JP7214969B2 - bathtub equipment - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bathtub and, more particularly, to a bathtub apparatus having a pillow on which a bather can rest his/her head and a spout for spouting water toward the shoulders of the bather.

Patent Literature 1 discloses a bathtub apparatus that includes a pillow on which a bather's head is placed and a water discharger that discharges bathtub water onto the shoulders of the bather. According to this bathtub apparatus, a bather puts his or her head on the pillow part whose upper surface is formed at a horizontal or near-horizontal inclination angle, and in a relaxed posture, pours the bathtub water over the shoulders that are not immersed in the hot water in the bathtub. , can warm the upper body.

JP 2016-8428 A

In order to further improve the feeling of warmth in the upper body of the bather in a relaxed posture with the head resting on the pillow, the inventors paid attention to how the hot water spreads after landing on the shoulders. Specifically, the hot water after landing on the shoulders spreads over both the front side (chest side) and the back side (back side) of the bather, so that the upper body that is not immersed in the hot water in the bathtub. The inventors have found that it is effective to warm the entire body.

The posture of the bather (inclination angle of the upper body in a side view) is important in order for the hot water after it lands on the shoulders to spread to both the front and back of the bather. Since it differs from person to person, the present inventors paid attention to the shape of the backrest of the bathtub in order to regulate the desired bathing posture. Specifically, the inventors have found that by fitting the back of the bather to the backrest of the bathtub, the posture of the bather can be defined as desired.

However, when a pillow member such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1 is provided, the shape of the pillow on which the head rests is horizontal or formed at an angle of inclination close to horizontal and horizontal, so the posture of the bather is regulated by the pillow. However, when the bather loses his or her strength to relax, the back of the bather naturally separates from the backrest of the bathtub, resulting in a new problem that the desired bathing posture cannot be obtained.

In view of the above-described problems, the present invention provides a bather's back that naturally fits with the backrest of the bathtub even when the bather rests his or her head on the pillow and is relaxed. To provide a bathtub device capable of easily spreading both the front side and the rear side of a bather.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a bathtub, comprising: a backrest against which a bather in a bathing posture can rest his or her back; a rim disposed above the backrest; A pillow portion is arranged above the rim portion on which the head of the bather in the bathing posture can be placed, and a pillow portion is arranged between the rim portion and the pillow portion to discharge water toward the shoulders of the bather in the bathing posture. the backrest portion is inclined downward toward the inside of the bathtub at a first inclination angle with respect to the vertical plane; and the pillow portion has a downward inclined surface on its upper surface. and the descending inclined surface includes an inclined surface inclined downward toward the inside of the bathtub at a second inclination angle larger than the first inclination angle with respect to the vertical plane, and the bathtub and has a convex curved surface in a vertical cross section perpendicular to the pillow portion, and the backrest portion has a partially concave curved surface in a vertical cross section perpendicular to the backrest portion The concave curved surface is formed such that the upper end of the concave curved surface is positioned above the center in the height direction of the bathtub, and the convex curved surface is formed so as to be inclined downward. A virtual extension surface, which is a surface virtually extended downward, is formed so as to be connected to the upper end of the concave curved surface without a step , and the spout is located on the inner side of the bathtub from the virtual extension surface. It is characterized in that it does not protrude outward and is not located on the virtual extension plane .

According to the present invention configured as described above, since the angle of inclination of the pillow portion is large with respect to the vertical plane, the bather can rest his/her head firmly on the pillow portion and relax like a sleeping bath. you can get a feel. In addition, since the bather is provided with a spout that spouts water toward the shoulders of the bather, the bather can warm the upper half of the body, which is not immersed in hot water, in a relaxed posture with the head resting on the pillow. In addition, since the imaginary stretched surface of the pillow is connected to the backrest without a step, even when the bather rests his/her head on the pillow and feels weak, the back of the bather naturally rests on the backrest of the bathtub. The bathing posture can be defined so that the spouted water after landing on the shoulders of the bather tends to spread to both the front side and the back side of the bather. As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to achieve both a feeling of relaxation and a feeling of warmth of the entire upper body.
In addition, by forming the backrest in a concave shape in the vertical cross section, the curved spine of the bather can easily contact in a plane rather than in a point, so when the back of the bather hits the backrest, can make it difficult to feel pain. In other words, when the bather fits his/her back to the backrest, it is possible to prevent a concentrated load from being applied to the shoulder blades of the bather and to feel pain. This prevents the bather from deviating from a desired bathing posture by intentionally separating the back from the backrest so that the shoulder blades do not touch the backrest.

In the present invention, preferably, the backrest has a concave curved surface in a horizontal cross section so that the center portion in the width direction is located outside the bathtub and both end portions in the width direction are located inside the bathtub. It is formed like this.

