JP2024054610A - Bath System - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a technology that can improve the convenience of a bath system that adopts a configuration in which a heating device and a gas dissolving device are connected to a bathtub by a single connecting device. [Solution] The bath system includes a connecting device, a heating passage, a heating device provided in the heating passage, a gas dissolving passage, and a gas dissolving device provided in the gas dissolving passage. The connecting device includes a first discharge passage, a fine bubble generating unit provided in the first discharge passage, a second discharge passage, and a suction passage. The bath system can perform a reheating operation in which hot water in the bathtub is sent to the other end of the heating passage via the suction passage, and hot water heated by the heating device is sent from one end of the heating passage via the second discharge passage into the bathtub, and a fine bubble generating operation in which hot water in the bathtub is sent to the other end of the gas dissolving passage via the suction passage, and hot water in which gas has been pressurized and dissolved by the gas dissolving device is sent from one end of the gas dissolving passage via the first discharge passage into the bathtub, generating fine bubbles in the fine bubble generating unit. [Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a bath system.

Patent Document 1 discloses a bath system that includes a connection device attached to a bathtub, a heating passage, a heating device provided in the heating passage for heating hot and cold water, a gas dissolution passage, and a gas dissolution device provided in the gas dissolution passage for pressurizing and dissolving gas in the hot and cold water. The connection device includes a first discharge passage that connects to one end of the gas dissolution passage and communicates with the inside of the bathtub, a fine bubble generator provided in the first discharge passage, and a second discharge passage that connects to one end of the heating passage and communicates with the inside of the bathtub. The first discharge passage is also connected to the other end of the heating passage. The second discharge passage is also connected to the other end of the gas dissolution passage. The bath system can perform a reheating operation in which the hot water in the bathtub is sent to the other end of the heating passage through the first discharge path, and the hot water heated by the heating device is sent from the one end of the heating passage to the bathtub through the second discharge path, and a fine bubble generating operation in which the hot water in the bathtub is sent to the other end of the gas dissolution passage through the second discharge path, and the hot water in which the gas has been pressurized and dissolved by the gas dissolution device is sent from the one end of the gas dissolution passage to the bathtub through the first discharge path, thereby generating fine bubbles in the hot water in which the gas has been pressurized and dissolved by the fine bubble generating unit.

JP 2008-164233 A

In a bath system, increasing the number of connecting devices attached to the bathtub leads to problems such as increased costs and the hassle involved in installing the connecting devices. To avoid these problems, a configuration may be adopted in which the heating device and the gas dissolving device are connected to the bathtub by a single connecting device, as in Patent Document 1. This specification provides technology that can improve the convenience of a bath system that employs this configuration.

In a first aspect of the present technology, a bath system includes a connection device attached to a bathtub, a heating passage, a heating device provided in the heating passage for heating hot and cold water, a gas dissolution passage, and a gas dissolution device provided in the gas dissolution passage for pressurizing and dissolving gas in the hot and cold water. The connection device includes a first discharge passage connected to one end of the gas dissolution passage and communicating with the inside of the bathtub, a fine bubble generator provided in the first discharge passage, a second discharge passage connected to one end of the heating passage and communicating with the inside of the bathtub, and a suction passage connected to the other end of the heating passage and the other end of the gas dissolution passage and communicating with the inside of the bathtub. The bath system can perform a reheating operation in which the hot water in the bathtub is sent to the other end of the heating passage through the suction passage, and the hot water heated by the heating device is sent from the one end of the heating passage through the second discharge passage into the bathtub, and a fine bubble generating operation in which the hot water in the bathtub is sent to the other end of the gas dissolution passage through the suction passage, and the hot water in which the gas has been pressurized and dissolved by the gas dissolution device is sent from the one end of the gas dissolution passage to the bathtub through the first discharge passage, thereby generating fine bubbles in the hot water in which the gas has been pressurized and dissolved by the fine bubble generating unit.

In the bath system of Patent Document 1, hot water in the bathtub cannot be sent to both the heating passage and the gas dissolving passage at the same time, and hot water in the heating passage and hot water in the gas dissolving passage cannot be sent to the bathtub at the same time. Therefore, operational constraints arise such that the reheating operation and the fine bubble generating operation cannot be performed simultaneously, which may impair the convenience of the bath system. With the above configuration, hot water in the bathtub can be sent to both the heating passage and the gas dissolving passage at the same time, and hot water in the heating passage and hot water in the gas dissolving passage can be sent to the bathtub at the same time. Therefore, the reheating operation and the fine bubble generating operation can be performed simultaneously, improving the convenience of the bath system.

In a second aspect of the present technology, in the first aspect described above, the suction passage may include a first suction passage that is connected to the other end of the gas dissolution passage and communicates with the inside of the bath, and a second suction passage that is connected to the other end of the heating passage and communicates with the inside of the bath.

If the suction passage is a single passage, the other end of the heating passage and the other end of the gas dissolving passage are combined into one passage and then connected to the connecting device. In this configuration, the heating passage and the gas dissolving passage compete for hot water downstream of the connecting device (where the amount of hot water is relatively small). When the reheating operation and the fine bubble generating operation are performed simultaneously, there is a risk of a malfunction in that the amount of hot water sent to the heating passage (or the gas dissolving passage) becomes excessively small. According to the above configuration, the first suction passage connected to the gas dissolving passage and the second suction passage connected to the heating passage compete for hot water in the bathtub (where the amount of hot water is relatively large). Therefore, the above malfunction when the reheating operation and the fine bubble generating operation are performed simultaneously can be suppressed. Furthermore, according to the above configuration, it is also possible to eliminate the trouble of combining the other end of the heating passage and the other end of the gas dissolving passage into one passage.

In a third aspect of the present technology, in the first or second aspect described above, the bath system may be capable of performing a cold water relaxation operation in which the hot water in the bathtub is sent to one end of the gas dissolution passage via the first discharge passage, and the hot water in the gas dissolution passage is sent from the other end of the gas dissolution passage into the bathtub via the suction passage.

When the microbubble generating operation is not being performed, the hot water in the gas dissolution passage does not flow. Therefore, when the microbubble generating operation is performed some time after the last time the microbubble generating operation was performed, relatively low-temperature hot water may be discharged from the gas dissolution passage into the bathtub. If the user is taking a bath, low-temperature water is discharged toward the user, which may cause discomfort to the user. With the above configuration, even when the microbubble generating operation is not being performed, the cold water reduction operation can be performed to replace the hot water in the bathtub with the hot water in the gas dissolution passage. This makes it possible to prevent relatively low-temperature hot water from being discharged from the gas dissolution passage into the bathtub when the microbubble generating operation is performed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent discomfort to the user.

In a fourth aspect of the present technology, in the third aspect, the connecting device may include a bypass passage that bypasses the fine bubble generating unit and connects the first discharge passage to the bathtub. The bypass passage may include a check valve that opens during the cold water relaxation operation and closes during the fine bubble generating operation.

