AU4271378A - Liquid-gas mixer - Google Patents

Description

1FORM 4 00MMONWEALTH OF AUMTALIA

I US

Convention Application fr, 4 27 13rte. We SOUTH PACIFIC INDUSTRIES, INCORPORATED

of 2100 South Fairview, Santa Ana, California 971 United States of America

hereby apply for the grant of a Patent for an inventioni entitled

"A LIQTJID-GASM ER"1 0.0 @0 0 0 S 0 0 000000 S

*0 S

@0 0 SO which is described in the accompanying complete specification. S. 0 This application is a Convention Application and is based on the 0 000* application numbered 0 6000 for a patent or similar protection made in United States of America

0@ @0 0 0 OS

0@ 0 S@* S onl 20th December, 1977 *5 f~ SO 0@

oraddress for service is: 0066

6'0

0 @0 Care: SPRUSON FERGUSON PATENT ATTORNEYS /6 @55000 0 ESSO HOUSE, 127 KENT STREET SYDNEY. NEW SOUTH WALES. AUSTRALIA.

Dated this E IGIhTEENTH day of DECEMBER 1978B SOUTH PACIFIC INDUSTRIES, INCORPORAT4ED

To. By:* Registered Patent 1 *orney The Comisoner 0 f Patents us FORA 'COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA P'ATEN1 IS ACT 10=240

DECLARATION IN SUPPORT OF A CONVENTION APPLICATION FOR A PATENT OR PAVENT OF ADDITON In support of the Convention Application made for a

patent for an invention entitled 42 71 li LIQUID-GAS MIXER"

Full name and ad- LAWRENCE EDWIN JOHNSON dress of DecIant. of 25161 Via Elevado, Dana Point, California 92629 United States of America

do solemnly and sincerely declare as follows:-

1-4+m-heeptfrt-ith patTnt -patent Dadh~hm. (or, in the case of an application by a body corporate) 1. 1 amn authorised by SOUTH PACIPTC INDUSTRIES, INCORPORATED the applicant for the patent to make this declaration on its behalf.

Insert country and 2. The basic application as defined by Section 141 of the Act was made in date of basic appli- cation and name oif United States of America on'h foreign applicant. 7 7 by Gerald W. Moreland day of December, 19

-amr-Oit-cettu invena -of-thr -m-nticyr -eftrted- tair Tf-i~l (or where a person other than the inventor is the applicant) Full namke and a dress of Inventou( 3) GERALD WAYNE MORELAND

of 11651 Pickett Lane, Garden Grove, California 92640, United States of America,

the facts Upon which the applicant is1he actual inventor of the invention andfollows- 4fr~Eentitled to make the application are as

The said applicant is the assignee of the actual inventor.

4. The basic application referred to in paragraph 2 1 -isDclaration was the first application made in a Convtcntion cout'i~ty in respect of the invention the subject of the application.

Declared a~4 thsdavo f\ ,tue 1

ignature of Declaratt -s

LAWRENCE EDWIN OHN The Conmissioner of Patents, $PRU~SON FERGUSON,, SYOW4V.

-1 (11) AU-A 42713178

(12) PATENT SPECIFICATION AflCTDArTI rWJJ I I

(19) AU (21) 42713/78 (22) 19.12.78 (23) 19.12.78 (24) 20.12.77 (31) 862434 (32) 20.12.7-7 (33) US (43) 28.6.79 (51) A61H 9/00 A61H 33/00 B01F 3/04 B01F 3/04 B01F 5/02 (54) LIQUTD-&GAS MIXE (71) SOUTH PACIFIC INDTJSTRIE::% INCORPORATED (72) MORELAND G.W. (74) SF (07) A spa or therapy pool is also claimed. CLAIM 8. A mixer cornpr~sing,

mrean,s for flowing a stream of gas,

a source of liquid, arid

means connected with said source for projecting a jet

of sai~d liquid across and throug, said Stream of gas, whereby' said jet entrains gas from said Stream to provide a jet mixture of gas and liquidt.

