Aerator Construction

Abstract

An inexpensive faucet aerator is provided by three molded parts and a thin metal cup that holds two of the molded parts in assembled relationship. The first molded part is an elongated annulus provided with upstream and downstream recesses separated by an inner ring that helps to break up the liquid flow and serves as an abutment to support a second molded, jet-forming, part in the upstream recess and is arranged to be engaged by the third, molded, part located in the downstream recess and aiding in defining air intake means to the aerator.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Faucet aerators of many different forms are known in the prior art. In substantially all such aerators, water-jet forming means, of one or more nozzles located at one or more upstream locations, discharge water at high speed into a mixing chamber into which air is ingested by the local drop in static pressure. Means for mixing the water and air are provided, and screenlike flow straightening and mixing means may be provided at the discharge end of the mixing chamber. In some forms of aerator constructions an abutment is provided against which the jets are impinged to effect minute break up of the water jets prior to mixing with air. In other forms air is drawn into the mixing chamber through air passageways that extend from adjacent the outlet of the aerator in a direction opposite to the direction of waterflow before entering the mixing chamber and then moving downstream with the mixture of water and air.

Although originally constructed entirely of brass parts, or molded of rubber and arranged to receive a plurality of jet-forming metal discs and screens, the trend of construction has constantly been to seek less expensive constructions. It has heretofore been suggested to mold at least some aerator parts of plastic. However, practical experience has shown until now that the most satisfactory aerator constructions require at least some internal parts being formed of metal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of this invention to provide a water aerator with desirable performance characteristics wherein all the internal parts except the discharge screen are molded of plastic.

It is another object of this invention to provide a water aerator that is primarily constructed of three molded plastic parts that are so designed and arranged as to provide for convenience in assembly and results in an aerator characterized by inexpensiveness of fabrication and effectiveness of performance.

And a further object of this invention is to provide a water aerator that is primarily constructed of molded plastic parts that are clamped together in assembled relation by a thin-walled metal sleeve that also serves as the exterior casing of the aerator.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize this invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming part of this specification.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is an illustrative perspective view of a typical water faucet provided with a water aerator embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a greatly enlarged vertical cross-sectional view through the aerator of FIG. 1 and is taken substantially on line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the aerator of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view taken substantially on line 4--4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the parts of the aerator shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing a modified form of construction utilizing a female-threaded upstream coupling as contrasted to the male-threaded upstream coupling shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing another modified form of construction; and

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing an exploded perspective view of the parts of the aerator shown in FIG. 7.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings the discharge end of spout 10 of faucet F is provided with an aerator 12 embodying the instant invention. The spout 10, as shown in FIG. 2, is female threaded at 14 and is provided with a seal seat 16 spaced upstream of the spout's lower terminus 18.

The aerator 12, as best seen in exploded view of FIG. 5 in addition to an upstream resilient seal washer 20 and a downstream screen 22 at the discharge end of the mixing chamber of the aerator, includes only four parts, three of which are the internal parts of the aerator and are molded of plastic, and the fourth being a thin cup-shaped sleeve of a relatively deformable metal, such as brass or aluminum. The molded parts, formed of substantially nonwater-absorbing plastic such as Delrin, include: an axially elongated annular member 24; a jet-forming, cup-shaped member 26; and a support-and-air-intake member 28. The metal sleeve is indicated at 30 and has a lower inturned flange, or lip, 31.

