GB2203038A

GB2203038A - Injected fluid flow regulating arrangement in spa bath

Info

Publication number: GB2203038A
Application number: GB8807599A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Edward Thomson
Original assignee: LEIGH STEWART PROD
Current assignee: LEIGH STEWART PROD
Priority date: 1987-04-08
Filing date: 1988-03-30
Publication date: 1988-10-12
Also published as: AU1412288A; EP0286304A2; GB8807599D0; GB8708377D0; EP0286304A3

Description

n 'n z-- LZ 1 BATHING APPARATUS WITH WATER AGITATION There is described in

British patent specification No. 2 107 180 a bathing installation, of a kind known commonly as a "spa bath", in which air streams are discharged into water in a bath through a plurality of inlet valves distributed over an area of bottom and side walls of the bath. The streams of bubbles emitted can have a pleasant and invigorating effect on the bather. The installation comprises a blower, a heating element for warming the air, a manifold to which the warmed air is ducted from the blower, and hoses leading from outlets of the manifold to the inlet valves. The distribution of air to the inlet valves is fixed, steady streams of air being supplied to all the valves for all the time that the installation is operating.

-i Whilst in that spa installation air alone is injected into the bath, other such installations are known in which a mixture of water and air, or water alone, is introduced. Use of the term "fluid" hereinafter allows for the fact that such installations may make use of air or water, separately or together.

It is an object of the present invention to provide improved bathing apparatus wherein fluid can be injected into the bath to agitate the bath water in a discontinuous manner.

The invention provides, in one of its aspects, bathing apparatus comprising a bath and fluid-injecting means whereby in use of the apparatus streams of fluid can be introduced into water in the bath through a plurality of openings distributed over an area of the bottom and/or sie walls of the bath, the fluid-injecting means comprising sequencing means 2 operable to cause the introduction of fluid into the bath to be switched cyclically between different groupings of the openings.

is The different groupings may comprise those openings in each of successive adjacent notional zones of the bath. Should the bath be of an elongate f orm, those adjacent notional zones may extend successively along the bath, the f luid-injecting means operating to deliver fluid to the openings in each zone in turn along the bath (and then back to the first zone) to give a pleasing "ripple" effect. However, more complex groupings, and sequences of distribution to them, may be preferred.

The sequencing means in a preferred arrangement comprises distributing means operable to switch a common supply of fluid between the successive groupings of openings. The distributing means may comprise a suitable kind of rotary sequencing valve to achieve the cyclic distribution of fluid required, the valve comprising a plurality of outlets which are supplied in turn as a distributing rotor rotates, and which each lead to one of the groupings of openings in the bath.

Preferably such an arrangement can also be by-passed, to permit fluid to be supplied to all the bath openings simultaneously if required, or the sequencing valve so arranged that it can be set to supply all its outlets at once.

V> A preferred form of sequencing valve for this purpose is one in which the rotor is in the general form of a disc which has an aperture through it at a distance from its axis, the aperture permitting fluid to pass from a supply chamber of the valve to each of a plurality of outlet ports uncovered in turn as the disc 3 rotates. The disc may be driven by an electric motor at a speed of, for example, around ten revolutions per minute to supply each of four outlet ports in turn.

The disc may be arranged to be moved axially away from a face of the valve containing the outlet ports to permit the simultaneous supply of fluid to all the outlet ports should it be required.

There now follows a detailed description, to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, of spa- bath equipment which illustrates the invention by way of example.

in the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a schematic plan of a bath showing groupings of openings arranged in distinct zones; Figure 2 is schematic view of a section through a first sequencing valve for distributing fluid to the bath openings; Figure 3 is a schematic partial plan view from beneath of the first' valve, with disc-driving means and a closure plate removed; Figure 4 is a top plan view of a modified form of the first sequencing valve; and Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2 but of the modified valve taken generally along the line V-V of Figure 4.

In a spa bath installation generally similar to that described in British patent specification

4 No. 2 107 180, warmed air is arranged to be supplied by air-injecting means comprising a blower (not shown) to introduce streams of air into water-in the bath through a plurality of valved openings 10 in the bottom and side walls of the bath (Figure 1). However, whereas in that known installation the air is distributed to the openings by means of a fixed manifold. in the present apparatus the air is distributed by distributing means comprising a rotary sequencing valve (Figures 2 and 3, or Figures 4 and 5) which switches a common supply of air cyclically between different groupings of the openings 10.

With reference to Figures 2 and 3, the sequencing valve comprises a distributing rotor comprising a disc 12 which is rotatable about its axis within a supply chamber 14 provided by a housing block 16. The disc 12 is urged axially by means of a spring 18 in order to maintain only a very small clearance between a flat upper face 20 of the disc and a parallel opposing flat outlet face 22 of the block 16 of an end wall of the chamber 14. Four outlet ports 24,26,28 and 30 drilled throifgh the block 16 break out opposite the disc through the outlet face 22 on a common pitch circle, at positions uniformly spaced about the axis of the disc 12. A slot 32 through the disc 12 lies on the same pitch circle as the outlet ports in the outlet face, and extends arcuately along that pitch circle for nearly one quarter of the circle's circumference; in that way only one outlet port is fully overlaid by the slot 32 at a time. A drive unit 33 comprising an electric motor and an output spindle 34 is arranged in a conventional manner to rotate the disc. Air is supplied from the blower to the valve through a duct 36 which leads into the chamber 14 through a closure plate 38.

