JP7582895B2 - Valve mechanism and shower head - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a valve mechanism and a showerhead equipped with the valve mechanism.

There are known faucets that allow the state of hot and cold water discharged from the outlet to be switched by an operating member separate from the operating handle for stopping and starting the discharge. Such faucets can switch the state of water discharged from the outlet while the operating handle is held in the water discharge position. For example, they can be switched between a shower discharge state in which multiple thin streams of water are discharged and a straight discharge state in which one thick stream of water is discharged, or between a discharge state in which a stream of water is discharged and a stop state in which the discharge of the stream of water is stopped.

Patent Document 1 describes an invention relating to a valve mechanism that is installed inside a faucet that stops water discharge with an operating handle, and switches between a shower discharge state and a straight water discharge state. The valve mechanism has a water outlet body with an internal flow path, a switching valve body that switches the hot and cold water discharge state inside the water outlet body, and a switching button that is attached by a rotating shaft and controls the position of the switching valve body. A spring is attached to the switching button that biases it in a direction along the flow path, and an engaging element is attached to the tip of the spring. In addition, the water outlet body is formed with a pair of recesses with which the engaging elements engage. The pair of recesses, the spring, and the engaging element form a retention mechanism that holds the position of the switching button.

When the position of the switching valve body is changed by operating the switching button, the engaging element engages with one of a pair of recesses due to the biasing force of the spring, and the position of the switching button is maintained. This keeps the water discharge state from the faucet outlet in either a shower discharge state or a straight water discharge state, while the operating handle remains in a position that discharges hot and cold water.

JP 2017-36637 A

However, in the valve mechanism described in Patent Document 1, the spring attached to the switch button extends in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis. This makes the switch button longer in the axial direction of the water outlet body, which makes the switch button larger. As a result, the valve mechanism becomes larger.

In order to solve the above problems, the valve mechanism of the present invention is a valve mechanism including a cylindrical valve case having a water passage therein, a valve body arranged inside the valve case to switch the hot and cold water discharge state, a swing button to operate the position of the valve body, and a holding mechanism to hold the position of the swing button, the swing button being swingably attached to the valve case by a rotating shaft extending in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the valve case, the valve body switching the hot and cold water discharge state to either a first water discharge state or a second water discharge state by operating the swing button, the holding mechanism including an engaging portion provided on one of the valve case and the swing button, and an engaged portion provided on the other with which the engaging portion engages, and by engaging the engaging portion with the engaged portion, the position of the valve body is held in either a first water discharge position in which the first water discharge state is achieved, or a second water discharge position in which the second water discharge state is achieved, the engaging portion and the engaged portion being arranged in parallel in the axial direction of the rotating shaft.

According to this configuration, the holding mechanism that holds the position of the rocking button has an engaging part and an engaged part, and the engaging part and the engaged part are arranged in parallel with the rotation axis on which the rocking button is attached. Therefore, compared to a rocking button in which the engaging part and the engaged part are perpendicular to the rotation axis, the size of the rocking button in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis can be made smaller. By making the rocking button compact, the mounting space for the rocking button can be reduced. The valve mechanism can be made smaller.

In addition, because the engaging portion and the engaged portion are arranged in parallel with the rotation axis, the holding mechanism can be positioned closer to the rotation axis or farther away. This increases the freedom of design of the rocking button. For example, the operability of the rocking button can be improved by adjusting the load.

In this case, the water discharge state includes not only a state in which hot water is discharged to the outside through the water passage, but also a state in which the amount of hot water discharged is zero and the water discharge is stopped.
In the above configuration, it is preferable that the holding mechanism includes a biasing member that biases the engaging portion toward the engaged portion, and the engaging portion is provided at both ends of the biasing member. According to this configuration, the holding mechanism holds the engaged portion to the engaging portion on both sides of the biasing member. The held state of the engaged portion is stabilized.

In the above configuration, it is preferable that the engaging portion is provided on the valve case, and the engaged portion is provided on the rocking button. With this configuration, it is not necessary to incorporate a biasing member into the rocking button. This simplifies the structure of the rocking button. In addition, the rocking button is easy to assemble.

To solve the above problem, the showerhead of the present invention is equipped with the above valve mechanism. With this configuration, it is possible to provide a showerhead that exhibits the effects of the above valve mechanism.