D1 23-4

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Form PATENTS ACT 1952-73

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (ORIGINAL) FOR OFFICE USE

A9 71 -q1- XJV ID IV

Class Int. Class

Application Number Lodged

Complete Specification Lodged Accepted Published '.4

Priority v~ \~W Related Art

Name of hkpplicant: SOUTH PACIFIC INDUSTRIES, INCORIPORATED

Addlress of Applicant 2100 South Fairview, Santa Ana, California 9270A1 United States of America

Actual Inventor GRALD'W. MORELAND

Addres f k er i ce Sprus--n Ferguson, Patent Attorneys, Esso House, 127 Kent Street, Sydney, New South Wales, 2000 Australia.

Complvte Specification for the jnv~.ntion entitled

"SA LIQUID-GAS MIXER"

The following statement is a iull description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known toqm/us:

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

An aerator for a spa, therapy pool, bathtub or the

like is formed of a mixer body having side-by-side parallel

air and water conduits and a mixture outlet port extending

radially of the air conduit. A water jet nozzle extends from

the water conduit into the air conduit to project water across

the air conduit axially into the outlet port. A group of such

C mixers is connected to individual ones of a number of aerator

nozzles that project through the tul walls of a spa or therapy

4 pool a-id the mixer air and water passages are respectively

connected to one another, in series, by pipes that extend be-

tween the mixers and circumscribe the tub.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to liquid/gas mixers

and more particularly concerns an aerator that is specifically

arranged for projecting an aerated water jet into a spa, ther-

apy pool, swimming pool, or the like.

In a common and widely used type of spa or therapy

pool a recirculating water system is provided, including a

return line for flowing heated water to the basin in which the

spa water is confined. The desired and beneficial action of

the spa is provided, or at least enhanced, by flowing air into

the returning water so that a number of jets of aerated or

bubble-filled water are provided at various points about tVs

spa basin. Such an arrangement, employing a motorized blower

for providing suitable source of air, is shown in a co-pending

application of Lawrence E. Johnston, et al for Aerator, Serial

No. 606,299, filed August 25, 1975. Such aspirators, or aer-

ators as they are commonly termed, often employ a constricted

water flow passage of the venturi type that provides a high velocity flow of water into a chamber which is supplied with air by means of an air conduit. A jet of water flows from the mixing chamber at relatively high velocity, entraining air from the chamber to thus provide an aerated water stream.

United States Patents Nos. 3,628,529, and 3,985,303 to W.D.

Steimle, and U.S. Patent No. 3,890,655 to Mathis, illustrate

Saerators of this configuration. Aerators of the type shown in

v-4 the patents to Steimle and Mathis are relatively bulky and are t- difficult to install in restricted areas.

United States Patent 3,890,656 to C.L. Mathis, shows

a mixer in which connections for the water and air inputs are

simplified. This patent employs air and water connections

that may be coupled to suitable piping with relative ease in

restricted areas, but nevertheless employs the widely used

common mixing chamber into which both air and water are drawn

from the air and water supplies for mixing and projection as

an aerated jet.

Mixing arrangements of the prior art are relatively

inefficient, often requiring pressurized air sources and higher

water pumping power to obtain desired turbulence at the entran-

ce of the aerated water jet into the body of water in the spa

or therapy pool tub.

Where such spa or therapy pool systems are employed

in commercial or public installations, such as in public spas

or hotel baths, or the like, health codes require that maximum

drainage of the.connecting plumbing and the mixer heads them-

selves be provided to minimize the use of water retained from

a previous use. The air/water mixing chambers of prior aer-

ators, such as those of Steimle and Mathis, will trap residual

water so that an undesired amount of water may remain in these mixers even after the bath or spa system has been otherwise fully drained. This may be unhealthy and may not meet codes.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention

to provide a mixer that avoids or eliminates above-mentioned

problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In carrying out principles of the present invention

in accordance with a preferred embodiment thereof, a gas/liquid

_4 mixer comprises means for flowing a stream of gas and means

connected with a source of liquid for projecting a jet of Ca liquid across the stream of gas whereby the liquid jet will

