CZ2022360A3 - Water-saving device with adjustable mechanism of flow rate control - Google Patents

Abstract

The device includes a cup (50), the permeable flexible bottom (51) of which has a threaded hole (52) in the middle. In the hole (52) the lower stem (43) is fitted with the adjusting regulator (40), which also has the upper stem (41). Both shanks (41, 43) are threaded. The upper shank (41) is seated in the hole (39) in the collar (31). The neck (32) of the dividing element (30) is extended over a length (H) of at least 2.5 mm, and the upper disk (33) is provided with teeth (34) with a lower bevel (34'). Two opposing elongated teeth (38') project from the circumference of the gearing (34). The dividing element (30) is pushed through the hole in the ring (60) and comes out of the ring (60) through the collar (31). A groove (66) is made along the outside of the wall (64) of the ring (60) for insertion into the two ribs (58) on the inner circumference of the cup (50) and along the inside of the wall (64) there is an internal guide groove (67) for guiding the opposite elongated teeth (38') on the teeth (34) on the upper disk (33) of the distribution element (30).

Description

Water saving device with adjustable flow control mechanism

Field of technology

The invention relates to a device for saving water in taps.

Current state of the art

Due to the ever-increasing price of water, there are devices for saving water combined with so-called aerators. The goal is to let through the faucet only the amount of water that is needed for effective washing. This is mainly used in places where the user does not pay for water and has no motivation to save water. These are public buildings, hotels, hospitals, public sanitary facilities, etc. However, it can also be used very well in the home, especially where children or other persons who have not acquired economical habits regarding water consumption, or cannot handle the flow of water sensitively enough, wash themselves to set. Then, for example, with a lever faucet, they can comfortably release the water at full capacity, however, only the predetermined maximum flow rate will flow.

From utility model UV 17735 U1 a device is known where it is in a basket which has a permeable bottom with a small opening in the middle from which the beam ribs extend and the wall is weakened at the top so that a slope is formed between the bottom wall and the top wall. A support ring rests on this slope, which narrows diagonally in its lower part, creating an external inclined landing surface. Through the hole in the support ring, the distributor element with its convex collar is inserted, which is equipped with small teeth on the upper disk, while the convex collar is then arranged below the basket and the regulator sits on top of the support ring, which has a tubular protrusion in the middle upwards for storing the sieve pin and a circular groove with a perforated bottom is made around this tubular protrusion, where the perforation is made of short grooves arranged in a circle. A rubber ring can be placed in the circular groove as a flow control by the regulator. All the mentioned elements are in a compact assembly and in the cavity of the cup. The entire basket is then stored in the end sleeve, which is screwed onto the tap outlet. The water flows through the groove in the regulator, then through the gaps in the circular teeth of the distribution element placed in the support ring, and on its convex collar, the stream acquires a tubular hollow shape. In this way, the current falls to the bottom of the basket, where it acquires effervescence.

The goal of the technical solution is to present a device of the above-mentioned type, which, however, will also enable multi-stage flow regulation without disassembling it, just by manipulating the relevant mechanism simply from the bottom of the device.

The essence of the invention

The above-mentioned shortcomings are eliminated by a water-saving device with an adjustable flow control mechanism according to the invention, the essence of which is that the permeable flexible bottom of the basket has a hole in the middle, and in the hole a setting regulator, which also has an upper stem, is seated in the hole with its lower stem, while the neck of the distributor of the element is extended in length to at least 2.5 mm, and the upper disk is provided with teeth with a lower bevel, with two opposite elongated teeth protruding from the circumference of the teeth, while the dividing element is inserted through a hole in the support ring, and then protrudes from the ring with its collar. while along the length of the outside of the wall of the support ring, an external groove is made for insertion into the two ribs on the inner circumference of the cup, and along the length of the inside of the wall there is an internal guide groove, for guiding the opposite elongated teeth to the teeth on the upper disc of the dividing element, while the internal inclined seating surface corresponds in shape and the size of the bottom skew.

In an advantageous design, the forehead of the collar is full.

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In another advantageous embodiment, the collar is either convex or straight.

In another advantageous embodiment, the setting regulator is cylindrical in shape, with either the upper shank or the lower shank provided with an external thread.

In another advantageous embodiment, the opening in the cup is provided with an internal thread.

