25iSA. United States Patent (19) 4,614,303. Sep. 30, Moseley, Jr. et al.

Transcription

1 United State Patent (19) Moeley, Jr. et al. (54) 76) (51) 52) (58) (56) WATERSAVING SHOWER HEAD Inventor: Charle D. Moeley, Jr., P.O. Box 449, Lynchburg, Va. 2; Charle D. Waring, 3952 Boworth Dr. SW., Roanoke, Va Appl. No.: 6,636 Filed: Jun. 28, 1984 Int. Cl.'... B05B 1/26; B05B 1/30; B05B 1/14 U.S. Cl /499; 239/579; 239/581; 239/590.3; 239/590.5 Field of Search /44; 239/579,581, 239/590.3, 590.5, 6, 8, 7, 104, 106,499, 4 Reference Cited U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 2,568,5 9/1951 Scheiwer /8 X 2,985,385 5/1961 Bower et al /499 X 3,102,691 9/1963 Gall /581 X 3,796,377 3/1974. O'Hare /4 X 3,894,562 7/1975 Moely, Jr. et al /44 3,999,714 12/1976 Lang /44 X 4,3,1 1 1/1982 Jette /579 X FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS /1936 United Kingdom /8 Primary Examiner-Andre Kahnikow 11) ) Patent Number: Date of Patent: Sep. 30, 1986 Aitant Examiner-Mary Beth O. Jone Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Lowe, Price, LeBlanc, Becker & Shur 57 ABSTRACT A elf-cleaning, water aver hower head which will provide a maximum flow rate without regard to water preure and which may be adjuted from a no flow condition to a fine mit to a pray to a heavy pulating rine tream. The device ue a cavitation inducing orifice at the inlet to the head and a econd cavitation inducing et of orifice uptream of the outlet with an elongated mixing chamber therebetween. A plunger i dipoed in the outlet downtream of the econd cavita tion inducing orifice to direct the water exiting the device againt a diffuer leeve to define the pray. Rotation of a leeve which define the outlet and carrie the diffuer caue axial diplacement of the plunger within the outlet to provide the deired pray. In an embodiment of thi invention, intead of a no flow con dition, a drip condition will be produced by rotating the leeve to caue axial diplacement of the plunger until a knurled flange eat at the outlet thereof. Serration on the flange permit a drip of water to pa therethrough o that when the hower head i in the drip poition, a tream of water will not be permitted therethrough, but the water behind the hower head will not rie to the temperature of the hot water. 5 Claim, 5 Drawing Figure 34 A. i É 42 isa (H. 52 S. /. w W

2 U.S. Patent Sep. 30, R& 3. (7 V8SS-22 2N. N. Wit. 38 WSZ 4 SS (Htt) N

3 1. WATER SAVING SHOWER HEAD Thi invention relate to a hower head which com bine an internal elf-cleaning action and the ability to generate a variable pray a deired. The hower head alo include a water aving function and an integral hut-off whereby the pray may be varied from a fine, variable pray, to a coare pray, to a powerful needle tream, to a heavy rine tream that pulate. At low ytem preure the head of thi invention ha the ability to increae velocity to compenate for uch low pre ure, and ha a water aving effect which, depending upon the internal dimenion, will permit a fixed flow rate maximum which i not dependent upon preure. In my prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,054,7, and a related joint U.S. Pat. No. 3,894,562, there are dicloed fluid flow controller which are effective to limit the flow of liquid through a conduit to a predetermined rate. The controller operate on a principle of cavitation and in general provide three erially connected chamber. The firt chamber i a convergent chamber which caue the liquid to converge into a hort tube orifice cavitation chamber which then open into a diffuing chamber. A liquid flow through the device then induced cavitation limit the flow to a predetermined rate, and the diffuing chamber eliminate the cavitation o that downtream conduit i not damaged. Such a device, inerted in a conventional hower head, for example, will limit the flow thereto to a maximum of, for example, 4 gallon per minute regardle of the water preure. Under low preure condition the increaed velocity give the illuion of an increaed flow. It ha been dicovered that the principle of cavitation may alo be adapted to provide a elf-cleaning hower head which preerve the water aver function and provide a elf-cleaning action without moving part. In addition, the hower head of thi invention i adapted to compenate for a low flow of water by providing a high velocity hower tream. In addition, the hower head may be adjuted to form a widely variable pray from an atomized pray to a fine pray to