GB2159404A - Hydrotherapy apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The apparatus comprises a bath 1 having a number of jet outlets 12 each supplied by a length of tubing 11 from a manifold 6 located below the water level. A blower 2 feeds air to the manifold along piping 3 via a flow control valve 4 and a non-return valve 5. Water leaves the bath through inlets 8 and travels to the manifold under a free fall gravity feed. The manifold contains an inner water jacket with branches that travel within the lengths of tubing 11 where the water is added to the air flow to be returned to the bath in an air/water mixture. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Hydrotherapy apparatus The process in which a bather receives body massage from one or more jets of water is known as hydrotherapy.

One very widely known form of hydrotherapy apparatus involves pumped re-circulation of bath water via one or more venturis in which air is entrained into the water before being returned to the bath in an air/water mixture. This apparatus does however suffer from a number of inherent shortcomings. Firstly, the system is unsuitable for use with more than about six jet outlets, two or four being typical, whereas it is generally desirable to provide a greater number, e.g. for an all-over body massage. Secondly, it is difficult to convert a standard domestic bath to such a system because of the nature of the jet outlets required. In fact, it is usual to provide a complete bath replacement which, along with the cost of the system as a whole, makes the supply and installation costs very high.

Air-only systems have been proposed in which streams of air alone are fed into the bath through a number of outlets. (See for example Specification No. 2 107 180 A.) These systems do overcome the shortcomings of a pumped water system to a greater or lesser degree, but there is a major problem with such systems which is not experienced in pumped water systems. In practice it is found that the streams of air create an extremely unpleasant sensation on the body, rather like needles. The air-only jets also tend to produce rapid cooling of the bath water even if the air is preheated, which is much less pronounced with pumped water systems.

The aim of the invention is to produce a form of hydrotherapy apparatus which does not suffer from the stated shortcomings of pumped water systems but which retains the pleasant sensation associated with an air/water system.

The solution offered by the present invention lies in the provision of hydrotherapy apparatus comprising a bath and means for blowing air into the bath through jet outlets in its wall, the apparatus including a gravity feed system by which water leaves the bath and is introduced into the air flow to be returned to the bath in an air/water mixture.

The present apparatus operates on a completely different principle to the aforementioned pumped water system which relies on air entrainment. It is not possible simply by reversing the pumped water principle to entrain water into a forced air supply.

Thus in the present apparatus a gravity feed system is employed to introduce the water into the air flow.

The apparatus preferably includes a manifold located in such a position that it is normally below the level of water in the bath, the manifold having an inlet for bath water, an air inlet connected to blower means, and outlets connected to the jet outlets.

The manifold preferably contains an inner jacket connected to the water inlet, the inner jacket having branches each passing through a respective manifold outlet.

Preferably the jet outlets each comprise a tubular portion that extends through the wall of the bath and an outwardly extending portion that abuts the inner surface of the bath, the outlet being secured by radial expansion of the tubular portion by means of a draw bar.

Each jet outlet preferably includes a tubular second part located within the tubular portion and which is also radially expanded by the draw bar, the second partterminating ata position spaced from the outwardly extending portion, and the jet outlet including retaining means to prevent the second part from being pulled out of the tubular portion by the draw bar.

The invention will now be exemplified with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a general arrangement of hydrotherapy apparatus in accordance with the invention, Figure 2 is a plan view of the apparatus, Figure 3 is a scrap section of the casing of the blower incorporated in the apparatus, Figure 4 is an elevation, partly in section, of a flow control valve of the apparatus, Figure 5 is a view of the valve in direction V, Figure 6 is a sectional view of a non-return valve incorporated in the apparatus, Figure 7 is a sectional view of the manifold incorporated in the apparatus, Figures 8a-c show various stages in the installation of the jet assemblies used in the apparatus, and Figures 9a-c show various stages in the installation of another form of jet assembly which may be employed.

