JPH0247947Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed explanation of the idea] [Industrial application field]

This invention relates to a blower device used in a bathtub, which has a porous blower disk disposed at the bottom of the bathtub and blows out numerous bubbles from the blower disk.

[Conventional technology]

A blower device that spouts countless bubbles into hot water generates ultrasonic waves when the bubbles burst in the water. These ultrasonic waves propagate through warm water to massage, clean, or warm the body surface. To create bubbles in the hot water, this type of device blows air out of a blowhole located at the bottom of the bathtub. The air ejected from the blow disk is injected through minute voids, generating countless bubbles in the hot water. The blow disk is placed horizontally at the bottom of the bathtub via the casing. The blow disk is fixed to the casing via a groove-shaped mounting frame. An air chamber is provided between the blow disk and the casing, and pressurized air is forced into the air chamber to generate bubbles from the blow disk. A blower device that fixes a blower disk to a casing via a mounting frame is disclosed in Utility Application No. 108360 (1983)
35092), and Utility Application No. 41208 (1981)
No. 141790). The blower devices described in these publications have a mounting frame whose cross section is U-shaped or L-shaped fixed to the outer periphery of the blower disk, and fixed to the casing via this mounting frame. There is.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, the blowing device having this structure has the disadvantage that when bubbles are generated, vibrations that are unpleasant to the body are generated. It is caused by the reaction of air bubbles ejected from a blow disk. Unfortunately, this vibration contains low frequency components that are uncomfortable for the human body. The vibrations generated in the blow disk are transmitted to the bathtub, causing the bathtub to resonate and being greatly amplified. The vibrations of the bathtub are transmitted to the human body that comes into contact with the bathtub, making it impossible to take a comfortable bath. The vibration frequency component of a blow disk changes significantly depending on the size of the bubbles ejected, the ejected air pressure, etc. FIG. 5 shows a graph in which the vibration frequency of the bathtub is broken down into spectra when a conventional blow disk is fixed to the bottom of the bathtub. As shown in this figure, when bubbles are ejected from the blow disk, the bathtub vibrates at a particularly low frequency. However, the blower device used in this measurement had a blower plate fixed to the casing via a mounting frame made of hard synthetic resin. In this way, when a blow disk is placed at the bottom of a bathtub and bubbles are ejected, the bathtub vibrates violently at low frequency components and in a wide frequency range up to extremely high frequency components, causing discomfort to the human body. give. Furthermore, when the blower disk is fixed to the casing via the mounting frame, there is a drawback that a gap is likely to be formed between the mounting frame and the blower disk. This gap causes air leakage, reducing the amount of air passing through the blow disk.
Reduces bubble formation. Air leakage between the blower disc and the mounting frame can be prevented by making the mounting frame a molded product of synthetic resin and insert-molding the blower disc into the mounting frame during the molding process. To achieve this, it is necessary to temporarily fix the blow disk to a synthetic resin injection mold and inject synthetic resin around it to form a mounting frame.
When molding the mounting frame in this state, extremely high dimensional accuracy is required of the blow disk. This is because a highly distorted blow disk cannot be temporarily fixed to a mold. Therefore, the blow disk is required to have high dimensional accuracy, and manufacturing the blow disk requires considerable time and effort.Furthermore, the molding die lacks durability and the manufacturing cost is high. In particular, fumaroles made of sintered inorganic particles such as alumina have excellent properties.
Inorganic blow disks are extremely hard, and after sintering, it takes considerable time and effort to grind the surface, and furthermore, they have the drawback of causing the injection mold to wear out in a short period of time. This invention was developed with the aim of solving the drawbacks of the blower devices used in conventional bathtubs.The important purpose of this invention is to reduce the vibrations of the bathtub and create a bathtub that allows for comfortable bathing. It is used to provide fumarole equipment. Another important object of this invention is to provide a blower device for use in bathtubs, which allows the attachment part of the blower disk to be processed simply and easily at low cost, and which can be mass-produced at low cost.

