JP3038227B2 - How to operate a bubble bath - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a method of operating a bubble bath, and more particularly to a preliminary operation of a bubble bath performed at the time of filling with hot water.

[Conventional technology]

Recently, foam baths have become widespread in home baths from a health-oriented viewpoint. In this type of bubble bath, hot water is sucked in from a hot water inlet provided in the bath tub using a pump, and the sucked hot water is led to a jet part of the bath tub through a circulation pipe, where air is ejected by an ejector action. And a bubble flow in which hot and cold water and air are mixed is jetted from the jetting section into the bathtub.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, in the conventional bubble bath, when the bath switch is turned on after bathing in a bath tub, the cold water staying in the circulation pipeline gushes from the spouting part and hits the body of the bather, so that the bather can take a bath. Has the drawback of giving the person discomfort.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a bath bath and a bubble bath operation after completion of filling with hot water, so that cold water squirts from a spouting portion and hits a body. It is an object of the present invention to provide a bubble bath operating method capable of comfortably taking a bubble bath without any trouble.

[Means for solving the problem]

The present invention is configured as described below to achieve the above object. That is, the present invention drives the pump to circulate the hot water in the bathtub by using the circulation pipe, and takes in the air by the ejector action into the circulation flow of the hot water at the ejection portion provided on the discharge side of the circulation pipe, In the operation method of the bubble bath in which the foam is jetted out as a foam from the jetting section into the bathtub, a water level sensor for detecting a water level of the bathtub is provided, and when the hot water is filled, the water level sensor has reached a safe water level to avoid the pump idling. After the detection, the pump is driven to rotate for a predetermined period of time,
It is characterized by discharging cold water staying in the circulation pipeline into the bathtub.

[Action]

When filling of the bathtub is started, the water level in the bathtub gradually increases. The water level in the bathtub is detected by a water level detection sensor, and a detection signal is applied to the control device. Based on the detection signal from the water level detection sensor, the control device sets a predetermined constant after the water level in the bathtub exceeds the suction port of the circulation line, that is, when the water level reaches a safe water level to avoid idle operation of the pump. Time pump drive is performed. By this pump driving, hot water in the bathtub is returned from the suction port of the bathtub to the bathtub through the circulation pipe. At this time, cold water remaining in the circulation pipe is discharged into the bathtub. After a certain period of time from the start of the pump, the rotation of the pump stops, but by the time the pump stops, the cold water in the circulation line is completely discharged into the bathtub, and the circulation line is filled with hot water. Filled with warm water and ready for regular bubble bath operation.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a main part of a control device for performing the method of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing one embodiment of the method of the present invention. The figure shows a schematic configuration of a bubble bath apparatus to which the method of the present invention is applied.

In FIG. 3, a bath 1 is provided with a suction port 2 for hot water, and the suction port 2 and the suction port of the pump 3 are connected to a return pipe.
The discharge port of the pump 3 is connected to the nozzle 5 as a bubble jetting portion by a forward pipe 4b. The outgoing pipe 4b and the return pipe 4a constitute a circulation line 4. The bathtub 1 is provided with a pressure sensor 6 functioning as a water level sensor. The pressure sensor 6 detects the water level of the bathtub 1 based on the water pressure, and applies this detection signal to a control device 7 constituted by a microcomputer or the like. The control device 7 controls the rotation of the pump 3.

FIG. 1 shows a main configuration of the control device 7. The control device 7 includes a command / judgment unit 8 and a timer setting unit.
10 and a pump drive unit 11. The command / judgment unit 8 is given in advance a value of a reference water level for avoiding idling of the pump 3, compares the detected water level added from the pressure sensor 6 with the reference water level, and determines that the detected water level is the reference water level, that is, the circulation pipe. When the suction port 2 of the road 4 has reached a water level at which water is flooded, a time count command is sent to the timer setting unit 10.

The timer setting unit 10 has a predetermined waiting time of one minute or two.
The timer setting unit 10 receives a time count command from the command / judgment unit 8, counts time, and issues a count-up signal when the counting up to the waiting time is completed.・ Add to the judgment unit 8. The command / determination unit 8 receives this time-up signal and issues a pump drive command to the pump drive unit 11. That is, when the water level in the bathtub 1 reaches a safe water level that prevents the pump 3 from running idle, the command / judgment unit 8 further instructs the drive of the pump 3 with a margin of waiting time. By securing this waiting time, the effect of the detection error of the pressure sensor 6 can be eliminated, and the pump 3 can be started with a margin on the safe side.

The command / judgment unit 8 outputs the pump drive command and issues a pump drive time count command to the timer setting unit 10. A fixed pump driving time is given to the timer setting section 12 in advance, and the timer setting section 10 issues a pump driving time-up signal when the pump driving time has elapsed since the start of counting the time. To be added. The pump driving time is given as a time required for the cold water staying in the circulation line 4 by driving the pump 3 to be completely discharged into the bathtub 1.
The setting is made in consideration of the volume of the circulation line 4, the capacity of the pump 3, etc., such as seconds or one minute.