According to the present invention configured as described above, the backrest of the bathtub has a shape that matches the shape of the back of the bather by forming the backrest in a concave shape in the horizontal cross section. can be fitted by the backrest. As a result, the bather's bathing posture can be defined as a desired posture.

According to the bathtub of the present invention, the back of the bather naturally fits the backrest of the bathtub even when the bather rests his/her head on the pillow and is relaxed, and the hot water after landing on the shoulder is bathed. To provide a bathtub device that can be easily spread on both sides of the front side and the back side of a person.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a bathtub device to which a bathtub discharging device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied; 2 is a top view of FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 2; 2 is a side view of FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the bathtub water discharging device according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 3; FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 6; FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of FIG. 5; BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is the front view which looked at the discharge apparatus for bathtubs by embodiment of this invention from the front. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing how water that has flowed into a storage chamber of the bathtub water discharging device according to the embodiment of the present invention passes through the inclined portion and the throttle channel and is discharged from the water discharge port. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which water is being discharged from a spout to a user sitting in a bathtub provided with a bathtub water discharging device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a pillow according to an embodiment of the invention; 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a bather taking a bath in a bathtub apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a bather taking a bath in a bathtub apparatus that is a comparative example of the present invention;

Next, a bathtub device to which a bathtub water discharging device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
1 is a schematic perspective view showing a bathtub apparatus to which a bathtub water discharging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a top view of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is taken along line III-III of FIG. 4 is a side view of FIG. 1. FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a bathtub apparatus 3 to which a bathtub water discharge apparatus (bathtub water circulation type water discharge apparatus) 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied includes a bathtub 2 and an operation unit 30 ( a water supply unit 10 for supplying hot and cold water into the bathtub 2 by operating (to be described later). A bathtub water discharging device 1 is installed in a bathtub 2 . Bathtub 2 stores water (including hot water) supplied from water supply unit 10 . In the present embodiment, the side on which the spout portion (spout) 4 of the spouting portion 5 of the water spouting device 1, which will be described later, is provided is the front direction, and the opposite side on which the storage chamber 36 is provided is the rear direction. , the right side is called the right direction and the left side is called the left direction when the spout portion 4 is viewed from the front. The temperature of the water supplied into the bathtub 2 by the water supply unit 10 is set by the user H operating the operation unit 30 (described later).

The bathtub 2 is connected to the bottom 2a, the vertical wall 2b on the short side with which the back of the user H contacts, the side wall 2d on the long side of the bathtub 2, and the upper part of the vertical wall 2b to form the upper surface of the bathtub 2. and an upper end portion (rim portion) 2c. One side of the vertical wall 2b (the side on which the bathtub water discharge device 1 is installed) is a backrest 7 with which a bather in a bathing posture can rest his or her back. The backrest portion 7 is inclined downward toward the inside of the bathtub 2 at a first inclination angle, for example, an inclination angle of 20 degrees with respect to the vertical plane (see FIG. 13). The first inclination angle is a virtual line connecting the upper end of the backrest portion 7 (the position where the upper end portion 2c and the backrest portion 7 intersect) and the lower end (the position where the bottom portion 2a and the backrest portion 7 intersect). is the angle of The upper end 2c is set at a height relatively close to the upper half of the body of the user H sitting in the bathtub, such as the head, neck, or shoulders. A first intake port 6 and a second intake port 22 are formed in the side wall 2d. The spout portion 4 has a pillow portion 8 on which the head of a bather in a bathing posture can be placed above the backrest portion. It is arranged between the backrest part 7 and the pillow part 8, and spouts water toward the shoulders of the bather in the bathing posture.
The bathtub 2 is a so-called round-type bathtub in which the upper part of the wall surface of the bathtub 2 is formed in a horizontal arc shape. The bathtub 2 is a so-called cradle type bathtub in which the upper part of the wall surface of the bathtub 2 is formed in a horizontal arc shape, a circular bathtub, or a wide type bathtub in which the vertical wall 2b forms a long side. good too.

