JP2008245761A - Bathtub apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a bathtub apparatus capable of providing a bathing person with sufficient massage effects. <P>SOLUTION: The bathtub device includes a bathtub 2, an advancing part 3 mounted on the back face 2a of the bathtub 2, and a driving means 4 for driving the advancing part 3. The advancing part 3 is displaceable between the standard state and the advancing state in which the surface of the advancing part advances further into the bathtub 2 than in the standard state. The advancing part 3 is configured to advance upward from a direction perpendicular to the body of the bathing person, so that sufficient massage effects can be provided for the bathing person. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a bathtub apparatus, and more particularly to a bathtub apparatus that massages a bather.

  In recent years, health consciousness has increased, and there has been an increasing demand for easy massage during bathing. Therefore, a bath massage apparatus has been developed that massages bathers in a bathtub. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a bath massage apparatus installed in a bathtub, and a surface that contacts a bather's back is a convex rounded surface, and a device that projects a push ball from the convex rounded surface by an air pump. It is disclosed. In patent document 1, when a bather sits in a bathtub and the back is in contact with the convex rounded surface, the bather can be massaged by operating the air pump to project the push ball. Are listed.

  However, the technique described in Patent Document 1 has the following problems. That is, in this bathing device, the bather's back only touches the convex round surface of the bathing massage device, so the body moves forward when the push ball protrudes due to the buoyancy of the bather. Therefore, a sufficient massage effect cannot be obtained.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a bathtub with a massage function, in which a surface into which a massage machine is incorporated is a concave shape among the side surfaces of the bathtub. In this bathtub, an opening that extends in the vertical direction is formed on the side of the backrest of the bathtub, and this opening is water-tightly covered with a rubber sheet. Move up and down along. For this reason, if a bather drives a kneading ball in the state which made the back contact the side surface of the backrest side, it can receive a massage via a rubber sheet.

  However, even in the technique described in Patent Document 2, the buoyancy acts on the bather, and the bather simply touches the back to the surface on which the massage machine is incorporated. If it protrudes, the body moves forward and the force escapes. For this reason, even in the technique described in Patent Document 2, the bather cannot obtain a sufficient massage effect.

JP 2000-342653 A (FIG. 1) Registered Utility Model No. 259403 (FIG. 1)

  The objective of this invention is providing the bathtub apparatus which can give a sufficient massage effect to a bather.

  According to an aspect of the present invention, the bathtub is provided on the inner wall surface on the back side of the bathtub, and the surface is displaced between the standard state and the advanced state in which the surface has advanced toward the inside of the bathtub from the standard state. Provided is a bathtub device characterized by comprising a possible advancement part and a drive means for driving the advancement part, wherein the advancement part is advanced upward from a substantially vertical direction with respect to the inner wall surface on the back side. To do.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the bathtub apparatus which can give a sufficient massage effect to a bather is realizable.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described.
1 and 2 are a perspective view and a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a bathtub device according to this embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the bathtub apparatus 11 which concerns on this embodiment, the bathtub 2 is provided. The shape of the bathtub 2 is substantially rectangular when viewed from above, and both end portions in the longitudinal direction are the back side and the foot side. And the inner wall surface (henceforth "the back side surface") 2a of the back side of bathtub 2 inclines so that it may open upwards with respect to the perpendicular direction as a whole.

The back side surface 2a is provided with a plurality of advancing portions 3 along the vertical direction. For example, the advancing portions 3 are arranged in two rows on both sides of a center line C extending in the vertical direction of the back side surface 2a. The advancing portion 3 has a state in which the surface thereof is substantially flush with the back side surface 2a (hereinafter referred to as “standard state”), and a state where the advancing portion 3 has advanced toward the interior of the bathtub 2 (hereinafter referred to as “advanced state”). It is possible to be displaced between.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 2, the advancing direction A of each advancing portion 3 is advanced upward from the substantially vertical direction B from the back side surface 2a. And the advancing part 3 is connected with the drive means 4 provided in the exterior of the bathtub 2, and drives the advancing part 3 by the drive means 4. FIG.

