JP7496267B2 - Discharge Device - Google Patents

Description

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

Water discharge devices that discharge a water flow of a specific shape into a bathtub are known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a water discharge device that discharges water from a discharge port. This water discharge device is attached to the mounting surface of the rim of the bathtub of a bathtub device. This water discharge device is equipped with a water discharge member that has a discharge passage that connects an inlet through which water is sent and a discharge port, and discharges a horizontally elongated, flat, film-like water flow forward from the discharge port.

JP 2016-007361 A

The inventors of the present application have studied discharge devices having discharge parts that discharge water flows that perform a specific function, and have come to the following new realization. In order to meet more advanced needs, it is conceivable to provide the discharge device with multiple discharge parts that discharge water flows of different shapes. For example, it is conceivable to provide a configuration in which the water discharge device of Patent Document 1 is simply stacked to provide two water discharge parts. However, this configuration doubles the number of parts, which is disadvantageous in terms of manufacturing man-hours and costs.

One of the objectives of this disclosure is to provide a discharge device that has multiple discharge sections and can suppress an increase in the number of parts.

In order to solve the above problems, a discharge device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is supported by a base portion fixed to a flange portion of a bathtub, and includes a first flow path and a second flow path that discharge liquid in different forms. A component that constitutes a part of the first flow path is also used as a component that constitutes a part of the second flow path.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the discharge system according to the embodiment, as viewed from the side. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of a first discharge portion and a second discharge portion of the embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the discharge device according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the discharge device 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. 11 is a side cross-sectional view showing another configuration example of the ejection flow passage. FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view showing another configuration example of the ejection flow passage. FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view showing another configuration example of the ejection flow passage. FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view showing another configuration example of the ejection flow passage. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an outlet of a second discharge portion of the embodiment. 13 is a plan view showing another configuration example of the outlet of the second outlet portion. FIG. 13 is a plan view showing another configuration example of the outlet of the second outlet portion. FIG. 13 is a plan view showing another configuration example of the outlet of the second outlet portion. FIG. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing another example of the configuration of the first ejection section and the second ejection section.

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 for the purpose of distinguishing 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.

[Embodiment]
Please refer to Fig. 1. 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 capable of receiving the jet flow J and the discharge flow Fd discharged from the discharge device 10.

For ease of explanation, as shown in the figure, the front-to-back direction along the water discharge direction of the discharge device 10 on a plane 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 (shown in FIG. 3), and the vertical up-down direction is referred to as the Z direction. The X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are mutually perpendicular. These directions are not limited to being strictly perpendicular, and include cases where they are nearly perpendicular. 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 the bathtub 16. In this embodiment, the flange portion 14 forms the periphery of the upper end opening of the bathtub 16. The overall configuration of the discharge device 10 will be described first, and the characteristic configuration of the discharge device 10 will be described later.

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 and a second discharge unit 68 that are supported by the base 12. The discharge device 10 has an upper unit 78 that is disposed above the second discharge unit 68 and supported by the base 12. In FIG. 1, these components are shown in vertical cross section.

The first discharge unit 30 has an ejection flow path 32 that ejects the liquid W supplied from the liquid supply path 22 from the outlet hole 38 as a moving jet J. The ejection flow path 32 is an example of the first flow path. The moving jet J is a 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, unheated water, and a liquid mixture of these. The ejection flow path 32 in the embodiment ejects the moving jet J below the neck of the user 8 so that it hits the shoulder of the user 8. The moving jet J in this example is a rod-shaped flow about the thickness of a thumb. 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 from the discharge port 72 as a discharge flow Fd. The discharge flow path 70 is 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 discharge flow Fd forward. The discharge flow path 70 is provided above the jet flow path 32. The discharge port 72 is located above the outlet hole 38 and discharges the discharge flow Fd so as to pass above the moving jet J. The discharge flow Fd is, for example, a film-like flow, a mist flow, a shower flow, etc. The discharge flow Fd in this example is a flat film-like flow that is long in the Y direction, thin in the Z direction, and discharged in the X direction. The discharge flow path 70 discharges the discharge flow Fd so that it hits the neck of the user 8.

