Circulator for bathtub

Abstract

To provide a novel circulator for a bathtub.SOLUTION: A circulator 1 for a bathtub includes an outside cylindrical body 2, an inside cylindrical body 3, and a partition member 4. The outside cylindrical body 2 is arranged outside a bathtub 6. The inside cylindrical body 3 is assembled with the outside cylindrical body 2 in a state of being inserted into a through hole 7 provided in the bathtub 6 so as to sandwich the bathtub 6 between itself and the outside cylindrical body 2. The partition member 4 is assembled with the inside cylindrical body 3 from the inside of the bathtub 6 so as to form a discharge passage 11 and a suction passage 12 in the circulator 1 for the bathtub. A projection piece 32 is formed on an outer peripheral surface of a connection cylinder 30 of the partition member 4, and a projection 24 is formed in a position near the inside of the bathtub 6 from the projection piece 32 on the inner peripheral surface of the inside cylindrical body 3. Extraction from an opening 3a of the connection cylinder 30 is restricted by contact between the projection 24 and the projection piece 32 by mutually matching positions of the projection 24 and the projection piece 32 around an axial line through mutual rotation of the partition member 4 and the inside cylindrical body 3 around the axial line.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a circulation device for a bathtub. [Background technology]

[0002] The hot water supply system for a bathtub shown in Patent Document 1 has not only a filling function that supplies hot water from a water heater to the bathtub, but also a reheating function that draws hot water from the bathtub into the water heater, heats it, and then returns it to the bathtub. This hot water supply system uses a bathtub circulation device that discharges hot water into the bathtub and draws hot water from the bathtub. The bathtub circulation device has the following outer cylinder, inner cylinder, and partition member.

[0003] The external cylinder is positioned outside the bathtub. A supply pipe and a return pipe, which are connected to a water heater, are connected to this external cylinder. The internal cylinder is assembled to the external cylinder while being inserted into a through-hole provided in the bathtub. This sandwiches the bathtub between the internal and external cylinders, and the bathtub circulation device is assembled to the bathtub. The partition member is assembled to the internal cylinder from inside the bathtub, thereby forming a discharge passage connecting the inside of the bathtub with the supply pipe, and a suction passage connecting the inside of the bathtub with the return pipe in the bathtub circulation device. The partition member has a discharge opening connected to the discharge passage and opening to the inside of the bathtub, and a suction opening connected to the suction passage and opening to the inside of the bathtub.

[0004] When reheating the hot water in the bathtub, the hot water is drawn in through the intake opening of the bathtub circulation device (compartment member). The hot water drawn into the bathtub circulation device in this way is returned to the water heater via the intake passage and return pipe. Furthermore, the hot water heated by the water heater flows into the bathtub circulation device through the supply pipe, passes through the discharge passage of the bathtub circulation device (compartment member), and is discharged into the bathtub from the discharge opening. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-178862 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a novel circulation device for a bathtub. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The bathtub circulation device that solves the above problem comprises an outer cylinder that is disposed outside the bathtub and to which a delivery pipe and a return pipe that lead to a water heater are connected, an inner cylinder that is inserted into a through-hole provided in the bathtub and assembled to the outer cylinder to sandwich the bathtub between the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder, and a partition member that is assembled to the inner cylinder to form a discharge passage that connects the inside of the bathtub with the delivery pipe and a suction passage that connects the inside of the bathtub with the return pipe, wherein a connecting cylinder is provided in the partition member, and the inner cylinder is formed with a receiving section that opens toward the inside of the bathtub and into which the connecting cylinder of the partition member is inserted, and the partition member is axially and coaxially aligned with the inner cylinder. The connecting tube is removably assembled by relative rotation, and a protruding piece is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the connecting tube, and a protrusion is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the accommodating section at a position closer to the inside of the bathtub than the protruding piece of the connecting tube.By relative rotation between the partition member and the inner cylindrical body around the axis, the positions of the protrusion and the protruding piece around the axis are aligned with each other, so that removal of the connecting tube from the accommodating section through the opening is restricted by the abutment between the protrusion and the protruding piece, and by relative rotation between the partition member and the inner cylindrical body around the axis, the positions of the protrusion and the protruding piece around the axis are shifted relative to each other, making it possible to remove the connecting tube from the accommodating section through the opening.

[0008] In the above-mentioned bathtub circulation device, a rotation-preventing member is provided outside the storage section of the partition member, and a protrusion is formed on the surface of the rotation-preventing member facing the outside of the bathtub, and a hole is formed on the surface of the inner cylinder facing the inside of the bathtub, and when the removal of the connecting tube from the storage section is restricted by the abutment between the protrusion and the protruding piece, the protrusion of the rotation-preventing member is fitted into the hole of the inner cylinder, preventing relative rotation between the partition member and the inner cylinder. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the partition member as viewed in the direction of arrow BB in FIG. 9. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. [Figure 14] 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state in which the attachment piece of the blocking member is inserted into the horizontal slit of the inner cylindrical body. FIG. [Figure 15] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the bathtub circulation device as viewed from the direction of arrow AA in FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the circulation device for a bathtub will be described with reference to FIGS. The bathtub circulation device 1 shown in Figures 1 to 3 is used in a hot water supply system that has the functions of filling a bathtub with hot water and reheating water. The bathtub circulation device 1 is used to discharge hot water from the hot water heater of the hot water supply system into the bathtub, and to draw hot water from the bathtub when sending the hot water to the hot water heater.

[0011] The bathtub circulation device 1 includes an external cylinder 2 that is placed outside the bathtub 6 (on the right side in Figure 1). A supply pipe 9 and a return pipe 10 that lead to a water heater 8 (Figure 2) are connected to the external cylinder 2. The bathtub 6 is provided with a through-hole 7, into which the internal cylinder 3 is inserted from inside the bathtub 6 (on the left side in Figure 1). The internal cylinder 3 is assembled to the external cylinder 2 while inserted into the through-hole 7. This sandwiches the bathtub 6 between the internal cylinder 3 and the external cylinder 2. As a result, the bathtub circulation device 1 is assembled to the bathtub 6.

[0012] A partition member 4 is attached to the inner cylinder 3 from inside the bathtub 6. As a result, the bathtub circulation device 1 is formed with a discharge passage 11 that connects the inside of the bathtub 6 with the supply pipe 9, and a suction passage 12 that connects the inside of the bathtub 6 with the return pipe 10. The partition member 4 also has a discharge opening 13 (Fig. 3) that connects to the discharge passage 11 and opens to the inside of the bathtub 6, and a suction opening 14 (Fig. 3) that connects to the suction passage 12 and opens to the inside of the bathtub 6.

