Nozzle device and nozzle device system

Abstract

To provide a technique for enhancing a massage effect by a water flow to be jetted from a nozzle device.SOLUTION: A nozzle device 100 includes a plurality of nozzles 22, a switch part 3, and a rotary motor 6. The nozzles 22 have flow passages 22c for allowing water to flow from flow-in ports 22b to jetting ports 22a, so as to jet a water flow from the jetting ports 22a into a bathtub 9. The switch part 3 switches the water flow to the respective flow-in ports 22b of the nozzles 22. The rotary motor 6 drives the switch part 3 by rotation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a nozzle apparatus and a nozzle apparatus system. [Background technology]

[0002] The nozzle device used in so-called jet baths sprays water supplied by a circulation pump into the bathtub. Nozzle devices are designed to spray water that hits the user's body in a wide or narrow range, or with movement.

[0003] The conventional nozzle device described in Patent Document 1 includes an intake port that opens into the wall of the bathtub and draws in bathwater stored inside the bathtub, a pressure device that draws in bathwater water from the intake port, pressurizes it, and discharges it, and a nozzle that sprays the bathwater supplied from the pressure device into the bathtub. The nozzle sprays a jet of water while changing the moving radius and moving speed of the center of the cross section of the sprayed jet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-160134 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The inventors of the present application have recognized that there is room for improvement in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, in terms of providing a massage effect similar to finger pressure to the user's body by using a water jet ejected from a nozzle device.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a technique that can enhance the massage effect of the water jets from the nozzle device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The nozzle device of the present disclosure has a flow path for flowing water from an inlet to a jet outlet, and is equipped with a plurality of nozzles that spray water from the jet outlet into the bathtub, a switching unit that switches the water flow to each inlet of the plurality of nozzles, and a rotary motor that rotates and drives the switching unit.

[0008] The nozzle device system of the present disclosure includes two of the above-described nozzle devices, the two nozzle devices being arranged side by side, and the switching portions of the two nozzle devices rotating in opposite directions to each other. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of a nozzle device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle device taken along line AA shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a switching unit. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining a water flow in the nozzle device. [Figure 6] 10 is a timing chart showing the flow rate of each nozzle when the rotary motor is rotated continuously. [Figure 7] 10 is a timing chart showing the flow rate of each nozzle when the rotary motor is driven stepwise. [Figure 8] 10 is a graph showing the monitoring results of the massage effect of the nozzle device. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a nozzle device system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining the inclination of nozzles located on the left and right sides. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining the inclination of nozzles positioned above and below. [Figure 12] 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining the movement of a water flow spot on a virtual surface S. FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3 of a part of a nozzle device according to a modified example. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a nozzle device according to another modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The following describes the embodiments. Identical components are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted. In each drawing, some components are omitted, enlarged, or reduced as appropriate for ease of explanation. The drawings should be viewed according to the orientation of the reference numerals. The structures and shapes referred to in this specification include not only structures and shapes that exactly match the shapes referred to, but also structures and shapes that deviate by errors such as dimensional errors and manufacturing errors. Unless otherwise specified, the terms "connection," "fixing," "mounting," and "supporting" used in this specification include cases where the conditions referred to are met directly by two parties, as well as cases where the conditions are met via other members.

[0011] (Embodiment 1) Refer to Figure 1. Nozzle device 100 comprises a main body 1, a nozzle 2, and a switching unit 3 (see Figure 3 described below). Main body 1 of nozzle device 100 is disposed outside bathtub 9. Nozzle unit 2 has a tip 21 facing the inside of bathtub 9. Nozzle device 100 is fixed to bathtub 9 with fasteners 8.

[0012] Main body 1 is cylindrical and has a supply port 11 on its side that supplies water to be sprayed from nozzle 2. The water supplied to supply port 11 may be water drawn in through a water intake (not shown) provided in bathtub 9, or water supplied from a water supply system. A rotary motor 6 is attached to the rear end of main body 1.

[0013] Please refer to Figure 2. Tip 21 of nozzle unit 2 has outlets 22a of multiple nozzles 22 facing the inside of bathtub 9. In the example shown in Figure 2, eight outlets 22a are provided at equal intervals on the same circumference. Nozzle unit 2 sprays water supplied to supply port 11 of main body 1 from the multiple outlets 22a in sequence at different timings.

[0014] 3 and 4. The nozzle portion 2 is cylindrical and has therein a flow path 22c that leads to the ejection port 22a of each nozzle 22. The flow path 22c extends in the direction of the axis L, with an inlet 22b formed at the rear side and an ejection port 22a formed at the front side (toward the tip portion 21). The flow path 22c is inclined so as to move away from the axis L as it approaches the front side. The inlet 22b is continuous with an internal introduction chamber 12 that is a cylindrical cavity formed inside the nozzle portion 2 from the main body portion 1. The switching portion 3 is inserted into the internal introduction chamber 12.

