TECHNICAL FIELD

The present description relates to a bathtub, in particular a bathtub which can be provided with hydromassage and/or lighting systems.

FRAMEWORK OF THE DESCRIPTION

WO 2013/041978 describes a bathtub comprising an inner container with a perimeter recess which is arranged between an upper inner wall and a lower inner wall, which recess houses nozzles of a hydromassage system and lights to illuminate the interior of the bathtub. The lower inner wall is also joined to an upper outer wall by means of an intermediate frame which includes the nozzles and the lights, so that a cavity acting as an overflow is arranged between the upper inner wall and the upper outer wall.

However, in this known bathtub the flow of water emitted by the nozzles and the beam of light emitted by the lights are limited by the size of the recess and by the fact that the lower inner wall is substantially aligned with the upper inner wall, so that the intermediate frame is joined to the lower inner wall by a substantially horizontal portion of the lower inner wall which projects outwards. Moreover, this structure is relatively expensive since it cannot be made in one piece.

US 2004/221383 A1 , DE 10315599 A1 and US 2166469 A disclose lights and/or nozzles arranged in a recess located under an upper ledge of the bathtub, so that the lower edge of the recess limits downwards the flow of water emitted by the nozzles and/or the beam of light emitted by the lights.

SUMMARY OF THE DESCRIPTION

The object of the present description is therefore to provide a bathtub free from these drawbacks. Said object is achieved with a bathtub whose main characteristics are specified in the attached claims. Thanks to the particular mutual arrangement of the upper inner wall, of the lower inner wall and of the intermediate frame, the bathtub according to the present description can be provided with hydromassage and/or lighting systems more effective than those of said known bathtubs.

In fact, this mutual arrangement allows not only to hide nozzles for hydromassage and/or lights for lighting the bathtub from sight, but also to obtain water and/or air flows emitted by these nozzles at a relatively wide angle. For the same reason, the lights, even if hidden, can illuminate the entire lower portion of the bathtub, so as to obtain a significantly different lighting effect with respect to the lighting effect obtained with said known bathtubs.

Such improvements in water and/or air flows and/or light beams can be optimized by inclining the upper inner wall, the lower inner wall, the intermediate frame and/or an upper portion of the lower inner wall with particular angles, which may be constant or vary within a particular range, in order to improve the ergonomics of the bathtub. For this purpose, if the bathtub comprises at least four sides with two long sides and two short sides, the two portions of the upper inner wall arranged along the short sides are preferably more inclined than the two portions of the upper inner wall arranged along the long sides.

The particular shape of the bathtub also allows to hide one or more drains connected to overflow ducts.

Furthermore, again thanks to their particular mutual arrangement, the upper inner wall, the lower inner wall, the bottom wall and the intermediate frame of the bathtub can be made in one piece.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further advantages and features of the bathtub according to the present description will be clear to those skilled in the art from the following detailed and non-limiting description of some embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

- figure 1 shows an axonometric view from above of a first embodiment of the bathtub; - figure 2 shows a top view of the bathtub of figure 1 ;

- figure 3 shows an axonometric view from above of the bathtub of figure 1 without the outer walls;

- figure 4 shows an axonometric view from below of the bathtub of figure 1 without the outer walls;

- figure 5 shows a side view of the bathtub of figure 1 ;

- figure 6 shows section VI-VI of figure 2;

- figure 7 shows a front view of the bathtub of figure 1 ;

- figure 8 shows section VIII-VIII of figure 2;

- figure 9 shows section IX-IX of figure 5;

- figure 10 shows a front portion, sectioned and enlarged, of the bathtub of figure 1 ;

- figures 1 1 to 13 show lateral portions, sectioned and enlarged, of the bathtub of figure 1 ;

- figures 14 to 16 show lateral portions, sectioned and enlarged, of three further embodiments of the bathtub.

EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Referring to figures 1 to 9, it is seen that a first embodiment of the bathtub 1 comprises an inner container which is suitable for being filled with water and is formed by at least one upper inner wall 2, at least one lower inner wall 3 and at least one bottom wall 4, wherein the lower inner wall 3 is arranged between the upper inner wall 2 and the bottom wall 4. In the present embodiment, the upper inner wall 2 and the lower inner wall 3 are substantially pyramidal frustum-shaped with a substantially rectangular cross section, rounded edges and the vertex facing downwards, but in other embodiments they may have different shapes, for example substantially pyramidal frustum-shaped with a polygonal cross section, substantially conical frustum-shaped with a circular or elliptical cross section, substantially parallelepiped, substantially cylindrical or their combinations, with rounded or sharp edges and/or vertices facing down or up. The upper edge of the upper inner wall 2 can be joined to the inner edge of an upper frame 5 which surrounds at least partially the upper inner wall 2. One or more outer lateral walls 6 (shown with dashed lines in figures 5 and 7) can be arranged around the bathtub 1 and/or be joined to the upper frame 5, in particular by means of a mechanical coupling. The bottom wall 4 has substantially the same shape of the lower edge of the lower inner wall 3, in particular substantially rectangular. The bottom wall 4 is preferably joined to the lower inner wall 3 by means of a lower frame 7, preferably concave upwards, which surrounds at least partially the bottom wall 4. The bottom wall 4 can be concave upwards and/or comprise also a drain sump 8, which can be partially covered by a removable cover 8a.

