CA2010032A1 - Fluid spout providing lamelliform outflow - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT
A spout fixture for bathtubs, wash basins or the like has a body with a thin horizontal water emission zone from which a sheet-like flow of water is directed along the underside of a flow guide to a discharge zone at the end of the flow guide. The flow guide undersurface curves downwardly as the discharge zone is approached enabling momentum and adhesion to hold the flow on the downwardly facing surface against the pull of gravity. Water released from the end of the flow guide travels downwardly into the receptacle in the form of a free falling, thin, smooth curtain of water that minimizes noise and splashing and is attractive in appearance.

Description

This invention relates to plumbing fixtures and more particularly to spout fixtures through which water is released into bathtubs or other receptacles.
Most prior water spouts of the type used 5 at bathtubs, wash basins or the like have a more or less circular cross section which releases the water flow in the form of a column which, at least initially, has a similar cross section. The impact of the con-centrated flow on the bathtub or the like or on water 10 already contained in t~e tub produces an undesirable amount of noise and splashing.
These effects can be mitigated to some extent by aeration attachments which entrain air bubbles in the flow but such devices reduce water flow rate 15 and are prone to clogging.
The columnar outflow of water from the typical bathtub water spout is also not particularly pleasing from the esthetic standpoint.
U. S. Patent No. 4,334, 328 and the related 20 U.S. Design Patent No. 268,949 disclose a water spout which is less subject to the problems discussed above as water is released from the spout in the form of a long thin curtain. Impact effects are not concentrated at a single small area of the tub or its contents as in 25 the more conventional construction.
In the prior construction identified above, the water flow is wholly confined within a flattened nozzle until it is released from the spout through a ...: . . . . .:: . ' .
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thin slot outlet and the flow path to the outlet is defined by two very closely spaced parallel internal walls. Consequently, minor amounts of deposition of solids on the internal walls, such as often occurs 5 within water conduits, can easily disrupt the uniformity of the sheet-like water outflow. Cleaning of such deposits from within the spout is difficult at best.
The width of the curtain like outflow is also noticeably variable as it is dependent on flow rate.
U.S. Patent No. 4,513,458 describes a spout which also disFenses water in a sheet-like flow and which can be cleaned more easily as the flow guiding surface is exposed. In this case the flow travels along the upper surface of a curved shelf along a flow 15 path which becomes increasingly more horizontal towards the end where the sheet-like flow is released into the receptacle. The construction requires that flow rate be limited if the water curtain is to impact at a - predetermined fixed reg~ on Of tha receptacle as inc~eases 20 in flow rate above a certain level cause the water to shoot outward and impact at increasingly greater dis-tances from the spout. This can be discomforting to users, particularly if the water is extremely hot or cold.
U.S. Patent No. 372,347 describes a bath-tub having built-in shower spray apertures which ex-tend along the walls of the tub.~ Pivotable water gathering hoods can be shifted to intercept the spray to cause the flow to travel down the walls of the 30 bathtub at times when the user does not ~esire the shower like inflow or when it is desired to clean the bathtub.
An inflow which travels along the inside wall of the receptacle is not particularly attractive and can be discomforting under some circumstances. Users of 35 wash basins in public restrooms, for example, often avoid touching water which has contacted the walls or collected in the basin as the walls may be unclean.

~ 3 ~ 2 ~ ~ O3 2 Ideally, a water spout of the type which delivers a thin curtain of water should be easily cleanable and should deposit the inflow at a predetermined region which does not change substantilly when flow 5 rate is varied. The flow should remain broad and continuous when flow rates through the spout are re-duced to low levels and it is desirable that ~he inflow fall freely into the receptacle rather than scouring along an interior wall. The prior art does not provide 1~ a construction which combines these attributes.
The object of the invention is to overcome one or more of the problems discussed above.
The present invention provides a fluid spout for releasing fluid from a supplv conduit 1~ into a receptacle in the form of a thin curtain of fluid which drops in a free fall from a discharge zone that is spaced away from the walls of said receptacle, said spout having a body with an internal chamber and means for communicating said chamber with said supply 20 conduit and having outlet means for emitting fluid from said chamber along a thin linear emission zone extending Iongitudinally of said body to cause the out-flow from said emission zone to have a thin sheet-like configuration, said emission zone being spaced apart 25 from said discharge zone, and further having support means for securing said spout in place at said recep-tacle with said emission zone held in a horizontal orientation, characterized by an outflow guide extending from said body to said discharge zone, said guide having 30 a concave flow guiding surface with a first portion that is adjacent said emission zone and parallel thereto and which is positioned to substantially tangentially intercept said thin sheet-like outflow therefrom to cause said outflow to travel along said flow guiding 35 surface to said discharge zone, said surface having a .

