Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
B~3 ~) .
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
.. . , ... _ _ .
The lnvention lies in the field of fluid -~alves and
discharge nozzles and more p~rtieularly pertains to fluid
discharge nozzles wherein a particular discharge pattern,
having an automatic continuously changing direction, is
desired. The ~luid discharge nozzles have partieular
application in hydrotherapy and are adapted to discharge
a turbulent air-water admixture for thi~ purpose.
Fluid valves and discharge nozzles of the prior art
include units having manually direetionally adjustable outlets
such as is disclosed in applieant's Patent No. 4,221,336
entitled "NOZZLE WITH DIRECTIONALLY VARIABLE O~TLET", issued
on September 9, 1980. However, applicant is not aware of
any valves or nozzles for creating a direetional outlet jet
of fluid of automatically continuously changing direction.
Prior noz~les used in hydrotherapy massage, of whieh I am
aware, have a directionally adjustable outlet jet whieh is
directionally statie unless manually altered. By eontrast,
. it is a major objeet of the novel valve disclosed herein to
produee a diseharge jet of water and air which continuously
generates a eonieal or annular surfaee of revolution or
variations thereof. It is a further object to produce a
discharge of the intimate admixture of air and water.
The fluid valve of this invention is therefore eapable
of therapeutic massaging aetion over a mueh w~der surface
area, and would be superior to the directionally statlc jets
of the prior art.
~JI
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SLJMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention is directed towards a fluid valve for
discharging a directional outlet flu:id jet of continuously
changing direction, automatically, and in a repetitive, re-
producible pattern. The fluid valve pertains, in particular,
to fluid discharge nozzles for use in hydrotherapy, wherein
air is intimately admixed with the effluent liquid (water~
stream, to create a turbulent air-water directional outlet
stream of continuously changing direction.
The valve of this invention comprises a main valve body
having a first fluid inlet means, a first fluid outlet means,
and a preferably, generally cylindrical valve bore interposed
between, and in communication with,the first fluid inlet and
outlet means. Mounted within the said main valve body is a
cylindrical housing or hollow rotor chamber. The cylindrical
rotor chamber is provided with a centrally aDertured en~ wall
on the inlet or upstream side of the va~ve. Thi-s rotor cham-
ber is of smaller diameter than the valve bore diameter and
is mounted coaxially therewith whereby the cylindrical wall
of the chamber is spaced from the valve bore inner wall sur-
face. The cylindrical wall of the rotor chamber contains one
or more radially outer apertures which function as 1uid inlet
port means. The rotor chamber is preferably movable along
the longitudinal axis of the valve bore to a number of multi-
ple, different, positions. In one extreme of such multiple
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..
positions, the central aperture of the end wall of the
rotor chamber, on the inlet or upstream side, is closed
by a plug, centrally mounted ln the inlet side of the
valve bore and in the opposed extreme position, the cen-
tral inlet aperture in the rotor chamber end wall is
completely open. Intermediate positionr, between these
extremes, cause various degrees of closure of the central
inlet aperture of the rotor chamber. In this way, fluid
in a fluid stream entering the valve bore from the first
fluid inlet means ;s divided, in its trav~l, between the
central inlet aperture of the rotor chamber, and the radially
outer inlet ports, in a predetermined, readily adjustable,
manner.
An elongated tubular, rotor body is mounted within the
rotor chamber, the rotor body having a rotor bore extending
therethrough. The rotor body is mounted, within the rotor
chamber, for either rotational motion or rotational rocking
movement, about the longitudinal axis of the valve bore, the
type of mounting depending upon the location of the rotor
bore within the rotor body.
