Patent Abstract:
The present invention relates a flow channel switching apparatus for bidet nozzle which is capable of providing a rectal injection function in addition to anus and genitalia cleaning which makes the bowel movement comfortable; of fluidly connecting the water tank and the drain hole to drain cold water supplied to prevent the water tank from overheating during initial stage of providing hot water and the final stage of the cleaning, even in a state where the water is not supplied to the anus cleaning hole, the genitalia cleaning hole, or the rectal injection hole, which allows reliable use of the bidet; and when the rotating plate is rotated to fluidly connect the supply through hole of the rotating plate and the anus cleaning hole, the genitalia cleaning hole, or the rectal injection hole penetrated through the disc valve, the supply through hole is fluidly connected to the respective supply hole to supply water, or either one of the first and the second drain through hole is fluidly connected to the discharge hole to guide water to be drained, which allows reliable use of bidet.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2014-0129093, filed on Sep. 26, 2014, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Technical Field 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a bidet and is more particularly concerned with a flow channel switching apparatus for bidet nozzle which is capable of providing a rectal injection function in addition to anus and genitalia cleaning which makes the bowel movement comfortable; of fluidly connecting the water tank and the drain hole to drain cold water supplied to prevent the water tank from overheating during initial stage of providing hot water and the final stage of the cleaning, even in a state where the water is not supplied to the anus cleaning hole, the genitalia cleaning hole, or the rectal injection hole, which allows reliable use of the bidet and when the rotating plate is rotated to fluidly connect the supply through hole of the rotating plate and the anus cleaning hole, the genitalia cleaning hole, or the rectal injection hole penetrated through the disc valve, the supply through hole is fluidly connected to the respective supply hole to supply water, or either one of the first and the second drain through hole is fluidly connected to the discharge hole to guide water to be drained, which allows reliable use of bidet. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    In general, a bidet is an apparatus which, after using the toilet, washes the anus or genitalia with water sprayed from the sprayer nozzle by a button operation of the user, and is widely used in households or office buildings. 
         [0006]    The water sprayed from the sprayer nozzle can be sprayed to the anus or genitalia through the valve apparatus for flow channel switching for bidet disclosed in Korean Patent No. 10-0785514 to wash the anus or genitalia. 
         [0007]    According to Korean Patent No. 10-0785514, while a rotating plate coupled to a drive shaft is rotated by the power of the drive motor, water is supplied to the first and second holes of the main discharge port, which is fluidly connected thereto, thereby washing the anus or genitalia, and then draining the water through the sub-discharge port. 
         [0008]    However, the structure having two discharge ports for anus cleaning and genitalia cleaning does not have a power injection port for rectal injection. Also, and the structure of the flow channel switching part is complicated, thus making the productivity low and the manufacturing costs high, which is economically disadvantageous. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0009]    The present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems encountered in the prior arts, and an object of the present invention is to provide to flow channel switching apparatus for bidet nozzle which is capable of providing a rectal injection function in addition to anus and genitalia cleaning, which makes the bowel movement comfortable, and of fluidly connecting the water tank and the drain hole to drain cold water supplied to prevent the water tank from overheating during initial stage of providing hot water and the final stage of the cleaning, even in a state where the water is not supplied to the anus cleaning hole, the genitalia cleaning hole, or the rectal injection hole, which allows reliable use of the bidet. 
         [0010]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a flow channel switching apparatus for bidet nozzle in which, when the rotating plate is rotated to fluidly connect the supply through hole of the rotating plate and the anus cleaning hole, the genitalia cleaning hole, or the rectal injection hole penetrated through the disc valve, the supply through hole is fluidly connected to the respective supply hole to supply water, or either one of the first and the second drain through hole is fluidly connected to the discharge hole to guide water to be drained, which allows reliable use of bidet, and further which can increase productability and economic efficiency by simplification of the guide structure of water drainage. 
