TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an automatic hair-washing apparatus intended for use in a beauty shop or the like and capable of automatically carrying out all the hair-washing processes from the hair shampooing process in which hair is shampooed with a shampoo through a rinsing process.

BACKGROUND ART

In a beauty shop or the like, hair is washed manually by a hairdresser or an assistant hairdresser. Since hair-washing work involves warm water and a shampoo solution, the shampooer\'s hands are subject to the harmful action of the shampoo solution, one reason most shampooers dislike hair-washing work. Furthermore, hair-washing requires considerable time and labor and is an obstacle to efficient hairdressing.

Under these circumstances, automatic hair-washing apparatus have been proposed. An automatic hair-washing apparatus proposed in Japanese Patent Publication (Kokoku) No. 52-31790 washes hair by use of the pressure of jets of water jetted through nozzles. An automatic hair-washing apparatus proposed in Japanese Patent Publication (Kokoku) No. 63-20122 washes hair by pressing hair with reciprocating plates. These

previously proposed automatic hair-washing apparatus improve a series of hair-washing processes and prevent harm to the shampooer\'s hands.

The former known automatic hair-washing apparatus using the pressure of jets of water jetted through the nozzles washes hair simply by jetting water through the nozzles, and the relatively weak jets of water are unable to wash hair as well as could be done by hand. Furthermore, the hair-washing apparatus operates in a fixed hair-washing mode and is unable to wash hair in a manner appropriate to an intended hairdo, the type of the shampoo used for shampooing and other conditions.

The latter known automatic hair-washing apparatus uses individual reciprocating plates for washing hair in the occipital region, in the temporal region and in the parietal region, respectively, by pressing the hair. However, the reciprocating plates are unable to deal properly with every head having a unique shape and, therefore, hair in regions the reciprocating plates cannot reach cannot be satisfactorily washed.

When a deep washbowl provided with nozzles on the bottom thereof is used, it is difficult to jet washing water at an effectively high pressure against the occipital region because the occipital region is far from the nozzles.

The conventional hair-washing apparatus employs an ordinary washbowl provided with a drain hole at its bottom. When washing very long hair in this washbowl,

the hair will reach the bottom of the washbowl; consequently, hair may be soiled by grime adhering to the bottom of the washbowl or may clog the drain hole to obstruct draining off the washbowl. Such situations are quite unpleasant to the customer and are significant problems in the sanitary management of the hair-washing apparatus which is used for washing the hair of various individuals in the beauty shop. If very long hair is exposed to jets of water, it will become disheveled, will not be thoroughly washed and will tangle.

The automatic hair-washing apparatus is provided with a movable hood to prevent high-pressure washing water from scattering outside the hair-washing apparatus, and the hood is provided with a sealing member to seal the gap between the hood and the head. However, the sealing member is not flexible enough to conform perfectly to the shape and size of the head and hence gaps will be formed between the sealing member and the head when the head is very small.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The present invention has been made to solve the foregoing problems in the conventional automatic hair- washing apparatus, and it is therefore a first object of the present invention to provide an automatic hair- washing apparatus capable of automatically washing hair in a mode that is pleasant to the customer, that

uniformly washes all the portions of hair, and that washes hair in a mode similar to a manual washing mode.

A second object of the present invention is to provide an automatic hair-washing apparatus capable of shooting powerful streams of washing water on hair.

A third object of the present invention is to provide an automatic hair-washing apparatus having a simple structure capable of preventing hair from touching the bottom surface of the washbowl. A fourth object of the present invention it to provide an automatic hair-washing apparatus having a comparatively simple structure capable of preventing water from leaking out through gaps between a hood and the head. A fifth object of the present invention is to provide an automatic hair-washing apparatus capable of enhancing the washing effect of water jetted through nozzles or sprayed by a shower head and having a piping system capable of efficiently using water and warm water.

An automatic hair-washing apparatus in a first aspect of the present invention comprises a washbowl, a plurality of nozzles for spouting water and/or a shampoo against hair to wash the hair by pressure-fed water so discharged from the nozzles, and is characterized by a shampoo spraying device for spraying a shampoo solution on hair, a warm water supply line for supplying warm water to the nozzles, provided with a valve unit for

controlling the supply of warm water to the nozzles, and a controller for controlling the shampoo supplying device and the valve unit to operate the nozzles selectively according to a predetermined hair-washing program in hair-washing processes including a shampooing process and a rinsing process.

The nozzles include, at the least, temporal region washing nozzles for spouting water against the right and left temporal regions, where the controller may control the valve unit for the simultaneous operation of the right and left temporal region washing nozzles, and may also control the valve unit so that the operation of the nozzles is stopped temporarily for a time after the shampoo has been sprayed on the hair to enable the shampoo to decompose the oil of the hair before rinsing, or may control the valve unit so that water is jetted through the nozzles simultaneously with the supply of shampoo from the shampoo supplying device.

The automatic hair-washing apparatus may be provided with a plurality of valve units and a plurality of flow regulating units respectively for the nozzles.

An automatic hair-washing apparatus in a second aspect of the present invention comprises a washbowl, a plurality of nozzles for spouting water and/or a shampoo against hair to wash the hair by pressure-fed water, and is characterized in that the nozzles are arranged on the front wall, the side walls and the back wall of the

washbowl, and the nozzles are arranged on the front wall of the washbowl so as to spout water diagonally upward.

An automatic hair-washing apparatus in a third aspect of the present invention comprises a washbowl capable of accommodating the customer\'s head, and a plurality of nozzles for spouting water and/or a shampoo solution against hair, and is characterized in that the the bottom of the washbowl is formed so that the depth of the front portion of the washbowl is smaller than that of the back portion of the same.

An automatic hair-washing apparatus in a fourth aspect of the present invention comprises a washbowl capable of accommodating the customer\'s head, a drain pipe connected to the washbowl, and a plurality of nozzles for spouting water against the customer\'s head, and is characterized by a straining structure capable of supporting hair and straining water. The straining structure may be provided with guide members to prevent the disheveling of hair during washing. An automatic hair-washing apparatus in a fifth aspect of the present invention comprises a washbowl capable of accommodating the customer\'s head, a plurality of nozzles for spouting pressure-fed water and/or a shampoo solution against the head to wash hair, and a hood movably connected to the washbowl and having a recess for receiving the customer\'s head, characterized by an elastic sealing member attached to

the hood to seal gaps between the hood and the customer\'s head.

The washbowl of the automatic hair-washing apparatus may be provided, for more pleasant and efficient washing, with a shower head having a body and a sprinkling plate attached to the discharge end of the body. The body of the shower head may be provided with an air supply passage connected to a compressed air source, such as a compressor in addition to a water supply passage, and the discharge end may be opened into the water supply passage.

The automatic hair-washing apparatus may be provided with a tank separately containing surface active agents, such as a shampoo and a rinse, a water source for supplying cold or hot water, and a nozzle head connected to the tank and the water source by separate supply lines and capable of mixing cold or hot water supplied from the water source with the surface active agent supplied from the tank. The washbowl may be provided with nozzles for spouting cold or warm water toward into the washbowl, and a shower head on the upper back wall thereof to spray water on the frontal region and the parietal region of the customer\'s head. The shower head may have a laterally elongated body provided with two or more groups of spraying holes, the spraying holes of each group are formed so that the axes of the spraying holes

intersect each other, and the body of the shower head can be turned about its axis.

The automatic hair-washing apparatus may comprise nozzles for spouting cold or warm water, and a liquid agent, such as a shampoo solution, into the washbowl, supply lines for supplying water and liquid agent to the nozzles, valves provided on the supply lines to open and close the supply lines, a controller for controlling the valves and a draining system for operating the valves when a washing start signal is provided by the controller to drain off water remaining in the supply lines and the nozzles.

The automatic hair-washing apparatus may comprise a washbowl capable of accommodating the customer\'s head, shower heads arranged so as to spray cold or warm water on all the regions of the customer\'s head, a nozzle for spouting a liquid surface active agent, such as a shampoo solution or the like, into the washbowl, and a controller for controlling the supply of cold or warm water, and the liquid surface active agent.

The automatic hair-washing apparatus in accordance with the present invention carries out hair-washing processes including a shampooing process and a rinsing process efficiently according to a predetermined hair- washing program. Warm water can be discharged through the nozzles in different modes by controlling the valve units provided on the warm water supply line to regulate

the flow of the water to the nozzles, and by the flow regulating units.

The nozzles arranged respectively on the front wall, the back wall and the side walls of the washbowl enable water to be jetted on all the regions of the customer\'s head without moving the nozzles.

The nozzles arranged on the bottom surface and the front wall of the washbowl enable water to be jetted on the nape of the neck. The nozzles arranged in a plane around the customer\'s head are able to spout water uniformly over all the regions of the customer\'s head in cooperation with other nozzles, and also to spout water perpendicularly on the customer\'s head.

The arrangement of the nozzles for spouting water upward from the front declining portion of the bottom surface of the washbowl provides a space for the installation of mechanical components under the bottom surface of the washbowl and decreases the distance between the same nozzles and the back of the head. The straining structure supports hair so that it will not extend to the bottom surface of the washbowl, allowing the water discharged through the nozzles to be drained off smoothly.

The elastic sealing member, having a lip bent inward and attached to the hood so as to seal gaps between the hood and the head, is capable of elastically conforming to the shape of the head, so that the gaps can be perfectly sealed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a partly cutaway plan view of an automatic hair-washing apparatus in a first embodiment according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a partly cutaway front view of the automatic hair-washing apparatus of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partly cutaway side view of the automatic hair-washing apparatus of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a block diagram of a control system included in the automatic hair-washing apparatus of Fig.

1;

Fig. 5 is a block diagram of assistance in explaining a controller included in the automatic hair- washing apparatus of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a flow chart of a portion of a control program to be executed by the control system;

Fig. 7 is a flow chart of another portion of the control program;

Fig. 8 is a time chart showing the timing of operation of functional components of the automatic hair-washing apparatus of Fig. 1 in a hair-washing cycle;

Figs. 9(a), 9(b) and 9(c) are graphs of assistance in explaining the variation of discharge with time;

Fig. 10 is a block diagram of a modification of the control system of Fig. 4;

Fig. 11 is a front view of an automatic hair- washing apparatus in a second embodiment according to the present invention;

Figs. 12(a) and 12(b) are a plan view and a fragmentary side view, respectively, of the automatic hair-washing apparatus of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a plan view of a washbowl provided with shower heads and nozzles, included in the automatic hair-washing apparatus of Fig. 11;

Fig. 14 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line A-A in Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line B-B in Fig. 13;

Fig. 16 is a piping diagram of a piping system included in the automatic hair-washing apparatus of Fig.