In the micro-bubble generating section, the flow path of the hot water is narrowed to reduce the pressure of the hot water, causing micro-bubbles to appear from the hot water in which the gas has been pressurized and dissolved. For this reason, the flow rate of the hot water passing through the micro-bubble generating section can be reduced due to pressure loss. If the hot water in the bathtub cannot be sent to the gas dissolution passage avoiding the micro-bubble generating section during cold water relaxation operation, the circulating flow rate of the hot water is reduced, and it takes time to replace the hot water in the bathtub with the hot water in the gas dissolution passage. With the above configuration, in cold water relaxation operation, the hot water in the bathtub can be sent to the gas dissolution passage avoiding the micro-bubble generating section. This increases the circulating flow rate of the hot water, allowing the hot water in the bathtub to be quickly replaced with the hot water in the gas dissolution passage.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a bath system 2A of a first embodiment. A diagram showing a schematic diagram of the flow of hot water when the bath filling operation is being performed in the bath system 2A of Example 1. A diagram showing a schematic diagram of the flow of hot water when reheating operation is being performed in the bath system 2A of Example 1. 13 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the flow of hot water when fine bubble generation operation (air introduction process) is being performed in the bath system 2A of Example 1. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the flow of hot water when the fine bubble generation operation (fine bubble generation process) is being performed in the bath system 2A of Example 1. FIG. A diagram showing a schematic diagram of the flow of hot water when cold water reduction operation is being performed in the bath system 2A of Example 1. A side cross-sectional view of the bathtub adapter 132 of the bath system 2A of Example 1. This is a view of the bathtub adapter 132 of the bath system 2A of Example 1 disassembled in the front-to-back direction, viewed from the front, upper right. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the flow of hot water when reheating operation and fine bubble generation operation (air introduction process) are performed simultaneously in the bath system 2A of Example 1. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the flow of hot water when reheating operation and fine bubble generation operation (fine bubble generation process) are performed simultaneously in the bath system 2A of Example 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the flow of hot water when reheating operation and cold water reduction operation are performed simultaneously in a bath system 2A of Example 1. FIG. A diagram showing a schematic configuration of a bath system 2B of Example 2. A diagram showing a schematic diagram of the flow of hot water when the bath filling operation is being performed in the bath system 2B of Example 2. A diagram showing a schematic diagram of the flow of hot water when reheating operation is being performed in a bath system 2B of Example 2. 13 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the flow of hot water when fine bubble generation operation (air introduction process) is being performed in the bath system 2B of Example 2. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the flow of hot water when the fine bubble generating operation (fine bubble generating process) is being performed in the bath system 2B of Example 2. FIG. A diagram showing a schematic diagram of the flow of hot water when cold water reduction operation is being performed in the bath system 2B of Example 2. A side cross-sectional view of the bathtub adapter 332 of the bath system 2B of Example 2. This is a view of the bathtub adapter 332 of the bath system 2B of Example 2 disassembled in the front-to-back direction, viewed from the front, upper right. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the bypass suction port 402 viewed from the left in the bath system 2B of Example 2 when the check valve 500 is in a closed state. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the bypass suction port 402 viewed from the left in the bath system 2B of Example 2 when the check valve 500 is in an open state. FIG. A diagram showing a schematic diagram of the flow of hot water when reheating operation and fine bubble generation operation (air introduction process) are performed simultaneously in the bath system 2B of Example 2. A diagram showing a schematic diagram of the flow of hot water when reheating operation and fine bubble generation operation (fine bubble generation process) are performed simultaneously in the bath system 2B of Example 2. A diagram showing a schematic diagram of the flow of hot water when reheating operation and cold water reduction operation are performed simultaneously in a bath system 2B of Example 2.

Example 1
As shown in Fig. 1, the bath system 2A includes a heat source unit 10, an air dissolving unit 50, a first air dissolving passage 42, a first heating passage 44, a second air dissolving passage 46, a second heating passage 48, and a bathtub adapter 132. The bath system 2A heats hot water supplied from a water supply source 240 such as a tap, and supplies the hot water heated to a desired temperature to a faucet 250 installed in a kitchen or the like, or to a bathtub 130 installed in a bathroom. The bath system 2A can circulate and heat the hot water in the bathtub 130. The bath system 2A can also generate fine bubbles in the hot water in the bathtub 130 used by a user for bathing.

(Configuration of heat source unit 10)
The heat source unit 10 includes a first heat source unit 12, a second heat source unit 14, a water supply passage 16, a water outlet passage 18, a heat source bypass passage 20, a bypass servo 22, a water supply passage 24, a water filling valve 26, a water volume sensor 28, a circulation forward passage 30, a circulation return passage 32, a circulation pump 34, a water flow switch 36, and a heat source controller 38.

The upstream end of the water supply passage 16 is connected to a water supply source 240. The downstream end of the water supply passage 16 is connected to the first heat source unit 12. The upstream end of the hot water outlet passage 18 is connected to the first heat source unit 12. The downstream end of the hot water outlet passage 18 is connected to a faucet 250. The first heat source unit 12 heats hot water, for example, by burning gas. The first heat source unit 12 heats the water flowing in from the water supply passage 16 and sends the heated hot water to the hot water outlet passage 18.

The upstream end of the heat source bypass passage 20 is connected to the water supply passage 16. The downstream end of the heat source bypass passage 20 is connected to the hot water outlet passage 18. The bypass servo 22 is provided at the point where the heat source bypass passage 20 connects to the water supply passage 16. The bypass servo 22 can adjust the ratio of the flow rate of hot water flowing from the water supply passage 16 via the first heat source unit 12 to the hot water outlet passage 18 and the flow rate of hot water flowing from the water supply passage 16 via the heat source bypass passage 20 to the hot water outlet passage 18 by adjusting the opening degree of the built-in valve body. By adjusting the opening degree of the bypass servo 22, the hot water flowing from the first heat source unit 12 and the hot water flowing from the heat source bypass passage 20 are mixed in a desired ratio in the hot water outlet passage 18 downstream of the point where the heat source bypass passage 20 is connected, and hot water adjusted to the desired temperature is supplied. A hot water outlet temperature thermistor 18a is provided in the hot water outlet passage 18 downstream of where the heat source bypass passage 20 is connected to detect the temperature of the hot water in the hot water outlet passage 18.

The upstream end of the molten metal pouring passage 24 is connected to the molten metal outlet passage 18 downstream of the point where the heat source bypass passage 20 is connected. The downstream end of the molten metal pouring passage 24 is connected to the circulation return passage 32. The molten metal filling valve 26 is provided in the molten metal pouring passage 24 and opens and closes the molten metal pouring passage 24. The molten metal filling valve 26 is normally closed. The water volume sensor 28 is provided in the molten metal pouring passage 24 and detects the amount of hot and cold water flowing through the molten metal pouring passage 24.

The upstream end of the circulation return path 32 is connected to the first heating passage 44. The downstream end of the circulation return path 32 is connected to the second heat source unit 14. The upstream end of the circulation forward path 30 is connected to the second heat source unit 14. The downstream end of the circulation forward path 30 is connected to the second heating passage 48. The second heat source unit 14 heats hot water, for example, by burning gas. The second heat source unit 14 heats the hot water flowing from the circulation return path 32 and sends the heated hot water to the circulation forward path 30. The circulation return path 32 is provided with a circulation return path thermistor 32a that detects the temperature of the hot water in the circulation return path 32. The circulation forward path 30 is provided with a circulation forward path thermistor 30a that detects the temperature of the hot water in the circulation forward path 30.

The circulation pump 34 is provided in the circulation return path 32 downstream of the connection point of the hot water supply path 24, and sends hot water in the circulation return path 32 toward the second heat source unit 14. The water flow switch 36 is provided in the circulation return path 32 between the circulation pump 34 and the second heat source unit 14, and detects whether hot water is flowing in the circulation return path 32.

