EP0455088A2

EP0455088A2 - Improved mouth for hydromassage

Info

Publication number: EP0455088A2
Application number: EP91106445A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Carmelo Ianni; Livio Furlan
Original assignee: Jacuzzi Europe SpA
Current assignee: Jacuzzi Europe SpA
Priority date: 1990-04-23
Filing date: 1991-04-22
Publication date: 1991-11-06
Also published as: IT9020112A0; EP0455088A3; IT1242208B; IT9020112A1

Abstract

In a mouth for hydromassage is provided a sleeve (31) sliding along its own axis to deliver a water jet, the operative position whereof is stabilized by a coaxial spring (30) and by a pressure fluid contained in a variable volume toroidal chamber (33); such a fluid opposing to the action of the spring aims (30) to reduce/eliminate phenomena of "pulsations" of the jet. Moreover, a device is provided for cleaning/disinfection of the mouth.

Description

The present invention relates to an improved mouth for hydromassage.
As it is well known the hydromassage consists in striking the body of the customer, plunged in a bath or pool, with a water jet under pressure mixed with air, delivered from one or more mouths mounted on the walls of the bath.
Several kinds of mouths for hydromassage are well known, the operation whereof generally consists in allowing a certain amount of water to pass through a cross-section having the shape of a Venturi tube, causing in such way a depression which, on turn, causes air suction, which is mixed with the water ejected from the mouth under form of a jet.
There are several technical requirements connected with the present mouth: for example it is necessary to avoid the water flowing back from the bath into the mouth and therefore into the hydromassage feed circuit during the normal use of the bathtub, moreover it is necessary to avoid the stagnation of a certain amount of water inside the body of the mouth that involves evident hygienic problems; moreover these mouths must provide an easy disassembly for the access to the internal parts for cleaning, maintance and/or repair. These and still other requirements have been fulfilled by the provisions stated in the patent applications of the same applicant No. 22589 N/84 filed on July 17, 1984; No. 22592 B/84 filed on July 17, 1984; No. 22165 A/85 filed on September 17, 1985; No. 22221 A/87 filed on October 12, 1987.
However, on technical development, always new problems strike, connected with new requirements.
Particularly reference is made to the adjustement of the water jet which could show phenomena of "pulsations" in the presence of similar phenomena that may be found in the pump.
Moreover, beyond the necessity to avoid the water stagnation in the mouth, it si required the possibility to clean and/or disinfect the mouth (especially but not exclusively for community installations) with simple means and with the least waste of water and necessary additives.
It is an object of the present invention to propose a new mouth for hydromassage adapted to solve the above stated double problem.
It is therefore an object of the present application a mouth for hydromassage comprising a hollow sleeve to direct a water jet, said sleeve being housed in a substantially spherical adjustable body, contained in an external shell emboding a water duct and an air duct, a nozzle integral with said spherical body and coaxial with said sleeve being connected with said air duct characterized in that said sleeve sliding along its own axis and its operative position is stabilized by a spring coaxial with said sleeve and by a pressure fluid contained in a variable volume toroidal chamber.
According to a preferred embodiment, the mouth for hydromassage furthermore includes mouth cleaning and/or disinfection means; said means include a pipe arranged in the lower part of the outside shell which, through an aperture dirven by an electric valve, or by another actuator of pneumatic or hydraulic or other kind, connects the internal side of a spherical body with an output service opening, said opening comprising a plurality of ducts directed to the wall of a bath whereto the mouth for hydromassage is applied.
These and other aspects of the present invention, as well as merits and advantages thereof will be apparent from the following detailed but not limiting description, provided with the enclosed drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a mouth according to the present invention in closing phase.
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a mouth according to the present invention in open phase.
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a mouth according to the present invention in cleaning/disinfection phase.
Figure 4 ia partially sectioned front view of the mouth according to the present invention where it is shown the diffusion of the cleaning/disinfectant liquid into the bath.

