EP0237901B1 - Device for the distribution of fresh water by means of a conduit carrying this water - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a device for introducing an additional fluid into a water stream, e.g. one or the like between a wash water source and a shower head, according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

For washing or showering systems, there are spray cans or bottles for adding bath products, shampoos or the like. Automatic addition of these additives is not possible. However, it is known to add additives to the flushing water of pressure boxes in abort systems, a special chamber being present in the pressure box, from which the additive is supplied to the flushing water as a function of a float.

The preamble of the independent patent claim is based on the content of US-A-4,047,541, which discloses a liquid dispenser whose cross-sectionally narrow part of an insert tube which widens in the flow direction is connected to the rear of the piston of a piston body via a lateral connection piece, and this is assigned to a metering chamber. In this - and in the additional fluid located there - is a spiral spring which loads the piston body and against which the volume can be reduced in order to be able to squeeze out the additional fluid through a hose with a crimp closure.

US-A-3,720,230 describes a bag which itself receives additional fluid.

In view of these circumstances, the inventor has set itself the goal of creating a device for washing systems, which allows automatic and metered addition of washing or bath additives in a simple manner, which device should also be connectable to existing systems.

To solve this problem, the characterizing features of claim 1; the subclaims cover particularly favorable configurations.

It can advantageously be supplemented that a through channel adjoins the metering chamber in the direction of flow, the cross section of which can be changed by a locking pin (81a) crossing it, the locking pin optionally being axially displaceably mounted in an adapted receiving space crossing the through channel.

It has also proven to be advantageous to provide the locking pin with a radial slot which is arranged in a closed position outside the cross section of the through-channel and forms part of the through-channel in the open position.

At the entrance of the device, a device for temporarily interrupting the flow in a pipeline is to be provided with a closure body which is arranged between an inlet end and an outlet end and can be guided by the flow pressure against an energy accumulator, for example a coil spring, and interrupts the flow path as a function of pressure.

In addition, the tubular body together with the displacer can form a structural unit with the upstream device, and a branch line is led from the water pipe connecting the device with a connector as the input of the device to an inlet device for the displacer device.

The upstream device of the structural unit has a cylinder connecting the inlet end and outlet end with lateral longitudinal recesses, which are arranged downstream of the closure body designed as a drum-like and hollow piston body, the latter on its circumference provided with openings and connected to a hollow shaft pointing in the direction of flow.

In addition, the inlet end and the outlet end are connected by a cylinder with an internal annular or partial annular groove arranged on the inlet side and these lateral longitudinal recesses arranged downstream in the flow direction, the closure body designed as a drum-like hollow piston body provided with openings on its circumference being provided near the annular or partial annular groove and on one pointing in the direction of flow to the longitudinal recesses reaching hollow shaft is connected. It has proven to be advantageous to provide at least one oil seal or the like encompassing the hollow shaft on both sides of the longitudinal recesses and the energy store between the oil seal or the like on the inlet side. and to arrange the longitudinal recesses.

So if the water pressure is so strong that the openings of the piston body are held against the force of the energy accumulator surrounding that hollow shaft in the area of the annular groove, the water can find its way through these and the openings into the hollow shaft, through which it then flows. The hollow shaft extends through the cylinder zone with the longitudinal recesses and seals the flow path against it. For this purpose, sealing elements or similar sealing elements are preferably provided on both sides of the longitudinal recesses and encompassing the hollow shaft.

Between the longitudinal recesses and the annular groove, a tube space can extend from a narrow tube space part which is delimited against the longitudinal recesses by an annular rib and accommodates the energy accumulator, and a further tube space part adjoining the direction of flow with the formation of a stop; this stop should be arranged in the path of movement of an Simmerring on the inlet side, against which the helical spring serving as an energy store is supported.

An inlet channel is separated from the tubular space part of larger diameter by that ring or partial ring groove, in which at least one ring-shaped sealing lip or an O-ring is provided near the ring groove; when the piston body moves against the direction of flow, that is, at least partially relaxed position of the energy accumulator, this sealing lip surrounds the piston body, the hollow shaft being at a distance from the longitudinal recesses - at least from their end near the drain.

