JP2020069389A - Bathtub washing device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a bathtub washing device capable of efficiently scattering a limited amount of detergent water to an entire inner wall surface of a bathtub, and capable of inhibiting a part where detergent water is not applied from occurring in the inner wall surface of the bathtub without impairing design properties on the appearance.SOLUTION: A bathtub washing device includes: a tank 10 that stores detergent; a detergent mixing part 20 that mixes detergent supplied from the tank with water supplied from a water supply source and generates detergent water; a nozzle 30 provided on an inner bottom surface of the bathtub that includes a jet port for jetting detergent water to a part of an inner wall surface of the bathtub; a stepping motor 51 that rotates the nozzle around an axis in a vertical direction; and a control part that controls the stepping motor. The nozzle has a rotatable range in which it can be rotated between a first rotation position and a second rotation position only by a rotation shaft of the stepping motor, the rotatable range being larger than 360 degrees.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  Aspects of the present invention generally relate to bath cleaning devices.

  A bath cleaning device that automatically cleans a bath is known (Patent Document 1). Such a bathtub cleaning device can automatically clean the inner wall surface of the bathtub by spraying detergent or water (hot water) on the inner wall surface of the bathtub.

  In the bath cleaning using the conventional bath cleaning device, from the viewpoint of cleaning power, it is recommended to clean the bath on the day of bathing in order to sufficiently remove dirt. This is because, for example, the next day after bathing, dirt adheres to the bathtub and becomes difficult to remove. However, there are many households that store the remaining hot water in the bathtub until the day after bathing, such as when using the remaining hot water in the bathtub for washing or for the purpose of using it in the event of a disaster. In some cases, the bathtub may not be washed on the day of bathing. Therefore, it is required to improve the cleaning power of the bath cleaning device so that the dirt can be sufficiently removed on the day after the bath.

JP-A-5-49589

  The bathtub cleaning device, for example, sprays detergent water obtained by diluting a detergent with water from a nozzle onto the inner wall surface of the bathtub to automatically wash the inner wall surface of the bathtub. In such a bath cleaning apparatus, increasing the concentration of detergent in detergent water can be considered as a means for improving the cleaning power. For example, by reducing the amount of water that dilutes the detergent, the concentration of the detergent in the detergent water can be increased without increasing the usage amount of the detergent.

  On the other hand, if the amount of water used to dilute the detergent is reduced, the amount of detergent water that can be spouted decreases, so, for example, in the method that spouts detergent water toward the four inner wall surfaces of the bathtub at the same time, Not enough detergent water can be sprayed on the entire wall. Therefore, as a means for efficiently spraying a limited amount of detergent water over the entire inner wall surface of the bathtub, a nozzle is provided on the inner bottom surface of the bathtub while spraying the detergent water from the nozzle toward a part of the inner wall surface of the bathtub. A method of rotating the nozzle can be considered.

  However, in the above method, it may take some time from the start of spraying the detergent water to the desired spouting form, and if the nozzle is rotated at the same time as the spray of the detergent water, the nozzle will be discharged on the inner wall surface of the bathtub. There is a problem in that there is a portion where the detergent water spouted from the spray does not directly come into contact.

  As a means for solving this, it is conceivable to make the movable range (rotatable range) in which the nozzle rotates larger than 360 degrees. By making the rotatable range larger than 360 degrees, even if the nozzle starts to rotate with unstable water spouting immediately after the start of spouting, the detergent water can be spouted again into the spouted region immediately after the start of spouting. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the generation of the portion on the inner wall surface of the bathtub where the detergent water is not applied.

  On the other hand, in order to suppress the generation of the portion where the detergent water is not splashed, it is desirable to discharge water according to the shape of the bathtub. As a means for achieving this, it is conceivable to use a stepping motor capable of finely adjusting the rotation of the nozzle, but in this case, it is required to grasp the position of the ejection port that moves due to the rotation of the nozzle. In the configuration in which the position of the ejection port is grasped by the stepping motor, the rotatable range of the nozzle cannot normally be set to 360 degrees or more. As a configuration for grasping the rotational position of the nozzle while the rotatable range of the nozzle is set to 360 degrees or more by the stepping motor, for example, it is conceivable to provide another shaft (two-axis configuration) connected to the rotation shaft of the stepping motor. In this case, there is a problem that the structure of the drive unit including the stepping motor is enlarged, and the design of the appearance is impaired. Further, as another configuration, it is possible to grasp the rotational position of the nozzle while setting the rotatable range of the nozzle to 360 degrees or more by using a Hall IC or a magnet, but in this case, the design of the external appearance is impaired and There is a problem that the cost also increases.

  The present invention has been made based on the recognition of such a problem, and a limited amount of detergent water can be efficiently sprayed over the entire inner wall surface of the bathtub, without impairing the appearance of the bathtub. It is an object of the present invention to provide a bathtub cleaning device capable of suppressing the generation of a portion on the inner wall surface of a bath where detergent water is not applied.

  A first invention is provided on a tank for storing a detergent, a detergent mixing section for mixing detergent supplied from the tank and water supplied from a water supply source to generate detergent water, and an inner bottom surface of a bathtub. A nozzle having an ejection port for ejecting the detergent water toward a part of an inner wall surface of the bath, a stepping motor for rotating the nozzle about a vertical axis, and a control section for controlling the stepping motor. The nozzle has a rotatable range rotatable between a first rotation position and a second rotation position only by the rotation shaft of the stepping motor, and the rotatable range is larger than 360 degrees. A bath cleaning device characterized by:

  According to this bathtub cleaning device, a nozzle is provided on the inner bottom surface of the bathtub, and the detergent water is jetted from the nozzle (spout port) toward a part of the inner wall surface of the bathtub to rotate the nozzle, thereby providing a limited amount. The detergent water can be efficiently sprayed on the entire inner wall surface of the bathtub. In addition, according to this bathtub cleaning device, the rotation shaft of the stepping motor can be used to grasp the rotation position of the nozzle while the rotation shaft of the stepping motor can be grasped without providing another shaft connected to the rotation shaft of the stepping motor, a Hall IC, a magnet, or the like. The possible range can be greater than 360 degrees. As a result, even if the nozzle starts to rotate with unstable water spouting immediately after the start of spouting, the detergent water can be spouted again into the spouted area immediately after the spouting without impairing the design of the appearance. Therefore, it is possible to spray the detergent water according to the shape of the bathtub, and it is possible to suppress the generation of the portion on the inner wall surface of the bathtub where the detergent water is not applied.

  2nd invention is a 1st invention, The shaft part which transmits the torque of the said stepping motor to the said nozzle, the raising / lowering part which raises and lowers the said nozzle by raising and lowering the said shaft part, and the said shaft A lower restricting portion that restricts downward movement of the nozzle, and an upper restricting portion that restricts upward movement of the nozzle, and the rotation axis of the shaft portion is coaxial with the rotation axis of the stepping motor. The elevating unit rotates the shaft unit to raise and lower the shaft unit, and when the shaft unit rotates as the stepping motor rotates, the shaft unit contacts the lower restriction unit. By contacting, the rotation of the nozzle is stopped at the first rotation position, and the nozzle comes into contact with the upper restricting portion to move to the second rotation position. Rotation of the using a nozzle is bathtub cleaning apparatus characterized by stops.

  According to this bathtub cleaning device, the rotation of the nozzle is stopped by the lower regulation part and the upper regulation part, so that the horizontal size of the nozzle is made compact, and the rotatable position of the nozzle is grasped while grasping the rotational position of the nozzle. It can be greater than 360 degrees. As a result, the rotatable range of the nozzle can be made larger than 360 degrees while using the stepping motor, and the rotation of the nozzle can be stopped at a specific position without deteriorating the appearance design. Therefore, it is possible to further suppress the generation of a portion on the inner wall surface of the bathtub to which the detergent water is not applied.

  3rd invention is a 1st invention, Comprising: The shaft part which transmits the torque of the said stepping motor to the said nozzle, a part of said shaft part penetrates up and down, and the ring which can be rotated centering on a vertical direction. A casing having a shaft housing portion that rotatably houses the shaft portion, wherein a rotation axis of the shaft portion is coaxial with a rotation axis of the stepping motor, and the shaft portion includes a shaft body and A first protrusion that protrudes upward, downward, or radially outward from the surface of the shaft body, wherein the ring has a ring body and the first protrusion provided on the ring body. First restricting portion that restricts movement of the ring body with respect to the ring body in the rotational direction, and second protrusion that projects upward, downward, or radially outward from the surface of the ring body. And is rotatable in conjunction with the shaft portion by the first protruding portion and the first restricting portion, and the casing is provided in the shaft housing portion and is disposed in a rotational direction of the second protruding portion. A second restricting part for restricting movement, and when the shaft part rotates with the rotation of the stepping motor, the first projecting part abuts on one end of the first restricting part, and The rotation of the nozzle is stopped at the first rotation position by the second protrusion contacting one end of the second restricting portion, and the first protrusion is the other end of the first restricting portion. In the bathtub cleaning device, the rotation of the nozzle is stopped at the second rotation position by contacting the second projection portion with the other end portion of the second restriction portion while contacting the second portion. is there.

  According to this bathtub cleaning device, the rotation of the nozzle is stopped by the first protruding portion, the second protruding portion, the first restricting portion, and the second restricting portion, so that the size of the nozzle periphery in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction is reduced. While being compact, the rotatable range of the nozzle can be made larger than 360 degrees while grasping the rotational position of the nozzle. As a result, the rotatable range of the nozzle can be made larger than 360 degrees while using the stepping motor, and the rotation of the nozzle can be stopped at a specific position without deteriorating the appearance design. Therefore, it is possible to further suppress the generation of a portion on the inner wall surface of the bathtub to which the detergent water is not applied.

  In a fourth aspect based on the third aspect, the shaft accommodating portion has a shaft regulating portion that regulates downward movement of the shaft portion, and the second projecting portion extends from an outer peripheral surface of the ring body. The bath cleaning device is characterized in that it projects outward in the radial direction from the outer peripheral surface of the shaft body.

  According to this bathtub cleaning device, by providing the second projecting portion projecting from the outer peripheral surface of the ring main body to the outer side in the radial direction from the outer peripheral surface of the shaft main body, the horizontal and vertical directions around the nozzle can be made with a simpler configuration. It is possible to make the rotatable range of the nozzle larger than 360 degrees while making the size in the direction compact.

  5th invention is a 1st invention, Comprising: The 1st rotating member which rotates with rotation of the said stepping motor, The 2nd rotating member which engages with the said 1st rotating member, and rotates with the said 1st rotating member. Further comprising: a casing that houses the nozzle, the stepping motor, the first rotating member, and the second rotating member, wherein the rotating shaft of the first rotating member and the rotating shaft of the second rotating member are The second rotating member is coaxial with the rotation axis of the stepping motor, and after the nozzle starts rotating, the second rotating member engages with the first rotating member and starts to rotate. A bath cleaning device characterized by stopping rotation.

  According to this bathtub cleaning device, by providing the first rotating member and the second rotating member, the size of the nozzle periphery in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction can be increased without changing the position in the height direction of the nozzle during rotation. While the size is made compact, the rotatable range of the nozzle can be made larger than 360 degrees while grasping the rotational position of the nozzle. As a result, the rotatable range of the nozzle can be made larger than 360 degrees while using the stepping motor, and the rotation of the nozzle can be stopped at a specific position without deteriorating the appearance design. Therefore, it is possible to further suppress the generation of a portion on the inner wall surface of the bathtub to which the detergent water is not applied.

  In a sixth aspect based on the fifth aspect, the first rotating member is provided in the stepping motor, and protrudes upward, downward, or radially outward from the surface of the stepping motor, and the second rotating member. The member has a first restricting portion that restricts movement of the first rotating member with respect to the second rotating member in the rotation direction, and the casing restricts second movement of the second rotating member in the rotation direction. And a first rotating member contacts one end of the first restricting portion and the second rotating member has one end of the second restricting portion when the stepping motor rotates. The rotation of the nozzle is stopped at the first rotation position by contacting the first rotation member, the first rotation member contacts the other end of the first restriction portion, and the second rotation member moves the second rotation member. The other side of 2 regulation By abutting the end portions, the rotation of the nozzle in the second rotational position is a bathtub cleaning apparatus characterized by stops.

