Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CLEANING WATER SUPPLY DEVICE
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cleaning water supply device that is
capable
of being generating a vacuum attraction to draw a cleaning fluid into a water
flow so that the cleaning fluid and the water flow mix together quickly and
evenly, this obtaining cleaning water.
Description of the Prior Art
A conventional cleaning water supply device is used on installed on the
showering equipment and comprises a channel with a decreased and then
increased diameter disposed adjacent to an outlet and an intake in the channel
to
flow water, wherein a vacuum attraction generates in the intake so that the
cleaning fluid in the store box is drawn into the channel via the intake so as
to
mix with the water, thereby spraying cleaning water out of the outlet.
However, such a conventional cleaning water supply device still has the
following defects:
1. When the showering equipment is adjusted in a water splash mode, the
pressure changes easily, so that the water or the cleaning water will flow
back to
the store box from the intake, polluting the cleaning fluid and jamming the
intake by impurities in the water.
2. If water becomes lower, the cleaning fluid can not be drawn, hence the
cleaning fluid can not be mixed.
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3. A size of the intake is fixed, therefore an output quantity of the cleaning
fluid will not increase with the water pressure, such a cleaning fluid with a
low
mixing ratio will influence the quantity of the cleaning water.
4. The intake only has a single opening, so the cleaning fluid can only flow
into the channel from the single opening without mixing with the water quickly
and evenly.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-
described
disadvantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a cleaning water
supply device that is capable of overcoming above-mentioned shortcoming.
The secondary objective of the present invention is to provide a cleaning
water supply device that a vacuum attraction generates on the connection of
the
inlet and the outlet channels, hence the wing of the valve member is retracted
inward flexibly by the vacuum attraction to open and guide the through
channel,
such that the output tunnel of the storing unit is turned on by using the
control
unit to draw the cleaning fluid a of the chamber into the connection of the
inlet
and the outlet channels via the output tunnel, the intake, and the through
channel
so that the cleaning fluid mixes with the water flow automatically, thereby
obtaining the cleaning water.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide a cleaning water
supply device that due to the open cross-section area of the through channel
is
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adjusted with a change of the water pressure, when the water pressure
decreases
to lower the open cross-section area, the cleaning fluid is outputted
decreasingly,
while the water pressure increases to enhance the open cross-section area, the
cleaning fluid is outputted increasingly so that the cleaning fluid and the
water
flow are mixed together within a certain range, thus achieving a suitable
concentration of the cleaning water.
Another further objective of the present invention is to provide a cleaning
water supply device that partial cleaning fluid flows into the annular space
of the
through channel from one of the second holes, and another partial cleaning
fluid
flows into the annular space of the through channel from the other three
second
holes along the path in turn so that the cleaning fluid is capable of flowing
into
the annular space completely to mix with the water flow quickly and evenly.
Also another further objective of the present invention is to provide a
cleaning
water supply device of which the mixing unit is capable of being installed on
the
showering equipment which is adjusted in a water splash mode, wherein the
water pressure is changed to generate a back pressure in internal pipes of the
showering equipment, and then a circular wing of a circular valve member
senses the back pressure to further close a through channel automatically so
that
a water flow or the cleaning fluid is stopped to flow back to the output
tunnel
and a chamber, thus preventing the cleaning fluid from being contaminated.
Likewise, impurities in the water are stopped to flow into the through channel
or
an intake, preventing the through channel or the intake from being jammed by
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the impurities.
Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent
after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference
to
the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. I is a perspective view showing the assembly of a cleaning water supply
device in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the exploded components of most part of
the cleaning water supply device in accordance with the first embodiment of
the
present invention;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 1-1 of Fig. 1;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the assembly of a mixing unit of the
cleaning water supply device in accordance with the first embodiment of the
present invention;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the exploded components
of the mixing unit of the cleaning water supply device in accordance with the
first embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the assembly of a channel assembly
of the cleaning water supply device in accordance with the first embodiment of
the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the exploded components of a storing
unit of the cleaning water supply device in accordance with the first
embodiment
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of the present invention;
FIG. 8 is another perspective view showing the exploded components of a
storing unit of the cleaning water supply device in accordance with the first
embodiment of the present invention
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;
FIG 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the operation of the cleaning water
supply device in accordance with the first embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG. 11 is another cross-sectional view showing the operation of the cleaning
water supply device in accordance with the first embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 11;
FIG. 13 is another cross-sectional view showing the operation of the cleaning
water supply device in accordance with the first embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG. 14 is also another cross-sectional view showing the operation of the
cleaning water supply device in accordance with the first embodiment of the
present invention;
FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing the application of a cleaning water
supply device in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;
FIG 16 is a cross-sectional view showing the assembly of a channel assembly
of the cleaning water supply device in accordance with the second embodiment
of the present invention;
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FIG 17 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the assembly of a
cleaning water supply device in accordance with a third embodiment of the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to the drawings and initially to FIGS. 1-3, a cleaning water supply
device 1 in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention
comprises a mixing unit 10, a storing unit 20, and a control unit 30.
The mixing unit 10, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, includes a channel assembly
1 Oa and a circular valve member 1 Ob, wherein
the channel assembly 10a, as illustrated in Fig. 6, includes an inlet channel
11,
an outlet channel 12, a through channel 13 between the inlet and the outlet
channels 11, 12, and at least one intake 14 communicating with the through
channel 13. In this embodiment, there are four intakes 14 provided in an
equiangular arrangement.
The channel assembly 10a includes a body 101 and a plug member 102 as
shown in Figs. 5 and 6, wherein
the body 101 is provided to define one part of the inlet channel 11, one part
of
the outlet channel 12, and at least one first hole 141 radially passing
through a
peripheral wall thereof to define one part of the intake 14 and a first groove
15.
The plug member 102 is installed in the first groove 15 of the body 101 to
define the through channel 13, one part of the inlet channel 11, one part of
the
outlet channel 12, and at least one second hole 142, the second hole 142 and
the
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first holes 141 are severed to define the intake 14.
The plug member 102 includes a first plug 103 and a second plug 104, both of
which are fixed in the first groove 15 of the body 101; the first plug 103
includes
a first bore 16 axially passing therethrough to define one part of the inlet
channel
11; the second plug 104 includes a second bore 17 axially passing therethrough
to define one part of the outlet channel 12 and at lease one recess 143 formed
on
a peripheral top surface thereof, there are four recesses 143 provided in an
equiangular arrangement to define one parts of the intakes 14 with a bottom
peripheral surface of the first plug 103 (i.e. the second holes 142); between
the
first plug 103 and the second plug 104 is defined the through channel 13 which
includes an annular space 131 and a connecting space 132 located at a bottom
end of the annular space 131, wherein the connecting space 132 is also located
at a connection of the inlet channel 11 and the outlet channel 12.
It is preferable that the second plug 104 includes four projections 144
extending from the peripheral top surface thereof and spaced apart from each
other, each two adjacent projections 144 is used to define the recess 143, and
between the projection 144 and the first groove 15 of the body 101 is formed a
circular path 145 so that each two second holes 142 are in communication with
each other.
The first bore 16 of the first plug 103 is comprised of a first conical
aperture
161 and a second conical aperture 162 and is formed in a step shape, wherein a
diameter of the second conical aperture 162 is less than that of the first
conical
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aperture 161, an outlet end of the second conical aperture 162 is an outlet
end of
the first bore 16 as well.
The second bore 17 of the second plug 104 is comprised of an equal-diameter
orifice 171 and a third conical aperture 172; an inlet end of the third
conical
aperture 172 is an inlet end of the second bore 17 as well, and a diameter of
the
second bore 17 is more than that of the second conical aperture 162 of the
first
plug 103.
The first plug 103 includes a second groove 133 disposed thereon in response
to the through channel 13 to retain with the valve member 10b, and the first
and
the second plugs 103, 104 include two positioning notches 134 fixed on outer
surfaces thereof respectively to retain with two seal rings 153, such that the
first
and the second plugs 103, 104 engage with the first groove 15 of the body 101
tightly.
