JP7099697B2 - Shower system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a shower system.

Conventionally, as a shower system used for, for example, a shower bath, the configuration described in Patent Document 1 below is known. This shower device has a shower function integrated with the chair.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-12205

The conventional shower system cannot be shared by multiple chairs or bath wheelchairs.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to be shared by a plurality of chairs and bath wheelchairs.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes the following means.
The shower system according to the present invention includes a support whose upper and lower ends are fixed to the bathroom, a main body movably arranged vertically on the support, and a pair of left and right shower arms supported by the main body. ing.

The upper and lower ends of the support are fixed to the bathroom. Therefore, with the support fixed to the bathroom, a plurality of chairs or bath wheelchairs independent of the support can be appropriately moved toward or away from the support.
A pair of left and right shower arms are fixed to the support via the main body. Therefore, for example, the chair or bath wheelchair can be used by spraying the shower from the shower arm after bringing the chair or bath wheelchair close to the support so that the user on the chair or bath wheelchair is located between the pair of left and right shower arms. A shower bath can be provided to a person.
The main body is arranged on the support so as to be able to move up and down. Therefore, the shower arm can be moved up and down via the main body. As a result, for example, when the chair or bath wheelchair is moved closer to or away from the support, the shower arm is retracted upward to prevent the shower arm from interfering with the movement of the chair or bath wheelchair. Can be done.
From the above, according to this shower system, it can be shared by a plurality of chairs and bath wheelchairs.

By the way, even when the shower is started to be sprayed from the shower arm for the purpose of showering hot water, the cold water remaining in the shower arm may be sprayed immediately after the start, and the user may be exposed to the cold water. There is.
However, according to this shower system, in order to prevent the user from being exposed to cold water, a certain amount of shower can be sprayed from the shower arm in advance, and the shower arm can be retracted as described above. After that, after it is confirmed that hot water is sprayed instead of cold water as a shower, the chair or bath wheelchair can be brought closer to the support. This makes it possible to prevent the user from being exposed to cold water.

If the main body can be raised to the extent that the shower arm can be positioned above the standing user, not only the sitting user sitting on a chair or bath wheelchair, but also the standing user. However, a shower bath can be carried out.

The support may be formed in a rod shape extending in the vertical direction.

The support is formed in a rod shape extending in the vertical direction. Therefore, for example, the horizontal size of the support (occupied area in the bathroom) can be kept small, and the degree of freedom in the installation position of the shower system can be increased. For example, when the lower end of the support is fixed to the edge of the bathtub, a shower bath can be performed for the user who is taking a bath in the bathtub. In this case, even if the bathtub is shallow, it is easy to obtain the hot bath effect. Therefore, for example, it is possible to lower the bathtub to realize a bathtub that is easy for the elderly to straddle.

The pair of left and right shower arms may be rotatably supported by the main body around an axis, and the axes may be inclined so as to be separated from each other as they go upward.

According to the present invention, it can be shared by a plurality of chairs and bath wheelchairs.

It is a perspective view when both shower arms are in use in the shower system of one Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view of the shower system shown in FIG. It is a front view of the shower system shown in FIG. In the shower system shown in FIG. 1, it is a side view when both shower arms are in the retracted state. It is a front view of the shower system shown in FIG. FIG. 1 is a side view of the shower system when both shower arms are flipped up. It is a perspective view explaining the state which a user is taking a shower using the shower system shown in FIG. 1. In the shower system shown in FIG. 1, it is a perspective view which shows the state which raised the main body to the extent that a standing user can take a shower. It is a perspective view which shows the state which the shower system shown in FIG. 1 is arranged in a bathtub. It is a perspective view which shows the modification of the shower system shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, the shower system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9.
For example, it may be difficult for an elderly person with reduced physical function to move inside and outside the bathtub 3 in the bathroom 2. In this case, instead of taking a hot bath in the bathtub 3, a shower bath that warms the body by a shower may be performed in the washing place in the bathroom 2. By using the shower system 1 when performing a shower bath, it is possible to make it easier to warm the body as compared with the case of using, for example, a general shower head.

As shown in FIG. 1, the shower system 1 is rotatably supported by a support body 10 whose upper and lower ends are fixed to the bathroom 2, a main body 42 movably arranged vertically on the support body 10, and a main body 42. It is provided with a pair of left and right shower arms 43A and 43B.
The support 10 includes a pair of support members 10a. Each support member 10a is formed in a rod shape extending in the vertical direction Z. The pair of support members 10a are arranged in parallel with each other.

