JP2011025197A - Fine air bubble generator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fine air bubble generator that facilitates to be installed to a small bathtub by promoting the thinning of a dissolving tank while increasing the generation efficiency of an air-dissolved water. <P>SOLUTION: The fine air bubble generator 1 is provided, wherein the dissolving tank 9 is a hollow oblong box body, a spraying nozzle 17 that sprays and supplies hot water 5 thereinto is disposed in the dissolving tank, and the opening 18 of the spraying nozzle is an elliptical one having a major axis and a minor axis, and is disposed so as to allow the major axis to be along the dissolving tank in the longitudinal direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

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

  2. Description of the Related Art There is known a fine bubble generating device that dissolves air in hot water taken out from a bathtub while circulating hot water in the bathtub with a pump, and sends the air-dissolved water into the bathtub. The air in the air-dissolved water that flows out into the bathtub is deposited as the pressure is reduced, 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 also made many proposals and actually provided a fine bubble generating apparatus for generating fine bubbles so far. For example, Patent Document 1 below proposes a fine bubble generating device that can be installed without a large bathtub with a simple configuration.

  In this fine bubble generator, the gas-liquid dissolution tank is located in the corner space below the corner portion formed by the long side and the short side of the flange provided on the outer periphery of the upper end of the bathtub, and the pump is long on the back side near the short side. Arranged so that it is on the near side near the side, the outlet part of the gas-liquid dissolution tank arranged on the back side near the short side protrudes to the back side, and the outlet part is provided on the wall part on the short side of the bathtub Directly connected to the spout.

JP 2007-296236 A

  For such a microbubble generator, there is still a high demand for downsizing, and there is an urgent need to realize specific means to meet the demand.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a fine bubble generating device that promotes the thinning of the dissolution tank while increasing the efficiency of generating dissolved air, and makes it easier to install on a small bathtub.

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

  1st invention is connected to the inside of a bathtub, and the circulation path arrange | positioned in the exterior of the bathtub in which the circulation of the hot water in a bathtub is possible, It is arrange | positioned in the middle of a circulation path, and circulates the hot water in a bathtub In a fine bubble generating apparatus, comprising: a pump to be used; and a dissolution tank that is disposed at a downstream end of a circulation path and that mixes hot water and air supplied to the inside to generate air-dissolved water in which air is dissolved. Is a horizontally long hollow box, and the melting tank is provided with a spray nozzle for spraying and supplying hot water therein, and the spray nozzle has an elliptical shape having a major axis and a minor axis. The long diameter is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the dissolution tank.

  The second invention is characterized in that, in the feature of the first invention, the outlet formed in the lower end portion of the dissolution tank and the injection port formed in the side wall portion of the bathtub are directly connected by a nut. .

  According to the first invention, since the shape of the opening of the spray nozzle is an ellipse having a major axis and a minor axis, the range of hot water sprayed into the melting tank is expanded in the major axis direction, Fully contact with air and mixed. This sufficient gas-liquid mixing increases the generation efficiency of the dissolved air. Moreover, since the opening is arranged so that the major axis thereof is along the longitudinal direction of the horizontally long dissolution tank, the depth of the dissolution tank corresponding to the minor axis direction of the opening can be shortened, and the dissolution tank is made thinner. Is more planned. As a result, installation with respect to a small bathtub becomes easier.

  According to the second aspect of the invention, in addition to the effects of the first aspect of the invention, the outlet formed at the lower end of the dissolution tank and the injection port formed at the side wall of the bathtub are directly connected by the nut. The direct connection between the outflow port and the injection port is realized by a simple means called a nut, and the connection work becomes very easy. Moreover, piping for connecting the outlet and the injection port is not required, the space required for installing the fine bubble generating device is reduced, and the fine bubble generating device can be compactly accommodated.

It is sectional drawing which showed simply one Embodiment of the microbubble generator of this invention with the bathtub. It is the simplified sectional view seen from another direction of the fine bubble generating device shown in FIG. (A) and (b) are the top views and principal part perspective views which showed the opening of the spray nozzle in the fine bubble generator shown in FIG. 1, respectively. It is principal part sectional drawing which expanded and showed the connection part of the dissolution tank and bathtub in the fine bubble generator shown in FIG.

