JPH0347638Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a steam sauna that creates a high humidity environment within a sauna booth.

[Prior Art] A conventional steam sauna of this type is shown in FIG. 9. That is, in the conventional steam sauna 91, the exhaust passage 3 is formed in the upper part of the sauna booth 92, and the steam supply pipe 94 is opened and arranged in the lower part. The steam supply pipe 94 is
Steam generated by heating the water stored in the water tank 95 with a heater 96 and boiling it is supplied to the room 97 . On the other hand, fresh air is forcibly blown through a fan 99 to an air supply pipe 98 disposed within the steam supply pipe 94 and is discharged near the outlet side of the steam supply pipe 94 . Then, by mixing the steam and fresh air and spouting it into the indoor room 99 of the sauna booth 92, the temperature of the steam is lowered and
This creates an atmosphere of appropriate temperature and high humidity. The reason for supplying fresh air is that if only the steam generated by boiling the stored water is spouted into the room 97, the room temperature 97 will become high and there is a risk of getting burned. The air-fuel mixture injected into the chamber 97 sequentially rises to the upper part of the chamber and is discharged from the exhaust passage 93 to the outside. During use, the air-fuel mixture is continuously ejected into the interior 97.

[Problem to be solved by the invention] As described above, in the conventional steam sauna 91, steam generated by boiling and fresh air are mixed and supplied, and this is exhausted from the exhaust passage 93. However, the heat capacity of the exhausted air-fuel mixture was lost, making it impossible to effectively utilize the heat capacity.
That is, there were disadvantages in that heat loss was large and the total amount of steam used increased. In addition, since the water stored in the water tank 95 is boiled (heated to 100°C) to generate steam, a large-capacity heater 96 of 3200 W or more is usually required just to boil the stored water. This has caused an increase in the size and cost of the equipment.

Also, since the inside of the sauna booth is hot and humid,
If you use it for a long time, you may feel palpitations or dizziness.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The steam sauna of the present invention includes a sauna booth provided with a seat inside; the sauna is placed outside the sauna booth, and one end side is opened in a part of the sauna booth. and an air flow path whose other end side is open in another part of the sauna booth; an air flow path provided in the air flow path that directs air from the one end side to the other end side of the air flow path; a blower device for the air to flow; an electric heater provided in the air flow path for heating the air flowing in the air flow path; a container for storing water and a container provided in the container for generating steam; a steam generating means installed in the air flow path so that the generated steam is mixed with the air flowing through the air flow path; a ceiling portion or side wall portion of the sauna booth; and an air outlet provided in the side wall of the sauna booth for blowing air outside the sauna booth toward the upper body region of the person sitting on the seat above the seat. The exhaust port and the air outlet are connected to a damper device, communication with the outside is switched by a damper flapper driven by a common shaft of the damper device, and the exhaust port or It is characterized in that an exhaust fan is provided on the downstream side in the exhaust direction.

[Operation] In the steam sauna of the present invention, the ultrasonic oscillator is operated to vibrate the water stored in the water tank and generate mist-like water vapor. This atomized water vapor is ejected into the room as a mixed fluid of steam and hot air and circulated. The temperature of the circulating fluid with steam is usually between 38 and 45°C. Since this is a circulating steam sauna, the heat capacity of the circulating fluid does not directly escape to the outside, allowing for effective heat utilization.

Furthermore, by opening the damper device and operating the exhaust fan, air outside the sauna booth (hereinafter sometimes referred to as fresh air) is blown out toward the sauna user. This results in
This will prevent dizziness and palpitations, allowing you to continue using the sauna for an exhilarating experience. At this time, by selecting the position and direction of the blow-off opening so that the fresh air blows out only towards the user's desired face and neck area, the overall high-temperature and humid atmosphere inside the sauna booth can be maintained. It can give a refreshing feeling to the user.

[Embodiments] The present invention will be described below with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical sectional view of a steam sauna 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. This steam sauna 1 is provided with a seat section 8 in a sauna booth (hereinafter abbreviated as "booth") 2, so that a user can sit down and use the steam sauna 1. A suction port 18 is provided in the upper part of the booth 2, and the air in the booth interior 11 is introduced into a steam generator 37 through a duct 39, a blower 36, and a duct 41, and after being heated and humidified in this steam generator 37. , is blown out to the booth air 11 from the outlet 19 via the duct 62,
As a result, the booth interior 11 is configured to have a high temperature and high humidity atmosphere. An exhaust fan 26 is provided on the ceiling of the booth 2, and the exhaust side of the exhaust fan 26 is connected to a damper device 80.

