Patent Description:
There are mainly two types of descaling mechanisms for existing liquid outlet devices.

A first descaling mechanism comprises a liquid outlet unit and a needle plate. The liquid outlet unit comprises a liquid outlet nozzle. The needle plate comprises a needle. The needle plate slides to control the needle to be disposed in the liquid outlet nozzle. Scale in the liquid outlet nozzle is pushed out. It has the following deficiencies: a diameter difference between an outer diameter of the needle and a hole diameter of the liquid outlet nozzle is strictly limited so as to ensure that the needle will not be wrapped by a wall of the liquid outlet nozzle, resulting in a phenomenon that the needle is tightly hugged and cannot be reset, and to ensure that the scale is pushed out. Therefore, a processing accuracy requirement of the needle is high to ensure a gap to be disposed between the needle and the liquid outlet nozzle; Therefore, a gap is maintained, so that the scale cannot be completely removed, and there will be some scale remaining in the gap, although it will not cause the hole to be blocked, it will affect the liquid shape, such as the water spray and the shower experience.

A second descaling mechanism comprises a liquid outlet unit, the liquid outlet unit comprises a liquid outlet nozzle, the liquid outlet nozzle comprises an elastic element, the elastic element comprises a liquid outlet defining the liquid outlet nozzle, and liquid pressure of the liquid outlet nozzle promotes the elastic element to be elastically deformed, the elastic element is elastically deformed to promote scale in the liquid outlet to be broken, and the fluid is then used to remove the scale. The solution in which water pressure is used to force the elastic element to be deformed to achieve descaling highly depends on the water pressure. When the water pressure does not meet requirements, deformation amount is not enough, and the descaling purpose cannot be achieved. Therefore, the deficiencies are as follows: the water pressure is too small to remove the scale, so that the hole is blocked, liquid output amount becomes smaller or affects liquid spray pattern is affected; in design and production level, in order to ensure the descaling effect, that is, to ensure that the elastic element can be squeezed and deformed, the number of liquid outlet nozzles needs to be reduced, which affects use experience.

From <CIT> a method and device to control a spray pattern is known produced from a spraying device consisting of a plurality of individual jets that form the resulting spray pattern. The trajectory of each individual jet is controlled by orienting the nozzle-like feature that produces each individual jet, thereby producing a variety of spray patterns. This is accomplished utilizing the flexible properties of elastomeric or rubber-like materials.

From <CIT> a shower unit is known consisting of a tubular body, with rows of jet apertures. The jets are individually formed as nozzles in elastic pivoted hose sections. There are elements to select the direction of the hose ends. The hose sections project vertically from a flat base inserted into the tubular body. Each section has an outer ring collar for retention in the body. The direction elements consist of sleeves, which are axially displaceable and rotatable.

From <CIT> a spray apparatus is known comprising a housing having a fluid inlet, a plurality of tubes for dispensing fluid from the housing, and an integrating member operatively coupled to at least a subset of the plurality of tubes for effecting coordinated movement of the coupled tubes in response to movement of the integrating member. An actuator, such as a turbine or an adjustable control ring, is employed for inducing movement of the integrating member.

The present disclosure provides a descaling mechanism of a liquid outlet device, a shower and a faucet, which overcomes the deficiencies of the existing descaling mechanism of the liquid outlet device in the background.

The present invention relates to a descaling mechanism of a liquid outlet device, a shower and a faucet as defined in claims <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively.

In order to solve its technical problem, a first technical solution of the present disclosure is as follows: a descaling mechanism of a liquid outlet device, which comprises a liquid outlet unit and a driving mechanism configured to move relative to the liquid outlet unit, the liquid outlet unit comprises one or more liquid outlet nozzles, the one or more liquid outlet nozzles comprise one or more elastic elements, the one or more elastic elements comprise one or more liquid outlets of the one or more liquid outlet nozzles, the driving mechanism cooperates with the one or more elastic elements, the driving mechanism is configured to move to drive the one or more elastic elements to be elastically deformed, and the one or more elastic elements are elastically deformed to enable scale accumulated in the one or more liquid outlet nozzles to be fallen off.

