JP2007268067A - Membrum inferius water discharging device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a membrum inferius water discharging device by which a sufficient foot massaging effect can be obtained without arising a habituation and boredom even when being continuously used for a specified period of time or longer. <P>SOLUTION: This membrum inferius water discharging device is equipped with a main body, a plurality of water discharging nozzles, a circulating means, and a controlling section. In this case, the main body forms a membrum inferius housing space which houses the membrum inferius of a user. The plurality of water discharging nozzles discharge hot water toward the housed membrum inferius. The circulating means recovers the hot water which has been discharged from the water discharging nozzles, and feeds the water to the discharging means. The controlling section changes each water discharging period and each water discharging pressure of the water discharging nozzles at random. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a lower limb water discharging apparatus that discharges water toward a lower limb stored in a container and massages a foot.

  In recent years, a lower limb water discharging device or a foot massage device that includes a container for storing a lower limb and a nozzle for discharging water toward the lower limb stored in the container, and massages a foot portion by stimulation of water discharged from the nozzle, What is called is gaining popularity. This is due to having a massage effect in addition to the effects of easily removing blood stains by simply taking off socks and the like, and promoting blood circulation by using warm water. It is said that the water discharge massage to the foot part increases the blood flow rate of the peripheral blood vessels over a long period of time, maintains the skin surface temperature at a high level, and promotes the recovery from fatigue.

  As a lower limb water discharging device having such an effect, a tub in which a foot is inserted, a support body that supports the inserted foot, and a shower nozzle that jets hot water toward the foot supported by the support body are provided. In the lower limb bath device, as the shower nozzle, a shower nozzle for the sole that sprays hot water toward the sole of the foot supported by the support, and hot water toward the instep of the foot supported by the support. There is a thing provided with the shower nozzle for the former which injects (for example, refer to patent documents 1).

According to such a lower limb water discharging device, when hot water is sprayed from the shower nozzle for the sole and the shower nozzle for the instep while the foot is placed in the bathtub body and the foot is supported by the support body, the hot water hits the sole and the instep. Because it is a shower, the sole and back are well massaged, and the skin surface temperature transition layer (also called the boundary layer or boundary film) is thinned by the kinetic energy of the shower particles, so the amount of heat transfer (heat flux) As a result, the blood flow in the peripheral blood vessels is increased.
JP 2004-298558 A

  Massage is a certain level of strength, and if you do not act on the human body for a certain period of time, you will not be able to expect sufficient effects and benefits. If you continue to vomit, the sensation gradually gets used to it and you don't feel the stimulus, and the effect gradually decreases. Also, if there is no change, you will get tired of consciousness.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described circumstances, and provides a lower limb water spouting device capable of obtaining a sufficient foot massage effect without causing habituation or tiredness even after continuous use for a certain period of time or more. It is intended.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the lower limb water discharging device according to the present invention is directed to the main body forming the lower limb storage space for storing the user's lower limbs and the stored lower limbs as described in claim 1. A plurality of water discharge nozzles for discharging hot water, a circulation means for collecting hot water discharged from the water discharge nozzles and supplying water to the discharge means, and a control for randomly changing the water discharge period and water discharge pressure of each of the water discharge nozzles Part.

  Preferably, each of the plurality of water discharge nozzles has a foot front nozzle that discharges water toward one or more toes and insteps, and water discharge toward the sole, as described in claim 2. It is desirable to have a foot lower nozzle that performs the above and a foot rear nozzle that discharges water toward the lower leg.

  According to the lower limb water discharging apparatus according to the present invention, a sufficient foot massage effect can be obtained without habituation or tiredness even if it is continuously used for a certain period of time or longer.

  An embodiment of a lower limb water discharging apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall outline of a lower limb water discharging device 1 according to this embodiment by cutting it into a right foot side and a left foot side.

  As shown in the figure, the lower limb water discharging device 1 according to the present embodiment has a lower limb storage space LS in which the upper part is opened and the lower limb storage space LS is stored in the main body 2 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. .

  A mesh-like plate (not shown) is placed on the bottom surface 3 that defines the lower end of the lower limb storage space LS to provide a footrest for supporting the user's feet. A water storage pit 4 is formed for collecting hot water discharged toward the feet.

  In the lower limb storage space LS, an upper nozzle 5, a lower nozzle 6, and a rear nozzle 7 (hereinafter, collectively referred to as “water discharge nozzle”) are disposed as water discharge means.

