Hitherto, a water spouting device in a water faucet facilities is configured to be capable of switching a shower spouting and a straight water spouting formed of a single line-like regulated water flux, in general.
For this purpose, a conventional water spouting device is configured such that a shower spouting outlet and a straight water spouting outlet are respectively disposed at a separate position. For details, the conventional water spouting device is configured such that the straight water spouting outlet is located at a center part, and the shower spouting outlet is located at an outer periphery side in a manner so as to surround the straight water spouting outlet, and in addition, the shower spouting from the shower spouting outlet and the straight water spouting from the straight water spouting outlet are switched by means of a switching mechanism.
The switching mechanism in this case is the one such as that either one of a water spouting path for the shower spouting outlet and that for the straight water spouting outlet is closed and the other water spouting path is opened, and vice versa.
FIGS. 17, 18A and 18B illustrate a water spouting device described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-11916 provided with such a switching mechanism.
In FIG. 17, the numeral 200 denotes a water spouting device attached to a water spouting head 202 of a water faucet facility, the numeral 204 denotes a straight water spouting outlet provided at a center part of a water sprinkling member 206, and the numeral 208 denotes a shower spouting outlet including a plurality of water sprinkling holes 208a formed of a small hole, provided at an outer periphery side from the straight water spouting outlet 204 in a manner so as to surround the straight water spouting outlet 204.
The numerals, 210 and 212, are water spouting paths for the straight water spouting outlet 204 and the shower spouting outlet 208, respectively, and are independently formed to each other. Further, the numerals, 214 and 216, (Refer to FIGS. 18A and 18B) are continuous openings which are respectively allowed to communicate with those water spouting paths, 210 and 212.
Those continuous openings, 214 and 216, are configured in a manner so as to penetrate a valve plate 218.
The numeral 220 is a valve member that switches the water spouting path, 210 and 212, and is connected to a seesaw-type switch-operating portion 226 in an actuation manner via an arm 222 and a shaft 224.
When a left end portion of the switch-operating portion 226, looking from the front (right side in FIG. 17), is pressingly operated, the valve member 220 is integrally rotated with the shaft 224 and the arm 222, and the valve member 220 closes the continuous opening 214 of one side and opens the continuous opening 216 of the other side, as illustrated in FIG. 18A. In other words, the water spouting path 210 that reaches the straight water spouting outlet 204 is closed, and the water spouting path 212 that reaches the shower spouting outlet 208 is brought to an open state.
At this moment, a water supply is introduced to the shower spouting outlet 208 and is spouted outward.
On the other hand, when a right end portion of the switch operating portion 226 is pressingly operated this time, the valve body 220 opens the continuous opening 214 of the one side and closes the continuous opening 216 of the other side, as illustrated in FIG. 18B. Namely, the water spouting path 210 that reaches the straight water spouting outlet 204 is opened and the water spouting path 212 that reaches the shower spouting outlet 208 is brought to a state to be closed.
At this moment, the water supply is introduced by means of the straight water spouting outlet 204 and spouted outward as a regulated water flux in the single line-like manner.
However, in a case of the water spouting device 200, since the straight water spouting outlet 204 and the shower spouting outlet 208 are separately provided, a water spouting area (water spouting space) occupied by each of the straight water spouting outlet 204 and the shower spouting outlet 208 becomes narrower. In addition, along with this situation, the number of the holes of the water sprinkling holes 208a is limited or a bore diameter of the straight water spouting outlet 204 is narrowly limited.
Further, the switching mechanism for switching the shower spouting and the straight water spouting becomes complicated, and along with this situation, an entire structure of the water spouting device 200 becomes inevitably large sized. As a result, there have been problems such as that disfigurement of the water spouting device 200 is caused or flexibility of designing is limited.