The steam generator 37 includes an ultrasonic oscillator 52 and an air heating heater 46 in a container 37A, and mixes water vapor generated by atomization of water W with air introduced into the container 37A from an inlet 44. At the same time, heating is performed by the heater 46.
The hot and humid air is blown out into the booth interior 11 from the outlet 19 through the duct 62.

The booth 2 is provided with an opening (fresh air outlet) 63, and the duct 63 is connected to the damper device 80. The damper device 80 has a common shaft 87
The damper flaps 86 and 92 are rotated by the damper flaps 86 and 92. By operating the exhaust fan 26 with these damper flaps 86 and 92 open, fresh air is sucked into the booth 2 and blown out toward the sauna users inside the booth 2.

Next, the configuration of the booth 2, the steam generator 37, etc. will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 8.

Figure 2 is a front view of the booth, Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the detailed configuration of booth 2 (cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' in Figure 2), Figure 4 is a perspective view of booth 2, and Figure 5 is a perspective view of booth 2. The figure is a sectional view taken along line C-C' in FIG. 2, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the vicinity of the bottom of the booth. 7 and 8 are configuration diagrams of the steam generator 37, with FIG. 7 being a sectional view in the longitudinal direction, and FIG. 8 being a sectional view taken along the line -- in FIG.

The bottom of the steam sauna 1 is the base plate 2A
The waterproof pan 4 is placed above the space 3 through the space 3.
is located. This waterproof pan 4 is made of FRP (glass fiber-reinforced synthetic resin), and the support portion 5 shown in FIG. 4 and the side skirt portion 6 shown in FIG. It is integrally molded together with the mounting portion 9 and the like. waterproof pan 4
A drainage trap 10 is provided on the floor portion 7 of the tank.

The inner panel 1 is placed on this side panel mounting portion 9.
2. A frame 13 and an outer panel 14 are erected.

As mainly shown in FIG. 3, the inner panel 12 is provided with a shelf 15 consisting of a concave portion projecting from the booth interior 11 toward the outside, and is configured to store shampoo, conditioner, shaver, etc. . The FRP inner panel 12 has
Openings are provided for inhaling and blowing out gas in the booth chamber, and vent members 16 and 17 having slits are attached to the openings to form an inlet 18 and an outlet 19. Note that the vent member 17 is provided so that the blowing direction can be changed freely. The inner panel 12 has a thermostatic mixing valve 2 equipped with a connection fitting 21 for the base end of the shower hose 20, a hook 23 for the shower held 22, and a handle 24 for adjusting the water amount and temperature of the shower.
5. Temperature of the air blown into the booth interior 11;
Indoor operation panel 27 equipped with switches for controlling humidity and exhaust fan 26 shown in FIG.
is provided. A panel-shaped far-infrared heater 28 (FIG. 5) that irradiates far-infrared rays toward the inside of the booth 11 is attached to the inner panel 12.

The FRP frame 13 rises from the four corners of the waterproof pan as shown in Figures 4 and 5, and outer panels 1
4 is removably attached, allowing inspection of internal piping, electrical wiring, etc. A door 30 is provided at the remaining location between the frames. A translucent glass 31 is attached to this door 30. An external operation panel 32 is provided adjacent to the door 30. This operation panel 32 includes main switches for electrical equipment in the sauna booth, switches for heating and humidifying, and lights 33 on the ceiling.
A switch for ON and OFF is provided.

A ceiling panel 35 is provided above the frame 13, and a lighting 33 for illuminating the booth interior 11 and a fan 26 for exhausting air from the booth interior 11 are installed. Reference numeral 26a indicates an exhaust port in which the exhaust fan 26 is installed, and is connected to the damper device 80. Further, a blower 36 is provided at the top of the booth 2 as a ventilation means.