  The upper nozzle 5 is located on the shaft 5a laid between the left and right side surfaces of the main body 2 in the vicinity of the upper corner in front of the lower limb storage space LS (on the side where the user's toes are located, left side in FIG. 1). A plurality of water outlets are provided. The shaft 5a circulates in the interior thereof, and is rotated by a motor 8 installed on the side surface of the main body 2. The shaft 5a discharges water only while the water discharge port is directed from the user's toe to the vicinity of the heel. In the present embodiment, the upper nozzle 5 includes two water discharge ports 5b1 to 5b4 for the left and right feet, respectively.

  In the water storage pit 4, the lower nozzle 6 is formed by providing a pair of left and right water outlets on a shaft 6 a that is installed between the left and right side surfaces of the main body 2. The shaft 6a circulates in the interior thereof and is driven by a motor 9 installed on the side surface of the main body 2. The shaft 6a discharges water while reciprocating from the toes of the user's soles to the vicinity of the heel. In the present embodiment, the lower nozzle 6 includes one water outlet 6b1 and 6b2 for each of the left and right feet.

  The rear nozzle 7 is provided on the rising portion 10 that separates the rear side of the main body 2 and the left and right feet, and discharges water from the left and right of the user's lower leg. In the present embodiment, the rear nozzle 5 includes a total of four water outlets 7b1 to 7b4, one for each left and right foot. The arrangement of these water outlets is shown in FIG.

  A water supply / drainage tank 30 that is detachably attached to the main body 2 at the outermost uppermost portion in front of the main body 2 supplies the discharged hot water to the main body 2 and collects and drains the used hot water. The upper part of the water supply / drainage tank 30 is formed in two stages, and the water supply / drainage port closed by the cap 33 is provided in the lower stage. Further, water amount observation windows 31 and 32 are provided on the side surface of the water supply / drainage tank 30.

  Valves 11 and 12 are provided on both side surfaces outside the main body 2 to operate whether hot water in the water supply / drainage tank 30 is taken into the main body or not drained.

  A caster 13 is provided at the front lower part outside the main body 2, and by pulling up the handle 14 provided at the rear middle stage outside the main body 2, the stopper rubber foot provided in the vicinity of the caster 13 is separated from the floor. Since only this will be earth | grounded, the movement of the leg discharging apparatus 1 can be performed comparatively easily.

  The hot water supplied from the water supply / drainage tank 30 is circulated in the main body 2 by the circulation pump 15 installed in the lowest part of the main body 2. The outline of this circulation will be described with reference to FIG.

  When the water supply from the water supply / drainage tank 30 to the circulation pump 15 via the pump inflow pipe 16 and to the water storage pit 4 via the pit inflow pipe 17 is completed and the water discharge start switch is turned on, the circulation pump 15 flows out. Hot water is pumped to the pipe 18.

  The outflow pipe 18 branches into an upper outflow pipe 19 connected to the upper nozzle 5, a lower outflow pipe 20 connected to the lower nozzle 6, and a rear outflow pipe 21 connected to the rear nozzle 7. It is sent to the nozzle and discharged into the lower limb storage space LS.

  The discharged hot water is collected in the water storage pit 4, returned to the circulation pump 15 through the return pipe 22, and pumped again from the circulation pump 15, and this is repeated to continue water discharge.

  As shown in FIG. 4, an electromagnetic valve 23 and a flow rate adjusting valve 24 are provided in the flow path from the circulation pump 15 to each water outlet. These may be provided for each water outlet, or may be divided into groups for each of several water outlets, and one for each group.

  The electromagnetic valve 23 opens and closes the flow path under the control of the control unit 25, and the flow rate adjustment valve 24 adjusts the flow rate under the control of the control unit 25.

  The control unit 25 includes a microcomputer (not shown), and provides the microcomputer with a program describing a procedure for executing processing related to opening and closing of the electromagnetic valve 23 and the flow rate adjusting valve 24 in order to realize such processing. A part of the means is functionally realized. Such a program is stored in advance in the memory of the microcomputer.

  In the control unit 25, various circuits as peripheral circuits and interfaces of the microcomputer are mounted on the same control unit 25. These various circuits are electrically connected to the electromagnetic valve 23 and the flow rate adjusting valve 24, and output the control signal CS output by the processing of the microcomputer to the electromagnetic valve 23 and the flow rate adjusting valve 24.

  The above-described program is for randomly changing the water discharge pressure (water discharge amount) or not discharging water for about one hour, and is set for each set of each electromagnetic valve 23 and flow control valve 24. Then, the normal use time is set to about 15 minutes, and from which point of the program the application of control is randomly set by a random number.

  When setting the program, consider the maximum simultaneous (appropriate) water discharge amount, and a program that strictly adheres to the maximum water discharge amount in total (if multiple water discharge ports simultaneously reach the maximum water discharge pressure, the program progresses at several water outlets Or the like can be shifted). On the contrary, it is good also as a program which positively utilizes that the period which becomes a soft stimulus by ignoring the maximum water discharge amount inevitably becomes weak.

