JPH0422324A - Bathtub washing method and device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform bathtub wash perfectly and suppress wasteful use of water by spouting the washing water from a nozzle into a bathtub, dropping contaminants with chemical action and the spout energy of water, and finally flushing away the washing water with a clean water. CONSTITUTION:A nozzle 6 rotating with water pressure is mounted at the center of the inner surface of a lid 5, and when bathing is finished and the lid 5 is set correctly, the service water is spouted from the nozzle 6 to bring away the dirt, etc. Detergent solution is injected into a buffer 2 from a vessel 8, and No.1 three-way valve 19 is changed over to the heating device side. Heating is maintained, and the washing water is spouted from the nozzle 6 into the bathtub 1 to perform washing. Then, circulation is made by a circulating pump 16 following the route as the nozzle 6, bathtub 1, buffer 2, a circulation hole 2' for returning, (heating device 11), circulating pump 16, No.1 three- way valve 19, No.2 three-way valve 19', and again the nozzle 6. Thus, the insides of the bathtub 1, buffer 2, and circuit of circuilating pump 16 are filled with the detergent solution, followed by flushing away with clean water.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a cleaning method and apparatus for automatically cleaning and cleaning the inside of a bathtub.

[Prior Art] As a device for automatically cleaning the inside of a bathtub, a nozzle is attached to the top or lid of the bathtub, and cleaning liquid (
There are well-known methods in which dirt is washed away by spraying water into the bathtub (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 60-158828, Utility Model No. 62-4).
270, 62-4271, 62-4274, 63
-71869, JP-A-2-57857).

Also, a cleaning device in which cleaning liquid is circulated is also known (Utility Model Publication No. 62-4272, Utility Model Publication No. 62-4273).
, 62-69977).

[Problems with the Prior Art] However, all of the above-mentioned publicly known bathtub cleaning devices are uneconomical because they use a large amount of water or cleaning fluid, have poor cleaning effects, and are difficult to put into practical use as automatic cleaning devices. However, the current situation is that it has not been put into practical use for the elderly and people with physical disabilities, even though there is an urgent need to put it into practical use. be.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to propose a practical bathtub cleaning method and apparatus that can thoroughly clean a bathtub and waste less water.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The method and apparatus of the present invention proposed to achieve the above object are as follows.

1. Drain the remaining hot water in the bathtub, then spray cleaning water mixed with cleaning liquid all over the bathtub to wash away the dirt in the bathtub with the energy and chemical power of the cleaning water. A bathtub cleaning method in which the cleaning liquid is washed away by spraying it into the bathtub, then the bathtub is filled with water or hot water, and first, the water or hot water in the bathtub is forcibly circulated in a heating device to reheat the bathtub.

2. A spray nozzle is attached to the bathtub lid facing into the bathtub, and a buffer is formed at the bottom of the bathtub, and the bottom of this buffer is provided with an outflow circulation port, a return circulation port, and a drain with a drainage outlet. a water supply pipe is connected to the injection nozzle, an outlet side of the heating device is connected to the water supply pipe via a first three-way valve, and an inlet side of the heating device is connected to the return circulation port of the buffer; .