In another advantageous embodiment, the hole in the collar is provided with an internal thread.

In another preferred embodiment, the upper threaded stem of the adjustment regulator has a larger diameter than the lower stem, with the diameter of the threaded hole in the collar having a corresponding diameter.

In another advantageous embodiment, the hole is provided with a threaded insert.

In another advantageous embodiment, the adjustment regulator is firmly fixed in the opening or is an integral part of the flexible bottom of the cup.

In another advantageous embodiment, the inclined bearing surface of the support ring is provided with indentations along its circumference.

Clarification of drawings

The invention will be further presented with the help of drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents a view of the individual components that make up a water saving device according to the state of the art, Fig. 2 is a schematic section of the device according to the invention in an assembly for storage in the end sleeve at the outlet of a water faucet , Fig. 3 is a view of the individual components that make up the water saving device according to the invention, Fig. 4 is a schematic section of a distribution element for batteries according to the invention, Fig. 5 is a schematic section of a distribution element for showers, Fig. 6 is a schematic section the device according to the invention in the assembled state, while the regulator is provided with a thread in its lower part, when a minimum water flow is enabled, Fig. 7 is a schematic section of the device according to the invention in the assembled state, when the maximum water flow is enabled, fig. 8 is a schematic cross-section of the device according to the invention in an assembly for storage in a connecting piece for showers, Fig. 9 is a view of the individual components that make up the device for saving water according to the invention for showers, Fig. 10 is a schematic cross-section of the device according to the invention in the assembled state for showers, wherein the regulator is provided with a thread in its upper part, when a minimum water flow is allowed, Fig. 11 is a schematic section of the device according to the invention in the assembled state for showers, wherein the regulator is provided with a thread in its upper part, when maximum water flow is enabled, Fig. 12 is an alternative embodiment of the regulator with an extended threaded head, Fig. 13 is an alternative embodiment of the regulator from Fig. 12 with the hole 39 equipped with a threaded insert, Fig. 14 is a schematic section of the device according to the invention in the assembled state, while the regulator is made as a fixed part of the basket, at a pre-set flow rate, Fig. 15 is a schematic section of the device according to the invention in the assembled state according to Fig. 14, but in a situation where the water pressure is increased, the flexible bottom bulges out slightly and allows the flow gap z to be reduced.

An example of the implementation of the invention

Fig. 1 shows a view of the individual components that make up the state-of-the-art water saving device 1. On the left are schematic sections of individual components, and on the right are views of the respective components from above or below. The individual components will be described below the picture.

At the bottom, Fig. 1 shows the basket 5, into which the other components are inserted and which is the supporting element of the entire assembly. As can be seen on the right in the bottom view, the cup 5 has a permeable bottom 11

- 2 CZ 2022 - 360 A3 with a small hole 12 in the middle, from which the beam ribs 12' extend and the wall is weakened at the top, so that an inclined fit 15 is formed between the lower wall and the upper wall. The cup 5 is provided with suction holes 13 for air. A support ring 4, which narrows obliquely in its lower part, rests on this inclined mounting 15, thereby creating an external inclined seating surface 14, which rests on the inclined mounting 15. From the inside, there is an internal inclined seating surface 21. It rests on this with its teeth 9 the upper disk of the distribution element 3. On the left is the view of the support ring 4 also from below.

The distribution element 3 is inserted through the hole in the support ring 4, which then protrudes from the ring 4 with its convex collar 31, and as can be seen in the illustration on the right in the top view, the distribution element 3 on the upper disk 10 is equipped with small teeth 9, while the convex collar 31 is then arranged in the assembly in the lower part of the cup 5. An important structural element is the connecting neck 17 between the upper disk 10 and the convex collar 31. In the design according to the state of the art, the length H of the neck 17 is about 1.5 mm. Neck 17 is therefore very short.

From above, the regulator 2 sits on the support ring 4, which has a tubular protrusion 18 in the middle towards the top for storing the sieve pin 18, and around this tubular protrusion 18 a circular groove 19 with a perforated bottom 7 is made, where the perforation 8 is made of short grooves arranged in a circle . This can be seen in the illustration in the bottom right view. One or two rubber rings 19' can be placed in the circular groove 19 to regulate the flow through the regulator.