In operation, the rotor chamber is positioned within,
and along the longitudinal axis of the valve bore in a pre-
determined manner, by means of either an internally or
externally operable control knob. Fluid flow is initiated,
and the fluid is divided between the central inlet aperture
of the rotor chamber and the radially outer inlet ports of
the rotor chamber in a preset proportion depending upon the
axial setting of the rotor chamber. The fluid passing through
the radially outer fluid inlet ports of the rotor chamber
exerts force on the rotor body wall exterior and initiates
both rotatory and up-down (rocking) movement of the rotor
body, or purely r~tational movement, depending upon the
type of mounting ~rovided for the rotor body. Thus, if
the rotor bore is coaxially positioned within the rotor
body, the rotor b~dy is mounted for both rocking and rota-
tional movement. ~luid pressure exerted, tangentially, on
the exterior wall ~of the rotor body by means of fluid flow
from the radially ~outer inlet ports, will then cause continu-
ous rocking and r~tat~onal motion of the rotor body and
initiates continu~us, repetitive, angular displacement of
the rotor bore wi~h respect to the lon~itudinal axis of the
valve bore. The ~ffluent fluid will exit in the form of a
directional jet o~ continuously changing direction extending
between fixed preset limits dictated by the extent of the
rocking movemenL ~f the rotor body.
When the rot~r body is mounted, for pure rotary movement,
within the rotor chamber, the radially outer fluid inlet
ports in said rotary chamber are positioned so as to direct
the inlet fluid stream, tangentially, onto the rotor body
wall surface, in a continuous manner, and cause rotation
thereof. In this case, the rotor bore will be either wholly
or partially eccentric with respect to the longitudinal axis
of the valve bore, or will be parallel but radially offset
with respect to said longitudinal axis. The flow of fluid,
resulting from flow through the continuously rotating eccentric
rotor bore i9 a direc~ional fluid jet of continuously changing
direction extending over a conical surface of revolution whlle
the directional fluid 3et exiting from the continuously rotating
radially o~fset but parallel boîe, takes the form of an annular
stream of water.
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The velocity of the exiting directional streams or
jets of fluid is readily adjustable by increasing or
decreasing the fluid flow through the radial outer inlet
ports. Adjustment may be made by externally ~perable
control members or by otherwise internally ad3usting the
rotor chamber position. The effluent fluid stream may be
further admixed, with air, to form an intimate, turbulent,
air-water admixture for use in hydrotherapy "whirlpool"
baths.
The fluid valve of this invention is simple to make
and reliable in operation. It requires only a small number
of parts, i.e., the valve body, the longitudinally adjustable
cylindrical rotor chamber mounted therewithin, and the
tubular rotor body moun~ed for movement, either rotary or
lS rocking, within the rotor chamber.
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:
3~
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRA~INGS
FIGURE l is a longitudinal cross section of a first
embodiment of my fluid valve, the fluid and air inlet
conduits and valwe mounting shown in phantom;
FIGURE la is an enlarged detail of FIGURE l showing
within the arcuat:e arrow la the detent means of the
adjusting membe~ at the valve bore outlet;
FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view of the valve
body and adjusti~g member of FIGURE l;
FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective view of the rotor
body and chamber therefor of FIGURE l;
FIGURE 3a is a cross section taken along line 3a-3a of
FIGURE 1. ~-
FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal cross section of the rotor
chamber and rotor body only, of FIGURE 1, showing the first
radially outer inlet ports and second centrally positioned
inlet port means;
' ' .
FIGURE 5 is an exploded perspective view of a second
embodiment of rotor body and chamber therefor;
FIGURE 6 is a longitudinal cross section of the
assembled rotor body and chamber of FIGURE S.
FIGURE 6a is a t~ansverse cross section taken along
the line 6a-6a of FIGURE 6.
FIGURE 7 is a longitudinal cross section of a third
embodiment of r~tor body;
FIGURE 8 is an end elevational vie~ of FIGURE 7.
FIGURE 9 is a longitudinal cross section of a fourth
embodiment of my invention;
FIGIJRE 10 is a fragmentary view, in perspectlve,
showing a cap detail of the rotor chamber; and
FIGURE 11 is a longitudinal cross section of a
directionally static, manually adjustable valve utilizing
the same valve body as shown in FIGURE 1.
