JPH0137629Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed explanation of the idea] The present invention relates to a bubble bathtub.

Conventional bubble bathtubs are provided with spout ports of different heights on each of a pair of opposing side walls of the bathtub, and a suction port below any one of the side walls, and these spout ports and suction ports are connected to the pump's discharge port and the suction port, respectively. Connect piping to the inlet and connect an air inflow pipe to the jet outlet,
The water in the bathtub is ejected together with air from one or both of the ejection ports selected by the switching valve by the respective pumps.

Among the above spout ports, the spout that is installed at a high position on the side wall is for the back of the bather, and the spout that is installed at a low position is for the foot of the bather. Since the spout port is located to massage the feet, it is provided as far down as possible on the side wall so that there is almost no difference in level with the suction port.

On the other hand, the inlet of the pump is provided at approximately the same level as the suction port of the bathtub, and the connecting pipe connecting the discharge port and the piping around the bathtub is installed horizontally.

Therefore, when water is stored in a bathtub, the following problems arise, especially when the switching valve is in communication with the spout and suction ports located below.

In other words, as the water level rises in the bathtub, the lower spout and suction port are almost simultaneously sealed with water, so water cannot flow into the pipe between the suction port and the spout, and air is trapped inside the pump. Since the water remains closed and bubbles are generated, water cannot be sucked in from the suction port (air lock) even if the pump is operated, and water and air cannot be jetted out from the spout.

Therefore, in order to eliminate such air lock, conventionally, priming water is added to the pump.

Install an air vent valve on the water discharge side of the pump.

Allow water to remain in the pump.

The lower spout position is set higher than the pump discharge position.

Lower the position of the bathtub suction port.

Strictly level the pump, connecting pipe, and bathtub.

However, these methods require the use of a self-contained pump and require a separate air vent valve, which not only increases costs, but also requires the use of air vents each time the bathtub is filled with water. The valve must be operated, which is cumbersome, and if the air vent valve is forgotten to close, water may blow out from the valve.

Otherwise, if residual water remains, it becomes unsanitary, and if the spout is made higher, the air bubbles will hit higher positions, which will not hit the pressure points on the body and will not produce the pine surge effect.

In order to lower the suction port, the radius of the bottom must be made smaller or a special mold must be used, which poses design and yield problems.

Furthermore, there is the problem that a high degree of construction ability is required.

The object of the present invention is to prevent air locks and to solve the various problems described above with conventional means for preventing air locks.

The basic structure of the present invention to achieve the above purpose is to connect the pump discharge port and the piping around the bathtub with piping that slopes upward toward the bathtub, and to use the switching valve for air venting. A float valve is provided, and an air exhaust path of the air vent float valve is opened on the upper surface of the bathtub.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

In the figure, A is a bathtub, and B is a pump installed outside the bathtub A. In the bathtub A, an upper spout 1 is installed at a relatively high position on the back side wall a, and a lower spout is placed as low as possible on the foot side wall b. An outlet 2 is provided, and a suction port 3 is provided on any one of the side walls c and d (d in the drawing) which are continuous with the side walls a and b on the dorsal side and the foot side, and a suction port 3 is substantially the same as the lower spout port 2. provided at the level.

The above-mentioned upper and lower jet ports 1 and 2 are connected to discharge pipes 6 and 7 that communicate with the outlets 4 and 5 of a switching valve C, which will be described later, respectively, and are also connected to an air inflow pipe 8, through which air is allowed to flow. It is equipped with a known structure that sucks in water and mixes it into the jet water. Further, a circulation outgoing pipe 9 is connected to the suction port 3.

On the other hand, the pump B is installed so that the inlet 10 is at almost the same level as the suction port 3 of the bathtub A, and the connecting pipe 11 is connected horizontally to the circulation outgoing pipe 9 that connects the inlet 10 to the suction port 3. connected through the outlet port 1
2 is connected to the inlet 13 of the switching valve C.
The bathtub A is connected to the bathtub A via a connecting pipe 15 which is piped upwardly.

The switching valve C connects the main body 16 to the upper rim 17 of the bathtub A.
Insert it into the installation opening 18 opened from the back side of the bathtub A,
A flange 19 provided on the outer periphery of the vertically intermediate portion;
The upper edge rim 17 is clamped and fixed to the upper edge rim 17 by a tightening nut 20 which is screwed from the front side of the bathtub A into a screw portion provided on the upper outer periphery.