Next, operation | movement of the bathtub apparatus which concerns on this embodiment comprised as mentioned above is demonstrated.
First, as shown in FIG. 3, hot water W is accumulated in the bathtub 2, and all the advancing parts 3 are set to a standard state. Then, the bather M enters the bathtub 2, places the back of the body along the back side 2a, and takes a bathing posture at the same inclination angle as the back side 2a. At this time, the muscles (back muscles) of the back and waist of the bather M are aligned along the advancing portion 3.

  In this state, the driving means 4 changes the state of each advancement section 3 between the standard state and the advancement state. As a result, the surface of the advancing portion 3 that has entered the advancing state protrudes from the back side surface 2a and presses the back or waist of the bather M, and the surface of the advancing portion 3 that has reached the standard state is substantially flush with the back side surface 2a. The bather M's back and waist are not pressed. And the drive means 4 can drive each bathing part 3 independently, and can massage a bather in various modes.

Next, the effect of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
In the conventional technology, the advancing direction of the advancing portion 3 is a shape that faces the bathtub foot side surface 2b. In this case, the body of the bather M moved in the direction of the foot side surface 2b during the pressing by the advancing portion, the reaction force against the advancing portion 3 was reduced, and the massage effect was reduced.
In the present embodiment, the trunk of the bather M inevitably takes the same inclination angle as the back side surface 2a by taking the bathing posture with the back side of the body in contact with the back side surface 2a. Furthermore, since the advancing direction A of each advancing portion 3 is advanced upward from the substantially vertical direction B from the back side surface 2a, the pressing angle with respect to the bather M is also directed toward the head of the bather M. It becomes the pressing angle. Thereby, when the advancing part 3 is in the advancing state, the body of the bather M receives a pressing force toward the water surface of the hot water W, and when the advancing part 3 is in the standard state, the back of the body due to the gravity of the bather M Returns to the original position in contact with the back side surface 2a. Further, by inclining all of the plurality of advancing portions 3 in the same manner, a reaction force against the gravity of the bather M acts on all the advancing portions. Thereby, the body of the bather M receives a pressing force in a wider range toward the water surface of the hot water W. By these actions, the pressure applied to the back side surface 2a due to the gravity of the bather M is always maintained, and becomes a reaction force against the pressing force of the advancing portion 3, and the massage effect can be enhanced. Furthermore, by tilting the advance direction A of the advancement portion toward the head of the bather M, the advancement direction is against the gravity generated in the bather M, and a frictional force is generated between the body and the advancement portion 3 to push it. It eliminates slipping when hitting, and can further enhance the massage effect.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the bathtub device according to this embodiment.
In FIG. 4, the same components as those in FIG. 3 in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. The same applies to other figures described later.
As shown in FIG. 4, in the bathtub apparatus 12 according to the present embodiment, among the plurality of advancing portions 3 arranged in the vertical direction by the control unit 44 that controls the displacement of the advancing portion in the driving means 4 A plurality of advance portions 3a located below are projected in advance, and only the advance portion 3b located above in this state can be varied.

  By projecting a plurality of advance portions 3a located below, the lower trunk of the bather M from the first lumbar spine to the vicinity of the fifth lumbar spine is pushed up toward the surface of the hot water W around the trunk central portion D. It will be an event. By pushing up the lower part of the trunk around the center part D of the trunk, a rotational movement of the upper part of the trunk corresponding to the thoracic vertebrae from the first thoracic vertebra occurs as a follow-up movement. By this rotational motion, pressure is applied to the advancing portion 3b by the trunk upper portion, and it becomes possible to perform massage with a stronger pressure on muscle tissues such as the trapezius muscle and the latissimus dorsi muscle, which tend to accumulate fatigue represented by stiff shoulders. Further, by pushing up the lower part of the trunk, the angle of the trunk becomes close to a horizontal position, becomes close to a sleeping state, and massage can be performed in a more relaxed state. Furthermore, by gradually increasing the amount of advancement of the plurality of advancing portions 3a located below from the advancing portion on the head side toward the advancing portion on the buttocks side, the lower part of the trunk can be smoothened more smoothly. It becomes possible to push up and massage can be performed in a more relaxed state without discomfort.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the bathtub device according to this embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 5, the bathtub device 13 according to the present embodiment includes a head support member 5 that can be supported by the head. Further, the configuration of the support member may be a fixed shape or a state in which the support member can be changed about an intermediate point between the upper side and the lower side of the member.

