JP2003275277A - Apparatus for sole massaging in bathtub - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus for sole massaging in a bathtub which enables the massaging of the sole of a bathing person during the bathing. <P>SOLUTION: The apparatus is provided with an acupressure member 2 which is freely protruded so as to press the sole of the person bathing in the bathtub 1 and freely injects water flows at the tip part thereof, a hydraulic type drive mechanism SK made to protrude the acupressure member 2, an injection nozzle 12 adapted to freely inject water flows to the sole of bathing person that is so positioned as to be pressed by the acupressure member 2 and pressurized water supply means FK1 and FK2 which supply pressurized water to the acupressure member 2 and the injection nozzle 12 to inject water flows from the tip part of the acupressure member 2 and the injection nozzle 12. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a foot sole massage device for bathing a foot of a bather during bathing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a device related to the above-mentioned foot sole massage device in a bathtub, there is a foot bath (so-called foot bath) for warming a foot by soaking it in hot water, a foot roller provided for a chair type massage machine, and the like.

[0003]

Since the above foot bath warms only the foot and the sole roller rubs the sole of the foot, it has a certain effect in terms of promoting blood circulation and comfort (reflexology). I can expect, but I couldn't massage the sole of the foot enough.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a footbath massager in a bathtub capable of sufficiently massaging the sole of a bather during bathing. Is.

[0005]

To achieve this object, the first characteristic configuration of the apparatus for massaging the sole of the foot of the bath according to the present invention is, as described in claim 1, a bath which is bathed in the bath. An acupressure member that is capable of protruding so as to press the sole of the person, and a drive mechanism that protrudes the acupressure member are provided.
A jet nozzle capable of jetting a water stream toward the sole of the bather at a position where it can be pressed by the acupressure member, and pressurized water for supplying water pressurized to the jet nozzle to jet the water stream from the jet nozzle And a supply means is provided.

According to the second characteristic constitution, as described in claim 2, in addition to the first characteristic constitution, the acupressure member is
The point is that a water flow is configured to be jettable from the tip end portion, and a pressurized water supply means for supplying pressurized water to the acupressure member to eject the water flow from the tip end portion of the acupressure member is provided.

In the third characteristic constitution, as described in claim 3, in addition to the second characteristic constitution, the acupressure member is
A flow path for guiding the water supplied by the pressurized water supply means to the water flow ejection hole located on the tip side is provided, and a reverse flow of water from the water flow ejection hole into the flow path is provided at an intermediate position of the flow path. The point is that a check valve for blocking is provided.

In the fourth characteristic structure, as described in claim 4, in addition to any one of the first to third characteristic structures, the pressurized water supply means, as the pressurized water,
It is configured to use the temperature-controlled pressurized hot water supplied from the water heater.

In the fifth characteristic constitution, as described in claim 5, in addition to any one of the first to fourth characteristic constitution, the shape of the tip portion of the acupressure member can be changed. There is a point.

In the sixth characteristic construction, as described in claim 6, in addition to the characteristic construction of any one of the first to fifth constructions, an excessive pressing force is applied to the sole of the bather by the acupressure member. The point is that pressing force limiting means for preventing the addition is provided.

In the seventh characteristic configuration, as described in claim 7, in addition to the sixth characteristic configuration, the drive mechanism is
It is configured such that the finger pressure member is pushed and operated via an elastic member to be projected, and the pressing force limiting means is constituted by the elastic member.

In the eighth characteristic constitution, as described in claim 8, in addition to any one of the first to seventh characteristic constitution, the pressing force of the acupressure member against the sole of the bather is changed and adjusted. The pressing force adjusting means is provided.

The ninth characteristic construction is, in addition to the characteristic construction of any one of the first to eighth constructions, as described in claim 9, the stroke of the acupressure member protruding toward the sole of the bather. There is a stroke adjusting means for changing and adjusting.

In the tenth characteristic structure, as described in claim 10, in addition to any one of the first to ninth characteristic structures, the foot of the bather who is in a position where it can be pressed by the acupressure member is used. The point is that a footrest is provided which can be placed and whose placement position can be changed up and down.

According to the eleventh characteristic structure, as described in claim 11, in addition to the characteristic structure according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, a seat body for receiving and holding the buttocks of a bather in a sitting posture is provided. It is in the point provided.

The twelfth characteristic configuration is, in addition to the characteristic configuration according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects, as described in claim 12, a gripping position and a storage position located on the front side of the bather. There is a handle that can be repositioned on and.

The thirteenth characteristic structure is, in addition to the characteristic structure according to any one of the first to twelfth aspects, as described in claim 13, the heart rate measured by a heart rate measuring means and the heart rate measuring means. The point is that a display means for displaying the pressing operation time by the acupressure member is provided.

The operation and effect will be described below.
According to the first characteristic configuration of the present invention, when the drive mechanism projects the acupressure member, the acupressure member presses the sole of the bather who is bathing in the bathtub. In addition, the pressurized water supply means supplies pressurized water to the jet nozzle, and the jet of water jets water toward the sole of the bather at a position where it can be pressed by the acupressure member. That is, the sole of the bather is pressed by the acupressure member, and the water flow ejected from the ejection nozzle provided separately from the acupressure member hits the sole of the bather.

