WO2024116427A1

WO2024116427A1 - Water discharge device

Info

Publication number: WO2024116427A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/010868
Authority: WO
Inventors: 憲利太田; 直和大西
Original assignee: 株式会社Lixil
Priority date: 2023-03-20
Filing date: 2023-03-20
Publication date: 2024-06-06
Also published as: CN118339349A

Abstract

A water discharge device according to the present invention comprises a lather generator 5. The lather generator 5 comprises: inlets; an agitation section 46 for generating a lather by agitating a fluid that is a gas-liquid mixture of air and liquids including municipal water and a lathering component, the fluid having flowed in via the inlets; and an outlet 44 for the outflow of the lather. The lather generator 5 is configured so that the agitation section 46 is filled with municipal water after the outflow of the lather.

Description

Water discharge device

The present invention relates to a water discharge device capable of discharging foam.

　Conventionally, there is known a foaming device that generates and discharges bubbles by stirring a gas-liquid mixed fluid, which is a mixture of water and a liquid containing a foaming component, with compressed air in a stirring section. Such a foaming device has porous bodies arranged in multiple stages along the flow path of the gas-liquid mixed fluid (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

JP 2015-47236 A JP 2013-17948 A

In foamers like the one described above, the occurrence of limescale inside the foamer becomes an issue, especially when hard water is used. If limescale occurs inside the foamer, the porous body may become clogged, which may reduce the homogeneity and flow rate of the foam generated.

This disclosure has been made in consideration of these problems, and its purpose is to provide a water discharge device that can suppress the formation of limescale inside the foaming device.

In order to solve the above problems, a water discharge device according to one embodiment of the present invention is equipped with a foaming device. The foaming device is equipped with an inlet, an agitating section that generates foam by agitating clean water and a gas-liquid mixture of air and a liquid having foaming components that flow in from the inlet, and an outlet through which the foam flows out. The foaming device is configured so that the agitating section is filled with clean water after the foam flows out.

1 is an external perspective view of a water discharge device according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing a part of the inside of the water discharge device. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a water channel system and an electric circuit system of the water discharge device. FIG. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the foaming device. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a foaming device. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of piping connected to a foaming device.

The present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings based on preferred embodiments. The following configuration is intended as an example for understanding the present disclosure, and the scope of the present disclosure is defined only by the appended claims. The same reference numerals will be used to designate identical or equivalent components and parts shown in each drawing, and duplicate explanations will be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, the dimensions of the parts in each drawing will be enlarged or reduced as appropriate to facilitate understanding. Furthermore, some of the parts that are not important for explaining the embodiments will be omitted from the drawings.

The water discharger 1 according to this embodiment discharges bubbles generated by mixing compressed air with a mixture of water and a liquid containing foaming components. The water discharger 1 is mainly installed and used in bathrooms.

Refer to Figure 1. The water discharge device 1 houses pipes and various parts inside a rectangular parallelepiped case 10. A hose 81 extending from a water supply device 80 is connected to a water supply port 11 of the water discharge device 1, and water is supplied from the water supply device 80. The water supply device 80 has, for example, a temperature adjustment function, a flow rate adjustment function, and a switching function between water flow and water stop.

The water discharge device 1 has a hose 82 of a shower head 83 connected to the water outlet 12. The water discharge device 1 discharges either water or bubbles from the water outlet 12, and either water or bubbles are discharged from the shower head 83 to the outside through the hose 82. The water discharge device 1 may be connected to a device other than the shower head 83. The water discharge device 1 may directly discharge either water or bubbles to the outside. The water discharge device 1 may be configured to include discharge components such as the shower head 83. The water discharge device 1 may have all or part of the functions of the water supply device 80.

The water discharge device 1 is removably connected to a liquid supply container 2 for replenishing liquid containing a foaming component. As shown in FIG. 1, a portion of the liquid supply container 2 protrudes from the top surface of a case 10 that covers the outside of the water discharge device 1. By adopting a structure in which a portion of the liquid supply container 2 protrudes from the case 10 in this manner, the device can be made more compact than when a liquid tank is built into the case 10. Furthermore, by adopting a structure in which a portion of the liquid supply container 2 protrudes, the remaining amount of liquid in the liquid supply container 2 can be easily checked.

