JP7465772B2 - Discharge Device - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to an ejection device that ejects a jet of liquid.

Devices that spray jets from multiple nozzles are known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a shoulder massage device that sprays a jet forcefully from the jet nozzle of a nozzle and hits the shoulder with the jet, massaging the shoulder. In the device described in Patent Document 1, in addition to the nozzle that sprays the jet, a film flow outlet for forming an annular film flow around the jet is provided around the jet nozzle of the nozzle. In this device, when the jet is sprayed forcefully from the jet nozzle to hit the shoulder, an annular film flow is sprayed from the film flow outlet to surround the jet, surrounding the jet with a film flow.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 09-103381

The inventors of the present application have studied a discharge device that discharges a water flow that performs a specified function, and have come to the following new realization: When considering discharging strong water force over a wide area, with the device described in Patent Document 1, the jet of water only reaches the area surrounded by the film flow, and there are also areas where the jet of water itself does not hit, or there are moments when it does not hit, making it impossible to hit a strong water flow over a wide area.

One of the objectives of this disclosure is to provide a discharge device that has high water force and can discharge water over a wide area.

In order to solve the above problem, a discharge device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a first flow path that discharges a jet, and a second flow path that discharges a film-like flow that is wider in the left-right direction than the jet and flatter, and that merges with the jet to reach the target.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the discharge system according to the embodiment, as viewed from the side. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a discharge device according to an embodiment. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the merging chamber of FIG. 4 . 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams showing the opening shape of a liquid discharge port of a merging chamber in the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a second example of the opening shape of the liquid discharge port of the confluence chamber. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a third example of the opening shape of the liquid discharge port of the confluence chamber. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a fourth example of the opening shape of the liquid discharge port of the confluence chamber. FIG. 4 is a plan view of a first ejection section according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of an ejection flow path of a first ejection portion according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a state of flow in an ejection flow path of a first ejection portion according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a jet flow and a film-like flow according to the embodiment.

An example of an embodiment will be described below. Identical components will be given the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted. In each drawing, some components will be omitted, enlarged, or reduced as appropriate for ease of explanation. The drawings should be viewed according to the orientation of the reference numerals. The structures and shapes referred to in this specification include not only structures and shapes that strictly match the contents referred to, but also structures and shapes that deviate by the amount of errors such as dimensional errors and manufacturing errors. In each drawing, some components that are not important for explaining the embodiment will be omitted.

Terms including ordinal numbers such as first and second are used to describe various components. These terms are used only to distinguish one component from another, and do not limit the configuration of the present disclosure. The following embodiments are provided as examples to aid in understanding the contents of the present disclosure, and do not limit the configuration of the present disclosure.

The use of the discharge device of the present disclosure is not limited, and it can be applied to various devices. As an example, the discharge device of the present disclosure can be applied to the following uses. The discharge device of the present disclosure can be applied to a device that discharges water onto an object to reduce dirt. The object of discharged water includes utensils such as dishes, water-related equipment such as bathtubs and washbasins, machines such as vehicles, and structures such as buildings. The discharge device of the present disclosure can be applied to a device that sprinkles water on the ground, plants, etc. The discharge device of the present disclosure can be applied to a device that discharges water onto an object to provide a stimulating sensation such as a massage feeling. In the description of the embodiment, an example is shown in which the discharge device of the present disclosure is applied to a device that discharges a water flow that reaches a bather.

[Embodiment]
Please refer to Figures 1 to 4. An embodiment of the present disclosure is a discharge device 10. The discharge device 10 is used in a bathtub 16 of a bathroom facility. The bathroom facility also includes a bathroom wall, a washing area floor, etc. The bathtub 16 is an example of a tank body that can receive the jet flow J and the sheet flow F discharged from the discharge device 10.

For ease of explanation, as shown in the figure, the front-to-back direction on a plane along the discharge direction of the discharge device 10 is referred to as the X direction, the left-to-right direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction on the plane is referred to as the Y direction, and the vertical up-down direction is referred to as the Z direction. The X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are mutually orthogonal. These directions are not limited to being strictly orthogonal, and include cases where they are nearly orthogonal. The short side direction of the discharge device 10 coincides with the X direction, and the long side direction of the discharge device 10 coincides with the Y direction. These directional notations do not limit the usage orientation of the discharge device 10, and the discharge device 10 can be used in any orientation depending on the application.

