CA2132901A1 - Hydromassage bath with a rotating distributor - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT
A bath for hydromassage, in particular for hydromassaging the bark, is described. The bath comprises a series of nozzles for delivering liquid under pressure, aligned longitudinally on the backrest thereof in a substantially median position. Said nozzles have associated with them control means for supplying them in succession with the liquid under pressure in one direction or in the opposite direction. This sequence is repeated cyclically for a predetermined period of time. The control means comprise a distributor which receives the liquid under pressure from a supply source and which is provided with a first substantially stationary member and a second member substantially movable with respect to the first member. The second member is provided with at least one opening designed to be positioned, as a result of displacement of the movable member, opposite openings of he fixed member communicating in succession with he series of nozzles. In this way the liquid under pressure is allowed to flow into the latter, supplying of the nozzles being perform d in one direction or in the opposite direction according to the direction of displacement of said movable member.

Description

21~,~93 1 HYDROMA55AG:E BATH WIT.E~ A ROTATING DISTRIBUTOR
Inventors: ~oy Ao Jacuzzi~ Livio Furlan, Carmelo Ianni * * ~Ir *

The presen~ inYen~ion relate~ to bath~ for hydro~assage in general and more particularly to baths provid~d with means ~or hydrom~saging the bac~.
Hydro~assage of ~he abovementioned type differs from that carried out on other parts o~ the body on account of th~ special way in which it is achieved. In fact, whereas with hydromassage in general all the supply vents or noz21es function simultaneously, in the case of hydromassaging of the back the nozzles in guestion, which are aligned longitudinally in at leas~ one ~eries along the backrest o~
the bath, must be activated in a pred~t~rmined sequence.
More pre~ise~y, th~y ar2 supplied in SUCGe~iOn :in one dire~tion (~ro~ the bottom upwards) or in ~h~ opposite directionO Atex th~ desired sequ~nc2 has b~en cho~en, it is rep~ked eyclically ~or ~ prede~er~in~d p2riod of ~ime, depending on the e~fect~ which are to be obtained~
The nozzl~ activation cycle, a~ des¢ri~Qd here, can be explained in that th~ action Q~ 'chis type og hydromassage reproduces ths action o~ a traditional manual massage .. .: . . . ..

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performed by Shiatzu masseurs or physiotherapists. I~ is suficient to mention just one ~f the advantages of~ered by this t~pe o~ hydroMAs5age, i.e. the significant reduction in cost, to under~and th~ huge success o~ hath~ which can ba used ~or thi~ purpoqe and the con~equent re~earch ef~orts by manufacturer~ to achieve reliable and competitive tachnical ~lutio~
Bath~ which allow the u~er to undergo hydrsmassaging o~
the ~ck ar~ in ~act known and it i5 al~o known that generally they are provided with suitable programming means ~or activating and supplying the vents or nozzles delivering the liquid under pressure, as described above. These programming ~eans, which are for example of the electronic ~ype in the more sophisticated models of bath, control sequential opening and closing of ~olenoid valves inserted in the supply ducts oP the various openings.
Th~ bathe, however, while achieving sa~is~ac~ory results in terms o~ per~ormance, ar delicate and di~icult to maintain, precisely on account o~ th~ ~r~quen~13r used co~pon~nt~ which ar~ sub~ect ~o wear. In ~act, ~hes~
co~ponent~ operate in a damp environm2nt ~nd there~ors require ~r~quent maintPn2nce. Fro~ an econo~ic point o~
view, there~ore, ~hey are no~. con~enient to use.
Me~tion should also be made o~ thP ~requent int~rruption in operation, ari~ing ~or the sa~ reasons , ~:: . .
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... .

