JPH0247948Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Purpose of the Invention] (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a control device for a bubble generator for a bathtub for injecting bubbles into water in a bathtub.

(Prior Art) A bubble generator for a bathtub generally has a configuration in which water in the bathtub is sucked by an injection pump provided outside the bathroom, and the water is again injected into the water in the bathtub while sucking air. When the control device for such a bubble generator for a bathtub is provided with an operation section for controlling the operation of the injection pump, it is necessary to take into account the high humidity in the bathroom to prevent electrical leakage accidents. . For this reason, conventionally, it has been common to have a contact point for an operation control switch located outside the bathroom, and to remotely control the switch using an operating section inside the bathroom. Specific examples include a wire method that transmits the rotational displacement of a control lever installed in the bathroom to a contact part via a control wire, or a method that compresses a hollow rubber bulb by pressing an operation button installed in the bathroom. However, an air switch system is known in which the increase in air pressure associated with this is transmitted through an air tube to a diaphragm provided at a contact section outside the bathroom to operate the contact point.

However, all of the above-mentioned configurations have problems in that overall operability is still insufficient, such as requiring a large operating stroke and a relatively large operating force.

To deal with this, for example, an operating unit with a contact that can be closed by pressing is installed in the bathroom, and this contact opens and closes a low-voltage circuit that does not pose a risk of electric shock, and based on this, it can be used to switch latching relays, etc. A configuration may be considered in which the operation of the injection pump is controlled via an element. However, even if this configuration solves the safety problem, if water droplets adhere between the contacts, the contacts will become conductive and the injection pump will continue to operate indefinitely. This is undesirable as it may cause people to be exposed to bubbles for an excessively long time or cause the injection pump to overheat.

(Problems to be solved by the invention) In short, in the conventional control device for bubble generators for bathtubs, in order to ensure safety, operability has to be sacrificed, and no attempt is made to solve this problem. For example, there was a problem in that it was difficult to ensure reliable control due to the special circumstances in the bathroom, where water droplets and the like tend to adhere to the operating area.

The present invention was developed to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to ensure safety and excellent operability, and to prevent the injection pump from adhering to water on the operating part. To provide a control device for a bubble generator for a bathtub, which can prevent the bubble generator from continuing to operate for an excessively long time.

[Structure of the invention] (Means for solving the problems) The control device for the bubble generator for bathtubs according to the invention includes a self-returning operation switch equipped with a contact that closes when operated, which is installed in the bathroom. Based on the temporary closing of the operation switch, the injection pump is operated by continuously closing the switching element for a predetermined operation time set by the operation timer means, and the contact point of the operation switch The present invention is characterized by the provision of a safety timer means for stopping the operation of the injection pump when the electrical connection between the injection pump and the injection pump is maintained in a conductive state for a predetermined period of time or more.

(Function) Since the switching element for controlling the injection pump is controlled by an operation switch installed in the bathroom, safety can be ensured by lowering the voltage of the circuit opened and closed by the operation switch to a level that does not pose a safety problem. . Furthermore, operability is improved compared to mechanical remote control methods. In addition, even in the unlikely event that water adheres between the contacts of the operating switch and the contact becomes conductive, the safety timer means will stop the operation of the injection pump after a predetermined period of time.

(Example) An example of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, in FIG. 2 showing the overall configuration, 1 is a bathtub installed in the bathroom, and 2 is an injection pump installed outside the bathroom. Injection pump 2
communicates with the inside of the bathtub 1 via a suction pipe 3 and a discharge pipe 4, and when operated, sucks water in the bathtub 1 from the suction pipe 3 and injects it again into the bathtub 1 from the discharge pipe 4. At this time, air is sucked in from the snorkel 5 to generate numerous bubbles in the water in the bathtub 1. Reference numeral 6 denotes an operation box attached to the inside surface of the bath wall 7. As shown in FIG. 3, inside the operation box 6, a printed circuit board 7 is disposed, on which an operation switch 8 and a light emitting diode 9 for display are provided. The operating switch 8 is a so-called momentary type push button switch in which a contact (not shown) temporarily closes only when the operating element 8a is pressed. It is located within the opening 6a and can be pressed from the outside. In addition, a flexible waterproof sheet 10 is provided in front of the operation box 6.
is attached to prevent water from entering the operation box 6. A total of three operation switches 8 are provided for starting the injection pump 2 and for setting the operating time, and a light emitting diode 9 is provided.
A total of six are provided to indicate insufficient water level and to indicate set time, and as shown in FIG. has been done.

