JP2008136591A - Bathtub device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a bathtub device capable of achieving the water stream bath with water streams generated from the collision of a plurality of spouted water streams and the jet stream bath with the jet streams jetted toward a bathing person in one highly versatile bathtub. <P>SOLUTION: The bathtub device includes a bathtub, a jet stream nozzle for jetting jet streams toward the bathing person, and a spouted stream colliding means for sucking bathtub water stored inside the bathtub to spout the water into the bathtub from at least two spots, and colliding the spouted water streams with each other inside the bathtub. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a bathtub apparatus.

  Conventionally, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is a bathtub in which a discharge nozzle is provided on each of a pair of opposed short side bathtub walls and a water flow is linearly generated from each discharge nozzle toward the facing wall. . Since bathers usually bathe with their body lengthened in the long side of the bathtub, the water flow from the opposite wall is blocked by the bather, and the water flow behind the bather is continuous in the same narrow part of the bather's back. May cause irritation and uncomfortable feeling, making it difficult to enjoy a long-time jet bath.

  Patent Document 2 discloses that a water flow is generated along the curved wall of the circular bathtub, but depending on the person, the water flow is uniformly applied to the bather from one direction. Some people feel bored and feel anxious. Therefore, it is difficult to relax and enjoy a long-time whirlpool bath.

In the configuration of Patent Document 2, if the bather moves to the vicinity of the discharge port, the body can receive a relatively strong water discharge directly on the body and receive a massage, but the bather wants to feel relaxed by the weak water flow. You are forced to move in the tub when you want to receive a massage by taking a direct jet. This is because the bather is not large enough to move the place in the bathtub, and is not a circular special shape bathtub as disclosed in Patent Document 2, in one bathtub. It is difficult to realize both “relaxation mode” and “massage mode”.
JP 7-178142 A JP-A-8-38570

  The present invention provides a bathtub device that realizes both a water bath by a water flow generated by a collision of a plurality of water discharge flows and a jet bath by a jet sprayed toward a bather with a single versatile bathtub. .

  According to one aspect of the present invention, a bathtub, a jet nozzle that jets a jet toward a bather, and bathtub water stored in the bathtub are sucked into two or more locations and discharged into the bathtub. There is provided a bathtub apparatus comprising discharge flow collision means for causing the discharge flow to collide with the inside of the bathtub.

  According to the present invention, there is provided a bathtub apparatus that realizes both a water bath by a water flow generated by a collision of a plurality of water discharge flows and a jet bath by a jet jetted toward a bather in a single versatile bathtub. Provided.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Drawing 1 is a mimetic diagram showing a schematic structure of a bathtub apparatus concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the discharge nozzle 21 shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the nozzle device 23 illustrated in FIG. 1.

  The bathtub apparatus which concerns on this embodiment sucks in the bathtub 1 and the bathtub water stored in the inside of the bathtub 1, makes it discharge in the inside of the bathtub 1 from two or more places, and discharge which makes these discharge flows collide in the inside of the bathtub 1 From the flow collision means, the jet nozzles 22, 23 a, 23 b that jet the jet directly toward the bather, the relax mode in which the two or more discharge flows collide in the bathtub 1, and the jet nozzles 22, 23 a, 23 b The switching means 30 which switches the massage mode which spouts a jet toward a bather is provided.

  The bathtub 1 has a pair of long side bathtub walls 4a, 4b facing each other substantially in parallel and a pair of short side bathtub walls 3a, 3b facing each other substantially in parallel. In the present embodiment, specifically, the discharge flow collision means includes, for example, the suction port 5 opened in the long side bathtub wall 4a, the circulation path 25 connected to the suction port 5, and the circulation path from the suction port 5. 25, a pump 15 that is a pressurizing device that pressurizes and discharges the bath water sucked into the pump 25, a circulation path 28 connected to the discharge side of the pump 15, a circulation path 27, and the long-side bathtub walls 4a and 4b. And two discharge nozzles 21 respectively.

