Patent Publication Number: US-5289598-A

Title: Whirlpool bath with removable tank

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates generally to whirlpool bath units which generate an aerated stream of water for use in hydrotherapy, and more particularly to an improved whirlpool bath unit which is lightweight, portable, and includes a removable tank to facilitate cleaning and storage. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Hydrotherapy is a recognized treatment for a number of injuries and physical disabilities, and this has led to the development of numerous whirlpool bath units for providing such treatments. Many therapeutic bath units consist of large, fixed tubs or tanks which incorporate large motor and pump units that draw water from the bottom of the tub or tank and supply the water under pressure to a number of massage jets which introduce water streams into the tub. Often, the motor also drives an air compressor which aerates the water ejected from the massage jets. Such a unit is illustrated by German Patent DE3544002A to Trabert. 
     In some fixed bathtub systems for generating a jet stream or bubble jet of water, a pump is provided which pumps water from the bottom of the bathtub through a fixed pipe system and back into the bathtub through water discharge ports. In systems of this type, the normal bathtub drain pipe may be connected to the output of the pump by a changeover valve which permits the pump to discharge water from the bathtub into the drain pipe. A bathtub system of this type is illustrated by Japanese Patent No. 3-158532(A). 
     In an attempt to develop therapeutic bath devices having some adjustability, the tub or tank employed has been provided with a motor driven impeller for creating a water jet which is vertically adjustable. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,237,435 and 2,417,499 to Ille are illustrative of known adjustable impellers for use with the bathtub or tank. 
     Although known prior art devices operate effectively to create a water jet flow within the tank or bathtub, they lack the portability and total adjustability which would be ideal for an effective hydrotherapy unit. Tubs or tanks which are fixed in place to either the plumbing of a building or a support frame can prove difficult to completely drain and clean. This is particularly true for units having an impeller which pumps a water stream through fixed ports formed in the tub or tank, as it is extremely difficult to effectively clean and disinfect such ports and the conduits leading thereto. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved whirlpool bath with removable tank wherein a tank unit is provided which is adapted to be removed and separately cleaned. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved whirlpool bath with removable tank wherein both the tank and a combined impeller and water discharge pump are separately and removably mounted upon a support frame. This permits both the tank and the impeller to be separately removed from the support frame and separately cleaned and disinfected. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved whirlpool bath with removable tank wherein the tank unit is formed as a solid unitary member with no water inlet openings to accumulate dirt or bacteria containing residue. The tank is mounted for vertical adjustment on a portable mounting frame, and may be easily removed from the frame for separate cleaning. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a novel whirlpool bath with removable tank wherein the tank is removably mounted on a horizontal support seat which constitutes a portion of a portable support frame. The horizontal support seat is vertically adjustable to adjust the height of the tank relative to a support surface, and a separate impeller unit for creating a water jet within the tank is separately mounted upon the support frame. The impeller unit is not connected to the tank in any manner and is removably mounted upon the support frame for separate vertical adjustment relative to the tank, and support frame. However, the impeller unit also moves vertically with the tank and horizontal support seat. 
     Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved whirlpool bath with removable tank wherein the bottom surface of the tank is formed with indented channels to receive segments of a horizontal support frame so that the tank is retained against sliding movement relative to the support frame. However, the channels are open so that the tank may be lifted vertically and removed from the support frame. 
     A still further object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved whirlpool bath with removable tank wherein a unitary tank is removably mounted upon a horizontally extending seat which constitutes a portion of a portable support frame. The support seat is vertically adjustable relative to a supporting surface for the support frame so that the height of the tank may be adjusted. A combined inpeller and discharge pump unit is removably mounted as a separable unit on the support frame and is also vertically adjustable relative to the tank. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the whirlpool bath with removable tank of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a partially sectioned diagrammatic view of the combined impeller and discharge pump of FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the tank and support frame of FIG. 1. 
    
    
     BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     The whirlpool bath with removable tank of the present invention indicated generally at 10 includes a portable support frame 12 which separately supports a unitary tank 14 and a combined impeller and discharge pump 16. The unitary tank 14 may be formed of metal, but is preferably molded of a tough, stain resisting plastic which is both lightweight and facilitates easy cleaning. The tank may include a drain opening in the bottom thereof, shown in broken lines at 18 in FIG. 3, but preferably the tank is formed with a unitary bottom and sidewall having no openings to collect dirt and residue. Continuous inner surfaces of the tank may be easily cleaned and disinfected since the tank is formed with no openings and no sharp corners, but instead, the bottom wall is rounded into the sidewalls which in turn are rounded or curved to form the tank enclosure. 