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downwardly facing distal portion along which said thin sheet-like outflow approaches said discharge zone without underlying support of said outflow, at least said downwardly facing distal portion of said surface being 5 curved to become more vertical as it approaches said - discharge zone whereby momentum holds said outflow against said downwardly facing distal portion of said flow guiding surface.
The present invention also provides a 10 water spout for releasing water from a water supply conduit into a bathtub or the like in the form of a thin sheet of water which drops from a linear discharge zone that is spaced apart from the walls of the bathtub or the like, comprising a tubular body with a water 15 receiving chamber extending axially therein, said body having outlet means for releasing water from said ~cha~ber along a thin linear emission zone which extends lon~itudinally along the wall of said body, said emis-sion zone being spaced apart from said discharge zone 20 and being parallel thereto, support means for securing said body in place at said bathtub or the like with said emission zone being held in a horizontal orienta-tion, and means for communicating said water supply conduit with said chamber characterized by an outflow 25 gui~le member secured to said body and extending outward therefrom and inwardly of said bathtub, said guide member having a concave flow guiding surface shaped to define a curving flow path from said emission zone to said discharge zone, said surface having an inner 30 region which is adjacent said emission zone and parallel thereto and oriented to tangentially receive the outflow therefrom and having a distal portion which faces downwardly and along which said outflow travels without underlying support of said outflow, said distal portion 35 of said surface having progressive greater downward curvature as it approaches said discharge zone, said downward curvature being sufficient to cause said out-. , .

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The flow is released from the end edge of the guiding surface in the form of a downwardly directed thin, smooth curtain of fluid which drops into the 5 receptacle with a minimum of noise and splashing and at a location spaced away from the walls of the recep-tacle. The discharged curtain of fluid remains de-sirably broad and continuous at anything other than minimal flow rates. The exposed fluid guiding surface 10 can be easily cleaned to remove any deposits which might otherwise disrupt the uniformity of the dis-charge curtain. The attractive curtain-like discharge impacts the interior of the receptacle at a particular location that does not vary substantially when flow 15 rate is changed.
In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a water spout for a bathtub or the like in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention;
Figure 2 is a front elevation view of a por-tion of the water spout of Figure l;
Figure 3 is an exploded top view of a portion of the water spout of the preceding figures showing components in a disassembled condition;
Figure 4 is a cross section view of the apparatus of Figure 2 taken along line IV-IV thereof;
Figure 5 is an end view of a component of the water spout of Figure 3 taken along line V-V
there~f; ;
Figure 6 is an end view of another component of the water spout of Figure 3 taken along line VI-VI thereof;
Figure 7 is a cross section view taken along line VII-VII of Figure 1 illustrating the path 35 and configuration of water outflow;