11;

Fig. 17 is a time chart showing the timing of operation of the components of the automatic hair- washing apparatus of Fig. 11 for a long hair washing mode;

Fig. 18 is a time chart showing the timing of operation of the components of the automatic hair- washing apparatus of Fig. 11 for a short hair washing mode;

Fig. 19 is a partly cutaway plan view of an automatic hair-washing apparatus in a third embodiment according to the present invention;

Fig. 20 is a partly cutaway front view of the automatic hair-washing apparatus of Fig. 19;

Fig. 21 is a partly cutaway side view of the automatic hair-washing apparatus of Fig. 19;

Fig. 22 is a block diagram of a control system included in the automatic hair-washing apparatus of Fig. -- >\'

Fig. 23 is a block diagram of assistance in explaining a controller included in the automatic hair- washing apparatus of Fig. 19;

Fig. 24 is a front view of an automatic hair- washing apparatus in a fourth embodiment according to the present invention;

Figs. 25(a) and 25(b) are a plan view and a fragmentary side view, respectively, of the automatic hair-washing apparatus of Fig. 24; Fig. 26 is a plan view of a washbowl provided with shower heads and nozzles, included in the automatic hair-washing apparatus of Fig. 24;

Fig. 27 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line A-A in Fig. 26; Fig. 28 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line B-B in Fig. 26;

Fig. 29 is a front view of an automatic hair- washing apparatus in a fifth embodiment according to the present invention;

Fig. 30 is a plan view of a washbowl included in the automatic hair-washing apparatus of Fig. 29;

Fig. 31 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on B-B in Fig. 30;

Fig. 32 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line A-a in Fig. 30;

Fig. 33 is a partly cutaway plan view of an automatic hair-washing apparatus in a sixth embodiment according to the present invention;

Fig. 34 is a partly cutaway front view of the automatic hair-washing apparatus of Fig. 33;

Fig. 35 is a partly cutaway side view of the automatic hair-washing apparatus of Fig. 33;

Fig. 36 is a partly cutaway back view of a washbowl included in the automatic hair-washing apparatus of Fig. 33;

Fig. 37 is a perspective view of a hair supporting member;

Figs. 38(a), 38(b), 38(c) and 38(d) are perspective views of other possible hair supporting members;

Fig. 39 is a perspective view of hangers for hanging the hair supporting member;

Fig. 40 is a longitudinal sectional view of an automatic hair-washing apparatus in a seventh embodiment according to the present invention;

Fig. 41 is a perspective view of a hair supporting member for the automatic hair-washing apparatus of Fig. 40;

Fig. 42 is a plan view of the hair supporting member of Fig. 41 as placed in the wash ball;

Fig. 43 is a side view of the hair supporting member of Fig. 41 as placed in the washbowl;

Fig. 44 is a front view of a hood in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 45 is a plan view of the hood of Fig. 44;

Fig. 46 is a sectional view taken on line X-X in Fig. 44;

Figs. 47(a) and 47(b) are a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view and a fragmentary plan view, respectively, of an automatic hair-washing apparatus provided with the hood of Fig. 44;

Fig. 48 is a plan view of an automatic hair- washing apparatus in an eighth embodiment according to the present invention;

Fig. 49 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line A-A in Fig. 48;

Fig. 50 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line B-B in Fig. 48;

Fig. 51 is a longitudinal sectional view of an air-water mixing shower head;

Fig. 52 is a piping diagram of a piping system for supplying washing water, a shampoo solution and a rinse solution to nozzle heads;

Fig. 53 is a longitudinal sectional view of a nozzle head;

Fig. 54 is a sectional view taken on line C-C in Fig. 53;

Figs. 55(a) and 55(b) are a plan view and a front view, respectively, of a shower head for spraying a liquid on the frontal region and the parietal region of the head;

Fig. 56 is a front view of the main unit of the shower head;

Figs. 57(a) and 57(b) are sectional views of the nozzle head in different positions;

Fig. 58 is a sectional view of another shower head for spraying a liquid on the frontal region and the parietal region of the head;

Figs. 59(a) and 59(b) are sectional views taken on line C-C in Fig. 58, showing the outer tube of the shower head in different positions;

Fig. 60 is a block diagram of assistance in explaining a control system for turning the outer tube;

Fig. 61 is a flow chart of a control program for controlling a motor for turning the outer tube;

Fig. 62 is a piping diagram of a piping system for supplying washing water from a combination valve to shower heads and nozzle heads;

Fig. 63 is a time chart of assistance in explaining a mode of operation of the valves of the piping system of Fig. 62 when draining off the piping system;

Fig. 64 is a time chart of assistance in explaining another mode of operation of the valves of the piping system of Fig. 62 when draining off the piping system;

Fig. 65 is circuit diagram of another piping system connecting a combination valve to shower heads and nozzle heads;

Fig. 66 is a time chart of assistance in explaining the timing of operation of the valves of the piping system of Fig. 65; and Fig. 67 is a piping diagram of a piping system for supplying washing water, a shampoo solution and a rinse solution to shower heads and nozzle heads.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION First Embodiment

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are a partly cutaway plan view, a front view and a side view, respectively of an automatic hair-washing apparatus in a first embodiment according to the present invention. Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the automatic hair- washing apparatus is provided with a washbowl 102 mounted on a washstand 101. The washbowl 102 has a neck supporting portion 102a for supporting the customer\'s

neck. A drain pipe 102b is connected to the bottom surface of the washbowl 102. A movable hood 103 having an opening 103a for receiving the customer\'s head therethrough is joined to the upper end of the washbowl 102 to prevent splashing the automatic hair-washing apparatus. The hood 103 is made of a transparent plastic to enable observation of the hair-washing operation. A hand shower head 104 is connected to a retractable hose, not shown. A combination valve 105 with a thermostat is provided with a temperature setting knob 105a and a flow regulating knob 105b. The combination valve 105 mixes hot water and cold water to provide washing water of a desired temperature.

The washbowl 102 and the hood 103 are provided with washing nozzles 106, i.e., a washing nozzle 106a for washing the frontal region of the head, washing nozzles 106b for washing the parietal region of the head, washing nozzles 106c for washing the temporal regions of the head and a washing nozzle 106d for washing the occipital region of the head, through which washing water and a shampoo solution are spouted against hair to spout washing water and the shampoo solution uniformly over all the portions of hair.

A shampoo tank 107a containing the shampoo solution and a rinse tank 107b containing a rinse solution are disposed within the washstand 101. A shampoo-rinse supply unit 107 comprising a shampoo supply device 107c and a rinse supply device 107d

supplies the shampoo solution and the rinse solution individually, a water-shampoo mixture or a water-rinse mixture to the washing nozzles 106.

An operating unit 108 provided with switches is operated to start a washing operation, to stop the washing operation and to select a desired washing control program among a plurality of different washing control programs. The operating unit 108 can be controlled by means of a remote controller 109. A sensor 110 comprising an infrared projector 110a and a photoelectric device 110b and connected to a controller 116 is disposed within the washbowl 102. The sensor 110 gives a detection signal upon the detection of the head in the washbowl 102 to enable the operation of the automatic hair-washing apparatus only when a head is placed in the washbowl 102 so that the automatic hair-washing apparatus will not operate accidentally and splash water outside the washbowl 102.

Referring to Fig. 4, a cold water supply line C and a hot water supply line H are connected to the combination valve 105. The combination valve 105 mixes cold water and hot water properly to provide warm washing water of the desired temperature. The washing water of the desired temperature is distributed through the flow regulating valve 112 comprising a piezoelectric actuator and a diaphragm valve to the hand shower head 104 and the washing nozzles 106a, 106b, 106c and 106d. The hand shower head 104 is provided with a solenoid

valve 113, and the washing nozzles 106a, 106b, 106c and 106d are provided with vacuum breakers 115 for checking the reverse flow of washing water, and solenoid valves 114a, 114b, 114c and 114d, respectively. The flow regulating valve 112, the solenoid valves 113, 114a, 114b, 114c and 114d, and the shampoo/rinse supply unit 107 are controlled by the controller 116 disposed within the washstand 101 according to set values set by operating the operating unit 108 to control the discharge and flow rate of washing water and the shampoo solution from the washing nozzles 106a, 106b, 106c and 106d. As shown in Fig. 5, the controller 116 comprises a CPU 116a, an input interface 116b, an output interface 116c, and a storage device 116d for storing control programs.

The operation of the automatic hair-washing apparatus will be described hereinafter with reference to Figs. 6, 7 and 8.

The sensor 110 becomes effective when the main switch of the operating unit 108 is closed. When the sensor 110 provides a detection signal indicating the detection of the head in the washbowl 102, a first washing cycle is started. In the first washing cycle, the solenoid valves 114a, 114b, 114c and 114d are opened for a time Ti to discharge washing water from all the washing nozzles 106a, 106b, 106c and 106d to wash hair entirely with warm washing water.

Then, a shampooing cycle is started. In the shampooing cycle, the shampoo supply device 107c is actuated and the solenoid valve 114a is opened for a time T ₂ to discharge a water-shampoo mixture from the washing nozzle 106a for washing the temporal region against hair for shampooing. Then, the solenoid valve 114 is closed and the solenoid valve 114b is opened to discharge the water-shampoo mixture from the washing nozzles 106b for shampooing the parietal region. Similarly, the solenoid valves 114c and 114d are opened sequentially to discharge the water-shampoo mixture from the washing nozzles 106c for washing the temporal regions and the washing nozzle 106d for washing the occipital region. Thus, the hair is shampooed entirely. After completion of the shampooing cycle, a second washing cycle is started. In the second washing cycle, all the solenoid valves 1141, 114b, 114c and 114d are opened for a time T ₄ rinse the shampoo from the hair, and then the solenoid valves 114b, 114c and 114d are opened sequentially in that order for washing.

Then, a rinsing cycle is started. In the rinsing cycle, a rinse solution is discharged sequentially against the parietal region, the temporal regions, the occipital region and the frontal region. After completion of the rinsing cycle, a third washing cycle is started. In the third rinsing cycle, all the solenoid valves 114a, 114b, 114c and 114d are opened simultaneously for a time T ₉ to discharge washing

water from the washing nozzles 106a, 106b, 106c and 106d to wash the hair entirely.

The controller 116 controls the shampoo/rinse supply unit 107 and the solenoid valves 114a, 114b, 114c and 114d according to a control program to carry out the first washing cycle, the shampooing cycle, the second washing cycle, the rinsing cycle and the third washing cycle sequentially and automatically. The controller 116 controls the flow regulating valve 112 to control the discharge and the pressure of the washing water in a discharge pattern as shown in Fig. 9(a), 9(b) or 9(c) to simulate a manual hair-washing mode. The discharge of washing water may be increased in the initial stage to a peak and decreased in the final stage as shown in Fig. 9(a), washing water may be discharged intermittently at a fixed discharge as shown in Fig. 9(b) or may be varied periodically as shown in Fig. 9(c).

