JP5151047B2 - Water purification cartridge - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a water purification cartridge used in a water purifier for purifying water.

  Generally, in a water purifier that purifies water such as tap water, a filter such as a hollow fiber membrane or activated carbon is used to purify water. These filters and activated carbon are consumable parts and need to be replaced in a timely manner. Therefore, consumable parts are often made into cartridges so that they can be easily replaced. The water purification cartridge formed into a cartridge generally has a configuration in which a filter and activated carbon are housed in a case.

  A case in a water purification cartridge generally includes a housing having an opening serving as an inlet for storing a filter, activated carbon, and the like, and a lid for closing the opening of the housing.

  In the type in which the water purification cartridge is replaced with the case, it is desirable to fix the lid to the housing, and a technique for fixing the housing and the lid by ultrasonic welding is known (for example, see Patent Document 1). However, the thickness of the case is generally thin from the viewpoint of weight reduction and cost reduction, etc., and the welding surface is often narrow, so in the case of specifications with high pressure inside the case, the bonding force is insufficient It may become.

  In addition, a technique for fixing the lid to the housing by screw fastening by forming screw portions on the housing and the lid is also known (see, for example, Patent Documents 2 and 3). According to the screw fastening, the joining force between the lid and the housing can be increased as compared with the case of ultrasonic welding. However, in the case of screw fastening, the screw may loosen over time due to external force such as vibration, temperature change, creep, etc., or the user may loosen the screw accidentally. Therefore, there exists a problem that sealing performance will fall.

Another related technique is disclosed in Patent Document 4.
JP 2003-290631 A JP 2002-239539 A JP 2003-71443 A Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 7-24431

  An object of the present invention is to provide a water purification cartridge capable of fixing a lid and a housing with a high joining force.

  The present invention employs the following means in order to solve the above problems.

That is, the water purification cartridge of the present invention is
A housing provided with an opening serving as an inlet when storing a purification member for purifying water;
A lid that closes the opening,
In the water purification cartridge in which a screw part is formed in each of the housing and the lid, and the lid is fixed to the housing by screw fastening by these screw parts,
A blocking mechanism is provided to prevent the lid from rotating relative to the housing in the direction of loosening the screw fastening .
The blocking mechanism is configured by a locking protrusion provided on each of the lid and the housing to lock each other,
These locking projections were rotated in a sliding surface that slides on each other when the lid is rotated in a direction to fasten the screw to the housing, and in a direction that loosens the screw fastening to the housing. In some cases, the apparatus includes a contact surface that contacts and presses each other .

  According to the present invention, since the lid can be fixed to the housing by screw fastening, the lid can be fixed to the housing with a simple operation and a high joining force. Further, since the blocking mechanism prevents the lid from rotating relative to the housing in the direction in which the screw fastening is loosened, it is possible to prevent the lid from loosening with respect to the housing and to prevent a decrease in bonding force.

Further , the blocking mechanism can be configured with a simple structure.

  When the lid is screwed into the housing by a certain amount, the respective locking projections may be arranged at positions where the locking projections provided on the lid and the housing lock each other.

  The locking protrusion may be flexible.

  Thereby, the resistance at the time of screwing a lid | cover with respect to a housing can be suppressed effectively.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the lid and the housing can be fixed with a high bonding force.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be exemplarily described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of the components described in this embodiment are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to those unless otherwise specified. .

(Example)
With reference to FIGS. 1-7, the water purification cartridge which concerns on the Example of this invention is demonstrated. In addition, although the water purification cartridge which concerns on a present Example is detachably provided in a water purifier, what is necessary is just to apply a well-known technique suitably regarding the attachment / detachment mechanism of the water purification cartridge to the water purifier main body or the water purifier main body. Therefore, the description is omitted. In the following description, the configuration shown in FIG. 5 is not an embodiment of the present invention but a reference example.

