JP2010220971A - Microbubble generating bathtub - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a microbubble generating bathtub stably achieving efficacy such as cloudiness and skin moisture retaining effects while cutting down power consumption. <P>SOLUTION: The microbubble generating bathtub 1 sucks hot and cold water 2 in a bathtub 3, dissolves air in hot and cold water by a gas dissolving device 11, delivers hot and cold water with the air dissolved, into the bathtub, and precipitates the air dissolved in the hot and cold water by the drop of pressure to produce microbubbles in the hot and cold water. The microbubble producing bathtub 1 includes a detecting means 17 detecting hot water quality information on the amount of bubbles of hot and cold water in the bathtub, and a control part 21 controlling the operation of a pump 9 circulating the hot and cold water in the bathtub based on the hot water quality information detected by the detecting means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a fine bubble generating bathtub that generates fine bubbles in hot water in a bathtub.

  There is known a microbubble generating bathtub in which hot water extracted from a bathtub is sent to a gas dissolving device while hot water in the bathtub is circulated by a pump, air is dissolved, and hot water dissolved in the air is sent into the bathtub. In the fine bubble generating bathtub, air dissolved in the hot water is deposited in the bathtub, and fine bubbles are generated in the hot water. The fine bubbles cloud the hot water in the bathtub, give it a taste like a milk bath, and have a moisturizing effect on the skin. The present applicant has made many proposals and actually provided a microbubble generating bathtub.

  By the way, in the fine bubble generating bathtub described in the following Patent Document 1 as proposed by the present applicant, a pump for circulating hot water is generally operated at all times. For this reason, it is pointed out that wasteful power consumption is increased because the pump continues to operate even if more than required for effects such as cloudiness and skin moisturizing effect are obtained.

  In addition, for example, by controlling the pump drive voltage according to the number of revolutions, etc., it is possible to reduce variations in individual pumps due to the characteristics of the motor provided in the pump. Variations in the entire microbubble generating bath including differences and the diameter of the hot water injection port cannot be reduced by such pump operation control. For this reason, it is pointed out that the effect obtained by bathing may not be realized stably.

JP 2007-313464 A

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the circumstances as described above, and provides a fine bubble generating bathtub capable of suppressing power consumption and stably realizing effects such as cloudiness and a skin moisturizing effect. The challenge is to do.

  The present invention has the following features in order to solve the above problems.

  In the first invention, hot water in a bathtub is sucked, air is dissolved in hot water in a gas dissolving device, hot water in which the air is dissolved is sent out into the bathtub, and the air dissolved in the hot water precipitates due to a decrease in pressure, so A detecting means for detecting hot water quality information relating to the amount of hot water in the bathtub, and a pump for circulating hot water in the bathtub based on the hot water quality information detected by the detecting means And a control unit for controlling the operation.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the feature of the first aspect of the invention, the hot water information is one or both of the translucency of the hot water and the dissolved oxygen concentration, and a detection means corresponding to the hot water information is provided. It is characterized by.

  According to a third aspect, in the feature of the first or second aspect, the control unit controls the drive voltage of the pump.

  According to the first aspect of the invention, the control unit controls the operation of the pump based on the hot water quality information regarding the amount of hot water in the bathtub detected by the detecting means, so that the request for white turbidity, skin moisturizing effect and the like is required. When the effect to be achieved is realized, the pump can be stopped, the continuous operation is eliminated, and the wasteful power consumption can be sufficiently reduced. Further, sufficient fine bubbles corresponding to the efficacy are present in the hot water in the bathtub in a steady state, so that the efficacy obtained by bathing is stably realized.

  According to the second aspect of the invention, in addition to the effect of the first aspect of the invention, the optimum hot water quality information regarding the amount of hot water in the bathtub is obtained, and the direct information on the efficacy is obtained. Further, a photocoupler can be employed as the means for detecting the translucency of hot water, and a dissolved oxygen concentration meter can be employed as the means for detecting dissolved oxygen concentration, whereby the detecting means can be configured simply.

  According to the third aspect of the invention, in addition to the effects of the first or second aspect of the invention, it is possible to reliably and easily control the operation of the pump.