The discharge device 10 has a plate-shaped base portion 12 that is fixed to a flange portion 14 of a bathtub 16. In this embodiment, the flange portion 14 forms the periphery of the upper end opening of the bathtub 16. First, the overall configuration of the discharge device 10 will be described.

The discharge device 10 is supported by the base 12 and has multiple discharge units that discharge liquid in different forms. The discharge device 10 of the embodiment has a first discharge unit 30 supported by the base 12, a second discharge unit 68, and a merging chamber 28. The discharge device 10 has an upper unit 78 disposed above the second discharge unit 68. The upper unit 78 is supported by the base 12. In FIG. 1, these components are shown in vertical cross section.

The first discharge section 30 has an ejection flow path 32 that ejects the liquid W supplied from the liquid supply path 22 as a jet J from the outlet hole 38. The ejection flow path 32 is an example of the first flow path. The jet J in this example is a rod-shaped flow with a cross section perpendicular to the direction of travel (hereinafter simply referred to as the "cross section") that is approximately rectangular, approximately elliptical, or the like. The jet J in this example is a moving jet in which at least one of the flow rate and the direction of travel changes over time. The liquid W is exemplified by heated water, non-heated water, and a mixture of these. The ejection flow path 32 will be described later.

The second discharge section 68 has a discharge flow path 70 that discharges the liquid W supplied from the liquid supply path 22 as a film-like flow F from the discharge port 72. The discharge flow path 70 discharges a film-like flow F that is wider and flatter in the left-right direction than the jet J and merges with the jet J to reach the target. The discharge flow path 70 illustrates an example of a second flow path. The discharge port 72 of the discharge flow path 70 opens to the front part of the discharge device 10 and discharges the film-like flow F forward. The film-like flow F is a flat film-like flow that is wider in the left-right direction than the jet J. The cross section of the film-like flow F in this example is long in the Y direction, thin in the Z direction, and travels in the X direction.

The jet flow path 32 and the discharge flow path 70 are fixed to the flange portion 14 of the bathtub 16. The jet flow J and the film flow F merge with each other to form a combined flow M that reaches the target bather 8. In the embodiment, the jet flow path 32 and the discharge flow path 70 are configured so that the combined flow M reaches the shoulders of the bather 8 below the neck of the bather 8.

The jet J and the film-like flow F may merge with each other between the discharge device 10 and the bather 8. Even if the distance between the discharge device 10 and the bather 8 is short, it is desirable for the jet J to merge with the film-like flow F before reaching the bather 8. Therefore, in the discharge device 10 of the embodiment, a merging chamber 28 for merging the film-like flow F with the jet J is provided near the outlet hole 38 of the injection flow path 32.

The upper unit 78 has a lighting section 80 and a pillow section 92. The lighting section 80 outputs light E from the front section of the discharge device 10, and for example, can irradiate the light E onto the film-like flow F, thereby providing a relaxing effect to the bather 8 through vision. The pillow section 92 is provided on the upper surface of the discharge device 10, and has a shape and properties that allow the bather 8 to rest his/her head on it.

The discharge device 10 is used in a discharge system 18. The discharge system 18 includes a storage tank 20 for storing the liquid W to be sprayed, a liquid supply path 22 for supplying the liquid W from the storage tank 20 to the discharge device 10, a pump 24 provided in the liquid supply path 22, and a control unit 26 for controlling the pump 24. In the embodiment, the storage tank 20 is a bathtub 16 for storing bathtub water as the liquid W to be sprayed. Under the control of the control unit 26, the pump 24 supplies the liquid W to the discharge device 10 through the liquid supply path 22 by pumping the liquid W sucked from the storage tank 20. The control unit 26 is a computer that combines hardware such as a CPU, ROM, and RAM with software.

The discharge device 10 discharges the liquid W supplied from the liquid supply path 22 into the bathtub 16 as various forms of discharged water. The discharge device 10 of the embodiment sprays a single-phase liquid jet J from the spray flow path 32, and discharges a film-like flow F from the discharge flow path 70. The discharge device 10 of the embodiment sprays bath water circulating through the liquid supply path 22 by the pump 24. The jet J of the embodiment can be applied from the rear side to the body of the bather 8, particularly the back of the bather 8 who is in a seated position in the bathtub 16. This provides a massage effect to the bather 8.