  According to this bathtub cleaning device, the stepping motor is provided with the first rotating member, and the rotation of the nozzle is stopped by the first rotating member, the second rotating member, and the casing, so that the size around the nozzle in the horizontal and vertical directions is increased. While the size is made compact, the rotatable range of the nozzle can be made larger than 360 degrees while grasping the rotational position of the nozzle. As a result, the rotatable range of the nozzle can be made larger than 360 degrees while using the stepping motor, and the rotation of the nozzle can be stopped at a specific position without deteriorating the appearance design. Therefore, it is possible to further suppress the generation of a portion on the inner wall surface of the bathtub to which the detergent water is not applied.

  In a seventh aspect based on the fifth aspect, the first rotating member is provided in the nozzle and protrudes upward, downward, or radially outward from the surface of the nozzle, and the second rotating member is A first restricting portion that restricts movement of the first rotating member in the rotational direction with respect to the second rotating member, and the casing includes a second restricting portion that restricts movement of the second rotating member in the rotational direction. When the stepping motor rotates, the first rotating member contacts one end of the first restricting portion, and the second rotating member contacts one end of the second restricting portion. By abutting, rotation of the nozzle is stopped at the first rotation position, the first rotating member abuts on the other end of the first restricting portion, and the second rotating member causes the second restricting member. By contacting the other end of the part, Rotation of the nozzle in the serial second rotational position is a bathtub cleaning apparatus characterized by stops.

  According to this bathtub cleaning device, the first rotating member is provided in the nozzle, and the rotation of the nozzle is stopped by the first rotating member, the second rotating member, and the casing, so that the horizontal size and the vertical size of the periphery of the nozzle are increased. It is possible to make the rotatable range of the nozzle larger than 360 degrees while keeping the compact size and grasping the rotational position of the nozzle. As a result, the rotatable range of the nozzle can be made larger than 360 degrees while using the stepping motor, and the rotation of the nozzle can be stopped at a specific position without deteriorating the appearance design. Therefore, it is possible to further suppress the generation of a portion on the inner wall surface of the bathtub to which the detergent water is not applied.

  8th invention is a 6th or 7th invention, Comprising: The shaft part which transmits the torque of the said stepping motor to the said nozzle is further provided, The rotating shaft of the said shaft part is coaxial with the rotating shaft of the said stepping motor. It is a bath cleaning device characterized by the above.

  According to this bathtub cleaning device, by providing the shaft portion, it is possible to use a general-purpose stepping motor and have a configuration that is easily assembled.

  In a ninth aspect based on the fifth aspect, a shaft portion for transmitting torque of the stepping motor to the nozzle is further provided, and a rotation axis of the shaft portion is coaxial with a rotation axis of the stepping motor. The first rotating member is provided on the shaft portion and protrudes upward, downward, or radially outward from the surface of the shaft portion, and the second rotating member is the second rotating member of the first rotating member. Has a first restricting portion that restricts movement in the rotational direction with respect to the casing, the casing has a second restricting portion that restricts movement in the rotational direction of the second rotating member, and when the stepping motor rotates, When the first rotating member abuts on one end of the first restricting portion and the second rotating member abuts on one end of the second restricting portion, the first rotating member is in the first rotating position. The rotation of the nozzle is stopped, the first rotating member abuts on the other end of the first restricting portion, and the second rotating member abuts on the other end of the second restricting portion. The bath cleaning device is characterized in that the rotation of the nozzle is stopped at the second rotation position.

  According to this bathtub cleaning apparatus, the first rotating member is provided on the shaft portion, and the rotation of the nozzle is stopped by the first rotating member, the second rotating member, and the casing, so that the size around the nozzle in the horizontal and vertical directions is increased. While the size is made compact, the rotatable range of the nozzle can be made larger than 360 degrees while grasping the rotational position of the nozzle. As a result, the rotatable range of the nozzle can be made larger than 360 degrees while using the stepping motor, and the rotation of the nozzle can be stopped at a specific position without deteriorating the appearance design. Therefore, it is possible to further suppress the generation of a portion on the inner wall surface of the bathtub to which the detergent water is not applied.

  In a tenth invention according to any one of the sixth to ninth inventions, the second rotating member projects from a main body portion and a surface of the main body portion upward, downward, or radially outward. It is a bathtub washing | cleaning apparatus characterized by further including a protrusion, and the said 2nd regulation part regulates movement of the said protrusion in the rotation direction.

  According to this bathtub cleaning device, by providing the protrusion in the second rotating member, the size of the nozzle periphery in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction is made compact, and the rotatable range of the nozzle is 360 degrees. Can be larger than.

  An eleventh invention is the eighth or ninth invention, further comprising a shaft restricting part for restricting downward movement of the shaft part, wherein the second rotating member has a main body part and an outer peripheral surface of the main body part. From the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion, the protruding portion protruding radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion.

  According to this bathtub cleaning device, the second rotating member is provided with the protruding portion that protrudes outward from the outer peripheral surface of the main body in the radial direction with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion. It is possible to make the rotatable range of the nozzle larger than 360 degrees while making the size in the vertical and vertical directions compact.

  In a twelfth aspect based on any one of the seventh to eleventh aspects, the casing has a first space for accommodating the nozzle and a second space for accommodating the stepping motor, The bath cleaning device is characterized in that a seal member is provided between the first space and the second space, and the second rotating member material is provided in the second space.

  According to this bathtub cleaning device, by providing the second rotating member in the second space of the casing that houses the stepping motor, it is possible to prevent water from splashing into the second rotating member from the bathtub. As a result, it is possible to prevent dust and the like contained in water from the bathtub from adhering to the second rotating member, and it is possible to suppress the occurrence of defects such as poor rotation of the nozzle due to the dust adhering. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in cleaning performance.

  According to the aspect of the present invention, a limited amount of detergent water can be efficiently sprayed over the entire inner wall surface of the bathtub, and a portion of the inner wall surface of the bathtub where the detergent water is not splashed without impairing the design of the appearance. Provided is a bathtub cleaning device capable of suppressing the occurrence of

It is a top view which represents typically the bathtub system provided with the bathtub washing | cleaning apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which represents typically the bathtub cleaning apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram which represents typically the bath cleaning apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B are cross-sectional views schematically showing the vicinity of the nozzle of the bath cleaning apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the vicinity of the nozzle of the bath cleaning apparatus according to the first embodiment. It is a perspective view showing the shaft part periphery of the bathtub cleaning apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. 7A to 7E are plan views showing movement around the shaft portion when the nozzle is rotated clockwise in the bath cleaning apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8A to FIG. 8E are plan views showing movement around the shaft portion when the nozzle is rotated counterclockwise in the bathtub cleaning apparatus according to the first embodiment. It is a perspective view showing the shaft part periphery of the bath cleaning apparatus which concerns on the modification of 1st Embodiment. It is a perspective view showing the shaft part periphery of the bath cleaning apparatus which concerns on the modification of 1st Embodiment. 11A and 11B are cross-sectional views schematically showing the vicinity of the nozzle of the bath cleaning apparatus according to the modified example of the first embodiment. It is a flow chart showing operation of a bathtub cleaning device concerning a 1st embodiment. It is sectional drawing which represents typically the nozzle periphery of the bath cleaning apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the stepping motor periphery of the bath cleaning apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. FIGS. 15A to 15E are plan views showing the movement around the stepping motor when the nozzle is rotated clockwise in the bathtub cleaning apparatus according to the second embodiment. It is sectional drawing which represents typically the nozzle periphery of the bath cleaning apparatus which concerns on the modification of 2nd Embodiment. It is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the nozzle periphery of the bath cleaning apparatus which concerns on the modification of 2nd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which represents typically the nozzle periphery of the bath cleaning apparatus which concerns on the modification of 2nd Embodiment. It is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the stepping motor periphery of the bath cleaning apparatus which concerns on the modification of 2nd Embodiment. 20A to 20E are plan views showing the movement around the stepping motor when the nozzle is rotated clockwise in the bathtub cleaning apparatus according to the modified example of the second embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be appropriately omitted.
(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a bathtub system including the bathtub cleaning device according to the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, the bathtub system 500 includes, for example, a bathtub 100 and a bathtub cleaning device 200.

  Bathtub 100 is installed on the floor of the bathroom, for example. The bathtub 100 has, for example, a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box shape, and is open upward. The bathtub 100 has, for example, a horizontally long shape having long sides and short sides in a top view. The bathtub 100 has an inner wall surface 110 and an upper surface 130. The inner wall surface 110 is an inner surface of the bathtub 100. The upper surface 130 is a surface that extends outward from the upper end of the inner wall surface 110.

  The inner wall surface 110 has an inner bottom surface 111 located at the lowermost part of the inner wall surface 110 and an inner wall surface 112 located above the inner bottom surface 111. The inner wall surface 112 is, for example, a first inner wall surface 112a and a second inner wall surface 112b on the short side of the bath 100 in a top view, and a third inner wall surface 112c and a fourth inner wall surface on the long side of the bath 100 in a top view. 112d. The first inner wall surface 112a faces the second inner wall surface 112b, for example. The third inner wall surface 112c faces, for example, the fourth inner wall surface 112d. The third inner wall surface 112c is located, for example, on the floor side of the bathroom in the bathroom.

  The inner bottom surface 111 is provided with a drain port 115 for discharging the liquid in the bath 100 downward. The drainage port 115 is provided, for example, in the approximate center of the long side of the bathtub 100 in a top view. The drain outlet 115 is located, for example, on the wash floor floor side of the bathroom (that is, on the third inner wall surface 112c side) with respect to the center of the short side of the bath 100 in a top view. In other words, for example, the horizontal distance between the third inner wall surface 112c and the drain port 115 is shorter than the horizontal distance between the fourth inner wall surface 112d and the drain port 115.

  In this example, a detergent inlet 135 is provided on the upper surface 130 of the bath 100. The detergent input port 135 may be provided in, for example, a bath apron located closer to the washing floor than the inner wall surface 110 of the bathtub 100 or the third inner wall surface 112c. The detergent inlet 135 is connected to the bath cleaning device 200 (a tank described later).

  Further, in this example, the bathtub 100 has a step 140. Step 140 is a step provided inside the bathtub 100 (that is, inside the inner wall surface 110) above the inner bottom surface 111 and below the upper surface 130. In step 140, the step upper surface 141 extending inward from one of the inner wall surfaces 112 on the shorter side (in this example, the first inner wall surface 112 a) and the inner end of the step upper surface 141 toward the inner bottom surface 111. And a step side surface 142 that extends. One ends of the step upper surface 141 and the step side surface 142 are connected to the third inner wall surface 112c. The other ends of the step upper surface 141 and the step side surface 142 are connected to the fourth inner wall surface 112d. Step 140 is optional and can be omitted.

  The bathtub cleaning device 200 is provided in the bathtub 100. More specifically, a part of the bath cleaning device 200 (for example, a nozzle described below) is provided on the inner wall surface 110 of the bath 100. Another part of the bathtub cleaning device 200 (for example, each part other than a nozzle described later) is provided in a space between the bathtub 100 and a side wall surface of the bathroom and a space below the bathtub 100.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the bath cleaning apparatus according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically showing the bath cleaning apparatus according to the first embodiment.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the bath cleaning device 200 includes a tank 10, a detergent mixing unit 20, a nozzle 30, an ejection control unit 40, a drive unit 50, and a control unit 60.

  The tank 10 is connected to the detergent input port 135 and stores the detergent input from the detergent input port 135. The tank 10 is provided with, for example, a water level detection unit 11 such as a float switch.

  The detergent mixing unit 20 is provided downstream of the tank 10 and the water supply source WS. The detergent mixing unit 20 mixes the detergent supplied from the tank 10 with the water supplied from the water supply source WS to generate detergent water. In addition, in this specification, the term “water” includes not only cold water but also heated hot water. That is, the water supply source WS may include, for example, a water heater.

