By Mary Bellis
A whirlpool is a tub fitted with piping, an electric pump and water jets. The pump circulates the water through the pipes using an underwater suction fitting and several underwater jets. Each jet contains a venturi, a vented constriction near its opening that injects air into the water. In most cases, the ratio of air to water can be adjusted--at a central control, at each jet or both sites.
In 1968, Roy Jacuzzi invented and marketed the first self-contained, fully integrated whirlpool bath by incorporating jets into the sides of the tub. Jacuzzi ® is the trademarked name for the invention. The Jacuzzi trademark is shown in both the Oxford and Webster's dictionaries, recognizing Jacuzzi as the inventor of the whirlpool bath. The Jacuzzi Bros. introduce their Whirlpool bath at California's Orange County Fair. In addition to the first whirlpool bath patent. The Jacuzzi Company has 250 world wide patents for advancements in pump systems, jet technology, air controls and product design.
The history of the Jacuzzi company begins in the early 1900s when the Jacuzzi brothers immigrated to California from Italy. The brothers invented the first enclosed cabin, high-wing monoplane, which carried mail for the U.S. postal service as well as passengers. The inventor brothers later made great advancements in the agricultural pump industry and of course in the whirlpool bath industry.
According to a Jacuzzi, Inc press release "The History of the Jacuzzi Brand":
...begins in the early 1900s, when the seven
Jacuzzi brothers immigrated to California from Italy. The brothers made great
strides in aviation by inventing the first enclosed cabin monoplane, which
carried mail for the U.S. Postal Service as well as passengers from the San
Francisco Bay Area to Yosemite National Park. Incorporating their hydraulic
insight, Jacuzzi Brothers, as they’d come to be known in 1920, later made
notable advancements in the agricultural pump industry, which led to an
invention that remains an iconic fixture in American homes today.
In 1956, the family’s hydraulic know-how proved invaluable when they created a
portable hydrotherapy pump, which they used to treat a family member’s problem
with arthritis. From that application, a small niche business was developed by
providing the J-300, a portable pump, to hospitals and schools.
The pioneering spirit of the original Jacuzzi brothers was alive and well in
third generation family member Roy Jacuzzi, who invented the world’s first
whirlpool bath in 1968. As a teenager, he started working in the family business
in a variety of odd jobs, really learning how the business worked from the
ground up. In 1968, his passion for design and engineering emerged when he
invented and marketed the world’s first fully integrated whirlpool bath, known
as the Roman. Sensing that American consumers were moving toward an emphasis on
health, fitness and leisure activities, the determined Jacuzzi peddled his
invention one at a time at county fairs and trade shows. While his family
members looked on with both surprise and delight, Roy slowly – and nearly
single-handedly – created a brand new industry. The Roman whirlpool tub became
an icon of free-spirited relaxation in the 1970’s … and the brand Jacuzz i®
became forever imprinted in American minds.