As shown in FIG. 3, the bathtub water discharger 1 discharges water into the bathtub 2, which is supplied from a supply pipe. The bathtub water discharging device 1 is arranged at the inner edge portion of the upper end portion 2 c of the bathtub 2 . The bathtub water discharge device 1 is formed with a water discharge port 4 of a water discharge part 5 for discharging water into the bathtub 2 in a horizontal direction and in a strip shape.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the bathtub device 3 further includes a first flow path 8 extending from the first water intake 6, and a first flow path 8 provided on the first flow path 8 for sucking water in the bathtub 2. A pump (supply unit) 10 for pumping downstream, a three-way valve 12 for controlling the flow of water at the downstream end of the first flow path 8, and a second flow path 14 extending from the three-way valve 12 toward the water discharge port 4. a third flow path 16 extending from the three-way valve 12 separately from the second flow path 14; A jet pump unit 20 provided in a downstream portion, a fourth flow path 24 extending from a second water intake 22 to the jet pump unit 20, a riser pipe 26 extending vertically upward from the jet pump unit 20, a pump 10 and a three-way valve 12. , a hot water temperature sensor (detection unit) 9 for detecting the temperature of water in the bathtub 2, and an operation unit 30 operated by the user H. The detector 9 is controlled by the controller 28 . It should be noted that the detection unit 9 is formed on the inner wall of the bathtub 2, not on the wall surface where the water discharging device 1 is installed, but on the wall surface side where the first water intake port 6 or the second water intake port 22 is formed. is more preferable.

The pump 10 is electrically connected to the controller 28 and driven and controlled by the controller 28 .

The three-way valve 12 can selectively supply the water supplied from the first flow path 8 to either or both of the second flow path 14 and the third flow path 16 . The three-way valve 12 can freely change the distribution ratio of the flow rate. The three-way valve 12 is electrically connected to the controller 28 and is electrically controlled to be opened and closed by the controller 28 . The second channel 14 forms a channel extending from the three-way valve 12 to the jet pump unit 20 .

The controller 28 is attached to the back side of the wall surface (not shown) of the bathroom. The control unit 28 is electrically connected to the pump 10, the three-way valve 12, the operation unit 30, etc., and can operate each of the above-described portions. The control unit 28 receives an operation signal from the operation unit 30 or controls each device according to a stored program or the like. The control unit 28 includes a storage device (not shown) such as a memory and an arithmetic device (not shown) that can appropriately control the bathtub water discharging device 1 .

The operation unit 30 is provided so that the user H can operate the bathtub water discharging device 1 to be turned on and off, and is attached to the wall surface in the bathroom. Information that the user H has operated the operation unit 30 is sent from the operation unit 30 to the control unit 28 by an electrical signal.

The jet pump unit 20 includes a chamber portion 32 in which water drawn by the jet pump action is stored, and a jet nozzle 34 arranged at the downstream end of the second flow path 14 . By adopting the jet pump unit 20, the bathtub water discharger 1 can discharge a large amount of shoulder hot water from the water discharge port 4 using a relatively small pump 10. - 特許庁

The chamber portion 32 forms a box-shaped water storage chamber, and the downstream end of the fourth flow path 24 is connected to the chamber portion 32 . The chamber part 32 communicates with the bathtub 2 . A jet nozzle 34 is attached to the bottom of the chamber portion 32 so as to face vertically upward. An opening is formed in the upper surface of the chamber portion 32 at a position facing the jet nozzle 34, and the rising pipe 26 extends upward from this opening.

The jet nozzle 34 injects the water supplied from the pump 10 through the chamber portion 32 into the ascending pipe 26 . Jet nozzles 34 inject water through chamber portion 32 , thereby inducing a jet pumping action that draws water from within chamber portion 32 . The jet nozzle 34 is formed so that the diameter of the internal flow path is narrower than the diameter of the second flow path 14 on the upstream side of the jet nozzle 34 . Accordingly, the water pumped by the pump 10 is further accelerated within the jet nozzle 34 and ejected from the jet nozzle 34 as a high-speed water stream. The high-speed jet jetted from the jet nozzle 34 draws in the water in the chamber portion 32, thereby increasing the flow rate and decreasing the flow velocity.
The ascending pipe 26 forms a circular channel extending vertically upward from the chamber portion 32 .

Next, the bathtub water discharging device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 9. FIG.
FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the bathtub water discharging device according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view along line VII-VII of FIG. 6, FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view along line VIII-VIII of FIG. 5, and FIG. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is the front view which looked at the discharge apparatus for bathtubs by embodiment of this invention from the front.

The bathtub water discharging device 1 includes a storage chamber 36 that temporarily stores water flowing in from the rising pipe 26 and spreads it inside itself, and an inclined portion 42 that is provided between the storage chamber 36 and the throttle channel 38. , a water discharge port portion 4 of the water discharge portion 5 formed in a wide shape extending in the left-right direction, and a throttle channel 38 forming a flow channel narrower than a storage chamber 36 and extending to the water discharge port portion 4. there is

A storage chamber 36 is connected to the downstream end of the riser pipe 26 . The storage chamber 36 is formed such that its interior extends in the left-right direction. The storage chamber 36 is formed so that the front side of the side wall 36e widens in the left-right direction when viewed from above. A side wall 36e of the storage chamber 36 is formed so as to gradually curve forward from the rear side toward the front side. The storage chamber 36 forms a channel that spreads in the left-right direction, and the water is decelerated and temporarily stored in the storage chamber 36, and the water spreads in the left-right direction.

