Hydromassage bath unit

Abstract

A hydromassage bath apparatus (1) comprising: a shell (10) delimiting a volume (15) intended to receive a liquid such as water, and one or more users; at least one liquid reservoir (20) disposed in said shell (10) and configured to be pressurized when filled with liquid; said reservoir (20) having, on one face, at least one liquid inlet (24) into the reservoir, and on a second face, a plurality of pressurized liquid outlets (26; 28) from the reservoir into said volume, referred to as "massage outlets"; a liquid supply system (30) comprising at least one conduit (32) arranged to carry the liquid to said reservoir (20); said conduit (32) being connected to said reservoir (20) through at least one through-hole (13) formed in the shell (10). Figure for abbreviation: Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: Hydromassage bath device technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of hydromassage bath devices. Technological background

[0002] Bathtubs or similar devices are known that allow hydromassage of an anatomical area, particularly the back, of a user by directing jets of pressurized water towards that area.

[0003] A conventional spa of this type comprises a container which is generally equipped with a plurality of massage points obtained by means of jets provided on the walls of the tub. These jets are arranged in groups according to the different anatomical regions of a user's body. Each jet is supplied with water from a pump by means of a hose which is connected to a manifold.

[0004] The massage points, as described above, require a considerable number of parts for their operation, for example, the nozzle, the means for fixing it, the sealing means, the supply pipe, etc. This impacts both the cost of manufacturing the hydromassage bath, but also its maintenance.

[0005] Moreover, each nozzle requires a corresponding perforation to be made in the bathtub, thus increasing the risk of leaks, particularly when mounting the nozzles on the wall or due to wear.

[0006] There is therefore a need to further improve hydromassage bath devices, in particular to reduce the cost of creating massage points while maintaining good massage performance. Summary of the invention

[0007] The invention aims to meet this need and relates to a hydromassage bath device comprising: - A shell delimiting a volume intended to hold a liquid such as water, and one or more users, - At least one liquid reservoir disposed in said hull and configured to be pressurized when supplied with liquid, said reservoir having on a first face, at least one liquid inlet orifice into the reservoir, and on a second face, a plurality of pressurized liquid outlet orifices from the reservoir into said volume, called "massage orifices", - a liquid supply system comprising at least one pipe arranged to bring the liquid to said reservoir, said pipe being connected audit reservoir through at least one through opening made in the hull.

[0008] Preferably, the liquid is water.

[0009] In the present invention, a reduced number of perforations are provided in the shell for all the massage jets of a single reservoir. Preferably, a single through-hole is made in the shell to supply the corresponding reservoir with liquid. Therefore, for a similar, or even improved, massage result, the number of perforations is lower than in conventional bath devices. This reduces the risk of leaks mentioned above.

[0010] Furthermore, the claimed bathing apparatus has reservoirs that are pressurized when filled with liquid. This allows liquid to be jetted through the massage orifices without the need for nozzles. Also, the number of parts required to create the massage points is considerably reduced. This, on the one hand, reduces the cost associated with the parts needed for the massage, and on the other hand, facilitates the maintenance of these massage points. Reservoir

[0011] The reservoir allows a suitable space to be defined for accumulating the liquid under pressure.

[0012] As mentioned above, the reservoir is configured to be pressurized when it is supplied with liquid by said supply system. This pressurization allows for jets of liquid to be produced through the massage orifices, enabling the massage of an anatomical area of ​​the user. Furthermore, the invention, through the reservoir and its pressurization, eliminates the need for nozzles, thus reducing the number of parts involved in creating the massage points.

[0013] At least one massage orifice may be without a nozzle.

[0014] Preferably, all the massage orifices of the reservoir are free of nozzles.

[0015] Preferably, the first face of the reservoir is distinct from the second face. Advantageously, the first and second faces are opposite faces of the tank.

[0016] The reservoir can have a capacity greater than 0.11, better greater than 0.31, even better greater than 0.51.

[0017] The device may include at least two tanks arranged in different locations on the hull, in particular on the same side of the hull or on different opposite or adjacent sides.

[0018] The bathing apparatus may have a number of tanks between 1 and 50, better between 2 and 30, even better between 2 and 15.

[0019] At least two reservoirs may have a different number of massage orifices and / or a different arrangement of massage orifices.

[0020] Preferably, the tank is fixed to the hull.

[0021] Preferably, the reservoir is housed in a recess or imprint made in the hull.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment, the reservoir is formed by a hollow-shaped part, said part having within it a space for liquid accumulation. Said space is delimited by the walls of the hollow part.

