JP5366054B2 - Bathing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a bathing device which allows a person to take a bath at a suitable chemical concentration by credibly keeping the chemical concentration within a bathtub at a preset concentration. <P>SOLUTION: The bathing device includes a circulation device 40 having a circulation pipe 33 for circulating hot water in the bathtub 2, a chemical sterilization device 35 connected to the circulation device 40 for sterilizing the inside of the bathtub 2 or the hot water within the bathtub 2 and the circulation pipe 40, a water level detecting means 28 for detecting the water level of the hot water within the bathtub 2, and a flow rate measuring means 22 which is arranged in a hot water pipe 20 supplying hot water to the bathtub 2 and measures flow rate of the hot water flowing through the hot water pipe 20. The chemical sterilization device 35 supplies chemical on the basis of hot water supply amount information calculated by the flow rate measuring means 22 so that the hot water within the bathtub 2 is at a preset chemical concentration. When the water level detecting means 28 detects that the water level of the hot water reaches an overflow water level, the flow rate measuring means 22 is controlled not to measure the hot water flow rate. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a bathing apparatus having a structure for elevating and lowering a bathtub and bathing a bather.

Conventionally, in a bathing apparatus in which a stretcher on which a bather is placed is transferred onto a support base in a bathtub and then the bath is raised by an elevating mechanism to bathe the bather, hot water is supplied by a circulation path provided on the side of the bathtub. There is known a bathing apparatus that circulates and sterilizes hot water using a sterilization apparatus provided in the circulation path (for example, Patent Document 1).
In this bathing device, the operation of the sterilization device in the circulation path is interlocked with the lifting mechanism, and when the bathtub is raised, the operation of the sterilization device is started, and the hot water in the bathtub is sterilized by the sterilization device when taking a bath, The hot water is maintained at an effective bactericidal concentration.

In addition, when the amount of hot water stored in the bathtub reaches a predetermined amount, the sterilization device is activated by the operation start signal from the float switch, so the hot water stored in the bathtub is automatically sterilized, The labor required for the sterilization work is greatly reduced.
Furthermore, when the bather takes a bath, the sterilizer operates to sterilize the hot water in the bathtub body for a predetermined time considering the hot water in the bathtub body. Even if hot water is poured every time when bathing, the sterilization concentration of hot water in the bathtub body is surely maintained at an effective concentration.

Japanese Patent No. 3002181

However, in the conventional bathing apparatus, when the hot water is supplied after the hot water level in the bathtub reaches the overflow water level, there is no contrivance for maintaining the sterilization concentration of the hot water at a predetermined concentration, which overflows. When the sterilization treatment is performed without considering the amount of hot water, there is a problem that the sterilization concentration in the bathtub becomes too high.
In addition, when the initial hot water supply was started with the drain plug inadvertently opened, and then the water tap was closed and the hot water supply was continued. When hot hot water is poured after draining part of the hot water outside the tank, the amount of hot water stored may exceed the specified amount, and if the sterilizer is activated in response to this amount of hot water, There was also a problem that the sterilization concentration of the hot water in the bath became high and the appropriate sterilization concentration could not be maintained.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and a bathing apparatus that enables bathing at a more appropriate chemical concentration by reliably maintaining the concentration of the chemical in the bath at a preset concentration. The purpose is to provide.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is a bathing apparatus for raising and lowering a bathtub and bathing a bather,
A circulation device having circulation piping for circulating hot water in the bathtub;
A chemical sterilization apparatus for sterilizing hot water in the bathtub or in the bathtub or in the circulation pipe connected to the circulation apparatus;
Water level detection means for detecting the hot water level in the bathtub;
Provided with a hot water supply pipe for supplying hot water to the bathtub, and a flow rate measuring means for measuring a flow rate of hot water flowing through the hot water supply pipe,
Based on the hot water supply amount information calculated from the measurement result of the flow rate measuring means, the chemical liquid sterilizer injects the chemical liquid so that the hot water in the bath has a preset chemical concentration,
The flow rate measuring means is controlled not to measure the hot water flow rate after the water level detecting means detects that the hot water level has reached the overflow water level.