Since the washing nozzles 106a, 106b, 106c and 106d are opened and closed sequentially to wash the different regions of the head sequentially, the effect of the washing action of the washing water is similar to that of a manual washing action.

The automatic hair-washing apparatus is capable of operating in hair-washing modes other than the foregoing hair-washing mode. A suitable hair-washing mode is determined selectively according to the condition and mass of hair. Conditions for the hair-washing modes, including the duration of the discharge of washing

water, the number of washing cycles, the feed rate of the shampoo solution, the feed rate of the rinse solution and the like are stored beforehand in the storage device 116d of the controller 116. A desired hair-washing mode among those stored in the storage device 116d of the controller 116 is selected by operating the operating unit 108.

Although the automatic hair-washing apparatus washes the frontal region, the parietal region, the temporal regions and the occipital region sequentially in that order, the sequence of washing operations for washing those regions is not limited thereto.

Fig. 10 shows a control system in a modification of the control system shown in Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 10, this control system employs flow regulating valves 12, instead of the solenoid valves 114a, 114b, 114c and 114d, connected respectively to the washing nozzles 106a, 106b, 106c and 106d, and a vacuum breaker 115 connected to the inlet sides of the flow regulating valves 12. The operation and openings of the flow regulating valves 112 are controlled by the controller 116. The control system is able to discharge washing water in the discharge patterns shown in Figs. 9(a) and 9(c) for an enhanced washing effect. Each of the flow regulating valves 112 may comprise a plurality of selector valves in combination instead of the piezoelectric actuator and the diaphragm valve or may be an electrically operated flow regulating

valve, a mechanically operated flow regulating valve or a hydraulically operated flow regulating valve.

The automatic hair-washing apparatus may be provided with more washing nozzles arranged in groups for a further enhanced washing effect. For example, hair can be washed in a more delicate washing mode when five washing nozzles are disposed under the head and the discharges of the five washing nozzles are regulated individually. Second Embodiment

Figs. 11, 12(a) and 12(b) are a front view, a plan view and a fragmentary side view, respectively, of an automatic hair-washing apparatus in a second embodiment according to the present invention. Referring to Figs. 11, 12(a) and 12(b), a washbowl

131 having a shape suitable for receiving the back portion of the customer\'s head with the customer\'s face turned upward is formed integrally with the upper portion of a washstand 132 to be installed on the floor. The washbowl 131 has a size large enough to receive the customer\'s head therein, and the upper open end of the washbowl 131 is covered with a movable hood 131a provided with a recess 131b. An elastic pad 131c formed of rubber or the like is attached to the edge of the recess 131b. The frontal region and the regions above the frontal region of the customer\'s head are inserted through the recess 131b into the hood 131a to place hair within the washbowl 131.

Disposed within the washstand 132 are a combination valve for mixing hot water and cold water to provide washing water of a desired temperature, valves, a piping system for distributing a shampoo solution and a rinse solution supplied from external shampoo and rinse supply systems, and a drain line connected to the drain pipe of the building. An operating unit 131d attached to the rim of the washbowl 131 is operated to control the supply of cold water, hot water, a shampoo solution and a rinse solution.

Figs. 13, 14 and 15 are a plan view of the washbowl 131, a longitudinal sectional view taken on line A-A in Fig. 13, and a longitudinal sectional view taken on line B-B in Fig. 13, respectively. In Fig. 13, the hood 131a is omitted.

Referring to Figs. 13, 14 and 15, the front portion of the bottom surface of the washbowl 131 is raised relative to the back portion of the same, and shower heads N ₄ to N ₇ for spraying washing water on hair in the occipital region of the head are arranged on the shallower front portion of the bottom surface of the washbowl 131 to apply forceful jets of washing water to hair in the occipital region. A drain hole 131e is formed in the deeper back portion of the bottom surface of the washbowl 131 and a drain pipe, not shown, extended within the washstand 132 is connected to the drain hole 131e. A hand shower head 131f is supported near the operating unit 131d on the upper wall of the

washbowl 131, and a hose stored within the washstand 132 is connected to the hand shower head 131f. When necessary, the hand shower head 131f is held by hand, pulling out the hose from the washstand 132. Shower heads i to Nio including the shower heads ₄ to N ₇ , and nozzle heads a, b, c, d and e for spouting a shampoo solution are arranged on the inner surface of the washbowl 131. Hair supporting bars 133 are extended laterally in the washbowl 131 to support very long hair. Washing water, i.e., cold water or warm water, is discharged through the perforated nozzle plates of the shower heads Ni to Nio for wetting or rinsing. The shower heads ₂ , N ₃ , N ₄ , N ₅ and Nχo are able to discharge air together with washing water to enhance the washing effect of washing water. The shower head Ni disposed near the upper end of the back wall of the washbowl 131 is used for washing hair in the frontal region and hair flowing down. As shown in Figs. 14 and 15, the shower head Ni has a laterally elongated shape and is capable of being turned about its axis. The shower head Ni has two laterally elongated, perforated faces to spray washing water on the forehead and hair. The shower head Ni is turned about its axis to adjust the washing water spraying direction according to the size of the head.

The nozzle heads a to e mix hot water, cold water or a mixture of hot water and cold water, and the shampoo solution or the rinse solution to discharge a

shampoo solution or a rinse solution. The spray angle of the nozzle heads a to e is 60°, so that the shampoo solution can be sprayed on all the portions of hair.

Referring to Fig. 16 showing the piping system for supplying washing water, the shampoo solution and the rinse solution to the shower heads Ni to io and the nozzle heads a to e, a combination valve 136 of a known type provided with a thermostat mixes hot water and cold water to supply washing water of a desired temperature to the hand shower head 131f, the shower heads i to io and the nozzle heads a to e. The combination valve 136 is connected to a cold water source and a hot water source and provided with stop valves and strainers. A cold water line connecting the combination valve 136 to the cold water source and a hot water line connecting the same to the hot water source are provided respectively with check valves 136a and 136b. The hand shower head 131f, the shower heads Ni to io and the nozzle heads a to e are connected to a washing water supply line 136c connected to the outlet port of the combination valve 136. Branch lines connecting the hand shower head 131f and the shower heads i to Nio are provided respectively with shutoff valves 131g and 133a to 133j.

The five shower heads N ₂ , N ₃ , N ₄ , N ₅ and io for washing portions of hair in regions where hair is dense and most subject to soiling among the ten shower heads i to io are connected to an air compressor 137 to

spray washing water together with compressed air. The supply of compressed air to the shower heads N ₂ , N ₃ , N ₄ , N ₅ and io is controlled through the control of shutoff valves A to E provided in lines respectively connecting the shower heads N ₂ , N ₃ , N ₄ , N ₅ and io to the air compressor 137. The capacity of the air compressor 137 need not be very large, because compressed air is supplied to only the five shower heads ₂ , N ₃ , N ₄ , N ₅ and Nio among the ten shower heads Ni to Nio. The synergetic effect of the pressure of washing water and that of compressed air enhances washing effect.

The nozzle heads a to e are connected respectively through shutoff valves 134a to 134e to the extremity of the washing water supply line 136c. A shampoo tank 138 containing the shampoo solution is connected to the nozzle heads a to e by shampoo supply branch lines and a shampoo supply line. The shampoo solution is supplied to the nozzle heads a to e by a pump 138a provided in the shampoo supply line at a fixed rate. The nozzle heads a to e are capable of mixing washing water and the shampoo solution to spray the diluted shampoo solution.

The hand shower head 131f is connected to the washing water supply line 136c at a position above the shower heads Ni to Nio and the nozzle heads a to e. Main shutoff valves 140 are provided respectively in a portion of the washing water supply line 136c between the hand shower head 131f and the shower heads i to Nio and a portion of the washing water supply line 136c

between the hand shower head 131f and the nozzle heads a to e. The main shutoff valves 140 are closed when the washing water is supplied only to the hand shower head 131f. The inlet and outlet sides of each main shutoff valve 140 are connected by a bypass line 140a provided with a restrictor and a solenoid valve 140b.

A drain valve 141 for draining off washing water into the washbowl 131 is provided in the washing water supply line 136c at a position below the shower heads ^N ₂ »- N ₃ , N ₄ , N5 and Nio. ^Tne drain valve 141 is opened to drain off washing water remaining in the shower heads Ni to Nio, the nozzle heads a to e and the hand shower head 131f after stopping the supply of washing water from the combination valve 136 into the washbowl 131. A waste line 136d is branched from the hot water supply line connected to the hot water inlet port of the combination valve 136 at a position above the check valve 136b, and a drain valve 142 is provided in the waste line 136d. The shutoff valves 131g and 133a to 133j, the main shutoff valves 140 and the drain valves 141 and 142 provided in the branch lines connected to the washing water supply line 136c connected to the combination valve 136 are shutoff solenoid valves controlled by a controller, not shown.

In Fig. 16, denoted by 143, 144 and 145 are temperature sensors. The temperature sensor 143 provided in the waste line 136d detects the temperature

of hot water supplied from the hot water source. When the temperature of hot water is in a specified temperature range, for example, 47±3°C, the controller closes the drain valve 142 to supply hot water to the combination valve 136. If the temperature of hot water is higher than the upper limit of the specified temperature range or lower than the lower limit of the specified temperature range, the drain valve 142 is opened to discharge hot water into the washbowl 131 so that hot water of an excessively high temperature or an excessively low temperature will not be supplied. When the temperature of hot water is within the specified temperature range, the drain valve 142 is closed to supply hot water to the combination valve 136. The controller opens the main shutoff valve 140 when the temperature of washing water detected by the temperature sensor 144 provided in the line connected to the shower heads Ni to Nio is 40°C. Thus, washing water of a temperature in a temperature range appropriate to pleasant hair-washing is supplied to the shower heads i

The controller controls the timing of operation of the components of the piping system for supplying washing water from the combination valve 136, supplying the shampoo solution from the shampoo tank 138 and supplying compressed air from the air compressor 137 according to conditions determined by operating the switches of the operating unit 131d. When an automatic

operation switch included in the operating unit 131d is closed, the controller controls the components of the piping system for the automatic hair-washing operation including steps of discharging washing water from the shower heads Ni to io for initial wetting, discharging the shampoo solution from the nozzle heads a to e and discharging washing water from the shower heads i to io for shampooing, and discharging the rinse solution from the shower heads Ni to Nio for rinsing. After the completion of one hair-washing cycle, the main shutoff valves 140 and the drain valves 141 and 142 are opened to drain off washing water remaining in the piping system to prevent cold residual washing water from being discharged in the next hair-washing cycle and to prevent washing water of an excessively high or low temperature from being discharged in the next hair-washing cycle.