The upper and lower ends of the pair of support members 10a are fixed to the floor panel 2a (floor surface) and the ceiling panel 2b (ceiling) of the bathroom 2 respectively. In the illustrated example, each support member 10a is formed so as to be expandable and contractible in the vertical direction Z, and is formed so as to be able to hold an arbitrary length that is expanded and contracted. Each support member 10a holds its length between the floor panel 2a and the ceiling panel 2b in a state of being extended slightly longer than the distance between the floor panel 2a and the ceiling panel 2b. As a result, the upper and lower ends of each support member 10a are abutted against and fixed to the floor panel 2a and the ceiling panel 2b.

In the illustrated example, the cushioning plate 10b is arranged between the upper and lower ends of each support member 10a and the floor panel 2a and the ceiling panel 2b. The cushioning plate 10b prevents the upper and lower ends of each support member 10a from hitting the floor panel 2a and the ceiling panel 2b too strongly, and the load from each support member 10a specifies the floor panel 2a and the ceiling panel 2b. Alleviate the action concentrated on the spot.

In the present embodiment, the pair of support members 10a are arranged parallel to the wall panel 2c (side wall) connecting the floor panel 2a and the ceiling panel 2b. In the following, among the horizontal directions, the direction in which the pair of support members 10a are lined up is referred to as the left-right direction X (first direction), and the direction orthogonal to the left-right direction X is referred to as the front-back direction Y (second direction). Of the front-back directions Y, the direction in which the wall panel 2c is located with respect to the support 10 is referred to as the rear side Y2, and the opposite side thereof is referred to as the front side Y1. Of the left-right directions X, the right side when the user P faces the front side Y1 is called the right side X1, and the left side is called the left side X2.

There are no counters or faucets in the area at least 50 cm square in front of the support member 10a. Specifically, the wall panel 2c on the rear side of the support member 10a is not provided with a counter and a faucet. Therefore, the chair 11 can be placed in front of the support member 10a as described later.

The pair of support members 10a penetrate the main body 42 in the vertical direction Z. The main body 42 is mounted on the support 10 so as to be able to switch between a first state in which vertical movement is permitted and a second state in which vertical movement is restricted. A known configuration can be adopted for a switching mechanism (not shown) that realizes this switching. For example, a plurality of first openings are formed in the support 10 at intervals in the vertical direction Z, and a second opening is formed in the main body 42, and the first of the plurality of first openings is formed. A configuration may be adopted in which the second opening is aligned with the first opening and a pin member is inserted into both of these openings to bring the second opening into the second state.

A water passage (not shown) is provided inside the main body 42. One end of the channel is the inlet and the other end of the channel is the outlet. The inflow port is provided on the rear surface of the main body 42. The waterway branches from the inlet to the outlet, and a bifurcated branch is provided in the middle of the channel. The outlet is connected to the shower arms 43A and 43B.
A connecting portion 44 is provided at the inlet. The connection portion 44 is, for example, a connector to which a hose 103 or the like is detachably connected. The connection portion 44 is fixed to the rear surface of the main body 42. Water W is supplied to the connection portion 44 from the outside via the hose 103. The water W supplied to the connection portion 44 is supplied to the shower arms 43A and 43B through the inside of the main body 42 (inside the water passage). In addition, water W in this specification means general water which does not depend on high temperature and low temperature, and has the meaning which includes water at room temperature, hot water of temperature used for a shower or the like, and the like.

The pair of shower arms 43A and 43B include a first shower arm (first arm portion) 43A and a second shower arm (second arm portion) 43B, which are tubular bodies that bend at an obtuse angle. Inside the shower arms 43A and 43B, a water passage is formed along the axial direction. The shower arms 43A and 43B shown in FIG. 1 are in use states P1A and P1B, which will be described later.
The shower arms 43A and 43B are arranged so as to sandwich the main body 42 in the left-right direction X. The first shower arm 43A is arranged on the right side X1 of the main body 42, and the second shower arm 43B is arranged on the left side X2 of the main body 42.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first shower arm 43A includes a tip member (tip portion) 46A, a connecting member (connecting portion) 47A, and a base end member (base end portion) 48A. ..
The tip member 46A is formed in a tubular shape with a sealed tip. The tip member 46A is made of a relatively hard material such as acrylonitrile, butadiene, styrene resin (ABS) resin, polypropylene (PP) resin, and the like. The tip member 46A is gradually inclined downward toward the front Y1. As shown in FIG. 7, the tip member 46A is formed with a discharge hole 50A that penetrates the wall portion of the tip member 46A. The discharge hole 50A discharges the water W supplied to the inside of the tip member 46A, that is, the water passage to the outside.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the connecting member 47A is formed in a cylindrical shape and is curved so as to be convex in the direction between the front Y1 and the upper side. The connecting member 47A is integrally formed of a relatively soft material such as an elastomer, soft urethane, and rubber.
The base end member 48A is formed in a tubular shape. It is preferable that the base end member 48A is formed with a discharge hole 50A like the tip end member 46A. The base end member 48A is made of, for example, the same material as the tip end member 46A.

