Patent Description:
A water passage switching device of water outlet terminals of traditional kitchen and bathroom articles, for example, a shower head with an electronic part, usually requires multiple buttons. One button corresponds to switching of water spray patterns, and one button corresponds to switching of an electrical circuit. Therefore, convenience of an appearance design and application is greatly limited.

With regard to the prior art attention is drawn to <CIT> from which showerhead for personal hygiene is known, which includes a housing have a spray face extending therefrom. A cavity in the housing is in fluid communication with a water supply and the spray face by way of nozzle apertures. A spray selector controls fluid flow between the cavity and each of the nozzle apertures. A power supply is provided of a battery-electric motor or a spring, the power supply is in mechanical communication with an actuator. The actuator operates to move the selector. A user touch interface provides a user with selective movement of the selector to sequentially provide multiple spray patterns from the spray face. The user interface is an electrically conductive portion of the housing or the spray face.

The main technical problem to be solved in the present disclosure is to provide a structure for controlling water passage switching and on-off of an electrical circuit using a single button. The single button can not only control the water passage switching but also control the on-off of the electrical circuit, and the deficiencies with respect to having complicated operation and limited appearance in the traditional showers are solved.

The present invention relates to a structure for controlling water passage switching and on-off of an electrical circuit using a single button as defined in claims <NUM> and <NUM>.

Further, the present invention relates to a shower head as defined in claim <NUM>.

In order to solve the technical problem, the present disclosure comprises a structure for controlling water passage switching and on-off of an electrical circuit using a single button, it comprises an operating member, a transmission member, a water passage switching member and an electrical circuit controlling module, the operating member drives the water passage switching member to rotate to achieve the water passage switching through the transmission member, and the water passage switching member drives the electrical circuit controlling module during a process of the water passage switching, wherein the electrical circuit controlling module comprises a positive conductive column and a negative conductive column, the water passage switching member comprises one or more abutting blocks, and the one or more abutting blocks enable the positive conductive column to be in communication with the negative conductive column during the process of the water passage switching.

In a preferred embodiment, the electrical circuit controlling module is an electronic switch, and the one or more abutting blocks abut or are separated from the electronic switch during the process of the water passage switching.

In a preferred embodiment, the one or more abutting blocks are disposed on an upper surface or a lower surface of a ratchet wheel along an axial direction of the ratchet wheel, so as to rotate by interlocking with the ratchet wheel.

In a preferred embodiment, the one or more abutting blocks are a plurality of abutting blocks distributed rotationally symmetrically around the axial direction of the ratchet wheel.

In a preferred embodiment, the one or more abutting blocks, the water diversion rotating plate, and the ratchet wheel are connected together through an interlocking shaft.

In a preferred embodiment, the one or more abutting blocks are disposed on a ratchet pawl so as to swing by interlocking with the ratchet pawl.

In a preferred embodiment, the electronic switch is a self-locking switch.

In a preferred embodiment, the operating member is a button, the transmission member comprises a swinging member and a sliding member, two ends of the swinging member respectively abut the button and the sliding member, and a swinging shaft of the swinging member is disposed between the two ends of the swinging member.

In a preferred embodiment, one end of the sliding member away from the swinging member is operatively connected to the ratchet pawl to drive the ratchet pawl to be engaged with or be separated from teeth of the ratchet wheel.

The present disclosure further provides a structure for controlling water passage switching and on-off of an electrical circuit using a single button, it comprises an operating member, a transmission member, a water passage switching member, an abutting block and an electronic switch, the operating member drives the abutting block to swing through the transmission member so as to drive the electronic switch to be turned on or be shut off, and the abutting block drives the water passage switching member to rotate to achieve the water passage switching during a swinging process, wherein the abutting block comprises a sliding groove extending in a radial direction of a swing arc, the operating member is a push button, one end of the transmission member is slidably connected to the sliding groove, and another end is operatively connected to the push button along a movement direction of the push button.

In a preferred embodiment, the water passage switching member comprises a water diversion rotating plate, the water diversion rotating plate is fixedly connected to the abutting block, and the abutting block drives the water diversion rotating plate to rotate so that a water hole of the water diversion rotating plate is in communication with different water outflow nozzles.