Therefore, the acupressure member pushes the sole of the bather during bathing, and the water flow from the jet nozzle provided separately from the acupressure member hits the sole around the acupressure part to cause the bather's foot to fall. (EN) Provided is a foot sole massage device in a bathtub capable of sufficiently massaging the sole. In particular, the acupressure member can firmly press a pot such as a "spring" on the sole of the foot, and, for example, a plurality of ejection nozzles arranged so as to be distributed over the sole of the foot allows You can get a comfortable massage effect by gently stroking the entire sole. Then, due to the synergistic effect of combining the warming effect of bathing and the acupressure and water flow stimulating effects on the sole of the foot, body fluid retained in the calf,
Blood is pumped up, and the health promotion effects such as blood circulation promotion and swelling elimination are obtained, and comfort (reflexology) is realized.

According to the second characteristic configuration, when the pressurized water supply means supplies the pressurized water to the acupressure member, the water flow is jetted from the tip portion of the acupressure member. That is, the sole of the bather is pressed by the acupressure member, and the water flow ejected from the tip of the acupressure member hits the sole of the bather. Therefore, in addition to the action of the acupressure member directly pressing the sole of the bather, the action of the water flow ejected from the tip of the acupressure member hitting the sole of the foot provides a more comfortable acupressure effect. Various embodiments are provided.

According to the third characteristic configuration, the water supplied by the pressurized water supply means is guided to the water flow ejection hole on the tip end side by the flow path provided in the finger pressure member, and the water flow is ejected from the water flow ejection hole. When the water supply from the pressurized water supply means is stopped after the water is jetted and the jetting of the water flow from the water jet hole is stopped, a check valve provided at an intermediate point of the flow path is used to The water in the bathtub is prevented from flowing back into the flow path. That is, when the supply of the pressurized water is stopped to stop the water jet from the water jet hole, the water in the bathtub tries to flow back from the water jet hole into the negative pressure passage, but the check valve causes The back flow of water inside is blocked. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the water in the bathtub from invading the flow passage in the acupressure member and the part connected to the flow passage. Therefore, when the water in the bathtub invades, the bacteria and the like propagate and the pollutants from the human body accumulate. There is provided a preferred embodiment of a foot-bottom massage device in a bathtub that can effectively avoid the occurrence of inconveniences such as deterioration of hygiene due to the like and corrosion of the inner surface of the flow path of the acupressure member due to a bathing agent. .

According to the fourth characteristic configuration, the pressurized water supply means supplies the temperature-controlled pressurized hot water supplied from the hot water supply device to the finger pressure member or the jet nozzle as pressurized water. To do. That is, the temperature-adjusted warm water is ejected toward the sole of the bather from the tip portion of the acupressure member or the ejection nozzle. Therefore, by changing the temperature of the water flow that hits the sole of the bather, there is provided a preferred embodiment of the foot sole massage device in the bathtub, which can realize the stimulating effect due to the temperature in addition to the hitting action of the water flow. For example,
By ejecting a water flow at a temperature higher than the temperature of the hot water in the bathtub from the tip of the acupressure member or the jet nozzle, a moxibustion effect or a thermal effect on the sole of the foot can be obtained, and conversely, a temperature lower than the hot water temperature in the bath By ejecting the water flow of, the effect similar to the cold sensation obtained when the sole of the foot comes into contact with cold water is obtained.

According to the fifth characteristic configuration, the shape of the tip of the acupressure member for pressing the sole of the bather can be changed. For example, the shape and size (size) of the tip of the acupressure member
Etc. can be changed. Therefore, if the shape of the tip of the acupressure member is changed, the feeling of massage to the sole of the foot will be different, so the shape of the tip of the acupressure member can be selected according to the preference of the user to enhance the acupressure effect. A preferred embodiment of a foot massage device is provided.

According to the sixth characteristic configuration, the pressing force limiting means prevents the finger pressure member from applying an excessive pressing force to the sole of the bather. Therefore, since an excessive pressing force is not applied to the soles of the bathers, there is provided a preferred embodiment of the foot sole massage device in the bathtub, which can be safely used by elderly people, women, children and the like.

According to the seventh characteristic configuration, the acupressure member is pushed and operated by the elastic member to project, and at this time, the elastic member functions as a pressing force limiting means. That is, when the pushing force is excessive, the elastic member deforms and absorbs the pushing force, so that the acupressure member is pushed with a weakened force. On the other hand, when the pushing force is not excessive, the elastic member does not deform and does not absorb the force.
The acupressure member is pushed with the force as it is. Therefore, in the drive mechanism that pushes and operates the acupressure member to project the acupressure member, an excessive pressing force is applied to the soles of the bathers by a simple configuration in which an elastic member such as a spring is interposed in the force transmission path. Provided is a preferred embodiment of an in-tub foot massage device that can avoid joining.

