Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SUMMARY
The present invention is directed to an improvement in pulsating jet
shower spray heads. ~,
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided
a shower head comprising a housing forming a chamber defined in part by a
plate having a set of fine spray supply ports, and a set of jet spray supply ~ -
ports; a peripherally engageable handle disk sealingly confronting and cover-
ing the plate, the handle disk having a set of fine spray nozzles and a set
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of jet nozzles, the handle disk being manually movable arcuately to connect
the fine spray supply ports and fine spray nozzles, or to connect the jet
spray supply ports with the jet spray nozzles; means for producing a rotating
current of water in the chamber; and a rotor driven by the rotating water
current, the rotor including a rotatable base plate disposed contiguous to
the supply port plate, the base plate having closed and open portions movable
past the supply ports in succession to produce at jet spray nozzles a pulsat-
ing effect.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a
shower head comprising a housing forming a chamber having a single water inlet
and deflector adjacent said inlet for causing tangential deflection and rota-
tion of water therein, a discharge plate having a ring of discharge ports,and a mandrel; a rotor including a hub journaled on the mandrel, a peripheral
wall, radiating impeller webs joining the hub and wall, and a base disk also
joining the hub and wall and confronting the discharge plate, a preselected
arcuate portion of the rotor base having at least one opening and a comple- -~
mentary arcuate portion being closed whereby a preselected number of dis-
charge ports are exposed and closed in sequence; a set of jet nozzles for the
discharge ports adapted as the rotor slot passes the discharge ports to pro-
duce intermittent jets of water; a set of spray nozzles including pulsation
damping means; and a manually operable control means for selectively connect-
ing the jet nozzles or the spray nozzles with the discharge ports.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
Figure 1 is a reduced side view of the
pul~ating jet shower head.
Figure 2 is an enlarged front view thereof,
with the handle shown fragmentarily and with portions
indicated in section to show internal construction.
Figure 3 is a sectional view taken through
3-3 of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a sectional view taken through ;~,
4-4 of Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a sectional view taken ~ithin
Circle 5 of Figure 3 showing a modified jet nozzle.
Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary, partially
sectional, partially side view corresponding to Figure 3
showing a modified rotor and rotation inducing jet means.
Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of the
modified rotation inducing jet means as formed in the
shower head handle.
Figures 8 and 9 are end views of the modified
- rotor.
Figure 10 is an enlarged, fragmentary, partially
sectionalj pa~tially side view of an embodiment arranged
for wall mounting.
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~igure 11 is a transverse sectional view
taken through 11-11 of Figure 10 showing the entrance
ends of the rotation inducing jet passageways.
Figure 12 is a transverse sectional view
S taken through 12-12 of Figure 10 showing the exit ends
of the rotation inducing jet passageways.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to Figs. 1 through 5, the pulsating
jet spray head includes a housing 1 which in the
construction shown in Fig. 1 is provided with a tubular
handle 2. The housing forms a chamber 3 having a central
mandrel 4 which receives and secures a mounting bolt 5.
The forward side of the chamber 3 is closed by
a plate 6 having marginal rim 7 which is heat sealed or
otherwise secured to the housing. The plate 6 with a
radially inward set of perforations 8 and a radially
outward set of perforations 9, in the construction
illustrated, each set comprises three perforations.
The plate 6 forms a flat outer surface over
which is mounted a handle disk 10 having a wall 11 which
confronts the plate 6 and is sealed with respect to the
plate by a peripheral seal ring 12. The handle disk
includes a marginal rim 13 which projects radially beyond
the plate 6 and forward end of the housing 1. The marginal
rim 13 also extends forwardly of the wall 11. The rim is
provided with appropriate grooves 13a, indicated only in
Fig. 3, to facilitate grasping and turning the handle disk
I0.
The wall ll is provided with a radially inner
set of perforations 14 positioned to align with the
perforations 8. The wall 11 is also provided with a set
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of radially outer perforations 15 positioned to align
with the radially outer perforations 9, the perforations 15
forming jet nozzles.
The central portion of the wall 11 encompassing
the perforations 8 forms a recessed area 16 having a
tapered peripheral wall 17, covering the recessed area
16 are spray disks 18, 19 and 20 which are tapered in
conformity to the peripheral wall 17 and are adapted to
overlap axially. The outer periphery of each disk is
10 - provided with a ring of axially extending grooves 21
whereas the confronting wall is smooth so that the
grooves 21 form a concentric ring of spray nozzles.
~ The mounting bolt 5 extends through the wall
11 and receivés an inner nut 22 and washer 23 which clamp
the wall 11 against the plate 6 to provide a predetermined
degree of~resistance of rotation of the handle disk 10
with respect to the housing 1. The mounting bolt 5 also
receives an outer nut 24 which engages the radially inner
spray disk 20 to secure the spray disks in place.
In order to limit rotation of the handle disk
10 with respect to the housing 1, the marginal rim 7 of the
plate 6 is provided with an arcuate slot 25 and the
corresponding region of the handle disk 10 is provided with
an arcuate projection 26 as shown in Fig. 2.
Mounted within the chamber 3 is a rotor 27 which
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inc:Ludes a base plate 28 having a hub 29 whictl is loosely
journaled on the central mandrel 4 between confronting
shol~lders 4a and 6a. The base plate 28 is also joined to
a peripheral wall 30 extending in the same direction as
S the hub 29 and the hub and wall are joined by radiating
impeller webs 31.