Now, as shown in FIG. 1, the two operation switches 8 for setting the operating time are both connected to the input terminals of an operating time setting circuit 11 corresponding to an operating timer means. The operation time setting circuit 11 has 2, 4,
It is possible to measure each time period of 6, 8, and 10 minutes, and it is possible to select any one of the operating times by appropriately operating two operation switches 8, 8 for setting operating times. That is, when one operating switch 8 is closed and the corresponding input terminal is dropped to ground level, a shorter operating time is selected depending on the number of times the switch is pressed, and conversely, when the other operating switch 8 is pressed, a longer operating time is selected. The operating time is selected, and in conjunction with this, one of the five light emitting diodes 9 for time display is selectively turned on. The user can know the set operating time by seeing which light emitting diode 9 is lit. On the other hand, the start operation switch 8 is connected to the set input terminal S of the flip-flop 12 via an inverter.
When this is pressed to close the contact, the set input terminal S falls to the ground level and the flip-flop 12 is inverted to, for example, a high level, thereby starting the time measurement operation of the operating time setting circuit 11. On the condition that the output terminal Q of the flip-flop 12 is at a high level, the operation time setting circuit 11 sets its output terminal Q to a low level only for a set time from the start of the timing operation, and switches on the relay 1.
3, thereby closing the relay switch 14 corresponding to the switching element. By closing the relay switch 14, the injection pump 2 is operated and bubbles are injected into the water in the bathtub 1. Further, when the clocking operation of the operating time setting circuit 11 is completed and its output terminal Q becomes high level, the flip-flop 12 is reset via the diode 15. Reference numeral 16 denotes a safety timer corresponding to safety timer means, the input terminal K of which is connected to each of the operating switches 8 through three diodes 17 of the polarity shown, and the output terminal Q connected to the reset terminal R of the flip-flop 12. It is connected to the. This safety timer 16 performs a timing operation while the input terminal K is at ground level, that is, while any of the three operating switches 8 is closed, and when the cumulative time reaches 30 seconds, for example, the output is output. Terminal Q is set to high level, and flip-flop 12 is inverted to low level via diode 18. This results in
When the operation of the operation time setting circuit 11 is stopped and the relay switch 14 is opened, the operation of the injection pump 2 is stopped. Reference numeral 19 denotes an isolation transformer connected to an AC power source (not shown), and the secondary side of this transformer outputs an AC voltage that is low enough to cause no safety problems, and this is rectified by a rectifier circuit 20 to be connected to the control circuit described above. It is used as a power source. Also, although not shown,
The injection pump 2 is provided with a water level switch that responds to the water level in the bathtub 1, and when the water level in the bathtub 1 is below a predetermined water level, the injection pump 2 is made inoperable, and a light is emitted to indicate insufficient water level. The diode 9 is turned on.

According to the above structure, since the relay switch 14 is controlled to open and close based on the operation of the operating switch 8 in the bathroom, the operation of the injection pump 2 can be controlled while remaining in the bathroom. Furthermore, since the operation switch 8 opens and closes a circuit with a voltage that is not a commercial alternating current voltage but is low enough to cause no safety problems, there is no risk of electric shock and the like, and safety is excellent. Moreover, since the current capacity of the operation switch 8 is extremely small, a push button switch that is small, simple, and has excellent operability can be used, and the operation feeling can be sufficiently improved. In addition, in the unlikely event that water enters the operation box 6 and adheres between the contacts of the operation switch 8, or the operation switch 8a becomes locked, the switch should close temporarily only when pressed. Even if the electrical connection between the contacts is maintained, if this state continues for 30 seconds or more, the flip-flop 12 is reversed and the relay switch 14 is opened, so that the injection pump 2 is stopped. With this,
It is possible to prevent a person taking a bath from being exposed to excessive bubbles and from causing the injection pump 2 to overheat.

In the above embodiment, the flip-flop 12,
Although the operating time setting circuit 11 and the safety timer 16 are respectively provided and configured using so-called hardware, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is also possible to achieve some or all of these functions using software of a microcomputer. Of course. Moreover, the switching element for controlling the injection pump 2 is not limited to the relay switch 14,
It may also be a semiconductor switching element such as a thyristor.

[Effects of the invention] As described above, the present invention is configured to close the switching element and operate the injection pump based on the closing of the operation switch installed in the bathroom, and also to The feature is that it is equipped with a safety timer means that stops the operation of the injection pump when the injection pump remains conductive for a predetermined period of time.As a result, while ensuring both safety and excellent operability, the operating section This has the excellent effect of preventing the injection pump from continuing to operate for a long time even if water adheres to the pump.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is an overall circuit diagram, FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the bubble generator for a bathtub, FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the operation box, and FIG.
The figure is a front view of the same. In the drawing, 1 is a bathtub, 2 is an injection pump, 6 is an operation box, 8 is an operation switch, 9 is a light emitting diode for display, 11 is an operation time setting circuit (timer means for operation), and 14 is a relay switch (switching). 16 is a safety timer (safety timer means), and 19 is an isolation transformer.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] In order to control the injection pump of a bubble generator for a bathtub that injects bubbles into the water in the bathtub, a self-returning operation switch having a contact point that closes when operated is installed in the bathroom, and the operation switch is temporarily closed. The injection pump is operated by continuously closing the switching element for a predetermined operation time set by the operation timer means based on the operation switch being closed, and the operation switch is configured to operate the injection pump by continuously closing the switching element for a predetermined operation time set by the operation timer means, A control device for a bubble generator for a bathtub, characterized in that a safety timer means is provided for stopping the operation of the injection pump when a conductive state is maintained for a period of time or more.