  The detergent mixing unit 20 is, for example, a tank that stores detergent water. The detergent mixing unit 20 stores the detergent water when ejecting the detergent water from the nozzle 30, and stores the water when ejecting the water from the nozzle 30, for example. The detergent mixing unit 20 is provided with a water level detection unit 21 such as a float switch. The detergent mixing unit 20 is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a Venturi tube.

  A detergent flow path 15 is provided between the tank 10 and the detergent mixing section 20. The detergent channel 15 connects the tank 10 and the detergent mixing section 20. The detergent flow path 15 is provided with, for example, an opening / closing valve 16, a flow rate adjusting unit 17, and a pump 18.

  The open / close valve 16 is, for example, a solenoid valve. The open / close valve 16 controls the supply of the detergent to the detergent mixing unit 20. By opening the open / close valve 16, the detergent stored in the tank 10 is supplied to the detergent mixing section 20. By closing the open / close valve 16, the supply of the detergent from the tank 10 to the detergent mixing section 20 is stopped.

  The flow rate adjusting unit 17 is provided downstream of the on-off valve 16, for example. The flow rate adjusting unit 17 is, for example, an orifice. The flow rate adjusting unit 17 adjusts the flow rate of the detergent flowing through the detergent flow path 15. The flow rate adjusting unit 17 is provided as necessary and can be omitted.

  The pump 18 is provided downstream of the opening / closing valve 16 and the flow rate adjusting unit 17, for example. The pump 18 feeds the detergent in the detergent flow path 15 to the detergent mixing section 20.

  A water supply passage 25 is provided between the water supply source WS and the detergent mixing unit 20. The water supply flow path 25 connects the water supply source WS and the detergent mixing unit 20. The water supply passage 25 is provided with, for example, an opening / closing valve 26 and a flow rate adjusting unit 27.

  The open / close valve 26 is, for example, a solenoid valve. The open / close valve 26 controls the supply of water to the detergent mixing section 20. By opening the open / close valve 26, the water from the water supply source WS is supplied to the detergent mixing section 20. By closing the opening / closing valve 26, the supply of water from the water supply source WS to the detergent mixing section 20 is stopped.

  The flow rate adjusting unit 27 is provided downstream of the on-off valve 26, for example. The flow rate adjusting unit 27 is, for example, a constant flow rate valve. The flow rate adjusting unit 27 adjusts the flow rate of water flowing through the water supply passage 25.

  The nozzle 30 is provided on the inner bottom surface 111 of the bath 100. The nozzle 30 is provided, for example, in the approximate center of the long side of the bath 100 in a top view. The nozzle 30 is provided, for example, in the approximate center of the short side of the bath 100 in a top view.

  The nozzle 30 has a jet port 31. The spout 31 spouts a liquid (detergent water or water) toward a part of the inner wall surface 112 of the bath 100. The nozzle 30 is provided so as to be rotatable about the vertical direction (that is, in the horizontal direction).

  The nozzle 30 is provided, for example, so that the ejection port 31 faces a direction other than the first direction D1 from the nozzle 30 toward the drain port 115 at a position where ejection of the detergent water is started.

  By providing the nozzle 30 in such an orientation, it is possible to prevent the detergent water ejected from the ejection port 31 from being directly discharged to the drain port 115 before the rotation of the nozzle 30 is started. In other words, the detergent water jetted from the jet port 31 can be discharged from the drain port 115 through the inner bottom surface 111 of the bathtub 100 before the rotation of the nozzle 30 is started. Thereby, even if the detergent water is ejected from the ejection port 31 before the rotation of the nozzle 30 is started in order to suppress the generation of the portion where the detergent water is not applied, the path to the drainage port 115 is extended. Thus, the inner bottom surface 111 of the bathtub 100 can be effectively used for cleaning, and the waste of the detergent water can be suppressed.

  In this example, the drain 115 is provided in the direction from the nozzle 30 toward the third inner wall surface 112c. Therefore, in this example, the nozzle 30 may be provided so that the ejection port 31 faces the first inner wall surface 112a, the second inner wall surface 112b, or the fourth inner wall surface 112d at the position where the ejection of the detergent water is started. preferable. Further, in this example, the step 140 is provided on the first inner wall surface 112a side. Therefore, in this example, it is more preferable that the nozzle 30 is provided so that the ejection port 31 faces the first inner wall surface 112a at the position where ejection of the detergent water is started.

A horizontal water discharge angle θ ₁ (see FIG. 1) of the liquid when the water is stably discharged from the jet port 31 is, for example, a vertical water discharge angle θ of the liquid when the water is stably discharged from the jet port 31. ₂ (see FIG. 2). In other words, for example, the nozzle 30 (jet port 31) jets the liquid in a vertically long shape. In this way, by ejecting the liquid in a vertically long shape, it is possible to more efficiently spray a limited amount of liquid over the entire inner wall surface 112 of the bath 100.

The water discharge angle θ _{1 in the} horizontal direction is obtained by photographing the liquid discharge shape of the liquid when the water is stably discharged from the spout 31 with a camera provided above the nozzle 30 for a predetermined time (for example, 1 second), and The horizontal water discharge angle φ ₁ of the liquid within a predetermined time can be obtained, and can be calculated from the difference between this water discharge angle φ ₁ and the horizontal rotation angle φ _{2 of} the nozzle 30 rotated within the predetermined time (θ ₁ = φ ₁ −φ ₂ ).

The vertical water discharge angle θ ₂ is obtained from the vertical water discharge angle in the photographed image by photographing the water discharge shape of the liquid when water is stably discharged from the ejection port 31 with a camera provided on the side of the nozzle 30. be able to.

The water discharge angle θ _{1 in the} horizontal direction is preferably 5 degrees or more and 30 degrees or less. The water discharge angle θ _{2 in the} vertical direction is preferably, for example, 30 degrees or more and 180 degrees or less. Incidentally, the water discharge angle theta ₂ vertical in the case of ejecting the water is preferably larger than the spouting angle theta ₂ vertical in the case of ejecting the detergent water.

  A cleaning flow path 35 is provided between the detergent mixing unit 20 and the nozzle 30. The cleaning flow path 35 connects the detergent mixing unit 20 and the nozzle 30. The cleaning flow path 35 is provided with, for example, a jet control unit 40 and a backflow prevention unit 36.

  The ejection control unit 40 controls ejection of the liquid from the ejection port 31. The ejection control unit 40 is provided downstream of the detergent mixing unit 20. The ejection control unit 40 is, for example, a pump. The ejection control unit 40 may be, for example, an opening / closing valve such as a solenoid valve. The ejection control unit 40 controls the instantaneous flow rate of the liquid ejected from the ejection port 31, for example.

  The backflow prevention unit 36 is provided downstream of the ejection control unit 40, for example. The backflow prevention unit 36 suppresses backflow of detergent water, water, drainage, etc. from the nozzle 30 to the detergent mixing unit 20. The check valve 36 is, for example, a check valve. The backflow prevention unit 36 may be an opening / closing valve such as a solenoid valve. A plurality of backflow prevention units 36 may be provided, for example.

  The drive unit 50 drives the nozzle 30. The drive unit 50 has, for example, a rotating unit 51 that rotates the nozzle 30 about a vertical axis. The rotating unit 51 is a stepping motor.

  The control unit 60 is electrically connected to the ejection control unit 40 and the driving unit 50 (for example, the rotating unit 51) and controls the ejection control unit 40 and the driving unit 50. More specifically, the control unit 60 controls the ejection control unit 40 to control the start and stop timings of ejection of the liquid from the ejection port 31 and the ejection amount. Further, the control unit 60 controls the driving unit 50 to control the start and stop timings of driving the nozzles 30 and the driving speed. More specifically, the control unit 60 controls the rotation unit 51 to control the timing of starting and stopping the rotation of the nozzle 30 and the rotation speed.

  Further, the control unit 60 controls, for example, the open / close valve 16 of the detergent flow path 15 and the open / close valve 26 of the water supply flow path 25. The control unit 60 controls the on-off valve 16 and the on-off valve 26, for example, based on the detection result of the water level detection unit 21 of the detergent mixing unit 20, so that the concentration and amount of the detergent water generated in the detergent mixing unit 20, Control the amount of water.

FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B are cross-sectional views schematically showing the vicinity of the nozzle of the bath cleaning apparatus according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the vicinity of the nozzle of the bath cleaning apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4A shows a state in which the liquid is not ejected from the nozzle 30 (ejection port 31) (standby state).
FIG. 4B shows a state in which the liquid is ejected from the nozzle 30 (ejection port 31) (ejection state).
As shown in FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B, and FIG. 5, the bath cleaning device 200 includes a shaft portion 70, a ring 75, a casing 80, a seal member 90, a shaft cover 95, Is further provided.

  The shaft portion 70 is provided between the nozzle 30 and the rotating portion 51. The shaft portion 70 has, for example, a substantially cylindrical shape. The shaft portion 70 has, for example, a base portion 71 connected to the rotating portion 51, and an upwardly extending portion 72 extending upward from the base portion 71 and connected to the nozzle 30. The shaft portion 70 transmits the torque of the rotating portion 51 (stepping motor) to the nozzle 30. For example, when the rotating part 51 rotates clockwise, the shaft part 70 and the nozzle 30 rotate clockwise. For example, when the rotating portion 51 rotates counterclockwise, the shaft portion 70 and the nozzle 30 rotate counterclockwise. The rotation axis of the shaft portion 70 is, for example, coaxial with the rotation axis of the rotation portion 51. The shaft portion 70 may be provided integrally with the nozzle 30.

  The ring 75 has a hole through which a part of the shaft portion 70 (upper extending portion 72) passes vertically. The ring 75 is rotatably provided about the vertical direction. The ring 75 has, for example, a substantially cylindrical shape. The ring 75 is provided, for example, on a part (base portion 71) of the shaft portion 70. The ring 75 is provided below the shaft cover 95, for example. The ring 75 is rotatable in association with the rotation of the shaft portion 70. The rotation of the ring 75 will be described later. The ring 75 is not limited to a perfect annular one as long as it can rotate coaxially with the rotation axis of the shaft portion 70. The ring 75 may be formed by cutting out a part of an annular structure.

  The casing 80 is hollow and accommodates the nozzle 30, the rotating portion 51, the shaft portion 70, the ring 75, the seal member 90, and the shaft cover 95 in the internal space. In this example, the casing 80 has a first space 81 and a second space 82. The first space 81 is located inside the bath 100 and the second space 82 is located outside the bath 100. The nozzle 30, the shaft portion 70, the ring 75, the seal member 90, and the shaft cover 95 are stored in the first space 81, and the rotating portion 51 is stored in the second space 82. The casing 80 may not be divided into the first space 81 and the second space 82.

  In this example, the casing 80 has a main body portion 801, an upper lid portion 802, and a bottom lid portion 803. The upper lid portion 802 is provided on the upper portion of the main body portion 801. The bottom lid portion 803 is provided below the main body portion 801. The first space 81 and the second space 82 are spaces between the upper lid portion 802 and the bottom lid portion 803.

  Further, in this example, the casing 80 has a shaft housing portion 84 that houses the shaft portion 70 in a rotatable state in the internal space. The shaft storage portion 84 has, for example, a substantially cylindrical shape. The shaft storage portion 84 connects the first space 81 and the second space 82. Further, the shaft housing portion 84 has a shaft regulating portion 841 which regulates the downward movement of the shaft portion 70. The shaft restricting portion 841 projects, for example, inward in the radial direction from the inner wall surface of the shaft housing portion 84.

  The seal member 90 closes the gap between the nozzle 30 and the casing 80. The seal member 90 is, for example, packing. In this example, the seal member 90 is attached to the nozzle 30. As described above, by attaching the seal member 90 to the nozzle 30, the assemblability and the degree of freedom in shape can be improved. The seal member 90 may be attached to the casing 80, for example.

  The shaft cover 95 is provided so as to cover a part of the shaft portion 70 (base portion 71) and the ring 75. The shaft cover 95 restricts the upward movement of the shaft portion 70 and the ring 75. As a result, it is possible to prevent the shaft portion 70 and the ring 75 from rising even when water pressure is applied. The shaft cover 95 is provided as needed and can be omitted.

