Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
W096J07388 ~~3~ ~ PCTIfJ595111331
.1.
ROTARY PULSING VALVE
Background ofi the Invention
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to rotary pulsing valves for whirlpool spas.
Background of the Invention
Whirlpool spas or Jacuzzis typically contain one or more wallirrounted water
jets for massaging an occupant
of the spa. A more effective massage may 6e provided 'rf several jets are
located near each other in a cluster and
the water flaw is sequentiagy switched between individual jets in the cluster.
This switching may be accomplished
6y a multiplexing or pulsing valve.
One such valve has been sold under the name CYCLE-JET. The CYCLE~JET vaMe
includes a turbine wheel
driven by water flow from the valve inlet. The turbine wheel contains a number
of openings which shunt water to
output openings of the valve connected to the individual water jets. As the
turbine wheat rotates, the openings in
thu_ turbine wheel align themselves with infrvidual openings in the valve
which are connected to the output openingx:
thereby allowing water to How from the valve inlet into one of the outlet
openings at a time. Rotation of the
turbine results in the selection of different output openings, and therefore
different water jets. The valve therefore
allows the lecatien of water flow to move about wBhin the cluster of water
jets rather than being fixed at a single
location. This feature allows the water jets to massage a larger area of the
spa occupant's body.
Although it agows movement of the massaging water jet, the CYCLEJET valve
suffers from operational
d'rfficuhies. Rotation of the CYCLE-JET's turbine wheel is easily impeded 6y
the accumulation of smog grains of sand
or grit between the turbine wheel and the vahre housing. Such accumulations
ofi small amounts of contaminants
cause the turbine wheel to seae, thereby halting the valve's switching
operation. Because the CYCLEJET is typically
mounted in the ground near the whirlpool, removing sand accumulations from a
seized valve is often a difficult task.
Additionally, the CYCLE-JET does not allow its user to independently vary the
speed of switching and force
of water emitted from the jets because water flow from the valve inlet also
drives the switching mechanism. Output
water pressure and switching speed are therefore inextricably related to each
other and may not be varied
independently.
Consequently, a reliable pulsing valve which sequentially switches an inlet
water stream among individual
jets for massaging the occupant of a whirlpool is desirable.
Summary of the Invention
In accordance with the present invention, a rotary pulsing valve is provided
in a massaging system for
directing water tlow from a wall of a whirlpool to massage a selected part of
a whirlpool occupants body. The
massaging system includes a closely-spaced array of water jots mounted in the
wall of the whirlpool. The
configuration of the jet array is chosen to match the dimensions of the
selected part of the occupant's body to allow
the water jets to massage the selected part of the occupant.
The massaging system also includes a distributing valve connected to the array
of water jets for
sequentially routing the water flow through the water jets. The distributing
vulva has an inlet portion, a selector
~~~~.~J~
WO 96107388 ~ PCT/U595111331
.2.
disc, a first drive shaft, a reduction gear drive, a second drive shaft a
water turbine, and a plurality at outlets. The
first dr'ne abaft is driven by the water turbine and is connected to the
reduction gear drive. The second drve shaft
is connected to the output of the reduction pear drive and drives the sehtctgr
disc. The selector disc sequentially
distributes the water flow ttuaugh each of the outlets, which are connected to
the water Jets. In one embodiment
of the present invention, the reduction gear drive a a Geneva drive.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus far
massaging a body part of an
occupant of a whiripnol ape is provided. Tha apparatus includes a rectangular
arta.Y of water its mounted in the
wall of the whirlpool for sequentially supplykrp streams of high~preasure
wataJN..to'the body part of the ouupant
The length and width of the arcay are chosen to match the dimensions o"f ~tAe
body part. The apparatus also
includes a multiplexing vahre connected to the array of water jets for
sequediiagy directing water flow through the
jets, the muitipfexing valve being driven by a water turbine through a
reduction gear assembly.
Accatding to yet another aspect of the present invention, the reduction pear
assembly further includes a
first water inbrt for supplykijj water to the water turbine, a plurality of
outlets connected to the water jets, a second
water inky for supplying water-to the outlets, and art output shaft connected
to and driven by the water turbine.
The output shaft is comreeted to the reduction gear assembly. The reduction
gear assembly also includes a drive
shaft connected thereto and driven by the output shaft at a lower angular
speed than the output shaft and a selector
disk connected to tire diva shaft and containing at least one opening. The
opening allows water from the second
water inlet to pass into a selected one of the outlets.
The reduction gear assembly inchttled in the pulsing valve of the present
invention is advarttagaously
resistant to sand accumulation and tfrerefore sohres the problem of jamming
which plagued the prior-art CYCLE-JET
valve. The pulsing valve of the present invention may also 6e adapted to feed
es many water jets as desired. The
switching speed of the valve of the present inremion may advantageously 6e
controlled independently of the water
pressure delivered from the outlets through the piacement of a valve in the
turbine water inlet.