The invention according to claim 2 is a bathing apparatus for raising and lowering a bathtub and bathing a bather,
A circulation device having circulation piping for circulating hot water in the bathtub;
A chemical sterilization apparatus for sterilizing hot water in the bathtub or in the bathtub or in the circulation pipe connected to the circulation apparatus;
Water level detection means for detecting the hot water level in the bathtub;
Provided with a hot water supply pipe for supplying hot water to the bathtub, and a flow rate measuring means for measuring a flow rate of hot water flowing through the hot water supply pipe,
When hot water is repeatedly accumulated when the hot water in the bathtub is drained, the amount of hot water exceeding the amount of hot water supplied to the appropriate water level or the overflow water level is calculated based on the measurement result of the flow rate measuring means, The chemical sterilizer is characterized by injecting an amount of chemical corresponding to a preset chemical concentration with the hot water supply amount to an appropriate water level or an overflow water level as the upper limit.

Invention of Claim 3 is the bathing apparatus of Claim 1 or 2,
The chemical solution is injected from the chemical solution sterilizer in a state where the bathtub is in a non-bath position and the hot water of the bathtub is circulated by the circulation device.

Invention of Claim 4 is the bathing apparatus of Claim 3,
The circulation device is a jet generating device that mixes air into hot water taken from the bathtub and ejects the hot water as a jet.

Invention of Claim 5 is the bathing apparatus of Claim 3 or 4,
The circulation device is operated for a predetermined time even after the chemical solution is injected from the chemical solution sterilizer.

  According to the invention of claim 1, the chemical liquid sterilizer injects the chemical liquid so that the hot water in the bathtub has a preset chemical liquid concentration based on the hot water supply amount information calculated from the measurement result of the flow rate measuring means, Since the flow rate measuring means is controlled not to measure the hot water flow rate after the water level detecting means detects that the hot water level has reached the overflow water level, the flow rate measuring means does not take into account the hot water that overflows. The calculated chemical sterilization device keeps injecting the chemical solution according to the amount of hot water into the hot water in the bathtub, so that the chemical concentration of the hot water in the bathtub does not exceed the set concentration, so the bather can It can be bathed in hot water of appropriate chemical concentration.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, in the case of performing hot water supply (initial hot water supply or additional hot water) while draining part of the hot water, the flow rate measuring means continuously measures the hot water flow rate from the initial hot water supply. The amount of hot water exceeding the appropriate water level or overflow water level is calculated, but at this time, the chemical liquid sterilizer is the amount of chemical liquid corresponding to the preset chemical concentration with the hot water supply amount to the appropriate water level or overflow water level as the upper limit, respectively. Therefore, there is no possibility that the chemical concentration of the hot water in the bathtub becomes extremely high, so that the bather can bathe in the hot water having an appropriate chemical concentration.

According to the invention of claim 3, since the chemical sterilization is performed while circulating the hot water in the bathtub in the state where the bathtub is in the non-bathing position, the bather is immersed in hot water in which the chemical concentration is sufficiently uniform. You can take a bath.
In the conventional bathing device, since the operation of the chemical sterilization device is performed in conjunction with the rise of the bathtub (beginning of bathing) or during bathing of the bather, the sterilization concentration of hot water is not sufficiently uniform, Bathers must be immersed in hot water with a high bactericidal concentration locally, and bathers with atopic constitution and those with weak skin have problems such as worsening of skin symptoms, which is not preferable. However, according to the present invention, this problem can be eliminated.

  According to invention of Claim 4, since the said circulation apparatus is used as the jet flow generator which mixes air with the hot water taken in from the said bathtub, and ejects it as a jet, the circulation apparatus of the existing apparatus provided in a bathing apparatus is utilized. In addition, it is not necessary to separately provide a circulation device, and the cost of the entire device can be reduced.