Referring to Fig. 1, the apparatus comprises a conventional plastics bath 1 provided with the usual hot and cold water supplies and waste outlets. An air blower 2 is connected by plastics piping 3 to a flow control valve 4 followed by a non-return valve 5, terminating mid-way along a manifold 6 of elongate form. At each end of the manifold there is a length of braided reinforced plastics tubing 7 which connects a respective inlet 8 in the bottom wall of the bath to the manifold, the inlets 8 being located at opposite ends of the bath. There is also a respective length of similartubing 9 connecting each end of the manifold to a respective outlet port 10 again located in the bottom of the bath adjacent to the respective inlet 8.At intervals along the manifold 6 there are branches provided by further lengths of braided tubing 11, there being a total of 36 in this instance, each leading to a respective outlet jet assembly 12.

The jets are also mounted in the bottom wall of the bath in a pattern conforming to an approximate body pattern, as shown in Fig. 2.

The blower 2 is a conventional electrical blower unit which can be located at various sites depending upon the type of accommodation, e.g. airing cupboard or loft, but the blower is usually positioned beneath the bath. In order to prevent the motor from overheating when valve 4 is shut off, vent off holes 13 are provided in the casing 14 of the motor adjacent to the piping 3 on the outlet side of the motor (Fig. 3) allowing excess air to be vented to atmosphere and preventing an excessive pressure build-up.

The flow control valve 4 (Figs. 4 and 5) is essentially a taper seating gate valve comprising a valve body 15 which is mounted below the top flange 16 of the bath by means of locking nuts 17, 18. The valve has a tap cover 19 mounted above the flange 16for opening and closing the valve in a conventional manner. In this case however, the gate 20 (Fig. 5) is prevented from closing completely by an adjustable stop screw 21 inserted in the base of the valve body 15. The ends of piping sections 3 on either side of the control valve are provided with a waisted portion 22 that forms an out-turned lip 23 at the extreme end of the pipe section. The waisted portion receives an inwardly directed flange portion 24 of a gland nut 25 which is screw threaded onto a coupling spigot 26 provided on the valve body.The spigot 26 has the interior edge of its extreme end chamfered to provide a tapered seating 27 for the end of the pipe section 3. Thus, when the nut 25 is tightened the lip 23 is sealably trapped between the seating 27 and the flange portion 24 of the nut.

The water-arresting non-return valve 5 (Fig. 6) comprises a tubular plastics housing 28 containing an air-filled sealed plastics ball 29. The housing contains a cup-shaped insert 30 which has an annular silicone rubber seating 31 for the ball to preventwaterfrom travelling along piping 3tothe blower 2 in the non-return direction. On the other hand, the ball is free to move away from the seating so that air can flow freely in the opposite direction, movement of the ball in this direction being restricted by a pin 32 inserted through the housing.

The manifold 6 comprises an outer jacket 33 (Fig.

7) containing an inner water jacket 34. The outer jacket comprises tee-piece 35 (Fig. 1) with the air supply piping 3 connected to the inlet branch of the tee-piece, the arms of the tee-piece each being connected to a respective short flexible corrugated section 36. Each flexible section is in turn connected to a length of relatively rigid pipe 37 terminated by a respective end cap 38. The lengths of tubing 11 leading to the jet assemblies 12 are connected to the manifold by means of sealing gland assemblies 39 spaced at intervals along the pipe sections 37. The drainage tubes 9 are connected to the respective pipe sections 37 by similar sealing gland assemblies positioned on the underside of the manifold.

The inner jacket 34 comprises a length of flexible plastics tubing which at each end of the manifold is coupled to further sealing gland assemblies 41 mounted concentrically in the end caps 38. The lengths of tubing 7 are connected externally to these gland assemblies. At intervals corresponding to the tubing branches 11 the inner jacket 34 also has branch pipes 42 that travel freely through the gland assemblies and pass for a short distance within the respective lengths of tubing 11.

The flexible sections 36 allow the manifold to be flexed somewhat for ease of installation. It is important for correct operation of the system that the manifold should be below the normai level of the bath water.

