GB2161072A

GB2161072A - Hydrotherapy apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2161072A
Application number: GB8521277A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Theophilus Brueton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-11-02
Filing date: 1985-08-27
Publication date: 1986-01-08
Also published as: GB8521277D0; GB8427759D0; GB2161072B

Abstract

The apparatus comprises a bath 1 having a number of jet outlets 20 each supplied by a length of tubing 19 from a manifold 10. A blower 6 feeds air to the manifold via a flow control valve 8 and a non-return valve 9, and water is fed to the manifold via a flow control valve 13 from an external hot water supply, e.g. the supply to the hot tap 2. The manifold contains an inner water jacket 22 with branches that travel within the lengths of tubing 19 where the hot water is added to the air flow. The jets thus feed a mixture of air and hot water to the bath so that the temperature of the bath water can be maintained indefinitely. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Hydrotherapy apparatus Co-pending Application No. 85. 18 167 (Specification No. ) discloses hydrotherapy apparatus in which streams of air are blown into a bath, and a gravity feed system is used to recirculate bath water by introducing it into the air flow. This has a number of advantages over previous systems, one of which is that cooling of the bath water is much less pronounced than with air-only systems.

Medical tests have shown that for best relief from certain muscular disorders the temperature of the bath water should be maintained throughout the entire period of use. The aim of the present invention is to provide hydrotherapy apparatus which is capable of meeting this requirement.

The present invention provides hydrotherapy apparatus comprising a bath and means for blowing air into the bath through jet outlets in its wall, the apparatus including means for introducing water into the air flow from an external hot water supply. Thus, hot water is continuously fed into the bath via the jet outlets to maintain the temperature of the bath water during operation of the apparatus.

The invention will now be exemplified with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a general arrangement of hydrotherapy apparatus in accordance with the invention, Figure 2 is a part-sectional detail showing a gland of the manifold incorporated in the apparatus, and Figure 3 is a scrap section showing the casing of the blower incorporated in the apparatus.

Referring to Fig. 1, the apparatus comprises a conventional plastics bath 1 provided with hot and cold taps 2 and 3 respectively, and the usual waste outlet and overflow (not shown). Hot tap 2 is connected by piping 4 to the normal hot water supply of the building in which the apparatus is installed, and the cold tap 3 is similarly connected by piping 5 to the cold water supply.

An electrical air blower 6 is connected by piping 7 to a flow control valve 8 followed by a non-return valve 9, terminating mid-way along an elongate manifold 1 0. A length of piping 11 connects one end of the manifold to a branch tee 1 2 inserted in hot water supply piping 4. A conventional gate valve 1 3 mounted in the top flange 1 4 of the bath is connected into the piping 11.At the opposite end of the manifold a length of tubing 1 5 connects a drainage port 1 6 to a respective outlet port 1 7 mounted at the adjacent end of the bath in its bottom wall 1 8. Between twenty and one hundred further lengths of tubing 1 9 are connected at intervals along the manifold 10, each leading to a respective outlet jet assembly 20 mounted in the bottom wall of the bath.

The manifold 10 is substantially as described in Application No. 85. 18 167. The manifold briefly comprises an outer air jacket 21 connected to the piping 7, and an inner water jacket 22 connected to piping 11 and having branches 23 that each pass for a short distance within a corresponding length of tubing 1 9. The manifold differs in the structure of the gland assemblies coupling the lengths of tubing 19 to the outer jacket 21 (see Fig.

2). A length of rigid plastics tube 24 is glued or otherwise secured in a hole 25 in the outer jacket wall and a length of flexible plastics tube 26 is pushed over the full length of tube 24. Tubing 1 9 isinserted into the outer end of tube 26 which is thus radially expanded and resiliently grips tubing 1 9.

Flow control valve 8, non-return valve 9 and jet assemblies 20 are also as described in Application No. 85. 18 167.

In order to prevent blower motor 6 from overheating when valve 8 is shut off an exhaust port 28 (Fig. 3) is provided in piping 7 adjacent to casing 29 of the motor outlet.

The port 28 includes an air filter 30 through which excess air is vented to atmosphere.

In use, the bath is first filled with water from taps 2 and 3 in the usual way. Blower 6 creates a flow of air through piping 7, into the space between inner and outer manifold jackets 21 and 22, and through lengths of tubing 1 9 to jet assemblies 20. Water flows from the hot supply via piping 7, through the inner manifold jacket 22, and along branch pipes 23 to enter tubing 1 9. The jets 20 thus supply an atomised mixture of air and hot water to the bath so that the temperature of the bath water can be maintained indefinitely.

The water level will gradually rise until it reaches the overflow through which surplus water will thereafter be lost to waste.

Valve 8 controls the tubulence created in the bath. Valve 1 3 controls the flow of water through piping 11 and hence the proportion of hot water in the air/water mixture so that this valve can be used to adjust the overall temperature of the bath water.

Although the hot water supply to the tap 2 will usually be the most convenient source of hot water for the jets, the water could be obtained from a separate hot water supply, or from the cold water supply via an in-line heater.