According to the present invention the driving mechanism comprises one or more driving members, the one or more elastic elements comprise one or more surrounding walls in communication with the one or more liquid outlets, the one or more driving members and the one or more elastic elements cooperate with each other, and the one or more driving members are configured to be disposed in the one or more surrounding walls to drive the one or more elastic elements to be elastically deformed.

According to the present invention the driving mechanism comprises one or more driving members, the one or more elastic elements comprise one or more bottom walls, the one or more elastic elements comprise the one or more liquid outlets, the one or more liquid outlets are disposed on the one or more bottom walls, and the one or more driving members are configured to abut the one or more bottom walls.

According to the present invention the one or more elastic elements further comprise one or more bottom walls, the one or more bottom walls and the one or more surrounding walls are connected together, the one or more liquid outlets are disposed on the one or more bottom walls or between the one or more bottom walls and the one or more surrounding walls, and the one or more driving members are configured to abut the one or more bottom walls.

In an embodiment, the one or more surrounding walls comprise one or more protrusions protruding inward, and the one or more driving members are configured to abut the one or more protrusions.

In an embodiment, lower peripheries of the one or more surrounding walls inwardly protrude to define one or more flanges, and the one or more driving members are configured to abut the one or more flanges.

In an embodiment, the one or more driving members and the one or more elastic elements are connected together.

In an embodiment, which further comprises an elastic body, the elastic body cooperates with the driving mechanism, the one or more driving members are configured to move between a descaling position and a non-descaling position relative to the liquid outlet unit, and the one or more driving members are reset to the non-descaling position due to an elastic force generated by the elastic body.

In an embodiment, which further comprises an elastic body, the elastic body cooperates with the driving mechanism, the one or more driving members are configured to move between a descaling position and a non-descaling position relative to the liquid outlet unit, the one or more driving members are reset to the non-descaling position due to an elastic force generated by the elastic body, the driving mechanism cooperates with water flowing through the liquid outlet device, so that the one or more driving members overcome the elastic force of the elastic body to move to the descaling position due to water pressure of the water.

In an embodiment, upper peripheries of the one or more surrounding walls and the liquid outlet unit are fixed together.

In an embodiment, the one or more liquid outlet nozzles comprise one or more installation holes disposed on the liquid outlet unit, and the one or more surrounding walls cooperate with and are disposed in the one or more installation holes.

In an embodiment, the one or more driving members are configured to slide relative to the liquid outlet unit.

In an embodiment, the liquid outlet unit comprises a plurality of liquid outlet nozzles of the one or more the liquid outlet nozzles, the driving mechanism comprises a fixed plate and a plurality of driving members of the one or more driving members fixed on the fixed plate, the plurality of the driving members are respectively disposed in the one or more surrounding walls of the one or more elastic elements of the plurality of liquid outlet nozzles.

In an embodiment, one or more gaps are disposed between the one or more driving members and the one or more surrounding walls to enable water to flow through.

In an embodiment, the driving mechanism comprises a fixed plate and one or more driving members and an operating member fixed to the fixed plate, the one or more driving members cooperate with the one or more elastic elements to be configured to drive the one or more elastic elements to be elastically deformed, and the operating member is operatively connected to the fixed plate to drive the driving mechanism to move.

In an embodiment, the driving mechanism further comprises an interlocked base, the operating member and the interlocked base are fixed together, and the operating member and the interlocked base are fixed together due to a fixed column.

In order to solve its technical problem, a second technical solution of the present disclosure is as follows: a liquid outlet device, which comprises a liquid outlet unit and a driving mechanism configured to move relative to the liquid outlet unit, the liquid outlet unit comprises one or more liquid outlet nozzles, the one or more liquid outlet nozzles comprise one or more elastic elements, the one or more elastic elements comprise one or more liquid outlets of the one or more liquid outlet nozzles, the driving mechanism cooperates with the one or more elastic elements, the driving mechanism is configured to move to drive the one or more elastic elements to be elastically deformed, and the one or more elastic elements are elastically deformed to enable the one or more liquid outlets to be deformed so as to enable spray patterns of the one or more liquid outlet nozzles to be changed.

