Bathtub equipment

Abstract

To provide a bathtub apparatus which allows comfortable bathing in motions during bathing such as soaking and rising.SOLUTION: In a bathtub apparatus 100, a part on a side upper than a center of a backrest part 115 in a vertical direction includes a curved surface in which a cross-section in a horizontal direction is formed in an arc with a curvature radius R1 of 600 mm or more and 2000 mm or less. A part on a side lower than the center of the backrest part 115 in the vertical direction has a curved surface in which a cross-section in the horizontal direction is formed in an arc with a curvature radius R2 smaller than the curvature radius of the upper side part of the backrest part 115. The backrest part 115 has a curved surface in which a cross-section in the vertical direction is formed in an arc with a curvature radius R3 of 600 mm or more and 10000 mm or less.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a bathtub apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Bathtubs equipped with a headrest that supports the head of a bather while bathing are known. For example, a configuration has been proposed in which the position at which the headrest is attached to the bathtub body can be changed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-065457 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] For example, a technology is known in which a water discharger is provided on the upper edge of a bathtub to discharge water onto the shoulders of the bather while they are bathing. In addition, when discharging water onto the neck to provide a massaging effect, it is desirable to have a bathtub shape that allows for a free bathing position, such as discharging water onto the neck while the bather is in a bathing position with their head resting on the pillow, or discharging water onto the space between the shoulder blades while the bather is slightly raised with their head away from the pillow.

[0005] Current bathtubs are designed to provide the most comfortable bathing position with the head resting on a pillow (headrest), but are not shaped to allow for comfortable bathing movements such as sinking and getting up.

[0006] The present disclosure aims to provide a bathtub apparatus that allows a user to take a bath comfortably even when performing bathing movements such as sinking and standing up. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present disclosure relates to a bathtub device comprising a bathtub body and a water-discharging device arranged on the upper edge surface of the bathtub body, wherein the inner wall surface of the bathtub body has a backrest portion that forms the upper part of the inner wall surface and is inclined toward the water-discharging device, and the portion above the center of the backrest portion in the vertical direction has a curved surface whose cross section in the horizontal direction is formed as an arc with a radius of curvature of 600 mm or more and 2000 mm or less, and the portion below the center of the backrest portion in the vertical direction has a curved surface whose cross section in the horizontal direction is formed as an arc with a radius of curvature smaller than the radius of curvature of the upper portion of the backrest portion, and the backrest portion has a curved surface whose cross section in the vertical direction is formed as an arc with a radius of curvature of 600 mm or more and 10000 mm or less. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a bathtub apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of the bathtub apparatus of the present embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the water discharge device of the bathtub apparatus of this embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of the bathtub apparatus of the present embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bathtub apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a user's head resting on the pillow section of the bathtub apparatus of this embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the user's waist in contact with the lower connection portion of the bathtub apparatus of this embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] A partial cross-sectional view showing how the flat surface of the upper edge of the container body of the bathtub apparatus of this embodiment has a boundary line. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, a bathtub apparatus 100 has a bathtub main body 110 and a water discharger 1, and is an apparatus that can discharge water onto the neck, shoulders, etc. of a bath user while bathing.

[0010] The bathtub body 110 has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape with an open top, and is formed so that it can store hot and cold water. The bathtub body 110 has a bottom surface 111, side walls 112, a bottom upright surface 113, a backrest 115, a lower connection portion 116, and an upper edge surface 120. The bottom surface 111 is roughly rectangular with curved corners. A drain port (not shown) is formed in the bottom surface 111.

[0011] The side walls 112 extend upward from all four perimeters of the bottom surface 111 and have a predetermined thickness. Of the side walls 112, the pair of short-side edges of the bathtub body 110 on which the water discharger 1 is installed are referred to as the back side walls 112a. In the description of this specification, the direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the bathtub apparatus 100 and from which the water discharger 1 is viewed with the pillow portion 2 at the rear is referred to as the front, and the direction connecting the left and right sides in the front view is referred to as the width direction of the water discharger 1. The direction perpendicular to the width direction (the longitudinal direction of the bathtub apparatus 100) is referred to as the front-to-rear direction of the water discharger 1, and the direction from the upper left to the lower right in Figure 1 is referred to as the front direction, and the opposite direction is referred to as the rear direction.

