US20130160200A1

US20130160200A1 - Constant Temperature Tub (CTT)

Info

Publication number: US20130160200A1
Application number: US13/337,225
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard Kim Cho
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-12-26
Filing date: 2011-12-26
Publication date: 2013-06-27

Abstract

This is a device and method to keep the temperature of the water in a bathtub at constant temperature throughout the duration of its use. The invention runs off of the electricity supplied to a home. It provides a system that conserves water and energy. The invention only replaces the energy lost to the environment and recycles the water.

Description

BACKGROUND

This relates to bathtubs, henceforth called tubs. Indoor tubs, once filled, cool down, like any object at a higher temperature than its surroundings. The conventional way to make the tub warm again is to add some hot water to the tub or to drain some of the tub water and then add some hot water to the tub. In the conventional method of keeping a tub warm, new hot water is wasted trying to maintain a constant temperature tub (CTT). This invention keeps the temperature of the bathtub constant, using electricity to replace the energy lost to the surroundings. The principle implementation of the constant temperature tub (CTT) will be built into the bathtub.

SUMMARY

The CTT invention uses an electric heating element to maintain constant temperature (isothermal) of the water in a bathtub. It draws its energy from the house, using electricity to efficiently heat up and recirculate the water in a bathtub. This keeps the water in an indoor bathtub at a constant temperature throughout the duration of its use. The invention is not limited to indoor tub usage.

REFERENCES CITED

US 2008/0142094 A1

US2010/0180372 A1

US2009/0126100 A1

ABSTRACT

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1: A drawing showing the parts used in this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

Tub 4 is initially filled with water at the desired temperature of the user, utilizing standard hot and cold water faucets. The faucets are not shown in FIG. 1. Pump 1 removes some of the water from tub 4 via pipe 5 and pumps the water back into the tub 4 via pipe 6.
Attached to pipe 6 is an electrical heating element 2. This at the heating element allows the heating control system 3 to heat the water temperature flowing in pipe 6 and thus raise the temperature of the circulatory tub water. The water is reheated and recirculates back into tub 4. The heating control system 3 has a microprocessor that is programmed to detect the difference between the initial preset temperature and the current temperature of the water flowing through pipe 5.
The thermal sensor 7 is used to measure the temperature of the water flowing in pipe 5. Once the temperature difference is reduced below the threshold of approximately one degree Celsius, the electrical power to heating element 2 is shut off. Thus the heating element 2 is continually cycled on and off to maintain a constant temperature (isothermal) tub.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

1. Pump
2. Heating Element
3. Thermal Control System
4. Bathtub
5. Input pipe from bathtub to pump
6. Output pipe from pump to bathtub
7. Thermal Sensor
8. Wires connecting the Thermal Control System to the heating element
9. Power for Thermal Control System and Heating Element 2
10. Wires connecting the Thermal Control System to the thermal sensor
11. Wires connecting Thermal Control System to pump

OPERATION

In operation, the CTT keeps the temperature of the water in a bathtub constant. It is turned on or calibrated to the temperature the user feels is comfortable. A thermal sensor reads the temperature, and sends that information to the microprocessor. Once set the invention memorizes the initial water temperature and maintains that temperature. The microprocessor computes the temperature difference and supplies electrical power to a heater, to achieve a stable temperature.
The tub is set to its initial temperature in the conventional way. Once the temperature is set the CTT efficiently maintains that temperature without the use of additional water.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method for keeping a bathtub's water temperature constant using a processor to gauge the initial tub temperature and control the intensity of a heating element to create said Isothermal bathtub. An electrical thermal sensor to measure the temperature and keep the temperature of the tub constant by replacing the heat lost to the environment by the tub's water.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the activator for the isothermal bathtub is embedded into the bathtub as a weight sensor; it detects the change in weight of a person getting into the bathtub and starts the isothermal sequence then.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the start mechanism to keep the tub at a constant temperature is embedded in the water outlet. This will have a sensor embedded in the water outlet faucets. If the sensor detects water flowing through the faucets, the isothermal sequence will stop temporarily until the water flow stops. Once the water flow is stopped, the isothermal sequence will restart and recalibrate to the new water temperature. This allows for the change of the isothermal temperature mark while the tub's user is still in the tub.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the heating and pump element is external to the bathtub.

5. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the microprocessor is equipped with sensors and displays to notify if it is possible to keep the temperature of the tub constant. If not, it will notify the user.