  In the embodiment, the nozzle 30, the rotating portion 51, the shaft portion 70, the casing 80, the sealing member 90, and the shaft cover 95 are the same as the nozzle 30, the rotating portion 51, the shaft portion 70, the sealing member 90, and the shaft cover 95 in the casing 80. May be provided as the nozzle unit 180 in which is stored. The nozzle unit 180 is detachably attached to the nozzle unit holder 185 provided on the inner bottom surface 111 of the bath 100. With such a structure, the maintainability of the nozzle 30, the rotating portion 51, the shaft portion 70, the casing 80, the seal member 90, and the shaft cover 95 can be improved.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, in the standby state, the nozzle 30 is at the first position retracted from the inside of the bath 100. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4B, in the jet state, the nozzle 30 is in the second position where it has advanced inside the bath 100. In this way, the nozzle 30 advances and retracts (advance and retract) between the first position and the second position, and ejects the liquid toward the inner wall surface 112 in the state of advancing to the second position. In the embodiment, the nozzle 30 is provided on the inner bottom surface 111 of the bath 100. That is, the second position is higher than the first position. In other words, the nozzle 30 moves up and down between the first position and the second position. Hereinafter, the inner side of the bathtub 100 will be described as an upper side and the outer side of the bathtub 100 as a lower side.

  The drive unit 50 further includes an advancing / retreating unit (elevating / lowering unit) 52 that advances and retracts the nozzle 30. In this example, the advancing / retreating portion 52 is a spring 85 that biases the storage space 83 and the nozzle 30 provided inside the casing 80 downward. The storage space 83 is a space provided inside the casing 80, below the nozzle 30, and capable of storing liquid. The liquid supplied from the cleaning flow path 35 is supplied to the nozzle 30 via this storage space 83. The storage space 83 is, for example, a part of the first space 81.

  When the liquid is supplied from the cleaning flow path 35 to the storage space 83 and the pressure inside the storage space 83 increases when the liquid is ejected from the nozzle 30 (the ejection port 31), the liquid flows upward from the storage space 83 to the nozzle 30. The pushing force works. When this upward force becomes larger than the downward force of the spring 85, the nozzle 30 moves upward (advance) from the first position toward the second position. On the other hand, when the pressure inside the storage space 83 increases due to the liquid, the liquid is ejected from the ejection port 31. At this time, ejection of the liquid from the ejection port 31 is started before the nozzle 30 reaches the second position. When the supply of the liquid from the cleaning flow path 35 is stopped, the ejection of the liquid from the ejection port 31 is stopped. When the amount of liquid in the storage space 83 decreases and the upward force that pushes up the nozzle 30 becomes smaller than the downward force of the spring 85, the nozzle 30 descends (retracts) from the second position toward the first position. ..

  By using such an advancing / retreating portion 52, it is possible to advance / retreat the nozzle 30 without providing a drive mechanism such as a motor. Therefore, the area around the nozzle 30 can be downsized, and the maintainability around the nozzle 30 can be improved.

  The advancing / retreating unit 52 is not limited to this, and may be an actuator such as a motor or a solenoid that advances / retreats the nozzle 30. When the advancing / retreating unit 52 is an actuator, the advancing / retreating unit 52 is electrically connected to the control unit 60 and controlled by the control unit 60, for example. The advancing / retreating part 52 may be, for example, an elevating part that elevates and lowers the shaft 70 to raise and lower the nozzle 30. Such lifting unit will be described later.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the vicinity of the shaft portion of the bath cleaning apparatus according to the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 6, the shaft portion 70 has a shaft main body 70a and a first protruding portion 221. The shaft main body 70a has, for example, the base portion 71 and the upper extension portion 72 described above. The first protrusion 221 protrudes upward, downward, or radially outward from the surface of the shaft body 70a (for example, the base 71 or the upper extension 72). The first protrusion 221 is, for example, a rod-shaped member that protrudes from the surface of the shaft body 70a. In this example, the first projecting portion 221 projects radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the shaft body 70a (upper extending portion 72). The first projecting portion 221 may, for example, project outward from the outer peripheral surface of the shaft body 70a (upward extension portion 72) in the radial direction and then extend upward, or the shaft body 70a (base portion 71). May project upward from the upper surface of the. A modification of the first protrusion 221 will be described later.

  The ring 75 has a ring main body 75a, a first restricting portion 231, and a second projecting portion 222. The first restricting portion 231 is provided on the ring main body 75a and restricts the movement of the first projecting portion 221 in the rotational direction with respect to the ring main body 75a. In this example, the first restricting portion 231 is a groove that is provided in a part of the ring main body 75a and is open on the inner side in the radial direction. The first restricting portion 231 may penetrate, for example, from the inner side to the outer side in the radial direction, or may be a notch in which an upper portion or a lower portion of the groove is opened. A modified example of the first restriction portion 231 will be described later. The first restricting portion 231 restricts the first end portion 231a that restricts the clockwise rotational movement of the first protruding portion 221 with respect to the ring body 75a and the counterclockwise rotational movement of the first protruding portion 221 with respect to the ring body 75a. And a second end portion 231b.

  The second protrusion 222 protrudes upward, downward, or radially outward from the surface of the ring body 75a. The second protrusion 222 is, for example, a rod-shaped member that protrudes from the surface of the ring body 75a. In this example, the second protrusion 222 protrudes radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the ring body 75a. Further, the second protruding portion 222 projects from the outer peripheral surface of the ring main body 75a to the outer side in the radial direction with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the shaft main body 70a. In other words, the end of the second protrusion 222 opposite to the ring body 75a is located radially outside the outer peripheral surface of the shaft body 70a. The second projecting portion 222 may project from the outer peripheral surface of the ring body 75a toward the outer side in the radial direction and then extend upward or downward, or may project from the upper surface of the ring body 75a upward. May be. A modified example of the second protrusion 222 will be described later.

  The casing 80 has a second restriction portion 232. The second regulation portion 232 is provided in the shaft housing portion 84 and regulates the movement of the second protrusion 222 in the rotation direction. In this example, the second restricting portion 232 is an upright portion that is provided above the shaft housing portion 84 of the casing 80 and extends upward. The 2nd control part 232 may be a groove etc., for example. A modified example of the second restriction portion 232 will be described later. The second restricting portion 232 includes a first end 232a that restricts the clockwise rotational movement of the second protrusion 222, and a second end 232b that restricts the counterclockwise rotational movement of the second protrusion 222. Have.

  The angle x between the first end portion 231a and the second end portion 231b of the first restriction portion 231 is, for example, about 105 degrees or more and 160 degrees or less. The angle x is the angle at which the shaft portion 70 rotates without interlocking with the ring 75. The angle y between the first end 232a and the second end 232b of the second restriction portion 232 is, for example, about 270 degrees or more and 315 degrees or less. The angle y is the angle at which the ring 75 rotates in conjunction with the shaft portion 70. The sum of the angle x and the angle y is the angle of the rotatable range of the nozzle 30. The sum of the angle x and the angle y (the rotatable range of the nozzle 30) is preferably greater than 360 degrees and 390 degrees or less, and more preferably about 375 degrees.

7A to 7E are plan views showing movement around the shaft portion when the nozzle is rotated clockwise in the bath cleaning apparatus according to the first embodiment.
7A shows a state in which the nozzle 30 is in the first rotation position, and FIG. 7E shows a state in which the nozzle 30 is in the second rotation position.
In addition, in FIGS. 7A to 7E, a dashed arrow indicates the direction of the ejection port 31 of the nozzle 30.
As shown in FIG. 7A, when the nozzle 30 is in the first rotation position, the first protruding portion 221 abuts on the second end portion 231b of the first regulating portion 231, and the second protruding portion 222 is , And contacts the second end portion 232b of the second restriction portion 232.

  When the rotating part 51 (stepping motor) starts rotating clockwise, as shown in FIG. 7B, the first protruding part 221 provided on the shaft part 70 rotates the shaft body 70a together with the shaft body 70a. Rotate to. The first protruding portion 221 moves toward the first end portion 231a of the first restriction portion 231. For example, when the first protrusion 221 is rotating, the first protrusion 221 does not contact the ring 75. Therefore, for example, when the first protruding portion 221 is rotating, the ring 75 does not rotate.

  As shown in FIG. 7C, when the first projecting portion 221 moves to a position where it abuts on the first end portion 231a of the first restricting portion 231, the first end portion 231a of the first restricting portion 231 causes the first end portion 231a to move to the first position. Movement of the protrusion 221 in the rotational direction is restricted.

  When the first projecting portion 221 abuts on the first end portion 231a of the first restricting portion 231, the rotation of the shaft portion 70 is transmitted to the ring 75 and the ring together with the shaft portion 70, as shown in FIG. 7D. 75 begins to rotate. As the ring 75 rotates, the second protrusion 222 provided on the ring 75 rotates about the shaft body 70a. The second protruding portion 222 moves toward the first end portion 232a of the second restriction portion 232. In this way, the ring 75 rotates in conjunction with the shaft portion 70 by the first protrusion 221 and the first restriction portion 231.

  As shown in FIG. 7E, when the second protrusion 222 moves to a position where it abuts on the first end 232 a of the second restricting portion 232, the second end 232 a of the second restricting portion 232 causes the second end 232 a of the second restricting portion 232. Movement of the protrusion 222 in the rotational direction is restricted. Thus, when the nozzle 30 is in the second rotation position, the first protruding portion 221 abuts on the first end portion 231a of the first restricting portion 231, and the second protruding portion 222 of the second restricting portion 232. It contacts the first end 232a.

  When the movement of the first protrusion 221 and the second protrusion 222 is restricted, the rotation of the shaft portion 70 is stopped. In this state, if the rotating unit 51 tries to continue rotating, the rotating unit 51 loses synchronization. The control unit 60 can detect that the nozzle 30 is in the second rotation position, for example, by a change in current when the rotating unit 51 loses synchronization. For example, when the control unit 60 detects that the nozzle 30 is in the second rotation position, the control unit 60 stops the rotation of the rotation unit 51.

FIG. 8A to FIG. 8E are plan views showing movement around the shaft portion when the nozzle is rotated counterclockwise in the bathtub cleaning apparatus according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 8A shows a state in which the nozzle 30 is in the second rotation position, and FIG. 8B shows a state in which the nozzle 30 is in the first rotation position.
In addition, in FIGS. 8A to 8E, a dashed arrow indicates the direction of the ejection port 31 of the nozzle 30.
As shown in FIG. 8A, when the nozzle 30 is in the second rotation position, the first protruding portion 221 abuts on the first end portion 231a of the first regulating portion 231, and the second protruding portion 222 is , Comes into contact with the first end portion 232a of the second restriction portion 232.

  When the rotating portion 51 (stepping motor) starts rotating counterclockwise, as shown in FIG. 8B, the first protrusion 221 provided on the shaft portion 70 causes the shaft body 70a and the shaft body 70a to move together. Rotate around the axis. The first protruding portion 221 moves toward the second end portion 231b of the first restriction portion 231. For example, when the first protrusion 221 is rotating, the first protrusion 221 does not contact the ring 75. Therefore, for example, when the first protruding portion 221 is rotating, the ring 75 does not rotate.

  As shown in FIG. 8C, when the first protruding portion 221 moves to a position where it abuts on the second end portion 231b of the first regulation portion 231, the first protrusion portion 221 moves to the first end portion 231b by the second end portion 231b. Movement of the protrusion 221 in the rotational direction is restricted.

  When the first projecting portion 221 abuts on the second end portion 231b of the first restricting portion 231, the rotation of the shaft portion 70 is transmitted to the ring 75 and the ring together with the shaft portion 70, as shown in FIG. 8D. 75 begins to rotate. As the ring 75 rotates, the second protrusion 222 provided on the ring 75 rotates about the shaft body 70a. The second protruding portion 222 moves toward the second end portion 232b of the second restriction portion 232. In this way, the ring 75 rotates in conjunction with the shaft portion 70 by the first protrusion 221 and the first restriction portion 231.