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r~ferred to above, which cause the user a considerable amount of inconvenience.
A bath for hydromassaging th~ back which eli~inates all ~he drawback~ of conventional baths has now been devised and constitute~ the ~ubject of the present inven~ion.
~ he characteristic feature~ and advantage~ o~ the bath according to ~h~ preRent invention wil.l e~erg~ ~ore cl~arly ~ro~ the following detalled description of two exa~ples of e~bodiment th~reo, provided with reference to the acGompanying f igures in whichq Figure 1 is an overall schematic perspectiv2 view of the bath according to the invention;
Fi~urQ 2 is a view in overall longitudinal sPction of a first embodiment o~ a rotating distributor which performs hydromassaging of the back;
Figure 3 is a plan view of the distributor according to to Figur~ 2;
Figure 4 i~ vi~w of ~aid di~tributsr alo~s the section IV-IV o~ Figu~2 3;
Figure 5 is a side view, partiallv cut away, o~ a supply duct of th~ rotating di~tributor accor~ing to Figure 2;
Figur~ 6 illu~trate~ a serie~ of cross-sec~ions (~rom B
to I) o~ the duct according to Figur~ 5;
~ igure 7 is a schemati~- cross-s~ctional Vi2W 0~ a 2:~32~ ~

~, s~cond ~mbodi~ent of the rotating distributor which performs hydromassaging of the back;
Fiyure 8 is a plan view of the distributor according to Figure 7 in a first operating condition;
Pi~ure 8a is a pla~ view o ~he clistributor according to ~igure 7 in a ~econd operating condition;
Figure 9 illustrate~ ~ch2matically application of the rotating distributor according to Figur~ 2 to the backrest o~ the ~ath.
Wlth ref~rence first of all to Figures 1 to 6, description will now be given, by way o~ a non~limiting example, of the first embodiment o~ ~he bath according to the invention.
Only the backrest portion of the bath is shown since it is ~he only part which is of interest ~or the purposes of understa~ding the pre~ant invention. The re~ainder of ~he bath, whilst being provided with other devices for hydrom ~saging0 is not shown sinc~ it is known per se.
The ~ackrest, denoted overall by 1~, ha~ two serie~ o~
v~nts or nozzl~ 12 for d liv~ring a liquid under pressur~, ~uch a8 w~t2r Por QXa~pl8. The nozzles ~2 o~ eacn o~ the two ~eries are al~gned in a dir~ction ~u~ztantially parallel to ~h~ longitudinal medlan axis o~ the backr2st 1~ and th~
two series o~ nozzle~ 12 ar~ parallel to ~ach other and ar~
~ompozed o~ an ~qual nu~b0r of nozzle~ ~2 which are ' ".''-' . ' ; . ~' ': ' . ' '.'~' ';''`.. ' ':' . , ... ' ' . ' ' ~ ~ 3~

equidistant with respect to each other.
More precisely the nozzles 12 of each series are mounted in pair~, a~ des¢ribed in more detail below, on ~he upper side, i.e. on the side where the backrect 10 of the bath i5 located, of chambers 1~ formed longitudinally in two parallQl and sym~etrical rows with re~spect to a composite can~ral longitudina} duct 16 on two tubul~r portions denot~d overall by 18a and 18b, respectively. As can be noted in particular ro~ the cro~s-sec~ion o~ the as~bly describe~
here, the external wall 16a of the duct 16 and the portions 18a, 18b are ~orm~d as one piece. Advantageously, therefore, this as~embly may be made of plastic and hence be obtained ~imply by means o~ moulding with a significant r~duction in costs.
It can al~o be appreciated from the longitudinal section described above that, with the sam~ moulding operation, the ~hambers 14 of ~ach row are ~eparated from each oth~r since, between each pair of nozzles 12, the walls o~ th~ tubular portions 18a and 18b are folded back in a U-shape against one vther on the three -~ides which extend ~rom the c~ntral duct 16, thereby de~lning and separating between them the chambers 14 of each row, The cha~bers 14 which ar.e located vppo ite one another symmetrically with respect to the composite central duct 16 ~ay, however, assu~e two different and separate operating conditions. They may, in fact, be respectively sPparated ~rom one another or in communication with one another d~pending on the configuratlon assu~ed by the composite central duct 16 which, as will be expla.ined below, perform~
the important function o f a rota~ing distributor. In the second position, in particular, the cha~aber~ 14 in question ar~ supplied ~i~ultaneously wi~h liguid under pressure by the composite central duct sr rotating distributor 16, supplying in tUrA the two pairs of nozzle~ 12 associated wi~h them.
It is obvious that, instead o~ a pair of nozzles 12 for each chamber 1~, only one or more than two of them cc~uld be provided, these b~ing variations strictly equivalent ~o the em~odiment illustrated and described herein by way of example.
Tha compssite central duct or ro~ating dis~ributor 16 comprises, wi~hin said ext~rnal wall 16a, an e~sentially cylin~rical sl~eY~ 20 I the ends of which are arra~ged in a ~ixed position in æuitable seat~ provided at thQ ~nds o~ ~h~
tubular portio~ 183, 18b.
Th~ ~leeve 20 is op~n at the end~/ into one of which the li~uid under pressure co~ing from a supply pump 27 connected insid~ the bath via a duct 29 is introduced.
The ~leeve 20, at the oth~r end, i~ conne~ted to a duct 21 connected in turn to the wa~t~ outlet o~ the ba~h. The : - .
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?~1~32~

