LAMINAR FLOW WATER JET WITH WAVE SEGMENTATION, ADDITIVE, AND CONTROLLER

• US 20110073670A1
• Filed: 11/04/2010
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pentair Water Pool And Spa Incorporated (Pentair Plc (Ireland))
• Original Assignee: Pentair Water Pool And Spa Incorporated (Pentair Plc (Ireland))
• Inventors: Johnson, Bruce
• Granted Patent: US 8,763,925 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 239/18
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/3402 to avoid or to reduce turbulencies, e.g. comprising fluid flow straightening means
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/06 for effecting pulsating flow nozzles, spray head or outlet with means for generating a discharge of pulsating nature B05B1/08
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 17/08 Fountains drinking fountains E03B9/20; wash fountains E03C1/16
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 10/02 changing colors F21S10/002 - F21S10/007, F21S10/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/00 Lighting devices intended for fixed installation F21S9/00, F21S10/00 take precedence; using a string or strip of light sources F21S4/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2121/02 for fountains
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/00 Elongate light sources, e.g. fluorescent tubes
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A laminar flow water jet system has a housing with a water channel, the housing creating a laminar flow in the water channel from the water flowing through the housing. A lighting element is provided with a controller. The laminar flow passes through at least one jetting element having a cup portion and a nozzle portion and jetting a laminar flow tube from the laminar flow passing through the water channel in the housing at the base portion. The laminar flow tube is ejected from the nozzle as a laminar flow jet having a smoothed tubular surface jacket and being lit by the lighting element. An additive source drips additive into the cup portion at a rate controlled by the controller, the additive being absorbed by capillary action by the laminar flow tube as it is passed through the nozzle to become the laminar flow jet. The absorption process drawing in air from the surrounding atmosphere and creating perturbations or bubbles within the laminar flow tube. In a further mode either an energetic pulse or an additive wave formed by increasing the volume of additive in the cup portion of the jetting element creates a wave perturbation or interruption throughout the laminar flow tube creating a variation in the laminar flow tube and the smoothed tubular surface jacket of the resulting laminar flow jet.

Claims

18. A laminar flow water jet system comprising:

an at least one water input with water flowing therein;

a housing with a water channel, the housing creating a laminar flow in the water channel from the water flowing from the at least one water input and flowing through the housing;

an at least one lighting element;

a controller;

an at least one jetting element having base and nozzle portion and jetting a laminar flow tube from the laminar flow passing through the water channel in the housing, the laminar flow tube being ejected from the nozzle as a laminar flow jet having a smoothed tubular surface jacket and being lit by the at least one lighting element; and

an at least one additive source dripping additive at a rate controlled by the controller, the additive being dripped directly onto the laminar flow tube at a rate regulated such that the volume being dripped is absorbed by the laminar flow tube as it is dripped on to the laminar flow tube as it is passed through the nozzle to become the laminar flow jet, leading to an absorption process drawing in air from the surrounding atmosphere and creating additive flow perturbations within the laminar flow tube, these additive flow perturbations being absorbed into the laminar flow tube and the resulting laminar flow jet without affecting the overall integrity of the smoothed tubular surface jacket of the laminar flow jet.

1. A laminar flow water jet system comprising:

an at least one water input with water flowing therein;

a housing with a water channel, the housing creating a laminar flow in the water channel from the water flowing from the at least one water input and flowing through the housing;

an at least one lighting element;

a controller;

an at least one jetting element having a cup portion and a nozzle portion and jetting a laminar flow tube from the laminar flow passing through the water channel in the housing, the laminar flow tube being ejected from the nozzle as a laminar flow jet having a smoothed tubular surface jacket and being lit by the at least one lighting element; and

an at least one additive source dripping additive into the cup portion at a rate controlled by the controller, the additive being dripped into the cup portion of the jetting element at a rate to regulate the volume being absorbed by capillary action by the laminar flow tube as it is passed through the nozzle to become the laminar flow jet with a smoothed tubular surface, the capillary uptake and absorption process drawing in air from the surrounding atmosphere and creating an additive flow perturbations within the laminar flow tube, these perturbations being absorbed into the laminar flow tube and the resulting laminar flow jet without affecting the overall integrity of the smoothed tubular surface jacket of the laminar flow jet.

2. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 1, wherein the controller upon receiving a control input increases the flow of the additive to increase the volume of additive in the cup portion of the jetting element for a set period of time, the increased volume of additive substantially surrounding the entirety of the laminar flow tube, being taken up by the capillary action around the entirety of the laminar flow tube, and creating a wave perturbation throughout the laminar flow tube as the increased volume of additive surrounding the laminar flow tube is absorbed through capillary uptake along with air from the surrounding environment by the laminar flow tube and jetted out of the nozzle portion of the jetting element, the additive flow perturbations creating a variation in the laminar flow tube and the smoothed tubular surface jacket of the resulting laminar flow jet across substantially their entirety without disrupting the cohesion of the laminar flow jet.

3. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 2, further comprising an energetic pulse wave generating element, wherein the controller upon receiving a control input activates the energetic pulse wave generating element generating an energetic pulse that travels into the laminar flow tube and selectively interrupts the resulting smoothed tubular surface jacket of the laminar flow jet at a specific location on the laminar flow jet, thereby impairing the surface of and effecting the light passing within the laminar flow jet without disrupting the cohesion of the laminar flow jet.

4. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 3, wherein the energetic pulse wave or the additive flow wave perturbation provides a turbulent section within the laminar flow tube and these in turn define segments in the laminar flow jet with perturbations in the smoothed tubular surface jacket surround by the laminar flow jet without disrupting the cohesion of the laminar flow jet.

5. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 3, wherein the controller is in communication with the at least one energetic pulse wave generating element, the controller sending a command to the at least one energetic pulse wave generating element to send the energetic pulse into the laminar flow tube.

6. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 5, wherein the controller is in communication with the at least one additive source and the energetic pulse wave generating element, the controller regulating the rate at which additive is admitted so as to coordinate the admission of the additive and resulting wave perturbation with the energetic pulse perturbation.

7. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 1, further comprising an energetic pulse wave generating element generating an energetic pulse that travels into the laminar flow and selectively interrupts the laminar flow tube and the smoothness of the smoothed tubular surface jacket at a specific location in the resulting laminar flow jet.

8. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 4, wherein the controller receives a control input from at least one of a timer, a user, an audio input or a video input.

9. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 4, wherein the controller receives a control input from a master controller.

10. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 4, wherein the controller sends signals to the at least one lighting element.

11. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 10, wherein the at least one lighting element changes a color input into the laminar flow water jet tube segments based on instructions from the controller.

12. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 1, wherein the at least one lighting element further comprises an at least one lighting tube and an at least one light source.

13. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 3, further comprising a laminar flow jet disruptor in communication with the controller, wherein the laminar flow jet disruptor causes interruption of the laminar flow jet issuing from the jetting element causing discrete laminar flow jet columns to issue from the apparatus.

14. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 13, wherein the at least one lighting element communicates with the controller and lights the discrete laminar flow jet columns.

15. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 4, wherein the at least one lighting element changes a color input into the discrete segments of the laminar flow water jet.

16. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 15, wherein the discrete laminar flow jet columns are interrupted by the energetic pulse wave or additive wave perturbation such that the discrete columns are further distinctly segmented and the light source provides light to each of the distinct segments within the discrete laminar flow jet columns.

17. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 16, wherein each of the distinct segments is lit with a different color.

19. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 18, wherein the controller upon receiving a control input increases the flow of the additive to increase the volume of additive being dripped from the jetting element, the increased volume of additive being dripped impacting around substantially the entirety of the laminar flow tube, the larger volume of additive in the drip being taken up by the laminar flow through substantially the entirety of the laminar flow tube and creating an additive flow wave perturbation through the laminar flow tube as the increased volume of additive is absorbed along with air from the surrounding environment by the laminar flow tube and jetted out of the nozzle portion of the jetting element, the additive flow wave perturbation creating a variation in the laminar flow tube and the smoothed tubular surface jacket of the resulting laminar flow jet without disrupting the cohesion of the laminar flow jet.

20. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 19, wherein the capillary uptake occurs in conjunction with impact from the velocity profile of the drop being dripped onto the laminar flow tube and the additive flow wave perturbation provides a turbulent section within the laminar flow tube and these in turn define segments in the laminar flow jet with perturbations in the smoothed tubular surface jacket surround the laminar flow jet without disrupting the cohesion of the laminar flow jet.

21. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 20, further comprising an energetic pulse wave generating element, wherein the controller upon receiving a control input activates the energetic wave generating element generating an energetic pulse or wave that travels into the laminar flow tube and selectively interrupts the resulting smoothed tubular surface jacket of the laminar flow jet as a perturbation at a specific location on the laminar flow jet, thereby impairing the surface jacket of and effecting the light passing within the laminar flow jet without disrupting the cohesion of the laminar flow jet.

22. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 19, wherein the controller is in communication with an at least one energetic pulse wave generating element, the controller sending a command to the at least one energetic pulse wave generating element to send the energetic pulse into the laminar flow tube and the additive flow wave perturbation or the energetic pulse wave, together or separately, provides a turbulent section within the laminar flow tube and these in turn define segments in the laminar flow jet with perturbations in the smoothed tubular surface jacket surround the laminar flow jet without disrupting the cohesion of the laminar flow jet.

23. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 22, wherein the controller is in communication with the at least one additive source and the energetic pulse wave generating element, the controller regulating the rate at which additive is admitted so as to coordinate the admission of the additive and resulting additive flow wave perturbation with an energetic pulse wave.

24. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 18, further comprising an energetic pulse wave generating element generating an energetic pulse that travels into the laminar flow and selectively interrupts the laminar flow tube and the smoothness of the smoothed tubular surface jacket at a specific location in the resulting laminar flow jet.

25. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 21, wherein the controller receives a control input from at least one of a timer, a user, an audio, a video input and a master controller.

26. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 21, wherein the controller sends signals to the at least one lighting element.

27. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 26, wherein the at least one lighting element changes a color input into the laminar flow water tube based on instructions from the controller.

28. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 21, the pulse wave or additive flow wave perturbation segments the laminar flow water jet into discrete segments and the at least one lighting element changes a color input into the discrete segments of the laminar flow water jet.

29. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 20, wherein the at least one lighting element further comprises an at least one lighting tube and an at least one light source.

30. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 20, further comprising a laminar flow jet disruptor in communication with the controller, wherein the laminar flow jet disruptor causes interruption of the laminar flow jet issuing from the jetting element causing discrete laminar flow jet columns to issue from the apparatus.

31. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 30, wherein the at least one lighting element communicates with the controller and lights the discrete laminar flow jet columns.

32. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 20, wherein the energetic pulse wave or the additive flow wave perturbation provides a turbulent section within the laminar flow tube and these in turn define segments in the laminar flow jet with perturbations in the smoothed tubular surface jacket surround the laminar flow jet without disrupting the cohesion of the laminar flow jet.

33. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 2, wherein the controller upon receiving a control input stops the flow of the additive to decrease the volume of additive in the cup portion of the jetting element for a set period of time, thereby creating a non-perturbed section, which an then be alternated with a perturbed section.

34. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 18, wherein the additive being dripped directly onto the laminar flow tube has an exit velocity and the laminar flow tube has an ejection velocity either or both of which may be controlled by the controller, the variation between these velocities being directly proportional to the amount of air being admitted into the laminar flow tube and the perturbations, which causes turbulence within the tube and thereby enhances the lighting effect within the tube, any hole in the laminar flow tube from the absorption process being healed prior to or at the ejection of the laminar flow jet and thereby ensuring the integrity of the smoothed tubular surface jacket of the laminar flow jet upon ejection.

31-1. The laminar flow water jet system of claim 29, wherein the discrete laminar flow jet columns are interrupted by the energetic pulse wave or additive flow wave perturbation such that the discrete columns are further distinctly segmented and the light source provides light to each of the distinct segments within the laminar flow jet columns.