a powerful needle tream to a heavy rine tream that pulate merely by rotating the head. The head further may be rotated to an off poition without a eparate witch. The elf-cleaning function, provided by cavitation, enure that lime and mineral in the water will not clog the head. Cavitation, a i decribed in my above prior patent, may be ued to enure a maximum flow rate and the elf-cleaning action. The device of thi invention, however, induce cavitation at the entrance to the hower head and uptream the exit port. Cavitation in the latter intance, in addition to providing a elf-clean ing action, further produce the high velocity needed in low water preure ituation and foter with a diffu ion leeve and plunger the deired pray without a foraminou plate or other imilar device ued to pro mote a pray at the hower exit port in conventional hower head. The only moving part in the hower head of thi invention i a leeve which urround the plunger and form the diffuion chamber at the exit port. Rotation of thi leeve, a will be ubequently explained, control the ditance between the plunger and the exit port which in turn control the type of pray deired or when the plunger i eated in the exit port, operate to cut off the flow of water from the device. 5 O Accordingly, it i an object of thi invention to pro vide a imple and efficient water aver hower head. It i another object of thi invention to provide a water aver with internal crubbing action which i elf-cleaning without moving part. It i till another object of thi invention to provide a water aver hower head with a variable tream from a no-flow condition to a fine pray to a needle pray to a pulating pray. It i till another object of thi invention to provide a water aver hower head which will permit a flow not to exceed around 3-3 to 4 gallon per minute regardle of water preure, and which at low flow condition uch a 0.75 to 1.0 gallon per minute will exhibit uffi ciently high velocity to provide the illuion of a much higher flow rate and which, when deired, may be quickly cut off without a eparate witch or without adjuting the hower valve. It i yet another object of thi invention to provide a water aver hower head which incorporate uptream and downtream cavitation inducing mean to regulate the flow therethrough, induce a high velocity to the water tream, and provide a elf-cleaning couring ac tion againt lime and mineral in the water without moving part or mechanical action. Thee and other object will become readily apparent with reference to the drawing and following decrip tion, wherein: FIG. 1 i a plan view of the hower head of thi in vention; FIG. 2 i a right ide view of the hower head of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 i a cro-ectional view of the hower head of thi invention; FIG. 4 i a plan view of the internal tem and plunger with integral ball portion of a ball joint for attachment to a ource of water under preure. FIG. 5 i a fragmentary cro-ectional view of an alternate embodiment of the hower head of thi inven tion. With attention to the drawing and to FIG. 1, the hower head of thi invention 10 include a conven tional ball joint 12 coniting of a ball 14 received in a ocket 16 which, a hown in FIG. 3, mount internal. thread 18 for attachment to a conventional threaded water pipe (now hown) by rotation thereof. Ball 14 i mounted on a tem 20 which i threadedly received within a leeve 22. Sleeve 22 form at the outlet of the hower head a hollow diffuer 24 which, a will be ubequently explained, form the deired pray. With attention to FIG. 3, ball 14, with tem 20, form an inlet cavitation chamber 26. Uptream of chamber 26 a convergent chamber 28 i provided, and downtream of cavitation chamber 26 a diffuing chamber 30 i pro vided. Water then from a water pipe (now hown) en ter the convergent chamber 28 and cavitate through cavitation chamber 26. A the water enter diffuion chamber 30 the cavitation diipate o that the interior of hower head 10 will not be ubject to pitting or other damage normally aociated with undiffued cavitation flow. A decribed in my prior patent noted above, chamber 26, 28 and 30 are elf-cleaning due to cavita tion and the water flow therethrough, alo due to cavi tation, will not increae beyond the flow rate at which cavitation occur. A i well known, cavitation occur when the liquid preure equal the vapor preure of the liquid. Pocket of air are then formed at the inter face between the liquid and urrounding chamber wall.