The jet assembly of Figs. 8a-c comprises a brass tubular portion 43 having an out-turned annular portion 44 at one end. A draw bar 45 screwed into a bullet-shaped tubular insert 46 is inserted into the jet and the assembly is pushed into a hole 47 drilled through the bottom wall 48 of the bath and its supporting wood composite board 49 (Fig. 8a). The draw bar is then pulled upwards so that the insert 46 expands the tubular portion securing the jet in position (Fig. 8b). The bar is then unscrewed from the insert and the tubing 11 is pushed over the expanded portion (Fig. 8c).

The jet assembly of Figs. 9a-c is somewhat quicker to install and comprises outer and inner parts 50,51. The outer part 50 again comprises an upright tubular portion 52 having an out-turned annular portion 53 at its upper end which is curved so that its undersurface defines an annular recess 54. The outer edge of the lower end of tubular portion 51 is chamfered at 55. The inner part 51 comprises a tubular part 56, the lower end portion of which is turned back on itself to form a collar portion 57. The upper end of this collar is chamfered at 58 to compliment the chamfer 55. The upper end of inner part 51 terminates a short distance below annular portion 53.A draw bar 59 having an expanded head 60 is inserted into the jet assembly, as shown, and the assembly is again pushed into a hole 47 drilled through both the bath wall 48 and support board 49, the exterior surface of the jet assembly first having been coated with a silicone rubber sealant. The jet assembly, which is a push fit in the hole, is inserted until the annular portion 53 abuts the bottom of the bath, whereupon the silicone rubber fills the space 54 and any small gaps between the first part 50 and the hole 47 (Fig. 9a) to provide a water-tight seal.

The draw bar is then drawn upwards inside the jet by means of an extrusion tool. The inner and outer tubular portions 51,56 are again radially expanded by the head 60 to secure the jet assembly in position, but in this case the inner part 51 is also drawn upwardly within the outer part so that the complementary chamfers 55, 58 cause the collar portion 57 to be deflected outwardly, as shown in Fig. 9b, retaining the inner part 51 within the outer.

Once the draw bar head 60 leaves the inner part 51 it passes freely through the remainder of the outer part so that the jet portion within the bath wall itself is not expanded. The tubing 11 is then pushed onto the jet assembly from below. The collar portion 57 bites into the tubing providing an air-tight seal and prevents the tubing from coming adrift.

These jet assemblies can also be used with cast iron baths and pressed steel baths.

The water inlets 8 and outlet ports 10 may be of similar construction to the jet assemblies.

In use, the blower 2 blows air from atmosphere through the piping 3 into the annular space between inner and outer jackets 33,34 of the manifold. The air then travels through the lengths of tubing 11 to the jet assemblies 12. At the same time, the head of water in the bath produces a free fall gravity feed whereby water passes through inlets 8, along tubing 7, through the inner jacket 34 of the manifold, and along branch pipes 42 to enter the tubing 11. The forced air flow through the tubing 11 creates a turbulence which results in thorough intermixing of the air and water so that the jets 12 supply an atomised air/water mixture to the bath.

The degree of turbulence created in the bath can be controlled by the valve 4, the stop screw 21 being preset to an acceptable minimum adjustment.

When the blower 2 is switched off water arresting valve 5 prevents water from travelling along the piping 3 to the blower unit.

When the bath has been drained via the waste outlet in the normal manner any residual water can be expelled from the system by switching on the blower 2 for a short period. Any water retained in the lengths of tubing 7,9 and 11, or in the inner jacket 34 of the manifold, will be expelled into the bath. Similarly, any water retained in the space between the inner and outer jackets of the manifold will be expelled via gland assemblies 40, tubing 9 and outlet ports 10. The system can thus be completely purged of residual water for hygiene.

Although 36 jet assemblies are used in this instance, between 25 and 100 jet outlets could be used depending on the size of bath, e.g. commercial or domestic. If desired, heaters may be introduced into the water re-circulation system between the inlets 8 and the jet outlets 12 (e.g. in tubing 7) to maintain the temperature of the bath water over a prolonged period of use.

In some circumstances one water inlet 8 and one drain outlet 10 could be used.