entrain gas from the stream to provide a jet mixture of gas

and liquid. According to a specific embodiment of the inven-

tion, liquid and gas are caused to flow through liquid and gas

conduits in side-by-side relation and a mixer outlet port is

provided directly from and extending transversely of the gas

conduit. A restricted water passage from the water conduit

extends to and terminates at an orifice within the gas conduit

opposite the mixture outlet port to direct a jet of liquid

across the gas conduit into the outlet port.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 illustrates a spa, therapy pool, bathtub or

the like embodying a plurality of mixers constructed in accord-

ance with principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an exploded pictorial i'lustration, with

parts broken away, of a single mixer and nozzle of the system

of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section taken on lines 3-3 of Figure 1,

with end plugs omitted;

Figure 4 is a section taken on lines 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a sectional view of a modified mounting

of the mixer to a tub wall;

Figure 6 illustrates a modification showing a dif-

ferent type of wall mounting and a readily removable jet

nozzle;

Figure 7 is a pictorial illustration of the remov-

able jet nozzle of Figure 6 showing the hexagonal tool receiv- Y- ing configuration; and

C4 Figures 8 and 9 illustrate other configurations of side-by-side water and air conduits.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As illustrated in Figure 1, a spa or therapy pool

tub 10 is formed with a plurality of aerator jet nozzles 12,

13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18, each extending through the tub wall

for connection with a respective one of a group of aerators or

mixers generally indicated at 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26.

The tub includes a drain 30 which is connected to a plumbing

drain (not shown) and may also be alternatively connected to

the input of a recirculating pump 32 having a pressure output

34 that is connected to the several mixers by means of water

pipe sections 36,'37, 38, 39, 40, 41 and 42. An air blower 44,

has an input 46 that is connected with atmosphere and has an

output line 48 connected to the several mixers by means of air

pipe sections 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55 and 56.

Water is forced by the pump through the several water

pipes, through the mixers 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25, which are all

connected in series with each other, and to the terminal mixers

and 26. The water flows through all of the mixers and

thence through passages to be described below and through the

aerator nozzles 12-18.

Air is forced by the blower through the air pipes

and through the mixers 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25, in series, and

thence to the terminal mixers 20 and 26. Ikt each of the mix-

ers air is entrained -by the water jet that is expelled thrugh

the aerator nozzle from the mixer body to provide the desired

aerated jet projected into water within the tub. Although a

blower 44 has been showna, it is found that aeration action of

the mixer described herein is of such enhanced efficiency that

'~the eir pipes may simply be connected at any given point or

v- points to the atmosphere without the use of any blower. A

cqsufficient air flow is provided by the entrainment of air

within the mixer's by the jet action of the water.

Of course, suitable timers, heaters, and the like

(not shown) may be used, as commonly provided, to complete the

illustrative system.

As shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, each mixer is ident-

ical to mixer 26 and comprises a mixer body having formed

therein short sections of onduit 60 and 62. Concluit section

for all but the terminal mixers, is connected at each of

its open ends to one of the sections of water pipe. Similarly

the air conduit 62 is connected at each of its open ends to

sections of air pipe. For the terminal mixers 20 and 26, the

downstream ends of the conduits are sealed by plugs 56, 57, 58

and 59.

The water and air conduits 60 and 62 are parallel to

each other and closely juxtaposed with a relatively thin wall

64 formed therebetween. Air conduit 62 is formed with a trans-

versely extending nipple 65 that defines a mixture outlet port

or passage 66 extending substantially radially from the air

conduit to project an air/water mixture transversely from the mixer conduits. 'The internal diameter of the outlet port 66 may be substantially equal to or slightly less than the in- ternal dilameter of the air conduit 62. At each end of each of conduits 60, 62 is formed a shoulder 67, 69 to seat a connect- ing pipe or plug that is adhesively secured and sealed to the conduit end. The connecting pipes or plugs are readily insert- ed longitudinally into the water or air conduits and adhesively secured and sealed without fittings. Plugs and pipes are t-4 omitted from Figures 2-9 for the sake of clarity of the draw- ings.

