The following documents are incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/304,774, filed Nov. 28, 2011.
The invention relates to a sanitary fixture with a single- or multi-part mounting housing which has a thread for fastening to a mating thread provided on the water outlet of a sanitary outlet fitting, wherein the mounting housing has a downstream housing end side with flow-through holes, and wherein at least one insertion part can be inserted into the mounting housing as far as an insertion stop.
Sanitary fixtures are required in a very wide variety of embodiments as jet formers, unaerated jet regulators, jet aerators, flow-through quantity regulators or backflow preventers. For example, aerated jet regulators, what are referred to as jet aerators, which are intended to form a homogeneous, non-sputtering and sparkling and soft water jet have also been provided.
DE-U 93 14 990 belonging to the applicant has previously disclosed a jet aerator which, in the mounting housing thereof, has a perforated plate which serves as a jet splitter and has a number of flow-through holes to produce a multiplicity of individual jets. Pins are provided in the discharge region of the flow-through holes, the free pin end of which pins, the pin end facing the perforated plate and converging conically to a point, being designed as a deflecting slope which in each case deflects one of the individual jets coming from the flow-through holes in a manner obliquely with respect to the direction of flow. In order to be able to fit the mounting housing of said previously known jet aerator at the water outlet of a sanitary outlet fitting, a sleeve-shaped outlet mouthpiece, into which the mounting housing can be inserted as far as an insertion stop, is provided. The outlet mouthpiece is provided with a thread which can be screwed to a corresponding mating thread on the water outlet.
The external appearance of the outlet fitting is determined by the water outlet and the adjacent outlet mouthpiece and the screw connection thereof to the water outlet. In order to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance, the visible surfaces of the outlet mouthpiece, on the one hand, and of the outlet fitting in the region of the water outlet thereof, on the other hand, have to be configured as homogeneously as possible. Nevertheless, a narrow gap remains between the outlet mouthpiece and jet regulator insert, which gap has a tendency to become soiled and may have an interfering effect.
A sanitary fixture which likewise serves as a jet aerator and has a multi-part mounting housing has therefore also been provided, said mounting housing having, on the outer circumference thereof, an external thread for screwing into an internal thread provided on the inner circumference of the water outlet of a sanitary outlet fitting (cf. DE 10 2005 010 551 A1). A flow straightener is integrally formed on the mounting housing on the downstream side, the flow straightener being designed as a perforated plate which has flow-through holes and forms the downstream housing end side. A plurality of grate-shaped insertion parts can be inserted into the housing interior of the mounting housing, the insertion parts serving as a jet-regulating device which has to reform the individual jets aerated in the housing interior into a homogeneous, non-sputtering combination jet. The downstream housing end border has a profiling which can serve as a tool engagement surface for the corresponding profiling of a further mounting housing used as a rotation tool. Since the previously known jet aerator from DE 10 2005 010 551 A1 can be screwed into the water outlet of a sanitary outlet fitting to a depth such that the downstream housing end side of the mounting housing does not protrude beyond the water outlet of the outlet fitting, the aesthetic impression is determined solely by the outlet fitting. However, in order to be able to fit or remove the mounting housing to or from the water outlet of the outlet fitting, a further mounting housing or another special rotation tool, which is not always available in particular in a household, is required.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,513 has therefore also previously disclosed a jet regulator with a sleeve-shaped mounting housing which, on the downstream housing circumference thereof, bears an external thread to which the mounting housing can be screwed by means of an internal thread provided on the inner circumferential side of the water outlet of the outlet fitting. The mounting housing has a downstream housing end side which is formed by metal sieve layers lying one above another and which is guided displaceably in the interior of the mounting housing. By means of action upon said downstream housing end side with a coin, the housing end side is advanced into the housing interior in such a manner that a slot is exposed, the slot receiving the narrow side of the coin and serving as a tool engagement surface for the coin, which is used as a rotation tool. However, the displaceability of the housing end surface has the consequence that the flow conditions in the housing interior of the previously known jet regulator may change, and therefore the previously known jet regulator may not have a consistent and in particular a consistent and in particular a consistently good jet quality and requires a large amount of construction space.
Comparable jet regulators which have, on the downstream housing end side thereof, tool engagement surfaces for a simple rotation tool have also previously been disclosed in WO 2006/094680 A1, CH-C 380042, US 2002/0084353 A1, U.S. Pat. No. 3,014,667 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,514.
It is therefore in particular the object to provide a sanitary fixture of the type mentioned at the beginning, which is distinguished by simple handling and which nevertheless constitutes an at least equivalent alternative in respect of function and aesthetic appearance of the outlet fitting to the fixtures which can be fitted with an outlet mouthpiece.
