Patent Grant
10132063
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to water discharge devices, and to bathtub fittings furnished therewith, for discharging water in film form.
2. Description of the Related Art
Water discharge devices for discharging water in film form (hereinafter referred to as film-like water) have been known to date (for example, reference is made to JP 2002-153391 A). The devices are installed on an upper portion of a bathtub, and are configured to be capable of discharging the film-like water toward the inner side of the bathtub. The water flow cascading waterfall-like from the water discharge devices is aesthetically outstanding, and moreover, because it, e.g., casts the film-like water onto bather's shoulders, yielding relaxation effects, it contributes to the incitement of user purchasing desire.
Patent Document 1: JP 2002-153391 A
In that connection, film-like water discharged from this type of water discharge device is known to be prone to lose its form. The present inventors came upon recognition that there is room for further improvement in the structure of conventional water discharge devices in order to suppress this form loss.
The present embodiment has been brought about in view of issues such as these, and an object thereof is, when discharging film-like water from a discharge port, to suppress its form loss.
In order to solve the above problem, an embodiment of the present invention relates to a water discharge device. The water discharge device for discharging water in film form, comprising a water discharge member formed with a slit-like discharge port and a discharge path for delivering water to the discharge port, wherein the discharge path is formed with a reservoir chamber for holding, as reserve water, water flowing into the discharge path from its upstream side, and is formed with a constricting flow path that sends forth the reserve water in the reservoir chamber to the discharge port, and lateral surfaces on either side of the discharge path in its width direction are formed such that a path width of the discharge path spreads as approaching its discharge port side from its reservoir chamber side, and is formed such that the angle formed by an imaginary line paralleling the width direction of the discharge port and, on the lateral surfaces, a tangent line passing over the discharge port's opening rim is acute and greater than or equal to 45° and less than 90°.
Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a bathtub fitting. The bathtub fitting includes the water discharge device according to the above embodiment and a bathtub on which the water discharge device is installed.
The invention will now be described by reference to the preferred embodiments. This does not intend to limit the scope of the present invention, but to exemplify the invention.
First, basic contents that have been considered before the present invention has been conceived of will be explained.
The water discharge device 310 includes a water discharge member 313. The water discharge member 313 is formed with a slit-like discharge port 311 and a discharge path 333 for delivering water to the discharge port 311. An inlet 349 is formed on the inner surface of the discharge path 333. When water is pumped into the discharge path 333 through the inlet 349, the water discharge member 313 discharges film-like water W having a wide width from the discharge port 311. In the following explanation, a direction in which the discharge port 311 extends will be referred to as a left-and-right direction X, a horizontal direction perpendicular thereto will be referred to as a front-and-rear direction Y, and a vertical direction will be referred to as an up-and-down direction Z.
In this case, when water flows in through the inlet 349, a disturbance occurs in a water flow provided into the discharge path 333 due to a rapid change in a cross section of a flow path. The water flow discharged from the discharge port 311 is affected by this disturbance occurring when flowing in from the inlet 349, and a velocity of the flow varies. This makes film-like water W more likely to lose its form.
In order to discharge the wide film-like water W, the discharge path 333 has a wide and flat shape of which a path width is wide and of which a path height is low, and accordingly, a thickness of the water flow flowing the inner side thereof becomes also thin. Therefore, the water flow discharged from the discharge port 311 is likely to be affected by turbulence in the discharge path 333 and a foreign object stuck in the discharge path 333, and so on. Therefore, the velocity of the flow is also likely to vary because of this point.
Further, a distance from the inlet 349 to the discharge port 311 varies depending on a widthwise position of the discharge port 311. The larger a width length of the film-like water W is, the larger a difference between the minimum value and the maximum value of the aforementioned distance is likely to be. Therefore, as the width length of the film-like water W becomes wider, the velocity of the water flow discharged from the discharge port 311 is more likely to vary depending on its widthwise position, and the film-like water W is more likely to lose its form.
Furthermore, surface tension is applied to the film-like water W discharged from the discharge port 311. Therefore, because of the surface tension, the film-like water W is likely to be narrowed so as to reduce its width length as it gets away from the discharge port 311.