[Means to solve the problem]

The blower device used in the bathtub of this invention has the following configuration in order to achieve the above-mentioned object. In particular, this invention is characterized by having the configurations (e) to (g). (a) The blower device 2 includes a blower disk 2 that is horizontally disposed at the bottom of the bathtub and generates air bubbles, and a blower disk 2 that generates air bubbles.
and an air pump 4 for supplying pressurized air to the air conditioner. (b) The blow disk 2 is fixed to the casing 14 via the mounting frame 15. (c) Pressurized air is supplied between the blow disk 2 and the casing 14, and the air chamber 17 is arranged so that the air passes through the blow disk 2 and generates numerous bubbles.
has been established. (d) The air chamber 17 is connected to the air pump 4 via the piping 3 so that pressurized air is supplied to the air chamber 17. (e) The mounting frame 15 for fixing the blow disk 2 to the casing 14 has an annular overall shape and is fixed along the outer periphery of the blow disk 2. (f) The mounting frame 15 is groove-shaped, and the inner width of the groove is approximately equal to the thickness of the blow disk 2, and the outer periphery of the blow disk 2 is fitted into the groove. (g) The mounting frame 15 is made of a rubber-like elastic material, and the upper and lower surfaces of the mounting frame 15 are in airtight contact with the casing. is fixed.

[effect]

Although the blower device used in the bathtub of this invention generates countless air bubbles, it has the advantage of reducing the vibrations of the bathtub, allowing for a comfortable bathing experience. How the blower device of this invention can reduce the vibrations of the bathtub is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.
FIG. 5 shows the vibration level of the bathtub of the conventional fume system, and FIG. 6 shows the vibration level of the bathtub of the fume system of this invention. The vibration of the bathtub is measured by analyzing it into a frequency spectrum. These graphs are
The horizontal axis shows frequency, and the vertical axis shows vibration level in logarithm (dB). The vibration level expressed logarithmically is 1/10 of the vibration energy for a 10 dB drop, 1/100 for a 20 dB drop, and 1/100 for a 30 dB drop.
It drops significantly to 0. Comparing Figures 5 and 6, it can be seen that in the fumarole device of this invention, the vibration peak of the lowest frequency component is approximately
This shows a decrease of 5 dB, or about 1/3.
In addition, 4kHz vibration has been reduced by approximately 15dB, a remarkable reduction of 1/30. Furthermore, in the blower device of this invention, the vibration level of 10 kHz or higher is reduced to 60 dB or less, which is extremely reduced to 1/1000,000, which is below the detection limit. However, the measurements in FIGS. 5 and 6 were performed under the same conditions except that the mounting frame fixed to the outer periphery of the blow disk was changed. FIG. 5 shows the characteristics of a blower device using a mounting frame made of polypropylene, and FIG. 6 shows the characteristics of a blower device using a mounting frame molded from a rubber-like elastic body. Furthermore, the measurement conditions were set as follows. A microphone was fixed to the side of the bathtub, and the output signal of the microphone was amplified by an amplifier and analyzed into frequency components by a spectrum analyzer. The microphone was fixed at a height of 30 cm from the bottom of the bathtub. The air pump used was an air fan driven by a 300W motor. In this way, the blower device of this invention can significantly reduce the vibrations of the bathtub with an extremely simple configuration.
This is because the mounting frame acts as a buffer and absorbs the vibrations caused by the reaction of the blower disk to eject air bubbles. The fume device of this invention can extremely reduce the vibration of the bathtub, so it can stimulate the human body with countless air bubbles and provide an extremely comfortable bathing experience. Furthermore, the blower device of this invention can be mass-produced easily and inexpensively, and has the advantage of minimizing air leakage between the blower disk and the casing. it is,
This is because the mounting frame is made of a rubber-like elastic material and is formed into a groove or annular shape, and the outer periphery of the blow disk is fitted into the groove of the mounting frame. Therefore, the blower device of this invention does not require insert molding by temporarily fixing the blower disk to a synthetic resin mold as in the past, and it is possible to easily and easily insert blower disks with slightly different thicknesses. It can be easily installed without air leakage, and can be mass-produced at low cost.

[Preferred embodiment]

