Shower bath apparatus and spray nozzle

Abstract

A shower bath apparatus which enables hot water bathing in a relaxed condition and provides a warm feeling over the whole body, equivalent to bathing in a bath tub. The shower bath apparatus comprises a shower bath apparatus body, a seat, on which a bathing person is seated, a spray nozzle for jetting hot water to the bathing person, and an arm provided with at least one spray nozzle. Sprayed hot water envelops the whole body of a user in a seated position to give the user a warm feeling.

1. A shower bath apparatus comprising,
 a shower bath apparatus main body,    a nozzle support means movably mounted on the shower bath apparatus main body,    a first nozzle installed on the shower bath apparatus main body, and    a second nozzle installed on the nozzle support means,    wherein both of the first nozzle and the second nozzle are able to simultaneously out-flow a fluid.    
     
     
       2. A shower bath apparatus of claim  1    4 ,
 further comprising a seat means disposed at the shower bath apparatus main body,  
 wherein the seat means has a support unit such as a support plate.  
 
     
     
       3. A shower bath apparatus of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the support unit is stowed away together when stowing away the seat means  placed in a storage position when not in use.  
 
     
     
       4. A shower bath apparatus comprising:
 a shower bath apparatus main body,  
 a nozzle support means movably mounted on the shower bath apparatus main body,  
 a first nozzle installed on the shower bath apparatus main body, and  
 a second nozzle installed on the nozzle support means,  
 wherein the nozzle support means has an arm,  
 the arm has the second nozzle, and  
 the arm may be stowed away into the shower bath apparatus main body  placed in a storage position when not in use.  
 
     
     
       5. A shower bath apparatus comprising:
 a shower bath apparatus main body,  
 a seat means on which a user is seated, and which includes a support unit which has a support plate, wherein when the seat means is stowed away, the support plate is interlocked with the seat means and is placed in a storage position when not in use,  
 a nozzle support means movably mounted on the shower bath apparatus main body,  
 a first nozzle installed on the shower bath apparatus main body, and  
 a second nozzle installed on the nozzle support means,  
 wherein both of the first nozzle and the second nozzle are able to simultaneously out-flow a fluid.  
 
     
     
       6. A shower bath apparatus of  claim 5 ,
 wherein the seat means may be stowed away into the shower bath apparatus main body.    
     
     
       7. A shower bath apparatus of  claim 5  or  6 , wherein the seat means includes a support unit. 
     
     
       8. A shower bath apparatus of  claim 7 ,
 wherein the support unit has a support plate, and,    when the seat means is stowed away, the support plate is interlocked with the seat means and is stowed away into the shower bath apparatus main body.    
     
     
       9. A shower bath apparatus of claim  1    4 ,
 wherein at least one of the first nozzle and the second nozzle is designed to generate a swirl flow inside and spray a flowing fluid.  
 
     
     
       10. A shower bath apparatus of claim  1    4 ,
 wherein at least one of the first nozzle and the second nozzle includes a flow passage, a swirl unit for swirling the fluid flowing in from the flow passage, and an injecting hole disposed at the downstream side of the swirl unit for injecting the swirled fluid.  
 
     
     
       11. A shower bath apparatus of claim  1    4 ,
 wherein at least one of the first nozzle and the second nozzle includes a flow passage, a swirl unit for swirling a fluid flowing in from the flow passage, and an injecting hole disposed at the downstream side of the swirl unit for injecting the swirled fluid and  
 the swirl unit is provided respectively at three positions.  
 
     
     
       12. A shower bath apparatus of claim  1    4 ,
 wherein at least the second nozzle installed on the nozzle support means is able to freely adjust the direction of shower.  
 
     
     
       13. A shower bath apparatus of claim  1    4 ,
 wherein at least one of the first nozzle and the second nozzle has a jet flow variable means for adjusting a jet flow pattern of the fluid.  
 
     
     
       14. A shower bath apparatus of claim  1    4 ,
 wherein the nozzle support means has an arm.  
 
     
     
       15. A shower bath apparatus of claim  1    4 ,
 wherein the arm is supported by the shower bath apparatus main body and  
 a position of the arm is adjustable.  
 
     
     
       16. A shower bath apparatus of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the arm is provided with a passage for allowing the fluid to pass through.  
 
     
     
       17. A shower bath apparatus of  claim 4 , further comprising a support shaft for supporting the arm on the shower bath apparatus main body,
 wherein the support shaft is internally provided with a passage for allowing the fluid to pass through.  
 
     
     
       18. A shower bath apparatus of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the arm may be stowed away into the shower bath apparatus main body.    
     
     
       19. A shower bath apparatus of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the arm is installed on the shower bath apparatus main body in a manner such that the angle of the arm is adjustable.  
 
     
     
       20. A shower bath apparatus of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the arm is installed on the shower bath apparatus main body in a manner such that the arm is able to choose any suitable stationary position.  
 
     
     
       21. A shower bath apparatus of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the arm is installed on the shower bath apparatus main body in a manner such that the arm becomes movable when a force exceeding a set moment is applied to the arm support point in fixing the angle of the arm.  
 
     
     
       22. A shower bath apparatus of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the arm includes a first arm disposed on the left-hand side of the shower bath apparatus main body and a second arm disposed on the right-hand side of the shower bath apparatus main body.  
 
     
     
       23. A shower bath apparatus of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the first arm and the second arm are installed on the shower bath apparatus main body in a manner such that the first arm and the second arm are interlocked with each other.  
 