A rib 44 is provided in the storage chamber 36 between the connecting portion of the rising pipe 26 and the inclined portion 42 . This rib 44 is located near the connection of the riser pipe 26 . The rib 44 is formed so as to form a convex portion protruding downward from the ceiling surface 36d and to reduce the channel cross-sectional area between the rib 44 and the opposing bottom surface 36b. The rib 44 is formed to traverse the interior of the storage chamber 36 in the left-right direction from the right side wall 36e of the storage chamber 36 to the left side wall. Note that the rib 44 may be formed only in the vicinity of the side wall 36e.

The ribs 44 reduce the cross-sectional area of the flow path and reaccelerate the decelerated water flow flowing into the storage chamber 36, and the water flowing along the side wall 36e of the storage chamber 36 separates from the curved surface of the side wall 36e. Suppress the formation of vortices. Since the channel cross-sectional area between the rib 44 and the bottom surface 36b of the storage chamber 36 is narrowed substantially uniformly in the horizontal direction, the water is substantially uniformly accelerated forward in the horizontal direction. The ribs 44 form lateral flow equalizing means for making the flow rate of water flowing into the throttle channel 38 on the downstream side substantially uniform in the lateral direction.

The inclined portion 42 forms an inclined surface rising from the storage chamber 36 toward the throttle channel 38 on the bottom surface between the storage chamber 36 and the throttle channel 38 . The inclined portion 42 has the same shape in the left-right direction, and the length in the front-rear direction and the angle of inclination are constant at any position. The inclined portion 42 is formed such that the cross-sectional area of the flow passage in the vertical direction gradually decreases toward the front side. Therefore, the inclined portion 42 can gradually accelerate while suppressing disturbance of the water flow.

An upstream end 42a of the inclined portion 42, which is a connecting portion with the storage chamber 36, is formed so as to extend parallel to an imaginary line A connecting the left and right end portions 4b of the spout portion 4. As shown in FIG. The downstream end 42b of the inclined portion 42 (and the inlet 38b of the throttle channel 38), which is the connecting portion with the throttle channel 38, is also formed to extend parallel to the imaginary line A connecting the left and right end portions 4b of the spout portion 4. It is The length L2 in the front-rear direction from the upstream end 42a of the inclined portion 42 to the outlet port 4 through the central portion 38c of the throttle channel 38 is the same as the length L2 from the upstream end 42a through the left and right end portions 38d of the throttle channel 38 to the outlet port. It is formed shorter than the length L1 in the front-rear direction up to 4.

The spout portion 4 forms an inner and horizontal opening on the upper end portion 2c of the bathtub 2, and spouts a wide stream of water toward the neck and shoulders of the user sitting in the bathtub. It is designed to perform shoulder hot water spouting. The water discharge port portion 4 is formed in a curved shape so that the center portion 4a in the horizontal direction of the water discharge port portion 4 is located rearward from the left and right end portions 4b when viewed from above. The spout portion 4 is formed in an arc shape along the arc-shaped vertical wall 2b when viewed from above. Moreover, the spout portion 4 forms a rectangular opening when viewed from the front. The width of the opening of the water spout 4 is about the width of the user's shoulders, and the height of the opening is about several millimeters, so that water is spouted from the water spout 4 in the form of a film.

Next, the throttle channel 38 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 5 to 9. FIG.
The throttle channel 38 is formed between the inclined portion 42 and the spout portion 4 . The throttle channel 38 is formed so that the height of the channel is lower than the height of the channel in the storage chamber 36 and the inclined portion 42 . Further, the throttle channel 38 has a channel cross-sectional area smaller than the channel cross-sectional area of the storage chamber 36 and the channel cross-sectional area of the inclined portion 42 so as to accelerate the inflowing water. A bottom surface 38a of the throttle channel 38 is formed substantially flat. A draining groove 40 is formed on the bottom surface of the throttle channel 38, the inclined portion 42, and the storage chamber 36 to suppress residual water.