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DETAILE~ DESCRIPTIO~ OF THE INVENTION
The fluid valve of this invention is designated
generally by the numeral 10 and comprises, generally, an
elongated valve body 12, a rotor chamber 50 coaxially
mounted within the valve body 12, and a rotor body 80
mounted within the rotor chamber 50
The valve body 12 is provided with a first fluid
inlet means 16 having a transversely aligned fluid bore 15
ndapted to be sealingly connected to a fluid (water) inlet
pipe denoted in phantom line 17~ The fluid bore 15 of
first fluid inlet means 16 opens into a generally cylindrical
intermediate valve body section 19 defining an elongated
cyiindrical valve bore 18 having a longitudinal axis X-X~
The valve body 12 is provided with a fluid outlet means 22
having a relatively enlarged bore 24 adjacent the mouth
or exit end 25 thereof, the bore 24 stepping down to a
smaller diameter bore 26 which bore 26 is located immediately
downstream of intermediate valve body section 19. The fluid
outlet means 22 is provided with a generally transversely
extending air inlet means, bore 28~ opening into bore 26
of the fluid outlet means 22, which bore 28 enables air
admixture with the effluent water stream to take place as
will be explained hereafter in detail~ The air inlet tube
connection to bore 28 is shown in phantom line 30.
Mounted for longitudinal movement, along the lon~itu-
dinal axis X-X of vnlve bore 18, i.s the rotor chamber. The
manner of its longitudinal axial movement will be described
shortly hereaft:er,
. ., 1~'4 ~ ~
Referring now to FIGURES 1, 3, 3a, and 4, in particular,
the rotor housing or chamber 50 is ~enelally cylindrical in
shape and i9 provided with an end wall 51 at the inlet or
upstream side of chamber 50. As best shown in FIGURE 4, the
inlet end wall 51 of chamber 50 is provided with a flared
central aperture or valve seat 53 and the cylindrical wall
52 oE rotor chamber 50 is provided with radially outer fluid
inlet ports 54, 54a.
A rotor body member 80 is contained, for rocking and
rotational movement, within the rotor chamber 50 m the
following manner. The rotor body member 80, in the embodi-
ment shown in FIGURES 1, 3, 3a and 4 is an elongated tubular
member having a rotor bore 81 extending coaxially therethrough.
The tubular wall 83 of rotor body 80 is enlarged ~ear one end
thereof forming a toroidally-shaped mounting means or member
82, projecting from the surface of the tubular rotor body
wall 83 in an off-center relationship with respect to the ,_
length of the rotor body. The toroidally-shaped member 82
is seated for both limited up-down (rocking) movement and
rotational movement within cylindrical bore 55 of cap member
56, the cap member, in turn, being press-fitted into the
open, upstream, end of the rotor chamber 50. As clearly
shown in FIGURES 1 and 4, the downstream end 85 of rotor
body 80 extends through ca~ member 56, the rotor body 80
being, however, retained (from axial downstream displacement)
within cap member 56 by its radially inwardly extending
annular shoulder 58. The cap member 56, in turn, is stably
held within the downstream end of rotor chamber 50 by means
such as a threaded retaining member 56a (see FIGURF. 4
es~ecially).
.
_9
.. ........ .
The rotor chamber 50, together with the rotor body
80 assembled therein, as shown in FIGURE 4 is then affixed
or mounted to a generally frustro-conical adjustment, or
control, knob or member 100 as follows. The control knob
100 is provided with a threaded connector end 102, the r
connector end having both an internally threaded surface
103 and an externally threaded surface 104 as best seen in
FIGURES 1 and 2. The retaining member 56a of rotor chamber
50 has a portion of its external wall 52 thereof threaded,
as designated by the numeral 63, the threaded surface 63
being threadably mounted to complementa-y threaded surface
103 of the control knob connector end 102. The control knob
100, and the rotor chamber 50 are now equivalent, in a func-
tional sense, to a single, unitary, component. The flared
control knob 100 and rotor chamber 50, affixed the~eto, are
now inserted into the valve body 12 and rotated until threaded
surface 10~ is completely threadably engaged to the internally
threaded surface 110 of valve bore 18, as shown.in FIGURE 1.