The present invention allows the valve mechanism to be made smaller.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the shower head of the present embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, showing a water-stopped state; FIG. 2 corresponds to the side cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1 and is a side cross-sectional view in a water discharge state. FIG. FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a rocking button, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG.

The following describes a valve mechanism and shower head 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The shower head 1 of this embodiment is attached to the bathroom via a water-permeable member, and is configured to allow water to be discharged using an operating handle (not shown). The valve mechanism is provided on the shower head 1 and switches the water discharge state from the shower head 1. The valve mechanism of this embodiment can be switched between a water discharge state in which hot and cold water is discharged from the shower head 1 and a water stop state in which the discharge of water is stopped, while maintaining the position of the operating handle in a state in which hot and cold water is discharged from the shower head 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the shower head 1 has a grip portion 2 and a head portion 3. The grip portion 2 is a long portion that can be gripped by the user. A hose (not shown) is connected to the base end of the grip portion 2 as a water-passing member. The head portion 3 is provided on the tip side of the grip portion 2 and is capable of discharging shower water, which is a number of thin streams of water. In the following description, the head portion 3 side of the shower head 1 will be referred to as the tip side, and the grip portion 2 side as the base side. The direction along the axis of the grip portion 2 will be referred to as the axial direction. The axial direction coincides with the direction of flow of hot and cold water.

As shown in FIG. 2, the grip portion 2 has an outer shell formed by assembling a first case 4 and a second case 5. Inside the grip portion 2, a valve mechanism that switches the water discharge state from the head portion 3 is housed.

<Valve mechanism>
As shown in FIG. 2, the valve mechanism of this embodiment includes an inner pipe 10, a valve case 20, a valve member T, and an operating member S.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the inner pipe 10 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. The base end of the inner pipe 10 is exposed from the first case 4 and the second case 5, and a hose (not shown) is connected to this exposed portion as a water-permeable member. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a male thread 11 is formed on the tip side of the inner pipe 10, and is screwed into a female thread 20a formed on the base end side of the valve case 20.

As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the valve case 20 is a generally cylindrical member with both ends open. A reduced diameter section 21 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the valve case 20, the diameter of which is reduced in a stepped manner from the base end side (upstream side) to the tip end side (downstream side). A valve member T, which will be described later, is housed on the base end side of the reduced diameter section 21. The base end surface 21a of the reduced diameter section 21 constitutes a main valve seat VS1 that functions as a valve seat for the main valve 30, which will be described later. In addition, a slide member 60, which will be described later, is housed on the tip side of the reduced diameter section 21 so as to be slidable in the axial direction. Note that the first case 4 and the second case 5 are not shown in Figures 3 and 4.

As shown in FIG. 5, a pair of shaft support parts 22 protruding from the outer circumferential surface are formed on the tip side of the reduced diameter part 21. The pair of shaft support parts 22 are arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the valve case 20. Each of the shaft support parts 22 is formed with a through hole 22a. The pair of through holes 22a open in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the valve case 20. A pivot shaft 23 that rotatably connects the rocking button 70 described later is inserted into the through hole 22a.

Furthermore, an engagement tube portion 24 is formed on the tip side of the shaft support portion 22, protruding from the outer peripheral surface. A through hole 24a is formed in the engagement tube portion 24, extending in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the grip portion 2. In other words, the through hole 24a extends parallel to the opening direction of the pair of through holes 22a. A spring 25 and two steel balls 26 are inserted into the through hole 24a as biasing members. The steel balls 26 are provided at both ends of the spring 25, and are biased by the spring 25 toward the outside of the through hole 24a. The steel balls 26 correspond to the engagement portion constituting the holding mechanism of the present invention, and the spring 25 corresponds to the biasing member constituting the holding mechanism of the present invention.

<Regarding the valve member T>
2, the valve member T of this embodiment includes a main valve 30, an auxiliary valve 40, a spring 45, and a case body 50. The main valve 30 and the auxiliary valve 40 form a valve body V.

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the main valve 30 is housed inside the valve case 20 in the portion from the reduced diameter portion 21 to the base end side. The main valve 30 is a cylindrical member as a whole, and has a large diameter portion 31 located on the base end side and a small diameter portion 32 located on the tip end side.