A small diameter water passage 68 extends from the

interior of the water conduit 60 into the air conduit 62 where

it termirates in a restricted, relatively small orifice,

that provides a high velocity water jet. Orifice 70 is posi-

tioned relatively close to the common wall 64 between the air

and water conduits so that the water passage 68 does not ex-

tend very far into the air condluit. Passage 68 and its

orifice 70 are directed substantially radially of the air con-

duit so that the water jet that is projected from the water

conduit into the air conduit is projected transversely of the

latter and will flow almost completely across the interior of

the air conduit to the mixture outlet 66. Orifice 70 of the

water passage 68 is positioned diametrically opposite the

mixer outlet passage of the air conduit so that the jet from

the water conduit is projected substantially coaxially of and

through the mixture output passage.

To secure the mixer body to the wall 74 of the tub

(see Figures 3 and 4) and to the aerator nozzle 18, the exter-

ior of nipple 65 is externally threaded to cooperate with in-

ternal threads on a stem 76 of the nozzle 18. The stem 76 is also externally threaded to threadedly receive an internally threaded retaining nut 78 that firmly presses against a gasket interposed between the nut and the tub wall to thereby fix- edly secure the nozzle 18 with its flange 82 to the wall 74.

If deemed necessary or desirable, additional washers or gaskets

may be employed and various types of sealing compound or seal-

C ing tape may be placed between the interengaging threads to

further enhance the sealing of the several elements to each

C4 other.

As illustrated in Figure 2, the stem of nozzle 18 is

formed with an internal conical seat 84 upon which rests a

truncated apertured spherical eyeball 86 that is held in place

by a plurality of circumferentially spaced projections 88 on a

nut 89 that is threadedly engaged within the nozzle stem 76.

The described aerators may be made of any suitable

metal, such as copper, steel, aluminum or alloys thereof, or

of plastic. Presently preferred configurations are injection

molded, the entire mixer body, including the water jet 68,

anC conduits 60, 62 being a single integral part. Many dif-

ferent types of plastic may be employed. For example, the

housing may be made of PVC (polyvinylchloride) and other parts

such as the wall fitting, including the nozzle 18, eyeball and

nut 78, 89 (but excluding the gasket of course) may be made of

ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer).

As can be seen in the illustrations of Figures 3 and

4, the.water passage 68, where it projects slightly into the

air conduit 62, has a conical exterior configuration to provide

for a smooth flow of air from one end to the other of air con-

duit 62; Thus a continuous stream of air flows through the

iir conduit 62 contacting the nozzle of water passage 68 about its entire periphery. Accordingly, the water jet issuing from the restricted orifice 70 is completely surrounded, for a full

3600, by the flowing air stream across which it is projected.

This maximizes entrainment of air into the water jet stream

and thus maximizes aeration of the exiting mixture, which is

caused to flow through the outlet port 66.

Although the bore of water passage 68 between con-

duits 60 and 62 is illustrated as being of a right circular

cylindrical configuration, it will be readily appreciated that

C4 an improved venturi-type action may be provided by use of con-

ventional converging, or converging and diverging nezzle con-

figurations to further increase the velocity of the water as

it enters the air conduit 62 and to otherwise improve the water

jet characteristics.

Where the described mixer is used as a terminal mix-

er, that is, the last one in series, such as shown for mixers

and 26 of Figure 1, one end, of the water conduit and one

end of the air conduit is simply plugged, as previously de-

scribed, so that neither water nor air will flow from such

mixer except through the air conduit mixture outlet port.

Otherwise all mixers of an installation are identical.

The described arrangement provides a surprising and

unexpected increase in the aeration of the projected water.

Contrary to expectations, it has been found that the

projection of the water jet from orifice 70 directly into the

,4ir stream that flows through air conduit 62 not only achieves

an efficient aeration of the water jet as it substantially

completely traverses the air conduit, but also provides a

surprising and unexpected increase in the actual ae.,ation.

Even without the use of a blower, merely using the jet action of the water to pull the air through the various air pipes and through the mixer air conduits, the air/water mixture exiting from the aerator nozzles 12-18 evidence a considerably in- creased bubble action and water turbulence as compared to action and turbulence available with conventional mixers of the type shown in the Steimle or Mathis patents.