Therefore, as a first technique, the inventors of the present application have made a discharge path formed with a reservoir chamber for holding, as reserve water, water flowing into the discharge path from its upstream side and a constricting flow path for sending forth the reserve water in the reservoir chamber to the discharge port. Accordingly, the velocity of the water flowing in the reservoir chamber from the upstream side is lower than the case where a path height of the discharge path is at a constant level, and the flow is effectively straightened such that the velocity of the water in the discharge path becomes uniform in the width direction. As a result, the velocity of the water flow discharged from the discharge port can be more easily made uniform in the width direction, so that the form loss of the film-like water can be suppressed.
Further, as a second technique, the inventors of the present application make a discharge path formed such that a path width of the discharge path spreads as approaching its discharge port side from its reservoir chamber side. Accordingly, a water flow flows along a lateral surface of the discharge path, and a velocity component directed to the outer side in the width direction can be included in water flow discharged from either end portion of the discharge port in the width direction. As a result, a time when the film-like water starts to become narrow due to the surface tension can be delayed, and narrowness of the film-like water can be suppressed within a wide range from where water is discharged from the discharge port to where water comes in contact with the water surface.
Here, as a result of experimental considerations by using the water discharge device having the above techniques, the inventors of the present application has obtained knowledge as a further new problem to be solved. This knowledge is that, when a degree of spreading of the path width of the discharge path is too large, the film-like water discharged from the discharge port may be divided in the width direction. This may be because when the velocity component, directed to the outer side of the width direction, of the water flow discharged from either end portion of the discharge port in the width direction becomes excessively large, water flows discharged from either end portion in the width direction is likely to be separated from a water flow discharged from a middle portion in the width direction.
In the course of solving this problem, the inventors of the present application have obtained knowledge. This knowledge is that, when angles formed by the lateral surfaces on either side of the discharge path in the width direction is within a predetermined range, separation of the film-like water can be suppressed easily while the narrowness of the film-like water is suppressed, and form loss of the film-like water can be suppressed. Hereinafter, the details of embodiments according to the present invention will be explained.
As shown in
An illumination device 37 is attached on the front portion of the upper-side division member 19. The illumination device 37 projects forward colored light and white light having predetermined wavelengths. These colored light and the like are projected to the film-like water, the bather, and the like, so that a preferable visual effect can be obtained. The exterior cover 15 covers the illumination device 37 from above, and is attached on the upper-side division member 19 so as to cover a portion of the water discharge member 13 from frontward.
The lower-side division member 17 and the upper-side division member 19 are detachably assembled with a fastener such as a screw, not shown. As shown in
As illustrated in
The water guiding portion 41 is inserted into an insertion hole 119 formed on the installation surface 117 of the bathtub 110. Inside the water guiding portion 41, a water guiding path 43 for supplying water to its downstream side is formed, and the discharge-side conduit 123 is connected to an end portion of the water guiding portion 41. A fixing member 131 such as a nut is attached, by means of screwing and the like, to a portion of the water guiding portion 41 which is protruding to the side opposite to the installation surface 117. The water discharge device 10 is fixed to the bathtub 110 by sandwiching the bathtub 110 between the main body portion 39 and the fixing member 131. It should be noted that a seal member 133 such as a gasket is interposed between the fixing member 131 and the bathtub 110.
The main body portion 39 is formed with the discharge port 11 which is opened on the front side thereof and the discharge path 33 for delivering water to the discharge port 11. The discharge port 11 and the discharge path 33 are formed between the lower-side division member 17 and the upper-side division member 19. More specifically, the discharge port 11 and the discharge path 33 are formed to be enclosed by the wall portions 21, 23, 25 of the lower-side division member 17 and the first upper wall portion 27 of the upper-side division member 19.