         [0011]    A flow channel switching apparatus for bidet nozzle according to the present invention comprises: 
         [0012]    a rotating shaft coupled to a drive shaft of a drive motor to rotate in forward and backward directions; 
         [0013]    a housing mounted on the drive motor while accommodating the mating shaft to be protruded into the interior, 
         [0014]    a rotating plate rotatably coupled to the rotating shaft protruded into the housing, and rotated by the power of the drive motor so as to fluidly connect a supply through hole with respective supply holes of a disc valve to thereby guide water to be supplied by a nozzle and to guide water of a water tank supplied by a malfunction during standby in which respective supply holes of the disc valve are not fluidly connected to the supply through hole to be divined through a discharge hole; 
         [0015]    an elastic member mounted between the rotating plate and the rotating shaft to make the rotating plate adhere closely to a disc valve; 
         [0016]    a disc valve mounted on the housing to be closely adhered to the rotating plate, wherein the valve having a bidet supply hole, an anus supply hole, an enema supply hole, and a discharge hole pass through to guide movement of water to the nozzle; and 
         [0017]    nozzle configured such that the bidet supply hole, the anus supply hole, the enema supply hole, and the discharge hole of the disc valve to a genitalia cleaning hole, an anus cleaning hole, a rectal injection hole, and a drain hole are fluidly connected while closely adhered to the housing by accommodating the disc valve. 
         [0018]    According to the present invention, the flow channel switching apparatus for bidet nozzle which is capable of providing a rectal injection function in addition to anus and genitalia cleaning, which makes the bowel movement comfortable, are provided. Further, the present apparatus can allow proper draining of water from the water tank even in case in which malfunction such as overheating of the water tank is occurred by fluidly connecting the water tank with the drain hole in a state where water is not supplied to the genitalia cleaning hole, which allows reliable use of the bidet. 
         [0019]    Further, according to the present invention, there is an advantage that, when the rotating plate is rotated to fluidly connect the supply hole of the rotating plate with a genitalia cleaning hole, an anus cleaning hole, and a rectal injection hole which passed through the disc valve, the supply through hole is fluidly connected With the respective supply holes to supply water to the supply holes, or a discharge hole is fluidly connected with either one of the first and the second drain through holes to guide drainage of water, which allows reliable use of the bidet. In addition, productivity and economic efficiency can be increased by simplification of the guide structure of water drainage. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0020]    The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0021]      FIG. 1  is a separated perspective view of the bidet according to the present Invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 2  is a magnified perspective view of the rotating plate of the bidet according to the present invention. 
           [0023]      FIGS. 3 and 4  are sectional views of the bidet according to the present invention. 
           [0024]      FIGS. 5 ,  6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  10 ,  11 , and  12  are diagrams showing the operational states of the bidet according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0025]    Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0026]      FIG. 1  is a separated perspective view of the bidet according to the present invention.  FIG. 2  is a magnified perspective view of the rotating plate of the bidet according to the present invention.  FIGS. 3 and 4  are sectional views of the bidet according to the present invention. 
         [0027]    A flow channel switching apparatus  100  for bidet nozzle according to the present invention includes: a rotating shaft  110  coupled to a drive shaft  11  of a drive motor  10  to rotate in forward and backward directions; a housing  120  mounted on the drive motor  10  while accommodating the rotating shaft  110  to be protruded into the interior; a rotating plate  130  rotatably coupled to the rotating shaft  110  protruded into the housing  120 , and rotated by the power of the drive motor  10  so as to fluidly connect a supply through hole  132  with respective supply holes  151 ,  152 , and  153  of a disc valve  150  to thereby guide water to be supplied to a nozzle  160  and to guide water of a water tank supplied by a malfunction during standby in which respective supply holes  151 ,  152 , and  153  of the disc valve  150  are not fluidly connected to the supply through hole  132  to be drained through a discharge hole  154 ; an elastic member  140  mounted between the rotating plate  130  and the rotating shaft  110  to make the rotating plate  130  adhere closely to the disc valve  150 ; a disc valve  150  mounted on the housing  120  to be closely adhered to the rotating plate  130 , wherein the valve having a bidet supply hole  151 , an anus supply hole  152 , an enema supply hole  153 , and the discharge hole  154  pass through to guide movement of water to the nozzle  160 ; and a node  160  closely adhered to the housing  120  to accommodate the disc valve  150  to fluidly connect the bidet supply hole  151 , the anus supply hole  152 , the enema supply hole  153 , and the discharge hole  154  of the disc valve  150  to a genitalia cleaning hole  161 , an anus cleaning hole  162 , a rectal injection hole  163 , and a drain hole  164 , which will be later described in more detail. 