[0023] Preferably, the shell includes at least one recess for receiving said hollow part, the recess being made in the inner face of a wall of said shell and opening into said volume. Preferably, said through opening made in the shell opens into the recess.

[0024] Preferably, the hollow piece is arranged in the aforementioned reservation so as to cover at least partially the reservation.

[0025] Reservation

[0026] Preferably, the reservation is made in a side wall of the shell, in particular in a wall intended to be in contact with an anatomical area, in particular dorsal, of the user.

[0027] The reservation is made by stamping, thermoforming, or by any other known technique.

[0028] The hull may have at least two reservations in two different locations on the hull and at least two hollow pieces arranged each so as to cover the corresponding reservation.

[0029] Preferably, the reservations are of identical form.

[0030] Alternatively, the reservations may be of different shape and / or size(s).

[0031] The reservations may be present on the same wall, for example on the side wall.

[0032] The reservations can be placed on the same side or on two different sides of the wall, in particular adjacent or opposite.

[0033] Hollow part

[0034] The hollow part is configured to be energized when the tank is supplied with liquid by said supply system.

[0035] Preferably, the hollow part has the inlet opening on its first face opposite the recess. Preferably, the massage openings are arranged on a second face of the part, in particular distinct from the first face, preferably opposite the first face.

[0036] Preferably, the part is monolithic.

[0037] By "monolithic", it is understood that the part is in the form of a single, unified block. The part can be obtained by molding, in particular by rotomolding, by injection molding or by blow molding.

[0038] Preferably, the part is made of plastic.

[0039] Alternatively, the part is made of a metallic material. The metallic material can be chosen from steel, in particular stainless steel, or even aluminum.

[0040] The part can be fixed to the shell in a removable manner, in particular by snapping, screwing or by means of other removable fixing methods.

[0041] The part can extend over a maximum measured length, along a longitudinal axis thereof, of between 50 and 2000 mm, better between 60 and 1500 mm, even better between 80 and 1000 mm, in particular between 100 and 800 mm.

[0042] The part can have a maximum width measured along a transverse axis of it of between 50 and 1500 mm, better between 60 and 1000 mm, even better between 100 and 800 mm, in particular between 150 and 500 mm.

[0043] The part may have, in front view, a substantially polygonal contour, in particular parallelogrammatic, rectangular, square, etc.

[0044] Alternatively, the part has, in front view, a circular or elliptical contour.

[0045] In embodiments, the plurality of massage orifices of the part or of the The reservoir has a main massage port arranged to at least partially overlap the inlet port. Therefore, a portion of the liquid arriving through the pipe can flow directly into the main massage port.

[0046] Preferably, the inlet orifice has a larger cross-section than the main massage orifice.

[0047] The massage orifices may be of different sizes and / or shapes.

[0048] Alternatively, all the orifices of the plurality of massage orifices of the hollow part or reservoir are identical.

[0049] The reservoir or hollow part may have between 2 and 30 orifices, better between 2 and 20, even better between 2 and 15.

[0050] The massage orifices may be circular in cross-section or slit-shaped.

[0051] When the device has at least two tanks, the corresponding parts may be of identical shape or have different shapes.

[0052] In particular, at least two parts may have a different number of massage orifices and / or a different arrangement of massage orifices. Power supply system

[0053] The power supply system may include at least one bulkhead element having a body suitable for being fixed on a rim surrounding the through opening made in the hull.

[0054] Preferably, the body includes a liquid passage arranged to be connected to the pipe and to pass through the liquid inlet orifice provided in the reservoir. The liquid passage also allows the liquid to be conveyed from the pipe to the reservoir.

[0055] The supply system may include a pump to supply the tank(s) with pressurized liquid.

[0056] When the device has at least two tanks as described above, these can be connected in series or in parallel

[0057] In this embodiment, the supply system comprises a plurality of fittings, notably T or Y fittings, for connecting the pipes together. Preferably, the bulkhead fittings are each connected to the corresponding pipe by a fitting.

[0058] Alternatively, the supply system comprises one or more manifolds, the tanks each being connected to the manifold or manifolds by means of the corresponding pipe.

[0059] The supply system may include at least one means for regulating the pressure and / or flow rate of the liquid. The regulating means may consist of one or more valves.

[0060] The bathing appliance can be a bathtub, a swimming pool, a spa or even a jacuzzi®.