The outer diameter of the large diameter portion 31 is larger than the inner diameter of the reduced diameter portion 21 of the valve case 20. The base end side of the sub-valve 40 and the spring 45 are housed inside the large diameter portion 31. The internal space of the large diameter portion 31, together with the internal space of the case body 50 described later, functions as a pressure chamber P that biases the valve body V with water pressure. An annular packing 33 is attached between the outer peripheral surface of the large diameter portion 31 and the inner peripheral surface of the case body 50 to seal the space between the two surfaces.

A number of ribs 34 extending in the axial direction are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter section 32 located at the tip side of the large diameter section 31. Four ribs 34 are formed at approximately equally spaced positions along the circumferential direction of the peripheral wall of the small diameter section 32. The outer diameter of the ribs 34 is smaller than the inner diameter of the reduced diameter section 21 of the valve case 20. The small diameter section 32 is accommodated inside the reduced diameter section 21 of the valve case 20 so as to be slidable in the axial direction.

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the sub-valve 40 is formed in a rod shape. A flange 41 is formed in the axial center of the sub-valve 40, extending radially outward around the entire circumference. The outer diameter of the flange 41 is larger than the inner diameter of the small diameter portion 32 of the main valve 30. The outer diameter of the flange 41 is also approximately equal to the outer diameter of the spring 45 housed in the large diameter portion 31 of the main valve 30.

A small-diameter base end shaft portion 42 is formed on the base end side of the flange portion 41, and a tip end shaft portion 43 with a larger diameter than the base end shaft portion 42 is formed on the tip end side. The outer diameter of the tip end shaft portion 43 is formed slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the small diameter portion 32 of the main valve 30. The tip end shaft portion 43 is accommodated inside the small diameter portion 32 of the main valve 30 so that it can slide in the axial direction.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, an outer seal portion 35a made of an annular rubber member is integrally formed on the outer peripheral surface of the boundary between the large diameter portion 31 and the small diameter portion 32 of the main valve 30. The outer diameter of the outer seal portion 35a is larger than the inner diameter of the reduced diameter portion 21 of the valve case 20. The outer seal portion 35a of the main valve 30 abuts against the base end surface 21a of the reduced diameter portion 21 that functions as the main valve seat VS1, and seals the hot and cold water flow path from the base end side of the reduced diameter portion 21 of the valve case 20.

An inner seal portion 35b made of an annular rubber member is integrally formed on the inner peripheral surface of the boundary between the large diameter portion 31 and the small diameter portion 32 of the main valve 30. The outer diameter of the inner seal portion 35b is larger than the inner diameter of the small diameter portion 32 of the main valve 30 and slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the flange portion 41 of the sub-valve 40. The base end surface 35c of the inner seal portion 35b constitutes the sub-valve seat VS2 that functions as the valve seat of the sub-valve 40. The base end surface 35c that functions as the sub-valve seat VS2 abuts against the tip surface of the flange portion 41 of the sub-valve 40 to seal the hot and cold water flow path between the sub-valve 40 and the main valve 30.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the case body 50 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape that is open at the tip side, and has a bottom wall 51 and a peripheral wall 52 that extends from the periphery of the bottom wall 51 in the thickness direction of the bottom wall 51. The case body 50 is fixed inside the valve case 20 by being sandwiched between a step portion 20b provided on the inner peripheral surface of the base end portion of the valve case 20 and the tip of the inner pipe 10.

A through hole 53 extending in the axial direction is formed in the radial center of the bottom wall 51 of the case body 50. The inner diameter of the through hole 53 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the base end shaft portion 42 of the sub-valve 40. The base end shaft portion 42 of the sub-valve 40 is slidably housed inside the through hole 53.

<Regarding the Operation Member S>
As shown in FIG. 2 , the operating member S of this embodiment includes a slide member 60 and a swing button 70 .

As shown in Figures 3, 4 and 6, the slide member 60 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, a plate-shaped protrusion 62 extending in the axial direction is formed on the inside of the slide member 60. The base end edge of the plate-shaped protrusion 62 protrudes from the base end edge of the peripheral wall 61 of the slide member 60 and faces the tip surface of the small diameter portion 32 of the main valve 30 and the tip of the tip shaft portion 43 of the sub-valve 40. The base end edge of the plate-shaped protrusion 62 is perpendicular to the axial direction of the slide member 60. A packing 63 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the base end of the slide member 60. The packing 63 maintains a watertight state between the valve case 20 and the slide member 60.

