Foam generation device

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a foam generation device capable of sufficiently generating fine and soft foam and having a simplified device configuration. [Solution] A foam generation device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: water supply piping for supplying water from a water supply port; detergent supply piping for supplying a detergent from a detergent supply means; gas supply piping for supplying gas from a gas supply means; a foam generation means for generating foam by mixing, in the water supplied from the water supply piping, the detergent and the gas respectively supplied from the detergent supply piping and the water supply piping; and a shower head for spraying, through a shower hose, the water, the detergent, and the gas mixed by the foam generation means. The water supply piping, the detergent supply piping, and the gas supply piping are connected to the foam generation means, and the foam generation means is disposed upstream of the shower hose.

Description

Bubble generator

[0001] The present invention relates to a foam generating device.

[0002] When washing the bodies of people or animals, there are several methods, such as applying detergent directly to the body and rubbing it, or foaming the detergent and rubbing it with a towel or sponge. However, it is time-consuming to create a sufficient amount of foam from the detergent, and it is also difficult to generate a sufficient amount of fine, soft foam.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a foam supply device for body washing that includes a water supply pipe that supplies water from a water pipe to a shower head, a liquid detergent supply pipe that introduces liquid detergent into the water supply pipe, and a gas supply pipe that introduces gas into the water supply pipe, and in which a detergent mixing section of the liquid detergent supply pipe that mixes with the water supply pipe is located upstream of a gas mixing section of the gas supply pipe that mixes with the water supply pipe.

[0004] JP 2015-47236 A

[0005] However, in the body cleansing foam supply device of Patent Document 1, the detergent mixing section of the liquid detergent supply pipe to the water supply pipe is located upstream of the gas mixing section of the gas supply pipe to the water supply pipe, and in the gas mixing section, air is simply sent from the gas supply pipe to the water supply pipe, where it mixes with water, so there is a possibility that fine, soft bubbles may not be generated sufficiently.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide a foam generating device that can generate a sufficient amount of fine and soft foam, has a simplified device configuration, and is easy for users to use.

[0007] A foam generating device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a water supply pipe for supplying water from a water supply port, a detergent supply pipe for supplying detergent from a detergent supply means, a gas supply pipe for supplying gas from a gas supply means, a foam generating means for mixing the water supplied from the water supply pipe with the detergent supply pipe and the detergent and gas supplied from the gas supply pipe to generate foam, and a shower head for spraying the water, detergent and gas mixed by the foam generating means through a shower hose, wherein the water supply pipe, detergent supply pipe and gas supply pipe are connected to the foam generating means, and the foam generating means is arranged upstream of the shower hose.

[0008] According to this configuration, the water supply pipe, detergent supply pipe, and gas supply pipe are connected to the foam generating means, and water, detergent, and gas are mixed simultaneously at the same location, so fine, soft bubbles can be generated more efficiently than when the detergent is mixed after mixing water and gas, or when the gas is mixed after mixing water and detergent.In addition, the configuration of the foam generating device can be simplified.

[0009] The foam generating device further includes a microbubble nozzle disposed between the shower head and the foam generating means, and the shower hose connected to the shower head is connected to the foam generating means via the microbubble nozzle.

[0010] With this configuration, the microbubble nozzle can efficiently generate fine bubbles, and by arranging the microbubble nozzle between the shower head and the bubble generating means, the collapse of the fine bubbles can be prevented, allowing the fine bubbles to be released through the shower head.

[0011] This foam generator is also characterized in that the microbubble nozzle is provided near the downstream side of the foam generation means in the water circulation direction. By providing the microbubble nozzle near the downstream side of the foam generation means, the bubbles generated by the foam generation means are prevented from disappearing as they flow through the shower hose, and the microbubble nozzle can produce even finer bubbles.

[0012] Furthermore, this bubble generator has a structure in which the microbubble nozzle draws in air by itself, which allows for self-sufficient air intake without the need for a separate air supply mechanism, thereby saving space.

[0013] In addition, in this bubble generating device, the microbubble nozzle preferably generates bubbles having a diameter of 1 μm to 50 μm, and more preferably generates bubbles having a diameter of 5 μm to 20 μm.

[0014] According to this configuration, if the bubbles are smaller than 1 μm, the bubbles are too small and the liquid released becomes too thick, while if the bubbles are larger than 30 μm, the liquid will be watery with few bubbles, and the cleaning effect will be impaired.Moreover, bubbles with a diameter of 5 μm to 20 μm are more preferable, and bubbles with a diameter of around 10 μm (for example, 7 μm to 13 μm) are even more preferable, and in this way it is possible to release thick bubbles with high cleaning effect.