<Overview of the entire water purification cartridge>
First, with reference to FIG. 1, the outline of the whole water purification cartridge which concerns on the Example of this invention is demonstrated. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a water purification cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The water purification cartridge 100 according to the present embodiment includes a housing 10 having an opening and a lid 20 for closing the opening of the housing 10. The housing 10 and the lid 20 constitute a case for the water purification cartridge 100. The housing 10 is integrally provided with a cylindrical body portion 11 and an inflow port portion 12 and an outflow port portion 13 provided at an end portion on the opposite side of the opening. In the present embodiment, a plurality of activated carbons 30 and hollow fiber membrane cartridges 40 are housed in the housing 10 as purification members for purifying water.

  According to the water purification cartridge 100 configured as described above, first, water to be purified (tap water or the like) is introduced from the inflow port portion 12, and the chlorine or the like contained in the water is removed by the adsorption action by the activated carbon 30. The Thereafter, the water from which the chalk and the like have been removed enters the hollow fiber membrane cartridge 40, and minute foreign matters in the water are removed by the filter function of the hollow fiber membrane. The water purified in this way flows from the outlet part 13 to the outside of the water purification cartridge 100.

  Next, the housing 10 and the lid 20 constituting the case will be described in more detail. In the present embodiment, screw portions 14 and 21 are integrally provided on the outer wall surface side of the body portion 11 of the housing 10 and the inner wall surface side of the lid 20, respectively. Accordingly, by screwing the lid 20 into the housing 10, the lid 20 can be fixed to the housing 10 with a high bonding force by screw fastening.

  In the present embodiment, a blocking mechanism 50 is provided for blocking the rotation of the lid 20 relative to the housing 10 in the direction of loosening the screw fastening by the screw portions 14 and 21. The blocking mechanism 50 is a mechanism configured to allow rotation of the lid 20 in the direction in which the screw is fastened and prevent rotation in the direction of loosening the screw fastening. In the present embodiment, the blocking mechanism 50 is configured to function only when the lid 20 is screwed into the housing 10 by a certain amount.

  Note that various modes can be adopted for the position where the constituent part constituting the blocking mechanism 50 is provided, the shape of the constituent part, and the like. Therefore, for convenience of explanation, in FIG. 1, the constituent parts that constitute the blocking mechanism 50 are omitted. Hereinafter, the blocking mechanism 50 will be described in more detail.

<Arrangement of components constituting blocking mechanism>
The blocking mechanism 50 is provided on a sliding portion of the housing 10 and the lid 20 so as to perform the function of blocking the rotation of the lid 20 with respect to the housing 10 in the direction of loosening the screw fastening. There is a need. As the sliding part, two kinds of sliding parts between flat surfaces and sliding parts between peripheral surfaces can be adopted. An example of each of these two sliding portions will be described with reference to FIGS.

<< Sliding between planes >>
FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example in which constituent parts constituting the blocking mechanism are provided in sliding portions between flat surfaces. FIG. 2 is a view corresponding to a portion surrounded by a circle A in FIG.

As shown in the drawing, the housing 10 is integrally provided with a stopper 15 for limiting the screwing amount of the lid 20. That is, when the lid 20 is screwed in a certain amount, the planar stepped surface 22 provided on the inner wall surface side of the lid 20 abuts against the planar tip surface of the stopper 15, thereby limiting the screwing amount of the lid 20. It is configured as follows.

  The stopper 15 restricts the movement of the lid 20 in the axial direction by its own elastic repulsive force. However, the step surface 22 until a certain amount of elastic repulsive force is generated after the step surface 22 of the lid 20 hits the tip of the stopper 15. The tip surface of the stopper 15 slides.

  Accordingly, by providing the sliding portion with a constituent part constituting the blocking mechanism 50A, after the lid 20 is screwed into the housing 10 by a certain amount, the lid 20 against the housing 10 in the direction of loosening the screw fastening. Can be prevented.

<< Sliding between peripheral surfaces >>
FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example in which the constituent parts constituting the blocking mechanism are provided in the sliding portions between the peripheral surfaces. FIG. 3 is a view corresponding to a portion surrounded by a circle A in FIG.

  Also in the example shown in FIG. 3, similarly to the above case, the housing 10 is integrally provided with a stopper 16 that limits the screwing amount of the lid 20. In the case of the stopper 16, an annular notch having a rectangular cross section is provided at the outer peripheral side end of the tip, and a planar end surface 16 a in the notch is a planar shape provided on the inner wall surface side of the lid 20. The amount of screwing of the lid 20 is limited by hitting the stepped surface 23.