Fig. 17 is a time chart showing the timing of the operations of the shutoff valves in a long hair washing mode. Referring to Fig. 17, when the main switch is closed, the shower heads Ni to io discharge washing water sequentially in that order. Each of the shower heads Ni to Nio discharges washing water for 9 sec, and the successive washing water discharging periods overlap each other by 0.2 sec. Then, the nozzle heads a to e discharge the shampoo solution twice. The shower heads N ₂ , N ₃ and Nio for washing the temporal regions and the parietal region discharge washing water for 1 to 2 sec, beginning 1 to 5 sec after the discharge of the shampoo

solution. Then, the shower heads Ni to Nio discharge the rinse solution in that order. Each of the shower heads i to Nio discharges the rinse solution for 15 sec and the successive rinse solution discharge periods overlap each other by 0.2 sec. The shower heads N ₂ and N ₃ for the temporal regions discharge the rinse solution simultaneously with the last shower head Nio. Compressed air is supplied to the shower heads N ₂ and N ₃ in the last rinsing cycle, to the shower head Nio before and after supplying the shampoo solution to the shower head Nio and in the last shampooing cycle, to the shower nozzles N ₄ and N ₅ in the first shampooing cycle and when the rinsing cycles.

Since the rinsing operation is started a fixed time (20 sec in this embodiment) after the start of the shampooing operation, the oil in the hair can be sufficiently decomposed by the shampoo solution to enhance the washing effect. Since washing water is discharged from the shower heads N ₂ and N ₃ during shampooing, hair is disheveled by the washing water sprayed thereon by the shower heads N ₂ and N ₃ , so that the shampoo solution is able to penetrate to the skin of the head. The shutoff valves A to E are opened to supply compressed air to the shower heads N ₂ , N ₃ , N ₄ , N ₅ and io after the same shower heads have started discharging washing water and are closed before the same shower heads stop discharging washing water.

Accordingly, compressed air is not wasted and, hence, the air compressor 137 need not be very large.

Fig. 18 is a time chart showing the timing of operations of the shutoff valves in a short hair washing mode. The timing operation of the controller for the short hair washing mode is basically the same as that of the controller for the long hair washing mode, except that the period of the shampooing cycle in the short hair washing mode is 7 sec while the period of the shampooing cycle in the long hair washing mode is 9 sec, and the period of the rinsing cycle in the short hair washing mode is 12 sec while the period of rinsing cycle in the long hair washing mode is 15 sec. The shower heads N ₂ and N ₃ , and the shower heads β and Ng are opened simultaneously to reduce the pressure of washing water when washing the regions where hair is not very dense.

The piping system may be designed so that the shower heads Ni to Nio discharge the rinse solution in addition to washing water and the shampoo solution, to use the ^\' shower heads Ni to io for both shampooing and rinsing. In case of light washing after hair cut, only washing water may be discharged.

Thus, the controller of the automatic hair-washing apparatus in this embodiment controls the discharge of washing water, the shampoo solution and the rinse solution to carry out the predetermined hair-washing procedure including steps of shampooing, rinsing and

washing. Accordingly, the automatic hair-washing apparatus is capable of washing hair in a mode simulating a manual hair-washing mode.

The shutoff valves and the flow regulating devices provided in the water supply lines can be controlled so as to enhance the washing effect by discharging washing water, the shampoo solution and the rinse solution in various modes. The individual control of the shutoff valves and the flow regulating devices combined respectively with the shower heads enables the automatic hair-washing apparatus to wash hair in a hair-washing mode similar to a manual hair-washing mode. Third Embodiment

Figs. 19, 20 and 21 are a partly cutaway plan view, a front view and a side view, respectively, of an automatic hair-washing apparatus in a third embodiment according to the present invention.

Referring to Figs. 19, 20 and 21, a washbowl 202 is mounted on a washstand 201. The washbowl 202 has a bottom surface 202c, a front wall 202d, a back wall 202e and side walls 202f. A neck support 202a is formed in the upper portion of the front wall 202d to support the customer\'s neck with the customer\'s face turned upward when the his or her head is placed in the washbowl 202, and a drain pipe 202b is connected to the bottom surface 202c A movable hood 203 made of a transparent plastic and having a recess 203a through which the customer\'s head is inserted in the washbowl 202 is joined to the

upper end of the washbowl 202 to prevent washing water from splattering outside and to enable the observation of the hair-washing operation.

A hand shower head 204 is connected to a retractable hose, not shown. A combination valve 205 is provided with a flow regulating knob 205b and a thermostat for regulating the temperature of washing water. A shower head 206a for the frontal region of the head, shower heads 206b for the parietal region of the head, shower heads 206c for the temporal regions of the head, and a shower head 206d are arranged respectively on the inner surface of the hood 203, the back wall 202e, the side walls 202f and the front wall 202d. These shower heads are denoted inclusively by 206. The shower heads 206 spray washing water, a shampoo solution and a rinse solution on hair. The nozzle plate of the shower nozzle 206d is turned diagonally upward to spray washing water, the shampoo solution and the rinse solution uniformly over all the portions of hair. A shampoo tank 207a containing the shampoo solution, and a rinse tank 207b containing the rinse solution are disposed within the washstand 201. A pumping unit 207 comprising a shampoo solution supply device 207c and a rinse solution supply device 207d supplies the shampoo solution and the rinse solution individually to the shower heads 206 to spray the shampoo solution and the rinse solution, or a mixture of

washing water and the shampoo solution, and a mixture of washing water and the rinse solution on hair.

Conditions for the hair-washing operation are determined selectively by operating the switches of an operating unit 208. The switches of the operating unit 208 may be operated by a remote controller 209.

A sensor 210 consisting of an infrared projector 210a and a photoelectric device 210b is disposed within the washbowl 202 to detect the head. The automatic hair-washing apparatus is allowed to operate only when the sensor 210 detects the head to prevent washing water from splashing outside the washbowl 202.

Referring to Fig. 22, a cold water supply line C and a hot water supply line H are connected to the inlet ports of the combination valve 205. The combination valve 205 mixes cold water and hot water properly to provide washing water of a desired temperature. Washing water is supplied through a flow regulating valve 212 comprising a diaphragm valve and a piezoelectric actuator and distributed to the shower heads 206a, 206b, 206c and 206d. The hand shower head 204 is provided with a solenoid valve 213, the shower heads 206a, 206b, 206c and 206d are provided with vacuum breakers 215 serving as check valves, and individually controlled solenoid valves 214a, 214b, 214c and 214d, respectively.

The respective operations of the flow regulating valve 212, the solenoid valves 213, 214a, 214b, 214c and 214d and the pumping unit 207 are controlled by a

controller 216 provided within the washstand 201 according to set values set by operating the operating unit 208 to regulate the modes of discharging washing water, the shampoo solution and the rinse solution from the shower nozzles 206a, 206b, 206c and 206d.

As shown in Fig. 23, the controller 216 comprises a CPU 216a, an input interface 216b, an output interface 216c, and a storage device 216d, storing hair-washing operation control programs. The controller 216 controls the pumping unit 207 and the solenoid valves 214a, 214b, 214c and 214d according to a predetermined control program to carry out the hair-washing procedure including a shampooing cycle and a rinsing cycle automatically. A hair-washing operation control program among those stored in the storage device 216d of the controller 216 is selected by operating the switches of the operating unit 208. Hair-washing conditions including the duration of the washing water discharge cycles, the number of washing water discharge cycles and the like can be selectively determined by operating the switches of the operating unit 208. Fourth Embodiment

Figs. 24, 25(a) and 25(b) are a plan view, a plan view and a side view, respectively, of an automatic hair-washing apparatus in a fourth embodiment according to the present invention.

Referring to Figs. 24, 25(a) and 25(b), a washbowl 231 is mounted on a washstand 232 installed on the

floor. The washbowl 231 is able support the customer\'s head at the back side thereof with the customer\'s head turned upward and large enough to receive the customer\'s head therein. A movable hood 231a is joined to the upper end of the washbowl 231 so as to cover the customer\'s head supported on the washbowl 231. A flexible pad 231c formed of rubber or the like is attached to the edge of a recess 231b formed in the hood 231a. The upper portion of the customer\'s head is inserted through the recess 231b in the hood 231a so that hair is received in the washbowl 231.

Disposed within the washstand 232 are a combination valve for mixing hot water and cold water to provide washing water of a desired temperature, other valves, a piping system for distributing a shampoo solution and a rinse solution supplied from external shampoo and rinse supply systems, and a drain line connected to the drain pipe of the building. An operating unit 231d attached to the rim of the washbowl 231 is operated to control the supply of cold water, hot water, the shampoo solution and the rinse solution.

Figs. 26, 27 and 28 are a plan view, a longitudinal sectional view taken on line A-A in Fig. 26, and a longitudinal sectional view taken on line B-B in Fig. 26, respectively, of the washbowl 231. In Fig. 26, the hood 231a is omitted. Referring to Figs. 26 to 28, the washbowl 231 has a stepped bottom surface 250a, a front wall 250b, a back wall 250c and side walls 250d.

Ledges 250e are formed between the back wall 250c and the side walls 250d, and ledges 250f are formed between the bottom surface 250a and the side walls 250d. The bottom surface 250a has a shallower front portion and a deeper back portion on a level below the front portion. Shower heads N ₄ to N ₇ for spraying washing water on hair in the occipital region of the head are arranged on the shallower front portion of the bottom surface 250a to apply forceful jets of washing water to hair in the occipital region. A drain hole 231e is formed in the deeper back portion of the bottom surface 250a and connected to a drain pipe, not shown, extended within the washstand 232. A hand shower head 231f is is supported near the operating unit 231d on the upper wall of the washbowl 231, and a hose, not shown, stored within the washstand 232 is connected to the hand shower head 231f. When necessary, the hand shower head is held by hand, pulling out the hose from the washstand 232. Shower heads i to Nio for spraying washing water, and nozzle heads a to e for spraying a shampoo solution are arranged on the back wall 250c, the side walls 250d, the ledges 250e and 250f and the shallower front portion of the bottom surface 250a. Hair supporting bars 233 are extended laterally in the washbowl 231 to support very long hair.

Washing water, i.e., cold water or warm water, is discharged through the perforated nozzle plates of the shower heads Ni to io for wetting or rinsing. The

shower heads N ₂ , N ₃ , N ₄ , N ₅ and Nio are able to discharge air together with washing water to enhance the washing effect of washing water. The shower head i disposed near the upper end of the back wall 250c of the washbowl 231 is used for washing hair in the frontal region and hair flowing down. The shower head i has a laterally elongate shape and is capable of being turned about its axis. The shower head Ni has two laterally elongate perforated faces to spray washing water on the forehead and hair. The shower head Ni is turned about its axis to adjust the washing water spraying direction according to the size of the head.