The upper unit 78 has an illumination section 80 and a pillow section 92. The illumination section 80 outputs light E from the front section of the discharge device 10, and for example, can irradiate the discharge flow Fd with light E, thereby providing a relaxing effect to the user 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 user 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 injection flow path 32, and discharges a film-like flow as a discharge flow Fd 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 user 8, particularly the back of the user 8 who is in a seated position in the bathtub 16. This provides a massage effect to the user 8.

Refer to FIG. 2. The first discharge section 30 is provided overlapping the second discharge section 68. In the embodiment, the first discharge section 30 is disposed below the second discharge section 68. A component member 73 constituting a part of the ejection flow path 32 of the first discharge section 30 is also used as a component constituting a part of the ejection flow path 70 of the second discharge section 68. The ejection device 10 has an upper wall portion 69, a lower wall portion 71, and a bottom wall portion 33, which are arranged from top to bottom as walls that define the top and bottom of the flow path. The ejection device 10 has a second peripheral wall portion 75 and a first peripheral wall portion 53, which are arranged from top to bottom as peripheral walls that define the periphery of the flow path. The branch portion 46 is an island-shaped wall portion in a plan view that is provided in the liquid flow in the ejection flow path 32.

The components constituting a part of the flow path are explained. Examples of the component 73 constituting a part of the flow path include a component that separates the injection flow path 32 and the discharge flow path 70, and a component that divides the injection flow path 32 and the discharge flow path 70. The lower wall portion 71, the bottom wall portion 33, and the first peripheral wall portion 53 constitute the injection flow path 32 between them. The lower wall portion 71, the bottom wall portion 33, the first peripheral wall portion 53, and the branch portion 46 are examples of components constituting a part of the injection flow path 32. The upper wall portion 69, the lower wall portion 71, and the second peripheral wall portion 75 constitute the discharge flow path 70 between them, and are examples of components constituting a part of the discharge flow path 70. The lower wall portion 71 constitutes a part of the injection flow path 32 and is in contact with the discharge flow path 70, and is used in common as the component 73 constituting a part of the two flow paths.

The ejection flow path 32 includes a gap between two opposing wall surfaces 32a, 32b. In this example, the ejection flow path 32 includes a gap between a first wall surface 32a provided on the ceiling side and a second wall surface 32b provided on the bottom side. The first wall surface 32a may be provided on a component 73 that constitutes a part of the ejection flow path 70. In this example, the first wall surface 32a is provided on the lower surface of the lower wall portion 71, and the lower wall portion 71 exemplifies a component member 73 that constitutes a part of the ejection flow path 70. The second wall surface 32b is provided on the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 33.

2, the first peripheral wall portion 53 and the branch portion 46 are formed as a one-piece member with the bottom wall portion 33 and are laminated on the base portion 12. The lower wall portion 71 is laminated on the first peripheral wall portion 53 and the branch portion 46. The upper wall portion 69 and the second peripheral wall portion 75 are formed integrally and are laminated on the lower wall portion 71. The lower wall portion 71 is shared by the injection flow path 32 of the first discharge portion 30 and the discharge flow path 70 of the second discharge portion 68. In the following description, for convenience, the first discharge portion 30 does not include the lower wall portion 71, and the second discharge portion 68 includes the lower wall portion 71. The first discharge portion 30 and the second discharge portion 68 are integrated in advance to form the discharge portion unit 77.

The component 73 may be formed so as to be difficult to disassemble into a portion constituting a part of the injection flow path 32 and a portion constituting a part of the discharge flow path 70. In the embodiment, the component 73 is provided so as to be difficult to disassemble into a portion constituting a part of the injection flow path 32 and a portion constituting a part of the discharge flow path 70. Specifically, the component 73 is formed as a one-piece member. In this case, the rigidity of the component 73 can be increased, so that a decrease in strength can be suppressed even if the component is made thin. The term "disassembly" as used in this specification means disassembly to the extent that it can be easily reassembled, and does not include disassembly involving destruction of boundaries, members, joints, etc.