Refer to Figure 2. This figure shows the discharge device 10 as seen from diagonally ahead. A flat area is formed on the flange portion 14 of the bathtub 16 for mounting the discharge device 10. As shown in Figure 2, a side cross section of the discharge device 10 taken along line A-A passing through the center in the left-right direction in the X direction is shown in Figure 3. A side cross section of the discharge device 10 taken along line B-B passing through the center in the left-right direction of the injection flow path 32 in the X direction is shown in Figure 4. A liquid discharge port 28c for discharging liquid, which will be described later, is opened on the front surface of the discharge device 10.

Refer to Figure 3. This figure mainly shows the second discharge section 68 and the discharge flow path 70. The discharge device 10 can be separated into a section above the base section 12 and a section below the base section 12.

The base portion 12 has a hollow cylindrical liquid receiving portion 12k that passes through the through hole 14h of the flange portion 14 and receives a supply of liquid from the liquid supply path 22. A hollow cylindrical connecting tube portion 12m that surrounds the liquid receiving portion 12k is fixed to the outer periphery of the liquid receiving portion 12k. The liquid supply path 22 is connected to the lower part of the connecting tube portion 12m. The base portion 12 is fixed with the flange portion 14 sandwiched between a flat portion 12f extending above the flange portion 14 and a piping connection member 22j that screws into the outer periphery of the connecting tube portion 12m.

Above the base portion 12 are provided a lower member 66, an upper member 67, an intermediate wall portion 64, and a passage tube portion 62. The lower member 66 is a box-shaped member that is longer left-to-right than front-to-back, and has a lower recess 66b that is recessed downward in the middle in the front-to-back direction, and a hollow cylindrical protruding tube portion 66d that protrudes downward through the flange portion 14. The protruding tube portion 66d is detachably fitted to the inner circumference of the liquid receiving portion 12k.

The intermediate wall portion 64 is housed in the lower recess 66b and separates the space of the lower recess 66b from the space above. The intermediate wall portion 64 is provided with a hollow cylindrical passage tube portion 62 that extends vertically. The upper member 67 is a box-shaped member that is longer left to right than it is front to back and covers the upper portion of the lower member 66, and has an upper recess 67b that is recessed upward in the middle in the front to back direction. A discharge flow path 70 is formed downstream of the upper recess 67b.

The introduction passage 60 for the liquid W supplied from the liquid supply passage 22 to the injection passage 32 and the discharge passage 70 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the introduction passage 60 includes a first passage 60a, a second passage 60b, a third passage 60c, and a fourth passage 60e that are connected from the upstream side to the downstream side. The first passage 60a is a cylindrical passage extending vertically through the hollow portion of the protruding tube portion 66d, and is connected to the downstream side of the liquid supply passage 22. The second passage 60b is a passage provided in the lower recess 66b, and is connected to the downstream side of the first passage 60a. The third passage 60c is a cylindrical passage extending vertically through the hollow portion of the passage tube portion 62, and is connected to the downstream side of the second passage 60b. The fourth passage 60e is an upper space of the upper recess 67b, and is a space that is longer horizontally than front-to-back and thinner vertically. The fourth passage 60e is connected to the downstream side of the third passage 60c.

The liquid W1 supplied from the liquid supply passage 22 travels from bottom to top through the first passage 60a, flows into the second passage 60b, and spreads in all directions. The liquid W1 that flows into the second passage 60b travels from bottom to top through the third passage 60c, flows into the fourth passage 60e, and spreads particularly left and right. A portion of the liquid W1 that flows into the fourth passage 60e is supplied to the discharge passage 70 as liquid W2. Another portion of the liquid W1 that flows into the fourth passage 60e is supplied to the ejection passage 32 as liquid W3 (see FIG. 4). The discharge passage 70 squeezes the liquid W2 to a cross section that is wider left and right than up and down when viewed from the front, and discharges a film-like flow F from the discharge port 72.

Refer to FIG. 4. This figure mainly shows the jet flow path 32 of the first discharge section 30 and the discharge flow path 70 of the second discharge section 68. The first discharge section 30 has a rectangular box shape in top view that is smaller vertically than horizontally, and includes the inlet flow path 40 and the merging section 44. The first discharge section 30 is disposed directly below the discharge flow path 70. A part of the liquid W1 that flows into the fourth passage 60e of the upper recess 67b proceeds from top to bottom through the branch flow path 34a of the branch tube section 33 provided in the upper recess 67b as liquid W3. The liquid W3 flows from the branch flow path 34a through the hollow section 34b of the hollow cylindrical relay tube section 34 and into the first discharge section 30 from the inlet hole 37 provided in the ceiling of the inlet flow path 40. The first discharge section 30 changes the liquid W3 flowing in from the inlet hole 37 into a jet J and sprays it from the outlet hole 38. A merging chamber 28 for merging the sheet-like flow F with the jet flow J is provided immediately downstream of the outlet hole 38 and the discharge port 72. The merging chamber 28 may be provided near the outlet hole 38.