Hereinafter, embodiments of this invention will be described based on the drawings. However, the examples shown below are illustrative of a blower device for embodying the technical idea of this invention, and the blower device of this invention has the following components: It is not structure specific. Various modifications may be made to the blower device of this invention within the scope of the claims for utility model registration. Furthermore, in order to make it easier to understand the scope of claims for utility model registration, this specification includes numbers corresponding to the members shown in the examples in the "column of claims for utility model registration",
Additions are made to the members shown in the "Means for Solving Problems" column. However, the members shown in the scope of the utility model registration claims are by no means limited to the members of the embodiments. The blower device used in the bathtub shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a porous blower disk 2 disposed at the bottom of the bathtub body 1, and an air flow connected to the blower disk 2 via piping 3. A pump 4 is provided. A check valve 5 is connected between the discharge side of the air pump 4 and the blower disk 2, and furthermore, the piping 3 between the air pump 4 and the blower disk 2 is located above the water surface of the bathtub body 1. This rising part 3A has a
A check valve 5 is connected. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the blow disk 2 is
Bathtub body 1 via mounting frame 15 and casing 14
is attached to. The blow disk 2 is a porous plate with countless air holes penetrating both the upper and lower sides, for example, a porous plate made by sintering inorganic granular material such as alumina with an average particle size of about 0.2 to 3 mm to form countless gaps. Alternatively, porous sintered metal or the like can be used. The blow disk 2 has a thickness of 5 to 30 mm, has a plate-like overall shape, and has a rectangular or disc-like outer shape. The casing 14 consists of an upper lid 14A and a bottom plate 14B, and the pipe 3 is sintered through the bottom plate 14B. The bottom plate 14B has a partition wall 16 into which the blow disk 2 can be fitted via a mounting frame 15. An air chamber 17 is formed below the blow disk 2 fitted to the partition wall 16, and the pipe 3 is connected to the air chamber 17. connected. A mounting stand 18 for the blower plate 2 is provided inside the partition wall 16 along the partition wall, and the mounting frame 1 is mounted on this mounting stand 18.
A protruding strip 19 is provided to be pressed on the upper surface of 5. The protruding strip 19 is provided along the partition wall 16 , and is pressed against the mounting frame 15 .
and the bottom plate 14B to prevent air leakage around the blower disk 2. The upper lid 14A has a large vent 20 opened therein so that countless air bubbles generated on the upper surface of the blower disk 2 can float, the periphery of the upper lid 14A is fitted into the partition wall 16 of the bottom plate, and parts of the top cover 14A are screwed to the bottom plate 14B. There is. This upper cover 14A has a protrusion 21 for pressing the mounting frame 15.
are provided along the contact portion of the mounting frame. The blower disk 2 is configured such that vibrations are not transmitted to the bathtub body 1 via the casing 14, and air supplied to the air chamber 17 below the blower disk 2 does not pass through the blower disk 2 and leak from the outer periphery. It is attached to the casing 14 via a mounting frame 15. Therefore, mounting frame 1
5 is made of a rubber-like elastic body and has a groove-shaped cross section and an annular shape, and is fitted along the outer periphery of the blowhole 2 so as not to transmit vibrations and improve airtightness. . The thickness of the mounting frame 15 is usually determined to be about 1 to 10 mm, preferably about 2 to 5 mm, considering the vibration damping effect and watertightness. Furthermore, the mounting frame 15 is formed to have a groove width approximately equal to the thickness of the blow disk 2 so that it can be fitted onto the outer periphery of the blow disk 2 using its own elasticity. Further, when the mounting frame 15 is formed in an annular shape, the length is approximately equal to the outer periphery of the fumarole disc 2, or it is formed to be slightly shorter than the outer periphery, and may be slightly elongated or fitted onto the fumarole disc 2 without being elongated. . In this way, the annular mounting frame 15 is
It is the easiest to fix to the blower plate 2, and since there are no seams, air leakage can be effectively prevented. The casing 14 is fixed to the bottom of the bathtub body 1 or simply placed and attached to the bathtub body. Therefore, in this specification, the expression "attaching a blower disk to a bathtub" does not necessarily refer to a fixed state of the blower disk, but is used in a broad sense, including simply placing it on the bottom of a bathtub. The height of the rising part 3A may be located above the level of the hot water inside the bathtub, but since the level of the hot water inside the bathtub is not constant, it is preferably located above the bathtub main body 1 as shown in FIG. It is best to extend further upwards than the edge. The higher the rising part 3A is placed from the upper edge of the bathtub body 1, the more completely the backflow of hot water can be stopped, but if it is too high, the piping will be long and the piping work will take time depending on the location. , the height is about 3 to 100 cm from the upper edge of the bathtub body 1. The check valve 5 is connected to a rising portion located above the upper edge of the bathtub body 1 so as not to contact the hot water even if it rises due to the static pressure of the hot water when the air pump 4 is stopped. is preferably connected to the highest position of the rising portion 3A. The check valve 5 connected to the highest position of the rising part 3A can most effectively prevent the backflow of hot water, but the check valve 5 does not necessarily need to be connected to the top of the rising part 3A, Backflow of hot water can be prevented no matter where it is connected to the upper edge of 1, or more precisely, anywhere above the hot water surface level. or,