With reference to the figures 1 and 2 the mouth for hydromassage 10 presents an external shell 11 which incorporates the water duct 12 fed by a pump (not shown) and an air duct 13.
The shell 11 is fixed to the wall 14 of a bath or pool (not shown) by means of a flange 15 and a ring nut 16, the whole is provided with suitable seal washers.
In the outside shell 11 it is housed a spherical body 17 which is integral with a nozzle 18 connected to the air duct 13 and extending for a certain distance along the symmetry axis XX of the mouth for hydromassage.
The spherical body 17 may assume angularly different positions both with respect to the axis XX and with respect to an orthographic axis or other axes included among the first two ones: such different positions are obviously discrete entities.
In these movements the spherical body is helped by the washers 19 and 20 which have also the task to contain the water coming from the duct 12 into the assigned housing.
In the cavity of the nozzle 18 is placed a valve 21 which may assume two positions, "advanced" to open the passage of the air coming from the duct 13 or "withdrawn" to close such passage with the help of the seal washer 22, respectively.
It is to point out that the valve 21 may assume different structural configurations and that the preferred embodiment of the mouth for hydromassage herein described is not bound to the particular kind of the valve 21.
At the water duct 12, the spherical body 17 is provided with some passages which put in communication said duct 12 with the cavity or intermediate chamber 24 of the spherical body 17.
On the opposite side where it is put the nozzle 18, the spherical body 17 presents a chamber or cylindrical cavity 25 water seal which extends towards the inside of the intermediate chamber 24 and parallely to the axis XX.
Said chamber or cylindrical cavity 25 is defined by the fixed walls 26,27,28 integral with the spherical body 17 and by the shaped cylindrical member or bolt 29 sliding in a direction parallel to the axis XX, causing in such way a variable length of the cylindrical chamber 25, as can be seen by comparing figure 1 with figure 2.
In the cylindrical chamer 25 a spiral spring 30 is housed, having its own axis at X-X, which may be compressed between the fixed wall 27 and the opposite wall of the bolt 29 when this last one is approached to the fixed walls 26,27,28; in particular the ends of the walls 26,28 are the retainer or limit to the slide of the bolt 29.
At the most radially internal portion of the bolt 29 is firmly applied, by means of a thread, the hollow sleeve 31 having outside diameter coinciding with the inside diameter of the cylindrical portion 28; the sleeve 31 may slide therefore along its own axis in conjuction with the bolt 29, in contact with the cylindrical surface of the wall 28.
The thread coupling the sleeve 31 with the bolt 29 allows moreover a normal adjustement of the strength of the delivered water jet.
With a hand adjustement and operating water pump will not be possible to close completely the jet, in order to avoid for the customer to be able to make the pump operate with a closed mouth.
The profile of the cavity of the sleeve 31 is shaped according to the shape of the Venturi tube having the restriction 32 placed near the end of the nozzle 18.
At the bolt 29, placed between the cylindrical chamber 25 housing the coaxial spring 30 and the passages 23 communicating with the intermediate chamber 24 of the spherical body 17, is situated a toroidal-shaped chamber 33 with axis XX, which communicates with the aforesaid chamber 24 through the valve 34.
The average diameter of said toroidal chamber may suitably correspond to the one of the spring 30.
The contours of the toroidal chamber 33, when the mouth is closed as represented in figure 1, are defined by a portion of said bolt 29, by a cylindrical member having in section the shape of C (which will be shortly called C member) connected to the fixed wall 26 and the thickness of the end of said fixed wall 26.
Through the thickness of the C member is inserted the valve 34 which has the particularity to allow a flow of liquid from the intermediate chamber 24 to the toroidal chamber 33 much more rapid than the flow into opposite direction.
In alternative the valve 34 could be of unidirectional type allowing an input flow into the toroidal chamber, said valve being associated to a small hole having an output flow considerably slower.
The sliding of the bolt 29 along the axis XX changes the contour arrangement of said toroidal chamber, as may be observed by comparing the figures 1 and 2; this point will be discussed hereinafter when it will be explained the operation of the mouth of the present invention.
With reference to figures 1,3 and 4, in correspondence of the lower portion of the mouth 10, the outer shell 11 presents a duct 35 communicating with the intermediate chamber 24 (by means of the passage 23') and with the pipe 36 (through the valve 37).
The pipe 36 commuicates with the outside of the mouth or, better, with the inside of the bath by mean of a service mouth comprising the annular connection 38 and a plurality of small radial pipes 39 downwards directed and forming an acute angle with the wall 14 of the bath.
In figure 1 the cap 40 screwed on the connection 41 holds in half-closed position the valve 37 allowing the normal draingae of the remainder water conatined in the mouth after its deactivation.
In figure 3 the cap 40 and the valve 37 have been replcaed with an attuator or electric valve 42 which releases completely the passage of the duct 35 to the pipe 36 plugging the hole in correspondence of the connection 41; in this way is allowed the cleaning and/or disinfection of the mouth and bath as will be explained hereinafter.
For a better understanding of the invention, it will be herein disclosed the operation of the mouth 10.
With particular reference to the figure 1 it will be noted that the presence of the spring 30 assures the closing of the mouth owing to the cirucmferential contact between the sleeve 31 and the nozzle 18; on the same time the valve 21 inside the nozzle 18 is held against the washer 22, so that the possibility for the water to enter the air duct 13 is eliminated.
With reference to figure 2, the water coming from the duct 12 with a certain duty pressure crosses the passages 23 and floods the internediate chamber 24 of the spherical body 17, exerting a push action on the bolt 29.
Accordingly, the bolt 29 is forward displaced, overcoming the resistance of the spirng 30 and bringing with it the sleeve 31, which moves away from the nozzle 18 opening in such a way a passage to the water which will be discharged from the mouth under form of jet. As it is well known, the particular Venturi tube shape of the sleeve 31 causes a depression in front of the nozzle 18 that draws the valve 21 moving it away form the washer 22 and allowing the air flow, coming from the duct 13, to reach the water jet.
While the pressure water contained in the intermediate chamber 24 displaces the bolt 29, on the same time it penetrates into the toroidal chamber 33 through the valve 34; the filing up of such chamber is sufficient rapid, afterwards the hydraulic system is balanced. If in the feeding system had to happen an instantaneous pressure fall, the compression state of the spring 30 could overcome the push exerted in the bolt 29 shell, which would tend to move back, reducing the water passage. Consequentely Therewith there would be the beginning of steady state "pulsations" of the jet in the bath in presence of similar phenomena that may be found in the feeding circuit and in particular in the pump.
The presence of the toroidal chamber 33 equipped with the valve 34 avoides or reduces substantially such "pulsations" infact, as already above mentioned, as the valve allows a much slower out flow than the opposite derected filling flow, the water pressure in the toroidal chamber 33 increases balancing the reation effect of the compression state of the spring 10.
For what is concerning the aspect of the cleaning and/or disinfection of the mouth, the operation is disclosed with particular reference to figures 3 and 4 with closed mouth.
The water containing detergents and/or disinfectants is fed through a duct 12 wherefrom it arrives into the intermediate chamber 24 flowing therefore through the duct 35 into the pipe 36 and subsequently into the connection 38 to reach the small radial pipes 39 inside the bath and finally to get out according to the direction indicated by the arrows F and F' to strike the walls of said bath.
Acting on the electric valve or attuator 42 in order to close the passage between the duct 35 and the pipe 36 and of course eliminating the feeding of additives detergents and/or disinfectants, the pipe 10 may return to carry out its normal operation of hydromassage as above described.
The present invention has been described with regard to a preferred not limiting embodiment, being understood that modifications and variants conceptually equivalent to such embodiment will not get out from the scope of the protection.