According to the eighth characteristic configuration, the pressing force of the acupressure member against the sole of the bather can be changed and adjusted by the pressing force adjusting means. That is, since the pressing force of the acupressure member can be changed to adjust the intensity of the acupressure,
According to the preference of the user, for example, the pressing force is increased to increase the finger pressure, and the pressing force is decreased to decrease the finger pressure. Therefore, by changing the pressing force of the acupressure member, the acupressure effect of the acupressure member is adjusted to an appropriate value according to the preference of each individual, and there is a preferred embodiment of the foot sole massage device that can be conveniently used. Provided.

According to the ninth characteristic configuration, the stroke of the acupressure member protruding with respect to the sole of the bather can be changed and adjusted by the stroke adjusting means. That is, since the strength of the acupressure can be adjusted by changing the protruding stroke of the acupressure member, the stroke can be increased by increasing the acupressure according to the user's preference, for example, to increase the acupressure. If you want to reduce the strength, adjust so that the stroke is smaller. Therefore, by changing the protrusion stroke of the acupressure member, the acupressure effect can be adjusted to an appropriate value according to the preference of each individual, and a preferred embodiment of the foot sole massage device that can be conveniently used is provided. .

According to the tenth characteristic configuration, the bather's foot, which is in a position where it can be pressed by the acupressure member, is placed on the footrest and the placement position by the footrest is changed up and down. be able to. That is, the sole massage can be performed with the foot resting on the footrest whose upper and lower positions are adjusted according to the user's physique and taste. Therefore, if the bather puts his foot on the footrest, his foot will be located at a position where it can be pressed by the acupressure member. A preferred embodiment is provided.

According to the eleventh characteristic configuration, the buttocks of the bather in the sitting posture are received and held by the seat body. Therefore, since the buttocks are received and held when the bather performs a foot massage in a sitting posture, a preferred embodiment of the foot sole massage device in the bathtub capable of smoothly performing the foot massage while maintaining a stable posture Will be provided.

According to the twelfth characteristic construction, when performing the foot massage in the bathtub, the bather performs the foot massage with the handle whose position has been changed to the grasping position on the front side. When not massage, move the handle to the storage position. Therefore, when performing a foot massage, it can be grasped by the handle located on the front side and can be kept in a stable posture, and when the handle is not used, it can be stored in a position where it does not interfere with it. Preferred embodiments of are provided.

According to the thirteenth characteristic configuration, the display means displays the heart rate of the bather measured by the heart rate measuring means,
The pressing operation time by the acupressure member is displayed. Therefore, the bather can confirm the effect of the foot massage and the acupressure time from the display information of the heart rate and the pressing operation time. Then, based on the above confirmation, for example, the intensity of the acupressure can be adjusted, or if the planned acupressure time has elapsed, it is possible to determine whether the sole massage is to be stopped or the hot water is discharged, and the foot can be loaded under an appropriate load condition. There is provided a preferred embodiment of a foot sole massage device in a bathtub capable of performing a sole massage.

[0032]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION [First Embodiment] A first embodiment of the in-tub massager according to the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "bath reflex solo jar") will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the bath reflex solo jar, a finger-pressure member 2 which can be projected so as to press the sole of a bather bathing in the bath 1, and the finger-pressure member 2 thereof. A jet nozzle 12 that is capable of jetting a water stream toward the sole of the bather is provided at a position where the water can be pressed.
The acupressure members 2 are provided one for each of the left and right feet in correspondence with the position of the acupressure pot “spring” in the approximate center of the sole, and the ejection nozzles 12 are provided for the “spring”. Five of them are provided for each of the left and right feet, which are located above and below. The acupressure member 2 has a tip portion 2A.
It is configured so that the water flow can be ejected from it.

Next, the means for projecting the acupressure member 2 and the means for ejecting a water stream from the tip portion 2A of the acupressure member 2 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 to FIG. 5, the acupressure cylinder unit 3 is installed at the lateral position of the bathtub 1 so as to correspond to the two acupressure members 2, and the acupressure cylinder unit 3 is The attachment member 3B is connected to the bathtub 1 so that water in the bathtub 1 does not leak.

The acupressure member 2 comprises a hemispherical tip portion 2A and a cylindrical main body portion 2B which supports the tip portion 2A by screwing. Then, at the rear end of the main body 2B,
A piston 3C is movably supported in the cylinder chamber 3A of the acupressure cylinder unit 3, and the main body 2B is movably supported by the mounting member 3B in a direction perpendicular to the inner wall of the bath. The piston 3C is
The coil spring 3E received by the stopper 3D urges it to the rear side (retracting direction). Therefore, the position where the coil spring 3E extends and the piston 3C returns to the rear side (at this time, the flange 2A1 of the tip 2A is attached to the mounting member 3B).
When the piston 3C stops, the acupressure member 2 is retracted, and the coil spring 3E contracts to move the piston 3C forward (at this time, the piston 3C hits the stopper 3D via the contracted coil spring 3E). (Stopping), the acupressure member 2 is in a protruding state.