  In this embodiment, the head can be supported by the head by using the head support member 5. As a result, when a pressing force is applied to the body by the advancing portion 3, the pressure is changed from translational motion to rotational motion with the support portion E by the head as a fulcrum, and the body escapes in the foot side direction. prevent. At the same time, the gravity of the bather M, which was a force in the vertical direction, is also changed to a rotational force around the support portion E of the head, and is applied perpendicularly to the back side surface 2a. Will be added. Furthermore, the posture of the bather when the advancing portion 3 returns to the standard state is the original position where the back of the body is in contact with the back side surface 2a due to the rotational motion of the bather M with the head support member 5 as a fulcrum. The pressing force from the advancing portion 3 can always be applied to the same position. The effect of the massage is further enhanced by the reaction force against these advancing portions 3 and the weighting to the same position.

Next, a specific example for realizing the above-described embodiment of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a bathtub device according to this example.
FIG. 1 is a transparent perspective view illustrating the bathtub of the bathtub device according to this example.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an advancing portion of the bathtub device according to this example.
As shown in FIG. 6, in the bathtub device 14 according to this specific example, a bathtub 2, an advancing portion 3, and a driving unit 4 are provided.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the shape of the bathtub 2 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and one surface of the both end surfaces which cross | intersect a longitudinal direction is the back side surface 2a among the inner wall surfaces. The back side surface 2a is a surface with which the back abuts when a bather (not shown) takes a bathing posture, and is inclined so as to face obliquely upward as a whole.

  And the multistage advancement part 3 is provided along the centerline C extended in the up-down direction of the back side surface 2a. The advancing portions 3 are provided in two rows in total, one row on each side of the center line C, and are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line C. Further, the advancing portions 3 are arranged, for example, at equal intervals in each row, and are separated from the center line C by, for example, about 30 mm.

  As shown in FIG. 7, each advancement section 3 is provided with a cylindrical holding cylinder 31. The holding cylinder 31 is water-tightly connected to the outer surface of the back side surface 2a, and a portion of the back side surface 2a to which the holding cylinder 31 is attached is opened, whereby the inside of the holding cylinder 31 is It communicates with the inside of the bathtub 2.

  An airbag 32 is provided inside the holding cylinder 31. The air bag 32 has a substantially cylindrical bellows shape, and extends along the bellows arrangement direction when air is introduced therein, and contracts along the bellows arrangement direction when the air inside is discharged. That is, the airbag 32 expands and contracts in one direction as air flows in and out. The airbag 32 is disposed so that the arrangement direction of the bellows, that is, the expansion / contraction direction is, for example, perpendicular to the back side surface 2 a, and the end far from the back side surface 2 a is watertight to the inner surface of the holding cylinder 31. It is connected to.

  Further, a receiving plate 33 is movably provided in a portion closer to the bathtub 2 than the airbag 32 inside the holding cylinder 31, and is in contact with the airbag 32. A protruding member 34 is connected to the surface of the receiving plate 33 on the opposite side of the airbag 32. The protruding member 34 is a cylindrical member made of, for example, a hard resin material, and the tip end portion 34a on the side not connected to the receiving plate 33 is rounded. Furthermore, a spring 35 is provided between the back side plate 21 and the receiving plate 33 inside the holding cylinder 31 and urges the receiving plate 33 in a direction away from the back side plate 21.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, in the driving means 4, the pump 41, the air tube 42 that communicates the pump 41 and the airbag 32 (see FIG. 7) of each advance portion 3, and the air tube 42 in the middle. Each provided switching valve 43 is provided. The switching valve 43 is, for example, a three-way solenoid valve, and can switch between pressurization to the advancing unit 3 and air discharge from the advancing unit 3. The pump 41 and the switching valve 43 are connected to a controller 44 that controls them. In FIG. 6, for simplicity of illustration, the control unit 44 is depicted as being connected only to the uppermost switching valve 43, but in reality, the control unit 44 does not perform all switching. It is possible to control the valve 43 independently.

