Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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MULTIPLE JET SHOWER WITH AERATION DEVICE
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a device for the
aeration of a multiple jet shower that can be a fixed
showerhead or a hand-held small showerhead.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
It is sometimes desired that the jet of a
shower be aerated because, the shower produces a more
pleasing sensation. Furthermore, the shower is rendered
more efficient so that it becomes possible to perform a
satisfactory operation with less water consumption.
Aeration devices are provided for this
purpose. They are inserted up-stream from the
showerhead and comprise a neck intended to speed up the
flow of water that is piped to the shower and a chamber
with an air intake that surrounds the water flow. The
outside ambient air is thus aspirated into the shower
by virtue of the Venturi effect from the accelerated
flow and is incorporated in the water that is piped to
the shower. The efficiency of these devices is high
when the aerated jet thus obtained is used directly as
flow for the shower, for example, as shown in United
States Patent No. 4,573,639. However, when the aerated
device is inserted up-stream from the perforated plate
that produces the jets of a multiple jet shower, the
shower's efficiency is reduced because of the
resistance that the plate puts up against the flow of
water. Moreover, when an aeration device is inserted
upstream of the plate, lime deposits are soon formed on
the plate.
It is desired, therefore, to provide a device
that is easily and economically manufactured on an
industrial scale and that aerates a multiple jet shower
with a great degree of efficiency.
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SUI~iARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
According to the invention, a shower includes
a water chamber having a connection to supply
pressurized water and having a first perforated plate
that forms a wall of the water chamber and that is
provided with a plurality of holes. Each hole of the
first plate is positioned to project a single jet of
water. The multiple jets are aerated by an aeration
device that comprises a second perforated plate
arranged down-stream from the first plate to produce an
air chamber between the two plates. The second plate
has a plurality of holes, each of which is aligned with
the direction of projection of a respective water jet
of a corresponding hole of the first plate. An air
intake is arranged between the air chamber and the
outside ambient environment.
Each individual jet that emanates in an
accelerated fashion from a hole of the first plate then
penetrates a corresponding hole of the second plate.
By virtue of the Venturi effect the jet aspirates air
from the air chamber that is present between the two
plates and incorporates it, coming out thus aerated
from the corresponding hole of the second plate. The
air aspirated from the air chamber is replenished from
the outside ambient environment through an air intake.
The device according to the invention, thus makes it
possible to individually aerate, also by virtue of the
Venturi effect, each jet of the multiple jet shower in
an economical and easily manufactured construction.
Since this aeration takes place at the outlet of the
shower, the aerated jets no longer encounter any
resistance after they have been formed, and this makes
the device highly efficient. Furthermore, because the
aeration of the jets takes place downstream of the
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first plate, the formation of lime deposits is greatly
reduced or avoided.
A device, according to the invention, can be
permanently built into a shower head or it can be in
the form of an accessory, intended to be attached or
mounted to an existing shower. Furthermore, the device
can be installed in a permanent manner so that the
shower head must form aerated jets, or the device can
be mounted in a removable manner, thus enabling the
user to employ or not employ the device, depending on
whether he wants to use the shower with aerated or non-
aerated jets.
The device, according to the invention,
furthermore, can be constructed to aerate all of the
individual jets coming from the holes of the first
plate, or only a portion of them. For example, it can
aerate only the peripheral jets, leaving the central
jets unchanged, or vice versa. In another pattern,
alternate jets may be aerated.
The air intake for the air chamber,
positioned between the two plates can be formed by
apertures situated on the peripheral side of the air
chamber and extending perpendicularly to the general
direction of projection of the water jets.
Alternatively, the intake can be formed by apertures
situated about the peripheral portion of the air
chamber and extending parallel to the general direction
of projection of the water jets. In a different
embodiment, the intake can be made up of apertures made
in the second plate that corresponds to regions in
which no holes of the first plate are aligned or where
the corresponding jets are not intended to be aerated.
The holes of the first plate or the holes of
the second plate or the holes of both plates together
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can be shaped to promote aeration. In particular, the
holes of the first plate can be flared along all or
part of their length, becoming wider in the direction
of flow, and they can cooperate with holes of the
second plate that are also flared or parallel and that
have a plate that is greater than the maximum diameter
of the holes of the first plate. In another
embodiment, the holes of the first plate can be
narrowed, for example, close to their outlet, and they
can cooperate with holes of the second plate that have
a considerably larger diameter. In this last case, the
holes of the first plate can have a neck crest at their
outlet or in some other suitable position that causes
the outgoing water flow to be widened.
Moreover, if desired, the apertures may be
designed and sized in both plates to produce multiple
jets that form discontinuous streams of separate drops
commonly referred to as "rain jets" rather than a
continuous jet.
The device, according to the invention, can
be made in any of the shapes in which a shower can be
made and, hence, in particular, in an elongated linear
or substantially circular form, and the shower,
equipped with the device, according to the invention,
can be a fixed showerhead or a hand-held showerhead.