The discharge path 33 makes the discharge port 11 communicate with the inlet 49 to which the water is provided from the water guiding path 43. As shown in
The constricting flow path 47 is provided at the downstream side with respect to the reservoir chamber 45, and makes the reservoir chamber 45 communicate with the discharge port 11. The constricting flow path 47 is formed such that, as may be understood from
As shown in
Meanwhile, as a result of experimental considerations by the inventors of the present application, if the angle θ1 is less than 45°, there was a case that the film-like water W discharged from the discharge port 11 was divided in the width direction as shown in
Back to
A part of a water flow flowing from the inlet 49 flows in the left-and-right direction X at the depth side in the discharge path 33. In this case, with shape as illustrated in
With the water discharge member 13 according to the above embodiment, water pumping from the water supply pump 121 (see
Here, water flowing in from the inlet 49, which serves an upstream side, flows so as to spread toward an entrance 47a of the constricting flow path 47 from the inlet 49. A velocity of the water flow decreases when this water flow flows through the reservoir chamber 45. In addition, until the water flow reaches to the entrance 47a (see
The discharge path 33 is formed such that a path width of the discharge path 33 spreads as approaching its discharge port side from depthward of the discharge port 11, and therefore, narrowness of the film-like water can be more easily suppressed. In particular, because the angle θ1 formed by the lateral surface 33a of the discharge path 33 is greater than or equal to 45° and less than 90°, separation of the film-like water can be easily suppressed while the narrowness of the film-like water is suppressed. Therefore, form loss of the film-like water discharged from the discharge port 11 is suppressed, and it becomes possible to discharge the film-like water with superior appearance.
It should be noted that a width length of the discharge port 11 is not particularly limited. According to findings of the inventors of the present application, with a conventional water discharge device, the film-like water is likely to lose its form when, for example, the width length becomes greater than or equal to 150 mm. Therefore, when the present invention is applied to a water discharge device in which the width length of the discharge port 11 is greater than or equal to 150 mm, form loss of the film-like water can be more particularly effectively suppressed.
In a plane view, the discharge port 11 is formed in an arch shape that bend so as to be depressed directed to the depth-side of the discharge port 11. Also in the present embodiment, the lateral surfaces 33a on either side of the discharge path 33 in the width direction are formed such that the angle θ1 formed by the imaginary line L1 and the tangent line L2 is acute and greater than or equal to 45° and less than 90°. Also in the present embodiment, like the first embodiment, form loss of the film-like water discharged from the discharge port 11 can be easily suppressed. As described above, the discharge port 11 may be formed in a slit shape, and the shape thereof is not particularly limited.
Also in the present embodiment, the lateral surfaces 33a on either side of the discharge path 33 in the width direction is formed such that the angle θ1 formed by the imaginary line L1 and the tangent line L2 is greater than or equal to 45° and less than 90°. Therefore, also in the present embodiment, form loss of the film-like water discharged from the discharge port 11 can be easily suppressed.
And also in the water discharge device 10 according to the present embodiment, a water flow flowing in the left-and-right direction X at the discharge path's depth-side is such that an angle with which the water flow collides with the depth-side surface portion 65, which serves as the lateral surface 33a of the discharge path 33, decreases as compared with the case where the lateral surface 33a of the discharge path 33 is formed to be simply straight (see FIG. 9A). For this reason, the water flow flowing in the left-and-right direction X at the depth-side in the discharge path 33 is such that, even when the water flow collides with the lateral surface 33a of the discharge path 33, a velocity of the water flow is less likely to decrease, and a water flow can be easily guided along the lateral surface 33a of the discharge path 33 with maintaining its force. As a result, water flow along the tangent line L2 can be easily discharged from the end portion 11a of the discharge port 11 in the width direction, and narrowness of the film-like water can be easily suppressed with stability.
In order to achieve the same operations and effects, following structures may be used. In the third embodiment, the lateral surface 33a of the discharge path 33 includes the single depth-side surface portion 65, but as shown in
The depth-side surface portion 65 of the discharge path 33 is formed to be straight in the third embodiment, but as shown in
While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described using specific terms, such description is for the purpose of only illustrating the principle and applications of the present invention, and it is to be understood that modifications or changes and variations in arrangement may be further made without departing from the spirit or scope of the appended claims that underlie the technical ideas of the present invention.
