Water-jet outlet structure for a water system for whirlpool baths and water system for whirlpool baths using this water-jet outlet

Abstract

 The present invention refers to a water-jet outlet structure for the water system of whirlpool baths; the water-jet outlet (6, 23) comprises a body (9) adapted to be associated to a wall (5) of a tub (1), and a fitting (13, 24) for connecting the water-jet outlet (6, 23) to a water supply circuit (2) adapted to deliver water under pressure into the tub (1) through said water-jet outlet (6, 23). Said connection fitting (13, 24) is pivotally associated to the body (9) so as to be able to oscillate about an axis (A) that is approximately perpendicular to the wall (5) of the tub (1).

Description

[0001] The present invention refers to a water-jet outlet structure for the water system of whirlpool baths, adapted to deliver air and water under pressure into a bath-tub.

[0002] Water systems for whirlpool baths, as they are currently known in the art, generally comprise a plurality of water-jet outlets connected to the side walls of the tub and fluidly communicating with the inner volume of the tub on one side and at least two distinct supply circuits on the other side: usually, in fact, there is provided a water-carrying circuit connected to the delivery side of an electric pump to supply water under pressure to the water-jet outlets, and a pneumatic circuit that sucks air into the same water-jet outlets owing to the effect of the negative pressure created by the flow of water. Therefore, within each such water-jet outlet the air and the water flowing in from the two distinct circuits mix up and the thus obtained mixture is then delivered by the same water-jet outlet into the bath-tub. Each water-jet outlet is interconnected with both the offtake pipes from the water-carrying circuit and the offtake pipes from the pneumatic circuit via branch pipes, i.e. pipe fittings that are well-known to the art and firmly joined to the water-jet outlet itself.

[0003] A major drawback that is encountered in current, i.e. prior-art water systems for whirlpool baths is due to the fact that pipes and conduits, in particular the ones belonging to the water system, must as much and closely as possible follow the shape and contour of the tub, as well as reach the connection fitting of each water-jet outlet axially aligned thereto, so as to allow for the same water-jet outlet to be properly connected to the circuit. The fact that such connection fittings are firmly joined with the respective water-jet outlets sometimes makes such a connection rather difficult and awkward to be carried out, while putting some constraints on the sizing of the water-jet outlet along the perpendicular axis in relation to the wall of the tub.

[0004] In addition, in order to ensure fluid-tight sealing of both the connection between offtake or supply pipe and connection fitting and the junction between the water-jet outlet and the side wall of the tub, the need arises for use to be made of chemical substances, such as adhesives, silicone sealants and the like, which may prove detrimental for both the health and the environment, further to compelling the manufacturer to make the various component parts to be assembled of materials that are compatible with the above-cited chemical compounds.

[0005] It therefore is a main object of the present invention to do away with the various drawbacks of prior-art solutions by providing a water-jet outlet structure for the water system of whirlpool baths, which is effective in enabling the connection between each water-jet outlet and the water system to be facilitated and made much simpler to carry out.

[0006] Within the above general object, it is a purpose of the present invention to eliminate or, anyway, drastically reduce the use of chemical substances in the junctions connecting the various component parts with each other, while still ensuring a perfect fluid-tight sealing thereof.

[0007] Another, equally important purpose of the present invention is to provide a water system for whirlpool baths, which is capable of being manufactured at competitive costs with the use of readily available materials, techniques, machinery and tools.

[0008] According to the present invention, these aims, along with further ones that will be apparent in the following description, are reached in a water-jet outlet structure for the water system of whirlpool baths incorporating the characteristics as recited in Claim 1 appended hereto.

[0009] Anyway, features and advantages of the water-jet outlet structure for the water system of whirlpool baths according to the present invention will be more readily understood from the description of a particular, although not sole embodiment that is given below by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

• Figure 1 is a side view of a water system for whirlpool baths comprising a water-jet outlet structure according to the present invention;
• Figure 2 is a view of the water-jet outlet structure according to the present invention ;
• Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along the plane III-III of the water-jet outlet illustrated in Figure 2;
• Figure 4 is a same view as the one shown in Figure 1, illustrating a water system for whirlpool baths comprising a second embodiment of the water-jet outlet structure according to the present invention;
• Figure 5 is a view of the water-jet outlet structure illustrated in Figure 4;
• Figure 6 is a side view of the water-jet outlet structure illustrated in Figure 5;
• Figure 7 is a same cross-sectional view as the one appearing in Figure 3 of the water-jet outlet illustrated in Figure 5.

[0010] With reference to the above cited Figures, the reference numeral 1 is used to generally indicate a bath-tub provided with a water system for whirlpool baths comprising a water-carrying circuit 2, which includes an electric pump 3, and a pneumatic circuit 4; to the walls 5 of the bath-tub 1 there are associated two or more water-jet outlets 6 communicating on one side with the interior of the same bath-tub 1 and, on the other side, with the water and air circuits of the whirlpool-bath system. Each such water-jet outlet 6 is connected, via a substantially rigid offtake pipe, to the piping 7 of the water-carrying circuit 2 so as to be supplied with water under pressure delivered by the electric pump 3; the water-jet outlets 6 are furthermore interconnected with each other by the conduits 8 of the pneumatic circuit 4, which is adapted to let air into the same water-jet outlets in the manner that shall be explained in greater detail further on. Therefore, within each such water-jet outlet 6 the air and the water flowing in from the two distinct circuits mix up and the thus obtained mixture is then delivered by the same water-jet outlet into the bath-tub 1.