The first hole A1 located on the rear side (right side in the figure) of the piston 3C and communicating with the cylinder chamber 3A, and the front side (left side of the figure) of the piston 3C on the movable range. The second hole A2 communicating with the cylinder chamber 3A.
Are formed. Then, the pressurized hot water supplied from the hot water supply device 5 is caused to flow in through the first hole A1 and the inflow / outflow of the pressurized hot water to the second hole A2 is stopped, so that the acupressure member 2 in the retracted state is projected. Operating state (state of Figure 3)
And a retracting operation state in which the inflow of the pressurized hot water from the hot water supply device 5 is blocked and the first hole A1 and the second hole A2 are communicated with each other to withdraw the acupressure member 2 in the protruding state (state of FIG. 4). An electromagnetic directional switching valve 4 for switching between and is provided. The direction switching valve 4 is provided in a control unit SU installed in a dressing room or outdoors, and is connected to the acupressure cylinder unit 3 by a hose 11 for hot water flow. The operation of the direction switching valve 4 is controlled by the control device in the control unit SU.

Therefore, the acupressure cylinder unit 3,
A drive mechanism SK for projecting the acupressure member 2 (specifically, a hydraulic drive mechanism for projecting the acupressure member 2 by the pressure of pressurized water) is configured by the direction switching valve 4, the hot water supply device 5, and the like. It Since the drive mechanism SK of the acupressure member is a hydraulic drive mechanism as described above, it is possible to use pressurized water such as tap water supplied around the bathtub 1 or hot water from the water heater 5. There is an advantage that the foot sole massage device in the bathtub can be simply configured.

A flow passage R1 is formed inside the main body portion 2B along the cylinder axis direction, and a cylinder chamber 3A on the front side of the piston 3C communicates with the flow passage R1. further,
A check valve 6 having a valve body 6A urged by a spring 6B toward a valve seat 6C so as to block the flow passage R1 at a midway portion of the flow passage R1 so as to prevent the rearward flow. Is provided. Further, as shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, four water jet holes f1 are formed at a position diagonally front of the tip 2A and symmetrical by 90 degrees in a front view. The branched flow path R2 communicating with the water flow ejection hole f1 is the flow path R.
It communicates with 1. Therefore, the acupressure member 2 has flow paths R1 and R2 for guiding the water supplied by the pressurized water supply means FK1 to the water jet holes f1 located on the tip 2A side, and in the middle of the flow paths R1 and R2. At the location, a check valve 6 is provided to prevent the reverse flow of water from the water jet holes f1 into the flow paths R1 and R2.

The shape of the tip portion 2A of the acupressure member 2 is changeable. Specifically, the diameter of the hemisphere is 10 mm so that the size of the tip 2A becomes the size of the index finger.
It is formed to about 20 mm. FIG. 12A shows an example with a small diameter, and FIG. 12C shows an example with a large diameter. The tip 2A can be formed in various shapes other than hemispherical shape (elliptical shape, etc.).

Then, the protruding operation state (state of FIG. 3)
Then, hot water in the cylinder chamber 3A on the front side of the piston 3C is pressurized, and the pressurized water flows into the flow path R1 to open the check valve 6 and pass through the flow path R2. Tip 2
It is ejected from the water flow ejection hole f1 of A. On the other hand, in the retracting operation state (state of FIG. 4), water in the cylinder chamber 3A on the rear side of the piston 3C flows into the cylinder chamber 3A on the front side of the piston 3C via the direction switching valve 4. Therefore, since the hot water in the cylinder chamber 3A on the front side of the piston 3C is not pressurized and the check valve 6 is closed, the jetting of water from the water jet hole f1 is stopped, and at the same time, the bath 1
The hot water inside is prevented from entering (backflowing) into the cylinder chamber 3A.

Therefore, the acupressure cylinder unit 3,
The direction switching valve 4, the hot water supply device 5, and the like constitute a pressurized water supply means FK1 that supplies pressurized water to the acupressure member 2 in order to eject a water flow from the tip portion 2A of the acupressure member 2. Then, the pressurized water supply means FK1 uses, as the pressurized water, the temperature-controlled pressurized hot water supplied from the hot water supply device 5.

The material of the tip end portion 2A of the acupressure member 2 is 1) strength against repeated load, 2) rigidity for transmitting pressing force, 3) water resistance (low water absorption and does not swell), 4) ) Heat resistance (reduced strength at 60 ° C, no deterioration), 5) Low coefficient of linear expansion, 6) Chemical resistance (no corrosion), 7) Low cost, light weight, etc. are required. It Considering these conditions, resin materials and surface-coated aluminum are suitable. Among the resins, for example, PEEK (polyether ether ketone), POM (polyacetal), high molecular weight PE (polyethylene), PP (polypropylene) and the like can be used.