  As shown in FIG. 8E, when the second protrusion 222 moves to a position where it abuts on the second end 232 b of the second restricting portion 232, the second end 232 b of the second restricting portion 232 causes the second protruding portion 222 to move to the second end 232 b. Movement of the protrusion 222 in the rotational direction is restricted. Thus, when the nozzle 30 is in the first rotation position, the first protruding portion 221 abuts on the second end portion 231b of the first regulating portion 231, and the second protruding portion 222 of the second regulating portion 232. It contacts the second end 232b.

  When the movement of the first protrusion 221 and the second protrusion 222 is restricted, the rotation of the shaft portion 70 is stopped. In this state, if the rotating unit 51 tries to continue rotating, the rotating unit 51 loses synchronization. The control unit 60 can detect that the nozzle 30 is in the first rotation position, for example, by a change in current when the rotating unit 51 loses synchronization. For example, when the control unit 60 detects that the nozzle 30 is in the first rotation position, the control unit 60 stops the rotation of the rotation unit 51.

  As described above, according to the embodiment, the nozzle 30 can rotate between the first rotation position and the second rotation position only by the rotation shaft of the rotation unit 51 (stepping motor). Further, according to the embodiment, the rotation axis of the stepping motor rotates the nozzle 30 while grasping the rotation position of the nozzle 30 without providing another axis connected to the rotation axis of the stepping motor, a Hall IC, a magnet, or the like. The possible range can be greater than 360 degrees. Thus, even if the nozzle 30 starts to rotate with unstable water spouting immediately after the start of spouting, the detergent water can be spouted again in the spouted region immediately after the spouting without impairing the design of the appearance. At the same time, it is possible to spray the detergent water in conformity with the shape of the bathtub 100, and it is possible to suppress the generation of a portion on the inner wall surface 112 of the bathtub 100 where the detergent water does not spray.

  Further, in this way, by stopping the rotation of the nozzle 30 by the first protruding portion 221, the second protruding portion 222, the first restricting portion 231, and the second restricting portion 232, horizontal and vertical directions around the nozzle 30 It is possible to make the rotatable range of the nozzle 30 larger than 360 degrees while grasping the rotational position of the nozzle 30 while making the size compact. With this, the rotatable range of the nozzle 30 can be made larger than 360 degrees while using the stepping motor, and the rotation of the nozzle 30 can be stopped at a specific position without deteriorating the design of the appearance. Therefore, it is possible to further suppress the generation of the portion on the inner wall surface 112 of the bathtub 100 to which the detergent water is not applied.

  Further, as described above, by providing the second projecting portion 222 projecting from the outer peripheral surface of the ring main body 75a to the outer side in the radial direction from the outer peripheral surface of the shaft main body 70a, the horizontal structure around the nozzle 30 is simpler. It is possible to make the rotatable range of the nozzle 30 larger than 360 degrees while making the size in the vertical and vertical directions compact.

  Hereinafter, an example of a modification of the first protruding portion 221, the second protruding portion 222, the first restricting portion 231, and the second restricting portion 232 will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 9: is a perspective view showing the shaft part periphery of the bathtub washing | cleaning apparatus which concerns on the modification of 1st Embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 9, in this example, the first projecting portion 221 provided on the shaft portion 70 projects upward from the upper surface of the shaft body 70a (base portion 71). Further, the first restricting portion 231 provided on the ring 75 is a groove whose lower side is opened.

  Further, in this example, the second protrusion 222 provided on the ring 75 protrudes outward from the outer peripheral surface of the ring body 75a in the radial direction and then extends upward. Further, the second restricting portion 232 provided in the shaft housing portion 84 of the casing 80 is a flat surface portion that is provided in the upper portion of the shaft housing portion 84 of the casing 80 and extends inward in the radial direction.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the vicinity of the shaft portion of the bathtub cleaning device according to the modification of the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 10, in this example, the shaft portion 70 (shaft body 70a) further includes a lid portion 73. The lid 73 is a separate body from the base 71 and the upward extension 72. The lid portion 73 has a hole through which the upper extending portion 72 penetrates in the vertical direction, and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the base portion 71 and the upper extending portion 72. The lid portion 73 is provided on the ring 75 (ring body 75a). In other words, the ring 75 is provided between the base 71 and the lid 73. The first projecting portion 221 projects downward from the lower surface of the lid portion 73. Further, the first restricting portion 231 provided on the ring 75 is a groove whose upper side is opened.

  Further, in this example, the second projecting portion 222 provided on the ring 75 projects radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the ring body 75 a, and further projects downward from above the shaft housing portion 84 of the casing 80. There is. Further, the second restricting portion 232 provided in the shaft housing portion 84 of the casing 80 is a groove provided in the upper portion of the shaft housing portion 84 of the casing 80 and having an open upper portion.

  The lid part 73 may be integrated with at least one of the base part 71 and the upwardly extending part 72. The ring body 75a is provided with a cutout portion, and the lid portion 73 and the base portion 71 are connected to each other at the cutout portion, so that the lid portion 73 and the base portion 71 can be integrally configured.

  In the modified examples shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, as in the example shown in FIG. 6, the first restricting portion 231 restricts the clockwise rotational movement of the first protruding portion 221 with respect to the ring body 75a. It has an end portion 231a and a second end portion 231b that restricts the counterclockwise rotational movement of the first protruding portion 221 with respect to the ring body 75a. Further, also in the modified examples shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, as in the example shown in FIG. 6, the second restricting portion 232 restricts the clockwise rotational movement of the second projecting portion 222 to the first end portion. 232a and the 2nd end part 232b which regulates counterclockwise rotation movement of the 2nd projection part 222.

  In addition, in the modified examples shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, when the rotating portion 51 rotates, the explanation is given with reference to FIGS. 7A to 7E and 8A to 8E. By the same operation, the shaft portion 70 and the ring 75 rotate, and when the shaft portion 70 and the ring 75 rotate by a predetermined angle, the rotation is stopped by the first protruding portion 221, the second protruding portion 222, the first restricting portion 231, and the second restricting portion 232. Accordingly, the control unit 60 can detect that the nozzle 30 has reached the first rotation position and the second rotation position.

  Hereinafter, a modified example in which the rotation of the nozzle 30 is stopped by another mechanism will be described with reference to the drawings.

11A and 11B are cross-sectional views schematically showing the vicinity of the nozzle of the bath cleaning apparatus according to the modified example of the first embodiment.
FIG. 11A shows a state in which the nozzle 30 is in the first position.
FIG. 11B shows a state in which the nozzle 30 is in the second position.
As shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, in this example, the advancing / retreating unit (elevating / lowering unit) 52 raises and lowers the shaft portion 70 to raise and lower the nozzle 30. Further, the elevating unit 52 raises and lowers the shaft unit 70 by rotating the shaft unit 70.

  More specifically, in this example, a screw structure is provided inside the shaft housing portion 84 of the casing 80 and on the base portion 71 of the shaft portion 70. With such a screw structure, the rotational movement of the shaft portion 70 can be converted into vertical movement. In other words, the shaft portion 70 can be raised and lowered by rotating the shaft portion 70. Further, serrations are provided at the connecting portion between the rotating portion 51 and the base portion 71 of the shaft portion 70. As a result, the shaft portion 70 can be raised and lowered while maintaining the connection with the rotating portion 51.

  When the shaft portion 70 rises, the nozzle 30 is pushed by the shaft portion 70 and rises. When the shaft portion 70 descends, the nozzle 30 is urged downward by the spring 85 and descends. As described above, in this example, the screw structure provided inside the shaft housing portion 84 of the casing 80 and the base portion 71 of the shaft portion 70, and the serrations provided at the connection portion between the rotating portion 51 and the base portion 71 of the shaft portion 70. The rotating portion 51 and the spring 85 that biases the nozzle 30 downward function as the elevating portion 52.

  In addition, in this example, the bath cleaning device 200 further includes a lower regulation part 241 and an upper regulation part 242. The lower regulating portion 241 is provided below the shaft portion 70 and regulates the downward movement of the shaft portion 70. In this example, the lower regulating portion 241 is the upper surface of the rotating portion 51 (stepping motor). The upper regulating portion 242 is provided above the nozzle 30 and regulates the upward movement of the nozzle 30. In this example, the upper regulating portion 242 is a part of the casing 80 (upper lid portion 802).

  As described above, the nozzle 30 moves up and down while rotating. As shown in FIG. 11A, the nozzle 30 is in the first position retracted (lowered) from the inside of the bath 100 at the first rotation position. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 11 (b), the nozzle 30 is in the second position in which the nozzle 30 advances into the bath 100 at the second rotation position.

  When the nozzle 30 is in the first rotation position (first position), the shaft portion 70 abuts the lower regulating portion 241. The lower restricting portion 241 restricts the downward movement of the shaft portion 70, thereby restricting the downward movement of the nozzle 30. When the downward movement of the shaft portion 70 is regulated by the lower regulation portion 241, the rotation of the shaft portion 70 is stopped. In this state, if the rotating unit 51 tries to continue rotating, the rotating unit 51 loses synchronization. The control unit 60 can detect that the nozzle 30 is in the second rotation position, for example, by a change in current when the rotating unit 51 loses synchronization. For example, when the control unit 60 detects that the nozzle 30 is in the first rotation position, the control unit 60 stops the rotation of the rotation unit 51.

  When the nozzle 30 is in the second rotation position (second position), the nozzle 30 contacts the upper regulating portion 242. The upper restricting portion 242 restricts the upward movement of the nozzle 30, thereby restricting the upward movement of the shaft portion 70. When the upward movement of the shaft portion 70 is restricted, the rotation of the shaft portion 70 stops. In this state, if the rotating unit 51 tries to continue rotating, the rotating unit 51 loses synchronization. The control unit 60 can detect that the nozzle 30 is in the second rotation position, for example, by a change in current when the rotating unit 51 loses synchronization. For example, when the control unit 60 detects that the nozzle 30 is in the second rotation position, the control unit 60 stops the rotation of the rotation unit 51.

  As described above, the rotation of the nozzle 30 is stopped by the lower restriction portion 241 and the upper restriction portion 242, so that the horizontal size of the nozzle 30 is made compact, and the rotatable position of the nozzle 30 is grasped while grasping the rotational position of the nozzle 30. Can be greater than 360 degrees. With this, the rotatable range of the nozzle 30 can be made larger than 360 degrees while using the stepping motor, and the rotation of the nozzle 30 can be stopped at a specific position without deteriorating the design of the appearance. Therefore, it is possible to further suppress the generation of the portion on the inner wall surface 112 of the bathtub 100 to which the detergent water is not applied.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the bath cleaning apparatus according to the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 12, the control unit 60 can execute the main cleaning mode and the rinsing mode.

  The main cleaning mode is a mode in which the detergent water of the first concentration is jetted from the nozzle 30 (jet port 31). By executing the main cleaning mode, it is possible to easily remove dirt such as sebum and keratin attached to the inner wall surface 110 of the bath 100. Further, in the main cleaning mode, it is also possible to wash off a part of dirt such as sebum and keratin adhering to the inner wall surface 110 of the bath 100, and a part of adhered matter such as hair. The first concentration is preferably 1% by volume or more and 30% by volume or less in terms of the concentration of the surfactant.

  The rinse mode is a mode in which water is jetted from the nozzle 30 (jet port 31). The rinse mode is executed after the main cleaning mode. By executing the rinse mode after the main cleaning mode, the detergent water sprayed in the main cleaning mode and dirt such as sebum and keratin peeled off by the detergent water can be washed off. In addition, the rinsing mode can wash off adhered matters such as hair adhered to the inner wall surface 110 of the bathtub 100.

  Further, the control unit 60 can further execute the pre-cleaning mode. The pre-cleaning mode is a mode in which water or detergent water having a second concentration lower than the first concentration is jetted from the nozzle 30 (jet port 31). The pre-cleaning mode is executed before the main cleaning mode. By executing the pre-washing mode before the main washing mode, it is possible to wash off the adhering material such as hair attached to the inner wall surface 110 of the bathtub 100 in advance, so that the washing performance in the main washing mode can be improved. it can. The second concentration is preferably more than 0% by volume and 29% by volume or less in terms of the concentration of the surfactant. The pre-cleaning mode is optional and can be omitted.