[0015] The switching unit 3 is cylindrical, and its front part 31a is inserted into the nozzle unit 2. An output shaft 61 of a rotary motor 6 is inserted into a rear part 31b of the switching unit 3. The rotation of the switching unit 3 around the axis L is constrained by the output shaft 61, and the switching unit 3 rotates around the axis L due to the rotation of the output shaft 61.

[0016] An outlet 32 opens in a side surface 34 of the front part 31a of the switching part 3 at a position corresponding to the inlet 22b of the nozzle part 2. The switching part 3 has an opening 33 between the front part 31a and the rear part 31b at a position corresponding to the supply port 11 of the main body part 1. The switching part 3 is configured so that water supplied from the opening 33 flows through the inside of the cylindrical switching part 3 to the outlet 32.

[0017] The outlet 32 of the switching unit 3 faces the inlet 22b of one of the plurality of nozzles 22 provided in the nozzle unit 2. The outlet 32 may face the inlets 22b of two of the plurality of nozzles 22 across from each other. The inlets 22b that do not face the outlet 32 are blocked by the side surface portion 34 of the front portion 31a of the switching unit 3.

[0018] The rotary motor 6 is, for example, a DC motor or a stepping motor, and electrically drives the output shaft 61 to rotate. The rotary motor 6 is controlled by a control circuit (not shown). The output shaft 61 of the rotary motor 6 is coaxial with the central axis of the cylindrical switching unit 3 and is directly connected to the switching unit 3. The rotary motor 6 may be driven and controlled so that the output shaft 61 rotates continuously, or may be controlled by step drive so that the output shaft 61 rotates intermittently.

[0019] Next, the water jetting operation of the nozzle device 100 will be described with reference to Figure 5. Water supplied to the supply port 11 of the main body 1 flows into the interior of the cylindrical switching unit 3 through the opening 33 of the switching unit 3. The arrows in Figure 5 represent the water flow in the nozzle device 100. The water that has flowed into the interior of the switching unit 3 flows from the outlet 32 through the inlet 22b that the outlet 32 faces and into the flow path 22c, and then passes through the flow path 22c to be jetted out of the jetting port 22a.

[0020] The rotary motor 6 rotates the switching unit 3, causing the outlet 32 to rotate around the axis L. The outlet 32 switches between the inlets 22b facing it as it rotates. The nozzle device 100 switches between the inlets 22b facing the outlet 32, causing the water flow to be ejected from the multiple ejection ports 22a in sequence at different timings.

[0021] Please refer to Figure 6. In Figure 6, the eight nozzles 22 are represented by symbols A to H. In Figure 6, the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents flow rate. In the example shown in Figure 6, a DC motor, for example, is used as the rotary motor 6, and the switching unit 3 is continuously rotated at a constant rotational speed.

[0022] The flow rate of water sprayed from each nozzle A to H gradually increases as the outlet 32 of the switching unit 3 begins to overlap with the inlet 22b, peaks when they completely overlap, and then decreases. The nozzle device 100 can provide a stimulation similar to the repeated pressing and releasing of fingers on the user's body, as in acupressure, by using water streams sprayed sequentially from the multiple nozzles 22, thereby enhancing the massage effect.

[0023] There is a period during which the flow rates at nozzle A and nozzle B overlap in timing. During this period, the outlet 32 of the switching unit 3 faces across the inlet 22b corresponding to nozzle A and the inlet 22b corresponding to nozzle B. The outlet 32 of the switching unit 3 may be configured to face only the inlet 22b of one nozzle 22 out of the multiple nozzles 22. In this case, there will be no period during which the flow rates at nozzle A and nozzle B overlap in timing.

[0024] Please refer to Figure 7. In the example shown in Figure 7, a stepping motor, for example, is used as the rotary motor 6, and the switching unit 3 is intermittently rotated in one direction. The flow rate of water sprayed by each nozzle A to H gradually increases after the outlet 32 of the switching unit 3 begins to overlap with the inlet 22b, remains at its peak during the period when they are completely overlapped by the step drive, and then decreases.

[0025] The nozzle device 100 maintains the peak flow rate of water sprayed from the multiple nozzles 22, thereby providing a stimulation similar to that of repeatedly pressing a finger against the user's body, pausing, and then releasing the finger, thereby enhancing the massage effect.

[0026] The outlet 32 of the switching unit 3 is provided on the side surface 34 of the front part 31a. This allows the nozzle device 100 to increase the distance in the direction of the axis L between the outlet 22a and the inlet 22b, and to reduce the inclination of the flow path 22c with respect to the axis L. By reducing the inclination of the flow path 22c with respect to the axis L, the nozzle device 100 prevents the water streams ejected from the multiple nozzles 22 from spreading, and allows the water streams to be directed within a range of the user's body part, such as the waist or back.