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~Q~ , Figure 8 is a cross section view corres-ponding generally to Figure 7 but illustrating the modified construction of a second embodiment of the invention;
Figure 9 is a top view of a portion of another embodiment having a modified water outlet aperture;
Figure 10 is a top view of a portion of still another embodiment having another modified water 10 outlet configuration;
Figure 11 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of the invention;
Figure 12 is a side view of the embodiment of Figure 11 shown mounted at the head of a bathtub;
Figure 13 is a section view of a portion of the embodiment of Figure 12 taken along line XIII-XIII thereof.
Referring initially to Figure 1 of the drawings, components of a spout fixture 11 in accor-20 dance with this embodiment of the invention include a tubular body 12 which has a horizontal orientation when the spout is installed on a bathtub, wash basin or the like. An angled inlet tubulation 13 extends backward from the central region of body 12 and then downward 25 and is provided with external threads 14 for engagement with an internally threaded upright water supply pipe S
16. A threaded annular fitting 17 is engaged on threads 14 and cooperates with a fixed flange 18 situated above threads 14 to clamp the spout 11 to a portion 19 of 30 the bathtub or the like into which the tubulation ex-tends.
The water supply pipe 16 is, in most cases at least, the outlet conduit of one or more valves (not shown) which may be of conventional construction and 35 ~ith which the flow of water may be turned on and off.
The above described inlet tubulation 13 configuration : ~ ~

of this particular embodiment is designed for use at an installation where the water supply conduit 16 is vertical and extends upward to the rim of the tub 19 ttypically at the front of the tub. The configura-5 tion of the inlet tubulation 13 including threads 14, fitting 17 and flange 18 may be varied as necessary to accommodate to the water delivery arrangements of other types of bathtub fixture or the like. Two inlet tubulations 13 may be provided, for example, at in-10 stallations where hot and cold water are delivered through separate conduits 16.
Water is emitted from the body 12 along a thin linear horizontal emission zone 21 which extends in parallel relationship with the axis of the tubular 15 body and which in this example is defined by a row of closely spaced apart small apertures 22 through the wall of the body. The water emission zone 21 is near the top of body 11 in this embodiment causing the water outflow to be directed upward and slightly for-20 ward. The zone 21 may in some cases be at a lower location on body 12 and may direct the outflow in other directions as the flow is guided to the discharge zone along a non-linear flow path as will hereinafter be described in more detail.
A curved outflow guide member 23 is secured to body 12 and has an undersurface 24 which is parallel to the water emission zone 21 and which has an inner end portion 26 that is adjacent the zone in position to be receive the water which sprays out through aper-30 tures 22. Inner end portion 26 of guide member 23 extends upwardly from body 12 and progressively becomes more horizontal. The distal or outer portion 27 of the guide member 23 progressively curves into an al-most downward orientation.
The inner end portion 26 of guide member 23 is oriented to cause the sheet-like outflow from aper-tures 22 to be directed along the inside surface of the 2~

guide member, the plane of the outflow preferably being directed in a tangential relationship or close to a tangential relationship with the region of the guide surface that receives the outflow. Turbulence and 5 rebounding of the flow occurs if the outflow impacts against the guide member 23 at a substantial angle and the discharge of fluid from the spout 11 does not have the desired thin continuous sheet-like form if such effects occur to an appreciable extent.
Referring jointly to Figures 2 and 3, the guide member 23 is preferably disengageable from body 12 to facilitate cleaning. For similar reasons, it is desirable that one and preferably both end closures 28 of the internal chamber of body 12 be removable.
15 To accomplish these objectives in the present embodi-ment, the guide member 23 attaches to body 12 through a pair of rings 31 each of which is secured to an opposite end of the guide member in position to be in coaxial relationship with the tubular body when the 20 guide member is fitted on to the body. One of a pair of cylindrical spools 32 fits into each end of body 12 and one of a pair of cap screw like components 33 at each end extends through the adjacent ring 31 of guide member 23 and engages in a threaded passage 34 in the 25 adjacent spool 32.
Each spool 32 preferably has an annular groove 36 in which a resilient O-ring seal 37 is seated to assure against leakage.
Referring to Figures 3 and 5 in conjunction, 30 ~ short axially aligned guide slot 38 is present at each end ofthe tubular body 12 at the locations where the inner edge of guide member 23 contacts the body and as may be seen by reference to Figure 6 a matching slot 39 is provided in each spool 32. Referring to ~igures 35 2 and 4 in conjunction, tang projections 41 on guide nember 23 adjacent each ring 31 enter the slots 38 and 20100;~

