Description

ANGLE VALVE CAP HAVING BIDET CONNECTION DISTRIBUTION HOLE

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates, in general, to valve caps for angle valves, which are provided on water supply pipes, connected to toilets, to control the flow rate of washing water supplied to the toilets and, more particularly, to an angle valve cap having a bidet connection distribution hole, through which some of the washing water that is supplied to a toilet through a water supply pipe is distributed to a bidet mounted to the toilet. Background Art

[2] Generally, bidets are sanitary devices which jet water for washing the genitals and posterior areas of users after defecation. Such bidets are highly desirable in lavatories in various public buildings, such as airports, hospitals, department stores, etc., which regard cleanliness as important. However, in the installation of a bidet, in the case where a separate bidet connection pipe for supplying washing water to the bidet is used, extensive and complex piping work is necessary. Therefore, there are disadvantages in that relatively high costs are incurred and the external appearance and structure of the lavatory may be deteriorated. To avoid the above problems, recently, a method, in which a separate distribution valve is provided on the water supply pipe connected to the toilet such that some of the washing water that is supplied to the toilet is distributed to the bidet, is used. However, this technique also has a disadvantage in that the installation of the distribution valve is complex and inconvenient because the water supply pipe must be separated from the toilet and, thereafter, the distribution valve is coupled to the water supply pipe and the water supply pipe must be again connected to the toilet. Disclosure of Invention

Technical Problem

[3] Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an angle valve cap having a bidet connection distribution hole which makes it possible to distribute some of the washing water that is supplied to a toilet to the bidet merely by replacing a conventional valve cap of an angle valve, which has been provided on a water supply pipe connected to the toilet, with the angle valve cap of the present invention. Technical Solution

[4] In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides an angle valve cap for an angle valve, which is provided on a water supply pipe, connected to a toilet, to control a flow rate of washing water supplied to the toilet, the angle valve cap including: a valve cap body partially inserted into the angle valve body; a coupling hole formed at a central position through the valve cap body for installation of angle valve on/off means that opens or closes an interior of the angle valve; and a distribution hole formed at a predetermined position through the valve cap body to distribute washing water that flows through the angle valve body.

[5] The valve cap body may include a coupling part, with an external thread formed on a circumferential outer surface of the coupling part, so that the coupling part is inserted into the angle valve body by screw coupling; a stop protruding part radially provided on an end of the coupling part, the stop protruding part being brought into contact with an outer surface of the angle valve body when the coupling part is coupled to the angle valve body, thus preventing the coupling part from being inserted into the angle valve body beyond a predetermined depth; and a handing part provided on an end of the stop protruding part to allow a user to hold and rotate the valve cap body using his/her hand or a tool, such that the coupling part is easily screw-coupled to the angle valve body.

[6] The distribution hole may have a washing water inlet formed in a lower surface of the coupling part of the valve cap body, and a washing water outlet formed in a sidewall of the handling part of the valve cap body, the washing water inlet and the washing water outlet communicating with each other.

[7] Preferably, an internal thread is formed in a circumferential inner surface of an end of the washing water outlet of the distribution hole, so that a connector for connection with a connection tube coupled to the bidet is screw-coupled to the washing water outlet.

[8] The angle valve cap may further include a distribution hole opening/closing means for selectively opening or closing the distribution hole. The distribution hole opening/ closing means may comprise an on/off bolt inserted through a surface of the valve cap body at a predetermined position corresponding to the distribution hole so as to be linearly movable through rotation thereof to open or close the distribution hole.

Advantageous Effects

[9] The angle valve cap having the bidet connection distribution hole according to the present invention has the following effects.

[10] First, because the present invention makes it possible to distribute some of the washing water that is supplied to a toilet to a bidet merely by replacing an existing valve cap of an angle valve with the angle valve cap of the present invention, additional costs for installation of the bidet are markedly reduced.

[11] Second, the present invention is constructed such that the distribution hole can be selectively opened or closed. Therefore, even after the bidet is no longer used and is removed from the toilet, the angle valve cap can be continuously used without replacement thereof, thus being convenient for a user. Brief Description of the Drawings

[12] FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an angle valve provided with an angle valve cap having a bidet connection distribution hole, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[13] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the angle valve cap having the bidet connection distribution hole, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

[14] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an angle valve cap, according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[15] <Description of the elements in the drawings>

[16] 100: valve cap 110: valve cap body

[17] 111: coupling part 112: stop protruding part

[18] 113: handling part 120: coupling hole

[19] 130: distribution hole 131: washing water inlet

[20] 132: washing water outlet 200: angle valve body

[21] 200a: angle valve inlet 200b: angle valve outlet

[22] 210: angle valve on/off means 211: bolt member

[23] 212: on/off disk 300: connector

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[24] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Before the description of the embodiment, the structure of a typical angle valve cap will be exampled with reference to the drawings.

[25] FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an angle valve provided with an angle valve cap having a bidet connection distribution hole, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the angle valve cap having the bidet connection distribution hole, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[26] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the angle valve cap 100 of the present invention includes a valve cap body 110, which is coupled to an angle valve body 200, and a coupling hole 120, which is formed at a central position through the valve cap body 110, and into which an angle valve on/off means for selectively turning on or off the angle valve body 200 is inserted. The angle valve cap 100 further includes a dis-

tribution hole 130, which is formed at a predetermined first position through the valve cap body 110 to distribute washing water that flows through the angle valve body 200, and a distribution hole opening/closing means 140, which is provided at a predetermined second position in the surface of the valve cap body 110 to open or close the distribution hole 120.