The bath cleaning flow shown in FIG. 12 will be described below.
When the user performs a bathtub cleaning operation using a remote controller or the like (step S101), the control unit 60 drains the water in the bathtub 100 from the drain port 115 (step S102). For example, the bathtub 100 is provided with a water level detection unit for detecting the water level inside the bathtub 100. For example, it can be considered that the drainage is completed when a predetermined time has passed after the minimum water level that can be detected by the water level detection unit (or after the water level detection unit does not detect).

  Next, the control unit 60 executes the pre-cleaning mode (step S103). In the pre-cleaning mode, the control unit 60 sprays detergent water or water toward the inner wall surface 110 of the bath 100. More specifically, the control unit 60 controls the ejection control unit 40 to eject the detergent water or water from the ejection port 31 of the nozzle 30 toward a part of the inner wall surface 112 of the bath 100, and at the same time, to rotate the rotating unit. The nozzle 30 is rotated by controlling 51. As a result, detergent water or water can be sprayed on the entire inner wall surface 112. For example, the control unit 60 rotates the nozzle 30 a plurality of times so that the detergent water or the water is applied to the predetermined range of the inner wall surface 112 twice or more.

  In the pre-cleaning mode, for example, the control unit 60 rotates the nozzle 30 clockwise at a rotation speed of 30 seconds / circle while jetting the detergent water or water at a jetting instantaneous flow rate of 1000 mL / min. When the nozzle 30 makes one round, the control unit 60 rotates the nozzle 30 counterclockwise at the same rotation speed while jetting the detergent water or water at the same jetting instantaneous flow rate. By repeating this clockwise and counterclockwise set twice, the detergent water or water can be applied to the predetermined range of the inner wall surface 112 four times. The control unit 60 rotates the nozzle 30 once for one round with the detergent water or water jetted, and then rotates the nozzle 30 in the opposite direction to return to the jetting start position without jetting the detergent water or water, and again. The nozzle 30 may be rotated while the detergent water or water is ejected. The jetting instantaneous flow rate, the rotation speed of the nozzle 30, and the number of rotations of the nozzle 30 in the pre-cleaning mode can be adjusted as appropriate.

  In the pre-cleaning mode, for example, the control unit 60 spouts a total of about 2000 mL of detergent water or water from the nozzle 30 (spout 31). In the pre-cleaning mode, the control unit 60 may spray the detergent water or water in a plurality of times. In other words, in the pre-cleaning mode, the control unit 60 may alternately execute, for example, a state in which the detergent water or water is jetted (jet state) and a state in which the detergent water or water is not jetted (standby state). ..

  Next, the control unit 60 executes the main cleaning mode (step S104). In the main cleaning mode, the control unit 60 sprays the detergent water toward the inner wall surface 110 of the bath 100. More specifically, the control unit 60 controls the ejection control unit 40 to eject the detergent water from the ejection port 31 of the nozzle 30 toward a part of the inner wall surface 112 of the bath 100, and to rotate the rotating unit 51. The nozzle 30 is controlled to rotate. Thereby, the detergent water can be sprayed on the entire inner wall surface 112. The control unit 60 rotates the nozzle 30 a plurality of times so that the detergent water is applied to the predetermined range of the inner wall surface 112 twice or more, for example.

  In the main cleaning mode, the control unit 60 rotates the nozzle 30 clockwise at a rotational speed of 45 seconds / circle to 12 seconds / circle while ejecting the detergent water at a jetting instantaneous flow rate of 400 mL / min, for example. When the nozzle 30 makes one revolution, the control unit 60 rotates the nozzle 30 counterclockwise to return to the ejection start position in a state where the detergent water is not ejected, and waits until a predetermined time elapses. When the predetermined time has elapsed, the control unit 60 again causes the nozzle 30 to rotate clockwise at the same rotation speed while ejecting the detergent water at the same ejection momentary flow rate. For example, by repeating this clockwise and counterclockwise set three times, the detergent water can be applied to the predetermined range of the inner wall surface 112 three times. The instantaneous jet flow rate and the rotation speed of the nozzle 30 in the main cleaning mode can be adjusted appropriately. For example, at least one of the jetting instantaneous flow rate and the rotation speed of the nozzle 30 may be changed while the nozzle 30 is rotated once. The number of rotations of the nozzle 30 in the main cleaning mode can be appropriately adjusted, but it is preferably about 3 times in order to efficiently spray a limited amount of detergent water.

  In the main cleaning mode, the control unit 60 ejects a total of about 500 mL of detergent water from the nozzle 30 (the ejection port 31), for example. In addition, as described above, in the main cleaning mode, the control unit 60 may spray the detergent water in a plurality of times, for example. In other words, in the main cleaning mode, the control unit 60 may alternately execute, for example, a state in which the detergent water is ejected (ejection state) and a state in which the detergent water is not ejected (standby state).

  As described above, in the main cleaning mode, the nozzle 30 is rotated while ejecting the detergent water from the ejection port 31 toward a part of the inner wall surface 112 of the bathtub 100, so that a limited amount of the detergent water can be efficiently supplied. It can be sprayed over the entire inner wall surface 112 of the bathtub 100.

  In the main cleaning mode, the rotatable range of the nozzle 30 is preferably greater than 360 degrees and 390 degrees or less. More preferably, it is about 375 degrees. By rotating the nozzle 30 at such an angle, it is possible to further suppress the generation of a portion of the inner wall surface 112 of the bathtub 100 on which the detergent water is not applied.

  Next, the control unit 60 executes the rinse mode (step S105). In the rinse mode, the control unit 60 sprays water toward the inner wall surface 110 of the bathtub 100. More specifically, the control unit 60 controls the ejection control unit 40 to eject water from the ejection port 31 of the nozzle 30 toward a part of the inner wall surface 112 of the bath 100, and controls the rotating unit 51. Then, the nozzle 30 is rotated. Thereby, water can be sprayed on the entire inner wall surface 112. For example, the control unit 60 rotates the nozzle 30 a plurality of times so that the predetermined range of the inner wall surface 112 is splashed with water twice or more.

  In the rinse mode, for example, the control unit 60 rotates the nozzle 30 clockwise at a rotation speed of 30 seconds / circle while jetting water at a jetting instantaneous flow rate of 1000 mL / min. When the nozzle 30 makes one round, the control unit 60 rotates the nozzle 30 counterclockwise at the same rotation speed while ejecting water at the same ejection momentary flow rate. For example, by repeating this clockwise and counterclockwise set three times, water can be applied to the predetermined range of the inner wall surface 112 six times. The control unit 60 rotates the nozzle 30 once in a state of ejecting water, then rotates the nozzle 30 in the opposite direction to return to the ejection start position without ejecting water, and ejects water again. The rotation of the nozzle 30 may be repeated. The instantaneous jet flow rate, the rotation speed of the nozzle 30, and the number of rotations of the nozzle 30 in the rinse mode can be appropriately adjusted.

  In the rinse mode, the control unit 60, for example, causes a total of about 3000 mL of water to be ejected from the nozzle 30 (ejection port 31). In addition, in the rinse mode, the control unit 60 may, for example, spout water in multiple times. In other words, in the rinse mode, the control unit 60 may alternately execute, for example, a state of ejecting water (ejection state) and a state of not ejecting water (standby state).

  The rotatable range of the nozzle 30 in the pre-cleaning mode and the rinse mode is the same as the rotatable range of the nozzle 30 in the main cleaning mode, for example.

  Further, the operation in step S101 may be a drainage operation. That is, when the user performs a drainage operation using a remote controller or the like (step S101), the control unit 60 drains the water in the bathtub 100 from the drainage port 115 (step S102), and subsequently cleans the bathtub 100 (step S103). ~ S105) may be performed.

  Further, in the pre-cleaning mode and the main cleaning mode, the detergent water ejected from the nozzle 30 (the ejection port 31) and used for cleaning flows into the drain port 115. In the pre-cleaning mode and the main cleaning mode, the detergent water flowing to the drainage port 115 may be directly discharged from the drainage port 115, or may not be discharged from the drainage port 115 and recovered by a recovery mechanism (not shown) and reused for cleaning. May be used. In other words, the bath cleaning device 200 may be a detergent collecting type or a detergent non-collecting type.

(Second embodiment)
FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the vicinity of the nozzle of the bath cleaning apparatus according to the second embodiment.
FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the periphery of a stepping motor of the bathtub cleaning device according to the second embodiment.
FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a cross section taken along line A1-A2 shown in FIG.
The bathtub cleaning apparatus 200A according to the second embodiment includes the tank 10, the detergent mixing unit 20, the nozzle 30, the ejection control unit 40, and the driving unit 50, similarly to the bathtub cleaning apparatus 200 according to the first embodiment. , And a control unit 60 (see FIG. 2). The operation of each of these parts in the bath cleaning apparatus 200A according to the second embodiment is basically the same as that of the bath cleaning apparatus 200 according to the first embodiment. However, the drive unit 50 does not have the advancing / retreating unit (elevating unit) 52. That is, the nozzle 30 rotates without changing the position in the height direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the bath cleaning device 200A further includes a shaft portion 70, a first rotating member 310, a second rotating member 320, a casing 80, and a sealing member 90. The shaft portion 70 is provided as necessary and can be omitted.

  The first rotation member 310 rotates as the rotation unit 51 (stepping motor) of the drive unit 50 rotates. In this example, the first rotating member 310 is provided on the rotating portion 51. More specifically, in this example, the first rotating member 310 is provided on the motor shaft 51a that rotates when the rotating portion 51 is driven. The first rotating member 310 protrudes, for example, upward, downward, or radially outward from the surface of the rotating portion 51 (motor shaft 51a). In this example, the first rotating member 310 projects outward in the radial direction from the surface of the rotating portion 51 (motor shaft 51a).

  The rotation axis of the first rotation member 310 is coaxial with the rotation axis of the rotation unit 51. The first rotating member 310 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the rotating portion 51 (motor shaft 51a). In other words, at the same time when the nozzle 30 starts rotating, the first rotating member 310 starts rotating. The first rotating member 310 is provided to be engageable with the second rotating member 320. The first rotation member 310 corresponds to the first protrusion 221 in the first embodiment.

  The second rotating member 320 engages with the first rotating member 310 and rotates together with the first rotating member 310. In this example, the second rotating member 320 is provided on the rotating portion 51. The rotation axis of the second rotation member 320 is coaxial with the rotation axis of the rotation unit 51. The second rotating member 320 starts rotating after engaging with the first rotating member 310 after the nozzle 30 starts rotating, and continues rotating until engaging with the casing 80. The second rotating member 320, when engaged with the casing 80, stops the rotation of the nozzle 30. The second rotating member 320 has, for example, a ring shape. The second rotating member 320 is not limited to a perfect annular member as long as it can rotate coaxially with the rotation axis of the rotating unit 51. The second rotating member 320 may have a ring-shaped structure with a part cut away. The second rotating member 320 corresponds to the ring 75 in the first embodiment.

  The second rotating member 320 has a main body 320a, a first restricting portion 231, and a protruding portion (second protruding portion) 222. The first restricting portion 231 is provided on the main body 320a and restricts movement of the first rotating member 310 in the rotation direction with respect to the second rotating member 320. In this example, the first restricting portion 231 is a groove which is provided in a part of the main body portion 320a and whose inner side in the radial direction is open. The first restricting portion 231 includes a first end portion 231a that restricts a clockwise rotational movement of the first rotating member 310 with respect to the second rotating member 320, and a counterclockwise direction with respect to the second rotating member 320 of the first rotating member 310. And a second end portion 231b that restricts rotational movement.

  The projecting portion 222 projects upward, downward, or radially outward from the surface of the main body 320a. In this example, the protruding portion 222 protrudes outward from the surface of the main body 320a in the radial direction. Further, the protruding portion 222 protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 320a to the outer side in the radial direction with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 70.