[0015] In addition, this foam generator has a shower hose length of up to 2m. With this configuration, if the shower hose is too long, the foam will disappear or be excessively reduced as the foam-containing liquid travels from the shower hose to the shower head, causing the released liquid to become watery and less effective at cleaning. However, by keeping the shower hose length to 2m or less, and more preferably 1.5m or less, it is possible to maintain the foam and release a thick liquid with a high cleaning effect.

[0016] The foam generating device is also characterized in that the foam generating means is a filter equipped with a first sponge member. With this configuration, by mixing the water, detergent, and gas in the first sponge member, finer foam can be generated more efficiently than when simply mixing them.

[0017] This foam generator is also characterized in that the shower head includes a second sponge member. This configuration allows the mixed water, detergent, and gas to be further mixed in the second sponge member, thereby efficiently generating fine bubbles. Even if some of the bubbles generated by the foam generating means decrease before reaching the shower head, they can be regenerated.

[0018] In addition, this foam generating device is characterized in that the first sponge member and the second sponge member have a spongy structure. With this configuration, the sponge has a spongy structure, which allows for efficient generation of fine foam, and by making both the first and second sponge members spongy, fine foam can be generated even more efficiently.

[0019] The foam generating device is also characterized in that the first and second sponge members have an average pore size of 3.0 mm or more and 4.0 mm or less. With this configuration, the first and second sponge members can generate a sufficient amount of fine, three-dimensional, chewy, and thick foam.

[0020] This foam generator is also characterized in that the gas supply pipe is provided with a gas regulation valve for controlling the amount of gas supplied. With this configuration, the amount of gas flowing in can be adjusted by controlling the opening of the electromagnetic valve. This allows the foaming and bubbling conditions to be appropriately adjusted.

[0021] This foam generator is also characterized by the fact that the water supply pipe is provided with a flow rate adjustment nozzle that controls the amount of water supplied. With this configuration, the amount of water flowing through the water supply pipe can be controlled. In other words, this device is intended for use with a direct water supply, and although the water pressure varies depending on the location, the provision of this flow rate adjustment valve makes it easy to adjust the water volume in any location.

[0022] The foam generator is also characterized in that the detergent supply unit is a diaphragm pump. With this configuration, the detergent can be pumped at high pressure and supplied stably for a long period of time.

[0023] The foam generator further includes a housing that houses the water supply pipe, the detergent supply pipe, the gas supply pipe, the detergent supply means, and the gas supply means, and the housing houses a detergent reservoir that stores detergent, and the housing is provided with a detergent level confirmation window that allows the amount of detergent remaining in the detergent reservoir to be confirmed. With this configuration, the amount of detergent remaining in the detergent reservoir can be easily confirmed from outside the housing. Furthermore, by not locating the foam generating means inside the housing, the housing can be made smaller.

[0024] Preferably, in this foam generating device, the detergent is shampoo.

[0025] Preferably, in this foam generating device, the detergent is a body wash.

[0026] According to the present invention, a foam generating device can be provided that can generate a sufficient amount of fine, three-dimensional, chewy, thick foam and has a simplified device configuration.

[0027] It is a schematic diagram of the foam generation device according to the present embodiment.It is a front view of the housing of the foam generation device according to the present embodiment.It is a flowchart of the foam generation device according to the present embodiment.

[0028] A foam generating device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

[0029] (Configuration of the Foam Generator) Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a foam generator 1 according to this embodiment. This foam generator 1 comprises a housing 10, a foam generating means 50 that generates foam by mixing water with detergent and gas, and a shower head 60. The housing 10 houses a water supply pipe 17, a detergent supply pipe 18, a gas supply pipe 19, a detergent supply means 20, a gas supply means 30, a detergent storage section 40, and an electrical switch 15 that operates the power supplies of the electric decorations all at once.

[0030] The housing 10 is provided with a water supply port 12 for supplying water from a water pipe 11 or a water tank. As shown in Figure 2, a detergent remaining amount confirmation window 10A is provided on the front of the housing 10, allowing the amount of detergent remaining in the detergent storage section 40 to be checked. Therefore, the amount of detergent remaining in the detergent storage section 40 can be easily checked from outside the housing 10.

[0031] The detergent reservoir 40 is provided inside the housing 10, but it does not have to be located inside the housing 10 and is preferably detachable from the housing 10.