The present disclosure further provides a shower head, it comprises a shower head body and the structure for controlling the water passage switching and the on-off of the electrical circuit using the single button.

Compared with the existing techniques, the technical solution of the present disclosure has the following advantages.

In the present disclosure, the structure for controlling the water passage switching and the on-off of the electrical circuit using the single button uses the single button to drive the water passage switching member to move, and the water passage switching drives the one or more abutting blocks to rotate or swing during a process of the water passage switching so as to abut the electronic switch to enable the electrical function to be turned on or be shut off. In this way, the single button can not only control the water passage switching but also can control the on-off of the electrical circuit, so that the deficiencies with respect to a complex operation and limited appearance in the traditional showers are solved.

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below in combination with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure. The described embodiments are obviously only some embodiments of the present disclosure instead of all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained without creative work by a person of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present disclosure fall within a scope of the protection of the present disclosure.

In the description of the present disclosure, it should be noted that an orientation or a positional relationship represented by the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer", "top/bottom", etc. is an orientation or a positional relationship shown based on the drawings, which is only used to facilitate a description of the present disclosure and simplify the description, rather than representing or implying that a pointed device or an element should have a specific orientation and be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and should not be understood as a limitation of the present disclosure. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

In the description of the present disclosure, it should be noted that the terms "installed", "disposed", "sleeved", "connected", etc., should be broadly understood. For example, "connected" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection, a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, a direct connection, an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or a communication between inner sides of two members. For a person of ordinary skill in the art, specific meanings of the terms in the present disclosure can be understood under specific conditions.

Embodiment <NUM>, referring to <FIG>, the embodiment provides a shower head, the shower head comprises a shower head body <NUM>, and the shower head body <NUM> comprises a shower water flow passage <NUM>, a micro-current water flow passage <NUM>, and a control board <NUM> configured to generate a micro-current.

The shower head body <NUM> further comprises a structure for controlling water passage switching and on-off of one or more electrical circuits using a single button, water can be switched to micro-current water from ordinary shower water by a single operating member, and the control board can be controlled to generate the micro-current at the same time.

In the present disclosure, the structure for controlling the water passage switching and the on-off of the one or more electrical circuits using the single button specifically comprises an operating member <NUM>, a transmission member <NUM>, a water passage switching member <NUM>, and an electrical circuit controlling module. In this embodiment, the electrical circuit controlling module is one or more electronic switches <NUM>; the water passage switching member <NUM> comprises one or more abutting blocks <NUM> cooperating with the one or more electronic switches <NUM>; the operating member <NUM> drives the water passage switching member <NUM> to rotate through the transmission member <NUM> to achieve the water passage switching, and the water passage switching member <NUM> drives the one or more electronic switches <NUM> to be turned on or shut off through the one or more abutting blocks <NUM> abutting or being separated from the one or more electronic switches <NUM> during a process of the water passage switching.

In this embodiment, the water passage switching member <NUM> comprises a ratchet wheel <NUM> and a water diversion rotating plate <NUM> interlocked together, and a ratchet pawl <NUM> operatively connected to the transmission member <NUM>; the ratchet wheel <NUM> drives the water diversion rotating plate <NUM> to rotate, so that a water hole of the water diversion rotating plate <NUM> is in communication with different water outflow nozzles.

In this embodiment, a transmission manner between the one or more abutting blocks <NUM> and the water passage switching member <NUM> is that the one or more abutting blocks <NUM> rotate with a rotation of the water diversion rotating plate <NUM>. Therefore, the one or more abutting blocks <NUM> are disposed on an upper surface or a lower surface of the ratchet wheel <NUM> along an axial direction of the ratchet wheel <NUM>, so as to rotate by interlocking with the ratchet wheel <NUM>. In this way, when the ratchet wheel <NUM> rotates, the one or more abutting blocks <NUM> and the water diversion rotating plate <NUM> will rotate synchronously with the rotation of the ratchet wheel <NUM>. Specifically, the one or more abutting blocks <NUM>, the water diversion rotating plate <NUM>, and the ratchet wheel <NUM> are connected together through an interlocking shaft <NUM>.