The nozzle heads a to e mix hot water, cold water or washing water, i.e., a mixture of hot water and cold water, and the shampoo solution or a rinse solution, and spray the diluted shampoo solution or the diluted rinse solution. The spray angle of the nozzle heads a to e is 60°, so that the diluted shampoo solution or the diluted rinse solution can be sprayed on all the portions of the hair.

When washing hair, first warm water is discharged from the shower heads Ni to Nio to wet the hair, and then the shampoo solution is discharged from the nozzle heads a to e on the hair for shampooing. After the completion of shampooing, washing water is discharged from the shower heads Ni to Nio for rinsing. The shower heads N ₂ and N ₃ are arranged on the ledges 250e so as to spray washing water toward the head, and the nozzle

heads d and e are arranged on the ledges 250f so as to spray the shampoo solution toward the head. Thus, washing water, the shampoo solution and the rinse solution can be sprayed perpendicularly and uniformly on the head.

Thus, the automatic hair-washing apparatus fixedly provided with the shower heads on the front, back and side walls of the washbowl is capable of spraying washing water on all the portions of hair without oscillating the shower heads.

Since the shower nozzle is arranged on the bottom surface of the washbowl, the shower heads are arranged on the front wall of the washbowl with their nozzle plates turned diagonally upward and the shower heads are arranged on the ledges formed between the back wall and the side walls and between the bottom and the side walls, washing water can be sprayed substantially perpendicularly to the entire surface of the head to utilize the pressure of washing water for the maximum washing effect and to enable washing water and the shampoo solution to penetrate to the skin of the head so that both the hair and the skin of the head are washed in a mode similar to a manual hair-washing mode. Fifth Embodiment Fig. 29 is a front view of an automatic hair- washing apparatus in a fifth embodiment according to the present invention and Figs. 30, 31 and 32 are a plan view, a sectional view taken on line B-B in Fig. 30 and

a sectional view taken on line A-A in Fig. 30, respectively, of a washbowl employed in the automatic hair-washing apparatus of Fig. 29. In Figs. 30, 31 and 32, a hood is omitted.

Referring to Fig. 29, the automatic hair-washing apparatus has a washbowl 301 mounted on a washstand 302 installed on the floor. The washbowl 301 has a shape capable of supporting the customer\'s head at its back side with the customer\'s face turned upward and a size large enough to accommodate the customer\'s head. A movable hood 301a is joined to the upper end of the washbowl 301 so as to cover the head supported on the washbowl 301. A flexible sealing member 301c formed of rubber or the like is attached to the edge of a recess 301b formed in the hood 301a. The upper portion of the customer\'s head is inserted through the recess 301b in the hood 301a so that hair is received in the washbowl 301.

Disposed within the washstand 302 are a combination valve for mixing hot water and cold water to provide washing water of a desired temperature, valves, a piping system for distributing a shampoo solution and a rinse solution supplied from the external shampoo and rinse supply systems, and a drain line connected to the drain pipe of the building. An operating unit 301d (Fig. 30) attached to the rim of the washbowl 301 is operated to control the supply of cold water, hot water, the shampoo solution and the rinse solution. In Fig.

30, denoted by 301e and 301f are a flow regulating knob and a hand shower head which can be held by hand, respectively.

The washbowl 301 consists of flat walls, and shower heads Ni to N ₅ for spraying washing water and shampoo nozzle heads Si to S ₄ for spraying the shampoo solution and the rinse solution are arranged on the walls of the washbowl 301. The automatic hair-washing apparatus may be provided with shower heads capable of sequentially spraying washing water, the shampoo solution and the rinse solution instead of the shower heads i to N ₅ , especially for showering washing water and the shampoo nozzle heads Si to S ₄ , especially for spraying the shampoo solution and the rinse solution. As clearly shown in Fig. 32, the bottom surface of the washbowl 301 has a shallower front portion 305 and a deeper back portion on a level below the front portion 305. A drain hole 301g is formed in the deeper back portion. The shampoo nozzle head Si and the shower head Ni for the occipital region are arranged on the shallower front portion 305 to dispose the shampoo nozzle head Si and the shower head Ni close to the occipital region of the head so that forceful jets of the shampoo solution and the washing water can be applied to the hair in the occipital region for effective shampooing and washing without using any pressure pump. A controller for controlling the supply of washing water to the shower heads Ni to N ₅ and the

supply of the shampoo solution and the rinse solution to the shampoo nozzle heads Si to S ₄ can be disposed under the shallower portion 305 of the bottom surface of the washbowl 301. Thus, the automatic hair-washing apparatus can be of a compact construction.

Hair supporting member 307, formed of stainless steel, is detachably supported in the washbowl 301 to support very long hair so that the hair will not be disheveled. Washing water, i.e., a mixture of cold water and hot water, is discharged through the perforated nozzle plates of the shower heads Ni to for wetting and rinsing. The shower head N ₅ disposed on the back wall of the washbowl 301 sprays washing water on the hair in the frontal region and on hair flowing downward. The shower head N ₅ has a laterally elongate shape, is capable of being turned about its axis and has two laterally elongate perforated faces to spray washing water on the forehead and hair. The shower head N ₅ is turned about its axis to adjust the washing water spraying direction according to the size of the head.

The shampoo nozzle heads Si to S ₄ mix hot water, cold water or washing water, i.e., a mixture of hot water and cold water, and the shampoo solution or the rinse solution, and spray the diluted shampoo solution of the diluted rinse solution. The spray angle of the shampoo nozzle heads Si to S4 is 60°, so that the

diluted shampoo solution or the diluted rinse solution can be sprayed on all the portions of the hair.

The operations of the shampoo nozzle heads Si to S ₄ and the shower heads i to N ₅ are controlled by the controller, not shown, disposed within the washstand, and conditions for the hair-washing mode can be selectively determined by operating the operating unit 301d.

Thus, the automatic hair-washing apparatus is capable of washing very long hair without disheveling the same and of discharging forceful jets of washing water against hair in the occipital region of the head and has a compact construction. Sixth Embodiment Figs. 33, 34 and 35 are a partly cutaway plan view, a partly cutaway front view and a sectional side view, respectively, of an automatic hair-washing apparatus in a sixth embodiment according to the present invention, and Fig. 36 is a back view of a washbowl employed in the automatic hair-washing apparatus of Fig. 33.

A washbowl 402 having a neck supporting portion 402a for supporting the customer\'s head at the neck is mounted on a washstand 401. A drain pipe 402b is connected to a drain hole 402c formed in the bottom surface of the washbowl 402. A movable hood 403 provided with a recess 403a for receiving the head therethrough is joined to the upper end of the washbowl

402 to prevent washing water from scattering outside. The hood 403 is formed of a transparent plastic to enable the observation of the hair-washing operation.

A hand shower head 404 is connected to a retractable hose, not shown. A combination valve 405 is provided with a temperature setting knob 405a, a flow regulating knob 405b and a thermostat for regulating the temperature of washing water.

A shower head 406a for the frontal region of the head, shower heads 406b for the parietal region of the head, shower heads 406c for the temporal regions of the head and a shower head 406d for the occipital region are arranged on the inner surface of the hood 403 and the walls of the washbowl 402, respectively. The shower heads 406a, 406b, 406c and 406d are denoted inclusively by 406. The shower heads 406 are arranged so that washing water, a shampoo solution and a rinse solution can be uniformly sprayed on all the portions of the hair. Disposed within the washstand 401 are a shampoo tank 407a containing the shampoo solution, a rinse tank 407b containing the rinse solution, and a shampoo/rinse supply unit 407 comprising a shampoo solution supply device and a rinse solution supply device. The shampoo/rinse supply unit 407 supplies the shampoo solution and the rinse solution to the shower heads 406. The shower heads 406 spray washing water, the shampoo solution or a mixture of the shampoo solution and

washing water, and the rinse solution or a mixture of the rinse solution and washing water.

An operating unit 408 is provided with switches, which are operated to start and stop the automatic hair- washing apparatus and to determine conditions for the hair-washing operation. The switches of the operating unit 408 may be operated by a remote controller 409.

A sensor 410 consisting of an infrared projector 410a attached to one of the side walls of the washbowl 402 and a photoelectric device 410b attached to the other side wall of the washbowl 402 detects the head placed in the washbowl 402. The automatic hair-washing apparatus is able to operate only when the head is detected by the sensor 410 to prevent washing water from splattering outside the washbowl 402.

The washbowl 402 has a substantially horizontal step 402d and a hair supporting structure 411 formed of a plastic is detachably supported on the step 402d. As shown in Fig. 37, the hair supporting structure 411 has a frame 411a to be seated on the step 402d of the washbowl 402, bars 411b extended between the opposite frame members of the frame 411a, and a grill 411c When washing very long hair, the hair is supported on the hair supporting structure 411 so that it will not touch the bottom surface of the washbowl 402, will not be soiled by grime adhering to the bottom surface of the washbowl 402 and will not clog the drain hole 402c Since the hair lies above the spray heads 406b, 406c and

406d, all portions of the hair and the nape of the neck, which has been difficult to reach with conventional automatic hair-washing apparatus, can be perfectly washed.

Shown in Figs. 38(a), 38(b), 38(c) and 38(d) are hair supporting structures which can be employed in the automatic hair-washing apparatus. A hair supporting structure 412 shown in Fig. 38(a) has a rectangular frame 412a and a perforated plate 412b attached to the frame 412a. A hair supporting structure 413 shown in Fig. 38(b) is collapsible and has a plurality of pipes 413a and strings 413b interconnecting the pipes 413a. The hair supporting structure 413 is spread out and the opposite ends of the pipes 413a are seated on the step 402d of the washbowl 402. A hair supporting structure 414 shown in Fig. 38(c) is a grill plate. A hair supporting structure 415 shown in Fig. 38(d) is a grid formed by joining together longitudinal bars 415a and lateral bars 415b. The hair supporting structures 412, 413, 414 and 415 are formed of a plastic or a metal that is corrosion-resistant and difficult to soil. Any suitable hair supporting structure other than the hair supporting structures 411, 412, 513, 514 and 415 may be used, provided that the hair supporting structure is capable of properly supporting hair and of allowing the shampoo solution and washing water to flow smoothly therethrough. The hair supporting structures 411, 412, 413, 414 and 415 may be suspended in the washbowl 402 by

hangers 416 shown in Fig. 39. When the hangers 416 are used, the washbowl 402 need not be provided with the step 402d. Seventh Embodiment

Fig. 40 is a sectional view of an automatic hair- washing apparatus in a seventh embodiment according to the present invention. Referring to Fig. 40, the bottom surface of a washbowl 431 has a front portion and a back portion on a level below the front portion. A drain pipe, not shown, extended within a washstand is connected to a drain hole 431e formed in the back portion of the bottom surface of the washbowl 431. A plurality of shower heads N for spraying washing water and a plurality of shampoo nozzle heads S for spraying a shampoo solution are arranged on the walls of the washbowl 431. The supply of washing water to the shower heads N and the supply of the shampoo solution to the shampoo nozzle heads S are controlled by a controller, not shown, for pleasant hair-washing. A hair supporting structure 435 is disposed within the washbowl 431 to prevent very long hair from flowing downward.