It is the block diagram which showed one Embodiment of the microbubble generation bathtub of this invention. 2 is a graph showing the principle of pump operation control by the control unit shown in FIG. 1 and a threshold value to be set. It is the flowchart which showed the operation | movement control of the pump which the control part shown in FIG. 1 performs. FIG. 4 is a waveform diagram showing a driving voltage of a pump by operation control of the pump shown in FIG. 3.

  In the fine bubble generating bathtub 1 shown in FIG. 1, a bathtub 3 that stores hot water 2 includes a hot water inlet 4 and a discharge outlet 5 on a side surface. The bathtub 3 also includes an air inlet 7 in the flange portion 6 that forms the upper surface portion. The suction port 4 of the bathtub 3 is connected to the suction side 9 a of the pump 9 through the water distribution pipe 8. A discharge side 9 b of the pump 9 is connected to an injection port 11 a that is a suction side of the gas dissolving device 11 through an inflow pipe 10. An outlet 11b which is a discharge side of the gas dissolving device 11 is connected to one end of a venturi 13 serving as a pressure release portion via an outflow pipe 12, and the other end of the venturi 13 is connected to the discharge port 5 via a water distribution pipe 14. It is connected. The air suction port 7 communicates with the inflow pipe 10 through the air pipe 15. A check valve 16 is provided in the middle of the air pipe 15.

  In the fine bubble generating bathtub 1, the hot water 2 in the bathtub 3 is sucked from the suction port 4 by the operation of the pump 9, and sent out to the gas dissolving device 11 through the water distribution pipe 8 and the inflow pipe 10. In the gas dissolving device 11, the hot water 2 is jetted into the tank provided in the gas dissolving device 11 from the injection port 11a and mixed with the air stored in the tank or the air in the bathroom sucked from the air suction port 7, Air dissolves in the hot water 2. Hot water 2 in which air is dissolved to a predetermined concentration flows out from the outlet 11b, and is sent out from the outlet 5 into the bathtub 3 through the outlet pipe 12 and the water distribution pipe 14. The hot water 2 in which the air is dissolved is mixed with the hot water 2 stored in the bathtub 3, and at this time or after passing through the venturi 13, the air dissolved in the hot water 2 in the bathtub 3 and the venturi 13 as the pressure decreases. Precipitates to generate fine bubbles.

  The hot water 2 in the bathtub 3 is circulated by the operation of the pump 9, and this circulation is repeated to increase the amount of bubbles in the hot water 2 in the bathtub 3, and the hot water 2 in the bathtub 3 becomes cloudy due to fine bubbles, and the milk bath Give a taste like.

  There is no restriction | limiting in particular about the pump 9 used for such a microbubble generation bathtub 1, For example, what utilized the centrifugal pump etc. are illustrated. Moreover, there is no restriction | limiting in particular also about the gas dissolving apparatus 11, As long as the air can be dissolved in the hot water 2 including what was described in the said patent document 1 which this applicant has proposed, arbitrary things are used. Can be adopted.

  The fine bubble generating bathtub 1 is provided with a photocoupler 18 and a dissolved oxygen concentration meter 19 as detection means 17 for detecting hot water quality information relating to the amount of bubbles of the hot water 2 in the bathtub 3. The photocoupler 18 detects the degree of white turbidity (white turbidity) of the hot water 2 accompanying the change in the amount of bubbles as the translucency. For this purpose, the light source 20 is provided in the bathtub 3 at a position where light can be emitted toward the photocoupler 18. The dissolved oxygen concentration meter 19 measures and detects the concentration of oxygen dissolved in the hot water 2 in the bathtub 3, that is, dissolved oxygen (DO). Any of these photocouplers 18 and dissolved oxygen concentration meters 19 can be used as long as they can detect the predetermined hot water quality information including those conventionally known. Moreover, the photocoupler 18 and the dissolved oxygen concentration meter 19 are immersed in the hot water 2 and can be disposed at a portion in the bathtub 3 that does not interfere with bathing. For example, it can arrange | position to the inner surface of the bathtub 3, an inner bottom face, etc.

  The photocoupler 18 and the dissolved oxygen concentration meter 19 as the detection means 17 for detecting the hot water quality information related to the amount of bubbles of the hot water 2 in the bathtub 3 are electrically connected to the control unit 21 that operates and stops the pump 9. It is connected. The control unit 21 switches between operation and stop of the pump 9 by, for example, ON / OFF switch input, etc., and realizes operation and stop of the fine bubble generating bathtub 1 and is electrically connected to the pump 9. .