  As described above, FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an embodiment of the fine bubble generating device of the present invention together with a bathtub, and FIG. 2 is a view from another direction of the fine bubble generating device shown in FIG. FIG. FIGS. 3A and 3B are a plan view and an essential perspective view showing an opening of a spray nozzle in the fine bubble generating apparatus shown in FIG. 1, respectively.

  The fine bubble generating device 1 is installed below the flange portion 3 that is disposed on the upper peripheral edge of the bathtub 2 and extends laterally.

  The bathtub 2 has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, and a pair of adjacent long side portions 2a and short side portions 2b are substantially orthogonal to each other. The side wall 4a on the long side 2a side of the bathtub 2 is provided with a suction port 6 for taking out the hot water 5 in the bathtub 2 to the outside of the bathtub 2 at the lower end. The suction inlet 6 is arrange | positioned in the approximate center of the horizontal width direction in the side wall part 4a by the side of the long side 2a. In addition, the side wall 4b on the short side 2b side of the bathtub 2 is provided with an injection port 7 through which air-dissolved water described later flows out into the bathtub 2. The injection port 7 is disposed at the approximate center in the lateral width direction on the side wall portion 4b on the short side portion 2b side.

  The fine bubble generator 1 includes a circulation path 8 for hot water 5 stored in the bathtub 2, the upstream end of the circulation path 8 is connected to the suction port 6, and the downstream end is a dissolution tank provided in the fine bubble generator 1. 9 is connected. The dissolution tank 9 has an outlet 10 at the lower end thereof, and the outlet 10 is arranged in alignment with the injection port 7 of the bathtub 2 and is directly connected without piping. Therefore, the circulation path 8 communicates with the inside of the bathtub 2 through the suction port 6 and the injection port 7.

  The circulation path 8 is formed by a pipe, and the upstream end of the pipe 11 that forms the upstream side of the circulation path 8 is connected to the suction port 6. The downstream end of the pipe 11 is connected to the suction side of the pump 12 that circulates the hot water 5 in the bathtub 2 through the circulation path 8. In the middle of the pipe 11, an ejector 13 is provided at a portion near the suction port 6. A downstream end of an air pipe 14 is connected to the ejector 13, and an intake valve 15 is disposed at the upstream end of the air pipe 14. The intake valve 15 has a function of adjusting the amount of air in the bathroom that is sucked through the intake valve 15.

  A pipe 16 that forms the downstream side of the circulation path 8 connects the pump 12 and the dissolution tank 9. The upstream end of the pipe 16 is connected to the discharge side of the pump 12, and the downstream end is connected to a spray nozzle 17 disposed at the upper end of the dissolution tank 9.

  The dissolution tank 9 is a horizontally long hollow box. The dissolution tank 9 is arranged such that its longitudinal direction is along the length direction of the short side 2b of the bathtub 2, and the length in the longitudinal direction is shorter than the length of the short side 2b. Moreover, the longitudinal section along the longitudinal direction of the dissolution tank 9 has a substantially hexagonal shape that dents downward. The outflow port 10 is disposed at a substantially center in the longitudinal direction at the lower end portion of the dissolution tank 9.

  The spray nozzle 17 disposed at the upper end portion of the dissolution tank 9 is disposed at one end portion located farther from the pump 12 in the dissolution tank 9. The spray nozzle 17 sprays and supplies hot water 5 taken out from the bathtub 2 through the pipe 16 into the dissolution tank 9. As shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b), the opening 18 located at the tip of the spray nozzle 17 has an elliptical shape having a major axis a and a minor axis b. It is arrange | positioned along the longitudinal direction. The shape of the opening 18 may be flat, for example, a cat-like shape.

