EP0011825B1 - Massage shower with a vertical guide rail - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a massage shower with a vertical guide rail, along which a massage head can be moved up and down automatically on a sled and can be locked in any position, the massage head dispensing hot water, with a hydraulically driven and controlled device which moves the massage head in the longitudinal direction drives the guide rail and is designed as a reverse drive.

From FR-A-2 369 833 a massage shower of the type mentioned is known, in which a slide for the massage head or a nozzle tube can be driven in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail by means of a hydraulic device by means of a cable. On its front side, the guide rail has a longitudinal slot in which the carriage mentioned is inserted. It can be seen that water, soap foam and dirt can penetrate through the longitudinal slot, particularly when showering, so that limescale deposits and other residues within the guide rail can be expected after a short time. It can be seen that this displaceability and thus the functionality of the massage shower can be impaired, especially since cleaning and cleaning inside the guide rail is very difficult to carry out.

DE-A-2412 748 describes a irrigation device with a reversing drive, which has a turbine. The turbine is acted upon by the process water, whereby the direction of rotation of the turbine is preselected by means of two channels through which the process water flows. The housing is driven by a sprinkling nozzle via a downstream reduction gear, an angular range <360 ° around the longitudinal axis of the housing being able to be covered.

CH-A-555 108 describes a shower device whose showers are driven by water motors and can be pivoted back and forth. The showers and the associated water motors are connected to a distributor pipe or a hood, which is arranged, for example, above a bathtub and can be pivoted with respect to the bathtub.

On the basis of the massage shower mentioned at the outset, the invention is based on the object of improving the functional reliability with little effort and, above all, of obtaining a reliable and safe guidance of the slide for the massage head.

This object is achieved in that the reversing drive contains a turbine with a turbine housing and a turbine wheel, that the process water is optionally supplied to the turbine wheel via a control slide in two tangential directions corresponding to the two directions of rotation, that the guide rail is designed as a hollow chamber profile and two their room wall connection side at obtuse angles has side surfaces, each of which a slide guide is assigned, and that the slide spans the guide rail up to and including the side surfaces, which covers the side open slide guides and is guided with guide bodies engaging in them.

The massage shower according to the invention has a relatively simple construction and ensures a high degree of functional reliability, so that expensive repair work can be avoided. By designing the reversing drive as a turbine, the direction of rotation of which can be predetermined via a control slide, a quick and reliable reversal of the direction of rotation is ensured with little effort when the end stops are reached. Is proposed according to the invention the guide rail has a high stability and reliability, especially due to the outwardly substantially closed mold reaches that water and abspritzender Se ^i- fenschaum can not directly and the guide elements. It can be seen that this significantly reduces the risk of contamination and possible malfunctions.

In one embodiment of the invention, a reduction gear is connected to the turbine on the drive side in order to achieve sufficient torque to move the slide carrying the massage head.

In a further embodiment of the invention, a sprocket with chain is arranged on the output side of the reduction gear, and the chain is at one end with the top of the slide on which the massage head is arranged and at the other end after deflection via a deflection wheel with the bottom connected to the sled. This configuration can be manufactured with comparatively little effort, with a low susceptibility to contamination or water.

In one embodiment of the invention, a changeover rod that is movable axially parallel to the guide rail and carries two adjustable stops above and below the slide engages with the control slide. This advantageously ensures that no auxiliary energy is required to switch the direction of movement of the slide, since the control slide is actuated by the slide driven by the process water via the stops and the switchover rod.

In order to reduce the friction between the sliding guides on the one hand and the guide bodies on the other hand, these advantageously only touch in at least three guide ribs which are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the guide rail run.

One of the guide bodies of the slide is advantageously hollow and comprises the changeover rod loosely, so that the slide can move along the changeover rod between the two stops.