[0013] A filter cover 5 is also attached to the inner cylindrical body 3 from inside the bathtub 6. This filter cover 5 covers the discharge opening 13 and the suction opening 14 of the partition member 4 attached to the inner cylindrical body 3, and is intended to prevent anything other than the hot water from being sucked into the suction opening 14 when the hot water in the bathtub 6 is sucked into the suction opening 14.

[0014] Next, the outer cylinder 2, the inner cylinder 3, the partition member 4, and the filter cover 5 provided in the bathtub circulation device 1 will be individually described in detail. [Outer barrel 2] As shown in FIG. 1, the external cylindrical body 2 is formed in a cylindrical shape. An annular flange 15 is formed at the open end of the external cylindrical body 2. An annular seal member 16 is fitted over this flange 15. The seal member 16 of the external cylindrical body 2 abuts against the outer wall surface 6b of the bath 6 so as to surround the opening of the through-hole 7 of the bath 6. An internal thread 17 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the external cylindrical body 2 for assembling the internal cylindrical body 3. A cylindrical internal cylindrical portion 18 extending along the center line of the external cylindrical body 2 is formed on the bottom 2a of the external cylindrical body 2, i.e., the end opposite the open end. As shown in FIG. 2, threaded joints 19 and 20 are provided on the bottom 2a of the external cylindrical body 2 for connecting the supply piping 9 and the return piping 10. The inside of the inner cylindrical portion 18 (Figure 1) is connected to the delivery pipe 9 via a joint 19, and the portion between the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion 18 and the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical body 2 is connected to the return pipe 10 via a joint 20.

[0015] [Inner tube 3] As shown in FIG. 1, the internal cylindrical body 3 is cylindrical and passes through the through-hole 7 of the bathtub 6. A male thread 21 that meshes with the female thread 17 of the external cylindrical body 2 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the internal cylindrical body 3 at a portion located inside the bathtub 6. A flange 22 is formed on the open end of the internal cylindrical body 3 located outside the bathtub 6. A ring-shaped seal member 23 is provided between this flange 22 and the inner wall surface 6a of the bathtub 6. The internal cylindrical body 3 is assembled to the external cylindrical body 2 by threading the male thread 21 of the internal cylindrical body 3 into the female thread 17 of the external cylindrical body 2. The bathtub 6 is then sandwiched between the flange 22 of the internal cylindrical body 3 and the flange 15 of the external cylindrical body 2. At this time, the seal member 16 is pressed against the outer wall surface 6b of the bathtub 6, and the seal member 23 is pressed against the inner wall surface 6a of the bathtub 6. The opening 3a of the internal cylindrical body 3 on the flange 22 side opens toward the inside of the bathtub 6 and functions as a housing capable of housing the partition member 4.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of protrusions 24 for attaching the partition member 4 are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the opening 3a of the internal cylindrical body 3. The protrusions 24 have a restricting surface 24a that restricts clockwise rotation of the partition member 4 around the axis of the internal cylindrical body 3 (rotation in the direction of arrow Y1 in FIG. 4) and a restricting surface 24b that restricts removal of the partition member 4 from the opening 3a. Furthermore, a plurality of holes 25 are formed on the surface of the flange 22 of the internal cylindrical body 3 facing the inside of the bathtub 6 to prevent counterclockwise rotation of the partition member 4 around the axis of the internal cylindrical body 3 (rotation in the opposite direction to arrow Y1 in FIG. 4). Furthermore, the above surface is formed with slopes 26 that extend in the direction of arrow Y1 in FIG. 4 and connect to the holes 25. The slopes 26 are formed to correspond to the respective holes 25, and are inclined so that the closer to the hole 25 in the direction of arrow Y1 in FIG. 4, the closer to the hole 25 the slopes approach the bottom of the hole 25. As shown in FIG. 5, the protrusions 24, the holes 25, and the inclined surfaces 26 are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the inner cylindrical body 3.

[0017] 4 and 6, a plurality of vertical slits 27 and horizontal slits 28 for assembling the filter cover 5 to the inner cylindrical body 3 are formed in the outer peripheral surface of the flange 22 of the inner cylindrical body 3. The vertical slits 27 extend in the axial direction of the inner cylindrical body 3. The horizontal slits 28 are connected to the vertical slits 27 at their ends on the male thread 21 side, and extend in the circumferential direction of the inner cylindrical body 3 (the direction of arrow Y1 in FIG. 4). The multiple vertical slits 27 and horizontal slits 28 are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface of the flange 22.

[0018] [Compartment member 4] 7 and 8, the partition member 4 is provided with a disk-shaped main body 29, and a connecting tube 30 that protrudes from the main body 29 in the direction of the center line of the main body 29. A seal ring 31 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the tip of the connecting tube 30 in the protruding direction. In addition, a pair of protruding pieces 32 are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the end of the connecting tube 30 on the main body 29 side so as to protrude in opposite directions. The pair of protruding pieces 32 are used to assemble the partition member 4 to the inner cylindrical body 3 (FIG. 4).

[0019] A plate-shaped anti-rotation member 33 is provided on surface 29a of main body 29 that faces the inside of bathtub 6, extending radially of the main body. Both ends of anti-rotation member 33 protrude radially outward from main body 29. On the surfaces of both ends of anti-rotation member 33 facing the outside of bathtub 6, protrusions 34 are formed that can be fitted into holes 25 of flange 22 of inner cylindrical body 3 (Fig. 4).

[0020] As shown in FIG. 9 , the discharge opening 13 and the suction opening 14 are formed on the surface 29a of the main body 29. The discharge opening 13 and the suction opening 14 form a pair. A total of two pairs of discharge openings 13 and suction openings 14 are provided. One end of the anti-rotation member 33, facing the inside of the bathtub 6, is marked with a symbol 35 indicating "up" to indicate the proper position of that end. When the partition member 4 is positioned so that the end of the anti-rotation member 33 with the symbol 35 is positioned at the top and the anti-rotation member 33 extends vertically, the discharge opening 13 is oriented to open radially outward and diagonally downward from the main body 29. That is, the discharge opening 13 is formed in the main body 29 so that this is the case.