  The dissolution tank 9 is provided with a vertical partition 19 extending in the vertical direction of the dissolution tank 9, and the interior of the dissolution tank 9 is divided into two tanks, a gas-liquid stirring tank 20 and an air exhaust tank 21. Has been. The vertical partition 19 is disposed on the other end side located closer to the pump 12. The side on which the spray nozzle 17 is disposed is a gas-liquid stirring tank 20, and the gas-liquid stirring tank 20 is sandwiched between the vertical partition 19. The opposite side portion is an air exhaust tank 21. The vertical partition 19 is disposed above and below the dissolution tank 9 with a space therebetween, and the gas-liquid stirring tank 20 and the air exhaust tank 21 communicate with each other above and below the vertical partition 19. An air vent valve 22 is disposed on the air exhaust tank 21 side of the dissolution tank 9, and the air vent valve 22 communicates with the air exhaust tank 21. The air vent valve 22 can exhaust the excess air in the dissolution tank 9 to the outside of the dissolution tank 9.

  Further, the dissolution tank 9 is provided with a horizontal partition 23 therein. The horizontal partition 23 extends along the longitudinal direction of the dissolution tank 9, one end is connected to the lower end of the gas-liquid stirring tank 20, and reaches the middle of the air exhaust tank 21 through the outlet 10. Yes.

  Such a microbubble generator 1 operates as follows.

  For example, when the pump 12 is driven by a switch operation or the like in the bathroom, the hot water 5 in the bathtub 2 is sucked from the suction port 6, and the spray nozzle disposed at the upper end of the dissolution tank 9 through the pipe 11, the pump 12 and the pipe 16. Hot water 5 is sprayed and supplied into the gas-liquid stirring layer 20 inside the dissolution tank 9 from the opening 18 of 17. At this time, the hot water 5 entrains the air stored in the upper part of the dissolution tank 9 and jets out in the longitudinal direction of the dissolution tank 9 in an elliptical shape as indicated by a dotted line in FIG. The hot water 5 and air are mixed in the gas-liquid stirring tank 20, and the air is dissolved in the hot water 5 to generate air-dissolved water.

  In addition, air is sucked from the intake valve 15 due to the negative pressure effect of the ejector 13, and the amount is sufficient to generate fine bubbles (usually more than the required amount, and the pump 12 stops due to air leakage. Air) is supplied to the upper part of the dissolution tank 9. The sucked air is mixed with the hot water 5 in the pipe 11 or the like, and is supplied into the dissolution tank 9 as a gas-liquid mixed fluid. In addition, since the air exhaust tank 21 is divided by the vertical partition 19, the influence of the bubbling in the gas-liquid stirring tank 20 is suppressed, and the liquid level is stabilized. For this reason, surplus air is exhausted from the air vent valve 22 arranged on the air exhaust tank 21 side, the amount of air required for generating fine bubbles is constant, and the liquid level is almost at the position of the air vent valve 22. Stabilize. Further, although foaming occurs in the gas-liquid stirring tank 20, since the horizontal partition 23 is located above the outlet 10, undesired large bubbles move to the air exhaust tank 21 without going to the outlet 10. The air in the bubbles is reused for the generation of dissolved air.

  In this manner, the air stored in the dissolution tank 9 and the air in the bathroom sucked by the ejector 13 are dissolved in the hot water 5 and the amount of dissolved air in the air-dissolved water becomes sufficiently high.

  The generated dissolved air flows out from the injection port 7 into the bathtub 2 through the outlet 10. The gas-liquid agitation tank 20 of the dissolution tank 9 is placed under pressure when generating air-dissolved water, but the air-dissolved water is depressurized when it flows into the bathtub 2, so that the air dissolved in the hot water 5 is precipitated. Then, fine bubbles are generated. As the fine bubbles are generated, the hot water 5 in the bathtub 2 becomes cloudy and presents a taste like hot spring water.