In order to solve its technical problem, a third technical solution of the present disclosure is as follows: a shower, which comprises a liquid outlet device, the liquid outlet device comprises the descaling mechanism of the liquid outlet device.

In an embodiment, the liquid outlet device comprises a body portion, the body portion comprises a body and a fixed base, the liquid outlet unit, the fixed base and the body are connected together, and the fixed base is at least partially disposed between the liquid outlet unit and the body; the driving mechanism comprises a fixed plate, one or more driving members fixed to the fixed plate, an operating member and a fixed column, the fixed plate is disposed between the fixed base and the liquid outlet unit, the one or more driving members are disposed in the one or more elastic elements, the operating member is movably connected to the body, the fixed column slides and passes through the fixed base and is fixed to the fixed plate, and the operating member is operatively connected to the fixed column.

In an embodiment, which further comprises an elastic body, and the elastic body is disposed between the fixed base and the operating member.

In order to solve its technical problem, a fourth technical solution of the present disclosure is as follows: a faucet, which comprises a liquid outlet device, the liquid outlet device comprises the descaling mechanism of the liquid outlet device.

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

The driving mechanism cooperates with the one or more elastic elements, and the driving mechanism moves to drive the one or more elastic elements to be elastically deformed. The one or more elastic elements are elastically deformed to enable the scale accumulated on the one or more liquid outlets to be fallen off. The falling comprises direct falling, falling after breaking or falling after brittle breaking. The driving mechanism is used to drive the one or more elastic elements to be deformed, and the one or more elastic elements are deformed to achieve descaling. Therefore, it has the following advantages: first, the driving mechanism only needs to drive the one or more elastic elements to be deformed to achieve descaling, a matching accuracy requirement between the driving mechanism and the one or more liquid outlet nozzles is low, and a production accuracy requirement of the driving mechanism is low, on the one hand, it can reduce production costs, on the other hand, it can reduce or avoid restrictions from layouts, shapes, and sizes of the one or more liquid outlet nozzles and the one or more liquid outlets; second, the driving mechanism drives the one or more elastic elements to be deformed to avoid restriction from water flow conditions and to improve the descaling effect.

The one or more driving members is disposed in the one or more elastic elements to drive the one or more elastic elements to be elastically deformed. First, the one or more driving members can be used to drive the one or more elastic elements to be deformed to achieve the descaling. Second, when the one or more driving members drives the one or more elastic elements, movements of the one or more driving members themselves also achieve descaling. The two kinds of descaling cooperate together, and descaling effect is better.

The one or more bottom walls and the one or more surrounding walls are connected together, and the one or more driving members can abut the one or more bottom walls, and the scale in the one or more liquid outlets disposed on the one or more bottom walls or disposed between the one or more bottom walls and the one or more surrounding walls is broken due to the deformation, the effect is better.

The one or more driving members can move between the descaling position and the non-descaling position relative to the liquid outlet unit. The elastic force generated by the elastic body enables the one or more driving members to be reset to the non-descaling position, so that manual descaling is achieved. On the one hand, the descaling effect is better. On the other hand, liquid can continuously flow out while descaling, which helps to remove scale and external materials.

The one or more upper peripheries of the one or more surrounding walls and the liquid outlet unit are fixed together, first ends of the one or more surrounding walls are fixed, and second ends of the one or more surrounding walls are pressed to enable the deformation effect to be better, and the breaking effect is better.

The one or more surrounding walls cooperate with and are disposed in the one or more installation holes, and spray pattern is better.

The one or more driving members can slide relative to the liquid outlet unit, the structure is simple, and the descaling is convenient and quick.

The operating member is operatively connected to the fixed plate to drive the driving mechanism to move, and the structure is simple and compact.

