FR2861590A1 - Hydro-massage system for shower or bath tub type balneotherapy device, has seven solenoid valves arranged in upstream of respective fluid outlet heads, and booster pump increasing fluid pressure at outlet of heads - Google Patents

Abstract

The system has seven solenoid valves (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70) arranged in upstream of seven fluid outlet heads (1-7) respectively, and a booster pump (9) arranged between a fluid e.g. water, distribution network and the valves. The pump increases the fluid pressure at the outlet of the heads. A control device (11) activates the booster pump and successive opening of the valves, for sequentially controlling the valves. An independent claim is also included for a balneotherapy device of shower or bath tub type, comprising a hydro-massage system.

Description

Hydromassage system for shower or bathtub

  The present invention relates to the field of hydromassage, and more particularly to a hydromassage system for shower or bathtub for applying to the body jets of water under pressure.

  The prior art already knows showers or baths equipped with systems for massage and relaxation of all or part of the body. Among these systems, drainage equipment has been developed, the principle of which is based on the sequential injection of jets of water on the different parts of the body or on certain parts of the body only. To do this, a plurality of solenoid valves is controlled by an automaton. The automaton thus controls the opening or closing of the solenoid valves which supply or not, in pressurized fluid, pipes and injectors arranged in a shower column or in the bottom and / or the sides of a bath.

  However, such systems however have the disadvantage of offering a low hydromassage power due to the fact of a relatively low pressure obtained at the exit of the ejectors. However, to increase the passage power, it is necessary to increase the pressure of the water at the outlet of said injectors, such an increase necessarily leading, with existing systems, to an excessive increase in water consumption.

  Patent Application WO03055433 discloses an injection element intended to inject fluids into massage baths and hydromassage baths, and in particular an injection system for hydromassage and a massage bath equipped with this system. injection. More particularly, the invention relates to a tubular injection element having a plurality of injection openings arranged in the lengthwise direction of the injection tube and whose end portions of the injector are connected with a fluid supply duct. Thus, the decreasing intensity of the fluid flow from the successive injection openings as well as the inversion of the jet shape by alternately opening and closing the fluid supply channels by means of the end portions injection tube can achieve a high hydromassage efficiency for some parts of the body.

  It is also proposed in Japanese patent applications JP2002233469 and JP2002272630 a shower apparatus for obtaining the massaging and relaxing effect of the shower. To do this, said apparatus comprises shower heads equipped with nozzles, which consist of telescopic or movable arms, and a booster pump supplying liquid to said nozzles. Thus, under the effect of the elevation of the water pressure produced by the booster pump, said apparatus exerts a massage action on the user.

  Although the systems described in the aforementioned patent applications offer a massage power higher than the massage power delivered by conventional systems, these systems have the disadvantage of increasing the water consumption accordingly.

  The present invention therefore intends to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art by providing a whirlpool system for balneotherapy devices of the shower or new bath type, said whirlpool system offering increased massage power and without generating an increase in water consumption.

  For this purpose, the invention relates in its most general acceptance a shower or bath hydromassage system of the type comprising at least two solenoid valves respectively disposed upstream of a fluid outlet head, and a booster pump for increasing the pressure of said fluid at the output of said output heads, and is remarkable in that said solenoid valves are sequentially controlled by a controller, said device further actuating said booster pump.

  Preferably, the booster pump is disposed between the distribution network of said fluid and said solenoid valves.

  Advantageously, said control device comprises means for actuating said booster pump and opening at least one solenoid valve.

  According to a first configuration of the invention, the opening of a solenoid valve is actuated upon closing of a previously actuated solenoid valve.

  According to a second configuration of the invention, the opening of a solenoid valve overlaps the closure of a previously actuated solenoid valve.

  According to another configuration of the invention, said control device actuates the successive opening of said solenoid valves.

  Advantageously, said control device comprises means allowing the manual or programmable control of at least one actuation cycle of said solenoid valves.

  Advantageously, said control device comprises manual or automatic adjustment means of the power of the fluid supplied by said booster pump at the outlet of said injectors.

  The present invention also relates to a balneotherapy device, of the shower or bath type, comprising a hydromassage system as described above.

  The invention will be better understood from the following description, given purely for explanatory purposes, of an embodiment of the invention, with reference to FIG. 1, which illustrates a schematic view of a fitted shower cabin. a hydromassage system according to the invention.

  FIG. 1 illustrates a balneotherapy device, of the shower cabin type, equipped with a hydromassage system according to the invention.

  Said balneotherapy device shown comprises seven water outlets: five injection heads (1 to 5), commonly called massage jets, a hand shower (6) and a fixed cascade shower head (7) disposed above the user's head.

  Said balneotherapy device is connected to the water distribution network (EF, EC) via a thermostatic mixing valve (8).

  Said balneotherapy device further comprises a series of seven solenoid valves (10 to 70), each of said solenoid valves (10 to 70) being respectively connected upstream of a water outlet and downstream of said thermostatic mixer (8).