The check valve can be connected in the middle of the horizontal piping as shown in the figure, or even in the middle of the piping (not shown). The structure of the check valve is shown in Figure 3. This check valve 5
, a valve cylinder 7 having an annular valve seat 6 at its tip edge, and a valve body 8 supported movably in the axial direction of the valve cylinder 7.
and a spring 9 that presses the valve body 8 against the valve seat 6. The valve cylinder 7 is provided in the middle of a connecting pipe that is thick in the middle. The valve body 8 includes a valve body 8A having an umbrella-like overall shape, and a rubber plate 8B made of a rubber-like elastic body whose center portion is fixed to the umbrella surface of the valve body 8A.
, the rubber plate 8B is held by the spring 9 and the valve seat 6 is
It is configured to be airtightly attached to the The central axis 8C of the valve body 8A is inserted into a guide cylinder 10 disposed at the center of the valve cylinder 7 so as to be freely movable in the axial direction. Further, a rubber plate 8B is inserted through the central shaft 8C, and the rubber plate 8B is pressed and airtightly fixed to the lower surface of the umbrella portion by a retaining ring 11 inserted through the central shaft 8C. The retaining ring 11 is made of an elastically deformable plate material and is formed into a ring shape, with a center hole bored therein, and the inner circumferential portion of the center hole is cut radially, and the inner diameter is formed to be somewhat smaller than the outer diameter of the center shaft. There is. In the fixed state, the rubber plate 8B into which the retaining ring 11 is pushed and fixed is as shown in FIG.
Deforms into a somewhat conical shape. The rubber plate 8B, which has been deformed into a conical shape, is completely attached to the valve seat 6 of the valve cylinder by the spring 9.
closely followed. This is because the rubber plate 8B formed into this shape
In other words, even if burrs are formed during molding, there will be no burrs on the contact surface of the valve seat, and even synthetic resin or metal valve seats 6 can be easily finished completely. Since the rubber plate 8B can be finished in a flat planar shape, it is possible to realize the feature that the rubber plate 8B can be closely attached to the valve seat 6 without air leakage. Although not shown in the drawings, this valve body 8 allows a rubber plate 8B to be fixed to the valve body 8A with a nut in place of the retaining ring 11. However, in this case, a male thread is carved on the outer periphery of the central shaft. Guide cylinder 10 that guides the central axis 8C in the axial direction
is disposed extending in the axial direction at the center of the valve cylinder 7 via a radial arm 12. The spring 9 that presses the valve body 8 against the valve seat 6 is a push spring, and is inserted through the central shaft 8C and is disposed between the guide cylinder 10 and a spring plate 13 fixed to the end of the central shaft 8C. . By the way, a specific example of the blowhole 2 provided at the bottom of the bathtub body 1 is shown in FIG. The blow disk 2 shown in this figure is made of a porous plate made of inorganic particles such as alumina sintered to form a gap, or a synthetic resin foam having open cells. It is fixed to the bottom of the bathtub body 1 via. A pipe 3 that airtightly penetrates the bottom of the bathtub body 1 is connected to the casing 14.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 are side views of a bathtub having a blowing means showing one embodiment of this invention, and FIG.
3 is a sectional view of the check valve, FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing the installation part of the blower disk, and FIGS. 5 and 6 are the conventional blower device and the blower device of this bathtub. It is a graph showing the bathtub vibration level of . 1...Bathtub body, 2...Blow disk, 3...Piping,
3A... Standing part, 4... Air pump, 5... Check valve, 6... Valve seat, 7... Valve cylinder, 8... Valve body, 8A
...Valve body, 8B...Rubber plate, 8C...Central shaft,
9... Spring, 10... Guide tube, 11... Stop ring, 12... Arm, 13... Spring plate, 14...
Casing, 14A...Top lid, 14B...Bottom plate,
15... Mounting frame, 16... Partition wall, 17... Air chamber, 18... Mounting platform, 19... Convex strip, 20... Ventilation port, 21... Convex strip.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] A blower device having the following configurations (a) to (d), and used in a bathtub, characterized by having the configurations (e) to (g). . (a) The blower device includes a blower disk 2 arranged horizontally at the bottom of the bathtub, and an air pump 4 that supplies pressurized air to the blower disk 2. (b) The blow disk 2 is fixed to the casing 14 via the mounting frame 15. (c) Air chamber 1 between blow disk 2 and casing 14
7 is provided. (d) The air chamber 17 is connected to the air pump 4 via the piping 3.
is connected to. (e) The mounting frame 15 has an annular shape as a whole, and the
is fixed along the outer periphery of the (f) The mounting frame 15 is shaped like a groove, and the inner width of the groove is approximately equal to the thickness of the blow disk 2, and the outer periphery of the blow disk 2 is fitted into the groove. (g) The mounting frame 15 is made of a rubber-like elastic material, and the upper and lower surfaces of the mounting frame 15 are in close contact with the casing 14 in an airtight manner. It is fixed at 14.