Figs. 41, 42 and 43 are a perspective view, a plan view and a side view, respectively, of the hair supporting structure 435. The hair supporting structure 435 is formed by bending stainless steel rods of 4 mm in diameter coated with a vinyl chloride resin. The hair supporting structure 435 has a first supporting portion 436 for supporting very long hair and a second

supporting portion 437 for supporting comparatively short hair. The first supporting portion 436 and the second supporting portion 437 are spaced by an opening 442 for passing the end portion of comparatively short hair therethrough. The hair supporting structure 435 has laterally opposite outer guides 438, and laterally opposite inner guides 439 formed in the first supporting portion 436. The first supporting portion 436 has the shape of a grill. When washing very long hair, the hair is placed on the first supporting portion 436 in a region between the inner guides 439 with the end portion thereof hanging down behind the first supporting portion 436. The hair supporting structure 435 has a stay 440 that rests on the side walls of the washbowl 431 to hold the hair supporting structure 435 in place, and a leg 411 that supports the hair supporting structure 435 on the bottom surface of the washbowl 431.

When washing comparatively short hair, the hair is supported on the second supporting portion 437 with the end portion thereof hanging down through the opening 442. The outer guides 483 avoid disheveling the hair by jets of washing water so that comparatively short hair will be washed entirely.

When washing very long hair, the hair is supported on the first supporting portion 436 in a region between the inner guides 439. Accordingly, the hair can be washed entirely and will not tangle in the jets of washing water.

Although the first supporting portion 436 and the second supporting portion 437 of the hair supporting structure 435 employed in this embodiment are on the same level, the second supporting portion 437 may be formed on a level below the first supporting portion 436, which is suitable for supporting comparatively long hair.

Thus, the hair supporting structure supports very long hair so that it will not reach the bottom surface of the washbowl. Therefore, very long hair will not be soiled with grime adhering to the bottom surface of the washbowl and the drain hole will not be clogged with hair. Since the heavy hair soaked with washing water is supported on the hair supporting structure, the burden of hair on the neck is reduced and hair can be easily washed. Furthermore, the effect of the guides of the hair supporting structure is remarkable, particularly when washing very long hair, on preventing hair from being disheveled by jets of washing water and from being caused to tangle.

Figs. 44, 45 and 46 are a front view, a plan view and a sectional view taken on line X-X in Fig. 44, respectively, of a hood suitable for use on the foregoing automatic hair-washing apparatus embodying the present invention.

Referring to Figs. 44 to 46, a hood 501 comprises a hood body 502 and an elastic sealing member 503 detachably attached to the edge of a recess formed in

the front portion of the hood body 502. The sealing member 503 is formed of a vinyl chloride resin. The sealing member 503 has a horseshoe frame 505 defining a recess 504 and having flaps 505a formed at the front ends thereof so as to cover the customer\'s shoulders, and a sealing lip 506 curved backward and merging into the edge of the recess 504. As shown in Fig. 46, the horseshoe frame 505 is provided integrally with fastening screws 505b formed in its peripheral portion. When attaching the sealing member 503 to the hood body 502, the fastening screws 505b are inserted in holes 502a formed in the hood body 502 and knob nuts 507 are screwed on the fastening screws 505b from the inner side of the hood body 502. Figs. 47(a) and 47(b) are a sectional view and a plan view, respectively, of the hood 501 covering the customer\'s head held on the washbowl of the automatic hair-washing apparatus. The sealing member 503 conforms elastically to the size of the customer\'s head and the sealing lip 506 fits the shape of the customer\'s head regardless of size, so that gaps between the hood 501 and the customer\'s head are sealed perfectly to prevent washing water from splashing out of the washbowl. Eighth Embodiment Figs. 48, 49 and 50 are a plan view, a sectional view taken on line A-A in Fig. 48, and a sectional view taken on line B-B in Fig. 48, respectively, of an automatic hair-washing apparatus in an eighth embodiment

according to the present invention. This automatic hair-washing apparatus is similar in construction and in the arrangement of shower heads and nozzle heads to that shown in Fig. 11.

Referring to Figs. 48 to 50, a washbowl 1 is provided with a drain hole le in its bottom surface. An operating unit Id is attached to the rim of the washbowl 1. A retractable hand shower head If is supported on the rim of the washbowl 1. Shower heads 3, nozzle heads 4 for spraying a shampoo solution and a rinse solution, and a shower head 5 for spraying washing water on hair on the frontal region of the head are arranged on the washbowl 1. The shower heads 3 are capable of mixing air and washing water. Referring to Fig. 51, each shower head 3 has an externally threaded body 3a inserted in a hole formed in the washbowl 1, a nut 3b screwed on the body 3a to fasten the body 3a to the washbowl 1, a nozzle plate 3c provided with a plurality of nozzle holes 3d and joined to the head of the body 3a, a T-joint 3e screwed on the extremity of the body 3a, and an air supply pipe 3f screwed on the T-joint 3e coaxially with the body 3a so that its extremity is positioned near the nozzle plate 3c The air supply pipe 3f is connected to an air compressor, not shown, disposed within the washstand (Fig. 11) of the automatic hair-washing apparatus. The air supply pipe 3f has an inside diameter in the range of about 1 ma to about 2 ma, and the body 3a has an

inside diameter in the range of about 8 ma to about 16 ma. Compressed air of a pressure in the range of about 1.5 kg/cm ² to 2.0 kg/cm2 is supplied to the air supply pipe 3f. Washing water of a pressure lower than that of compressed air is supplied through the T-joint 3e to the shower head 3.

The shower head 3 mixes washing water supplied through the T-joint 3e and compressed air supplied through the air supply pipe 3f in a space before the nozzle plate 3c Since the pressure of the compressed air is higher than that of the washing water, the washing water is unable to flow into the air supply pipe 3f, and compressed air is mixed in the washing water in bubbles. Consequently, the washing water containing bubbles is discharged through the nozzle holes 3d of the nozzle plate 3c, and jets of bubbled washing water give the customer a comfortable sensation. Since compressed air supplied from the compressor through the air supply pipe 3f is injected into washing water to produce bubbles instead of blowing air into the washing water contained in the washbowl or bubbling the washing water by reducing the pressure of the supply line, forceful jets of washing water containing bubbles can be sprayed through the nozzle plate 3c Compressed air flowing in the flowing direction of the washing water produces forceful jets of bubbled washing water.

Fig. 52 is a piping diagram of a piping system for supplying washing water, a shampoo solution and a rinse

solution to the nozzle heads 4, and Figs. 53 and 54 are a longitudinal sectional view and a cross-sectional view of the nozzle head 4.

The automatic hair-washing apparatus which will be described hereinafter are the same in construction and the arrangement of the shower heads and nozzle heads as the automatic hair-washing apparatus previously described with reference to Figs. 48 to 50. Therefore, parts similar or corresponding to those previously described with reference to Figs. 48 to 50 are denoted by the same reference characters and the description thereof will be omitted.

Referring to Fig. 52, disposed within the washstand (Fig. 11) are a combination valve 6 to supply washing water to both the nozzle heads 4 and the shower heads 3 and 5, a shampoo tank 7 containing a shampoo solution, and a rinse tank 8 containing a rinse solution. A solenoid valve 6a is provided in a water supply line connecting the outlet port of the combination valve 6 to the nozzle heads 4 to control the supply of washing water of a desired temperature to the nozzle heads 4. The combination valve 6 is connected by another water supply line, now shown, provided with a solenoid valve, not shown, to the shower heads 3 and 5, not shown in Fig. 52.

The suction port of a pump 9 is connected through a solenoid valve 7a to the shampoo tank 7 and through a solenoid valve 8a to the rinse tank 8. When the

solenoid valve 7a is opened and the solenoid valve 8a is closed, the pump 9 supplies the shampoo solution to the nozzle heads 4. When the solenoid valve 7a is closed and the solenoid valve 8a is opened, the pump 9 supplies the rinse solution to the nozzle heads 4. Washing water, and either the shampoo solution or the rinse solution, are supplied simultaneously to and mixed in the nozzle heads 4.

Referring to Fig. 53, the nozzle head 4 comprises a body 10 inserted in a hole formed in the washbowl 1 and fastened to the washbowl 1 with a nut, a nozzle chip 11 having a nozzle hole 11a and joined to the head of the body 10, a T-joint 12 joined to the tail of the body 10, and a shampoo/rinse supply pipe 12b for supplying the shampoo solution or the rinse solution, coaxially extended within the body 10. The inner surface lib of the nozzle chip 11 is tapered toward the nozzle hole 11a to increase the velocity of the liquid toward the nozzle hole 11a by decreasing the flow passage area toward the nozzle hole 11a. The inlet 12a of the T-joint 12 is connected to the combination valve 6.

A mixing cup 13 joined to the free end of the shampoo/rinse supply pipe 12b is screwed in the nozzle chip 11 to define a mixing chamber in which washing water, and either the shampoo solution or rinse solution, are mixed to spray a mist of water-shampoo mixture or water-rinse mixture through the nozzle hole 11a. The mixing cup 13 has a throat 13a extending

coaxially with the shampoo/rinse supply pipe 12b and the nozzle hole 11a and having an outlet end positioned near the nozzle hole 11a. The inside diameter of the throat 13a is smaller than that of the nozzle hole 11a. As shown in Fig. 54, four tangential holes 13b are formed through the circumferential wall of the mixing cup 13 substantially tangential to the inner circumference of the mixing cup 13, to introduce washing water into the mixing chamber so that the washing water swirls in the mixing chamber.

As shown in Fig. 52, washing water is supplied from the combination valve 6 to the nozzle heads 4, and the solenoid valve 7a is opened and the pump 9 is actuated to supply the shampoo solution from the shampoo tank 7 to the nozzle heads 4 when the shampoo solution is used. The pressure of the washing water supplied from the combination valve 6 is higher than that applied to the shampoo solution and the rinse solution by the pump 9. Washing water supplied from the combination valve

6 flows through the inlet 12a into the body 10 of each nozzle head 4 and the shampoo solution flows through the supply pipe 12b into the mixing cup 13. Since the pressure of the washing water is higher than that of the shampoo solution, the washing water flows through the tangential holes 13b into the mixing chamber and swirls in the mixing chamber as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 54. Then, the swirling washing water is mixed with the

shampoo solution spouted from the throat 13a in a region before the nozzle hole 11a. Since the inner surface lib of the nozzle plate 11 is tapered toward the nozzle hole 11a, the velocity of washing water increases gradually to a maximum velocity toward the nozzle hole 11a and the pressure in the vicinity of the outlet end of the throat 13a drops below the pressure in other regions of the mixing chamber. Consequently, a suction acts on the shampoo solution flowing through the throat 13a. Since washing water swirls in the mixing chamber, the washing water and the shampoo solution are well mixed, and the solution is discharged in a mist through the nozzle hole 11a.

