Baths – closets – sinks – and spittoons – Miscellaneous
Reexamination Certificate
2003-07-10
2004-08-10
Nguyen, Tuan N. (Department: 3751)
Baths, closets, sinks, and spittoons
Miscellaneous
C004S541500, C261SDIG002
Reexamination Certificate
active
06772455
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a foam generating apparatus for bathing and a foam bath system using the same.
2. Related Background Art
There have been proposed lots of foam generating applauses for foam bathing.
Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication No. 60-90523 (Document 1) discloses a new foam bathing method using soap foam that is filled in a bathtub. According to the disclosure thereof, the new foam bathing method allows the amount of water and heat required for foam bathing to be reduced, compared with conventional foam bathing methods. A foam generating apparatus disclosed in Document 1 stores a hot aqueous soap solution as an undiluted solution and blows air into the aqueous soap solution and stirs to generate foam, which is fed into the bathtub.
Japanese Utility-Model Application Unexamined Publication No. 01-59481 (Document 2) discloses a foam bathing apparatus similar to that of Document 1. The foam bathing apparatus of Document 2 has a foam bath room which can accommodate a user and is provided with a shower capsule equipped with a shower nozzle. In addition, a soap solution tank is arranged to communicate with the foam bath room and is provided with a porous plate at the bottom thereof. By supplying air to the soap solution tank from the rear surface side of the porous plate, foams are generated in the soap solution tank and then the shower capsule is filled with foam to allow the user to enjoy foam bathing.
Japanese Utility-Model Application Unexamined Publication No. 03-892 (Document 3) discloses a foam bathing apparatus equipped with a bathtub, an undiluted solution tank for generating foam, which is separated from the bathtub, an air blow-in nozzle through which air is blown into the undiluted solution tank for generating foam, and a lead pipe for leading foams generated in the undiluted solution tank into the bathtub. Document 3 describes that a large number of small holes are dispersedly arranged at the air blow-in nozzle.
FIGS. 2 through 6
of Document 3 illustrate air blow-in nozzles having various different profiles and how small holes are formed.
Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication No. 10-137153 (Document 4) discloses a foam generating device for foam bathing. It is a small device having simple structure and adapted to generate cleansing foam by using foaming stones.
Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication No. 2000-83851 (Document 5) discloses a bath system for foam bathing. As illustrated in
FIG. 4
of Document 5, a foam generating apparatus uses a porous bottom plate to generate foam by blowing air into the porous plate like that of Document 4.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-78628 (Document 6) discloses a foam generating apparatus for bathing, which is equipped with a nozzle having a plurality of air-jet holes formed and a container for containing detergent solution for generating foam in the inside. According to the disclosure of Document 6, the air-jet holes of the nozzle are arranged dispersedly at horizontal locations of the container and the cross sectional area of each of the air-jet holes is preferably not smaller than 7.85×10
−3
mm
2
and not greater than 7.85×10
−1
mm
2
, forming bathing foam made of same-size bubbles.
However, the above-described conventional foam generating apparatuses have the following disadvantages.
First of all, Document 1 does not practically describe anything about the specific structure of the foam generating apparatus. It only describes that air is blown into aqueous soap solution and the solution is stirred. Therefore, Document 1 teaches only common knowledge about foam generating means.
Document 2 describes the structure of a foam generating apparatus such that the soap solution tank is provided with the porous plate at the bottom thereof and air is supplied from the rear surface side of the porous plate. However, with the arrangement disclosed in Document 2, air is supplied to the soap solution tank from below, thereby generating foam made of relatively thick bubbles showing relatively large and not-uniform diameters, which is so-called foam having a high moisture content (wet foam) and therefore not preferable for foam bathing. Similarly, the bath system disclosed in Document 5 is not preferable for foam bathing because foams are generated by blowing air into the foam-generating porous plate from below.
The foam generating device for bathing disclosed in Document 4 is intended to be used as toy. It is difficult to generate uniformly sized foams that are suitable for foam bathing by means of a foaming stone having small holes whose diameters vary widely. Additionally, Document 4 does not teach specifically anything about the type of foaming stone to be used for foam bathing and the size of the small holes.
The foam bathing apparatus disclosed in Document 3 and the bath system disclosed in Document 6 are both characterized by the positional arrangement of small holes in an air blow-in nozzle, allowing the amount of foam generated in the container to be uniform. However, it is difficult to generate less moistened uniform foam with a thin liquid film (dry foam) suitable for foam bathing in a short period of time by such an arrangement that small holes are dispersedly formed by way of a mechanical process in the container.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a foam generating apparatus capable of solving the above-described problems. Some specific objects of the present invention are as follows:
to provide a foam generating apparatus and a foam bath system that can generate dry foam made of uniformly-sized bubbles suitable for foam bathing;
to provide a foam generating apparatus and a foam bath system that use a relatively simple and moderately prices device to generate a large volume of bathing foam in a short period of time; and
to provide a practical foam bath system and a foam generating apparatus suitable for the foam bath system, which are combined with a foam fining device to generate a large amount of finer mousse-like foam in a short period of time, that makes the bathing person comfortably feel as if he or she were in warm water.
The other objects of the invention and means for solving the problems will become apparent from the remaining part of the disclosure.
While the present invention has a number of aspects, it will be described below in terms of its major aspects.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a foam generating apparatus for foam bathing includes: a foam generation device for generating initial foam by jetting air into a foaming agent solution; and a foam fining device for fining the initial foam to produce the foam for foam bathing. The foam generation device includes: a foaming chamber storing the foaming agent solution on a bottom wall thereof; and a foaming tool provided within the foaming chamber, for jetting air from an opening to the bottom wall of the foaming chamber, wherein the opening is provided at an end of the foaming tool and faces the bottom wall, wherein the opening is covered with a net having an opening ratio between 27.7% and 49.5% and a number of air-jet openings per unit area between 9690/cm
2
and 24800/cm
2
.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the opening provided at the end of the foaming tool is covered with a net having a mesh number between 250 mesh and 400 mesh.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, a foam bath system includes: a foam generation device for generating initial foam by jetting air into a foaming agent solution; a foam fining device for fining the initial foam to produce finer foam; and a foam container for containing the finer foam for foam bathing. The foam fining device includes a predetermined number of nets through which the initial foam is fined into the finer foam, the nets having a mesh number between 120 mesh and 250 mesh, wherein the nets are placed at intervals of a distance 30-100 times as long as a m
Murakami Masakazu
Sakata Mamoru
Sawae Toshiyuki
Takahata Yoshiteru
Aquapro Kabushiki Kaisha
Nguyen Tuan N.
Young & Thompson
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