The upper inner wall 2 is joined to the lower inner wall 3 by at least one intermediate frame 9, which is surrounded at least partially by the lower inner wall 3, so that the inner edge of the intermediate frame 9 is joined to the lower edge of the upper inner wall 2 and the outer edge of the intermediate frame 9 is joined to the upper edge of the lower inner wall 3. The intermediate frame 9 can be provided with one or more lights 10, in particular one or more strips of LED lights preferably arranged along the entire intermediate frame 9, suitable to project at least one beam of light towards the lower inner wall 3. One or more nozzles 1 1 , for example eighteen nozzles 1 1 , suitable for being connected to a whirlpool system (not shown in the figures) can be arranged beside the upper edge of the lower inner wall 3 under the intermediate frame 9. One or more drains 12 can be arranged beside the upper edge of the lower inner wall 3 under the intermediate frame 9 to be connected to at least one overflow duct 13, in particular a curved duct, for example with a bend arranged beside the upper edge of the upper inner wall 2, which can be connected to in turn to the drain sump 8.

The upper inner wall 2 and/or the lower inner wall 3 and/or the bottom wall 4 and/or the upper frame 5 and/or the lower frame 7 and/or the drain sump 8 and/or the intermediate frame 9 are preferably made in one piece, in particular a molded piece of plastic material. Preferably, at least the upper inner wall 2, the lower inner wall 3, the bottom wall 4 and the intermediate frame 9 are made in one piece.

Referring also to figures 10 and 1 1 , which for simplicity do not show the lights 10 and the nozzles 1 1 , it can be seen that the upper inner wall 2 can be inclined with respect to a vertical axis, for example with respect to an outer wall 6, with an angle a of 0°-35°, in particular 9°-25°, constant or variable in this range, so that the upper inner wall 2 is vertical or slightly inclined downwards and towards the centre of the bathtub 1 In the present embodiment, the bathtub 1 comprises at least four sides with two long sides and two short sides, wherein the two portions (a portion is shown in figure 10) of the upper inner wall 2 arranged along the short sides are preferably inclined with an angle a, for example 23°-25°, which is greater than the angle a, for example 9°-1 1 °, of the inclination of the two portions (a portion is shown in figure 1 1 ) of the upper inner wall 2 arranged along the long sides of the bathtub 1 .

The intermediate frame 9 can be inclined with respect to a vertical axis with an angle b of 70°-1 10°, for example 85° -90°, constant or variable in this range, so that the intermediate frame 9 is horizontal or slightly inclined downwards or upwards.

The lower inner wall 3 can be inclined with respect to a vertical axis with an angle c of 0°-35°, in particular 9°-25°, for example 16°-18°, constant or variable in this range, so that the lower inner wall 3 is vertical or slightly inclined downwards and towards the centre of the bathtub 1 .

An upper portion 3a of the lower inner wall 3, which portion is adjacent to the intermediate frame 9 and can comprise the nozzles 1 1 and/or the drains 12, is preferably inclined with respect to a vertical axis with an angle d comprised between -5° and 5°, for example about -4°, constant or variable in this range, so that the upper portion 3a is vertical or slightly inclined towards the centre or towards the outside of the bathtub 1 . The angle d of the inclination of the upper portion 3a of the lower inner wall 3 is preferably equal to or less than the angle c of the inclination of the remaining lower portion 3b of the lower inner wall 3. The height of the upper portion 3a of the lower inner wall 3 is less than the height of the lower portion 3b of the lower inner wall 3.

The upper inner wall 2 and/or the lower inner wall 3 and/or the intermediate frame 9 can be concave, convex or mixed, in which case the angles a, b, c and/or d can be measured with respect to the straight line that connects two points of their respective edges in a vertical section plane.

The height hi of the upper inner wall 2 is greater than the height h2 of the lower inner wall 3.

At least most of the lower inner wall 3, in particular the entire lower inner wall 3, is preferably arranged outside a vertical axis v passing through the lower edge of the upper inner wall 2, with respect to the centre of the bathtub 1 . Furthermore, at least most of the lower inner wall 3, in particular its entire lower portion 3b, is preferably arranged in the space s arranged under the intermediate frame 9 between the inner edge and the outer edge of the intermediate frame 9.

Referring to figure 12, it is seen that the lights 10, when they are on, project a beam of light 14 which covers an angle e of at least 60°, so as to illuminate directly and at least partially the lower inner wall 3, the lower frame 7 and/or the bottom wall 4. With reference to figure 13, it is seen that the nozzles 1 1 , when they are connected to a whirlpool system which is on, can direct into the bathtub 1 a flow 15 of water and/or air which covers an angle f of at least 60°.

Referring to figure 14, it is seen that a second embodiment of the bathtub 1 is similar to the first embodiment but the drain 12, which is connected to at least one overflow duct 13 and is preferably formed by at least one channel, is arranged in the upper frame 5 instead of the lower inner wall 3, so that the water in the bathtub 1 is discharged into the overflow duct 13 when its level reaches the upper frame 5. Referring to Figure 15, it is seen that a third embodiment of the bathtub 1 is similar to the first embodiment but the heights of the upper portion 3a and the lower portion 3b of the lower inner wall 3 are substantially the same.

Referring to figure 16, it is seen that a fourth embodiment of the bathtub 1 is similar to the first embodiment but the intermediate frame 9 forms an obtuse angle b.

The dimensions of the bathtub 1 can vary according to the number of people to be contained and thus also form a small swimming pool, if the bathtub 1 is made of large dimensions.

Possible variations or additions can be made by those skilled in the art to the embodiments described and illustrated herein, while remaining within the scope of the following claims. In particular, further embodiments may comprise the technical features of one of the following claims with the addition of one or more technical features described in the text or illustrated in the drawings, taken individually or in any mutual combination.