Thus, the shampoo solution can be diluted by washing water within the body 10 of the nozzle head 4. Therefore, the shampoo solution can be supplied from the shampoo tank 7 to the nozzle head 4 at a fixed rate when the pump 9 has an appropriated capacity, and any kind of shampoo solution can be used. Since the mixture of washing water and the shampoo solution is discharged in a powerful mist through the nozzle hole 11a of the nozzle head 4 and dispersed in a wide range, the mixture can be uniformly sprayed on all portions of hair when the nozzle heads 4 are arranged properly on the washbowl 1.

When rinsing hair, the solenoid valve 8a is opened to supply the rinse solution from the rinse tank 8 to the nozzle heads 4 by the pump 9. The rinse solution,

like the shampoo solution, is mixed with washing water and discharged in a mist through the nozzle holes 11a of the nozzle heads 4.

Figs. 55 to 57 show the shower head 5 for washing portions of hair in the frontal region and the parietal region of the head. The shower head 5 is suitable both for washing very long hair and for washing short hair.

The shower head 5 is fixed to the washbowl 1 in a horizontal position as shown in Fig. 49. The shower head 5 has a cylindrical body 18 supported so as to be turnable about its axis on a bracket 17 fixed to the washbowl 1. The cylindrical body 18 is connected to a washing water supply line 16. As shown in Fig. 56, the cylindrical body 18 is provided with a fluted knob 18a at one end, and a handle 18b for turning the cylindrical body 18 is put on the fluted knob 18a. The bracket 17 is formed in a construction similar to that of a swivel joint to supply washing water supplied thereto through the water supply line 16 into the cylindrical body 18 regardless of the angular position of the cylindrical body 18. The cylindrical body 18 has two flat faces 19a and 20a formed respectively in different angular positions, and nozzle holes 19 and 20 are formed respectively in the flat faces 19a and 20a. The arrangement of the nozzle holes 19 is the same as that of the nozzle holes 20. As shown in Figs. 57(a) and 57(b), the angle between a line perpendicular to the

flat face 19a and a line perpendicular to the flat face 20a is smaller than 90°.

Washing water is discharged through the nozzle holes 19 and 20 in two different directions. The cylindrical body 18 can be turned between a lower position shown in Fig. 57(a) and an upper position shown in Fig. 57(b) to change the direction of discharging washing water so that washing water is sprayed on the entire portion of hair in the frontal region and the parietal region of the head. When the cylindrical body 18 is set at the lower position shown in Fig. 57(a), where both the nozzle holes 19 and 20 are directed diagonally downward, the quantity of washing water sprayed on the frontal region and the parietal region of the head is comparatively small and hence short hair can be washed without wasting washing water. When the cylindrical body 18 is set at the upper position shown in Fig. 57(b), where the nozzle holes 19 are directed slightly upward and the nozzle holes 20 are directed slightly downward, an increased quantity of washing water is sprayed on the frontal region and the parietal region of the head and hence massive and long hair can be satisfactorily washed. Thus, both short hair and long hair can be satisfactorily washed by selectively determining the position of the cylindrical body 18 of the shower head 5. Accordingly, the automatic hair- washing apparatus need not be provided with a shower head especially for washing long hair and a shower head

especially for washing short hair, the capacity of the washbowl may be comparatively small, and the piping system remains simple.

Figs. 58 and 59 show another shower head to be used as the shower head 5 for washing hair in the frontal region and the parietal region of the head. As shown in Fig. 58, this shower head 5 comprises an inner cylinder 26 fixedly joined to a water supply pipe 5a fixed to the washbowl 1, and an outer cylinder 27 coaxially put on the inner cylinder 26 so as to be turned about its axis by a motor 28. The inner cylinder 26 is joined at one end to the water supply pipe 5a and provided with a plurality of holes in its circumferential wall to introduce the washing water supplied through the water supply pipe 5a into the outer cylinder 27. The outer cylinder 27 is supported for turning on the inner cylinder 26. The junctions of the inner cylinder 26 and the outer cylinder 27 are sealed in a water-tight fashion. As shown in Fig. 59(a) and 59(b), the outer cylinder 27 has two flat faces 29a and 30a, formed at different angular positions, and nozzle holes 29 and 30 are formed respectively in the flat faces 29a and 30a.

The motor 28 is fixed to the extremity of the water supply pipe 5a, the output shaft 28a of the motor 28 is extended through the inner cylinder 26, and a knob 27a, fixedly joined to the outer end of the outer cylinder 27 is fastened to the extremity of the output

shaft 28a with a set screw 28b. The outer cylinder 27, is turned by the motor 28 between a lower position shown in Fig. 59(a), where both the nozzle holes 29 and 30 are directed diagonally downward and an upper position shown in Fig. 59(b), where the nozzle holes 29 are directed slightly upward and the nozzle holes 30 are directed diagonally downward. The motor 28 and the knob 27b may be operatively connected by means of a clutch or the like, and said clutch or the like may be disengaged to disconnect the knob 27a from the motor 28 to enable the knob 27a to be turned by hand to turn the outer cylinder 27.

Referring to Fig. 60, the motor 28 is controlled for stopping, rotation in the normal direction and rotation in the reverse direction by operating control switches ld-1 included in an operating unit Id. A control unit 31 executes a control program shown in Fig. 61 to control the supply of power to the motor 28 according to instructions given thereto by operating the control switches ld-1. When the control switch for rotation in the normal direction among the control switches ld-1 is closed, the motor 28 turns the outer cylinder 27 toward the upper position. When the control switch for rotation in the reverse direction among the control switches ld-1 is closed, the motor 28 turns the outer cylinder 27 toward the lower position. The motor 28 may be driven either stepwise to turn the outer cylinder 27 through a fixed angle every time the control

switch is closed or continuously while the control switch is closed. When the control switch for stopping the motor 28 among the control switches ld-1 is closed, the motor 28 stops after turning the outer cylinder to a neutral position.

The automatic hair-washing apparatus may be provided with a test system for testing the shower head 5 before washing hair to see whether or not the outer cylinder 27 of the shower head 5 is positioned properly. The test system comprises, for example, a branch line branched from the water supply line for supplying washing water to the shower heads 3 and 5 at a position above the solenoid valve provided in the water supply line, and connected to the shower head 5, a solenoid valve provided in the branch line, and a test switch ld- 2 provided in the operating unit Id to control the solenoid valve provided in the branch line. When testing the shower head 5 prior to the washing operation, the test switch ld-2 is closed to open- the solenoid valve provided in the branch line to spray washing water only from the shower head 5.

The angular position of the outer cylinder 27 can be changed during the hair-washing operation by operating the switches of the operating unit Id. The control unit 31 may be provided with a control system capable of turning the output shaft of the motor 28 alternately in opposite directions between the lower position shown in Fig. 59(a) and the upper position

shown in Fig. 59(b) to enhance the washing effect and the efficiency of the washing water sprayed from the spray head 5. Thus, the washing water spraying direction of the shower head 5 can be changed according to the position of the head and the condition of hair by operating the control switches ld-1 to spray washing water properly on hair.

The automatic hair-washing apparatus of the present invention shown in Figs. 48 to 50 may be provided with a piping system as shown in Fig. 62. The piping system shown in Fig. 62 is designed to prevent washing water and the shampoo solution of an excessively low temperature from being sprayed or discharged in the initial stage of the hair-washing operation. Referring to Fig. 62, a combination valve 36 of a known type provided with a thermostat, stop valves and strainers for supplying washing water of a desired temperature to the hand shower head If, the shower heads 3 and 5 and the nozzle heads 4 are disposed within the washstand. The combination valve 36 is connected to a cold water source and a hot water source. A cold water line connecting the combination valve 36 to the cold water source and a hot water line connecting the same to the hot water source are provided respectively with check valves 36a and 36b. The hand shower head If, the shower heads 3 and 5 and the nozzle heads 4 are connected to a washing water supply line 36c connected to the outlet port of the combination valve 36. Branch

lines connecting the hand shower head If and the shower heads 3 and 5 are provided respectively with shutoff valves lg, 33a to 33i, and 35a. The hand shower head If is connected by two branch lines to the washing water supply line 36c One of the branch lines connecting the hand shower head If to the washing water supply line 36c is provided with the shutoff valve lg and a constant flow valve lh, and the other branch line is provided with a manual flow regulating valve li. The three shower heads 3, arranged in the back portion of the washbowl 1 (Figs. 48 to 50) and connected to the washing water supply line 36c respectively through the shutoff valves 33e, 33f and 33g among the nine shower heads 3, are air-water mixing shower heads. An air compressor 37 is connected to the air-water mixing shower heads 3 by air supply lines to supply compressed air to the air-water mixing shower heads 3. The air-water mixing shower heads 3 mix compressed air and washing water to spray bubbled washing water. The nozzle heads 4 are connected to the end of the washing water supply line 36c, and a shutoff valve 39 is provided in the washing water supply line 36c at a position below the branch lines connecting the shower heads 3 to the washing water supply line 36c The nozzle heads 4 are connected also to a shampoo tank 38 by a shampoo supply line and branch lines branched from the shampoo supply line. A shampoo solution supplied

simultaneously to all the nozzle heads 4 at a fixed rate is diluted by the washing water in the nozzle heads 4.

The hand shower head If is connected to the washing water supply line 36c at a position above the shower heads 3. A main shutoff valve 40 is provided in a section of the washing water supply line 36c above the shower heads 3. When the main shutoff valve 40 is closed, washing water is supplied only to the hand shower head If, and the supply of washing water to the hand shower head If is controlled by means of the manual flow regulating valve li. The inlet port and the outlet port of the main shutoff valve 40 are connected by a bypass line 40a provided with a restrictor 40b. When draining off the residual cold washing water, the main shutoff valve 40 is closed and the washing water is supplied from the combination valve 36 through the restrictor 40b to the shower heads 3 and 5 and the nozzle heads 4 so that the washing water will not be forcefully discharged from said shower and nozzle heads. A drain line extending below the shower heads 3 is provided with a drain valve 41 to drain off cold washing water remaining in the piping system into the washbowl 1. The drain valve 41 is opened after stopping the supply of washing water from the combination valve 36 to drain off cold washing water remaining in the shower heads 3 and 5 and the nozzle head 4 into the washbowl 1. A waste line 36d is branched from the hot water supply line connected to the hot water inlet port of the

combination valve 36 at a position above the check valve 36b, and a drain valve 42 is provided in the waste line 36d.

