Water faucet housing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11028563-B2
Application number	US-201715814220-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2017
Priority date	Nov 16, 2016
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

Provided is a water faucet capable of ensuring a required strength even when an exterior of the water faucet is formed with a cross-sectional shape having a longer direction and a shorter direction in a cross-section. The water faucet (1) comprises: an exterior member (4) having a longer direction (L1) in a cross-section and a shorter direction (W1) in the cross-section, and forming an exterior of the water faucet (1); a discharging port (34) for discharging water therefrom; a water-conducting member (8) for providing fluid communication between the discharging port (34) and a water supply source for supplying water to the discharging port (34); and a reinforcement member (10) provided inside the exterior member (4) so as to reinforce the exterior member (4).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A water faucet housing comprising:
an exterior member, a cross-section of which has a longer direction and a shorter direction, a first spout portion extending in an upward-downward direction from a proximal section connection to a mounting surface to which a water faucet is to be mounted, and a second spout portion bent with respect to the first spout portion at an end opposite to the proximal section of the first spout portion to extend in a forward-rearward direction toward a distal section, and forming an exterior of the water faucet housing;
a discharging port for discharging water therefrom positioned at the distal section of the second spout portion;
a water-conducting member for providing fluid communication between the discharging port and a water supply source for supplying water to the discharging port; and
a reinforcement member provided inside the first and the second spout portions of the exterior member, the reinforcement member formed separately from the exterior member and the water-conducting member and comprising a plurality of reinforcement ribs each of which extends in a direction orthogonal to the cross-section of the exterior member and in the shorter direction in the cross-section and extends along the first and second spout portions through the bent section between the first spout portion and the second spout portion such that the reinforcement member is connected to the bent section and reinforces the exterior member,
wherein the water-conducting member is placed between the reinforcement ribs.

2. The water faucet housing as recited in claim 1 , wherein each of the reinforcement members comprises a reinforcement rib extending in a direction orthogonal to the cross-section of the exterior member and in the shorter direction in the cross-section.

3. The water faucet housing as recited in claim 2 , wherein the reinforcement rib is composed of a plate piece cut to a given shape corresponding to a final shape of the reinforcement rib.

4. The water faucet housing as recited in claim 3 , wherein the reinforcement rib is composed of a laminate of a plurality of the plate pieces.

5. The water faucet housing as recited in claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of plate pieces has a same thickness.

6. The water faucet housing as recited in claim 5 , wherein each of the plate pieces of the reinforcement rib has a longer direction and a shorter direction in a cross-section, and wherein the reinforcement rib is disposed such that the longer direction in the cross-section of each of the plate pieces extends along the shorter direction in the cross-section of the exterior member, and the shorter direction in the cross-section of each of the plate pieces extends along the longer direction in the cross-section of the exterior member, and wherein the plate pieces are laminated along the longer direction in the cross-section of the exterior member.

7. The water faucet housing as recited in claim 4 , wherein each of the plate pieces of the reinforcement rib has a longer direction and a shorter direction in a cross-section, and wherein the reinforcement rib is disposed such that the longer direction in the cross-section of each of the plate pieces extends along the shorter direction in the cross-section of the exterior member, and the shorter direction in the cross-section of each of the plate pieces extends along the longer direction in the cross-section of the exterior member, and wherein the plate pieces are laminated along the longer direction in the cross-section of the exterior member.

8. The water faucet housing as recited in claim wherein the water-conducting member is composed of a plurality of water-conducting pipes.

9. The water faucet housing as recited in claim 1 , wherein ratio of a cross-sectional area of the reinforcement member to a cross-sectional area of the exterior member in the cross-section of the exterior member is set such that the ratio in the distal section is smaller than the ratio in the bent section.

10. The water faucet housing as recited in claim 1 , wherein the exterior member comprises a first cover having a first surface extending in the longer direction in the cross-section thereof, and a second cover having a second surface extending in the longer direction in the cross-section thereof and facing to and attached to the first cover.

Assignees

• Toto Ltd

Inventors

• Nagaiwa Hiroyuki
• Sugimoto Ryoichi
• Kazaoka Daisuke

Classifications

• E03C1/057

  touchless, i.e. using sensors · CPC title

• E03C1/0404 Primary

  Constructional or functional features of the spout · CPC title

• F16K31/046

  with electric means, e.g. electric switches, to control the motor or to control a clutch between the valve and the motor (F16K31/041 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16K27/006 Primary

  of hydrants · CPC title

• F16K27/08

  Guiding yokes for spindles; Means for closing housings; Dust caps, e.g. for tyre valves · CPC title