The plates need not be flat but can be contoured to
accommodate any shower design.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Reference is now made to the accompanying
drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a side elevational and segmented
view of a showerhead provided with a aeration device,
according to one embodiment of the invention;
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Figures 2 to 5 are fragmentary elevational
segmented views illustrating other embodiments of the
invention as regards the configuration of the holes in
the first and second plates;
5 Figure 6 is an enlarged modified detail,
taken about the marked VI in Figure 5;
Figure 7 shows an embodiment where the first
plate is made in parts from an elastomer material;
Figure 8 is a bottom plan view illustrating
a pattern of aerated and non-aerated jets;
Figure 9 is a bottom plan view illustrating
a modified pattern of alternating aerated and non-
aerated jets;
Figure 10 is a bottom plan view illustrating
an annular aerating second plate to produce
peripherally positioned aerated jets and central non
aerated jets; and
Figure 11 is a side elevational and
segmented view of the second plate and shower head
shown in Figure 10.
DETAINED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With reference to Figure 1, a shower head
housing 10 comprises a water chamber 11 having a
supply connection 12 for the supply of pressurized
water and having a first perforated plate 13 that
forms a wall of said water chamber. The plate 13 is
provided with a plurality of holes 14 that have a
small cross-section. The plate 13 as shown is
integrally formed with the shower head housing 10 but
it is foreseen that separate plates may be mounted
onto housing 10. Each hole 14 of the first plate 13
is arranged to project a single water jet, taken
together form the multiple jets of the shower that is
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both well known and popular. The jets can be arranged
in various formations such as an elongated linear,
circular, or eliptical pattern in the manner of a
fixed showerhead for a hand-held shower. The plate 13
can be positioned laterally, as in the illustrated
form for a hand held shower, or axially at the end of
a fixed showerhead.
In the customary showers of this type, each
j et coming out of one of the holes 14 is compact i . a .
non-aerated and continuous. It has, however, been
found that if the jets are aerated, the jet streams
now permeated with air feel softer and the many users
derive a more pleasing sensation from this type of
aerated jet. Furthermore, the shower turns out to be
considerably more efficient and can be usefully
operated with less water consumption, something that
is particularly important where water is scarce or
water drainage needs to be carefully managed.
In order to aerate the multiple jets of a
shower, such as the one described so far, the
invention provides for an aeration device 15 that
comprises a second perforated plate 16 arranged down
stream from the first plate 13. An air chamber 20 is
formed between the two plates 13 and 16. The second
plate 16 has a plurality of holes 17, and each hole 17
is arranged along the direction of the projection of
the single water jet of a corresponding hole 14 of the
first plate 13. In other words, holes 17 of the
second plate 16 are exactly aligned with the
corresponding holes 14 of the first plate 13, to
rece~,-e the respective disch~=ge of the wager jets
from hole= 14.
Aeration device 15 can be secured or mounted
to shower head 10 in any suitable fashion. For
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example, a proper flange 18, with a bayonet fitting or
a snap fit release on a peripheral part of the first
plate 13 is one of many foreseen mountings. While
numerous variants are possible, they do not in any way
change the manner in which the device works. For
example, in cases where the removal of the aerator
device is to be left to the discretion of the user,
the previously described mounting systems are suitably
placed that include bayonet, friction or snap fit
couplings. In cases where the aerator device is to be
separated from the shower only for cleaning and
maintenance operations, it can still be attached in
these ways or also by means of screws. In cases where
the aerator device is to be applied to the shower in a
non-removable fashion, the second plate may also be
attached by means of welding or gluing. As a
technically equivalent arrangement the second plate
may be integrally formed as a single body with the
other parts of the shower and the first plate is
mounted behind it from inside the water chamber 11.
In cases where the second plate must be capable of
being removable it is advisable to place indicators
such as a key so as to assure that the plate 16 will
then be reassembled in the correct position.
Furthermore, at least one air intake 19
extends from the air chamber 20 to the outside ambient
environment. In the form shown, this air intake
includes openings 19 made in peripheral flange 18 that
services to mount the aeration device 15 to shower 10,
but many other arrangements are possible.
The device works in the following manner.
Each water jet produced by a hole 14 of the first
plate 13 is highly accelerated because of the small
cross-section of holes 14 and the pressure from the
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supply connections 12. Due to the Venturi effect, as
the water jet penetrates into the corresponding hole
17 due to the second plate 16, the water draws in or
aspirates the air present in air chamber 20. The
chamber 20 thus has a slight air pressure drop or
depression. Other air penetrates into chamber 20 from
the outside ambient environment through air intake 19
due to the low pressure in chamber 20. The jet, which
has thus aspirated air, incorporates it, and thus it
emanates from hole 17 of the second plate 16 in an
aerated form.
The device thus makes provision for
individually aerating each of the water jets emanating
from holes 14 of plate 13 of the shower. This
aeration operation is performed simultaneously while
the jets leave the shower, in other words, when they
no longer encounter any resistance, so that there is
maximum aeration efficiency.