1. Hydrotherapy apparatus comprising a bath and means for blowing air into the bath through jet outlets in its wall, the apparatus including means for introducing water into the air flow from an external hot water supply.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, in which the hot water is taken from the supply

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Hydrotherapy apparatus Co-pending Application No. 85. 18 167 (Specification No. ) discloses hydrotherapy apparatus in which streams of air are blown into a bath, and a gravity feed system is used to recirculate bath water by introducing it into the air flow. This has a number of advantages over previous systems, one of which is that cooling of the bath water is much less pronounced than with air-only systems. Medical tests have shown that for best relief from certain muscular disorders the temperature of the bath water should be maintained throughout the entire period of use. The aim of the present invention is to provide hydrotherapy apparatus which is capable of meeting this requirement. The present invention provides hydrotherapy apparatus comprising a bath and means for blowing air into the bath through jet outlets in its wall, the apparatus including means for introducing water into the air flow from an external hot water supply. Thus, hot water is continuously fed into the bath via the jet outlets to maintain the temperature of the bath water during operation of the apparatus. The invention will now be exemplified with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a general arrangement of hydrotherapy apparatus in accordance with the invention, Figure 2 is a part-sectional detail showing a gland of the manifold incorporated in the apparatus, and Figure 3 is a scrap section showing the casing of the blower incorporated in the apparatus. Referring to Fig. 1, the apparatus comprises a conventional plastics bath 1 provided with hot and cold taps 2 and 3 respectively, and the usual waste outlet and overflow (not shown). Hot tap 2 is connected by piping 4 to the normal hot water supply of the building in which the apparatus is installed, and the cold tap 3 is similarly connected by piping 5 to the cold water supply. An electrical air blower 6 is connected by piping 7 to a flow control valve 8 followed by a non-return valve 9, terminating mid-way along an elongate manifold 1 0. A length of piping 11 connects one end of the manifold to a branch tee 1 2 inserted in hot water supply piping 4. A conventional gate valve 1 3 mounted in the top flange 1 4 of the bath is connected into the piping 11.At the opposite end of the manifold a length of tubing 1 5 connects a drainage port 1 6 to a respective outlet port 1 7 mounted at the adjacent end of the bath in its bottom wall 1 8. Between twenty and one hundred further lengths of tubing 1 9 are connected at intervals along the manifold 10, each leading to a respective outlet jet assembly 20 mounted in the bottom wall of the bath. The manifold 10 is substantially as described in Application No. 85. 18 167. The manifold briefly comprises an outer air jacket 21 connected to the piping 7, and an inner water jacket 22 connected to piping 11 and having branches 23 that each pass for a short distance within a corresponding length of tubing 1 9. The manifold differs in the structure of the gland assemblies coupling the lengths of tubing 19 to the outer jacket 21 (see Fig. 2). A length of rigid plastics tube 24 is glued or otherwise secured in a hole 25 in the outer jacket wall and a length of flexible plastics tube 26 is pushed over the full length of tube 24. Tubing 1 9 isinserted into the outer end of tube 26 which is thus radially expanded and resiliently grips tubing 1 9. Flow control valve 8, non-return valve 9 and jet assemblies 20 are also as described in Application No. 85. 18 167. In order to prevent blower motor 6 from overheating when valve 8 is shut off an exhaust port 28 (Fig. 3) is provided in piping 7 adjacent to casing 29 of the motor outlet. The port 28 includes an air filter 30 through which excess air is vented to atmosphere. In use, the bath is first filled with water from taps 2 and 3 in the usual way. Blower 6 creates a flow of air through piping 7, into the space between inner and outer manifold jackets 21 and 22, and through lengths of tubing 1 9 to jet assemblies 20. Water flows from the hot supply via piping 7, through the inner manifold jacket 22, and along branch pipes 23 to enter tubing 1 9. The jets 20 thus supply an atomised mixture of air and hot water to the bath so that the temperature of the bath water can be maintained indefinitely. The water level will gradually rise until it reaches the overflow through which surplus water will thereafter be lost to waste. Valve 8 controls the tubulence created in the bath. Valve 1 3 controls the flow of water through piping 11 and hence the proportion of hot water in the air/water mixture so that this valve can be used to adjust the overall temperature of the bath water. Although the hot water supply to the tap 2 will usually be the most convenient source of hot water for the jets, the water could be obtained from a separate hot water supply, or from the cold water supply via an in-line heater. CLAIMS

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, in which the hot water is taken from the supply that feeds the hot tap of the bath.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 1 or 2, in which the water is fed via a flow control valve before being introduced into the air flow.

4. Apparatus according to Claim 3, in which the flow control valve is manually operable from within the bath.

5. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, including a manifold having a water inlet connected to the hot water supply, an air inlet connected to blower means, and outlets connected to the jet outlets.

6. Apparatus according to Claim 5, in which the manifold contains an inner jacket connected to the water inlet, the inner jacket having branches each passing through a respective manifold outlet.

7. Apparatus according to Claim 5 or 6, in which the manifold outlets each comprise a resilient radially expandible portion, and a length of tubing connects the outlet to a respective jet outlet, the tubing being received as a push fit within the radially expandible portion.

8. Apparatus according to Claim 7, in which the radially expandible portion comprises a length of resilient tubing.

9. Apparatus according to Claim 8, in which the length of resilient tubing is carried by a tubular spigot projecting from the manifold.

1 0. Apparatus according to any of Claims 5 to 9, in which air is fed to the manifold from the blower means via a flow control valve, and there is an exhaust port between the blower means and the flow control valve, the exhaust port including an air filter.

11. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described above and/or shown in the drawings, including matter incorporated by specific reference to Application No. 85. 18 167.

1 2. Hydrotherapy apparatus which is substantially as described above with reference to the drawings.