According to a proposal of the invention for achieving said object, the fixture has an aerated jet regulator or is configured as such, in that the circumferential wall of the mounting housing borders at least one aeration duct at least in a subregion of at least double-walled configuration, and in that the at least one aeration duct, which is open towards the downstream housing end side, opens out in at least one aeration opening leading into the housing interior of the mounting housing.
The fixture according to the invention has a single- or multi-part mounting housing which, on the outer circumference thereof, has an external thread which is intended for screwing into an internal thread provided on the inner circumference of the water outlet of a sanitary outlet fitting. With the aid of the external thread provided on the mounting housing, the fixture according to the invention can optionally also be screwed into the internal thread on the water outlet to a depth until the fixture scarcely still protrudes, if at all, over the water outlet. In this case, the mounting housing is provided with a downstream housing end side which has flow-through holes through which the water flowing through the fixture can be discharged. At least one insertion part can be inserted into the mounting housing as far as an insertion stop, which insertion part has to shape and/or to regulate the water flowing through.
According to the abovementioned proposal of the invention, the fixture has an aerated jet regulator or is configured as such. The circumferential wall of the mounting housing borders at least one aeration duct at least in a subregion which is of at least double-walled configuration, said aeration duct being open towards the downstream housing end side and opening out in at least one aeration opening leading into the interior of the mounting housing. Ambient air can therefore be sucked up through the aeration duct, which is open towards the downstream housing end side, and can be conducted via the at least one aeration opening into the housing interior where said ambient air is mixed with the water, which is optionally temporarily divided into individual jets, in order to produce a sparkling and soft stream of water. Since the at least one aeration duct is integrated into the circumferential wall of the mounting housing, the fixture according to the invention can be fitted by the external thread thereof even into internal threads which are also intended for receiving an outlet mouthpiece. It is therefore possible either to make recourse to a conventional jet regulator which, for installation purposes, requires an outlet mouthpiece, or, however, instead use may be made of the fixture according to the invention which is no longer dependent on an outlet mouthpiece. Since the fixture according to the invention is no longer dependent on an outlet mouthpiece, and since an outlet mouthpiece of this type has previously generally been produced from brass and the production process had to be ended with the brass part being chromium-plated, the costs associated with the provision of such a material are avoided, the supply of material independently of said metal is ensured and an environmentally harmful chromium-plating operation can be dispensed with.
According to a further proposal of the invention, for which protection is claimed independently, it is provided, in addition or instead, that the downstream housing end side is of convexly or spherically curved design in the downstream direction and has at least one slot, the opposite slot longitudinal sides of which are configured as rotation or tool engagement surfaces for a rotation tool which can be inserted releasably into the at least one slot.
In this proposal of the invention, the fixture according to the invention has, on the downstream housing end side thereof, at least one slot, the opposite slot longitudinal sides of which are configured as rotation engagement surfaces or tool engagement surfaces for a rotation tool which can be inserted releasably into the at least one slot. In this case, the downstream housing end side is of convexly or spherically curved design in the downstream direction such that the slot can be configured to have a sufficient depth in order to provide a sufficient rotation or tool engagement surface for the rotation tool on the correspondingly deep slot longitudinal sides without thereby losing an excessive amount of space in the housing interior.
In order to be able readily to shape the water jet emerging from the fixture without the downstream housing end side providing high flow resistance because of this, it is expedient if the downstream housing end side is configured as a grate, mesh or perforated structure.
The at least one slot may be configured as a slotted aperture in the housing end surface. By contrast, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the at least one slot has a slot or groove base which is configured to be closed, or to be open or liquid-permeable—for example by means of a perforated or grate structure forming the slot or groove base.
In order to configure the slot longitudinal sides, which serve as the rotation or tool engagement surfaces, to be sufficiently stable, and in order to be able to transmit an appropriately high torque to said slot longitudinal sides, it is advantageous if the housing end surface has a cross-sectional thickened portion at least in the region of the at least one slot.
It is particularly advantageous if the slot longitudinal sides have a greater wall thickness in comparison to the flow-guiding walls forming the grate, mesh or perforated structure of the housing end surface.
According to a further proposal of the invention of independent significance which is worthy of protection, the mounting housing has a downstream housing section with a housing cross section which is reduced in relation to the adjacent, inflow housing section, and the free end border of the downstream housing section protruding over the water outlet serves as a drip edge.
A sanitary fixture configured as per this proposal of the invention has a downstream housing section which has a reduced housing cross section in relation to the adjacent, inflow housing section. In this case, the free end border of the downstream housing section protruding over the water outlet is configured as a drip edge at which the residual water still emerging after the stop-cock has been closed can drip without overflowing onto the outer side of the outlet fitting and running therealong.
