SHOWER COLUMN

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to the field of bathroom, in particular to a shower column.

BACKGROUND

The main body of a shower is generally a structure designed to have a rainfall shower head and/or a handheld shower head. Of course, to allow a conversion between the rainfall spray and the handheld spray, a switch must be equipped, which is also the current traditional structure. However, this traditional structure has several shortcomings: first, the main body of the shower is usually large in volume and has very complicated water passage inside; second, it is difficult to add a function to the complex structure, for example, to provide a shower with a filtering function, a filtering structure has to be additionally added to the main body, which further complicates the structure.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides a shower column, which can effectively solve the above-mentioned problems.

The present disclosure is implemented as follows:

A shower column, including:

• • a water passing body, wherein the water passing body includes at least five water passing ports, namely a water inlet, a through port, a switching port, and at least two water outlets, the water inlet is in communication with the switching port via the through port, and the switching port is in communication with the two water outlets;
  • a valve body, provided on the switching port and configured to select at least one of the water outlets to communicate with the water inlet; and
  • a functional part, provided on the through port and configured to allow a water flow passing through the functional part to have diverse effects.

Further, the water passing body includes five water passing ports, namely the water inlet, the through port, the switching port, a first water outlet, and a second water outlet, the water inlet is connected to a water inlet arm, the through port is connected to the functional part, a switching valve unit is provided on the switching port, the switching valve unit includes the valve body, the first water outlet is connected to a first water outlet unit, and the second water outlet is connected to a second water outlet unit.

Further, the water passing body is made of a plastic material. The water passing body has an upper body and a lower body. The upper body and the lower body are formed into one piece by welding. The water passing body has a regular outer shape. The water passing body is provided with five interface portions protruding outward. The water inlet, the through port, the switching port, the first water outlet, and the second water outlet are provided on the interface portions, respectively.

Further, the water inlet is arranged at an inclined direction relative to the water passing body, the first water outlet is provided on the upper end surface of the water passing body, and the second water outlet is provided on the lower end surface of the water passing body. The first water outlet and the second water outlet are arranged oppositely, and the water inlet is arranged away from the two water outlets. The through port is provided close to the water inlet, and the switching port is provided between the through port and the first water outlet.

Further, the water passing body is made of a metallic material. The water passing body has an irregular outer shape. The water passing body is provided with five interface portions. The water inlet, the through port, the switching port, and the two water outlets are provided on the interface portions, respectively. The water passing body is integrally formed through a casting or forging process.

Further, the functional part can be a filter, a plugging joint, or an adapter.

Further, the filter includes a filter body and a filter connector provided on the filter body. The filter body has a cavity with an open end. A filter core is arranged in the cavity. The filter connector is connected to the open end of the filter body. The filter connector is connected to the through port.

Further, inside the filter connector, there are a water inlet channel and a water outlet channel annularly surrounded outside the water inlet channel. The water inlet channel and the water outlet channel are separated by an annular partition wall. The water outlet channel is connected to the inner wall surface of the filter connector through a plurality of connecting walls. The filter core is configured as a cylindrical structure that penetrates up and down. The water inlet channel is in communication with the inner wall of the cylindrical structure, and the water outlet channel is in communication with a flow space between the filter core and the filter body.

Further, the through port is internally provided with a connector, a partition wall is provided inside the connector. The partition wall divides the interior of the connector into two circulation parts. The two circulation parts are in communication with the water inlet channel and the water outlet channel, respectively.

Further, the outer wall surface of the filter connector is provided with a plurality of inclined portions, a plurality of receiving portions below the inclined portions, and a plurality of transition portions between the inclined portions and the receiving portions. The transition portion is in communication with the receiving portion. An engaging portion corresponding to the receiving portion is provided on the inner wall of the through port. The engaging portion enters from the transition portion and is guided by the inclined portion to enter and be engaged with the receiving portion.