A circulation pump is attached to either the inlet side or the outlet side of the heating device, and the buffer circulation port is connected to the first through the second three-way valve.
Connecting to the water supply pipe downstream of the three-way valve; filling the cleaning liquid container with cleaning liquid; connecting the cleaning liquid container and the buffer with a cleaning liquid supply pipe; and installing a cleaning liquid valve on the cleaning liquid supply pipe; and draining. The process of opening the valve and draining the remaining hot water from the bathtub, closing the drain valve, opening the first and second three-way valves to the water supply side, and supplying a small amount of water into the bathtub from the water supply pipe via the injection nozzle. and storing this water in the buffer, switching the first three-way valve to the heating device side, opening the cleaning liquid valve and injecting the cleaning liquid into the buffer to create cleaning water, and starting the operation of the heating device and circulation pump. The process of cleaning the inside of the bathtub by spraying heated cleaning water from the injection nozzle to the entire area inside the bathtub, stopping the heating device and circulation pump, and opening the drain valve to drain the cleaning water; Close, switch the first three-way valve to the water supply side, inject clean water from the injection nozzle into the bathtub and store it in the buffer, switch the first three-way valve and the second three-way valve to the heating device side, and operate the circulation pump. Start the injection nozzle → inside the bathtub → buffer → return circulation port → (heating device) →
The process of repeating the circulation from the circulation pump to the first three-way valve to the second three-way valve to the injection nozzle to flush out the wash water, stopping the circulation pump and opening the drain valve to drain the water, closing the drain valve and draining the water a step of switching the three-way valve and the second three-way valve to the water supply side and filling the bathtub with water from the water supply pipe via the injection nozzle;
Switch the first three-way valve and the second three-way valve to the heating device side, start the operation of the heating device and the circulation pump, and then heat the device → circulation pump → first three-way valve → second three-way valve → circulation port → inside the bathtub. A bathtub cleaning device characterized by being equipped with a controller that controls the reheating process from → return circulation port → heating device.

In the above-mentioned bathtub cleaning device, after all cleaning is completed, water is filled into the bathtub from the water supply pipe, and then the water in the bathtub is heated using a reheating method using a heating device. Separate heat exchangers are installed for heating and hot water,
You can use a hot water heat exchanger to supply hot water for making wash water into a buffer, or fill the bathtub with hot water using the so-called drop-in method, and use a reheating heat exchanger to heat the water as needed or maintain the water temperature. You may also do so.

Next, after draining the remaining hot water, with the drain valve open, water is injected into the bathtub via the water supply pipe → injection nozzle to first remove large debris, and then the drain valve is closed and the cleaning water is removed. It may also be controlled to enter a cleaning process.

Further, washing with washing water may be repeated several times by mixing with drainage water.

Note that it is safer to install a lid closure sensor so that the cleaning process starts only when the lid is correctly set on the bathtub.

[Function] When you turn on the operation button after bathing, with the lid properly set and hot water remaining in the bathtub, the drain valve opens and the remaining hot water is drained. When, for example, a pressure sensor detects the end of drainage, the first and second three-way valves are opened and, for example, tap water is supplied to the injection nozzle through the water supply pipe, and is injected from the injection nozzle into the bathtub. Drain any remaining large debris such as hair from the drain valve (discharge port).

Note that it is also possible to control such that washing away large pieces of dirt is not performed when there is no dirt.

Washing away the debris is completed in an hour, then the drain valve is closed and the water from the injection nozzle is stored in the buffer.

Once water has accumulated in the buffer, the wash liquid valve is opened and wash liquid is injected into the buffer from within the wash liquid container. Next, the first three-way valve switches to the heating device side, the heating device and the circulation pump start operating, and the heated cleaning water is injected into the bathtub from the injection nozzle. The cleaning water is heated and maintained at approximately 60 degrees Celsius, and its jet energy and chemical cleaning power wash away dirt adhering to the inner walls of the bathtub. This washing is controlled on a time-by-time basis, and after a certain period of time, the heating device and circulation pump are stopped, and the drain valve is opened to drain the dirty washing water. Note that after water is stored in the buffer, the water in the buffer may be once circulated in a heating device and heated before injecting the cleaning liquid.

Next, the drain valve is closed, the first three-way valve is switched to the water supply side, and the beautiful wood is sprayed from the injection nozzle into the bathtub and collected in the buffer or at the bottom of the bathtub. (Or, with the drain valve open, spray clean water into the bathtub from the spray nozzle and rinse it away.) Next, start the circulation pump and press the spray nozzle → inside the bathtub → buffer → return circulation port → (Heating device)→Circulation pump→First three-way valve→Second three-way valve→Injection nozzle is repeated to wash away the cleaning water adhering to the bathtub, buffer, and the circuit passing through the circulation pump.

