AU2019100412A4

AU2019100412A4 - Water Dispensing System

Info

Publication number: AU2019100412A4
Application number: AU2019100412A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Brian Gay
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-05-09
Filing date: 2019-04-16
Publication date: 2019-06-06
Anticipated expiration: 2027-04-16

Abstract

A system 11, for dropping water on a bather in a bathing area 5. A vessel 13 is for holding a volume of water over the bathing area. A supply arrangement 15 is for supplying water to the vessel. An outlet arrangement 17 is openable to enable 5 water to fall from the vessel at a rate. The rate is at least 2 Lsec. - ~ ----------------- --- --- ---- --- - ---- --- --- ---- --- ---

Description

WATER-DISPENSING SYSTEM

FIELD

The invention relates to a system for dropping water on a bather in a bathing area.

BACKGROUND

A typical shower head delivers in the vicinity of nine L/min (0.15 L/sec) of water. There is consumer demand for devices capable of delivering water at much higher rates.

Bucket showers have long been used in some cultures to deliver such flow rates. Such showers include a bucket mounted above head height, filled with water and pivotally mounted to tip its content onto a bather. This arrangement is sometimes used as part of a contrast showering regime including filling the bucket with cold water, showering under warm water, and then tipping the cold water onto the bather. The bather thus experiences a short burst of intense cold. Many find this invigorating and there are believed to be significant health benefits.

With the foregoing in mind, the present invention aims to provide improvements in and for the delivery of fluid to bathers, or at least to provide an alternative for bathers.

SUMMARY

One aspect of the invention provides a system, for dropping water on a bather in a bathing area, including a vessel for holding a volume of water over the bathing area;

a supply arrangement for supplying water to the vessel; and an outlet arrangement openable to enable water to fall from the vessel at a rate;

the rate being at least 2 L/sec.

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The rate is preferably at least 3 L/sec, or more preferably at least 5 L/sec.

A preferred form of the vessel is configured to hold at least 5 L of the water.

The system may include an electromechanical valve by which the outlet arrangement is so openable. The system preferably includes a valve element for closing the outlet and buoyant to float on the water when moved to open the outlet.

The vessel may be shaped to funnel down to the outlet whereby substantially all of the volume of water is released when the outlet arrangement is opened. Optionally, a top of the system may be arranged to be not more than 250 mm above a bottom of the outlet arrangement to suit installation in a ceiling and between floor joists.

A vessel temperature-sensor for sensing a temperature of the water in the vessel may be provided.

Preferably, a display is connected to the vessel temperature-sensor to display the temperature of the water in the vessel. The display is preferably configured to warn the bather of the temperature of the water in the vessel being above a vessel temperature-threshold.

The system may include at least one of a heater for heating the water in the vessel, and a cooler for cooling the water in the vessel, in which case a control arrangement for controlling the at least one of the heating and the cooling in response to the vessel temperature-sensor may be provided.

Preferably, the supply arrangement includes a cold water inlet for receiving cold water, and a hot water inlet for receiving hot water.

The system preferably includes a mixing path along which the cold water and hot water are mixed to form mixed water to be released to an interior of the vessel. A supply temperature-sensor for sensing a temperature of the mixed water may be 25 provided. Optionally, a display is connected to the supply temperature-sensor to display the temperature of the mixed water. The display is preferably configured to

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2019100412 16 Apr 2019 warn the bather of the temperature of the mixed water being above a mixed-water temperature-threshold.

A control arrangement may be responsive to the supply temperature-sensor to vary a delivery through at least one of the cold water inlet and the hot water outlet.

The system may include a user interface to enable the bather to control, from the bathing area, the temperature of the mixed water.

The system may include a thermostatic mixing valve. The supply arrangement may include a float valve.

The system may include at least one shower head in addition to the outlet arrangement. Preferably, the system includes an installable unit including the vessel, the outlet arrangement and the at least one shower head.

Another aspect of the invention provides a bathing facility including the system and the bathing area.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Figure 1 schematically illustrates a bathing area.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The bathing facility 1 incorporates a floor 3 (defining a bathing area 5), a wall 7, a ceiling 9 and a system 11 for dropping water on a bather in the bathing area.

The system 11 incorporates a vessel 13, a supply arrangement 15 and an outlet 20 arrangement 17.