The liquid supply container 2 can be easily attached and detached by grasping the top of the liquid supply container 2. By making the liquid supply container 2 easily replaceable, you can enjoy changing the type of liquid depending on your mood that day.

On the front of the case 10, there are arranged operation buttons 13 that can be operated by the user, and a display 14 that can be seen by the user. The display 14 is composed of components such as an LED and an LCD display. The size of the case 10 is, for example, approximately 15 cm in height, 20 cm in width, and 5 cm in depth. The size of the case 10 is not limited to this. The display 14 may also display the amount of liquid remaining in the liquid supply container 2. The amount of liquid remaining may be detected using a weight sensor or a water level detection sensor.

See Figures 2 and 3. The water discharge device 1 has a switch 3, a liquid suction device 4, a foaming device 5, a compressor 6, a container mounting section 7, a control circuit section 8, and a power source 9. The container mounting section 7 is configured so that a liquid supply container 2 can be attached. A check valve 90 is connected downstream of the water supply port 11, and the check valve 90 and the switch 3 are connected by a flow path 110. The check valve 90 prevents water from flowing back from the flow path 110 to the water supply port 11.

The switch 3 switches the flow of water to two

flow paths

111 and 112 that branch off from the flow path 110. One of the flow paths 111 is connected to the foamer 5. A check valve 91 provided in the flow path 111 prevents backflow from the foamer 5 side to the switch 3 side. The foamer allows the water from the flow path 111 to pass through and flows into the flow path 115. The flow path 115 is connected to the water outlet 12.

A flow rate regulator 93 and a check valve 94 are arranged in the other flow path 112. Flow path 112 is connected to the liquid aspirator 4. The flow rate regulator 93 is composed of a constant flow rate valve, a pressure reducing valve, etc. The flow rate regulator 93 adjusts the downstream flow rate to about 1 liter per minute, for example. The check valve 94 prevents backflow from the liquid aspirator 4 side to the switch 3 side.

The liquid aspirator 4 is, for example, an ejector. The liquid aspirator 4 aspirates the liquid supplied from the liquid supply container 2 into the water flowing in from the flow path 112, mixes it, and sends it to the downstream flow path 113. The liquid supply container 2 and the liquid aspirator 4 are connected by a flow path 114. A check valve 95 is arranged in the flow path 114 to prevent backflow from the liquid aspirator 4 side to the liquid supply container 2 side.

In addition to the above-mentioned flow path 111, flow path 113 is also connected to the foamer 5. Flow path 113 supplies mixed water, which is a mixture of water and a liquid containing foaming components, to the foamer 5. The foamer 5 generates bubbles by mixing the mixed water supplied from flow path 113 with compressed air from the compressor 6, and sends the bubbles to flow path 115. The compressor 6 sends compressed air to the foamer 5 through the air flow path 116. A check valve 96 is arranged in flow path 116 to prevent backflow from the foamer 5 side to the compressor 6 side. The water discharge device 1 is capable of discharging fine bubbles by forming fine bubbles by the foamer 5.

The control circuit unit 8 receives power from the power source 9 and operates the switch 3, compressor 6, etc. The power source 9 is, for example, a variety of batteries such as a lithium-ion battery. The power source 9 may be configured as a power supply circuit for using power supplied from a household power source. The control circuit unit 8 accepts operation input from the connected operation button 13 and operates the switch 3, compressor 6, etc. The control circuit unit 8 displays information such as the operating status of the water discharge device 1 and the remaining power of the power source 9 on the display 14.

The water discharge device 1 can be switched between a mode in which water is discharged from the water outlet 12 (water discharge mode) and a mode in which foam is discharged from the water outlet 12 by operating the operation button 13. In the water discharge mode, water supplied from the water supply port 11 is diverted by the switch 3 to the

flow paths

111 and 115, and is discharged from the water outlet 12 without generating foam. On the other hand, in the foam discharge mode (foam discharge mode), water supplied from the water supply port 11 is diverted by the switch 3 to the

flow paths

112, 113, and 115, and is turned into foam, which is then discharged from the water outlet 12.

The foamer 5 will be described with reference to Figure 4. The foamer 5 generates foam by stirring the fluid flowing in from the inlet in the stirring section, and the foam flows out from the outlet.