This washing may be repeated several times by first draining the water and then switching to clean water. Next, stop the circulation pump, open the drain valve and drain the water.Next, close the drain valve, switch the first three-way valve to the water supply side and fill the bathtub with water.
Then, the second three-way valve is switched to the heating device side, and circulation is performed from inside the bathtub → return circulation → heating device → circulation pump → first three-way valve → second three-way valve → forward circulation port → bathtub, so as to perform so-called reheating heating. Boil water (bath). However, if a hot water supply heat exchanger is separately incorporated into the heating device, hot water is supplied from the hot water supply heat exchanger into the bathtub, and reheating is performed when there is a shortage or the temperature of the hot water drops. All of the above steps are performed by signals from the controller.

Note that the dirt in the bathtub varies greatly depending on the number of bathers, so the cleaning time is controlled depending on the degree of dirt so that there is no waste or insufficient cleaning.

[Example] The figure shows an example of the present invention, where numeral 1 indicates a bathtub, 2
3 is a buffer formed at the bottom of the bathtub l, 3 is a drain port provided in the buffer 2, and a drain valve (electromagnetic valve) 4 is attached to the drain port 3.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a lid of the bathtub 1, and a spray nozzle 6 that rotates by water pressure is attached to the center inside the lid 5.

A sensor 7 detects whether the lid 5 is correctly set in the bathtub l.

Reference numeral 8 designates a cleaning liquid container attached to the bathtub l, and the cleaning liquid container 8 is filled with cleaning liquid, and the cleaning liquid container 8 and the buffer 2 are connected by a cleaning liquid supply pipe 9 as shown in FIG. , this cleaning liquid supply pipe 9 is equipped with a cleaning liquid valve (
A solenoid valve) 10 is attached.

11 is a heating device, and inside this heating device 11 is a heat exchanger 12. A gas burner 13 is incorporated.

14 is a pressure pipe connecting the return circulation port 2' of the buffer 2 and the inlet side of the heat exchanger 12; 15 is a pressure pipe connecting the outlet side of the heat exchanger 12 and the water supply pipe 1;
An inlet pipe connects the first three-way valve 19 attached to 7, and 16 is a circulation pump attached to the inlet pipe 15. Note that the circulation pump 16 may be attached to the clay pipe 14 side. Water supply pipe 1
A one-shot joint 18 is attached to the lid 5 between the nozzle 7 and the injection nozzle 6, and when the lid 5 is set correctly, the one-shot joint 18 is also connected correctly. Reference numeral 19' denotes a second three-way valve attached to the water supply pipe 17, and the second three-way valve 19' and the outgoing circulation port 2 of the buffer 2 are connected by a branch pipe 17'.

A controller 20 performs the following control.

When the user turns on the operation button after bathing, with the lid 5 properly set and hot water remaining in the bathtub l, the drain valve 4 opens to drain the remaining hot water. When, for example, a pressure sensor detects the end of drainage, the first three-way valve 19 is then opened to supply clean water from the water supply pipe 17 to the injection nozzle 6, and from the injection nozzle 6 it is injected into the bathtub 1. The remaining large garbage such as hair is discharged from the drain valve 4 (drain port 3).

After performing this washing for a certain period of time, close the drain valve 4,
Water is supplied from the injection nozzle 6 and water is stored in the buffer 2.

After water is stored in the buffer 2, the cleaning liquid valve 10 is opened to inject the cleaning liquid into the buffer 2 from within the cleaning liquid container 8.

Next, the first three-way valve 19 is switched to the heating device side, the heating device 11 and the circulation pump 16 are started, and the cleaning water heated to approximately 60° C. is injected into the bathtub l from the injection nozzle 6. After cleaning the bathtub 1 and a certain period of time has elapsed, the heating device 11 and the circulation pump 16 are stopped, and the drain valve 4 is opened to drain the dirty cleaning water.