duct 21 has inside it a solenold valve 23 which is connected to a suitable electronic sensor 25 fox d~tQcting th~ lev~l o~ the liquid inslde ~he bath, indicated by a broken line in th~ illustration, said sen~or being ~ixed in any known manner on one of ~he ex~ernal wallS of the bath, ~or example the rear wall a~ shown in Figure 1. This sensor 25~ known per ~e, is calibrated so a~ ko emit a co~mand ignal ~or opsning th~ solenoid val~e 23 when the level o wat~r inside the bath, during emptying at the end of the hydroma~sage, has reach~d a pxedetQrmined minimum valua. This value, sr ~xample, corre~ponds sub~tantially to tha height a~ which the lower d~livery nozzl~s 12 are locatcd with respect to the bottom og the bath.
The means ~escribed above, whish allow the rotating distributor to be emptied entirely, prevent s~agnation o~
the liquid in ~he said distributor, which is particularly damaging iP ~he bath is not used ~or a lony period of time.
At the inlet to the chambers 14, he sleeYe 20 is provided wIth op~ning~ 22 (Figure 4) which allow th~ liquid under pressure to ~low inside said cha~b rs. Accordiny to one o~ the partlcularly advantageous ~eatures o~ ~e bath according to the inv~ntion, by ~eans o~ a sui~ahle ~upply duct 24 arrang~d in~ide th~ sle~ve 20~ ~he liquid und~r pr~s~ure i5 in~roduced .in succession in~o each ~pair o~
~ha~ber~ 14 locat~d opposite one another, i.2. in ~,s,".".,, "": : :-." ",,,~
;~.: :,: : :: . . . :: . . ::: : : :
:,, :-: .. : : :: . :. : , :, . . ' :::

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communication with each other as describ~d a~ove, i~ one direction or in the opposite direction.
The abo~emention~d supply duct 24, which can b~ seen ~ore clearly in FigureR 5 and 6, formed by a tubular body of a len~th substantially egual to that o~ the extern~l sleeve 20 on which ~hera i5 ~ormed a plurality o~ hola~ 28 which are suitably of~et with respect to one another and which allow the cham~er. 14 to be supplied in sequenc~ w1th liquid und¢r p~essur~, a~ explain~d above.
More precisely, the holes 28 are yrouped togethl~r, in th~ example of embodiment considered, in fours on portions 26 of equal length of the duct 2~. The four holes 28 of each portion 26 are arranged in pairs in a diametral plane, i.e. are arranged at 180, while the holes of each portion 26 with respect to the preceding portion are o~fset at a predefined and constant angle, generally an acute angle. In thi~ way the hol~ 28 are distributed over the duct 24 substantially in two helices.
ln this situation it is obvious that, by rotating the duct 24, thQ hole3 28 will gradually be position~d in succe~sion opposit~ th~ openings 22 o~ th~ sleeve 20, thus allowinq the liquid under pr~ssura to pass correspondingly fro~ a pair of opposite chamber~ 1~ to the next cha~ber, and so on as ~ar as the last pair, thu supplying all the nozzles 12. The order in which the latter are activa~ed :i:.. ~, - , ,.

