Baths – closets – sinks – and spittoons – Hair washing machine or device or accessory – With water supply means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-20
2001-03-27
Douglas, Steven O. (Department: 3751)
Baths, closets, sinks, and spittoons
Hair washing machine or device or accessory
With water supply means
C004S515000, C004S519000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06205597
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an automatic hair washer which is found in a beauty salon, a barber's shop or the like and automatically washes a person's hair.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 3
is a diagram illustrating a construction of a prior art automatic hair washer.
In the figure, reference numeral
1
designates a mixing tank for mixing water and hot water which is delivered from an external water supply and an external hot water supply via a curb stop, a strainer, and a check valve (which are not shown), in order to prepare wash water having a temperature suitable for hair washing. Numeral
2
designates a motor valve. Numeral
3
designates a hot water storing tank for storing the wash water supplied from the mixing tank
1
via the motor valve
2
. Numeral
4
designates a thermistor provided at a lower position of the hot water storing tank
3
to measure a temperature of the wash water in the hot water storing tank
3
. Numeral
5
designates a float switch for detecting an amount of the wash water in the hot water storing tank
3
. Numeral
6
designates a hot water supplying pump for pumping out the wash water from the hot water storing tank
3
. Numeral
7
designates a valve for hand shower. Numeral
8
designates a drawable hand shower used for washing off hairs, shampoo agent, or rinse agent which are attached to a cistern, or in finishing hair washing. Character A
1
designates a hot water supply pipe, one end of which is connected to the hot water supplying pump
6
, to lead the wash water pumped out by the hot water supplying pump
6
. Numeral
9
designates a draining electromagnetic valve provided in midway of the hot water supply pipe A
1
to drain unnecessary wash water. Numerals
10
a
to
10
k
designate hot water supplying electromagnetic valves. Characters SV
1
to SV
11
designate shower heads, each being connected to an end of the branched hot water supply pipe A
1
to spout the wash water. Numeral
11
designates a shampoo tank for storing shampoo agent. Numeral
12
designates a rinse tank for storing rinse agent. Numeral
13
designates a shampoo supplying pump for pumping out the shampoo agent from the shampoo tank
11
. Numeral
14
designates a rinse supplying pump for pumping out the rinse agent from the rinse tank
12
. Numerals
15
and
16
designate check valves. Numeral
17
a
to
17
f
designate nozzle heads, each being connected to an end of the branched hot water supply pipe A
1
to spout the wash water mixed with the shampoo agent or the rinse agent which is pumped out from the shampoo tank
11
or the rinse tank
12
.
FIG. 4
is a longitudinal sectional view of a cistern in the prior art automatic hair washer.
In the figure, the same reference numerals and characters as those in
FIG. 3
designate the same or corresponding parts. Character B designates a cistern. A person whose hair is to be washed lies on his back and inserts his head into this cistern B to have his hair washed. As shown in the figure, a plurality of washing nozzles are provided inside the cistern B, and the wash water is spouted from these washing nozzles and reaches the head of the person under hair washing.
Hereinafter, operation of the prior art automatic hair washer will be described.
First, in an initial operation, hot water and cold water is provide to the mixing tank
1
from an external water supply and a external hot water supply via a curb stop, a strainer, and a check valve. The hot water and the cold water is mixed in the mixing tank
1
to become warm water having a temperature suitable for hair washing, and is supplied to the hot water storing tank
3
via the motor valve
2
. Then the wash water stored in the hot water storing tank
3
is delivered by the hot water supplying pump
6
and spouted from the shower heads SV
1
to SV
11
through the hot water supply pipe A
1
via the hot water supplying electromagnetic valves
10
a
to
10
k
. After the wash water is spouted from the shower heads SV
1
to SV
11
during a predetermined period, spouting of the wash water is stopped and the following process, is started. Shampoo agent pumped by the shampoo supplying pump
13
is spouted from the nozzle heads
17
a
to
17
f
together with the wash water. When the shampooing process ends, the rinsing process and the process for washing with clean water follow, and then the washing process ends.
In using the above-described prior art automatic hair washer, when the hair washer is used after a significant lapse of time from the previous use, the hot water in the piping of waterway or in the washing nozzles is cooled. Therefore, the head of the person under hair washing is exposed to the cold water pouring first from the washing nozzles, whereby he feels discomfort.
In addition, hairs or bubbles may remain in the cistern at the end of hair washing, whereby the next person under hair washing feels displeasure by seeing the same.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To solve the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic hair washer which allows cold water to flow so as not to splash over the head of the person under hair washing and also make good use of the cold water.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description. The specific embodiments described are provided only for illustration since various additions and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will be apparent to those of skill in the art from the detailed description.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, an automatic hair washer having washing nozzles for spouting wash water to hair comprises a hot water storing tank for storing wash water, a pump for pumping out the wash water from the hot water storing tank to deliver under a predetermined hydraulic pressure, a delivery pipe for supplying the wash water delivered by the pump to the washing nozzles, a flow dividing pipe laid to feed back part of the wash water which is delivered by the pump, to the hot water storing tank, from midway of the course from the pump in the delivery pipe to the washing nozzles, and a flow diversion control means for controlling such that the hydraulic pressure of the wash water supplied to the washing nozzles is decreased and the wash water pouring from the washing nozzles does not spout, by feeding back part of the wash water delivered from the pump to the hot water storing tank via the dividing pipe during a predetermined period from the beginning of water discharging operation from the washing nozzles. Therefore, at the beginning of the operation, the wash water flowing from the washing nozzles is made not to spout, whereby the cold water remaining in the piping is prevented from splashing over the head of the person under hair washing, resulting in more comfortable services of hair washing being provided to the person.
In addition, according to the present invention, bubbles or hairs which are attached to the cistern are washed off with the wash water in the piping without extra water being used for washing the cistern, thereby saving water.
Further, part of the wash water which is pumped out from the hot water storing tank is fed back to the hot water storing tank via a hot water circulating pipe, thereby making the most use of the wash water.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5459890 (1995-10-01), Jarocki
patent: 5699833 (1997-12-01), Tsataros
patent: 52-11248 (1977-03-01), None
patent: WO 94/05179 (1994-03-01), None
patent: 6-24606 (1994-04-01), None
patent: 09028447 (1997-07-01), None
Burr & Brown
Douglas Steven O.
Huynh Khoa D.
Oohiro Works Ltd.
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