In order to be able thoroughly to mix the water flowing through the fixture according to the invention uniformly with ambient air over the entire cross section of said fixture, it is advantageous if a plurality of aeration openings preferably distributed uniformly over the housing circumference are provided.
In order to accommodate the at least one aeration duct in the circumferential wall of the mounting housing with little outlay, it is advantageous if the mounting housing has, at least in a downstream housing section, an outer housing wall bearing at least a subsection of the external thread and an inner housing wall which is spaced apart therefrom by the at least one aeration duct.
In this case, the inner housing wall can at the same time also be configured as a drip edge if the inner housing wall protrudes over the outer housing wall and forms the downstream housing end border.
In order to be able readily to screw the fixture according to the invention to the internal thread, which is provided on the inner circumferential side of the water outlet of an outlet fitting, using an appropriate rotation tool, it is advantageous if the inner and outer housing walls are connected to each other via preferably radial webs, and if at least two webs are provided as rotation or tool engagement surfaces for a rotation tool which can be introduced into the clearance between the webs.
If the fixture according to the invention is configured as a jet aerator, the ambient air can be sucked up into the interior of the mounting housing by means of a negative pressure. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the jet regulator has an insertion part which is designed as a jet splitter and divides the stream of water into a multiplicity of individual jets, and the at least one aeration opening is arranged in a housing interior section following the jet splitter in the direction of flow. Since the inflowing stream of water in the jet splitter is divided into a multiplicity of individual jets, and since said individual jets undergo an increase in velocity in the region of the cross-sectional narrowing caused by the jet splitter, a negative pressure is generated as per Bernoulli's equation on the downstream side of the jet splitter, the negative pressure causing the ambient air to be sucked up into the housing interior.
So that as high a negative pressure as possible is produced on the downstream side of the jet splitter and so that the water flowing through the fixture according to the invention can be readily and effectively mixed with the ambient air, it is advantageous if the jet splitter has a multiplicity of flow-through openings for dividing the stream of water into a multiplicity of individual jets.
It is possible for the jet splitter to be designed as a perforated plate or as a diffuser. However, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the jet splitter which is designed as a diffuser has an annular wall which bears the flow-through openings and on which a central impact surface is integrally formed on the downstream side, said impact surface deflecting the inflowing stream of water in the direction of the circumferential flow-through openings.
It is expedient if a diffuser ring is provided, which diffuser ring engages around the diffuser at least in the region of the flow-through openings, and if a flow-through duct tapering in the direction of flow is provided between the inner circumference of the diffuser ring and the outer circumference of the diffuser. The water divided into individual jets in the region of the diffuser is accelerated in the flow-through duct provided between the diffuser and diffuser ring in such a manner that a comparatively high negative pressure can be generated even with small quantities of water in the region of said flow-through duct.
So that the homogeneous jet pattern of the emerging water jet is not impaired, it is advantageous if the diffuser ring shields the at least one aeration opening at a distance such that the adjacent subregion of the diffuser ring serves as a splash guard for the at least one aeration opening against the water flowing past the diffuser ring on the inner circumferential side.
In order to allow the ambient air to flow in particular into the region directly adjoining the jet splitter without the water being able to penetrate there through the aeration openings into the aeration duct and being able to escape from there into a region outside the jet zone, it is expedient if the diffuser ring has at least one air flow-through opening, and if the at least one air flow-through opening narrows in the flow-through direction preferably to form an air flow-through slot.
In order to be able to place and fit the insertion housing and the diffuser ring, and the diffuser ring and the diffuser in a precise position with respect to one another, it is expedient if the diffuser ring can be inserted into the mounting housing and/or the diffuser can be inserted into the diffuser ring as far as an insertion stop.
So that the individual parts of the fixture according to the invention cannot become unintentionally released from one another during transport or storage, it is advantageous if the diffuser ring can be fixed releasably and preferably can be latched releasably in the insertion housing and/or the diffuser can be fixed releasably and preferably can be latched releasably in the diffuser ring. In this case, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, an annular step or annular flange which interacts with the insertion stop is provided on the diffuser ring and/or on the diffuser.
So that the water flowing through can be adjusted to a maximum water volume per unit of time independently of the pressure, it is advantageous if the fixture has a flow-through quantity regulator connected upstream of the aerated jet regulator in the direction of flow.
So that the dirt particles entrained in the water do not lead to functional impairments in the successive functional units of the fixture according to the invention, it is expedient if an ancillary sieve is connected upstream of the preferably aerated jet regulator and optionally the flow-through quantity regulator in the direction of flow.