The piston body is bounded against the direction of flow by a closed end face, which is opposed on the other side of the piston body by a counter surface perforated by the hollow shaft.

The outer surface of the piston body tapers conically between its openings on the one hand and the counter surface, as a result of which the seat of the sealing lip becomes increasingly tighter when the piston body is displaced against the direction of flow. This conical outer surface preferably ends in the direction of flow at an annular rib of the piston body.

The named coil spring stretches between the mating surface or an adjacent sealing ring or the like. and the ring rib of the cylinder. The result is a simple pipe separator with a coil spring that is always outside the water-carrying rooms and reliable separation.

In another pipe separator, a pipe piece with circumferential slots is provided between the cylinder and the piston body, which form the flow path with its openings when the piston body is in a radially opaque position. If the water pressure is so strong that the piston body has guided the piston body between the circumferential slots against the force of the energy accumulator surrounding that hollow shaft, the water can find its way through these and the openings into the hollow shaft, through which it then flows.

The hollow shaft extends through the cylinder zone with the longitudinal recesses and seals the flow path against it.

As already described, the displacement device is designed according to the invention as a dense bellows or provided with a dense bellows, the interior of which is connected to the branch line of the line. It is an extremely robust and easy-to-use design of the displacer.

It is also within the scope of the invention to provide the branch line with a blocking member, which allows the water supply to the balloon or bellows to be regulated and thus to be controlled.

Another type of metering control results according to the invention when the metering chamber is separated from a prechamber into which a controllable outlet of the metering chamber opens, preferably an outlet whose cross-section can be changed for regulation. A spout designed as a tube is particularly suitable for this purpose, at the mouth of which a seat is provided for a locking pin; the axial displacement of this locking pin allows the inflow regulation in a simple manner.

According to a further feature of the invention, the mouth of the tube is arranged at the inlet of a metering hose protruding into the line.

A device according to the features of claims 7 to 12 has proven to be particularly favorable; The regulation of the discharge from the dosing room is made possible with parts that are easy to manufacture.

A - known per se - a backflow preventer attached at the end of the outlet or through-channel secures the dosing room against undesired penetration of shower water.

A particularly compact design of the device can be found in claims 19 to 24 - it is particularly robust and easy to handle; their features explained in the claims and the following description of the figures are individually and in combination particularly worthy of protection.

Fig. 1:

die Draufsicht auf eine erfindungsgemäße Vorrichtung;

Fig. 2:

einen Teil einer anderen Ausführungsform der Vorrichtung;

Fig. 3:

einen Längsschnitt durch einen Teil der Vorrichtung zum Ausführungsbeispiel der Fig. 2, geschnitten etwa entsprechend Linie III - III in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4:

den Längsschnitt entsprechenden Fig. 3 durch einen Teil der Fig. 1;

Fig. 5:

den Längsschnitt durch einen Teil der Fig. 1 nach deren Linie V - V;

Fig. 6:

den Teillängsschnitt durch eine weitere Vorrichtung mit Sperrstift;

Fig. 7:

einen Teil des Sperrstiftes;

Fig. 8:

den Schnitt durch Fig. 7 nach deren Linie VIII - VIII;

Fig. 9:

eine Schrägsicht auf eine kompakte Ausführung der Vorrichtung;

Fig. 10:

die geschnittene Draufsicht auf die Kompaktausführung der Fig. 9, geschnitten nach dessen Linie X - X.

Further advantages, features and details of the invention emerge from the following description of preferred exemplary embodiments and with reference to the drawing; this shows in:

Fig. 1:

the top view of a device according to the invention;

Fig. 2:

part of another embodiment of the device;

Fig. 3:

a longitudinal section through part of the device for the embodiment of Figure 2, cut approximately along line III - III in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4:

the longitudinal section corresponding to Figure 3 through part of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5:

the longitudinal section through a part of Figure 1 along the line V - V.

