WHIRLPOOL BATHTUB

Abstract

Provided is a whirlpool bathtub with improved placement of a condenser of a motor in a pump used to circulate water in the whirlpool bathtub. As the whirlpool bathtub in which a pump 20 including a motor 30 and an impeller 40 is installed in an internal space 11 of a bathtub body 10, there is provided a whirlpool bathtub 1 in which a condenser 31 which is connected to the motor 30 for driving the motor 30 is installed at the outside of the bathtub body 10 rather than the internal space 11 of the bathtub body 10, and as a result, when the condenser 31 of the motor 30 is repaired, the bathtub body 10 needs not to be separated from a bathroom 2.

Claims

1. A whirlpool bathtub 1 in which a pump 20 including a motor 30 and an impeller 40 is installed in an internal space 11 of a bathtub body 10, wherein a condenser 31 which is connected to the motor 30 for driving the motor 30 is installed at the outside of the bathtub body 10 rather than the internal space 11 of the bathtub body 10, and as a result, when the condenser 31 of the motor 30 is repaired, the bathtub body 10 need not be separated from a bathroom 2.

2. The whirlpool bathtub of claim 1, wherein the condenser 31 is installed in a condenser chamber 50 which is watertightly installed on an outer surface 15 of the bathtub body 10 or a wall surface 3 of the bathroom 2 in which the bathtub body 10 is installed, and the condenser chamber 50 includes a check port 51 which is watertightly openable.

3. The whirlpool bathtub of claim 2, wherein the check port 51 is watertightly sealed in the condenser chamber 50 by a releasable sealant 52.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an exemplary whirlpool bathtub according to the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary pump applied to the whirlpool bathtub of the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of an exemplary conventional whirlpool bathtub.

[0023] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary conventional pump applied to the whirlpool bathtub.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Hereinafter, a whirlpool bathtub according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. A detailed example given below just exemplarily describe the present invention and does not restrict the present invention.

[0025] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a whirlpool bathtub 1 according to the present invention includes a bathtub body 10 molded of a plastic synthetic resin and the like.

[0026] The bathtub body 10 includes a bath panel 10a and a skirt panel 10b. The bath panel 10a is filled with water and includes a deck on which arms may be hung and toiletries may be placed. The skirt panel 10b is spread downward around the bath panel 10a. As a result, in the bathtub body 10, a certain degree of internal space 11 is formed between the bath panel 10a and the skirt panel 10b.

[0027] A pump 20 is installed in the internal space 11 of the bathtub body 10. The pump 20 includes a motor 30 and an impeller 40. In the bathtub body 10, a suction port 12 that suctions water contained in the bathtub, an ejection ports 13 that eject water or bubble water into bathtub body 10, a circulation pipe 14 that is connected among the suction port 12, the ejection ports 13 and the pump 20 to transfer the water are included.

[0028] In the pump 20, a suction pipe 41 and an ejection pipe 42 which are connected with the circulation pipe 14 is formed.

[0029] According to the feature of the whirlpool bathtub 1 according to the present invention, the pump 20 is installed in the internal space 11 of the bathtub body 10, but the condenser 31, which is connected to the motor 30 in a circuit scheme for driving the motor 30, is installed at the outside of the bathtub body 10 instead of the internal space 11 of the bathtub body 10.

[0030] In the whirlpool bathtub 1 of the present invention, the installation position of the condenser 31 is the outside of the bathtub body 10. The installation position of the condenser 31 is not particularly limited so long as the operator needs not to remove the bathtub body 10 from the bathroom 2 for replacement of the condenser 31. For example, the condenser 31 may be installed on an outer surface 15 of the bathtub body 10 from such as an upper deck of the bath panel 10a or a side of the skirt panel 10b. The condenser 31 may also be installed on a wall surface 3 of the bathroom 2 adjacent to the bathtub body 10.

[0031] As a detailed embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, an example in which the condenser 31 is installed on the skirt panel 10b of the outer surface 15 of the bathtub body 10 by using a condenser chamber 50 to be described below is illustrated.

[0032] Since the bathroom 2 is under a high temperature and humidity environment, when the condenser 31 is directly exposed to the outside, there may be damage to the condenser 31 or a risk of short circuit and electric shock. Accordingly, the condenser 31 may be installed to be accommodated in the condenser chamber 50 which is watertightly fabricated. In this case, an openable check port 51 can be formed in the condenser chamber 50, and thus when the condenser 31 is replaced, the check port 51 is opened, and when the replacement is completed, the check port 51 is closed again and then the condenser chamber 50 can be kept watertight.

[0033] Further, when the check port 51 of the condenser chamber 50 is unintentionally opened, there is a risk of short circuit and electric shock. Accordingly, the check port 51 may be watertightly sealed by a sealant 52 such as silicon in the condenser chamber 50. The sealing of the sealant 52 is released by a knife and the like to open the check port 51. After the condenser 31 is replaced, the check port 51 may be sealed by the sealant 52 such as silicon again.

[0034] When the condenser chamber 50 is installed in the bathtub body 10, the condenser chamber 50 may be integrally formed when the bathtub body 10 is formed. Further, the condenser chamber 50 is separately formed to be adhered to the outer surface 15 of the bathtub body 10 or the wall surface 3 of the bathroom 2 by an adhesive and the like.

[0035] The whirlpool bathtub 1 of the present invention may include an air switch 33 that pneumatically operates a switch terminal 32 installed in the motor 30 in order to turn on/off the motor 30 of the pump 20. The air switch 33 may be installed in the operation panel 60 provided in the deck of the bath panel 10a together with other operating switches.

[0036] As described above, in the whirlpool bathtub 1 of the present invention, since the condenser 31 of the motor 30 used in the pump 20 is installed at the outside rather than the internal space 11 of the bathtub body 10, when the damage to the condenser 31 occupying most of causes of the pump failure occurs, without a complicated and time/cost-consuming operation such as separating the bathtub body 10 from the bathroom 2 and installing the bathtub body in the bathroom 2 again after replacing the condenser 31, the pump 20 can be easily and inexpensively repaired by a simple operation of opening the condenser chamber 50 provided outside the bathtub body 10 and replacing the condenser 31.