In this condition, as shown in FIGURE 1, the centrally located
inlet aperture, or valve seat 53 of rotor chamber 50 is
completely closed by a tapered valve plug 112 secured within,
and along the axis of, the valve bore 18, by means of a
transversely extending strut member 113. The strut 113 and
plug 112 are preferably integrally formed with the valve
body 12.
The control knob 100 has protruding wing portions 117
to enable easy gripping thereof and easy rotation,within
valve body 12.
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tr~
The flared body 120 of control kno~ 100 is provided
with a plurality of longitudinally extending slots 122, as
shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the purpose of which are to enable
manual ~ompression of the mouth 124 of control knob 100
thereby enablin~ an annular enlargement or annular retàining
bead 126, forn~e~ on the exterior of the control knob body
120, to move inwardly past an annular retaining shoulder 128
formed on valve body 12 just inwardiy of the mouth 25~ The
annular retaining bead prevents accidental displacement, in
an axial direction, of the control knob 100 relative to
the valve body 12.
In the assembled condition, shown in FIGURE 1, the
control knob 100 is rotatable in a counter-clockwise direction
to unseat the central valve seat aperture 53 from the
valve plug 112 (this position not being shown). Thus,
some fluid, entering the fluid inlet means 16 may (or may
not) pass through central valve seat aperture 53 of rotor
chamber 50.
It is also to be noted that the outer cylindrical
wall 52 of the rotor chamber is spaced from the.inner wall
surface of the valve bore 18 whereby fluid not passing
through central valve seat aperture 53 will pass through
radially outer inlet ports 54, 54a of rotor chamber 50 and
thence into the rotor chamber interior itself~
To further expand on the operation of the fluid valve
of FIGURES 1 - 4, and analyzing the condition shown in
FIGURE 1, all of the water enterin~, the fluid inlet bore
15 from pipe 17 will pass through radially outer inlet
ports 54, 54a ~since valve seat 112 has closed off the
central inlet valve seat aperture 53). The inlet ports
54, 54a are inclined so as to inject fluid onto the walls
of the rotor body 80, with a substantial tangential component
of force, relative to the rotor body wall, to thereby
impart a high degree of rotation of the rotor body in either the
counter-clockwise direction, as shown in FICURE 3a, by way
of example, or in the clockwise direction.
As mentioned previously, the upstream side 85a of r
rotor body 80 is heavier than the downstream side 85 because
the fulcrum provided, by toroidal seat 82 and the bore 55
of cap member 56, is off-center. The rotor body will thus
initially assume an inclined non-axial attitude wherein the
downstream side 85a i5 below the upstream side 85, as shown
in FIGURE l. As the water pressure continues to be applied,
one or the other of the fluid jets from tangential inlets
54 or 54a will displace the inlet side 85a of rotor body
80 away from its initial attitude and into the path of the
other tan~ential inlet of the fluid jets. This displace~ent
repea~s itself back and forth between the tangential fluid
jets causing the inlet side 85a of the rotor body 80 to
toggle diametrically across the rotor chamber 50, such that
the inlet side 85a is constantly being urged away from the
longitudinal axis of the rotor chamber 50.
The net result is that inlet side 85a of rotor body
80 will tend to describe a generally conical surface of
revolution with its apex at the fulcrum provided by toroidal
surface 82. It is clear that the outlet side 85 of rotor
body 80 describes a similar but opposite trajectory about
toroidal fulcrum 82. Thus, as the rotor body 80 moves
under the influence of angularly injected fluid the rotor
-12-
,
bore 81 will be c~ntinuously angularly displaced with respect
to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical valve bore 12;
and fluid entering the rotor chamber 50 then enters, and is
projected by, the moving rotor bore 81 through the valve 10
as a directional ~jet of continuously changing direction.
Various patterns ~f movement of the rotor body 80 may be
obtained by changing the angle at which the tangential inlets
54 and 54a enter ~he rotor chamber 80.
