JPH05220085A - Bathtub cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable the keeping of a cock, namely, a drain valve of a bathtub open accurately during the washing of the bathtub. CONSTITUTION:This bathtub washer jets out a detergent or a rinsing water at detergent nozzles 4a and 4b and rinsing nozzles 5a and 5b to wash a bathtub and the opening or closing of a drain valve provided on a bottom wall of the bathtub 1 is controlled with a controller. While the detergent or the rinsing water are jetted out from the detergent nozzles 4a and 4b or the rinsing nozzles 5a and 5b, the drain valve is opened.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bath cleaning apparatus for automatically cleaning a bath.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional technique of a bath cleaning apparatus for automatically cleaning a bath, there is known one disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-158828. In this device, a cleaning pipe is arranged along the side surface of the bathtub, and a plurality of cleaning ports communicating with the cleaning pipe are opened on the inner surface of the bathtub. The cleaning pipe is connected to a cleaning tank arranged next to the bathtub via a detergent pump, and is also connected to a water tank storing tap water via a water pump. When the bath cleaning instruction is received, the control device provided in the bath cleaning device operates the cleaning pump, and the detergent is jetted from the cleaning port. Next, the control device stops the operation of the cleaning pump and operates the water pump, and tap water is jetted from the cleaning port. In this way, the bathtub is cleaned.

[0003]

However, in the prior art, when the bathtub is not unplugged, there is a risk that the detergent used to wash the bathtub and the rinsing water will be accumulated in the bathtub, and the bathtub will be further soiled. there were.

[0004] Therefore, it is a technical object of the present invention to provide a bathtub cleaning device which can surely open the plug of the bathtub, that is, the drain valve, while the bathtub is being washed.

[0005]

[Constitution of the invention]

[0006]

Means for Solving the Problems To solve the above-mentioned problems, a technical solution provided by the present invention is a bathtub, a detergent nozzle and a rinsing nozzle arranged on an inner wall of the bathtub, and a bottom of the bathtub. Drainage valve means disposed on the wall, detergent supply means connected to the detergent nozzle to supply detergent to the detergent nozzle, and rinse water supply means connected to the rinse nozzle to supply rinse water to the rinse nozzle. A bathtub cleaning device comprising a control means for controlling opening / closing of the detergent supply means, the rinse water supply means, and the drain valve means, preferably the control means is the detergent supply means. Opening the drain valve means when at least one of the rinse water supply means is operating.

[0007]

The above means operates as follows. That is, since the control means opens the drain valve means when the detergent supply means or the rinse water supply means operates, dirty detergent and rinse water are not accumulated in the bath and can be reliably discharged to the outside of the bath.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 shows a water circuit diagram of the bath cleaning apparatus of this embodiment. In the bathroom 2, a bathtub 1 made of resin and having an open top is provided. Nozzle spaces 3a and 3b are provided on the opposite side surfaces 1a and 1b of the bathtub 1, respectively.
It is formed so as to be recessed from the upper surface of 1b, and cleaning nozzles 4a, 4 are provided in the nozzle spaces 3a, 3b.
b and rinsing nozzles 5a and 5b are arranged one above the other.

The jet angle is set so that the water jetted from the tip of each nozzle hits the entire bath.
In particular, the ejection angle of the rinse water ejected from the rinse nozzles 5a and 5b arranged below the cleaning nozzles 4a and 4b is larger than the ejection angle of the cleaning water ejected from the cleaning nozzles 4a and 4b. That is, it is set so that the squirting water is splashed upward and the entire rinse tub is splashed with water. The tip of each nozzle does not protrude from the side surfaces 1a, 1b of the bath 1. Further, a hot water supply nozzle 37 is arranged on the hot water supply table 6 adjacent to the bathtub 1, and hot water supplied from a hot water supply device described later is discharged from the hot water supply nozzle 37.