The vessel 13 is shaped to hold about 10 litres of water and has a floor shaped to funnel down towards opening 17a of the outlet arrangement 17. In this example, the vessel 13 is vented whereby the water held by the vessel has a free surface at atmospheric pressure. Other variants of the vessel may be pressurised, e.g.

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2019100412 16 Apr 2019 pressurised by the mains water supply. Preferred variants of the vessel incorporate an overflow arrangement to safely deal with excess water, e.g. if the supply arrangement fails.

The outlet opening 17a is dimensioned to empty the vessel 13 rapidly, e.g. in less than three seconds or more preferably in less than two seconds. In this example, the outlet opening 17a is circular and has a cross-section of about 80 mm. Other variants of the outlet arrangement may have multiple outlet openings and/or an outlet opening spanned by mesh or other water-contacting features to control the form of the falling water (and thus the sensation experienced by the bather).

The outlet arrangement 17 further includes a valve 17b. Whilst in a rudimentary variant of the system 11 the valve 17b might be manually actuable, e.g. by pulling on a chain, preferably valve 17b is an electromechanical valve. In this example, the valve 17b is a flush valve intended for a toilet cistern in combination with a solenoid. A typical flush valve has a buoyant valve element that, once lifted from its sealing position, floats on the water that is to be dispensed until that water is gone and the element reseats in its sealing position.

The system 11 further includes a control arrangement 19 and a user interface 21. The user interface 21 is mounted on the wall 7 whereat it is accessible by the bather in the bathing area 5. In this example, the interface 21 takes the form of a waterproof 20 touchscreen.

The controller 19 is connected to the interface 21 via a Bluetooth™ connection. Whilst wireless connection is preferred, wired installations are also possible. Via the interface 21, the controller 19 and the electromechanical valve 17b, the bather can release the water from the vessel 13 at the touch of a button.

The supply arrangement 15 incorporates a float valve 23 and a mixing arrangement

25. The mixing arrangement 25 incorporates a cold water inlet 25a and a hot water inlet 25b and is configured to mix these two streams of water to form mixed water, and connected (via conduit 27) to convey the mixed water to the valve 23, via which valve the water is released to the interior of the vessel 13.

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The float valve is a proprietary inlet valve for a toilet cistern. Taking this welldeveloped technology from another part of the bathroom is cost-effective.

Various options for the mixing arrangement 25 are contemplated. In one variant, the mixing arrangement 25 might take the form of a thermostatic mixing valve by which the temperature of the water delivered to the vessel 13 is automatically controlled. In other variants, the mixing arrangement 25 might take the form of a simple T-piece and be associated with valves along the incoming hot and cold water lines.

A preferred variant of the system 11 incorporates temperature sensors 29, 31 for measuring the temperature of the water in the vessel and the temperature of the mixed water, respectively. Most preferably, the controller 19 is configured to control a water temperature, e.g. to control the temperature of the mixed water by controlling one or more valves in response to the sensor 31. Advantageously, the interface 21 co-operates with the controller 19 to display output corresponding to the sensors 29, 31 whereby the interface 21 is both a display for displaying the temperature of the water in the vessel and a display for displaying the temperature of the mixed water.

Most preferably, the system 11 is configured to enable a bather to set a water temperature, e.g. the temperature of the mixed water.

This example of the system 11 is configured to warn a user when the temperature in the vessel 13 is above 40°C. Temperatures not more than 40°C are displayed as a 20 simple number; higher temperatures are displayed in bold letters and flashing. For the avoidance of doubt, as the word is used herein, 'warn' requires more than merely displaying the temperature in the same format that a temperature below the threshold is displayed.

Preferred variants of the system incorporate a single installable unit 33 comprising the vessel 13, outlet arrangement 17 and shower heads 35. The shower heads may be plumbed and controlled via a conventional tap arrangement. Other variants of the system may be configured to enable control of the shower heads via the user interface 21.

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Preferred variants of the system 11, or more specifically the unit 33, are configured for installation in a ceiling space, e.g. between the floor joists 35 (spaced at 600 mm centres or more preferably 450 mm centres) of an overlying floor of the building. For this purpose, the vessel and outlet arrangement preferably have a low profile, e.g.

less than 250 mm from top to bottom. Such variants are well adapted for typical residences, unlike the pivotally-mounted buckets that typically require a higher ceiling. Preferred variants of the unit 35 have a fascia and mounting arrangements by which the unit is mountable to position an underside of the fascia in alignment with an underside of the ceiling 19.