  A suction port 5 is opened in the long side bathtub wall 4a. Generally, the bather leans back on one short side bathtub wall (short side bathtub wall 3a in the specific example shown in FIG. 1), and the other short side bathtub wall (in the specific example shown in FIG. 1). In order to bathe in a posture in which the foot is directed to the short side bathtub wall 3b), when the suction port 5 is formed on the short side bathtub wall, the suction port 5 is blocked by the bather's back or sole, and the pump 15 There is a concern that excessive load will be applied. Therefore, it is desirable to form the suction port 5 in the long side bathtub wall that is not easily blocked by a part of the body of the bather.

  A discharge nozzle 21 is provided on each of the long side bathtub walls 4a and 4b. Each discharge nozzle 21 is provided at a position near the center of the long side of the bathtub or the short side bathtub wall 3b slightly on the foot side. The discharge port of each discharge nozzle 21 is directed to the short side bathtub wall 3a to which the bather's back is directed.

  FIG. 2 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of the discharge nozzle 21. The discharge nozzle 21 shown in FIG. 2 is the discharge nozzle 21 provided on one long side bath wall 4a in FIG. 1, but the discharge nozzle 21 provided on the other long side bath wall 4b is similarly configured. Is done.

  The discharge nozzle 21 has an attachment member 31 attached to the long side bathtub wall 4a and a sphere 33 held rotatably with respect to the attachment member 31. An L-shaped running water introduction path 34 is formed inside the attachment member 31. Inside the sphere 33, a discharge channel 37 is formed at one end and a flow channel 36 bent in an L shape having a flowing water introduction portion 35 communicating with the flowing water introduction path 34 at the other end is formed. The spherical body 33 is held with respect to the attachment member 31 with the discharge port 37 facing the short side bathtub wall 3a.

  The flowing water introduction path 34 of each discharge nozzle 21 is connected to the discharge port of the pump 15 via the circulation path 27, the switching means (for example, three-way valve, electric three-way valve) 30, and the circulation path 28 shown in FIG. 1. .

  Two jet nozzles 22 are provided on the short side bathtub wall 3a to which the back of the bather is directed, at substantially the same height and spaced apart in the bathtub short side direction. The jet nozzle of each jet nozzle 22 is opposed to the short side bathtub wall 3b on the foot side. Each jet nozzle 22 is connected to the discharge port of the pump 15 via the circulation path 26, the switching means 30 and the circulation path 28.

  In the short side bathtub wall 3b to which the bather's foot is directed, a nozzle device 23 is provided at the approximate center in the bathtub short side direction. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the nozzle device 23 includes an upper nozzle 23 a and a lower nozzle 23 b provided below the upper nozzle 23 a. The upper nozzle 23a is tilted upward by about 3 ° with respect to the horizontal, and an ejection flow is ejected from the ejection port toward the bathtub water surface. The lower nozzle 23b is inclined downward by about 17 ° with respect to the horizontal, and an ejection flow is ejected from the ejection port toward the bottom of the bathtub.

  The upper nozzle 23a and the lower nozzle 23b are connected to the discharge port of the pump 15 via the circulation path 27, the switching means 30, and the circulation path 28, respectively.

  The suction port of the pump 15 is connected to the suction port 5 formed in the long side bathtub wall 4 a via the circulation path 25.

  The pump 15 sucks bathtub water (including hot water) stored in the bathtub 1 from the suction port 5 into the circulation path 25 and pressurizes the sucked bathtub water to the circulation path 28 on the downstream side of the pump 15. Discharge. The pressurized bath water discharged from the pump 15 flows into the discharge nozzle 21, the upper nozzle 23 a, and the lower nozzle 23 b in a state where the circulation path 28 communicates with the circulation path 27 by switching of the switching means 30, and the circulation path In a state in which 28 is in communication with the circulation path 26, it flows into the jet nozzle 22. In order to drain residual water inside the pump 15 when not in use, the pump 15 is preferably provided above the nozzles 21, 22, 23a, 23b. Moreover, in order to assist the suction | inhalation of the bathtub water to the pump 15, it is desirable to install the pump 15 in the height below the bathtub water level.