4 3 Cavitation will induce precipitation of diolved miner al and the like, but the turbulence generated thereby will caue thi precipitant to pa on through the cavita tion chamber 26 whereupon the cavitie formed dii pate in diffuion chamber 30 and the water tream then enter a mixing chamber 32 which extend axially through the interior of tem 20 to exit port 34. Exit port 34 are in fact harp edged orifice and there are four in number dipoed at 90 degree angle around tem 20. With reference to FIG. 4, tem 20 form an upper groove 36 above exit port 34 for receiving an O-ring 38 a hown in FIG. 3. O-ring 38 then eal the interior of the upper portion of hower head 10. Below exit port 34 a econd groove 40 i formed for receiving an O-ring 42 a hown in FIG. 3. Sleeve 22 form an exit port 44 which i a contriction having a converging walled inlet 46 and a diverging walled out let 48. When leeve 22 i rotated on tem 20 to retract the leeve over the tem, O-ring 42 will encounter con verging wall 46 to eal the outlet 44. In thi way the flow of water through the device 10 of thi invention can be cut off merely by rotating leeve 22. Stem 20 terminate in a frutro conical plunger head which with the diffuer portion 24 of leeve 22 func tion to define the flow or pray deired. The outlet orifice 34 alo induce cavitation of the water exiting the mixing chamber 32. A the water circulate around plunger head and through outlet opening 44 into the diverging ection 48 and the interior tapered wall 52 of diffuer ection 24 the pray, depending upon the veloc ity, will be defined. Cavitation in thi cae then not only maintain the opening 34, but increae the velocity o that the device of thi invention may provide a pray adjutable from a mit to a needle pray 2, when plunger i fully retracted into the interior of leeve 22 a rin ing tream which becaue of cavitation and the wall effect achieved againt the interior of diffuion ection 24 will pulate. The heavy rine pulating tream give the effect of a high flow rate, but becaue of the cavita tion chamber 26 the flow rate i limited by the dimen ion of the device. Accordingly, the illuion of a high flow rate will be achieved even though in reality the flow rate i limited to, for example, 3.5 to 4.0 gallon per minute. Diffuer 24 function to provide a flow pattern roughly in the hape of the diffuer wall 52. A water exit outlet 44 it will by urface tenion follow wall 52 a it flow through diffuer ection 24. The plunger i frutro conical in order to ait in directing the flow of water againt wall 48 and 52. A the leeve 22 then i rotated, plunger will enter or retract from the open ing 44 to change the flow pattern therethrough. A noted above, when plunger i fully retracted within leeve 22 a heavy rine tream will be produced which pulate. In contrat, when plunger i fully received within outlet opening 44, O-ring 42 will abut wall 46 to hut off the flow of water through the outlet opening 44. In a preferred verion of the device of thi invention the mixing chamber 32 i about 1' long. Four outlet opening 34 of about ' in diameter are provided to function a thin edged orifice in order to produce cavi tation a the velocity increae when the water pae therethrough. The diffuer outlet opening 44 i about 9/32 inche in diameter, wherea the plunger head at it bae i about inche in diameter. The overall length of leeve 22 i about 2-1 1/16 inche. The dimen ion of the inlet cavitation chamber, convergent cham ber and diverging chamber 26, 28, and 30 are in accor dance with the teaching of my above patent. The three chamber in length total inche. The device preferably i contructed of bra with the leeve 22 being contructed of a bra aluminum alloy uch a No. 614D, which will provide more elaticity. The tem may be, for example, bra No. 3. With attention to FIG. 5, it ha been dicovered that when two port 34 are provided intead of four the maximum flow rate will be reduced. For example, in the embodiment hown in FIGS. 1-4, four port 34 are provided, and the maximum flow rate i about 3 gallon per minute. However, by reducing the number of port 34 to two a hown in FIG. 5, the maximum flow rate will be reduced to 23 gallon per minute. Once the maximum flow rate ha been reached, an increae in preure will not increae the flow rate, due to cavita tion, a decribed above. In addition, in the device hown for example in FIG. 3, O-ring 42 will engage the loping wall 46 to thereby cloe off a flow of water through outlet opening 44. Thi reult in a build-up of heat in the water line behind the hower head 10. When the tem 32 i retracted, then a guh of hot water will flow through opening 44. Uer may find thi guh of hot water to be undeirable. Accordingly, in the embodiment of FIG. 5, the O ring 42 ha been replaced by a knurled flange 70. Flange 70 form with tem 20 the mixing chamber. When the plunger enter the outlet 44 the plunger head will extend therethrough until knurled flange 70 encounter the converging wall 46. At thi point the flow of water through outlet 44 will be extremely contricted, but not eliminated. The head will then continue to drip until plunger i retracted. By continuing to drip, the heat in the water line will not be permitted to increae to the point of cauing dicomfort to the uer when the hower head i turned on. The difference then between the embodiment of FIG. 5 i that the O-ring 42 in groove 40 i replaced and a traight haft portion 72 reult from the elimination of groove 40. The remaining flange i then knurled o that water behind the flange 70 will find it way through outlet 44 in a drip fahion. In addition, the embodiment of