  And in the fine bubble generator 1, since the shape of the opening 18 of the spray nozzle 17 is an ellipse having a major axis a and a minor axis b as described above, as shown in FIG. Compared with the one-dot chain line in the figure), the range of hot water 5 ejected to the gas-liquid stirring layer 20 in the dissolution tank 9 is expanded in the major axis direction. For this reason, in the gas-liquid stirring layer 20, the hot water 5 is sufficiently in contact with the air and mixed. By this sufficient gas-liquid mixing, the fine bubble generating device 1 has increased the efficiency of generating air-dissolved water. Further, since the opening 18 of the spray nozzle 17 is arranged so that the major axis “a” is along the longitudinal direction of the horizontally long melting tank 9, the depth of the melting tank 9 that coincides with the minor axis “b” direction of the opening 18 is shortened. The melting tank 9 can be made thinner. Therefore, the fine bubble generating device 1 is smaller, and space for installation is reduced, and the microbubble generator 1 is placed below the flange portion 3 of the bathtub 2, so that the installation with respect to the small bathtub is easier.

  FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part showing a connecting portion between a dissolution tank and a bathtub in the fine bubble generating apparatus shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 4, in the fine bubble generating device 1, the outlet 10 formed at the lower end of the dissolution tank 9 and the injection port 7 formed on the side wall 4 b on the short side 2 b side of the bathtub 2 are provided. They are directly connected by nuts 24. The nut 24 includes a cylindrical trunk portion 24a and an annular head portion 24b disposed at one end of the trunk portion 24a. The head portion 24b extends outside the outer periphery of the trunk portion 24a, and a screw is cut on the outer peripheral surface portion of the trunk portion 24a.

  On the outer periphery of the outlet 10 formed at the lower end of the dissolution tank 9, a fixing portion 25 protrudes from the side surface portion 9 a of the dissolution tank 9 that faces the side wall portion 4 b on the short side 2 b side of the bathtub 2. . The fixing portion 25 has a cylindrical shape, and the inner peripheral surface portion of the fixing portion 25 is threaded from one end located far from the side surface portion 9a. The screw cut in the inner peripheral surface portion of the fixing portion 25 can be screwed with the screw cut in the outer peripheral surface portion of the trunk portion 24 a of the nut 24. An annular flange portion 26 is formed at the one end portion of the fixed portion 25, and the flange portion 26 extends to the outer periphery of the fixed portion 25. The protrusion margin from the side surface portion 9 a of the fixing portion 25 is sufficiently smaller than the depth of the dissolution tank 9.

  The outflow port 10 of the dissolution tank 9 is disposed so as to coincide with the injection port 7 of the bathtub 2, and is directly connected to the injection port 7 by tightening a nut 24 inserted through the injection port 7 from the bathtub 2 side. Is done. The nut 24 is rotated at the head 24 b, the screw cut on the outer peripheral surface portion of the trunk portion 24 a is screwed with the screw cut on the inner peripheral surface portion of the fixing portion 25, and the nut 24 is fastened to the fixing portion 25. The

  In order to enhance the water tightness of the connecting portion in such direct connection of the outlet 10 and the injection port 7 with the nut 24, a packing 27 is interposed. The packing 27 also has a cylindrical shape, and a groove portion 27a is formed on the outer peripheral surface portion, and a large diameter ring portion 27b is formed on one side and a small diameter ring portion 27c is formed on the other side across the groove portion 27a. Both the large diameter ring portion 27b and the small diameter ring portion 27c are annular, and the outer diameter of the large diameter ring portion 27b is larger than the outer diameter of the small diameter ring portion 27c. On the other hand, the inner diameter of the large-diameter ring portion 27 b and the inner diameter of the small-diameter ring portion 27 c are equal and slightly larger than the outer diameter of the trunk portion 24 a of the nut 24.

  The packing 27 is attached to the injection port 7 of the bathtub 2 prior to the direct connection of the outlet 10 and the injection port 7 by the nut 24. The small-diameter ring portion 27c is disposed inside the side wall portion 4b of the bathtub 2, the large-diameter ring portion 27b is disposed outside the side wall portion 4b, and the side wall portion 4b positioned around the injection port 7 is disposed in the groove portion 27a. By inserting, the packing 27 is attached to the side wall portion 4b of the bathtub 2. In this state, direct connection by the nut 24 as described above is performed. As the nut 24 is tightened, the large diameter ring portion 27 b is compressed between the flange portion 26 on the outlet 10 side and the side wall portion 4 b of the bathtub 2, and the small diameter ring portion 27 c is attached to the nut 24. It is compressed between the head part 24b and the side wall part 4b, and it adheres to both and watertightness is ensured.