  The casing 80 houses the nozzle 30, the rotating portion 51, the shaft portion 70, the first rotating member 310, and the second rotating member 320. The casing 80 has a first space 81 and a second space 82. The nozzle 30 is housed in the first space 81, and the rotating portion 51, the first rotating member 310, and the second rotating member 320 are housed in the second space 82.

  The casing 80 has a partition wall 804 provided between the first space 81 and the second space 82. The shaft portion 70 is provided so as to vertically pass through the partition wall 804. A seal member 90 is provided between the shaft portion 70 and the partition wall 804 to close the gap between the shaft portion 70 and the partition wall 804. That is, the second space 82 is separated from the first space 81 by the partition wall 804, the shaft portion 70, and the seal member 90 provided between the first space 81 and the second space 82. There is. As a result, it is possible to prevent water that has entered the first space 81 from entering the second space 82 that houses the rotating portion 51. That is, it is possible to prevent water from splashing on the rotating portion 51 and the like stored in the second space 82.

  Further, in this example, the casing 80 has a cushioning portion 805 provided between the partition wall 804 and the nozzle 30. By providing such a buffer portion 805, it is possible to prevent the shaft portion 70 from being damaged due to the load being applied from the nozzle 30 to the shaft portion 70 when the nozzle 30 is loaded from above.

  The casing 80 also has a second restriction portion 232. The second restricting portion 232 restricts the movement of the second rotating member 320 in the rotation direction. In this example, the second restricting portion 232 restricts the movement of the protruding portion 222 of the second rotating member 320 in the rotation direction. As described later, the second restricting portion 232 may restrict the movement of the main body 320a of the second rotating member 320 in the rotation direction (see FIG. 19). In this example, the second restricting portion 232 is a convex portion provided on the outer periphery of the second rotating member 320 and protruding inward in the radial direction of the second rotating member 320. The second restricting portion 232 includes a first end 232a that restricts the clockwise rotational movement of the second protrusion 222, and a second end 232b that restricts the counterclockwise rotational movement of the second protrusion 222. Have.

  The second restricting portion 232 may be provided anywhere in the casing 80 as long as it can be engaged with the second rotating member 320. The second restricting portion 232 is provided, for example, on any of the main body portion 801, the upper lid portion 802, the bottom lid portion 803, the partition wall 804, or the buffer portion 805. In the bathtub cleaning apparatus 200A according to the second embodiment, the shaft storage portion 84 is provided as needed and can be omitted. When the casing 80 has the shaft storage portion 84, the second restricting portion 232 may be provided in the shaft storage portion 84.

FIGS. 15A to 15E are plan views showing the movement around the stepping motor when the nozzle is rotated clockwise in the bathtub cleaning apparatus according to the second embodiment.
FIG. 15A shows a state in which the nozzle 30 is in the first rotation position, and FIG. 15E shows a state in which the nozzle 30 is in the second rotation position.
In addition, in FIGS. 15A to 15E, a dashed arrow indicates the direction of the ejection port 31 of the nozzle 30.
As shown in FIG. 15A, when the nozzle 30 is in the first rotation position, the first rotation member 310 (first protrusion 221) contacts the second end 231b of the first restriction portion 231. The protruding portion (second protruding portion) 222 of the second rotating member 320 contacts the second end portion 232b of the second restricting portion 232.

  When the rotating unit 51 (stepping motor) starts rotating clockwise, as shown in FIG. 15B, the first rotating member 310 rotates together with the rotating unit 51 coaxially with the rotating unit 51. The first rotation member 310 moves toward the first end portion 231a of the first restriction portion 231. For example, when the first rotating member 310 is rotating, the first rotating member 310 does not contact the second rotating member 320. Therefore, for example, when the first rotating member 310 is rotating, the second rotating member 320 does not rotate.

  As shown in FIG. 15C, when the first rotating member 310 moves to a position where it abuts on the first end portion 231a of the first restricting portion 231, the first end portion 231a of the first restricting portion 231 causes the first end portion 231a to move to the first position. Movement of the rotating member 310 in the rotation direction is restricted.

  When the first rotating member 310 comes into contact with the first end portion 231a of the first restricting portion 231, the rotation of the rotating portion 51 is transmitted to the second rotating member 320, as shown in FIG. The second rotation member 320 starts to rotate together with 51. As the second rotating member 320 rotates, the protruding portion 222 provided on the second rotating member 320 rotates coaxially with the rotating portion 51. The protruding portion 222 moves toward the first end portion 232a of the second restricting portion 232. In this way, the second rotating member 320 is rotated by the first rotating member 310 and the first restricting portion 231 in conjunction with the rotating portion 51.

  As shown in FIG. 15E, when the protrusion 222 moves to a position where it abuts against the first end 232 a of the second restriction portion 232, the protrusion 222 is moved by the first end 232 a of the second restriction portion 232. Movement in the rotation direction is restricted. Thus, when the nozzle 30 is in the second rotation position, the first rotation member 310 abuts the first end portion 231a of the first restriction portion 231, and the protrusion 222 is the first restriction portion 232. It contacts the end portion 232a.

  When the rotating portion 51 tries to continue rotating while the movements of the first rotating member 310 and the second rotating member 320 (the protruding portion 222) are restricted, the rotating portion 51 loses synchronization. The control unit 60 can detect that the nozzle 30 is in the second rotation position, for example, by a change in current when the rotating unit 51 loses synchronization. For example, when the control unit 60 detects that the nozzle 30 is in the second rotation position, the control unit 60 stops the rotation of the rotation unit 51.

  As described above, by providing the first rotating member 310 and the second rotating member 320, the horizontal and vertical directions around the nozzle 30 can be maintained without changing the position of the nozzle 30 in the height direction during the rotation of the nozzle 30. It is possible to make the rotatable range of the nozzle 30 larger than 360 degrees while grasping the rotation position of the nozzle 30 while making the size compact. With this, the rotatable range of the nozzle 30 can be made larger than 360 degrees while using the stepping motor, and the rotation of the nozzle 30 can be stopped at a specific position without deteriorating the design of the appearance. Therefore, it is possible to further suppress the generation of the portion on the inner wall surface 112 of the bathtub 100 to which the detergent water is not applied.

  In addition, the first rotating member 310 is provided in the rotating portion 51 (stepping motor), and the rotation of the nozzle 30 is stopped by the first rotating member 310, the second rotating member 320, and the casing 80, so that the horizontal direction around the nozzle 30. Also, the rotatable range of the nozzle 30 can be made larger than 360 degrees while grasping the rotational position of the nozzle 30 while making the size in the vertical direction compact. With this, the rotatable range of the nozzle 30 can be made larger than 360 degrees while using the stepping motor, and the rotation of the nozzle 30 can be stopped at a specific position without deteriorating the design of the appearance. Therefore, it is possible to further suppress the generation of the portion on the inner wall surface 112 of the bathtub 100 to which the detergent water is not applied.

  Further, by providing the shaft portion 70, it is possible to use a general-purpose stepping motor and have a configuration that is easily assembled.

  Further, by providing the protrusion 222 in the second rotating member 320, the size of the nozzle 30 in the horizontal and vertical directions around the nozzle 30 can be made compact with a simpler configuration, and the rotatable range of the nozzle 30 can be more than 360 degrees. Can be large.

  Furthermore, by projecting the protrusion 222 of the second rotating member 320 from the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 320a to the outer side in the radial direction from the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 70, the horizontal direction around the nozzle 30 and It is possible to make the rotatable range of the nozzle 30 larger than 360 degrees while making the size in the vertical direction compact.

  Further, by providing the second rotating member 320 in the second space 82 of the casing 80 that houses the rotating portion 51, it is possible to prevent water from splashing into the second rotating member 320 from the bath. As a result, it is possible to prevent dust and the like contained in water from the bathtub from adhering to the second rotating member 320, and it is possible to suppress the occurrence of problems such as poor rotation of the nozzle 30 due to the dust adhering. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in cleaning performance.

  In the bathtub cleaning apparatus 200A according to the second embodiment, the first rotating member 310 may be provided on the shaft portion 70. In this case, the first rotating member 310 projects upward, downward, or radially outward from the surface of the shaft portion 70.

  Even in such an example, the first rotating member 310 is provided on the shaft portion 70, and the rotation of the nozzle 30 is stopped by the first rotating member 310, the second rotating member 320, and the casing 80, so that the periphery of the nozzle 30 is kept horizontal. It is possible to make the rotatable range of the nozzle 30 larger than 360 degrees while grasping the rotational position of the nozzle 30 while making the size in the vertical and vertical directions compact. With this, the rotatable range of the nozzle 30 can be made larger than 360 degrees while using the stepping motor, and the rotation of the nozzle 30 can be stopped at a specific position without deteriorating the design of the appearance. Therefore, it is possible to further suppress the generation of the portion on the inner wall surface 112 of the bathtub 100 to which the detergent water is not applied.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the vicinity of the nozzle of the bath cleaning apparatus according to the modified example of the second embodiment.
FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the vicinity of the nozzle of the bathtub cleaning device according to the modification of the second embodiment.
FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a cross section taken along line B1-B2 shown in FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, in the bathtub cleaning apparatus 200B according to the modified example of the second embodiment, the shaft portion 70 is omitted, and the first rotating member 310 is provided in the nozzle 30. More specifically, in this example, the first rotating member 310 is provided on the nozzle shaft 30a that extends downward from the nozzle 30 and is connected to the rotating portion 51. The first rotation member 310 projects, for example, upward, downward, or radially outward from the surface of the nozzle 30 (nozzle shaft 30a). In this example, the first rotating member 310 projects outward from the surface of the nozzle 30 (nozzle shaft 30a) in the radial direction.

  Further, in this example, the first rotating member 310 and the second rotating member 320 are provided in the first space 81 of the casing 80. In this example, the second restriction portion 232 is an upright portion that is provided on the partition wall 804 of the casing 80 and extends upward. The other structure is basically the same as that of the bathtub cleaning device 200 according to the second embodiment.

  When the rotating portion 51 (stepping motor) rotates, the first rotating member 310 (first protruding portion 221) contacts one end 231b of the first restricting portion 231 of the second rotating member 320, and the second rotating member. The rotation of the nozzle 30 is stopped at the first rotation position by the 320 (protruding portion 222) contacting one end 232b of the second restricting portion 232 of the casing 80. In addition, the first rotating member 310 (first protruding portion 221) abuts on the other end 231a of the first restricting portion 231 of the second rotating member 320, and the second rotating member 320 (projecting portion 222) is connected to the casing 80. By contacting the other end portion 232a of the second restricting portion 232, the rotation of the nozzle 30 is stopped at the second rotation position.

  As described above, the first rotating member 310 is provided in the nozzle 30, and the rotation of the nozzle 30 is stopped by the first rotating member 310, the second rotating member 320, and the casing 80. It is possible to make the rotatable range of the nozzle 30 larger than 360 degrees while grasping the rotational position of the nozzle 30 while making the size compact. With this, the rotatable range of the nozzle 30 can be made larger than 360 degrees while using the stepping motor, and the rotation of the nozzle 30 can be stopped at a specific position without deteriorating the design of the appearance. Therefore, it is possible to further suppress the generation of the portion on the inner wall surface 112 of the bathtub 100 to which the detergent water is not applied.

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the vicinity of the nozzle of the bathtub cleaning device according to the modification of the second embodiment.
FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the periphery of the stepping motor of the bathtub cleaning device according to the modification of the second embodiment.
FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a cross section taken along line C1-C2 shown in FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, in the bathtub cleaning apparatus 200C according to the modified example of the second embodiment, the first rotating member 310 is provided in the rotating portion 51. In addition, in this example, the second rotating member 320 has an arc shape and does not have the protruding portion 222. The first rotating member 310 engages with the main body 320a of the second rotating member 320. That is, the side surface of the main body portion 320a functions as the first restricting portion 231. Further, the second restricting portion 232 of the casing 80 engages with the main body portion 320a of the second rotating member 320. The other structure is basically the same as that of the bathtub cleaning device 200 according to the second embodiment.