For example, it is found that a one-half horsepower

C. water pump will provide as much "action" or turbulence at the

c- output of six mixers of the type described herein as is pro-

vided by a three-quarter horsepower pump at the outputs of

six mixers of prior art configuration.

In normal use of the described mixers, they are in-

stalled with axes of the water and air conduits substantially

horizontal, but tilted slightly to facilitate drainage (upon

completion of a bath) of the entire series of mixers. Thus

the mixers in series are positioned at successively lower ele-

vations, and one is lower than all other mixers and lower than all or nearly all of the system pipes, in a preferred instal-

lation.

The axes of the mixture outlet passages also are

nearly horizontal, but this is determined at least in part by

the orientation of the tub wall. In any event, for any one

mixer, the lower part of air conduit 62 is the lowest point of

the mixer interior. Both the outlet passage and the water con-

duit are above the air conduit. Thus, little or no water will

be trapped within the outlet passage or water conduit. Sub-

stantially all water will drain into the tub or back into the

mixer air conduit and thence through the connecting pipes to

the lowest mixer. If deemed necessary or desirable, a suit-

able drain orifice (not shown) may be connected at a low point in the air pipe and conduit system.

Residual water in the water conduits will drain

through connecting pipes to a drain connection at a low point

in the pipes and will also drain, within each mixer, to the

mixer air conduits and connecting pipes thereof. If a water

draining orifice is not provided in the air pipes, adequate

c drainage (better and more complete drainage than available

C- with prior art mixers) will take place (into the tub) through t the outlet passage of the lowermost of all of the mixers of

the series, leaving only a very small (and acceptable) amount

of undrained water within the air conduit of the body of the

lowest mixer.

Although the described orientation is preferred, the

mixers may be inverted and installed with the water conduit

lowermost so that the outlet passage is above the air conduit

and the latter is above the water conduit. Again drainage will

take place through both water and air conduits and through both

water and air connecting pipes, leaving only a small amount of

residual water in the body of the lowest mixer. Thus water

used by one person is nearly all drained and only a few ounces,

at most, remain in the system to be used by a second person.

In an alternate mounting of the described mixer, as

illustrated in Figure 5, a sleeve 90 is fixed to (or molded

integral with) the body of the mixer to provide proper spacing

of the mixer from the tub. The end of the sleeve bears upon

tthe gasket 80, interposed between the sleeve end and the tub

wall, and the outlet nipple 65a of the mixer is threadedly re-

ceived within the stem 76 of the aerator nozzle 18 to firmly

draw the mixer and its sleeve 90 against the tub to lock the

nozzle and the mixer to the tub wall. All other parts of the arrangement of Figure 5 are the same as in the embodiment of

Figures 2-4 and are designated by like reference numerals.

In an alternate tub wall mounting arrangement, as

shown in Figure 6, the mixture outlet nipple 65b is provided

with an outwardly radially extending circumferential flange 92

that bears against the gasket 80, which, in turn, bears against

the tub wall 74. Nipple 65b in this arrangement is internally

threaded to receive the external threads of the stem 76 of the

Snozzle 18 and a second gasket 94 is interposed between the o nozzle and the inside of the tub wall.

f* Water jet nozzle 70b of the embodiment of Figure 6 C-4 _d is a separate part, externally threaded, and threadedly engaged

with internal threads formed in the passage 68b that inter-

connects the water and air conduits 60, 62. The forward end

of the nozzle 70b that projects into the air conduit is formed

with a plurality of flat tool-receiving surfaces such as that

indicated at 94, so that a tool can be inserted through the

mixture outlet passage of the mixer (after removal of the aer-

ator nozzle 18) and the jet nozzle 70b may be replaced as

deemed necessary or desirable. Each of a number of nozzles

may be made with different interior passage dimensions to ob-

tain a balanced pressure (equally or otherwise distributed)

about the periphery of a tub in which a plurality of mixers

are used. Thus those mixers that are closer to the pump, such

as mixers 23 and 24 of Figure 1, may be provided with nozzle

haviny a relatively smaller interior water passage and

those furthest from the pump, such as mixers 20, 21 and 26,

may be provided with nozzles 70b having larger diameter inter-

ior water passages, whereby the normal pressure drop of the

water flowing from the pump to the final mixers is compensated by the nozzle orifice size which progressively increases as the mixer is positioned further from the pump.