With the movable arrangement of the turbine already mentioned above, the turbine and the control slide are located in the carriage. In this case, a gearwheel arranged on the output side of the reduction gear is expediently engaged with a toothed rack in the guide rail. The massage head is connected to the water connection via a flexible water hose that corresponds in length to the greatest distance of the slide from the customer's water connection.

This embodiment is particularly useful when movement on an endless guideway is desired. A guide rail in the form of a closed curve can be provided for this.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawing.

• Figur 1 eine perspektivische Gesamtansicht einer Massagedusche mit geradliniger vertikaler Führungsschiene,
• Figur 2 eine Seitenansicht der Massagedusche der Fig. 1,
• Figur 3 eine Ansicht der Massagedusche der Fig. 1 von oben,
• Figur4 eine Vorderansicht auf die Massagedusche der Fig. 1 im ausgebauten Zustand,
• Figur 5 eine Ansicht einer Baueinheit für den Wasseranschluß, mit Turbine und Steuerschieber, wobei die vor der Turbine angeordneten Teile abgenommen sind,
• Figur 5a eine ähnliche Ansicht wie Fig. 5, jedoch mit freigelegtem und geschnitten dargestelltem Kanalsystem,
• Figur 6 ein Schnittbild gemäß der Schnittlinie VI-VI in Fig. 5,
• Figur 6a ein Schnittbild gemäß der Schnittlinie Via-Via in Fig. 5,
• Figur 7 eine Ansicht wie Fig. 5, jedoch ist nur der Gehäusedeckel abgenommen,
• Figur den unteren Teil der Antriebsordnung im vertikalen Schnitt, und
• Figur 9 einen horizontalen Querschnitt der Führungsschiene 2 mit aufgesetztem Schlitten 7 und Traverse 5.

Show it :

• FIG. 1 shows an overall perspective view of a massage shower with a straight vertical guide rail,
• FIG. 2 shows a side view of the massage shower of FIG. 1,
• FIG. 3 shows a view of the massage shower from FIG. 1 from above,
• FIG. 4 shows a front view of the massage shower of FIG. 1 in the removed state,
• FIG. 5 shows a view of a structural unit for the water connection, with a turbine and a control slide, the parts arranged in front of the turbine being removed,
• 5a shows a view similar to FIG. 5, but with the duct system exposed and shown in section,
• FIG. 6 shows a sectional view along the section line VI-VI in FIG. 5,
• FIG. 6a shows a sectional view along the line Via-Via in FIG. 5,
• FIG. 7 shows a view like FIG. 5, but only the housing cover has been removed,
• Figure the lower part of the drive arrangement in vertical section, and
• FIG. 9 shows a horizontal cross section of the guide rail 2 with the slide 7 and crossbar 5 attached.

1 shows a massage shower with a straight, vertical guide rail 2 over a shower tray 4 located in a corner of the room. In the exemplary embodiment, a traverse 5 is shown which is dumbbell-shaped and has two massage heads 6. The crossbeam 5 is located on a slide 7 guided on the guide rail 2, can be removed from this slide 7 and rotated relative to the same (7), i.e. it can e.g. can be adjusted from the horizontal position shown to a vertical position so that the two massage heads 6 lie one above the other parallel to the guide rail 2. A massage head water hose 8 is connected to the traverse 5. The water hose 8 is connected to a structural unit 10 via a check valve 9. From this assembly 10, a connection water hose 11 leads to the on-site shower water connection 12, which has a multi-function actuator 13 for setting the amount and temperature of water.

Furthermore, a overhead shower 14 is provided, which is connected to the structural unit 10 via a flexible water hose 15. A shut-off valve 3 is provided directly below the structural unit 10 and in front of the water hose 8 in order to be able to use or switch off the overhead shower 14. The shut-off valve 9 serves the same purpose in relation to the two massage heads 6.

There are three water connections on component 10, namely a left connection 16, a right connection 17 (FIG. 4) and a rear connection 18 (FIG. 6a). Depending on the position of the on-site shower water connection 12, the structural unit 10 can be connected either from the right, from the left or from the rear, the two connections which are not required being closed in each case.