A drain 12 is formed in the bottom wall 1c of the bathtub 1. The drainage port 12 is connected to a drainage pipe 14 via a drainage valve 13.
Is in communication with. The drain valve 13 has a rotating shaft 1 at the bottom of the bath 1.
5 is arranged so as to be rotatable, and reciprocally rotates between a valve closed position 13a shown by a broken line and a valve opened position 13b shown by a solid line. Valve closing position 13a
At the time of, the lower end of the drainage port 12 is contacted and the communication between the bathtub 1 and the drainage pipe 14 is cut off so that hot water can be stored in the bathtub 1. Further, when in the valve opening position 13b, the bath 1 and the drain pipe 14 are brought into contact with each other by contacting the inner wall of the drain pipe 14 so that hot water, detergent, rinse water, or the like in the bath is discharged. One end of a rotating rod 16 is fixed to the rotating shaft 15, and one end of a spring 17 and a wire cable 18 is fixed to the other end of the rotating rod 16. The other end of the spring 17 is fixed to the bathroom 2,
The rotating rod 16 is constantly urged in the direction of arrow a, that is, the drain valve 13 is always in the closed position 13a. The other end of the wire cable 18 is connected to an operation bar 20 of a drive motor 19 in the main body unit A arranged outside the bathroom room. When the drive motor 19 operates according to an instruction from the control device C (FIG. 3) described later, the operation bar 20 descends in the direction of arrow c, pulls the wire cable 18 in the direction of arrow b, and the drain valve 13 is moved to the open position 13b. It is designed to let you. In this way, the drain valve 13 is opened when the drive motor 19 is operating (energized), and is closed when the drive motor 19 is not operated (non-energized). In addition, drain port 1
2, a passage 22 is provided, and a water pressure sensor 21 is provided at the tip of this passage. The water pressure sensor 21 is connected to the controller C and detects the water pressure to detect the water in the bathtub 1.
The water level inside is transmitted to the control device C.

Next, the water circuit of the bath cleaning apparatus of this embodiment will be described. A water supply port 2 for supplying tap water to the main body unit A is provided in the main body unit A arranged outside the bathroom room.
3 is provided, and the water supply port 23 communicates with a tap water pressure source 24. A water supply pipe 25 is connected to the water supply port 23, and the water supply pipe 25 is provided in the main unit A.
The water supply pipe 25a is connected to a water heater 26, and the water supply pipe 25b is connected to a rinse hot water supply tank (hereinafter referred to as a rinse tank) 28 via a water supply valve 27. The water heater 26 is a hot water supply pipe 39
One end of the hot water supply pipe 39 is connected to the hot water supply valve 40
It communicates with the hot water supply nozzle 37 via.

The rinsing tank 28 includes the rinsing nozzles 5a and 5a.
b, and rinse water to be supplied to the detergent nozzles 4a and 4b are stored, and a heater 28a is provided. Further, the rinse tank 28 is provided with a ball tap 28c, and when the water level in the rinse tank 28 falls below a certain level, the ball tap 28c opens and tap water is rinsed in the rinse tank 2.
Water is supplied within 8. Rinse tank 28
One end of a water pipe 29 is inserted inside, and the other end of the water pipe 29 is connected to a water pump 30. One end of a rinse pipe 31 is connected to the water pump 30. The rinsing pipe 31 is branched into three rinsing pipes 31a, 31b, 31c, the rinsing pipe 31a communicates with the rinsing nozzle 5a via the rinsing valve 32a, and the rinsing pipe 31b rinsing valve 32b.
Through the rinsing nozzle 5b. Further, the rinse pipe 31c is connected to the second inflow port Vs2 of the three-way valve Vs.

The three-way valve Vs has a first inflow port Vs1 and an outflow port Vs3 in addition to the second inflow port Vs2. The detergent and rinse water supplied from the first inflow port Vs1 and the second inflow port Vs2, respectively. Is selectively communicated with the outlet Vs3. The controller C controls the three-way valve Vs. One end of the first detergent pipe 7 is connected to the first inlet Vs1, and the other end of the first detergent pipe 7 is inserted so as to be located near the bottom of the detergent tank 9. A detergent 11 for washing the bath is put in the detergent tank 9, and the detergent 11 can be replenished from the outside of the main unit A by removing the lid 9a. A supply port 9b for supplying pressurized air to the detergent tank 9 is formed on the ceiling wall of the detergent tank 9, and a pressure pipe 33 is connected to the supply port 9b. The pressure pipe 33 is branched into three pipes of pressure pipes 33a, 33b, and 33c. The pressure pipe 33a is a compressor 34, the pressure pipe 33b is a relief valve 35, and the pressure pipe 33c is an exhaust valve 36 communicating with the atmosphere. It is connected.

