Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A45—HAND OR TRAVELLING ARTICLES
  • A45D—HAIRDRESSING OR SHAVING EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT FOR COSMETICS OR COSMETIC TREATMENTS, e.g. FOR MANICURING OR PEDICURING
  • A45D19/00—Devices for washing the hair or the scalp; Similar devices for colouring the hair
  • A45D19/14—Closed washing devices, e.g. washing caps

Definitions

• This disclosure relates to a sealing member and an automatic hair washing device having the sealing member.
• an automatic hair washing machine (hereinafter referred to as the "Publication 1 invention") is used as an apparatus for automatically washing a person's hair without the need for a hairdresser's hands, such as the automatic hair washing machine described in Patent Document 1 below.
• the person's head is placed inside the device and a hood is placed over the head.
• a face seal is attached to the boundary between the head and face to prevent water leakage.
• Hot water is ejected from multiple nozzles inside the hood, and ideally, all of the water ejected from the nozzles should hit the head. However, for example, if the head is relatively small, the ejected water may cross the head and hit the hood or face seal, causing water leakage.
• This disclosure was proposed in light of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a sealing member and an automatic hair washing device that can prevent water leakage regardless of individual differences among users.
• the sealing member disclosed herein is provided in a hair washing space formed by covering a bowl section on which the recipient's head is placed with a hood section in an automatic hair washing device, and is located near a face seal section that seals the boundary between the recipient's head and face when the recipient's head is placed in the hair washing space, and is located at the destination of water discharge from a nozzle section located in the hair washing space.
• the sealing members disclosed herein are characterized by being configured as a pair, one on each side of the patient's head, and being movable toward or away from the head.
• the sealing member disclosed herein is characterized by having a soft member that comes into contact with the patient's head, and the soft member being detachable.
• the sealing member disclosed herein is characterized in that it is attachable to and detachable from the detachable part of the automatic hair washing machine.
• the sealing member disclosed herein is characterized by being slidable relative to the detachable portion and being stopped by frictional force.
• the sealing member according to the present disclosure is characterized in that it has, within the face seal portion, a first water-blocking portion that faces the neck seal portion that seals around the neck of the patient, and a second water-blocking portion that protrudes away from the first water-blocking portion toward the opposite side of the neck seal portion.
• the sealing member disclosed herein is characterized in that the second water-shielding portion extends from the upper end of the first water-shielding portion, and the first water-shielding portion is attached to and detached from the detachable portion.
• the automatic hair washing device is characterized by having the above-described sealing member.
• the sealing member disclosed herein is provided in the hair washing space of an automatic hair washing device, formed by covering the bowl on which the recipient's head is placed with the hood.
• the sealing member is located near the face seal, which seals the boundary between the recipient's head and face, and is at the destination of water ejection from the nozzle, which is located in the hair washing space.
• the sealing member blocks the hot water that does not hit the head just before it reaches the face seal, preventing the hot water from reaching the face seal and leaking from the face seal. Therefore, water leakage can be prevented regardless of individual differences between recipients.
• FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an automatic hair washing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 2 is a top view of an automatic hair washing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view illustrating the automatic hair washing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure with the sealing member separated therefrom.
• FIG. 4 is a first perspective view of a seal member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 5 is a second perspective view of a seal member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 6 is a top view of a seal member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 7 is an inner side view of a seal member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 8 is a rear view of a seal member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a state in which the soft member has been removed from the sealing member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 10 is a top view of a sealing member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure with the soft member removed.
• FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of portion A in FIG. 3, and is a first enlarged explanatory view for explaining a seal member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of portion A in FIG. 3, and is a second enlarged explanatory view for explaining the sealing member according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 13 is a cross section taken along line XIII-XIII in FIG. 2, and is a first explanatory cross section for explaining the operation of the automatic hair washing device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 14 is the same cross section as FIG. 3 and is a second explanatory cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of the automatic hair washing device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 15 is the same cross section as FIG. 3 and is a third explanatory cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of the automatic hair washing device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 16 is the same cross section as FIG. 3 and is a fourth explanatory cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of the automatic hair washing device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a head support member included in the automatic hair washing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 18 is a top view of a head support member included in the automatic hair washing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 19 is a rear view of the head support member of the automatic hair washing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 20 is a bottom view of a head support member included in the automatic hair washing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.
• 21 is a cross section taken along line XXI-XXI of FIG. 18, and is a side cross section of the head support member of the automatic hair washing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.