[0021] The partitioning member 4 is assembled to the internal cylindrical body 3 as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 3 , inside the bathtub 6, the internal cylindrical body 3 is inserted into the internal cylindrical body 3 from the connecting tube 30 side. Furthermore, the partitioning member 4 is pushed into the internal cylindrical body 3 so that the protruding piece 32 ( FIG. 7 ) of the partitioning member 4 is positioned between the protrusions 24 ( FIG. 5 ) of the internal cylindrical body 3, and in this state, the partitioning member 4 is inserted into the internal cylindrical body 3 so that the main body 29 of the partitioning member 4 is housed in the opening 3a of the internal cylindrical body 3. This causes the protrusion 34 ( FIG. 7 ) of the anti-rotation member 33 to abut against the slope 26 ( FIG. 4 ) of the flange 22 of the internal cylindrical body 3. Thereafter, the partitioning member 4 is rotated around its axis relative to the internal cylindrical body 3 in the direction of arrow Y1 in FIG. 4 , so that the protruding piece 32 of the partitioning member 4 abuts against the restricting surfaces 24a, 24b of the protrusion 24. Furthermore, the protrusion 34 of the partitioning member 4 (anti-rotation member 33) is fitted into the hole 25 of the flange 22 of the internal cylindrical body 3.

[0022] At this time, relative rotation of the partitioning member 4 with respect to the internal cylindrical body 3 in the direction of arrow Y1 in Fig. 4 is restricted by the protruding piece 32 abutting against the restricting surface 24a of the protrusion 24. Furthermore, removal of the partitioning member 4 from the internal cylindrical body 3 is restricted by the protruding piece 32 abutting against the restricting surface 24b of the protrusion 24. Furthermore, relative rotation of the partitioning member 4 with respect to the internal cylindrical body 3 in the direction opposite to arrow Y1 in Fig. 4 is made less likely to occur by the fit of the protrusion 34 into the hole 25. Therefore, the anti-rotation member 33 including the protrusion 34 engages with the flange 22 (hole 25) of the internal cylindrical body 3, and thereby functions to prevent the above-mentioned relative rotation with respect to the internal cylindrical body 3 to some extent.

[0023] As described above, the partition member 4 is removably assembled to the internal cylindrical body 3. The partition member 4 is assembled to the internal cylindrical body 3 so that the anti-rotation member 33 extends vertically and the indicia 35 faces upward, as shown in Fig. 9. That is, the protrusion 24 with which the protruding piece 32 abuts is selected when assembling the partition member 4 to the internal cylindrical body 3 so that this occurs.

[0024] When removing the partitioning member 4 from the internal cylindrical body 3, the partitioning member 4 is rotated relative to the internal cylindrical body 3 in the direction opposite to the arrow Y1 in Figure 4. As a result, the protruding pieces 32 become positioned between adjacent projections 24, and the protrusions 34 that were fitted in the holes 25 climb up onto the slopes 26, causing the partitioning member 4 to move in the removal direction relative to the internal cylindrical body 3. By moving the partitioning member 4 relative to the internal cylindrical body 3 in this way, it becomes easy to grasp the partitioning member 4 with your hands and remove it from the internal cylindrical body 3.

[0025] When the partitioning member 4 is assembled to the internal cylindrical body 3, as shown in FIG. 1 , the outer periphery of the main body 29 of the partitioning member 4 is accommodated in the opening 3a (accommodation portion) of the internal cylindrical body 3. In this example, the entire outer periphery of the main body 29 is accommodated in the opening 3a of the internal cylindrical body 3. A seal ring 36 is attached to the outer periphery of the portion of the outer periphery of the main body 29 that is accommodated in the opening 3a of the internal cylindrical body 3 so as to contact the inner periphery of the opening 3a. Also, at this time, the connecting tube 30 of the partitioning member 4 is inserted into the internal cylindrical portion 18 of the external cylindrical body 2. A seal ring 31 attached to the outer periphery of the connecting tube 30 contacts the inner periphery of the internal cylindrical portion 18.

[0026] As a result of assembling the partitioning member 4 to the internal cylindrical body 3, the discharge passage 11 is formed inside the internal cylindrical portion 18, the internal connecting tube 30, and the internal main body 29 (FIG. 10). This discharge passage 11 is connected to one pair (the pair on the right in FIG. 10) of two pairs of discharge openings 13 and suction openings 14. As shown in FIG. 1, as a result of assembling the partitioning member 4 to the internal cylindrical body 3, the suction passage 12 is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the internal cylindrical portion 18 and the inner peripheral surface of the internal cylindrical body 3, and inside the internal main body 29 (FIG. 10). This suction passage 12 is connected to the other pair (the pair on the left in FIG. 10) of the two pairs of discharge openings 13 and suction openings 14.

[0027] As shown in Figure 10, a switching valve 38 that rotates around a support shaft 37 is provided in a portion of the discharge passage 11 that passes through the main body 29 of the partition member 4. The support shaft 37 is disposed so that its center line is perpendicular to the center line of the main body 29 and extends at a predetermined angle (e.g., 15°) with respect to a direction perpendicular to the center line of the main body 29 (a direction perpendicular to the plane of Figure 10). The switching valve 38 is positioned opposite the suction opening 14 that connects to the discharge passage 11, and is displaced between an open position (solid line) that opens the discharge opening 13 and a closed position (two-dot chain line) that closes the discharge opening 13 by rotation around the support shaft 37. An orifice 39 that reduces the cross-sectional area of ​​the fluid flow through the discharge passage 11 is formed in the discharge passage 11 near the suction opening 14 but away from the suction opening 14 and the discharge opening 13.

[0028] When hot water flows through the discharge passage 11 toward the discharge opening 13, the pressure drops downstream of the orifice 39 and near the suction opening 14, and the hot water in the bathtub 6 is drawn into the discharge passage 11 from the suction opening 14. As a result, the hot water that flows through the discharge passage 11 downstream of the orifice 39 does not flow into the bathtub 6 through the suction opening 14, but instead flows into the bathtub 6 through the discharge opening 13. At this time, the switching valve 38 is in the open position (solid line).