The first discharge part 30 and the second discharge part 68 may be integrated so that they are difficult to disassemble from each other. If they were easily disassembled, the first discharge part 30 and the second discharge part 68 may become misaligned when reassembled, which may cause water leakage. Therefore, it is desirable that they cannot be easily disassembled after shipping from the factory. The first discharge part 30 may be integrated with the second discharge part 68 so that they cannot be reversibly disassembled.

Refer to Figure 3. This figure shows the discharging device 10 disassembled and viewed obliquely from the front. In this figure, the first discharging section 30 is separated from the bottom wall section 71 of the second discharging section 68. In reality, the first discharging section 30 is fixed to the bottom wall section 71. The base section 12 may be made of metal or resin, or may be an insert member in which the resin portion is integrally molded with the metal.

The flange portion 14 of the bathtub 16 has a flat area for mounting the base portion 12. The flange portion 14 has two through holes H11 spaced apart in the Y direction.

The base portion 12 has two through holes H12 spaced apart in the Y direction. The two through holes H12 are provided at positions corresponding to the two through holes H11. The base portion 12 is fixed to the flange portion 14 by screwing a nut N1 onto a bolt B1 that passes through the through holes H11 and H12 and protrudes below the flange portion 14. The nut N1 is screwed in with a washer W1 sandwiched between them.

The flange portion 14 has through holes H21 and H31 through which the liquid receiving portions 12j and 12k described below pass. Two through holes H21 are provided, spaced apart in the Y direction, and the through hole H31 is provided between the two through holes H21.

The base portion 12 has liquid receiving portions 12j, 12k that penetrate the flange portion 14 and receive liquid from the liquid supply path 22. The liquid receiving portions 12j, 12k protrude downward from the base portion 12. Two liquid receiving portions 12j are provided spaced apart in the Y direction, and the liquid receiving portion 12k is provided between the two liquid receiving portions 12j. The liquid receiving portions 12j, 12k have liquid receiving holes H22, H32 that penetrate the liquid receiving portions 12j, 12k vertically. The liquid receiving portions 12j, 12k protrude downward from the flange portion 14 through the through holes H21, H31, and are each connected to the liquid supply pipe 22h of the liquid supply path 22 via a pipe connection member 22j.

The base part 12 may be attached to the flange part 14 after the bathtub 16 is installed in the bathroom, but in this case, the work of connecting the liquid receiving parts 12j, 12k and the liquid supply pipe 22h is performed in the narrow space between the bathroom wall and the bathtub 16, which makes the work complicated. For this reason, the base part 12 may be attached to the flange part 14 of the bathtub 16 before it is installed in the bathroom. For example, the bathtub 16 can be temporarily placed in a position away from the wall of the bathroom, the base part 12 is attached to the flange part 14, the liquid receiving parts 12j, 12k are connected to the liquid supply pipe 22h using the pipe connection member 22j, and then the bathtub 16 can be installed in a predetermined position in the bathroom. In this case, the liquid receiving parts 12j, 12k and the liquid supply pipe 22h can be easily connected. The base part 12 may be attached to the bathtub 16 in advance, or the bathtub 16 with the base part 12 attached may be produced, sold, etc. The bathtub 16 may be manufactured, sold, etc. with the base 12 already attached and the liquid supply pipe 22h connected to the liquid receiving parts 12j and 12k.

By attaching the base 12 to the bathtub 16 separately from the first discharge part 30, the second discharge part 68, and the upper unit 78, damage to the first discharge part 30, the second discharge part 68, and the upper unit 78 during construction of the bathtub 16 can be prevented. By attaching the base 12 having the liquid receiving parts 12j, 12k to the flange part 14 in advance, the first discharge part 30, the second discharge part 68, and the upper unit 78 can be attached and detached from the top surface of the bathtub 16, making construction and maintenance easier.