The heat source controller 38 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. The heat source controller 38 controls the operation of each component of the heat source unit 10. The heat source controller 38 is configured to be able to communicate with a remote control (not shown) that can be operated by the user. Through the remote control, the user can input various settings such as the set temperature and set water volume for the water filling operation described below, and can give instructions to start and end the water filling operation, etc.

(Configuration of the air dissolving unit 50)
The air dissolution unit 50 includes a tank 52, a first return path 60, a second return path 62, a return pump 70, a tank return path 74, a tank forward path 64, a connecting path 66, a first three-way valve 80, a second three-way valve 82, a check valve 84, a tank water supply valve 86, a first pressure pump 88, a second pressure pump 90, an air introduction path 100, an air introduction valve 102, and an air dissolution controller 92.

The tank 52 can store hot water inside. Inside the tank 52, a low water level electrode 52a, a high water level electrode 52b, and an earth electrode 52c are installed to detect the water level inside the tank 52. The water level detected by the low water level electrode 52a (hereinafter also referred to as the lower limit water level) is lower than the water level detected by the high water level electrode 52b (hereinafter also referred to as the upper limit water level). When the low water level electrode 52a and the high water level electrode 52b come into contact with the surface of the hot water stored in the tank 52, a current flows between them and the earth electrode 52c, and an ON signal is output to the air dissolution controller 92. The tank 52 is used to pressurize and dissolve air in the hot water to generate air-dissolved water.

One end of the first return path 60 is connected midway through the communication passage 66. The other end of the first return path 60 branches into the second return path 62 and the tank return path 74. The return pump 70 is provided on the first return path 60. The return pump 70 pumps hot and cold water from the first return path 60 toward the second return path 62 and the tank return path 74. The communication passage 66 also connects the first three-way valve 80 and the second three-way valve 82. The first three-way valve 80 is connected to the second air dissolution passage 46, the communication passage 66, and the tank forward path 64. The first three-way valve 80 can be switched between a first communication state (see Figures 1, 2, 3, 5, and 10) in which the tank outflow passage 64 and the second air dissolution passage 46 are in communication with each other, a second communication state (see Figures 4 and 9) in which the tank outflow passage 64 and the communication passage 66 are in communication with each other, and a third communication state (see Figures 6 and 11) in which the second air dissolution passage 46, the tank outflow passage 64, and the communication passage 66 are in communication with each other. The upstream end of the tank outflow passage 64 is connected to the lower part of the tank 52. The downstream end of the tank outflow passage 64 is connected to the first three-way valve 80. The tank outflow passage 64 is provided with a check valve 84 that allows hot water to flow from the tank 52 to the first three-way valve 80 and prohibits hot water from flowing from the first three-way valve 80 to the tank 52.

The second three-way valve 82 is connected to the first air dissolution passage 42, the communication passage 66, and the second forwarding passage 62. The second three-way valve 82 can be switched between a fourth communication state (see Figures 5 and 10) in which the first air dissolution passage 42 and the communication passage 66 are connected, a fifth communication state (see Figures 4, 6, 9, and 11) in which the first air dissolution passage 42 and the second forwarding passage 62 are connected, and a closed state (see Figures 1, 2, and 3) in which the first air dissolution passage 42, the communication passage 66, and the second forwarding passage 62 are not connected to each other. The second three-way valve 82 is normally in a closed state.

The upstream end of the tank return line 74 is connected to the first return line 60 and the second return line 62. The downstream end of the tank return line 74 is connected to the tank 52 via the water supply port 74a. The tank water supply valve 86 is provided in the tank return line 74 and opens and closes the tank return line 74. The tank water supply valve 86 is normally closed. The first pressurizing pump 88 and the second pressurizing pump 90 are provided in the tank return line 74 between the tank water supply valve 86 and the tank 52. The first pressurizing pump 88 and the second pressurizing pump 90 pressurize the hot water in the tank return line 74 and send it toward the tank 52. In the tank return line 74, the first pressurizing pump 88 is located upstream of the second pressurizing pump 90.

One end of the air introduction passage 100 is open to the atmosphere. The other end of the air introduction passage 100 is connected to the tank 52. The air introduction passage 100 introduces air into the tank 52. The air introduction valve 102 is provided in the air introduction passage 100 and opens and closes the air introduction passage 100. The air introduction valve 102 is normally closed.

The air dissolution controller 92 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. The air dissolution controller 92 controls the operation of each component of the air dissolution unit 50. The air dissolution controller 92 is configured to be able to communicate with a remote control (not shown) that can be operated by the user. The user can issue commands via the remote control to start and end the microbubble generation operation described below.

(Configuration of bathtub adapter 132)
The bathtub adaptor 132 is provided on the side wall of the bathtub 130. The bathtub adaptor 132 includes a first suction passage 134, a first suction port 136, a second suction passage 138, a second suction port 140, a first discharge passage 142, a first discharge port 144, a second discharge passage 146, and a second discharge port 148. One end of the first suction passage 134 is connected to the inside of the bathtub 130 via the first suction port 136. The other end of the first suction passage 134 is connected to the first air dissolution passage 42. One end of the second suction passage 138 is connected to the inside of the bathtub 130 via the second suction port 140. The other end of the second suction passage 138 is connected to the first heating passage 44. One end of the first discharge passage 142 is connected to the inside of the bathtub 130 via the first discharge port 144. The other end of the first discharge passage 142 is connected to the second air dissolution passage 46. One end of the second discharge passage 146 communicates with the inside of the bath 130 via a second discharge port 148. The other end of the second discharge passage 146 is connected to the second heating passage 48.

Next, the structure of the bathtub adapter 132 will be described in detail. In Figure 7, the sidewall of the bathtub 130 extends in the up-down, left-right and right directions, and the direction toward the inside of the bathtub 130 is defined as the forward direction, and the direction toward the outside of the bathtub 130 is defined as the rear direction. Figure 8 illustrates the front-back, up-down, left-right and right directions corresponding to Figure 7.

As shown in FIG. 8, the bathtub adapter 132 includes a piping attachment body 150, a partition body 152, and a cover body 154.

The piping attachment body 150 includes a first attachment pipe 156, a second attachment pipe 158, a third attachment pipe 160, a fourth attachment pipe 162, a first inner tube 164, a second inner tube 166, a third inner tube 168, an outer tube 170, a female thread 172, and a gasket 174.

The first attachment tube 156 is attached with a pipe corresponding to the second air dissolution passage 46 (see FIG. 1). The first attachment tube 156 is connected to the space inside the first inner tube 164. The second attachment tube 158 is attached with a pipe corresponding to the first air dissolution passage 42 (see FIG. 1). The second attachment tube 158 is connected to the space between the first inner tube 164 and the second inner tube 166. The third attachment tube 160 is attached with a pipe corresponding to the first heating passage 44 (see FIG. 1). The third attachment tube 160 is connected to the space between the second inner tube 166 and the third inner tube 168. The fourth attachment tube 162 is attached with a pipe corresponding to the second heating passage 48 (see FIG. 1). The fourth attachment tube 162 is connected to the space between the third inner tube 168 and the outer tube 170.

The female thread 172 is formed on the inner surface of the outer cylinder 170. The packing 174 has a generally annular shape. The packing 174 is attached around the flange portion 170a (see FIG. 7) that protrudes radially outward from the front end of the outer cylinder 170.