[0012] The inner surface of the bathtub body 110 at the side wall portion 112 is the inner wall surface 1120. As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the central side of the inner wall surface 1120 is gently curved so as to gently bulge outward from the bathtub body 110. The upper end of the inner wall surface 1120 at the back side wall portion 112a is curved in a plan view.

[0013] The bottom upright portion 113 is formed at a lower portion of the inner wall surface 1120 of the back sidewall portion 112a. The lower connection portion 116 is formed at a portion of the inner wall surface 1120 of the back sidewall portion 112a between the upper portion of the bottom upright portion 113 and the backrest portion 115. The backrest portion 115 is formed at an upper portion of the inner wall surface 1120 of the back sidewall portion 112a.

[0014] The upper edge surface 120 is the part that extends outward from the upper end of the bathtub body 110. The upper edge surface 120 is composed of a flat surface 1201, and a drainage slope is formed from the outside toward the bathtub body 110 side.

[0015] The water discharger 1 is placed on the upper edge surface 120 of the bathtub apparatus 100. In detail, the water discharger 1 is placed on the upper edge surface 120, which is formed on the upper part of the back side wall portion 112a and is composed of a flat surface 1201. The water discharger 1 has a pillow portion 2, a main body portion 3 (see Figure 3), a base plate 4 (see Figure 3), and a water supply mechanism 5 (see Figures 2 and 3).

[0016] As shown in Figure 3, the main body 3 is located inside and below the pillow section 2 and is equipped with a mechanism for discharging hot and cold water into the bathtub main body 110. The main body 3 has a horizontally elongated shape extending in the width direction. The main body 3 has a first water outlet 31, a pair of second water outlets 32, an upper case 33, a lower case 34, a lighting device 35 as a lighting section, a rectifying top 36, and a front cover 37.

[0017] The lower case 34 is fixed onto the upper edge surface 120 and serves as the base of the main body 3. The lower case 34 has a predetermined height above the upper edge surface 120, for example, approximately half the height of the main body 3. As shown in FIG. 3 , the lower case 34 has a recess 341 and a front wall 342.

[0018] Recess 341 is shaped like an oval cut in half, and is a surface formed on the upper surface of lower case 34 at a predetermined height lower than the surrounding area. Steps of different heights are further formed on the bottom surface of recess 341. Recess 341 has an inclined portion 341a, a flow rectifier installation portion 341b, and a water supply mechanism connection portion 341c.

[0019] The inclined portion 341a is a portion on the front side of the recess 341 that inclines upward from approximately the center of the recess 341 in the front-to-rear direction to the front end. In other words, the front side of the recess 341 is formed as a flat surface that inclines upward from the bottom. The inclined portion 341a is disposed opposite to, with a gap between, the lower surface of a support portion 332 of the upper case 33, which will be described later.

[0020] The flow straightening piece installation portion 341b is disposed on the rear side of the recess 341. The flow straightening piece installation portion 341b is a portion separated from other portions of the recess 341 by a rib 341d protruding from the bottom surface of the recess 341, and a flow straightening piece 36, which will be described later, is fixed to the rear of the rib 341d.

[0021] Water supply mechanism connection part 341c is formed on the rear side and in the widthwise center of recess 341. Water supply mechanism connection part 341c is recessed lower than the rest of the bottom surface of recess 341, and is recessed in the shape of a generally rectangular parallelepiped with an open top. A cylindrical protrusion protrudes downward from the widthwise center of water supply mechanism connection part 341c, to which a first water supply hose 51 of water supply mechanism 5 (described later) can be connected.

[0022] The front wall portion 342 forms the front wall of the lower case 34 and is positioned in front of the pillow portion 2, which will be described later. The front wall portion 342 extends downward from the bottom surface of the recess 341 and protrudes toward the inner wall surface 1120 of the bathtub body 110 so as to cover the upper edge surface 120. The front wall portion 342 has a horizontally elongated shape extending from one side to the other in the width direction of the lower case 34. The front wall portion 342 is curved along the curved shape of the inner wall surface 1120 of the bathtub body 110. The front wall portion 342 has a front wall protrusion portion 3421 and an upright portion 3422.