  Further, the control unit 21 is set to control the operation of the pump 9 in response to input of detection signals output from the photocoupler 18 and the dissolved oxygen concentration meter 19.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the translucency and dissolved oxygen concentration of the hot water 2 in the bathtub 3 vary depending on the operation time of the fine bubble generating bathtub 1, that is, the operation time of the pump 9. The control unit 21 has three threshold values for the translucency detected by the photocoupler 18 (hereinafter also referred to as white turbidity) and the dissolved oxygen concentration detected by the dissolved oxygen concentration meter 19 (hereinafter also referred to as DO). Has been. Regarding the translucency, an upper limit X1 of the rated range of white turbidity, a lower limit X2 of the rated range of white turbidity, and a limit value for obtaining an effect due to white turbidity are set. Regarding the dissolved oxygen concentration, the upper limit Y1 of the rated range of DO, the lower limit Y2 of the rated range of DO, and a limit value for obtaining a moisturizing effect are set. These threshold values can be set in the control unit 21 in advance. Further, of the threshold values, for example, limit values are set as specific fixed values, while X1, X2, Y1, and Y2 are set as reference values, for example, to determine the capacity of the pump 9 and the size of the bathtub 3. In consideration of the above, it is possible to change and set an optimum value for each fine bubble generating bathtub 1.

  Furthermore, the drive voltage of the pump 9 corresponding to each threshold value is also set in the control unit 21. The drive voltage can be set and changed according to the threshold value setting and change.

  And the control part 21 is set so that operation | movement control of the pump 9 may be performed based on the said threshold value according to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  When the operation start of the pump 9 is input (S1), the transient mode starts, the drive voltage is applied to the pump 9 (S2), and the operation of the pump 9 is performed in the transient mode for a certain time. The transient mode generates fine bubbles in the hot water 2 in the bathtub 3, rapidly increases the amount of bubbles, and brings the bathing effect such as white turbidity, skin moisturizing effect, etc., quickly to a steady state where the fine bubble generating bath 1 This is the operation mode. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 4, a higher voltage is applied to the pump 9 than in the steady mode described later, that is, the operation mode in the steady state. In this transient mode, the white turbidity of the hot water 2 in the bathtub 3 is detected by the photocoupler 18 (S3), and the measurement result is output as a signal from the photocoupler 18 at a constant timing and input to the control unit 21. Moreover, DO in the hot water 2 in the bathtub 3 is detected by the dissolved oxygen concentration meter 19 (S4), and the measurement result is output as a signal from the dissolved oxygen concentration meter 19 at a certain timing and input to the control unit 21.

  The control unit 21 compares the input white turbidity and the measured DO value with a threshold value, and first determines whether the white turbidity is less than X1 (S5). When the turbidity is less than X1, the process returns to S2, and the voltage is continuously turned on, the generation of fine bubbles is promoted, and the amount of bubbles is increased. If the turbidity is equal to or greater than X1, determination is made regarding DO (S6). If DO <Y1, the process returns to S2 and the voltage ON is continued. When DO ≧ Y1, the process shifts to the steady mode, the voltage application to the pump 9 is stopped (S7), and the generation of fine bubbles is temporarily stopped.

  Even if the steady mode is started (S8), the detection of white turbidity by the photocoupler 18 (S9) and the detection of DO by the dissolved oxygen concentration meter 19 (S10) are continuously performed. On the other hand, in the control part 21, determination of the input white turbidity and the measured value of DO is performed in a steady mode. Judgment is performed by comparing the turbidity with the threshold value X2 and comparing DO with the threshold value Y2 (S11, S12). If the turbidity is less than X2, the process does not proceed to S12, the drive voltage of the pump 9 is increased (S13), and the process returns to S8. As shown in FIG. 4, the drive voltage at this time is set higher than the drive voltage in S16 described later, but lower than the drive voltage in the transient mode. If the turbidity is equal to or greater than X2, the process proceeds to S12 to determine DO. If DO <Y2, the drive voltage of the pump 9 is increased (S14) as in S13, and the process returns to S8. In the case of DO ≧ Y2, the process proceeds to S15, and it is determined again whether white turbidity> X1 and DO> Y1. In the case of YES, the drive voltage is lowered (S16) and not immediately turned off, but the pump 9 is stopped after being operated for a certain period of time so that the steady state is more stabilized. After the pump 9 is stopped, the process returns to S8. In the case of NO, the voltage application to the pump 9 is continued (S17), and the process returns to S8. In either case of YES / NO, the steady mode continues, and the determination on the white turbidity and DO is repeated in the same manner to switch the drive voltage between high and low.