The foamer 5 comprises a foamer body 40, a mixed liquid inlet 41, an air inlet 42, a clean water inlet 43, and an outlet 44. The foamer body 40 has a generally cylindrical shape. The mixed liquid inlet 41, the air inlet 42, and the clean water inlet 43 are provided in the lower part of the foamer body 40. The outlet 44 is provided at the upper end of the foamer body 40.

A flow path 113 is connected to the mixed liquid inlet 41, and mixed water, which is a mixture of water and a liquid containing foaming components, flows into the mixed liquid inlet 41 from the liquid suction device 4. A flow path 116 is connected to the air inlet 42, and compressed air flows into the air inlet 42 from the compressor 6. A flow path 111 is connected to the clean water inlet 43, and clean water from the water supply port 11 flows into the clean water inlet 43. A flow path 115 is connected to the outlet 44. The clean water or bubbles flowing out from the outlet 44 are sent to the water outlet 12 via the flow path 115, and are discharged from the water outlet 12.

The internal structure of the foamer 5 will be described with reference to Figure 5. The foamer body 40 has a hollow, generally cylindrical shape and has an opening at one end (lower end). The lower end of the foamer body 40 is watertight sealed by a lid 49. The shape of the foamer body 40 is not particularly limited, and may be a hollow, generally rectangular tube. The internal space of the foamer body 40 is provided with a mixing section 45 and an agitation section 46 downstream of the mixing section 45 (positionally vertically above).

The mixing section 45 is a space into which fluids flow in from the mixed liquid inlet 41, the air inlet 42, and the clean water inlet 43. In the foam discharge mode, the mixed water from the mixed liquid inlet 41 and the compressed air from the air inlet 42 are mixed in the mixing section 45 to become a gas-liquid mixed fluid, which flows to the agitation section 46. In the water discharge mode, the clean water from the clean water inlet 43 passes through the mixing section 45 and agitation section 46 as is (without generating bubbles) and is discharged from the outlet 44.

The stirring section 46 is located above (vertically above) the mixing section 45. The stirring section 46 has a plurality of porous bodies arranged along the direction of fluid flow. More specifically, the stirring section 46 has a pre-mixing section A into which the fluid that has passed through the mixing section 45 flows, and a stirring section B located downstream of the pre-mixing section A. The pre-mixing section A is provided with a plurality of pre-mixing porous bodies 47 having a relatively large porosity, and the stirring section B located downstream of the pre-mixing section A is provided with a plurality of pre-mixing porous bodies 48 having a relatively small porosity.

The "porous body" used in this invention includes porous members such as ceramic materials and sintered metal materials, woven or nonwoven fabrics made of metal fibers or resin fibers, and mesh-like bodies made of metal wires or resin wires (e.g., wire mesh).

In the stirring section 46 thus configured, the gas-liquid mixture fluid that flows in from the mixing section 45 and is in a roughly stirred state is stirred by the flow disturbance (rotating flow due to countless non-uniform vortices) that is generated when passing through the premixing porous body 47 with a relatively large porosity provided in the premixing section A, promoting homogenization and fineness. The gas-liquid mixture fluid that has been homogenized and finely divided by the premixing section A is further stirred by the flow disturbance that is generated when passing through the stirring porous body 48 with a relatively small porosity provided in the stirring section B, and becomes a fine and homogenous foam fluid (foaming fluid) according to the porosity of the stirring porous body 48 provided in the stirring section B. By sequentially stirring the gas-liquid mixture fluid in the premixing section A provided with the premixing porous body 47 with a relatively large porosity and the stirring section B provided with the stirring porous body 48 with a relatively small porosity, it is possible to suppress pressure loss due to unnecessary amplification of flow disturbance and prevent a decrease in the limit flow rate. This allows for efficient production of fine, uniform foam fluid. Details of the stirring section using such a multi-stage porous body are disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 2.

In the water discharge device 1 according to this embodiment, a porous body is used in the foamer 5, and therefore the occurrence of limescale can have adverse effects. Limescale is a chalky deposit. Its main component is lime (calcium carbonate) that precipitates from water. Hard water in particular is prone to limescale occurrence because it contains calcium and magnesium bicarbonates and other salts. If limescale occurs in the foamer 5, the porous body can become clogged, which can reduce the homogeneity and flow rate of the foam generated.