The partition body 152 includes a screw tube 176, a partition case 180, and a partition cover 182. The screw tube 176, the partition case 180, and the partition cover 182 are fixed to each other by any fixing method (fastening, welding, etc.). The partition body 152 further includes a male screw 178, a first chamber 192, a second chamber 194, a third chamber 196, a fourth chamber 198, a first inner suction port 200, a second inner suction port 202, and a fine bubble generating section 204.

As shown in FIG. 7, the male thread 178 is formed on the outer surface of the threaded tube 176. When attaching the bathtub adapter 132 to the bathtub 130, the threaded tube 176 is inserted into a hole provided in the bathtub 130 from inside the bathtub 130, and the male thread 178 is screwed into the female thread 172 of the piping attachment 150 arranged on the outside of the bathtub 130. When the bathtub adapter 132 is attached to the bathtub 130, the packing 174 is pressed against the outer surface of the bathtub 130. This seals the gap between the outer tube 170 and the bathtub 130, preventing hot and cold water in the bathtub 130 from leaking out of the hole provided in the bathtub 130.

The partition case 180 includes a case body 184, a partition 184a provided on the front side of the case body 184, and a first insertion tube 186, a second insertion tube 188, and a third insertion tube 190 provided on the rear side of the case body 184. A first chamber 192, a second chamber 194 (see FIG. 8), a third chamber 196, and a fourth chamber 198 (see FIG. 8) are defined by partitioning the space between the case body 184 and the partition cover 182 with the partition 184a. The first chamber 192 is connected to the space inside the first insertion tube 186. The second chamber 194 is connected to the space between the first insertion tube 186 and the second insertion tube 188. The third chamber 196 is connected to the space between the second insertion tube 188 and the third insertion tube 190. The fourth chamber 198 is connected to the space between the third insertion tube 190 and the screw tube 176.

The first insertion tube 186 is inserted into the first inner tube 164. This connects the space inside the first insertion tube 186 and the space inside the first inner tube 164. The second insertion tube 188 is inserted into the second inner tube 166. This connects the space between the first insertion tube 186 and the second insertion tube 188 to the space between the first inner tube 164 and the second inner tube 166. The third insertion tube 190 is inserted into the third inner tube 168. This connects the space between the second insertion tube 188 and the third insertion tube 190 to the space between the second inner tube 166 and the third inner tube 168, and connects the space between the third insertion tube 190 and the screw tube 176 to the space between the third inner tube 168 and the outer tube 170.

The micro-bubble generating section 204 is equipped with a micro-bubble generating nozzle 206 and a nozzle holder 208.

The fine bubble generating nozzle 206 includes a body 210 extending in the front-rear direction, a venturi flow path 212 penetrating the body 210 in the front-rear direction, a flange 214 protruding radially outward from the body 210, and a fitting 216 protruding rearward from the flange 214 on the outside of the body 210. The fitting 216 fits into a through hole 218 provided in the partition cover 182. The through hole 218 is connected to the first chamber 192. An O-ring 220 is provided between the rear surface of the flange 214, the outer surface of the fitting 216, and the through hole 218.

The nozzle holder 208 includes a ring portion 222 that holds the flange portion 214 of the fine bubble generating nozzle 206 between the front surface of the partition cover 182 and the ring portion 222, a cap portion 224 that is disposed in front of the fine bubble generating nozzle 206, and a fixing portion 228 (see FIG. 8) that is fixed to the partition cover 182 by a screw 226 (see FIG. 8). The ring portion 222, the cap portion 224, and the fixing portion 228 are formed seamlessly and integrally.

As shown in FIG. 8, the first inner suction port 200 and the second inner suction port 202 are each formed in the partition cover 182. The first inner suction port 200 is connected to the second chamber 194. The second inner suction port 202 is connected to the third chamber 196.

The cover body 154 has external shared suction ports 136, 140 (corresponding to the first suction port 136 and the second suction port 140), a first discharge port 144, and a second discharge port 148.

As shown in FIG. 7, the cover body 154 further includes a partition plate 230 and a baffle plate 232. The cover body 154 is attached to the partition body 152 so as to cover the radial outside of the partition case 180 and the front surface of the partition cover 182. When the cover body 154 is attached to the partition body 152, the space defined by the front surface of the partition cover 182 and the inner surface of the cover body 154 is divided into two spaces by the partition plate 230. Here, one of the two spaces is called the fine bubble generating chamber 234, and the other of the two spaces is called the suction chamber 236. When the cover body 154 is attached to the partition body 152, the fourth chamber 198 (see FIG. 8) communicates with the inside of the bathtub 130 via the second discharge port 148 (see FIG. 8).

The micro-bubble generating chamber 234 is connected to the first chamber 192 of the partition body 152 via the micro-bubble generating section 204 (specifically, the venturi flow path 212, the space between the inner surface of the cap section 224 and the outer surface of the body section 210, and the space between the outer surface of the cap section 224 and the ring section 222). The micro-bubble generating chamber 234 also communicates with the inside of the bathtub 130 via the first outlet 144 of the cover body 154 (see FIG. 8). The baffle plate 232 extends in the micro-bubble generating chamber 234 so as to be approximately perpendicular to the direction from the micro-bubble generating section 204 toward the first outlet 144.

The suction chamber 236 is connected to the second chamber 194 (see FIG. 8) of the partition body 152 via the first inner suction port 200 (see FIG. 8). The suction chamber 236 is connected to the third chamber 196 of the partition body 152 via the second inner suction port 202 (see FIG. 8). The suction chamber 236 is also connected to the inside of the bathtub 130 via the shared outer suction ports 136, 140 (see FIG. 8) of the cover body 154.

(Configuration of each passage of the bathtub adapter 132)
In the bathtub adaptor 132 of this embodiment, the first discharge passage 142 (see FIG. 1) is composed of the first attachment pipe 156, the space inside the first inner cylinder 164, the space inside the first insertion cylinder 186, the first chamber 192, the fine bubble generating section 204, and the fine bubble generating chamber 234. The first suction passage 134 (see FIG. 1) is composed of the second attachment pipe 158, the space between the first inner cylinder 164 and the second inner cylinder 166, the space between the first insertion cylinder 186 and the second insertion cylinder 188, the second chamber 194, the first inner suction port 200, and the suction chamber 236. The second suction passage 138 (see FIG. 1 ) is composed of the third attachment pipe 160, the space between the second inner cylinder 166 and the third inner cylinder 168, the space between the second insertion cylinder 188 and the third insertion cylinder 190, the third chamber 196, the second inner suction port 202, and the suction chamber 236. The second discharge passage 146 (see FIG. 1 ) is composed of the fourth attachment pipe 162, the space between the third inner cylinder 168 and the outer cylinder 170, the space between the third insertion cylinder 190 and the threaded cylinder 176, and the fourth chamber 198.

(Bath filling operation: Figure 2)
The water filling operation starts when the user instructs the start of the water filling operation on the remote control. Alternatively, the water filling operation may start when the user sets the start time of the water filling operation on the remote control and the heat source controller 38 determines that the start time of the water filling operation has arrived. When the water filling operation starts, the heat source controller 38 opens the water filling valve 26 and starts heating by the first heat source unit 12. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, hot water adjusted to the set temperature flows from the hot water outlet path 18 through the hot water supply path 24 into the circulation return path 32. The hot water that flows into the circulation return path 32 branches into a flow toward the upstream side (i.e., the first heating path 44) and a flow toward the downstream side (i.e., the second heat source unit 14). The hot water that flows from the circulation return path 32 to the first heating path 44 flows into the bathtub 130 via the second suction path 138 and the second suction port 140 of the bathtub adapter 132. The hot water flowing from the return circulation path 32 to the second heat source unit 14 flows into the bathtub 130 via the forward circulation path 30, the second heating passage 48, the second outlet path 146 and the second outlet port 148 of the bathtub adapter 132. The heat source controller 38 waits until the accumulated water volume detected by the water volume sensor 28 reaches the set water volume for the bath filling operation. The accumulated water volume here means the accumulated water volume detected by the water volume sensor 28 since the bath filling operation started. When the accumulated water volume reaches the set water volume, the heat source controller 38 closes the bath filling valve 26 and stops heating the hot water by the first heat source unit 12. The heat source controller 38 then stops the bath filling operation.

