Patent Publication Number: US-8108955-B2

Title: Motor-and-nozzle combinational apparatus for a massage bathtub

Description:
FIELD OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to motors, and in particular to a motor-and-nozzle combinational apparatus for a massage bathtub without any prior used pipe, easy to clean, and with lighting effects. It is easy to be installed to an inner wall of a bathtub. Water is sucked into and pressurized by the motor and by a siphonic effect of the nozzle, bubbles mixed with water column is thus formed and spouted out. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     With the advance of modern technologies, bathtubs with functions of hydropathy and massage are popular among people. As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a meshed inlet  11  and a plurality of nozzles  13  are installed on an inner wall of a bathtub. A motor  14  is installed within the bathtub and is connected to the meshed inlet  11  through a water return piping  12 , and is connected to the nozzles  13  through a water supply piping  18 . Thus, when a switch  141  of the motor is turned on, water B being drained from the meshed inlet  11  will spout out from the nozzles  13  through outlet  131  of the water supply piping  18 . Each nozzle  13  is further linked with an air piping  17 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , air is guided into the bathtub body  1  by siphonic effect and water B is formed as water column mixed with bubbles around each nozzle  13 . A regulator  15  is arranged to the air piping  17  to adjust air flow so as to control the intensity of water column. 
     However, a common defect of the prior massage bathtub is that the structure of the piping is more complicated than that of a normal bathtub. Because water returned from the water return piping  12 , hairs and soap residues are remained in the pipe between the nozzles  13  as shown in  FIG. 2 . Smells, even worms and germs are easily caused in such circumstance. Dirt is returned into bathtub with the clean water every time, but the user does not keep attention to this state, as a result the user&#39;s health is damaged by the corrupted water. Thus, the inventor of the present invention hopes to solve above mentioned defects. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a motor-and-nozzle combinational apparatus for a massage bathtub without any complex piping installed inside the bathtub, easy to remove, clean and install, and with function of lighting, also has the effect of bubble spouts and thus the user feel funny in bath. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view showing the piping of a prior massage bathtub. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross section view showing dirt remained in a prior piping of a bathtub. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross section view showing a prior piping and nozzle. 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded drawing of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a partial exploded drawing of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded drawing of a motor body of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic view showing water flow of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic view showing gas flow of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a partial enlarged schematic view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is a schematic view of a preferable embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 11  is a schematic view of the present invention showing from a top side. 
         FIG. 12  is another schematic view of a preferable embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In order that those skilled in the art can further understand the present invention, a description will be provided in the following in details. However, these descriptions and the appended drawings are only used to cause those skilled in the art to understand the objects, features, and characteristics of the present invention, but not to be used to confine the scope and spirit of the present invention defined in the appended claims. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 ,  5 , and  11 , a motor with nozzle for a massage bathtub according to the present invention includes a cover  2 , a silica gel ring  3 , a water separator  4 , at least one vent silica gel  5 , at least one removable nozzle  6 , a butterfly bolt  7 , a propeller  8 , and a motor body  9 . The cover  2  is formed with a plurality of water inlets  20  and two water spouts  21 . An air inflow pipe  91  is installed to the motor body  9 , a plurality of lamp holes  92  and air outlets  93  are formed inside the motor body  9 . A center axle  94  of the motor body  9  is installed to prevent water from flowing into the motor and a connecting hole  940  is formed in one end of the center axle  94 . The butterfly bolt  7  is screwed into the connecting hole  940  axially so as to fix the propeller  8 . The water separator  4  having a water inlet  40  in a center thereof is installed above the propeller  8 . Separating walls  41  are formed on two opposite sides of the water separator  4 , and each separating wall  41  and a part of a peripheral wall of the water separator  4  are formed with a room. One of the two rooms is installed with an air outlet  42  and another is formed with a nozzle  6 . The vent silica gel  5  is arranged between the bottom opening of the air outlet  42  and the air outlet  93  so as to have a gastight connection to prevent water from flowing to the water separator. The cover  2  covers a seat  95  on a top of the motor body  9  with the silica gel ring  3  installed therebetween. The silica gel ring  3  can prevent pressure reduction of the motor after the pressure of the motor is increased so that the propeller  8  can generate high pressure water jet. A slot  951  is formed on the seat  95  and a corresponding notch capable of fitting to the slot  951  is formed on an edge of the cover  2 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 6 ,  8 ,  10 , a motor  96 , the air inflow pipe  91 , a sheath ring  97 , the seat  95 , and a plurality of LEDs  98  of the motor body  9  according to the present invention are illustrated. The sheath ring  97  has a gel injecting hole  970  for injecting gel to bind the sheath ring  97  and the seat  95  to a wall of a bathtub. The sheath ring  97  has an inner thread  971  for fitting an outer thread of the seat  95 . The air inflow pipe  91  is connected to the air outlet  93  of the seat  95  and the air outlet  42  through the vent silica gel  5 . The LEDs  98  are installed into the lamp holes  92  of the seat  95 . The seat  95  is fixed to the motor  96  by bolts. The air inflow pipe  91  can be arranged with a regulator  10  to adjust air flow so as to adjust the amount of the bubbles spouted out. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , the propeller  8  is rotated by driving of the center axle  94  by the motor  96 . The suction generated by the rotation of the propeller  8  absorbs water from the water inlets  20  of the cover  2 , the water will pass through water inlets  40  of the water separator  4  and is spouted out from the water spouts  21  through the removable nozzles  6  by the pressurization of the rotating propeller  8 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , by siphonic effect caused by a strong water spout of the removable nozzle, air from the air inflow pipe  91  will be sucked into a receiving space  43  of the water separator  4  through air outlet  93  of the seat  95  and the air outlet  42  of the water separator  4 . Water columns mixed with bubbles are thus formed and spout out from the water spout  21 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 12 , the motor body  9  is installed to a preserved hole on a wall  100  of a bathtub by the locking of the sheath ring  97  and the seat  95 . A regulator  10  is linked to the air inflow pipe  91  of the motor body  9 . Water columns with bubbles spouted out from the water spouts  21  of the cover  2  with the lighting effect of the LEDs are helpful to the washing. 
     The present invention is thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.