[0023] The front wall protrusion 3421 is formed so that the end sides of the front wall 342 protrude more toward the inner wall surface 1120 than the center side of the front wall 342. In other words, as shown in FIG. 3 , the end sides of the front wall protrusion 3421 protrude more toward the inner wall surface 1120 in a plan view than the center side, and the protruding surface facing the inner wall surface 1120 curves continuously from the center side and gradually protrudes toward the inner wall surface 1120 from the center side toward the end side. The front wall protrusion 3421 is inclined so that the lower side is closer to the forward inner wall surface 1120 than the upper side. In a side view, the front wall protrusion 3421 is roughly triangular, with the front surface gently curved outward. The front wall protrusion 3421 is embossed to create an uneven surface. The front wall protrusion 3421 has a rough surface with a small difference in height between the recesses and protrusions formed on the surface, which prevents glare due to reflection even when light is irradiated from the lighting device 35 (described later).

[0024] The upright portion 3422 is a portion that extends vertically from the upper end of the front wall protrusion 3421. The upright portion 3422 is a low wall-like portion that stands upward by a length of at least 1 mm between the upper end of the front wall protrusion 3421 and the lower end of the first water outlet 31, which will be described later.

[0025] The flow rectifying piece 36 is attached to the top of the recess 341. The flow rectifying piece 36 is formed horizontally along the lower case 34, and has a generally U-shaped vertical cross section that opens toward the recess 341 and resembles a lid with a closed top. The flow rectifying piece 36 has a flow rectifying portion 361, a connecting lid portion 362, and a drain hole 363.

[0026] The flow rectifying portion 361 has two horizontally elongated portions that are roughly U-shaped in vertical cross section and are arranged side by side along the width direction of the main body 3. Each flow rectifying portion 361 that contacts the recess 341 has a pair of side wall portions 361a, an upper surface portion 361b, and an opening 361c. The pair of side wall portions 361a rise upward from the recess 341 and are arranged to face each other at the front and rear sides of the flow rectifying top 36. The front and rear side wall portions 361a approach and are connected at the ends of the width direction of the flow rectifying top 36. The upper surface portion 361b connects the pair of side wall portions 361a to each other and is a flat surface that extends upward. The openings 361c are through-holes formed in the upper surface portion 361b, and multiple openings 361c are arranged side by side along the width direction of the flow rectifying top 36.

[0027] The connecting lid portion 362 is formed in a lid shape so as to cover the water supply mechanism connecting portion 341c provided in the recessed portion 341 of the lower case 34, and the central portion in the width direction on the rear side of the lid-shaped portion protrudes rearward to connect the two lined-up rectifying portions 361 on the bottom side of the recessed portion 341. The two lined-up rectifying portions 361 and the connecting lid portion 362 are formed integrally.

[0028] The drain hole 363 is a through-hole formed in a portion of the connecting lid portion 362 that protrudes rearward, between two adjacent flow rectifying portions 361. The drain hole 363 is formed by passing through the connecting lid portion 362, and is located above the water supply mechanism connecting portion 341c of the recess 341 of the lower case 34. The drain hole 363 allows water to pass through to the water supply mechanism connecting portion 341c.

[0029] The upper case 33 is disposed above the lower case 34 and is attached so as to cover the rear part of the lower case 34. The upper case 33 has a cover surface 331, a support portion 332, and a hollow portion 333.

[0030] The cover surface 331 extends from the rear of the main body 3 to a position slightly forward from the center in the front-rear direction, and covers the main body 3. The cover surface 331 does not reach the front end of the main body 3.

[0031] The support portion 332 extends downward from the front end of the cover surface 331 and bends to protrude forward. The support portion 332 is formed along the width direction of the main body 3. An illumination device 35, which will be described later, is attached to the support portion 332. The support portion 332 has a shape that extends in a substantially straight line from one side to the other in the width direction of the lower case 34.

[0032] 2, the hollow portion 333 is a space formed between the upper case 33 and the lower case 34. The hollow portion 333 constitutes a flow path through which hot and cold water supplied through the opening 361c of the flow rectifying top 36 flows.