Claims

Mouth for hydromassage comprising a hollow sleeve to direct a water jet, said sleeve being housed in a revolving substantially spherical body, contained in an outer shell incorporating a water duct and an air duct, a nozzle integral with said spherical body and coaxial with said sleeve being connected with said air duct characterized in that said sleeve is sliding along its own axis and its operative position is stabilized by a spring coaxial with said sleeve and by a pressure fluid contained in a variable volume toroidal chamber.
Mouth for hydromassage, as in claim 1, characterized in that the operative position of the sleeve is included between an advanced position to open a passage to the water jet and a back position to close said passage.
Mouth for hydromassage, as in claim 1, characterized in that said coaxial spring is housed in a sealed cylindrical cavity, arranged in radially outer position and around said sleeve.
Mouth for hydromassage, as in claim 3, characterized in that said cavity includes first fixed walls, integral with the spherical body, and second fixed walls integral with said sleeve.
Mouth for hydromassage, as in claim 1, characterized in that the variable volume toroidal chamber is axially aligned with said spring and is placed between said spring and an intermediate chamber connected with the water duct.
Mouth for hydromassage, as in claim 5, characterized in that the variable volume toroidal chamber is connected with the intermediate chamber by means of a valve whose input flow is faster than the flow in opposite direction.
Mouth for hydromassage, as in any of the preceeding claims, characterized in that the outer shell includes furthermore means for the cleaning and/or disinfection of the mouth.
Mouth for hydromassage, as in claim 7, characterized in that said means include a pipe arranged in the lower part of the outer shell which, through an aperture driven by an actuator, preferably an electric valve, connects the intermediate chamber contained in the spherical body with an output service feed opening, said service opening including to a bath wall whereto the mouth for hydromassage is applied.