• 22 is the same cross section as FIG. 21, but is a side cross section of the automatic hair washing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure after the head support member has moved.
• FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a shower member having a nozzle member included in an automatic hair washing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 24 is a front view of a shower member having a nozzle member included in an automatic hair washing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 25 is a perspective view of a nozzle member included in the automatic hair washing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 26 is an exploded perspective view of a nozzle member of the automatic hair washing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, viewed from the downstream side.
• FIG. 27 is an exploded perspective view of a nozzle member of the automatic hair washing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, viewed from the upstream side.
• FIG. 28 is a downstream side view of a nozzle member included in the automatic hair washing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 29 is a first side view of a nozzle member included in the automatic hair washing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
• 30 is a cross section taken along the line XXX-XXX of FIG. 28, showing a first side cross section of the nozzle member of the automatic hair washing device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 31 is a second side view of the nozzle member of the automatic hair washing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.
• 32 is a cross section taken along line XXXI-XXXI of FIG. 28, showing a second side cross section of the nozzle member of the automatic hair washing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 33 is an upstream side view of a nozzle member included in the automatic hair washing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 34 is an enlarged view of a portion corresponding to portion B in FIG. 30, and is a partial side cross-sectional view of a second form of the nozzle member of the automatic hair washing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 35 is an enlarged view of a portion corresponding to portion B in FIG. 30, and is a partial side cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of the nozzle member of the automatic hair washing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
• the sealing members according to the present disclosure are configured as a pair, one on each side of the recipient's head, and are movable toward or away from the head.
• the sealing members move away from the head, so they do not get in the way.
• the sealing members move closer to the head depending on the size of the head, so they can be adjusted to an appropriate position.
• the sealing member according to the present disclosure has a soft member that comes into contact with the patient's head, and the soft member is detachable. Because the sealing member comes into contact with the patient's head and the contact area is made of a soft member, it causes less irritation to the skin. Furthermore, the removable soft member makes cleaning easier.
• the sealing member according to the present disclosure is detachable from the detachable portion of the automatic hair washing device. Removing the sealing member from the automatic hair washing device makes cleaning easier.
• the sealing member disclosed herein is slidable against the detachable portion and is stopped by friction. Therefore, its construction is simple.
• the sealing member according to the present disclosure has a first water-blocking portion that faces the neck-side seal portion of the face seal portion that seals around the neck of the recipient, and a second water-blocking portion that juts out from the first water-blocking portion on the opposite side of the neck-side seal portion, away from the first water-blocking portion.
• the second water-shielding portion extends from the upper end of the first water-shielding portion, and the first water-shielding portion is attached to and detached from the detachable portion.
• the first water-shielding portion also functions as a portion that can be attached and detached to the detachable portion, and the first and second water-shielding portions are realized in an integrated and simple configuration.
• the automatic hair washing device has the above-mentioned sealing member. Therefore, it produces the same effects as the above-mentioned sealing member.
• FIGS 1 and 2 show the automatic hair washing device 1 according to this embodiment.
• the front side Front
• the opposite side will be referred to as the back side (Back)
• the width direction when the front-to-back direction is the depth will be referred to as the left and right sides (Right Side, Left Side)
• the height direction of the automatic hair washing device 1 will be referred to as the upper side and lower side (Up, Down) (see Figure 1).
• the automatic hair washing device 1 has a main body 2 that stands on its own on an installation surface, a bowl 4 on top of the main body 2 on which the user's head is placed, and a hood 5 (not shown in Figure 2) that covers the top of the bowl 4.
• the hood 5 can be freely opened and closed.
• a hair washing space 7 is formed inside the space surrounded by the hood 5 and bowl 4.
• a treatment table (not shown) is placed in front of the main body front part 3, which is the front of the main body part 2.
• the person to be treated lies on the treatment table and places their head in the hair washing space 7.
• a face seal part 8 is formed at the boundary between the head side and face side of the person to be treated. Specifically, the face seal part 8 seals the edge of the opening 11 formed across the main body front part 3 and the hood front part 6, which is the front of the hood part 5.
• the face seal part 8 is composed of a concave neck side seal part 9 formed at the upper end of the main body front part 3 and a concave face side seal part 10 formed in the hood front part 6.
• the face seal part 8 is circular or approximately circular to match the shape of the opening 11.
• the person to be treated places their neck on the neck side seal part 9, sealing the periphery of the neck.