[0032] The detergent stored in the detergent storage section 40 is primarily composed of a surfactant, and in this embodiment shampoo is used, but it may also be body soap, facial cleanser, liquid hand soap, foaming hand soap, cleansing foam, etc.

[0033] The detergent supply means 20 uses a diaphragm pump, which can pump detergent at high pressure and stably supply it for a long period of time. However, it is not limited to a diaphragm pump, and may be a centrifugal pump, an axial flow pump, a mixed flow pump, a cascade pump, a piston pump, a plunger pump, a rotary pump, or the like.

[0034] A detergent supply pipe 18 is connected to the detergent supply means 20. The detergent supply means 20 delivers the detergent in the detergent reservoir 40 to the foam generating means 50. In this embodiment, the detergent is delivered at a rate of 80 to 120 mL / min.

[0035] The gas supply means 30 uses a compressor, but may also use a pressurized cylinder, an electrically driven inflation device, etc. Furthermore, although air is used as the gas, any gas such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen, or ozone may also be used.

[0036] In order to control the amount of gas supplied, it is preferable to provide a gas electromagnetic valve 14 at the outlet of the gas supply means 30. The gas supply means 30 is provided inside the housing 10, but may be installed separately from the housing 10.

[0037] A gas supply pipe 19 is connected to the gas supply means 30. The gas supply means 30 sends out a gas such as air to the bubble generation means 50. In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the gas supply pipe 19 is 6 mm, and air is sent out from the gas supply means 30 at a flow rate of 20 lpm.

[0038] The water supply pipe 17 connects the water supply port 12 and the foam generating means 50, and is provided with a flow rate adjustment nozzle 13 midway. The water supply port 12 is connected to the water supply pipe 11, and water is introduced from the water supply pipe 11 into the housing 10 via the water supply pipe 17.

[0039] The flow rate adjustment nozzle 13 can adjust the flow rate of water flowing through the water supply pipe 17 by adjusting the nozzle opening.

[0040] The foam generating means 50 is a pressure filter including a first sponge member 51. By mixing water, detergent, and gas in the first sponge member 51, fine foam can be efficiently generated.

[0041] The foam generating means 50 is disposed downstream of the housing 10 in the direction of water circulation, and is not disposed inside the housing 10, thereby making it possible to reduce the size of the housing 10. The foam generating means 50 is disposed upstream of the shower hose 60A.

[0042] The foam generating means 50 is connected to a water supply pipe 17, a detergent supply pipe 18, and a gas supply pipe 19, and mixes water, detergent, and gas simultaneously at the same location, so that fine, soft foam can be generated more efficiently than when water and gas are mixed and then detergent is mixed, or when water and detergent are mixed and then gas is mixed.

[0043] Furthermore, synthetic resin sponges such as ether-based polyurethane sponge, ester-based polyurethane sponge, and polyethylene sponge, and rubber sponges such as chloroprene rubber sponge (CR sponge), ethylene propylene rubber sponge (EDPM sponge), and nitrile rubber sponge (NBR sponge) can be suitably used as the first sponge member 51. However, urethane-based sponges, including ether-based polyurethane sponges, are more suitably used from the viewpoints of being inexpensive and allowing easy adjustment of the foaming rate.

[0044] The first sponge member 51 has an average pore diameter in the range of 3.5 mm to 4.0 mm, so it can generate a fine, three-dimensional, chewy, and thick foam. While the foam generating means 50 includes the first sponge member 51, other porous materials may be used, such as a web-like nonwoven fabric made of overlapping fibers. Porous materials may also be used, such as metal mesh, ceramics, and resin materials.

[0045] The shower hose 60A connects the foam generating means 50 and the shower head 60, and is provided with a microbubble nozzle 16 midway. The length of the shower hose 60A is preferably 1.5 m or less, which prevents the foam from disappearing as it flows through the shower hose 60A.

[0046] The microbubble nozzle 16 generates fine bubbles. The microbubble nozzle 16 may be any type that has the function of generating fine bubbles, and may be, for example, a swirling flow type that swirls and shears water, a turbulent flow type that shears water by turbulence, such as a Venturi tube, or a pressurized dissolution type that generates bubbles by turbulence.

[0047] Furthermore, since the microbubble nozzle 16 of this embodiment has a structure that supplies air itself, a separate compressor or the like is not required, which makes it possible to save space and reduce costs.

[0048] The microbubble nozzle 16 is provided near the downstream side of the foam generating means 50 in the water circulation direction. By providing the microbubble nozzle 16 near the downstream side of the foam generating means 50, the bubbles generated by the foam generating means 50 can be made into finer bubbles before they disappear as they flow through the shower hose 60A.