In the first shower arm 43A, the connecting member 47 has a bent shape, and the entire first shower arm 43A has an L-shaped shape. Further, the connecting member 47A is softer and more easily deformed than the tip member 46A and the base member 48A.

The configuration of the first shower arm 43A and the configuration of the second shower arm 43B are plane symmetric with respect to a reference plane defined between the shower arms 43A and 43B so as to be orthogonal to the left-right direction X. The configuration corresponding to the first shower arm 43A of the second shower arm 43B is shown by adding the capital letter "B" instead of the capital letter "A" to the same number as the first shower arm 43A. As a result, the description of the second shower arm 43B that overlaps with that of the first shower arm 43A will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 1, the second shower arm 43B includes a tip member 46A, a connecting member 47A, and a tip member 46B, a connecting member 47B, and a base end member configured plane-symmetrically with the tip member 46A, the connecting member 47A, and the base end member 48A of the first shower arm 43A. It is equipped with 48B.
The distance between the base end members 48A and 48B of the shower arms 43A and 43B is preferably as long as the shoulder width of the user P.

The first shower arm 43A is rotatably supported around the axis 70A with respect to the main body 42. In the front view of the shower system 1 shown in FIG. 3, the axis 70A is gradually inclined toward the right side X1 as it goes upward.
The second shower arm 43B is rotatably supported around the axis 70B with respect to the main body 42. In the front view of the shower system 1 shown in FIG. 3, the axis 70B is gradually inclined toward the left side X2 as it goes upward.

The axes 70A and 70B are inclined in opposite directions with respect to the vertical direction Z so as to be separated from each other as they go upward. In other words, the axes 70A and 70B are inclined in opposite directions with respect to the reference line L3 along the vertical direction Z. For example, the angle θA formed by the reference line L3 and the axis 70A upward is about 60 °.

The shower arms 43A and 43B shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 are in use states P1A and P1B. In the front view shown in FIG. 3, when the shower arms 43A and 43B are in the used states P1A and P1B, the shower arms 43A and 43B are arranged so as to extend along the vertical direction Z, respectively. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the shower arms 43A and 43B in the used states P1A and P1B are arranged so as to extend toward Y1 in front of the support 10. As shown in FIG. 7, the discharge holes 50A and 50B of the shower arms 43A and 43B have the water W in an oblique direction between the rear Y2 and the lower side when the shower arms 43A and 43B are in the operating states P1A and P1B. It is formed so as to discharge to the like.

The shower arms 43A and 43B are configured to be able to hold their own positions (rotation angles around the axes 70A and 70B) in the used states P1A and P1B. When the shower arms 43A and 43B are subjected to further rotational force around the axis lines 70A and 70B in the used states P1A and P1B, the position holding of the shower arms 43A and 43B is released and the shower arms 43B shift to another state.

When the tip members 46A and 46B of the shower arms 43A and 43B are lowered from the time when the shower arms 43A and 43B are in the used states P1A and P1B, the shower arms 43A and 43B are in the retracted states P0A and P0B shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. .. The shower arms 43A and 43B in the retracted states P0A and P0B are states when the user P does not use the shower arms 43A and 43B.
As shown in FIG. 5, the shower arms 43A and 43B in the retracted states P0A and P0B are arranged so as to be gradually separated from each other in the left-right direction X as they go downward. The shower arms 43A and 43B have a V-shape (upside down V-shape) as a whole. The first shower arm 43A is gradually inclined toward the right side X1 as it goes downward. On the other hand, the second shower arm 43B is gradually inclined toward the left side X2 as it goes downward.