In Fig. 2, all the components from Fig. 1 for the water-saving device 1 are in a compact assembly and in the cavity of the cup 5. The entire cup 5 is then stored in an end sleeve (not shown), which is screwed onto the outlet of the faucet. The water flows through the groove 19 in the regulator 2, or around the ribs 18' on its perimeter and then through the perforated bottom 7, then through the gaps in the circular teeth 9 of the distribution element 3 placed in the support ring 4 onto its internal inclined seating surface 21 and on its convex collar 31 it gets stream tubular hollow shape. And here a negative pressure is created, and thanks to the aeration holes on the side of the basket, a negative pressure is created by the water stream, the water stream sucks in air, which mixes with the water, and this results in intensive purging. In the device described, the possibility of regulating the flow consisted only in the fact that one rubber ring 19' was placed in the groove 19 in the regulator 2, and if the flow was to be restricted even more, another rubber ring was placed on it. When fitting another rubber ring, however, the end sleeve of the faucet would always have to be loosened.

More space has been devoted to this description, since the invention basically uses all the listed components, however, another very important component is added to allow the flow to be established and structural changes to some components are also made to modify this known assembly and obtain a device that will have other significant improvements that will allow it to be possible to regulate the flow on a relatively large scale without the need to loosen the end sleeve of the water faucet, and regulation can also occur with running water and thus visually observe the changing flow. The mentioned design modifications will change the functionality of the device, while ensuring easy operation.

Fig. 3 shows a view of the individual components that make up the water saving device according to the invention. On the left are schematic sections of individual components, and on the right are views of the respective components from above or below. The individual components will be described below the picture.

Below in Fig. 3 is shown the basket 50, into which the other components are inserted, and which is the supporting element of the entire assembly. As seen at the far right in the top view, the cup 50 has a permeable ribbed flexible bottom 51 with ribs 53 and an opening 52 in the middle. The flexibility of the bottom 51 is due to the presence of ribs that relieve the mass of plastic on the bottom 51. The opening 52 is located in the reinforced ring 54, from which the beam ribs 53 extend. 57 and the upper wall 57' form an inclined shoulder 56. However, the depth of the basket 50 is greater than according to the state of the art, because the length of the ribs 57 and the walls 57' is also longer and the oblique shoulder 56 is arranged further from the bottom 51. The length of the ribs 57 is longer because the adjustment regulator 40 fitted with an external thread 16 is placed in the hole 52. This is a completely new element compared to the assembly according to the state of the art, and therefore it is necessary to prepare a place for it. In Fig. right, which is a view

- 3 CZ 2022 - 360 A3 into the cup 50, it can be seen that there are four lower ribs 57 and they are supplemented along the inner circumference of the cup 50 by two long ribs 58. They are opposite each other and there are always two lower ribs between them at a regular distance 57. The long ribs 58 serve as guides for the grooves 66 made along the length of the outside of the wall 64 at the support ring 60. This setting of the support ring 60 in the cup 50 is important for the reason that, again, along the length of the inside of the wall 64 is another guide groove 67, in which is guided by the toothing 34 of the dividing element 30 with its opposing long teeth 38. This possibility of a defined setting between the basket 50, the support ring 60 and the dividing element 30 is important so that during assembly one does not have to think about the mutual orientation of the dividing element 30 and the setting regulator 40.

The bearing ring 60, which narrows obliquely in its lower part, abuts on the mentioned inclined support 56, thereby creating an external inclined bearing surface 61, which abuts on the inclined bearing 56. From the inside, there is an internal inclined bearing surface 62. It abuts on this with its teeth 34 or by tilting 34' the upper disc 33 of the dividing element 30. The wall 64 above the inclined bearing surfaces 61 and 62 is also longer than that of the support ring 4 according to the state of the art. This is because the adjustment regulator 40 allows the dividing element 30 to be raised by at least 2.5 mm, and thus the wall 64 must be longer by this dimension. On the left is a view of the support ring 60 from above.