A steam generator 37 is installed below the seat portion 8 of the waterproof pan 4, as shown in an enlarged view in FIG. The suction port of the blower 36 is connected to the suction port 18 of the inner panel 12 via the duct 39, and the discharge port 40 of the blower 36 is connected to the flexible duct 41.
It is connected to a steam generator 37 via.

The structure of the steam generator 7 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.

Reference numerals 42 and 43 indicate an upper can body and a lower can body, and the flange portions 42a of these can bodies 42 and 43,
43a are overlapped and connected by bolts (not shown) to form a container 37A, in which water W is stored.

The upper can body 42 has an air inlet 44 and an air outlet 45 to which the duct 41 is connected, and is provided with a heater (sheathed heater in this embodiment) 46 as a heating means. A water supply pipe 47 is connected to the lower can body 43 via a solenoid valve 48, and a drain pipe 49 as a drainage means is connected via a solenoid valve 50.

The lower can body 43 is provided with an ultrasonic oscillator 52, a water temperature sensor 53, a float switch 54, and an overflow pipe 55.

Reference numeral 56 denotes a partition plate, which is provided substantially horizontally so as to partition the interior of the container 37A made up of the can bodies 42 and 43 into upper and lower sections. This partition plate 56
The air introduced from 4 is directly blown onto the water surface of the water W, thereby preventing the water surface from undulating. That is, when the water surface of the water W ripples excessively, the atomization effect of the water W by the ultrasonic oscillator 52 is inhibited.
The amount of steam generated may decrease. Therefore, in this embodiment, the partition plate 56 is configured to prevent the airflow from the inlet 44 from being blown directly onto the water surface. The partition plate 56 is provided with an opening 57 above the ultrasonic oscillator 52 so that atomized water vapor can easily flow toward the discharge port 45 .

The partition plate 56 is configured to surround the lower portion of the heater 46 so that the radiant heat of the heater 46 is not absorbed by the water W. With this configuration, the radiant heat radiated downward from the heater 46 is absorbed or reflected by the partition plate 56,
It is used to heat the air flowing above the partition plate 56, improving heating efficiency.

A side plate 58 and a ceiling plate 59 are provided on the sides and above the heater 46 , and a gap is interposed between the side plate 58 and the ceiling plate 59 and the upper can body 42 . These side plates 58 and ceiling plate 59 also absorb or reflect the radiant heat from the heater 46, thereby preventing the radiant heat from being transferred from the upper can body 42 to the outside, thereby improving heating efficiency. Further, if the partition plate 56 and the side plate 58 are provided as in this embodiment, the water vapor atomized from the water W passes through the opening 57 and is mixed with the circulating air flow in the zone downstream from the heater 46. . Therefore, water vapor does not come into direct contact with the heater 46,
This prevents water scale from adhering to the surface of the heater 46. As a result, the heat dissipation characteristics of the heater 46 are high over a long period of time. The ceiling plate 59 is fixed to the ceiling surface of the can body 42 with bolts (not shown), and the side plates 58 and the partition plate 56 are suspended from the ceiling plate 59.

Reference numeral 60 indicates a can temperature sensor attached to the upper can body. Further, reference numeral 61 indicates a heater terminal.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, a flexible duct 62 is connected to the outlet 45 of the upper can body 42, and the duct 62 is connected to the outlet 19 provided in the inner panel 14 of the booth 2. Therefore, in this embodiment, the ducts 39, 41, 62 and the steam generator 37 constitute a flow path for circulating the air in the booth interior 11.

As shown in FIG. 3, the inner panel 14 is provided with a fresh air outlet (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "fresh air outlet") 63 for introducing fresh air from outside the booth 2 into the booth interior 11. ing. The fresh air port 63 is provided at approximately the height of the head, neck, or chest of the user seated on the seat portion 8. The fresh air port 63 is provided with a vent member 63a so that the blowing direction can be changed freely. It is set up. As shown in FIG. 4, the fresh air port 63 is connected to a damper device 80 via a duct 64.

The structure of the damper device 80 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12. In addition, FIG. 12 is a perspective view, and FIGS. 10 and 11 are - in FIG. 12.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI.