Next, the operation of this example will be described.
When the pump 41 of FIG. 6 is not operating, the spring 35 biases the receiving plate 33, and the receiving plate 33 presses the airbag 32, so that the airbag 32 is in a contracted state. Thereby, the protrusion member 34 is accommodated in the holding cylinder 31, and the advancing part 3 is in a standard state. Then, the bather enters the bathtub 2 and takes a bathing posture.

  In this state, the control unit 44 operates the pump 41 so that the pump 41 supplies air to the air tube 42. Then, when the control unit 44 operates the switching valve 43 to connect the pump 41 and each advancement unit 3, air flows into the airbag 32 of the advancement unit 3, and the airbag 32 is springed by the pressure. It expands by overcoming the urging force of 35, and pushes the protruding member 34 toward the inside of the bathtub 2 through the receiving plate 33. As a result, the advancing portion 3 enters the advancing state, and the tip end portion 34a of the protruding member 34 presses the bather's back or waist. Thereafter, when the control unit 44 switches the switching valve 43 to allow the airbag 32 of the advancement unit 3 to communicate with the outside, the airbag 32 is contracted by the urging force of the spring 35, and the protruding member 34 is placed in the holding cylinder 31. Stored. Thereby, the advance part 3 returns to a standard state. By repeating this operation, the advancing portion 3 repeats the standard state and the advancing state, and the protruding member 34 reciprocates linearly.

  And the control part 44 can massage a bather in various modes by driving each advance part 3 independently. For example, as in the second embodiment of the present invention, the air tube 42 and the pump 41 related to the advancing portion 3a located at the lower part of the trunk are connected in advance by the switching valve 43, and the air bag is always used. The expansion / projection member 34 is projected. In this state, by operating the switching valve 43 related to the advancing portion 3b of the upper trunk, massage can be performed only on the upper trunk while the lower trunk of the bather M is pushed up toward the surface of the hot water W. It becomes.

Next, the effect of this example will be described.
According to this specific example, the bathtub apparatus according to the first embodiment described above can be configured without arranging an electrical component inside the bathtub. This eliminates the need for measures against electric leakage and electric shock, and measures against corrosion of electrical parts caused by hot water, thereby realizing a low-cost and highly reliable bathtub apparatus. The effects other than those described above in this specific example are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  The features of the present invention have been described above with reference to the embodiments of the present invention and specific examples thereof. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and specific examples. That is, a person skilled in the art has added, omitted, or changed the design of components to the bathtub device according to any one of the embodiments and the modified examples, as well as the combination of the above-described embodiments and specific examples as appropriate. As long as they have the gist of the present invention, they are also included in the scope of the present invention.

It is a permeation | transmission perspective view which illustrates the bathtub apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is typical sectional drawing which illustrates the bathtub apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is typical sectional drawing which illustrates the bathtub apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is typical sectional drawing which illustrates the bathtub apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is typical sectional drawing which illustrates the bathtub apparatus which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which illustrates the bathtub apparatus which concerns on the specific example of this invention. It is sectional drawing which illustrates the advance part of the bathtub apparatus which concerns on this example.

Explanation of symbols

2 Bathtub, 2a Back side surface, 2b Foot side surface, 3 Advance part, 4 Driving means, 5 Head support member, 11, 12, 13, 14 Bath device, 21 Back side plate, 31 Holding cylinder, 32 Air bag, 33 Plate, 34 projecting member, 34a tip, 35 spring, 41 pump, 42 air tube, 43 switching valve, 44 control unit, M bather, W hot water

Claims (3)

A bathtub,
An advancing portion that is provided on the inner wall surface on the back side of the bathtub, and whose surface is displaceable between a standard state and an advanced state in which the surface has advanced toward the inside of the bathtub than the standard state;
Drive means for driving the advancement section;
With
A bathtub apparatus characterized in that the advancing portion is advanced upward from a substantially vertical direction with respect to the inner wall surface on the back side.   A plurality of advancing portions arranged vertically in the bathtub are projected in advance by a control unit that controls the displacement of the advancing portion in the driving means. The bathtub apparatus according to claim 1, wherein only the advancing portion located above the advancing portion is varied in that state.   The bathtub apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a head support member capable of stably supporting the head when the advance portion advances.

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