The first discharge section 30 is attached to the side of the base section 12 opposite the flange section 14. The base section 12 has a mounting section 12p on the upper surface opposite the flange section 14 in order to mount one or more first discharge sections 30. The base section 12 of the embodiment has two mounting sections 12p spaced apart in the Y direction. As an example, the mounting section 12p is a recess recessed downward from the surrounding area. In this example, the liquid receiving section 12j is located at the center of the mounting section 12p in the Y direction, rearward of the center in the X direction.

The first discharge section 30 has a generally box-like shape that is flattened in the Z direction, and has a protruding tube 35 that protrudes downward. The protruding tube 35 is provided at a position corresponding to the liquid receiving section 12j of the base section 12. The protruding tube 35 is a hollow tube that surrounds the relay flow path 34 described below. The first discharge section 30 is attached to the attachment section 12p with the protruding tube 35 inserted into the liquid receiving hole H22 of the liquid receiving section 12j. By inserting the protruding tube 35 into the liquid receiving section 12j, the ejection flow path 32 communicates with the liquid supply path 22 via the relay flow path 34.

The base portion 12 has two tapped holes T4 for fixing the second discharge portion 68 with bolts B4. The two tapped holes T4 are located near the mounting portion 12p. In this example, the tapped holes T4 are located on the outer side of the mounting portion 12p in the Y direction.

The second discharge part 68 is a substantially box-shaped member whose Y-direction dimension is larger than its X-direction dimension, and has an inlet part 66 that protrudes downward. The inlet part 66 is a tubular part that supplies liquid from the liquid supply path 22 to the discharge flow path 70. The inlet part 66 is provided at a position corresponding to the liquid receiving part 12k. The second discharge part 68 has two mounting holes H4 that penetrate vertically. The two mounting holes H4 are provided at positions corresponding to the two tap holes T4. The second discharge part 68 is mounted on the mounting part 12p with the inlet part 66 inserted into the liquid receiving hole H32 of the liquid receiving part 12k. The discharge flow path 70 communicates with the liquid supply path 22 through the inlet part 66 by inserting the inlet part 66 into the liquid receiving part 12k. The second discharge part 68 has a cover part 68c that covers the front side of the first discharge part 30. The cover part 68c has a cutout part 68g that corresponds to the outlet hole 38.

As described above, the first discharge section 30 and the second discharge section 68 are integrated in advance to form the discharge section unit 77. The discharge section unit 77 is lowered from above toward the base section 12 and attached to the base section 12. When attaching the discharge section unit 77 to the base section 12, the introduction section 66 and the protruding pipe 35 are inserted into the liquid receiving section 12j and the liquid receiving section 12k while moving the discharge section unit 77 from above toward the base section 12. In this state, the discharge section unit 77 is fixed to the base section 12 by screwing the bolt B4 that passes through the mounting hole H4 into the tapped hole T4.

The upper unit 78 is made entirely of a non-absorbent cushioning material and has an elastic barb shape or an engaging portion (not shown) such as a hook, and is removably fixed to the base portion 12 by engaging this engaging portion with the outer periphery of the base portion 12.

(First Discharge Section)
The ejection flow path 32 of the first ejection part 30 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. This figure shows a cross section of the ejection flow path 32 cut by a plane passing through the center of the ejection flow path 32 from top to bottom. The ejection flow path 32 is formed in the first ejection part 30, and liquid is supplied from the liquid supply path 22. In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of (two in this example) first ejection parts 30 are formed in the base part 12 at a distance in the Y direction. The two first ejection parts 30 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the Y-direction center line Cy of the base part 12, and each has the same configuration. Therefore, the following description applies to each of the two first ejection parts 30. In this example, the center line Cy is a left-right center line that bisects the left-right dimension of the outer surface part of the ejection device 10 in a plan view, and is perpendicular to the Y direction and parallel to the X direction.

