JP2009095547A - Water discharge device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a water discharge device which stimulates the skin by illuminating only the skin while preventing light from entering the eyes. <P>SOLUTION: The water discharge device is configured to emit light generated at a light emitting section 4 along with water as lighted water flow 6. The water discharge device is also configured to discharge bubbled water flow 7 that blocks light in the circumference of the lighted water flow 6. The lighted water flow gives stimulation to the skin by the discharged water and by light stimulation. By using the water discharge device, the skin is stimulated favorably with light. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a water discharger capable of giving light stimulation to skin.

Conventionally, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, an annular shower head is provided near the ceiling of the shower space, and a plurality of LED (light emitting diode) lamps are provided in the water discharge portion of the shower head. Exists.
JP 2003-319885 A

The LED provided in the conventional shower head functions as an illuminating device to obtain a relaxation effect from the visual surface.
In addition, water that is spouted in a columnar shape has the effect of blocking the light on the outside, but the light from the LED tends to enter the eye when the user takes a shower, and the light from the LED may hurt the eye There was a problem that there was.

  The present invention has been devised in view of the above-described conventional problems, and provides a water discharging device that can irradiate only the skin without putting light into eyes. Claim 1 of the present invention is generated by a light emitting unit. In addition to being configured to be able to discharge water as a light water flow together with water, it is configured to be able to discharge a bubble water flow capable of blocking light from the outer peripheral side of the light water flow.

  Further, the second aspect of the present invention is configured so that the light generated in the light emitting unit can be irradiated from the water discharge outlet, and from the outer peripheral side of the irradiated light, the bubble water flow that can block the light can be discharged. It is that.

The water discharge device of the present invention is configured so that the light generated in the light emitting unit can be discharged together with water as a light water flow, and from the outer peripheral side of the light water flow, a bubble water flow that can block light can be discharged. By comprising, the light water flow can give light stimulation to the skin as well as stimulation by water discharge, and the skin can be well stimulated by light when the water discharge device is used.
In addition, it is known that when the sensory nerves of the skin are stimulated, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is produced in all tissues, and it travels on the whole body and increases the health promotion effect of the human body. Therefore, it is possible to stimulate the skin and enhance the health promoting effect well.
In addition, light that leaks out of the light water stream is shielded by the bubble water stream containing bubbles on the outer peripheral side, so that the light does not enter the eye, and the light is favorably applied only to the skin without damaging the eye. Can be applied.

In addition, it is configured so that the light generated in the light emitting unit can be irradiated from the water discharge outlet, and from the outer peripheral side of the irradiated light, it is configured to discharge the bubble water flow that can block the light, By irradiating light from the water discharge outlet, it is possible to give a light stimulus to the skin such as the hand, whereby the health promoting action can be improved satisfactorily.
In addition, light is blocked by the bubbly water flow discharged from the outer peripheral side, and light does not leak to the outside, so light does not enter the eye, and the light is applied only to the skin without damaging the eye Will be able to.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional configuration diagram of the water discharge device of the first embodiment.
An optical flow path 2 is formed in the central portion of the water discharge outlet 1 a that opens downward in the water discharge device 1, and an outer peripheral flow path 3 is formed on the outer periphery of the light flow path 2.
A light emitting unit 4 is provided in the water discharging device 1 on the upper surface side of the light flow path 2, and the light emitting unit 4 includes light including blue light (420 nm to 520 nm), preferably blue light (420 nm to 520 nm). ) And visible light that does not include red light, and is composed of, for example, a high-intensity blue LED.

When the light emitting unit 4 is turned on, light is guided by the optical waveguiding effect into the rectification discharged through the optical flow path 2 and directly under the rectification, and the rectification is discharged as an optical water stream 6 including light. In addition, by applying the light water stream 6 to the skin of the human body, the stimulation of light can be given to the skin by the natural energy of blue light having a wavelength of 420 nm to 520 nm simultaneously with the stimulation of water.
Note that the blue light from the high-intensity blue LED has a sharp directivity and a high refractive index, so that it is difficult for light to leak to the outside, and light stimulation is surely given to the skin such as the lower hand. .

In addition, a mesh-like bubble generation unit 5 for generating foam powder is provided at the tip of the peripheral flow channel 3 of the water discharge device 1 on the side of the water discharge outlet 1a. The water discharged through 3 becomes a bubble water flow 7 containing bubbles, and the bubble water flow 7 is discharged to the outer peripheral side of the optical water flow 6.
The bubbly water flow 7 is discharged to the outer peripheral side of the light water flow 6, so that the light that is about to leak out from the light water flow 6 can be well blocked by the bubbly water flow 7. Is prevented from leaking to the outside, so that light does not enter the eye and hits only the skin such as the hand. Moreover, this bubble water flow 7 can also be made into micro bubble water, and similarly it is prevented that light leaks outside by micro bubble water.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2, such a water discharge device 1 can be used by being arranged in a standing manner on the end side in the longitudinal direction of the bathtub B.
In the case of FIG. 2, the water discharge device 1 is formed with a curved portion 1 c at the upper end of the rising portion 1 b that rises from the flange of the bathtub B, and the downward inclined portion 1 d is integrally formed downwardly from the curved portion 1 c into the bathtub B. Thus, the tip of the downwardly inclined portion 1d is a water discharge outlet 1a.