Although it is presently preferred to provide a

compact mixer head. wherein the air and water conduits are

closely juxtaposed with a relatively thin common wall there-

between, many other arrangements and configurations of the two

conduits of the mixer head may be employed without departing

from principles of the present invention. It is not necessary,

Cw for practice of the described invention, that the water and r-4 air flow through the two side-by-side conduits in the same

direction, or even in parallel directions.

Illustrated in Figure 8 is a modification of the

mixer of Figures 2-7 in which the water and air conduits have

a different location with respect to one another. The two may

be further spaced from each other if deemed necessary or des-

irable, although closer spacing minimizes material and size.

Thus the mixer body 100 of Figure 8 is somewhat angulated,

having an upper portion through which is formed a water conduit

102, and having a lower laterally projecting portion through

which is formed an air conduit 104. A water passage 106 ex-

tends thrcugh an intermediate section 108 of the mixer body,

and, as shown in Figure 8, has a relatively large diameter at

the water conduit 102 and a relatively small diameter at the

water jet nozzle orifice 110 that terminates at a position

just inside the air conduit 104.

The water jet nozzle 110 and the immediately adjoin-

ing portion of water passage 106 are directed radially of the

air conduit 104 just as in the previous embodiments and are

diametrically opposed to the mixture outlet port 112 that also

extends transversely of or, more specifically, radially of the air conduit. A sleeve 114 fixed to the mixer body may be threaded internally or externally as desired for suitable se- curement to the tub wall and to the aerator nozzle in the manner previously described.

Figure 9 illustrates still another arrangement of

side-by-side water and air conduits. This arrangement, like

the arrangement of Figure 8, provides mixer action of enhanced

efficiency with a decreased dimension of the rmiier body in a

direction along the axis of the mixer outlet passage. Thus

this mixer, like the mixers previously described, may be retro-

fitted to an existing bathtub in a relatively small and narrow

space between such bathtub and the wall of the room in which

it is installed. In the arrangement of Figure 9, the water

conduit 120 is positioned directly above air conduit 122 and

water is transmitted from the conduit 120 to jet nozzle 124 in

the air conduit by means of a water passage 126 that inter-

connects the water and air conduits. In this arrangement, as

in all of the other embodiments of the mixer, water transmitted

through the jet nozzle 124 is projected substantially along a

diameter of the air conduit in a stream that is coaxial with

the mixture outlet passage 126 to provide the improved air en-

trainment previously described.

It is presently preferred to manufacture the mixer

body (including tie water jet nozzle, where the latter is not

removable) as an integral part injection molded of a suitable

plastic of a type commonly used for similar fittings and spa

components, such as the PVC described above. Nevertheless, it

will be readily appreciated that the mixer may be manufactured

of other materials and in two or more individual parts suitably

secured together in one of the described configurations or an equivalent configuration wherein a jet of liquid is projected across and through an air stream flowing through an air con- duit.

The water jet nozzles of any one of the embodiments

may be removable, like nozzle 70b of Figures 6 and 7.

The foregoing detailed description is to be clearly

understood as given by way of illustration and example only,

the spirit and scope of this invention being limited solely by

the appended claims.

Claims (1)

1. t

   The claims defining the invention are as follows:-

   1. An air-water mixer comprising, a mixer body, a

   mixture outlet passage formed in said body, a water passage

   extending through said body transversely of said outlet pas-

   sage, an air passage extending through said body transversely

   of said outlet passage and communicating therewith, and high

   velocity passage means interconnecting said water and air

   passages for projecting water from said water passage across

   o and through said air passage and into said outlet passage.

   2. The mixer of claim 1 wherein said water passage

   is above said outlet and above said air passage.

   3. The mixer of claim 1 wherein the lowest point of

   said outlet passage is above the lowest point of at least one

   of said water and a'r passages.