[0029] A switching valve 41 that rotates around a support shaft 40 is provided at a portion of the suction passage 12 that passes through the main body 29 of the partition member 4. The support shaft 40 is disposed so that its center line is perpendicular to the center line of the main body 29 and extends at a predetermined angle (e.g., 15°) with respect to a direction perpendicular to the center line of the main body 29 (a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. 10 ). The switching valve 41 is positioned opposite the suction opening 14 that connects to the suction passage 12, and is displaced between an open position (solid line) that opens the discharge opening 13 and a closed position (two-dot chain line) that closes the discharge opening 13 by rotation around the support shaft 40. An orifice 42 that reduces the cross-sectional area of ​​the fluid flow through the discharge passage 11 is formed in the suction passage 12 near the suction opening 14 but away from the suction opening 14 and the discharge opening 13.

[0030] When the hot water in the bathtub 6 is sucked into the suction passage 12, the pressure in the suction passage 12 drops, causing the switching valve 41 to move to the closed position (two-dot chain line). As a result, the discharge opening 13 is closed by the switching valve 41, and the hot water in the bathtub 6 is not sucked into the suction passage 12 from the discharge opening 13, but is instead sucked into the suction passage 12 from the suction opening 14.

[0031] [Filter cover 5] 11 and 12, the filter cover 5 includes a cylindrical portion 43 and a lid portion 44 that closes one opening of the cylindrical portion 43. An outlet port 45 is formed in the cylindrical portion 43. In addition, an inlet port 47 consisting of a number of pores 46 is formed in the lid portion 44.

[0032] A plate-shaped closing member 48 is attached to the surface of the lid portion 44 facing the main body 29 (FIG. 4) of the partition member 4 and to the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 43. The closing member 48 has a first region 49a that closes the pores 46 that face the discharge openings 13 in the main body 29 of the partition member 4, among the many pores 46. This first region 49a directs the flow of the fluid (hot water) discharged from the discharge openings 13 toward the discharge port 45 in the cylindrical portion 43 of the filter cover 5. Furthermore, the closing member 48 also has a second region 49b that opens the pores 46 that face the suction openings 14 in the main body 29 of the partition member 4, among the many pores 46.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 13 , a plurality of mounting pieces 50 protruding toward the center of the filter cover 5 are formed at predetermined intervals around the cylindrical portion 43 on the inner peripheral surface of the outer edge of the blocking member 48, at a portion corresponding to the cylindrical portion 43 of the filter cover 5. These mounting pieces 50 are for attaching the filter cover 5 to the inner cylindrical body 3. The blocking member 48 also has a cutout portion 51 formed therein that passes through the center of the filter cover 5 and extends in the radial direction of the cover 5. This cutout portion 51 is for accommodating the anti-rotation member 33 ( FIG. 4 ) of the partition member 4 when the filter cover 5 is attached to the inner cylindrical body 3 ( FIG. 4 ). The second region 49 b is located on both widthwise sides (left and right sides in FIG. 13 ) of the cutout portion 51 in the partition member 4.

[0034] The filter cover 5 is assembled to the inner cylindrical body 3 as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the filter cover 5 is placed inside the bathtub 6 with the closure member 48 facing the inner cylindrical body 3 and the partition member 4. Furthermore, the attachment pieces 50 (FIG. 13) of the filter cover 5 (closure member 48) are positioned corresponding to the vertical slits 27 (FIG. 4) of the inner cylindrical body 3, and the filter cover 5 is then brought close to the inner cylindrical body 3. As a result, the attachment pieces 50 pass through the vertical slits 27 and are positioned corresponding to the horizontal slits 28. The filter cover 5 is then rotated around its axis relative to the inner cylindrical body 3 in the direction of arrow Y1 in FIG. 4, whereby the attachment pieces 50 are inserted into the horizontal slits 28. FIG. 14 shows the attachment pieces 50 inserted into the horizontal slits 28.

[0035] The filter cover 5 is attached to the inner cylindrical body 3 by inserting the attachment pieces 50 into the horizontal slits 28. At this time, the filter cover 5 covers the discharge opening 13 and the suction opening 14 of the partition member 4 (FIG. 3), and the anti-rotation member 33 is housed in the notch 51 of the blocking member 48, as shown in FIG. 1. When the filter cover 5 is attached to the inner cylindrical body 3, the protruding height of the filter cover 5 from the inner wall surface 6a of the bathtub 6 is less than 10 mm. The protruding height is also set so that the ratio of the protruding height to the diameter of the filter cover 5 falls within a predetermined range, for example, 0.08 to 0.16. The range is preferably 0.09 to 0.14, and more preferably 0.10 to 0.12. The height of the filter cover 5 (the thickness in the centerline direction of the filter cover 5) is set so that the ratio of the height to the diameter of the filter cover 5 falls within a predetermined range, for example, 0.05 to 0.13. The above range is preferably 0.06 to 0.11, and more preferably 0.07 to 0.09.

[0036] The above-described operation of assembling the filter cover 5 to the internal cylindrical body 3 can be performed only when the relative position of the filter cover 5 with respect to the internal cylindrical body 3 and the partition member 4 in the direction of arrow Y1 in Fig. 4 is determined as follows: That is, the above-described assembling operation can be performed when the relative positions are determined so that the first region 49a (Fig. 13) of the closing member 48 is positioned corresponding to the discharge opening 13 (Fig. 9) of the partition member 4, and the second region 49b of the closing member 48 is positioned corresponding to the suction opening 14 of the partition member 4. That is, the overall shapes of the cutout portion 51 and the second region 49b in the closing member 48 are determined in this way.

[0037] Therefore, even if an attempt is made to assemble the filter cover 5 to the inner cylindrical body 3 at a position other than the above-described relative position, the anti-rotation member 33 comes into contact with the closing member 48, making it impossible to perform the assembly operation. For this reason, the filter cover 5 cannot be assembled to the inner cylindrical body 3 in a state where the first region 49a and the second region 49b of the closing member 48 are not positioned corresponding to the discharge opening 13 and the suction opening 14 of the partition member 4.

[0038] Next, the suction of hot water from inside the bathtub 6 and the discharge of hot water into the bathtub 6 using the bathtub circulation device 1 will be described. Figure 15 shows the bathtub circulation device 1 as viewed from the direction of arrow AA in Figure 1. When hot water in the bathtub 6 is sent to the water heater 8 (Figure 2), the hot water is drawn into the suction passage 12 in the bathtub circulation device 1 through one of the many pores 46 in the filter cover 5 (suction port 47) that corresponds to the suction opening 14 on the left side of Figure 15, and through that suction opening 14. At this time, the switching valve 41 is in the closed position, blocking the discharge opening 13 on the left side of Figure 14. The hot water drawn into the suction passage 12 is then sent to the water heater 8 through the fitting 20 and return piping 10 shown in Figure 2.