[0027] The output shaft 61 of the rotary motor 6 is coaxial with the central axis of the switching unit 3 and is directly connected to the switching unit 3. This allows the nozzle device 100 to simplify the connection structure between the output shaft 61 and the switching unit 3, reducing the number of water-stopping points and simplifying the device.

[0028] Please refer to Figure 8. Figure 8 shows the results of monitoring seven subjects to see how pleasant the water flow massage was when the rotation speed of the switching unit 3 was changed within the range of 2 rpm (revolutions per minute) or more and 20 rpm or less. The subjects rated the pleasantness of the massage using seven levels ranging from "very bad" to "very good." Figure 8 shows the number of subjects who rated the massage using three levels: "fairly good," "good," and "very good" for each rotation speed of the switching unit 3.

[0029] According to the monitoring results, when the rotation speed of the switching part 3 is in the range of 2 rpm to 20 rpm, more than half of the subjects rated it as slightly good or better, indicating that the massage effect may be enhanced. When the rotation speed of the switching part 3 is in the range of 4 rpm to 8 rpm, all of the subjects rated it as slightly good or better.

[0030] Comparing the cases where the rotation speed of the switching unit 3 was 8, 10, 15, and 20 rpm, the number of subjects who rated it as somewhat good tended to increase as the speed approached 20 rpm. This indicates that when the rotation speed of the switching unit 3 is greater than 20 rpm, the pleasantness felt by the subjects' bodies tends to be negative. By setting the rotation speed of the switching unit 3 to 20 rpm or less, the nozzle device 100 is thought to provide a pleasant feeling to the user and enhance the massage effect on the body.

[0031] (Embodiment 2) See Figure 9. The nozzle device system 110 is configured by arranging two nozzle devices 100 side by side (horizontally). Each of the two nozzle devices 100 ejects a water jet, which is directed at the user's body, such as the waist or back, in the bathtub 9. To simulate the surface of the user's body in the bathtub 9, imagine an imaginary plane S that intersects with the jetting direction in front of the nozzle device 100.

[0032] See Figures 10 and 11. In the nozzle section 2 of the nozzle device 100, the multiple nozzles 22 may have different inclination angles relative to the axis L. As shown in Figure 10, the nozzles 22 located on the left and right are linearly aligned between the outlet 22a and the inlet 22b, and the inclination angle of the nozzles 22 relative to the axis L is θ1. The direction of the axis L is equal to the central direction of the distribution of the respective jetting directions of the water flows from the multiple nozzles 22 (referred to as the "jet directions from the multiple nozzles 22"). The inclination angle θ1 is the inclination angle of the nozzle 22 relative to the jetting directions from the multiple nozzles 22 (i.e., the direction of the axis L).

[0033] 11, the nozzles 22 positioned above and below are linearly bent between the outlet 22a and the inlet 22b, and the inclination angle of the nozzle 22 on the outlet 22a side with respect to the axis L is θ2. The inclination angle θ2 of the nozzles 22 positioned above and below is set to a smaller value than the inclination angle θ1 of the nozzles 22 positioned on the left and right.

[0034] See Figure 12. The switching units 3 of the two nozzle devices 100 are rotated in opposite directions, and the switching units 3 are rotationally driven so that water jet spots of the same height are formed at the same timing. The multiple nozzles 22 of one nozzle device 100 are represented by symbols A1 to H1, and the multiple nozzles 22 of the other nozzle device 100 are represented by symbols A2 to H2. As shown in Figure 12, the water jet spots of the two nozzle devices 100 on the imaginary plane S rotate in opposite directions to each other.

[0035] When the center between the two nozzle devices 100 corresponds to the center of the back or the like, the water flow spots rotate in opposite directions, so that the water flow spots moving back and forth between positions close to the center (A1, A2) and outer positions (E1, E2) can move up and down in the same manner.

[0036] The two nozzle devices 100 are synchronized to eject water jets at the same timing and height while rotating in opposite directions. By synchronizing the two nozzle devices 100, the nozzle device system 110 makes it easier for the user to sense the movement of the water jet spot.

[0037] The nozzle device 100 can make the trajectory of the water flow spot flat by setting the inclination angle θ2 of the nozzles 22 positioned above and below different from the inclination angle θ1 of the nozzles 22 positioned on the left and right. The nozzle device 100 can make the water flow spot move on a trajectory that is wide in the left-right direction by setting the inclination angle θ2 of the nozzles 22 positioned above and below to a value smaller than the inclination angle θ1 of the nozzles 22 positioned on the left and right.