The outlet Vs3 of the three-way valve Vs is the second detergent pipe 8
The second detergent pipe 8 is branched into a detergent pipe 8a and a detergent pipe 8b. The detergent pipe 8a is the detergent valve 3
8a to communicate with the detergent nozzle 4a, the detergent pipe 8b
Communicates with the detergent nozzle 4b via the detergent valve 38b.

When the compressor 34 operates, the exhaust valve 3
6 is closed, and air is sent to the detergent tank 9 through the pressure pipe 33a and the pressure pipe 33. As a result, the pressure in the detergent tank 9 increases, and the detergent 11 is supplied to the detergent nozzles 4a and 4b through the first detergent pipe 7. The relief valve 35 is opened when excessive pressure is applied to the detergent tank 9 to reduce the load on the detergent tank 9 and prevent the detergent tank 9 from being deformed due to excessive pressure. Also, the exhaust valve 3
6 opens the valve when the compressor 34 is in a non-operating state, connects the detergent tank 9 to the atmosphere, and releases the pressure in the detergent tank 9. As a result, at the same time when the compressor 34 is stopped, the spray of the detergent is immediately stopped from the detergent nozzle, and the detergent tank 9 is prevented from being pressurized. The exhaust valve 36 is opened when not energized.

Next, the operating portion for operating the bath cleaning apparatus of this embodiment will be described. The bathroom 2 is provided with an operation box 41 shown in FIG. Operation box 41
Includes a continuous switch for instructing continuous operation in each process of cleaning, a single switch for individually instructing individual operations such as drainage and rinsing, a start / stop switch 51 for starting or stopping these instructions, and It has a timer switch 52 for instructing the operation after a fixed time, a time setting switch 53 for setting the current time and the timer setting time, a time advancing switch 54a, and a time advancing switch 54b. The continuous switch includes a continuous cleaning switch 42 for instructing continuous operation of draining, cleaning, and rinsing hot water in the bathtub 1, and a continuous cleaning switch 43 for instructing continuous operation of draining and cleaning. Further, the individual switches include a drain switch 44, a rinse switch 45, a cleaning switch 46, a hot water supply switch 47, a hot water addition switch 48, a hot water supply temperature raising switch 50a, and a hot water supply temperature lowering switch 50b. The operation box 41 is provided with a caution display section 56 and a time display section 55,
The caution display section 56 is adapted to display the content of the instruction given by each switch or the content of the error. Further, the time display section 55 is adapted to display the present time or the timer reserved time. As shown in FIG. 3, all of these switches are connected to the control device C, and the operation instructed on the operation box 41 is instructed by the control device C to each drive unit.

Next, the operation when the continuous operation switch 42 is pressed to perform continuous operations of draining, washing and rinsing will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

First, when the apparatus is in a non-operating state, that is, in a non-energized state, all the valves except the exhaust valve 36 are closed. Only the exhaust valve 36 is opened to connect the detergent tank 9 and the atmosphere. In this way, when the continuous operation switch 42 is pressed, in step 1, the drive motor 19 operates to pull the wire cable 18 in the direction of the arrow b and rotate the drain valve 13 to open it. In this way, the drain pipe 14 and the drain port 12 communicate with each other, and hot water (or water) in the bathtub 1 is connected.
Is drained. Energization of the drive motor 19 is continued until the continuous operation is completed. The amount of warm water in the bathtub 1 is detected by the water pressure sensor 21, and when the control device C detects that the water pressure sensor 21 has run out of water level in the bathtub, it is determined that drainage has been completed and the next step Move on to.