The illustrated system 11 is configured to leave the vessel empty when the system is not in use so that the vessel is available to be refilled with water of any desired temperature from the supply arrangement 15.

The system 11 incorporates an access point via which an interior of the vessel 13 is accessible from below to be supplied with sanitizer e.g. a sanitizer tablet. In this example, the buoyant valve element of the valve 17b is accessible from below to permit a sanitizer tablet to be pushed passed it into the interior of the vessel 13.

Other variants may incorporate a sanitizer dosing mechanism which may be controlled via the interface 21 to dispense sanitizer (be it in tablet, powder or liquid form) into the vessel as required.

Other dosing mechanisms are also contemplated for dosing the vessel 13 with one or more selected additives e.g. the additives may include skin treatment products, aromas, salt and/or dye to colour the water. Optionally the additives may be premixed with water prior to being released into the vessel 13. For this purpose, the dosing arrangement may include a pre-mixing arrangement.

Preferred variants of the unit 33, or system 11 more generally, include one or more (e.g. four) mist sprays and/or one or more lights. Such variants preferably include a fan for blowing air over the bather. Blowing air over the bather's skin enhances the chilling effect of the cold water.

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The invention is not limited to the described examples. Rather, the invention is defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A system, for dropping water on a bather in a bathing area, including a vessel for holding a volume of water over the bathing area;

a supply arrangement for supplying water to the vessel; and

5 an outlet arrangement openable to enable water to fall from the vessel at a rate;

the rate being at least 2 L/sec.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the rate is at least 3 L/sec.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the rate is at least 5 L/sec.

4. The system of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the vessel is configured to hold

10 at least 5 L of the water.

5. The system of any one of claims 1 to 4 including an electromechanical valve by which the outlet arrangement is so openable.

6. The system of any one of claims 1 to 5 including a valve element for closing the outlet and buoyant to float on the water when moved to open the outlet.

15

7. The system of any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the vessel is shaped to funnel down to the outlet whereby substantially all of the volume of water is released when the outlet arrangement is opened.

8. The system of any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein a top of the system is arranged to be not more than 250 mm above a bottom of the outlet arrangement to suit

20 installation in a ceiling and between floor joists.

9. The system of any one of claims 1 to 8 including a vessel temperature-sensor for sensing a temperature of the water in the vessel.

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10. The system of claim 9 including a display connected to the vessel temperaturesensor to display the temperature of the water in the vessel.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the display is configured to warn the bather of the temperature of the water in the vessel being above a vessel temperature-

5 threshold.

12. The system of claim 10 or 11 including at least one of a heater for heating the water in the vessel;

a cooler for cooling the water in the vessel; and

10 a control arrangement for controlling the at least one ofthe heating and the cooling in response to the vessel temperature-sensor.

13. The system of any one of claims 1 to 12 including at least one of a heater for heating the water in the vessel; and a cooler for cooling the water in the vessel.

15 14. The system of any one of claims 1 to 14 wherein the supply arrangement includes a cold water inlet for receiving cold water; and a hot water inlet for receiving hot water.

15. The system of claim 14 including a mixing path along which the cold water and

20 hot water are mixed to form mixed water to be released to an interior of the vessel.

16. The system of claim 15 including a supply temperature-sensor for sensing a temperature ofthe mixed water.

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17. The system of claim 16 including a display connected to the supply temperature-sensor to display the temperature of the mixed water.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the display is configured to warn the bather of the temperature of the mixed water being above a mixed-water temperature-

5 threshold.

19. The system of claim 16, 17 or 18 including a control arrangement responsive to the supply temperature-sensor to vary a delivery through at least one of the cold water inlet and the hot water outlet.

20. The system of claim 19 including a user interface to enable the bather to

10 control, from the bathing area, the temperature of the mixed water.

21. The system of claim 20 including a thermostatic mixing valve.

22. The system of any one of claims 1 to 21 wherein the supply arrangement includes a float valve.

23. The system of any one of claims 1 to 22 including at least one shower head in 15 addition to the outlet arrangement.

24. The system of claim 23 including an installable unit including the vessel, the outlet arrangement and the at least one shower head.

25. A bathing facility including the system of any one of claims 1 to 24 and the bathing area.