JPH0417851A - Opeation of bubble bath - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent cold water from jetting from a jet port and hitting a body by driving to rotate a pump for a fixed time length determined after water is detected to reach a safe level to discharge the cold water retained in a circulation pipeline into a bath tub. CONSTITUTION:When a water level detected reaches a reference value, an instruction/judging section 8 provides a pump drive command to a pump driving section 11 while issuing a counting command for pump drive time to a timer setting section 10. The timer setting section 10 receives the command 10 for counting time and applies a time expiration signal for the driving of the pump to the instruction/judging section 8 when it counts a fixed pump driving time given previously to provide a stop command for the pump to the pump driving section 11. Cold water retained in a circulation pipeline 4 is discharged into a bath tub 1 and the circulation pipe line 4 is filled with a hot water at a temperature set for bathing thereby preventing the cold water from jetting and hitting a body to cause discomfort.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a method of operating a bubble bath, and particularly to a preliminary operation of a bubble bath performed when hot water is filled.

[Conventional technology]

Recently, from the viewpoint of health consciousness, bubble baths have become popular in home baths. This type of bubble bath uses a pump to suck in hot water from the hot water suction port installed in the bathtub, and guides the sucked hot water through a circulation pipe to the spouting part of the bathtub, where the ejector action creates air. The system takes in water and blows out a foam stream, which is a mixture of hot water and air, into the bathtub from the spouting part.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, in conventional bubble baths, when the user turns on the bubble bath after taking a bath filled with hot water, the cold water that has accumulated in the circulation pipes is ejected from the spout and hits the bather's body, causing the bather to lose control over the bath. It has the disadvantage of causing discomfort to some people.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and its purpose is to prevent cold water from gushing out from the spouting part and hitting the body even when taking a bath after filling the hot water and performing a bubble bath operation. To provide a method for operating a bubble bath, which allows the user to take a pleasant bubble bath without any problems.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows. That is, the present invention circulates hot water in a bathtub using a circulation pipe by driving a pump, and takes air into the circulating flow of hot water by an ejector action at a jetting part provided on the discharge side of the circulation pipe. In the method of operating a bubble bath in which a stream of bubbles is ejected from the spouting part into the bathtub, a water level sensor is provided to detect the water level in the bathtub, and when the water is filled with water, the water level sensor detects that the water level has reached a safe level to avoid pump idling. After detection, the pump is rotated for a predetermined period of time to discharge the cold water stagnant in the circulation pipe into the bathtub.

[Effect]

When the bathtub starts to be filled with hot water, the water level in the bathtub gradually increases, and the water level in the bathtub is detected by a water level detection sensor, and the detection signal is applied to the control device. Based on the detection signal from this water level detection sensor, the control device adjusts the water level to a preset constant level after the water level in the bathtub exceeds the suction port of the circulation pipe, that is, when it reaches a safe water level to avoid dry running of the pump. Drives the pump for hours. By driving this pump, the hot water in the bathtub is returned to the bathtub from the suction port of the bathtub through the circulation pipe, but at this time, the cold water that has remained in the circulation pipe is discharged into the bathtub. The pump stops rotating after a certain period of time has passed after the pump starts, but by the time the pump stops, the cold water in the circulation pipe has been completely drained into the bathtub, and the circulation pipe has been filled with hot water. filled with warm water,
Prepared for regular bubble bath operation.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a block diagram showing the main parts of a control device that performs the method of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a flowchart showing an embodiment of the method of the present invention. The figure shows a schematic configuration of a bubble bath device to which the method of the present invention is applied.

In FIG. 3, the bathtub 1 is provided with a hot water suction port 2, and this suction port 2 and the suction port of the pump 3 are connected to a return pipe 4.
Further, the discharge port of the pump 3 and the nozzle 5 serving as the foam jetting section are connected by an outgoing pipe 4b. The outgoing pipe 4b and the return pipe 4a are the circulation pipe 4.
It consists of

The bathtub 1 also has a pressure sensor 6 that functions as a water level sensor.
is provided. This pressure sensor 6 detects the water level in the bathtub 1 using water pressure, and applies this detection signal to a control device 7 comprised of a microcomputer or the like. This control device 7 controls the rotation of the pump 130.

FIG. 1 shows the main structure of the control device 7. As shown in FIG.

This control device 7 includes a command/judgment section 8 and a timer setting section 10.
and a pump drive section 11. The command/judgment unit 8 is given in advance a reference water level value to prevent the pump 3 from idling, and compares the detected water level applied from the pressure sensor 6 with the reference water level, and determines whether the detected water level is the reference water level, that is, the circulation pipe A time count command is sent to a timer setting section 10 when the water level reaches a level at which the suction port 2 of the passage 4 is submerged.

The timer setting section 10 has a predetermined waiting time of 1 minute or 2 minutes.
It is given in advance as an arbitrary value such as minutes, and the timer setting section lO
receives a time count command from the command/judgment section 8, counts the time, and applies a count-up signal to the command/judgment section 8 when it has finished counting up to the waiting time. The command/judgment section 8 receives this time-up signal and issues a pump drive command to the pump drive section 11. That is, when the water level in the bathtub I reaches a safe water level that prevents the pump 3 from idling, the command/judgment unit 8 instructs the pump 3 to be driven with a margin of waiting time.

By ensuring this waiting time, the influence of detection errors of the pressure sensor 6 can be eliminated, and the pump 3 can be started with a margin on the safe side.