On the other hand, when the tip members 46A and 46B of the shower arms 43A and 43B are raised from the time when the shower arms 43A and 43B are in the used states P1A and P1B, the flip-up states P2A and P2B shown in FIG. 6 are obtained. The flip-up state P2A and P2B are states in which the tip members 46A and 46B of the shower arms 43A and 43B used by the user P in the use states P1A and P1B are moved (jumped up) upward.

Next, a method of using the shower system 1 configured as described above will be described. The usage method shown below is an example, and can be used by other methods. Further, in the following, a case where the chair 11 is used close to the shower system 1 from the outside will be described. In this shower system 1, the user P can take a shower from the shower arms 43A and 43B with the chair 11 arranged in front Y1 of the support 10. As the chair 11, a known bath chair can be used. The chair 11 is preferably water resistant so that it can be used in a bathroom or the like. The chair 11 is made of resin and a metal such as aluminum.

First, the main body 42 is moved up and down with respect to the support 10, the heights of the shower arms 43A and 43B are adjusted, and the shower arms 43A and 43B are set to the retracted states P0A and P0B. At this time, the shower arms 43A and 43B are located above the user P sitting on the chair 11 when the shower arms 43A and 43B are changed from the retracted states P0A and P0B to the used states P1A and P1B. Adjust the height of the shower.

A hose 103 is connected to a faucet (not shown), and the hose 103 is connected to the connection portion 44. The temperature of the water W coming out of the faucet is set to a desired temperature of, for example, about 35 ° C. to 40 ° C., and the faucet is opened. The water W flowing out of the faucet is initially at room temperature of about 15 ° C to 25 ° C. The water W flowing out of the faucet is supplied to the shower arms 43A and 43B through the hose 103, the connection portion 44, and the main body 42, and is discharged to the outside from the discharge holes 50A and 50B. Since the discharge holes 50A and 50B of the shower arms 43A and 43B in the retracted states P0A and P0B face the rear Y2, the water W at room temperature is suppressed from being applied to the user P.

User P sits on chair 11. After a certain period of time, the temperature of the water W discharged from the discharge holes 50A and 50B becomes a desired temperature.
As shown in FIG. 7, the user P raises the tip members 46A and 46B of the shower arms 43A and 43B to bring the shower arms 43A and 43B into the used states P1A and P1B. When the connecting members 47A and 47B of the shower arms 43A and 43B are soft, the user P may lift the base end members 48A and 48B of the shower arms 43A and 43B.

The user P bathes in the water W discharged from the discharge holes 50A and 50B of the shower arms 43A and 43B, and takes a shower. The user P may wash his / her own body by setting the shower arms 43A and 43B in the retracted states P0A and P0B. At this time, since the shower arms 43A and 43B are in the retracted state P0A and P0B, the shower arms 43A and 43B are less likely to interfere with the work of washing the body.
When the user P finishes taking a shower, the shower arms 43A and 43B are set to the retracted states P0A and P0B. Close the faucet in bathroom 2.

If the user P taking a shower with the shower arms 43A and 43B in the operating states P1A and P1B suddenly escapes from the shower system 1 due to an emergency, the following procedure is performed.
The user P lifts (jumps up) the shower arms 43A and 43B, which are in the used states P1A and P1B, by hand or the like. The user P stands up from the chair 11 and escapes from the shower system 1 with almost no interference with the shower arms 43A and 43B. Further, when the user P escapes from the shower system 1, the connecting members 47A and 47B of the shower arms 43A and 43B may be deformed and the tip members 46A and 46B may be bent in a desired direction.
As described above, even in the event of an emergency, the user P can easily escape from the shower system 1.

The user P who operates the shower system 1 and the faucet described above is not limited to the user P who actually takes a shower and uses the shower system 1 (hereinafter referred to as an actual user P), and is actually A caregiver who uses the shower system 1 as an assistant of the user P (assisted person) may be used.
That is, when it is difficult for the actual user P to operate the shower system 1 or the like, the caregiver operates the shower system 1 or the like.
It is also possible to bring a bath wheelchair closer to the chair 11 instead of the chair 11. In this case, the caregiver may bring the bath wheelchair closer to the support 10 while the user P is on the bath wheelchair.