  Moreover, the cover 28 for finishing an external appearance beautifully is attached inside the side wall part 4b of the bathtub 2. As shown in FIG. The cover 28 covers and conceals the head 24b of the nut 24 after fastening from the outside, thereby improving the appearance. The cover 28 has a cylindrical body portion 28a having an outer diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the body portion 24a of the nut 24, a front cover portion 28b extending from one end portion of the body portion 28a to the outer periphery, and a front cover. A side cover portion 28c extending from the outer peripheral end of the portion 28b to the back side. The width of the front cover portion 28 b is slightly larger than the width of the head portion 24 b of the nut 24.

  A screw is cut on the outer peripheral surface portion of the body portion 28 a of the cover 28. Corresponding to this screw, the nut 24 is threaded on the inner peripheral surface from the head 24b to the body 24a, and both screws can be screwed together. After the nut 24 is attached, the cover 28 is screwed to the nut 24 by inserting the body portion 28a into the nut 24 and rotating the front cover portion 28b and the side cover portion 28c. The cover 28 attached in this manner covers and hides the nut 24 by the front cover portion 28b and the side cover portion 28c, and finishes the periphery of the injection port 7 beautifully.

  The fine bubble generating cartridge 29 can be attached to the inside of the trunk portion 24a of the nut 24 in a replaceable manner. The fine bubble generation cartridge 29 promotes the generation of fine bubbles when air-dissolved water is ejected from the injection port 7 into the bathtub 2 through the outlet 10 of the dissolution tank 9, and the amount of fine bubbles is sufficiently increased. .

  Thus, since the outlet 10 formed in the lower end part of the dissolution tank 9 and the injection port 7 formed in the side wall part 4b of the bathtub 2 are directly connected by the nut 24, the outlet 10 and the injection port 7 The direct connection is realized by a simple means called a nut 24, and the connection becomes very easy. In addition, piping for connecting the outlet 10 and the injection port 7 is not required, the space required for installing the fine bubble generating device 1 is reduced, and the fine bubble generating device 1 is compactly accommodated. Furthermore, when the piping is unnecessary, the pressure loss corresponding to that is reduced, the pressure in the dissolution tank 9 is increased, and the generation amount of fine bubbles is increased.

  As mentioned above, although one Embodiment of the fine bubble generator of this invention was explained in full detail, the fine bubble generator of this invention is not limited by the said embodiment. Various forms are possible for the shape, size, and configuration of the dissolution tank, spray nozzle, and the like. The same applies to a bathtub that can be installed with the fine bubble generator of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fine bubble generator 2 Bathtub 4b Side wall part 5 Hot water 7 Injection port 8 Circulation path 9 Dissolution tank 10 Outflow port 12 Pump 17 Spray nozzle 18 Opening 24 Nut a Long diameter b Short diameter

Claims (2)

A circulation path that is connected to the inside of the bathtub and can circulate hot water in the bathtub, and that is disposed outside the bathtub, a pump that is disposed in the middle of the circulation path and circulates the hot water in the bathtub, In the fine bubble generating device provided with a dissolution tank that is disposed at the downstream end of the water and mixes hot water and air supplied to the inside and generates air-dissolved water in which air is dissolved,
The dissolution tank is a horizontally long hollow box, and the dissolution tank is provided with a spray nozzle for spraying and supplying hot water therein, and the opening of the spray nozzle has an elliptical shape having a major axis and a minor axis. The fine bubble generator is characterized in that the major axis is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the dissolution tank.   The fine bubble generating device according to claim 1, wherein the outlet formed at the lower end of the dissolution tank and the injection port formed at the side wall of the bathtub are directly connected by a nut.

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