The base plate is provided with an arcuate
perforation 32 radially overlapping the outer perforations
15 and partially overlapping the inner perforations 14.
The base plate is preferably arched slightly, curving
away from the plate 6. Also the base plate 6 is provided
with an annular recess 33 forming with the outer periphery
of the base plate 28 and an annular bypass opening. In
the constuction illustrated in Figs. 1 through 4, the
handle 2 is provided with a supply passage 34 which dis-
charyes into the chamber 3 and engages a deflector web 35
to cause the entering water to rotate and on rotating,
engage the webs 31 so as to cause the rotor 27 to rotate.
Operation of the embodiment of the pulsating j.et
spray head shown in Figs. 1 through 5 is as follows:
When it is desired to use the pulsating jets,
the handle disk 10 is set as shown in the drawings, that
is, as shown in Fig. 3 the radially-outer perforations 9
align with the radially outer or jet perforations 15.
Rotation of the rotor 27 càuses the arcuate slot 32 to pass
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the per~orations 9 in sequence, permitting the water to
pass freely through the slot 32 directly into the aligned
perforations 9 and 15, producing a strong jet of water.
When the perforations 9 are covered ,by the base plate 28
direct discharge is cutoff. }lowever, because of the
clearance between the rotor 27 and the plate 6, a reduced
flow occurs thus while the water jets continuously the
force of the jet is increased intermittently.
When the handle disk 10 is turned to connect
the perforations 8 and 14, the water discharged into the
recessed area 16 and from this recess through the spray
grooves 21. While some pulsation may occur, the amount
is slight due to flow interference in region behind the
disk 18, 19 and 20 and also due to the small size and
large number of the grooves 21.
The pattern of the jet sprays depends on the
shape of the jet spray nozzles. As shown in Fig, 3, the
discharge ends of the jet orifices may be extended on
the radially inner side, as indicated by 36. Thls
produces a slight radially outward diversion and ~cattering
of the jet stream. Also the exit end may have a small
internal boss 37 as shown in Fig. 5, to produce the desired
deflection. Still further, the jet nozzles may be tapered
in either direction. Also the jet streams need not be
identical. It can thus be seen that the type and pattern
of the jet streams may be prearranged,to produce the
desired effect.
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It will be noted that because of the loose'
mounting of the rotor some wobbling occurs. This has been
found advantageous in causing the jet streams to vary.
Also such wobbling motion apparently contributes to damping
the pulsations when the discharge is through the spray
nozzles formed by the disks 18, 19 and 20.
It will be noted that the handle disk 10 extends
radially beyond the housing 1 so that the marginal rim 13
of the handle disk 10 may be readily grasped and turned.
Referring to Figs. 6 through 9, the embodiment
here illustrated includes a modified rotor 38 having a base
plate 39, hub 40, peripheral wall 41 and radial ribs 42
similar to the corresponding'elements of rotor 27, as is
the ca,se with the rotor 27 the webs 42 divide the rotor
into eight segments, however in place of the arcuate
perforation 32, six of the eight segments are provided
with perforations 43 and the two remaining segments are
closed and in addition are covered by an arcuate shallow
boss 44, with a short,radial extension 45. The rotor 38
' is so mounted that the boss 44 extends into close proximity
to the rear wall of the plate 6 as indicated in the upper
portion of Fig. 6.
The operation of the rotor 38 differs from the
, rotor 27 in that the boss 44 and radial extension 45 has
minimum clearance with respect to the plate 6, as indicated
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in Fig. 6. Consequently, flow through only one passage 9
at a time is minimized, while full flow from the other
live passages occurs.
In place of the deflector web 35 the modified
construction is provided with a raised portion 46 in the
bottom of the chamber 3 and arcuate slot 57 is formed ~
between the raised portion 46 and the chamber wall causing ~ .
the water to rotate or swirl as it passes into chamber 3.
Also the raised portion 46 is provided with an elbow passage
34 and thé discharge end of which aligns with the tangentially
directed flow channel 49, as a result the water rotates
~ in the chamber 3 and engages the webs 42 to maintain rotation
j of the rotor 38.
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The housing 1 is interchangeable with a wall
;3 15 mounted housing 50 having a chamber 51 corresponding to
the chamber 3, and a central mandrel 52 corresponding to
the central mandrel 4 and arranged to receive a mounting
bolt 5. Separated from the chamber 51 by the mandrel 52
. is a cçntral inlet chamber 53 directed toward the rotor
38 so as to impinge on the webs 42-.
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The rearward end of the housing 50 receives
a journal ring 55 and a screw threaded mounting ring 56
~: which engages and seals a journal ball 57 having an inlet
passage 58 and a standard fitting 59, shown fragmentarily,
arranged for screw threaded attachment to a wall mounted
supply tube, not shown.
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The reaction of the rotor 38 to the water issuing
from the helical passages 54 is essentially the same as
the reaction of the rotor to the arcuate slot 47 and
tan~entially directed flow channel 49.
Having fully described my invention it is to be
understood that I am not to be limited to the details
herein set forth, but that my invention is of the full
scope of the appended claims.
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