Although not shown, a soft acupressure can be realized by covering the tip 2A with a cap. As the material of the cap, 1) flexibility and touch that do not damage the skin, 2) strength against repeated loading,
3) Water resistance (low water absorption, no swelling), 4) Heat resistance (strength does not decrease or deteriorate at 60 ° C), 5) Low linear expansion coefficient, 6) Chemical resistance (no corrosion) And other conditions are required. As a material that meets these requirements,
Examples include neoprene, soft rubber, and silicone.

Next, the means for ejecting the water flow from the ejection nozzle 12 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIGS. 6 to 8, among the five ejection nozzles 12 provided for the left and right feet at the lateral position of the bathtub 3, the three nozzles 12 arranged in the lateral direction at the upper portion
One nozzle cylinder unit 13 is installed in association with each of the ejection nozzles 12, and one nozzle cylinder unit 13 is installed in association with each of the two ejection nozzles 12 arranged vertically in the lower portion. . Each nozzle cylinder unit 13 is connected to the bathtub 1 by a mounting member 13B in a state where water in the bathtub 1 does not leak.

Specifically, the nozzle body 15 having the jet nozzle 12 formed on the tip side is connected to the nozzle cylinder unit 13 and moves into the cylinder chamber 13A in a state of communicating with the front side of the cylinder chamber 13A. The freely supported piston 13C is biased to the rear side by the coil spring 13E received by the stopper 13D. Therefore, between the position where the coil spring 13E extends and returns to the rear side and the position where the coil spring 13E contracts and moves to the front side (at this time, the piston 13C contacts the stopper 13D via the contracted coil spring 13E), It becomes a moving range of 13C.

A first hole A3 located on the rear side (right side in the figure) of the piston 13C and communicating with the cylinder chamber 13A, and on the front side (left side of the figure) of the movable range of the piston 13C. Then, the second hole A4 communicating with the cylinder chamber 13A is formed. Then, the pressure of the pressurized hot water supplied from the hot water supply device 5 is increased to a higher pressure by the pressure increasing circuit 16, and the increased pressurized hot water is caused to flow from the first hole A3 to the second hole A4. 13C at the return position after stopping the inflow / outflow of the pressurized hot water of
The jetting operation state (state of FIG. 6) for moving the
The first hot hole A3 and the second hole A3
Piston 13C moved forward through hole A4
An electromagnetic type directional control valve 14 is provided for switching to a rearward ejection state (state of FIG. 7). Incidentally, the direction switching valve 14 corresponds to the control unit S
It is provided in U and is connected to the nozzle cylinder unit 13 by a hose 17 for flowing hot water. The operation of the directional control valve 14 is controlled by a control device in the control unit SU.

FIG. 9 shows the structure of the booster circuit 16. A cylinder 40 is provided in which the inner diameter d1 of the center cylinder chamber is larger than the inner diameters d2 of the left and right cylinder chambers. In this cylinder 40, the rod diameter of the center portion 41a is equal to the inner diameter d1 and the left and right side portions 41b are provided. A piston 41 having a rod diameter equal to the inner diameter d2 is movably held. A supply path of pressurized hot water from the hot water supply device 5 is connected to both ends of the central cylinder chamber via a first cutoff valve 42 and a second cutoff valve 43. In addition, check valves 44a, 44 are provided at the respective ends of the left and right small-diameter cylinder chambers.
A supply path of pressurized hot water from the hot water supply device 5 is connected via c, and an inflow port of the direction switching valve 14 is connected via check valves 44b and 44d.

In the pressure boosting circuit 16, first, when the first shut-off valve 42 is driven to the passing state and the second shut-off valve 43 is driven to the shut-off state, the piston 41 receives the force of F1 represented by the following formula. Move to the right in the figure. In the formula, p1 is the pressure generated in the large-diameter cylinder chamber on the right side of the piston 41. At this time, the force of F2 is applied to the water in the small-diameter cylinder chamber on the right side, and a pressure p2 having the following equation with this force F2 is generated. Then, since F1 and F2 are equal, the pressure increase ratio p2 / p1 is finally obtained. For example,
p1 = 1kg / cm ² (water pressure), d1 = 4cm, d2
= 2 cm, pressure increase ratio p2 / p1 = 3, 3 kg
The pressurized hot water having an increased pressure of / cm ² is supplied to the jet nozzle 12.

[0049]

F1 = (π / 4) (d1 ² −d2 ² ) p1 F2 = (π / 4) (d2 ² ) p2 p2 / p1 = (d1 ² −d2 ² ) / (d2 ² )

Next, when the first shut-off valve 42 is driven to the shut-off state and the second shut-off valve 43 is driven to the pass state, the piston 41 moves leftward in the figure. At this time, the check valve 44
The pressure of the pressurized hot water increased by b and 44d does not decrease. Hereinafter, the operation of alternately switching the drive states of the shutoff valves 42 and 43 is repeated at a predetermined frequency.

