Pulsating fluid spray apparatus

• US 5,201,468 A
• Filed: 07/31/1991
• Issued: 04/13/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kohler Company
• Original Assignee: Kohler Company
• Inventors: Wissmueller, Jay K., Rudelick, John, Freier, Donald P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRANT, WILLIAM ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US07/738,418
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 239/381, 239/382, 239/383, 239/394, 239/396, 239/448, 239/449, 384/121, 384/625
• US Class Current: 239/383
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/1654 about an axis parallel to the liquid passage in the stationary valve element
• 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 3/04 driven by the liquid or other fluent material discharged, e.g. the liquid actuating a motor before passing to the outlet B05B3/023 takes precedence

Abstract

A fluid spray apparatus has an inlet assembly and an outlet assembly that are rotatable with respect to each other. The inlet assembly attaches to a fluid supply and has an outlet opening through which the fluid passes. The outlet assembly has a plurality of inlets positioned to communicate with the outlet opening as the outlet assembly is rotated into different positions with respect to the inlet assembly. Each inlet communicates with a different passage through the outlet assembly and has a set of openings that form a unique spray pattern. One of the fluid passages includes a circular chamber in which a forced vortex is created by the fluid flow. A turbine valve is disposed in the chamber and is driven by the vortex to alternately cover and expose one set of openings. The turbine valve and a chamber wall have rough textured surfaces to reduce friction. The turbine valve is made of an acetal plastic filled with silicone and polytetrafluorethylene to further reduce friction. Appropriate selection of the sizes of inlet and outlet openings of the chamber regulates the pressure therein and optimizes the turbine operation.

Claims

1. In a fluid spray apparatus that includes a housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid discharge outlet, means in said housing defining a flow path from the inlet to the outlet, and a pulsating means in said flow path for cyclically interrupting the fluid flow from the inlet to the outlet and causing a pulsating spray to be discharged from the apparatus;

an improvement wherein said pulsating means comprises;

a means that forms a circular chamber in which a forced vortex is created by fluid flow from the inlet to the outlet, a wall of said chamber having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures therethrough which form the outlet, and an interior surface of the wall having a rough textured surface; and

a turbine disposed within said chamber for rotational movement in response to the forced vortex, said turbine having a base plate which serves as a valve to alternately cover and expose the apertures as said turbine moves within said chamber, a surface of the base plate which contacts the interior surface of the wall also having a rough textured surface;

the textures of said surfaces cooperating to reduce friction between said turbine and the wall of said chamber.

2. The fluid spray apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the texture of the interior surface of the wall has substantially a 120 micro-inch average roughness.

3. The fluid spray apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the texture of said turbine substantially conforms to standard finish for plastics designated SPE-SPI No. 5.

4. The fluid spray apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said turbine is made of a silicone filled plastic.

5. The fluid spray apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said turbine is made of a polytetrafluorethylene filled plastic.

6. The fluid spray apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said turbine is made of an acetal plastic filled with a lubricant.

7. The fluid spray apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein a ratio of total area of outlet openings from the chamber to total area of inlet openings into the chamber is between four and five inclusive.

8. A fluid spray apparatus comprising:

an inlet assembly having a first chamber therein, a means for coupling the first chamber to a fluid supply, a pair of fluid passages from the first chamber through a wall of said assembly, and separate sealing means with an aperture therethrough disposed in each passage and biased outwardly therefrom by a spring;

an outlet assembly abutting said inlet assembly and being rotatably attached thereto, said outlet assembly including;

a body having a plurality of pairs of inlets with each pair positioned to communicate with the pair of fluid passages when said outlet assembly is rotated into different positions with respect to said inlet assembly, said body having a discharge section in which a like plurality of groups of outlets are defined, each group of outlets create a different fluid spray pattern;

means for defining a set of fluid passageways with each passageway connecting an inlet to a group of outlets wherein one of the fluid passageways includes a circular second chamber in which a forced vortex is created by fluid flow through the passageway, and outlets of one group extend through and are circumferentially spaced about a wall of said second chamber; and

a turbine disposed within said second chamber for rotational movement in response to the forced vortex, said turbine having a base plate that serves as a valve to alternately cover and expose outlets of the one group as said turbine moves within said second chamber, a surface of the base plate which contacts the wall of said second chamber having a rough textured surface;

wherein a surface of the wall of said second chamber has a rough textured surface with peaks to reduce resistance to movement between said turbine and the wall.

9. The fluid spray apparatus as recited in claim 8 wherein said turbine is made of an acetal plastic filled with a lubricant.

10. A fluid spray apparatus comprising:

an inlet assembly including;

a cap with a centrally located, internal tubular projection,

an inlet housing within said cap and having a tubular member that engages the tubular projection, and having a hollow conical section extending from one end of the tubular member,

a means disposed in the tubular member for coupling said apparatus to a fluid supply, and

a head plate extending across an end of the conical section that is remote from the tubular member, and having a passageway therethrough;

an outlet assembly abutting said inlet assembly and being rotatably attached thereto, said outlet assembly including;

a selector plate having three fluid passages therethrough each being positioned to communicate with the head plate passageway when said outlet assembly is rotated into a different angular position with respect to said inlet assembly, each fluid passage having a outlet opening,

a flow director abutting said selector plate and having two fluid paths therethrough, each path communicating with the outlet opening of a different fluid passage in said selector plate and having a number of outlets that form a spray pattern, one of the paths has a chamber in which a forced vortex is created by fluid flow and has outlets opening through a wall of the chamber;

a turbine disposed within the chamber for rotational movement in response to the forced vortex, and having a base plate which serves as a valve to alternately cover and expose the outlets through the wall of the chamber as said turbine moves;

a post which engages both the inlet and outlet assemblies in a manner that allows the assemblies to rotate with respect to each other, said post having a longitudinal aperture extending from one end and a transverse aperture coupling a fluid passage to the longitudinal aperture; and

an aerator adjacent the one end of said post to receive fluid therefrom.

11. The fluid spray apparatus as recited in claim 10 wherein a surface of the wall of the chamber has a textured surface to reduce friction between said turbine and the wall.

12. The fluid spray apparatus as recited in claim 11 wherein the texture of the surface of the wall substantially has a 120 micro-inch average roughness.

13. The fluid spray apparatus as recited in claim 10 wherein the base plate of said turbine has a textured surface to reduce friction between said turbine and the wall.

14. The fluid spray apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein the texture of the base plate surface substantially conforms to a standard finish for plastics designated SPE-SPI No. 5.

15. The fluid spray apparatus as recited in claim 10 wherein said turbine is made of a lubricant filled plastic.

16. The fluid spray apparatus as recited in claim 10 wherein said turbine is made of a polytetrafluorethylene filled plastic.

17. The fluid spray apparatus as recited in claim 10 wherein said turbine is made of an acetal plastic filled with silicone and polytetrafluorethylene.