JP2006230457A - Bathing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To secure the safety of a bather and to adjust a temperature of hot bath water by supplying hot water at a high heating temperature into a bathtub. <P>SOLUTION: A bathing apparatus 1 comprises: the bathtub 2; an operation means 4 for relatively moving a bathing stretcher 3 for mounting the bather to either inside the bathtub 2 or outside the bathtub 2; a hot water supplier 5 for supplying heating hot water to the bathtub 2; a second temperature sensor 10 for detecting the temperature of the hot water inside the bathtub 2; an operation controller 6 for detecting whether the bathing stretcher 3 is located at a bathing position X or a non-bathing position Y as position information P1; and a hot water supply controller 7 for setting a hot water supply temperature K1 corresponding to the position information P1 and controlling the hot water supplier 5. A bathing temperature T1 is set when the position information P1 indicates the bathing position X, a heating temperature T2 is set when the position information P1 indicates the non-bathing position Y, and the hot water is allowed to be supplied. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a bathing apparatus for a person who needs assistance such as a physically handicapped person or a sick person or other bathers.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a nursing bathing device that has been used is generally configured to be able to bathe in a bathtub while a bather is placed on a bathing stretcher or the like.
Bathers who use this bathing device are bedridden elderly people or caregivers who need assistance with physical disabilities, and when bathers themselves cannot mix hot water during bathing, they may not be able to judge the state of hot water temperature. is there.
Here, for example, the bathing temperature at which the bather can safely bathe without causing burns or the like is 38 to 42 ° C., and the high heating temperature is higher than 42 ° C.
The care tub is relatively small, and when the bath stretcher on which the bather is placed is placed in the bathtub, the gap between the inner wall of the bathtub and the bath stretcher is small. Therefore, if hot water is poured at a high heating temperature when the temperature falls during bathing, the hot water circulation in the bathtub may be poor, and only the hot water near the hot water inlet may become hot. The bather could be burned.
In order to prevent such a problem, the hot water supply temperature in the bathtub is set to a structure in which the hot water supply temperature setting range cannot be set to a heating temperature exceeding 42 ° C., for example. There is a bathing device for nursing care that is designed with safety in mind.
In addition, in the bathing apparatus, as a safety measure when the temperature in the bathtub or the hot water supply temperature during bathing becomes high, for example, there is one proposed in the following patent document.
Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 2 are bathing devices in which a bathing stretcher or a seat on which a bather is placed can enter a bath and bathe, detect the hot water temperature in a hot water tank, and outside the set bathing temperature range. In this case, the bathing operation is prevented by the safety device so that the bath stretcher or the seat cannot be set in the bathtub. As a result, bathing due to a high heating temperature as described above can be prevented.
Patent Document 3 is a bathing device provided with a hot water temperature correction mechanism, and when a hot water temperature outside the set bathing temperature range is detected, it can be corrected to an appropriate bathing temperature. Moreover, when the hot water temperature becomes higher than the bathing temperature, a notification function that prompts the administrator to check the temperature is provided.
Patent Document 4 includes a safety device that stops the movement of hot water from a hot water tank to a bathtub when the hot water temperature in the hot water tank exceeds an appropriate temperature range.
JP 2001-95881 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-305077 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-347091 JP-A-10-248902

However, the bathing apparatus having a structure in which the hot water supply temperature is set only in the above-described bathing temperature range cannot be configured to supply hot water at a high heating temperature exceeding 42 ° C., for example. Moreover, in patent document 1 thru | or patent document 4, when the hot water temperature in a bathtub or a hot water storage tank becomes other than the bathing temperature which set, since safety devices, such as a bathing operation and hot water supply blocking, operate, the above-mentioned It is the structure which cannot supply hot water higher than bathing temperature like.
For this reason, for example, when the bath temperature is drastically reduced during bathing, for example, when it is desired to pour hot water at a heating temperature higher than a preset bath temperature, it is not possible to adjust the temperature by supplying hot water in the bathtub. There was a problem that people could not bathe in warm water.
In addition, in the case of a bathing apparatus that is not equipped with a safety device, there is a problem that the bather is burned near the hot water supply port by hot water being poured at a high heating temperature during bathing.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a bathing apparatus that ensures the safety of bathers and can adjust the temperature by supplying hot water into a bathtub at a high heating temperature. And

In order to achieve the above object, in the bathing apparatus according to the present invention, a bath, operation means for moving a bathing stretcher on which a bather is placed either inside or outside the bath, and hot water to the bath In the bathing apparatus provided with the hot water supply means, the first control means for detecting whether the bath stretcher is inside or outside the bathtub as position information, and the hot water by the hot water supply means suitable for bathing corresponding to the position information And a second control means for setting the bath temperature or a heating temperature higher than the bath temperature, and when the bath stretcher is outside the bath, the hot water is set to the heating temperature and supplied into the bath. Yes.
In the present invention, when the position of the bath stretcher is in the bathtub, hot water can be supplied into the bathtub at a preset bath temperature suitable for bathing, and when the position of the bath stretcher is outside the bathtub. Can supply hot water into the bathtub at a heating temperature higher than the bathing temperature.
For this reason, for example, when the outside air temperature is low and the hot water in the tub drops below the high temperature in winter, for example, hot water is poured into the tub while the bathing stretcher is moved relative to the outside by the operating means. The bather can adjust to the optimum temperature and take a bath.
In addition, since the bather does not touch the hot water directly, the safety is improved, the danger of burns and the like can be prevented, and the bather can take a bath with peace of mind.

