LIQUID AERATING AND SPRAYING DEVICE

• US 3,682,392 A
• Filed: 11/25/1970
• Issued: 08/08/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Louis F. Kint
• Original Assignee: Louis F. Kint
• Inventors: Kint, Louis F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wood, Jr., M. Henson
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mar, Michael Y.
• Application Number:
  US05/092,650
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 239/396,428.5,442,445,446,447,449,575,DIG.18 137/625.5
• US Class Current: 239/428.5
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/08 Jet regulators or jet guides, e.g. anti-splash devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86895 Plural disk or plug

Abstract

A liquid aerating and spraying device is disclosed, which is selectively operable to discharge either an aerated liquid stream or a liquid spray therefrom. Shifting of a plunger in the device to one of its two operating positions causes liquid entering the device to be diverted into one set of passages therein so that the device functions as a normal aerator. Shifting of the plunger to the other of its two operating positions causes the liquid to be diverted into another set of passages so that the device functions as a liquid sprayer.

Claims

1. A liquid aerating and spraying device, comprising a body having a liquid inlet adapted to be connected to a source of liquid under pressure, an air inlet, an aerated liquid outlet, and at least one liquid spray outlet, said body also having first passage means connecting said liquid inlet with said aerated liquid outlet and having aerating means therein adapted to intimately mix liquid from said source with air, said first passage means also including a branch passage extending between said air inlet and said aerating means, second passage means in said body connecting said liquid inlet with said spray outlet, and a valve member shiftably mounted in said body and operable when shifted to one position in said body to permit flow through said first passage means and to prevent flow through said second passage means so that a stream of aerated liquid is discharged from said aerated liquid outlet, said valve member being operable when shifted to another position in said body to permit flow through said second passage means and to prevent flow through said first passage means so that liquid is discharged as a spray through said spray outlet.

2. The liquid aerating and spraying device of claim 1, further characterized in that said body is elongated and has a transverse bore therein disposed upstream from said aerated liquid and spray outlets, said first passage means includes at least one bore in said body connected to said transverse bore and communicating with said aerating means, said second passage means includes at least one other bore in said body spaced transversely from said one bore, said one other bore being connected to said transverse bore and communicating with said spray outlet, and said valve member Is positioned in said transverse bore and operable when in said one position to connect said liquid inlet with said one bore and to disconnect said liquid inlet from said other bore, said valve member being operable when in said other position to connect said liquid inlet with said other bore and to disconnect said liquid inlet from said one bore.

3. The liquid aerating and spraying device of claim 2, further characterized in that said body includes at least one inlet bore extending between said liquid inlet and said transverse bore, said inlet bore being connected to said transverse bore between the connections of said one bore of said first passage means and said other bore of said second passage means.

4. The liquid aerating and spraying device of claim 3, further characterized in that said valve member comprises a plunger having a reduced diameter portion thereon defining an annular space in said transverse bore in continuous registry with said inlet bore and alternately registrable with said one bore of said first passage means and said other bore of said second passage means.

5. A liquid aerating and spraying device comprising a body having a liquid inlet, an aerated liquid outlet, and at least one spray outlet therein, said body also having aerating means therein communicating with said liquid inlet and said aerated liquid outlet, said aerating means being operable to mix air with liquid from said liquid inlet to provide a stream of aerated liquid from said aerated liquid outlet, a liquid diverting and distributing member immovably mounted in said body and communicating with said liquid inlet, said liquid diverting and distributing member receiving liquid from said liquid inlet and providing at least one pair of paths for respectively directing liquid to said aerating means and said spray outlet, and means for selectively diverting liquid from said liquid inlet into one or the other of said pair of paths.

6. The liquid aerating and spraying device of claim 5, further characterized in that said body includes first passage means extending between said liquid inlet and said aerated liquid outlet, and said liquid diverting and distributing member comprises a disk having at least one bore therethrough communicating with said aerating means, said one disk bore comprising a portion of one of said paths and said first passage means.

7. The liquid aerating and spraying device of claim 6, further characterized in that said body includes second passage means extending between said liquid inlet and said spray outlet, and said disk has at least one other bore therethrough spaced from said first mentioned disk bore and communicating with said spray outlet, said one other bore comprising a portion of the other of said paths and second passage means.

8. The liquid aerating and spraying device of claim 7, further characterized in that a plurality of said other bores are provided in said disk, and said spray outlet comprises a plurality of openings in said body.

9. The liquid aerating and spraying device of claim 8, further characterized in that said other disk bores and said spray outlet openings are annularly arranged.

10. The liquid aerating and spraying device of claim 8, further characterized in that liquid diverting and distributing disk has an end face having a cavity therein and a plurality of grooves radiating from said cavity, each of said grooves being connected to one of said other disk bores, said cavity and said grooves comprising another portion of said second passage means.

11. The liquid aerating and spraying device of claim 10, further characterized in that said body has a bearing surface, said first and second passage means include at least one pair of openings in said bearing surface, and indexing means is provided for assuring alignment between said opening of said first passage means and said one disk bore and between said opening of said second passage means and said cavity in said disk when said end face of said disk is engaged with saId bearing surface of said body.

12. The liquid aerating and spray generating device of claim 11, further characterized in that said indexing means comprises at least one upstanding post on said end face of said disk and at least opening in said bearing surface of said body for receiving said post.

13. The liquid aerating and spray generating device of claim 12, further characterized in that a pair of said posts are provided on said end face of disk and a pair of said openings are provided in said bearing surface for receiving said posts, one of said posts and its respective opening being of a different size than the other of said posts and its respective opening.