The main body A has a cylindrical interior, an opening at the top, an inlet 21 at the bottom, and two outlets 4 and 5 at the side circumferential surface facing each other on a line passing through the center in the diametrical direction. As described above, the inlet 21 is connected to the discharge port 12 of the pump B via the circulation return pipe 14 and the communication pipe 15, and one outlet (referred to as the first outlet 4) is connected to the discharge port 12 through the discharge pipe 6. Upper spout 1
The other outlet (referred to as the second outlet 5) is connected to the discharge pipe 7.
It communicates with the lower spout 2 via.

Then, a switching knob 22, a spindle guide 23, and a holding member 24 are sequentially attached to this main body 16.

The switching pot 22 has an outer diameter that is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the main body 16, and a height that extends from the bottom of the main body A to the first and second outlets 4,
5. The lower surface of the cylindrical body is opened slightly higher than the height to the upper end, and the circumferential surface is cut out approximately 120 degrees from the lower end to near the upper end, and a spindle 25 integrally protrudes from the center of the upper surface. have

The spindle 25 has a base portion formed with a large diameter through a stepped portion 26, and a float valve chamber 28 that opens downward is formed in the large diameter portion 27.

The float valve chamber 28 extends in the axial direction inside the spindle 25, and has a small hole 2 formed in the upper circumferential surface of the spindle.
A float receiving member 32 is provided, which has an air exhaust path 30 communicating with the outside via a pipe 9 and a passage 31 at its lower opening, and accommodates a float valve body 33 inside.

The float valve body 33 is formed into a spherical body having a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the float valve chamber 28 and larger than the diameter of the air exhaust path 30.

The passage 31 of the float seat 32 is connected to the float valve body 3
3 so that it is not blocked.

Further, a float valve seat 34 formed into a spherical surface corresponding to the spherical surface of the float valve body 33 is provided at a portion of the air discharge path 30 that opens into the float valve chamber 28 . Configure.

The switching socket 22 is rotatably fitted into the main body 16 and its lower end is in contact with the bottom surface of the main body 16, and the spindle 25 is connected to the spindle guide 23 and the spindle guide fitted into the main body 16 from above the switching socket 22. 23 Insert the presser member 24 screwed into the opening of the main body 16 from above and press the upper part into the main body 1.
6 protrudes from the opening, and a handle 36 is attached to the upper end.

The holding member 24 is formed into a cylindrical shape and is screwed into the opening of the main body 16, and its lower end is connected to the spindle guide 2.
3 and presses the switching knob 22 through the spindle guide 23 so that it does not come off upward.

A gap 37 is formed between the upper end of the presser member 24 and the lower surface of the handle 36, and a small hole 29 in the circumferential surface of the spindle 25 opens inside the presser member 24.

Therefore, the air exhaust path 30 that passes through the spindle 25 and communicates with the float valve chamber 28 is connected to the bathtub via the small hole 29 on the circumferential surface of the spindle 25 and the gap 37 between the upper end of the holding member 24 and the lower surface of the handle 36. A
Connect to the outside on the top surface of the

In addition, the spindle guide 23 and the spindle 25
Although not shown, there are provided stoppers that engage with each other, and the rotation of the spindle 25 is restricted within the range of the stoppers.

By rotating the handle 36, the switching valve C rotates within the regulated range by the stopper, and at one end of this regulated range, the first outlet is opened as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. 4
is closed with a plug 22, and the second exit 5 is closed at the other end.
Block it with Kotoku 22.

When the second outlet 5 is blocked, the inlet 13 communicates with the upper spout 1 via the first outlet 4, and when the first outlet 4 is blocked, the second outlet 5
The inlet 13 communicates with the lower spout 2 via.

Therefore, when the pump B is operated, the hot water sucked from the suction port 3 is spouted into the bathtub A as an aerated jet flow only from the spout (1 or 2) communicating with the inlet 13 of the switching valve C. Ru.

Note that when the position of the Kotoku 22 is in the middle of the regulation range, the Kotoku 22 opens both the outlets 4 and 5, and both the two outlets 4 and 5 communicate with the inlet 13, so that both the upper and lower spout ports 1 are opened. , 2 ejects an aerated jet stream.