The water diversion rotating plate <NUM> will rotate continuously in a single direction with an operation of the operating member <NUM>, therefore, in order to ensure that the one or more electronic switches <NUM> can be turned on or shut off merely by pressing the operating member <NUM> twice, the one or more abutting block <NUM> should be multiple and are distributed rotationally symmetrically about the axial direction of the ratchet wheel <NUM>.

In this embodiment, the operating member <NUM> is a button, and the transmission member <NUM> comprises a swinging member <NUM> and a sliding member <NUM>; two ends of the swinging member <NUM> respectively abut the button and the sliding member <NUM>, and a swinging shaft of the swinging member <NUM> is disposed between the two ends of the swinging member. One end of the sliding member <NUM> away from the swinging member <NUM> is operatively connected to the ratchet pawl <NUM> to drive the ratchet pawl <NUM> to be engaged with or be separated from ratchet teeth of the ratchet wheel <NUM>. After the ratchet pawl <NUM> is separated from ratchet teeth of the ratchet wheel <NUM>, the ratchet pawl <NUM> will rotate to pass through one of the ratchet teeth of the ratchet wheel <NUM> to drive the water diversion rotating plate <NUM> and the one or more abutting blocks <NUM> to rotate. Then, the ratchet pawl <NUM> is reset to be engaged with a next one of the ratchet teeth of the ratchet wheel <NUM>, the rotation of the ratchet wheel <NUM> stops, the water diversion rotating plate <NUM> stops at a position in communication with the shower water flow passage <NUM> or the micro-current water flow passage <NUM>, and the one or more abutting blocks <NUM> also stop at a position abutting or separated from the one or more electronic switches <NUM>.

When in use, as shown in <FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>, the shower water flow passage <NUM> of the shower head is in a communication state. When a water outflow function needs to be switched, the operating member <NUM>, that is, the button is pressed, the swinging member <NUM> is pushed to swing, and then the sliding member <NUM> is driven to move; another end of the sliding member <NUM> is operatively connected to the ratchet pawl <NUM> to drive the ratchet pawl <NUM> to be separated from the ratchet teeth of the ratchet wheel <NUM> (as shown in <FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>), and the ratchet wheel <NUM> rotates to pass through one of the ratchet teeth of the ratchet wheel <NUM> to drive the water diversion rotating plate <NUM> and the one or more abutting blocks <NUM> to rotate. The ratchet pawl <NUM> is then reset to be engaged with a next one of the ratchet teeth of the ratchet wheel <NUM>, the rotation of the ratchet wheel <NUM> stops, the water diversion rotating plate <NUM> stops at a position in communication with the micro-current water flow passage <NUM>, and the one or more abutting blocks <NUM> also stop at a position abutting the one or more electronic switches <NUM>. The one or more electronic switches <NUM> are turned on, so that the control board <NUM> configured to generate the micro-current is powered on, and an indicator light <NUM> is lighted up. Both of the water passage switching and the on-off of the one or more electrical circuits are controlled by the single button.

Referring to <FIG>, this embodiment differs from Embodiment <NUM> in that the one or more abutting blocks <NUM> are disposed on the ratchet pawl <NUM> and swing by being interlocked with the ratchet pawl <NUM>. The one or more abutting blocks <NUM> in this embodiment change to swinging from the rotation in Embodiment <NUM>.

When the operating member <NUM> drives the ratchet pawl <NUM> to move, the one or more abutting blocks <NUM> are driven to swing to achieve triggering of the one or more electronic switches <NUM>. Since the ratchet pawl <NUM> is in a position in which the ratchet pawl <NUM> is engaged with the ratchet wheel <NUM> when the operating member <NUM> is not operated, the position will only change during the operation of the operating member <NUM>. There is no way to be maintained in a state of abutting the one or more electronic switches <NUM>, and the one or more electronic switches <NUM> in this embodiment are one or more self-locking switches for the foregoing reason. As long as the one or more electronic switches <NUM> are touched, a switch state can be switched, and it is not necessary to abut the one or more electronic switches <NUM> all the time.