Reference numeral 81 denotes a damper box, the interior of which is divided into an inlet chamber 83 and an outlet chamber 84 by a partition plate 82. The partition plate 82 is provided with an opening 85, and a damper plate 8 that can cover the opening 85 is provided.
6 can come into contact with the partition plate 82 from the exit chamber 84 side. This damper plate 86 is supported by a shaft 87, and both ends of the shaft 87 are pivotally supported on the side surfaces of the damper box 81. One end of the shaft 87 is connected to a motor 89 via a link 88.

A bracket 90 is attached to the side of the damper box 87.
A pipe 91 is fixedly installed through the pipe 91, and the duct 64 is connected to the rear end of the pipe 91. A damper plate 92 is provided to cover the front end surface of the pipe 91, and the damper plate 92 is fixed to the other end of the shaft 87. Reference numeral 93 indicates an inlet chamber opening, and 94 indicates an outlet chamber opening. The inlet chamber opening 93 communicates with the exhaust side of the exhaust fan 26.

In the damper device configured in this way, by operating the motor 89 and rotating the shaft 87, the damper plates 86 and 92 rotate, and the partition plate 8
The opening 85 of No. 2 and the front end opening of the pipe 91 can be opened and closed. Therefore, the damper plates 86 and 92 can be driven by one motor 89, and the device configuration is simple. Furthermore, since the damper plates 86 and 92 are rotated by a common shaft 87, the opening 85 of the partition plate 82 and the front end opening of the pipe 91 can be opened and closed in complete synchronization.

When the exhaust fan 26 is operated with the damper flaps 86 and 92 open, the area inside the booth
At the same time, the fresh air vent 63
Since fresh air is introduced into the booth interior 11 from the sauna and blown toward the face of the user sitting on the seat 8, it is possible to prevent the user from getting hot while using the sauna, and to enjoy a refreshing sauna experience. . Note that the air in the booth interior 11 is exhausted from the exhaust fan 26 to the outside through the inlet chamber opening 93, the inlet chamber 83, the opening 85, the outlet chamber 84, and the outlet chamber opening 94. Further, fresh air flows into the duct 64 from the pipe 91 and reaches the fresh air port 63.

At this time, the fresh air is a local wind blown out only from the fresh air port 63, and the overall high temperature and humidity atmosphere in the booth interior 11 is maintained as it is. In particular, in this embodiment, since the suction port 18 is provided at the upper part of the booth 2, even if fresh air is blown from the fresh air port 63, the area below the neck of the sauna user is guaranteed to have a hot and humid atmosphere. is maintained. In order to maintain the high temperature and humidity atmosphere below the neck, the fresh air port 63 is installed at a height slightly below the neck so that the fresh air is blown diagonally upward. is preferable.

In this embodiment, fresh air can be reliably blown around the user's face and neck by manually adjusting the direction of the vent member 63a according to the user's height and posture.

Note that when the exhaust fan 26 is operated to suck fresh air into the booth interior 11 as in this embodiment, no humid air leaks from the booth interior 11 to the outside. For this reason, booth 2
This prevents dew condensation from occurring near the area. Incidentally, when fresh air is forced into the booth interior 11 by a fan, there is a risk that humid air will leak outside the booth, causing dew condensation and making the surrounding area humid. When configured as in this embodiment, the area near the installation location of the sauna booth can be maintained in a good environment.

In addition, in this embodiment, the damper flap 8
6 and 92, it is possible to reliably prevent outside air from flowing into the booth interior 11 when unnecessary.

An electric circuit box 70 is installed below the waterproof pan 4 as shown in FIG.
A circuit for controlling electrical equipment of the steam sauna such as a blower 36, an ultrasonic oscillator 52, and a heater 46 based on signals from the box 62 is built into the box 62. A panel 71 is detachably attached to the side surface of the waterproof pan 4.

In the steam sauna configured in this way, a user opens the door 30 to enter and exit. According to the normal usage method, before entering the booth room 11, the heating/humidifying switch provided on the external operation panel 32 is pressed. As a result, the blower 36, heater 46, and ultrasonic oscillator 52 are activated, and the booth interior 11 becomes warm and sufficiently humid. After this, I went inside the booth to warm up and take a shower.

