GB2201342A - Air-bath system - Google Patents

Abstract

A tub 1 of an air bath system comprises side walls 2 and a base 3 apertured to receive a plurality of nozzle assemblies 4. Air line 5 connects each nozzle via a manifold 6 to a blower unit 9. Each nozzle is of conical configuration, the arrangement being such that water entering the nozzles after main drainage from tub 1 is complete and air supply via line 6 is ceased is ejected by instantaneous actuation of unit 9. Resulting ejected water backflow and entrained soil runs off the conical surface of each nozzle 4 without substantially re-entering the nozzles 4 to cause blocking. <IMAGE>

Description

AIR BATH SYSTEM The invent Ion relates to an alr bath system.

Spa baths are therapeutic baths for personal use In which a disturbance Is created In the bath water to produce a massaging effect on the user's body. The disturbance may take the form of turbulent water streams produced by Injecting water into the bath water or of a combinatlon of turbulent water and entrained alr bubbles produced by InJecting air or an alr/water mixture into the bath water. In elther case, the massaging effect has a therapeutic value eIther In the full sense or In the looser sense of achleving a pleasing experlence which relaxes.

Various arrangements are known for InJecting the air or other disturbance-lnducing medIum into the water of the bath. Perforated mats connected to an air supply, for example, can be disposed on the base of an existing bath and alr delivered from remote alr supply means to the mat perforatIons. An arrangement which Is preferred on convenlence and aesthetic grounds provides apertures In a bottom surface (and perhaps also side surfaces) of a bath, air belng supplied thereto, usually from a manifold connected to the alr supply means.

Such apertures as Just referred to are normally in the form of nozzles or Jets. One problem wlth such nozzles or Jets Is the fact that when water Is dralned from the bath, and scum representing a surface layer on the water surface becomes deposited on or In the nozzle and during perlods of non-use these deposits can harden to the polnt of forming an obstructlon to subsequent air flow. This may not be a problem In practice if the disturbance InducIng method Is water or an alr/water mlx.However, systems using such medina are much less practical since they must provide the relatively sophisticated machinery for water pumping and alr mixing and must either rely on recyclIng of water witch the problems this Impiles or on continuous wastage of water. In practIce, Input of alr Is the only method of creating water disturbance used In normal domestic systems.

It has now been found that an alr bath system can avoid the above-specifled problems of soll and scum deposits by so arranging the nozzles or Jets and alr supply condults therefor that bath water passes In a stream In back-flow durlng drainage procedures and Is then eJected by re-supply of air to the Jets or nozzles.

According to the invent ion, an alr bath comprises means defining a bath water container for use by the bather, air supply means and condult means connecting said air supply means to each of a plurality of nozzle assemblies disposed In a water-supporting surface of the container (eg an upwardly facing such surface), each sald condult belng so arranged as to form a water trap which receives water through the nozzle assembly from a body of bath water when contalned In sald contalner and retalns such water during and after drainage of the body of water from the container, the alr supply means being operable after drainage to eject sald water from sald traps through sald nozzle apertures Into the container for drainage therefrom.

The alr Inlets are preferably nozzle assemblies, for example, assemblles which Include an upwardly facing orlflced surface having a convex configuration such as the confIguration of a cone, frusto-cone, pyramid or frusto-pyramid. A preferred confIguration Is that of a cone, especlally one whose surfaces are Inclined to its base by a relatively small angle as dictated by the bodIly comfort requirements of a user (eg. an .angle of less than 150, such as about 100). In any event, preferred nozzle assemblies Include a plurality of alr orifIces (eg 2 to 4 such orifIces) so arranged that air streams enter the bath water at a variety of angles Inclined to vertical, for example at an angle of 450 or thereabouts.The orifices may, for example, perforate a conical nozzle assembly at polnts disposed on a pitch circle concentric witch the cone base.

Any of the nozzle assemblles referred to earller are to be regarded as per se within the scope of the Invent Ion.