  When the bather selects the “relaxation mode” and operates a “relaxation mode” switch of a controller or a remote controller provided in the vicinity of the bathtub 1, for example, the pump 15 is in a state where the circulation path 28 and the circulation path 27 are in communication with each other. Is activated, and the bathtub water stored in the bathtub 1 is sucked into the circulation path 25 from the suction port 5. The sucked bathtub water is pressurized by the pump 15 and introduced into the discharge nozzle 21 via the circulation paths 28 and 27, and the bathtub water stored in the bathtub 1 from the discharge port of each discharge nozzle 21. It is discharged inside.

  Since the two discharge nozzles 21 have their discharge ports directed toward the short-side bathtub wall 3a, the primary flow of the discharge flow discharged from the discharge ports of the discharge nozzles 21 is the long-side bathtub wall 4a, It flows along 4b, and flows along the corner part wall surface of long side bathtub wall 4a, 4b and short side bathtub wall 3a, and turns around from the outer side of a bather's both arms to the back side, and the short side bathtub wall It flows along 3a and collides near the center of the bathtub short side direction in the short side bathtub wall 3a vicinity.

  Due to the collision of the discharge flow, the pressure in the vicinity of the short-side bathtub wall 3a is increased, and the collision occurs in the vicinity of the short-side bathtub wall 3a. Therefore, the collision flow is pushed out toward the back of the bather who is facing the back to the short side bathtub wall 3a.

Due to the collision of the two water discharge flows described above, a complicated vortex flow is generated as shown in FIG. 4, and the water flow pushed out to the back side of the bather is not uniform and becomes a random water flow on a wide surface. By receiving this random water flow over a wide area of the back, the bather feels that the back is being shaken, and this feeling of shaking creates a relaxing effect. Therefore, you can enjoy a long-time jet bath rather than receiving a straight jet directly locally. In addition, the complex vortex flow produces an effect of softening the bather's skin surface, thereby creating a relaxing effect, and by frequently changing the skin contact water, the contact interface is renewed and the skin is warmed. Also, if the discharge from the discharge nozzle 21 is intermittent, a collision flow that is pushed out to the back side of the bather is intermittently generated, so that the bather feels that his back has been shaken even more. You can also feel the floating feeling of your body.
The inventors of the present invention actually caused 14 people to collide with a straight bubble jet flow toward the bather's back and the water discharge flow from the two nozzles 21 described above. We asked them to experience the water flow on the bather's back and took a questionnaire. As a result, 8 out of 14 respondents answered that they would choose water bathing by collision flow. In addition, we received opinions from the participants about the water bathing by collision flow, such as natural flow, wrapping the whole body, shaking, floating, indirect stimulation, and soft touch.

  By controlling the voltage applied to the drive motor of the pump 15, the discharge from the discharge nozzle 21 is made intermittent or the flow rate of the discharge is controlled, so that a water flow having a sense of fluctuation like a sine wave is generated in the bathtub 1. Can be produced. Alternatively, the water flow discharge from the discharge nozzle 21 can be intermittently performed by intermittently communicating between the circulation path 28 and the circulation path 27 by the switching control of the switching means 30. If the water discharge from the discharge nozzle 21 is intermittent, a collision flow that is pushed out toward the back of the bather is intermittently generated. Therefore, the bather feels that his / her back has been further shaken, and depending on the person, You can also feel the floating feeling.

  In addition, when the pump 15 is started in a state where the circulation path 28 and the circulation path 27 are in communication with each other in the “relaxation mode”, in addition to the discharge nozzle 21 described above, jet flows from the upper nozzle 23a and the lower nozzle 23b shown in FIG. Is ejected. The primary flow ejected from the upper nozzle 23 a and the lower nozzle 23 b flows along the water surface and the bottom surface in the bathtub 1. The water flow from the upper nozzle 23a reaches the abdomen and chest of the bather and further wraps around the back. The water flow from the lower nozzle 23b hits the bottom of the bathtub and flows from the bottom to the top of the bather's back.

