EP1518531A1

EP1518531A1 - Nozzle assembly for hydromassage baths

Info

Publication number: EP1518531A1
Application number: EP04077547A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Alessandro Moretto
Original assignee: American Standard Europe BVBA
Current assignee: Ideal Standard International BVBA
Priority date: 2003-09-29
Filing date: 2004-09-15
Publication date: 2005-03-30
Anticipated expiration: 2024-09-15
Also published as: EP1518531B1; ITRE20030091A1; ATE404151T1; DE602004015692D1

Abstract

The nozzle assembly (1) comprises a casing (14, 16) to be fixed to a wall (31) of the bath tub (30), in correspondence with a hole (32) for water entry into the tub (30) and having a hole (13) for ejecting the water jet into the bath tub (30), and at least one water supply conduit (40) communicating with the casing (14, 16). According to the invention there are provided a nozzle (20) to produce a water jet directed towards the ejection hole (13) from the supply conduit (40), and a valving element (50) movable with movement transverse or nearly transverse to the axis of the nozzle (20), to open or vice versa to close the ejection hole (13); operating means (51) are also provided subjected to the pressure of the water originating from the supply conduit (40), to position the valving element (50) in its open position when a water flow arrives in the first chamber (11) and vice versa to release said valving element (50) into its closed position when said water flow is lacking.