In order to avoid leakage flows past the outer circumference of the mounting housing, it is advantageous if an annular seal of preferably flexible material is provided for axial sealing between the fixture and an annular step located in the water outlet.
Further features of the invention emerge from the description below of exemplary embodiments according to the invention in conjunction with the claims and the drawing. The individual features can be implemented each by themselves or more than one together in an embodiment according to the invention.
In the drawings:
The circumferential wall of the mounting housing 9 of the fixtures 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7 illustrated here bounds an annularly encircling aeration duct 14 in a subregion of double-walled configuration. Said aeration duct 14, which is open towards the downstream housing end side 12, which is at the bottom in the figures, opens out in a plurality of aeration openings 15 which are distributed uniformly over the housing circumference and lead into the interior of the mounting housing 9. The aeration duct 14 and the aeration openings 15 are part of a jet regulator 16, a “jet aerator”, which is integrated in the fixtures 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6. By contrast, the fixture 7 is itself configured as a jet regulator.
The mounting housing 9 of the fixtures 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7 has, in the downstream housing section thereof, an outer housing wall 17 and an inner housing wall 18 which is spaced apart therefrom by the aeration duct 14, of which housing walls the inner housing wall 18 protrudes over the outer housing wall 17 and forms the downstream housing end border. The outer housing wall 17 bears at least one subsection of the external thread 10. The inner and the outer housing walls 17, 18 are connected to each other via radial webs 19, wherein the webs 19 are provided as a rotation or tool engagement surface for a rotation tool which can be introduced into the clearance between the webs 19.
Since, however, a special rotation tool of this type is not always available, in particular in a private household, the downstream housing end side 12 of the fixtures 5, 6 and 7 illustrated in
At least one insertion part can be inserted into the mounting housing 9 of the fixtures 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7 as far as an insertion stop. It is thus clear from
A diffuser ring 26 engages around the diffuser 23 in such a manner that a flow-through duct 30 tapering in the direction of flow is provided between the inner circumference of the diffuser ring 26 and the outer circumference of the diffuser 23. In this case, the aeration openings 15 are covered by the diffuser ring 26 at a distance in such a manner that the adjacent subregion of the diffuser ring 26 serves as a splash guard 27 for the ventilation openings 15 against the water flowing past the diffuser ring 26 on the inner circumferential side.
The diffuser ring 26 of the fixtures 2, 5 and 6 has air flow-through openings 29 which narrow in the flow-through direction to form an air flow-through slot. The ambient air can therefore be sucked up via the aeration duct 14 through the aeration openings 15 in the circumferential wall and the air flow-through openings 29 in the diffuser ring 26 into the interior of the mounting housing 9 in order to mix there with the individual jets produced by the diffuser 23 before said individual jets are combined again and shaped at the housing end side 12, which serves as a flow straightener, to form a homogeneous, non-sputtering and sparkling and soft, aerated combination jet.
The jet regulator 16 which is integrated into the fixtures 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 therefore essentially consists of the diffuser 23, the associated diffuser ring 26 and the housing end side 12 of the mounting housing 9, which housing end side is designed as a flow straightener.
Whereas, in the fixtures 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6, the jet splitter is designed as a diffuser 23, the fixture 7, which is designed as a jet regulator, in
In order to be able to suck up the ambient air into the housing interior and, for this purpose, to generate a negative pressure in the housing interior, an annular flow-through duct 30 which tapers in the direction of flow is provided between the inner circumference of the diffuser ring 26 and the outer circumference of the diffuser 23. In said tapering flow-through duct 30, the individual jets which are separated in the diffuser 23 are accelerated in such a manner that a negative pressure is produced on the downstream side of the diffuser 23 in the region of the downstream opening in the flow-through duct 30.
Also in the case of the fixture 7 illustrated in
Whereas the diffuser ring 26 can be inserted into the mounting housing 9 as far as an insertion stop 31, the diffuser 23, for its part, can be inserted into the diffuser ring 26 as far as an insertion stop 32. In this case, a sealing ring 33 of preferably flexible material is provided, the sealing ring sealing the separating gaps between the mounting housing 9 and diffuser ring 26, and between the diffuser ring 26 and diffuser 23, and being able to be clamped between the inflow end border of the mounting housing 9 and an annular step in the water outlet 7 of the sanitary outlet fitting 8 for axial sealing purposes.
It can be seen in
It is clear from a comparison of
It can be seen in
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20140145013 A1 | May 2014 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 13304774 | Nov 2011 | US |
Child | 14169670 | US |