  Such a steady mode operation can also be performed based on a timer. For example, the timer is operated in S8, the time until the determination result of S15, YES is obtained, is measured, and the time is compared with the predetermined time set in advance in the control unit 21, and within the predetermined time. If so, the process proceeds to S16. On the other hand, when the predetermined time is exceeded, the process returns to S2, and the transient mode can be restarted, or the pump 9 is stopped as a suspicion of equipment failure, an alarm is issued, and a bather or the like can be confirmed. .

  In the above-described fine bubble generating bathtub 1, the operation of the pump 9 is controlled based on the hot water quality information regarding the amount of bubbles of the hot water 2 in the bathtub 3 detected by the detection means 17, which is the photocoupler 18 and the dissolved oxygen concentration meter 19. The pump 9 is not always operated, and the transient mode is not continuously operated. In the steady state where the effects of bathing such as white turbidity and skin moisturizing effect are obtained, the pump 9 is intermittently operated as shown in FIG. Therefore, when the required effect is realized, the pump 9 can be stopped, the continuous operation is eliminated, and the wasteful power consumption can be sufficiently reduced. In addition, since sufficient fine bubbles corresponding to the effect exist in the hot water 2 in the bathtub 3 in a steady state, effects such as white turbidity and skin moisturizing effect obtained by bathing are stably realized.

  Furthermore, since the translucency (white turbidity) and dissolved oxygen concentration (DO) of the hot water 2 are adopted as hot water quality information, the photocoupler 18 and the dissolved oxygen concentration meter 19 for detecting each are adopted as the detection means 17. As a result, optimum hot water quality information regarding the amount of bubbles in the hot water 2 in the bathtub 3 is obtained, and direct information on the efficacy is obtained. Moreover, the detection means 17 is comprised simply.

  In the fine bubble generation bath 1, only one of the photocoupler 18 or the dissolved oxygen concentration meter 19 can be selected and used as the detection means 17. In the case of combined use, it is possible to control the operation of the pump 9 matched by the hot water quality information of the hot water 2 in the bathtub 3, but it is selected depending on the price of the fine bubble generating bathtub 1, the capacity of the pump 9, the size of the bathtub 3, etc. By making it possible, the versatility of the fine bubble generating bathtub 1 is enhanced.

  And in the fine bubble generation bathtub 1, since the change of the bubble amount of the hot and cold water 2 has low responsiveness to the effect, the control unit 21 can control the drive voltage of the pump 9, specifically, ON. Only by controlling / OFF and the height, the operation control of the pump 9 corresponding to the effect can be reliably and easily performed.

  In general, the control unit 21 can be realized as software corresponding to an embedded computer. In this case, the configuration of the control unit 21 is simplified, and the control unit 21 can be realized at low cost. Of course, it can also be configured as hardware, and various modes are possible for the configuration of the control unit 21.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fine bubble generation bathtub 2 Hot water 3 Bath 9 Pump 11 Gas dissolution apparatus 17 Detection means 21 Control part

Claims (3)

  Hot water in the bathtub is sucked in, air is dissolved in the hot water in the gas dissolving device, hot water in which the air is dissolved is sent into the bathtub, and the air dissolved in the hot water precipitates due to a drop in pressure, generating fine bubbles in the hot water. In the fine bubble generating bathtub, a detecting means for detecting hot water quality information regarding the amount of hot water in the bathtub, and a controller for controlling the operation of a pump for circulating hot water in the bathtub based on the hot water information detected by the detecting means And a fine bubble generating bathtub.   2. The fine bubble generating bathtub according to claim 1, wherein the hot water quality information is one or both of the translucency of the hot water and the dissolved oxygen concentration, and has a detecting means corresponding to the hot water quality information.   The fine bubble generating bathtub according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls a driving voltage of the pump.

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