Further, a handle assembly is further provided on the side opposite to the switching valve unit along the transverse axial direction of the water passing body. The handle assembly includes a connecting member and an operating handle. The water passing body has a fixing rod for connecting and fixing the handle assembly. The fixing rod extends outward from the first water outlet to the side where the handle assembly is located and passes through the connecting member to connect with the operating handle.

Optionally, the fixing rod is further provided with a clamping structure, the clamping structure is located between the connecting member and the operating handle to prevent the connecting member from being flushed out and causing water leakage when the operating handle is loosened.

Optionally, the operating handle includes a handle body and a positioning block arranged in the handle body. The handle body is through in the middle and open at both ends, and has a boss extending inward at the bottom opening. The upper surface of the boss has two convex ribs arranged opposite to each other, and a slope is connected between two sides of the two convex ribs. The side of the positioning block cooperating with the boss also has two convex ribs arranged oppositely. The convex ribs of the positioning block cooperate with the convex ribs on the boss to achieve a positioning effect, thereby limiting the rotation angle of the operating handle and preventing the operating handle from loosening.

The beneficial effect of the present disclosure is as follows: At least five water passing ports are arranged on the water passing body and the multiple water passing ports are close to each other and concentrated, simplifying the structure of the water passage and reducing the volume of the water passing body, thereby saving material and manufacturing costs. A functional part, such as a filter or an adapter, is connected to the water passing body, providing a user with diversified choices to meet various demands.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure more clearly, the drawings required to be used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present disclosure. Therefore, it should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For those of ordinary skills in the art, other relevant drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the filter according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a partial enlarged view of the filter, showing portion A in FIG. 8, according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is an isometric view of the filter according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a partial enlarged view of the filter, showing portion B in FIG. 10, according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 is an isometric view of the lower body according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 13 is an isometric view of the connector according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 15 is an exploded view of the handle assembly according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 16 is a structural schematic diagram of the clamping piece according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall structure of another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 18 is an exploded view of the operating handle according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 19 is a structural schematic diagram of the handle body according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of the handle body according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 21 is a structural schematic diagram of the positioning block according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the handle body and the positioning block according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 23 is a first cross-sectional view showing the structure of the operating handle according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 24 is a second cross-sectional view showing the structure of the operating handle according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

IN THE FIGURES

• • 1. water passing body; 11. upper body; 12. water inlet; 13. through port; 131. connector; 132. partition wall; 133. circulation part; 134. insertion portion; 135. engaging portion; 1351. recess; 14. switching port; 15. first water outlet; 16. second water outlet; 17. lower body;
  • 2. water inlet arm; 21. water inlet connector;
  • 3. filter; 31. filter connector; 311. water inlet channel; 312. water outlet channel; 313. annular partition wall; 314. connecting wall; 315. inclined portion; 316. receiving portion; 3161. protrusion; 317. transition portion; 32. filter body; 321. cavity; 322. filter core; 323. flow space;
  • 4. switching valve unit; 41. valve body; 42. handle;
  • 5. first water outlet unit;
  • 6. second water outlet unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

To make the purposes, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure more apparent, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skills in the art without creative efforts fall within the scope of protection of the present disclosure. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present disclosure provided in the appended drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure to be claimed, but rather to represent selected embodiments of the present disclosure. Based on the embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skills in the art without creative efforts fall within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

In the description of the present disclosure, the terms “first” and “second” are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the technical features referred to. Therefore, a feature defined by “first” and “second” may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present disclosure, “plurality” means two or more than two, unless otherwise clearly and specifically limited.

Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 13, a shower column includes a water passing body 1 and a water inlet arm 2, a functional part, a switching valve unit 4, and a first water outlet unit 5 and/or a second water outlet unit 6 that are respectively connected to the water passing body 1, specifically, Referring to FIG. 2, the water passing body 1 includes five water passing ports, namely a water inlet 12, a through port 13, a switching port 14, a first water outlet 15, and a second water outlet 16. The water inlet 12 is connected to the water inlet arm 2, the through port 13 is connected to the functional part, the switching valve unit 4 is provided on the switching port 14, the first water outlet 15 is connected to the first water outlet unit 5, and the second water outlet 16 is connected to the second water outlet unit 6. The multiple water passing ports of the water passing body 1 are close to each other and concentrated, simplifying the structure of the water passage and reducing the volume of the water passing body 1, thereby saving material and manufacturing costs. More specifically, the water inlet 12 is in communication with the through port 13 and the switching port 14 in sequence, and the switching valve unit 4 is selectively switched to make the water inlet 12 be in communication with the first water outlet 15 or the second water outlet 16. The first water outlet 15 is directly or indirectly connected to a rainfall shower head (not shown), and the second water outlet 16 is directly or indirectly connected to a handheld shower head (not shown). Water flow enters from the water inlet 12, passes through the functional part via the through port 13 to the switching valve unit 4, and is selected by the switching valve unit 4 to sequentially flow to the first water outlet 15 and spray out from the rainfall shower head for use or sequentially flow to the second water outlet 16 and spray out from the handheld shower head for use. Moreover, the water passing body 1 can be made of a plastic material or a metal material.

The functional part can be a filter 3, a plugging joint, or an adapter. Selecting different functional parts can result in different effects after water flowing through the functional part, providing a user with diversified choices to meet various demands. In this embodiment, the filter 3 is used as the functional part. In other embodiments, a plugging joint is used as the functional part. When a user does not need a water flow with special effect, only the plugging joint is needed to be used to block the through port 13 to prevent water from flowing. Of course, if it is necessary to draw water from the through port 13, an adapter with a switch function can also be provided on the through port 13 to facilitate user operation.

Embodiment 1

Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, the water passing body 1 is made of a plastic material. The water passing body 1 has an upper body 11 and a lower body 17. The upper body 11 and the lower body 17 are formed into one piece by welding. The water passing body 1 has a regular outer shape. The water passing body 1 is provided with five interface portions protruding outward. The water inlet 12, the through port 13, the switching port 14, and the two water outlets are provided on the interface portions, respectively. The water inlet 12 is arranged at an inclined direction relative to the water passing body 1, the first water outlet 15 is provided on the upper end surface of the water passing body 1, and the second water outlet 16 is provided on the lower end surface of the water passing body 1. The first water outlet 15 and the second water outlet 16 are arranged oppositely, and the water inlet 12 is arranged away from the two water outlets. In this embodiment, the first water outlet 15 is provided on the upper end surface of the upper body 11, and the second water outlet 16 is provided on the lower end surface of the lower body 17. The through port 13 is provided close to the water inlet 12, and the switching port 14 is provided between the through port 13 and the first water outlet 15, so that a water passage can be laid out to allow water flow to enter from the water inlet 12 and pass through the through port 13 and the switching port 14, simplifying the flow passage structure inside the water passing body 1.

The water inlet arm 2 has an inclined segment and a horizontal segment. The horizontal segment of the water inlet arm 2 is vertically connected to an installation site and in communication with a water supply. The inclined segment of the water inlet arm 2 is provided with a water inlet connector 21. The water inlet connector 21 is connected to the water inlet 12. In this embodiment, the water inlet connector 21 is provided with an external thread structure, and the inner wall surface of the water inlet 12 is provided with an internal thread structure. The external thread structure is threadedly connected to the internal thread structure, so that the water inlet arm 2 is connected to and in communication with the water passing body 1.