The axially elongated annulus 24 is the major structural element of the aerator and has an upstream annular portion 32 surrounding an upstream recess 33, and a downstream annular portion 34 surrounding a recess 35, with said recesses separated by an inner ring 36 that is integral with part 24. The exterior of said upstream portion 32 is provided with male threads 38 for screw connection to spout 10. The interior of said portion 32 is provided with: an annular retainer wall 40 for engaging the wall of seal washer 20; an annular shoulder 42 for seating seal washer 20; centering sleeve 44 for receiving and centering member 26; and an upstream, convex, impingement surface 46 on ring 36 curving inwardly and downstream to an innermost annular edge 48. Within the downstream recess 35, moving downstream, there are: the annular lower side 50 of inner ring 36, said side 50 extending radially outwardly of annular edge 48; a frustoconical surface 52 that slopes downwardly and outwardly; and a cylindrical inner wall 54. The exterior surface of member 24 below male threads 38 provides: an upwardly facing annular shoulder 56 spaced below the terminus 18 of the spout; an upper, upwardly and inwardly inclined, frustoconical surface 58 for receiving and seating a portion of metal sleeve 30; a cylindrical intermediate surface 60; and a lower, downwardly and inwardly inclined, frustoconical surface 62 for receiving and seating a portion of metal sleeve 30, as illustrated in FIG. 2.

The second molded member 26 is arranged to enter recess 33 of annulus 24 and to be held in operative position by gravity. The member 26 includes an outwardly extending flange 64 which is centered by sleeve 44 and supported on the outermost portion of convex surface 46 of ring 36, with the upper surface of flange 64 located coplanar with shoulder 42 to be engaged by seal washer 20 so as to prevent water leakage past sleeve 44. The sidewall of cup part 26 is provided with a series of spaced jet-forming apertures 66 that are vertically elongated and terminate at their lower edges in a plane spaced above the downstream terminus of convex surface 46. The most downstream portion of member 26 projects coaxially through and in spaced relation to innermost annular edge 48, to provide a constricted, annular, flow aperture 68 between adjacent spaced portions of member 26 and inner ring 36, with annular aperture 68 separating an upstream annular flow passageway 70 from the downstream mixing chamber 72 located substantially in the lower recess 35 between lower side 50 and screen 22. The lowermost wall 74 of member 26 is located downstream of side 50.

The third molded member 28 is arranged to slidably enter downstream recess 55 of annulus 24 and to abut under side 50 of inner ring 36. Member 28 includes an annular sleeve, or ring, 76 having an inturned flange 78 at the lower edge and provided on the outer surface with a plurality of axially elongated spacers 80 whose lower ends abut flange 31 of sleeve 30 and whose upper ends extend above sleeve 76 to engage ring 36. The exterior shape of each spacer 80 includes a lower cylindrical edge 82 and an upper frustoconical edge 84 for complementary mating with inner walls 54 and 52 respectively. The spacers 80 locate sleeve 76 spaced from wall 54 to provide substantially annular air intake means 77 that extend upwardly from the outlet end of aerator and pass over the edge of sleeve 76, that is spaced below ring 36, and enter mixing chamber 72.

The metal sleeve 30 when deformed, by spinning or swedging, to the final assembled condition includes the inturned lower retainer flange 31 and spaced frustoconical sections 86 and 88 seatingly cooperating with oppositely directed frustoconical surfaces 58 and 62 on part 24.

The foregoing construction provides for simple subassembly by first positioning screen 22 on flange 78 of member 28 and then entering third member 28 into downstream recess 55 and then applying metal sleeve 30. After spinning, or otherwise deforming, portions of the sleeve 30 to engage surfaces 58 and 62, the parts will be held in assembled relation with lip 31 holding member 28 against ring 36. Then cup-shaped member 26 and seal 20 may be entered into the upstream recess 33 to complete the assembly.

It will be understood that in use the water jets defined by slots 66 are directed outwardly to impinge against convex surface 46 to be broken up in chamber 70 and to pass downstream through annular aperture 68 to enter mixing chamber 72 wherein the water particles mix with air ingested through air intake means 77 and then pass through one or more screen 22 to issue from aerator 12 as a coherent jet of aerated water.

The thickness of material of sleeve 30 is nominal to permit of ready deformation from cylindrical shape to the condition seen in FIG. 2, but at the same time sleeve 30 provides sufficient strength to hold the parts 24 and 28 in assembled condition and resist separation.