As described above, according to the shower system 1 according to the present embodiment, the upper and lower ends of the support 10 are fixed to the bathroom 2. Therefore, with the support 10 fixed to the bathroom 2, a plurality of chairs 11 and bath wheelchairs independent of the support 10 can be appropriately moved toward or away from the support 10.
A pair of left and right shower arms 43A and 43B are fixed to the support 10 via the main body 42. Therefore, for example, the chair 11 and the bath wheelchair are brought close to the support 10 so that the user P on the chair 11 and the bath wheelchair is located between the pair of left and right shower arms 43A and 43B, and then the shower arm 43A, By injecting a shower from 43B, a shower bath can be performed on the user P.
The main body 42 is arranged on the support 10 so as to be vertically movable. Therefore, the shower arms 43A and 43B can be moved up and down via the main body 42. As a result, for example, when the chair 11 or the bath wheelchair is moved closer to or away from the support 10, the shower arms 43A and 43B are retracted upward and the shower arms 43A and 43B are moved upward, unlike the above-mentioned usage method. It is possible to prevent the chair 11 and the bath wheelchair from interfering with the movement.
From the above, according to this shower system 1, it can be shared by a plurality of chairs 11 and a bath wheelchair.

By the way, even when the shower is started to be sprayed from the shower arms 43A and 43B for the purpose of showering hot water, the cold water remaining in the shower arms 43A and 43B is sprayed immediately after the start, and the user. P may be exposed to cold water.
However, according to this shower system 1, in order to prevent the user P from being exposed to cold water, a certain amount of shower is sprayed from the shower arms 43A and 43B in advance, and the shower arms 43A and 43B are sprayed as described above. It can be evacuated. After that, after it is confirmed that hot water is sprayed instead of cold water as a shower, the chair 11 or the bath wheelchair can be brought closer to the support 10. This makes it possible to prevent the user P from being exposed to cold water.

As shown in FIG. 8, when the main body 42 can be raised to the extent that the shower arms 43A and 43B can be positioned above the standing user P, use the sitting position on the chair 11 or the bath wheelchair. The shower bath can be carried out not only for the person P but also for the standing user P.

The support 10 is formed in a rod shape extending in the vertical direction Z. Therefore, for example, the horizontal size of the support 10 (occupied area in the bathroom 2) can be kept small, and the degree of freedom in the installation position of the shower system 1 can be increased. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, when the lower end of the support 10 is fixed to the edge of the bathtub 3, a shower bath can be performed on the user P who is taking a bath in the bathtub 3. In this case, even if the bathtub 3 is shallow, it is easy to obtain the hot bath effect. Therefore, for example, it is possible to lower the bathtub 3 to realize a bathtub 3 that is easy for the elderly to straddle.

A pair of left and right shower arms 43A and 43B are supported by one common main body 42. Therefore, by moving one main body 42 up and down, the pair of shower arms 43A and 43B can be moved up and down integrally, and for example, operability can be improved.

The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

For example, as in the shower system 1A according to the modification shown in FIG. 10, the shower system 1A may include a seat portion 4 movably arranged vertically on the support. The seat portion 4 is arranged on the support 10 so as to be vertically movable. The seat portion 4 is located below the main body 42. The user P can be seated on the upper surface (seat surface) of the seat portion 4. The seat portion 4 may be rotatably supported by the support body 10 around a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction X. In this case, it is possible to realize a configuration in which the seat portion 4 is rotated upward so that the seat surface of the seat portion 4 faces the support 10 in the front-rear direction Y. As a result, when the seat portion 4 is not used, the occupied area of the seat portion 4 can be kept small.

The support member 10a does not have to be formed in a rod shape. The number of support members 10a may be one or three or more.
The support member 10a does not necessarily have to be fixed to the upper and lower ends of the bathroom 2. For example, although the upper end of the support member 10a is fixed to the ceiling panel 2b, it may be fixed to the upper end of the wall panel 2c. Although the lower end of the support member 10a is fixed to the floor panel 2a, it may be fixed to the lower end of the wall panel 2c.
The bathroom 2 may be a unit bath or a bathroom by a conventional construction method.

In addition, it is possible to appropriately replace the components in the embodiment with well-known components without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and the above-mentioned modifications may be appropriately combined.

1, 1A Shower system 2 Bathroom 10 Support 42 Main body 43A, 43B Shower arm L3 Reference line

Claims (2)

A support whose upper and lower ends are fixed to the bathroom,
A main body that is vertically movable on the support, and
A pair of left and right shower arms supported by the main body are provided .
The pair of left and right shower arms are rotatably supported by the main body around an axis.
A shower system in which the axes are inclined so as to be separated from each other as they move upward . The shower system according to claim 1, wherein the support is formed in a rod shape extending in the vertical direction.

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