  In the example shown in FIG. 3, when the screwing amount of the lid exceeds a certain amount, the outer peripheral surface 16b of the notch and the inner peripheral surface 24 in the vicinity of the step 20 on the lid 20 slide.

  Accordingly, by providing the sliding portion with a constituent part constituting the blocking mechanism 50B, after the lid 20 is screwed into the housing 10 by a certain amount, the lid 20 against the housing 10 in the direction of loosening the screw fastening. Can be prevented.

<Configuration and mechanism of blocking mechanism>
The configuration and mechanism of the blocking mechanism will be described with reference to FIGS. As a specific configuration of the blocking mechanism, there are provided a locking projection for locking the housing 10 and the lid 20 with each other, and a recess or hole in which the locking projection is provided on one side and the locking projection is fitted on the other side. May be provided.

<< When providing locking projections on both housing and lid >>
FIG. 4 shows the structure and mechanism of the locking projection when locking projections for locking the housing and the lid are provided. FIG. 4 shows a cross section cut along the rotation direction when the lid is screwed into the housing at the portion where the locking projection is provided. 4 corresponds to the AA cross section in FIG. 2 and the BB cross section in FIG. 4A shows a state in which screwing projections are in the middle of screwing and before the locking projections are locked, FIG. 4B shows a state in which the locking projections are sliding, and FIG. Indicates a state in which the locking projections are locked.

  As illustrated, a plurality of locking projections 61 are provided on one of the housing and the lid, and a plurality of locking projections 62 are similarly provided on the other side. Each of the locking projections 61 and 62 has a triangular cross section, and includes inclined surfaces 61a and 62a that are inclined with respect to the rotation direction when the lid is screwed, and vertical surfaces 61b and 62b that are perpendicular to the rotation direction. ing. 4A and 4B, the arrow X direction is the relative rotation direction of the lid and the housing when the lid is screwed, and inclined surfaces 61a and 62a are respectively provided on the front side in this rotation direction. .

With such a configuration, even when the locking projection 61 and the locking projection 62 provided on the lid are in contact with each other in the process of screwing the lid into the housing, as shown in FIG. The surface 62a slides. Therefore, the screwing operation of the lid into the housing is not hindered. On the other hand, when the lid is rotated in the direction in which the screw fastening is loosened with respect to the housing in a state where the locking projection 61 and the locking projection 62 are locked, as shown in FIG. The surface 61b and the vertical surface 62b are in contact with each other and pressed. Therefore, the lid cannot be rotated unless a large force is applied to destroy the locking protrusions 61 and 62. In addition, the arrow Y in FIG.4 (C) has shown the relative rotation direction of the cover and the housing in the case of rotating a cover in the direction which loosens screw fastening.

<< When providing a locking projection on one of the housing and the lid and providing a recess or hole on the other >>
FIG. 5 shows the structure and mechanism of the locking projections and recesses when a locking projection is provided on one of the housing and the lid and a recess is provided on the other. FIG. 5 shows a cross section cut along the rotational direction when the lid is screwed into the housing at the portion where the locking projection and the recess are provided. 5 corresponds to the AA cross section in FIG. 2 and the BB cross section in FIG. In FIG. 5, (A) shows a state in which the locking projection is in the middle of screwing and before the locking projection fits into the recess, (B) shows a state where the locking projection gets over the recess, and (C) shows The state which the latching protrusion fits into the recessed part is shown.

  As illustrated, a plurality of locking projections 61 are provided on one of the housing and the lid, and a plurality of recesses 63 are provided on the other. As described above, the locking protrusion 61 has a triangular cross section, and includes an inclined surface 61a that is inclined with respect to the rotation direction when the lid is screwed in, and a vertical surface 61b that is perpendicular to the rotation direction. The recess 63 is configured to have a rectangular cross section.