• the face side seal part 10 is placed against the periphery of the person to be treated and seals the periphery of the face. Therefore, the entire head, excluding the face (including the ears), is placed in the hair washing space 7, with the face exposed to the outside.
• a head support member 40 on which the head of the person being treated is placed within the hair washing space 7, a pair of left and right sealing members 20 that are placed against the head within the hair washing space 7, and an arch-shaped shower member 60 that sprays hot and cold water onto the head within the hair washing space 7.
• a detachable portion 12 inside the bowl portion 4 are at least a detachable portion 12 to which the sealing members 20 are attached and detached, a shower head 17 that is manually operated by the practitioner, and a hot and cold water stop valve 18, and a drain outlet 19 is formed at the bottom.
• the detachable portion 12 is located on the front side of the neck-side sealing portion 9.
• the detachable portion 12 is a member consisting of two plate-shaped portions 13 facing each other with a gap 16 between them.
• the plate-shaped portions 14, 15 are arranged in an upright position, with the front side plate 14 on the near side being larger than the rear side plate 15 on the rear side (in other words, the rear side plate 15 is smaller than the front side plate 14).
• seal member 20 head support member 40, and shower member 60 will now be described in order with reference to the drawings.
• Figures 4 to 10 show the external appearance of the seal member 20, and Figures 11 and 12 show the operation of the seal member 20. Note that since the pair of seal members 20 are symmetrical, the following description will focus on the left seal member 20, and the description of the right seal member 20 will be omitted.
• the sealing member 20 is T-shaped (see Figure 7, for example) and has a soft member 33.
• the soft member 33 is removable.
• the sealing member 20 is composed of a protruding piece 21, a first water-blocking portion 23 extending downward from the lower end of the protruding piece 21, and a second water-blocking portion 22 extending from the boundary between the protruding piece 21 and the first water-blocking portion 23 in a direction away from the protruding piece 21 and the first water-blocking portion 23.
• the protruding piece 21 is a plate-like piece extending upward and becomes thinner as it extends upward.
• the first water-blocking portion 23 is a plate-like piece extending downward.
• the second water-blocking portion 22 is a plate-like piece extending toward the rear.
• the seal front surface 24, which is the front surface of the seal member 20 and is formed by the protruding piece 21 and the first water-shielding portion 23, is flat or approximately flat.
• the seal lower rear surface 26, which is the bottom and rear surfaces of the seal member 20 and is formed by the second water-shielding portion 22 and the first water-shielding portion 23, is L-shaped at a right angle or approximately at a right angle when viewed from the side (see Figure 7).
• a spacer 32 is affixed to the outer surface of the first water-shielding portion 23, spanning from the seal front surface 24 to the seal lower rear surface 26 (see Figure 7).
• the spacer 32 is flat and can be freely deformed, and is detachable and replaceable.
• the seal outer surface portion 27 is on the right side in the figure).
• a rib 29 is formed on the end of the seal upper rear surface portion 25 of the seal outer surface portion 27 (see Figure 4). The rib 29 protrudes upward.
• the seal inner surface portion 28, which is the right side surface of the seal member 20, is inclined from the protruding piece portion 21 to the first water-shielding portion 23, and becomes more distant from the seal outer surface portion 27 as it moves downward (in other words, the seal inner surface portion 28 moves from the first water-shielding portion 23 to the protruding piece portion 21 and approaches the seal outer surface portion 27 as it moves upward. See Figure 8.
• the seal inner surface portion 28 is on the left side in the figure).
• An accommodation space 30 for accommodating a soft member 33 is formed inside the second water-shielding section 22 and the first water-shielding section 23, and an accommodation opening 31 that leads to the accommodation space 30 is formed in the seal inner side surface section 28.
• the accommodation opening 31 and accommodation space 30 are L-shaped, with a right angle or a nearly right angle, when viewed from the side (see Figure 7).
• the soft member 33 is, for example, a cushion, rubber, gel, etc., and is freely deformable. Therefore, when the soft member 33 is accommodated in the accommodation space 30, it is bent into an L-shape according to the shape of the accommodation space 30.
• the soft member 33 is formed to be longer than the left-right width of the seal member 20, and protrudes from the seal inner side surface portion 28.
• the first soft piece 34 is arranged on the same plane as the first water-shielding portion 23, and the second soft piece 35 is arranged on the same plane as the second water-shielding portion 22.