The remaining parts are the same as Embodiment <NUM> and will not be repeatedly described here.

Referring to <FIG>, this embodiment differs from Embodiment <NUM> in that the operating member <NUM> directly drives an abutting block <NUM> to swing through the transmission member <NUM> to drive the one or more electronic switches <NUM> to be turned on or shut off, and the abutting block <NUM> drives the water passage switching member <NUM> to rotate to achieve the water passage switching during a swinging process.

In order to achieve swinging of the abutting block <NUM>, the abutting block <NUM> comprises a sliding groove <NUM> extending in a radial direction of a swing arc, and the operating member <NUM> is a push button. One end of the transmission member <NUM> is slidably connected to the sliding groove <NUM>, and another end is operatively connected to the push button along a movement direction of the push button. When the push button is pushed, the one end of the transmission member <NUM> slides in the sliding groove <NUM>, thereby driving the abutting block <NUM> to swing.

In order to enable the abutting block <NUM> to drive the water passage switching member to swing together, the water passage switching member comprises the water diversion rotating plate <NUM>, the water diversion rotating plate <NUM> is fixedly connected to the abutting block <NUM>, the abutting block <NUM> drives the water diversion rotating plate <NUM> to rotate, so that the water hole of the water diversion rotating plate <NUM> is in communication with the different water outflow nozzles.

In this embodiment, the abutting block <NUM> is fixedly connected to the water diversion rotating plate <NUM> through a screw <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, this embodiment differs from Embodiment <NUM> in that the one or more electronic switches <NUM> are two, so that when the one or more abutting blocks <NUM> abut one electronic switch <NUM>, the one or more abutting blocks <NUM> are separated from another electronic switch <NUM>. In this way, a purpose in which one electrical circuit is turned on while another electrical circuit is shut off can be achieved, thereby achieving electronic function switching.

Referring to <FIG>, the electrical circuit controlling module comprises a positive conductive column <NUM> and a negative conductive column <NUM>; and a structure of the water passage switching member <NUM> is the same as Embodiment <NUM>. When the ratchet wheel <NUM> rotates, one abutting block <NUM> is connected to the positive conductive column <NUM>, and another abutting block <NUM> is connected to the negative conductive column <NUM>. Therefore, as long as the ratchet wheel is made of conductive material, conductive connection between the positive conductive column <NUM> and the negative conductive column <NUM> can be turned on or shut off when the ratchet wheel <NUM> rotates, so as to achieve an opening or a closing of an electronic function.

Therefore, in the present disclosure, the structure for controlling the water passage switching and the on-off of the one or more electrical circuits using the single button is provided, and the operating member drives the water passage switching member to rotate to achieve the water passage switching through the transmission member, the water passage switching member drives the electrical circuit controlling module to control the water passage switching and the on-off of the one or more electrical circuits using the single button during a process of the water passage switching. The present disclosure can be used for various water outlet terminals for kitchens and toilets, such as showers for showering, kitchen showers, and the like.

The aforementioned embodiments are merely some preferred specific embodiments of the present disclosure, and the scope of the disclosure is not limited thereto.

Claim 1:
A structure for controlling water passage switching and on-off of an electrical circuit using a single button, the structure comprising:
an operating member (<NUM>), a transmission member (<NUM>), a water passage switching member (<NUM>) and an electrical circuit controlling module; and
the operating member (<NUM>) drives the water passage switching member (<NUM>) to rotate to achieve the water passage switching through the transmission member (<NUM>), and the water passage switching member (<NUM>) drives the electrical circuit controlling module during a process of the water passage switching,
wherein the electrical circuit controlling module comprises a positive conductive column (<NUM>) and a negative conductive column (<NUM>), the water passage switching member (<NUM>) comprises one or more abutting blocks (<NUM>), and the one or more abutting blocks (<NUM>) enable the positive conductive column (<NUM>) to be in communication with the negative conductive column (<NUM>) during the process of the water passage switching.