The valve member l0b is installed in the through channel 13 and includes a
flexibly circular wing 181 formed therein to abut against and close the
through
channel 13 so that the intakes 14 are stopped communicating with the inlet
channel 11 and the outlet channel 12, and when a vacuum attraction generates
in
the through channel 13, the inlet and the outlet channels 11, 12 are opened.
The valve member 10b includes a fitting portion 182 retained in the second
groove 133 of the first plug 103 and the wing 181 extending from the fitting
portion 182; a cross section of the valve member 10b is formed in a V shape,
and the valve member l0b is made of a rubber or a silica gel material to
obtain
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an inward retracting deformation and outward expending force.
The storing unit 20 as illustrated in Fig. 7, is connected with the channel
assembly 10a of the mixing unit 10 and includes a chamber 21 to receive a
cleaning fluid and an output tunnel 22 communicating with the chamber 21 and
the intake 14 , thus flowing the cleaning fluid outward; the cleaning fluid a
in
the chamber 21 is drawn into the connection of the inlet channel 11 and the
outlet channel 12 along the output tunnel 22, the intake 14, and the through
channel 13 after the through channel 13 are turned on as shown in Figs. 10-12,
thereafter the cleaning fluid mixes with a water flow b to form a cleaning
water
c.
The cleaning fluid a is selected from soap fluid, shower gel, and shampoo.
The storing unit 20 includes a store box 20a, an engaging member 20b, and
two locking components 20c, wherein
the store box 20a includes the chamber 21, the output tunnel 22, and two
opposite first tabs 23 between which is defined an installing room 231.
The store box 20a further includes a seat 201, a cover 202, a first convey
tube
203, and a second convey tube 204.
The seat 201 is provided to be the first tabs 23 and includes a first slot 232
and
a passage 233 communicating with the first slot 232 and the installing room
231,
the passage 233 of the seat 201 includes a third bore 234 secured on a middle
section thereof. It is preferably that a diameter of the third bore 234 is
more than
that of the passage 233, but the diameter of the third bore 234 is capable of
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being equal to that of the passage 233. The seat 201 also includes a second
slot
235 formed on an outer surface thereof.
The cover 202 is removably fixed in the first slot 232 of the seat 201 and is
applied to define the chamber 21, wherein an opening of the chamber 21
corresponds to one end of the passage 233 of the seat 201.
One end of the first convey tube 203 is inserted into the one end of the
passage 233 of the seat 201 corresponding to the opening of the chamber 21,
and
another end of the first convey tube 203 is received in the chamber 21.
One end of the second convey tube 204 is inserted into another end of the
passage 233 of the seat 201 in response to the installing room 231, and
another
end of the second convey tube 204 is inserted into the first hole 141 of the
body
101 of the channel assembly 10a; the first convey tube 203, the second convey
tube 204, and the passage 233 between the first and the second convey tubes
203,
204 are used to define the output tunnel 22.
The seat 201 includes an air inlet (not shown) arranged thereon in response to
the opening of the chamber 21 to flow air, such that the cleaning fluid in the
chamber 21 is drawn into the output tunnel 22.
The engaging member 20b is retained with an outer surface of the channel
assembly IOa and includes two opposite second tabs 24 inserted in the
installing
room 231 of the store box 20a.
in this embodiment, the locking component 20c is a first bolt to be inserted
through the first and the second tabs 23, 24 and is screwed with one of the
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tabs 23 so as to be moved to contact with another first tab 23, hence the
engaging member 20b is fixed on the channel assembly 1 Oa.
The control unit 30, as illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9, is installed on the
storing
unit 20 to be shifted to control the output tunnel 22 of the storing unit 20
to
output the cleaning fluid.