[0049] The size of the bubbles generated by the microbubble nozzle 16 is 50 μm or less in diameter, preferably 5 μm to 20 μm, and more preferably 10 μm. The microbubble nozzle 16 of this embodiment is a microbubble nozzle with a nozzle diameter of 10 μm to generate bubbles of 10 μm in size. This makes it possible to emit thick bubbles that have a high cleaning effect.

[0050] The shower head 60 sprays bubbles radially and is connected to the water supply pipe 17 via a shower hose 60A.

[0051] The shower head 60 is equipped with a second sponge member 61 with a spongy structure. The mixed water, detergent, and gas are further mixed in the second sponge member 61, thereby efficiently generating fine bubbles. Furthermore, even if the bubbles generated by the foam generating means 50 disappear before being guided to the shower head 60, they can be generated again.

[0052] The second sponge member 61 has an average pore diameter in the range of 3.5 mm to 4.0 mm, so that it can generate a sufficient amount of fine, three-dimensional, and chewy foam. However, the second sponge member 61 is not limited to the above, and a certain level of effect can be obtained as long as the average pore diameter is in the range of 3.0 mm to 4.0 mm.

[0053] Furthermore, synthetic resin sponges such as ether-based polyurethane sponge, ester-based polyurethane sponge, and polyethylene sponge, and rubber sponges such as chloroprene rubber sponge (CR sponge), ethylene propylene rubber sponge (EDPM sponge), and nitrile rubber sponge (NBR sponge) can be suitably used as the second sponge member 61. However, urethane-based sponges, including ether-based polyurethane sponges, are more suitably used from the viewpoints of being inexpensive and allowing easy adjustment of the foaming rate.

[0054] The shower head 60 includes a second sponge member 61, but it does not have to be a sponge member as long as it is made of a porous material, and a web-like nonwoven fabric made of overlapping fibers can also be used. Porous materials that can be used include metal mesh, ceramics, and resin materials.

[0055] In the foam generating device 1 of this embodiment, a water supply pipe 17, a detergent supply pipe 18, and a gas supply pipe 19 are connected to the foam generating means 50, and water, detergent, and gas are mixed simultaneously at the same location. Therefore, fine, soft foam can be generated more efficiently than when water and gas are mixed and then detergent is mixed, or when water and detergent are mixed and then gas is mixed.

[0056] Furthermore, since the foam generating means 50 includes the first sponge member 51, by mixing the water, detergent and gas in the first sponge member 51, fine foam can be generated efficiently.

[0057] Furthermore, the first sponge member 51 has a spongy structure with an average pore size in the range of 3.5 mm to 4.0 mm, so that it can generate a sufficient amount of fine, three-dimensional, and chewy foam.

[0058] Furthermore, the shower head 60 is equipped with a second sponge member 61 having a spongy structure, which allows the water, detergent, and gas mixed in the foam generating means 50 to be further mixed in the second sponge member 61, thereby efficiently generating fine bubbles. Even if the bubbles generated in the foam generating means 50 disappear before being guided to the shower head 60, the second sponge member 61 of the shower head 60 can generate bubbles again.

[0059] In addition, the second sponge member 61 has a spongy structure with an average pore size in the range of 3.5 mm to 4.0 mm, so that it can generate a sufficient amount of fine, three-dimensional, and chewy foam.

[0060] Furthermore, since the microbubble nozzle 16 is located midway along the shower hose 60A, fine bubbles can be generated efficiently. Furthermore, since the microbubble nozzle 16 is located downstream of the foam generating means 50 in the water circulation direction, the bubbles generated by the foam generating means 50 can be made into finer bubbles before disappearing as they flow through the shower hose 50A.

[0061] The foam generator configured as described above can emit a liquid containing bubbles from the shower head 60 that is fine, three-dimensional, thick, and highly effective in cleaning. This makes it ideal for washing pets such as dogs, as it effectively cleans their fur.

[0062] (Flow) Fig. 3 is a flowchart of the foam generator 1 according to this embodiment. The flow of the foam generator 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 3 .

[0063] First, a user turns on the power of the foam generator 1 (S1). This causes water to be introduced from the water supply pipe 11 to the water supply pipe 17 (S2). Then, the detergent supply means 20 and the gas supply means 30 are activated (S3).

[0064] Detergent is injected from the detergent supply means 20 into the first sponge member 51 of the foam generating means 50 via the detergent supply pipe 18. Gas is injected from the gas supply means 30 into the first sponge member 51 of the foam generating means 50 via the gas supply pipe 19 (S4).