Refer to FIG. 5. The merging chamber 28 has a merging space 28a connected to the downstream side of the outlet hole 38 of the injection flow path 32 and the outlet 72 of the discharge flow path 70. The merging chamber 28 has a peripheral wall that defines the periphery of the merging space 28a. The outlet hole 38 of the injection flow path 32 of the first discharge section 30 and the outlet 72 of the discharge flow path 70 of the second discharge section 68 open on the upstream side of the merging chamber 28. The second discharge section 68 is connected above the first discharge section 30, and the outlet 72 is located directly above the outlet hole 38. A liquid discharge port 28c is provided downstream of the merging chamber 28 as an outlet for the combined flow M.

In the embodiment, the jet J and the film-like flow F join in the joining chamber 28 to form an integrated flow M. The joining chamber 28 does not have a wall separating the passage of the jet J from the passage of the film-like flow F. The jet J approaches the film-like flow F as it moves downstream (moves forward) from the outlet hole 38 of the jet flow passage 32. In the joining chamber 28, the angle between the traveling direction of the jet J and the traveling direction of the film-like flow F as viewed from the left and right is set, for example, in the range of 1° to 5°.

In an embodiment, before the two flows merge, the vertical width of the jet J is greater than the vertical width of the film-like flow F. For example, by applying a jet J with a vertical and horizontal width of about 5 mm to the shoulder, the entire shoulder can be warmed while the jet J has a stimulating sensation on the shoulder. From this perspective, the vertical width of the jet J may be in the range of, for example, 3 mm or more and 20 mm or less.

It is desirable to merge the discharged water before it reaches the bather 8. For this reason, in the embodiment, the outlet hole 38 of the jet flow path 32 is positioned rearward from the same position as the discharge port 72 of the discharge flow path 70 in the front-to-rear direction.

It is desirable to reduce separation and penetration of the jet J and film-like flow F after they merge. For this reason, in the embodiment, the flow velocity of the jet J is configured to be substantially equal to the flow velocity of the film-like flow F before they merge. "Substantially equal" includes cases where the flow velocity of the jet J and the flow velocity of the film-like flow F are equal and cases where the difference in flow velocity is smaller than the range of error, such as measurement error.

The cross section of the integrated flow M discharged from the liquid discharge port 28c corresponds to the opening shape of the liquid discharge port 28c as viewed from the front side, and is substantially the same as the opening shape. Figures 6 to 9 show the opening shape of the liquid discharge port 28c as viewed from the front side. Figure 6 shows the liquid discharge port 28c of the embodiment, and Figures 7 to 9 show the liquid discharge port 28c of the second, third, and fourth examples as alternative examples.

The liquid discharge port 28c of the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 6. The liquid discharge port 28c of the merging chamber 28 has an opening shape that integrates a first rectangular portion 28p from which the jet J is mainly discharged and a second rectangular portion 28s from which the film-like flow F is mainly discharged. As shown in FIG. 6, the liquid discharge port 28c of the merging chamber 28 of the embodiment has two first rectangular portions 28p spaced apart in the Y direction and a second rectangular portion 28s connected to the upper side of these. When viewed from the front (when viewed in the X direction), the first rectangular portion 28p is a rectangle whose left-right width and top-bottom width are approximately equal, and the second rectangular portion 28s is a horizontally elongated rectangle whose left-right width is significantly greater than its top-bottom width.

Referring to FIG. 7, a second example of the liquid discharge port 28c will be described. The film-like flow F may be integrated below the jet J. In the example of FIG. 7, the liquid discharge port 28c has two first rectangular portions 28p spaced apart in the Y direction and a second rectangular portion 28s connected to the lower sides of these. In this case, the second discharge portion 68 is connected below the first discharge portion 30.