Moreover, it is preferable that the bathing apparatus which concerns on this invention is equipped with the display mechanism which displays the hot water supply temperature set by the 2nd control means.
In the present invention, the assistant can always easily check the hot water supply temperature at the time of hot water supply by visual observation or the like. In particular, when the bather himself cannot judge the hot water temperature state, it is effective in preventing danger such as burns.

According to the bathing apparatus of the present invention, when the position of the bath stretcher is in the bathtub, hot water can be supplied into the bathtub at a preset bath temperature suitable for bathing, and the position of the bath stretcher is in the bathtub. When outside, hot water can be supplied into the bathtub at a heating temperature higher than the bathing temperature. For this reason, for example, when the outside air temperature is low and the hot water in the tub drops below the high temperature in winter, for example, hot water is poured into the tub while the bathing stretcher is moved relative to the outside by the operating means. The bather can adjust to the optimum temperature and take a bath.
In addition, since the bather does not touch the hot water directly, the safety is improved, the danger of burns and the like can be prevented, and the bather can take a bath with peace of mind.

Hereinafter, a bathing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIG. 1 is an overall view showing a configuration of a bathing apparatus according to an embodiment, FIG. 2 is a view showing the entire bathing apparatus, (a) is a plan view thereof, and (b) is a side view thereof.
The bathing apparatus according to the present embodiment is a bathing apparatus 1 for a person requiring assistance, who can bathe a bather while being placed on the bathing stretcher 3.
As shown in FIG. 1, the bath apparatus 1 includes a bathtub 2, an operation means 4 that moves the bath stretcher 3 relative to either the inside of the bathtub 2 or the outside of the bathtub 2, and hot water that supplies hot water to the bathtub 2. The apparatus 5 (hot-water supply means) is provided (refer FIG. 2).

The bathing device 1 includes an operation control device 6 (first control means) that detects whether the bath stretcher 3 is in the bathtub 2 or outside the bathtub 2 as position information P1, and a hot water supply device corresponding to the position information P1. 5 is provided with a hot water supply control device 7 (second control means) for setting the heated hot water 5 to the bathing temperature T1 or the heating temperature T2.
Here, for example, the bathing temperature T1 is set to a temperature of 38 to 42 ° C. which is normally appropriate for the bather, and the heating temperature T2 is set to a high temperature of 43 to 50 ° C.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the hot water supply device 5 and the bathtub 2 are connected by a hot water supply pipe 8 disposed therebetween. The hot water supply pipe 8 is provided with a first temperature sensor 9 for detecting the hot water supply temperature K 1, and the hot water supply temperature information P 2 obtained by the first temperature sensor 9 is sent to the hot water supply control device 7.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 1, the bathtub 2 is provided with the 2nd temperature sensor 10 (temperature detection means) which detects the bathtub internal temperature K2 in the bathtub 2. As shown in FIG. And the function which inputs the positional information P1 detected by the operation control apparatus 6 and outputs it to the hot water supply control apparatus 7, and the temperature K2 in the bathtub detected by the 2nd temperature sensor 10 are input, and the position of the bathtub 2 is controlled. There is provided a temperature control device 11 having the function of
In this temperature control device 11, for example, when the temperature in the bathtub 2 becomes higher than the bathing temperature T1 during bathing, a bathing operation inhibition signal P3 is transmitted to the operation control device 6 to control the operation means 4. Thus, the bathing stretcher 3 can be forced out of the bathtub 2.

As shown in FIG. 2 (b), the bathtub 2 is provided on the base 13 installed on the floor 12 so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and the range of the upper position H2 from the lower position H1 shown in the figure by the operating means 4 is provided. To move. The operation means 4 for moving the bathtub 2 is provided with a drive source (not shown) such as electric or hydraulic pressure, and one end fixed to the base 13 and the other end fixed to the bathtub 2. Elevating means (not shown) for elevating and lowering the bathtub 2 by receiving power.
And this base part 13 is equipped with the raising / lowering guide shaft 14 which stands in the upper part from the base part 13 in the planar view approximate center of the bathtub 2, and supports the bathing stretcher 3 by an upper end. The lifting guide shaft 14 penetrates the bathtub 2 in a liquid-tight manner and is provided up to a position above the upper end 2a of the bathtub 2 at the lower position H1 to guide the lifting and lowering of the bathtub by the operating means 4.