[0039] On the other hand, when hot water is discharged from the water heater 8 into the bathtub 6, the hot water is sent to the discharge passage 11 (Fig. 14) in the bathtub circulation device 1 via the supply pipe 9 and the joint 19. At this time, the switching valve 41 is in the open position, so that the discharge opening 13 on the right side in Fig. 14 is opened. Then, the hot water that has passed through the discharge passage 11 is discharged into the bathtub 6 via the discharge opening 13 and the discharge port 45 of the filter cover 5.

[0040] Next, the effects of the bathtub circulation device 1 of this embodiment will be described. (1) As shown in Figures 1 and 3, in the bathtub circulation device 1, when the partition member 4 is attached from inside the bathtub 6 to the internal cylindrical body 3 that has passed through the through-hole 7 of the bathtub 6, the entire outer periphery of the main body 29 of the partition member 4 is accommodated in the opening 3a of the internal cylindrical body 3. Since the main body 29 of the partition member 4 is accommodated in the opening 3a of the internal cylindrical body 3 in this way, the protruding height of the partition member 4 relative to the inner wall surface 6a of the bathtub 6 can be kept small.

[0041] (2) Since the discharge opening 13 and the suction opening 14 are located on the surface 29a of the main body 29 of the partition member 4 that corresponds to the inside of the bathtub 6, even if the entire outer periphery of the main body 29 is contained in the opening 3a of the inner cylinder body 3, the discharge opening 13 and the suction opening 14 can be opened to the inside of the bathtub 6.

[0042] (3) The discharge opening 13 and the suction opening 14 provided in the main body 29 of the partitioning member 4 are covered by the filter cover 5, and thus the filter cover 5 can prevent foreign matter in the bathtub 6 from being sucked into the suction opening 14. Because the filter cover 5 is attached to the inner cylindrical body 3, the filter cover 5 can be attached to the bathtub circulation device 1 even if the entire outer periphery of the main body 29 of the partitioning member 4 is housed in the opening 3a of the inner cylindrical body 3.

[0043] (4) The filter cover 5 includes a cylindrical portion 43 and a lid portion 44 that closes one opening of the cylindrical portion 43. A discharge port 45 is formed in the cylindrical portion 43, and a suction port 47 consisting of a large number of pores 46 is formed in the lid portion 44. A closing member 48 is attached to the surface of the lid portion 44 that faces the main body 29 of the partition member 4.

[0044] This closing member 48 has a second region 49b that opens those of the many pores 46 that face the suction opening 14 in the main body 29 of the partition member 4. Therefore, hot water in the bathtub 6 is efficiently sucked into the suction opening 14 of the partition member 4 through those of the many pores 46 in the filter cover 5 that are positioned corresponding to the second region 49b of the closing member 48.

[0045] Furthermore, the blocking member 48 has a first region 49a that blocks the pores 46 that face the discharge opening 13 in the main body 29 of the partition member 4, and directs the flow of the fluid (hot water) discharged from the discharge opening 13 toward the discharge port 45 of the cylindrical portion 43 of the filter cover 5. Therefore, the hot water discharged from the discharge opening 13 of the partition member 4 is directed toward the discharge port 45 of the cylindrical portion 43 of the filter cover 5 by the first region 49a of the blocking member 48. Then, the hot water discharged into the bathtub 6 from the discharge port 45 of the cylindrical portion 43 of the filter cover 5 flows along the inner wall surface 6a of the bathtub 6. This prevents the hot water discharged into the bathtub 6 from the discharge port 45 from directly hitting the user.

[0046] (5) The filter cover 5 is structured so that some of the numerous pores 46 are blocked by blocking members 48 that are separate from the lid portion 44 and the cylindrical portion 43. Therefore, the numerous pores 46 are formed to be positioned regularly, such as radially around the center line of the lid portion 44, and the pores 46 that need to be blocked can be blocked by the blocking members 48. In this case, since the numerous pores 46 are positioned regularly with respect to the lid portion 44, this is advantageous in terms of maintaining the aesthetic appearance of the filter cover 5. Furthermore, since the pores 46 that need to be blocked can be blocked by the blocking members 48, the filter cover 5 can achieve its required functionality while maintaining its aesthetic appearance.

[0047] (6) The partition member 4 is removably assembled to the internal cylindrical body 3 by relative rotation about the axis of the partition member 4. The anti-rotation member 33, provided on the surface of the main body 29 of the partition member 4 that faces the inside of the bathtub 6, is engaged with the internal cylindrical body 3 by fitting its protrusion 34 into the hole 25 of the internal cylindrical body 3. This allows the anti-rotation member 33 to function to prevent the partition member 4 from rotating relative to the internal cylindrical body 3 to some extent. The anti-rotation member 33 protrudes toward the inside of the bathtub 6 from the partition member 4. However, when the filter cover 5 is assembled to the internal cylindrical body 3, the anti-rotation member 33 is accommodated in the cutout 51 of the blocking member 48 provided on the filter cover 5. Since the anti-rotation member 33 is accommodated in the cutout 51 of the blocking member 48, the filter cover 5 is prevented from protruding from the inner wall surface 6a of the bathtub 6 when assembled to the internal cylindrical body 3.

[0048] (7) The protruding height of the filter cover 5 from the inner wall surface 6a of the bathtub 6 is small, less than 10 mm, so that the filter cover 5 does not protrude too much from the inner wall surface 6a of the bathtub 6 and get in the way when bathing.

[0049] (8) The protruding height of the filter cover 5 is set so that the ratio of the protruding height of the filter cover 5 from the inner wall surface 6a of the bathtub 6 to the diameter of the filter cover 5 is 0.08 to 0.16. Furthermore, the height is set so that the ratio of the height of the filter cover 5 (the thickness of the filter cover 5 in the centerline direction) to the diameter of the filter cover 5 is 0.05 to 0.13. This allows the protruding height of the filter cover 5 from the inner wall surface 6a of the bathtub 6 to be kept small. This prevents the filter cover 5 from protruding too much from the inner wall surface 6a of the bathtub 6 and becoming an obstacle during bathing. Furthermore, there is a preferable range for the ratio of the protruding height of the filter cover 5 from the inner wall surface 6a of the bathtub 6 to the diameter of the filter cover 5. By setting this ratio to a value in the above-mentioned range of 0.08 to 0.16, the aesthetic appearance of the bathtub circulation device 1 when attached to the bathtub 6 can be improved.