The distributor element 30 is inserted through the hole in the support ring 60, which then protrudes from the ring 60 with its convex collar 31, and as can be seen in the illustration on the right in the top view, the distributor element 30 on the upper disk 33 is equipped with teeth 34 with a lower bevel 34' , while the convex collar 31 is then arranged in the assembly in the lower part of the cup 50. The central opening 39 can also be seen. An important structural element is the connecting neck 32 between the upper disk 33 and the convex collar 31. In the embodiment according to the invention, the length H of the neck 32 is about 2 .5 mm. The connecting neck 32 is therefore relatively long, at least 2.5 mm compared to 1.5 mm according to the prior art. In contrast to the state of the art, the toothing 34 has a slant 34', as it is another element regarding the regulation of the water flow. In the basic position, the toothing 34 is supported by its bevel 34' on the internal inclined landing surface 62. When the dividing element 30 rises, the gap between the bevel 34' of the toothing 34 and the internal inclined landing surface 62 increases. This will become clear in connection with Fig. 10 and 11. The upper disk 33 is provided with a depression 35 for better spraying of water.

From above, the regulator 20 rests on the support ring 60, which has a tubular projection 18 in the middle towards the top for storing the pin of the sieve, not shown, and around this tubular projection 18 a circular groove 19 with a perforated bottom 7 is made, where the perforation 8 is made of small holes arranged in a circle . This can be seen in the illustration in the bottom right view. In the circular groove 19, it is no longer necessary to place rubber rings 19', as is the case with the state of the art, since the flow regulation takes place at the contact points of the elements arranged below.

Inner collars 59 are arranged on the upper walls 57' and a ring 65 is arranged on the outside of the wall 64 below on the support ring 60. When the support ring 60 is pushed into the cup 50, the ring 65 is pushed through the collars 59 and thus the support ring 60 is secured against being pushed out of cup 50 upwards due to water pressure.

Fig. 4 shows a schematic section of the assembly of the cup 50, the dividing element 30 and the setting regulator 40. It can be seen how the upper stem 41 of the setting regulator 40, which is smooth, fits into the opening 39 on the lower face of the collar 31.

As indicated, the adjustment regulator 40 is housed in a cup 50 and a distribution element 30 is arranged above it, the adjustment regulator 40 is rotatably seated in the cup 50 in a reinforced ring 54 in its central hole 52, which is provided with an internal thread 42, and with its lower shank 43, which is also threaded 16. As indicated by the lower arrow, the adjustment regulator 40 only rotates, in both directions. And as indicated by the arrow above, the dividing element 30 in turn moves up and down, according to the direction of rotation of the setting regulator 40.

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Fig. 5 shows the same diagram for the variant for showers. The distributor element 30 is not provided with a convex collar 31, and this is because there is no need to create a sparkling effect in showers. The control slot 44 of the adjustment regulator 40 is visible.

In Fig. 6, all the components from Fig. 3 are shown in a schematic section in a compact assembly and in the cavity of the cup 50, in the state of minimum flow. The entire basket 50 is then stored in an end sleeve (not shown), which is screwed onto the faucet outlet. As indicated by the dashed route, the water flows through the groove 19 and around the ribs 18' in the regulator 20, and then through the perforated bottom 7 through the holes 8. Subsequently, the water falls on the upper disc 33 into the recess 35, where it is swirled and from there the swirled current flows between the teeth circular toothing 34 and around the bevel 34' and around the inner inclined bearing surface 62 of the support ring 60 and from there it falls on the convex collar 31, where the stream acquires a tubular hollow shape. There, too, air is sucked in through the suction holes 13, foaming occurs, and the stream created in this way falls on the bottom 51 of the basket 50, and flows out through the gaps between the ribs 53. There is only a small gap between the bevel 34' and the internal inclined landing surface 62 of the support ring 60.

In the event that the water pressure from above would be too great and press the distribution element 30 completely onto the inclined landing surface 62, the inclined landing surface 62 is equipped with ridges 63 around its perimeter, which ensure that at least water can flow in sufficient quantity between them .

Under the setting regulator 40, the possibilities of the fitter or the user to set the flow are schematically indicated. The adjustment regulator 40 is provided with graduated lines on its lower face, and the corresponding bottom of the cup 50 is in turn provided with a protrusion or protrusion in the shape of an arrow. This is used during assembly to set the desired flow rate. In the indicated position, the flow rate is the smallest. The marking lines can be distributed arbitrarily depending on the choice of pitch of threads 42 and 16.