[0011] Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, the water-jet outlet structure 6 according to the present invention substantially comprises a body 9 provided with a pair of connection fittings 10 for interconnecting the water-jet outlet 6 itself with the conduits 8 of the pneumatic circuit 4, as well as a circumferential shoulder 11. To said body 9 there are associated a nozzle 12 for introducing the water-air mixture into the bath-tub on the one side and, on the opposite side, a second, substantially L-shaped fitting 13, which is used to connect the water-jet outlet 6 to the water-carrying circuit 2 of the whirlpool system. The nozzle 12 has, internally and coaxially, an ogival formation 14 that is oriented in the opposite direction with respect to the interior of the bath-tub 1 and faces the fitting 13, so as to form a Venturi tube.

[0012] The assembly formed by the body 9, the nozzle 12 and the fitting 13 is firmly secured to the wall 5 of the bath-tub 1 by means of an annular member 15 adapted to threadably engage the body 9. This annular member 15 is provided with a circumferential shoulder 16 cooperating with the shoulder 11 of the body 9 which, through the interposition of a sealing gasket 17 with a U-shaped cross-section, closes in on the wall 5 and holds it as in a vice.

[0013] The offtake pipe from the piping 7 is connected to the vertical leg of the fitting 13, which conveys the water under pressure flowing in from said piping 7 externally of the ogival formation 14 of the nozzle 12; owing to the effect of the Venturi tube, a negative pressure is therefore created upstream of said ogival formation 14 which conveys air from the conduits 8 into the water-jet outlet 6 via the first pair of connection fittings 10.

[0014] According to an innovatory feature of the present invention, the fitting 13 is associated to the body 9 pivotally, i.e. so as to be able to rotate at least about the axis A that is approximately perpendicular to the wall 5 of the bath-tub 1. To this purpose, the body 9 is provided with an essentially circular seat 18 that is suitably shaped so as to be able to accommodate one or more sealing gaskets 19, 20; the outer surface 21 of the horizontal leg of the fitting 13 is thus counter-shaped, i.e. shaped in opposition to said seat 18 so as to be able to freely oscillate at least about said axis A.

[0015] In this way, the connection with the water supply piping 7 is actually facilitated by such ability of the fitting 13 to oscillate and, as e result, to conform to the axis of the same piping or, more exactly, of the respective offtake pipe. Such an ability to conform is effective in reducing to a substantial extent the stresses which are imposed to the water-jet outlet assembly 6, and which tend in turn to discharge themselves on to the wall 5 of the bath-tub 1, when trying to force the fitting into connecting to the respective offtake pipe as it usually occurs in prior-art solutions. As a result, such a reduction in the extent of imposed stresses enables simple sealing gaskets to be used in the place of the silicone-based compounds that are usually employed to ensure fluid-tight sealing of the water-jet outlet assembly 6 in the wall 5.

[0016] Fully apparent from the above description is therefore the ability of the water-jet outlet structure for whirlpool bath systems according to the present invention to effectively reach the afore cited aims and advantages: in fact, the above-cited ability of the connection fitting 13 to oscillate enables the connection of the water-jet outlet 6 to the water-carrying circuit 2 to be significantly facilitated and simplified, while reducing the stresses imposed to the various component parts thereof, thereby making it possible for the whole whirlpool water system to be completed in a much easier manner. Even the use of potentially noxious chemical substances is reduced to a quite significant extent, since the silicone-based sealants generally used in prior-art solutions are in this case replaced by the sealing gasket 17.

[0017] It will be appreciated that the afore described water-jet outlet structure for whirlpool bath systems may be subject to a number of different applications, modifications and variants without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0018] So, for instance Figures 4 to 7 can be noticed to illustrate a second embodiment of a water-jet outlet structure for whirlpool bath systems according to the present invention, which is particularly suitable for use in conjunction with a whirlpool-bath water system which, as best illustrated in Figure 4, comprises a water-carrying circuit provided with flexible tubes 22 supplying the water-jet outlets 23 directly, or in parallel, instead of via offtake pipes from the main piping, or in series, as in the case of the embodiment described hereinbefore.

[0019] The component parts of this water-jet outlet 23 are essentially the same as the ones used in conjunction with the afore described water-jet outlet 6 and are therefore indicated with the same reference numerals, except for the cylindrical conformation of the vertical leg of the connection fitting 24, which is adapted to be connected by interference fitting, without any use of adhesives or similar chemical compounds, to the respective flexible tube 22 of the water-carrying circuit 2; a hose clamp may be possibly provided for tightening around the tube 22 to safety purposes. According to an innovative aspect of the invention, the connection fitting 24 is pivotally associated to the body 9, so as to be capable of oscillating at least about an axis A that is approximately perpendicular to the wall 5 of the bath-tub 1.

