deformable soft member, and to attach it to the spout apparatus body so that a user can manipulate and deform the spout port passage.
However when forming a spout port portion of an elastically deformable soft member, a new problem arises when, for example, even the Karman vortex generating portion is integrally formed of a soft member.
Specifically, when the vortex generating portion is formed by a soft member, the rise in internal pressure when water is supplied to the vortex generating portion leads to a risk of expansion deformation of the inner wall surface of the vortex generating portion. In a spout apparatus of this type, a desired vortex is produced by designing the gap between the flow path obstacle and the surrounding inner wall surface with a specified dimension. Therefore when the inner wall surface of the vortex generating portion expands and distorts, the above gap dimensions widen (cease to have the specified dimension), resulting in the risk that the desired vortex may not be produced. When this desired vortex ceases to occur, the spout water oscillation amplitude and amplitude frequency also change, leading to the problem that a desired spout water cannot be performed in the house.
The present invention was undertaken in light of these problems, and has the object, in a fluid device using Karman vortices, of providing a spout apparatus capable of preventing the vortex generating portion from expanding and deforming so that the desired Karman vortex cannot be produced, even when the spout port portion is formed of an elastically deformable soft member.
To solve the problems above, the spout apparatus of the present invention has a spout apparatus body, and an oscillating element attached to this spout apparatus body for discharging supplied hot or cold water while causing it to reciprocally oscillate. In addition, the oscillating element above has: a supply passage into which hot or cold water supplied from the spout apparatus body flows; a vortex generating passage, disposed on the downstream side of this supply passage and having a hot or cold water colliding portion placed so as to close off a portion of the flow path cross section, for generating vortices in alternating opposing directions on the downstream side thereof by the collision of a portion of the hot or cold water guided from the supply passage with this hot or cold water colliding portion; and a spout port passage, disposed on the downstream side of the vortex generating passage, for spouting hot or cold water containing vortex streets guided from the vortex street passage, while causing same to reciprocally oscillate. In addition, the spout port passage is formed by a soft member capable of elastic deformation, and is attached to the spout apparatus body so that a user can manipulate the spout port passage to deform it. Furthermore, the vortex generating passage is formed so as not expand and deform, even when internal pressure is raised by the supply of hot or cold water from the water supply passage.
In the invention thus constituted, hot or cold water discharged from a spout apparatus can be reciprocally oscillated using an oscillating element, therefore hot or cold water can be discharged over a wide range from a single spout port using a compact and simple structure. Also, the spouting direction can be changed without moving the discharge nozzle, therefore no problems such as wear of the movable portions occur, and a low cost, high durability spout apparatus can be provided. A user can easily remove scale adhering to the inner wall surface of the spout passage by manipulating the spout passage to deform it. In addition, by constituting the invention so that the vortex generating passage does not expand and deform, a specified dimension between an obstacle and its surrounding inside wall surfaces can be maintained even if water is supplied to the oscillating elements and the internal pressure in the vortex generating passage rises. Thus according to the present invention, an occurrence whereby the inside wall surface of the vortex generating portion expands and deforms such that the desired Karman vortex cannot be produced is prevented, even if the spout port portion is formed of an elastically deformable soft member.
In a spout apparatus according to the present invention, it is preferable for the vortex generating passage to be integrally formed of an elastically deformable soft member with the spout port passage, and for a deformation limiting portion for limiting the expansion deformation of the vortex generating passage to be disposed on the outer circumferential portion of the vortex generating passage.
In the invention thus constituted, when deformation of the spout port passage reaches the vortex generating passage, scale adhered to the vortex generating passage (including the obstacles and surrounding inside wall surfaces which exert a significant effect on oscillation spouting), which is difficult for a user to reach, can be removed. In addition, by manipulating and deforming the spout port passage, scale adhered to the spout port passage and scale adhere to the vortex generating passage can be simultaneously removed in a single operation by deforming the spout port passage and the vortex generating passage. By providing a deformation limiting portion, the specified dimension between the obstacle and its surrounding inside wall surfaces can be maintained, even when the vortex generating passage is formed by a soft member.
Also, in the spout apparatus pertaining to the present invention, the deformation limiting portion is preferably formed so that the vortex generating passage wall thickness is greater than that of the spout port passage.
In the invention thus constituted, by increasing the wall thickness of the vortex generating passage, the gap between the obstacle and the surrounding inside wall surfaces can be maintained at a specified dimension even if the vortex generating passage is formed by a soft member.
In the spout port passage of the present invention, the deformation limiting portion is preferably formed so that the pressure of hot or cold water flowing in the supply passage is applied to the outer wall surface of the vortex generating passage.
In the invention thus constituted, by applying the pressure of hot or cold water flowing in the supply passage to the outer wall surface of the vortex generating passage, pressure is applied to the vortex generating passage in opposite directions, from the inside and the outside. Thus the specified dimension between the obstacle and its surrounding inside wall surfaces can be maintained even when the vortex generating passage is formed by a soft member.
In the spout apparatus of the present invention, the deformation limiting portion is preferably a deformation limiting member formed separately from the spout port passage.
In the invention thus constituted, by providing a deformation limiting member formed separately from the spout port passage a specified dimension between the obstacle and the surrounding inner wall surfaces can be maintained even when the vortex generating passage is formed by a soft member.
Also, in the invention thus constituted it is preferable for the deformation limiting member to be disposed so that a tiny gap is formed relative to the vortex generating passage outer wall surface in a state whereby supply of hot or cold water from the supply passage to the vortex generating passage is stopped.
In the invention thus constituted, when the deformation limiting member is attached to the outer circumferential portion of the vortex generating passage, it prevents compressive deformation of the vortex generating passage. Thus the specified dimension between the obstacle and its surrounding inside wall surfaces can be maintained even when the vortex generating passage is formed by a soft member.
Also, in the invention thus constituted it is preferable for the deformation limiting member to be disposed to contact the vortex generating passage outer wall surface in a state whereby hot or cold water is being supplied from the supply passage to the vortex generating passage.
In the invention thus constituted, when water is supplied to the oscillating elements and the internal pressure in the vortex generating passage rises notwithstanding the provision of a tiny gap, expansion deformation is limited by contact of the vortex generating passage outer wall surface with the deformation limiting member, so a specified dimension can be maintained between the obstacle and its surrounding inner wall surfaces.
The present invention, in a fluid device utilizing Karman vortices, provides a spout apparatus capable of preventing expansion deformation of the vortex generating portion inner wall surface in such a way that a desired Karman vortex cannot be produced, even if the spout port portion is formed of an elastically deformable soft member.
Below, referring to figures, we explain the spout apparatus 1 in an embodiment of the present invention.
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.
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
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.
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.
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 expanding 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.
Next we explain the arrangement for removing scale in the present invention, referring to the
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
As shown in
As shown in
In comparison,
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 expanding 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.
Note that in the spout port passage 24, as shown in
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.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2015-244198 | Dec 2015 | JP | national |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20170165688 A1 | Jun 2017 | US |