With reference to FIG. 8, a third example of the liquid discharge port 28c will be described. The vertical center of the film-like flow F may be at the same position as the vertical center of the jet J. The film-like flow F may be integrated between two jets J. In the example of FIG. 8, the liquid discharge port 28c has two first rectangular portions 28p spaced apart in the Y direction and a second rectangular portion 28s connected between them. In this case, the second discharge portion 68 is provided between the two first discharge portions 30 and at the same height as them.

Referring to FIG. 9, a fourth example of the liquid discharge port 28c will be described. The vertical width of the film-like flow F may be greater than the vertical width of the jet J. Two jets J may be integrated into the film-like flow F. In the example of FIG. 9, the liquid discharge port 28c has two first rectangular portions 28p spaced apart in the Y direction and a second rectangular portion 28s arranged to surround the first rectangular portions 28p. In this example, the vertical and horizontal widths of the second rectangular portion 28s are greater than the vertical and horizontal widths of the first rectangular portion 28p.

The first discharge section 30 and the ejection flow path 32 will be described with reference to FIG. 10. This figure shows a cross section of the first discharge section 30 cut by a plane passing through the center of the ejection flow path 32 from top to bottom. In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, a plurality of (two in this example) first discharge sections 30 are formed on the base section 12 at intervals in the Y direction. The two first discharge sections 30 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the Y-direction center line Cy of the base section 12, and each has the same configuration. Therefore, the following description applies to each of the two first discharge sections 30. In this example, the center line Cy is a left-right center line that bisects the left-right dimension of the outer surface portion of the ejection device 10 in a plan view, is perpendicular to the Y direction, and is parallel to the X direction.

Refer to FIG. 11. This figure shows an enlarged view of the jet flow passage 32 of the first discharge section 30. In the jet flow passage 32 of the embodiment, liquid W3 is supplied downward from the inlet hole 37 via the relay tube section 34. The jet flow passage 32 jets the liquid W3 supplied from the liquid supply path 22 as a jet J. The jet J here refers to a jet whose traveling direction when it leaves the jet flow passage 32 changes periodically, that is, over time. The jet flow passage 32 can jet the jet J by changing the jet direction of the jet when it leaves the outside over time within a range from direction Da to direction Db. In the embodiment, the jet flow passage 32 radially jets a wavy jet as the jet J by oscillating the jet direction in a plane.

The term "wavy" refers to a shape that periodically undulates in a direction perpendicular to the center of the trajectory of the jet trajectory of the jet J as it moves away from the jet flow path 32. This "wavy" shape includes shapes that strictly satisfy the physical conditions of a wave, as well as shapes that are similar to such shapes. The jet flow path 32 of the embodiment jets the jet J into the air. The first ejection section 30 constitutes a fluid element that jets the jet J while remaining stationary.

The ejection flow path 32 includes an induction flow path 36 that induces a jet J, and an outlet hole 38 that ejects the jet J induced by the induction flow path 36 to the outside. The flow path center line CL1 of the induction flow path 36 extends along the X direction. The ejection direction of the ejection flow path 32 is referred to as the front side (the left side of the paper in FIG. 11), and the opposite side is referred to as the rear side (the right side of the paper in FIG. 11).

The induced flow path 36 includes an inlet flow path 40, a pair of intermediate flow paths 42A, 42B, and a junction 44, which are arranged from the upstream side to the downstream side. The induced flow path 36 is provided with a branching portion 46 that branches the flow of liquid toward the downstream side. The branching portion 46 functions as a first wall portion that is island-shaped in a plan view and blocks the liquid flow in the ejection flow path 32. The branching portion 46 in FIG. 11 has a crescent shape in a plan view, with the front surface being concave in the X direction and the rear surface being convex in the X direction.

The inlet flow path 40 is provided behind the branching portion 46 of the induction flow path 36. Liquid W3 flows downward from the relay tube portion 34 through an inlet hole 37 that opens into the ceiling of the inlet flow path 40.

The pair of intermediate flow paths 42A, 42B are provided in front of the inlet flow path 40, on both sides of the branching section 46 in the Y direction. The liquid W3 that flows into the inlet flow path 40 is split in the Y direction by the branching section 46 and flows into the pair of intermediate flow paths 42A, 42B. In other words, the pair of intermediate flow paths 42A, 42B are flow paths in which the main stream of the liquid W3 that flows in from the inlet hole 37 branches into two streams. The confluence section 44 is provided in front of the pair of intermediate flow paths 42A, 42B, and in front of the branching section 46. The liquid W3 that flows into the pair of intermediate flow paths 42A, 42B after branching is each merged at the confluence section 44.