Referring to FIG. 8 to FIG. 11, the filter 3 includes a filter body 32. The filter body 32 has a cavity 321 with an open end. A filter core 322 is arranged in the cavity 321. A filter connector 31 is provided at the open end of the filter body 32. The filter connector 3131 is connected to the through port 13. The water flow enters the cavity 321 from the filter connector 3131, is filtered by the filter core 322, and then flows out from the filter connector 3131 to the through port 13 and then into the water passing body 1. Further, inside the filter connector 3131, there are a water inlet channel 311 and a water outlet channel 312 annularly surrounded outside the water inlet channel 311. The water inlet channel 311 and the water outlet channel 312 are separated by an annular partition wall 313. The water outlet channel 312 is connected to the inner wall surface of the filter connector 3131 through a plurality of connecting walls 314. The filter core 322 is configured as a cylindrical structure that penetrates up and down. The water inlet channel 311 is in communication with the inner wall of the cylindrical structure, and the water outlet channel 312 is in communication with a flow space 323 between the filter core 322 and the filter body 32. The water flow enters from the water inlet channel 311, is filtered by the cylindrical structure of the filter core 322, flows to the flow space 323, and then flows out from the water outlet channel 312. Moreover, further, the outer wall surface of the filter connector 3131 is provided with a plurality of inclined portions 315, a plurality of receiving portions 316 below the inclined portions 315, and a plurality of transition portions 317 between the inclined portions 315 and the receiving portions 316. The transition portion 317 is in communication with the receiving portion 316. Referring to FIG. 12, the through port 13 is internally provided with a connector 131, and the connector 131 and the through port 13 are formed into one piece through welding. There is a connection space between the outer wall surface of the connector 131 and the inner wall surface of the through port 13.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, a partition wall 132 is provided inside the connector 131. The partition wall 132 divides the interior of the connector 131 into two circulation parts 133. The two circulation parts 133 are in communication with the water inlet channel 311 and the water outlet channel 312, respectively. The connector 131 has an insertion portion 134 protruding toward the filter 3, the circulation portion 133 extends to the inside of the insertion portion 134, and the insertion portion 134 is inserted into the filter connector 3131, so that the connector 131 is connected to the filter connector 3131. An engaging portion 135 corresponding to the receiving portion 316 is provided on the inner wall of the through port 13. The engaging portion 135 enters from the transition portion 317 and is guided by the inclined portion 315 to enter and be engaged with the receiving portion 316. Particularly, the engaging portion 135 is provided with a recess 1351, and the receiving portion 316 is provided with a protrusion 3161. After the engaging portion 135 is engaged with the receiving portion 316, any recess 1351 is locked with the protrusion 3161, so that the filter connector 3131 and the connector 131 are firmly connected.

The switching valve unit 4 has a valve body 41 and a handle 42 connected to the valve body 41. The valve body 41 is provided in the switching port 14, and the handle 42 is provided outside the switching port 14. The valve body 41 can be manipulated through the handle 42 to control the water inlet 12 to communicate with the first water outlet 15 or to communicate with the second water outlet 16.

The first water outlet 15 and the second water outlet 16 each are provided with an external thread structure, and the first water outlet unit 5 and the second water outlet unit 6 are respectively provided with an internal thread structure. The first water outlet unit 5 and the second water outlet unit 6 are connected to the first water outlet 15 and the second water outlet 16, respectively, through the internal thread structures and the external thread structures.

Embodiment 2

Referring to FIG. 5 to FIG. 7, the water passing body 1 is made of a metallic material. The water passing body 1 is integrally formed through a casting or forging process, followed by a machining process to implement connecting structure. The water passing body 1 has an irregular outer shape. The water passing body 1 is provided with five interface portions. The water inlet 12, the through port 13, the switching port 14, and the two water outlets are provided on the interface portions, respectively. The interface portions corresponding to the first water outlet 15 and the switching port 14 are arranged oppositely to form a cylindrical structure, the interface portion corresponding to the second water outlet 16 is connected vertically downward to the cylindrical structure, the interface portion corresponding to the water inlet 12 is in the shape of a cylinder and is connected obliquely to the cylindrical structure, and the interface portion corresponding to the through port 13 is connected vertically downward to the cylinder.

In this embodiment, the connector 131 is directly processed on the through port 13, and the connector 131 is integrally arranged with the through port 13. The water inlet arm 2, the switching valve unit 4, the first water outlet unit 5, and the second water outlet unit 6 are all consistent with or similar to those in Embodiment 1, and will not be described in detail here.