As shown in FIG. 6 , an engagement protrusion 64 is formed at an axially intermediate portion of the slide member 60 so as to protrude from the opposing outer circumferential surface of the peripheral wall 61 .
As shown in Figures 2 to 4 and 7, the rocking button 70 has a substantially rectangular plate-shaped outer wall 71 and a cylindrical peripheral wall 72 extending from the periphery of the outer wall 71 in the thickness direction of the outer wall 71. The cylindrical peripheral wall 72 is formed without any gaps in the circumferential direction. The rocking button 70 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape with the outer wall 71 as the bottom. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the rocking button 70 is attached with the outer wall 71 exposed from a through hole 4a formed in the first case 4.

As shown in Figures 3, 4 and 7, a pair of through holes 73 are formed in opposing locations on the peripheral wall 72 extending in the longitudinal direction of the rocking button 70. Also, as shown in Figure 7(b), a pair of plate-shaped pivot supports 74 extending along the peripheral wall 72 extending in the longitudinal direction and perpendicular to the outer wall 71 are formed protrudingly on the inner surface of the outer wall 71. A through hole 74a is formed in the pivot support 74. The through hole 73 in the peripheral wall 72 and the through hole 74a in the pivot support 74, together with the through hole 22a in the pivot support 22 of the valve case 20, form an axis hole to which the pivot shaft 23 is attached. This allows the rocking button 70 to be attached to the valve case 20 in a rockable manner.

As shown in Figures 3, 4 and 7, the rocking button 70 is formed with a pair of operating arms 75 that protrude from the peripheral wall 72. An engagement groove 75a is formed on the inner surface of the operating arm 75, extending in the protruding direction of the operating arm 75. When the rocking button 70 is attached to the valve case 20, the engagement protrusion 64 of the slide member 60 engages with the engagement groove 75a, thereby indirectly connecting the rocking button 70 to the valve body V. Then, as the rocking button 70 rocks, the engagement protrusion 64 slides within the engagement groove 75a. As a result, the rocking of the rocking button 70 is converted into axial movement of the slide member 60.

As shown in Figures 3, 4 and 7(a), a pair of holding arms 76, 78 protruding from the peripheral wall 72 are formed on the axial tip side of the operating arm 75 of the rocking button 70. The pair of holding arms 76, 78 are arranged side by side in the direction in which the axis of the rotating shaft 23 attached to the through hole 73 extends.

As shown in FIG. 7(a), inside the rocking button 70, the peripheral wall 72 at the location where one of the retaining arms 76 is formed and the retaining arm 76 each have a pair of recesses 77 formed side by side in the protruding direction of the retaining arm 76. The recesses 77 are portions into which the steel balls 26 constituting the retaining mechanism engage, and are formed to a size and depth sufficient to hold the steel balls 26. A groove 77c is formed between the pair of recesses 77 to connect the recesses 77 together.

One of the pair of recesses 77 is formed in the peripheral wall 72, and the other is formed in the holding arm 76. The steel ball 26 engages with the recess 77 formed in the peripheral wall 72, thereby holding the rocking button 70 in a position where the valve body V is in a water discharge state (as shown in FIG. 4). The steel ball 26 engages with the recess 77 formed in the holding arm 76, thereby holding the rocking button 70 in a position where the valve body V is in a water stop state (as shown in FIG. 3). The recess 77 formed in the peripheral wall 72 is called the water discharge position holding recess 77a, and the recess 77 formed in the holding arm 76 is called the water stop position holding recess 77b. The recess 77 corresponds to the engaged portion that constitutes the holding mechanism of the present invention.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the peripheral wall 72 and the holding arm 78 at the location where the other holding arm 78 is formed also have a pair of recesses 79 arranged side by side in the protruding direction of the holding arm 78. The shape and position of the recesses 79 are the same as those of the recesses 77. The recesses 79 formed in the peripheral wall 72 are water discharge position holding recesses 79a that hold the rocking button 70 in the water discharge position by engaging with the steel ball 26. The recesses 79 formed in the holding arm 78 are water stop position holding recesses 79b that hold the rocking button 70 in the water stop position by engaging with the steel ball 26. The recesses 79 correspond to the engaged portion constituting the holding mechanism of the present invention.

