Toto Ltd.

Takeshi Shimizu

Masahiro Kuroishi

Naoyuki Onodera

Tomoko Sato

Makoto Hatakeyama

A faucet generator includes a case having water inflow and outflow ports and in which a water supply channel is formed, a rotor vane disposed inside the water supply channel, a magnet which is rotatable integrally with the rotor vane, a bearing which supports a force that the rotor vane receives from a water flow, a coil which produces an electromotive force by a rotation of the magnet, and a yoke having a base part surrounding the coil and a plurality of inductors spaced apart from each other and extending from the base part. The coil is spaced apart from the magnet in an axial direction of a rotation center axis of the magnet and is disposed to face the magnet, the magnet is magnetized on an outer circumferential face which intersects with a plane perpendicular to the rotation center axis, and the inductors are disposed outside the case to face the outer circumferential face of the magnet.

Faucet generator

A faucet generator includes: a cylindrical body which has a water inflow port and a water outflow port, and in which a water supply channel is formed; a rotor vane which has rotor vane blades, and which is disposed in the water supply channel; a magnet which is rotatable integrally with the rotor vane; a coil in which an electromotive force is produced by rotation of the magnet; and a plurality of nozzles which eject water toward the rotor vane blades. The axial direction of the rotor vane is substantially parallel to the water supply channel. The nozzles change a direction of a water flow which is substantially parallel to the axial direction of the rotor vane, to eject water from a radially outward direction of the rotor vane blades to the rotor vane blades.

A faucet includes a main body and a water discharger having a water discharge port. The main body includes a first water supply channel placed therein and being communicative with a water supply piping; and a first electric component placed therein. The water discharger includes a second water supply channel placed therein, being communicative with the first water supply channel, and connected to the water discharge port; and a second electric component placed therein and being in electrical connection to the first electric component. The connection between the first electric component and the second electric component is made by wiring. The main body and the water discharger are detachable and capable of liquid-tight coupling to each other.

Sensor actuated faucet

A faucet generator includes; a rotor vane which is disposed in a water supply channel; an annular magnet which is rotatable integrally with the rotor vane; and a stator having: a coil which is disposed to be opposed to an end face of the magnet that is substantially perpendicular to a radial direction; a plurality of inductors which are placed separately from one another along a circumferential direction between the end face of the magnet and the coil; and a yoke which is disposed to be continuously contacted with the inductor and surround the coil. The axial direction of the rotor vane is substantially parallel to the water supply channel. In the annular magnet, the end faces which are substantially perpendicular to a radial direction are alternately magnetized with N and S poles along the circumferential direction of the magnet. In the yoke, cutaway portions which are formed by cutting away portions that are opposed to the circumferential face portion of the coil, and that are in the vicinity of the tip ends of the inductors, in one end that is on the side where said inductors are disposed, whereby portions of the yoke which are in the vicinity of the tip ends of the inductors are formed so as to relatively recede from the magnetic inducible area of the magnet.

Growing community of inventors

Fukuoka, Japan

Takeshi Shimizu