Water jet mechanism for whirlpool effect in pedicures or other applications
OwnerChristopher L. Longinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A whirlpool foot bath for a pedicure chair having a housing with a removable cap and a motor within the housing. Water in the bath is circulated through an inlet in the cap and out through at least one outlet in the cap. The cap has a central integral sleeve. A method of use is described.
Claims15
In a motor pump assembly adapted to be attached to the wall of a basin externally thereof, the combination of a driven rotary impeller connected to the motor pump assembly and having a plurality of vanes, and a collar fitted to the motor pump assembly and connected to the enclosure, a retaining cap removably connected to the collar, the cap being within the enclosure, the retaining cap having a plurality of inlet openings centrally disposed thereon and further having a plurality of outlet openings radially of the inlet openings, and the retaining cap further having a central integral sleeve disposed inwardly thereof, substantially aligned coaxially with the plurality of inlet openings, and disposed radially between the inlet and outlet openings on the retaining cap, the sleeve extending towards the vanes on the impeller and defining therebetween a relatively narrow axial gap such that water is drawn in from the enclosure axially through the inlet openings in the retaining cap, passes through the sleeve for engagement with the vanes, and is discharged axially through the outlet openings on the retaining cap and back into the enclosure with relatively high-velocity streams.
A cap for a motor pump assembly wherein water is circulated from a basin, the cap being removably connected to the motor pump assembly, the cap having a plurality of inlet openings centrally disposed thereon, a plurality of outlet openings radially of the inlet openings, the retaining cap further having a central integral sleeve disposed inwardly thereof, substantially aligned coaxially of the plurality of inlet openings and disposed radially between the inlet openings and the outlet openings.
A method for circulating water in a basin in a pedicure chair comprising the steps of:
- providing a motor pump assembly having a collar fitted thereto, a driven rotary impeller being connected to the outer pump assembly, the impeller having a plurality of vanes disposing the motor pump assembly in an opening in a wall of the basin in the pedicure chair wherein a watertight seal is formed between the collar and the wall of the basin, the impeller being in a well and communicating with the basin in the pedicure chair,
- providing a removable cap for the motor pump assembly, the cap being removably connected to the collar wherein the cap is within the basin in the pedicure chair, the cap having a plurality of inlet openings centrally disposed thereon, the cap having at least two outlet openings formed radially of the inlet openings, the cap having a central integral sleeve disposed inwardly thereof substantially aligned coaxially of the plurality of inlet openings and disposed radially between the inlet openings and the at least two outlet openings, the sleeve extending toward the vanes on the impeller and defining therebetween a relatively narrow axial gap.
- wherein when the motor pump is actuated, water from the basin is drawn radially through the inlet openings in the cap and passes through the sleeve onto the vanes of the rotating impeller, the water being propelled with relatively high-velocity through the outlet openings and into the basin in the pedicure chair where the force of the water from the outlet openings produces a circulation pattern in the basin.
A retaining cap removably attached to a motor pump assembly, the motor pump assembly secured to the bath of a pedicure machine externally thereof, wherein the motor pump assembly includes a rotating impeller provided with a plurality of circumferentially-spaced vanes, the retaining cap having a longitudinal axis and further having a central portion substantially concentrically thereof, the central portion of the retaining cap being provided with a plurality of inlet openings for permitting the water from the bath to be drawn into the vanes of the motor pump assembly, the retaining cap further having a pair of outlet openings radially of the plurality of inlet openings, substantially diametrically opposite to one another, and outwardly splayed with respect to each other relative to the longitudinal axis of the retaining cap, first means for channeling the inlet water flow through the inlet openings and centrally of the motor pump assembly and into the vanes thereof, and second means for discharging the water tangentially of the vanes, through a restricted opening and radially of the first means, and with a relatively high velocity out of the pair of splayed outlet openings in the retaining cap.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.