It is obvious that, in this embodiment, the collar 31 does not have to have an opening 39. In that case, the face of the collar 31 will be full.

In Fig. 7, all the components from Fig. 3 are shown in a schematic section in a compact assembly and in the cavity of the cup 50, in the state of maximum flow. Between the bevel 34' and the inner inclined landing surface 62 of the support ring 60 is the largest size of the slot z. It can be seen that the dividing element 30 has been raised by the dimension x, which corresponds to raising the adjustment regulator 40 by unscrewing it upwards. This lift is made possible by the extended connecting neck 32. It is also indicated that in case of higher water pressure, the bottom of the cup 50 may bulge, thereby reducing the flow rate. The position of bulge 55 is indicated.

Giant. 8 is a schematic cross-section of the device according to the invention in an assembly to be placed in a connecting piece for showers, namely in the state of maximum flow, when the setting regulator 40 is in the design where it has a thread 42 in the upper part, while the cavity of the collar 31 is also provided with a thread.

The assembled device according to the invention is stored in the fitting for connecting the shower. The armature is the aforementioned standard connecting metal piece 37, which has two outer and inner diameters. The larger upper diameter 2 has an internal thread 3 and the lower smaller diameter 4 has an external thread 5, on which the shower hose is then mounted. A seat 6 is formed between the parts of the connecting piece 37, on which the cup 50 is placed from above. All the parts of the device are then placed in it, i.e. the adjustment regulator 40, the distribution element 30 and the upper regulator 20, and the sealing ring 32 fits onto this assembly from above.

Giant. 9 is a view of the individual components that make up the water saving device according to the invention for showers. These are basically the same, only the regulator 20 has no lugs and there is only one 19” center circular hole. The distribution element 30 in this embodiment has a straight collar 31. There is also an adjustment regulator 40 with a thread 16.

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Giant. 10 is a schematic cross-section of the device according to the invention in the assembled state for showers, wherein the setting regulator 40 is provided with a thread 16 in the area of the upper stem 41, while the hole 39 in the collar 31 is also provided with a thread 45. In this embodiment, the minimum flow is when the setting the regulator 40 is screwed completely into the hole 39 in the collar 31.

Giant. 11 is a schematic cross-section of the device as in Fig. 10, but at maximum flow, because the adjusting regulator 40 screws up the distributor element 30.

Giant. 12 is an alternative embodiment of the adjustment regulator 40 with an enlarged threaded head. This design allows for an enlarged opening 39 in the distribution element 30, since it is difficult to press a thread into such a small opening. This can be solved, for example, by the measure from Fig. 13, where there is an alternative embodiment of the setting regulator 40 from Fig. 12, with the hole 39 being provided with a threaded insert 36, for example made of sheet metal or other plastic material.

Giant. 14 is a schematic cross-section of the device according to the invention in the assembled state in the simplest embodiment, where the adjustment regulator 40 is either firmly fixed in the thread in the basket 50, for example by sticking it into the hole 52, or is, as shown here, an integral part of the bottom of the basket 50. Position of the adjustment regulator 40 thus determines only one variant of setting the size of the slit z, namely at a preset flow rate.

It is obvious that, in this embodiment, the collar 31 does not have to have an opening 39. In that case, the face of the collar 31 will be full.

Giant. 15, however, shows that even in this embodiment, a certain variability of the size of the slot z is possible, and this is when, with increased water pressure, the flexible bottom 51 of the cup 50 will allow a certain deflection 55 due to the pressure of the distribution element 30 on the setting regulator 40, and this will allow a reduction flow gaps z. The deflection 55 of the flexible bottom 51 is also shown in Fig. 7.

The embodiment of the collar 31 in Fig. 4 to 7 and Fig. 10 to 15 can be both convex and straight.

The bottom 51 is flexible and when high water pressure is applied to the upper disc 33, the entire distributor element 30 is pushed down against the flexible bottom 51 and causes it to bulge as indicated. At that moment, the z dimension is also throttled and the flow rate is reduced. This is an effective measure especially in the case of multi-storey buildings, eg hotels, when the water pressure decreases towards higher floors. In the case of a consumer peak, for example in the morning when many guests are showering and flushing, there would be insufficient pressure in the upper floors without this throttling. And thanks to the throttling, the water pressure is maintained at the normal level there, even on the higher floors.

