Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6513731
-
Patent Number
6,513,731
-
Date Filed
Tuesday, January 2, 200123 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, February 4, 200321 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
- Cook, Alex, McFarron, Manzo, Cummings & Mehler, Ltd.
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 239 394
- 239 4285
- 239 407
- 239 4165
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
An aerator includes a housing, a throttle assembly, a mixing chamber, a screen and an elastometric ring. The throttle assembly includes a first or upper throttle member and a second or lower throttle member, each of the upper and lower throttle members defining a portion of a snap element. The snap element allows for retention and relative rotation of one of the first and second throttle members in order to change the air content of the water stream from a closed aerator position which provides a substantially non-aerated water stream to an opened aerator position which provides a combined water and air stream. One embodiment of a snap element being defined by upper throttle projections and a lower throttle flange whereby the lower throttle flange is urged upstream of the upper throttle projections. The lower throttle member is retained by the upper throttle member for selective rotation by the user. The lower throttle upstream projections and beveled edges facilitate the insertion of the lower throttle member into the upper throttle member for a snap engagement therewith. Selective rotation of the lower throttle member by the user varies the air volume in the water stream. During rotation the lower throttle projections change the size of the air passageways defined by an upper throttle opening to allow more or less air through the passageways. Serrated edges on the upper and lower throttle members prevent rotation of the aerator unless manual force is applied. A slot located on a downstream end of the lower throttle member allows the user to rotate the lower throttle member.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an aerator for attachment to a faucet in order to produce an aerated water stream. An aerated water stream is a desired feature because it produces a water stream with a softer feel. It also provides a water stream which is more aesthetically pleasing to the user than a non-aerated stream.
The present invention provides an aerator which allows for selectively choosing the amount of air within the water stream. It also provides an aerator with a limited number of parts which are fitted together in a snap engagement. The snap engagement allows retention and rotation of a portion of the aerator.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an aerator with variable air input through the use of a throttle assembly which has an upper throttle member and a lower throttle member. The lower throttle member is rotatable when the user desires a change in the air content and appearance of the water stream.
A primary purpose of the invention is to provide an aerator with first and second throttle members which snap together, one of the first and second throttle members being rotable relative to the other to allow the user to change the air content and appearance of the water stream.
Another purpose of the invention is to provide an aerator with a snap construction which simplifies aerator construction and cleaning thereof.
Another purpose of the invention is to provide an aerator with a limited number of parts for ease of construction.
Another purpose of the invention is to provide an aerator for a faucet which allows for manual rotation of a downstream end of the aerator by the user.
Another purpose of the invention is to provide an aerator which allows for a selective adjustment of the amount of air within the water stream by the user while the faucet is in use so that the user can adjust the feel of the water stream to a desired softness without having to turn off the faucet.
Other purposes will appear in the following specification, drawings and claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention is illustrated diagrammatically in the following drawings wherein:
FIG. 1
is a side view of the aerator of the present invention;
FIG. 2
is an exploded perspective view of the invention shown in
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 3
is a section along plane
3
—
3
of
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 4
is a section along plane
4
—
4
of
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 5
is a view of
FIG. 4
after rotation of the lower throttle member;
FIG. 6
is an enlarged partial side view of a snap element;
FIG. 7
is a partial section along plane
7
—
7
of
FIG. 6
;
FIG. 8
is a top view of the screen;
FIG. 9
is a section along plane
9
—
9
of
FIG. 8
;
FIG. 10
is a side view of the upper throttle member;
FIG. 11
is a top view of the upper throttle member;
FIG. 12
is a section along plane
12
—
12
of
FIG. 11
;
FIG. 13
is a section along plane
13
—
13
of
FIG. 10
;
FIG. 14
is a side view of the lower throttle member;
FIG. 15
is a top view of the lower throttle member shown in FIG.
14
.
FIG. 16
is a section along plane
16
—
16
of
FIG. 15
;
FIG. 17
is a bottom view of the lower throttle member; and
FIG. 18
is an enlarged partial bottom view of the lower throttle member.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIGS. 1 through 3
show the rotatable aerator
10
of the present invention. The aerator
10
includes an outer housing
12
, a throttle assembly
14
, a mixing chamber
16
, air passageways
18
, a screen
20
, and an elastomeric ring
22
. The housing
12
includes a water inlet
24
, a combined water and air outlet
26
and a generally cylindrical internal surface
28
. Threads
30
adjacent the inlet
24
allow for the aerator to be threadably attached to a faucet spout. The internal surface
28
defines an upwardly facing opening therein and has an annular seat
32
adjacent the inlet
24
for mounting the throttle assembly
14
. The throttle assembly
14
includes a first or upper generally cylindrical throttle member
34
and a second or lower generally cylindrical throttle member
36
. Although the upper throttle member
34
is shown positioned upstream of the lower throttle member
36
, other positions are also possible. Similarly, although the lower throttle member is shown as being insertable into the upper throttle member, other orientations are possible.