         [0028]    The rotating shaft  110  includes a rotating body  111  and a rotation control protrusion  112  protruded on one end of the rotating body  111  to control the rotation angle of the rotating shaft  110 . 
         [0029]    The housing  120  includes: a body  121 , inside of which is passed through so that the rotating shaft  110  is protruded into the inside; a rotation space  122  to allow rotation while the rotation control protrusion  112  of the rotating shaft  110  is coupled to one end of the body  121 ; and an obstructing protrusion  123  to control rotation by obstructing the rotation control protrusion  112  inside the rotation space  122 , 
         [0030]    The rotating plate  130  includes: a rotating plate body  131  through which a coupling hole  131 ′ to couple the rotating, shaft  110  passes; a supply through hole  132  passing through one side of the rotating plate body  131  to be fluidly connected to respective supply holes of the disc valve  150 , selectively, so as to guide water supply; a first drain through hole  133  which passing through the rotating plate body  131  apart from the supply through hole  132  by a certain angle to guide drainage of water; and a second drain through hole  134  passing through the rotating plate body  131  to be fluidly connected to the supply through hole  132  to guide drainage of water. 
         [0031]    The flow channel switching apparatus for bidet nozzle further includes a disc packing  170  mounted between the disc valve  150  and the nozzle  160  to guide movement of water. 
         [0032]    The flow channel switching apparatus for bidet nozzle further includes a rotation prevention unit  180  to prevent rotation of the disc valve  150 , and the rotation prevention wilt  180  includes a rotation prevention unit  181  protruding on an end of either one of the braising  120  and the disc valve  150  and a rotation prevention groove  182  formed in an end of the other one of the housing  120  and the disc valve  150  to fit with the rotation prevention unit  181 . 
         [0033]    Now, installation and operational processes of the present invention having the above described configuration will be described. 
         [0034]    First, the rotating shaft  110  is coupled inside of the body  121 , inside of which is passed through, of the housing  120  to locate the rotation control protrusion  112  of the rowing shaft  110  in the rotation space  122  in the housing  120 , Then, the coupling hole  131 ′ passes through the rotating Plate body  131  of the rotating body  130  to the rotating shaft  110  which is coupled inside of the body  121  of the housing  120 . There is the elastic member  140  between the rotating plate  130  and the rotating shaft  110  to make the rotating plate  130  adhere closely to the disc valve  150 , which will be described later. 
         [0035]    At this time the coupling hole  131  of the rotating plate  130  and the rotating shaft  110  coupled to the coupling hole  131 ′ may have the same polygon shape to rotate the rotating plate  130  in accordance with the rotation of the rotating shaft  110 . Alternatively, a protrusion (not shown) on either one of the rotating shaft  110  and the coupling hole  131 ′ and a groove (not shown) on the other one of the rotating shaft  110  and the coupling hole  131 ′ may be formed to rotate the rotating plate  130  in accordance with the rotation of the rotating shaft  110  by the coupling of the protrusion and the groove. 
         [0036]    Once the rotating plate  130  is coupled to the rotating shaft  110 , the disc valve  150  coupled with the disc packing is adhered closely to the body  121  of the housing  120  to fluidly connect the respective supply holes to the corresponding holes in the nozzle  160 . Also, the rotation prevention unit  181  of the rotation prevention unit  180  protruding on one end of either one of the housing  120  and the disc valve  150  may be coupled to the rotation prevention groove  182  formed in one end of the other one of the housing  120  and the disc valve  150  to prevent rotation of the disc valve  150 . 
         [0037]    Further, the nozzle  160  is fixed closely to the housing  20  so that the bidet supply hole  151 , the anus supply hole  152 , and the enema supply hole  153  of the disc valve  150  are fluidly connected to the genitalia cleaning hole  161 , the anus cleaning hole  162 , and the rectal infection hole  163 , which finishes the installation of the flow channel switching apparatus  100 . Then, the nozzle  160  is fixed to the support  20  having a guide rail and installed to a bidet on which a water tank and various components are mounted according to the design drawing, and the bidet is coupled to the hydrant according to a conventional method. 