The throttle channel 38 is curved such that the inlet 38b is formed in a straight line when viewed from above, and the central portion 38c in the left-right direction of the outlet (spout portion 4) is positioned behind the left and right end portions 38d. It is The throttle channel 38 has flow velocity adjusting means for making the decrease in the flow velocity of water passing through the central portion 38c smaller than the decrease in the flow velocity of water passing through the left and right end portions 38d on the left and right end sides of the central portion 38c. there is The flow velocity adjusting means of the throttle channel 38 is formed by making the length X2 of the central portion 38c of the throttle channel 38 shorter than the length X1 of the left and right end portions 38d. The length X2 is the length from the inlet 38b of the central portion 38c to the spout portion 4. As shown in FIG. The length X1 is the length from the inlet 38b of the left and right end portions 38d to the spout portion 4. As shown in FIG. In addition, the throttle channel 38 forms a constant height H1 of the channel from the inlet 38b to the spout portion 4 . Further, in the flow velocity adjusting means of the throttle channel 38, the height H1 of the channel from the central portion 38c of the throttle channel 38 to the left and right end portions 38d is formed constant. As a result, the pressure loss of water passing through the central portion 38c can be made smaller than the pressure loss of water passing through the left and right end portions 38d without changing the height of the flow path. Therefore, by setting the height of the spout portion 4 to be constant from the central portion 38c to the left and right end portions 38d, the film thickness of the water discharged in the form of a wide film is disturbed. The flow velocity of water spouted from the central portion 38c of the spout portion 4 is set higher than the flow velocity of water spouted from the left and right end portions 38d of the spout portion 4 while suppressing the water from being divided into left and right. You can make it bigger. If the height H1 is constant and the difference between the height of the central portion 38c and the height of the left and right end portions 38d is substantially constant within a predetermined range, for example, the height of the central portion 38c is equal to the height of the left and right end portions 38d. The case where the height is 90% to 110% of the height of is also included.

As shown in FIG. 8, the inlet 38b of the throttle channel 38 is formed in a rectangular shape, and the height H1 of the channel is formed constant from the central portion 38c to the left and right end portions 38d. Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the water discharge port portion 4, which is the outlet of the throttle channel 38, is also formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the front, and extends from a central portion 38c (central portion 4a) to left and right end portions 38d (left and right end portions 4b). ), the height H2 of the flow path is formed constant. The height H2 of the flow path of the spout 4 is narrowed slightly lower than the height H1 of the throttled flow path 38 . The height H2 of the flow path of the spout portion 4 may be the same as the height H1 of the throttle flow path 38 . If the height H2 is constant and the difference between the height of the central portion 4a and the height of the left and right end portions 4b is within a predetermined range, for example, the height of the central portion 4a is equal to the height of the left and right end portions 4b. The case where the height is 90% to 110% of the height of is also included.

Next, referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, the operation (effect) of water spouting from the spout portion 4 by the bathtub water spouting device 1 will be described.
The controller 28 drives the pump 10 by the user H's operation of the operation unit 30 . The pump 10 sucks the water in the bathtub 2 from the first channel 8 and pumps it to the downstream second channel 14 . Water is supplied from the second flow path 14 to the jet nozzle 34 , and the hot water jetted from the jet nozzle 34 rises through the ascending pipe 26 while drawing the water in the chamber 32 by the jet pump action, and enters the storage chamber 36 . influx.

As shown in FIG. 10, the water that has flowed into the storage chamber 36 from the rising pipe 26 is decelerated in the storage chamber 36 and spreads in the left-right direction as indicated by arrow F1. This water enters between rib 44 and bottom surface 36b before forming a vortex, such as by separating from the curved surface of side wall 36e. At this time, since the channel cross-sectional area between the rib 44 and the bottom surface 36b is narrowed, the water is accelerated as indicated by the arrow F2. F2 is indicated by a dashed line because it flows under the rib 44. FIG. At this time, since the channel cross-sectional area between the rib 44 and the bottom surface 36b is narrowed substantially uniformly in the horizontal direction, the water is substantially uniformly accelerated at any position in the horizontal direction. At this time, the ribs 44 are accelerating while maintaining the vector of each water flow. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the formation of swirling currents caused by the acceleration of the water, and to form a substantially uniformly rectified flow in the left-right direction.

The water that has passed through the ribs 44 is again decelerated in the storage chamber 36 and spreads in the horizontal direction as indicated by arrow F3. At this time, the water is restrained from being turbulent enough to form a swirling flow, and the flow can be maintained substantially uniformly rectified at any position in the left-right direction.