  With such a configuration, even when the locking projection 61 provided on one side fits into the recess 63 in the process of screwing the lid into the housing, the inclined surface 61a is formed into the recess 63 as shown in FIG. Go over the open end of the slide. Therefore, the screwing operation of the lid into the housing is not hindered. On the other hand, when the lid is rotated in the direction in which the screw fastening is loosened with respect to the housing in a state in which the locking projection 61 is fitted in the recess 63, as shown in FIG. Then, they come into contact with and press against the side surfaces of the recess 63. Therefore, the lid cannot be rotated unless a large force is applied to destroy the locking protrusion 61. In addition, the arrow Y in FIG.5 (C) has shown the relative rotation direction of the cover and a housing in the case of rotating a cover in the direction which loosens screw fastening.

  In addition, in the example shown in FIG. 5, although the case where a recessed part was provided in the other was shown, it cannot be overemphasized that the same function is exhibited as a hole instead of a recessed part.

<< Preferred example of the shape of the locking protrusion >>
A preferred example of the shape of the locking projection will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the locking projection. The shape of the locking protrusions 61 and 62 is not particularly limited as long as the inclined surfaces 61a and 62a and the vertical surfaces 61b and 62b are provided. As the three-dimensional shape of the locking projections 61 and 62, for example, a triangular prism shape as shown in FIG. 6 (A), a shape obtained by dividing an elliptical sphere as shown in FIG. 6 (B) into four equal parts, A triangular pyramid shape as shown in FIG. 6C can be cited as a suitable example.

  In the above example, the vertical surfaces 61b and 62b have been described as being perpendicular to the rotational direction. However, in short, it is only necessary to prevent the lid from rotating relative to the housing in the direction in which the screw fastening is loosened. However, it may be slightly inclined rather than completely vertical.

  Further, the locking protrusions 61 and 62 are not necessarily formed integrally with the lid or the housing, and a separate member from these members may be fixed by bonding or the like.

<< When the locking protrusion is flexible >>
In the case of the locking protrusions 61 and 62 having various shapes as shown in FIG. 6, the locking protrusions 61 and 62 must play a role of preventing the lid from rotating relative to the housing in the direction of loosening the screw fastening. The structure itself is not so deformed.

  Therefore, when the locking projections slide as shown in FIG. 4B, or when the locking projection goes over the recess as shown in FIG. 5B, the lid or housing itself Will be partly deformed. Therefore, depending on the material and thickness of these members, some of them may remain deformed or cracks may occur. Therefore, in such a case, such a problem can be solved by providing the locking projection itself with flexibility.

  FIG. 7 shows an example in which the locking projection is made flexible. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a locking protrusion having flexibility.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, a recess 70 is provided in a part of the housing or lid, and a locking projection 64 made of a thin plate-like metal or resin is provided in the recess 70. One end of the locking projection 64 is embedded in the housing or the lid, and the other end is configured to project from the recess 70 (for example, project about 0.1 to 0.3 mm) (in FIG. 7A). (See figure on the left). With such a configuration, when the member (housing or lid) on the side where the concave portion 70 is provided rotates to the screw fastening side (in the direction of the arrow X in the figure), it will come into contact with the mating locking protrusion. In this case, as shown in the right-side view in FIG.

  On the other hand, when the member (housing or lid) on which the recess 70 is provided rotates to the side where the screw fastening is loosened (in the arrow Y direction in the figure), the locking protrusion 64 and the locking protrusion on the other side Is locked, or the tip of the locking projection 64 is in contact with the side surface of the recess on the other side, and the rotation of the lid is prevented.

  As described above, even when the locking protrusion 64 having flexibility as shown in FIG. 7A is used, the locking protrusions 61 and 62 as shown in FIGS. Similarly, the lid is allowed to rotate in the screw fastening direction and exhibits a function of preventing rotation in the direction of loosening the screw fastening. In the case of the locking protrusion 64 having flexibility, when the lid is rotated in the screw fastening direction, the locking protrusion 64 itself is bent and a member (housing or housing) provided with the locking protrusion 64 is provided. The lid) itself has the advantage that it does not deform.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, a locking projection 65 in which a thin plate is bent into a V-shaped cross section is adopted, and a part of the locking projection 65 is fixed to the bottom surface of the recess 71. Even if it does, it cannot be overemphasized that the function similar to the latching protrusion 64 shown to the said FIG. 7 (A) is exhibited. 7B, similarly to FIG. 7A, the left side shows a state where the locking projection 65 is not bent, and the right side shows a state where the locking projection 65 is bent.