[0061] The invention also relates to a method of using a bathing appliance according to the invention, said method comprising: - supplying the tank(s) with liquid from the corresponding inlet port in order to pressurize the tank(s), - the jet of pressurized liquid through the massage orifices towards an anatomical part of a user to perform a massage of a portion of said anatomical area. Brief description of the figures

[0062] The following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, given by way of non-limiting examples, will clearly explain what the invention consists of and how it can be implemented. In the accompanying figures:

[0063] [Fig.1] Fig.1 is a perspective view of a hydromassage bath device according to the invention;

[0064] [Fig.2] The [Fig.2] is a top view of the device of the [Fig.1];

[0065] [Fig.3a] and [Fig.3b] are details of the apparatus of [Fig.1];

[0066] [Fig.4a] and [Fig.4b] are cross-sections of figures 3a and 3b, respectively;

[0067] [Fig.5] represents in isolation a hollow part and a bulkhead element according to the invention;

[0068] [Fig.6] is a perspective view of a variant of the bathing device according to the invention;

[0069] [Fig.7] is a top view of the device in [Fig.6];

[0070] [Fig.8] is a detail of the apparatus of [Fig.6];

[0071] [Fig.9] is a bottom view of another variant of the bathing apparatus according to the invention,

[0072] [Fig. 10a] and [Fig. 10b] are an example of an apparatus according to the invention in which the tanks are connected in parallel, and

[0073] [Fig. 11] represents the apparatus of figures lOa-b without the shell. Description of method(s) of implementation

[0074] In the figures, and unless otherwise specified, identical elements shall bear the same reference symbols.

[0075] Figures 1 to 4 show a hydromassage bath device 1 according to the invention.

[0076] As illustrated, the hydromassage bath unit 1 comprises a shell 10 delimiting a volume 15 intended to receive a liquid such as water and to accommodate one or more users. In the illustrated example, the shell 10 has a substantially polygonal, in particular rectangular, contour when viewed from above.

[0077] The shell 10 rests on a frame 11 and comprises a side wall 12 having an inner face 14 against which an anatomical area, particularly the dorsal or lumbar region, of the user can rest. As illustrated, this side wall 12 has on its inner face 14 a plurality of recesses 16 in different locations, here four in number. These recesses 16 open into the volume 15 and each has a depth pr between 50 and 200 mm. Each recess extends over a length Lr between 100 and 800 mm.

[0078] In the illustrated example, the reservations 16 are present on two opposite sides 12a and 12c of the wall 12. Alternatively, the reservations 16 are present on two adjacent sides 12a and 12b of the wall 12 as illustrated in [Fig.7], or both on adjacent and opposite sides 12a-c, as in the example in [Fig.9].

[0079] Each recess 16 receives a part 22. Each part 22 is removably mounted on the shell 10 so as to at least partially cover the corresponding recess 16. The part 22 is hollow, as can be seen in Figures 4a and 4b. Thanks to its hollow shape, the part 22 constitutes a liquid reservoir 20 capable of accumulating liquid. The reservoir is supplied with pressurized liquid through a liquid inlet 24 formed in the wall of the part 22. As is As illustrated, the inlet orifice 24 is made in a first face of the part which is opposite the corresponding reservation 16.

[0080] In the illustrated example, the hollow part 22 is made of plastic and is configured to be pressurized when supplied with liquid.

[0081] The part extends over a maximum length Z,, measured between 100 and 800 mm and has a maximum width lp measured between 150 and 500 mm.

[0082] Each hollow piece 22 has on a second face, opposite to the first face, a plurality of outlets 26 and 28 for pressurized liquid from the reservoir 20 to said volume 15 and therefore to the aforementioned anatomical area, called "massage orifices" in what follows.

[0083] The number and distribution of massage orifices in the hollow part 22 depend on the type of massage desired. The hollow parts in the example considered each have a different number and distribution of massage orifices. The number of massage orifices in the same part can range from two to twenty.

[0084] In the example considered, each hollow part 22 has a main massage orifice 26 and secondary massage orifices 28. The main massage orifice 26 is positioned so as to overlap at least partially with the inlet orifice 24. The inlet orifice 24 has a larger cross-section than the main massage orifice.

[0085] In the example illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, the part is monolithic. Alternatively, and as shown in Figures 6 to 8, the part is formed by two portions 22a and 22b. The main portion 22a has the inlet and massage ports as described above.

[0086] The reservoirs 20 are supplied by means of a supply system 30. The supply system 30 comprises a plurality of pipes 32, each of these pipes 32 being arranged to bring the liquid to one of the reservoirs 20. The pipe 32 is connected to the corresponding reservoir 20 through a through opening 13 made in the shell 10. In the illustrated example, the through opening 13 is made at the level of each reservation 16.