Fig. 6:

the partial longitudinal section through a further device with locking pin;

Fig. 7:

part of the locking pin;

Fig. 8:

the section through Figure 7 along the line VIII - VIII.

Fig. 9:

an oblique view of a compact version of the device;

Fig. 10:

the sectional plan view of the compact version of Fig. 9, cut along the line X - X.

A device 10 for installation in a shower device, which is not shown for reasons of clarity, carries an inlet connection 12 on a mounting plate 11, the connection end of which is located behind the mounting plate 11 and can be connected to a water pipe.

This inlet connector 12 is designed as a T-piece, the mouth facing in the direction of view is closed by a nut 13 with a sieve 14. The arm 16 of the inlet connector 12 directed parallel to the plate surface 15 is connected by means of a nut 17 to the inlet end 18 of a pipe separator 20, the outlet end 19 of which merges into a water pipe 21 in the region of a further nut 17.

This pipe separator 20 serves to temporarily interrupt the water flow and has a cylinder part 22 in which axially parallel elongated holes 23 can be seen are to which an annular rib 24 connects at the end of the elongated hole. The latter offers an annular shoulder 25 against the flow direction x, which delimits a tube space 26. Against the direction of flow x, a tubular space cutout 27 closes a larger diameter d 1 than the diameter d of the tubular space 26, forming a stop shoulder 28 on which a sealing ring 29 is seated. This larger-diameter tube space section 27 is delimited on the inlet side by an annular groove 30, after which the tube space continues as the inlet channel 31. In this an O-ring 32 can be seen, which is preceded by another O-ring 32 _a .

In the cylinder part 22 there is a hollow, drum-like piston body 34 with an end face 35 which is closed against the direction of flow x and in the cylindrical circumference 36 adjoining it, four openings 37 can be seen. The cylindrical circumferential surface 36 merges in the flow direction x into a tube piece 38 with a conically tapering outside 39. The latter ends at an annular outer rib 40, which on the other hand creates an annular surface 41. A helical spring 44 can be seen on a hollow shaft 43 of the piston body 34. If water now flows with a slightly higher pressure in the flow direction x than the spring force through the inlet channel 31 against the end face 35, the piston body 34 is carried until its openings 37 rest in the annular groove 30. In this case, the piston skirt 43 extends to a sealing ring 45 and thus spans the elongated holes 23 of the cylinder part 22: the flow space between the inlet connector 12 and the water pipe 21 is established.

On the other hand, the water pipe 21 ends in a connecting piece 47, the socket on the back 48 of the plate is designated 49. An opposing nozzle 50 is closed by a plug 51, an arm 52 parallel to the outlet end 19 of the pipe separator 20 of the connecting piece 47 sits at the entrance of a metering device 60 or at one end of its transparent plastic cylinder 61. This is near the arm 52 by means of a Cover nut 62 closed, the central opening 63 receives a check valve 54, which is held by an intermediate piece 55. From this check valve, which is not clearly shown in the drawing, a metering hose 56 leads into the connection piece 47, to which a water pipe 58 is connected; the mouth 49 of the metering hose 56 is exposed according to FIG. 3 in the connector 47.

A branch line 59 goes from the water pipe 21 to a blocking member 66 (FIG. 1). 2, the water pipe 21 is based on a connecting pipe 67 between the pipe separator 20 and the metering device 60.

The blocking member 66 permits a feed device 70 to change the flow cross section of the branch line 59 or the inlet cross section 68 assigned to the blocking member 66. This is connected to an end connection piece 71 of a cylinder insert 72, which carries a rubber bellows 74; this rubber bellows 74 can be designed in the manner of a balloon or can be folded - the latter embodiment is not shown in the drawing for reasons of clarity. The rubber bellows 74 is fixed to the cylinder insert 72 and via the branch line 59 - depending on the position of the locking member 66 or 67 - or via to fill the connecting pipe 67 with a branched water stream.

Above the rubber bellows 74 there is an inlet connection 78 with a sealing cap 79 for filling the interior 80 of the plastic cylinder 61 with a detergent liquid or the like.