The driving mechanism cooperates with the one or more elastic elements, and the driving mechanism moves to drive the one or more elastic elements to be elastically deformed. The one or more elastic elements are elastically deformed to enable the one or more liquid outlets to be deformed so as to enable spray patterns of the one or more liquid outlet nozzles to change, so that bathing comfort is improved.

The present disclosure will be further described below in combination with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

Referring to <FIG>, a shower comprises a liquid outlet device A, the liquid outlet device A comprises a body portion <NUM> and a descaling mechanism <NUM>. The body portion <NUM> comprises a body <NUM> and a fixed base <NUM>, and the descaling mechanism <NUM> comprises a liquid outlet unit <NUM> and a driving mechanism <NUM> configured to move relative to the liquid outlet unit <NUM>. The liquid outlet unit <NUM>, the fixed base <NUM> and the body <NUM> are fixed together, and the fixed base <NUM> is at least partially disposed between the liquid outlet unit <NUM> and the body <NUM>. As required, the fixed base can also be fixed to the body, while the liquid outlet unit <NUM> is configured to rotate relative to the fixed base.

The liquid outlet unit <NUM> comprises a water outlet cover <NUM>, the water outlet cover <NUM> comprises a plurality of first liquid outlet nozzles <NUM>, and the plurality of first liquid outlet nozzles <NUM> comprise one or more installation holes <NUM> penetrating the water outlet cover <NUM>. The plurality of first liquid outlet nozzle <NUM> comprise one or more elastic elements <NUM>. The one or more elastic elements <NUM> comprise one or more surrounding walls <NUM> and one or more bottom walls <NUM> defining the plurality of first liquid outlet nozzle <NUM>. The one or more bottom walls <NUM> and the one or more surrounding walls <NUM> are connected together, and the connections are fixed connections, for example, one-piece molding. The one or more bottom walls <NUM> are disposed in the one or more surrounding walls <NUM>, and a plurality of liquid outlets <NUM> are disposed on the one or more bottom walls <NUM> or the plurality of liquid outlets <NUM> are disposed between the one or more bottom walls <NUM> and the one or more surrounding walls <NUM>. The one or more elastic elements <NUM> are, for example, made of an elastic material in one piece, or only partially made of the elastic material, that is, the one or more elastic elements comprise one or more elastic parts made of the elastic material and one or more hard parts made of a hard material, the one or more elastic parts at least comprise the one or more bottom walls, and the elastic material is, for example, a soft rubber. The one or more surrounding walls <NUM> cooperate with and are disposed in the one or more installation holes <NUM>, and the one or more elastic elements <NUM> fixedly abut the water outlet cover <NUM>, and one or more gaps can be disposed between the one or more surrounding walls <NUM> and the one or more installation holes <NUM>. Further, upper peripheries of the one or more surrounding walls <NUM> and the liquid outlet unit <NUM> are fixed together, when the one or more bottom walls are downwardly deformed, the one or more elastic elements enable the one or more surrounding walls to be stretched due to the fixed connection, so that inner holes of the one or more surrounding walls are narrowed, the plurality of liquid outlets are stretched to break scale in the plurality of liquid outlets, and the scale is broken due to the stretching. As required, the one or more bottom walls can also be pulled upward, so that the scale in the plurality of liquid outlets are broken. A detailed structure of the fixed connection is as follows: upper ends of the one or more surrounding walls <NUM> extend outward to define one or more fixing flanges <NUM>, upper ports of the one or more installation holes <NUM> define one or more enlarged holes, and the one or more fixing flanges <NUM> cooperate with and abut upper edges of the one or more enlarged holes. As required, the one or more elastic elements comprise a plurality of elastic elements, and the plurality of elastic elements can be integrally formed together due to one-piece molding, and a periphery of the one-piece molding part is then fixed due to an assembly of the fixed base and the water outlet cover, or the one-piece molding part comprises a sleeve hole, the sleeve hole surrounds a protrusion of a rear surface of the water outlet cover. This embodiment takes that the scale is broken and fallen off as an example. However, in case the scale is small, the scale can be fallen off without being broken.