,'-':~ ' ' '' ~

2 ~ U~
.
g dep~nds on the direction of rotation of the duct 24 and, in ~rder to obtain the supply sequence mentioned earlier, it is sufficient to rotate said duct in ona direction or the other.
The condition in which ~he hydromassage is per~ormed may be varied accordin~ to the user's nePds and reguir~mQ~t3. For example, increasing or reduc$ng the ~peed o~ rotatio~ o~ th~ duct 24 cau~e~, resp2ctivelyg a reduction or increa~ in t~ duration of the supply seq~ence of the nozzles 12.
The force of the jets emergin~ from the nozæles 12 may ~e varied for example by modifying the delivery of the liquid supply pump and this in particular enables one to increase or decrease the pressure with which the je~s of aid liquid r~ach the user's ~ody.
According to a further advanta~eous feature o th~
inv~ntion, the asse~bly consistiny o~ the composit~ eentral longitudinal duct 16 and th~- two tubular portions 18a and 18b is Pix~d to the rear wall o~ the backre-~t 10. A
de~cription i~ now given, by way o~ a non~limi~ing exa~ple, of a pos~ibl~ ~mbodi~ent o~ this fixing system. The abovementioned a~sembly is first of all simply res ed on the rear sur~ace o~ th~ said backrest 10 o~ the bath, inside a suitable s~at in th~ latter. Then the nozzles 12 ar~
applied and ~ixed, through hole~ in said backrest 10, to the 2 ~ 3 i 9 ~ ~

. ,. -- 10 --tubular portion~ 18a, 18b, thus fixing in this way the e~tir~ assembly to the bath.
In the exa~ple o~ e~bodiment considered, as can b~ seen more clearly in Figures 2 and 4, the walls of tAe tubular porkions l~a, 18b to which the nozzl~ 12 are applied, are provided with 81eeY~ elem~nts ~O o~ 2s~e~tLally cylindrical ~hape, the ~iddle zone of which ~s sealingly fixed in any known ~ann~r to sald walls.
The por~ion~ 30a of the 31eeve elem~nts 30 which pro~ect outside he chambers 14 are threaded internally so that a corresponding threaded portion of the body of the nozzles'12 allows the latter to ~e screwed inside them. The top end of the body of the nozzles 12, i.e. the end arranged inside the batht has an annular projection 12a which engages wit~ the inner side of the b~ckrest 10, thereby providing the a~ovem~ntioned fixing system since the end of the portions 30a o~ the sleeve~ 30 engages with the external sur~ace of the backrest 10~
On t~e end o~ the body o~ the nozzles 12 opposite to the prec~diny end there ar~ Pormed annular groo~es, two in the exampla con~dered, inside each o~ which a s~al 32 is mounted, said seal being provid~d so as to ensure a sealing actio~ whe~ the above~entioned end of the nozzle~ 12 inserted lnto khe portion 30b o the sleev~ ~lem~nt~ 30 which i~ located inside the chamber~ 14. The reason why , :............................. ..

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two, or in somes cases more than two, seals 3 2 are provided is in order to ensure 'che sealing action in all circumstarlces, namely engagement o~ at lea t one s~al 32 in said portiorl 30b of the sleeveR 30, independently o~ the wall thickr~es~ of the backrest 10, which may vary from bath to bath.
It should obviously be re~embered thal: the provisio.rl of holes 28 on th~ duct 24 mus~ . be re~arded solely as an ex~ple o~ embodi~er!t since the sam~ e~E~QCt8 could be ohtained by providing said duct with longitudinal eyel~ts, each c;~ whîch would replace a pair of hole~ 2~, while, a~
regards the rest7 these eyelets would ~e arranged, from one portion 26 to the next, offset in the same mannex as the holes in quastion.
~ ith particular re~erence now tD Figures 7 to ~a, a variation of embodimer!~ o~ the ba~h according ~o the invention shall bç! describ~d~
In th~: case of ~his ba1:h also, only th~ backrSast i5 shown or the ~ reason~ indicated aboYe and thi~ t: ackrest is again d~notQd by 10~
Th~ vari~tiion of embodi~ent ~ h is de~cribed in detail b~low El150 makes use o~ a rotating distributor, thereby o~ering ~he same advantag~s as fLh~ ~iri~t ~mhodlimellt 0 The rotating distributor is compos~d Q:E a ~tator 34 '. .~'' ~ . ' : ; : : - ' : , ' ' ' ` ` ` . , 2~ 3~