The inclined portion 42 is formed such that the flow passage cross-sectional area gradually decreases toward the front side. Therefore, the water spreading in the left-right direction is gradually accelerated again at the inclined portion 42 as indicated by the arrow F4. An upstream end 42a of the inclined portion 42, which is the connection portion between the storage chamber 36 and the inclined portion 42, extends parallel to the virtual line A connecting the left and right end portions 4b of the spout portion 4. As shown in FIG. Therefore, water flows into the inclined portion 42 from the upstream end 42a while suppressing turbulence and maintaining the vector of the water flow. Therefore, the water can flow relatively evenly with respect to the imaginary line A. A downstream end 42b of the inclined portion 42 (and an inlet 38b of the throttled passage 38), which is a connection portion between the throttled passage 38 and the inclined portion 42, is formed so as to extend parallel to the virtual line A. Therefore, water flows into the throttle channel 38 from the downstream end 42b while suppressing turbulence and maintaining the vector of the water flow. Therefore, the water can flow relatively evenly with respect to the imaginary line A. Therefore, the water flow is gradually accelerated while being restrained from being disturbed at the inclined portion 42, and flows into the throttle channel 38 while maintaining a substantially uniformly rectified flow in the left-right direction.
According to the structure of the inclined portion 42 of this embodiment, the upstream end 42a and the downstream end 42b of the inclined portion 42 are formed to be curved corresponding to the shape of the spout portion 4, as in a comparative example to be described later. It is possible to prevent the vector of the water flow from bending along the curved inclined portion 42 to prevent uniform water spouting.
"Parallel" means that the connection portion between the throttle channel 38 and the inclined portion 42 is almost parallel to the virtual line A within a relatively small angle range. A case where the connecting portion with the portion 42 is inclined at an angle of -5 degrees to 5 degrees with respect to the virtual line A is also included. Similarly, "parallel" means that the connecting portion between the storage chamber 36 and the inclined portion 42 is almost parallel to the virtual line A within a relatively small angle range. A case where the connecting portion with 42 is inclined at an angle of -5 degrees to 5 degrees with respect to the virtual line A is also included.

The water that has flowed in from the inclined portion 42 is further accelerated in the throttle channel 38 . As indicated by arrow F5, water flows from the inlet 38b of the throttle channel 38 to the water discharge port 4 while maintaining the almost uniformly rectified flow direction. As described above, the throttle channel 38 basically has a function of accelerating water, but the pressure loss due to the resistance of the wall surface of the channel such as the bottom surface 38a (see FIG. 5) and the ceiling surface may cause the throttle channel 38 to Water passing through is reduced in velocity by a predetermined amount. As shown in FIG. 6, the pressure loss of water passing through the central portion 38c of the throttle channel 38 is made smaller than the pressure loss of water passing through the left and right end portions 38d by the flow velocity adjusting means of the throttle channel 38. can be done. Therefore, the decrease in the flow velocity of water passing through the central portion 38c is smaller than the decrease in the flow velocity of water passing through the left and right end portions 38d. Therefore, the flow velocity of water spouted from the central portion 4a of the spout portion 4 can be made higher than the flow velocity of water spouted from the left and right end portions 4b.

As indicated by arrow F6 in FIG. 10 and further shown in FIG. 11, water spouted from the spouting port 4 flows in the air as a stable band-like (water film-like) stream of running water with a substantially constant width and thickness. It draws a parabola and flows downward. The flight distance of water spouted from the central portion 4a of the spout portion 4 is made longer than the flight distance of water spouted from the left and right end portions 4b of the spout portion 4 . Therefore, the range B of the user H who is sitting in the bathtub 2 lands on the upper half of the body, such as the shoulders and the back, is a range formed linearly in the left-right direction. The water landing range B has substantially the same height in the horizontal direction and is relatively uniform in the horizontal direction. Since water is sprayed linearly to the user H, the sprayed water can be efficiently landed on the user H, and the user H can be provided with a relatively uniform bathing comfort. , the bathing comfort of the user H can be improved.

According to the bathtub water discharge device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention described above, the throttle channel 38 reduces the flow velocity of water passing through the central portion 38c of the throttle channel 38 to Since the flow velocity adjusting means is provided to make the flow velocity smaller than the decrease in flow velocity, the flow velocity of the water spouted from the central portion 4a of the spout portion 4 can be adjusted to the flow velocity of the water spouted from the left and right end portions 4b of the spout portion 4. It can be greater than the flow velocity. Therefore, the water spouted from the central portion 4a of the spout portion 4 can be spouted to a position in front of the water spouted from the left and right end portions 4b. Therefore, according to the present invention, even if the spout portion 4 is curved so that the central portion 4a of the opening portion of the spout portion 4 is positioned more rearward than the left and right end portions 4b, the user's shoulders are not affected. The jetting shape of the water stream that is jetted toward the vicinity can be made linear and not easily curved, so that the bathing comfort of the user can be improved.
Further, according to the present invention, the water flowing into the storage chamber 36 is expanded in the horizontal direction in the storage chamber 36, and then passes through the throttle channel 38 provided with the flow rate adjusting means. As a result, a wide water stream can be easily formed in the horizontal direction, and the shape of the water stream can be made linear without being curved, thereby improving the bathing comfort of the user.