     The portable support frame 12 includes a base 20 from which support legs 22, 24 and 26 radiate. Support leg 22 is a curved leg which is connected to the base and extends across one side thereof and outwardly from opposite sides of the base. Rollers or casters 28 are mounted at each end of the support leg 22. 
     Support legs 24 and 26 are each secured at one end to the base 20 and extend angularly outward therefrom to form a substantially V shaped support opposite to the support leg 22. The outermost ends of the support legs 24 and 26 bear casters or rollers 30, one of which is shown in FIG. 1. 
     Projecting vertically from the base 20 is a central support post 32 which extends in telescoping relationship into a hollow frame post 34. The frame post 34 is moved upwardly or downwardly along the central support post 32 by rotation of a manually operative crank 36 mounted at the top of the frame post 34. Operation of the crank causes a known mechanism within the frame post to raise or lower the frame post relative to the central support post 32. For example, the crank 36 can turn an internal gear pair which in turn drive an elongated threaded screw shaft threaded into a corresponding threaded opening in the central support post 32. Other known mechanisms for raising or lowering the frame post 34 might include a gas cylinder and piston within the frame post wherein the piston engages the central support post 32 and actuation of the crank 36 causes gas or fluid to be pumped into or out of the cylinder to extend or retract the piston. 
     The frame post 34 supports a horizontally extending mounting seat 38 which is configured to receive and support the bottom wall 40 of the tank 14. Basically, the horizontal mounting seat consists of a somewhat rectangular shaped closed length of metal tubing which extends around the periphery of a central open space 42 defined thereby which is covered by the tank bottom when the bottom is supported upon the horizontal mounting seat. A first support strut 44 is secured at one end to the frame post 34 and at the opposite end to the innermost side of the horizontal mounting seat which is adjacent to the frame post. A second support strut 46 is connected at one end to the frame post and angles downwardly therefrom to a point of connection with the rear side of the horizontal mounting seat. 
     A hollow impeller support post 48 is secured at one end to the center of the front portion of the horizontal mounting seat 38 and extends vertically upward therefrom. A third support strut 50 is secured at one end to the frame post 34 and angles downwardly therefrom to an opposite end which is secured to the impeller support post 48. The uppermost end of the impeller support post is open and receives in telescoping relationship a post 52 connected to the motor 54 for the impeller and discharge pump 16. The upper end of the post 52 extends into an opening in the housing for the motor 54 and is removably secured in the opening by a threaded screw shaft operated by a locking knob 56. 
     The construction and operation of the combined impeller and discharge pump 16 may best be understood with reference to FIG. 2, wherein it will be noted that the post 52 extends inwardly of the impeller support post 48 and is biased outwardly therefrom by a biasing member 58. In FIG. 2, the biasing member is illustrated as a spring which tends to force the post 52 upwardly and out of the impeller support post 48. However, instead of the spring, gas or fluid under pressure may be used in known manner as the biasing member 58. The biasing member tends to assist in raising the combined impeller and discharge pump so that it may be easily adjusted upwardly to any desired vertical position and then locked in place by a threaded screw shaft operated by a lock knob 60. To lower the impeller and discharge pump, downward pressure is applied to the motor 54 to move the post 52 inwardly of the impeller support post 48 to a desired position against the bias of the biasing member 58, and when the desired position is reached, the lock knob 60 is rotated to lock the post in place. 
     The motor 54 drives an elongated drive shafe 62 which extends centrally through an elongated housing 64 secured to the motor. At the end of the drive shaft within the housing are impeller blades 66 which operate when driven by the drive shaft to draw water into the housing 64 through water inlet openings 68. This water is forced under pressure by the impeller into a chamber 70 formed in the lower portion of the housing 64 and defined by an upper wall 72. Normally, since water cannot pass by the upper wall 72, it is forced under pressure through an aerator 74 and then out through the outlet ports 76. Thus jet streams of pressurized aerated water are forced out of the ports 76 and back into the tank 14. The position of these jets within the tank can be adjusted by adjusting the vertical position of the post 42 relative to the impeller support post 48. 