     
     
       24. A shower bath apparatus of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the first arm and the second arm are installed on the shower bath apparatus main body in a manner such that the first arm and the second arm are individually adjustable.  
 
     
     
       25. A shower bath apparatus of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the arm is constructed of resin in whole or in part.  
 
     
     
       26. A shower bath apparatus of claim  1    4 , further comprising a hand shower and an operation unit which are installed on the shower bath apparatus main body,
 wherein the operation unit has a changeover valve for changeover of the hand shower, the first nozzle and the second nozzle.  
 
     
     
       27. A shower bath apparatus of claim  1    4 ,
 wherein the operation unit to operate the changeover valve has a rotary knob shape which rotates clockwise or counterclockwise for changeover operation.  
 
     
     
       28. A shower bath apparatus of claim  1    4 ,
 wherein the changeover valve is capable of changeover operation for (i) use of only the hand shower, (ii) use of the first nozzle and the second nozzle, and (iii) simultaneous use of the first nozzle and the second nozzle and the hand shower.  
 
     
     
       29. A shower bath apparatus of claim  1    4 ,
 wherein the changeover valve functions to adjust the flow rate and to stop the flow of fluid.  
 
     
     
       30. A shower bath apparatus of claim  1    4 , further comprising a fluid temperature setting means disposed to the shower bath apparatus main body. 
     
     
       31. A shower bath apparatus of claim  1    4 , further comprising a high temperature fluid feed passage, a low temperature fluid feed passage, and a mixing valve for mixing the fluids fed through the high temperature fluid feed passage and the low temperature fluid feed passage. 
     
     
       32. A shower bath apparatus of claim  1    4 , further comprising an operation unit to operate the changeover valve, a mixing valve, and a temperature setting means,
 wherein the operation unit, the mixing valve and the temperature setting means are installed side by side with the shower bath apparatus main body.  
 
     
     
       33. A shower bath apparatus of claim  1    4 , further comprising a seat means mounted on the shower bath apparatus main body,
 wherein the operation unit is installed on the right-hand side of the seat means.  
 
     
     
       34. A shower bath apparatus of claims  1    4 , further comprising a fluid temperature setting means,
 wherein the operation unit is installed at a position higher than the temperature setting means.  
 
     
     
       35. A shower bath apparatus of claim  1    4 , further comprising a hand shower installed on the shower bath apparatus main body,
 wherein the hand shower is installed at a height nearly the same as the seat position of the seat means.  
 
     
     
       36. A shower bath apparatus of claim  1    4 ,
 wherein the hand shower is installed at a position lower than the operation unit.  
 
     
     
       37. A shower bath apparatus of claim  1    4 , further comprising a high temperature setting control means, installed on the shower bath apparatus main body, in order to prevent spouting of high temperature fluid. 
     
     
       38. A shower bath apparatus of claim  1    4 , further comprising a high cut valve, installed on the shower bath apparatus main body, in order to prevent spouting of high temperature fluid. 
     
     
       39. A shower bath apparatus of claim  1    4 , further comprising a high cut valve and changeover valve, installed on the shower bath apparatus main body,
 wherein the high cut valve has a function to prevent spouting of high temperature fluid, and  
 the high cut valve is disposed between the changeover valve and both of the first nozzle and second nozzle.  
 
     
     
       40. A shower bath apparatus comprising:
 a shower bath apparatus main body;  
 a foldable seat means;  
 a nozzle for injecting fluid to a user; and  
 a high cut valve for preventing injection of fluid  
 wherein the high cut valve includes a flow inlet through which the fluid flows in, a flow outlet through which the fluid flows out, a high temperature discharge port for discharging the fluid, a valve body for changing over the flow outlet and high temperature discharge port, a temperature sensing element for thrusting the valve body in a direction of closing the flow outlet when fluid above a temperature is supplied, and a bias spring for thrusting the valve body in an opposite direction of the thrusting direction of the temperature sensing element.  
 
     
     
       41. A shower bath apparatus of  claim 40 ,
 wherein the temperature sensing element has a shape memory spring.  
 
     
     
       42. The shower bath apparatus of claim  1    4 ,
 wherein each of the first nozzle and the second nozzle has at least one function selected from the group consisting of out-flowing, showering, spraying, injecting, jet-flowing, spouting, spurting, and atomized-flowing the fluid.  
 
     
     
       43. The shower bath apparatus of  claim 4 ,
 wherein each of the first nozzle and the second nozzle has at least one function selected from the group consisting of out-flowing, showering, spraying, injecting, jet-flowing, spouting, spurting, and atomized-flowing the fluid.  
 
     
     
       44. The shower bath apparatus of  claim 5 ,
 wherein each of the first nozzle and the second nozzle has at least one function selected from the group consisting of out-flowing, showering, spraying, injecting, jet-flowing, spouting, spurting, and atomized-flowing the fluid.  
 
     
     
       45. The shower bath apparatus of  claim 14 ,
 wherein each of the first nozzle and the second nozzle has at least one function selected from the group consisting of out-flowing, showering, spraying, injecting, jet-flowing, spouting, spurting, and atomized-flowing the fluid.  
 
     
     
       46. A shower bath apparatus of  claim 4 ,
   wherein the first nozzle and the second nozzle are disposed so that the fluid out - flowing from the first nozzle and the second nozzle envelop a body of a user.