<< Supplementary explanation regarding locking protrusions, etc. >>
The example shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 described above shows a case where three locking projections are provided, and FIG. 7 shows a case where one locking projection is provided. It is not limited, and may be set as appropriate according to the size and thickness of the housing and lid.

  Further, when a plurality of locking projections are provided, the locking projections may be provided continuously, or may be provided with an appropriate interval.

  In addition, as described above, the arrangement positions of the constituent parts constituting the blocking mechanism are roughly divided into two types, that is, a sliding part between planes and a sliding part between peripheral surfaces. There are roughly two types of configurations: a case in which a locking projection is provided on both the housing and the lid, and a case in which a locking projection is provided on one side and a recess or hole is provided on the other side. There are two types of stop projections, that is, a case where the stop projection itself is not deformed and a case where the stop projection itself bends, and various shapes can be adopted as the shape of the stop projection. Needless to say, any combination of these is possible.

  Here, in the case where the locking protrusion, the concave portion and the hole are provided in the sliding portion between the flat surfaces, and in the case where these are provided in the sliding portion between the peripheral surfaces, these are provided in the flat surface portion or in the curved surface portion. Needless to say, these functions are exhibited in the same manner, although there is a difference in whether they are provided.

<Excellent points of this embodiment>
According to the water purification cartridge 100 according to the present embodiment, the lid 20 can be fixed to the housing 10 by screw fastening. Therefore, the lid 20 can be attached to the housing with a higher joining force than in the case of simple work and fixing by ultrasonic welding. 10 can be fixed. Then, the blocking mechanism 50 can prevent the lid 20 from loosening. Therefore, stable sealing performance is exhibited. Further, the blocking mechanism can be configured with a simple structure such as a locking projection, a recess, or a hole.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a water purification cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example in which constituent parts constituting the blocking mechanism are provided in sliding portions between flat surfaces. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example in which the constituent parts constituting the blocking mechanism are provided in the sliding portions between the peripheral surfaces. FIG. 4 shows the structure and mechanism of the locking projection when locking projections for locking the housing and the lid are provided. FIG. 5 shows the structure and mechanism of the locking projections and recesses when a locking projection is provided on one of the housing and the lid and a recess is provided on the other. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the locking projection. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a locking protrusion having flexibility.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Housing 11 Body part 12 Inlet part 13 Outlet part 14 Screw part 15 Stopper 16 Stopper 16a End surface 16b Outer peripheral surface 20 Lid 21 Screw part 22 Step surface 23 Step surface 24 Inner peripheral surface 30 Activated carbon 40 Hollow fiber membrane cartridge 50, 50A , 50B Blocking mechanism 61, 62 Locking protrusion 61a, 62a Inclined surface 61b, 62b Vertical surface 63 Recess 64, 65 Locking protrusion 70, 71 Recess 100 Clean water cartridge

Claims (3)

A housing provided with an opening serving as an inlet when storing a purification member for purifying water;
A lid that closes the opening,
In the water purification cartridge in which a screw part is formed in each of the housing and the lid, and the lid is fixed to the housing by screw fastening by these screw parts,
A blocking mechanism is provided to prevent the lid from rotating relative to the housing in the direction of loosening the screw fastening .
The blocking mechanism is configured by a locking protrusion provided on each of the lid and the housing to lock each other,
These locking projections were rotated in a sliding surface that slides on each other when the lid is rotated in a direction to fasten the screw to the housing, and in a direction that loosens the screw fastening to the housing. In some cases, the water purification cartridge is provided with contact surfaces that contact and press each other . Each of the locking projections is arranged at a position where the locking projections provided on the lid and the housing lock each other when the lid is screwed into the housing by a certain amount. 1. The water purification cartridge according to 1 . Water purification cartridge according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the locking projection is characterized by having flexibility.

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