Next, the drain valve 4 is closed, the first three-way valve 19 is switched to the water supply side, and clean water is injected into the bathtub l from the injection nozzle 6 and stored in the buffer 2. Next, the operation of the circulation pump 16 is started, and the injection nozzle 6 → inside the bathtub 1 → buffer 2 → return circulation port 2' → (heating device 11) → circulation pump 16 → first three-way valve 19 → second three-way valve 19 ' → The circulation to the injection nozzle 6 is repeated, and the circulation pump 16 is
Wash away the cleaning liquid that has adhered to the circuit that passes through. Repeat this rinse several times by switching to clean water. Next, the circulation pump 16 is stopped, the drain valve 4 is opened to drain water, and after this is completed, the drain valve 4 is closed to complete the cleaning process.

Note that since the dirt in the bathtub varies greatly depending on the number of bathers, the controller 20 is provided with a cleaning time setting function.

Next, the first three-way valve 19 is switched to the water supply side, and the water supply pipe 1
7 → Fill the bathtub l with water via the injection nozzle 6, and then
The first three-way valve 19 and the second three-way valve 19' are switched to the heating device 11 side, and the bathtub l → the return circulation port 2' → the heat exchanger 12 →
Circulation pump 16 → first three-way valve 19 → second three-way valve 19' →
Circulate from the circulation port 2'' to the bathtub l and heat the bath using the reheating heating method.

Fig. 3 shows another embodiment in which hot water is used instead of the above-mentioned water filling.
1 and this burner 22 are incorporated, and a branched water supply pipe 17
Water is supplied from the hot water supply heat exchanger 21 to the hot water supply heat exchanger 21 and heated by the hot water supply heat exchanger 21, and the heated hot water is passed through the hot water supply pipe 23→
Third three-way valve 24 → circulation pump 16 → first three-way valve 19 → second three-way valve 19' → injection nozzle 6 (or forward circulation port 2''
) → This is a method in which hot water is supplied to the bathtub l to fill the bathtub with hot water, and after this, if necessary, reheating is performed using the heat exchanger 12. Note that when water is supplied into the buffer 2 to produce cleaning water, hot water heated by the hot water supply heat exchanger 21 may be supplied first.

[Effects of the present invention] As described above, the present invention sprays cleaning water mixed with cleaning liquid into the bathtub from the spray nozzle, removes dirt by chemical action and water jet energy, and finally sprays clean water. Then rinse with water and finish. As a result, there are the following effects.

a. It eliminates the hassle of washing the bathtub, which is especially convenient for elderly people and people with physical disabilities.

b. After heating the cleaning water with a heating device,
Dirt comes off quickly and looks good.

C6 cleaning water is circulated and used, so there is no waste.

d. Since the injection nozzle is rotated by the water injection energy (reaction force) and sprayed all over the bathtub, there is no need for power costs (electricity) and there are fewer failures.

e. Since the cleaning water is heated and reheated using a common heating device, the equipment cost is low.

f. By incorporating a heat exchanger for hot water supply into the heating device and filling the hot water by a drop-in method, the equipment cost is higher than in case e, but the operating cost (gas cost) is lower.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the bathtub cleaning method and its device according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the bathtub, and Fig. 3 is a diagram of another embodiment in which a heat exchanger for hot water supply is incorporated into a heating device. . l...Bathtub 2...-Buffer 2'
- Circulation port 3 - Drain port 4 - Drain valve 5 - Lid 6 - Injection nozzle 7 - Sensor 8 - Cleaning liquid container 9
...-Cleaning liquid supply pipe 10--Cleaning liquid valve 11
-... Heating device 12-... Heat exchanger 13-...
・ Gas burner 14 ... Earthen pipe 15-・
- Inlet pipe 16 -... Circulation pump 17 - Water supply pipe 18 - One shot joint 19 - - First three-way valve 19 ' - - Second three-way valve 20 - Controller 21 - - Hot water supply heat Exchanger 24-... Third three-way valve 1st figure 2v! J