(Reheating operation: Figure 3)
The reheating operation starts when the user instructs the start of the reheating operation on the remote control. Alternatively, the reheating operation may start when the heat source controller 38 determines that the temperature detected by the circulation return thermistor 32a does not reach the set temperature after the first heat source unit 12 finishes heating the hot water during the bath filling operation. When the reheating operation starts, the heat source controller 38 drives the circulation pump 34 and starts heating the hot water by the second heat source unit 14. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, the hot water in the bathtub 130 is sent to the second heat source unit 14 via the second suction port 140 and second suction passage 138 of the bathtub adapter 132, the first heating passage 44, and the circulation return passage 32. The hot water heated by the second heat source unit 14 is returned to the bathtub 130 via the circulation outward passage 30, the second heating passage 48, the second discharge passage 146 and the second discharge port 148 of the bathtub adapter 132. When the temperature detected by the circulation return thermistor 32a becomes equal to or higher than the set temperature, the heat source controller 38 stops the circulation pump 34 and terminates the heating of hot water by the second heat source unit 14. After that, the heat source controller 38 terminates the reheating operation.

(Fine bubble generation operation)
The fine bubble generating operation starts when the user issues a command to start the fine bubble generating operation using the remote control. The fine bubble generating operation includes an air introduction process and a fine bubble generating process. The air introduction process and the fine bubble generating process are alternately performed based on the detected water levels of the low water level electrode 52a and the high water level electrode 52b. The fine bubble generating operation ends when the number of times the air introduction process and the fine bubble generating process have been performed reaches a predetermined number of times.

(Air introduction process: Figure 4)
The air introduction process is performed at the start of the fine bubble generating operation and after the end of the fine bubble generating process, and is performed until the water level in the tank 52 falls below the lower limit water level. When starting the air introduction process, the air dissolution controller 92 sets the first three-way valve 80 and the second three-way valve 82 to the second communication state and the fifth communication state, respectively. In addition, the air dissolution controller 92 opens the air introduction valve 102 and closes the tank water supply valve 86 to drive the delivery pump 70. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, hot water is sucked out of the tank 52 and air is introduced into the tank 52 through the air introduction path 100. The hot water sucked out of the tank 52 flows into the bathtub 130 via the tank forward path 64, the first three-way valve 80, the communication path 66, the first forward path 60, the second forward path 62, the second three-way valve 82, the first air dissolution path 42, the first suction path 134 and the first suction port 136 of the bathtub adapter 132. During the air introduction process, the water level in the tank 52 drops.

(Microbubble generation process: Figure 5)
The fine bubble generating process is started after the air introduction process is completed, and is executed until the water level in the tank 52 reaches or exceeds the upper water level. When starting the fine bubble generating process, the air dissolution controller 92 sets the first three-way valve 80 and the second three-way valve 82 to the first communication state and the fourth communication state, respectively. In addition, the air dissolution controller 92 closes the air introduction valve 102, opens the tank water supply valve 86, and drives the delivery pump 70, the first pressure pump 88, and the second pressure pump 90. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, the hot water in the bathtub 130 is supplied to the tank 52 via the first suction port 136 and the first suction passage 134 of the bathtub adapter 132, the first air dissolution passage 42, the second three-way valve 82, the communication passage 66, the first delivery passage 60, and the tank return passage 74. At this time, the hot water pressurized by the first pressure pump 88 and the second pressure pump 90 is supplied from the tank return passage 74 to the tank 52. As a result, air is pressurized and dissolved in the hot water inside the tank 52. The hot water in which the air is pressurized and dissolved is returned to the bathtub 130 from the tank 52 via the tank forward path 64, the first three-way valve 80, the second air dissolution passage 46, the first discharge path 142 of the bathtub adapter 132, and the first discharge port 144. The hot water in which the air is pressurized and dissolved is depressurized to below atmospheric pressure by the Venturi effect when passing through the fine bubble generating section 204 (specifically, the Venturi flow path 212) (see FIG. 5), which is a part of the first discharge path 142. At this time, fine bubbles are generated in the hot water in which the air is pressurized and dissolved. As a result, in the fine bubble generating process, hot water containing fine bubbles is supplied to the bathtub 130. In the fine bubble generating process, the flow rate of hot water supplied from the tank return path 74 to the tank 52 is greater than the flow rate of hot water supplied from the tank 52 to the bathtub 130, so the water level in the tank 52 rises.

(Cold water relaxation operation: Figure 6)
The cold water relaxation operation starts when a predetermined time has passed since the last end of the fine bubble generation operation or the cold water relaxation operation. When starting the cold water relaxation operation, the air dissolution controller 92 sets the first three-way valve 80 and the second three-way valve 82 to the third communication state and the fifth communication state, respectively. In addition, the air dissolution controller 92 drives the delivery pump 70 with the air introduction valve 102 and the tank water supply valve 86 closed. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the hot water in the bathtub 130 flows in order through the first discharge port 144 and the first discharge path 142 of the bathtub adapter 132, the second air dissolution path 46, the first three-way valve 80, the communication path 66, the first forwarding path 60, the second forwarding path 62, the second three-way valve 82, and the first air dissolution path 42. Then, the hot water that has been stagnating in each path flows into the bathtub 130 via the first suction path 134 and the first suction port 136 of the bathtub adapter 132. The air dissolution controller 92 ends the cold water relaxation operation after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the cold water relaxation operation. By periodically executing the cold water relaxation operation, the hot water in each passage is periodically replaced with the hot water in the bathtub 130.

(Secondary Effects of the Configuration of this Example)
Conventionally, hot and cold water in the bathtub 130 could not be sent to both the heat source unit 10 and the air dissolving unit 50 at the same time, and both hot and cold water from the heat source unit 10 and the air dissolving unit 50 could not be sent to the bathtub 130 at the same time. As a result, the reheating operation by the heat source unit 10 and the fine bubble generating operation (or cold water mitigation operation) by the air dissolving unit 50 could not be performed simultaneously. Also, in a configuration in which the heat source unit 10 and the air dissolving unit 50 are connected to the bathtub 130 by a single bathtub adapter 132, it was necessary to link the heat source unit 10 and the air dissolving unit 50 by communication. Therefore, there was a case where the compatibility between the heat source unit 10 and the air dissolving unit 50 was poor (for example, it was not possible to combine the heat source unit 10 and the air dissolving unit 50 made by different manufacturers). In the configuration of this embodiment, hot and cold water in the bathtub 130 can be sent to both the heat source unit 10 and the air dissolving unit 50 at the same time, and both hot and cold water from the heat source unit 10 and the air dissolving unit 50 can be sent to the bathtub 130 at the same time. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9, the reheating operation and the fine bubble generating operation (air introduction process) can be performed simultaneously. As shown in FIG. 10, the reheating operation and the fine bubble generating operation (fine bubble generating process) can be performed simultaneously. As shown in FIG. 11, the reheating operation and the cold water relaxation operation can be performed simultaneously. In addition, since the heat source unit 10 and the air dissolving unit 50 can be operated independently of each other, communication or linkage between them is not required. Therefore, the compatibility between the heat source unit 10 and the air dissolving unit 50 can be improved (for example, the heat source unit 10 and the air dissolving unit 50 made by different manufacturers can be combined).