39 when the apparatus is assembled to assure that the guide member 23 is at the correct angular orientation 5 relative to body 12 and to prevent rotation of the spools 32 when the cap screw like elements 33 are being en-5 gaged and disengaged.
The curvature of the guide member 23 of the above described embodiment of the invention is subst~ntially circular although the member extends aroun~ slightly less than one half of a circular arc 10 in this example. The guide member 23 may have other concave configurations. Referring to Figure 8, for example, the water emitting apertures 22a may be situ-ated ~t a somewhat lower position on body 12a in order to direct water jets in a more horizontal and less 15 upwarl direction. The guide member 23a may then have an inner portion 26 which is flat for a short distance and substantially parallel with the water jets and may have an outer portion 27a which is more sharply curved in a ~ownward direction that of the previously .
20 described embodiment.
The water emission zones 21, 21a of the previously described embodiments of the invention are defined by a row of small spaced apart apertures 22, 22a. Referring now to Figure 9, the water emission 25 zone 21b may also be defined by a single thin continuous slot 42 which extends along the side of the body 12b.
Referring to Figure 10, the water emission zone 21c may also be a combination of apertures 22c and one or more slots 42c, the central portion of the zone being 30 defined by a slot in this example and the end portions of the zone being defined by rows of apertures.
In operation, with reference to Figures 1 and 7, the linear configuration of the water emission zone 21 causes water to be emitted from body 12 in a 35 lamelliform or sheet-like spray 43 which travels along the curved under-surfiace 24 of guide member 23 and which ' -20~o~3~

is deflected first outwardly and then downwardly by the guide member. Momentum assisted by adhesion holds the water flow against undersurface 24 as the rapidly moving water flow resists deflection.
Upon reaching the outer edge 44 of guide nember 23, which forms the flow discharge zone, the flow is released from the spout 11 in the form of a contin-uous thin sheet or curtain of water 46 which is directed downward and slightly outward in this example. Noise 10 and splashing are substantially reduced relative to a columnar discharge of water.
Calcifications or other deposits which night appear on the undersurface 24 and which might ~ause non-uniformities in the water curtain 46 can 15 easily be removed as it is an accessible external sur-face~ The interior of body 12 may be easily cleaned and any clogging substances may be removed by disen-gaging end members 33 and withdrawing spools 32 in the nanner hereinbefore described.
Referring again to Figure 7, the outflow of ~ater from emission zone 21 tends to spread laterally ~s it travels along the under surface 24 of guide nember 23. Premature release of water from the sides of the member 23 can be prevented by limiting the length 25 3f the water emission zone 21 to less than the full ~idth of the guide member 23 to allow for such spreading.
Referring again to Figure 1, water emitted from the apertures 22 at a very low setting of the as-~ociated control valve may not have sufficient momentum 30 to travel along the full length of the undersurface 24 of guide member 23. This condition may also exist nomentarily while the water flow is being turned on or shut off. Leaking of the control valve at its off ,etting can also cause a release of low velocity water 35 that will not travel along the guide member 23. This does not cause any spillage problem in the above .: .
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described embodiments of the invention as the angled inlet tubulation 13 is of sufficient length to hold the body 12 and guide member 23 out over the in-terior of the bathtub or the like. Dripping water or 5 low velocity water simply falls into the interior of the bathtub.
Referring now to Figures 11 and 12 in conjunction, it may be advantageous under some cir-cumstances to mount the spout fixture lld directly 10 over the headwall 47 of the bathtub 48 or the like so that it does not protrude over the interior of the bathtub. The embodiment of Figures 11 and 12 has a modified construction which assures that drippage and low velocity water is deposited witnin the bathtub 15 48 rather than on the rim of the headwall 47 or outside the bathtub.
Referring to Figures 12 and 13, the out-flow guide member 23d of this embodiment is supported by a hollow reservoir pedestal 49 to which it is se-20 cured and which is itself secured to the top surfaceof the bathtub headwall 47. The water supply pipe 16d extends upward though an opening in headwall 47 to communicate with the interior of the reservoir pedestal 49. The water emitting tubular body 12d 25 extends transversely on the outflow guide member 23d :~ithin the concavity defined by the guide member and receives water from the reservoir pedestal 49 through a slot 51 in the guide member. sody 12d, which has a somewhat flattened configuration in this embodiment 30 for esthetic reasons, has a row of water emitting apertures 22d oriented to direct a flat thin sheet of water onto the inner surface 24d of the guide member 23d in the manner previously described.
Apertures 22d are located at the back of 35 the body 12d from the viewpoint of a person using the bathtub 48. The inner surface 24d of the guide member 23d extends backward and upward from the region of apertures 22d and progressively curves more up-wardly and then turns downwardly to form a curved flow path which reverses the direction of the sheet-like flow of water and which directs the flow out into S the interior of the bathtub 48 in the form of an arcuate thin curtain 46d which produces minimal noise and splashing and which is attractive in appearance.
Low velocity water that lacks sufficient momentum to be held on guide surface 24d against the 10 pull of gravity and any drippage which may occur are caught and delivered to the interior of the bathtub 48 by an apron like lower portion 52 of guide member 23d. The lower portion 52 extends forward and down-ward from the region of the tubular body 12d to a 15 location where water which travels down the extension will be released into the bathtub 48. The upper sur-face 53 of the apron portion 52 is preferably a smooth integral extension of the inner surface 24d of other portions of the concave outflow guide member 23d.