The water discharge position retaining recess 77a formed on one holding arm 76 and the water discharge position retaining recess 79a formed on the other holding arm 78 are arranged side by side in the direction in which the axis of the rotating shaft 23 attached to the through hole 73 extends. Similarly, the water stop position retaining recess 77b formed on the peripheral wall 72 on the side of one holding arm 76 and the water stop position retaining recess 79b formed on the peripheral wall 72 on the side of the other holding arm 78 are arranged side by side in the direction in which the axis of the rotating shaft 23 attached to the through hole 73 extends.

<About the function of the valve mechanism>
Next, the function of the valve mechanism of this embodiment will be described together with its operation.
First, a case will be described in which the rocking button 70 is held in the position shown in Fig. 4 when the operating handle (not shown) is in the water discharge position. The steel ball 26 as the engaging part constituting the holding mechanism is biased by the spring 25 as the biasing member and is held in the water discharge position holding recesses 77a, 79a as the engaged part. The rocking button 70 is held in its position with its tip side tilted so as to enter the first case 4 side. As a result, the slide member 60 is held on the base end side within the valve case 20. The small diameter part 32 of the main valve 30 and the tip shaft part 43 of the sub-valve 40 are pushed by the plate-shaped protruding piece 62 of the slide member 60, and the valve body V is held in its position on the base end side against the biasing force of the spring 45.

When the valve body V is in the water discharge state shown in FIG. 4, hot and cold water supplied through the hose into the inner pipe 10 is supplied to the head section 3 through the water passage in the valve case 20 and discharged as shower water. Specifically, the hot and cold water supplied from the inner pipe 10 passes from the outside of the case body 50 between the ribs 34 of the main valve 30 and through the inside of the slide member 60 to be supplied to the head section 3. Also, a portion of the hot and cold water supplied from the inner pipe 10 enters the inside of the case body 50 through the through hole 53 of the case body 50, passes through the internal space of the large diameter section 31 of the main valve 30 and is supplied to the head section 3 through the inside of the slide member 60.

Next, a case where the shower water discharge from the head unit 3 is stopped while the operating handle is in the same position will be described. To stop the shower water discharge, the base end side of the rocking button 70 is pressed to operate the rocking button 70. As shown in FIG. 3, the rocking button 70 tilts so that the base end enters the first case side. At this time, as shown in FIG. 7(a), the steel ball 26 held in the water discharge position holding recesses 77a, 79a moves along the groove 77c, climbing over the protruding portion between the water discharge position holding recesses 77a, 79a and the water stop position holding recesses 77b, 79b. When climbing over the protruding portion, the steel ball 26 enters the through hole 24a against the biasing force of the spring 25. When the steel ball 26 moves to the water stop position holding recesses 77b, 79b, it is biased outward by the biasing force of the spring 25 and is held in the water stop position holding recesses 77b, 79b.

As the rocking button 70 rocks, the engaging protrusion 64 of the slide member 60 slides within the engaging groove 75a of the operating arm 75 of the rocking button 70. This converts the rocking of the rocking button 70 into a sliding movement of the slide member 60. When the steel ball 26 is held in the water-stopping position holding recesses 77b, 79b, the slide member 60 is held in that position at the tip side.

The auxiliary valve 40 of the valve body V is constantly biased toward the tip by the biasing force of the spring 45. Therefore, the auxiliary valve 40, which was pushed by the plate-shaped protrusion 62 of the slide member 60, is biased by the spring 45 and moves toward the tip. The flange portion 41 of the auxiliary valve 40 abuts against the base end surface 35c of the inner seal portion 35b, which is the auxiliary valve seat VS2. This stops the supply of hot and cold water from the internal space of the large diameter portion 31 of the main valve 30 to the slide member 60.