[0050] The above embodiment can be modified as follows, for example: The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility. The height of the filter cover 5 protruding from the inner wall surface 6a of the bathtub 6 may be 10 mm or more.

[0051] The protruding height may be set so that the ratio of the protruding height of filter cover 5 relative to inner wall surface 6a of bathtub 6 to the diameter of filter cover 5 is a value other than 0.08 to 0.16.

[0052] The height may be set so that the ratio of the height of the filter cover 5 (the thickness of the filter cover 5 in the center line direction) to the diameter of the filter cover 5 is a value other than 0.05 to 0.13.

[0053] The opening 3a of the inner cylinder body 3 does not necessarily have to accommodate the entire outer periphery of the main body 29; it is sufficient that at least the portion of the outer periphery closest to the outside of the bathtub 6 (the portion closest to the connecting cylinder 30) is accommodated.

[0054] The positional relationship between the supply pipe 9 and the return pipe 10 may be reversed from that in the above embodiment. In this case, the positional relationship between the discharge passage 11 and the suction passage 12 in the bathtub circulation device 1 will also be reversed from that in the above embodiment. When hot water in the bathtub 6 is drawn into the suction passage 12, the switching valve 38 is positioned in the closed position. When hot water is discharged from the discharge passage 11 into the bathtub 6, the switching valve 41 is positioned in the open position.

[0055] Although the filter cover 5 is configured such that the pores 46 that need to be blocked out of the many pores 46 formed in the lid portion 44 are blocked by the blocking member 48, this structure is not necessarily required. For example, instead of providing the blocking member 48, the filter cover 5 may be a pressed stainless steel product or a molded resin product in which the pores 46 are formed only in the locations in the lid portion 44 where they need to be formed.

[0056] Next, the technical concept that can be understood from the above embodiment will be described. (A) An outer cylinder body that is arranged outside the bathtub and to which a supply pipe and a return pipe that lead to a water heater are connected; an inner cylindrical body that is inserted into a through hole provided in the bathtub and assembled to the outer cylindrical body to sandwich the bathtub between the inner cylindrical body and the outer cylindrical body; a partition member that is attached to the inner cylinder body to form a discharge passage that connects the inside of the bathtub with the supply pipe, and a suction passage that connects the inside of the bathtub with the return pipe, the partition member has a discharge opening connected to the discharge passage and opening to the inside of the bathtub, and a suction opening connected to the suction passage and opening to the inside of the bathtub, A circulation device for a bathtub, characterized in that a filter cover covering the discharge opening and the suction opening of the partition member is assembled to the inner cylindrical body.

[0057] According to the above configuration, the filter cover can prevent foreign objects from being sucked into the suction opening of the partition member. Because the filter cover is attached to the inner cylinder, it is possible to assemble the filter cover to the bathtub circulation device even if the entire partition member is housed in the housing of the inner cylinder.

[0058] (B) An outer cylinder body that is arranged outside the bathtub and to which a supply pipe and a return pipe that lead to a water heater are connected; an inner cylindrical body that is inserted into a through hole provided in the bathtub and assembled to the outer cylindrical body to sandwich the bathtub between the inner cylindrical body and the outer cylindrical body; a partition member that is attached to the inner cylinder body to form a discharge passage that connects the inside of the bathtub with the supply pipe, and a suction passage that connects the inside of the bathtub with the return pipe, the partition member has a discharge opening connected to the discharge passage and opening to the inside of the bathtub, and a suction opening connected to the suction passage and opening to the inside of the bathtub, the discharge opening and the suction opening of the partition member are covered by a filter cover, A circulation device for a bathtub, characterized in that the protruding height of the filter cover from the inner wall surface of the bathtub is less than 10 mm.

[0059] According to the above configuration, the protruding height of the filter cover from the inner wall surface of the bathtub is small, at less than 10 mm, so that the filter cover does not protrude too much from the inner wall surface of the bathtub and become a hindrance when bathing.

[0060] (C) An outer cylinder body that is arranged outside the bathtub and to which a supply pipe and a return pipe that lead to a water heater are connected; an inner cylindrical body that is inserted into a through hole provided in the bathtub and assembled to the outer cylindrical body to sandwich the bathtub between the inner cylindrical body and the outer cylindrical body; a partition member that is attached to the inner cylinder body to form a discharge passage that connects the inside of the bathtub with the supply pipe, and a suction passage that connects the inside of the bathtub with the return pipe, the partition member has a discharge opening connected to the discharge passage and opening to the inside of the bathtub, and a suction opening connected to the suction passage and opening to the inside of the bathtub, the discharge opening and the suction opening of the partition member are covered by a cylindrical filter cover with a lid, A circulation device for a bathtub, characterized in that the protruding height of the filter cover relative to the inner wall surface of the bathtub is set so that the ratio of the diameter of the filter cover to the protruding height of the filter cover is 0.08 to 0.16.

[0061] With this configuration, the protruding height is set so that the ratio of the filter cover's protruding height from the inner wall surface of the bathtub to the diameter of the filter cover is 0.08 to 0.16, which keeps the protruding height small and prevents the filter cover from protruding too much from the inner wall surface of the bathtub and becoming a hindrance when bathing.

[0062] (D) An outer cylinder body that is arranged outside the bathtub and to which a supply pipe and a return pipe that lead to a water heater are connected; an inner cylindrical body that is inserted into a through hole provided in the bathtub and assembled to the outer cylindrical body to sandwich the bathtub between the inner cylindrical body and the outer cylindrical body; a partition member that is attached to the inner cylinder body to form a discharge passage that connects the inside of the bathtub with the supply pipe, and a suction passage that connects the inside of the bathtub with the return pipe, the partition member has a discharge opening connected to the discharge passage and opening to the inside of the bathtub, and a suction opening connected to the suction passage and opening to the inside of the bathtub, the discharge opening and the suction opening of the partition member are covered by a cylindrical filter cover with a lid, A circulation device for a bathtub, wherein the height of the filter cover is set so that the ratio of the height of the filter cover to the diameter of the filter cover is 0.05 to 0.13.