• the sealing member 20 configured as described above is attached to the detachable portion 12 inside the bowl portion 4, as shown in Figures 11 and 12.
• the first water-blocking portion 23 of the sealing member 20 also functions to be attached to and detached from the detachable portion 12, and is therefore sandwiched in the gap 16 of the detachable portion 12.
• the first water-blocking portion 23 faces the neck seal portion 9 of the face seal portion 8
• the second water-blocking portion 22 protrudes away from the first water-blocking portion 23 towards the rear, which is the opposite side of the neck seal portion 9 from the first water-blocking portion 23.
• Figures 13 to 16 show a side cross section of the automatic hair washing device 1, illustrating the operation of the shower member 60 and the position of the sealing member 20 relative to the shower member 60.
• the sealing member 20 moves toward the head.
• the sealing member 20 is away from the head and does not interfere with the placement of the head (see FIG. 11).
• the sealing member 20 is held in place by the frictional force between the detachable portion 12 and the first water-blocking portion 23 (spacer 32).
• the sealing member 20 By sliding the sealing member 20 against the frictional force, the sealing member 20 can be moved toward or away from the head, and by stopping the sliding, the sealing member 20 stops in that position. Therefore, the sealing member 20 has a simple configuration and can be easily moved.
• the sealing member 20 moves toward the head depending on the size of the head, allowing the sealing member 20 to be adjusted to an appropriate posture. The practitioner can grasp the protruding piece 21 when handling the sealing member 20.
• the sealing member 20 is moved until the soft member 33 comes into contact with the head. Because the contact area is the soft member 33, there is little irritation to the skin.
• the first water-blocking portion 23 is sandwiched in the gap 16 of the detachable portion 12, but a portion of the first water-blocking portion 23 protrudes from the detachable portion 12 toward the head and faces the neck seal portion 9.
• the second water-blocking portion 22 is positioned behind the ear of the patient, and the protruding piece portion 21 is positioned below the earlobe. In this state, the inner seal surface portion 28 is inclined upward from the first water-blocking portion 23 to the protruding piece portion 21, and therefore does not come into contact with the ear or face. This prevents pressure on the ear or face.
• the practitioner can grasp the protruding piece 21 and hook their fingers onto the rib 29, making it easy to move the sealing member 20.
• the shower member 60 rotates and reciprocates within a predetermined rotation angle within the hair washing space 7, moving around the head of the person being treated and spraying hot and cold water toward the head, with the sealing member 20 located at the destination of the water.
• the sealing member 20 blocks the hot and cold water just before the face seal portion 8, preventing the hot and cold water from reaching the face seal portion 8 and leaking from the face seal portion 8. Therefore, water leakage can be prevented regardless of individual differences in the person being treated.
• the shower member 60 when the shower member 60 is located below and hot and cold water is sprayed generally upward from the back of the head of the person being treated toward the face-side seal portion 10 (see FIG. 13), the hot and cold water is blocked by the second water-blocking portion 22, the lower rear seal portion 26, the second soft piece 35 of the soft member 33, etc. Furthermore, when shower member 60 is positioned generally horizontally and sprays water generally horizontally from the top of the recipient's head toward neck seal 9 (see FIG. 15), the hot and cold water is blocked by first water-blocking portion 23, lower rear seal portion 26, protruding piece 21, upper rear seal portion 25, first soft piece 34 of soft member 33, etc.
• seal member 20 blocks the water and prevents leakage.
• the sealing member 20 has a simple, integrated configuration in which the protruding piece portion 21, the second water-shielding portion 22, and the first water-shielding portion 23 are integrated (see Figures 4 to 10). Because the sealing member 20 can be removed from the detachable portion 12, cleaning and replacement of the sealing member 20 is easy (see Figure 3). Furthermore, because the soft member 33 can be removed from the sealing member 20, cleaning and replacement of the soft member 33 is also easy (see Figures 9 and 10).
• Figures 13 and 14 show a side cross-section of the automatic hair washing device 1 and illustrate the operation of the head support member 40.
• Figures 17 to 22 show the appearance and cross-section of the head support member 40.
• the head support member 40 has a support main body 41 that supports the head of the person being treated within the hair washing space 7, and a support base 46 that supports the support main body 41 in a swingable manner.
• the support main body 41 swings back and forth relative to the support base 46.
• the support main body 41 and the support base 46 form a movement mechanism 50 (see Figures 21 and 22), and the movement mechanism 50 causes the support main body 41 to swing back and forth.
