JP2003019081A - Air bubble generator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a safe air bubble generator not to be operated when a suction cover on eh front surface of a bath water suction port is detached. SOLUTION: The operation of a pump unit 13 is enabled only in the case that a magnetic sensor 34 detects a magnet 33, that is in the case that the suction cover 32 is attached, the operation in a state without the suction cover 32 is inhibited. Thus, following cases are avoided that a human body is damaged by sucking the hair or a part of the body or the like from the bath water suction port 18 and that a fault is generated by sucking a foreign matter such as a towel. Also, the suction cover 32 is detected without contacting, the certainty of a detecting operation is secured and durability is improved as well.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bubble generating device, and more particularly to a structure for preventing a cover body mounted on the front surface of a suction section from being unmounted.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Heretofore, there has been known a bubble generating apparatus which sucks hot water in a bathtub from a suction port, mixes bubbles, and jets them again from a jet port into the bathtub. In addition, if hair, towels, etc. are sucked from the suction opening together with the bath water, it may cause an accident or a malfunction. Therefore, in order to prevent this, there is also a cover body attached to the front surface of the suction opening.

[0003]

However, in the conventional bubble generating apparatus, since the operation can be performed even with the cover body removed, in that case, the hair or a part of the body is sucked from the suction port. There is a risk of harming the human body or inhaling foreign matter such as towels to cause malfunction.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a safe bubble generating device which does not operate when the cover body is removed.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problem and Its Actions and Effects] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, in claim 1, there is provided a suction part attached to the wall surface of the bathtub for sucking in the bathwater and a jetting part for ejecting the bathwater mixed with bubbles. An air bubble generating device including a pump unit and a cover body mounted on the front surface of the suction unit includes a detection unit that detects that the cover body is mounted on the pump unit. Therefore, if the air bubble generator is operated only when the attachment of the cover body is detected, the hair or a part of the body may be sucked through the suction port to cause harm to the human body, or the foreign matter such as a towel may be sucked in. It does not break down.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the bubble generating apparatus according to the first aspect, there is provided operation prohibiting means for prohibiting the operation of the pump unit when the detecting means detects that the cover body is not attached. Therefore, when it is detected that the cover body is not attached, the air bubble generator is prohibited from operating.Therefore, the hair or a part of the body may be sucked through the suction port to harm the human body, or a foreign object such as a towel may be sucked in. It does not break down.

In claim 3, claim 1 or claim 2
In the bubble generating device described in the paragraph 1, the detecting means is composed of a permanent magnet provided in the cover body and a magnetic detecting means provided in the pump unit. Therefore, it is possible to detect the wearing of the cover body in a non-contact manner,
The reliability of the detection operation is ensured and the durability is excellent.

According to a fourth aspect, in the bubble generating apparatus according to the third aspect, the magnetic detection means is provided inside a pump motor in the pump unit. Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced and the wiring can be simplified, which contributes to the improvement of product assemblability.

In claim 5, claim 3 or claim 4
In the bubble generator according to the item [1], a magnetic body is provided between the permanent magnet and the magnetic detection means. Therefore, the certainty of the detection operation is improved.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a bubble generating device 1 showing an embodiment of the present invention. Bubble generator 1 is bathtub 1
1, a fixed case 12 screwed to the side wall of the bathtub 11,
The pump unit 13 inserted and fixed in the fixed case 12,
An operation unit 14 that is attached to the wall surface of the bathroom and has a controller 37 that operates the operation of the pump unit 13, a control unit 15 that is installed outside the bathroom and that controls the operation of the pump unit 13 based on an input signal from the operation unit 14, an operation unit 14 The controller code 16 for transmitting the signal to the control unit 15 and the pump drive cord 17 for transmitting the output signal from the control unit 15 to the pump unit 13 and supplying electric power to the pump unit 13.

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view of the vicinity of the pump unit 13. U packing 23 is provided at the side wall opening of the bathtub 11.
Is attached to the fixed case 12 from the inner surface side of the bathtub 11.
Is inserted and tightened and fixed by a nut 24 from the outer surface side of the bath 11. The pump unit 13 is a fixed case 12.
Main body 25 screwed to the pump main body 25, the motor 26 screwed to the pump main body 25, and the motor shaft 2 of the motor 26.
7, an impeller 28 fixed to the suction cover 7, a suction cover fixing portion 36, a bath hot water inlet 18, a bath hot water spout 19, and a throat 31 attached to the tip of the bath hot water spout 19.