[0033] The lighting device 35 is attached to the front of the upper case 33 via a spacer 38. The lighting device 35 has a horizontally long shape that follows the main body 3, and extends in a substantially straight line from one side to the other in the width direction of the water discharger 1. The lighting device 35 is formed by arranging a light source inside a resin case, and is positioned so as to illuminate the hot and cold water discharged from the first water outlet 31.

[0034] The front cover 37 is attached to the front end of the upper case 33 so as to be continuous with the upper case 33, and covers the top of the lighting device 35. The front cover 37 has a horizontally elongated shape that follows the main body 3, and has a shape that extends in a substantially straight line from one side to the other in the width direction of the water discharger 1. The front cover 37 is attached to the entire top of the main body 3 along the width direction of the main body 3.

[0035] The first water outlet 31 is an opening that receives hot and cold water from a water source (not shown) and can discharge water into the inside of the bathtub body 110. As shown in Figure 2, the first water outlet 31 is formed by a thin groove between the underside of the support part 332 of the upper case 33 and the upper surface of the lower case 34, i.e., the inclined part 341a of the recess 341. Because the support part 332 of the upper case 33 is formed in a substantially straight line, the first water outlet 31 is formed in a substantially straight line above the front wall part 342 from one side to the other in the width direction of the water discharger 1.

[0036] The upper end of the front wall protrusion 3421 is located below the lower end of the first water outlet 31. There is a vertical separation between the lower end of the first water outlet 31 and the upper end of the front wall protrusion 3421. More specifically, an upright portion 3422 is formed above the upper end of the front wall protrusion 3421, and the height of this upright portion separates the lower end of the first water outlet 31 from the upper end of the front wall protrusion 3421. For this reason, hot and cold water discharged from the first water outlet 31 is not attracted to the front wall protrusion 3421, but is discharged toward the inner wall surface 1120 of the bathtub body 110 in front of it.

[0037] The second water outlet 32 ​​is formed in a different position from the first water outlet 31 and is an opening that can discharge hot and cold water into the bathtub main body 110. The second water outlet 32 ​​is located below the first water outlet 31 and is formed in the front wall 342 of the lower case 34 of the main body 3, as shown in Figure 3. The second water outlets 32 are located below the first water outlet 31, with two second water outlets 32 spaced apart on the widthwise center side of the front wall 342. The second water outlets 32 are water outlets that discharge water toward the user's neck. A neck bath unit 320 is located inside the second water outlet 32 ​​to shoot water discharged from the second water outlet 32 ​​in a wavy pattern. The neck bath unit 320 is attached to the lower case 34. Hot and cold water discharged from the front opening of the neck bath unit 320 is configured to be discharged through the second water outlet 32, which is an opening formed in the front wall 342.

[0038] The pillow section 2 has a height that allows the user's head to rest on it and is positioned so that it convexly extends from the upper edge surface 120. The pillow section 2 defines the outer shape of the water discharger 1 and is positioned so that it covers the other elements of the water discharger 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the pillow section 2 has a horizontally elongated shape that extends along the width direction of the water discharger 1. The pillow section 2 curves along the curved shape of the inner wall surface 1120 of the bathtub main body 110. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the pillow section 2 curves to form an arc from the front to the rear in a plan view. Furthermore, the pillow section 2 curves to form an arc upward from the upper edge surface 120 in a front view. As shown in FIG. 2, in a vertical cross section viewed from the side of the bathtub apparatus 100, the pillow section 2 extends in a gentle curve from the upper edge surface 120 toward the rear, reaching its highest point rearward of the center of the pillow section 2 in the front-to-rear direction. From its highest point, the pillow section 2 curves downward toward the rear of the upper edge surface 120. The front side of the pillow part 2 is more gently inclined than the rear side, and the head is placed on this gently inclined surface.

[0039] As shown in Figure 2, the highest point in height of the pillow section 2 is the central part 21 in the width direction of the pillow section 2. As shown in Figure 4, the central part 21 of the pillow section 2 refers to the part from the center in the width direction to the pair of second water outlets 32. The central part 21 is formed to be the highest part of the pillow section 2. By placing the user's head on the central part 21, it becomes easier to rest the base of the neck and the back of the head on the pillow. Furthermore, by restricting the position of the user's head to the above range, water can be discharged to appropriate positions such as the shoulders and neck.