[27] The valve cap body 110 includes a coupling part 111, which has a cylindrical shape and extends a predetermined length. An external thread is formed on the circumferential outer surface of the coupling part 111, so that the coupling part 111 is inserted into the end of the angle valve body 200 by screw coupling. The valve cap body 110 further includes a stop protruding part 112, which is integrally and radially provided on an end of the coupling part 111 to prevent the coupling part 111 from being inserted into the angle valve body 200 beyond a predetermined depth, and a handing part 113, which is integrally provided on an end of the stop protruding part 112 that is opposite the coupling part 111 and has a prism shape, extending a predetermined length, such that a user can easily hold and rotate the valve cap body. In the above-stated construction of the valve cap body 110, when the angle valve cap is coupled to the angle valve body 200, the coupling part 111 is inserted into the angle valve body 200, and thus contacts washing water that flows through the angle valve body 200. Furthermore, because the stop protruding part 112 is brought into contact with the outer surface of the angle valve body 200, the coupling part 111 is prevented from being inserted into the angle valve body 200 beyond the predetermined depth. In addition, the handling part 113 makes it possible for the user to easily rotate the valve cap body 110 using his/her hands or a tool such that the valve cap body 110 is screw-coupled to or separated from the first end of the angle valve body 200.

[28] The coupling hole 120 is formed in the valve cap body 110, so that the angle valve on/off means 210 for opening or closing the angle valve body 200 is coupled to the valve cap body 110 through the coupling hole 120. The coupling hole 120 may have various shapes depending on the shape of the angle valve on/off means 210. Here, this embodiment of the present invention is provided with the angle valve on/off means 210, which includes a bolt member 211 that is inserted into and screw-threaded into the coupling hole 120 of the valve cap body 110, so that the bolt member 211 is supported by the valve cap body 110 so as to be linearly movable in a longitudinal direction by rotation, and an on/off disk 212 that is coupled to an end of the bolt member 211 to openably close either an inlet 200a or an outlet 200b of the angle valve body 200. Therefore, in this embodiment, the coupling hole 120 is constructed such that it is formed through the central portion of the valve cap body 110, and an internal thread is formed on the circumferential inner surface of the coupling hole 120.

[29] The distribution hole 130 is formed at a predetermined position in the valve cap

body 110 so that some of the washing water that flows through the angle valve body 200 is distributed through the distribution hole 130. The distribution hole 120 is formed such that a washing water inlet 131, which is formed in the lower surface of the coupling part 111 of the valve cap body 110, communicates with a washing water outlet 132, which is formed in the sidewall of the handling part 113 of the valve cap body 110. Thanks to this structure of the distribution hole 130, the pressure in the distribution hole 130, which forms a right-angled water path along which washing water flows, is greater than the pressure in the angle valve body 200 to a sufficient extent that distributed washing water can be reliably supplied to the bidet. Here, an internal thread is formed in the circumferential inner surface of the end of the washing water outlet 132 of the distribution hole 130, and a connector 300 for connection between the angle valve cap and a connection tube connected to the bidet is screw-coupled into the end of the washing water outlet 132. Furthermore, the distribution hole opening/closing means 140 for selectively opening or closing the distribution hole 130 is provided in the surface of the valve cap body 110 at the second position, corresponding to the distribution hole 130. In this embodiment, an on/off bolt, on the circumferential outer surface of which an external thread is formed, is used as the distribution hole opening/ closing means 140. Therefore, the on/off bolt is screw-coupled at the second position into the corresponding surface of the valve cap body 110, so that the end thereof, which is inserted into the valve cap body 110, openably closes the distribution hole 130, thus controlling the flow of washing water. As such, because the distribution hole opening/closing means 140 is screw-coupled to the valve cap body 110, the distribution hole opening/closing means 140 is linearly moved in a longitudinal direction by rotation thereof, thus opening or closing the distribution hole 130. Mode for the Invention

[30] In the angle valve cap 100 of the present invention having the above-mentioned construction, because the distribution hole 130, through which washing water that flows through the angle valve body 200 is distributed, is formed in the angle valve cap 100, although neither a separate pipe for installation of the bidet nor a separate distribution valve is provided on a water supply pipe connected to the toilet, washing water can be easily supplied to the toilet. Furthermore, the present invention is provided with the distribution hole opening/closing means 140 for selectively opening or closing the distribution hole 130. Therefore, even after the bidet is no longer used, the angle valve cap 100 can be continuously used without replacement thereof.

[31] Hereinafter, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an angle valve cap, according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the distribution hole opening/closing means 140

of FIG. 2, which is an optional means, is omitted, and a handling part 113 has a rectangular shape, unlike the prior embodiment. The general construction of the angle valve cap according to this embodiment, other than the above-mentioned structure, remains the same as the prior embodiment. As such, the angle valve cap according to this embodiment has a simpler structure and is constructed such that a user can more easily use the handling part as a means for removably coupling the angle valve cap to the angle valve.

[32] Although the preferred 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. Industrial Applicability

[33] As described above, the present invention provides an angle valve cap for an angle valve, which is provided on a water supply pipe, connected to a toilet, to control the flow rate of washing water supplied to the toilet. Particularly, the present invention provides an angle valve cap having a bidet connection distribution hole, through which some of washing water that is supplied to the toilet through the water supply pipe is distributed to the bidet mounted to the toilet. Therefore, the present invention provides the basis for making it possible to easily install bidets in existing lavatories of buildings having no bidets, at relatively low cost and with relatively little effort.