• the movement mechanism 50 moves the support main body 41 to a support position that supports the head during automatic hair washing ( Figure 13), while during non-automatic hair washing, the support main body 41 moves to a separated position that is away from the top of the head and toward the neck of the person being treated ( Figure 14).
• the support body 41 In the support position, the support body 41 is generally horizontal or has a posture with the rear end pointing slightly upward. As the support body 41 moves from the support position to the separated position, the rear end moves downward and the front end moves upward and forward, toward the neck of the patient. During this movement, the support body 41 swings in an arc between the support position and the separated position (see arrow 100 in Figure 13 and arrow 101 in Figure 14).
• the support body 41 has a mesh portion 42 that supports the back of the head of the patient, and a pair of mesh support portions 43 that support the left and right sides of the mesh portion 42.
• the mesh shape of the mesh portion 42 is arbitrary, for example, a honeycomb shape.
• the mesh support portion 43 is a rectangular parallelepiped that is long from front to back.
• a slit 44 is formed on the underside of the mesh support portion 43, and a connecting piece portion 45 is located on the inside of the mesh support portion 43.
• the slit 44 leads to the connecting piece portion 45.
• the mesh support portions 43 are positioned at a distance that is the same as the width of the patient's head or wider than the width of the head, and the mesh portion 42 is stretched between the two mesh support portions 43.
• the support base portion 46 has a plate-shaped base piece portion 47, a pair of plate-shaped base leg pieces 48 that rise from both ends of the base piece portion 47 at right angles to the base piece portion 47, and a base connecting piece portion 49 formed at the upper end of the base leg piece 48.
• the base leg piece 48 is curved in an arc upward and toward the rear.
• the base connecting piece portion 49 is passed through the slit 44 in the net support portion 43 and connected to the connecting piece portion 45.
• the support main body 41 has a rail portion 51 as the movement mechanism 50, while the support base 46 has an engagement protrusion 55 that engages with the rail portion 51 and a guide protrusion 56 that is guided by the rail as the movement mechanism 50.
• the rail portion 51 is formed on the connecting piece portion 45 inside the net support portion 43.
• the rail portion 51 extends forward and backward and curves downward in an arc or is bent downward.
• Two notches 52 are formed in the rail portion 51, cut out toward the upper side.
• One of the notches 52 is a support notch 53, which is formed at the front end of the rail portion 51.
• the other notch 52 is a non-support notch 54, which is formed in the middle of the rail portion 51.
• the engagement protrusion 55 and guide protrusion 56 are attached to the side of the base connecting piece 49 and are spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction.
• the engagement protrusion 55 is formed at the front end of the base connecting piece 49.
• the guide protrusion 56 is formed at the rear end of the base connecting piece 49.
• the engagement protrusion 55 engages with the support notch 53, while no protrusions engage with the non-support notch 54 (see Figure 21).
• the engagement protrusion 55 engages with the non-support notch 54, while no protrusions engage with the support notch 53 (see Figure 22).
• the rail portion 51 of the mesh support portion 43 is curved or bent downward in an arc (see Figures 21 and 22), so when the engaging protrusions 55 of the support base portion 46 are engaged with the rail portion 51, the support main body portion 41 swings in an arc or bends as it moves along the rail portion 51. This leaves space on the back and top of the head of the person being treated, allowing the practitioner to wash hair in an open space.
• the engaging protrusions 55 engage with the support notches 53, causing the support main body 41 to stop and maintaining an appropriate posture for supporting the user's head during automatic hair washing (see Figures 15 and 21).
• the engaging protrusions 55 engage with the non-support notches 54, causing the support main body 41 to stop and maintaining an appropriate posture for manually washing the user's head (see Figures 14 and 22).
• the part that directly supports the head is the mesh part 42, only a small part of the head is covered (see Figure 17). Therefore, the area that interferes with hair washing using the automatic hair washing device 1 is kept to a minimum. Because both sides of the mesh part 42 are supported and the area below the mesh part 42 is open, the mesh support part 43 and support base part 46 do not interfere with hair washing.
• FIG. 23 and 24 show the shower member 60.
• the shower member 60 has an arch-shaped water flow pipe 61 and multiple nozzle members 63 attached to this water flow pipe 61.
• the left end of the water flow pipe 61 has a rotating shaft 62, and the right end is closed.