[0040] The pillow portion 2 has pillow portion protrusions 22 at the ends in the width direction. The pillow portion protrusions 22 are formed to protrude so that the end sides protrude more toward the inner wall surface 1120 than the central side. In other words, as shown in FIG. 4, the end sides of the pillow portion protrusions 22 in the width direction protrude more toward the inner wall surface 1120 than the central side in a plan view. The front end of the pillow portion protrusions 22 is located on the front side, closer to the inner wall surface 1120 than the front end of the front wall protrusion 3421. The front end of the pillow protrusions 22 is located on the rear side of the upper edge surface 120, away from the upper end of the inner wall surface 1120.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 3, the base plate 4 is a plate-like member that is disposed between the lower surface of the main body 3 and the upper edge surface 120 of the bathtub apparatus 100, and that serves to fix the main body 3 in place.

[0042] The water supply mechanism 5 has a first water supply hose 51 and a second water supply hose 52 connected to the main body 3 from an external water supply source, a pump, a valve, etc. (not shown). The first water supply hose 51 is connected to the underside of the main body 3 via the back side of the upper edge surface 120, and is supplied with hot water discharged from the first water outlet 31. The second water supply hose is similarly connected to the underside of the main body 3. The second water supply hose 52 is connected to the neck bath unit 320, and supplies hot water discharged from the second water outlet 32.

[0043] Next, the rear sidewall 112a of the bathtub body 110 will be described in detail. In the rear sidewall 112a of the bathtub body 110, the bottom surface 111, bottom elevation 113, lower connection 116, backrest 115, and upper edge 120 of the bathtub body 110 are integrally molded together and connected in this order from bottom to top. Specifically, the bottom elevation 113 extends vertically upward from the bottom surface 111, and the upper end of the bottom elevation 113 is connected to the lower end of the backrest 115 by the lower connection 116. The upper end of the backrest 115 is connected to the upper edge 120 of the bathtub body 110. That is, backrest portion 115 is formed by an inner wall surface 1120 of back-side side wall portion 112a that is inclined from a position extending a predetermined height above bottom surface portion 111 toward water discharge device 1 on the rear side.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 5, the portion of the backrest 115 above the center in the up-down direction has a curved surface in a horizontal cross section formed as an arc convex toward the rear with a radius of curvature R1 of 600 mm to 2000 mm, preferably 800 mm to 1500 mm. In this embodiment, the upper portion of the backrest 115 has a curved surface in a horizontal cross section formed as an arc with a radius of curvature R1 of 1000 mm. This is because if the radius of curvature R1 is less than 600 mm, some people may feel cramped when leaning their back against the backrest 115, as their shoulders may hunch. If the radius of curvature R1 is 800 mm or more, no one will feel cramped. This is because if the radius of curvature R1 is more than 2000 mm, the inner surface of the backrest 115 that contacts the back approaches a straight line, weakening the shape characteristics. This is because if the radius of curvature R1 is 1500 mm or less, the shape characteristics become clear.

[0045] The portion of the backrest 115 below the center in the up-down direction has a curved surface that is convex toward the rear, and whose horizontal cross section has a radius of curvature R2 that is smaller than the radius of curvature R1 of the upper portion of the backrest 115. More specifically, the portion of the backrest 115 below the center in the up-down direction has a curved surface that is convex toward the rear, and whose horizontal cross section has a radius of curvature R2 of 500 mm to 1000 mm. In this embodiment, the lower portion of the backrest 115 has a curved surface that is convex toward the rear, and whose horizontal cross section has a radius of curvature R2 of 500 mm. This is because some people feel that a radius of curvature R2 of less than 500 mm makes the seat feel cramped. For example, when installing a jet nozzle for a jet bath, it is installed at the circled position indicated by the dashed line in Fig. 5. For this purpose, the cross section of the back side wall portion 112a in the horizontal direction at this position must have a curved surface formed as an arc with a radius of curvature of 1000 mm or more. On the other hand, the radius of curvature R2 must be smaller than this radius of curvature, so the radius of curvature R2 is set to 1000 mm or less.