         [0038]    As a person who sat on a bidet seat installed according to the above described process presses an anterior cleaning, posterior cleaning, or enema button after or dining a use of the toilet, the flow channel switching apparatus  100  moves forward along the guide rail of the support  20  and appears out of the bidet, and, at the same time, water stored in the water tank is supplied to an inlet hole  160 ′ of the nozzle  160 . 
         [0039]    The water supplied to the inlet hole  160  as shown in  FIGS. 5 to 7 , is drained via the second drain through hole  134  of the rotating plate  130  and the drain hole  164  of the nozzle  160  until the rotating plate  130  rotates in forward or backward directions in accordance with the pressed button so that the supply through hole  132  of the rotating plate  130  is fluidly connected to the supply hole corresponding to the respective button. It is to drain the water in the water tank of hot water to self wash the nozzle  160  or to drain the overheated hot water of the heating tank which heats water from the hydrant instantly. 
         [0040]    While the water is drained through the drain hole  164  via the second drain through hole  134  in accordance with the control of a control unit, as shown in  FIGS. 8 to 10 , the rotating shaft  110  and the drive shaft  11  of the drive motor  10  rotate in forward or backward directions to rotate the rotating plate  130  coupled to the rotating shaft  110 , which makes the supply through hole  132  of the rotating plate  130  be fluidly connected to any one of the supply holes in accordance with the pressed button. 
         [0041]    Here, rotation angles of the rotating shaft  110  are fixed in accordance with the respective supply holes  151 ,  152  and  153  of the disc valve  150 , which makes the rotation control protrusion  112  of the rotating shaft  110  rotate precisely along the rotation space  122  of the housing  120 . Even if the rotating shaft  110  rotates more than the fixed rotation angle due to the malfunction of the drive motor  10 , the rotation control protrusion  112  of the rotating shall  110  rotating along the rotation space  122  of the housing  120  is obstructed by the obstructing protrusion  123  to stop the rotation of the rotating shall  110 . 
         [0042]    Also, as the supply through hole  132  is fluidly connected to the supply hole corresponding to the pressed button in accordance with the rotation of the rotating plate  130 , the water supplied through the inlet hole  160 ′ is supplied to the supply hole through the supply through hole  132 , and, at the same time, the second drain through hole  134  is separated from the drain hole  164  of the nozzle  160  and closes the drain hole  164  to shut off the water drainage. 
         [0043]    Water supplied to the supply hole through the supply through hole  132 , as shown in  FIG. 11 , is sprayed through one of the genitalia cleaning hole  161 , the anus cleaning hole  162 , and the rectal injection hole  163 , and the water sprayed from the one of the holes is to perform genitalia cleaning, anus cleaning, and rectal injection for the user. 
         [0044]    Further, in case that the second drain through hole  134  and the supply through hole  132  are closed by the disc valve  150  as the supply through hole  132  is placed between the supply holes by the rotation of the rotating plate  130  in accordance with the pressing of the anterior cleaning, posterior cleaning, or enema button, as shown in  FIG. 12 , the first drain through hole  133  is fluidly connected to the discharge hole  154  to drain water supplied through the inlet hole  160 ′ 
         [0045]    As the person presses a stop button upon completion of the genitalia cleaning, the anus cleaning, or the rectal injection, under the control of a control unit, water supplied from the water tank through the inlet hole  160 ′ is stopped and simultaneously the flow channel switching apparatus  100  moves backward along the guide rail of the support  20  and enters into the bidet. 
         [0046]    Also as the rotating shaft  110  and the drive shaft  11  of the drive motor  10  rotate in backward or forward directions to restore the original positions, the supply through hole  132  of the rotating plate  130  coupled to the rotating shaft is separated from the supply hole and the rotating plate body  131  closes the supply hole to shut off the water supply. At the same time, the second drain through hole  133  is fluidly connected to the discharge hole  154  and drains the water dropping down from the water tank through the drain hole, and the apparatus waits for the next operation. 
         [0047]    Here, the reason why the water is drained through the drain hole  164  after the water is sprayed through the nozzle is to smoothly discharge the water used to cool down the heating tank heated to generate hot water. 
         [0048]    Although the specific embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0