In a preferred form of this aspect of the Invention, a nozzle assembly comprlses a threaded hollow right circular cylindrIcal member, an orlficed flange disposed over one axial end of the cyllndrical member so as to close such end save for communicatlon through the oriflce(s) of the flange, the other axial end of the cyllndrical member belong open for communnicatlon witch alr supply means, the flange havlng a convex configuration and belng orificed Intermedlate the upper and lowermost extremIties of the convexity so that bath water runs off the convex surface and carries entrapped debrls wlth It.

Such nozzle assembly may, of course, have addItIonal features such as already herein referred to.

The Invention Includes wIthIn Its scope an alr bath Including one or more features of constructlon and arrangement described and claimed in the specification of our copendlng ApplIcatlon No 87 17091.

The following specific description of a preferred embodiment of the Invent Ion Is given by way of example only, reference belng made to the accompanying drawings In which: Figure 1 is a dlagrammatic representatlon of an air bath system according to the Invention; FIgure 2 Is a plan vlew of a bath tub forming part of the system shown In Flgure 1; Figure 3 Is a cross-sectlonal vlew of an alr nozzle assembly forming part of the system shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 Is an exploded vlew of a manifold alr inlet assembly forming part of the system shown In Figure 1; Flgure 5 is a detail of Flgure 4 ; and Figure 6 Is a cross-sectlon taken along the line Vl-VI of Figure 5.

The system represented In Figure 1 comprIses a tub 1 whose side walls 2 and base 3 are apertured to receive a plurality of nozzle assemblles 4. An alr llne 5 connects each nozzle assembly 4 to a manifold assembly shown generally at 6. Manifold assembly 6 is received in an opening In a flange 7 of the tub 1, a maln alr llne 8 connecting the manifold assembly to an alr blower unit 9 comprising an electric motor (not shown) and an electrical heater (not shown) of power 0.11 kw.

Tub 1 Is fitted In conventional manner wlth taps for water supply and wlth a plugged waste outlet.

Each nozzle assembly 4 comprises a hollow cylindrical tube 10 made of brass and male threaded on Its larger dlameter external surface coextensive therewith. A flange 11 Is integral wlth the top of tube 10 and has a solid conical configuration wlth the conical surface 12 inclined to a notlonal horizontal base by an angle of 100. Four bores 13 (two only shown in Figure 3) perforate Flange 11 and have their long axes Incllned at 450 to that of tube 10. The bores 13 are so arranged to penetrate the outer surface of flange 11 at four polnts equlspaced on a pitch circle.Two flats 14 diametrically opposed adJacent the end of tube 11 serve for engagement wlth a spanner for tightening the screw threaded securement of a nut (not shown) on tube 10 wlth a portion of the- thickness of bath wall 2, 3 sandwiched between the nut and the undersurface of flange 11. A reduced dlameter sectlon 15 of tube 10 Is provided for reception thereover of an alr line 5, the outside surface of sectlon 15 having an annular rldge 16 for Ilne-retention purposes.

Manifold assembly 6 comprlses a polypropylene or uPVC cylindrical tube 17. A male threaded lower portion of tube 17 receives an Internally threaded collar 18 and the two entrap a perforated hard plastics plate or disc 19.

Disc 19 Is fitted In its apertures 20 wlth a plurality of spigot connectors 21 to which ends of air lInes 5 remote from nozzle assemblles 4 are secured by clamplng outside of the cavity of tube-17. The upper portion of tube 17 Is fitted with an Internally threaded collar 22 retailed upon tube 17 by an annular rlb 23 on the periphery of tube 17 at Its upper axial extremity.

Manifold assembly 6 is recelved In the previouslymentioned openIng of flange 7 of tub 1 and suppoprted on the flange by the collar 22. Maln alr line 8 has a connector 8a at its supply end remote from blower unit 9. Connector 8a Is male threaded so as to be threadable In the collar 22 to secure main alr line 8 to the rest of the system.

In operation, with the components of the system arranged as descrIbed above,the tub Is first filled with water.