In the booth room 11, the user operates the blower 36 by operating the switch on the indoor operation panel 27.
The rotation of the airflow outlet 19 can be controlled to adjust the flow rate of the airflow blown out from the air outlet 19. Further, by operating a switch on the operation panel 27, the output of the air heating heater 46 can be controlled to adjust the temperature of the blown air stream, and the output of the ultrasonic oscillator 52 can be controlled to adjust the air stream humidity. Similarly, the output of the far-infrared heater 28 can be adjusted and the exhaust fan 26 can be turned on and off. Note that output adjustment also includes turning off the device.
In this steam sauna, while staying in the booth room 11, the temperature and humidity inside the booth can be controlled by the far infrared heater 2.
8 operations, allowing booth users to create the most comfortable environment.

During this use, fresh air is blown out from the fresh air port 63 as described above, making it possible to use the sauna in a refreshing manner.

In the embodiment shown, the fresh air opening 63
Although only one is provided, a plurality of may be provided. In this case, the saunas may be installed at different heights, and fresh air may be blown out from fresh air ports at an appropriate height depending on the height of the sauna user. Further, the electric circuit box 70 may be installed on the upper surface of the ceiling of the booth 2. In this way,
Since the upper surface of the ceiling has good ventilation, heat radiation from the electric circuit box 70 can be promoted.

Note that the far-infrared heater 28 allows a sufficiently comfortable steam sauna to be used even without the use of the far-infrared heater 28. Furthermore, by operating the blower 36 and heater 46 without operating the ultrasonic oscillator 52,
It can also be used as a hot air sauna.

[Effects] According to the present invention, steam to make the room humid can be obtained using an ultrasonic device, and there is no need to heat the stored water to 100° C. and boil it as in the conventional method.
Therefore, the heating source only needs to be of a small capacity to heat indoor air to an appropriate temperature, and it is possible to significantly reduce the thermal energy used compared to the conventional case. In addition, the circulating fluid, which is a mixture of steam and hot air, repeatedly circulates in a closed flow path, so the thermal energy of the circulating fluid does not directly escape to the outside as in the past, which improves thermal efficiency. Are better.

Furthermore, with the steam sauna of the present invention, fresh air can be applied to the face, neck, etc. while using the sauna, making it extremely refreshing to use the sauna.

Furthermore, when fresh air is blown out, moist air inside the booth does not leak out of the booth. Since the flappers of this damper device for introducing fresh air are driven by a common shaft, only one drive device is required, and the flapper operations for exhaust operation and fresh air intake operation can be completely synchronized. can.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a sauna booth schematically showing the entire steam sauna according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a front view of the sauna booth according to the embodiment, Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A' in Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the assembled state of the steam sauna, and Fig. 5 is the second 6 is a perspective view of the bottom of the steam sauna, and FIGS. 7 and 8 are sectional views of the steam generator. FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing a conventional example. Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view of the damper device, Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional view of the damper device;
The figure is a plan view of the same, and FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the same. 1...Steam sauna, 2...Booth, 11...
...booth interior, 18...inlet, 19...outlet, 26...exhaust fan, 37...steam generator,
37A...Container, 39,41,62...Duct,
46... Heater, 47... Water supply pipe, 48, 50...
... Solenoid valve, 49 ... Drain pipe, 55 ... Overflow pipe, 56 ... Partition plate, 63 ... Fresh air outlet, 80 ... Damper device.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] A sauna booth provided with a seat inside the sauna booth; located outside the sauna booth, one end of which is open in a part of the sauna booth;
an air flow path whose other end side is open in another part of the sauna booth; provided in the air flow path to flow air from the one end side to the other end side of the air flow path; an electric heater provided in the air flow path for heating the air flowing in the air flow path; a container for storing water and a container provided in the container for generating steam; Equipped with an ultrasonic oscillator,
a steam generating means installed in the air flow path so that the generated steam air is mixed with the air flowing through the air flow path; an exhaust port provided in the ceiling or side wall of the sauna booth; and the sauna It is installed on the side wall of the booth.
an air outlet for blowing out air outside the sauna booth toward the upper body region of a person seated on the seat above the seat; the exhaust outlet and the air outlet are equipped with a damper device. communication with the outside is switched by a damper flapper driven by a common shaft of the damper device, and an exhaust fan is provided at the exhaust port or downstream of the exhaust port in the exhaust direction. steam sauna.