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Claims (13)

1. A fluid spout for releasing fluid from a supply conduit into a receptacle in the form of a thin curtain of fluid which drops in a free fall from a discharge zone that is spaced away from the walls of said receptacle, said spout having a body with an internal chamber and means for communicating said chamber with said supply conduit and having outlet means for emitting fluid from said chamber along a thin linear emission zone extending longitudinally of said body to cause the outflow from said emission zone to have a thin sheet-like configuration, said emission zone being spaced apart from said discharge zone, support means for securing said spout in place at said receptacle with said emission zone being held in a horizontal orientation, and an outflow guide extending from said body to said discharge zone, said guide having a concave flow guiding surface with a first portion that is adjacent said emission zone and parallel thereto and which is positioned to substantially tan-gentially intercept said thin sheet-like outflow there-from to cause said outflow to travel along said flow guiding surface to said discharge zone, said surface having a downwardly facing distal portion along which said thin sheet-like outflow approaches said discharge zone without underlying support of said outflow, at least said downwardly facing distal portion of said surface being curved to become more vertical as it ap-proaches said discharge zone whereby momentum holds said outflow against said downwardly facing distal portion of said flow guiding surface.

2. The spout of claim 1, wherein the plane defined by said thin sheet-like outflow from said out-let means is substantially tangential to said concave flow guiding surface.

3. The spout of claim 1, wherein said outlet means includes a plurality of apertures in said body which are spaced apart along said linear fluid emission zone thereof and which all lie in a single line extending longitudinally of the body.

4. The spout of claim 1, wherein said outlet means includes a thin slot extending longitudinally of said body along at least a portion of said fluid emission zone.

5. The spout of claim 1, wherein said outflow guide extends further along said body than said fluid emission zone at each end of said emission zone whereby said outflow remains in contact with said flow guiding surface as it spreads while traveling therealong.

6. The spout of claim 1, wherein said outlet means is positioned on said body to direct emitted fluid in an upward direction and wherein said first portion of said outflow guide extends upwardly from said body and progressively becomes more horizontal, and wherein said distal portion of said outflow guide progressively becomes more downwardly directed as it approaches said discharge zone, said first portion and said second portion being substantially parallel to each other.

7. The spout of claim 1, wherein said support means is adapted to locate said body including said fluid emission zone above the rim of said recep-tacle and said outflow guide is oriented to project said thin sheet-like outflow out into the interior of said receptacle, further including means for inter-cepting low velocity fluid which falls from said down-wardly facing portion of said flow guiding surface and for delivering the intercepted fluid to said interior of said receptacle.

8. The spout of claim 8, wherein said means for intercepting low velocity fluid includes an apron like shelf extending from said body below said distal portion of said flow guiding surface in spaced apart relationship therewith.