In
FIGS. 10 through 13
the upper throttle member
34
is shown generally to include an upstream end
38
and a sleeve
42
. The upstream end
38
, which faces the housing inlet
24
, has a plurality of circumferentially disposed water inlet ports
40
and an annular flange
41
which is positioned on the housing annular seat
32
. The sleeve
42
extends downwardly from the upstream end
38
and includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings
44
. The openings
44
each have upwardly facing projections
46
which extend upwards to an inwardly extending edge
48
. All or a portion of the edge
48
has a serrated surface which is shown in FIG.
6
.
FIGS. 14 through 18
illustrate the lower throttle member
36
which includes an external cylindrical surface
49
and an internal cylindrical surface
50
which defines a plurality of fluid passageways
51
. An outwardly-extending flange
52
is located on an upstream end
54
of the external surface
49
and has a downwardly facing serrated edge. The flange
52
may also include a plurality of upstream directed projections
56
. The projections
56
or a portion thereof may have beveled edges
57
which extend inwards of the housing and face the upper throttle member
34
when the upper and lower throttle members are joined together.
FIG. 3
shows the mixing chamber
16
which is located internally of the throttle assembly between the upper throttle member
34
and lower throttle member
36
. Air passageways
18
allow the movement of air from the housing outlet
26
to the mixing chamber
16
for mixing with the water. The passageways
18
are defined by the area between the housing internal surface
28
and the upper throttle sleeve
42
and terminate at the upper throttle circumferentially spaced openings
44
. Although the air passageways are shown as terminating at openings adjacent the upper throttle upwardly facing projections
46
, other placement and orientation of openings are possible including that the openings be located on another portion of the throttle assembly if other snap engagements are used.
In
FIGS. 8 and 9
the screen
20
is shown having a frusto-conical shape and a plurality of water inlet holes
60
. In
FIGS. 2 and 3
the screen is positioned upstream of the throttle assembly
14
and covers the inlet ports
40
of the upper throttle member
34
. Thus, when the aerator is fully assembled, the screen
20
will prevent particles from clogging the upper throttle inlet ports
40
.
The elastomeric ring
22
is positioned upstream of the throttle assembly adjacent and surrounding the screen
20
and prevents water from leaking around the outside of the housing
12
.
To assemble the throttle assembly, the lower throttle member
36
is inserted into the upper throttle member
34
. A snap engagement is formed, as shown in
FIGS. 6 and 7
, when the lower throttle flange
52
is urged upstream of the upper throttle projections
46
and inwardly extending edges
48
such that the lower throttle flange snaps over the upper throttle projections. The upstream projections
56
and beveled edges
57
of the lower throttle member
36
facilitate the insertion of the lower throttle member into the upper throttle member. Within the snap engagement, the serrated surfaces of the upper and lower throttle members are positioned adjacent each other and prevent rotation of the aerator unless desired by the user. Once the upper and lower throttle members are joined together, there is sufficient vertical clearance between the upper throttle upstream end
38
and the lower throttle upstream projections
56
to allow rotation of the lower throttle member. Such vertical clearance should be greater than the height of the individualized serrations located on the serrated edges if rotation is to occur during normal operation of the faucet. If however there is not enough vertical clearance for the user to perform rotation during faucet operation then it would be possible to rotate the aerator by disassembling the aerator and recombining the throttles in a rotated position.
FIGS. 4 and 5
illustrate rotation of the throttle assembly which occurs when the user turns the lower throttle member
36
as it extends below the housing outlet
26
.
FIG. 4
shows the closed aerator position which is formed when the lower throttle projections
56
are positioned adjacent the upper throttle openings
44
to block the air passageways
18
. The lower throttle projections
56
prevents all or substantially all air from entering the mixing chamber
16
to provide a non-aerated water stream. As shown in
FIG. 4
the projection
56
is preferably greater in arcuate length than the upper throttle opening
44
in order to prevent air seepage from occurring around the lower throttle projection.
FIG. 5
shows a partially open throttle assembly after the lower throttle projections
56
have been rotated counterclockwise to a mid-range position. Rotation of the assembly does not occur unless desired by the user due to the engagement between the serrated edges of the upper and lower throttle members. Thus, the lower throttle member is prevented from rotating by itself during normal operation of the aerator and does not rotate unless desired by the user.
As the aerator
10
is rotated from the position shown in
FIG. 4
to that shown in
FIG. 5
, air begins to flow into the throttle assembly through the portion of the upper throttle opening
44
which is unobstructed by the lower throttle projections
56
. As the aerator is rotated from the closed position to a fully opened position, the size of the unobstructed portion increases and allows more air to enter the throttle assembly to provide an increasingly aerated stream. In a fully opened position the upper throttle opening
44
is completely unobstructed by the lower throttle projections
56
to allow for the maximum amount of air to mix with the water stream. Thus, rotation of the lower throttle projections
56
varies the size of the air passageways
18
defined at the upper throttle openings
44
to change the air volume within the water stream.
To facilitate the rotation of the lower throttle member by the user, a centrally disposed slot
70
is located on a downstream end
72
of the lower throttle member and the user may use an appropriately sized key such as a flat-headed screwdriver or other like object which inserts into the slot to assist rotation. Thus, the user can manually rotate the aerator at a downstream end of the lower throttle member to selectively change the amount of air drawn in and the appearance of the water stream.
