Abstract:
A massaging bath mat, which includes a bath mat for mounting in the inside wall of a bathtub under the water, the bath mat being formed of a series of bath mat units each having a plurality of perforated flexible tubes connected in parallel, and a pump unit coupled to the bath mat and controlled to pump air to the perforated flexible tubes of the bath mat for producing air bubbles in the water in the bathtub to massaging the user.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a massaging bath mat, and more specifically to such a massaging bath mat, which is designed for use in the bathtub for generating air bubbles to massage the user when the user having a bath in the bathtub. 
     A regular bathtub is simply an open vessel for bathing. Recently, various massaging bathtubs have been disclosed, and have appeared on the market. These massaging bathtubs are commonly expensive, not every family can afford. Further, the maintenance cost of these massaging bathtubs is high. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is one object of the present invention to provide a massaging bath mat, which is to be used in a bathtub to produce air bubbles for massaging the user. It is another object of the present invention to provide a massaging bath mat, which emits a good smell when producing air bubbles in the water in the bathtub. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a massaging bath mat, which is inexpensive to manufacture. According to one aspect of the present invention, the massaging bath mat comprises a bath mat for mounting in the inside wall of a bathtub under the water, the bath mat being formed of a series of bath mat units each having a plurality of perforated flexible tubes connected in parallel, and a pump unit coupled to the bath mat and controlled to pump air to the perforated flexible tubes of the bath mat for producing air bubbles in the water in the bathtub to massaging the user. According to another aspect of the present invention, perfume dispenser means is installed in the pump unit to emit a good smell into the flow of air being pumped to the perforated flexible tubes. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a pump unit for a massaging bath mat according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a longitudinal view in section of the pump unit for the massaging bath mat according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is another longitudinal view in section of the pump unit for the massaging bath mat showing the arrangement of the perfume container in the top cover shell and the bottom cover shell. 
     FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a bath mat for the massaging bath mat according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a longitudinal view in section of a part of the bath mat for the massaging bath mat according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is a transverse view in section of the bath mat for the massaging bath mat according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 7 is a sectional view in an enlarged scale of a part of the massaging bath mat showing the coupling of the intermediate mat unit between the front mat unit and the rear mat unit according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 8 is another sectional view in an enlarged scale of a part of the massaging bath unit showing the coupling between the hanging board and the rear mat unit according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the massaging bath mat of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIG. 1, a pump unit is shown comprised of a top cover shell  1 , a bottom cover shell  2 , and a motor assembly  3 . The top cover shell  1  comprises a control panel  13 , a plurality of control buttons  12  installed in the control panel  13 , a receiving hole  11  formed integral with the control panel  13 , a perfume container  10  mounted in the receiving hole  11 , the perfume container  10  comprising a plurality of air vents  104  through which the good smell of the perfume contained in the perfume container  10  is dissipated into the air, a bottom axle  103  for positioning in a hole inside the bottom cover shell  2 , two opposite bottom locating flanges  102 , which limits the rotation of the perfume container  10  in the receiving hole  11  to 90° angle in clockwise direction as well as counter-clockwise direction, and two opposite locating top notches  101 , and a knob  14  covered on the perfume container  10  for turning by hand to rotate the perfume container  10 . The knob  14  comprises two opposite bottom hooks  141  respectively hooked in the locating top notches  101 . The bottom cover shell  2  comprises a partition means  25 , which separates the holding space of the bottom cover shell  2  into a first suction chamber  21 , a second suction chamber  26 , a motor chamber  24 , which receives the motor assembly  3 , a receiving chamber  22  which receives the perfume container  10 , and a plurality of air inlets  23 . The motor assembly  3  is comprised of a rear cover  33 , a front cover  32  covered on the rear cover  33 , a check valve  37  mounted in the front cover  32  at a front side, a front cap  31  covered on the front cover  32  over the check valve  37 , the front cap  31  having a center through hole  311 , an axle bearing  35  and a muffler  34  mounted inside the front cover  32  and the rear cover  33 , and a motor  36  mounted inside the front cover  32  and the rear cover  33  between the axle bearing  35  and the muffler  34 . When the motor  36  is started, induced currents of air are compressed and driven through the center through hole  311  on the front cap  31  to the desired location. 
     Referring to FIG. 2, the motor shaft of the motor  36  is supported in the axle bearing  35 , and the check valve  37  is mounted in the front cover  32  at the front side to stop water or moisture from passing to the inside of the motor  36 . 