  Said solenoid valves (10 to 70) are controlled by an external control device (11) which controls the opening and closing of each of said solenoid valves (10 to 70) according to a manual operation or a previously recorded control program.

  In order to increase the pressure of the water from the distribution network, a booster pump (9) is arranged between said solenoid valves (10 to 70) and said thermostatic mixer (8). Said booster pump (9) is further connected to said control device (11), the operation or not of said booster pump (9) being then actuated by said control device (11).

  Conventionally, the water from the distribution network is led to said thermostatic mixing valve (8) which adjusts the temperature of the water to the desired temperature. The water is then sent and distributed in the massage jets (1 to 5), the shower (6) and / or the shower head (7) via said solenoid valves (10 to 70). Thus, when said solenoid valves (10 to 70) are actuated by said control device (11), the water is ejected from the massage jets (1 to 5), the shower head (6) or the shower head (7) with a pressure corresponding to the pressure obtained from the network.

  In order to obtain a massage power greater than that obtained with the pressure of the network, the booster pump (9) is actuated via said control device (11). In parallel with the operation of the booster pump (9), said solenoid valves are actuated sequentially.

  the opening of a solenoid valve overlaps the closing of a previously actuated solenoid valve (i.e. previously opened).

  In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the massage jets (1 to 5) are distributed in height. The activation of said jets (1 to 5) is from bottom to top, and / or vice versa. Thus, the massage cycle will start from the lowest (or highest) massage jet and end at the highest (or lowest) massage jet. Of course, the height arrangement of the massage jets is given by way of example, other locations of said massage jets can be envisaged.

  However, in order to adapt the action of said massage jets (1 to 5) for example to the size of the user, or in order to specifically massage certain parts of the body, it can be operated via said control device (11). ) the choice of height of the beginning of the cycle and the end of the cycle. The activation of the first and last massage jets will therefore depend on the minimum and maximum massage heights specified. Once the massage heights are defined, the solenoid valves (10 to 50) will operate successively by overlapping each other. According to a particular configuration of the invention, all solenoid valves (10 to 50) whose massage jets are included in the defined massage height, may not be activated by said control device (11).

  As well as a massage height can be specified, the activation of the solenoid valves (10 to 50) can be operated to allow a localized massage of the body.

  In addition to the means for adjusting a height or a location of massage, said control device (11) comprises adjustment means for controlling the power of said booster pump (9). Thus, it is possible, from said control device (11) to increase or decrease the pressure of the water at the outlet of said booster pump (9), and thus to increase, or decrease, the power of massage at the outlet of said massage jets, said shower (6) or said shower (7).

  In order to obtain jets of output fluid relatively jerky, and thus to promote drainage of the body or body parts, it may be programmed during a massage cycle alternating passage of a mode of operation of said booster pump (9) to a stop mode, and vice versa.

  The power of said booster pump (9) may also be actuated to obtain a decreasing or increasing intensity of the output fluid jets, for example, said massage jets (1 to 5).

  Similarly, alternating relatively strong jets and weak jets can be programmed.

  The present invention is particularly surprising in that the use of a booster pump arranged specifically in the massage circuit and associated with solenoid valves operating sequentially leads to an increase in the massage power without generating a surplus of energy consumption. 'water.

  The invention is described in the foregoing by way of example. It is understood that the skilled person is able to realize different variants of the invention without departing from the scope of the patent.

Claims (1)

8 claims   1. Hydromassage system for shower or bath of the type comprising at least two solenoid valves (10 to 70) respectively arranged upstream of a fluid outlet head (1 to 7), and a booster pump (9) intended to increasing the pressure of said fluid at the outlet of said output heads (1 to 7), characterized in that said solenoid valves (10 to 70) are sequentially controlled by a control device (11), said device (11) further actuating said booster pump (9).   2. Hydromassage system according to claim 1, characterized in that the booster pump (9) is disposed between the distribution network of said fluid and said solenoid valves (10 to 70). 3. A hydromassage system according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that said control device (11) comprises means for actuating said booster pump (9) and the opening of at least one solenoid valve (10). at 70).   4. Hydromassage system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said control device (11) comprises means for actuating the opening of a solenoid valve (10 to 70) during the closing of a solenoid valve (10 to 70) previously actuated.   5. A hydromassage system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said control device (11) comprises means for actuating the opening of a solenoid valve (10 to 70) so that said solenoid valve (10 to 70) overlaps the closure of a previously actuated solenoid valve (10 to 70).   6. Hydromassage system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said control device (11) comprises means for actuating the successive opening of said solenoid valves (10 to 70).   7. A hydromassage system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said control device (11) comprises means for manual or programmable control of at least one actuation cycle of said solenoid valves (10 to 70 ).   8. Hydromassage system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said control device (11) comprises manual or automatic adjustment means of the output power of said booster pump (9) to the fluid .   9. Balneotherapy device, shower or bath type, comprising a hydromassage system according to any one of the preceding claims.