Waterway switching mechanism and shower comprising the waterway switching mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10875037-B2
Application number	US-201816026900-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 3, 2018
Priority date	Nov 15, 2017
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

A waterway switching mechanism in a shower includes a fixed portion and a rotating block connected to a fixed portion. The fixed portion has a plurality of switching positions each with a sealing portion that can move relative to the fixed portion in the first direction. The waterway switching is controlled through the activity of the sealing portion. The outside wall is provided with a pushing portion. The sealing portions are circumferentially spaced apart and surround outside of the rotating block. Each sealing portion is provided with a fitting portion capable of cooperating with the pushing portion, when the rotating block rotates the pushing portion follows the rotating block and move in a circumferential direction, and the fitting portion is driven to move in the first direction by a circumferential movement of the pushing portion, and the first direction intersects with vertical plane of the vertical swivel axis of rotation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A waterway switching mechanism comprising:
a fixed portion, and
a rotating block, wherein:
the fixed portion comprises a plurality of switched positions,
each of the plurality of switched positions comprises a sealing portion configured to at least move relative to the fixed portion in a vertical direction,
the sealing portions move to control waterway switching,
the rotating block is rotatably connected to the fixed portion,
an outer peripheral wall of the rotating block extends outward to define a pushing portion,
the sealing portions circumferentially surround the rotating block at intervals,
each of the sealing portions comprises a fitting portion configured to cooperate with the pushing portion,
each of the sealing portions comprises a hollow hole penetrating in at least the vertical direction,
a bottom of the fixed portion comprises a plurality of grooves,
an upper sealing ring of each of the sealing portions is always slidably connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of grooves,
one of the sealing portions at least moves in an upward direction to open a corresponding one of the plurality of switched positions, and
when the rotating block rotates:
the pushing portion follows the rotating block to move circumferentially, and
the pushing portion drives the fitting portion to at least move along the vertical direction.

2. The waterway switching mechanism according to the claim 1 , wherein:
each of the sealing portions is disposed with an elastic body configured to generate an elastic force acting on the sealing portion toward a corresponding one of the plurality of switched positions,
a positive movement and a circumferential movement of the pushing portion drives at least one of the fitting portions to at least move forward in the vertical direction and a positive direction to enable a corresponding one of the elastic bodies to store energy, and
each of the elastic bodies releases energy and drives a corresponding one of the sealing portions to move in a negative direction and the vertical direction to reset.

3. The waterway switching mechanism according to the claim 1 , wherein a rotating axis of the rotating block is parallel to the vertical direction.

4. The waterway switching mechanism according to the claim 2 , wherein:
the pushing portion comprises a positive guiding surface and a negative guiding surface,
the positive guiding surface extends in the positive direction and a circumferential direction of a rotating axis of the rotating block,
a height of the positive guiding surface increases gradually in the positive direction and the vertical direction,
the negative guiding surface extends in the positive direction and the circumferential direction of the rotating axis of the rotating block,
a height of the negative guiding surface decreases gradually in the positive direction and the vertical direction,
the fitting portion is driven to move in the positive direction and the vertical direction due to a circumferential movement of the pushing portion, and
the fitting portion is driven to move gradually in the negative direction and the vertical direction.

5. The waterway switching mechanism according to the claim 1 , wherein:
the outer peripheral wall of the rotating block comprises an annular protrusion, and
an upper ring surface of the annular protrusion defines the pushing portion.

6. The waterway switching mechanism according to the claim 1 , wherein:
each of the fitting portions comprises a lug disposed on an outer surface of a corresponding one of the sealing portions, and
the lugs cooperate with the pushing portion.

7. The waterway switching mechanism according to the claim 1 , wherein a guiding mechanism is disposed between the fixed portion and a corresponding one of the sealing portions.

8. The waterway switching mechanism according to the claim 7 , wherein:
at least two second lugs extend outward from an outer periphery of each of the fitting portions,
the fixed portion comprises at least one pair of protrusions disposed at intervals,
the at least two second lugs and the at least one pair of protrusions define the guiding mechanism, and
the at least two second lugs are slidably connected to a corresponding pair of the at least one pair of protrusions to enable the corresponding one of the sealing portions to at least move in the vertical direction.

9. The waterway switching mechanism according to the claim 8 , wherein:
a gap is disposed between the at least two second lugs and the at least one pair of protrusions.

10. The waterway switching mechanism according to the claim 1 , wherein:
the fixed portion comprises a water separation waterway portion and a fixed seat,
the water separation waterway portion is fixedly connected to the fixed seat to define a water separation chamber,
a portion of the water separation waterway portion corresponding to the water separation chamber comprises the plurality of switched positions,
at least one of the plurality of switched positions is a water separation hole,
at least one water separation waterway corresponding to the water separation hole is disposed in the water separation waterway portion, and
the rotating block is rotatably connected to the water separation waterway portion and extends out of the fixed seat.

11. The waterway switching mechanism according to the claim 10 , wherein:
a bottom of the fixed seat comprises the plurality of grooves
each of the sealing portions is disposed with an upper sealing ring and a lower sealing ring,
one of the sealing portions at least moves in a downward direction to control the lower sealing ring to seal a corresponding one of the plurality of switched positions to close the corresponding one of the plurality of switched positions,
one of the sealing portions at least moves in the upward direction to control the lower sealing ring to open the corresponding one of the plurality of switched positions.

12. The waterway switching mechanism according to the claim 10 , wherein:
the at least one water separation waterway comprises at least two water outlet ports, and
each of the at least two water outlet ports is disposed with a one-way valve.

13. The waterway switching mechanism according to the claim 10 , wherein at least one of the plurality of switched positions is a blind hole.

14. The waterway switching mechanism according to the claim 1 , comprising:
a driving mechanism, wherein:
the driving mechanism comprises an intermittent movement mechanism, and
the intermittent movement mechanism is connected to the rotating block to drive the rotating block to rotate in a positive direction.

15. The waterway switching mechanism according to the claim 14 , wherein the intermittent movement mechanism comprises a ratchet wheel-ratchet pawl mechanism.

16. The waterway switching mechanism according to the claim 14 , wherein:
the intermittent movement mechanism comprises a rack, a first rotary plate and a second rotary plate,
a peripheral wall of the first rotary plate defines gear teeth,
the rack engages with the first rotary plate,
an end surface of the first rotary plate comprises a first ratchet tooth,
an end surface of the second rotary plate comprises a second ratchet tooth, and the first ratchet tooth engages with the second ratchet tooth.

17. The waterway switching mechanism according to the claim 14 , wherein:
the intermittent movement mechanism comprises a pull rod, a first rotary plate and a second rotary plate,
the pull rod cooperates with the fir

Assignees

• Xiamen Solex High Tech Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lin Fengde
• Zhang Mingfu
• Wang Tianming
• Chen Wenxing

Classifications

• E03C1/0405

  enabling multiple spray patterns · CPC title

• B05B1/1609

  with a selecting mechanism comprising a lift valve (B05B1/1681 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B05B12/002

  Manually-actuated controlling means, e.g. push buttons, levers or triggers (for single units B05B11/00) · CPC title

• B05B1/169

  having three or more selectively effective outlets · CPC title

• B05B1/12

  capable of producing different kinds of discharge, e.g. either jet or spray (having selectively-effective outlets B05B1/16) · CPC title