Baths – closets – sinks – and spittoons – Flush closet – Bowl
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-26
2004-06-29
Fetsuga, Robert M. (Department: 3751)
Baths, closets, sinks, and spittoons
Flush closet
Bowl
C004S420400, C239S468000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06754912
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a human body cleaner that sprays cleansing water on a human body from a nozzle opening of a nozzle.
BACKGROUND ART
Human body cleaners, such as personal hygiene appliances, enable a private part of the human body to be cleaned with cleansing water and have been rapidly spread in use. A storage-type heat exchanger is typically used for such personal hygiene appliances.
The recent trend diversifies the spray form of cleansing water. One technique incorporates a fluid element in a nozzle having a nozzle opening and uses the fluid element to change over the spray direction of cleansing water between front and back or between left and right relative to the nozzle. The technique of changing over the direction of the water spray extends a target area cleansed with the spray of cleansing water (that is, a cleansing area).
Another technique intermittently sprays cleansing water and periodically varies the flow rate. The variation in flow rate has the massage effects to stimulate the movement of the bowels.
These prior art personal hygiene appliances, however, have several drawbacks discussed below.
The first drawback is described. The changeover of the direction of the water spray by the fluid element is restricted, because of the structural restraint, to one direction between front and back of the nozzle or between left and right of the nozzle. The cleansing area can thus be extended only linearly in the back and forth direction or in the left and right direction. With a view to extending the cleansing area in a two-dimensional manner, for example, in a quasi-circular shape, the changeover should be combined with the back and forth movement of or the left and right movement of the nozzle. Actuation of a nozzle driving motor is required for the movement of the nozzle. In order to attain extension of the cleansing area, additional energy should thus be consumed for driving the motor.
The following description regards the second drawback.
The storage-type heat exchanger has a large energy loss due to dissipation of heat from a hot water reservoir and accordingly takes a high running cost. An instantaneous-type heat exchanger may be used to solve this problem. In general houses, a distribution of electric power to a bathroom generally ranges from 10 to 15 amperes. This level of electric power can not ensure the sufficient heating power.
From this point of view, the flow rate of cleansing water should be decreased in the case of application of the instantaneous-type heat exchanger.
The current situation does not take any specific measures against potential troubles due to the intermittent water spray of cleansing water.
In a conduit of a non-compressed fluid like water or oil, an instantaneous cutoff of the stream of the fluid generally causes a shock in the system of the fluid. The personal hygiene appliance is no exception. The intermittent spray of cleansing water leads to the instantaneous cutoff of the stream of cleansing water. Water hammer thus occurs in the system of cleansing water. The water shock may result in damaging or deteriorating constituents of the system (for example, pipes and valves). The water shock may also cause noise like chatter or undesirable vibrations. The prior art personal hygiene appliance, which adopts the intermittent spray of cleansing water, does not take any sufficient measure against the water shock.
In the technique of spray of cleansing water in the intermittent stream, no special attention is drawn to the frequency of the intermittent water spray. The frequency is restricted to a low frequency domain of 1 to 3 Hz. Only the intermittent water spray at such a low frequency makes the user perceptible of a variation in flow rate. In order to ensure the massage effects, the prior art intermittent water spray is carried out at the low frequency of the above frequency domain. When the spray of cleansing water in the intermittent stream is applied for standard bidet-back or bidet-front, which requires the private part to be continuously cleansed with water, however, the body part is exposed to the intermittent spray of cleansing water at the low frequency.
The variation in cleansing power with time makes the user feel uncomfortable.
The present invention is accordingly directed to a novel water spray technique to solve the problems discussed above. The first object of the present invention is to provide a novel water spray technique that extends a cleansing area in a two-dimensional manner without moving a nozzle.
The second object of the present invention is to provide a novel water technique that enables a decrease in flow rate of cleansing water for standard bidet-back and bidet-front, which requires continuous cleansing with the water stream, to be compatible with reduction of potential troubles due to an intermittent stream of cleansing water.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
At least part of the above and the other related objects is attained by a first human body cleaner that sprays cleansing water on a human body from a nozzle opening of a nozzle. The first human body cleaner includes: a water supply unit that has a flow path for feeding a supply of cleansing water therethrough to the nozzle opening; and a water swirling unit that applies a swirling force around an axial center of the nozzle opening applied to the supply of cleansing water, leads the cleansing water with the swirling force to the nozzle opening, and causes the cleansing water with the swirling force to be sprayed from the nozzle opening.
In the first human body cleaner of the present invention having the above construction, cleansing water with the swirling force around the axial center of the nozzle opening is sprayed from the nozzle opening. The cleansing water is accordingly sprayed while swirling around the axial center of the nozzle opening by the component of the swirling force (hereinafter such form of water spray is referred to as swirling water spray). The swirling force of the swirling water spray is given to the supply of cleansing water, and there is no need of specifically moving the nozzle opening or the nozzle. This arrangement attains the swirling water spray of cleansing water without any specific movement of the nozzle and thus extends the cleansing area in a two-dimensional shape defined by the swirl.
The first human body cleaner of the present invention having the above construction may be actualized by a diversity of applications as discussed below.
In accordance with one preferable application, the water swirling unit includes a variation unit that varies a degree of the swirling force applied to the supplied cleansing water.
This application enables the cleansing area by the swirling water spray to be varied with a variation in degree of the swirling force.
In accordance with another preferable application, the water swirling unit includes: a swirling chamber that is formed in the nozzle and connected with the nozzle opening; and an introduction unit that introduces the supply of cleansing water to the swirling chamber such that the cleansing water flowed into the swirling chamber swirls along an inner wall of the swirling chamber.
The introduction unit may have an eccentric conduit that is eccentrically connected with the swirling chamber and makes the cleansing water flowed into the swirling chamber.
Simple introduction of cleansing water into the water swirling chamber by means of the introduction unit applies the swirling force along the inner wall of the water swirling chamber to the supply of cleansing water, thus attaining the swirling water spray. This arrangement does not require any special electrical appliance, such as a motor, to apply the swirling force, and accordingly enhances the energy consumption efficiency. The degree of swirling force may be regulated by varying the flow velocity of cleansing water introduced into the water swirling chamber (that is, the flow velocity in the eccentric conduit).
The following arrangement may be adopted in a nozzle having at least two nozzle openings. A plurality o
Hayashi Ryosuke
Kawahara Yoshiyuki
Sato Minoru
Tsutsui Haruo
Yananose Michinori
Beyer Weaver & Thomas
Fetsuga Robert M.
Toto Ltd.
LandOfFree
Human body cleaner does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Human body cleaner, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Human body cleaner will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3360269