Refer to FIG. 5. This figure shows an enlarged view of the ejection flow path 32 of the first ejection unit 30. In the embodiment, the ejection flow path 32 is supplied with liquid W from the liquid supply path 22 in an upward direction via a relay flow path 34 provided in the base unit 12. The ejection flow path 32 ejects the liquid W supplied from the liquid supply path 22 as a moving jet J. The moving jet J here refers to a jet whose traveling direction when it leaves the ejection flow path 32 changes periodically, that is, over time. The ejection flow path 32 can eject the moving jet J by changing the ejection direction of the jet when it leaves the outside over time within a range from direction Da to direction Db. In the embodiment, the ejection flow path 32 ejects a wave-like jet radially as the moving jet J by oscillating the ejection direction of the jet within 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 moving jet J as it moves away from the ejection 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 ejection flow path 32 of the embodiment ejects the moving jet J in air. The first ejection section 30 constitutes a fluid element that ejects the moving jet J while remaining stationary.

The ejection flow path 32 includes an induction flow path 36 that induces a kinetic jet J, and an outlet hole 38 that ejects the kinetic 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. 5), and the opposite side is referred to as the rear side (the right side of the paper in FIG. 5).

The induced flow path 36 includes an inlet flow path 40, a pair of intermediate flow paths 42A, 42B, and a merging chamber 44, which are arranged from the upstream side to the downstream side. The induced flow path 36 is provided with a branching section 46 that branches the flow of liquid toward the downstream side. The branching section 46 functions as a first wall section that is island-shaped in a plan view and blocks the liquid flow in the ejection flow path 32. The branching section 46 in FIG. 5 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 induced flow path 36. An inlet hole 37 is opened in the second wall surface 32b, which is the bottom surface of the inlet flow path 40. The liquid W flows upward from the liquid supply path 22 through the inlet hole 37 into the inlet flow path 40. The pair of intermediate flow paths 42A, 42B are provided on the front side of the inlet flow path 40, on both sides of the branching portion 46 in the Y direction. The liquid W that flows into the inlet flow path 40 is divided in the Y direction by the branching portion 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 W that flows in from the inlet hole 37 branches into two streams. The merging chamber 44 is provided in front of the pair of intermediate flow paths 42A, 42B, and in front of the branching portion 46. The liquid W that flows into the pair of intermediate flow paths 42A, 42B after branching is merged in the merging chamber 44.

The induced flow path 36 is provided with an outlet side wall 48 that blocks the flow of liquid toward the downstream side in the merging chamber 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 6. In Figure 6, the main flow of the liquid W in the jet flow passage 32 is indicated by arrows. The liquid that flows into the inlet flow passage 40 flows into the junction chamber 44 from both sides of the branching section 46 as a first internal jet F1 and a second internal jet F2. Influenced by fluctuations caused by the randomness of the liquid, one of the jets F1 and F2 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 6 shows a case where the first internal jet F1 is the dominant flow and the second internal jet F2 is the non-dominant flow.

As shown in FIG. 6, the dominant flow continues to flow with momentum until it collides with the outlet side wall portion 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 merging chamber 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 F2, which was the non-dominated flow, becomes the dominant flow, and the first internal jet flow F1, 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 F1 is the dominant flow, the liquid passing through the outlet hole 38 is sprayed in a spray direction Da inclined to one side of the Y direction (upper side in the figure), and when the second internal jet F2 is the dominant flow, the liquid passing through the outlet hole 38 is sprayed in a spray direction Db inclined to the other side of 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 motion jet J is sprayed.

Another example configuration of the ejection flow path 32 will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 10. In the embodiment of Figure 2, the first peripheral wall portion 53 and the branch portion 46 are formed as a one-piece member with the bottom wall portion 33. There are various possible configurations for the members that make up part of the ejection flow path 32.

In the example of FIG. 7, the first peripheral wall portion 53 and the branch portion 46 are separate from the bottom wall portion 33 and are formed as a one-piece member with the lower wall portion 71. In the example of FIG. 8, the first peripheral wall portion 53 and the branch portion 46 are separate from the bottom wall portion 33 and are also separate from the lower wall portion 71.