A description has been given of an example where a base body on which the water discharge device 10 is installed is the bathtub 110, but the specific configuration of the base body is not limited thereto. Alternatively, the water discharge device 10 may also be installed on, i.e., a washbasin of a washroom, a sink in a kitchen, and the like as the base body. In any case, the installation surface 117 may be provided on the base body, and the water discharge device 10 may be installed on the installation surface 117. A description has been given of an example where the installation surface 117 is provided on the rim portion 115 of the bathtub 110, but its position is not limited thereto.
The lower-side division member 17 and the upper-side division member 19 are detachably assembled with fasteners, but this should not be considered as limiting. The lower-side division member 17 and the upper-side division member 19 may also be assembled with a snap-fit and so on. The inlet 49 is formed on the lower surface 45a of the reservoir chamber 45, but the configuration is not limited as long as the inlet 49 is formed on an inner wall surface of the reservoir chamber 45. The inlet 49 may be formed on the depth surface 33b or the lateral surface.
Hereinafter, the effects of the present invention will be further explained with reference to examples. In the present examples, a form of the film-like water is checked by using water discharge devices according to the first to third comparative examples and the first to third invention examples explained below.
By referring the water discharge member 13 having the shape as illustrated in
In addition, a water discharge member 13 having a discharge path 33 with a shape as illustrated in
In any example, the width length of the discharge port 11 was 435 [mm], and the height in the up-and-down direction was 1 [mm], and water was pumped into the inlets 49 from the water supply pump 121 under a condition where a supply rate was 33 [l/min].
As a result, in the first to third invention examples, it was found that any narrowness or separation could not be found in the film-like water, and form loss of the film-like water could be suppressed. On the other hand, in the first and third comparative examples, since the angle θ1 was 90°, the film-like water narrowed greatly. In the second comparative example, since the angle θ1 was 40° which is less than 45°, the film-like water was separated in the width direction.
When the invention realized by the above embodiments and modifications is generalized, the following technical concepts are derived. Hereinafter, explanation will be made by using the embodiments described in the Problems to be Solved by the Invention.
In the water discharge device according to the above embodiment, wherein the lateral surfaces on either side of the discharge path in the width direction may be formed by arcuate portions that bend drawing near inner sides of the discharge path in the width direction as it approaches the discharge port from a depth surface thereof, being depth-ward of the discharge port.
According to this embodiment, water flowing in from the upstream side can be easily guided to the discharge port along the lateral surface of the discharge path with maintaining its force. Therefore, a water flow along the tangent line passing over the opening rim can be easily discharged from the discharge port, and narrowness of the film-like water can be easily suppressed with stability.
In the water discharge device according to the above embodiment, the lateral surfaces on either side of the discharge path in the width direction may include an entry-side surface portion continuing from the discharge port's opening rim, and single or multiple depth-end surface portions provided depth-ward of the entry-side surface portions; and the entry-side surface portion and the depth-side surface portions may be formed such that the angle, being acute, formed by the imaginary line and a tangent line passing over any surface portion that is more depth-ward than any other surface portion is smaller than the acute angle of the any other surface portion.
According to this embodiment, water flowing in from the upstream side can be easily guided to the discharge port along the lateral surface of the discharge path with maintaining its force. Therefore, a water flow along the tangent line passing over the opening rim can be easily discharged from the discharge port, and narrowness of the film-like water can be easily suppressed with stability.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-113316 | May 2014 | JP | national |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 102206946 | Oct 2011 | CN |
| 104941825 | Sep 2015 | CN |
| 6929123 | Nov 1969 | DE |
| 1658244 | Sep 1970 | DE |
| 2554723 | Jun 1977 | DE |
| 0275084 | Jul 1988 | EP |
| 2333578 | Jul 1977 | FR |
| S63-247433 | Oct 1988 | JP |
| H02-144059 | Dec 1990 | JP |
| 2002-153391 | May 2002 | JP |
| 2011087921 | May 2011 | JP |
| 2013-144093 | Jul 2013 | JP |
| Entry |
|---|
| International Search Report from International Application No. PCT/JP2015/065260, dated Aug. 18, 2015. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20170081831 A1 | Mar 2017 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/JP2015/065260 | May 2015 | US |
| Child | 15363933 | US |