• the water flow pipe 61 has holes (not shown) formed at predetermined intervals, and the nozzle members 63 are attached to align with the holes. Therefore, hot and cold water that flows in from the rotating shaft 62 and flows through the water flow pipe 61 is supplied to each nozzle member 63.
• Figures 25 to 33 show the appearance, cross section, and structure of the nozzle member 63. Note that the description based on Figures 25 to 33 will be based on the orientation shown in Figure 25. The orientation shown in Figure 25 differs from the orientation shown in Figure 1.
• the nozzle member 63 has an intake member 64, an upstream cover 65 and a downstream cover 66 that cover the intake member 64 from above and below, and a fixing cover 67 for fixing the upstream cover 65 to the water flow pipe 61.
• the internal structure of the nozzle member 63 will be explained based on Figures 30 and 32, and then the external shape of each component will be explained based on other drawings.
• Figures 30 and 32 show a cross section of the nozzle member 63.
• a flow path through which hot and cold water flows is formed inside the nozzle member 63.
• the flow path is subdivided as it moves downstream.
• the flow path has an upstream-most connecting flow path section 84 that communicates with the water flow pipe 61, a branching flow path section 85 that connects to the downstream side of this connecting flow path section 84 and widens as it moves downstream, and multiple discharge flow path sections 86 that connect to the downstream side of this branching flow path section 85.
• Each discharge flow path section 86 has an air intake hole 87 that connects to the outside.
• the branch flow path section 85 has a flat space 88.
• the flat space 88 is long from side to side and flat from front to back.
• the flat space 88 gradually becomes wider from side to side and thinner from front to back as it moves downstream from the connecting flow path section 84.
• the branch flow path section 85 has multiple partitions 89, which divide the flat space 88 into multiple branch flow paths 92.
• the partitions 89 are composed of a central partition 90 formed approximately in the center of the branch flow path section 85 and side partitions 91 formed at positions spaced apart on the left and right sides of the central partition 90.
• the central partition 90 extends downstream, and the side partitions 91 extend downstream and to the left and right sides, respectively.
• Two central flow paths 93 are formed between the central partition 90 and each side partition 91, and two side flow path sections 94 are formed between each side partition 91 and the inner wall 95 of the branch flow path section 85. Therefore, the flat space 88 is divided into four branch flow paths 93, 94 by each partition 90, 91, and the flow path from the communication flow path section 84 to the discharge channel section 86 is divided approximately evenly into the four branch flow paths 93, 94.
• the discharge channel section 86 is formed narrower than each of the branch channels 93, 94 in the flat space 88. Each discharge channel section 86 is linear and arranged parallel or approximately parallel. Therefore, the discharge ports 99 of the discharge channel sections 86 face the same direction (upward in Figure 30) and are lined up in a row on the left and right.
• the number of discharge channel sections 86 is arbitrary, but is generally 10 to 20, which is more than the number of branch channels 92 (in other words, the number of branch channels 92 is less than the number of discharge channel sections 86).
• the discharge channel section 86 has an upstream channel 96 connected to the downstream side of the branch channel section 85, a connecting channel 102 formed downstream of the upstream channel 96, a midstream channel 97 connected to the downstream side of the connecting channel 102, and a downstream channel 98 connected to the downstream side of the midstream channel 97.
• the upstream channel 96 is formed narrower than the branch channels 93, 94 of the flat space 88.
• the connecting channel 102 is formed wider than the upstream channel 96.
• the midstream channel 97 is formed wider than the upstream channel 96 and has the same or approximately the same diameter as the connecting channel 102.
• the downstream channel 98 is formed narrower than the midstream channel 97 and wider than the upstream channel 96.
• the channels 96, 102, 97, and 98 are connected in a straight line.
• the air intake hole 87 is formed in the connecting flow path 102 between the upstream flow path 96 and the midstream flow path 97.
• the air intake hole 87 opens in a direction perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to the water flow direction in the discharge channel section 86.
• the inner diameter of the air intake hole 87 is the same as or approximately the same as that of the upstream flow path 96.
• the fixed cover 67 is a roughly rectangular plate with a semicircular grip portion 81 on one side through which the water flow pipe 61 passes. Screws 82 are inserted into the four corners of the fixed cover 67.
• the upstream cover 65 has an upstream cover main body 68 that is elongated in the left-right direction, a semicircular other-side gripping portion 69 connected to the lower part of the upstream cover main body 68, and a branch flow path portion 85 formed inside the upstream cover main body 68.