As shown in FIG. 2 (b), the upper end 14 a of the elevating guide shaft 14 has a stretcher fixing for fixing the bath stretcher 3 transferred from the stretcher (not shown) into the bathtub 2 at a predetermined position of the bathtub 2. A member 15 is provided.
As shown in FIG. 2A, the bather on the bath stretcher 3 fixed to the stretcher fixing member 15 bathes in such a posture that the bather's head comes to the right side of the bathtub 2 in the figure. .
Moreover, as shown to Fig.2 (a), the hot water heated with the hot-water supply apparatus 5 (refer FIG. 1) is hot water supply in the bathtub 2 at the bather's step side (left side in a figure) on the inner surface of the bathtub 2. As shown in FIG. A hot water outlet 16 is provided.

At the time of bathing, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), the bath 2 in which hot water is stored in the state where the height of the bath stretcher 3 is fixed is guided by the raising / lowering guide shaft 14 by the operating means 4 and is moved upward. It moves and stops at the predetermined position (upper position H2 in the figure) where the bath stretcher 3 and the bather are immersed in the hot water in the bathtub 2.
Here, as shown in FIG.1 and FIG.2 (b), the bathtub 2 moves to the upper position H2, and the position where the bathing stretcher 3 becomes in the bathtub 2 is the bathing position X (in FIG. 1, the bathtub 2 is a dashed-two dotted line). The position where the bathtub 2 moves to the lower position H1 and the bath stretcher 3 is outside the bathtub 2 is defined as a non-bathing position Y (the position where the bathtub 2 is a solid line in FIG. 1). .

  The detection method of the bathing position X or the non-bathing position Y is, for example, a detection method using a position sensor (not shown) that directly detects the position of the bathtub 2 moving in the vertical direction, or the movement of the operation means 4 inside the operation control device 6 A detection method using a position sensor (not shown) for confirming the position by an electric signal or the like may be used (see FIG. 1).

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, an appropriate number of showers 17 (four places in FIG. 2) are provided at the corner 2 b on the outer side surface of the bathtub 2. In addition, about the hot water temperature of the shower 17, when the bathing stretcher 3 becomes in the bathtub 2, it is preferable to set it as the same temperature as bathing temperature T1 set with the hot water supply control apparatus 7. FIG. Thereby, the bather can use the shower 17 in peace similarly to the bathtub 2.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, in the hot water supply control device 7, in addition to the bath temperature T1 and the heating temperature T2 described above, for example, a temperature exceeding 50 ° C. may be set as the hot water supply blocking temperature T3. For example, if the hot water blocking temperature T3 described above is detected by the second temperature sensor 10, regardless of the bathing position X and the non-bathing position Y, the hot water control device 7 sends a hot water blocking signal P4 to the hot water supply device 5. Is sent and hot water supply into the bathtub 2 is blocked.

As shown in FIG. 1, the bath apparatus 1 includes a display device 18 that displays the hot water temperature K1 and the hot water supply state of the bath temperature T1 or the heating temperature T2 set by the hot water controller 7. It has been.
The display device 18 receives a temperature display signal P5 from the hot water supply control device 7, and when the hot water is supplied to the bathtub 2 at the bathing temperature T1, for example, the temperature display of the display device 18 is lit and during hot water supply by the heating temperature T2 The operation can be displayed so as to blink (see FIG. 1). Further, when the hot water supply blocking temperature T3 is detected, an alarm function may be provided.

The configuration of the bathing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment has been described above. Next, the operation of the bathing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, first, hot water having a bathing temperature T <b> 1 is supplied from a hot water supply device 5 into a bathtub 2 at a lower position H <b> 1 through a hot water supply pipe 8, and hot water is stored in the bathtub 2. Then, the bath stretcher 3 on which the bather who is a caregiver is placed is moved from the stretcher and fixed to the stretcher fixing member 15 of the bathtub 2. Next, the bath 2 rises to the upper position H2, so that the bather bathes in the bathtub 2 under the supervision of the assistant.

Next, as shown in FIG. 1, when the hot water temperature in the bathtub 2 is lower than the bathing temperature T <b> 1, for example, below 38 ° C., the temperature K <b> 2 detected by the second temperature sensor 10 is sent to the temperature control device 11. Output. Subsequently, when hot water is poured at a high heating temperature T <b> 2, the bathing stretcher 3 is moved from the motion control device 6 to the non-bathing position Y outside the bathtub 2 by the motion means 4. Then, the operation control device 6 detects the position information P1 indicating that the non-bathing position Y is reached, and the heating temperature T2 corresponding to the non-bathing position Y is set by the hot water supply control device 7 via the temperature control device 11. The set temperature signal P6 is sent to the hot water supply device 5.
The hot water supply device 5 is controlled so that the hot water temperature becomes the set heating temperature T1, and it is confirmed that the hot water supply temperature K1 detected by the first temperature sensor 9 matches the set temperature T. 2 is poured at a heating temperature T2. At this time, since the bathing stretcher 3 is outside the bathtub 2, hot hot water circulates in the bathtub 2 and becomes a uniform temperature. This is confirmed by the second sensor 10, and the hot water is stopped when the hot water temperature reaches the bathing temperature T1.