consiRting oP a hollow cylindrical body 3Ç supported in any manner known per se by a ~ixed fram~ (not shown~.
The stator 34 is provided at th~ bottom with an inlet duc:t 38 for the liquid und~r pressure, which is conn~cted via a pip~ 40 ~o a supply pump ~2 which dr~w~ th~ liquid for ~xamplo directly ~rom th~ bathO
0~ th~ ltop end o~ the ~ta~or 34 ~ere is pro~rid2d a serie~3 D:r hol~s 4~a throus~h whic:h th2 liquid und~r pre sure suE~p~ied by the pu~p 42 is abl~ to f LQW. out. Ea ::h o~ the hole5 4~ i~; provid~d with a tube-piece 46 'co which kher~ i5 s~alingly colmect~d in any known manner the end o~ a duct ~not shown) on the other end of which there is molmted a pair of vents or notzles ~or delivering the liquid und~r pressur~ ~also not shown). In this case al50, in ~ ct, the bath ac:cordirlg to the invention has two s~ri2~ o~ delivery nozzl~s for hydromassaging o~ the backt which are arranged in two ~utually parallel lines which ext nd lorlgigudinally and in a medi~n po~ition along~ the backrest 10 o:~ the bath.
Th~ stator 34 h~ arranged in~ide it a rotor 52 which consl t o~ an ~ssentially di~irC shap~d body 5~ ~ith a ~ha~t 55 whieh extend~ towards the battom of 'che :ylirldrical body 36, em~rging ~ro~ it~ bottom ensl so a~ to be GOnn cted, in any known ma~aner (rlot shown~ ~ to driv~ ~ean~ which c~aus~
rotatlon th~reoP andl hence rotat:ion oP th~ d~c-~;haE3~d body 54. The latl:~r is p.rovld~d at its periph~ry, i~a ~ zone , ~ : ,. . ~ .

, .~, .
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2~3?9 located opposite the holes 4~ of the stator 34, wi~h an eyelet 56 with an essentially rircular profile. In this way, when the disc-shaped body 54 is made to rotat~, th~
eyelet 56 posi~ions itself in succession oppo~lte the hole 44 o~ the stator 3~, thereby allowing the liguid under pre~sur~ co~ing fro~ th~ bottom of the cylindrical body 36 to flow toward~ them.
According to a particularly advantageou~ ~eatur~ of the rotating distributor i~ question, a~ can be s~en in particular from Figures 8 a~d 8a, tAe eyelet 56 ext~nds over an arc of a circla o~ a length sush that, during rotat:ion o~
th~ disc-shaped body 54, it gradually assumes in succession two operating positions. In the ~irst of these positions (Figure 83 it overl~ps with only one of the holes 44, ~hereby enabling the supply of only one pair of nozzles 50.
In the second position (Figure 8a) i~ overlaps si~ult~neously and partially with two successiv~ holss 44.
In this way it allows two pairs of adjacent no~zles to be p~rtially and simultaneously ~upplied~ In other words, for a predeter~ined p~riod o~ time, be~ore a pair o~ nozzles 50 stop3 delivering 1 ~uid und~r pre~ure, d~livery by th~ next pair has alr~ady start~d. This i5 particularly advan~agPous s~nc~ the overall e~fect o~ the pres~ure on th~ back o~ the us~r ~ substantially continuous~ resulting in a~ ac ion which i~itates very closely th~ f~ect o~ th~ hand oP a ~ L 3 ~