Fig. 2 shows the massage shower in operation. The guide rail 2 is long enough so that the overhead shower 14, e.g. can simply be hooked into the structural unit 10, is sufficiently high above the head even in the case of large showering people 20 and the movement of the carriage 7 can be coordinated with the massage of all parts of the body.

Fig. 3 shows from above the alignment of the two water jets 19 on the person 20. It can be seen that because of the presence of two massage heads 6, a wide body area can be massaged, so that in connection with the upward and downward movement of the carriage 7 large-scale massage effect results.

Fig. 4 illustrates that the massage shower is designed as a complete component ready for connection. The stops 21 and 22 limit the movement of the crosshead 5 carrying the massage head 6 and can be set to any distance a from one another. They are attached to the switch rod 51 (FIGS. 7 and 8).

5, the assembly 10 is shown schematically with its outer connections and the essential inner elements; All parts arranged in front of the turbine have been left out, ie in particular the sprocket, the chain and the deflecting rod, so that the various water-carrying channels and bores are all the more recognizable. The left and right inlet connections 16 and 17 are indicated. For the water hose 8 leading to the massage head 6, a connection piece 23 attached to the assembly 10 at the bottom left is provided (corresponding to the connection shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4). The water hose 15 leading to the overhead shower 14 is at a bottom right the assembly 10 attached connector 24 connectable. The shut-off valves 9 and 3 are arranged directly below the connecting pieces 23 and 24.

The three water connections 16, 17 and 18 are connected to one another and to the two connecting pieces 23 and 24 and a gate valve 26 by a system of channels and bores, as will be explained in more detail below with reference to FIG. 5a.

From the right inlet connection 17, a short longitudinal duct 77 leads to the left directly to the control spool 26. From the left inlet connection 16, a long longitudinal duct 25 leads to the right to a connecting bore 39, which leads to the rear to the short longitudinal duct 17 and forward to the connecting piece 24. The water connections 16, 17, the connecting piece 24 and the control slide 26 are thus connected to one another via the channels 25 and 77 and the bore 39.

The channels 25 and 77 and the bore 39 lie in the plane of the drawing in FIG. 5a. 6a shows a transverse bore 41 leading to the rear inlet connection 18, which opens into the channel system 25/39/77 where the longer longitudinal channel 25 meets the connecting bore 39 . Any other point of the channel system 25/39/77 would be less suitable for the opening of the transverse bore 41 for fluidic and structural reasons.

The transverse bore 41 passes through the entire structural unit 10 in order to be able to actuate the sealing plug of the rear water connection 18 by means of a thin screw 40 (the transverse bore 41 does not fill, but instead forms a cylindrical channel with the wall of the transverse bore 41).

According to FIG. 5a, the shorter longitudinal channel 77 leads from the inlet connection 17 to the control slide 26, which is designed as a rotary slide valve and (FIG. 5) has a funnel-shaped inlet opening 27 which branches into two outlet lines 28 and 29.

In the assembly 10, two feed lines 30 and 31 leading from the control slide 26 to the turbine 32 are provided. The turbine 32 has a turbine housing 33 and a turbine wheel 34 integrated in the structural unit 10.

In the position of the control slide 26 shown, the upper output line 28 is connected to the upper feed line 30. The turbine wheel 34 rotates according to the arrow shown and drives the carriage 7 in the one direction of travel (e.g. upwards) via the drive device shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. After driving the turbine 32, the water flows via the upper outflow channel 35 to the connecting piece 23 and further to the massage heads 6.

If the control slide 26 is flipped over the switching rod 51 (cf. FIGS. 6, 7 and 8) in such a way that its output line 29 opens into the lower feed line 31, the turbine wheel 34 is rotated counter to the arrow shown and drives the slide 7 in the other direction of travel (e.g. downwards). After flowing through the turbine 32, the water flows via the lower outflow channel 36 to the connecting piece 23 and further to the massage heads 6.