[0063] With this configuration, the height of the filter cover is set so that the ratio of its height to its diameter is 0.05 to 0.13, which keeps the height small and prevents the filter cover from protruding too far from the inner wall of the bathtub and becoming a hindrance when bathing.

[0064] (E) An outer cylinder body that is arranged outside the bathtub and to which a supply pipe and a return pipe that lead to a water heater are connected; an inner cylindrical body that is inserted into a through hole provided in the bathtub and assembled to the outer cylindrical body to sandwich the bathtub between the inner cylindrical body and the outer cylindrical body; a partition member that is attached to the inner cylinder body to form a discharge passage that connects the inside of the bathtub with the supply pipe, and a suction passage that connects the inside of the bathtub with the return pipe, the partition member has a discharge opening connected to the discharge passage and opening to the inside of the bathtub, and a suction opening connected to the suction passage and opening to the inside of the bathtub, the discharge opening and the suction opening of the partition member are covered by a filter cover, The filter cover includes a cylindrical portion and a lid portion that closes one opening of the cylindrical portion, A discharge port is formed in the cylindrical portion, The lid portion is formed with an intake port consisting of a large number of fine holes, a closing member is attached to a surface of the lid portion facing the main body of the partition member, A circulation device for a bathtub, characterized in that the blocking member has a first region that blocks the pores among the numerous pores that face the discharge opening in the main body of the partition member and directs the flow of fluid discharged from the discharge opening toward the discharge outlet in the cylindrical portion of the filter cover, and a second region that opens the pores among the numerous pores that face the suction opening in the main body of the partition member.

[0065] According to the above configuration, hot water in the bathtub is efficiently sucked into the intake opening of the bathtub circulation device (compartment member) through the many pores in the filter cover that are located corresponding to the second region of the blocking member. Furthermore, the hot water discharged from the discharge opening of the bathtub circulation device (compartment member) is directed toward the discharge port in the cylindrical portion of the filter cover by the first region of the blocking member. Then, hot water discharged into the bathtub from the discharge port in the cylindrical portion of the filter cover flows along the inner wall surface of the bathtub. Therefore, the hot water discharged into the bathtub from the discharge port is prevented from directly hitting the user.

[0066] (F) An outer cylinder body that is arranged outside the bathtub and to which a supply pipe and a return pipe that lead to a water heater are connected; an inner cylindrical body that is inserted into a through hole provided in the bathtub and assembled to the outer cylindrical body to sandwich the bathtub between the inner cylindrical body and the outer cylindrical body; a partition member that is attached to the inner cylinder body to form a discharge passage that connects the inside of the bathtub with the supply pipe, and a suction passage that connects the inside of the bathtub with the return pipe, The partition member is provided with a disk-shaped body having a discharge opening connected to the discharge passage and opening to the inside of the bathtub, and a suction opening connected to the suction passage and opening to the inside of the bathtub, The inner cylinder body is formed with a storage portion that opens toward the inside of the bathtub, The housing portion of the internal cylinder body houses at least a portion of the outer periphery of the main body of the partition member that is closer to the outside of the bathtub, The entire outer periphery of the main body of the partition member is accommodated in the accommodation portion of the internal cylinder body, and the discharge opening and the suction opening are located on the surface of the main body that corresponds to the inside of the bathtub, a filter cover that covers the discharge opening and the suction opening provided in the main body of the partition member is attached to the inner cylindrical body, The filter cover includes a cylindrical portion and a lid portion that closes one opening of the cylindrical portion, A discharge port is formed in the cylindrical portion, The lid portion is formed with an intake port consisting of a large number of fine holes, a closing member is attached to a surface of the lid portion facing the main body of the partition member, the blocking member has a first region that blocks pores among the many pores that face the discharge opening in the main body of the partition member and directs the flow of fluid discharged from the discharge opening toward the discharge port in the cylindrical part of the filter cover, and a second region that opens pores among the many pores that face the suction opening in the main body of the partition member, the partition member is removably assembled to the internal cylindrical body by relative rotation about a coaxial line on the axis of the partition member, A rotation-stop member is provided on the surface of the main body of the partition member that corresponds to the inside of the bathtub, the anti-rotation member engages with the internal cylindrical body to prevent relative rotation of the partition member with respect to the internal cylindrical body, The closure member attached to the lid of the filter cover has a cutout portion formed therein to accommodate the anti-rotation member when the filter cover is attached to the inner cylindrical body.

[0067] (G) The bathtub circulation device comprises an external cylinder, an internal cylinder, and a partition member as follows. The external cylinder is disposed outside the bathtub and is connected to a supply pipe and a return pipe that lead to a water heater. The internal cylinder is inserted into a through-hole provided in the bathtub and assembled to the external cylinder, thereby sandwiching the bathtub between the external cylinder and the internal cylinder. The partition member is assembled to the internal cylinder, thereby forming a discharge passage connecting the inside of the bathtub to the supply pipe and an intake passage connecting the inside of the bathtub to the return pipe in the bathtub circulation device. The partition member has a disk-shaped main body having a discharge opening connected to the discharge passage and opening toward the inside of the bathtub, and an intake opening connected to the intake passage and opening toward the inside of the bathtub. The internal cylinder is formed with a storage portion that opens toward the inside of the bathtub. At least a portion of the outer periphery of the main body of the partition member, located toward the outside of the bathtub, is accommodated in the storage portion of the internal cylinder.

[0068] According to the above configuration, when the partition member is attached from inside the bathtub to the internal cylinder body that has passed through the through-hole of the bathtub, the portion of the outer periphery of the main body of the partition member that is closer to the outside of the bathtub is accommodated in the accommodation portion of the internal cylinder body. In this way, the protruding height of the partition member from the inner wall surface of the bathtub is kept small because the main body of the partition member is accommodated in the accommodation portion of the internal cylinder body.

[0069] (H) In the above-mentioned bathtub circulation device, the entire outer periphery of the main body of the partition member is accommodated in the accommodation portion of the inner cylinder, and the discharge opening and the suction opening are located on the surface of the main body corresponding to the inside of the bathtub.

[0070] According to the above configuration, the entire outer periphery of the main body of the partition member is accommodated in the accommodation portion of the internal cylinder, thereby minimizing the protrusion height of the partition member relative to the inner wall surface of the bathtub. Furthermore, because the discharge opening and the suction opening are located on the surface of the main body that faces the inside of the bathtub, the discharge opening and the suction opening can be opened to the inside of the bathtub even when the entire outer periphery of the main body is accommodated in the accommodation portion of the internal cylinder.