In step 2, the bathtub is rinsed. The controller C operates the water pump 30, and energization of the heater 28a is started, so that the rinsing water stored in the rinsing tank 28 is started to be heated. Further, the rinse valve 32a and the detergent valves 38a and 38b are opened to connect the second inlet Vs2 and the outlet Vs3 of the three-way valve Vs. In step 3, the rinsing valve 32a is closed and at the same time, the rinsing valve 32b is opened and the rinsing water is ejected from the other nozzle. Thus, the rinse nozzle 5a
Rinse water is ejected from the detergent nozzles 4a and 4b to rinse away dirt on the bathtub 1. In this way, the detergent 11
The reaction action of the detergent can be fully utilized by spraying rinsing water before cleaning to remove some dirt. Further, since the rinse water is also jetted from the detergent nozzles 4a and 4b, even if the detergent remains solidified in the detergent nozzles 4a and 4b or the detergent pipes 8a and 8b, it is removed to ensure the detergent in the next step. Allow 11 to squirt.

In steps 4 and 5, the bathtub is washed with detergent. First, the power supply to the water pump 30 is turned off, the rinse valve 32b and the detergent valve 38b are closed to stop the jet of rinse water, and at the same time, the power supply to the compressor 34 is turned on.
The exhaust valve 36 is closed to send air into the detergent tank 9, and the outlet Vs3 of the three-way valve Vs is connected to the first inlet Vs1.
The detergent 11 is ejected from the detergent nozzle 4a through the opened detergent valve 38a. In step 5,
The detergent valve 38a is closed and the detergent valve 38b is opened instead, and the detergent is ejected from the detergent nozzle 4b.

When step 5 is completed, the operation of the compressor 34 is stopped and the exhaust valve 36 is opened in step 6. At the same time, the detergent valve 38b closes, and the spray of detergent from the detergent nozzle 4b ends. In step 6, this state in which nothing is ejected continues for a predetermined time, and the bath is waited for the dirt to be decomposed with detergent attached.

In steps 7 and 8, the bathtub is rinsed. First, in step 7, the water pump 30 is driven to open the rinse valve 32a. In this way, the rinse water is ejected from the rinse nozzle 4a. In step 8, the rinse valve 3
2a is closed and the rinse valve 32b is opened, so that rinse water is ejected from the rinse nozzle 4b.

When step 8 is completed, the operation of the water pump is stopped and the rinse valve 32b is closed in step 9. In step 9 as well, as in step 6, the state in which nothing is ejected continues for a predetermined time and waits until the rinse water accumulated in the bathtub 1 is discharged.

Then, the process returns to step 4 again, and steps 4 to 9 and steps 4 to 6 are repeated. Since the same operation as above is repeated here,
Detailed description is omitted.

Next, steps 10 and 11 will be described. Steps 10 and 11 are the final rinsing stroke after the detergent cleaning is repeated three times. First, in step 10, the water pump 30 operates and the rinsing valve 32a opens, and rinsing water is ejected from the rinsing nozzle 5a.
Also, the difference from the steps 7 and 8 in this rinsing process is that the communication of the three-way valve Vs is the second inlet Vs2 and the outlet Vs.
3 and the detergent valves 38a and 38b are opened. In the last stroke, the rinse nozzle 5
Rinsing water is jetted from a and 5b, and the rinsing water is also supplied to the detergent nozzles 4a and 4b.
A, 4b and the detergent remaining in the detergent pipes 8a, 8b are washed away. Further, in step 11, the rinsing valve 32a is closed and the rinsing valve 32b is opened, rinsing water is jetted from the rinsing nozzle 5b, and at the same time, the heater 28a is de-energized and the hot water supply valve 40 is opened. The water (or hot water) in the water heater 26 is supplied to the hot water nozzle 37. As a result, dirt and bubbles remaining on the bottom wall 1c can be swept away to the drainage port 12 at once. Thus, in step 11, the rinse nozzle 5b and the detergent nozzle 4 are
Rinsing work is performed in cooperation with a and 4b and the hot water supply nozzle 37. Even if the power supply to the heater 28a is cut off in the middle of the final rinsing stroke, the rinsing tank 2 is connected to the rinsing nozzle 5b.
Since the hot water stored in 8 is supplied, the hot water does not become cold water. Further, by supplying the rinse water from the hot water supply nozzle 37 as well, the tub 1 can be rinsed more quickly and reliably.