The control unit 30 further includes a valve core 31 passing through the third
bore 234 of the seat 201, an operating bar 32 disposed on one end of the valve
core 31 to drive the valve core 31, a limit block 33 secured on another end of
the
valve core 31; wherein the valve core 31 includes a small-diameter stem
segment 311 formed thereon in response to the passage 233 of the seat 201, and
the stem segment 311 includes two spaced close portion 312 extending from an
outer surface of the stem segment 311 to rotate with the valve core 31 so as
to
close the third bore 234; the limit block 33 is inserted by a second bolt 34
to
screw with the valve core 31 so as to be further fixed on the seat 201 with
the
valve core 31, and the limit block 33 also includes a positioning peg 331
disposed on an inner surface thereof to be received in the second slot 235 of
the
seat 201 and to rotate between a first position P 1 and a second position P2
of the
second slot 235 as illustrated in Fig. 13; when the positioning peg 331 is
located
at the first position P1, the output tunnel 22 is closed by the close portion
312 of
the valve core 31 as shown in Fig. 14; and when the positioning peg 331 is
located at the second position P2, the close portion 312 of the valve core 31
is
rotated to turn on the output tunnel 22 as illustrated in Fig. 10.
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The cleaning water supply device 1 is fixed onto a water supply pipe, wherein
when the water supply pipe is not tuned on, the wing 181 of the valve member
10b of the mixing unit 10 abuts against the through channel 13 as shown in
Fig.
4 to close the through channel 13.
While the water supply pipe is tuned on, the water flow b flows outward from
the inlet channel 1 I of the mixing unit 10 via the through channel 13 and the
outlet channel 12 as shown in Figs. 10 and 11. It is to be noted that because
a
diameter of the first bore 16 of the inlet channel 11 becomes decreased along
a
water flowing direction, and the diameter of the second bore 17 is more than
that
of the outlet end of the first bore 16 so that a connection of the first and
the
second bores 16, 17 forms a smallest flowing cross section, when water flows
through the smallest cross section, a low pressure and a high flowing speed
generate to obtain a largest vacuum according to the venturi principle so that
the
vacuum attraction generates on the connection of the inlet and the outlet
channels 11, 12, hence the wing 181 of the valve member 10b is retracted
inward flexibly by the vacuum attraction to open and guide the through channel
13. In the meantime, the output tunnel 22 of the storing unit 20 is turned on
by
using the control unit 30 to draw the cleaning fluid a of the chamber 21 into
the
connection of the inlet and the outlet channels 11, 12 via the output tunnel
22,
the intake 14, and the through channel 13 so that the cleaning fluid a mixes
with
the water flow b, thereby obtaining the cleaning water c.
As the output tunnel 22 of the storing unit 20 is turned off by ways of the
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control unit 30 as illustrated in Figs. 13 and 14 to stop supplying the
cleaning
fluid a, the mixing unit 10 supplies the water flow b once more.
The output tunnel 22 is controlled by manually operating the operating bar 32
of the control unit 30, and due to the positioning peg 331 of the limit block
33
only rotates between the first and the second positions P1, P2 of the second
slot
235 as shown in Fig. 13, the operating bar 32 is merely shifted between an
turning-on and an turning-off positions as illustrated in Fig. 14. When the
operating bar 32 is rotated toward the turn-on position, the positioning peg
331
is limited at the second position P1, and the close portion 312 of the valve
core
31 is rotated to turn on the output tunnel 22 so that the cleaning fluid flows
outward. While the operating bar 32 is rotated toward the turn-off position,
the
positioning peg 331 is limited at the first position P l, and the close
portion 312
of the valve core 31 stops the output tunnel 22 so that the cleaning fluid can
not
flow outward, thereby starting and stopping a supply of the cleaning fluid
easily
and quickly.
It is to be noted that the intake 14 is comprised of one of the first holes
141 of
the body 101 and the four second holes 142, and the second holes 142 are in
communication with the path 145 as illustrated in Fig. 12; thereby partial
cleaning fluid flows into the annular space 131 of the through channel 13 from
one of the second holes 142, and another partial cleaning fluid flows into the
annular space 131 of the through channel 13 from the other three second holes
142 along the path 145 in turn so that the cleaning fluid is capable of
flowing
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into the annular space 131 completely to mix with the water flow quickly and
evenly.
Because each second hole 142 communicates with the first hole 141 through
the path 145, if anyone second hole 142 does not correspond to the first hole
141,
the cleaning fluid still can flow into the through channel 13 equally and
efficiently. In addition, the plug member 102 is fixed in the first groove 15
of the
body 101 easily and quickly.