[0065] The first sponge member 51 of the foam generating means 50 mixes the water supplied from the water supply pipe 17 with the detergent supplied from the detergent supply pipe 18 and the gas supplied from the gas supply pipe 19 to generate foam (S5), and the mixed water, detergent and gas are supplied to the shower head 60 via the shower hose 60A.

[0066] The mixture of water, detergent, and gas passes through the second sponge member 61 of the shower head 60, forming fine bubbles (S6), which are then sprayed from the shower head 60 (S7). The user uses the bubbles sprayed from the shower head 60 to wash themselves.

[0067] As described above, a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described with reference to the drawings. However, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modified or altered examples within the scope of the claims also fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0068] In the above embodiment, the foam generating means 50 is disposed downstream of the housing 10, but it may be housed inside the housing 10. Also, the foam generator 1 includes the housing 10, but it does not have to include the housing 10. Also, the water, detergent, and gas mixed by the foam generating means 50 are sprayed from the shower head 60, but instead of the shower head 60, a sprayer having a plurality of holes in a long, thin tube, a single-port sprayer such as the end of a hose, a faucet, etc. may also be used.

[0069] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Bubble generator 10 Housing 11 Water pipe 12 Water supply port 13 Flow rate adjustment nozzle 14 Gas adjustment valve 15 Electrical switch 16 Microbubble nozzle 17 Water supply pipe 18 Detergent supply pipe 19 Gas supply pipe 20 Detergent supply means 30 Gas supply means 40 Detergent storage section 50 Foam generating means 51 First sponge member 60 Shower head 60A Shower hose 61 Second sponge member

Claims

1. A foam generating device comprising: a water supply pipe for supplying water from a water supply port; a detergent supply pipe for supplying detergent from a detergent supply means; a gas supply pipe for supplying gas from a gas supply means; foam generating means for mixing the water supplied from the water supply pipe with the detergent supply pipe and the detergent and gas supplied from the gas supply pipe to generate foam; and a shower head for spraying the water, detergent and gas mixed by the foam generating means through a shower hose, wherein the water supply pipe, detergent supply pipe and gas supply pipe are connected to the foam generating means, and the foam generating means is arranged upstream of the shower hose.

2. The foam generating device according to claim 1, further comprising a microbubble nozzle, the microbubble nozzle being disposed between the shower head and the foam generating means.

3. The foam generating device according to claim 2, wherein the shower hose connected to the shower head is connected to the foam generating means via the microbubble nozzle.

4. The foam generating device according to claim 2, wherein the microbubble nozzle is provided near the downstream side of the foam generating means in the direction of water circulation.

5. The bubble generating device according to claim 4, wherein the microbubble nozzle has a structure that draws in air on its own.

6. The bubble generator according to claim 5, wherein the microbubble nozzle generates bubbles having a diameter of 1 μm to 50 μm.

7. The bubble generating device according to claim 5, wherein the microbubble nozzle generates bubbles having a diameter of 5 μm to 20 μm.

8. The foam generating device according to claim 4, wherein the shower hose is up to 2 m in length.

9. The foam generating device according to claim 1, wherein the foam generating means is a filter having a first sponge member.

10. The foam generating device according to claim 9, wherein the shower head comprises a second sponge member.

11. The foam generating device according to claim 10, wherein the first sponge member and the second sponge member both have a spongy structure.

12. A foam generating device as claimed in claim 10 or 11, wherein the first sponge member and the second sponge member have an average pore diameter of 3.0 mm or more and 4.0 mm or less.

13. The bubble generating device according to claim 1, wherein the gas supply pipe is provided with a gas adjusting valve for controlling the amount of gas supplied.

14. The foam generating device according to claim 1, wherein the water supply pipe is provided with a flow rate adjusting nozzle for controlling the amount of water supplied.

15. The foam generating device of claim 1, wherein the detergent supply means is a diaphragm pump.

16. A foam generating device as described in claim 1, further comprising a housing that houses the water supply pipe, the detergent supply pipe, the gas supply pipe, the detergent supply means, and the gas supply means, wherein the housing houses a detergent storage section that stores detergent, and the housing is provided with a detergent remaining amount confirmation window that allows the amount of detergent remaining in the detergent storage section to be confirmed.

17. The foam generating device according to claim 1, wherein the detergent is a shampoo.

18. The foam generating device according to claim 1, wherein the detergent is body soap.

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