The driving mechanism <NUM> comprises a fixed plate <NUM>, a plurality of driving members <NUM> fixed to a bottom surface of the fixed plate <NUM>, an operating member <NUM>, an interlocked base and a fixed column <NUM>, the fixed plate <NUM> is disposed between the fixed base <NUM> and the liquid outlet unit <NUM>, the operating member <NUM> takes a button as an example and is slidably connected to the body <NUM>. The interlocked base comprises a pressing plate <NUM> disposed between the body and the fixed base. The pressing plate and the operating member <NUM> are fixed together, the fixed column <NUM> slides and passes through the fixed base, two ends of the fixed column are respectively fixed to the fixed plate and the pressing plate, so that the plurality of driving members <NUM> are configured to slide between a descaling position and a non-descaling position relative to the liquid outlet unit <NUM>. The plurality of driving members <NUM> comprise one or more rod members and a plurality of spokes fixed to all sides of the one or more rod members, and lower ends of the one or more rod members protrude out of lower ends of the plurality of spokes. The plurality of driving members <NUM> of the driving mechanism <NUM> are respectively disposed in the one or more surrounding walls <NUM> of the one or more elastic elements of the plurality of first liquid outlet nozzles <NUM>. One or more gaps are defined between the plurality of driving members and the one or more surrounding walls to enable water to flow through. On the one hand, one or more gaps are defined between the plurality of spokes and the one or more surrounding walls. On the other hand, the water flows through adjacent spokes. Lower ends of the plurality of driving members disposed at the non-descaling position abut the one or more bottom walls or define one or more gaps, the plurality of driving members disposed at the descaling position move downward while abutting the one or more bottom walls, so that the one or more elastic elements are deformed. In this detailed embodiment: the operating member is slidably connected to the body, however, as required, other methods can also be used, such as swinging and rotating, and the interlocked mechanism drives the plurality of driving members to slide relative to the water outlet unit. The one or more elastic elements comprise the one or more bottom walls, as required, the one or more bottom walls are not included, the one or more surrounding wall comprise one or more protrusions protruding inward, and the plurality of driving members are configure to abut and cooperate with the one or more protrusions to achieve deformations of the one or more elastic elements.

The descaling mechanism <NUM> further comprises an elastic body <NUM>, the elastic body cooperates with the driving mechanism. The plurality of driving members are configured to move between the descaling position and the non-descaling position relative to the liquid outlet unit, and an elastic force generated by the elastic body drives the plurality of driving members to be reset to the non-descaling positions. In a detailed embodiment, the elastic body is disposed between the fixed base <NUM> and the pressing plate <NUM>. Therefore, the operating member can be operated to control whether descaling or not by the user, which is pressed to drive the plurality of driving members to slide to the descaling position, after the pressing is released, the plurality of driving members are reset to the non-descaling position.

In an initial state, the driving mechanism is in the non-descaling position due to a pushing function of the elastic body (such as a reset spring), and the plurality of driving members does not contact the one or more elastic elements. The operating member is pressed, the operating member drives the plurality of driving members to move towards the plurality of liquid outlet nozzles. After the plurality of driving members abut the one or more bottom walls of the one or more elastic elements, the plurality of driving members continue to move, so that end surfaces of the one or more elastic elements are stretched and deformed to protrude outward. The one or more elastic elements are deformed, at the same time, the plurality of liquid outlets are stretched and deformed, so that areas of the plurality of liquid outlets become larger, so that the broken water scale is easily washed away by the water. Since the water scale is a crystal-shaped solid, cannot be stretched and deformed, is broken into powders, and is washed away by the water, so that the descaling effect is achieved. The operating member is released, the elastic body pushes the driving mechanism to move away from the plurality of liquid outlet nozzles and to be reset to the non-descaling position, and descaling function is complete.