The quantity of the first hole 141 and the second hole 142 is not be limited
as
described in this embodiment.
The cleaning water supply device 1 is capable of drawing the cleaning fluid
automatically by using the vacuum attraction so that the cleaning fluid mixes
with the water flow. Also, the wing 181 of the valve member 10b allows to
deform to further control the through channel 13.
For example, when a water pressure of the mixing unit 10 becomes lower, the
vacuum attraction in the through channel 13 will be lowered, accordingly an
inward retracting deformation of the wing 181 becomes decreased to lower an
open cross-section area of the through channel 13, such that the vacuum
attraction generate a great influence so that the cleaning fluid is attracted
into the
water flow well at a lower water pressure.
Due to the open cross-section area of the through channel 13 is adjusted with
a
change of the water pressure, when the water pressure decreases to lower the
open cross-section area, the cleaning fluid is outputted decreasingly, while
the
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water pressure increases to enhance the open cross-section area, the cleaning
fluid is outputted increasingly so that the cleaning fluid and the water flow
are
mixed together within a certain range, thus achieving a suitable concentration
of
the cleaning water.
A difference of a cleaning water supply device 1 of a second embodiment of
the present invention from that of the first embodiment comprises:
a shower component 40 screwed on an outlet end of a body 101 of the channel
assembly 10a and including a knob head 41 and a spraying set 42 fixed on the
knob head 41 to adjust a showering angle so that the cleaning water supply
device 1 is used in the showering equipment. When taking a shower, an output
tunnel 22 is turned on to spray cleaning water, and then the output tunnel 22
is
turned off to spray showering water.
Referring to Fig. 15, as the showering equipment is adjusted in a water splash
mode, the water pressure is changed to generate a back pressure in internal
pipes
of the showering equipment, and then a circular wing 181 of a circular valve
member 10 senses the back pressure to further close a through channel 13
automatically so that a water flow or the cleaning fluid is stopped to flow
back
to the output tunnel 22 and a chamber 21, thus preventing the cleaning fluid
from being contaminated. Likewise, impurities in the water is stopped to flow
into the through channel 13 or an intake 14, preventing the through channel 13
or the intake 14 from being jammed by the impurities.
With reference to Fig. 16, the channel assembly 1 Oa of the first embodiment
is
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comprised of the body 101, the first plug 103, and the second plug 104. But a
first part member 105 and a second part member 106 are allowed to be screwed
together to form the body 101, wherein the first part member 105 is integrally
formed to generate a main structure of the first plug 103 which includes the
first
bore 16 and the second groove 133, and the second part member 16 is directly
formed to generate a main structure of the second plug 104 which includes the
second bore 17, the recess 143, and the projection 144. It is preferable that
the
second part member 106 is formed to obtain the first hole 141 of the body 101,
thereby simplifying production process and lowering production cost.
A difference of a cleaning water supply device 1 of a third embodiment of the
present invention from that of the first embodiment comprises:
a storing unit 30 only having the store box 20a without the engaging member
20b and the two locking components 20c of the first embodiment, and a seat 201
formed in a cylinder shape, a cover 202 retained with one end of the cover
201,
and a cylindrical chamber 21 defined between the seat 201 and the cover 202.
The seat 201 includes an output tunnel 22 directly formed therein without
having the first convey tube 203 and the second convey tube 204 of the first
embodiment, a small-diameter tube segment formed on one end thereof in
response to the cover 202, wherein the small-diameter tube segment includes
the
output tunnel 22 arranged therein, and a distal side of the tube segment is
coupled with the first hole 141 of the mixing unit 10 in a quick removing or a
screwing manner so that the storing unit 30 and the mixing unit 10 are
connected
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together easily and quickly. In addition, a structure of the storing unit 30
is
simplified to lower production cost.
The air inlet of the first embodiment to communicate with the chamber 21 is
fixed on the seat 201, while an air inlet 25 of the third embodiment is
secured on
a suitable position of the cover 202 to feed air.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred
embodiment(s) as mentioned above, it is to be understood that many other
possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the
scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the
appended
claim or claims will cover such modifications and variations that fall within
the
true scope of the invention.
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