20A to 20E are plan views showing the movement around the stepping motor when the nozzle is rotated clockwise in the bathtub cleaning apparatus according to the modified example of the second embodiment.
20A shows a state in which the nozzle 30 is in the first rotation position, and FIG. 20E shows a state in which the nozzle 30 is in the second rotation position.
20 (a) to 20 (e), the dashed arrow indicates the direction of the ejection port 31 of the nozzle 30.
As shown in FIG. 20A, when the nozzle 30 is in the first rotation position, the first rotation member 310 (first protrusion 221) contacts the second end 231b of the first restriction portion 231. The main body portion 320a of the second rotation member 320 (the first end portion 231a of the first restriction portion 231) contacts the second end portion 232b of the second restriction portion 232.

  When the rotating unit 51 (stepping motor) starts rotating clockwise, the first rotating member 310 rotates together with the rotating unit 51 coaxially with the rotating unit 51, as illustrated in FIG. The first rotation member 310 moves toward the first end portion 231a of the first restriction portion 231. For example, when the first rotating member 310 is rotating, the first rotating member 310 does not contact the second rotating member 320. Therefore, for example, when the first rotating member 310 is rotating, the second rotating member 320 does not rotate.

  As shown in FIG. 20C, when the first rotating member 310 moves to a position where it abuts on the first end portion 231a of the first restricting portion 231, the first end portion 231a of the first restricting portion 231 causes the first end portion 231a to move to the first position. Movement of the rotating member 310 in the rotation direction is restricted.

  When the first rotating member 310 comes into contact with the first end portion 231a of the first restricting portion 231, the rotation of the rotating portion 51 is transmitted to the second rotating member 320, as shown in FIG. The second rotation member 320 starts to rotate together with 51. The second rotating member 320 rotates coaxially with the rotating portion 51. The second rotation member 320 moves toward the first end portion 232a of the second restriction portion 232. In this way, the second rotating member 320 is rotated by the first rotating member 310 and the first restricting portion 231 in conjunction with the rotating portion 51.

  As shown in FIG. 20E, when the second rotation member 320 moves to a position where it abuts on the first end portion 232 a of the second restriction portion 232, the second rotation member 320 moves to the second end portion 232 a of the second restriction portion 232. Movement of the rotating member 320 in the rotation direction is restricted. Thus, when the nozzle 30 is in the second rotation position, the first rotation member 310 abuts the first end portion 231a of the first regulation portion 231, and the main body portion 320a (first regulation portion 231) of the second rotation member 320. The second end portion 231b) of the portion 231 abuts the first end portion 232a of the second restriction portion 232.

  When the rotating unit 51 tries to continue rotating while the movements of the first rotating member 310 and the second rotating member 320 are restricted, the rotating unit 51 loses synchronization. The control unit 60 can detect that the nozzle 30 is in the second rotation position, for example, by a change in current when the rotating unit 51 loses synchronization. For example, when the control unit 60 detects that the nozzle 30 is in the second rotation position, the control unit 60 stops the rotation of the rotation unit 51.

  As described above, the second rotating member 320 may have an arc shape. As shown in FIGS. 14 and 19, when the second rotating member 320 is surrounded by the casing 80, the second rotating member 320 can be stably rotated even if the second rotating member 320 has an arc shape. . On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 17, when the second rotating member 320 is not surrounded by the casing 80, if the second rotating member 320 is formed in an arc shape, it may be difficult to rotate it stably. By making the second rotating member 320 ring-shaped, the second rotating member 320 can be stably rotated even when the second rotating member 320 is not surrounded by the casing 80.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to these descriptions. A person skilled in the art appropriately modified the above-described embodiment is also included in the scope of the present invention as long as it has the features of the present invention. For example, the shape, size, material, arrangement, etc. of each element included in the bathtub cleaning device and the like are not limited to those illustrated, but can be changed as appropriate.
Further, each element included in each of the above-described embodiments can be combined as long as technically possible, and a combination of these is also included in the scope of the present invention as long as it includes the features of the present invention.

  10 tanks, 11 water level detection unit, 15 detergent flow channel, 16 opening / closing valve, 17 flow rate adjusting unit, 18 pump, 20 detergent mixing unit, 21 water level detection unit, 25 water supply flow channel, 26 opening / closing valve, 27 flow rate adjusting unit, 30 Nozzle, 30a Nozzle shaft, 31 Jet outlet, 35 Washing flow path, 36 Backflow prevention part, 40 Jet control part, 50 Drive part, 51 Rotating part, 51a Motor shaft, 52 Advance part (elevating part), 60 Control part, 70 Shaft part, 70a shaft main body, 71 base part, 72 upward extension part, 73 lid part, 75 ring, 75a ring main body, 80 casing, 81 first space, 82 second space, 83 storage space, 84 shaft storage part, 85 spring, 90 sealing member, 95 shaft cover, 100 bathtub, 110 inner wall surface, 111 inside Bottom surface, 112 inner wall surface, 112a to 112d first to fourth inner wall surface, 115 drain port, 130 upper surface, 135 detergent input port, 140 step, 141 step upper surface, 142 step side surface, 180 nozzle unit, 185 nozzle unit holding part, 200, 200A, 200B, 200C Bath cleaning device, 221 1st protrusion part, 222 2nd protrusion part (protrusion part), 231 1st control part, 231a 1st end part, 231b 2nd end part, 232 2nd control part , 232a first end portion, 232b second end portion, 241 lower regulation portion, 242 upper regulation portion, 310 first rotation member, 320 second rotation member, 320a main body portion, 500 bath system, 801 main body portion, 802 upper lid portion , 803 bottom cover part, 804 partition wall, 805 buffer part, 841 Shift restricting portion, D1 first direction, WS water supply

Claims (12)

A tank to store the detergent,
A detergent mixing unit that mixes the detergent supplied from the tank and the water supplied from the water supply source to generate detergent water,
A nozzle provided on the inner bottom surface of the bathtub and having a jet port for jetting the detergent water toward a part of the inner wall surface of the bathtub;
A stepping motor for rotating the nozzle about a vertical axis,
A control unit for controlling the stepping motor,
Equipped with
The nozzle has a rotatable range rotatable between a first rotation position and a second rotation position only by the rotation shaft of the stepping motor,
The bath cleaning device is characterized in that the rotatable range is greater than 360 degrees. A shaft portion that transmits the torque of the stepping motor to the nozzle;
An elevating part for elevating and lowering the nozzle by elevating and lowering the shaft part;
A lower restriction portion that restricts downward movement of the shaft portion,
An upper restricting portion that restricts the upward movement of the nozzle,
Equipped with
The rotation axis of the shaft portion is coaxial with the rotation axis of the stepping motor,
The elevating part raises and lowers the shaft part by rotating the shaft part,
When the shaft portion rotates along with the rotation of the stepping motor,
The rotation of the nozzle is stopped at the first rotation position by the shaft portion coming into contact with the lower restriction portion,
The bath cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein rotation of the nozzle is stopped at the second rotation position when the nozzle comes into contact with the upper regulation portion. A shaft portion that transmits the torque of the stepping motor to the nozzle;
A part of the shaft portion penetrates in the vertical direction, and a ring rotatable about the vertical direction,
A casing having a shaft storage portion for storing the shaft portion in a rotatable state,
Equipped with
The rotation axis of the shaft portion is coaxial with the rotation axis of the stepping motor,
The shaft portion has a shaft main body, and a first protrusion that protrudes upward, downward, or radially outward from the surface of the shaft main body,
The ring includes a ring main body, a first restricting portion provided on the ring main body for restricting movement of the first protrusion in the rotational direction with respect to the ring main body, and upward, downward, or radial direction from a surface of the ring main body. A second projecting portion projecting outward of the first projecting portion, and the first projecting portion and the first restricting portion are rotatable in conjunction with the shaft portion,
The casing has a second restricting portion that is provided in the shaft housing portion and restricts movement of the second projecting portion in a rotational direction,
When the shaft portion rotates along with the rotation of the stepping motor,
The first protrusion contacts the one end of the first restricting portion, and the second protrusion contacts the one end of the second restricting portion, so that the first protrusion is in the first rotation position. The rotation of the nozzle has stopped,
The first protrusion contacts the other end of the first restricting portion, and the second protrusion contacts the other end of the second restricting portion, so that the second protruding portion contacts the second rotating position. The bath cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the rotation of the nozzle is stopped. The shaft accommodating portion has a shaft regulating portion that regulates downward movement of the shaft portion,
The bath cleaning device according to claim 3, wherein the second protrusion protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the ring body to the outer side in the radial direction with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the shaft body. A first rotating member that rotates with the rotation of the stepping motor;
A second rotating member that engages with the first rotating member and rotates together with the first rotating member;
A casing that houses the nozzle, the stepping motor, the first rotating member, and the second rotating member;
Further equipped with,
The rotating shaft of the first rotating member and the rotating shaft of the second rotating member are coaxial with the rotating shaft of the stepping motor,
The second rotating member engages with the first rotating member to start rotating after the nozzle starts rotating, and stops rotating the nozzle when engaged with the casing. Item 3. The bath cleaning device according to item 1. The first rotating member is provided on the stepping motor, and protrudes upward, downward, or radially outward from a surface of the stepping motor,
The second rotating member has a first restricting portion that restricts movement of the first rotating member in the rotational direction with respect to the second rotating member,
The casing has a second restricting portion that restricts movement of the second rotating member in the rotation direction,
When the stepping motor rotates,
The first rotating member abuts on one end of the first restricting portion, and the second rotating member abuts on one end of the second restricting portion, so that the first rotating member is in the first rotating position. The rotation of the nozzle has stopped,
At the second rotation position, the first rotating member abuts on the other end of the first restricting portion and the second rotating member abuts on the other end of the second restricting portion. The bath cleaning device according to claim 5, wherein the rotation of the nozzle is stopped. The first rotating member is provided on the nozzle and protrudes upward, downward, or radially outward from the surface of the nozzle,
The second rotating member has a first restricting portion that restricts movement of the first rotating member in the rotational direction with respect to the second rotating member,
The casing has a second restricting portion that restricts movement of the second rotating member in the rotation direction,
When the stepping motor rotates,
The first rotating member abuts on one end of the first restricting portion, and the second rotating member abuts on one end of the second restricting portion, so that the first rotating member is in the first rotating position. The rotation of the nozzle has stopped,
At the second rotation position, the first rotating member abuts on the other end of the first restricting portion and the second rotating member abuts on the other end of the second restricting portion. The bath cleaning device according to claim 5, wherein the rotation of the nozzle is stopped. Further comprising a shaft portion that transmits the torque of the stepping motor to the nozzle,
The bath cleaning device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein a rotation axis of the shaft portion is coaxial with a rotation axis of the stepping motor. Further comprising a shaft portion that transmits the torque of the stepping motor to the nozzle,
The rotation axis of the shaft portion is coaxial with the rotation axis of the stepping motor,
The first rotating member is provided on the shaft portion and protrudes upward, downward, or radially outward from the surface of the shaft portion,
The second rotating member has a first restricting portion that restricts movement of the first rotating member in the rotational direction with respect to the second rotating member,
The casing has a second restricting portion that restricts movement of the second rotating member in the rotation direction,
When the stepping motor rotates,
The first rotating member abuts on one end of the first restricting portion, and the second rotating member abuts on one end of the second restricting portion, so that the first rotating member is in the first rotating position. The rotation of the nozzle has stopped,
At the second rotation position, the first rotating member abuts on the other end of the first restricting portion and the second rotating member abuts on the other end of the second restricting portion. The bath cleaning device according to claim 5, wherein the rotation of the nozzle is stopped. The second rotating member further includes a main body, and a protrusion that protrudes upward, downward, or radially outward from the surface of the main body,
The bath cleaning device according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the second restricting part restricts movement of the protruding part in a rotation direction. Further comprising a shaft restricting part for restricting downward movement of the shaft part,
10. The second rotating member further includes a main body portion and a protrusion portion that protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion to the outer side in the radial direction from the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion. The bath cleaning device according to. The casing has a first space for accommodating the nozzle, and a second space for accommodating the stepping motor,
A seal member is provided between the first space and the second space,
The bath cleaning device according to any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein the second rotating member is provided in the second space.

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