• an annular upstream cover edge portion 70 is formed that extends upward from the outer periphery, and an intake member mounting groove 71 is formed inside this upstream cover edge portion 70 to which the intake member 64 is attached.
• the intake member mounting groove 71 leads to the branch flow path portion 85.
• Gap-forming outer ends 72 are formed at both left and right ends of the upstream cover main body 68.
• the intake member 64 is elongated from side to side, with multiple upstream flow paths 96 formed inside and multiple intake holes 87 formed on the front and rear outer surfaces. Each intake hole 87 leads to a connecting flow path 102 for each upstream flow path 96.
• the upper end of the intake member 64 is formed with a ring-shaped intake member edge portion 73 extending upward from the outer periphery, and a downstream cover mounting groove portion 74 is formed inside this intake member edge portion 73 to which the downstream cover 66 is attached.
• the downstream cover 66 has a downstream cover outer body portion 75 that is long in the left-right direction, a pair of support pieces 76 that extend downward from the downstream cover outer body portion 75 and are configured as a front-rear pair, and a downstream cover inner body portion 77 (see Figures 30 and 32) formed inside the downstream cover outer body portion 75, with a midstream flow path 97 and a downstream flow path 98 formed in the downstream cover inner body portion 77.
• An intake member mounting gap 78 (see Figures 30 and 32) is formed between the downstream cover outer body portion 75 and the downstream cover inner body portion 77, into which the intake member 64 is mounted.
• a screw hole 79 is formed in each support piece portion 76.
• the inner surfaces of both the left and right ends of the downstream cover outer body portion 75 have gap-forming inner ends 80.
• the branch flow path portion 85 of the upstream cover 65 and the upstream flow path 96 of the intake member 64 are connected.
• the downstream cover inner main body portion 77 of the downstream cover 66 is attached to the downstream cover mounting groove 74 of the intake member 64, and the intake member edge portion 73 of the intake member 64 is attached to the intake member mounting gap 78 of the downstream cover 66, thereby connecting the connecting flow path 102 of the intake member 64 and the midstream flow path 97 of the downstream cover 66.
• the fixed cover 67 is attached to the lower part of the upstream cover 65 and the lower part of the downstream cover 66, and the screws 82 of the fixed cover 67 are fastened to the screw holes 79 of the downstream cover 66.
• the water flow pipe 61 is sandwiched between the other side grip portion 69 of the upstream cover 65 and the one side grip portion 81 of the fixed cover 67.
• the hot water flows through the water flow pipe 61 into the nozzle member 63.
• the hot water passes through the connecting flow path 84, the branching flow path 85, and the discharge flow path 86 before being discharged from the discharge port 99 (see Figures 30 and 32).
• air is drawn in through the ventilation gap 83 and the air intake hole 87, and the hot water mixed with air is discharged.
• the hot water contains a large number of fine air bubbles, and when the bubbles come into contact with the hair, they burst, simultaneously bursting the dirt, thereby improving the cleaning effect.
• the flow path from the connecting flow path section 84 to the water discharge path section 86 is divided roughly evenly into four branch flow paths 93, 94 (see Figure 30). Because the hot and cold water is diverted roughly evenly in each branch flow path 93, 94 before flowing into each water discharge path section 86, the water pressure in each water discharge path section 86 is also roughly uniform. Because there is little difference in water pressure between each water discharge path section 86, the force of the hot and cold water hitting the hair is roughly uniform across the entire head of hair. This results in a more even wash. In addition to the uniform water discharge, the use of hot and cold water with a high cleansing effect that is mixed with air makes for an even more even wash.
• the water is divided into four branch channels 93, 94, and each branch channel 93, 94 is then divided into three to four water discharge channel sections 86.
• water pressure is not applied to all water discharge channel sections 86 at once; rather, the water is divided into multiple branch channels 93, 94 at each partition section 90, 91, and water pressure is then applied to multiple water discharge channel sections 86, so the pressure of the hot and cold water discharged is generally uniform. This results in a more even hair washing result.
• the upstream channel 96 is narrower than the branch channels 93, 94 of the flat space 88, the connecting channel 102 is wider than the upstream channel 96, the midstream channel 97 is wider than the upstream channel 96 and has the same or approximately the same diameter as the connecting channel 102, and the downstream channel 98 is narrower than the midstream channel 97 and wider than the upstream channel 96.
• the air intake hole 87 opens into the connecting channel 102 between the upstream channel 96 and the midstream channel 97, in a direction perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to the water flow direction in the water discharge channel section 86 (see Figures 30 and 32).