On the other hand, while the switching valve C closes the first outlet 4 and opens the second outlet 5, water is stored in the bathtub A,
When the second outlet 5 and the suction port 3 are sealed with water at the same time, the air trapped between the two ports 5 and 3 is transferred to the air discharge path 3 of the air vent float valve 35.
0 to the upper surface of the bathtub A, and water flows into and fills the pipe line connecting the second outlet 5 and the suction port 3.

At this time, the water flowing in from the second outlet 5 and the suction port 3 rises in the pipe in synchronization with the rise in the water level in the bathtub A, and also flows into the switching valve C, but the rising water is used for air venting. Since the float valve body 33 of the float valve 35 is pushed up and seats on the float valve seat 34 and closes the air exhaust path 30, water does not leak to the outside from the air exhaust path 30.

When the air venting float valve 35 is closed, all the air in the pipe connecting the second outlet 5 and the suction port 3 has been exhausted.

In addition, in the figure, the air adjustment device 39 provided at the upper end of the air inflow pipe 8 is an air switch that connects to the pump B and turns the pump B ON and OFF. 17
The operating section is exposed in a protruding manner on a control plate 40 disposed on the upper surface of the upper rim 17.

The above description is an explanation of one embodiment of the present invention, and it goes without saying that the present invention should not be limited to the above embodiment.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the float valve 35 for air venting has a float valve body 33 shaped like a disc with approximately the same diameter as the inner diameter of the float valve chamber 28, and an appropriate location in the circumferential direction of the circumferential surface of the float valve body 33 is shaped like a disc with an upper end. It is also possible to have a structure in which a groove-shaped notch is formed extending from the lower end to form an air passage 41 between the circumferential surface of the float valve body 33 and the inner circumferential surface of the float valve chamber 28 .

In this case, the float valve seat 34 is connected to the float valve chamber 28 of the air discharge path 30 as shown in FIG.
It is formed by making the opening edge of the portion that opens inward project into the float valve chamber 28 in an annular shape.

Note that the air passage 41 can also be formed by providing a small hole in the float valve body 33 that passes through it vertically.

Since the present invention has the above configuration, it has the following advantages.

(1) Since a float valve for air venting is provided on the switching knob of the switching valve, air lock can be prevented without using a self-contained pump or installing a separate air venting valve, and the cost is low and installation is easy. Furthermore, there is no need to worry about the trouble of operating the air vent valve every time water is stored in the bathtub, or the inconvenience of forgetting to close the air vent valve and causing water to blow out from the valve.

(2) Since the pipe connecting the discharge port of the pump and the piping around the bathtub is sloped upward toward the bathtub, air inside the pump easily escapes and water tends to accumulate inside the pump. Therefore, air lock is less likely to occur.

(3) Since the air exhaust route is opened on the top of the bathtub,
Even if the air venting float valve malfunctions and water flows out, it will flow into the top of the bathtub, that is, into the bathroom, so there will be no inconvenience caused by leakage.

(4) Since the float valve for air venting is installed in the switching valve of the switching valve attached to the upper rim of the bathtub, the float valve can be located at the highest point of the piping, allowing a large amount of air to be removed reliably. I can do it.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a bubble bath showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a front view with the pump removed, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of a bubble bath showing an embodiment of the present invention.
The figure is a side view, Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line - in Figure 1, showing a state in which one outlet is open, Figure 5 is a sectional view taken in line - - in Figure 4, and Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line - in Figure 1. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line -- in FIG. 6, showing a state in which the two outlets are both open. A...Bathtub, B...Pump, C...Switching valve, 1
...Upper spout, 2...Lower spout, 3...Suction port, 10...Pump inlet, 12...Pump discharge port, 15...Connection pipe, 17...Upper edge rim, 2
2... Switching point, 30... Air exhaust route, 35
...Air vent float valve.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A bathtub having an upper spout, a lower spout, and a suction port, a pump installed outside the bathtub with an inflow port connected to the suction port and a discharge port connected to both of the spout ports, respectively; A switching valve is located between the discharge port of the pump and selectively connects either one of the above-mentioned jet ports to the discharge port, and a connecting pipe is provided to connect the discharge port of the pump and piping around the bathtub. The piping is installed on an upward slope toward the bathtub, and the switching valve is attached to the upper rim of the bathtub, and an air venting float valve is provided on the switching pot, and the air exhaust path of the air venting float valve is opened on the top surface of the bathtub. A bubble bathtub.