[0046] The backrest 115 has a curved surface in the vertical cross section formed as an arc convex toward the rear with a radius of curvature R3 of 600 mm to 10,000 mm, preferably 600 mm to 1,500 mm. In this embodiment, the curved surface is formed as an arc with a radius of curvature R3 of 1,000 mm. If the radius of curvature R3 is less than 600 mm, the back tends to curve when leaning against the backrest 115, resulting in a stiff posture and a poor fit. If the radius of curvature R3 exceeds 10,000 mm, the inner surface of the backrest 115 that contacts the back and waist becomes closer to a straight line, weakening the shape characteristics. If the radius of curvature R3 is 1,500 mm or less, the inner surface of the backrest 115 that contacts the back and waist becomes curved rather than straight, thereby defining the shape characteristics.

[0047] The cross section of lower connecting portion 116 in the vertical direction is configured by a curved surface with an arc shape that convex forward, and the lower end of the curved surface, i.e., the lower end of lower connecting portion 116, is located 100 mm to 300 mm, preferably 200 mm to 300 mm, above bottom surface portion 111; in this embodiment, it is located 250 mm above bottom surface portion 111. If it is less than 100 mm, for example, when attaching a jet nozzle for a jet bath, the upper end of the cover that forms the jet nozzle's water intake cannot be accommodated in lower connecting portion 116. If it is 200 mm or more, the upper end of the cover that forms the jet nozzle's water intake can be accommodated in lower connecting portion 116. If the height exceeds 300 mm, the effect of forming a curved surface in the horizontal cross section of the portion below the center of backrest 115 in the vertical direction with an arc of radius of curvature R2 that is smaller than the radius of curvature R1 of the portion above the center of backrest 115 in the vertical direction will no longer be obtained; more specifically, the effect of forming a curved surface in the horizontal cross section of the portion below the center of backrest 115 in the vertical direction with an arc of radius of curvature R2 that is 500 mm or more and 1000 mm or less will no longer be obtained. Lower connecting portion 116 may have a horizontal cross section that is formed with an arc-shaped curve, or may have a horizontal cross section that is linear.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 2, the backrest 115 is inclined at an angle θ1 of 40° to 80°, preferably 50° to 80°, relative to an imaginary line parallel to the flat surface 1201 of the upper edge surface 120 of the bathtub body 110. In this embodiment, the angle θ1 is 65°. If the angle θ1 is less than 40°, any further reclining angle would result in a reclining bathtub, which would no longer be versatile. If the angle θ1 is 50° or greater, the difference from a reclining bathtub becomes clear and the bathtub is versatile. If the angle θ1 exceeds 80°, it would be difficult to make the angle any higher, considering the draft angle when molding the bathtub body 110.

[0049] Next, the upper edge of the bathtub body 110 will be described in detail. As shown in Figure 1 and other figures, the upper edge surface 120 of the bathtub body 110 is composed of a flat surface 1201 with no irregularities. As shown in Figure 8, the flat surface 1201 is connected to the inner wall surface 1120 of the bathtub body 110 by a connecting portion 118 composed of an arc-shaped curved surface with a curvature radius of 10 mm or more in cross section in the vertical direction. A portion 101 extending from a part of the flat surface 1201 to the inner wall surface 1120 via the connecting portion 118 and the remaining portion 102 constitutes a visually different portion.

[0050] According to this embodiment, the following effects are achieved. In this embodiment, the portion above the center of backrest portion 115 in the vertical direction has a curved surface whose cross section in the horizontal direction is formed as an arc with a radius of curvature of 600 mm or more and 2000 mm or less, and the portion below the center of backrest portion 115 in the vertical direction has a curved surface whose cross section in the horizontal direction is formed as an arc with a radius of curvature smaller than the radius of curvature of the upper portion of backrest portion 115, and backrest portion 115 has a curved surface whose cross section in the vertical direction is formed as an arc with a radius of curvature of 600 mm or more and 10000 mm or less.

[0051] This allows stable support for the shoulder area of ​​the body when water is sprayed onto the neck during a bathing motion while submerged, as shown in Figure 6. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, stable support for the waist area is also possible when water is sprayed onto areas other than the neck, such as between the shoulder blades, during a bathing motion while standing up. Furthermore, since the body can be supported in each of these positions, up and down movements during bathing, such as sinking and standing up, are facilitated. Figure 6 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the user P's head resting on the pillow section 2 of the bathtub apparatus 100. Figure 7 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the user P's waist abutting against the lower connection section 116 of the bathtub apparatus 100.

