JPH05312399A - Bath apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To always generate predetermined amount of bubbles by varying a circulation flow rate of a circulation pump according to a level of a bathtub water in a bath apparatus having a bubble generating function. CONSTITUTION:Warm water heated in a hot water storage tank 1 is guided from a hot water outlet 5 to a mixture cock 7 of a bathtub 6. A circulating circuit is composed of a return tube 10 connected to a connecting adapter 9 of the bathtub 6, a circulation pump 11, a two-way valve 12, a bath temperature keeping heater 13, a forward tube 14, etc. A circulation temperature detector 15 and a water level sensor 16 are provided in the circulating circuit. A temperature detector 20 for detecting heated hot water temperature and feed water temperature is provided in the tank 1, and a bubbling circuit is formed of a circuit from the adapter 9 of the bathtub 6 to an air intake port 23 of an air solenoid valve 22 through a bubble tube 21. A controller 24 inputs a signal from the sensor 16, and controls a rotating speed of the pump 11 thereby to vary a flow rate of hot water flowing in the circulating circuit, thereby generating a predetermined bubbling amount.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bath device having a bubble generating function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, bath devices having a bubble generating function have been used for recovering fatigue and improving health.

Conventionally, a bath device for supplying hot water from a hot water storage type electric water heater has a structure as shown in FIG. The configuration will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in the figure, the water supply port 2 of the hot water storage tank 1 is connected to a water supply source via a pressure reducing valve 3. A heater 4 is provided in the hot water storage tank 1, and hot water heated therein is guided from a hot water outlet 5 to a mixing tap 7 of a bath 6, and the water side of the mixing tap 7 is connected to a water supply source. When the bathtub 6 is filled with hot water, the mixing stopper 7 is adjusted to supply hot water of an appropriate temperature. In such a bath device for supplying hot water to the bathtub 6 with an electric water heater mainly using a power source such as midnight power, there is not yet a bath device having a bubble generating function, and its appearance has been strongly desired. .. on the other hand,
Although not shown, in a bath device that uses a gas water source to supply hot water, a bubble-generating function is used to circulate bath water with a circulation pump to supply air to the circulation circuit and to generate bubbles by the ejector effect. There is one.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional bath apparatus with a bubble generating function, the circulation flow rate of the circulation pump is constant regardless of the water level of the bath water, so that the height of the water level (head pressure) The amount of air taken in changes,
When the water level is high, there is a problem that the amount of air taken in decreases and the amount of bubbles generated decreases even if the circulation flow rate of the circulation pump is the same.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and provides a bath apparatus capable of constantly generating a constant amount of bubbles by changing the circulating flow rate of a circulating pump according to the water level of bath water. To aim.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a hot and cold water mixing valve for mixing hot water introduced from a hot water storage tank and water introduced from a water supply source, and a pouring connected to the hot water mixing valve. A pouring circuit that has a hot water on-off valve, a reheating heater that heats the hot water in the bathtub, a circulation circuit that includes a forward pipe, a return pipe, and a circulation pump; Equipped with a bubble pipe for taking in the air, a temperature detector for detecting the hot water temperature provided in the circulation circuit, a water level sensor for detecting the water level in the bathtub, and a two-way valve for switching between the circulation circuit and the pouring circuit. A control circuit is provided which takes in a signal from the water level sensor and changes the flow rate of hot water flowing in the circulation circuit to keep the amount of bubbles constant.

[0007]

With the above structure, when the water level sensor detects the water level of the bath water and inputs the signal to the control circuit, the control circuit changes the rotation speed of the circulation pump according to the height of the bath water to control the circulation flow rate. A constant bubble is always generated regardless of the water pressure due to the change of the water level.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, the same components as those shown in the above-mentioned conventional example will be described with the same reference numerals. As shown in the figure, the water inlet 2 of the hot water storage tank 1
Is connected to a water supply source via a pressure reducing valve 3, a heater 4 is provided in the hot water storage tank 1, and hot water heated in the hot water storage tank 1 is guided from a hot water outlet 5 to a mixing tap 7 of a bath 6. A hot and cold water mixing valve 8 is connected to a hot water outlet 5 of the hot water storage tank 1 and a water supply path from the pressure reducing valve 3. Return pipe 10, circulation pump 11, two-way valve 1 connected to connection adapter 9 of bathtub 6
2, the reheating heater 13, the outflow pipe 14 and the like constitute a circulation circuit. A circulation temperature detector 15 and a water level sensor 16 are provided in the circulation circuit, and are connected to the downstream of the circulation pump 11 from the outlet of the hot and cold water mixing valve 8 via a pouring hot water opening / closing valve 17 and a check valve 18. A vacuum breaking valve 19 is provided in the pouring circuit to separate the water supply source from the circulation circuit. Further, the hot water storage tank 1 is provided with a temperature detector 20 for detecting the boiling water temperature and the water supply temperature. Bathtub 6
A bubble circuit is formed from the connection adapter 9 to the air intake port 23 of the electromagnetic valve 22 for air through the bubble pipe 21. The control circuit 24 is composed of various electronic circuits including a microcomputer, and takes in a signal from the water level sensor 16 to control the energization of the circulation pump 11.