9. The spout of claim 1, wherein said body including said fluid emission zone is oriented to direct said outflow therefrom away from said dis-charge zone and said concave flow guiding surface of said outflow guide is shaped to turn the outflow towards said discharge zone along a flow path which first curves increasingly upward and then curves down-wardly as it approaches said discharge zone, and wherein said outflow guide has a lower extension of said con-cave surface that extends under said distal portion thereof in spaced apart relationship therefrom to in-tercept falling fluid which lacks sufficient momentum to travel along said downwardly facing distal portion of said surface, said extension being sloped to deliver intercepted fluid into the interior of said receptacle.

10. A water spout for releasing water from a water supply conduit into a bathtub or the like in the form of a thin sheet of water which drops from a linear discharge zone that is spaced apart from the walls of the bathtub or the like, comprising: a tubu-lar body with a water receiving chamber extending axially therein, said body having outlet means for releasing water from said chamber along a thin linear emission zone which extends longitudinally along the wall of said body, said emission zone being spaced apart from said discharge zone and being parallel thereto, support means for securing said body in place at said bathtub or the like with said emission zone being held in a horizontal orientation, means for com-municating said water supply conduit with said chamber, and an outflow guide member secured to said body and extending outward therefrom and inwardly of said bathtub, said guide member having a concave flow guiding surface shaped to define a curving flow path from said emission zone to said discharge zone, said surface having an inner region which is adjacent said emission zone and parallel thereto and oriented to tangentially receive the outflow therefrom and having a distal portion which faces downwardly and along which said outflow travels without underlying support of said outflow, said distal portion of said surface having progressive greater downward curvature as it approaches said discharge zone, said downward curvature being sufficient to cause said outflow to remain against said down-wardly facing surface as it travels therealong.

11. A fluid spout for directing fluid from a supply conduit into the interior of a receptacle in the form of a free falling thin curtain of fluid, comprising a body having an internal chamber and a thin linear fluid emission zone in a wall thereof, means for communicating said supply conduit with said internal chamber of said body, support means for securing said body including said emission zone above a wall of said receptacle with said emission zone being in a horizontal orientation, and an outflow guide hav-ing a downwardly facing flow guiding surface oriented to direct the outflow from said emission zone out over the interior of said receptacle, said downwardly facing surface having sufficient downward curvature to retain an unsupported high velocity flow of fluid thereaginst, said outflow guide further having an upwardly facing surface for intercepting low velocity fluid that may fall from said flow guiding surface and which is sit-uated below said flow guiding surface in spaced apart relationship therefrom and which is oriented to deliver intercepted fluid into said interior of said recep-tacle.

12. In a fluid releasing spout for con-nection with a fluid supply conduit, said spout having a body with an internal chamber and means for com-municating said chamber with said fluid supply conduit and further having outlet means for emitting fluid from said chamber along a thin linear horizontally oriented zone on said body to cause the outflow from said body to have a thin sheet-like configuration, the improvement comprising an outflow guide member secured to said body and extending outward therefrom, said guide member having a curved undersurface which extends along said zone, said undersurface having an inner portion positioned to intercept the outflow of fluid from said zone and having an outer portion which curves downwardly to deflect said fluid outflow into a down-wardly directed thin container of released fluid, wherein said body is tubular and said fluid emitting zone extends along the wall thereof in parallel relationship to the axis of said tubular body and wherein said guide member has a pair of attachment rings positioned to be at opposite ends of said tubular body in coaxial re-lationship therewith when said guide member is joined to said body, further including a pair of removable spools, each being disposed within an opposite end of said tubular body and forming an end closure thereof, each of said spools having a threaded axial passage, and a pair of threaded fasteners each being at an op-posite end of said body and extending through the one of said attachment rings thereat and being engaged in the threaded axial passage of the one of said spools thereat.

13. The spout of claim 12, wherein each end of said tubular body and each of said spools has a slot entering the periphery thereof, and wherein said guide member has tang projections extending into said slots of said body and said spools at each end of said body.