In FIG. 3, for reasons of clarity, the plastic cylinder 61 is pulled apart on a straight line G in order to be able to better recognize a locking pin 81 with a turning handle 82. The conical end 83 of the locking pin 81, which is screw-adjustable in the plastic cylinder 61, faces the mouth 84 of an inlet pipe 85, which is designed as a seat for that end 83 and passes through a wall 86 of the metering chamber 80. That mouth 84 stands in front of the metering hose 56 in a prechamber 90 of the plastic cylinder 61 and can be closed by actuating the locking pin 81.

If a user wishes to add detergent liquid, liquid soap or the like to the water flowing behind the mounting plate 11 in the water pipe, he opens the pipe separator 20 in the manner described and allows the water to flow through to the water pipe 21 and out of it through the connector 47 to the water pipe 58. Of course, it is also possible to firmly integrate the pipe separator 20 in the manner described - that is, as a continuous flow part - into the watercourse.

The connection of the metering device 60 now depends on the position of the locking member 66 or the locking pin 81; If the blocking member 66 is open, a partial flow flows into the rubber bellows 74, the expanding volume of which displaces part of the liquid in the interior 80 through the check valve 54 into the metering hose 56 and out of this into the main water flow. If, in particular in the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 2, without the locking member 66, the locking pin 81 is open, the detergent liquid enters the metering hose 56.

6, the plastic cylinder 61a is made of transparent material and is located in the collar 91 of a cap 92, which is provided with an axial passage channel 93; this ends at a backflow preventer 88 with a radial opening provided at 89 (not visible) and arranged in the connecting piece 47 screwed onto an external thread 53. The through channel 93 crosses the central axis M of a cylindrical receiving space 94 for a locking pin 81a rotatably mounted therein, the casting end - above a union nut 95 - is not shown again for reasons of clarity.

The cross section of the through-channel 93 is free if either the locking pin 81a according to FIG. 6 is pulled upwards or if a radial slot 96 of the locking pin 81a is transverse to the flow direction x1 (FIG. 8). In the latter case, if the locking pin 81a is rotated by 90 °, the cross section of the through channel 93 is free.

In FIG. 3, a container which is much smaller than the other parts of this embodiment is indicated at 100 and contains a refill quantity for the addition agent to be metered; this flows via a line 99 to a - in this case - the pipe 98 passing through the sealing cap 79, which in turn contains a backflow preventer 88 - this is not shown in FIG. 3 for reasons of clarity.

Fig. 9 shows a compact design 10 _{k of} the device with a cuboid housing 111, on one end face 110 _{a of} an attachment 112 in the form of a block with _a parallel to the end face 110 _a blind bore 67 _{k is} fixed. From the end faces 110, 110 _{a of} the housing block 111 go cylindrical indentations or bores, namely from the end face 110 a pipe separator chamber 120 which forms an annular shoulder 109 in an axial connecting channel 119 to that blind bore 67 _k . At the same time, a narrow channel 21 _k opens into the blind bore 67 _k, which starts with a transverse bore 126 with a wide blind bore 50 _k , which serves as an outlet space.

The outlet space 50 _k is connected coaxially by means of a narrow through hole 93 with the interposition of a blocking element 81 _a to a blind hole 80 - a metering space - starting from the opposite end face 110 _a . Its diameter e is approximately 30 mm, and it receives a rubber bellows 74, the ring edge 73 of which is fixed between a retaining bolt 123 and a retaining ring 124 surrounding it. The interior 75 of the rubber bellows 74 is connected with a bore 122 of the retaining bolt 123 to the blind bore 67 _{k of} the adapter 112.

With 130 O-rings are designated, which laterally seal the liquid-carrying connection openings 21 _k , 119 of the housing 111 at transverse openings 129 of the blind hole 67 _k .

If the blind bore is closed by means of a plug 128, a duct system results which roughly corresponds to that described for the other figures, so that a description of the function is not necessary here. Some parts which have already been reproduced in this way are provided with the index "k" in FIGS.