The water discharge outlet 1a is formed in a horizontally long shape as shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 3, a horizontally long light flow path 2 is formed in the center, and outer peripheral flow paths 3a and 3b are provided above and below. From the outer peripheral flow paths 3a and 3b, the bubble water flow 7 containing bubbles or the microbubble water is discharged, and the light from the light emitting unit 4 is transmitted from the central light water flow 2 by the optical waveguide effect. The rectification that leads is discharged.
By discharging water from the water discharge device 1 while taking a bath in the bathtub B, light hits the neck and shoulders together with the water discharged, and the skin of the shoulders and neck is stimulated with the light and water discharged well to improve health well. Can be increased. In addition, the health promotion effect can be further improved by the warm bath effect of microbubble water.
Further, since the light is blocked by the bubble water flow 7 or the micro-bubble water, it is prevented from entering the eyes, and the light strikes only the skin well.

  In the water discharging apparatus 1 as shown in FIG. 2, as shown in FIG. 4, even if the outer peripheral flow path 3a is formed only above the optical flow path 2, the light does not hit the bather's eyes. It is something that can be done. That is, in this case, since water is discharged downward from the water discharge outlet 1a at the tip of the downward inclined portion 1d of the water discharge device 1, even if only the outer peripheral flow path 3a is provided on the upper side, the bather in the bathtub B On the other hand, the light can be well blocked so that it does not enter the eye.

Next, what is shown in FIG. 6 is a second embodiment, and FIG. 5 shows a hand shower as an example.
The water discharge device 11 has a head portion 11b formed at the tip of the grip portion 11c, and a light flow path 2 capable of irradiating light is formed at the center of the water discharge port at the tip of the head portion 11b. An outer peripheral flow path 3 is formed. The tip of the outer peripheral flow path 3 is provided with a mesh-shaped bubble generating section 5 that can generate foam powder, and the bubble water flow in which bubbles are generated in the bubble generating section 5 through the outer peripheral flow path 3 is provided. 7 or microbubble water is discharged.

  In the central portion, the light generated by the light emitting portion 4 is configured to be irradiated downward as the irradiation light 8 through the light flow path 2, and the light only irradiation light 8 is satisfactorily applied to the skin such as a hand. The effect of promoting health can be enhanced by applying the bubble water stream 7 or microbubble water to the surroundings at the same time, so that the outward leakage of light can be well shielded with the bubble water stream 7 or micro bubble water. It can prevent the light from entering the eyes and can stimulate the skin by shining light only on the skin.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, the structure which provided the translucent member 9 in the upper surface outer side of the head part 11b of the water discharging apparatus 11, and provided the light emission part 4 in the outer side may be sufficient, and the light from the light emission part 4 is The light passing through the light passage 2 from the translucent member 9 is irradiated as the irradiation light 8 from the exit side.
In addition, it is good also as a structure which forms the whole water discharging apparatus 11 with a transparent material, and provides the light emission part 4 on the outer side, and in that case, when the inside is provided so that light may not leak to the outer periphery flow path 3 side. good.

FIG. 8 shows a foot bath faucet, and a foot bath faucet 14 is provided so as to protrude horizontally from the wall surface 13a of the bathroom 13 into the room.
In the footbath 14, as shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 9, three light emitting portions 4 a, 4 b, 4 c are provided at intervals, and blue light is emitted from each light emitting portion 4 a, 4 b, 4 c. The light flow paths 2a, 2b, and 2c are arranged to extend downward from the light emitting portions 4a, 4b, and 4c, and the blue light from the light emitting portions 4a, 4b, and 4c is optically guided. Then, blue light is introduced into the water flowing in the optical flow paths 2a, 2b, 2c, and water can be discharged downward as the optical water streams 6a, 6b, 6c.
In addition, a flow path 3 is formed in the foot bath faucet 14 above the light emitting portions 4a, 4b, and 4c. The flow path 3 is bent downward at the distal end side of the foot bath faucet 14 and faces downward. The bubble water flow 7 containing fine bubbles (microbubbles) can be discharged.

  In such a water faucet 14 for foot bath, the light water flow 6a, 6b, 6c containing blue light and the bubble water flow 7 containing microbubbles (microbubbles) are separately discharged, as shown in FIG. It can be used by sitting on a chair in the bathroom 13 and placing the foot below the faucet 14 for the foot bath, applying the light water flow 6a, 6b, 6c to the foot, and applying the bubble water flow 7 to the foot. Since the bubble water stream 7 is discharged to the front side of the sitting person, the light from the light water streams 6a, 6b, and 6c does not enter the user's eyes, and the bubble water stream 7 can block the light well. By applying the light water streams 6a, 6b, and 6c to the feet, the feet are stimulated to enhance the health promoting action, and the health bathing action by the bubble water stream 7 containing microbubbles further enhances the health promoting action. It can be enhanced.

