COMBINATION AERATOR AND SHOWER NOZZLE

• US 3,796,377 A
• Filed: 06/01/1972
• Issued: 03/12/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Doris R. Roberts
• Original Assignee: Harry M O'Hare
• Inventors: O'Hare, Harry M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wood, Jr., M. Henson
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mar, Michael Y.
• Application Number:
  US05/258,835
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 239/428.5,590.3,590.5,460,425.5,553.5,456
• US Class Current: 239/428.5
• 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 7/0425 without any source of compressed gas, e.g. the air being sucked by the pressurised liquid
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/084 Jet regulators with aerating means

Abstract

A device for mixing air with liquid in a faucet or hose outlet device and dispensing the aerated liquid in a series of fine streams or jets. The unit is primarily designed for use in conjunction with apparatus for injected selected liquids such as detergent or bath oil into a water stream for final turbulent mixing and aerating in the device. The nozzle is adjustable to permit control of the size of the stream openings so that the water jets may be varied in size and force. The nozzle device contains a pair of closely spaced perforated plates on opposite sides of a chamber communicating with the exterior of the device through air admitting apertures. The perforations in the downstream plate are aligned with the perforations in the upstream plate and are larger than those in the upstream plate. As a result, the venturi effect of the water exiting under pressure through the upstream plate perforations and then through the downstream perforations draws air from the air admitting chamber through the perforations in the downstream plate. A mixing chamber is provided just below the downstream plate for developing turbulence and completing the mixing of the air and water before the water reaches the nozzle jet apertures.

Claims

1. Apparatus for providing an aerated stream of water from water mains comprising:

first means including a first apertured plate arranged for coupling to a water inlet pipe;

second means connected to said first means and defining a second apertured plate spaced generally parallel and adjacent but apart from said first apertured plate, the apertures of said second plate being slightly larger than the apertures of said first plate and aligned therewith, said first and second plates being juxtaposed to direct the flow of water substantially parallel to the axis of the apparatus;

means defining an air chamber communicating with the space between the first and second plates and including a plurality of air admitting orifices extending longitudinally between the air chamber and the outer surface of the apparatus; and

a mixing chamber located between the second plate and the apparatus outlet for developing turbulent mixing of the air and water within the apparatus.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 further including means adjacent the outlet for defining a plurality of fine water jets in the outlet stream.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein the last-mentioned means comprise means for adjusting the cross-sectional area of the jet defining means.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein said adjusting means comprises first and second threaded members having threaded engaging portions with means for limiting the extent of travel of one Member into the other.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein the travel limiting means is arranged to prevent water back-up from the jet defining means forcing water out the air admitting orifices.

6. Apparatus for intermixing air and liquid and ejecting the aerated mixture in a series of jets comprising:

a housing defining a pathway for liquid through said apparatus;

a first plate positioned generally transversely across said path and having a plurality of openings therein to permit the flow of liquid in individual streams therethrough;

a second plate adjacent but spaced apart from the first plate and generally parallel thereto, the second plate having a plurality of openings larger than the openings in the first plate and respectively aligned with corresponding ones of said first plate openings, said first and second plates being juxtaposed to direct the individual streams substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing;

an air chamber extending between the first and second plates;

means communicating between the air chamber and the exterior of the housing for admitting air from the outside to the air chamber; and

means downstream of the first and second plates for intermixing the liquid and admitted air prior to the release of the aerated liquid from the apparatus.

7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 wherein the apparatus housing is generally cylindrically formed about a central longitudinal axis and wherein the air admitting means comprise a plurality of slots spaced about the axis and aligned generally co-directionally with the longitudinal axis.

8. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 wherein the openings of the first and second plates are generally round holes spaced in a symmetrical pattern, wherein the openings of the second plate correspond in number and position to the openings in the first plate, and wherein each opening in the second plate is at least 50 percent larger in diameter than the opening in the first plate.

9. Apparatus in accordance with claim 8 wherein the openings in the second plate are of like dimension, wherein the openings in the first plate are of like dimension and wherein the diameter of the second plate openings is approximately 75 percent larger than the diameter of the first plate openings.

10. Apparatus in accordance with claim 9 wherein the spacing between the first and second plates is less than the diameter of the openings in the first plate.

11. Apparatus in accordance with claim 10 wherein the spacing between the first and second plates is less than the difference between the diameters of the first plate openings and the second plate openings.

12. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 wherein the housing is segmented for ease of assembly into at least two elements, the first element containing the first plate;

the second element containing the second plate;

the first and second elements having mating surfaces for engagement with each other such as to establish the spacing between the first and second plates upon assembly.

13. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 further including means for controlling the configuration of the aerated mixture exiting from the apparatus.

14. Apparatus in accordance with claim 13 wherein said last-mentioned means includes means for establishing a plurality of individual jets exiting from the apparatus.

15. Apparatus in accordance with claim 14 further including means for adjusting the size of said jets.

16. Apparatus in accordance with claim 15 wherein the jet establishing means comprises a plurality of slots extending generally longitudinally of the housing and spaced about the periphery of the housing.

17. Apparatus in accordance with claim 16 wherein said adjusting means includes a threaded member threadably engaging the apparatus housing and means for varying the degree of engagement of the threaded member in the housing.

18. Apparatus in accordance with claim 17 wherein lAst-mentioned means is arranged to decrease the size of the jets exiting from the apparatus as the member is threaded into the housing.

19. Apparatus in accordance with claim 18 further including means for limiting the extent of inward travel of the member into the housing at a predetermined point in order to prevent closure of the exit openings to an extent causing water to back up and flow out through the air admitting openings.

20. Apparatus in accordance with claim 17 wherein the means for varying the degree of engagement of the member in the housing includes a centrally located ridged knob mounted on said member along the longitudinal axis of the housing.

21. Apparatus in accordance with claim 20 wherein said knob includes a hollowed out central portion for developing a re-entrant fluid flow in the intermixing means.

22. Apparatus in accordance with claim 17 wherein said member comprises an upper threaded portion and a lower plate portion, said upper and lower portions being at least partially hollowed out to form a re-entrant mixing chamber for aerated liquids.

23. Apparatus in accordance with claim 22 wherein said member further includes at least one bridging section connecting the upper and lower portions.

24. Apparatus in accordance with claim 23 wherein said bridging section defines passages communicating between the mixing chamber and the exit slots.

25. Apparatus in accordance with claim 22 wherein said lower portion comprises a plate extending substantially across the housing at the lower end thereof, the plate having an outer peripheral surface such as to provide a closure wall for the slots spaced about the housing.