Then, the jetting operation state (state of FIG. 6)
Then, the cylinder chamber 13A in front of the piston 13C
The hot water inside is pressurized, and the pressurized water is the nozzle body 15.
The water flow is jetted from the jet nozzle 12 by being supplied to. On the other hand, in the jet stop state (state of FIG. 7), the piston 1
Since the hot water in the cylinder chamber 13A on the front side of 3C is not pressurized, the ejection of water from the ejection nozzle 12 is stopped. In the jet stop state, the water in the cylinder chamber 13A on the rear side of the piston 13C flows into the cylinder chamber 13A on the front side of the piston 13C via the direction switching valve 14, and the hot water in the bathtub 1 is discharged. It prevents entry into the cylinder chamber 13A.

Therefore, the nozzle cylinder unit 1 is used.
3, the direction switching valve 14, the pressure boosting circuit 16, the hot water supply device 5, and the like constitute a pressurized water supply unit FK2 that supplies pressurized water to the jet nozzle 12 in order to jet a water flow from the jet nozzle 12. . The pressurized water supply means FK2 uses the temperature-controlled pressurized hot water supplied from the hot water supply device 5 as the pressurized water.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, there is provided a foot rest 31 on which the foot of the bather at a position where it can be pressed by the acupressure member 2 is placed and whose placement position can be changed up and down. ing. The vertical position changing mechanism of the foot rest 31 will be described. The base end of the foot rest 31 is supported by a convex guide rail 32 vertically formed on the inner wall of the bathtub 1 so as to be vertically movable. A clamp 31A for tightening and fixing the footrest 31 at an appropriate vertical position is provided.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the bathtub 1, there is provided a seat body 7 for receiving and holding the buttocks of a bather in a sitting posture. The seat body 7 includes a moving base 7A formed in a substantially L-shaped cross section along the shape of the buttocks of a bather, and a base 7 for supporting the moving base 7A slidably in the front-rear direction.
The base 7B is fixed to the surface of the bottom of the bathtub 1 by using a fastener such as a dihedral fastener. The bathtub 1 is provided with a handle 8 that is positionally changeable between a holding position and a storage position located on the front side of the bather. That is, between the gripping position in which the base end of the handle 8 is tilted toward the front side to be in a substantially horizontal state by the rotation mechanism 9 provided at the front edge of the bathtub 1 and the storage position in a vertically standing state. It is rotatably supported by. The handle 8 is provided with an annular gripping portion 8a so that a bather can easily grip it.

A bath remote controller 10 is installed on the side wall of the bathroom (see FIG. 1). The bath remote controller 10 is connected to the control unit 20 and the control unit 20 as shown in FIGS. , A display unit 21 for displaying various information, a speaker 22, an up / down type setting key 23 for setting hot water supply temperature, a start / stop switch 24, a water filling switch 25, a reheating switch 26, etc. are provided. .
The control unit 20 is communicably connected to the hot water supply device 5 and a reheating device (not shown), and transmits a command from each switch to each device. A heart rate measuring means 27 for measuring the heart rate of the bather is connected to the bath remote controller 10. The heart rate measuring means 27 is constituted by, for example, a portable heart rate monitor that is attached to the bather's ear with a clip.

Display means for displaying the heart rate of the bather measured by the heart rate measuring means 27 and the acupressure operation time (massage time) by the acupressure member 2 using the display part 21 of the bath remote controller 10. 101 is configured.
Regarding the acupressure operation time, the control unit 11 obtains the information indicating that the acupressure operation state is in the control unit SU, measures the time from the acupressure operation start, and the acupressure operation time is the acupressure operation time. The operation time is displayed on the display unit 21.

[Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment of the bass reflector of the present invention will be described.
The second embodiment has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment except that a pressing force adjusting means 100 for changing and adjusting the pressing force of the acupressure member 2 on the sole of the bather is provided. . Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13, a flow path R3 that communicates between the cylinder chamber 3A on the rear side of the piston 3C and the inside of the bath 1 is formed, and the flow path R3 is connected to the outlet portion into the bath. An adjusting screw 30 that can change the flow area is provided. That is, as the adjusting screw 30 is turned to increase the flow area, the water pressure that pushes the piston 3C escapes into the bathtub 1 and decreases, and the pressing force of the acupressure member 2 becomes weaker. Means 100 are configured.

[Third Embodiment] Next, a third embodiment of the bass reflector of the present invention will be described.
The third embodiment is similar to the second embodiment except that a pressing force limiting means 102 is provided to prevent the pressing force from being applied to the sole of the bather by the acupressure member 2. It is configured. That is, the drive mechanism SK is configured to push and push the finger pressure member 2 via an elastic member (a coil spring 34 described later) so that the pressing force limiting means 102 causes the elastic member (described later). It is composed of a coil spring 34).