[0020] A particular emphasis is put on the fact that currently and normally used chemical compounds are completely eliminated from the above-described embodiment of the water-jet outlet assembly: in fact, the silicone-based sealants used to ensure fluid-tight sealing of the water-jet outlet in the walls of the bath-tub are replaced by the sealing gasket 17, whereas the adhesive compounds normally used to firmly fasten the tube to the connection fitting are replaced by such an interference fit with a hose clamp added for greater safety. Further to the advantage of an improved health and environment safeguard, this implies a far greater extent of freedom in the selection of the materials for the parts entering the construction of the water-jet outlet assembly, which are no longer subject to the constraint of having to be compatible with the chemical compounds used on them.

[0021] Fully apparent from the above considerations is also the fact that the water-jet outlet according to the present invention is equally well suited for use in conjunction with whirlpool water systems of the rigid, i.e. series-connected type, as in the case of the first embodiment, and whirlpool water systems of the flexible or parallel-connected type, as in the case of this second embodiment. All it takes to this purpose is in fact to use the kind of connection fitting 13 or 24 that is so shaped and made of such a material as to fit the particular type of whirlpool water system, while keeping the remaining parts of the water-jet outlet assembly fully unaltered. In particular, the connection fitting 13 for the rigid-type of whirlpool water system will have to be still made of a material that is compatible with the adhesive or sealant compound used in the connection.

[0022] Both in the first and the second embodiment of the water-jet outlet according to the present invention there may furthermore advantageously provided appropriate means for limiting the oscillation extent of the connection fitting 13, 24; as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 for the second embodiment, although the solution is readily applicable also to the first embodiment without this requiring any modification at all, these means may be constituted by a relief 25 provided on the fitting 24 which, upon such a fitting reaching a pre-determined inclination in relation to the body 9, abuts against one of the edges of a rib 26 provided in the form of a circular crown on the body 9 itself. As an alternative or an addition thereto, the fitting 24 may be provided with teeth 27 projecting radially from the outer surface 21 and engaging corresponding through-apertures 28 provided in the above cited seat 18. Of course, the angular amplitude of the through-apertures 28 is greater than the angular amplitude of the teeth 27, so that the amplitude of oscillation of the fitting 24 is limited by the same teeth 27 abutting against the opposite ends of the through-apertures 28.

[0023] It should be finally noticed that the materials used to manufacture the water-jet outlet structure of the water system for whirlpool baths of the present invention, as well as the shapes and the sizing of the individual component parts thereof, may each time be selected so as to more appropriately meet the particular requirements or suit the particular application, again without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. Water-jet outlet structure for the water system of whirlpool baths, comprising a body (9) adapted to be associated to a wall (5) of a bath-tub (1), and a fitting (13, 24) for connecting said water-jet outlet (6, 23) to a water supply circuit (2) adapted to deliver water under pressure into said bath-tub (1) through said water-jet outlet (6, 23), characterized in that said connection fitting (13, 24) is pivotally associated to said body (9) so as to be able to oscillate about an axis (A) that is approximately perpendicular to said wall (5) of said bath-tub (1).

2. Water-jet outlet structure according to claim 1, in which said connection fitting (13, 24) has a horizontal leg having an outer surface (21) that is counter-shaped, i.e. shaped in opposition to an essentially circular seat (18) provided on said body (9) and accommodating said horizontal leg via the interposition of one or more sealing gaskets (19, 20).

3. Water-jet outlet structure according to claim 1, further comprising an annular member (15) adapted to be associated to said body (9) for firmly fastening said water-jet outlet (6, 23) on to said wall (5).

4. Water-jet outlet structure according to claim 3, in which said body (9) and said annular member (15) have respective circumferential shoulders (11, 16) that cooperate with each other so as to seal in a fluid-tight manner said wall (5) via the interposition of at least a gasket (17) having an essentially U-shaped cross-section.

5. Water-jet outlet structure according to any of the preceding claims, in which there are provided means to positively limit the oscillation of said connection fitting (13, 24).

6. Water-jet outlet structure according to claim 5, in which said limiting means are constituted by a relief (25) provided on said connection fitting (13, 24) and a rib (26) provided in the form of a circular crown on said body (9), said relief (25) interacting with said rib (26) by abutting against one of the edges thereof upon such said fitting (13, 24) reaching a pre-determined inclination in relation to said body (9).

7. Water-jet outlet structure according to claim 5, in which said limiting means are constituted by one or more teeth (27) projecting radially from said outer surface (21) and engaging corresponding through-apertures (28) provided in said seat (18), the angular amplitude of said through-apertures (28) being greater than the angular amplitude of said teeth (27).

8. Water system for whirlpool baths, comprising a water-carrying circuit (2) constituted by a piping (7) from which two or more substantially rigid offtake pipes branch off to connect to two or more respective water-jet outlets, characterized in that it comprises a water-jet outlet structure according to claim 1.

9. Water system for whirlpool baths, comprising a water-carrying circuit (2) constituted by two or more flexible tubes (22) for direct connection to two or more respective water-jet outlets, characterized in that it comprises a water-jet outlet structure according to claim 1.

Drawing