AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Innovation Patent Applicant: EDGETEC SYSTEMS PTY LTD Invention Title: Jet Assembly The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method for performing it known to me/us: - 2 Jet Assembly This invention relates to a jet assembly for use in spa baths or pools. 5 The components of mixing jet assemblies for spa baths and pools are usually manufactured from injection moulded plastics. io In spas and pools, the mixing jet assembly mixes water under pressure with air to provide the aerated jets of water that are a characteristic of such products. The assemblies usually comprise a housing that is coupled to a supply of water and air at the exterior of the spa bath or 15 pool. A jet tube is located within the housing by means of a retaining nut that threadedly engages an internal bore of the housing. The jet tube includes a receptor and decorative outer flange with a central aperture that houses an eyeball that can pivot about its central axis 20 relative to the flange to vary the direction of the jet of aerated water exiting the assembly. The decorative flange is mounted against the internal wall of the bath or pool and the decorative nature of the flange covers the hole in the wall through which the jet of water passes. The 25 arrangement is such that the flange can be turned to rotate the jet tube and change the characteristics of the exeunt air and water mixture. An assembly of this kind is disclosed in Australian 30 Patents 622351 and 761184. The mixing jet assembly described above uses the outer flange of the receptor retaining nut to hold the assembly against the wall of the bath or pool so that the jet receptor and housing on one side with the wall of the jet or spa being clamped between 35 the housing and an inner face of the end of the receptor retaining nut. In this manner, the decorative outer flange and jet tube are axially rotatable relative to the 2252146_1 (GHMatters) 27104/10 - 3 housing to vary the output characteristics of the aerated water. Assemblies of the kind described above usually project 5 into the spa or pool a distance of between 13 and 15mm from the wall. This invention relates to an assembly which has fewer components and is thus cheaper to produce and is considerably more compact in the sense that its projection from the wall of the spa or pool is reduced. 10 According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a jet assembly comprising a housing having a front flange merging into a chamber with a rearward extension adapted to be coupled to a source of air and is water, the housing being located through an aperture in a wall of a bath or spa with the front flange engaging the inner surface of the wall, the housing defining and internal chamber into which a jet receptor is snap fitted to be axially rotatable relative to the housing, a 20 clamping nut threadedly engaging the outside of the housing to draw the flange against the front wall, the jet receptor having a forward face including at least one lug whereby finger contact on the lug can rotate the jet receptor relative to the housing to alter the 25 characteristics of the air/water flow. An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 30 Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a conventional mixing jet assembly for a spa bath or pool with a valve fully open; 3S Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken along the lines AA of Figure 1; 22521461 (GHMatters) 27/04/10 - 4 Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the lines BB of Figure 2; Figures 4, 5 and 6 are view similar to Figures 1, 2 and 3 5 but showing the valve partially closed; Figure 7 is a front elevational view of a mixing jet assembly in accordance with an embodiment of this invention with a valve fully open; 10 Figure 8 is a cross sectional view taken along the lines FF of Figure 7; Figure 9 is a cross sectional view taken along the lines 15 GG of Figure 8; and Figures 10, 11 and 12 are views similar to Figures 7, 8 and 9 showing the valve partially closed. 20 The mixing jet assembly of this application is similar to the assemblies disclosed in Australian Patent Nos. 622351 and 761184 which are incorporated herein by reference. The mixing jet assembly 10 illustrated in Figures 1 to 6 25 is essentially composed of five components that are injection moulded in plastics. The five components comprise a housing 5, a flanged receptor-retaining nut 20, a jet receptor 30, a decorative face plate 60 and an eyeball with an axial throughway 51. The components are 30 designed so that they can be readily assembled to provide the characteristics required by a mixing jet assembly whilst at the same time facilitate attachment of the assembly to the wall of a spa bath or pool. The assembly is also designed to provide an appropriate degree of 3s disassembly without the need for complicated tools. The housing 5 has a front flange 9 merging into a chamber 22521461 (GHMatters) 27/04/10 - 5 4 incorporating a water inlet 6 and an air inlet 7. The chamber 4 has internal annular support 8 into which the jet receptor 30 is snap fitted. The front end of the housing 5 terminates in the radially extending mounting 5 flange 9. The jet receptor 30 includes a venturi 31 which entrains the air with the incoming water so than an air/water jet is expelled from the front of the assembly 10. The inlet end 34 of the venturi 31 has an annular wall 32 with an arcuate cut-out 33. The decorative 10 faceplate 60 is coupled to the jet receptor 30 so that rotation of the faceplate 60 causes rotation of jet receptor 30 to change the characteristics of the flow by rotating the cut-out 33 past the water inlet 6. Figures 2 and 3 show the venturi 31 fully open whilst Figures 4 and 15 5 show the venturi 31 rotated through 800 to a partially closed position. The eyeball 50 clips into the jet receptor and is pivotable about its longitudinal axis to alter the direction of the outflowing air and water via the throughway 51. The retaining nut 20 screws onto a 20 threaded exterior 19 of the housing 5 and, as shown in Figure 2, has the effect of clamping the assembly within a hole in the bath or pool. An annular sealing gasket 15 is positioned between the outward mounting flange 9 of the housing and the flange 21 of the retaining nut 20. 25 Figures 1 to 6 illustrate a conventional spa jet arrangement and it should be noted that the maximum projection of the faceplate 60 to the interior wall of the bath or spa is 15.6mm. 30 The preferred embodiment of this application simplifies the assembly by eliminating the faceplate 60 and streamlining the assembly so that the projection forward of the wall of the bath is 8.1mm or less. Thus the mixing 35 jet assembly is considerably less intrusive to the interior of the bath or pool. 22521461 (GHMatters) 27/04/10 - 6 As shown in Figures 7 to 10, the faceplate has been eliminated from the design and the forward flange 15 of the housing 5 has been finished so it provides and aesthetical outer rim to the fitting 10. A similar 5 retaining ring 20 screws onto the externally threaded portion 19 of the housing 5 to clamp the assembly 10 against a hole in the wall of the bath or pool. An L shaped sealing flange 15 seals the assembly to the bath/spa wall. The jet receptor 30 is coupled to the 10 housing 5 to be rotatable relative thereto to adjust the venturi 31 and thus the outflow of the jet. The adjustment is illustrated between Figures 8 and 9 and Figures 11 and 12 which respectively show the venturi 31 in the fully open position and rotated through 800 to a 15 partially closed position. The eyeball 50 again sits snugly in the centre of the jet receptor 30 and can pivot about its longitudinal axis in the same manner as in the conventional spa jet shown in 20 Figures 1 to 6. Three equally spaced internal fingers 33, 34, 35 in the form of radially extending lugs are provided on the inside of the jet receptor 30 so that adjustment can be effected 25 by a push on the lugs 33, 34, 35 to rotate the jet receptor 30 relative to the housing 15. This adjustment replaced the adjustment which was previously carried out by turning the faceplate 60. 30 Thus the assembly described above has the same characteristics as the conventional assembly but uses one less components and only protrudes into the bath or pool by 8.1mm as against 15.6mm of the convention product. 22521461 (GHMatters) 27/04/10