Claims (26)

1. Hydrotherapy apparatus comprising a bath and means for blowing air into the bath through jet outlets in its wall, the apparatus including a gravity feed system by which water leaves the bath and is introduced into the air flow to be returned to the bath in an air/water mixture.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, including a manifold located in such a position that it is normally below the level of water in the bath, the manifold having an inlet for bath water, an air inlet connected to blower means, and outlets connected to the jet outlets.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 2, in which the manifold is of elongate form.

4. Apparatus according to Claim 3, in which the manifold comprises at least two relatively flexible sections.

5. Apparatus according to Claim 4, in which the air inlet is connected between two such relatively flexible sections.

6. Apparatus according to Claim 5, in which the air inlet is provided by the branch of a tee-piece, the cross arms of the tee each being connected to the respective manifold section by a flexible section.

7. Apparatus according to any of Claims 2 to 6, in which the manifold contains an inner jacket connected to the water inlet, the inner jacket having branches each passing through a respective manifold outlet.

8. Apparatus according to Claim 7, in which each manifold outlet is connected to the respective jet outlet by a length of tubing within which the mixing of air and water takes place.

9. Apparatus according to Claim 7 or 8 as appended to any of Claims 3 to 6, in which the inner jacket is connected to two water inlets located at opposite ends of the manifold, each water inlet being connected to a respective water inlet in the bath wall.

10. Apparatus according to Claim 7,8 or 9 as appended to any of Claims 4 to 6, in which the inner jacket is flexible.

11. Apparatus according to any of Claims 2 to 10, in which the manifold includes a drainage port.

12. Apparatus according to Claim 11 as appended to any of Claims 3 to 10, in which the manifold includes two drainage ports at opposite ends of the manifold.

13. Apparatus according to Claim 11 or 12, in which the drainage port or ports are connected to an outlet or outlets in the wall of the bath.

14. Apparatus according to any of Claims 2 to 13, in which air is fed from the blower means via a flow control valve to the manifold.

15. Apparatus according to Claim 14, in which the flow control valve comprises a gate valve with adjustable stop means to prevent complete closure of the gate valve.

16. Apparatus according to Claim 15, in which the adjustable stop means comprises a stop screw.

17 Apparatus according to any of Claims 14 to 16, in which the flow control valve is coupled to lengths of plastics pipe, each length of pipe having a waisted end with an out-turned lip, the waisted portion receiving a nut which is screwed onto a coupling spigot of the valve such that the out-turned lip is trapped between the nut and the end of the coupling spigot.

18. Apparatus according to any of Claims 14 to 17, in which there is a non-return valve connected between the blower means and the manifold, the non-return valve comprising a plastics valve housing containing an airfilled ball, the housing containing a plastics insert with an annular rubber seating for the ball, movement of the ball in the direction of flow being restricted by a pin which passes through the housing.

19. Apparatus according to any of Claims 14to 18, in which vent off holes are included between the blower means and the flow control valve.

20. Apparatus according to Claim 19, in which the vent off holes are included in the outlet casing of the blower means.

21. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, in which the jet outlets each comprise a tubular portion that extends through the wall of the bath and an outwardly extending portion that abuts the interior surface of the bath, the outlet being secured by radial expansion of the tubular portion by means of a draw bar.

22. Apparatus according to Claim 21, in which the jet outlet includes a tubular second part located within the tubular portion and which is also radially expanded by the draw bar, the second part terminating at a position spaced from the outwardly extending portion, and the jet outlet including retaining means to prevent the second part from being pulled out of the tubular portion by the draw bar.

23. Apparatus according to Claim 22, in which the second part is arranged to slide within the tubular portion as the draw bar is withdrawn, and the retaining means comprises a collar portion carried by the second part and which is arranged to ride over the end of the tubular portion remote from the outwardly extending portion.

24. Apparatus according to Claim 23, in which the adjacent ends of the tubular portion and the collar portion are chamfered to assist the collar to ride over the tubular portion and produce an outward deflection of the collar.

25. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described above and/or shown in the drawings.

26. Hydrotherapy apparatus which is substantially as described above with reference to the drawings.