  As the water flow from the upper nozzle 23a and the lower nozzle 23b advances, a secondary flow (turbulent flow) is generated in the vicinity of the primary flow due to viscosity. This generated secondary flow makes the bather feel a soft water flow. In addition, the soft water flow generates micro vortices on the skin surface, and the contact interface is renewed by the frequent change of the skin contact water without a strong collision feeling or strong water flow effect. At the same time, you can relax to feel the softness. In addition to the effect of the collision flow caused by the collision of the discharge flow from the discharge nozzle 21 described above, a feeling of relaxation can be further improved.

  When the bather selects the “massage mode” and operates the “massage mode” switch of the controller provided in the vicinity of the bathtub 1, the pump 15 is activated in a state where the circulation path 28 and the circulation path 26 are communicated, Bathtub water stored in the bathtub 1 is sucked into the circulation path 25 from the suction port 5. The sucked bathtub water is pressurized by the pump 15, introduced into the jet nozzle 22 via the circulation paths 28 and 26, and stored in the bathtub 1 from the outlet of each jet nozzle 22. It is discharged inside.

  From the jet nozzle 22 provided on the short side bathtub wall 3a to which the bather's back is directed, a jet that goes straight against the bather's back and waist, or a swirling flow that covers a wide range of the bather's back and waist It can be made to erupt and give a bather a massage effect with a relatively strong stimulus.

  The “relaxation mode” based on the water flow generated by the collision of the discharge flow from the nozzle 21 and the discharge flow from the nozzles 23 a and 23 b and the “massage mode” based on the jet flow from the nozzle 22 are circulated by the switching means 30. It can be selected depending on whether the path 28 and the circulation path 27 are communicated or the circulation path 28 and the circulation path 26 are communicated. Bathers can enjoy both “Relax Mode” and “Massage Mode”, so it is hard to get bored and enjoy a long jet bath. When enjoying both the “relaxation mode” and the “massage mode”, the bather does not have to move in the bathtub as in Patent Document 2, and the bathtub size is not increased in size and is generally used. It can be realized with a substantially rectangular bathtub in plan view. That is, there is no worry of cost increase by using a special bathtub as in Patent Document 2.

  When draining the bath water stored in the bathtub 1, for example, the three-way valve as the switching means 30 is continuously switched, or fixed at a position communicating with both the circulation path 27 and the circulation path 28. If both the relaxation mode circulation path and the massage mode circulation path in the stop state are connected simultaneously or alternately to drain the remaining water in the circulation path, there is no residual water remaining in the circulation path. Is.

  The discharge flow rate from each nozzle 21, 22, 23a, 23b can be varied by controlling the voltage applied to the drive motor of the pump 15 by switching, for example, a strong / medium / weak switch provided in the controller. is there.

  In the above description, the circulation path 27 for supplying pressurized bathtub water to the nozzle 21 in the relax mode and the circulation path 26 for supplying pressurized bathtub water to the nozzle 22 in the massage mode are connected via the switching means 30. Although it was set as the structure, you may provide two pumps which supply pressurized bath water to each of the circulation paths 27 and 26, without providing the switching means 30. FIG. However, as in the above-described specific example, the circulation path 27 for the relaxation mode and the circulation path 26 for the massage mode are connected via the switching means 30, and one pump 15 is connected to both the circulation paths 27 and 26. If they are shared, the cost can be reduced by suppressing an increase in the number of pumps and pump drive systems, and the piping length can be shortened and pressure loss can be suppressed.

  The shape of the discharge port of the nozzle that discharges the discharge flow for generating the collision flow may be circular, but when the flow is generated along the bathtub wall surface like the nozzle 21 described above, FIG. An elliptical shape that extends long in the vertical direction of the bathtub wall as shown by the discharge port 71 shown in FIG. 7, a rectangular shape that extends long in the vertical direction of the bathtub wall as shown in FIG. 6, or a discharge port 73 shown in FIG. As described above, it is desirable to form a rectangular shape that extends in the vertical direction of the bathtub wall and has rounded corners.

  Thus, by making the discharge port a flat shape extending in the vertical direction of the bathtub wall, the amount of water flowing along the bathtub wall surface increases, and the amount of collision water that the flow collides at a desired location is increased. To improve the feeling of shaking.