As the valve seat aperture 53 of chamber 50 is opened
to permit more flow centrally through the chamber interiGr,
there is less fluid flow impinging on the wall of the rotor
body 80 and consequently the velocity of the outlet stream
and/or the conical surface of revolution generated by the
directional jet will decrease.
Air is introduced, if desired, to the.directional outlet
fluid jets, exiting from the outlet side ~5 of rotor bore
80. This is acccmplished by aligning openings 140, formed
at the throat control knob 100, with the air inlet means 28.
Air entering the openings 140 at the throat of the venturi
formed within the flared control knob me.nber 100 will be
intimately admixed with the onrushing,exiting,continuously
changing directional fluid stream. The frustro-conical bore
of the venturi ol control member 100 is designated by the
numeral 142.
The entire vatve assembly 10, as shown in FIGURE 1 is
attached to an appropriate wall, such as a whirlpool bath
wall 146 by lnserting the valve 10, through an appropriately
sized opening in the wall, and securing the valve 10 to the
wall by means of threaded collar 148 shown in phantom, mounted
to the externally threaded surface 31 of valve body 12.
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,
The valve components are preferably made of eithar
metal or plastic. The valve body 12 is preferably made
of brass; whereas the control knob 100, rotor chamber 50,
rotor body 80, and cap member 56 are preferably made of
low-friction tough plastic such as Lexan 141, manufactured
by General Electric Company. It will be understood that
other materials may be employed to fulfill the purposes of
this invention.
In the FIGURE 1 - 4 embodiment, the rotor body 80 is
mounted for both rotational and up-down rocking motion with-
in rotor chamber 50. The same rotor chamber 50 is also
employed with a modified form of rotor body 180, this rotor
body 180 being mounted within rotor chamber 50 for substan-
tially rotational motion only, under the influence of fluid
entering the in~erior of rotor chamber 50 through fluid inlet
ports 54, 54a, as best shown in FIGURES 5 - 6a.
In the modification shown in FIGURES 5 - 6a the rotor
body 180 is generally cylindrical in nature and comprises an
upstream portion 184 and a downstream portion 182 separated
by a transversely extending annular collar 183. The downstream
portion 182 of rotor body 180 extends through, and is rota-
table within, longitudinally extending bore 187 of cap member
185. Collar 183 acts as a retaining member preventing axial
displacement of rotor body 180 in the downstream direction.
Cap member 185, carrying the rotor body 180 in the manner
aforedescribed, is then press-fitted into the open, downstream
end 57 of rotor chamber 50, as shown in FIGURE 6, and further
stably retained by threaded retainer member 185a. The upstream
portion 184 oE rotor body is thus wholly contained within rotor
~ .. .. . .. .. .
chamber 50 and is mounted therewithin for essentially
rotational movement only about the longitudinal axis of
the rotor chamber 50 and about the longitudinal axis X-X
of valve bore 18 when rotor chamber S0 is mounted within
S valve bore 12 as shown in FIGURE 1.
The exterior wall of upstream portion 184 of rotor body
180 is provided with a plurality of upstanding, longitudinally
extending, flange members 193. As best shown in FIGURE 6a,
fluid entering inclined radially outer inlet ports 54, 54a
enters the annular space 194 between the rotor body 184 and
the interior wall 52a of rotor body 50, and thereby exerts
pressure in a counter-clockwise direction, on the flange
members 193. Rotation of the rotor body 180 in the direction
shown, is then initiated. The fluid then proceeds, from the
annulus 194 to the upstream, or inlet end 196 of rotor bore
198 and downstream through the rotating rotor bore. The rotor
bore is eccentric, at least at its downstream or outlet side;
the eccentric bore (being designated by the numeral 198a) will,
when rotor body 180 is rotated, describe a conical surface
or revolution, and the fluid stream exiting therefrom, will
follow an effluent path of continuously changing direction
along a conical path of revolution.