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 14, the pressure of the pressurized hot water (force for pushing the finger pressure member 2) is applied to the finger pressure member 2.
The piston 3C that is transmitted to the cylindrical piston portion 32 that receives the pressure of the pressurized hot water, the intermediate member 33 that is coupled to the main body portion 2B of the acupressure member 2, the cylindrical piston portion 32 and the intermediate member 3
3 and the coil spring 34 as the elastic member. Incidentally, the spring constant of the coil spring 34 is large, and is set to, for example, about 3 times the spring constant of the coil spring 3E for returning the piston 3C. In this structure, when an excessive pressure is applied to the cylindrical piston portion 32 for some reason (fluctuation of the water supply pressure) as compared with the normal case, the coil spring 34 contracts to prevent the generation of an excessive pressing force. However, since the weakened pressing force is transmitted to the acupressure member 2, it is possible to prevent an excessive pressing force from being applied to the sole of the bather. On the other hand, when the pressure applied to the cylindrical piston portion 32 is not excessive, the coil spring 34 does not contract, and the pressing force as it is is applied to the acupressure member 2 to perform the protruding operation. In addition to the coil spring, a hard rubber material or the like can be used as the elastic member.

[Fourth Embodiment] Next, a fourth embodiment of the bass reflector of the present invention will be described.
The fourth embodiment is similar to the first to third embodiments, except that stroke adjusting means 103 for changing and adjusting the stroke of the acupressure member 2 projecting toward the sole of the bather is provided. Is configured. Specifically, when the protrusion operation time of the direction switching valve 4 for the acupressure cylinder unit 3 is set to a standard value and the stroke change information is input using the setting key 23 of the bath remote controller 10, the stroke is changed. Based on the change information of
The control device in the control unit SU is the direction switching valve 4 described above.
Is configured to change the projecting actuation time of the. For example, when the stroke of the acupressure member 2 is lengthened, the protrusion operation time of the direction switching valve 4 is lengthened, and when the stroke of the finger pressure member 2 is shortened, the protrusion operation time of the direction switching valve 4 is shortened. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 15, the stroke adjusting means 103 is configured by the control unit SU.

[Other Embodiment] Another embodiment will be described below. In the second embodiment described above, since the pressing force adjusting means 100 (adjustment screw 30) can only make adjustments in the direction of weakening the pressing force of the acupressure member 2, adjustment in the direction of increasing the pressing force of the acupressure member 2 can be made. The possible pressing force adjusting means 100 will be described. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 16, the pressure increasing circuit 16A and the opening degree adjusting valve 35 are provided at an intermediate portion of the flow passage through which the pressurized hot water from the hot water supply device 5 is supplied to the direction switching valve 4.
Are installed, and the opening adjustment valve 35 is configured to be adjusted in opening by a control device in the control unit SU. The booster circuit 16A has the same configuration as the booster circuit 16 described above. In addition, the opening adjustment valve 35
The opening degree of is set to a medium degree standard value of opening degree in advance. Then, when the change information of the pressing force is input using the setting key 23 of the bath remote controller 10, the control device in the control unit SU causes the opening degree of the opening adjustment valve 35 to be opened based on the change information of the pressing force. To change. For example, when the pressing force of the acupressure member 2 is increased, the opening amount of the opening adjustment valve 35 is increased, and when the pressing force of the acupressure member 2 is decreased, the opening amount of the opening adjustment valve 35 is decreased. Therefore, the control unit SU and the opening adjustment valve 35 constitute the pressing force adjusting means 100.

In the third embodiment, the pressing force limiting means 1
02 is composed of an elastic member (coil spring 34) provided in the drive mechanism SK that pushes the finger pressure member 2 by the pressure of the pressurized hot water to cause the finger pressure member 2 to project. When the hot water pressure in the cylinder chamber 3A on the rear side of the piston 3C exceeds a predetermined upper limit pressure, the pressing force limiting means 102 may be constituted by a pressure relief valve or the like for releasing the pressure in the cylinder chamber 3A to the outside. It is possible.

In the above embodiment, one acupressure member 2 is provided for each left and right foot, but a plurality of acupressure members 2 may be provided for each left and right foot. Figure 1
7 shows an example in which three acupressure members 2 are provided. In this case 3
Since it is necessary to form each of the acupressure cylinder units 3 in a small size and arrange them closely, the pressure of the pressurized hot water is, for example, 3 kg / c by the pressure increasing circuit having the same configuration as the pressure increasing circuit 16.
and as high as m ² was supplied to each acupressure cylinder unit 3,
Sufficient pressing force is generated even in the small acupressure cylinder unit 3 having a small pressure receiving area. When a plurality of acupressure members 2 are provided, the comfort can be further enhanced by causing the acupressure members 2 to sequentially protrude in addition to causing all the acupressure members 2 to project at the same time.

In the above embodiment, in each of the left and right feet,
One nozzle cylinder unit 13 is installed so as to correspond to the three ejection nozzles 12 arranged in the lateral direction at the upper position of the sole, and two ejection nozzles 1 arranged in the longitudinal direction at the lower position of the sole.
Although one nozzle cylinder unit 13 is installed corresponding to No. 2, one nozzle cylinder unit 13 may be provided for each jet nozzle 12. FIG. 1 shows the case of three ejection nozzles 12 arranged in the horizontal direction at the upper position.
8 shows. Also in this case, a plurality of nozzle cylinder units 13 are formed in a small size and are arranged close to each other, and the pressure of the pressurized hot water is increased by the pressure intensifying circuit 16 and supplied to each nozzle cylinder unit 13, thereby narrowing pressure reception. A sufficient ejection force is generated even in the small-sized cylinder unit 13. In this case, the comfort can be further enhanced by sequentially ejecting the ejection nozzles 12 in addition to simultaneously ejecting the ejection nozzles 12.