When the supply of hot and cold water from the internal space of the large diameter portion 31 of the main valve 30 is stopped, the pressure in the internal space of the large diameter portion 31 of the main valve 30 and the internal space of the case body 50 increases due to the supplied hot and cold water. The internal space of the large diameter portion 31 and the case body 50 function as a pressure chamber P, and the main valve 30 is urged to move toward the tip side. The outer seal portion 35a of the main valve 30 abuts against the base end surface 21a of the reduced diameter portion 21 of the valve case 20, which is the main valve seat VS1. This stops the supply of hot and cold water from the outside of the case body 50 through the ribs 34 of the main valve 30 to the slide member 60.

In this way, by operating the rocking button 70 to hold the steel ball 26 in the water stop position holding recesses 77b, 79b, the force of the spring 45 and the pressure in the pressure chamber P stop the discharge of hot and cold water from the head portion 3.

The rocking button 70 is formed with water discharge position holding recesses 77a, 79a that hold the position of the valve body V in the water discharge state, and water stop position holding recesses 77b, 79b that hold the position of the valve body V in the water stop state. The valve body V is biased so that it is always in the water stop state. The water discharge position holding recesses 77a, 79a that hold the position of the valve body V against the bias are formed in the peripheral wall 72 of the rocking button 70. Therefore, the rocking button 70 is stably held in the water discharge state against the biasing force.

According to the valve mechanism of this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) In the valve mechanism of the above embodiment, the slide member 60 moves in the axial direction by swinging the swing button 70, and the valve body V is held by the holding mechanism. The steel ball 26, which is the engaging portion of the holding mechanism, and the recesses 77, 79, which are the engaged portions, are arranged in parallel in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 23 that attaches the swing button 70 to the valve case 20.

This allows the size of the rocking button 70 to be reduced in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis 23. This allows the installation space for the rocking button 70 to be reduced, and the valve mechanism to be made smaller.

(2) The steel ball 26 and the recesses 77, 79 that make up the holding mechanism are arranged side by side in the axial direction of the pivot shaft 23, so the holding mechanism can be located close to the pivot shaft 23. This improves the design freedom of the rocking button 70.

(3) The increased freedom in designing the rocking button 70 makes it possible to set the longitudinal dimension of the rocking button 70 regardless of the position of the holding mechanism relative to the pivot shaft 23. The rocking button 70 can also be made longer in the longitudinal direction to reduce the operating load.

(4) The steel ball 26 is biased toward the recesses 77, 79 by the spring 25 serving as a biasing member. Therefore, the engagement state between the steel ball 26 and the recesses 77, 79 is stable.
(5) The steel ball 26 is provided at both ends of the spring 25. Therefore, the engagement state is more stable than in a holding mechanism in which the steel ball 26 is held in one of the recesses 77, 79 in a cantilevered state.

(6) The steel ball 26 and the spring 25 are provided in the engagement tube portion 24 formed in the valve case 20, and the recesses 77, 79 are provided in the rocking button 70. This simplifies the structure of the rocking button 70. In addition, the rocking button 70 is easy to assemble.

The above embodiments can be modified as follows. Each embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that they are not technically inconsistent.

In the above embodiment, the rocking button 70 is connected to the slide member 60 to switch the position of the valve body V. However, the rocking button 70 may be connected directly to the valve body V.
The valve body V does not have to include the main valve 30 and the sub-valve 40. For example, the sub-valve 40 may be omitted.

The slide member 60 of the operating member S may be omitted.
In the valve mechanism of the above embodiment, the water discharge state is switched between a water discharge state and a water stop state by the rocking button 70, but the switching of the water discharge state is not limited to this. The water discharge state may be switched between a shower water discharge state and a straight water discharge state, or between an outer water discharge state in which water is discharged from a portion closer to the outer periphery of the discharge port and an inner water discharge state in which water is discharged from a portion closer to the inner periphery.

- Of the recesses 77, 79 serving as the engaged portions, only the water discharge position retaining recesses 77a, 79a are provided on the peripheral wall 72, but both the water discharge position retaining recesses 77a, 79a and the water stop position retaining recesses 77b, 79b may be provided on the peripheral wall 72. In this case, the retaining arms 76, 78 do not need to be formed.

