Recirculating bathing fixture

Claim 2

A bathing fixture wherein water is recirculated to a spout, comprising: a lower basin for collecting water, said basin including a basin wall; a conduit connected to and extending from the lower basin; a waterfall spout in fluid communication with the lower basin via the conduit, said spout having an inlet operatively connected to said conduit and an outlet mounted above the basin, said outlet including an upwardly open ledge member with a contoured undulating upper surface for directing water in a generally parallel manner from said outlet, the undulating upper surface positioned at a front edge of the ledge member and extending from the front edge toward a rear thereof and essentially in a horizontal manner to direct the water in an essentially horizontal manner with respect to the lower basin and said spout and in the form of a continuous sheet of water; a pump forming a part of the conduit for recirculating water that has collected in the basin to the spout; an accumulator including a cavity positioned at an inlet of the spout, said pump also being connected to the spout via the conduit and the accumulator cavity being constructed and arranged to effect an essentially uniform rate of water flow out the spout during operation of said pump, the spout being upwardly open over a majority of the ledge portion of said undulating upper surface; and a plurality of wager outlet spray nozzles operatively connected to said conduit, said outlet nozzles positioned with respect to each other in an essentially vertical manner between the basin and the spout outlet and above the basin wall.

Claim 3

The bathing fixture as defined in claim 1, wherein the accumulator includes baffle means which causes the water in it to reverse direction at least once before exiting the spout outlet.

Claim 4

The bathing fixture as defined in claim 1, wherein the conduit is connected to an underside of the accumulator cavity and there is a baffle structure in the accumulator cavity interrupting inlet water flow to the accumulator cavity in the form of a horizontal baffle member.

Claim 5

The bathing fixture as defined in claim 1, wherein the pump is connected to a whirlpool outlet in a basin side wall of said basin and is directed to pump water to the whirlpool outlet.

Claim 6

The bathing fixture as defined in claim 4 wherein the basin is a foot bath.

Claim 7

A bathing fixture wherein water is recirculated to a spout, comprising: a lower basin for collecting water, said basin including a basin wall; a conduit connected to and extending from the lower basin; a waterfall spout in fluid communication with the lower basin via the conduit, said spout having an inlet operatively connected to said conduit and an outlet mounted above the basin, said outlet including an upwardly open ledge member with a contoured undulating upper surface extending essentially in a horizontal manner from a front edge to a rear thereof to direct the water in an essentially horizontal manner with respect to the lower basin and said spout and in the form of a sheet of water; a pump forming a part of the conduit for recirculating water that has collected in the basin to the spout; an accumulator including a cavity positioned at an inlet of the spout, said pump also being connected to the spout via the conduit and the accumulator cavity being constructed and arranged to effect an essentially uniform rate of water flow out the spout during operation of said pump, the spout being upwardly open over a majority of the ledge portion of said undulating upper surface; and a plurality of water outlet spray nozzles operatively connected to said conduit, said outlet nozzles positioned with respect to each other in an essentially vertical manner between the basin and the spout outlet and above the basin wall; whereby the spout can deliver a sheet of water through the outlet and the nozzles can deliver a spray of water through the nozzles.

Claim 8

A bathing fixture wherein water is recirculated to a spout, comprising: a lower basin for collecting water, said basin including a basin wall; a conduit connected to and extending from the lower basin; a waterfall spout in fluid communication with the lower basin via the conduit, said spout having an inlet operatively connected to said conduit and an outlet mounted above the basin, said outlet including an upwardly open ledge member with a contoured undulating upper surface extending essentially in a horizontal manner from a front edge to a rear thereof to direct the water in an essentially horizontal manner with respect to the lower basin and said spout and in the form of a sheet of water; a pump forming a part of the conduit for recirculating water that has collected in the basin to the spout; an accumulator including a cavity positioned at an inlet of the spout, said pump also being connected to the spout via the conduit and the accumulator cavity being constructed and arranged to effect an essentially uniform rate of water flow out the spout during operation of said pump, the spout being upwardly open over a majority of the ledge portion of said undulating upper surface; and a plurality of water outlet spray nozzles operatively connected to said conduit, said outlet nozzles positioned with respect to each other in an essentially vertical manner between the basin and the spout outlet and above the basin wall; whereby the spout can deliver a sheet of water through the outlet and the nozzles can deliver a spray of water through the nozzles.

Claim 9

The bathing fixture as defined in claim 6, wherein the pump is operatively connected to the water outlet nozzles and in operation bathing water is directed to recirculate to the outlet nozzles.

Claim 10

The bathing fixture as defined in claim 6, wherein the pump is operatively connected to the spout outlet, the water outlet nozzles and an outlet in the basin and in operation bathing water is recirculated to the spout outlet, the water outlet nozzles and the outlet in the basin either individually or simultaneously or in combination.

Claim 11

A bathing fixture wherein water is recirculated to a spout, comprising: a lower basin for collecting water, said basin including a basin wall; a conduit connected to and extending from the lower basin; a waterfall spout in fluid communication with the lower basin via the conduit, said spout having an outlet mounted above the basin and including a ledge member extending essentially in a horizontal manner to direct the water in an essentially horizontal manner with respect to the lower basin and said spout in the form of a sheet of water, the ledge member including an upwardly open undulating upper surface extending from a front edge to a rear thereof; a plurality of water outlet spray nozzles operatively connected to said conduit, said outlet nozzles positioned between the basin and the spout outlet and above the basin wall the nozzles delivering a spray of water through the nozzles; a pump forming a part of the conduit for recirculating water that has collected in the basin to the spout in one instance and to the outlet nozzle in another instance; and an accumulator including a cavity positioned at an inlet of the spout, said pump also being connected to the spout via the conduit with the conduit outlet positioned in a vertical manner in the accumulator and the accumulator having a baffle structure constructed and arranged to effect a first and a second ninety degree turn in the flow of water from the outlet to the spout to effect an essentially uniform rate of water flow out of the spout, the ledge member being a separate component from the accumulator and connected thereto, the spout being upwardly open over a majority of the ledge portion of said undulating upper surface.

Claim 12

A bathing fixture wherein water is recirculated to a spout, comprising: a lower basin for collecting water, said basin including a basin wall; a conduit connected to and extending from the lower basin; a waterfall spout in fluid communication with the lower basin via the conduit, said spout having an outlet mounted above the basin and including a ledge member extending essentially in a horizontal manner to direct the water in an essentially horizontal manner with respect to the lower basin and said spout in the form of a sheet of water, the ledge member including an upwardly open undulating upper surface extending from a front edge to a rear thereof; a plurality of water outlet spray nozzles operatively connected to said conduit, said outlet nozzles positioned between the basin and the spout outlet and above the basin wall the nozzles delivering a spray of water through the nozzles; a pump forming a part of the conduit for recirculating water that has collected in the basin to the spout in one instance and to the outlet nozzle in another instance; and an accumulator including a cavity positioned at an inlet of the spout, said pump also being connected to the spout via the conduit with the conduit outlet positioned in a vertical manner in the accumulator and the accumulator having a baffle structure constructed and arranged to effect a first and a second ninety degree turn in the flow of water from the outlet to the spout to effect an essentially uniform rate of water flow out of the spout, the ledge member being a separate component from the accumulator and connected thereto, the spout being upwardly open over a majority of the ledge portion of said undulating upper surface.