Naturally, the resultant effect depends on
various parameters, such as the shape of the holes of
the plates, the reciprocal relationships of the
diameter between the holes of the two plates and the
distance between the two plates. The designer can
achieve a desired degree of aeration by the
appropriate selection of these various parameters. At
the same time he can give preference to configurations
that are more easily manufactured.
In the illustrated embodiment shown in
Figure 1, provision is made that the aerator device 15
acts upon all of the jets coming from the holes 14 of
the first plate 13 . In some cases, h-~ ,.sever, one may
desire to aerate only some of the jets, for example,
the peripheral jets, or only the central jets, leaving
the remaining jets compact; or the jets can be
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alternatingly aerated and not aerated. In these
cases, it suffices for some holes of the second plate
16 that corresponds to jets that must not be aerated
to have a large diameter so as not to come into
contact with the jets. The enlarged corresponding
holes 37 as shown in Figures 8 and 9 of the second
plate may be quite large to constitute air intakes,
thus allowing the entry of air around the water jets
to function as an air intake. A pattern where only
the peripheral jets are aerated is illustrated in
Figures 8. Figure 9 illustrates another pattern of
alternating aerated and non-aerated jets.
The air intake, which was shown in the form
of lateral openings 19, can also be made up of holes
27 of the second plate to which the holes of the first
plate do not correspond so that there will be no water
flowing through them as also illustrated in Figure 1.
A wide range of choices is available to the
designer as regards the configuration of the holes of
the plate. The specific configuration can be chosen
freely, especially when the parts of the shower and
the aerator device are made of molded plastic
material. For example, Figure 1 illustrates holes 14
of the first plate 13 and 17 of the second plate 16,
all of which are flared to be of frustum shape with
the hole diameter growing in the direction of water
flow. The initial diameter of holes 17 is greater
than the final diameter or maximum diameter of holes
14.
Figure 2 illustrates another embodiment
where holes 14 are cylindrical for most of their
length and that are widened conically in the final
section. Holes 17, in turn, are cylindrical with a
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diameter that is equal to or greater than the final
diameter or maximum diameter of holes 14.
Figure 3 illustrates another embodiment
where holes 14 that are widened with generatrix curves
5 along their entire length toward the final cross
section. Holes 17, in turn, are cylindrical with a
diameter that is equal to or greater than the final
i.e. maximum diameter of holes 14.
Figure 4 illustrates further modified holes
10 14 that become wider with generatrix curves along
their entire length toward the final cross-section.
Holes 17, in turn, are cylindrical and have an initial
diameter that is equal to or greater than the final
diameter, i.e. maximum diameter of holes 14 and become
yet wider in the final part.
Figure 5 illustrates further modified holes
14 which, contrary to the preceding ones, become
narrower toward the final section. Holes 17, in turn,
are cylindrical and have a diameter that is equal to
or greater than the final diameter of holes 14.
Figure 6 shown a further variation of the
device, according to Figure 5, and, on a much larger
scale. Hole 14 has a small crest 24 at it outlet
facing toward the inside of the hole 14, which causes
the jet, emanating from that hole itself, to become
wider.
It should be noted that similar crests can
also be provided in other positions, for example, at
the mount of holes 14 or in intermediate positions
between the mouth and the outlet of said holes. They
can be provided and arranged in various ways,
independently of the shape chosen for the
generatrices, that is, straight or curved, of the
holes themselves.
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The above described construction, if
desired, can have holes 14 and 17 of size and
construction to obtain what is commonly referred to as
"rain jets" or jets which are not continuous streams
of water but discontinuous as separate drops as in a
rain fall. The embodiment shown in Figure 6 is
particularly suitable for this effect.
Figure 7 shows how holes 14 of plate 13 can
be made in parts labeled 34, that are mounted to plate
13. Parts labeled 34 can be made of elastomeric
material and make it possible to easily remove any
lime deposits by simply momentarily deforming the
parts themselves. Naturally, the same part
construction can be provided in plate 16 for holes 17.
Furthermore, the parts 34 can be provided with a
plurality of holes rather than a single hole. The
same effect can also be achieved by, on the other
hand, making one or both of the plates 13 and 16 of
elastomeric material. These arrangements are
independent of the configurations selected for the
holes.
Figures 10 and 11 illustrate a modified
plate 16 which covers only a portion of plate 13. The
plate 17 is annular in shape with holes 17 aligned
with hole 14 about the periphery of plate 13. The air
chamber 20 is also annular in shape. The holes 14 in
the center of plate 13 thereby produce unaerated jets
while the peripheral holes 14 produce aerated jets.
Furthermore, air intake apertures 19 are formed at the
inner periphery of the plate 16.
It must be understood that the invention is
not confined to the embodiments described and
illustrated as examples. Similar modifications are
within the reach of the expert in the field; for
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example, other configurations can be chosen for the
holes of the plates and various other means can be
selected to apply the aerator device to the shower in
a fixed manner or a removable manner.
These and other modifications and any
substitution with technical equivalents can be
introduced in what was described and illustrated
without departing from the scope of the invention and
the coverage of this patent.