[0087] The power supply system 30 further comprises a plurality of bulkhead elements 34 each comprising a body 35 fixed on a rim surrounding one of the through openings 13.

[0088] As can be seen in particular in [Fig.5], the bulkhead fitting 34 has a liquid passage 36 arranged to be connected to the corresponding pipe 32 and to pass through the liquid inlet orifice 24 provided in the hollow part 22.

[0089] The supply system 30 includes a pump 31 for supplying the reservoir(s) 20 with pressurized liquid.

[0090] The tanks can be connected in series, as illustrated in [Fig. 9]. In this embodiment, the supply system 30 comprises a plurality of fittings 39, in particular T- or Y-fittings, for connecting the pipes 32 together. In this example, the bulkhead fittings each cooperate with the corresponding pipe via one of the fittings 39.

[0091] Alternatively, the supply system includes a manifold (not shown) to which the tanks 20 are connected by means of the corresponding pipe 32, as illustrated in [Fig.6].

[0092] Figures 10a-b and 11 illustrate an example in which the tanks are connected in parallel.

[0093] The supply system 30 further includes regulation of the pressure and / or flow of the liquid 38. The regulation means 38 includes in the illustrated examples a valve.

[0094] We will now describe the operation of a bathing device according to the invention.

[0095] The supply system feeds pressurized liquid into the reservoir 20 formed by the hollow part 22 using the pump 31 and the lines 32. Due to the position of the main massage orifices, some of the liquid delivered by the lines enters these orifices directly and is thus ejected into the volume 15 first. A second portion enters the reservoir. This supply pressurizes the reservoir, allowing the liquid to be ejected through the secondary massage orifices under pressure. This results in jets of pressurized liquid that provide the desired massage.

[0096] The invention is not limited to the examples just described.

[0097] The number of hollow parts used may vary. The general shape of the hollow parts may differ from that shown in Figures 1 to 11.

[0098] The massage orifices may be slit-shaped.

Claims

Demands

1. Hydromassage bath apparatus (1) comprising: - a shell (10) delimiting a volume (15) intended to receive a liquid such as water, and one or more users, - at least one liquid reservoir (20) disposed in said shell (10) and configured to be pressurized when supplied with liquid, said reservoir (20) having on a first face, at least one inlet orifice (24) for liquid into the reservoir, and on a second face, a plurality of outlet orifices (26; 28) for pressurized liquid from the reservoir to said volume, called "massage orifices", at least one massage orifice being without a nozzle, - a liquid supply system (30) comprising at least one conduit (32) arranged to bring the liquid to said reservoir (20), said conduit (32) being connected to said reservoir (20) through at least one through opening (13) made in the shell (10).

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising at least two tanks (20) arranged in different locations on the hull, in particular on the same side of the hull (10) or on different opposite or adjacent sides.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that at least two reservoirs (20) have a different number of massage orifices (26; 28) and / or a different arrangement of massage orifices (26; 28).

4. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reservoir (20) is formed by a hollow-shaped part (22) configured to be pressurized when supplied with liquid, in that the shell (10) has at least one opening (16) leading to said volume (15) and in which said part (22) is arranged so as to at least partially cover the opening (16), and in that said opening (16) is made in an inner face (14) of a wall (12) of said shell (10).

5. Device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the shell has at least two reservations (16) at two locations different from the hull and at least two hollow pieces (22) each arranged so as to cover the corresponding reservation.

6. Device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the reservations (16) are present on the same wall (12), for example on the side wall, in particular on the same side (12a) or on at least two different sides of the wall (12a-c), in particular adjacent or opposite.

7. Apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the liquid inlet orifice (24) is provided on a first face of the hollow part (22) opposite the reservation (16), and the massage orifices (26; 28) are arranged on a second face of the hollow part (22), in particular distinct from the first face, preferably opposite the first face.

8. Apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that the hollow part (22) is monolithic.

9. Apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that the hollow part (22) is mounted removably on the shell (10).

10. Apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 9, characterized in that the hollow part (22) is obtained by molding, in particular by rotomolding.

11. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the supply system (30) comprises at least one bulkhead fitting (34) comprising a body (35) adapted to be fixed on a rim surrounding the through opening (13) of the hull (10), the body comprising in particular a liquid passage (36) arranged to be connected to the corresponding conduit (32) and to pass through the liquid inlet orifice (24) provided in the reservoir (20).