(Corresponding relationship in Example 1)
In this embodiment, the bathtub adapter 132 is an example of a connecting device. The first heating passage 44 and the second heating passage 48 are examples of heating passages. The heat source unit 10 that heats hot and cold water is an example of a heating device. The first air dissolution passage 42 and the second air dissolution passage 46 are examples of gas dissolution passages. The air dissolution unit 50 is an example of a gas dissolution device. The end of the second air dissolution passage 46 is an example of one end of a gas dissolution passage. The end of the second heating passage 48 is an example of one end of a heating passage. The end of the first heating passage 44 is an example of the other end of a heating passage. The end of the first air dissolution passage 42 is an example of the other end of a gas dissolution passage. The first suction passage 134 and the second suction passage 138 are examples of suction passages.

Example 2
As shown in Fig. 12, the bath system 2B according to the second embodiment includes a heat source unit 10, an air dissolving unit 50, a common passage 540, a first air dissolving passage 542, a first heating passage 544, a second air dissolving passage 546, a second heating passage 548, and a bathtub adapter 332. The heat source unit 10 and the air dissolving unit 50 are the same as those in the first embodiment. Therefore, the configurations of the heat source unit 10 and the air dissolving unit 50 will not be described.

The common passage 540 branches into a first air dissolution passage 542 and a first heating passage 544. The first air dissolution passage 542 is connected to the second three-way valve 82. The first heating passage 544 is connected to the upstream end of the return circulation passage 32. The second air dissolution passage 546 is connected to the first three-way valve 80. The second heating passage 548 is connected to the downstream end of the forward circulation passage 30.

(Configuration of bathtub adaptor 332)
The bathtub adapter 332 includes a shared suction passage 334, a shared suction port 336, a first discharge passage 342, a first discharge port 344, a second discharge passage 346, and a second discharge port 348. One end of the shared suction passage 334 is connected to the inside of the bathtub 130 via the shared suction port 336. The other end of the shared suction passage 334 is connected to the shared passage 540. One end of the first discharge passage 342 is connected to the inside of the bathtub 130 via the first discharge port 344. The other end of the first discharge passage 342 is connected to the second air dissolution passage 546. One end of the second discharge passage 346 is connected to the inside of the bathtub 130 via the second discharge port 348. The other end of the second discharge passage 346 is connected to the second heating passage 548.

Next, the structure of the bathtub adapter 332 will be described in detail. In Figures 18 and 19, the front, back, up, down, left and right directions are defined in the same way as in Figures 5 and 8.

As shown in FIG. 19, the bathtub adapter 332 includes a piping attachment body 350, a partition body 352, and a cover body 354. The method for attaching the bathtub adapter 332 to the bathtub 130 is substantially the same as in Example 1. Therefore, a description of this method will be omitted.

The piping attachment body 350 includes a first attachment pipe 356, a second attachment pipe 358, a third attachment pipe 360, a first inner tube 364, a second inner tube 366, an outer tube 370, a female thread 372, and a gasket 374.

The first attachment tube 356 is attached with a pipe corresponding to the second air dissolution passage 546 (see FIG. 12). The first attachment tube 356 is connected to the space inside the first inner tube 364. The second attachment tube 358 is attached with a pipe corresponding to the shared passage 540 (see FIG. 12). The second attachment tube 358 is connected to the space between the first inner tube 364 and the second inner tube 366. The third attachment tube 360 is attached with a pipe corresponding to the second heating passage 548 (see FIG. 12). The third attachment tube 360 is connected to the space between the second inner tube 366 and the outer tube 370.

The female thread 372 is formed on the inner surface of the outer cylinder 370. The packing 374 has a generally annular shape. The packing 374 is attached around the flange portion 370a (see FIG. 18) that protrudes radially outward from the front end of the outer cylinder 370.

The partition body 352 includes a threaded tube 376 having a male thread 378, a partition case 380, and a partition cover 382. The threaded tube 376, the partition case 380, and the partition cover 382 are fixed to each other by any fixing method (fastening, welding, etc.). The partition body 352 further includes a first chamber 392, a second chamber 394, a third chamber 396, an inner common suction port 400, a bypass suction port 402, a fine bubble generating unit 404, and a check valve 500. The fine bubble generating unit 404 has a configuration substantially similar to that of the fine bubble generating unit 204 of the first embodiment. Therefore, a description of the fine bubble generating unit 404 will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 18, the partition case 380 includes a case body 384, a partition 384a provided on the front side of the case body 384, and a first insertion tube 386 and a second insertion tube 388 provided on the rear side of the case body 384. A first chamber 392, a second chamber 394 (see FIG. 19), and a third chamber 396 are defined by dividing the space between the case body 384 and the partition cover 382 by the partition 384a. The first chamber 392 is connected to the space inside the first insertion tube 386. The second chamber 394 is connected to the space between the first insertion tube 386 and the second insertion tube 388. The third chamber 396 is connected to the space between the second insertion tube 388 and the screw tube 376.

The first insertion tube 386 is inserted into the first inner tube 364. This connects the space inside the first insertion tube 386 to the space inside the first inner tube 364. Furthermore, the second insertion tube 388 is inserted into the second inner tube 366. This connects the space between the first insertion tube 386 and the second insertion tube 388 to the space between the first inner tube 364 and the second inner tube 366, and connects the space between the second insertion tube 388 and the threaded tube 376 to the space between the second inner tube 366 and the outer tube 370.

As shown in FIG. 19, the inner shared suction port 400 and the bypass suction port 402 are formed in the partition cover 382. The inner shared suction port 400 is connected to the second chamber 394. The bypass suction port 402 is connected to the first chamber 392.

20 and 21, the check valve 500 is disposed inside the first chamber 392 and behind the bypass suction port 402. When hot water flows into the first chamber 392 from the space inside the first insertion tube 386 (see FIG. 18), the check valve 500 is in the state shown in FIG. 20 (closed state). As a result, the check valve 500 prohibits hot water from flowing from the first chamber 392 to the front of the partition cover 382 (the suction chamber 436 described later) through the bypass suction port 402. On the other hand, when hot water flows out from the first chamber 392 to the space inside the first insertion tube 386, the check valve 500 is in the state shown in FIG. 21 (open state). As a result, the check valve 500 allows hot water to flow from the front of the partition cover 382 (the suction chamber 436) to the first chamber 392 through the bypass suction port 402.

As shown in FIG. 19, the cover body 354 has an outer shared suction port 336 (corresponding to the shared suction port 336), a first discharge port 344, and a second discharge port 348. The second discharge port 348 is connected to the third chamber 396 of the partition body 352. As shown in FIG. 18, the cover body 354 further has a partition plate 430 and a baffle plate 432.

The partition plate 430 divides the space defined by the front surface of the partition lid 382 and the inner surface of the cover body 354 into a fine bubble generating chamber 434 and a suction chamber 436.

The microbubble generating chamber 434 is connected to the first chamber 392 of the partition body 352 via the microbubble generating section 404. The microbubble generating chamber 434 also communicates with the inside of the bathtub 130 via the first outlet 344 of the cover body 354.