  According to the invention described in claim 5, since the circulation device is operated only for a predetermined time after the chemical solution is injected from the chemical solution sterilizer, the high concentration chemical solution does not remain in the circulation pipe, and the corrosion of the circulation pipe is prevented. Can be reduced.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the bathing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the bathing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The bathing apparatus 1 of the present invention is configured so that one long side direction of a stretcher 41 having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view on which a stretcher 4 on which a bather lies in a supine posture is placed in the one long side direction of a bathtub 2 having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. Next, the two are connected to each other, and the stretcher 4 is slid in the direction of the receiving portion 5 provided in the bathing portion 3 of the bathtub 2, and then the bath 2 in which the hot water is supplied in the bathing portion 3 is raised. The person is immersed in hot water to take a bath.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the bathtub 2 is disposed on a base 7 that is placed on the bathroom floor 6 via a plurality of ground legs 11, and the bathtub 2 is a bathtub that is placed on the base 7. The means 8 is configured to be able to move up and down a section between a predetermined lower limit position (non-bathing position) indicated by a two-dot chain line and a predetermined upper limit position (bathing position) indicated by a solid line in FIG.

  The bathtub elevating means 8 includes an X-shaped pantograph 9 provided between the base 7 and the lower surface of the bottom wall 2a of the bathtub body 2, and a rod 10a tip connected to a predetermined position of the pantograph 9 and a piston part 10b. Is composed of a hydraulic cylinder 10 pivotally mounted on the base 7.

  Therefore, when the rod portion 10a is extended with respect to the piston portion 10b, the pantograph 9 is driven in the closed leg direction and the bathtub 2 is raised. Conversely, when the rod 10a is contracted, the pantograph 9 is driven in the open leg direction and the bathtub 2 is Descend.

  Further, one end portion of the base 7 is fixed to the base 7, and a column portion 5 a that extends vertically through a substantially central portion of the bottom wall 2 a of the bathtub 2, and the column portion 5 a The receiving part 5 which consists of the receiving frame part 5b which supports the stretcher 4 in the other end part is provided. In addition, the bottom wall 2a portion through which the support column 5a passes is sealed with a seal member (not shown) or the like so that hot water stored in the bath 3 is not leaked out of the bath 3.

  Guide rails 13 and 13 for guiding the stretcher 4 on which the bather is placed in a supine posture to a predetermined position on the receiving frame portion 5b are provided at the left and right ends of the upper surface in the longitudinal direction of the receiving frame portion 5b. They are arranged in parallel with a gap. A center lock proximity sensor 14 for detecting that the stretcher 4 and the receiving portion 5 are locked is fixed to the center portion of the receiving frame portion 5b.

An upper limit switch 16 that automatically stops the rising of the bathtub 2 at a predetermined upper limit position at each of the upper and lower positions of the upright portion 15 provided on the base 7 and a lower limit that automatically stops the lowering of the bathtub 2 at a predetermined lower limit position. A switch 17 is provided, and a projecting piece 18 for turning ON / OFF the upper / lower limit switches 16 and 17 is attached to the lower part of the outer surface of the side wall 2b of the bathtub 2.
1 shows a state in which the bathtub 2 is raised to a predetermined upper limit position. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 38 denotes a temperature sensor for detecting the hot water temperature in the bathing section 3, and 44 denotes hot water in the hot water supply pipe 20. A temperature sensor 45 for detecting temperature is an electric mixing valve that adjusts and supplies hot water supplied from a water supply source and hot water supplied from a hot water supply source to a preset temperature.

  The bathing apparatus 1 is provided with a hot water supply pipe 20 for supplying hot water supplied from a hot water supply source 19 to the bathtub 2. The hot water supply pipe 20 includes a hot water supply solenoid valve 21 and a flow rate measuring means 22 for measuring the flow rate of hot water flowing through the hot water supply pipe 20 in the vicinity of the hot water supply port 42 of the hot water supply pipe 20 downstream of the hot water supply solenoid valve 21. A sensor 23 is interposed. The flow rate sensor 23 calculates the amount of hot water supplied into the bath 3 by measuring the flow rate of hot water flowing through the hot water supply pipe 20.