In the example of Figures 9 and 10, the first wall surface 32a is provided on a component 73 (lower wall portion 71) that constitutes part of the discharge flow path 70, and the second wall surface 32b is provided integrally with the base portion 12. In the example of Figures 9 and 10, the second wall surface 32b is provided on the upper surface of the mounting portion 12p itself of the base portion 12. In this case, the bottom wall portion is omitted, which is advantageous for making the device thinner.

In the examples of Figures 9 and 10, the component 73 (lower wall portion 71) may be made of metal or non-metallic material such as resin.

In the example of FIG. 9, the first peripheral wall portion 53 and the branch portion 46 are formed as a one-piece member with the bottom wall portion 71. In the example of FIG. 10, the first peripheral wall portion 53 and the branch portion 46 are separate from the base portion 12 and from the bottom wall portion 71.

With reference to Figures 11 to 14, an example of the discharge surface Sj of the outlet hole 38 of the ejection flow path 32 of the first ejection unit 30 and the discharge surface Sf of the ejection port 72 of the ejection flow path 70 of the second ejection unit 68 will be described. The ejection surface Sj and the ejection surface Sf are ejection surfaces for ejecting a liquid flow, and are imaginary surfaces defined by an opening for passing the liquid flow. These figures are schematic diagrams of the first ejection unit 30 and the second ejection unit 68 viewed in plan. In the example of Figures 11 and 12, the ejection surface Sj of the outlet hole 38 and the ejection surface Sf of the ejection port 72 are parallel to each other and have a shape that extends linearly in the left-right direction (Y direction) in a plan view. The ejection direction of the first ejection unit 30 and the ejection direction of the second ejection unit 68 are parallel to the center line Cy. The ejection flow Fd of the second ejection unit 68 is a flattened film-like flow in a band shape with a substantially constant left-right width. In this case, the discharge flow Fd can stimulate a wide area from the user's neck to his or her shoulders.

In the example of FIG. 11, two first discharge parts 30 are arranged at a distance in the Y direction on either side of the center line Cy. In this case, the kinetic jet J can provide a balanced massage effect over a wide area of the user. In the example of FIG. 12, one first discharge part 30 is arranged on the center line Cy. In this case, the kinetic jet J can provide a concentrated massage effect to the user.

13 and 14, the discharge surface Sf of the discharge port 72 is curved in a concave shape in plan view, with the left and right central portions more recessed than the left and right ends. The discharge direction of the second discharge portion 68 is roughly perpendicular to the extension direction of the discharge surface Sf. The discharge direction of the second discharge portion 68 is not parallel to the center line Cy, but is inclined relative to the center line Cy. The inclination of the discharge direction of the second discharge portion 68 relative to the center line Cy increases with distance from the center line Cy and decreases with distance from the center line Cy. The discharge flow Fd of the second discharge portion 68 is a fan-shaped, flattened film flow whose left and right width decreases with distance from the discharge surface Sf. In this case, it is possible to give the user a sensation of being wrapped around the neck.

In the example of FIG. 13, the ejection surfaces Sj of the two outlet holes 38 are not parallel to the left-right direction, but are inclined. The ejection direction of the first ejection section 30 is roughly perpendicular to the extension direction of the ejection surface Sj. The ejection directions of the two first ejection sections 30 are not parallel to the center line Cy, but are inclined relative to the center line Cy so as to intersect with each other at the front. The two kinetic jets J can provide a concentrated massage effect to the user. In this case, the kinetic jets J can provide a balanced massage effect to the user's desired range. The two kinetic jets J are inclined to intersect at the front, and the kinetic jets J can be ejected at an angle close to perpendicular to the user's body surface, so the sensation of stimulation can be strengthened.

In the example of FIG. 14, the discharge surfaces Sj of the two outlet holes 38 are parallel to the left-right direction. The discharge directions of the two first discharge parts 30 are parallel to the center line Cy. In this case, the moving jet J can provide a balanced massage effect over a wide area of the user.