In this embodiment, a handle assembly 7 is further provided on the side opposite to the switching valve unit 4 along the transverse axial direction of the water passing body 1. The handle assembly 7 includes a connecting member 71 and an operating handle 72. The water passing body 1 has a fixing rod 17 for connecting and fixing the handle assembly 7. The fixing rod 17 extends outward from the first water outlet 15 to the side where the handle assembly 7 is located. The end of the fixing rod 17 is provided with an external thread threadedly connected to the operating handle 72. A first clamping slot 18 surrounding the outer circumference of the fixing rod 17 is provided on the side close to the water passing body 1. A sealing ring 181 is provided on the first clamping slot 18 to prevent water leakage at the end. The connecting member 71 is overall cylindrical and through along its axis. After the fixing rod 17 passes through the openings at both ends of the connecting member 71 in the axial direction, the external thread at its end is screwed with the corresponding internal thread on the operating handle 72, thereby fixing the operating handle 72. The connecting member 71 is also provided with an opening 711 communicated with its internal passage on the side facing the first water outlet unit 5. The opening 711 is plug-fitted with the vertical pipe of the first water outlet unit 5.

As shown in FIGS. 14-16, in some implementations of this embodiment, the fixing rod 17 is further provided with a second clamping slot 19 surrounding the outer circumference of the fixing rod 17, and the second clamping slot 19 is located between the first clamping slot 18 and the external thread. A clamping piece 191 is clamped on the second clamping slot 19. The clamping piece 191 is overall U-shaped and has a circular through hole 192 in the middle that matches the size of the second clamping slot 19 and an inverted V-shaped opening 193 below the circular through hole. The inclined surfaces on both sides of the inverted V-shaped opening 193 have a guiding function to facilitate installation. A gasket 73 is also provided between the connecting member 71 and the operating handle 72, one side of the gasket 73 is provided with a countersunk hole 731 having a shape and size matched with the clamping piece 191, and the clamping piece 191 is accommodated in the countersunk hole 731. In the traditional structure, if the handle is loosened and not screwed in place, the connecting member 71 generally will be flushed out and drop off, resulting in water leakage. The clamping structure in this embodiment can effectively prevent the connecting member from being flushed out and causing water leakage.

Optionally, as shown in FIG. 17-24, in some other embodiments, the operating handle 72 includes a handle body 721, and a positioning block 722, a nut 723, and a cover 724 that are arranged in the handle body in sequence. The handle body 721 is through in the middle and open at both ends, and has a boss 7211 extending inward at the bottom opening. The upper surface of the boss 7211 has two convex ribs 7212 arranged opposite to each other, and a slope 7213 is connected between two sides of the two convex ribs 7212. The positioning block 722 is annular and has a through hole in the middle. During assembly, one end of the fixing rod 17 passes through the bottom opening of the handle body 721 and then passes through the through hole in the middle of the positioning block 722, next, the external thread provided at the end of the fixing rod 17 is threaded with the internal thread of the nut 723, and finally, the cover 724 is clamped in the top opening of the handle body 721. The side of the positioning block 722 cooperating with the boss 7211 has two convex ribs 7221 arranged oppositely. The convex ribs 7221 of the positioning block cooperate with the convex ribs 7212 on the boss 7211 to achieve a positioning effect, thereby limiting the rotation angle of the operating handle. Specifically, when the operating handle rotates, the positioning block 722 is driven to rotate accordingly. The positioning block 722 will move along the slope 7213 in the handle body 721 and be stopped until reaching the convex ribs 7221 on the boss 7211, thereby limiting the rotation angle and position, so that the problem of the nut being loosened and falling off due to excessive rotation of the operating handle will not occur. This paragraph provides another optional implementation method, which realizes the limitation of the rotation angle by the mutual cooperation between the positioning block and the convex ribs on the handle body, thereby solving the problem of the connecting member 71 being flushed out and dropping off due to loose handle and thus causing water leakage.

The above descriptions are only preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. For those skilled in the art, the present disclosure may have various modifications and changes. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present disclosure shall be included in the scope of protection of the present disclosure.