1 i There is also provision for the disc 12 to be displaced axially, against the resilient action of the spring 18, away from the outlet face 22 of the housing block 16. A plunger 40 which bears against the upper face 20 of the disc extends upwards from the disc right through the end wall of the chamber 14 to engage the underside of a rocker arm 42. The plunger is slidable in the housing block, and so can be depressed by the arm 42 to move the disc 12 downwards. An inner end of the rocker arm is mounted on a pivot mounting 44 secured to the block 16 next to the plunger, and is arranged to be operated by means of a solenoid device 46 connected to it at its outer end.

In use, the outlet ports 24,26,28 and 30 are respectively connected by means of hoses (not shown) to the groups of ba.th openings 10 represented by adjacent notional zones A, B, C and D indicated in Figure 1, those four zones being successive as taken along the elongate bath. Accordingly, in operation of the equipment in its normal mode (with the plunger 40 of the sequencing valve undepressed) warmed air is supplied in turn to each of the outlet ports 24,26,28 and 30 as the valve disc 12 rotates and exposes the ports to the air supply from the duct 36. Air is thus supplied in turn to each of the groups of openings of zones A, B, C and D, the supply continuing cyclically to give a ripple ef f ect in the water in the bath f rom the streams of air entering the bath in the zones successively. Should a bather want a simultaneous injection of air into the bath through all the openings, operation of the rocker arm 42 is effected to displace the disc 12 away from the end wall of the chamber 14, and so open all four outlet ports of the valve to the air supply.

6 The electric motor which drives the disc is a variable speed motor, but a setting at which the disc speed is about ten revolutions per minute, for example,. may be found appropriate. If required the motor may of course be stopped, for the air to be passed continuously to any selected one of the four zones.

A modif ied form for the sequencing valve is shown in Figures 4 and 5. In most respects the modified valve is generally similar to the valve first described, and for corresponding parts of the modified valve the same reference numerals have been applied in Figures 4 and 5. It is to be seen that the air supply duct 36 reaches the supply chamber 14 through the block 16 instead of through the closure plate 38.

The principal change incorporated in the modified valve is in the addition of a pressure relief valve 48. The relief valve is provided within a passage 50 which leads out through the housing block 16 from an extension 52 of the supply chamber 14. Where the passage 50 breaks through into the extension chamber 52, an annular seating 54 is formed to support a movable valve member in the form of a ball 56. An end portion of an exhaust tube 58 is secured in an outer end portion of the passage 50 and a compression coil spring 60 acts between an end face of the tube 58 and the ball 56 to hold the ball down on to the seating 54. Should an excessive pressure tend to be developed within the supply chamber 14, the ball 56 will be lifted off the seating 54, against the action of the spring 60, to vent the chamber through the exhaust duct 58.

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Claims

CLAIMS is 1. Bathing apparatus comprising a bath and fluid-injecting means

whereby in use of the apparatus. streams of fluid can be introduced into water in the bath through a plurality of openings distributed over an area of the bottom and/or side walls of the bath, the fluid-injecting means comprising sequencing means operable to cause the introduction of fluid into the bath to be switched cyclically between different groupings of the openings.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the different groupings comprise those openings in each of successive adjacent notional zones of the bath.
3. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which said zones extend successively along an elongate bath.
4. Apparatus according to any one of claims, 1, 2 and 3 in which the sequencing means comprises distributing means operable to switch a common supply of fluid between the groupings of openings.
5. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which the distributing means comprises a rotary sequencing valve having a plurality of outlets arranged to be supplied in turn as a distributing rotor of the valve rotates, each outlet leading to a different one of the groupings of openings in the bath.
6. Apparatus according to claim 5 in which the rotor is in the general form of a disc which has an aperture through it at a distance from its rotational axis, the aperture permitting air to pass from a supply chamber 8 of the valve to each of a plurality of outlet ports uncovered in turn as the disc rotates.
7. Apparatus according to claim 6 in which the disc is mounted within the supply chamber, the supply chamber beinj formed by a housing which provides an end wall to the chamber through which the outlet ports break out opposite the disc.
8. Apparatus according to claim 7 in which the disc is so mounted that it can be moved axially away from the end wall to permit fluid to pass to all the ports simultaneously
9. Apparatus according to claim 8 in which the disc is resiliently urged against a plunger extending through the end wall and the valve comprises means whereby the plunger can be depressed to move the disc axially away from the wall.
10. Bathing apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Published 1988 at The Patent Office, State House. 66171 High Holborn, London WC1R 4TP. Further copies may be obtained from The Patent Office, Sales Branch, St Mary Cray, Orpington, Kent BR5 3RD. Printed by Multiplex techniques Itc' St Mary Cray, Kent. Con. 1187.

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