The suction chamber 436 is connected to the second chamber 394 (see FIG. 19) of the partition body 352 via the inner shared suction port 400 (see FIG. 19). The suction chamber 436 is connected to the first chamber 392 of the partition body 352 via the bypass suction port 402 (see FIG. 19). The suction chamber 436 also communicates with the outer shared suction port 336 (see FIG. 19) of the cover body 354.

(Configuration of each passage of the bathtub adaptor 332)
In this embodiment, the first discharge passage 342 (see FIG. 12) is composed of the first attachment pipe 356, the space inside the first inner cylinder 364, the space inside the first insertion cylinder 386, the first chamber 392, the fine bubble generating section 404, and the fine bubble generating chamber 434. The shared suction passage 334 (see FIG. 12) is composed of the second attachment pipe 358, the space between the first inner cylinder 364 and the second inner cylinder 366, the space between the first insertion cylinder 386 and the second insertion cylinder 388, the second chamber 394, the inner shared suction port 400, and the suction chamber 436. The second discharge passage 346 (see FIG. 12) is composed of the third attachment pipe 360, the space between the second inner cylinder 366 and the outer cylinder 370, the space between the second insertion cylinder 388 and the screw cylinder 376, and the third chamber 396. In addition, the passage formed by the first chamber 392, the bypass suction port 402, and the suction chamber 436 is also referred to as a "bypass path 502" (see Figures 20 and 21).

(Bath filling operation: Figure 13)
As shown in Fig. 13, in Example 2, the bath water filling operation is performed in the same manner as in Example 1. In this example, hot water flowing from the heat source unit 10 to the first heating passage 544 flows into the bathtub 130 via the shared passage 540, the shared suction passage 334 and the shared suction port 336 of the bathtub adapter 332. Hot water flowing from the heat source unit 10 to the second heating passage 548 flows into the bathtub 130 via the second discharge passage 346 and the second discharge port 348 of the bathtub adapter 332.

(Reheating operation: Figure 14)
As shown in Fig. 14, in Example 2, the reheating operation is performed in the same manner as in Example 1. In this example, hot water in the bathtub 130 is sent to the heat source unit 10 via the shared suction port 336 and shared suction passage 334 of the bathtub adapter 332, the shared passage 540, and the first heating passage 544. Hot water heated by the heat source unit 10 is returned to the bathtub 130 via the second heating passage 548, the second discharge passage 346 and the second discharge port 348 of the bathtub adapter 332.

(Air introduction process for fine bubble generation operation: FIG. 15)
In the embodiment 2, the fine bubble generating operation is performed in the same manner as in the embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 15, in the air introduction step of the embodiment, hot water sucked out from the tank 52 flows into the bathtub 130 via the tank outflow path 64, the first three-way valve 80, the communication path 66, the first return path 60, the second return path 62, the second three-way valve 82, the first air dissolution path 542, the shared path 540, the shared suction path 334 and the shared suction port 336 of the bathtub adapter 332.

However, when the reheating operation is performed at the same time as the air introduction process, the hot water sucked out of the tank 52 flows through a different passage than the example in Figure 15. In this case, as shown in Figure 22, the hot water sucked out of the tank 52 flows into the bathtub 130 via the tank outflow path 64, the first three-way valve 80, the communication path 66, the first return path 60, the second return path 62, the second three-way valve 82, the first air dissolution path 542, the first heating path 544, the heat source unit 10, the second heating path 548, the second discharge path 346 and the second discharge port 348 of the bathtub adapter 332.

(Fine bubble generating process of fine bubble generating operation: FIG. 16)
As shown in Fig. 16, in the fine bubble generating process of this embodiment, hot water in the bathtub 130 is sent to the air dissolution unit 50 via the shared suction port 336 and shared suction passage 334 of the bathtub adaptor 332, the shared passage 540, and the first air dissolution passage 542. The hot water in which air has been pressurized and dissolved in the air dissolution unit 50 is returned to the bathtub 130 via the second air dissolution passage 546, the first discharge passage 342 and the first discharge port 344 of the bathtub adaptor 332. In the fine bubble generating process, the check valve 500 (see Fig. 19) is closed, and the bypass passage 502 (see Figs. 20 and 21) is closed.

(Cold water relaxation operation: FIG. 17)
As shown in FIG. 17, in the second embodiment, the cold water relaxation operation is performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment. In the cold water relaxation operation, the check valve 500 (see FIG. 19) is opened, and the bypass passage 502 (see FIG. 20 and FIG. 21) is opened. In the cold water relaxation operation of this embodiment, the hot water in the bathtub 130 flows through the first outlet 344 of the bathtub adapter 332, the first outlet passage 342 and the bypass passage 502, the second air dissolution passage 546, the first three-way valve 80, the communication passage 66, the first forwarding passage 60, the second forwarding passage 62, the second three-way valve 82, and the first air dissolution passage 542 in this order. Then, the hot water that has been stagnating in each passage flows into the bathtub 130 via the shared passage 540, the shared suction passage 334 and the shared suction port 336 of the bathtub adapter 332.

However, when the reheating operation is performed at the same time as the cold water reduction operation, the hot water that has been stagnating in each passage flows through a passage different from the example in FIG. 17. In this case, as shown in FIG. 24, the hot water that has been stagnating in each passage flows into the bathtub 130 via the first heating passage 544, the heat source unit 10, the second heating passage 548, the second discharge passage 346 and the second discharge port 348 of the bathtub adapter 332.

(Secondary Effects of the Configuration of this Example)
Even in the configuration of this embodiment, hot water in the bathtub 130 can be sent to both the heat source unit 10 and the air dissolving unit 50 at the same time, and both hot water from the heat source unit 10 and hot water from the air dissolving unit 50 can be sent to the bathtub 130 at the same time. As a result, as shown in FIG. 22, the reheating operation and the fine bubble generating operation (air introduction process) can be performed simultaneously. As shown in FIG. 23, the reheating operation and the fine bubble generating operation (fine bubble generating process) can be performed simultaneously. As shown in FIG. 24, the reheating operation and the cold water mitigation operation can be performed simultaneously. In addition, since the heat source unit 10 and the air dissolving unit 50 can be operated independently of each other, communication or linkage between them is not required. Therefore, the compatibility between the heat source unit 10 and the air dissolving unit 50 can be improved (for example, the heat source unit 10 and the air dissolving unit 50 made by different manufacturers can be combined).

(Corresponding relationship in Example 2)
In this embodiment, the bathtub adapter 332 is an example of a connecting device. The first heating passage 544 and the second heating passage 548 are examples of heating passages. The heat source unit 10 is an example of a heating device. The first air dissolution passage 542 and the second air dissolution passage 546 are examples of gas dissolution passages. The air dissolution unit 50 is an example of a gas dissolution device. The end of the second air dissolution passage 546 is an example of one end of a gas dissolution passage. The end of the second heating passage 548 is an example of one end of a heating passage. The end of the first heating passage 544 is an example of the other end of a heating passage. The end of the first air dissolution passage 542 is an example of the other end of a gas dissolution passage. The shared suction passage 334 is an example of a suction passage.

(Modification)
In the first and second embodiments, air is introduced into the tank 52. However, instead of air, gas such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen, or oxygen may be introduced into the tank 52.

