This device acts as a modification for existing bath tubs but may be more practical as a self-contained tub.
A membrane diffuser is installed into the base of your tub (this allows gas to pass through and does not allow water to flow back) and a cylinder of helium is connected to the diffuser. The flow of helium through the diffuser can be controlled by a small tap attached to the side of the tub so that it is easily reached from a reclining position. Naturally you will need to put plenty of bubble bath into the tub when planning an ineffable moment of bliss.
Turn on the helium and tiny bubbles rush up through the diffuser in a tickly and massaging manner. When these bubbles get to the surface they do one of two things - either they surface inside an existing air soap bubble or they emerge from the soapy film on top of the water and float off as a small helium soap bubble. I imagine the air soap bubbles will eventually lift off when enough helium bubbles have merged with them. The bathroom will be full of floating bubbles of different sizes, floating at different levels depending on the ratio of air to helium inside them.
For me this has enough value as an ineffable experience, but for those who feel the need to solve problems and generally make the world a better place you could argue that children would be more inclined to bathe with such a contraption on the go.
I must mention that this idea came from a note by [hollajam] to an idea by [Farmer John] for a motorised bath tub. Without you both this would never have been born.-- Ludwig, Dec 12 2002 (??) Helium Bubbles http://littleshop.p...bles/HeBubbles.htmlI don't have QuickTime but you probably do. [egnor, Oct 04 2004] [You can put bliss in my bathtub any time you like. She might not appreciate it, however.]
On a technical note: no fancy membranes necessary, just use regular jacuzzi technology. Also, given that regular air-filled bath bubbles are often light enough to float, at least for a while, won't a regular jacuzzi suit you in the first place? (Helium is pretty expensive, after all, and I am picturing myself getting mouthfuls of soap bubble, then passing out from lack of oxygen.)
Besides, rubber duckies and the like are usually quite enough to make children more inclined to bathe.-- DrCurry, Dec 12 2002 I do like jacuzzis, a great deal in fact. However, they are suited to pumping large amounts of gas through the water at a rapid rate. This is noisy and in my case I would use an awful lot of helium very quickly and probably sound strange. Perhaps the title of 'Volcaniser' is misleading but the intended effect is gentle, quiet and...ineffable. Having bubbles floating throughout the room is an important part of this.-- Ludwig, Dec 12 2002 Being in a small room with lots of helium tends to make for terrible headaches. At least for me. I worked for a day filling helium baloons, and then realised that I didn't need a paycheck that badly. But (+) any how because this would be great fun.-- notme, Dec 12 2002 Ludwig: try the "low" setting.-- DrCurry, Dec 12 2002 Old April Fool trick: put washing up liquid in (someone else's) kettle. Most satisfying.-- dalek, Dec 12 2002 Sounds nearly as good fun as putting jelly in someone's car windscreen washer bottle.-- 8th of 7, Dec 12 2002 The bubbles wouldn't end up "floating at different levels depending on the ratio"; the ones lighter than air would leave a mess on the ceiling, the ones heavier than air would fail to rise (unless you kicked them out, then they'd leave a mess on the floor), and the ones around the same density would go wandering off on air currents until they left a mess on the walls or furniture or wherever they stuck.
You can most certainly bubble gas into liquid without any crazy membrane. Ever blow into a drink with a straw? Like that. Bubble sizes and area of bubbling can easily be changed.
Helium bubbles can be made; they do in fact float more than regular bubbles, but the helium tends to quickly diffuse through the wall of the soap bubble, and then it's just air and it falls.
Anyway, having bubbles floating all over the bathroom might be kind of amusing but is probably logistically irksome.-- egnor, Dec 12 2002 Thank you very much [egnor] for your considered criticism, I think you are being a bit hasty over the diffuser though. I admit it was introduced largely to give the smack of scientific credibility to the idea but it also serves an important function. The membrane allows for very small bubbles to form, much smaller than you would achieve with a straw or straw-like fitment; this would keep the noise down and keep the bath comfortable. I think any device using tubes would leave your backside looking like a golf ball.
//mess on the...furniture or wherever...// Shut the bathroom door!-- Ludwig, Dec 13 2002 egnor: if the helium diffuses through the walls of the soap bubble, then surely the soap bubble just deflates...? (Anything else would require the air to diffuse back in, which I would have guessed to be unlikely based on the pressure differential.) (Never tried this one myself.)-- DrCurry, Dec 13 2002 I like this idea a lot and I predict that blissy will love it. I can imagine sitting happily in my bath being tickled by small bubbles and singing 'Rubber ducky' in a squeaky voice.
Just one small pedantic note.. I think it should properly be 'Bath Bubble Vulcaniser'.
In terms of cool effects, putting a large quantity of bubble bath in an outdoor spa attached to a swimming pool is very funky. I've seen it done at christmas parties occasionally. It's disconcerting looking up from underwater to see a solid layer of bubbles above you.-- madradish, Dec 13 2002 You never know you can eff until you try.Pastry to [egnor] for the phrase "logistically irksome".-- angel, Dec 13 2002 [UB] I am dying to hear how it went, I am all eyes.
[madradish] I nearly did call it exactly that, but I think it would have conjured a sense of uncomfortable heat. Which volcanoes don't of course.-- Ludwig, Dec 13 2002 random, halfbakery