Refer to FIG. 15. This figure shows another example of the configuration of the first discharge section 30 and the second discharge section 68. In the example of FIG. 15, two first discharge sections 30 are integrally formed to form the first discharge section unit 50. The first discharge section unit 50 does not have a ceiling wall section, and the first wall surface 32a is provided on the lower surface of the lower wall section 71 of the second discharge section 68. In other words, the lower wall section 71 is shared as a component member 73 that forms part of the injection flow path 32 and the discharge flow path 70.

The first discharge unit 50 has a plurality of (four in this example) through holes H5 that penetrate vertically. The lower wall portion 71 of the second discharge portion 68 has a plurality of (four in this example) tapped holes T5 at positions corresponding to the through holes H5. The first discharge unit 50 is attached to the underside of the second discharge portion 68 by screwing a bolt B5 that penetrates the through hole H5 from bottom to top into the tapped hole T5. The second discharge portion 68 with the first discharge unit 50 attached can be attached to the base portion using a fastener such as a bolt.

The first discharge section 30 and the second discharge section 68 may be made entirely of resin, but in this case, the strength may be insufficient when thinning. The first discharge section 30 and the second discharge section 68 may have a metal section 74. In particular, the portion constituting a part of the flow paths 32, 70 may have a metal section 74. Reinforcing a member extending along a plane with a metal section 74 to thin it is advantageous for thinning the device. For example, the metal section 74 may be provided on the bottom wall section 33 of the first discharge section 30, or on the upper wall section 69 or lower wall section 71 of the second discharge section 68.

In the example of FIG. 15, the bottom wall portion 33 constituting the bottom wall of the ejection flow path 32 and the first peripheral wall portion 53 constituting the peripheral wall of the ejection flow path 32 are formed of metal, and metal portion 74 is exemplified for each. The bottom wall portion 33 and the first peripheral wall portion 53 may be formed integrally or separately. The bottom wall portion 33 being the metal portion 74 can easily be made thin. The first peripheral wall portion 53 being the metal portion 74 can prevent the ejection flow path 32 from collapsing.

The metal part 74 may be entirely made of metal, may be made by insert molding resin into a metal member, or may be made by fixing resin to a metal member by gluing or welding.

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, welding, etc., of multiple members, or may be manufactured by a 3D printer. Any of the parts constituting a part of the flow paths 32, 70 may be manufactured by a 3D printer. Specifically, any of the bottom wall section 33, the upper wall section 69, the lower wall section 71, the first peripheral wall section 53, and the second peripheral wall section 75 (see also FIG. 2) may be manufactured by a 3D printer.

The effects of the above discharge device 10 will now be described. The discharge device 10 is supported by a base portion 12 fixed to a flange portion 14 of a bathtub 16, and includes an ejection flow path 32 and an ejection flow path 70 that eject liquid in different forms, and a component member 73 that constitutes part of the ejection flow path 32 is also used as a component member that constitutes part of the ejection flow path 70. In this configuration, since the component member 73 is shared, the number of parts can be reduced, which is advantageous for reducing costs. Since the components that constitute part of the flow path can be prevented from overlapping vertically, this is advantageous for making the device thinner.

In the embodiment, the component 73 is inseparably divided into a portion constituting a part of the first flow path and a portion constituting a part of the second flow path. In this case, the rigidity of the component 73 can be increased, so that a decrease in strength can be suppressed even if the component 73 is made thin.

In the embodiment, the jet flow path 32 jets a varying jet J in which at least one of the flow rate and the direction of travel changes over time. In this case, it is possible to jet water with high added value, such as a massage jet of water using a fluid element.

In the embodiment, the discharge flow path 70 has a discharge port 72 that discharges a flat film-like flow forward, and the discharge surface of the discharge port 72 extends linearly in a plan view. In this case, because it is linear, the front-to-rear dimension of the discharge port 72 can be reduced. Because the discharge port 72 is parallel to the wall of the bathroom, it can be installed in a bathroom where the front-to-rear dimension of the flange portion 14 of the bathtub 16 is narrow.