     At the end of a hydrotherapy treatment, the combined impeller and discharge pump 16 may be employed to eject water from the tank 14. This is accomplished by operating a control mechanism, shown in FIG. 2 as a lever and knob 78 connected by linkages 80 and 82 to a gate closure 84 and a valve 86, respectively. The lever and knob 78 may be operated through the linkage 80 to cause the gate 84 to close the flow path through the aerator 74 and the outlet ports 76, and at the same time, causing the linkage 82 to open the valve 86. Now fluid pumped into the chamber by the impeller blades 66 will pass through the valve 86 and a conduit 88 to an external fluid discharge nozzle 90. The fluid discharge nozzle may be placed in a sink or drain which will receive the fluid from the tank 14. 
     Obviously, other known mechanical combinations can be employed to prevent fluid flow through the outlet ports 76 while permitting fluid flow to the discharge nozzle 90. A series of valves operated by a single controller or by separate controllers can be employed for this purpose. The lever and knob controller 78 can be linked to raise or lower the gate 84 to some extent before the linkage 82 to the valve 86 is activated. This will permit the lever and knob controller to decrease or increase the fluid flow to the aerator 74 and thereby control the pressure and the amount of fluid flow out through the outlet ports 76. 
     Since the tank 14 and the combined impeller and discharge pump 16 are not interconnected but are separately mounted upon the portable support frame 12, both may be independently adjusted. For example, by operation of the crank 36, the tank on the horizontal mounting seat 38 as well as the impeller and discharge pump may be moved to a desired vertical position. Then subsequently, the combined impeller and discharge pump may be adjusted to a new vertical position relative to the tank with the assistance of or against the bias of the biasing member 58 and then may be locked into position with the lock knob 60. However, as a hydrotherapy treatment progresses, the combined impeller and discharge pump may be easily repositioned a number of times to achieve a maximum effect without the necessity of repositioning the tank 14. When a treatment is complete, water may be easily discharged from the tank 14 through the discharge nozzle 90, and then, by lowering the horizontal mounting seat 38 to its lowermost position while raising the combined impeller and discharge pump 16 to its uppermost position, the tank can be lifted from the horizontal mounting seat and removed clear of the combined impeller and discharge pump for separate cleaning and disinfecting. If desired, by operating the locking knob 56, the impeller and discharge pump can be removed from the post 52 for separate cleaning and disinfecting. 
     Normally, the tank 14 rests firmly on the horizontal mounting seat 38 with the bottom of the tank 40 spanning the rectangular tubular support provided by the horizontal mounting seat, and the weight of the water in the tank causes the tank to be firmly mounted. Although the horizontal mounting seat and the tank extend outwardly from one side of the central support post 32, the design of the base provides a very stable support for the tank 14. This support is enhanced by the leg 22 which extends beneath and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tank 14 so that the casters 28 are positioned at least beneath the opposed ends of the tank and preferably outward of the opposed tank ends. Similarly, the angled support legs 24 and 26 extend for a distance wherein the casters 30 are positioned at opposite ends of the tank 14 and at least under the front portion 92 of the horizontal mounting seat and preferably outwardly thereof. By positioning the tank and horizontal mounting seat on one side of the frame post 34 and by angling the support legs 24 and 26 outwardly beneath the horizontal mounting seat, free, substantially unimpaired access is provided to the outermost side of the tank. It is possible to slide the horizontal mounting seat over a stool, chair, table or similar unit. 
     Although the weight of the water in the tank normally mounts the tank against movement on the horizontal mounting seat, to positively assure that no shifting of the tank relative to the mounting seat can occur, indented channels indicated in broken lines at 94 in FIG. 3 may be formed in the bottom wall 40 of the tank so that the horizontal mounting seat extends into these channels. The channels will be open at the bottom of the tank so that the tank may be easily lifted from the horizontal mounting seat. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     The whirlpool bath with removable tank of the present invention provides an effective portable, adjustable hydrotherapy unit which may be easily cleaned and disinfected after use. The height of the tank above a support surface for the bath may be adjusted without altering the relationship between the tank and an impeller for creating water jets within the tank. Once the tank position is set, the vertical position of the impeller relative to the tank can be adjusted without altering the relationship between the tank and the support surface. The tank and tank supporting frame are designed so that the tank is provided with stable support during use while facilitating unimpaired access to one side of the tank. Both the tank and the impeller are separately removable from the frame for cleaning.