     Referring to FIG. 3, when the motor  36  is started, a flow of air is induced through the air inlets  23  into the first suction chamber  21  and then the second suction chamber  26 , enabling the good smell of the perfume to be carried with the flow of air out of the air vents  104  on the perfume container  10 , and then the intake flow of air is compressed by the motor  36  and forced out of the front cap  31  through the center through hole  311 . As indicated above, the knob  13  can be turned by hand clockwise or counterclockwise through 90°. When the knob  13  is turned clockwise through 90°, the peripheral wall of the receiving hole  11  closes the air vents  104  on the perfume container  10 . On the contrary, when he knob  13  is turned counter-clockwise through 90°, the air vents  104  on the perfume container  10  are released from the constraint of the peripheral wall of the receiving hole  11 , enabling the good smell of the perfume to be dissipated out of the perfume container  10  through the air vents  104  into the second suction chamber  26  and then carried with the flow of air out of the pump unit. 
     Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, a bath mat  4  is shown comprised of a valve cover  40 , a distribution valve  41 , a top flow guide shell  42 , a bottom flow guide shell  43 , a front mat unit  44 , an intermediate mat unit  45 , a rear mat unit  46 , and a hanging board  47 . The valve cover  40  is a smoothly arched shell having an upright inlet tube  401  at one side. The distribution valve  41  comprises three valve ports  411 , and a rotary handle  412 . The top flow guide shell  42  comprises a valve block  421  at the top side thereof, the valve block  421  having three air inlets  422  corresponding to the three valve ports  411  at the distribution valve  41 . The bottom flow guide shell  43  comprises a first flow guide channel  431 , a second flow guide channel  432 , a third flow guide channel  433 , and a plurality of arched clamps  434  respectively disposed at the ends of the flow guide channels  431 ,  432  and  433 . The flow guide channels  431 ,  432  and  433  are respectively disposed in communication with the air inlets  422  at the top flow guide shell  42 . The front mat unit  44  is formed of six perforated flexible tubes  441  connected in parallel. The perforated flexible tubes  441  each comprise a barrel  442  at one end pivoted to one arched clamp  434  at the bottom flow guide shell  432  for enabling air to pass from the flow guide channels  431 ,  432  and  433  into the perforated flexible tubes  441 . The intermediate mat unit  45  is comprised of six perforated flexible tubes  451  connected in parallel. The rear mat unit  46  is comprised of six perforated flexible tubes  461  connected in parallel. The perforated flexible tubes  461  of the rear mat unit  46  are respectively pivoted to the perforated flexible tubes  451  of the intermediate mat unit  45 , which are in turn respectively pivoted to the perforated flexible tubes  441  of the front mat unit  44 . The coupling structure between the intermediate mat unit  45  and the front mat unit  44  as well as the coupling structure between the rear mat unit  46  and the intermediate mat unit  45  are same as that between the bottom flow guide shell  43  and the front mat unit  44 , i.e., the front mat unit  44  comprises a plurality of barrels  442  at the front end thereof for pivotally coupling to the arched clamps  434  at the bottom flow guide shell  43 , and a plurality of arched clamps  434  (same as the arched clamps  434  at the bottom flow guide shell  43 ) at the rear end thereof for pivotally coupling to the intermediate mat unit  45 . The intermediate mat unit  45  and the rear mat unit  46  are identical to the front mat unit  44 . The hanging board  47  is pivoted to one end of the rear mat unit  46 , having a hanging hole  471  for hanging. 
     Referring to FIGS. 6 and 9 and FIG. 5 again, the inlet tube  401  of the valve cover  40  is connected to the center through hole  311  on the front cap  31  of the motor assembly  3  through a hose  5  to receive compressed air from the pump unit. By means of rotating the rotary handle  412 , the valve ports  411  are turned with rotary handle  412  between a first position where the valve ports  411  are disposed in communication with the first flow guide channel  431 , a second position where the valve ports  411  are disposed in communication with the second flow guide channel  432 , a third position where the valve ports  411  are disposed in communication with the third flow guide channel  433 , and a fourth position where the valve ports  411  are disposed in communication with the three flow guide channels  431 ,  432  and  433 . Furthermore, vacuum mounts  451  are provided at the bottom side of the front mat unit  45  for enabling the front mat unit  45  to be fastened to the inside wall of the bathtub. 
     Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, as indicated above, the front mat unit  44 , the intermediate mat unit  45  and the rear mat unit  46  are identical in structure, and connected in series between the bottom flow guide shell  43  and the hanging board  47 . When not in use, the whole assembly of the massaging bath mat can be hung on the wall. 
     While only one embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that various modifications and changes could be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention disclosed.