physiotherapist when performing a baclc massage.
It is obvious, however, that this pref~rred embodiment of the eyelet 56 must be regarded as an exa~npl~ which is in no way limiting sins:e, ins~ead of this elemen~, it is possibl~ ~o provide slmply a hol~ with a diamet~r ~ubstantially egual to t~e diameter of 'che holes 44, without the c:haracteri~tic:~: and operating fe~ure~s o~ the distributor being n~qatively modi~ied. In thi~ case, unlike the prec:eding cas~, the variou~ pair~ of nozzles 50 will be acti~irated one at a time in succession.
The activa ion sequencP o~ all th~ pairs o~ nozzles in one direction or in the oppo~ite directi~n depends, as with the f irst embodiment, on the direction of rotation of the rotor S2~
Similarly the value of the ~peed of rotation o~ ~he rotor 52 determines the cluratioJI of the a~ovementioned sequenc2 .
Again, in a simil~r manner, the value o~ the pressure o~ hydromassag~ dependent upon th~ d~liv~ry of the 811ppl~ pl~mp 4 2 .
The aboY~3 description clearly illu~trat2s th~
advantage~ of the batA according to the pres~nt invention.
8y providing the rotating ;li~;tributor ~or hydroDla:3saging of the back, th~ h~th is simpll~ied and the c0~3t thPr~of reduced. In fac1~, the abov~me~tioned ~ 1 3,~

distributor has made it possible to eliminate, or at least has entirely replaced, all ~he com~lex programming means provided in conventional baths.
The need for maintenanco and ~he interruptions in operation bav~ there~or~ been reduced to a minimu~, if not eli~inated, thereby making the bath particularly r~liable.
It is obvious, finally, th~t: conceptually and s~xucturally equivalent ~odi~ications may be made to the ba~h according to th~ present inve~tion without ther~by departing from th~ scope of its prot~ction.

Claims (24)

1. Bath for hydromassage, in particular for hydromassaging the back, of the type comprising at least one series of nozzles for delivering a liquid under pressure, aligned longitudinally on the backrest of the bath in a substantially median position, said nozzles having associated with them control means for supplying them in succession with said liquid under pressure in one direction or in the opposite direction, the prechosen supply sequence being repeated cyclically for a predetermined period of time, characterized in that said control means comprise a distributor which receives said liquid under pressure from a supply source and which is provided with a first substantially stationary member and a second member movable with respect to the first member, there being provided on said second member at least one opening designed to be positioned, as a result of displacement of said movable member, opposite openings of the fixed member communicating in succession with the nozzles of said series so as to allow said liquid under pressure to flow into the latter, supplying of the nozzles being effected in one direction or in the opposite direction according to the direction of displacement of said movable member.

2. Bath according to Claim 1, characterized in that said distributor is a rotating distributor in which said second movable member is rotatable with respect to the first stationary member, the direction of rotation of said rotatable member determining the direction of rotation of the nozzles.

3. Bath according to Claim 2, characterized in that said rotatable member consists of an essentially tubular duct into which the liquid under pressure is introduced, this duct having formed in it at least a plurality of openings which are offset angularly with respect to each other in the longitudinal direction and are designed to be positioned in sequence, as a result of rotation of said duct, opposite said openings of the fixed member.

4. Bath according to Claim 3, characterized in that said openings are angularly offset in a uniform manner on said duct.

5. Bath according to Claim 3, characterized in that said duct comprises two series of openings in which the openings of one series are equally offset in the same manner as those of the other series, the openings of one series being arranged at 180° with respect to those of the other series such that each pair of openings located at 180° in the same diametral plane positions itself opposite the inlet of chambers arranged at 180° in series laterally with respect to said duct, each of which has mounted on it at least one nozzle for delivering the liquid under pressure.

6. Bath according to Claim 5, characterized in that the said chambers of each series are not in communication with each other, while the chambers located opposite each other at 180° are in communication with each other.