The induced flow path 36 is provided with an outlet side wall 48 that blocks the flow of liquid toward the downstream side within the confluence 44. The outlet side wall 48 separates the internal space of the induced flow path 36 from the external space, and the outlet hole 38 penetrates the outlet side wall 48 in the X direction.

The outlet hole 38 is formed at the downstream end of the injection flow path 32 and opens to the outer surface (front surface) of the first discharge section 30. The inner width of the outlet hole 38 is smaller than the inner width of the induction flow path 36, and gradually widens in the Y direction toward the front.

The operation of the jet flow passage 32 will be described with reference to Figure 12. In Figure 12, the main flow of the liquid W3 in the jet flow passage 32 is indicated by arrows. The liquid that flows into the inlet flow passage 40 flows into the junction 44 from both sides of the branching section 46 as a first internal jet S1 and a second internal jet S2. Influenced by fluctuations caused by the randomness of the liquid, one of the jets S1 and S2 becomes a dominant flow (hereinafter referred to as a dominant flow) that is stronger than the other, and the other becomes a non-dominant flow. Figure 12 shows a case where the first internal jet S1 is the dominant flow and the second internal jet S2 is the non-dominant flow.

As shown in FIG. 12, the dominant flow continues to flow with momentum until it collides with the outlet side wall 48, and the non-dominated flow is impeded by its collision with the dominant flow. A portion G of the dominant flow turns back within the confluence 44 and merges with the non-dominated flow, gradually amplifying the momentum of the non-dominated flow. When the momentum of the non-dominated flow is amplified, the second internal jet flow S2, which was the non-dominated flow, becomes the dominant flow, and the first internal jet flow S1, which was the dominant flow, becomes the non-dominated flow. In this way, the dominant flow and the non-dominated flow switch periodically.

When the first internal jet S1 is the dominant flow, the liquid passing through the outlet hole 38 is sprayed in a spray direction Da inclined to one side in the Y direction (upper side in the figure), and when the second internal jet S2 is the dominant flow, the liquid passing through the outlet hole 38 is sprayed in a spray direction Db inclined to the other side in the Y direction (lower side in the figure). In other words, the spray direction periodically oscillates between directions Da and Db in the plane, and the aforementioned wavy jet J is sprayed.

An example of the jet J and film-like flow F of the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 13. The film-like flow F of the embodiment has a substantially constant left-right width. The jet J of the embodiment has a shape in which the rod-shaped flow oscillates within a plane, and as it moves away from the liquid discharge port 28c of the merging chamber 28, the amplitude increases and the jet J periodically undulates. After merging, the jet J and film-like flow F proceed through the air as a substantially integrated combined flow M.

The members constituting the first discharge section 30 and the second discharge section 68 can be manufactured by known methods such as die casting, molding, pressing, machining, etc. These members may be integrated by gluing or welding multiple members together, or may be manufactured by a 3D printer.

The effects of the above discharge device 10 will now be described. The discharge device 10 includes an ejection flow path 32 that ejects the jet J, and an ejection flow path 70 that ejects the film-like flow F, which is a flattened film-like flow that is wider in the left-right direction than the jet J and merges with the jet J to reach the target. With this configuration, the jet J, which has strong liquid force, exerts a strong effect on the target, and the wide film-like flow F can act over a wide area of the target.

In the embodiment, the jet flow path 32 and the discharge flow path 70 are fixed to the flange portion 14 of the bathtub 16, and the jet J and the film-like flow F reach the shoulders of the bather 8. In this case, the combined flow M, in which the jet J and the film-like flow F join together, warms the entire shoulders of the bather 8 while providing a strong stimulating sensation to the shoulders. The film-like flow F falls on the shoulders, forming a water film on the shoulders, reducing splashes caused by the jet J hitting them.

In this embodiment, the jet J is a variable jet in which at least one of the flow rate and the direction of travel varies over time. In this case, the highly stimulating jet J can reach a wide area. It can provide a massage sensation to the shoulders of the bather 8.

In this embodiment, before the two flows merge, the vertical width of the jet J is greater than the vertical width of the sheet flow F. In this case, the water force of the jet J can be increased by increasing the vertical width of the jet J.