Claims (13)

1. Device for introducing an additional fluid into a water flow, e.g. a bath preparation carried between a washing water source and a shower head or the like in a conduit which is connected via a branch conduit (21) to a variable volume metering chamber (80) of a supply means (60), at least one piston barrel (34) loaded by an accumulator, e.g. a helical spring (44), being provided in the interior space (26) of a tubular element (22) and its piston face (35) directed away from the conduit being associated with the metering chamber (80) connected downstream to the conduit, characterised in that the piston barrel (34) of the tubular element (22) is a closing means (20) for the temporary opening of the branch conduit (21), at least one variable volume hollow displacement means (74), in particular a sealed balloon or bellows element, connected on its inside to the tubular element (22) by means of a branch conduit (59, 122) being arranged in the metering chamber (80) and the metering chamber (80) being connected via its discharge end to the branch conduit (21).
2. Device according to claim 1, characterised in that a through channel (93) is connected to the metering chamber (80) in the flow direction (x), the cross section of which rests in an axially displaceable manner by means of a locking pin (81_a) traversing it in a mating receiving chamber (94) traversing the through channel (93).
3. Device according to claim 2, characterised in that the locking pin (81a) is provided with a radial slot (96) which is arranged outside the cross section of the through channel in a closed position and forms part of the through channel in the open position.
4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the metering chamber (80) is separated from a receiving chamber (90) into which an outlet (85) of the metering chamber having an adjustable cross section opens, the outlet optionally being designed as a tube (85) and being provided at the mouth (84) with a seat for a locking pin (81).
5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the mouth (84) of the tube (85) stands at a metering hose (56) projecting into the conduit (12, 21, 58).
6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the through channel (93) is provided with a member (88) for preventing backflow against the flow direction (x₁) or opens into this member via its end remote from the metering chamber (80).
7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that a storage tank (100) is provided in front of the metering chamber (80) and is connected to the metering chamber by means of a backflow preventer (88), the backflow preventer (88) extending in a locking cap (79) for the metering chamber (80).
8. Device according to claim 1, characterised in that a means (20) for the temporary interruption of the flow in a line, comprising a sealing body which is provided between an inlet end and an outlet end, can be guided against an accumulator, e.g. a helical spring, by the flow pressure and interrupts the flow path in a pressure-dependent manner, is connected to its input, the device forming one unit with the means (20) provided in front of it and a branch conduit (59, 67) being guided from the water tube (21) connecting the means to a connecting piece (47) as the input of the device (60) to a feed means (70) for the displacement means (74).
9. Device according to claim 1 or claim 8, characterised by a cylinder which connects the inlet end and the outlet end of the means (20) and has lateral longitudinal recesses which are arranged downstream of the sealing body designed as a drum-shaped hollow piston barrel in the flow direction, the sealing body being provided on its circumference with openings and being connected to a hollow shaft (19) pointing in the flow direction.
10. Device according to claim 1 or claim 8, characterised in that a cylinder of the means (20) is provided with an internal annular or semi-annular groove arranged at the inlet side and downstream of the longitudinal recesses in the flow direction, in the vicinity of which the piston barrel is arranged and which is connected to the hollow shaft pointing in the flow direction and extending as far as the longitudinal recesses.
11. Device according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterised by a square housing (111) with at least two blind recesses (80, 120) forming the metering chamber and the tube separating chamber, the metering chamber being connected via a locking member (81_a) to a short blind recess (50_k).
12. Device according to claims 1 and 11, characterised in that a bellows element (80) is arranged in the metering chamber (80) and its interior space (75) is connected in a sealed manner to a bore (122) which opens into a closed channel (67_k) extending transversely thereto, the bellows element (80) optionally being fixed via its annular edge (73) between a bolt (123) containing the bore (122) and a retaining ring (124) surrounding it.
13. Device according to claim 12, characterised in that a bore (21_k) having a narrow cross section and a connecting channel (119) to the tube separating chamber (120) depart from the channel (67_k) and/or that the bore (21_k) having a narrow cross section is connected to the short blind recess (50_k) which traverses a transverse bore (126) connected to the said bore (21_k).

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