Therefore, in the water discharge device 1 according to this embodiment, the foamer 5 is arranged so that the outlet 44 is located above (vertically above) the agitator 46. By arranging the foamer 5 in this manner, even if the water in the piping downstream of the foamer 5 is discharged after use of the water discharge device 1 due to the handling of the shower head 83 arranged downstream of the water discharge device 1, the agitator 46 in the foamer 5 is always kept filled with fluid. This prevents the porous body from being exposed to air, and prevents the porous body from developing limescale, which is easily caused by the concentration of minerals and silica components in water. Please note that "always kept filled with fluid" means that the water discharge device 1 is kept filled with fluid both during and after use.

In the water discharge device 1 according to this embodiment, the flow path through which the gas-liquid mixed fluid, which is a mixture of mixed water and compressed air, passes within the foamer 5 is the same as the flow path through which tap water passes (both pass through the agitator 46). Normally, after using the foam discharge mode when washing one's body in the bathroom, the water discharge mode is used to flush the foam, so that the foamer 5 is filled with water (tap water) after the foam has been flushed out. By sharing a flow path between the foam discharge mode and the water discharge mode in this way, the inside of the foamer 5 can be washed with tap water, which prevents clogging of the porous body with metal soap.

In the above embodiment, the foamer 5 is arranged so that the outlet 44 is located above the stirring section 46, but other arrangements are possible as long as the configuration allows the fluid to be trapped within the foamer 5. Figure 6 shows a modified example in which the foamer 5 is arranged sideways. A pipe constituting the flow path 115 is connected to the outlet 44 of the foamer 5. In the example of Figure 6, the outlet 44 is not located above the stirring section. In the case of such an arrangement, as shown in Figure 6, the pipe is arranged so that at least a part of the pipe connected to the outlet 44 of the foamer 5 is located above the stirring section. In the example of Figure 6, the pipe extending from the outlet 44 once rises above the foamer 5 and then extends downward. Even when the pipe is arranged in this way, the stirring section 46 is always kept filled with fluid, so that limescale can be prevented from occurring in the porous body.

The present invention has been described above based on an embodiment. This embodiment is merely an example, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the claims of the present invention, and that such modifications and changes are also within the scope of the claims of the present invention. Therefore, the descriptions and drawings in this specification should be treated as illustrative rather than restrictive.

The present invention can be used in a water discharge device capable of discharging foam.

1. Water discharge device, 2. Liquid supply container, 3. Switch, 4. Liquid suction device, 5. Foamer, 6. Compressor, 7. Container attachment section, 10. Case, 11. Water supply port, 12. Water discharge port, 40. Foamer body, 41. Mixed liquid inlet, 42. Air inlet, 43. Clean water inlet, 44. Outlet, 45. Mixing section, 46. Mixing section, 47. Porous body for premixing, 48. Porous body for mixing.

Claims

A water discharge device equipped with a foaming device,
The foaming device includes an inlet, an agitating section for generating foam by agitating a fluid that is a gas-liquid mixture of clean water and a liquid having a foaming component and air that have flowed in from the inlet, and an outlet for discharging the foam,
The foaming device is configured so that the stirring section is filled with the clean water after the foam has flowed out.
The water discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the foaming device is positioned so that the outlet is located above the stirring section.
Further comprising a pipe connected to the outlet,
The water discharge device according to claim 1 , wherein the piping is disposed so that at least a portion of the piping is located above the agitation unit.
The foaming device includes a foaming device body having an internal space,
The water discharge device according to claim 1 , wherein the internal space is provided with a mixing section into which the fluid enters from the inlet, and the agitating section downstream of the mixing section.
The water discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the inlets include a mixed water inlet for introducing mixed water, which is a mixture of water and a liquid containing a foaming component, an air inlet for introducing compressed air, and a water inlet for introducing tap water.
The water discharge device according to claim 5, wherein the flow path through which the gas-liquid mixed fluid, which is a mixture of the mixed water and the compressed air, passes within the foaming device is the same as the flow path through which the clean water passes.
The water discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the stirring section comprises a plurality of porous bodies arranged along the direction of the flow of the fluid.