When step 11 is completed, step 12 is executed next. In step 12, the hot water supply valve 40, the water pump 30, the rinse valve 32b, and the detergent valves 38a and 38b are closed, and the supply of rinse water to the bath 1 is stopped. In addition, the communication with the outlet Vs3 of the three-way valve Vs is the second inlet Vs.
The communication is switched from 2 to the communication with the first inflow port Vs1. In step 11, only the drive motor 19 is energized, and the drain valve 13 is open. Therefore, step 1
The rinse water used up to 1 is drained from the drain port 1
It is designed to be discharged to No. 4.

When the predetermined time elapses in this way, a series of steps are completed at the end of step 12 and the system is brought into a non-operating state.

All of these operations are performed according to an instruction from the controller C. Also, from step 2 to step 1
The timer (not shown) provided in the control device C also counts the time taken for 2. The length of time to be counted is individually designated by the controller C for each step.

Although the process when the continuous operation switch 42 is instructed has been described above, when the continuous operation switch 43 is instructed, steps 1 to 5 and step 12 are basically executed. In this case, it is preferable to omit the energization of the heater 28 in steps 4 and 5. When the continuous operation switch 42 is instructed,
After steps 1 to 5, steps 4 and 5 may be repeated one or more times. Furthermore, when an independent operation is instructed, the steps shown in Table 1 are executed. Here, in step A, the hot water supply valve 40 is opened,
The cleaning valves 38a and 38b, the rinse valves 32a and 32b, and the drain valve 13 are in a closed state. When the high-temperature hot water addition switch 48 is instructed, for example, hot water that is 5 ° C. higher than the currently designated hot water supply temperature can be supplied. Of course, it is possible to set the desired temperature by operating the hot water supply temperature raising switch 50a and the hot water supply temperature lowering switch 50b even after instructing the hot water supply switch 47 and the high temperature hot water addition switch 48.

[0031]

[Table 1]

In this embodiment, the wire cable 18 is used as the mechanical operation transmitting means for transmitting the operation of the drive motor 19 to the drain valve.
However, a chain, a leaf spring, or the like can be used. Further, although the drain valve is opened by the pulling action in step 17, it is of course possible to apply it by the pushing action. Further, the mechanism including the hot water supply valve 40 and the drive motor 19 shown in FIG. 4 does not need to be all disposed in one main body unit A, and can be divided into two or three outside the bathroom. Good. Further, although the number of cleaning nozzles and the number of rinsing nozzles were each two in this embodiment, four or five can be selected according to the size of the bath. further,
The water pressure sensor 21 is not limited to the water pressure sensor 21 as long as it can detect the water level, and any known sensor can be used.

According to this embodiment, since the opening / closing of the drain valve is controlled by the control device, the drain valve is always opened when the detergent or rinse water is jetted to discharge the waste water to the drain pipe. It can be done reliably. In addition, since the drive motor is not energized during hot water supply, the drain valve is not opened, so that the drain valve can be reliably controlled without having to worry about opening and closing the drain valve.

[0034]

According to the present invention, since the control means of the bath cleaning device controls the opening and closing of the drain valve, the drain valve is opened when the detergent supply means or the rinse water supply means is operating. Controlled. Therefore, the detergent and rinse water are not accumulated in the bathtub, and the bathtub is reliably washed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a cross section of a bath and a water circuit of a bath cleaning apparatus of this embodiment.

FIG. 2 shows an operation unit of the bath cleaning apparatus of this embodiment.

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of a bath cleaning apparatus of this embodiment.

FIG. 4 shows a flow when a continuous operation is executed in the bathtub cleaning apparatus of this embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Bathtub 4a, 4b Detergent nozzle 5a, 5b Rinse nozzle 8a, 8b Detergent pipe 13 Drain valve 18 Wire cable 19 Drive motor 30 Water pump 31a, 31b Rinse pipe 34 Compressor C control device

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A bathtub, a detergent nozzle and a rinse nozzle disposed on an inner wall of the bathtub, a drain valve means disposed on a bottom wall of the bathtub, and a detergent nozzle connected to the detergent nozzle. And a rinse water supply means connected to the rinse nozzle to supply rinse water to the rinse nozzle, and a control for controlling opening / closing of the detergent supply means, the rinse water supply means and the drain valve means. A bath cleaning device comprising means. 2. The bath cleaning means according to claim 1, wherein the control means opens the drain valve means when at least one of the detergent supply means and the rinse water supply means is operating. ..