6 shows. that the turbine wheel 34 is followed by a reduction gear 44, on the output shaft 45 a chain wheel 46 is attached; Instead of the sprocket drive shown, a toothed belt drive is advantageously used when quiet running is desired. The reduction gear 44 is located completely in the assembly 10, which is covered at the front by a hood 47 (indicated by dash-dotted lines in FIG. 6, also compare FIGS. 1 and 2). The sprocket 46 drives a chain 75, which in turn (Fig. 8) drives the carriage 7.

The control slide 26 sits (Fig. 6 and 7) on a control shaft 48 which is fixedly connected to a bracket 49. The bracket 49 comprises a wishbone 50, which in turn is fixedly connected to the switching rod 51 extending axially parallel to the guide rail 2. The control arm 50 can rotate in the bracket 49.

FIG. 8 shows the lower part of the drive arrangement in vertical section, along the section line VIII-VIII indicated in FIG. 9, which runs through the two guide bodies 56 and 57, which form the parts of the carriage 7 shown in FIG. 8. The chain 75 engages under suspension via a spring 52 at the top of the left guide body 57 of the carriage 7. On its other side, it is guided via a deflection wheel 53 to the underside of the left guide body 57 of the carriage 7. Your right run 76 through the chamber 69 (see also FIG. 9) of the guide rail 2 is only indicated by dash-dotted lines. The deflection wheel 53 is located in a lower housing part 54, in which the switching rod 51 is also immersed. The switching rod 51 is guided through a through hole 55 of the right hollow guide body 56 of the carriage 7. A compression spring assembly 78 supports the switch rod 51 so that its weight is lifted.

As already described, the chain 75 engages the left guide body 57. This guide body 57 has threaded bores 58 and 59 at the top and bottom for the insertion of draw bolts 60 and 61 for the chain 75.

Fig. 9 shows the guide rail 2 in horizontal section; it is designed as a hollow chamber profile and has on both sides of a chamber 69 two sliding guides 64 which are circular in cross section to the guide direction and then to their room wall connection side 66 at obtuse angles side surfaces 67 and 68. The slide 7 spans the guide rail 2 over the side surfaces 67, 68 in order to cover the laterally open sliding guides 64 and to prevent foreign objects (eg soap foam) from entering. With its guide bodies 56 and 57, the slide 7 engages in the slide guides 64. The leadership body 56 and 57 carry longitudinal ribs 79, 80 and 81 running in the guide direction (perpendicular to the plane of the drawing in FIG. 9). Only with these ribs do they touch the sliding guides 64. The sliding friction is reduced by the reduction of the rubbing surfaces. The ribs are distributed at equal angles over the circumference of the guide body.

The switching rod 51 carries near each of its upper end and its lower end an upper stop 21 (FIGS. 4 and 7) and a lower stop 22 (FIGS. 4 and 8). Each stop 21 or 22 can be fixed by means of a screw 21a or 22a on the switchover rod or, to adjust the distance a (FIG. 4), detachable.

With a downward movement, the carriage 7 pushes the lower stop 22 downward. The switching rod 51 is taken along and puts the control slide 26 over the control arm 50 and the clamp 49 in such a way that the direction of rotation of the turbine wheel 34 and thus of the entire drive is reversed. As a result, the carriage 7 moves upwards until it pushes the upper stop 21 upwards. The switch rod 51 is taken along and puts the control slide 26 over the control arm 50 and the clamp 49, so that the drive is reversed again. This change in drive direction is endless.