And when bathing again after sufficient hot water by the heating temperature T2 is made and the temperature in the bathtub 2 is adjusted, the bathing stretcher 3 is moved into the bathtub 2 by the operating means 4. At this time, since the position information P1 becomes the bathing position X, the hot water supply control device 7 is switched to the bathing temperature T1 corresponding to the bathing position X.
Further, when the first temperature sensor 9 detects, for example, not the set hot water supply temperature K1 but the hot water supply blocking temperature T3, the hot water supply is controlled regardless of the position information P1. Therefore, the hot water at the hot water supply blocking temperature T3 can be prevented.

In the bathing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment described above, hot water can be supplied at the set temperature T corresponding to the position where the bathing stretcher 3 is either in the bathtub 2 or outside the bathtub 2. For this reason, when the position of the bathing stretcher 3 is set to the non-bathing position Y outside the bathtub 2, the hot water can be poured into the bathtub 2 at the heating temperature T2 higher than the bathing temperature T1. For this reason, for example, when the outside air temperature is low and the hot water in the bathtub 2 falls below the high temperature, for example, in winter, the hot water in the state in which the bathing stretcher 3 is relatively moved out of the bathtub 2 by the operating means 4. Hot water can be poured into the bathtub 2 and the bather can adjust the temperature to an optimum temperature.
For this reason, since a bather does not touch hot hot water directly, safety is improved, the danger of a burn etc. can be prevented, and a bather can bathe in comfort.
Furthermore, when the position of the bathtub 2 is set to the non-bathing position Y, hot water can be poured into the bathtub 2 at a high heating temperature T2, so that when heated hot water is supplied, for example, as in a conventional bathing apparatus, Hot water and bathing will not stop.

As mentioned above, although embodiment of the bathing apparatus by this invention was described, this invention is not limited to said embodiment, It can change suitably in the range which does not deviate from the meaning.
For example, in the embodiment, the hot water supply temperature K1 set by the hot water supply control device 7 is 38 to 42 ° C. at the bathing temperature T1, 43 to 50 ° C. at the heating temperature T2, and the hot water temperature exceeding 50 ° C. at the hot water blocking temperature T3. However, the temperature is not necessarily limited to the set temperature T, and the temperature may be set appropriately depending on conditions such as the bather's condition and temperature.
In the present embodiment, the bath stretcher 3 is fixed and the bathtub 2 is moved up and down by the operating means 4 so as to be positioned at the bathing position X or the non-bathing position Y. For example, the bathing apparatus 1 may be configured such that the bathing stretcher 3 can be moved up and down to enter and exit the fixed bathtub 2. In short, it is only necessary to detect the position information P1 in which the bathing position X and the non-bathing position Y are distinguished in the positional relationship between the bathtub 2 and the bath stretcher 3.
Furthermore, although the hot water supply device 5 is configured as a part of the bathing device 1 in the present embodiment, it may be a temporary hot water tank or the like separately from the bathing device 1.

It is a general view which shows the structure of the bathing apparatus by embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the whole bathing apparatus, (a) is the top view, (b) is the side view.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Bathing apparatus 2 Bathtub 3 Bath stretcher 4 Operation means 5 Hot-water supply apparatus (hot-water supply means)
6 Operation control device (first control means)
7 Hot water supply control device (second control means)
9 First temperature sensor 10 Second temperature sensor (temperature detection means)
11 Temperature control device 17 Shower 18 Display device P1 Position information P4 Hot water blocking signal T Set temperature T1 Bathing temperature T2 Heating temperature T3 Hot water blocking temperature X Bathing position Y Non bathing position

Claims (2)

In a bathing apparatus comprising a bathtub, an operation means for relatively moving a bathing stretcher on which a bather is placed, either inside or outside the bathtub, and a hot water supply means for supplying hot water to the bathtub,
First control means for detecting whether the bath stretcher is in the bathtub or outside the bathtub as positional information;
Second control means for setting the hot water by the hot water supply means to a bathing temperature suitable for bathing or a heating temperature higher than the bathing temperature corresponding to the position information;
With
When the bath stretcher is outside the bathtub, the hot water is set to the heating temperature and supplied into the bathtub.   The bathing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display mechanism for displaying a hot water supply temperature set by the second control means.

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