In the bathing section 3 of the bathtub 2, three water level sensors 24, 25, and 26 of a lower level, a middle level, and an upper level are disposed as the water level detection means 28. The lower water level sensor 24 is provided in the bathing device 1 and detects a water level that allows the operation of the jet generating device 27 that mixes air into hot water taken in from a bathtub 2 described later and ejects it as a jet.
The middle water level sensor 25 detects that the hot water level of the hot water supplied has reached an appropriate water level, and the upper water level sensor 26 detects the upper limit water level of hot water supplied into the bath 3, that is, the overflow water level. To do. Hot water supplied over the overflow water level is discharged out of the bath apparatus 1 through the overflow port 43.

  The jet generating device 27 provided in the bathing device 1 is connected to a hot water inlet 30 formed on the side wall 2b positioned lower than the lower water level sensor 24, and a circulation pipe 33 for sucking in hot water, and the circulation pipe 33 to the four pipes. The jet nozzles 31, 31, 31, 31 that are branched and disposed across the branch pipes and the side wall 2 b, the air inlet 32 that feeds air into the jet nozzles 31, and the midway position of the circulation pipe 33 It is comprised from the jet pump 29 which spouts the hot water which was equipped and sucked in toward the bathtub 2 from each four jet nozzles 31. This jet generating device 27 is used as a circulating device 40 for circulating hot water in the bathing section 3.

When a jet switch (not shown) provided in the bath apparatus 1 is pressed while the lower water level sensor 24 is ON, the jet pump 29 starts operating, and hot water in the bath 3 is sucked from the hot water inlet 30 and circulated. It circulates in the piping 33 and is ejected as a jet from each jet nozzle 31. A cartridge type filtration filter 34 is provided in the middle of the circulation pipe 33 on the discharge port side of the jet pump 29.
The water level detection means 28 may be composed of two water level sensors including a single water level sensor that also functions as the lower water level sensor 24 and the middle water level sensor 25, and the upper water level sensor 26.

  Furthermore, the bathing apparatus 1 is provided with a chemical sterilization apparatus 35 that is connected to the circulation apparatus 40 (jet generation apparatus 27) and sterilizes hot water in the bathtub 2, or in the bathtub 2 or the circulation pipe 33. . The chemical liquid sterilizer 35 includes a chemical liquid tank 39 for storing a chemical liquid, a chemical liquid injection pipe 37 extending from the chemical liquid tank 39 and connected to a circulation pipe 33 between the jet pump 29 and the filtration filter 34, and the chemical liquid injection pipe 37. It has a chemical solution injection pump 36 interposed in the middle position. Therefore, when the chemical solution injection pump 36 is operated, the chemical solution is injected from the chemical solution tank 39 into the hot water flowing through the circulation pipe 33. In FIG. 1, 12 is a backflow valve which prevents the backflow of a chemical | medical solution.

  The chemical concentration of the hot water in the bathing section 3 can be switched to a two-stage concentration that is preset by a chemical solution concentration switching switch (not shown) provided in the bath apparatus 1. It is also possible to set so that the chemical sterilizer 35 is not operated.

  Hereinafter, the bath 2 is in a predetermined lower limit position where the lower limit switch 17 is ON, and the hot water is not yet supplied in the bath 3, and the chemical concentration is “high” by the above chemical concentration switching switch. The method of using the bathing apparatus 1 will be described as being selected and set.

  When the solenoid valve 21 for hot water supply is opened and initial hot water supply from the hot water supply source 19 on the facility side into the bathing section 3 of the bathtub 2 is started, the flow rate sensor 23 measures the flow rate of hot water flowing through the hot water supply pipe 20. When hot water is supplied to the position where the lower water level sensor 24 is turned on in the bathing section 3, the operation of the jet pump 29 is allowed.

  Thereafter, when the bath water device 1 detects the hot water level information that the hot water has been supplied to the appropriate water level (when the intermediate water level sensor 25 is turned on), the hot water supply automatically stops and a jet is generated. Device 27 is activated. Thereafter, the chemical liquid sterilizer 35 is measured by the flow sensor 23 and is based on the amount of hot water actually supplied into the bath 3 (hereinafter referred to as hot water amount information) calculated by the controller (not shown) of the bath 1. Then, the chemical solution is injected into the circulation pipe 33 so that the chemical concentration of the hot water in the bath 3 becomes the set concentration.