In the above-described embodiment, the seat body 7 which receives and holds the buttocks of the bather in the sitting posture is configured to be slidable in the front-rear direction, but a fixed seat body may be used.

In the above embodiment, the heart rate measuring means 27
In the above, the portable heart rate monitor is attached to the bather's ear, but a fixed electrocardiographic measuring device installed in the bathtub may be used instead.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of a bathtub including a foot sole massage device in the bathtub.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an arrangement of a finger-pressure member and ejection nozzles.

FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view showing the acupressure operation of the in-tub massager according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing the acupressure operation of the in-tub massager according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a plan cross-sectional view showing a protruding operation state of the acupressure member with respect to the sole.

FIG. 6 is a side sectional view showing the operation of the ejection operation by the ejection nozzle.

FIG. 7 is a side sectional view showing the operation of the ejection nozzle.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional plan view showing a state of water jet from the jet nozzle to the sole.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a booster circuit.

FIG. 10: Control block diagram of bath remote control

FIG. 11 is a front view of a bath remote controller showing a display example during a foot massage.

FIG. 12 is a side sectional view and a front view of the acupressure member.

FIG. 13 is a side sectional view of a bathtub equipped with a foot sole massage device according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a side cross-sectional view of a bathtub including the footbed massager in the bathtub according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing a main part of a footbed massager in a bathtub according to a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing a main part of a footbed massager in a bathtub according to another embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a plan sectional view showing a projecting operation state of the acupressure member according to another embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a plan sectional view showing a jetting operation state of a jet nozzle according to another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 bathtub 2 Shiatsu member 2A tip 7 seat 8 handles 27 Heart rate measuring means 100 Pressing force adjusting means 101 display means 102 Pressing force limiting means 103 Stroke adjusting means f1 water jet FK1 Pressurized water supply means FK2 Pressurized water supply means SK drive mechanism

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    F-term (reference) 4C074 AA03 BB05 EE05 GG07 HH02                 4C100 AC03 AC08 BB05 BC11 CA17                       DA11 EA10 EA12                 4C101 BA01 BB02 BC18 BD06 BD17                       BE03

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. A position where a finger pressure member that can freely protrude so as to press the sole of a bather who is bathing in a bathtub and a drive mechanism that causes the finger pressure member to protrude are provided, and a position that can be pressed by the finger pressure member. Is provided with a jet nozzle capable of jetting a water flow toward the sole of the bather and a pressurized water supply means for supplying pressurized water to the jet nozzle to eject the water flow from the jet nozzle. Foot sole massage device in the bathtub. 2. The acupressure member is configured to be capable of ejecting a water flow from a tip end portion thereof, and a pressurized water supply means for supplying pressurized water to the acupressure member in order to eject a water flow from the tip end portion of the acupressure member. The in-tub massager according to claim 1, which is provided. 3. The acupressure member has a flow path for guiding the water supplied by the pressurized water supply means to a water flow ejection hole located on the tip end side, and the water flow ejection hole is provided at an intermediate position of the flow path. 3. The foot sole massage device according to claim 2, further comprising a check valve for preventing backflow of water from the inside to the flow path. 4. The pressurized water supply means is configured to use temperature-controlled pressurized hot water supplied from a water heater as the pressurized water. Foot massager in the bathtub. 5. The foot sole massage device according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the tip of the acupressure member is changeable. 6. The foot sole massager according to claim 1, further comprising pressing force limiting means for preventing an excessive pressing force from being applied to the sole of the bather by the acupressure member. apparatus. 7. The drive mechanism is configured to push and push the finger pressure member through an elastic member so that the finger pressure member is projected, and the pressing force limiting means is configured of the elastic member. The foot sole massage device described in the bathtub. 8. The in-tub massager according to claim 1, further comprising a pressing force adjusting means for changing and adjusting the pressing force of the acupressure member against the sole of the bather. 9. The in-tub massager according to claim 1, further comprising stroke adjusting means for changing and adjusting the stroke of the acupressure member protruding toward the sole of the bather. 10. The footrest according to claim 1, wherein a foot of a bather is placed at a position where it can be pressed by the acupressure member, and a footrest capable of changing the placing position up and down is provided. The foot sole massage device in the bathtub. 11. The foot sole massage device according to claim 1, further comprising a seat body that receives and holds the buttocks of a bather in a sitting position. 12. The in-tub massager according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein a handle whose position can be changed between a gripping position and a storage position located on the front side of the bather is provided. 13. A foot sole in a bathtub according to claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying a heart rate measured by a heart rate measuring means and a pressing operation time by the acupressure member. Massage device.