The shutoff valves lg, 33a to 33i, 35a and 39, the main shutoff valve 40 and the drain valves 41 and 42 are solenoid valves, which are controlled by a controller 50. The main shutoff valve 40 and the drain valves 41 and 42 are controlled according to the temperatures of washing water detected by a temperature sensor 44 provided in the washing water supply line 36c at a position immediately above the branch line connected to the hand shower head If, the temperature of the washing water detected by a temperature sensor 45 provided in the washing water supply line at a position immediately above the branch lines connected to the air-water mixing shower heads 3, and the temperature of hot water detected by a temperature sensor 43 provided in the waste line 36d at a position above the drain valve 42, respectively. The temperature sensor 43 provided in the waste line 36d detects the temperature of hot water supplied from the hot water source. When the temperature of hot water is in a specified temperature range, for example, 47±3°C, the controller 50 closes the drain valve 42 to supply hot water to the combination valve 36. When the temperature of hot water is excessively high or excessively low, the controller 50 opens the drain valve 42 to drain off hot water into the washbowl 1 to prevent

hot water of an excessively high temperature or an excessively low temperature from being introduced into the washing water supply line 36c When the temperature of hot water is in the specified temperature range, the controller 50 closes the drain valve 42 to supply hot water to the combination valve 36.

When the temperature of washing water detected by the temperature sensor 44 associated with the main shutoff valve 40 increases to 40°C, the controller 50 opens the main shutoff valve 40 to supply washing water to the shower heads 3 and, when necessary, the nozzle heads 4.

The controller 50 opens the drain valve 41 when the temperature of washing water detected by the temperature sensor 45 is 30°C, and the controller 50 closes the drain valve 41 when the temperature of washing water detected by the temperature sensor 44 is 40°C.

In the initial stage of hair-washing operation the shower heads 3 and 5 spray washing water on hair to wet the same, and then the nozzle heads 4 discharge the shampoo solution on hair for shampooing. After the completion of shampooing process, the shower heads 3 and 5 spray washing water again for rinsing. After the completion of one hair-washing operation, the main shutoff valve 40 and the drain valves 41 and 42 are operated to drain the piping system to prevent cold water remaining in the piping system from being

discharged or sprayed and to prevent the Co maintain valve 36 from supplying washing water of an excessively high or excessively low temperature in the initial stage of the next hair-washing cycle.

Referring to Fig. 63, when the main switch is closed, the drain valve 42 is opened to discharge hot water supplied from the hot water source into the washbowl 1 when the temperature of hot water detected by the temperature sensor 43 provided in the waste line 36d is not in the specified temperature range of 47±3°C. When the temperature of hot water is within 47±3°C, the drain valve 42 is closed and the shutoff valve 35a connected to the shower head 5, the shutoff valves 33a, 33b, 33c and 33d connected respectively to the four shower heads 3 of the first group, and the drain valve 41 are opened. Then, washing water of a desired temperature supplied from the combination valve 36 flows through the restrictor 40b to the shower heads 3 connected to the open shutoff valves 33a to 33d to push out residual cold water through the shower heads 3 and into the washbowl 1. Since the flow of washing water is restricted by the restrictor 40b, the residual cold water is not discharged forcefully and hence the residual cold water will not be sprayed on the head. Then, in a specified time, the shutoff valves 33e,

33f, 33g, 33h and 33i connected to the five shower heads 3 of the second group are opened to drain off the residual cold water through the five shower heads 3 of

the second group. In a specified time after opening the shutoff valves 33e to 33i, the shutoff valve 39 is opened to push out the residual mixture of the shampoo solution and washing water remaining in the nozzle heads 4 by washing water. Since the drain valve 41 is kept open during the residual cold water draining operation, the residual cold water still remaining in the piping system is drained off through the drain valve 41 into the washbowl 1. When the temperature of washing water detected by the temperature sensor 44 reaches 40°C, all the shutoff valves 33a to 33i, 35 and 39, and the drain valve 41 close simultaneously and the main shutoff valve 40 is opened. Thus, the residual cold water remaining in the piping system is drained off into the washbowl 1 in the initial stage of the hair-washing operation, and then the washing water of 40°C is supplied through the main shutoff valve 40 to the shower heads 3 and 5.

Fig. 64 is a time chart of assistance in explaining another mode of operation of the valves of the piping system of Fig. 62 when draining the piping system. As shown in Fig. 64, the mode of operation of shutoff valves 33a to 33d and 35a is the same as the mode previously described with reference to Fig. 63 and the duration of opening of the drain valve 41 is longer than that of the same in the mode shown in Fig. 63 to make the shower heads 3 discharge the residual cold water sequentially starting from the shower head 3

nearest to the drain valve 41, and then the shutoff valve 39 is opened to drain off the residual cold water through the nozzle heads 4. In draining off the residual cold water in that manner, the shutoff valves 33i, 33h, 33g, 33f and 33e are opened sequentially in that order so that the residual cold water is drained off through the shower head 3 above the adjacent shower head 3 after the residual cold water is drained off through the shower head 3 below the same. After the completion of the draining of the residual cold water through the nozzle heads 4, the washing water and the mixture of the shampoo solution and washing water remaining in the lines between the combination valve 36 and the discharging ends are drained off. The automatic hair-washing apparatus of the present invention shown in Figs. 48 to 50 may be provided with a piping system shown in Fig. 65. The piping system shown in Fig. 65 is substantially the same as that shown in Fig. 62 and differs from that shown in Fig. 62 only in that a drain line 46a provided with a drain valve 46 is branched from a water supply line 36c at a position between a combination valve 36 and a temperature sensor 44, and is not provided with any drain valve corresponding to the drain valve 41 of the piping system shown in Fig. 62. Although the piping system shown in Fig. 65 is not provided with any main shutoff valve, any bypass line and any restrictor respectively corresponding to the main shutoff valve 40,

the bypass line 40a and the restrictor 40b, the piping system may be provided, if desired, with a main shutoff valve, a bypass line and a restrictor respectively corresponding to those of the piping system of Fig. 62.

The operation of the piping system is controlled in a mode represented by a time chart shown in Fig. 66. Referring to Fig. 65, when the main switch of the operating unit Id is closed, the drain valve 42 is kept open until the temperature of hot water detected by the temperature sensor 43 reaches a temperature range of 47±3°C. When the temperature of hot water detected by the temperature sensor 43 reaches a temperature range of 47±3°C, the drain valve 46 of the drain line 46a is opened for a predetermined time. After the drain valve 46 has been closed, the shutoff valves 33a to 33i, 35a and 39 are opened to push out the residual cold water remaining in the piping system through the shower heads 3 and 5 and the nozzle heads 4 by washing water supplied from the combination valve 36. When the piping system is provided with a main shutoff valve and a restrictor corresponding to those of the piping system of Fig. 62, the main shutoff valve is closed during the draining process and washing water is supplied through the restrictor to prevent washing water from being discharged forcefully into the washbowl 1.

In the final stage of the draining process, the piping system is filled mostly with washing water, and

the temperature of the washing water detected by the temperature sensor 44 reaches 40°C. Accordingly, washing water of a desired temperature is discharged from the shower heads 3 and the nozzle heads 4 when the automatic hair-washing operation is started.

The automatic hair-washing apparatus of the present invention shown in Figs. 48 to 50 may be provided with a piping system intended to achieve satisfactory hair-washing operation in a comparatively short time and to save washing water shown in Fig. 67. Referring to Fig. 67, a combination valve 60 supplies washing water to both the nozzle heads 4, and the shower heads 3 and 5 through separate washing water supply lines. Solenoid shutoff valves 60a and 60b provided respectively in the washing water supply line connected to the nozzle heads 4 and the washing water supply line connected to the shower heads 3 are controlled to supply washing water to the nozzle heads 4, the shower heads 3 and 5 and the hand shower If.

A shampoo solution contained in a shampoo tank 67 or a rinse solution contained in a rinse tank 68 is supplied selectively to the nozzle heads 4 at a fixed rate by a pump 69 by selectively opening shutoff valves 67a or 68a. The three shower heads 3 arranged in the back portion of the washbowl 1 (Figs. 48 to 50) among the eight shower heads 3 excluding the shower head 5 are air-water mixing shower heads as shown in Fig. 51, and

the other five shower heads 3 are simple shower heads not provided with the T-joint 3e and the air supply pipe 3f and directly connected to the branch lines branched from the washing water supply line. The three air-water mixing shower heads 3 are connected to branch lines branched from a compressed air supply line connected to a compressor 62a. The compressor 62a is controlled by operating the operating unit Id.

The timing of supplying washing water from the combination valve 60, the shampoo solution from the shampoo tank 67, the rinse solution from the rinse solution tank and compressed air from the compressor 62a is controlled by operating the solenoid shutoff valves 60a, 60b, 67a and 68a and controlling the compressor 62a by a controller according to a predetermined control program. When the main switch of the operating unit Id is closed, steps of a hair-washing operation including spraying washing water from the shower heads 3 and 5 for wetting, discharging the shampoo solution from the nozzle heads 4 and spraying washing water from the shower heads 3 and 5 for shampooing, and discharging the rinse solution from the nozzle heads 4 and spraying washing water from the shower heads 3 and 5 are executed sequentially in that order under the control of the controller. In the initial stage of the hair- washing operation, washing water is sprayed on the hair by the shower heads 3 and 5 for wetting, and then the shampoo solution is discharged from the nozzle heads 4

for shampooing. Since both washing water and the shampoo solution are sprayed continuously on the hair, hair can be shampooed more efficiently than by shampooing hair in the shampoo solution contained in the washbowl 1.

Since the the shower heads 3 and 5 are arranged so that washing water can be sprayed all over the hair, washing water sprayed by the shower heads 3 and 5 causes the hair to wave and roll and, consequently, the shampoo solution is able to infiltrate hair and shampoo satisfactorily.

After the completion of the shampooing step, the nozzle heads 4 discharge the rinse solution, and then washing water is sprayed on the hair by the shower heads 3 and 5 after stopping the discharge of the rinse solution.

Since all the steps of the hair-washing operation including spraying washing water from the shower heads 3 and 5 for wetting, discharging the shampoo solution from the nozzle heads 4 for shampooing, discharging the rinse solution from the nozzle heads 4 for rinsing, and spraying washing water from the shower heads 3 and 5 for a finishing rinse are carried out continuously and sequentially, hair can be quickly and efficiently washed and washing water can be saved.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The automatic hair-washing apparatus according to the present invention is used in a beauty shop or the like where particularly many people need hair washing and capable of automatically carrying out all the hair- washing processes from the hair shampooing process in which hair is shampooed with a shampoo through a rinsing process without requiring a manual work.