FIG. 10 shows calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) (unit: pg / g) released by stimulating the sensory nerves of the skin and promoting the production of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) having a health promoting action. The result of measuring the release concentration of (ml) was shown.
Mouse spinal dorsal root ganglion cells were cultured for 5 days, then irradiated with light of each color for 10 minutes, and the concentration of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) released into the culture supernatant was measured.
In the figure, No on the left is a case where light was not irradiated, Blue in the figure is a case where blue light (420 to 520 nm) is emitted from a blue LED, and Red in the figure is a red light (from red LED ( 570 to 670 nm), and Green in the figure is the case of irradiating green light (475 to 575 nm) from the green LED.
Further, n = 5 in the figure indicates that the number of samples is five.
The measurement results show that the emission concentration of CGRP was 130 pg / ml when not irradiated with light, 170 pg / ml for blue light, 80 pg / ml for red light, and 130 pg / ml for green light. As a result, the CGRP emission concentration increased with blue light, decreased with red light, and unchanged with green light, compared with the case where no light was irradiated.
From the above results, it was confirmed that blue light is most suitable for increasing IGF-I. The increase in calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) release by blue light is thought to contribute significantly to the function or structural change of water by blue light.

Furthermore, an experiment was performed using an experimental apparatus as shown in FIG.
That is, in the apparatus of FIG. 11, a circulation path 17 is connected to the water tank 16, and a suction pump 18 and a fine bubble generator 19 that generates fine bubbles are provided in the circulation path 17. A plate 21 is set up in the bathtub 16, a cage 22 is attached to the plate 21, a mouse M is placed in the cage 22, and water W is poured into the water tank 16 so that the body excluding the head of the mouse M is immersed. Put in. In addition, a blue LED 20 that emits blue light is provided on the outside of the water tank 16 at a position below the water surface of the water W so that light from the blue LED 20 strikes the mouse M. In such an apparatus, an experiment was performed using five mice M, and the results of FIG. 12 were obtained.

The fine bubbles B generated by the fine bubble generator 19 and ejected into the bathtub 16 are microbubbles having a diameter of 100 micrometers or less. The water W in the bathtub 16 was set to 40 ° C., and the concentration of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) when the mouse M was immersed in the water W at 40 ° C. for 5 minutes was measured. A result is shown by white control.
Moreover, the result of having measured the density | concentration of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) at the time of making the mouse | mouth M act only for microbubble MB for 5 minutes is shown in the part which put the some point.
Moreover, the result of having measured the density | concentration of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) at the time of making the microbubble MB and blue light act on the mouse M simultaneously for 5 minutes is shown by a black part.
As shown in FIG. 12, the measurement was performed in each part of the mouse heart, lung, liver, kidney, stomach, jejunum, brain, spinal cord, skin, and plasma. As a result, only microbubble MB acts on mouse M. Even when IGF-1 was used, IGF-1 increased, but it was confirmed that the increase of IGF-1 was further promoted at each site when microbubbles MB and blue light were used in combination.
As a result, it can be said that the combined use of microbubbles MB and blue light is effective as a method capable of efficiently increasing the health promoting action.

It is a schematic sectional block diagram of the water discharging apparatus of 1st Example. It is a perspective block diagram at the time of providing a water discharging apparatus in a bathtub. It is an enlarged block diagram of the water discharge outlet of the water discharging apparatus in FIG. It is an expanded block diagram which shows the example of a change of a water discharge outlet. It is a perspective block diagram of the use condition of the hand shower as an example of 2nd Example. It is a general | schematic cross-section block diagram of the use condition of the water discharging apparatus of 2nd Example. It is a schematic sectional block diagram of the water discharging apparatus at the time of providing a light emission part on the outer side. It is a use condition figure of the state which uses the faucet for foot baths. It is an expanded section lineblock diagram of the water tap for foot baths. It is a data figure which shows the result of having measured the discharge | release density | concentration of the calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) which is released by stimulating the sensory nerve of skin and promotes production of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) which is a health promoting substance. . It is a schematic block diagram of an experimental apparatus. It is a data figure which shows the result of having experimented using the apparatus of FIG. 11 and having measured the insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) density | concentration.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,11 Water discharging apparatus 1a Water discharging outlet 2,2a, 2b, 2c Light flow path 3 Peripheral flow path 4,4a, 4b, 4c Light emission part 5 Bubble generation part 6,6a, 6b, 6c Light water flow 7 Bubble water flow 8 Irradiation light DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 9 Translucent member 13 Bathroom 13a Wall surface 14 Water faucet for foot bath 19 Fine bubble generator 16 Water tank 17 Circulation path 18 Suction pump 20 Blue LED
21 board 22 gauge M mouse

Claims (2)

  The light generated in the light emitting unit is configured to be discharged together with water as a light water flow, and from the outer peripheral side of the light water flow, a bubble water flow that can block light is configured to be discharged. Water discharge device.   It is configured so that the light generated in the light emitting unit can be emitted from the water discharge outlet, and from the outer peripheral side of the irradiated light, it is configured to be able to discharge a bubble water flow that can block the light. Water discharge device.

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