In the first and second embodiments, a configuration has been described in which both the first heat source unit 12 and the second heat source unit 14 are so-called combustion heating devices that heat hot water by burning a fuel such as gas. In another embodiment, at least one of the first heat source unit 12 and the second heat source unit 14 may be a heating device other than a combustion heating device (such as an electric heater, a heat pump, or a cogeneration system).

In the first and second embodiments, the air dissolution unit 50 is described as having an air introduction path 100 and an air introduction valve 102 as a mechanism (air introduction mechanism) for introducing air into the tank 52. In another embodiment, the air dissolution unit 50 may have an air introduction mechanism other than the air introduction path 100 and the air introduction valve 102. For example, the air dissolution unit 50 may have an air pump that sends air into the tank 52. In this case, air may be introduced into the tank 52 by driving the air pump in the fine bubble generation process. This makes it possible to omit the air introduction process. In yet another embodiment, the air dissolution unit 50 may have a tank circulation path for circulating hot water in the tank 52, a Venturi tube provided in the middle of the tank circulation path, and an air introduction path connected to the Venturi tube. In this case, in the fine bubble generation process, hot water may be circulated through the tank circulation path and the Venturi tube, and air in the atmosphere may be sucked out by the negative pressure generated when the hot water flows through the Venturi tube, thereby introducing air into the tank 52. This makes it possible to omit the air introduction process.

In the first embodiment, the bathtub adapter 132 may further include a passageway equivalent to the bypass passageway 502 in the second embodiment. This bypass passageway may also be provided with a check valve that opens during cold water relaxation operation and closes during fine bubble generation operation.

In Example 2, the bathtub adapter 332 does not have to include the bypass passage 502 and the check valve 500.

The technical elements described in this specification or drawings have technical utility either alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. In addition, the technologies illustrated in this specification or drawings can achieve multiple objectives simultaneously, and achieving one of those objectives is itself technically useful.

2A, 2B: Bath system 10: Heat source unit 12: First heat source unit 14: Second heat source unit 16: Water supply line 18: Hot water outlet line 18a: Hot water outlet temperature thermistor 20: Heat source bypass line 22: Bypass servo 24: Hot water supply line 26: Valve 28: Water volume sensor 30: Circulation forward line 30a: Circulation forward line thermistor 32: Circulation return line 32a: Circulation return line thermistor 34: Circulation pump 36: Water flow switch 38: Heat source controller 42: First air dissolution line 44: First heating line 46: Second air dissolution line 48: Second heating line 50: Air dissolution unit 52: Tank 52a: Low water level electrode 52b: High water level electrode 52c: Earth electrode 60: First circulation line 62: Second circulation line 64: Tank forward line 66 : Communication passage 70 : Deadhead pump 74 : Tank return passage 74a : Water supply port 80 : First three-way valve 82 : Second three-way valve 84 : Check valve 86 : Tank water supply valve 88 : First pressurizing pump 90 : Second pressurizing pump 92 : Air dissolution controller 100 : Air introduction passage 102 : Air introduction valve 130 : Bathtub 132 : Bathtub adapter 134 : First suction passage 136 : First suction port, outer common suction port 138 : Second suction passage 140 : Second suction port, outer common suction port 142 : First discharge passage 144 : First discharge port 146 : Second discharge passage 148 : Second discharge port 150 : Pipe mounting body 152 : Partition body 154 : Cover body 156 : First mounting pipe 158 : Second mounting pipe 160 : Third attachment tube 162 : Fourth attachment tube 164 : First inner cylinder 166 : Second inner cylinder 168 : Third inner cylinder 170 : Outer cylinder 170a : Flange portion 172 : Female thread 174 : Gasket 176 : Threaded cylinder 178 : Male thread 180 : Partition case 182 : Partition cover 184 : Case body 184a : Partition 186 : First insertion tube 188 : Second insertion tube 190 : Third insertion tube 192 : First chamber 194 : Second chamber 196 : Third chamber 198 : Fourth chamber 200 : First inner suction port 202 : Second inner suction port 204 : Fine bubble generating portion 206 : Fine bubble generating nozzle 208 : Nozzle holder 210 : Body portion 212 : Venturi flow path 214 : Flange portion 216 : Fitting portion 218 : Through hole 220 : O-ring 222 : Ring portion 224 : Cap portion 226 : Screw 228 : Fixing portion 230 : Partition plate 232 : Baffle plate 234 : Micro-bubble generating chamber 236 : Suction chamber 240 : Water supply source 250 : Faucet 332 : Bathtub adapter 334 : Shared suction passage 336 : Shared suction port, outer shared suction port 342 : First discharge passage 344 : First discharge port 346 : Second discharge passage 348 : Second discharge port 350 : Pipe mounting body 352 : Partition body 354 : Cover body 356 : First mounting pipe 358 : Second mounting pipe 360 : Third mounting pipe 364 : First inner cylinder 366 : Second inner cylinder 370 : Outer cylinder 370a : Flange portion 372 : Female thread 374 : Packing 376 : Threaded tube 378 : Male thread 380 : Partition case 382 : Partition cover 384 : Case body 384a : Partition 386 : First insertion tube 388 : Second insertion tube 392 : First chamber 394 : Second chamber 396 : Third chamber 400 : Inner common suction port 402 : Bypass suction port 404 : Fine bubble generating section 430 : Partition plate 432 : Baffle plate 434 : Fine bubble generating chamber 436 : Suction chamber 500 : Check valve 502 : Bypass passage 540 : Common passage 542 : First air dissolution passage 544 : First heating passage 546 : Second air dissolution passage 548 : Second heating passage

Claims (4)

A connection device that can be attached to the bathtub;
A heating passage;
A heating device provided in the heating passage for heating hot and cold water;
A gas dissolution passage;
A bath system including a gas dissolving device provided in the gas dissolving passage for pressurizing and dissolving gas in the hot water,
the connecting device includes a first discharge passage connected to one end of the gas dissolving passage and communicating with the inside of the bath, a fine bubble generating section provided in the first discharge passage, a second discharge passage connected to one end of the heating passage and communicating with the inside of the bath, and a suction passage connected to the other end of the heating passage and the other end of the gas dissolving passage and communicating with the inside of the bath,
The bath system includes:
A reheating operation in which the hot water in the bathtub is sent to the other end of the heating passage through the suction passage, and the hot water heated by the heating device is sent from the one end of the heating passage to the bathtub through the second discharge passage;
A bath system capable of performing a fine-bubble generating operation in which the hot water in the bathtub is sent through the suction path to the other end of the gas dissolution passage, and the hot water in which the gas has been pressurized and dissolved by the gas dissolution device is sent from the one end of the gas dissolution passage into the bathtub through the first discharge path, thereby generating fine bubbles in the hot water in which the gas has been pressurized and dissolved by the fine-bubble generating unit. The bath system of claim 1, wherein the suction passage includes a first suction passage that is connected to the other end of the gas dissolution passage and communicates with the inside of the bathtub, and a second suction passage that is connected to the other end of the heating passage and communicates with the inside of the bathtub. The bath system of claim 1 is capable of performing a cold water relaxation operation in which the hot water in the bathtub is sent to one end of the gas dissolution passage through the first discharge passage, and the hot water in the gas dissolution passage is sent from the other end of the gas dissolution passage into the bathtub through the suction passage. the connecting device includes a bypass passage that bypasses the fine bubble generating unit and connects the first discharge passage and the bathtub,
The bath system according to claim 3 , wherein the bypass passage includes a check valve that opens during the cold water relaxation operation and closes during the fine bubble generation operation.

Images