Further, according to the bathtub water discharging device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the flow velocity adjusting means of the throttle channel 38 adjusts the length X2 in the longitudinal direction of the central portion 38c of the throttle channel 38 to the length X2 of the left and right end portions 38d. It is formed by making it shorter than the length X1 in the direction. As a result, the pressure loss of water passing through the central portion 38c of the throttle channel 38 can be made smaller than the pressure loss of water passing through the left and right end portions 38d. Therefore, the flow velocity of water spouted from the central portion 4a of the spout portion 4 can be made higher than the flow velocity of water spouted from the left and right end portions 4b of the spout portion 4. FIG. Therefore, according to the present invention, even if the spout portion 4 is curved so that the central portion 4a of the opening portion of the spout portion 4 is located rearward of the left and right end portions 4b, it is relatively easy to perform the operation. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the water jet shape of the water stream jetted toward the vicinity of the user's shoulder from being curved.

Furthermore, according to the bathtub water discharge device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the water discharge port portion 4 is formed by making the height of the flow path from the central portion 4a to the left and right end portions 4b constant. As a result, the pressure loss of water passing through the central portion 4a of the spout portion 4 can be made smaller than the pressure loss of water passing through the left and right end portions 4b. Therefore, according to the present invention, by making the height of the spout portion 4 constant from the central portion 4a to the left and right end portions 4b, the film thickness of the water discharged in the form of a wide film is disturbed. The flow rate of the water discharged from the central portion 4a of the spout portion 4 is controlled by controlling the flow rate of the water spouted from the left and right end portions 4b of the spout portion 4 while suppressing the splitting of the spouted film-like water to the left and right. can be greater than the flow velocity of water

Furthermore, according to the bathtub water discharging device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the inclined portion 42 suppresses the water from being accelerated toward the throttle channel 38 and generating turbulence. Furthermore, the connecting portion between the inclined portion 42 and the throttle channel 38 is formed so as to extend parallel to the imaginary line A connecting the left and right end portions 4b of the spout portion 4. As shown in FIG. Therefore, even in the case where the throttle channel 38 is provided with flow velocity adjusting means for making the decrease in the flow velocity of water passing through the central portion 38c smaller than the decrease in the flow velocity of water passing through the left and right end portions 38d. , the water flowing into the throttle channel 38 from the inclined portion 42 can flow so as to spread relatively evenly with respect to the virtual line A. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the water flowing from the inclined portion 42 into the throttle channel 38 from being drawn by the flow of the central portion 38c where the water flow rate is less reduced and causing contraction. As a result, it is possible to suppress the disturbance of the shape of the water jet that is jetted toward the vicinity of the shoulder of the user H.

Furthermore, according to the bathtub water discharging device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the inclined portion 42 suppresses the acceleration of the water toward the throttle channel 38 and the generation of turbulent flow. Further, the connecting portion between the storage chamber 36 and the inclined portion 42 is formed so as to extend parallel to the imaginary line A connecting the left and right end portions 4b of the spout portion 4. As shown in FIG. Therefore, even in the case where the throttle channel 38 is provided with flow velocity adjusting means for making the decrease in the flow velocity of water passing through the central portion 38c smaller than the decrease in the flow velocity of water passing through the left and right end portions 38d. , the water flowing from the storage chamber 36 to the inclined portion 42 can flow so as to spread relatively evenly with respect to the imaginary line A. Therefore, according to the present invention, the water flowing from the inclined portion 42 into the throttle channel 38 flows so as to spread relatively evenly, and is attracted by the flow of the central portion 38c where the water flow velocity decreases less, resulting in contraction. can be suppressed. As a result, it is possible to suppress the disturbance of the shape of the water jet that is jetted toward the vicinity of the shoulder of the user H.

12 is a cross-sectional view of a pillow according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG.
As shown in FIG. 12, the upper surface of the pillow portion 8 faces the inside of the bathtub 2 at a second inclination angle (for example, 45 degrees) larger than the first inclination angle (20 degrees) with respect to the vertical plane. It has a descending inclined plane P which is inclined downward. The second angle of inclination is the angle of the tangential line of the upper surface of the pillow portion 8 that is located on the innermost side of the bathtub 2 . A virtual extension surface L1 obtained by virtually extending the descending inclined surface P downward is formed to have a convex curved surface so as to be connected to the backrest portion 7 without a step.
In the present invention, "the imaginary stretched surface L1 has no step with respect to the backrest portion 7" means that, for example, the size of the step between the virtual stretched surface L1 and the backrest portion 7 is within 10 mm. The definition also includes the case where the angle difference between the inclination angle of the virtual extension plane L1 and the inclination angle of the upper portion of the backrest portion 7 is within 10 degrees.

FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a bather bathing in a bathtub apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a bather taking a bath in a bathtub apparatus that is a comparative example of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 14, in the comparative example, the virtual extension surface L2 obtained by virtually extending the descending inclined surface P of the pillow portion 8 downward is not connected to the backrest portion 7 without a step. The upper body of the bather in the bathing posture is not located at the place intended by the designer. That is, when the bather in the bathing posture relaxes for relaxation, the back (the axis of the body) is positioned along the virtual stretched plane L2. I'm going to do it. As a result, the back is separated from the backrest portion 7, and the positions at which hot water discharged from the spout portion 4 hits vary depending on the position of the bather's head and body. Note that the arrows shown in FIG. 14 represent hot water discharged from the spout portion 4 . In the comparative example of FIG. 14, most of the hot water discharged from the spout 4 flows to the back side (rear side) of the bather in the bathing posture, and the chest side (back side) of the bather in the bathing posture. The front side) does not allow much water to flow. For this reason, in the comparative example, it is difficult to warm the entire upper half of the body that is not immersed in hot water in the bathtub 2 .

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 13, in the bathtub apparatus 3 according to the embodiment of the present invention, a virtual extension surface L1 obtained by virtually extending the descending inclined surface P of the pillow portion 8 downward is positioned with respect to the backrest portion 7. are connected without steps. Therefore, even when the bather in the bathing posture relaxes for relaxation, the back naturally fits the backrest portion 7 . As a result, hot water discharged from the spout portion 4 tends to spread to both the front side and the rear side of the bather. Note that the arrows shown in FIG. 13 represent hot water discharged from the spout portion 4 .

Further, as shown in FIG. 3 , the backrest portion 7 is formed to present a concave curved surface S in a vertical cross section orthogonal to the backrest portion 7 . That is, the backrest portion 7 has a concave curved surface S that is partially curved rearward in the height direction. This makes it easier for the bather's curved spine to come into contact not in a point-like manner but in a plane-like manner, so that when the bather's back is pressed against the backrest 7, pain is less likely to be felt. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the bather from deviating from a desired bathing posture by intentionally separating the back from the backrest portion 7. - 特許庁

In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the backrest 7 has a concave shape in which the central portion in the width direction is positioned outside the bathtub 2 and both end portions in the width direction are positioned inside the bathtub 2 in the horizontal cross section. It is formed to present a curved surface M. In other words, the backrest portion 7 has a concave curved surface M such that the central portion in the width direction is positioned behind the left and right end portions. Thereby, the back of the bather can be fitted to the backrest portion 7. - 特許庁As a result, the bather's bathing posture can be defined as a desired posture.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the invention is not limited to these descriptions. Appropriate design changes made by those skilled in the art with respect to the above embodiments are also included in the scope of the present invention as long as they have the features of the present invention. For example, the shape, size, material, arrangement, etc. of each element provided in the bathtub apparatus 3, the bathtub water discharging apparatus 1, etc. are not limited to those illustrated, and can be changed as appropriate.
Moreover, each element provided in each of the above-described embodiments can be combined as long as it is technically possible, and a combination of these is also included in the scope of the present invention as long as it includes the features of the present invention.

1 Bathtub water discharge device (bathtub water circulation type water discharge device)
2 Bathtub 3 Bathtub device 4 Spout (Spout)
5 Water discharge part 7 Backrest part 8 Pillow part 9 Detection part 10 Water supply part 36 Storage chamber 38 Restricted flow path 38c Central part 38d Left and right end parts 42 Inclined part 42a Upstream end 42b Downstream end

Claims (2)

a bathtub,
a backrest against which a bather in a bathing posture can rest his/her back;
a rim portion disposed above the backrest;
a pillow portion disposed above the rim portion on which a bather in a bathing posture can rest his/her head;
a spout disposed between the rim portion and the pillow portion for spouting water toward the shoulders of the bather in a bathing posture;
The backrest portion is inclined downward toward the inside of the bathtub at a first inclination angle with respect to the vertical plane,
The pillow portion has a descending inclined surface on its upper surface, and the descending inclined surface is inclined downward toward the inside of the bathtub at a second inclination angle larger than the first inclination angle with respect to the vertical surface. a sloped surface, and a curved surface that is formed on the inner side of the bathtub from the sloped surface and that is convex in a vertical cross section perpendicular to the pillow,
The backrest is formed to have a partially concave curved surface in a vertical cross section orthogonal to the backrest,
The concave curved surface is formed such that the upper end of the concave curved surface is positioned above the center in the height direction of the bathtub,
The convex curved surface is formed so that a virtual extended surface obtained by virtually extending the descending inclined surface downward is connected to the upper end of the concave curved surface without a step ,
The bathtub apparatus , wherein the spout does not protrude inwardly of the bathtub from the virtual extension plane and is not located on the virtual extension plane . In a horizontal cross section, the backrest portion is formed to have a concave curved surface so that a center portion in the width direction is located outside the bathtub and both end portions in the width direction are located inside the bathtub. The bathtub apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by:

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