In this detailed embodiment, the shower can discharge one spray pattern, or a plurality of spray patterns, for example, two spray patterns. Referring to drawings, there are two spray patterns. The shower further comprises a switching mechanism, and the fixed base <NUM> comprises two water dividing passages <NUM>, and the switching mechanism switches the two water dividing passages. The switching mechanism comprises a second operating member 31configure to control the switching. The water outlet cover further comprises a second liquid outlet nozzle. For example, the water outlet cover further comprises an aerator <NUM>, and the aerator comprises the second liquid outlet nozzle. Two water dividing cavities are defined between the fixed base <NUM> and the water outlet cover <NUM>, the two water dividing cavities are respectively in communication with the two water dividing passages, one water dividing cavity is in communication with the aerator, and another water dividing cavity is in communication with the plurality of first liquid outlet nozzles. Further, the fixed plate comprises a water hole <NUM> configured to enable the water to flow through.

Another detailed embodiment is a faucet, such as a kitchen faucet or a basin faucet, which comprises the liquid outlet device, and the liquid outlet device comprises the descaling mechanism of the liquid outlet device.

The present invention may be summarized as follows: The present disclosure discloses a descaling mechanism of a liquid outlet device, a liquid outlet device, a shower and a faucet. The descaling mechanism of the liquid outlet device comprises a liquid outlet unit and a driving mechanism configured to move relative to the liquid outlet unit, the liquid outlet unit comprises one or more liquid outlet nozzles, the one or more liquid outlet nozzles comprise one or more elastic elements, the one or more elastic elements comprise one or more liquid outlets of the one or more liquid outlet nozzles, the driving mechanism cooperates with the one or more elastic elements, the driving mechanism is configured to move to drive the one or more elastic elements to be elastically deformed, and the one or more elastic elements are elastically deformed to enable scale accumulated in the one or more liquid outlet nozzles to be fallen off. It has the following advantages: the driving mechanism only needs to drive the one or more elastic elements to be deformed to achieve descaling, a matching accuracy requirement between the driving mechanism and the one or more liquid outlet nozzles is low, and a production accuracy requirement of the driving mechanism is low; the driving mechanism drives the one or more elastic elements to be deformed to avoid restriction from water flow conditions and to improve the descaling effect.

Claim 1:
A descaling mechanism (<NUM>) of a liquid outlet device (A), which comprises a liquid outlet unit (<NUM>) and a driving mechanism (<NUM>) configured to move relative to the liquid outlet unit (<NUM>), the liquid outlet unit (<NUM>) comprises one or more liquid outlet nozzles (<NUM>), wherein the one or more liquid outlet nozzles (<NUM>) comprise one or more elastic elements (<NUM>), the one or more elastic elements (<NUM>) comprise one or more liquid outlets (<NUM>) of the one or more liquid outlet nozzles (<NUM>), the driving mechanism (<NUM>) cooperates with the one or more elastic elements (<NUM>), the driving mechanism (<NUM>) is configured to move to drive the one or more elastic elements (<NUM>) to be elastically deformed, and the one or more elastic elements (<NUM>) are elastically deformed to enable scale accumulated in the one or more liquid outlet nozzles (<NUM>) to be fallen off, wherein the driving mechanism (<NUM>) comprises one or more driving members (<NUM>), the one or more elastic elements (<NUM>) comprise one or more surrounding walls (<NUM>) in communication with the one or more liquid outlets (<NUM>), the one or more driving members (<NUM>) and the one or more elastic elements (<NUM>) cooperate with each other, and the one or more driving members (<NUM>) are configured to be disposed in the one or more surrounding walls (<NUM>) to drive the one or more elastic elements (<NUM>) to be elastically deformed and wherein the one or more elastic elements (<NUM>) further comprise one or more bottom walls (<NUM>), the one or more bottom walls (<NUM>) and the one or more surrounding walls (<NUM>) are connected together, the one or more liquid outlets (<NUM>) are disposed on the one or more bottom walls (<NUM>) or between the one or more bottom walls (<NUM>) and the one or more surrounding walls (<NUM>), and the one or more driving members (<NUM>) are configured to abut the one or more bottom walls (<NUM>).