The user then places himself In the tub 1 after actuating blower unit 9 and, If desIred, Its heating functlon. Air is blown along maln air line 8 to manifold assembly 6 at which polnt the alr stream Is broken Into fourteen streams each passing along an air line 5 to a nozzle assembly 4. Such air enters the tub water via the four bores 13 of each flange 11 causing aeratlon and disturbance of the tub water In a manner which appiies a therapeutic massaging effect on the user.

When bathing is complete, the unit 9 Is deactuated and the bath drained In the normal manner. Water enterlng nozzle assemblies 4 and lines 5 on cessatlon of alr supply Is ejected after main drainage Is complete by Instantaneously actuating unit 9. Such water and entrained soll/scum as Is eJected runs off the conical surface of flange 11 across the openings to bores 13 without substantially re-enterIng the bores to cause blockIng.

It will be recognized that the use of a partially concealed manifold assembly for air supply provides a very acceptable balance between ease of installation and aesthetic acceptabillty, both factors belng satisfied in large measure by the manifold 6. Additionally, of course, the connector 8a can readlly be removed from collar 22 and the open end of line 8 used by a bathroom user, for example, for space heating prior to after bathing or for drying halr.

Claims (7)

Clalms

1. An air bath which comprises means defining a bath water contalner for use by the bather, alr supply means and condult means connecting sald air supply means to each of a plurality of nozzle assemblies disposed In an upwardly facing water-supporting surface surface of the container, each said condult being so arranged as to form a water trap which recelves water through the nozzle assembly from a body of bath water when contained In sald container and retalns such water durlng and after drainage of the body of water from the container, the air supply means being operable after dralnage to eJect sald water from said traps through said nozzle apertures Into the contalner for drainage therefrom.

2. An alr bath as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the nozzle assemblies Include nozzles which have an upwardly facing orificed surface having a convex configuratlon.

3. An alr bath as claimed In Claim 2 whereln the convex confIguration is that of a cone having conical surfaces InclIned to the base by an angle of less than 150.

4. An air bath as clalmed In any one of Clalms 1 to 3 whereln each nozzle assembly comprIses a threaded hollow right circular cyllndrical member, an orificed flange disposed over one axial end of the cyllndrical member so as to close such end save for communication through the orifice(s) of the flange, the other axial end of the cylindrical member being open for communnication with alr supply means, the flange having a convex configuration and belng oriflced Intermedlate the upper and lowermost extremIties of the convexity so that bath water runs off the convex surface and carrles entrapped debrls wlth It.

5. An alr bath optlonally as clalmed In any preceding claim and comprising means defining a contalner for bath water, air supply means, condult means and a plurality of alr Inlets provided In a water-contalning wall of said contalner and connected to the alr supply means by said conduit means, characterized In that said air supply means comprises pump means remote from the container and a manifold connected thereto and secured to sald container-defining means, sald manifold having an Inlet portlon connected to sald pump means by an optlonally removable coupling and an outlet portion connected to each of sald alr Inlets by sald condult means and sald manifold being recelved In an openIng In a wall of the contalner-defining means so that the manifold outlet portlon Is disposed on one side of sald wall and Is concealed from vlew and the manifold Inlet Is disposed on the other side of sald wall and Is visible to vlew for connection and optional removal of sald removable coupling from the manifold.

6. An air bath as claimed In Claim 5 whereln containerdefining means supported on a bullding floor Includes a generally horizontai surface surrounding a depression for water-containment, an adJacent wall of sald building mounts a blower, a connectlon tube extends from the blower to secure removably to a union of a manifold assembly received In an opening in sald horizontal surface such that sald unlon Is exposed and an outlet to the manifold Is concealed beneath sald horizontal surface and by a panel member which cooperates wlth sald floor and the contalner-defining means to enclose an otherwlse open space between the floor, wall and container-defining means, the manifold outlet In use distributing air Input to the manifold to a plurality of condults each outputting to a nozzle of which a plurality are provided in the surfaces of the container-defining means wlthin said depression.

7. An air bath substantlally as herelnbefore described with reference to, and as Illustrated In, the accompanying drawl nags