The command/judgment unit 8 outputs the pump drive □ command and also instructs the timer setting unit 10 to count the pump drive time. A fixed pump driving time is given to the timer setting unit 12 in advance, and the timer setting unit 10 sends a pump driving time-up signal to the command/judgment unit 8 when the pump driving time reaches that pump driving time after starting to count the time. Add it. The pump drive time is given as the time required for the cold water staying in the circulation pipe 4 to be completely discharged into the bathtub 1 by driving the pump 3, and is, for example, 30 seconds or 1 minute, etc. Volume of pipe line 4 and pump 3
It is set taking into consideration the ability of the person.

When the command/judgment unit 8 receives a time-up signal of the pump drive time from the timer setting unit 10, the command/judgment unit 8 sets the pump drive unit 11
Sends a pump stop command to. In response to this command, the pump drive section 11 stops the rotation of the pump 3.

Next, the method of this embodiment will be explained based on the flowchart of FIG. 3. First, it is detected that the bathtub 1 is empty based on a detection signal from the pressure sensor 6, and a start state is entered. When filling with hot water is started in this state, the water level of the hot water is detected by the pressure sensor 6, and this detected water level is added to the command/judgment section 8 from time to time. In step 101, the command/judgment unit 8 determines whether the water level has reached the set water level for preliminary operation. That is, the command/judgment unit 8 compares the detected water level with a pre-given reference water level to avoid pump idling, and when the detected water level is lower than the reference water level, determines that the set water level for preliminary operation has not been reached. The reference water level and the detected water level are repeatedly compared and judged.

On the other hand, when the detected water level reaches the reference water level, it is determined that the set water level for preliminary operation has been reached, and the command/judgment section 8 issues a waiting time count command to the timer setting section 10. Then, in step 102, the timer setting section 10, which judges whether or not the waiting time has elapsed, counts the time from the time when it receives the time count instruction from the instruction/judgment section 8, and when it has counted up to the waiting time. A time-up signal is then sent to the command/judgment section 8. The command/judgment unit 8 waits for a time-up signal from the timer setting unit IO,
As long as the time-up signal is not added, it is determined that the waiting time has not elapsed and the system continues to wait for the time-up signal. When the time-up signal is applied from the timer setting unit IO, it is determined that the waiting time has elapsed, and step 1 is executed.
At step 03, a command to drive the pump 3 is issued to the pump drive section 11.

Then, in step 104, it is determined whether a predetermined pump driving time specified in advance has elapsed.

In other words, the command/judgment unit 8 issues a pump drive command to the pump drive unit 11 and also issues a pump drive time count command to the timer setting unit 10. Upon receiving this command, the timer setting unit 10 counts the time and calculates the time given in advance. A pump drive time-up signal is applied to the command/judgment section 8 when the pump drive time is counted up to a certain predetermined pump drive time. The command/judgment unit 8 determines that the pump drive time has not elapsed until this pump drive time-up signal is added, and continues to wait for the time-up signal.

Then, when the pump drive time-up signal is received, it is determined that the pump drive time has elapsed, and step 10
5, the pump drive unit 11 is instructed to stop the pump. Upon receiving this command, the pump drive unit 11 stops the pump 3, finishes the preliminary operation of the bubble bath, and prepares for the next regular bubble bath operation. be.

As mentioned above, in this embodiment, by performing the preliminary operation of the bubble bath, the cold water stagnant in the circulation pipe 4 is discharged from the bathtub l.
The circulating pipe 4 is filled with warm water at the bubble bath temperature, so after this preliminary operation, when the bather enters the bathtub and turns on the bubble bath, the warm water from the bubble bath will flow through the nozzle. 5 as a foam stream, unlike in the past, when the foam stream starts spouting, the cold water that had accumulated in the circulation pipe 4 does not spray out and hit the body, causing discomfort. It becomes possible to take a pleasant bubble bath.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and can take various embodiments. For example, in the above example,
A reference water level (safety water level) to prevent the pump from idling is given in advance at the height of the circulation pipe 4 where the suction port 2 is submerged, and when the detected water level reaches this reference water level, a further waiting time has elapsed. Although the pump 3 is started after allowing a margin, for example, if the reference water level is set at a position higher than the suction port 2 of the circulation pipe 4 with a margin, then when the detected water level reaches the reference water level, The pump 3 may be started immediately.

〔Effect of the invention〕

The present invention drives the pump after the water level in the bathtub reaches a safe water level to avoid idling the pump when filling the bathtub with hot water.
The structure is such that the cold water that has accumulated in the circulation pipe is discharged into the bathtub, so when you enter the bathtub after filling the hot water and operate the bubble bath, you will be able to remove the cold water that has accumulated in the circulation pipe. This eliminates the extremely unpleasant feeling of cold water spouting out from the spouting part and hitting the body, making it possible to enjoy a very pleasant bubble bath.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the main part configuration of a control device for carrying out the method of operating a bubble bath according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing an embodiment of the method of the present invention, and Fig. 3 is the present embodiment. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a bubble bath device to which the method of FIG. ■... Bathtub, 2... Suction port, 3... Pump, 4...
...Circulation pipe, 4a... Return pipe, 4b... Outgoing pipe, 5
... Nozzle, 6 ... Pressure sensor, 7 ... Control device, 8 ... Command/judgment section, 10... Timer setting section, 1
1...Pump drive unit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] The pump is driven to circulate hot water in the bathtub using a circulation pipe, and a spout section provided on the discharge side of the circulation pipe takes in air into the circulating flow of hot water by an ejector action, and from the spout section, air is drawn into the bathtub. In the method of operating a bubble bath that ejects bubbles as a stream, a water level sensor is installed to detect the water level in the bathtub, and when the water level sensor detects that the water level has reached a safe level to avoid pump idling, the pump is activated in advance. A method of operating a bubble bath characterized by rotating the bubble bath for a predetermined period of time and discharging cold water accumulated in a circulation pipe into a bathtub.