Brief Descrlotion of the Drawinos
~5 FIG. 1 dlustratea generally the pidsing valve of the present invenfmn and
its operating enviromnent.
FIG. 2 is an igustiaiwn of the relationship between FIGS. 2a, 24, and 2c
glusirating one embodiment of
the pulsing value of the present inventron.
FIG. 2a is an expanded, exploded cross-sect'ronal view of a portion of the
pulsing valve depicted in FIG. 2.
FIG. 2tr is an expanded, exploded cross~sactional view of a portion of the
pulsing valve depicted in FIG. 2.
FIG. Zc is an expanded, exploded cross-sectional view of a portion of the
pulsing valve depicted in FIG. 2.
F1G. 3 is an assembled cross-sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a top view of the selector disk contained in the pulsing naive of
FIG. 2.
F1G. 5 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the pulsing valve
of the present invention.
F1G. 5a is a top view of the reduction gear assembly of the valve illustrated
in FIG. 5.
FIG. Ei is a cross-~ctional view of the switching mechanism of the valve
illustrated in FIG. 5.
Detailed Descriotian of the Preferred Embodiments
W096107388 ~"~'~ ~''~#~a~ PCTICtS95/11331
-3-
Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a rotary pulsing valve 10. The
valve 10 includes an inlet line
12, a plurafrty of outlet lines 14, a water turbine inlet line 16, and a water
turbine exhaust line 1 B. The valve body
includes a base 20 and a top 22 connectable to the base by threads 23 tFIG.
31. The vahre outlets 14 are each
connected to lines which feed a plurality of water jets 24 located in a
cluster 26 in a wall of a whirlpool 28.
In operat-ron, water flows through the valve inlet 12 into the valve base 20,
where it is directed by the
valve into one or more of the' outlet fines 14. It then flows into the
whirlpool 28 through one or more of the water
jets 24.
In the embodunent ilhrstrated,in FIG. 1, the jets 24 era arranged in a
rectangular array and six jets are
provided in three rows of two jets apiece. In this embodiment, the occupant of
the spa 28 s-is on a bench 30 in
1D the wh&Ipool std situates hhnself so that his back faces the array or
cluster 26 of jets so that each column of jets
can massage one side of the occupant's back. The pulsing valve 10 sequentially
directs the jets' water flow so that
the occupant's back is massaged by each row of jets from top to bottom. It
achieves this object by fbst directing
water flow into a top row 32 of fats. After the passage of a preset time
interval, the valve 10 sw"itches water flow
from the top row 32 to a middle row 34 of jets. After the passage of another
preset time interval, the valve i0
switches water flaw from the middle row 34 to a bottom row 36 of jets. The
cycle is repeated when the valve
switches water flow from the bottom row 36 back to the top row 32 of water
jets. While only six jets are shown
in FIG. 1, 'rt should be understood that the present invention can operate
with more than six jets or less than six
jets as necessary, depending an the type of massage for which the spa 28 is
configured. Furthermore, the plumbing
connections between the jets 24 and the rotary pulsing valve 10 can be made in
virtually any configuration to
provide virtua8y any sequence of jet operation.
The embodiment of the valve 10 shown in FIG. 1 is illustrated in exploded form
in FIGS. 2, 2a, 26, and
2c and in an assembled crosraectional view in FIG. 3. The valve's selector
mechanism, described in greater detail
below, is powered by a water turbine 38 located in the top portion 22 of the
valve. Power for the turbine 38 is
provided by water flow from the inlet line 1B which a separate from the
valve's main water inlet line 12. The
provision of a separate water inlet line 16 for driving the turbine 38
advantageously agows the switching speed of
the selector mechanism to be varied independently of the water pressure
reaching the spa occupant by the provision
of a valve (not shown) in the water inlet line 16. When this valve is in the
fully open position, water flows into
the turbine 38 with greater pressure, thereby rotating the turbine 38 at a
greater speed and providing a relatively
short switching interval. If, on the other hand, the valve is partially
closed, the turbine 38 will rotate more slowly,
thereby switching the output line less frequently.
The turbine 38 receives water from the water inlet fine 16 and exhausts water
to the exhaust line 18 after
extracting kinetic energy from the water stream. Water from the inlet line 16
turns a turbine wheel 40. The turbine
wheel 40 is connected to a first drive shaft or output shaft 42 supported by
bearings 44 and 46.