The form of aerator in FIG. 6 is substantially the same as in FIGS. 2-5 except that while molded part 24 in FIGS. 2-5 provides a male thread 38, the first molded part 24' in FIG. 6 is axially elongated and provided with a female thread 38' for cooperation with a male-threaded spout 10'. The axial length of metal sleeve 30' is also elongated and extends the entire length of part 24', where in FIGS. 2-5, only the lower portion of part 24 that is below the portion that enters spout 10 is encased by metal part 10.

In the modified form of aerator shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, corresponding parts carry the same number with the addition of a double prime mark. The principal changes in the device of FIGS. 7-8 as compared with the device of FIGS. 2-5 are that in FIGS. 7-8 the first molded part 24" is axially shortened to eliminate the downstream sleeve that surrounds the third molded part, and the shape of the cup-bottom of the second molded part is elongated downstream and stepped to assist in providing desired mixing and flow characteristics. In FIGS. 7-8, the downstream part 28" provides that the outer surfaces 82" of the spacers 80" serve as the sole abutment for the inner wall of the cylindrical portion of metal sleeve 30" and the upper edges of spacers 80" engage the lower side 51 of first part 24" which is spaced below underside 50" of inner ring 36". The bottom 74" of cup-shaped member 26" provides a first annular part 74a that extends downstream to at least below the level of side 51, and a depressed center portion 74b that extends axially downstream into mixing chamber 72" to a level downstream of the level of the upstream edge of sleeve 76".

As can be seen in FIG. 1, the size of lip 31 on the sleeve 30 and the radial thickness of the spacers 80 is so selected that the outer diameter of sleeve 76 is spaced inwardly of the inner edge of lip 31, to provide an airgap to the air intake means 77.

The arrangement of the convexly curved impingement surface 46, surrounding and spaced from the upright sidewall of part 26 having elongated apertures 66 therein which terminate at their lower ends at a plane upstream of the downstream terminus of convex surface 46, desirably produces an unusual impingement pattern for the water by first directing the water in jet form outwardly against the convex impingement surface 46 where there is a first breaking up of the jets and the fragmented flow is then reflected back against the portion of said annular upright wall of part 26 below apertures 66 before the water finally passes downstream through the annular, constricted, flow aperture 68 to enter mixing chamber 72. The flange 64 surrounding the upper ends of apertures 66 cooperates with the lower edges of apertures 66 to define and limit the operative flow size of each aperture 66, thus permitting the upstream face of each aperture 66 to be somewhat blocked, such as by waterborne matter, without reducing the volume passed through the apertures.

While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention and, therefore, it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a faucet aerator of the type that provides a mixing chamber having upstream and downstream ends, water-jet defining means at the upstream end of said chamber, air intake means to said chamber, and at least one screen adjacent the downstream end of said chamber, the improvement comprising, in combination: three annular molded parts, a first of said molded parts being axially elongated and having integral therewith an inner annular ring located between the ends of the part to provide spaced upstream and downstream recesses, the second molded part being of a size and shape to aid in providing water-jets and to enter the upstream recess and to be retained therein in operative position by gravity, the third molded part being of a size and shape to aid in defining the air intake and to support a screen and to enter the downstream recess to abut a portion of said inner annular ring, and an elongated annulus of metal with an inturned flange at one end arranged to surround the first said part with said flange engaging the third part and with the other end gripping the first part to hold the third part in assembled position.

2. A construction as in claim 1 wherein the first molded part with an integral inner annular ring is provided with a sleevelike centering section immediately upstream of the annular ring and an annular shoulder spaced upstream of the annular ring and bounding the upstream end of the centering section, and the second molded part having an out-turned flange of a size to slide fit into the sleevelike centering section, and to have the upstream side thereof coplanar with said annular shoulder so that said coplanar surfaces are adapted to provide a seat for a sealing washer.

3. A construction as in claim 1 wherein inner annular ring on the first molded part provides an upstream surface that curves downstream moving radially inwardly and terminates at an innermost edge, and the second molded part being cup-shaped with an out-turned flange engaging the upstream side of the inner annular ring, a series of spaced apertures in the sidewall of the cup-shaped part located upstream of the innermost edge of the inner annular ring, and the portion of the cup-shaped part downstream of the apertures extending in spaced relation concentrically of and downstream past the innermost edge of the inner annular ring to provide a constricted annular flow passageway through which water enters the mixing chamber.