7. Bath according to Claim 5, characterized in that each of said chambers is provided, on the side on which said nozzle for delivery of the liquid under pressure is mounted, with a sleeve element communicating with the inside of said chamber on which said delivery nozzle is fixed.

8. Bath according to Claim 7, characterized in that each of said sleeve elements has a first and a second portion, respectively outside and inside the chamber with which it is associated, the external portion having fixed to it a part of the body of said delivery nozzle, the end of which, provided with sealing means, is inserted into the internal portion of said sleeve element.

9. Bath according to Claim 5, characterized in that the chambers of each series are formed as one piece consisting of an essentially tubular portion, the said tubular portions being connected together by two essentially semi-cylindrical walls inside which said tubular duct is rotatably accommodated.

10. Bath according to Claim 9, characterized in that, between said semi-cylndrical walls and said tubular duct, there is arranged a stationary sleeve open at one end and provided with an opening at the inlet of each of said chambers.

11. Bath according to Claim 9, characterized in that the assembly consisting of said tubular portions and said semi-cylindrical walls is mounted and fixed externally and at the rear of the backrest of the bath so that the end of the nozzles projecting from the external surface of the bath and said assembly are fixed together.

12. Bath according to Claim 11, characterized in that, when the delivery nozzles are fixed to the sleeve elements, the end of said external portion of the sleeves engages with the external surface of the backrest of the bath and, simultaneously, an annular projection of the end of the delivery nozzles engages with the internal surface of said backrest.

13. Bath according to Claim 12, characterized in that fixing of the delivery nozzles to said external portion of the sleeve elements is performed by means of screwing.

14. Bath a cording to Claim 8, characterized in that on the end of the nozzles which is introduced into said internal portion of the sleeve elements, there are mounted several seals arranged at a suitable distance from each other so that at least one of them is introduced into said internal portion so as to ensure sealing independently of the thickness of the wall of the bath's backrest.

15. Bath according to Claim 2, characterized in that said rotating member consists of a substantially flat rotor provided with an opening designed to be positioned in sequence, as a result of rotation of said rotor, opposite said openings of the fixed member.

16. Bath according to Claim 15, characterized in that said rotor is an essentially disc-shaped body arranged inside an essentially cylindrical and hollow stator in the vicinity of one of its ends provided with a plurality of openings equally spaced circumferentially, each of which is connected, via a supply duct, to at least one nozzle for delivering the liquid under pressure.

17. Bath according to Claim 16, characterized in that said hollow cylindrical body receives the liquid under pressure substantially at the end opposite to that where said disc-shaped body is located.

18. Bath according to Claim 15, characterized in that said opening of the disc-shaped body is essentially in the shape of an eyelet with an essentially circular profile.

19. Bath according to. Claim 18, characterized in that said eyelet extends over an arc of a circle of a length such that, during rotation of said disc shaped body, it gradually assumes in succession two operating positions, in the first of which it overlaps with only one opening in the end of said stator, thereby allowing supplying of only one of said at least one nozzle, while in the second position it overlaps simultaneously and partially with two of said at least one successive nozzle(s), thereby allowing them to be partially and simultaneously supplied.

20. Bath according to Claim 15, characterized in that said opening of the disc-shaped body has a cross section substantially equal to that of the openings in the stator.

21. Bath according to Claim 2, characterized in that the value of the speed of rotation of said rotatable member determines the duration of the sequence for supplying of the delivery nozzles.

22. Bath according to Claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises, at the outlet of said distributor, means for automatic discharging of the residual liquid from the latter when hydromassage has been completed.

23. Bath according to Claim 22, characterized in that said means for automatically discharging the residual liquid from the distributor comprise valve means inserted in a duct connected to the bath waste outlet, said means being designed to the activated by sensor means for detecting the liquid in he bath when the latter has reached a predetermined minimum level during emptying of the said bath.

24. Bath according to Claim 23, characterized in that said predetermined minimum level corresponds essentially to the height at which the lower delivery nozzles are arranged with respect to the bottom of the bath.