   4. The mixer of claim 1 wherein said high velocity

   passage means comprises a nozzle having an inlet port commun-

   icating with said water passage and having an outlet port posi-

   tioned within said air passage.

   The mixer of claim 4 wherein said mixture outlet

   passage extends from a wall of said air passage, and wherein

   said nozzle outlet port is located adjacent a wall of said air

   passage that is opposite said mixture outlet passage.

   6. A mixer for a spa or therapy pool or the like

   comprising a mixer body having side-by-side air and water con-

   duits extending therethrough, said conduits being open at both

   ends for flowing fluid through said conduits, a mixture outlet

   passage extending from said air conduit transversely thereof

   to the exterior of said body, and a jet nozzle having an inlet

   in said water conduit and an outlet in said air conduit oppos-

   ite said mixture outlet passage.

   7. The mixer of claim 6 wherein said mixture outlet

   passage is above at least one of said conduits.

   8. A mixer comprising, means for flowing a stream

   of gas, a source of liquid, and means connected with said

   source for projecting a jet of said liquid across and through

   said stream of gas, whereby said jet entrains gas from said

   stream to provide a jet mixture rF gas and liquid.

   9. The mixer of claim 8 wherein said means for

   flowing a stream of gas comprises a gas conduit having gas in-

   let and outlet ends and having a transversely directed mixture Soutlet between said ends, and wherein said means for project-

   ing a jet comprises means for projecting liquid into and sub-

   stantially across said conduit and stream of gas into said

   mixture outlet.

   The mixer of claim 9 wherein said source of

   liquid comprises a liquid conduit adjacent said gas conduit,

   said means for projecting a jet comprising a liquid passage

   connected with said liquid conduit and extending transversely

   into said gas conduit.

   11. The mixer of claim 10 wherein said gas and

   liquid conduits are side-by-side conduit sections, and wherein

   said liquid passage extends into said gas conduit subsantially

   opposite said mixture outlet and coaxial therewith.

   12. A spa, therapy pool or the like comprising a tub

   having walls, a plurality of mutually spaced aerator nozzles

   extending through said tub walls, a plurality of mixers of the

   type set forth in claim 9, each having its mixture outlet con-

   nected to a respective one of said aerator nozzles, a plurality

   of air pipe sections interconnecting gas conduits of at least

   soame of said mixers with one another, a plurality of water pipe sections interconnecting liquid conduits of at least

   6ome of said mixers with one another, and a pump connected to

   force water through said water pipe sections and through said

   liquid conduits, at least one of said air pipe sections and gas

   conduits being connected to a body of air.

   13. The structure of claim 12 wherein the lowest

   point of the mixture outlet of each mixer is above the lowest

   point of the gas conduit of such mixer whereby a minimum

   amount of water will be trapped within said mixer. C 14. A mixer comprising a source of gas, a conduit

   t connected with said source to flow a gas stream therethrough,

   a source of liquid, and jet means connected between said

   source of liquid and said conduit for projecting a jet of

   liquid across and through said conduit and gas stream.

   The mixer of claim 14 wherein said jet means

   comprises a jet orifice in communication with and directed

   transversely of said conduit, means for connecting said orifice

   to said source of liquid, and mixture outlet means in said

   conduit for discharging a mixture of gas and liquid trans-

   versely of said conduit and transversely of said gas stream.

   16. The mixer of claim 14 wherein said jet means

   comprises a jet nozzle extending substantially radially into

   said conduit, and a mixture outlet port in said conduit sub-

   stantJally diametrically opposite said jet nozzle.

   17. The mixer of claim 14 wherein said source of

   liquid comrprises a liquid conduit adjacent said first ment-

   ioned conduit and liquid passage means extending transversely

   of said conduits for interconnecting said liquid conduit and

   said nozzle.

   18. The method of mixing liquid and gas comprising, iowing liquid through a first conduit,. flowing a gas stream through a second conduit, and projecting a stream of liquid from said first conduit through and across said gas stream through diametrically opposed orifices in said second conduit.

   DATED this EIGHTEE14TH day of DECEMBER, 1978

   SOUTH PACIFIC I1IDUSTRIES, INCORPORATED

   Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON

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