The command / determination unit 8 sends a pump stop command to the pump driving unit 11 when receiving a time-up signal of the pump driving time from the timer setting unit 10. In response to this command, the pump drive
11 stops the rotation of the pump 3.

Next, the method of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 2. First, the detection signal from the pressure sensor 6 detects that the bathtub 1 is empty, and then enters the start state. When filling is started in this state, the water level of the hot water is detected by the pressure sensor 6, and the detected water level is
It is added to the judgment unit 8 every moment. The command / determination unit 8 determines in step 101 whether the water level has reached the set water level for the preliminary operation. That is, the command / determination unit 8 compares the reference water level for avoiding pump idling given in advance with the detected water level, and when the detected water level is lower than the reference water level, judges that the set water level for the preliminary operation has not been reached, The comparison determination between the reference water level and the detected water level is repeatedly performed.

On the other hand, when the detected water level reaches the reference water level,
The command / determination unit 8 determines that the set water level for the preliminary operation has been reached, and adds a waiting time count command to the timer setting unit 10. Then, in step 102, it is determined whether or not the waiting time has elapsed. The timer setting unit 10 counts the time from receiving the time count command from the command / judgment unit 8 and sends a time-up signal to the command / judgment unit 8 when counting up to the waiting time. The command / judgment unit 8 waits for the time-up signal from the timer setting unit 10, and determines that the waiting time has not elapsed before the time-up signal is added, and continues to wait for the time-up signal. When the time-up signal is added from the timer setting unit 10, it is determined that the waiting time has elapsed, and a command to drive the pump 3 is sent to the pump driving unit 11 in step 103. Then, in step 104, it is determined whether or not a predetermined pump drive time designated in advance has elapsed.

That is, the command / judgment unit 8 issues a pump drive command to the pump drive unit 11 and issues a pump drive time count command to the timer setting unit 10. The timer setting unit 10 receives this command, counts the time, and adds a pump drive time-up signal to the command / judgment unit 8 when counting up to a predetermined given pump drive time. order·
The determination unit 8 determines that the pump drive time has not elapsed before the pump drive time-up signal is added, and continues to wait for the time-up signal. Then, when the pump drive time-up signal is received, it is determined that the pump drive time has elapsed, and a pump stop command is issued to the pump drive unit 11 in step 105. In response to this command, the pump drive unit 11 stops the pump 3, terminates the preliminary operation of the bubble bath, and prepares for the next regular bubble bath operation.

As described above, in this embodiment, the preliminary operation of the bubble bath is performed, so that the cold water staying in the circulation line 4 is discharged into the bathtub 1 and the circulation line 4 is heated to the hot water set at the hot water set temperature. After this preliminary operation, if the bather enters the bathtub and turns on the operation switch of the bubble bath, the hot water of the hot water is jetted out from the nozzle 5 as a bubble flow,
It is possible to bathe in a bubble bath very comfortably without the cold water remaining in the circulation line 4 squirting out and hitting the body at the beginning of the blowing out of the bubble flow as in the past. Becomes

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment,
Various embodiments may be employed. For example, in the above-described embodiment, a reference water level (safety water level) for avoiding idling of the pump is provided in advance at a height position where the suction port 2 of the circulation pipe 4 is flooded, and when the detected water level reaches this reference water level. Further, the pump 3 is started after a lapse of the waiting time, and the pump 3 is started. For example, the reference water level is set at a position higher than the suction port 2 of the circulation pipe 4 with a margin, and the detected water level is increased. The pump 3 may be started immediately when the reference water level is reached.

〔The invention's effect〕

According to the present invention, when the bathtub is filled with water, the pump is driven after the water level of the bathtub reaches a safe water level to avoid idling of the pump, and the cold water remaining in the circulation pipeline is discharged into the bathtub. Because it is composed, when entering the bathtub after completion of hot water filling and operating the bubble bath, the cold water staying in the circulation pipeline is blown out from the blowout part and hits the body and it is very uncomfortable. It is possible to enjoy bathing in a bubble bath very comfortably.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a main part of a control device for operating a bubble bath according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing one embodiment of the method of the present invention, and FIG. It is a schematic block diagram of the bubble bath apparatus to which the method of is applied. 1 ... bathtub, 2 ... suction port, 3 ... pump, 4 ... circulation line, 4a ... return pipe, 4b ... outgoing pipe, 5 ... nozzle, 6 ...
... pressure sensor, 7 ... control device, 8 ... command / judgment unit,
10: Timer setting unit, 11: Pump driving unit.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A pump is driven to circulate hot water in a bathtub by using a circulation line, and air is taken into a circulation flow of the hot water by an ejector at an ejection portion provided on a discharge side of the circulation line. A water level sensor that detects the water level of the bathtub is provided in the operation method of the bubble bath that blows out as a foam from the blowout section into the bathtub, and detects that the water level sensor has reached a safe water level that prevents the pump from running idle when filling. The method of operating a bubble bath, wherein the pump is driven to rotate for a predetermined period of time after that, and the cold water remaining in the circulation pipeline is discharged into the bathtub.