FIG. 5 depict two port 34 intead of four, and it hould be undertood that thi invention i not intended to be limited to the number of port 34 formed to releae water from mixing chamber 32 or 32" to exit the hower head at outlet 44. The device of thi invention then achieve the objec tive thereof by combining inlet and outlet cavitation. The reult i that the maximum flow rate through the device will be controlled, and ufficient velocity in duced to the exit tream o a to provide an illuion of a high volumetric flow rate. The inlet cavitation chamber 26 i a hort tube orifice, wherea the outlet cavitation i provided by four thin-edged orifice in outlet port 34. The exit tream by wall attachment effect produce a control flow pattern by action of a diffuer at the exit port. Water pray leaving exit port 44 by urface tenion follow the interior wall of the diffuer to form thi pattern. Cavitation induced at the entrance and exit ha been found to be ufficient to provide the deired enhanced velocity, but not trong enough to caue damage to the interior of the device. When water pae through an orifice and the preure approache vapor preure, air pocket will form and diolved mineral will tend to precipitate. The diffuing chamber 30 downtream of

5 5 the cavitation chamber 26 i provided in order to dii pate uch cavitie. Similarly, when the water exit port 34 it enter a chamber wherein the turbulence tend to collape the cavitie formed. The cavitation, how ever, ha the deired cleaning action at both the inlet and the outlet to keep them free from mineral depoit and lime. The device of thi invention then i elf-clean ing without the proviion of mechanical part. There i only a ingle moving part, and that i the threadedly received external leeve 26 which mount the diffuer and function to define the hower pray and provide adjutment thereof. Accordingly, the device of thi invention will pro vide a much more adjutable hower head with water aving feature and elf-cleaning feature and only a ingle moving part. The invention may be embodied in other pecific form without departing from the pirit or eential characteritic thereof. The preent embodiment i, therefore, to be conidered in all repect a illutrative and not retrictive, the cope of the invention being indicated by the appended claim and all change which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claim are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein. What i claimed i: 1. A elf-cleaning, water aver hower head which i adjutable between a drip flow condition, a fine pray, a powerful pray and a heavy, pulating rine tream compriing: an elongated, ubtantially hollow houing having an axial inlet port at one end for admitting water, a plurality of radial outlet port adjacent the oppoite end for expelling water and an interior mixing chamber in communication with the inlet port and the radial outlet port; firt cavitation mean di poed at the inlet for inducing cavitation in a tream of water paing therethrough and econd cavitation inducing mean dipoed at the radial outlet port for inducing cavitation in a tream of water paing therethrough; a hollow leeve rotatably mounted on the exterior of aid houing urrounding the radial outlet port, aid leeve including pray diffuing mean extend ing axially outwardly from the end of aid houing adjacent the radial port for collecting tream of water from aid radial port and dipening the ame in a pray pattern, aid leeve alo mounting pray adjutment mean dipoed between the ra dial port and aid diffuing mean for changing the pray pattern from aid diffuing mean reponive to rotation of aid leeve about aid houing; aid leeve further compriing an internal throat, an internal converging chamber uptream of the throat, and an internal diverging chamber down tream of the throat, aid diverging chamber open ing into a diffuing flange which form the pray outlet of aid head, the radial outlet port of aid houing being dipoed within aid leeve uptream of the converging chamber; aid pray adjutment mean further compriing a frutroconical plunger formed by the end of aid houing adjacent the radial outlet port and di poed downtream of the port adjacent the throat whereby a aid leeve i rotated on aid houing the plunger will move, electively, into or out of the throat thereby changing the pray pattern therethrough; and drip contricting mean urrounding aid houing between the plunger and the radial outlet for en gaging the urface of the converging chamber when the plunger i fully received in the throat to contrict the flow of water therethrough to a drip aid drip contriction mean compriing a flange ex tending radially outwardly from aid houing, the peripheral urface of aid flange defining knurled erration o that when aid flange eal againt the converging chamber urface of aid leeve adjacent the throat the flow of water through aid hower head will be retricted to a drip. 2. The device of claim 1 wherein aid firt cavitation mean include a hort tube orifice dipoed in the inlet port o that water entering aid houing mut pa through the orifice. 3. The device of claim 1 wherein aid houing i ub tantially cylindrical and aid plurality of radial port comprie four radially directed port dipoed at 90' degree interval around the longitudinal axi thereof. 4. The device of claim 3 wherein aid econd cavita tion mean include a harp edged orifice dipoed in each radial outlet port. 5. The device of claim 1 wherein aid houing i ub tantially cylindrical and aid plurality of radial port comprie two radially directed port dipoed at 180 degree interval around the logitudinal axi thereof. k k k k -k