The water discharge position holding recesses 77a, 79a and the water stop position holding recesses 77b, 79b may both be formed in the holding arms 76, 78.
In the above embodiment, the retaining mechanism has the steel ball 26 biased by the spring 25 engaging with the recesses 77, 79, but the configuration of the retaining mechanism is not limited to this. Any mechanism may be used as long as the engagement is achieved through a convex-concave relationship. For example, the spring 25 may not be provided, and convex portions may be formed on both ends of the engagement tube portion 24 of the valve case 20.

Although the engagement portion of the holding mechanism is configured with the steel ball 26, the engagement portion is not limited to this. It may have a shape other than a sphere. It may also be made of a material other than metal.
The steel ball 26 of the retaining mechanism may be provided only on one end of the spring 25, and the recesses 77, 79 of the rocking button 70 may be formed only on one of the opposing peripheral walls 72. In this case, the other end of the engagement tube portion 24 is formed flat and comes into contact with the flat inner surface of the peripheral wall 72 of the rocking button 70.

The valve mechanism of the above embodiment is not limited to being applied to the showerhead 1. It may be applied to applications for controlling fluids other than the showerhead 1.
In the above embodiment, the inner pipe 10, the valve case 20, the main valve 30, the sub-valve 40, and the case body 50 constituting the valve mechanism, and the slide member 60 constituting the operating member S are formed in a cylindrical shape, but are not limited to this. The cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the axis may be a polygonal or elliptical cylindrical shape.

The technical concepts understood from the above-described embodiment and modified examples will be described below.
(i) A valve mechanism comprising a valve case having a water passage therein, a valve body disposed inside the valve case for switching the hot and cold water discharge state, an operating member directly or indirectly connected to the valve body for operating the position of the valve body, and a holding mechanism for holding the position of the operating member, wherein the valve body switches the hot and cold water discharge state to either a first water discharge state or a second water discharge state by operation of the operating member, and the holding mechanism holds the position of the valve body at either a first water discharge position which is the first water discharge state, or a second water discharge position which is the second water discharge state, the operating member has a peripheral wall, and the holding mechanism has an engaging portion provided on the valve case and an engaged portion provided on the peripheral wall and engages with the engaging portion.

This configuration increases the strength of the engaged portion, stabilizing the engagement state between the engaging portion and the engaged portion. The valve body is held in a stable state in the first water discharge position or the second water discharge position, and the water discharge state from the water passage can be stably maintained.

V...valve body, 1...shower head, 20...valve case, 23...rotating shaft, 25...spring (biasing member, holding mechanism), 26...steel ball (engagement portion, holding mechanism), 30...main valve (valve body), 40...auxiliary valve (valve body), 70...rocking button, 77, 79...recesses (engaged portion, holding mechanism), 77a, 79a...water discharge position holding recesses (engaged portion, holding mechanism), 77b, 79b...water stop position holding recesses (engaged portion, holding mechanism).

Claims (4)

A valve mechanism including a case, a cylindrical valve case housed within the case and having a water passage therein, a valve body disposed within the valve case for switching between hot and cold water discharge states, a rocking button for operating the position of the valve body, and a holding mechanism for holding the position of the rocking button,
the rocking button is attached to the valve case so as to be rockable relative to the valve case by a rotation shaft extending in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the valve case,
The case is formed with a through hole for exposing the rocking button,
The valve body switches the hot and cold water discharge state between a first water discharge state and a second water discharge state by operating the rocking button,
the holding mechanism includes an engaging portion provided on one of the valve case and the rocking button, and an engaged portion provided on the other with which the engaging portion engages, and the engaging portion and the engaged portion selectively engage with each other between two positions to hold the position of the valve body at either a first water discharge position in which the valve case is in the first water discharge state, or a second water discharge position in which the valve case is in the second water discharge state;
the engaged portion is a recess capable of holding the engaging portion biased toward the engaged portion,
The valve mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the engaging portion and the engaged portion are arranged side by side in an axial direction of the rotating shaft. The holding mechanism includes a spring that biases the engaging portion toward the engaged portion,
The valve mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the engagement portions are provided at both ends of the spring . The rocking button has an outer wall and a cylindrical peripheral wall extending from a peripheral edge of the outer wall in a thickness direction of the outer wall,
3. The valve mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the engaging portion is provided on an engaging cylindrical portion on an outer circumferential surface of the valve case, and the engaged portion is provided on the peripheral wall of the rocking button. A showerhead equipped with the valve mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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