[0038] The nozzle device 100 can move the water flow spot in a wide vertical trajectory by making the inclination angle θ2 of the nozzles 22 located above and below larger than the inclination angle θ1 of the nozzles 22 located on the left and right.

[0039] By flattening the trajectory along which the water flow spot moves, the nozzle device 100 can direct the water flow at the user over a wide range in the left-right direction at a predetermined height, thereby enhancing the massage effect at a specific position on the user.By flattening the trajectory along which the water flow spot moves, the nozzle device 100 can direct the water flow at the user over a wide range in the up-down direction at a predetermined left-right position, thereby enhancing the massage effect at a specific position on the user.

[0040] (Modification) See Fig. 13. In the nozzle device 100 shown in Fig. 13, the outlet 32 is provided at an eccentric position at the tip of the switching unit 3. The position of the outlet 32 changes as the switching unit 3 rotates, and the outlet 32 sequentially faces each of the inlets 22b of the multiple nozzles 22 at different timings. As a result, the nozzle device 100 can provide a stimulation similar to repeated finger pressure and release movements on the user's body, as in acupressure, by using water jets sequentially ejected from the multiple nozzles 22, thereby enhancing the massage effect.

[0041] Please refer to Figure 14. The nozzle device 100 shown in Figure 14 has a suction flow path 4 that sucks in water from inside the bathtub 9. The nozzle device 100 uses a pump or the like (not shown) to suck in water from the suction flow path 4 and circulates it from the outlet 41 through piping (not shown) to the supply port 11. The nozzle device 100 has a cylindrical outer tubular portion 5 that fits into a hole provided in the bathtub 9. The nozzle device 100 has the outer tubular portion 5 fitted into the inside of the bathtub 9 and fixed to the main body portion 1 by screwing, and the nozzle portion 2 fitted into the front of the outer tubular portion 5. The main body portion 1 and the nozzle portion 2 are configured as separate bodies.

[0042] Nozzle portion 2 has suction port 23 on the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral edge portion of tip portion 21. Suction flow path 4 is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the body portion of nozzle portion 2 and the inner peripheral surface of outer cylindrical portion 5. In nozzle device 100, as shown by the solid arrows in FIG. 14, water supplied from supply port 11 passes through the inside of switching portion 3 and is ejected from outlet 22a of nozzle 22. As shown by the dotted arrows in FIG. 14, nozzle device 100 sucks water from within bathtub 9 through suction port 23, passes it through suction flow path 4, and circulates it from outlet 41 to supply port 11.

[0043] The above describes the embodiments and modifications. When understanding the abstract technical concepts of the embodiments and modifications, the technical concepts should not be interpreted as being limited to the contents of the embodiments and modifications. The above-described embodiments and modifications are merely illustrative examples, and many design modifications, such as changes, additions, and deletions of components, are possible. In the embodiments, the content in which such design modifications are possible is emphasized by adding the notation "embodiment." However, design modifications are also permitted even in content without such notation. Hatching on cross sections in the drawings does not limit the material of the hatched object.

[0044] Any combination of the above components is also valid as an aspect of the technical idea that abstracts the embodiment and the modified examples. For example, any description of another embodiment may be combined with the embodiment, or any description of an embodiment and another modified example may be combined with the modified example. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 22...nozzle, 22a...spout, 22b...inlet, 22c...flow path, 3...switching section, 32...outlet, 34...side section, 6...rotary motor, 61...output shaft, 9...bathtub, 100...nozzle device, 110...nozzle device system.

Claims

1. a plurality of nozzles having a flow path for passing water from an inlet to a jet outlet, and for jetting water from the jet outlet into the bathtub; A switching unit that switches the water flow to each inlet of the plurality of nozzles; a rotary motor that rotates the switching unit; Equipped with The switching portion is cylindrical, an output shaft of the rotary motor is coaxial with a central axis of the switching unit and is directly connected to the switching unit; The switching portion is a nozzle device having an outlet on a side surface thereof that faces the inlet of the nozzle.

2. The nozzle device according to claim 1 , wherein the switching unit is rotationally driven at a rotation speed of 20 rpm or less.

3. The nozzle device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the water streams ejected from the plurality of nozzles are distributed in a flattened shape on a plane intersecting the ejection direction.

4. The nozzle device according to claim 1 , wherein the nozzles positioned above and below have different inclination angles with respect to the jetting direction from the plurality of nozzles than the nozzles positioned to the left and right.

5. A nozzle device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, Two of the nozzle devices are arranged side by side, A nozzle device system in which the switching portions of the two nozzle devices rotate in opposite directions to each other.

6. The nozzle device system according to claim 5 , wherein the two nozzle devices eject water flows at the same timing and at the same height.

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