  FIG. 5 shows an example of the water discharge pattern. In this example, a group is formed for each of the upper nozzle 5, the lower nozzle 6, and the rear nozzle 7, and the same water discharge pattern is executed in the same group.

  In this way, by randomly changing the water discharge period and water discharge pressure from each water discharge port, the occurrence of habituation is delayed, and it is possible to delay getting tired of consciousness.

  Next, another example of the arrangement of the water outlet is shown in FIG. In this example, eight nozzles 5b1 to 5B8 are provided as upper nozzles, six nozzles 6b1 to 6b6 are provided as lower nozzles, and eight nozzles 7b1 to 7b8 are provided as rear nozzles.

  When this is classified by the water discharge pattern, the four nozzles 5b1, 5b3, 5b6, and 5b8 constitute the upper nozzle A of the same water discharge pattern, and the four water discharge ports 5b2, 5b4, 5b5, and 5b7 have the same water discharge pattern. The upper nozzle B is configured.

  In the lower nozzle, the water discharge ports 6b1 and 6b3 constitute the lower nozzle A having the same water discharge pattern, the water discharge ports 6b4 and 6b6 constitute the lower nozzle B, and the water discharge ports 6b2 and 6b5 constitute the lower nozzle C. .

  Further, in the rear nozzle, water outlets 7b1 to 7b4 that discharge water toward the left foot constitute the rear nozzle A, and water outlets 7b5 to 7b8 that discharge water toward the right foot constitute the rear nozzle B.

  When two points are touched on the skin at the same time, if the distance between the two points is far, the two points are sensed, and when the distance between the two points approaches, one point is felt as being stimulated. The limit distance is called a two-point discrimination threshold, and the shorter the distance, the more sensitive to the sense of touch.

  Therefore, as an appropriate selection of the water discharge pattern of the various nozzles, the upper nozzle 5 / rear nozzle 7 has a relatively sensitive foot feeling and a small two-point discrimination threshold. desirable. On the other hand, the lower nozzle 6 is relatively insensitive to the foot and has a large two-point discrimination threshold. Therefore, it is desirable to arrange several water outlets with thick lines (high pressing pressure). That is, it is desirable that the various nozzle groups are divided as much as possible to realize the landing points separated by two or more thresholds.

  An example of the water discharge pattern of the nozzle group arranged in this way is shown in FIG.

  In this way, since the water discharge period and water discharge pressure from each water outlet are further subdivided and randomly changed, the occurrence of habituation is delayed, and it is possible to delay getting tired of consciousness. .

  The embodiments described above are for illustrative purposes and do not limit the scope of the invention. Accordingly, those skilled in the art can employ embodiments in which each or all of these elements are replaced by equivalents thereof, but these embodiments are also included in the scope of the present invention.

The perspective view containing the longitudinal section which shows the outline | summary of embodiment of the lower limb water discharging apparatus which concerns on this invention. The figure which shows arrangement | positioning of a water outlet. The figure which shows typically the circulation of the hot water in the lower limb water discharging apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. The block diagram which shows control of the flow path from a circulation pump to a spout. The figure which shows an example of a water discharge pattern. The figure which shows the other example of arrangement | positioning of a water outlet. The figure which shows another example of a water discharge pattern.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Lower limb water discharging apparatus 2 Main body 3 Bottom surface 4 Water storage pit 5 Upper nozzle 6 Lower nozzle 7 Rear nozzle 8, 9 Motor 10 Rising part 11, 12 Valve 13 Caster 14 Handle 15 Circulation pump 16 Pump inflow pipe 17 Pit inflow pipe 18 Outflow pipe 19 Upper outlet pipe 20 Lower outlet pipe 21 Rear outlet pipe 22 Return pipe 23 Solenoid valve 24 Flow rate adjustment valve 25 Control unit 30 Water supply / drainage tank 31, 32 Water amount observation window 33 Cap CS Control signal LS Lower limb storage space

Claims (2)

A main body forming a lower limb storage space for storing the user's lower limbs;
A plurality of water discharge nozzles for discharging hot water toward the stored lower limbs;
A circulation means for collecting hot water discharged from the water discharge nozzle and supplying the discharged water to the discharge means;
A controller that randomly changes the water discharge period and water discharge pressure of each of the water discharge nozzles;
A lower limb water discharging apparatus comprising: The plurality of water discharge nozzles each have a foot front nozzle that discharges water toward one or more toes and insteps, a foot lower nozzle that discharges water toward the sole, and water discharge toward the lower leg. The lower limb water discharging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a foot rear nozzle.

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