  Specifically, before the chemical liquid sterilizer 35 operates, first, hot water in the bath 3 is circulated for a predetermined time (preferably several tens of seconds) by the jet pump 29. Then, the chemical solution injection pump 36 is operated in a state where the circulation state is maintained, and the chemical solution is injected into the circulation pipe 33. As a result, the chemical solution flows along with the circulating hot water in the circulating pipe 33 and flows into the bathing section 3 of the bathtub 2, and the hot water in the circulating pipe 33 and the bathing section 3 is sterilized. During the operation of the chemical liquid injection pump 36, a notification that the chemical liquid sterilization is being performed is notified by voice to the bathers and bathing assistants who are waiting to take a bath.

  In addition, when the initial hot water supply is inadvertently opened with the drain plug 46 opened, and after that, the drain plug 46 is closed and the hot water supply is continued, the flow rate sensor 23 continuously measures the hot water flow rate from the initial hot water supply. Therefore, the amount of hot water exceeding the appropriate water level of the bathtub 2 is calculated in the control unit. In this case, the amount of the chemical corresponding to the chemical concentration set in advance with the hot water supply amount up to the appropriate water level as the upper limit is the chemical. Injection is performed from the sterilizer 35. Therefore, the chemical concentration of the hot water in the bathtub 2 does not become excessively high, and the bather can bathe by bathing in hot water having an appropriate chemical concentration.

  Even if the chemical injection pump 36 stops operating, the jet flow generating device 27 does not stop immediately, and continues to operate for a predetermined time (for example, 2 seconds). Thereby, high concentration chemicals do not remain in the circulation pipe 33, and corrosion of the circulation pipe 33 can be reduced.

  Subsequently, the bathing assistant slides the stretcher 4 on which the bather on the stretcher 41 is placed in the direction of the receiving portion 5. When the stretcher 4 moves and reaches a predetermined position on the receiving portion 5, the stretcher 4 and the receiving portion 5 are mechanically locked, and the proximity sensor 14 detects this fact.

  When a bathtub raising switch (not shown) provided in the bathing apparatus 1 is pressed, the rod 10a extends with respect to the piston portion 10b, whereby the pantograph 9 operates in the closed leg direction and the bathtub 2 rises. The rise of the bathtub 2 automatically stops at a predetermined upper limit position where the upper limit switch 16 is turned ON by the protrusion 18.

  As the bath 2 rises, the bather is immersed in hot water and used for bathing. Therefore, since the bather can immerse in the hot water after the chemical liquid sterilization apparatus 35 performs the chemical liquid sterilization while circulating the hot water in the bath portion 3 in a state where the bathtub 2 is at the predetermined lower limit position, the chemical concentration However, it is possible to bathe in a sufficiently uniform hot water.

  When bathing the bathtub 2 at the predetermined upper limit position, if hot water supply (replenishment hot water) to the bathing section 3 is further required, hot water may be supplied from the hot water supply port 42. The flow rate of hot water flowing through the hot water supply pipe 20 is measured by the flow rate sensor 23 until the upper water level sensor 26 detects the hot water level, that is, until the hot water level reaches the overflow water level, but the upper water level sensor 26 detects the overflow water level. Since then, the flow rate of hot water flowing through the hot water supply pipe 20 is not measured.

  Based on the hot water flow rate measured by the flow sensor 23, the amount of hot water added to the bathing unit 3 is calculated by the control unit and stored as hot water supply amount information. Based on this hot water supply amount information, the control unit calculates the amount of chemical solution necessary to maintain the chemical concentration of the entire hot water in the bathing unit 3 at the set concentration. The chemical solution sterilizer 35 injects a chemical solution in an amount corresponding to the chemical solution amount.

  When the bather is in the bathing state, the chemical sterilization device 35 is not operated, so that the chemical concentration of the hot water is temporarily diluted by the additional hot water, but the bathing is finished and the bathtub 2 is lowered from the predetermined upper limit position to the predetermined lower limit position. When this happens, the chemical sterilization device 35 automatically starts operating, and the calculated chemical amount is injected to sterilize the hot water. The operations of the jet flow generating device 27 and the chemical liquid sterilizing device 35 are performed in the order described above.

