Fluid delivery apparatus

• US 6,254,014 B1
• Filed: 07/13/1999
• Issued: 07/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Moen, Inc. (Canada) (Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Moen, Inc. (Canada) (Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.)
• Inventors: Clearman, Joseph H., Clearman, Jack F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Dinh Q.
• Application Number:
  US09/352,518
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 239/222.15, 239/428.5, 239/380, 239/383, 239/389, 239/222.13, 239/222.17, 239/222.19, 239/222.21
• US Class Current: 239/222.15
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/3013 the controlling element being a lift valve B05B1/3006, B05B1/3033 take precedence; lift valves in general F16K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/3026 the controlling element being a gate valve, a sliding valve or a cock B05B1/3006, B05B1/326 take precedence; gate valves or sliding valves in general F16K3/00; cocks in general F16K5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 3/0463 Rotor nozzles, i.e. nozzles consisting of an element having an upstream part rotated by the liquid flow, and a downstream part connected to the apparatus by a universal joint

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus with a moving nozzle that delivers fluid in a wobbling, rotating or oscillating pattern. The movement of the nozzle is a wobbling motion, preferably combined with some rotational motion. The wobbling motion is generated by disposing a wobble inducing member or wobble turbine in the path of the fluid supply. The water flowing over the wobble turbine causes the turbine to wobble. The wobbling turbine then causes the nozzle to wobble or rotate. The moving nozzle can be used as a motor providing a rotating output shaft or ring.

Claims

1. A fluid discharging apparatus comprising:

a housing having a fluid inlet and a collar in an axially spaced relationship to the fluid inlet;

a wobble inducing member disposed within the housing in an axially spaced relationship between the fluid inlet and the collar;

a nozzle assembly coupled to the wobble inducing member in a loose male-female relationship, wherein the nozzle assembly has a fluid conduit extending through the collar to provide fluid communication between the housing and a fluid outlet at a distal end of the conduit;

wobble limiting means extending about the nozzle assembly.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wobble inducing member has a plurality of stream distributing members configured to cause the wobble inducing member to rotate when struck by a stream emitted from the fluid inlet.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wobble limiting member is a track formed in the housing adjacent the fluid inlet and the wobble turbine is in rolling contact with the track.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wobble limiting member is an elongated cylindrical collar.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the nozzle assembly has a wobble plate and the wobble limiting member is a slot formed in the housing for receiving the wobble plate.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the nozzle assembly has a slot formed around the circumference of the nozzle assembly, and wherein the wobble limiting member is secured to the housing and forms a plate extending into the slot.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wobble limiting member is a wall forming part of the housing.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wobble limiting member is a cylindrical sleeve disposed around a portion of the nozzle assembly.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the portion of the nozzle assembly forms a post.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid conduit includes one or more radial channels.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid conduit is not tangential.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wobble turbine has a conical upper surface facing the fluid inlet.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wobble turbine has a convex conical upper surface with angular momentum inducing grooves formed therein.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises an air passage extending into fluid communication with the fluid outlet.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the air passage extends into a position adjacent to the fluid outlet.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the nozzle assembly forms a shoulder having a greater diameter than the collar.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid outlet forms a plurality of flow channels.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the flow channels form an angle with the centerline of the nozzle assembly.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the nozzle assembly is rigidly coupled to the wobble inducing member.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the nozzle assembly has a wobble plate and the wobble limiting member is a slot having an adjustable width.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the collar forms an annular groove therein facing the fluid conduit.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid conduit forms an annular groove therein facing the collar.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the collar includes a resilient gasket surrounding the fluid outlet.

24. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid conduit has a slidable member therein, and wherein a biasing member is coupled to the slidable member to cause sliding contact with the fluid conduit when the fluid pressure changes.

25. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wobble limiting member is track disposed around an upper portion of the nozzle assembly.

26. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a nozzle having a plurality of outlets in fluid communication with the fluid conduit.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the nozzle includes a pressurized fluid chamber having a plurality of outlet orifices and a reduced pressure fluid chamber having a plurality of outlet channels.

28. A fluid discharge apparatus comprising:

a housing having a fluid inlet and a collar in an axially spaced relationship to the fluid inlet;

a wobble inducing member disposed within the housing in an axially spaced relationship between the fluid inlet and the collar;

a nozzle assembly coupled to the wobble inducing member in a wobbling relationship, wherein the nozzle assembly has a fluid conduit extending through the collar to provide fluid communication between the housing and a fluid outlet at a distal end of the conduit;

wobble limiting means extending about the nozzle assembly.

29. A fluid discharging apparatus comprising:

a housing having a fluid inlet and a collar in an axially spaced relationship to the fluid inlet;

a wobble turbine disposed within the housing in an axially spaced relationship between the fluid inlet and the collar, the wobble turbine forming a conical surface with partially radial grooves facing the fluid inlet end of the housing;

a nozzle assembly coupled to the wobble turbine, wherein the nozzle assembly has a fluid conduit extending through the collar to provide fluid communication between the housing and a fluid outlet at a distal end of the conduit;

wobble limiting means extending about the nozzle assembly.

30. A fluid discharging apparatus comprising:

a housing having a fluid inlet and a plurality of separate fluid outlets, a plurality of chambers within the housing, each chamber being in communication with the fluid inlet and one of the plurality of fluid outlets;

a wobble turbine positioned within each chamber and in communication with the fluid inlet, whereby fluid flowing from the inlet induces a wobbling motion to each wobble turbine;

a nozzle assembly associated with each wobble turbine and in fluid communication with the fluid inlet, whereby each wobble turbine wobbles independently of the other wobble turbines, and each nozzle assembly has a fluid discharge controlled by its associated wobble turbine.

31. The fluid discharge apparatus of claim 30 wherein each nozzle assembly is attached to and movable with its associated wobble turbine.

32. The fluid discharge apparatus of claim 31 wherein each wobble turbine has a fluid passage therein, and each nozzle assembly has a fluid passage therein connected to the wobble turbine'"'"'s fluid passage.