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Drain the remaining hot water in the bathtub, and then spray cleaning water mixed with cleaning liquid all over the bathtub to wash away dirt in the bathtub by using the spraying energy and chemical power of the cleaning water, Next, clean water is sprayed into the bathtub to wash away the cleaning solution, then the bathtub is filled with water or hot water, and then the water or hot water in the bathtub is forced to circulate through the heating device to reheat the bathtub. How to clean a bathtub. 2. A spray nozzle is attached to the bathtub lid facing into the bathtub. A buffer is formed at the bottom of the bathtub, and the bottom of this buffer is equipped with an outflow circulation port, a return circulation port, and a drain port with a drain valve. a water supply pipe is connected to the injection nozzle, an outlet side of the heating device is connected to the water supply pipe via a first three-way valve, and an inlet side of the heating device is connected to the return circulation port of the buffer; , a circulation pump is attached to either the inlet side or the outlet side of the heating device, and the buffer circulation port is connected to the first through the second three-way valve.
Connecting to the water supply pipe downstream of the three-way valve; filling the cleaning liquid container with cleaning liquid; connecting the cleaning liquid container and the buffer with a cleaning liquid supply pipe; and installing a cleaning liquid valve on the cleaning liquid supply pipe; and draining. The process of opening the valve and draining the remaining hot water from the bathtub, closing the drain valve, opening the first and second three-way valves to the water supply side, and supplying a small amount of water into the bathtub from the water supply pipe via the injection nozzle. A process of accumulating lever water in the buffer, a process of switching the first three-way valve to the heating device side and opening the cleaning liquid valve to inject the cleaning liquid into the buffer to create cleaning water, and starting the operation of the heating device and circulation pump. The process of cleaning the inside of the bathtub by spraying heated cleaning water from the spray nozzle to the entire area inside the bathtub, the process of stopping the heating device and circulation pump, opening the drain valve to drain the cleaning water, and closing the drain valve. Switch the first three-way valve to the water supply side to inject clean water from the injection nozzle into the bathtub and store it in the buffer, then switch the first three-way valve and the second three-way valve to the heating device side to operate the circulation pump. Start, injection nozzle → inside the bathtub → buffer → return circulation port → (heating device) →
The process of repeating the circulation from the circulation pump to the first three-way valve to the second three-way valve to the injection nozzle to flush out the wash water, stopping the circulation pump and opening the drain valve to drain the water, closing the drain valve and draining the water a step of switching the three-way valve and the second three-way valve to the water supply side and filling the bathtub with water from the water supply pipe via the injection nozzle;
Switch the first three-way valve and the second three-way valve to the heating device side, start the operation of the heating device and the circulation pump, and then heat the device → circulation pump → first three-way valve → second three-way valve → circulation port → inside the bathtub. A bathtub cleaning device characterized by being equipped with a controller that controls the reheating process from → return circulation port → heating device. 3. Incorporate a hot water supply heat exchanger and a reheating heat exchanger in the heating device, and fill the bathtub with hot water heated by the hot water supply heat exchanger through the injection nozzle or the circulation port,
The bathtub cleaning device according to claim 2, wherein the bathtub cleaning device is configured to perform reheating using a reheating heat exchanger. 4. The bathtub cleaning device according to claim 2, wherein hot water heated by a hot water supply heat exchanger is supplied into a buffer, and cleaning liquid is injected into the buffer to produce cleaning water. 5. After draining the remaining hot water, open the first three-way valve and the second three-way valve with the drain valve open and spray water into the bathtub via the water supply pipe and the injection nozzle to remove large debris. 3. The bathtub cleaning device according to claim 2, further comprising a controller for controlling the drain valve to be closed after that to enter a cleaning process using cleaning water. 6. The bathtub cleaning device according to claim 2, further comprising a controller for controlling the cleaning with the cleaning water to be repeated several times with drainage mixed therein. 7. The bathtub cleaning device according to claim 2, further comprising a controller configured to spray water from an injection nozzle into the bathtub via a water supply pipe to wash away the cleaning water while the drain valve is open. 8. The bathtub cleaning device according to claim 2, further comprising a controller configured to enter the cleaning process only when the lid is correctly set. 9. The bathtub cleaning device according to claim 2, wherein the spray nozzle is configured to rotate and change the spray direction by water pressure.