  When one of the “massage mode” and “relaxation mode” switches is pressed, the “relaxation mode” is executed for 5 seconds, for example, and then the mode selected by the bather is switched. Thereby, since the cold water in a circulation path is not spouted toward the back of a bather from the jet nozzle 22 for "massage mode", a bather is not given discomfort.

[Second Embodiment]
Drawing 8 is a mimetic diagram showing a schematic structure of a bathtub apparatus concerning a 2nd embodiment of the present invention.

  In this embodiment, in addition to the structure of 1st Embodiment mentioned above, the two jet nozzles 24 are provided in the foot side short side bathtub wall 3b. These jet nozzles 24 are jets that go straight to the front side of the bather, or a wide range on the front side of the bather, like the jet nozzle 22 provided on the short-side bathtub wall 3a to which the bather's back is directed. A swirling flow corresponding to this is ejected, and a massage effect by a relatively strong stimulus can be provided to the bather.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, the circulation system for the discharge nozzle 21 and the jet nozzle 22 and the circulation system for the upper nozzle 23a, the lower nozzle 23b, and the jet nozzle 24 are separately provided.

  In one long side bath wall 4a, a suction port 61 is formed near the short side bath wall 3b opposite to the discharge direction of the discharge nozzle 21, and the suction port 61 is connected to the pump 63 via a circulation path 62. Connected to the inlet. The discharge port of the pump 63 is connected to the upper nozzle 23a and the lower nozzle 23b via the circulation path 64, switching means (for example, three-way valve) 65 and the circulation path 66, and the discharge port of the pump 63 is connected to the circulation path 64. The jet nozzle 24 is connected via a switching means 65 and a circulation path 67.

  In the other long side bath wall 4 b, a suction port 51 is formed near the short side bath wall 3 b on the opposite side of the discharge direction of the discharge nozzle 21, and the suction port 51 is connected to the pump 53 via the circulation path 52. Connected to the inlet. The discharge port of the pump 53 is connected to the jet nozzle 22 via a circulation path 59, a switching means (for example, a three-way valve) 54 and a circulation path 55, and the discharge port of the pump 53 is connected to the circulation path 59, the switching means 54 and It is connected to the discharge nozzle 21 via a circulation path 56.

  The pump 53 and the pump 63 are alternately and intermittently driven. As a result, when the bather receives pressure from the back side due to the random water flow caused by the collision of the discharge flows from the two discharge nozzles 21, the discharge flow from the upper nozzle 23a and the lower nozzle 23b becomes the back of the bather. The effect of shaking the bather is increased because there is both pressures on the back and acting on the back of the bather. Note that this may be realized by a combination of one pump and switching means such as a three-way valve without using two pumps.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, by providing the jet nozzle 24 in the long side bathtub wall 3b to which the sole is directed, foot massage can be received from the jet nozzle 24 by a linear jet or a swirling jet.

It is a schematic diagram showing schematic structure of the bathtub apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is an expanded sectional view of the discharge nozzle 21 shown in FIG. It is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the nozzle apparatus 23 shown in FIG. It is a photograph figure showing a mode that the water flow discharged from the two discharge nozzles 21 shown in FIG. 1 collides. It is a schematic diagram showing the specific example of the discharge outlet of the discharge nozzle in the bathtub apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram showing the other specific example of the discharge outlet of the discharge nozzle in the bathtub apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram showing the other specific example of the discharge outlet of the discharge nozzle in the bathtub apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram showing schematic structure of the bathtub apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Bathtub, 5 ... Inlet, 21 ... Discharge nozzle, 22 ... Jet nozzle, 23a, 23b ... Jet nozzle, 30 ... Switching means

Claims (2)

A bathtub,
A jet nozzle that jets a jet toward the bather,
A discharge-flow collision means for sucking in the bathtub water stored in the bathtub, discharging the water into the bathtub from two or more locations, and causing these discharge flows to collide inside the bathtub;
The bathtub apparatus characterized by comprising.   The bathtub apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a switching unit that switches between a massage mode for ejecting the jet flow and a relaxation mode for ejecting and colliding the discharge flow.