Inasmuch as the rotor chamber 50 and cap member 185 is
essentially of the same configuration as in FIG~RE 1, the
means for dividing or adjusting fluid flow between central
valve seat aperture 53 and radially outer ports 54, S4a and
thereby regulating the velocity of the directional fluid ~et
emanating from rotor bore 180, the means of external control,
and the means of air-water admlxing are essentifllly the same
~s described wi~.h reference to FIGURE 1.
.. .. .........
.
Another embodiment of my invention is shown in FIGURES
7 and 8. In this embodiment, the rotor body 200 has, as
in FIGURES 5 - 6a, an upstream portion 202 and a downstr am
portion 204 separated by a transversely extending collar
member 206. The upstream portion 202 ls provided with up-
standing paddle members 207. The rotor body 200 is mounted
for essentially pure rotational motion, in the manner des-
cribed with reference to rotor body 180 of FIGUP~E8 5 - 6a.
The bore 210 of rotor body 200 however is not eccentric but
is parallel to and radially offset from, the longitudinal
axis X-X of valve bore 18. The effluent path of fluid flow
from bore 210 traces a continuously changing directional
stream forming an annular surface of revolution.
FIGURE 9 depicts a further modified embodiment of my
invention wherei.n the rotor chamber 250 and external control
knob 260 components are cast or molded as an integral unit.
The rotor body 80' is mounted, for rocking and rotational
motion, within the rotor chamber 250, by means of torodial
plug 82, in a manner similar to that shown in FIGURES 1 - 4.
The rotor chamber 250 then has its upstream end 252 closed
off by centrally apertured plug 254 since the rotor body 80'
must be first inserted, within the rotor chamber 250, through
the upstream end 252.
The unitary rotor chamber 250 and control knob 260,
together with the rotor body 80', is threadably mounted into
valve body 212, the engaging thr~adable surfaces being
indicated generally by the numerals 270, in YIGURF. 9. In
FIGURE 9, the control knob 260 is shown in its most downstream
position wherein the control aperture 255 of plug 257 is
co~pletely open - 90 that little, if any ~luid 1OW will enter
-16-
... .... . . .
,
the rotor chamber 250 through radially outer ports 254. As
the control knob 260 is rotated to a more upstream position,
the central aperture 255 is closed off to a greater and
greater degree. The manner of adjustment of fluid flow
S through the cent~al inlet aperture 25S and the radially
outer inlet ports 254, is thus essentially the same as that
heretofore described with reference to FIGURES 1 - 4.
The valve body 300, as shown in FIGURE 11, is essen-
tially of the sarne configuration as that shown in FIGURE 1,
l¢ and is utilized as a valve body for other types of valves
as well, as will be shown.
The valve body 300 has a fluid inlet bore or means 297,
a centrally located, integral valve plu& 301 in the inlet or
upstream side, a generally cylindrical valve bore 303 immedi-
ately downstrea~l of plug 301, a transverse air inlet bore or
means 309 communicating with the valve bore just downstream of
the threaded surface area 305,and an enlarged valve bore 311 at
the downstream end of the valve body 300. The valve body 300, as
described, is designed to contain not only the components of the
valve of the instant invention, but is designed so as to contain
the internal conponents of a manually adjustable directional
jet stream, of the type described in my Patent No. 4,221,336.
Thus, a spring member 302, inner and outer bearing members
304, 306 and manually rotatable discharge ball or no7~1e 308
2~ is containPd within enlarged downstream valve bore 311, and
a fluid flow restrictor 315 is threadably mounted to threaded
surface 305 just upstreAm o~ the air inlet means 309 in order
-17- ;`
r
to create an intimate air-water admixture as the water
exits frcm the restrictor 315 and enters the enlarged
downstream bore section 311. The valve body configura-
tion of this invention thus can be seen to have multiple
uses.
It will be appreciated by those skilled ir the art
that many changes, modifications and substitutions are
possible without departing from the spirit and scope of
this invention. Therefore, applicant intends to be bound
only by the scope of the appended claims.
:
