Flow control nozzle and shutoff valve having screen-carrying passage in rotatable stem

• US 4,629,121 A
• Filed: 03/11/1985
• Issued: 12/16/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert W. Hengesbach
• Original Assignee: Robert W. Hengesbach
• Inventors: Hengesbach, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nase, Jeffrey V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Forman, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US06/715,353
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 239/119, 239/393, 239/396, 239/538, 239/569, 239/575, 239/590.3, 239/601, 239/600
• US Class Current: 239/119
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/1636 by relative rotative movement of the valve elements B05B1/1672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/18 Roses; Shower heads with means for adding soap or the like E03C1/046; jet regulators E03C1/08
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/534 by reversing the nozzle relative to the supply conduit

Abstract

A flow control nozzle and shutoff valve has a housing which defines inlet and outlet openings on opposite sides thereof, and a flow channel extending therethrough for communicating the inlet and outlet openings. A control member is journaled by the housing for rotation about an axis that intersects the flow channel. The control member has a ball-shaped portion that is positioned along the flow channel. An elongate flow passage is formed through the ball-shaped portion of the control member. A curved, screen-like, flow regulating formation is positioned at one of the ends of the flow passage. The control member is movable relative to the housing among first, second and third control positions to selectively bring its flow passage into or out of alignment with the flow channel, and to selectively position the screen-like formation near the inlet and the outlet openings. When the control member is in its first control position, the screen-like formation is held in proximity to the inlet, and the flow of fluid that issues from the outlet takes the form of a solid, non-dispersed stream. When the control member is in its second control position, the screen-like formation is held in proximity to the outlet, and the flow of fluid that issues from the outlet is dispersed by the screen-like formation to form a spray. When the control member is in its third control position, the control member operates to close off fluid flow through the unit.

Claims

1. A combined flow control, nozzle and shutoff valve unit, comprising:

(a) an elongate housing having spaced portions thereof that include structure which defines an inlet, an outlet, and a flow channel that extends through the housing to provide a generally linear flow path that communicates the inlet and the outlet, with the inlet being adapted for connection to a source of pressurized fluid;

(b) the housing further defining mounting formation means including a first hole formed through a portion of the housing for communicating with the flow channel at a location between the inlet and the outlet;

(c) flow control means including a flow control member having projecting formation means that is journaled in the first hole to provide for rotary movement of the flow control member relative to the housing about an imaginary axis of rotation that extends through the first hole and that intersects with the flow channel, with rotary movement of the flow control member relative to the housing about said axis being permitted among at least first, second and third control positions;

(d) the flow control member additionally having structure defining a generally spherical outer surface for extending across the flow channel at a location between the inlet and the outlet, with the generally spherical outer surface having a diameter as measured along the flow path that causes opposite side portions of the spherical outer surface to extend into close proximity with the inlet and the outlet;

(e) the flow control member further having an elongate flow passage extending substantially centrally therethrough and having opposed first and second end regions that open through opposite sides of the spherical outer surface, with the flow passage being oriented such that;

(i) when the flow control member is in the first control position, the flow passage is aligned with the flow channel to communicate the inlet and the outlet, the first end region is positioned near to and communicates with the inlet, and the second end region is positioned near to and communicates with the outlet;

(ii) when the flow control member is in the second control position, the flow passage is aligned with the flow channel to communicate the inlet and the outlet, the first end region is positioned near to and communicates with the outlet, and the second end region is positioned near to and communicates with the inlet; and

,

(iii) when the flow control member is in the third control position, the flow passage is oriented to extend transversely with respect to the flow channel and does not communicate the inlet and the outlet;

(f) the flow passage being of substantially uniform diameter along its length except in the vicinity of the first end region wherein dispersion spray discharge means is provided including structure that defines a thin, outwardly convex wall that joins with the spherical outer surface in a substantially contiguous manner and that extends transversely across the flow passage to close the flow passage except for the provision of a multiplicity of relatively small diameter openings that are formed through the thin wall in an array that defines a screen-like structure, and with the second end region defining solid stream discharge means consisting of a single opening means that is substantially the same diameter as said uniform diameter of the flow passage;

(g) inlet seal means including a generally annular inlet seal;

(i) for establishing a seal between the housing inlet and the spherical outer surface of the flow control means;

(ii) for engaging the spherical outer surface to establish substantially leak-free communication between the inlet and the flow passage of the flow control means when the flow control means is in the first and second control positions; and

,

(iii) for cooperating with the spherical outer sufface of the flow control member to shut off fluid flow from the inlet to the flow channel when the flow control member is in the third control position;

(h) outlet seal means including a generally annular outlet seal;

(i) for establishing a seal between the housing outlet and the spherical outer surface of the flow control means;

(ii) for engaging the spherical outer surface to establish substantially leak-free communication between the outlet and the flow passage of the flow control means when the flow control member is in the first and second control positions; and

,

(iii) for cooperating with the spherical outer surface of the flow control member to shut off fluid flow from the flow channel through the outlet when the flow control member is in the third control position;

(i) the flow control member being operable when in its first control position to position the dispersion spay discharge means at a sufficient distance upstream from the outlet so that the dispersion spray discharge means provides substantially no deterrent to the establishment of a flow of pressurized fluid through the flow passage for discharge through the outlet as a solid-stream flow;

(j) the flow control member being operable when in its second control position to direct pressurized fluid that has been admitted to the flow passage through the inlet for discharge through the outlet as a dispersed spray of fluid; and

,

(k) the inlet seal means and the outlet seal means engaging and cooperating with opposed side portions of the spherical outer surface when the flow control member is in the third control position to shut off fluid flow from the inlet to the outlet; and

(1) the housing defines an annular shoulder that is adjacent where the flow channel joins the inlet, the inlet includes structure defining an internally threaded region that extends adjacent the shoulder, the inlet seal is positioned within the internally threaded region adjacent the shoulder, and the internally threaded region, the shoulder and the inlet seal are configured to cooperate such that, when an externally threaded end region of a fluid supply conduit is threaded into the internally threaded region, said conduit is caused to compress radially outer portions of the annular inlet seal into engagement with the shoulder, and to compress radially inward portions of the inlet seal into sealing engagement with the spherical outer surface of the flow control member.

2. The combined flow control, nozzle and shutoff valve of claim 1 wherein the their convex wall that defines the screen-like structive has a thickness that is about 0.020 inch.

3. The combined flow control, nozzle and shutoff valve unit of claim 1 wherein the holes that are formed through the thin convex wall that defines the screen-like structure are within the range of about 0.020 to about 0.025 inch in diameter.

4. The combined flow control, nozzle and shutoff valve unit of claim 1 wherein the thin convex wall that defines the screen-like structure has a substantially uniform thickness that is about the same as the diameter of the holes that are formed through said wall.

5. The combined flow control, nozzle and shutoff valve unit of claim 1 wherein the thin convex wall that defines the screen-like structure is formed integrally with such portions of the control member as define the flow passage.

6. The combined flow control, nozzle and shutoff valve unit of claim 5 wherein the screen-like structure and such portions of the control members as define the flow passage are formed as a one-piece molded structure of rigid plastics material.

7. The combined flow control, nozzle and shutoff valve unit of claim 1 additionally including a divergent outlet passage means formed on the housing, through which discharging fluid passes, the divergent outlet passage means being configured to provide no obstruction to the solid-stream flow of fluid which issues from the outlet when the control member is in its first control position, and being configured to cooperate with the dispersion spray discharge means of the flow control member to assist in providing a controlled spray pattern of discharging fluid when the flow control member is in its second position.

8. The combined flow control, nozzle and shutoff valve unit of claim 1 wherein the flow control member includes an operator-engageable formation located externally of the housing for facilitating movement of the flow control member relative to the housing.

9. The combined flow control, nozzle and shutoff valve unit of claim 8 wherein the operator-engageable formation includes an elongate lever.

10. The combined flow control, nozzle and shutoff valve unit of claim 1, wherein:

(a) the mounting formation means includes a second hole formed through the housing in alignment with the first hole; and

,

(b) the mounting formation means includes structure that is journaled in the second hole and that is connected to the flow control member to assist in mounting the flow control member on the housing for rotary movement about the axis of rotation.