In the above construction, the two-way valve 12 is closed during automatic pouring, the pouring on-off valve 17 is opened with the circulation pump 11 stopped, and the hot water mixing valve 8 adjusts the temperature of the hot water mixing circuit to a circulating circuit. It is poured into the bathtub 6 from the connection adapter 9 via the forward pipe 14. Return pipe 1 connected to the water level sensor 16
At 0, one end is closed by the two-way valve 12, so the water pressure of the bath water from the connection adapter 9 is transmitted to the water level sensor 16 and the pressure is detected. When the set value is reached, the pouring on-off valve 17 is closed to close the bath. Stop pouring into # 6. After that, when the water level drops using the hot water in the bathtub 6 and the water level signal falls below the set value,
The pouring / opening valve 17 is opened again to pour water into the bathtub 6, and water is automatically replenished until the water level of the bathwater reaches a set value. When the temperature of the hot water in the bathtub 6 decreases, the bath circulation operation mode is set and the circulation pump 1
When 1 operates, the two-way valve 12 and the pouring / opening valve 17 are opened in advance, hot water is appropriately passed through both the return pipe 10 and the outgoing pipe 14, and the air in the circulation circuit is discharged.
Operate the circulation pump 11 and heat the reheating heater 1
The hot water in the bathtub 6 is heated while energizing 3 and circulating. When the temperature of the bath water from the return pipe 10 is detected by the circulation temperature detector 15 and reaches the set temperature, the energization of the reheating heater 13 is stopped, and the operation of the circulation pump 11 is stopped to stop the reheating. .. The circulation pump 11 is operated manually or at regular intervals to detect the temperature of the bath water with the temperature detector 15, and when the temperature falls below the set temperature, reheating is started. When the bubble mode is selected, the circulation pump 11
Operates to circulate the hot water in the bathtub 6 in the circulation circuit. When the solenoid valve 22 for air is opened at the same time as the operation, air for air bubbles is guided from the air intake port 23 to the connection adapter 9 through the air bubble pipe 21, and is ejected into the bathtub 6 by the ejector effect of the circulating water in the circulation circuit. It is ejected as bubbles. At this time, the control circuit 24 takes in a signal from the water level sensor 16 and controls the rotation speed of the circulation pump 11 to change the flow rate of the hot water flowing in the circulation circuit to generate a constant bubble amount. As shown in FIG. 2, in the present embodiment, even if the water level changes between 100 mm and 500 mm, the bubble amount is 2500 CC / min, and the bubble amount does not greatly change depending on the water level as in the conventional case. .

In the above embodiment, the bath device using the hot water storage type electric water heater has been described, but a bath device using a water heater by a gas heat source can also obtain the same effect.

[0011]

As is apparent from the above embodiments, the bath device of the present invention is provided with a control circuit for taking in a signal from the water level sensor and changing the flow rate of hot water flowing in the circulation circuit to make the amount of bubbles constant. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the intake amount of air from changing depending on the water level of the bath water, to constantly generate a constant amount of bubbles, and to experience a comfortable bubble bath.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a bath device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Fig. 2] Characteristic graph of the amount of bubbles depending on the water level height of the bath device

[Fig. 3] System configuration diagram of a conventional bath device

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Hot water storage tank 6 Bath 8 Hot water mixing valve 10 Return pipe 11 Circulation pump 12 Two-way valve 13 Reheating heater 14 Outflow pipe 16 Water level sensor 17 Pouring open / close valve 20 Temperature detector 21 Bubble pipe 24 Control circuit

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A hot and cold water mixing valve for mixing hot water introduced from a hot water storage tank and water introduced from a water supply source, a pouring circuit having a pouring opening / closing valve connected to the hot and cold water mixing valve, and hot water in a bathtub. A reheating heater for heating the recirculation heater, a forward pipe, a return pipe, and a circulation pump; a bubble pipe for taking air for bubbles into the bath due to the flow rate of hot water discharged from the circulation pump; A temperature detector for detecting the temperature of the hot water provided, a water level sensor for detecting the water level of the bath, and a two-way valve for switching between the circulation circuit and the pouring circuit are provided, and a signal from the water level sensor is supplied. A bath device provided with a control circuit for taking in and changing the flow rate of hot water flowing in the circulation circuit to make the amount of bubbles constant.