As an example, the discharge flow path 70 has a discharge port 72 that discharges a flat film-like flow forward, and the discharge surface of the discharge port 72 may be curved in a concave shape in which the left and right central portions are more recessed than the left and right ends in a plan view. In this case, the curvature allows the film-like flow to be directed at the user at an angle close to perpendicular, giving the user the sensation of being enveloped in the film-like flow.

In the embodiment, a gap is provided between two opposing vertical walls 32a, 32b, one of which is integral with the base portion 12. In this case, it is possible to omit components, which is advantageous for making the device thinner and less expensive.

As an example, the ejection flow path 32 may include a gap between two opposing wall surfaces, one of which may be provided on a member that constitutes part of the ejection flow path 70. In this case, it is possible to omit the member, which is advantageous for making the device thinner and less expensive.

In the embodiment, the base portion 12 has liquid receiving portions 12j, 12k that penetrate the flange portion 14 to receive the liquid, and the injection flow path 32 is provided on the opposite side of the flange portion 14 of the base portion 12, and receives the liquid through the liquid receiving portions 12j, 12k. In this case, the base portion 12 is attached to the flange portion 14 of the bathtub 16 before installation, and the liquid receiving portions 12j, 12k are connected to the liquid supply piping, and in this state, the first discharge portion 30, the second discharge portion 68, and the upper unit 78 can be attached from above. Since they can be attached from above, construction and maintenance are easy. By separating the first discharge portion 30, the second discharge portion 68, and the upper unit 78 from the base portion 12, it is possible to prevent them from being damaged during construction of the bathtub 16.

As an example, metal parts may be provided in the portions that form part of the flow paths of the injection flow path 32 and the discharge flow path 70. In this case, the flow paths can be reinforced, and collapse of the flow paths can be suppressed. Reinforcement by the metal parts 74 is advantageous for making the device thinner.

Other variations of each component are described below.

In the embodiment, an example has been shown in which the liquid supply path 22 branches upstream 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 branching 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 liquid W may be diverted inside the discharge device 10 without providing a branch of the liquid supply path 22 upstream of the discharge device 10. 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 mechanism for inducing the wavy motion jet J is not limited to the example shown in the embodiment. For example, a wavy motion jet may be induced by generating a Karman vortex, or a wavy motion 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 embodiment described above, an example is 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, 12 Base portion, 12j, 12k Liquid receiving portion, 14 Flange portion, 16 Bathtub, 32 Injection flow path, 70 Discharge flow path, 72 Discharge port, Wall surface 32a, 32b, 74 Metal portion.

Claims (8)

The device is supported by a base portion fixed to a flange portion of a bathtub, and includes a first flow path and a second flow path which eject liquid in different ways.
A component that constitutes a part of the first flow path is also a component that constitutes a part of the second flow path ,
The first flow path includes a gap between two wall surfaces facing each other vertically,
One of the two wall surfaces is provided on a member that constitutes a part of the second flow path . The discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the component is inseparably provided in a portion that constitutes a part of the first flow path and a portion that constitutes a part of the second flow path. The discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the first flow path ejects a varying jet in which at least one of the flow rate and the traveling direction changes over time. the second flow path has a discharge port that discharges a flat sheet-like flow forward,
The ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the ejection surface of the ejection port extends linearly in a plan view. the second flow path has a discharge port that discharges a flat sheet-like flow forward,
The ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the ejection surface of the ejection port is curved in a concave shape such that a left-right central portion is recessed more than both left-right end portions in a plan view. The discharge device according to claim 1 , wherein one of the two wall surfaces is provided integrally with the base portion. the base portion has a liquid receiving portion that penetrates the flange portion and receives a supply of liquid,
The ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the first flow path is provided on a side of the base portion opposite the flange portion, and receives a supply of liquid via the liquid receiving portion. The discharge device according to claim 1 , wherein a metal portion is provided at a portion that constitutes a part of the first flow path and the second flow path.

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