Other methods may be employed to effectuate rotation of the lower throttle member by the user. For instance, a plurality of radial ribs may be located on the lower throttle member adjacent the housing outlet
26
and project downwards from the downstream end
72
in order to provide a frictional surface to assist in manual rotation of the lower throttle member by the user. It may also be possible for circumferentially disposed grooves to be located on the lower throttle member adjacent the housing to facilitate aerator rotation.
It is also possible for the upper and lower throttle members to fit together with an alternate snap engagement. Each of the upper and lower throttle members includes a portion of the snap element such as flanges, projections or the like. When the two throttle members are joined together, the snap element allows for retention and relative rotation of one of the upper and lower throttle members and the other of the throttle members remains substantially stationary in the housing.
Whereas the preferred form of the invention has been shown and described herein, it should be realized that there may be many modifications, substitutions and alterations thereto.
Claims
- 1. An aerator for a faucet comprising:a housing having an inlet and an outlet and an internal cavity, a throttle assembly positioned within said housing and having first and second throttle members, each of said first and second throttle members defining a plurality of fluid passageways and having a portion of a snap element, said snap elements allowing for retention and relative rotation of said second throttle member in said throttle assembly, said first throttle member remaining substantially stationary in the housing, at least one air passageway in the housing for communication of ambient air to the throttle assembly, selective rotational movement of said second throttle member changing the size of the air passageway to vary the air volume in the water stream.
- 2. The aerator of claim 1 wherein the first throttle member is positioned upstream of the second throttle member.
- 3. The aerator of claim 1 wherein the second throttle member is insertable into the first throttle member.
- 4. The aerator of claim 1 wherein the first throttle member has a sleeve which extends downwardly from an upstream end and a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings disposed on the sleeve.
- 5. The aerator of claim 1 wherein said snap elements have a plurality of upwardly facing projections with inwardly extending edges located on the first throttle member and an outwardly extending flange on the second throttle member, said second throttle flange capable of being urged upstream of the first throttle projections to form a snap fit.
- 6. The aerator of claim 1 wherein at least one of said first and second throttle members has a plurality of upstream projections.
- 7. The aerator of claim 6 wherein said upstream projections are positioned on the second throttle member, selective rotation of the second throttle member providing for opening and closing of the aerator.
- 8. The aerator of claim 7 wherein a portion of said second throttle upstream projections are directed at an inward angle from the housing to guide the snap elements together.
- 9. The aerator of claim 1 wherein a downstream end of the throttle assembly has a slot disposed therein to allow for the insertion of a key to effectuate rotation during use of the faucet.
- 10. The aerator of claim 1 wherein each of said snap elements have a serrated edge which engage one another within the throttle assembly to prevent rotation of the aerator unless desired by the user.
- 11. The aerator of claim 4 wherein said at least one air passageway terminates at said circumferentially spaced openings disposed on the sleeve.
- 12. An aerator for a faucet comprising:a housing having a water inlet, a water and air outlet and an internal surface defining an annular seat adjacent the inlet for mounting a throttle assembly within the housing; the throttle assembly including an upper throttle member and a rotable lower throttle member, said upper throttle member having an upstream end which faces the housing inlet and defines a plurality of inlet ports, and a downwardly extending sleeve, said sleeve having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings and a plurality of upwardly facing projections with an inwardly extending edge, said lower throttle member defining a plurality of fluid passageways and an outwardly extending flange located on an upstream end of the lower throttle member, said lower throttle member being insertable into the upper throttle sleeve in a snap engagement to allow for retention and relative rotation of the lower throttle member within in the upper throttle member, the snap engagement being formed when the lower throttle flange is urged upstream of the upper throttle projections such that the lower throttle flange snaps over the upper throttle projections; a mixing chamber defined internally between the upper throttle member and lower throttle member; a plurality of air passageways leading from an external opening in the housing outlet to the mixing chamber for drawing air into the mixing chamber for mixing with the water therein, said passageways providing communication with the throttle assembly when the user selectively rotates said one of the first and second throttles members from a closed aerator position to an opened aerator position; a screen positioned upstream of the throttle assembly covering the upper throttle inlet ports for preventing particles from clogging the throttle assembly; and an elastomeric ring located adjacent the upstream end of the throttle assembly.
- 13. The aerator of claim 12 wherein said lower throttle flange includes a plurality of upstream projections to provide for opening and closing of the aerator and for guiding of the upper and lower throttles into the snap engagement.
- 14. The aerator of claim 13 wherein each of said lower throttle upstream projections have a beveled edge which faces the upper throttle projections to guide the lower throttle flange and the upper throttle projections into a snap engagement.
- 15. The aerator of claim 12 wherein a downstream end of the lower throttle member has a centrally disposed slot to allow for the insertion of a key to effectuate rotation during use of the faucet.
- 16. The aerator of claim 12 wherein the upper throttle projections and the lower throttle flange have serrated edges which engage one another during snap engagement to prevent rotation of the aerator during normal operation of the aerator.
US Referenced Citations (33)