A suction cover 32, which serves as a cover for covering the hot water inlet 18, is detachably fitted and fixed to a suction cover fixing portion 36. Further, the suction cover 32 is provided with a filter 30 in order to prevent dust and the like from flowing into the bath hot water suction port 18.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the operating principle of bubble generation using the same sectional view as FIG. The bath water passes through the filter 30 from the opening under the suction cover 32, and passes from the bath inlet 18 to the pump chamber 2 with the impeller 28.
Up to 9. When the impeller 28 rotates, the bath water in the pump chamber 29 is pressurized and ejected. At this time, in the air mixing section 22, air is introduced from the air suction passage 21 by negative pressure, and this air is bathed. After being mixed with hot water, a gas-liquid mixed jet is jetted from the throat 31 of the bath hot water jet outlet 19.

FIG. 4 is a view showing how to attach the suction cover 32 and the magnetic sensor 34 to the pump unit 13. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 2, the magnetic sensor 34 is fixed to the lower portion of the pump body 25 with a screw. A magnet 33 is provided inside the suction cover 32 at a position close to the magnetic sensor 34 in the mounted state.
The wiring between the magnetic sensor 34 and the motor 26 is, as shown in FIG.
6 can be diverted from the power supply for driving. Note that FIG. 2 shows a case where a reed switch is used as the magnetic sensor 34, and when a Hall element is used as the magnetic sensor 34, one additional signal line is added.

In the above embodiment, the magnetic sensor 3
4 enables the pump unit 13 to operate only when the magnet 33 is detected, that is, when the suction cover 32 is attached, and the control unit 15 prohibits the operation without the suction cover 32. It does not cause damage to the human body by sucking hair or a part of the body from the hot water suction port 18 and does not cause a failure by sucking foreign matter such as a towel. Further, the suction cover 32 can be detected in a non-contact manner, so that the reliability of the detection operation is ensured and the durability is excellent.

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view around the pump unit 13 showing a modified example of the present invention. In this embodiment, the magnetic sensor 34 is built into the motor 26, and
A magnetic body 35 is built in the pump body 25 between the magnetic sensor 34 and the magnet 33.

According to such an embodiment, by incorporating the magnetic sensor 34 in the motor 26, the number of parts can be reduced, the wiring can be simplified, and the product assemblability can be improved. Further, by interposing the magnetic body 35 between the magnet 33 and the magnetic sensor 34, the reliability of the sensor detection operation is improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a bubble generator 1 showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view near the pump unit 13.

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view around the pump unit 13 (operation principle diagram)

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing how to install the suction cover 32 and the magnetic sensor 34.

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view near a pump unit 13 showing a modified example of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Bubble generator 11 ... Bathtub 12 ... Fixed case 13 ... Pump unit 14 ... Operation unit 15 ... Control unit 16 ... Controller code 17 ... Pump drive code 18 ... Bathing water inlet 19 ... Bathing water spout 21 ... Air suction passage 22 ... Air mixing section 23 ... U packing 24 ... Nut 25 ... Pump body 26 ... Motor 27 ... Motor shaft 28 ... Impeller 29 ... Pump room 30 ... Filter 31 ... Throat 32 ... Suction cover 33 ... Magnet 34 ... Magnetic sensor 35 ... Magnetic material 36 ... Suction cover fixing part 37 ... Controller

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Katsumi Sakamoto             2-1-1 Nakajima, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture             No. Totoki Equipment Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Yukihiro Kudo             2-1-1 Nakajima, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture             No. Totoki Equipment Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor ▲ Hashi ▼ Tomoyuki Moto             2-1-1 Nakajima, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture             No. Totoki Equipment Co., Ltd.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A bubble generator comprising a pump unit mounted on a wall surface of a bathtub for sucking in the bathwater and a jetting unit for jetting the bathwater mixed with air bubbles, and a cover body mounted on the front surface of the suction unit. An apparatus for producing air bubbles, comprising: a detection unit that detects that the cover body is attached to the pump unit. 2. The bubble generating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising operation prohibiting means for prohibiting the operation of the pump unit when the detecting means detects that the cover body is not attached. 3. The bubble according to claim 1, wherein the detection means is composed of a permanent magnet provided on the cover body and a magnetic detection means provided on the pump unit. Generator. 4. The bubble generating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the magnetism detecting means is provided inside a pump motor in the pump unit. 5. The bubble generating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a magnetic material is provided between the permanent magnet and the magnetic detecting means.