The mode of operation of the massage shower can already be seen from the above explanations. The turbine wheel 34 is already rotating at a mains water pressure of 1.5 bar with an idling speed of 1 100 revolutions per minute, at a usual mains water pressure of 3 to 3.5 bar with approximately 3,000 revolutions per minute. Sufficient force is generated by the reduction gear 44 and the chain drive in order to move the carriage 7 with cross member 5 with a total weight of e.g. Lift 5 kg. As soon as the carriage 7 reaches the upper stop 21, the switching rod 51 is raised and adjusts the control slide 26. During the downward movement, the slide 7 then reaches the lower stop 22, moves the switching rod 51 and thus the control slide 26 into the original position and in turn initiates the upward movement.

The transmission of the rotary movement of the reduction gear 44 into a longitudinal movement of the carriage 7 can also take place in a modified embodiment by means of a belt drive or by means of a threaded spindle. Furthermore, the turbine can be arranged in the carriage 7 itself, so that the carriage 7 can move on any guideway. In this case, in the case of straight-line movement, only a sufficient length of the mass head water hose 8, for movement on a closed guideway for a sufficient hose length and for a circulation coupling on the water hose 8 is to be ensured so that it does not twist.

• 78 Federanordnung
• 79, 80, 81 Führungsrippen

It means:

• 78 spring arrangement
• 79, 80, 81 guide ribs

Claims (9)

1. A massage shower with a vertical guide rail (2) along which a massage head (6) on a slide (7) may be moved up and down automatically and may be fixed in any desired position, the massage head (6) discharging treatment water, and with an hydraulically driven and controlled apparatus which drives the massage head (6) in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail (2) and is formed as a reversing drive, characterized in that the reversing drive comprises a turbine (32) with a turbine housing (33) and a turbine wheel (34), the treatment water is supplied to the turbine wheel (34) by way of a spool valve (26) selectively in two tangential directions (lines 30, 31) corresponding to the two rotational directions, the guide rail (2) is in the form of a cavity section and has two lateral faces (67, 68) which extend at an obtuse angle with respect to the adjacent side of the wall of the room and with each of which a sliding guide (64) is associated, and the slide (7) extends over the guide rail (2) up to and including the lateral faces (67, 68), covers the sliding guides (64) open at the sides and is guided by guide members (56, 57) engaging in the said sliding guides (64).

2. A massage shower according to Claim 1, characterized in that a reduction gear (44) is connected to the turbine (32) on its output side.

3. A massage shower according to Claim 2, characterized in that a sprocket wheel (46) with a chain (75) is arranged on the output side of the reduction gear (44) and one end of the chain (75) js connected to the top of the slide (7) on which the massage head (6) is disposed and the other end - after returning around a guide wheel (53) - is connected to the underside of the slide (7).

4. A massage shower according to Claim 3, characterized in that a reversing rod (51), which may be moved axially parallel to the guide rail (2) and which bear two adjustable stops (21, 22) above and beneath the slide (7), engages with the spool valve (26).

5. A massage shower according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the sliding guides (64) on the one hand and the guide members (56, 57) on the other hand come into contact via at least three guide ribs (79, 80, 81) which extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the guide rail (2).

6. A massage shower according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that one (56) of the guide members (56, 57) is made hollow and loosely encloses the reversing rod (51).

7. A massage shower according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the turbine (32) and the spool valve (26) are disposed in a common, stationary structural unit (10) which is arranged at one end of the guide rail (2) and is connected directly or by way of a water hose (11) to a water connexion (12) fitted into the building, an a connecting socket (23) for the issuing turbine water is connected to the massage head (6) by way of a flexible massage head water hose (8), the length of which corresponds to the maximum distance of the slide (7) from the structural unit (10).

8. A massage shower according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the turbine (32) and the spool valve (26) are disposed in a slide, a toothed wheel arranged on the output side of the reduction gear (44) engages with a rack in the guide rail (2) and the massage head (6) is connected to the water connexion by way of a flexible water hose, the length of which corresponds to the maximum distance of the slide from the water connexion fitted into the building.

9. A massage shower according to Claim 1 or 8, characterized by a guide rail in the form of a closed curve.

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