In the embodiment, before the two flows join, the jet J approaches the film-like flow F as it moves away from the jet flow passage 32. In this case, the jet J is unlikely to move away from the film-like flow F after the two flows join, or to break through the film-like flow F.

In the embodiment, before the two flows join, the flow velocity of the jet J is substantially equal to the flow velocity of the film-like flow F. In this case, the jet J is unlikely to separate from the film-like flow F after the two flows join, or to break through the film-like flow F.

In the embodiment, in the front-rear direction, the outlet hole 38 of the jet flow path 32 is positioned in a range from the same position as the outlet 72 of the discharge flow path 70 to a position rearward. In this case, the discharged water can be made to merge before reaching the bather 8.

In this embodiment, a merging chamber 28 for merging the jet J with the film-like flow F is provided near the outlet hole 38 of the jet flow passage 32. In this case, the discharged water can be made to merge before reaching the bather 8.

Other variations of each component are described below.

In the embodiment, an example has been shown in which the liquid supply path 22 is not branched upstream of the discharge device 10, and the liquid W1 supplied from the liquid supply path 22 is divided into liquid W2 and liquid W3 in the discharge device 10 and supplied to the injection flow path 32 and the discharge flow path 70. In this case, the number of connection points between the liquid supply path 22 and the discharge device 10 is reduced, making piping work easier.

The liquid supply path 22 may be branched on the upstream side of the discharge device 10 to supply liquid W to the jet flow path 32 and the discharge flow path 70, respectively. In this case, by providing a valve downstream of the branch point of the liquid supply path 22, it is possible to control the supply of liquid W to one of the jet flow path 32 and the discharge flow path 70 and not to the other. This valve may be one that switches between opening and closing, or may be a three-way valve that switches the liquid W from the liquid supply path 22 to at least one of the jet flow path 32 and the discharge flow path 70 or both.

The mechanism for inducing the wavy jet J is not limited to the example shown in the embodiment. For example, a wavy jet may be induced by generating a Karman vortex, or a wavy jet may be induced by utilizing the Coanda effect.

In the description of the embodiment, an example has been shown in which the discharge device 10 has two discharge parts, the first discharge part 30 and the second discharge part 68. The discharge device 10 may have three or more discharge parts.

In the description of the embodiment, an example has been shown in which the discharge flow path 70 is provided above the injection flow path 32. The injection flow path 32 and the discharge flow path 70 may be arranged upside down.

The above describes the embodiments and modifications. When understanding the technical ideas that abstract the embodiments and modifications, the technical ideas should not be interpreted as being limited to the contents of the embodiments and modifications. The above-mentioned embodiments and modifications are merely illustrative examples, and many design changes are possible, such as changing, adding, or deleting components. In the embodiments, the contents in which such design changes are possible are emphasized by adding the notation "embodiment". However, design changes are also permitted even in contents not so notated. The hatching on the cross sections of the drawings does not limit the material of the hatched object. The liquid W is not limited to water, and may be a liquid containing a chemical such as detergent.

Any combination of the above components is also valid as an aspect of the technical idea that abstracts the embodiment and the modified examples. For example, an embodiment may be combined with any of the description matters of other embodiments, and a modified example may be combined with any of the description matters of an embodiment and another modified example.

10 Discharge device, 14 Flange portion, 16 Bathtub, 28 Confluence chamber, 32 Injection flow path, 38 Exit hole, 70 Discharge flow path, 72 Discharge port.

Claims (8)

A first flow path that discharges a jet flow;
a second flow path that discharges a sheet-like flow that is wider in the left-right direction than the jet and is flatter, the sheet-like flow merging with the jet to reach a target. The first flow path and the second flow path are fixed to a flange portion of a bathtub,
The discharge device of claim 1 , wherein the jet and the film flow reach the bather's shoulders. The discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the jet is a varying jet in which at least one of the flow rate and the direction of travel varies over time. The discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the vertical width of the jet flow is greater than the vertical width of the film-like flow before the two flows join together. The discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the jet approaches the film-like flow as it moves away from the first flow path before the two flows join together. The discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the flow velocity of the jet is substantially equal to the flow velocity of the film-like flow before the two flows join together. The discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the outlet hole of the first flow path is disposed in a range from the same position as the discharge port of the second flow path to a rear position in the front-rear direction. The discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a confluence chamber for confluence of the sheet-like flow with the jet is provided near the outlet hole of the first flow path.

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