  According to this configuration, the flow rate measurement sensor 23 calculates the hot water supply amount without considering the overflowing hot water, and the chemical liquid sterilizer 35 continues to inject the chemical liquid corresponding to the hot water supply amount into the hot water in the bathing unit 3. The chemical concentration of the hot water does not exceed the set concentration and does not become higher than necessary. Therefore, it is possible to bathe the bather by immersing the bather in hot water having an appropriate chemical concentration.

  Further, when the drain plug 46 is opened and a part of the low temperature hot water in the bathtub 2 is drained to the outside of the tank, hot water is adjusted by adjusting the hot water temperature. However, since the hot water flow rate is continuously measured from the initial hot water supply, the amount of hot water exceeding the overflow water level of the bathtub 2 is calculated in the control unit. In this case, the hot water supply amount to the overflow water level is set as an upper limit. An amount of the chemical solution corresponding to the chemical concentration is injected from the chemical sterilizer 35. Therefore, the chemical concentration of the hot water in the bathtub 2 does not become excessively high, and the bather can bathe by bathing in hot water having an appropriate chemical concentration.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be expected to be applied to a bathing apparatus having a structure in which a bather is moved up and down to enter and leave a bather, and the industrial applicability is high.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Bathing apparatus 2 Bathtub 8 Bath raising / lowering means 20 Hot-water supply piping 22 Flow rate measuring means 23 Flow rate sensor 24 Lower water level sensor 25 Middle water level sensor 26 Upper water level sensor 27 Jet flow generator 28 Water level detection means 33 Circulation piping 35 Chemical liquid sterilizer 40 Circulating apparatus

Claims (5)

A bathing device that raises and lowers a bathtub and bathes a bather,
A circulation device having circulation piping for circulating hot water in the bathtub;
A chemical sterilization apparatus for sterilizing hot water in the bathtub or in the bathtub or in the circulation pipe connected to the circulation apparatus;
Water level detection means for detecting the hot water level in the bathtub;
Provided with a hot water supply pipe for supplying hot water to the bathtub, and a flow rate measuring means for measuring a flow rate of hot water flowing through the hot water supply pipe,
Based on the hot water supply amount information calculated from the measurement result of the flow rate measuring means, the chemical liquid sterilizer injects the chemical liquid so that the hot water in the bath has a preset chemical concentration,
The bath apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flow rate measuring means is controlled not to measure the hot water flow rate after the water level detecting means detects that the hot water level has reached the overflow water level.
A bathing device that raises and lowers a bathtub and bathes a bather,
A circulation device having circulation piping for circulating hot water in the bathtub;
A chemical sterilization apparatus for sterilizing hot water in the bathtub or in the bathtub or in the circulation pipe connected to the circulation apparatus;
Water level detection means for detecting the hot water level in the bathtub;
Provided with a hot water supply pipe for supplying hot water to the bathtub, and a flow rate measuring means for measuring a flow rate of hot water flowing through the hot water supply pipe,
When hot water is repeatedly accumulated when the hot water in the bathtub is drained, the amount of hot water exceeding the amount of hot water supplied to the appropriate water level or the overflow water level is calculated based on the measurement result of the flow rate measuring means, The chemical solution sterilizer injects a chemical solution in an amount corresponding to a preset chemical solution concentration with the hot water supply amount to an appropriate water level or an overflow water level as an upper limit.
The bathing device according to claim 1 or 2,
The bath is characterized in that the bath is in a non-bath position and the bath is circulated by the bath and the bath is circulated by the bath.
The bathing device according to claim 3,
The bathing device according to claim 1, wherein the circulation device is a jet generating device that mixes air into hot water taken from the bathtub and jets it out as a jet.
The bathing device according to claim 3 or 4,
A bathing apparatus characterized in that the circulating apparatus is operated for a predetermined time after the chemical liquid is injected from the chemical liquid sterilizer.

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