[0052] In this embodiment, the lower end of the lower connecting portion 116 is located 100 mm to 300 mm above the bottom surface portion 111. This makes it possible to more reliably obtain the above-mentioned effects. When attaching a jet nozzle as a jet bath, the upper end of the cover that forms the jet nozzle's water intake can be placed below the lower connecting portion 116.

[0053] In addition, in this embodiment, the backrest 115 forms an angle of 40° or more and 80° or less with respect to an imaginary line parallel to the upper edge surface 120. This makes it clear that it differs from a reclining bathtub and also makes it possible to ensure the draft angle when molding the bathtub body 110.

[0054] This embodiment also includes a first water outlet that spouts water into the bathtub body 110, and a second water outlet that is located at a different position from the first water outlet and spouts water into the bathtub body 110. The first water outlet spouts water toward the user's shoulders, and the second water outlet spouts water toward the user's neck. This, combined with the ease of up and down movements while bathing, such as sinking in and getting up, makes it possible to spout water from the first and second water outlets toward not only the shoulders and neck, but also other parts of the body.

[0055] This disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes modifications and improvements within the scope of achieving the objectives of this disclosure. For example, the configuration of each part of the bathtub body, such as the dimensions and shape of each part, is not limited to the configuration of the bathtub body 110 in this embodiment (the dimensions and shape of each part). Furthermore, the portions above and below the center of the backrest 115 in the up-down direction have curved surfaces whose horizontal cross sections are formed as arcs, but this curved surface is not limited to one type of curved surface whose horizontal cross sections are formed as one type of arc with one type of radius of curvature. For example, the portions above and below the center of the backrest 115 in the up-down direction may have a plurality of types of curved surfaces whose horizontal cross sections are formed as multiple types of arcs with multiple types of radii of curvature, or may have a curved surface whose horizontal cross section is formed as an arc and a flat surface whose horizontal cross section is formed as a straight line. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1 water discharge device, 31 first water discharge port, 32 second water discharge port, 100 bathtub device, 120 upper edge surface, 101 first surface feature, 102 second surface feature, 110 bathtub body, 111 bottom surface portion, 113 bottom upright portion, 115 backrest portion, 116 lower connection portion, 118 connection portion, 1120 inner wall surface, 1201 flat surface, P user,

Claims

1. The bathtub comprises a bathtub body and a water discharge device disposed on the upper edge surface of the bathtub body and discharging water toward the shoulders of the user. The inner wall surface of the bathtub body has a backrest portion that forms the upper part of the inner wall surface and is inclined toward the water discharge device, A portion above the center of the backrest in the vertical direction has a curved surface whose cross section in the horizontal direction is formed as an arc with a curvature radius of 600 mm or more and 2000 mm or less, The backrest portion has a curved surface whose cross section in the up-down direction is formed as an arc with a curvature radius of 600 mm or more and 10,000 mm or less, The inner wall surface of the bathtub body further has a bottom surface portion, a bottom elevation portion extending upward from the bottom surface portion, and a lower connecting portion connecting the backrest portion and the bottom elevation portion, The lower connection portion has a cross section in the vertical direction that is configured by a curved surface in an arc shape that is convex forward so that a user cannot sit on it, A bathtub device in which the portion of the backrest portion below the center in the vertical direction has a curved surface whose horizontal cross section is formed as an arc with a radius of curvature smaller than the radius of curvature of the bottom vertical portion.

2. The bathtub apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lower end of the lower connection portion is located 100 mm to 300 mm above the bottom surface portion.

3. 3. The bathtub apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the backrest forms an angle of 40 degrees or more and 80 degrees or less with respect to an imaginary line parallel to the upper edge surface.

4. A first water outlet that discharges water into the bathtub body; a second water outlet formed at a position different from the first water outlet and which discharges water into the bathtub body; The first water outlet discharges water toward the shoulders of the user, The bathtub apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second water outlet spouts water below the first water outlet.

5. Equipped with jet nozzles for a jet bath, A bathtub apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the upper end of a cover forming the water intake of the jet nozzle is housed below the lower connection portion.

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