The first dr-rve shaft 42 rotates a driving gear 48 connected to a reduction
gear drive 50 mounted in a
housing 51. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the reduction gear
drive 50 includes three reducing gears
52. Two of the reducing gears 52 are mounted on an auxiliary shaft 53 and
separated by a spacer 55. Each of
wo 9s~o73ss ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~J ~ PCTR7S9RIt133t
.4.
the gears 52 has a drivitrg portion 54 and a driven portion 56. The driving
portion of each gear 52 has 14 teeth,
while the driven portion has 45 teeth. The driving portion of the final
reducing gear 52 rotates an output gear 58,
which is connected to an output or second drive shaft 60. This output shaft 60
supplies power to the selector,
described in morn detail below. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2 and
3, the ratio of the angular velocity of
the output drive shaft 60 to that of the first drive shaft 42 less than 1:100.
This reduction in angular velocity of
the output drive shaft 60 advantsgeeusly allows 8 to provide suffieierrt
torque to rotate the selector even in the
presence of sand or other contaminants, thereby eliminating the sa~ie,problem
presetrt in prior-art devices.
The output drive shaft 60 is connected to a selector disk fit; dfustretad in
top view kt FIG. 4. The selector
disk 62 is mounted on a shaft 66 and on thrust bearings 66 vrhich allow the
output drive shaft 60 to rotate the
disk. The selector disk 62 is solid except for two openings 64. The openings
64 oppose individual water outlet
lines 14. The provision of the openings 64 at 180 degree intervals
advantagaousfy balances the forces applied io
the selector 62 by water flow through it during operation of the spa.
In operation, water passes into the body 20 of the valve through the inlet l2.
The water then travels
through diffuser disks 70 and 72 which contain perforations to allow the
passage of the water to the region of the
selector disk 62 without flowing forcefully against the disk 62. Water then
passes through the openings 64 in the
selector to the individual outlet lines 14 which are apposite the openings 64.
As the output dr'we shaft 60 rotates
the sslector disk 62, the openings 64 in the selector disk rotate, thereby
directing water flow to different outlet lines
14 and sequentially sw'rtctting water flow among the individual lines 14 in a
periodic manner.
While the selector disk illustrated in FIG. 4 contains two outlet openings,
'rt can also be provided with only
one opening or with throe or more openings. The number of openings 64 provided
in the aetactor disk depends on
the number of outlet lines 14 which are provided as well as the geometric
configuration of the jets and the desired
massage effect. in the embodiment Hlustrated in FIGS. i~4, in which the
whklpool a configured for back massage,
'tt is desitahle to provide six outlet Hnes 14 and to energize than pairwise.
As mentioned above, the energizing of
the lines pairwise also balances the forces appFed to the selector disk 60 by
water flow.
An alternate embodiment of the invention emp6oying a Geneva reduction gear
dries is illustrated in FIGS.
5, 5a, and 6. As with the fast embodiment, the reduction gear drive of this
embodiment is dr'rvan by a water turbine
100 having a separate water inlet line 101, which rotates a warm gear 102. The
worm gear 102 rotates a toothed
gear 104. This toothed gear includos a raised cygndrical center section 106
and a peg 108.
The toothed gear t04 opposes a Geneva gear 110 which has a plurality of
arcuate faces 112 and slats
114. As the worm gear 102 rotates the toothed gear 104, the peg 108 an the
gear 104 engages one of the slots
114 on the Geneva gear; causing the Geneva gear to rotate with the toothed
gear 104 through a preset angle.
When the Geneva gear 110 has rotated through this angle, the peg 10B moves
away from engagement with the slat
114, and the raised center section 106 of the toothed gear 104 rotates to
oppose one of the arcuate faces 112
of the Geneva gear. This center section rotates opposite the face 112 of the
Geneva gear without moving it until
the peg 108 has rotated sufficiently to again come into engagement with
another of the Geneva gear's slots 114,
whereupon the rotation of the Geneva gear is repeated.
W096l11738f3 ,a.~ ,i ~ ~ PCTlU595f11331
-5-
The Geneva gear 110 is connected to a shaft 116 (FIG. 6). to which a selector
disk i 1 B is also attached.
As in the first-0escribed embodiment, the selector disk contains openings 119
which direct water from the inlet line
120 into the outlet lines 122 in pairwise fashion. As the Geneva gear 110
rotates, the openings an the selector
disk 118 move into oppos'rtian with different outlet line openings, thereby
periodically routing water to different pairs
of outlet lines.
In add'rtian to reduced susceptibility to secure from contaminant
accumulations and the ability to control
aw'rtching speed independently of water pressure, the Geneva reduction gear
drive advantageously provides a sharper
swhching action between the individual water jets than the reduction gear
drive of the first embodiment because
of its stepwise, rather than continuous, movement. This more abrupt switching
made possble by the use of the
Geneva reduction gear drive improves the overag quality of the massage.
Having thus descrioed the present invention, many modifications thereto will
become apparent to those
skilled in the art to which it pertains without departing from the scope and
spirit of the present invention as defined
in the appended claims.