4. A construction as in claim 1 wherein the portion of the first molded member that bounds the downstream recess provides a cylindrical wall, the third molded member including a cylindrical sleeve element spaced concentrically inwardly of the said cylindrical wall of the first member and spaced from the downstream side of the inner annular ring to define an airflow passageways, and a plurality of spacer ribs integral with the cylindrical sleeve and of greater axial length than the sleeve and extending outwardly of the sleeve, said ribs being adapted to engage the downstream side of the inner annular ring and the inner cylindrical wall of the first molded part to provide proper interfitting of the members.

5. A construction as in claim 4 wherein the axial length of the cylindrical sleeve is such that the upstream edge of said sleeve lies at least as close to the downstream side of the inner annular ring as the furthermost downstream extent of the second molded part.

6. A construction as in claim 1 wherein the portion of the first molded member bounding the downstream recess provides a cylindrical wall spaced downstream of the inner annular ring, and a frustoconical wall extending between the upstream edge of said cylindrical wall and the downstream side of said inner annular ring, and the third molded member including a cylindrical sleeve element spaced concentrically inwardly of the said cylindrical wall of the first member to define an airflow passageway therebetween, and a plurality of spacer ribs integral with the cylindrical sleeve and extending outwardly thereof and upstream of the cylindrical sleeve element and being shaped to complement both the inner cylindrical wall and frustoconical wall of the first molded part to insure proper interfitting of the members.

7. A construction as in claim 1 wherein the first molded member provides a section of outer periphery, spaced upstream of the downstream end of said member, that tapers frustoconically inwardly to provide a retainer means for the metal annulus that is adapted to have a section of the metal annulus forced inwardly thereagainst after telescoping of the metal annulus onto the first molded member.

8. A construction as in claim 4 wherein a portion of the second member extends downstream through the central opening of the inner annular ring and also concentrically of the cylindrical sleeve of the third molded member to a position downstream of the upstream end of said cylindrical sleeve.

9. In a faucet aerator of the type that provides a mixing chamber having upstream and downstream ends, water-jet defining means at the upstream end of said chamber, air intake means to said chamber, and at least one screen adjacent the downstream end of said chamber, the improvement comprising, in combination: three annular molded parts, a first of said molded parts being axially elongated and having integral therewith an inner annular ring with an impingement surface thereon located between the ends of the part, the second molded part being of a size and shape to aid in providing water-jets and to enter a recess defined in the first molded part upstream of the inner annular ring and to be supported by said annular ring in operative position by gravity, the third molded part being of a size and shape to aid in defining the air intake and to support a screen, said third molded part being positioned to abut said first molded part downstream of the impingement surface of the inner annular ring, and an elongated annulus of metal with an inturned flange at one end arranged to surround a portion of the first said part with said flange engaging the third part and with a portion of the metal annulus gripping the first part to hold the third part in assembled position.

10. In a liquid aerator of the type that provides means for breaking up liquid jets to effect a mixing of liquid with air before the mixture issues from the aerator, the improvement comprising, in combination: an annular outer member providing thereon an innermost ring with a convex impingement surface on said ring curving radially inwardly and downstream to an innermost annular edge; a jet-forming means including an annular upright wall positioned concentrically of said annular outer member and spaced inwardly of said innermost annular edge to provide between said upright wall and said innermost edge a constructed downstream annular passageway through which liquid is discharged in noncoherent form for mixing with air ingested into the aerator, said jet-forming means including a plurality of axially elongated slots through said upright wall, the lower edge of said slots terminating at a point spaced upstream of the innermost annular edge, whereby liquid flow through said slots operates to direct jets of liquid outwardly against said convex impingement surface to be partly broken up and to be reflected back inwardly against the annular upright wall before passing downstream through said constricted downstream annular passageway.