• the nozzle member 63 is composed of the individual components 64, 65, 66, and 67, and is easily assembled. It can also be disassembled, facilitating replacement and cleaning.
• the gap-forming outer end 72 of the upstream cover main body 68 and the gap-forming inner end 80 of the downstream cover outer main body 75 are not in close contact, leaving an air gap 83 between them (see Figures 30 and 33). Therefore, air can be drawn in even when covered by the individual components 64, 65, 66, and 67.
• the air intake hole 87 is covered by the individual covers 6, 5, 66, and 67, it is possible to prevent the intrusion of chemicals such as coloring agents used in treatments or foreign objects into the air intake hole 87.
• uniformly covering each air intake hole 87 also reduces the water pressure difference at each water outlet 99.
• the shower member 60 rotates within a specified rotation angle range within the hair washing space 7, moving back and forth around the head of the person being treated, spraying hot and cold water in a straight line toward the head, with the sprayed hot and cold water hitting the surface of the head at a right angle or nearly a right angle (see Figures 13 to 16).
• the hot and cold water hits the dense roots of the hair and scalp with force, allowing for a proper hair wash.
• Figure 34 shows a partial cross section of nozzle member 263 relating to the second form
• Figure 35 shows a partial cross section of nozzle member 363 relating to the third form. Note that the following mainly describes the configuration that differs from nozzle member 63, and a description of the configuration that is similar to nozzle member 63 will be omitted.
• the nozzle member 263 has the connecting flow path 202 and midstream flow path 297 connected with a left-right offset.
• the upstream flow path 296 and connecting flow path 202 are aligned in a straight line
• the midstream flow path 297 and downstream flow path 298 are aligned in a straight line
• the upstream flow path 296 and connecting flow path 202 are offset from the midstream flow path 297 and downstream flow path 298.
• This offset acts as resistance to the water flow, suppressing water pressure. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the water pressure according to the degree of offset.
• the pressure of hot and cold water discharged from each outlet 299 is roughly uniform. It is also possible to adjust the water pressure by adjusting the water volume through control of the pump's AC motor, inverter, and PWM (Pulse Width Modulation).
• the nozzle member 363 has a step 303 formed at the boundary between the midstream flow path 397 and the downstream flow path 398, connecting the two flow paths 397, 398 in a stepped manner.
• the midstream flow path 397 and the downstream flow path 398 are straight, cylindrical shapes, and the inner diameter of the downstream flow path 398 is smaller than the inner diameter of the midstream flow path 397.
• the step 303 is formed by the difference in the inner diameters of the flow paths 397, 398. This configuration ensures that the pressure of hot and cold water discharged from each outlet 399 is roughly uniform.
• the nozzle member 363 has a connecting flow path 302 and a midstream flow path 397 that are offset to the left and right and connected to each other. Note that the connecting flow path 302 and the midstream flow path 397 may also be connected in a straight line, similar to the nozzle member 63.
• the seal member is fixed and cannot be moved or removed. In other embodiments, there is no soft member. In another embodiment, the flexible member is fixed to the sealing member and cannot be removed. In another embodiment, only the protruding piece portion and the first water-shielding portion are provided, and the second water-shielding portion is not provided. In another embodiment, only the protruding piece portion and the second water-shielding portion are provided, and the first water-shielding portion is not provided. In another embodiment, only the first water shielding portion and the second water shielding portion are provided, and no protruding piece portion is provided. In another embodiment, the seal member is automatically moved by electrical power.
• the support body moves directly below the head, so that the spaced apart position is below the head.
• the support body moves from the top of the head toward the rear. Therefore, the separated position is at the rear of the head.
• the rail portion does not have a notch. In this case, when the patient's head is placed on the mesh portion of the support body, the support body swings according to the posture of the head. Therefore, the head is supported in an appropriate position according to the posture, size, shape, etc. of the patient's head.
• the support body is electrically and automatically moved to the support position or the spaced position.
• the direction of the water outlet of the nozzle member is not constant.
• the hot and cold water ejected from the nozzle member hits the surface of the head of the person to be treated at an arbitrary angle.
• the position of the intake hole in the water discharge channel section is arbitrary.
• Another alternative embodiment does not have a divider.
• the nozzle member is formed as a single unit and cannot be disassembled.
• the position of the gap between the upstream cover and the downstream cover is arbitrary.

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• 2024
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