In the event that the water pressure from above would be too great and press the distribution element 30 completely onto the inclined landing surface 62, the inclined landing surface 62 is equipped with ridges 63 around its perimeter, which ensure that at least water can flow in sufficient quantity between them .

With multi-stage regulation, it is also possible to achieve that the device reacts to a change in water pressure in the pipeline. This happens in situations where there is an immediate increase in consumption, i.e. when multiple consumption points in the building are activated at the same time or even in the event of a sudden drop in pressure in the supply pipe. At that moment, the moving part, i.e. the distribution element 30, reacts by closing or opening the slot at the lower bevel 34' depending on the water pressure and thus ensures the same amount of water at the outlet even when the water pressure fluctuates. This rise or fall of the distribution element 30 is transmitted to the intermediate piece formed by the setting regulator 40, and this rests on the ribbed flexible bottom 51 of the basket 50.

With the device described, the flow can be regulated in several stages, in the presented case in five, in a very simple way, without having to remove the entire device from the faucet socket. It is of course possible to have coarser regulation, e.g. in three or even two stages with the corresponding number of grooves and protrusions. Just turn the setting regulator 40.

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Industrial applicability

The device according to the invention can be used wherever there is a need to save water and, in particular, to finely regulate the required flow rate. It can also be advantageously installed, for example, in high-rise buildings where the water pressure is different on the lower floors and on the upper floors. Thanks to the flexible bottom, there is no need to set a different flow rate on each floor, because thanks to the aforementioned throttle, all devices can be set to the same flow rate. It is therefore a self-regulatory effect.

Faucets or lever faucets can be comfortably turned on fully using the device, while only the predetermined maximum flow will flow. The device prevents the formation of scale and there is a considerable saving of water and energy for the production of hot water.

Claims (10)

PATENT CLAIMS 1. A water-saving device with an adjustable flow control mechanism comprising a cup (50) provided around the circumference with holes (13) for air intake, and on the inner circumference with abutting ribs with an inclined fit, on which a support ring (60) is arranged in the cup, on the upper disk of the distribution element (30) is placed on its inner inclined landing surface, and a neck with a collar is inserted through the hole in the support ring (60), while the regulator (20) rests on the support ring (60) from above, which has a tubular protrusion in the middle upwards ( 18) for storing the sieve pin (18) and around this tubular protrusion (18) a circular groove (19) with a perforated bottom (7) is made, characterized by the fact that the permeable flexible bottom (51) of the basket (50) has a hole in the middle ( 52) and in the opening (52) the adjustment regulator (40) is seated with its lower stem (43), which also has an upper stem (41), while the neck (32) of the dividing element (30) is extended to a length (H) of at least 2.5 mm and the upper disc (33) is provided with a toothing (34) with a lower bevel (34') with two opposing elongated teeth (38') projecting from the circumference of the toothing (34) with the dividing element (30) inserted through the hole in the support ring (60), and then with its collar (31) with a central hole (39) it protrudes from the ring (60), while an external groove (66) for insertion is made along the length of the outside wall (64) of the support ring (60) in the two ribs (58) on the inner circumference of the basket (50) and along the length of the inside of the wall (64) is an inner guide groove (67) for guiding the opposite elongated teeth (38') on the gearing (34) on the upper disc (33) of the distributor element (30), while the internal inclined bearing surface (62) corresponds in shape and size to the lower bevel (34'). 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the face of the collar (31) is solid. 3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the collar (31) is either convex or straight. 4. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that the setting regulator (40) is cylindrical in shape, while either the upper stem (43) or the lower stem (41) is provided with an external thread (16). 5. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening (52) in the basket (50) is provided with an internal thread (42). 6. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening (39) in the collar (31) is provided with an internal thread (45). 7. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper stem (43) with the thread of the adjustment regulator (40) has a larger diameter than the lower stem (41), while the diameter of the hole (39) with the thread in the collar (31) has a corresponding diameter . 8. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the hole (39) is provided with a threaded insert (36). 9. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the setting regulator (40) is firmly fixed in the opening (52) or is an integral part of the flexible bottom (51) of the cup (50). 10. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the inclined bearing surface (62) of the support ring (60) is provided with indentations (63) along its circumference.