[0071] (I) In the above-mentioned bathtub circulation device, it is conceivable that a filter cover that covers the discharge opening and the suction opening provided in the main body of the partition member is assembled to the inner cylinder.

[0072] According to the above configuration, the filter cover can prevent foreign objects from being sucked into the suction opening in the main body of the partition member. Because the filter cover is attached to the inner cylinder, the filter cover can be attached to the bathtub circulation device even if the entire outer periphery of the main body of the partition member is housed in the housing of the inner cylinder.

[0073] (J) In the above-mentioned bathtub circulation device, the filter cover may include a cylindrical portion and a lid portion that closes one opening of the cylindrical portion. The cylindrical portion has a discharge port formed therein. The lid portion has a suction port consisting of a number of pores. A closing member is attached to the surface of the lid portion that faces the main body of the partition member. The closing member has a first region that closes the pores that face the discharge openings in the main body of the partition member and directs the flow of fluid discharged from the discharge openings toward the discharge port of the cylindrical portion of the filter cover, and a second region that opens the pores that face the suction openings in the main body of the partition member.

[0074] According to the above configuration, hot water in the bathtub is efficiently sucked into the intake opening of the bathtub circulation device (compartment member) through the many pores in the filter cover that are located corresponding to the second region of the blocking member. Furthermore, the hot water discharged from the discharge opening of the bathtub circulation device (compartment member) is directed toward the discharge port in the cylindrical portion of the filter cover by the first region of the blocking member. Then, hot water discharged into the bathtub from the discharge port in the cylindrical portion of the filter cover flows along the inner wall surface of the bathtub. Therefore, the hot water discharged into the bathtub from the discharge port is prevented from directly hitting the user.

[0075] (K) In the bathtub circulation device, the partition member is removably assembled to the inner cylindrical body by relative rotation about the same axis. A rotation-preventing member is provided on the surface of the partition member's body that faces the inside of the bathtub. The rotation-preventing member engages with the inner cylindrical body to prevent relative rotation of the partition member with respect to the inner cylindrical body. A closing member assembled to the lid of the filter cover has a notch that accommodates the rotation-preventing member when the filter cover is assembled to the inner cylindrical body.

[0076] According to the above configuration, the anti-rotation member for preventing rotation of the partition member relative to the inner cylindrical body protrudes toward the inside of the bathtub relative to the partition member. When the filter cover is assembled to the inner cylindrical body, the anti-rotation member is accommodated in a cutout portion of the closing member provided in the filter cover. Because the anti-rotation member is accommodated in the cutout portion of the closing member, the filter cover is prevented from protruding from the inner wall surface of the bathtub when assembled to the inner cylindrical body.

[0077] (L) An outer cylinder body that is arranged outside the bathtub and to which a supply pipe and a return pipe that lead to a water heater are connected; an inner cylindrical body that is inserted into a through hole provided in the bathtub and assembled to the outer cylindrical body to sandwich the bathtub between the inner cylindrical body and the outer cylindrical body; a partition member that is attached to the inner cylinder body to form a discharge passage that connects the inside of the bathtub with the supply pipe, and a suction passage that connects the inside of the bathtub with the return pipe, The partition member is provided with a disk-shaped body having a discharge opening connected to the discharge passage and opening to the inside of the bathtub, and a suction opening connected to the suction passage and opening to the inside of the bathtub, The inner cylinder body is formed with a storage portion that opens toward the inside of the bathtub, The discharge opening and the suction opening are located on the surface of the main body of the partition member that corresponds to the inside of the bathtub, and at least a portion of the outer periphery of the main body of the partition member that is closer to the outside of the bathtub is accommodated in the accommodation portion of the internal cylinder body, A circulation device for a bathtub in which, when a filter cover covering the discharge opening and the suction opening of the partition member is assembled to the inner cylindrical body, the protruding height of the filter cover from the inner wall surface of the bathtub is less than 10 mm. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 1...bathtub circulation device, 2...outer cylinder, 3...inner cylinder, 3a...opening, 4...partition member, 5...filter cover, 6...bathtub, 7...through hole, 8...water heater, 9...delivery side piping, 10...return side piping, 11...discharge passage, 12...suction passage, 13...discharge opening, 14...suction opening, 29...main body, 33...anti-rotation member, 43...cylindrical portion, 44...lid portion, 45...discharge port, 46...pore, 47...suction port, 48...blocking member, 49a...first region, 49b...second region, 51...cutout portion.

Claims

1. An outer cylinder body that is arranged outside the bathtub and to which a supply pipe and a return pipe that lead to a water heater are connected; an inner cylindrical body that is inserted into a through hole provided in the bathtub and assembled to the outer cylindrical body to sandwich the bathtub between the inner cylindrical body and the outer cylindrical body; a partition member that is attached to the inner cylinder body to form a discharge passage that connects the inside of the bathtub with the supply pipe, and a suction passage that connects the inside of the bathtub with the return pipe, The partition member is provided with a connecting tube, The inner cylinder body has a receiving portion that opens toward the inside of the bathtub and into which the connecting cylinder of the partition member is inserted, the partition member is removably assembled to the internal cylindrical body by relative rotation about a coaxial line on the axis of the partition member, A protruding piece is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the connecting tube, A protrusion is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the accommodating portion at a position closer to the inside of the bathtub than the protruding piece of the connecting tube, By relatively rotating the partition member and the internal cylindrical body about the axis, the positions of the protrusion and the protruding piece about the axis are aligned with each other, and removal of the connecting tube from the accommodating portion through the opening is regulated by the abutment between the protrusion and the protruding piece, A bathtub circulation device that allows the connecting tube to be removed from the storage section through the opening by relative rotation between the partition member and the inner cylinder body around the axis, thereby shifting the positions of the protrusion and the protruding piece relative to each other around the axis.

2. A rotation-stop member is provided outside the storage portion of the partition member, A protrusion is formed on the surface of the anti-rotation member facing the outside of the bathtub, A hole is formed on a surface of the inner cylindrical body facing the inside of the bathtub, A circulation device for a bathtub as described in claim 1, wherein when the removal of the connecting tube from the storage portion is restricted by the abutment of the protrusion and the protruding piece, the protrusion of the anti-rotation member is fitted into the hole of the inner cylindrical body, preventing relative rotation between the partition member and the inner cylindrical body.

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