Description

The present invention relates in general to a nozzle assembly for feeding water into the interior of the tub of a hydromassage bath, and in particular for feeding a mixture of water and air.
Hydromassage baths are known to comprise a tub provided, on its walls, with nozzle assemblies fed by a system which draws water from the tub after its filling, and feeds it, under pressure, back into the tub via suitably shaped nozzles; either pressurized water alone or a mixture of water and air can be fed. As the tub, even if provided with the hydromassage system, usually also serves for the normal part cleaning bath, it is important that when the hydromassage system is inactive the nozzle assemblies do not allow water to pass either into the nozzle assemblies themselves or into the pipes of said system, to prevent stagnation of water which, being mixed with substances removed form the user's skin and scum, could create moulds and bacteria which would be recirculated when effecting hydromassage, and also create blocking problems for the devices inside the nozzle assembly. Importantly, said nozzle assemblies must also draw air from the external environment and mix it into the jet of pressurized water to enable the hydromassage to be effected with a mixture of air and water.
Currently known nozzle assemblies able to satisfy the aforesaid requirements and functions are constructionally complex and costly; in particular, nozzle assemblies are known presenting unidirectional valves arranged to prevent the water in the bath tub from flowing back into the nozzle interior. Being positioned along the flow direction of the pressurized water, they operate with a relatively high pressure drop as the resistance of the reaction spring of said valves has to be overcome, and moreover they are costly, and bulky to position in the interior of the nozzle assembly.
An object of the present invention is to overcome the stated drawbacks within the framework of a simple and rational solution.
As characterised in the claims, the invention overcomes said drawbacks by using a valving element, operated by suitable means, which acts transversely to the water flow direction.
The characteristics and constructional merits of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing detailed description given with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings, which show a particular preferred embodiment thereof by way of non-limiting example.
Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the invention.
Figure 2 is a section on the plane II-II of Figure 4A.
Figure 2A is an enlarged detail of Figure 2 showing a different embodiment.
Figure 3 is a section on the plane III-III of figure 2.
Figure 4A and Figure 4B are a front view of the invention of figure 1, in two different operative configurations.
Figures 1 and 2 show a nozzle assembly 1 to be fixed to a wall 31 of a tub 30 of the bath.
Said nozzle assembly 1 comprises a casing consisting of a first tubular part 14 to be fixed in correspondence with a respective hole 32 provided in the wall 31 to feed into the tub 30 a respective water jet originating from the nozzle assembly 1, and a second part 16 to be housed as an exact fit within an inner cylindrical surface 15 of said first part 14.
The casing 14, 16 comprises a first chamber 11, connected to a supply conduit 40 and a discharge conduit 42, and a second chamber 12, directly connected to a suction conduit 41 via a passage 18; said chambers 11 and 12 are separated from each other by a separation wall 21. The water supply conduit 40, the discharge conduit 42 and the suction conduit 41 are fixed to said casing 14, 16. Said parts 14 and 16 present suitable seats for gaskets 34, 35 and 36, used to prevent air seepage from the second chamber 12 and to prevent water seepage from the first chamber 11.
The second part 16 presents an outer edge 141 bent rearward to fix it to the wall 31; in this respect, said part 16 is firstly inserted into the hole 32 until the edge 141 is brought into contact with the outer surface of the wall 31 then, after the first part 14 has been fitted onto the second part 16, a clamping nut 70 is screwed onto a thread 71 provided on that portion of the second part 16 distant from the bath tub 30, to lock the first part 14 to the wall 31. The first part 14 is sealed against water seepage from the tub 30 by the presence of a suitable annular seat 37 filled with silicone, and a gasket 33. The second part 16 is separated from the tub 30 by a cover 17, at the centre of which there is an ejection hole 13.
The nozzle assembly 1 comprises a nozzle 20, positioned on the separation wall 21 and having a through channel 23 which connects the first chamber 11 to the second chamber 12 and possesses a mouth 22 projecting into the second chamber 12; said nozzle 20 produces a water jet with its exit directed towards the ejection hole 13.
The nozzle assembly 1 also comprises, in the second chamber 12, a movable valving element 50 to open or vice versa close the ejection hole 13 and suitably operated by operating means 51. The valving element 50 is bounded by a front first wall 56 parallel to and adhering or nearly adhering to the ejection hole 13, and a rear second wall 57 opposite the front wall 56 and parallel to and adhering or nearly adhering to the projecting mouth 22 of the nozzle 20 when the valving element 50 moves into its closed position. The valving element 50 also comprises a through channel 55 internally disposed between the first wall 56 and the second wall 57 and shaped to enable, in combination with the nozzle 20, air to be drawn in from the second chamber 12 via suitable apertures 19, and to form a mixture of air and water. In detail, the through channel 55 presents an initial portion disposed in proximity to the nozzle 20, and having a cross-section greater than the cross-section of the channel 23 at the mouth 22; that part of this initial portion which extends radially from the projecting mouth 22 of the nozzle 20 defines said apertures 19. According to a particular embodiment, as the tub 30 of the bath is approached, the channel 55 presents a cross-section which gradually converges to transform the energy due to the water pressure into kinetic energy to increase the water outflow velocity. The final portion of the channel 55 presents a constant cross-section, close to the cross-section of the ejection hole 13.
Said operating means 51 comprise a blade 52 positioned in the first chamber 11, and rigidly fixed to a first portion of a rod 53, which is rotatably inserted through a hole 52 provided in the separation wall 21, and of which the second portion is rigidly fixed to the valving element 50.
The rod 53 defines the axis of rotation of the valving element 50 which is perpendicular (or a small angle off perpendicular) to the plane of the ejection hole 13; as will be apparent hereinafter, this axis is positioned at a suitable distance from the barycentre of the valving element 50.
The blade 52 is shaped with a profile presenting a concave surface to the water from the supply conduit 40, to increase the thrust of the water on the blade 52.
The nozzle assembly 1 is connected to a further nozzle assembly, positioned downstream, by means of the discharge conduit 42, which is connected to the supply conduit 40 of said further nozzle assembly, said nozzle assembly 1 being connected to a preceding upstream nozzle assembly by means of its supply conduit 40, which is connected to the discharge conduit of said preceding nozzle assembly.
During hydromassage, a pump of the hydraulic system connected to the nozzle assemblies withdraws water from the tub 30 of the bath and feeds it under pressure to the supply conduit 40. The pressurized water enters the first chamber 11 to strike against the surface of the blade 52, to generate about the axis of the rod 53 a first twisting movement able to position the valving element 50 in a first open position.
Said open position (see Figure 3 and Figure 4B) is such that the channel 55 becomes positioned coaxial to the nozzle 20, through which the pressurized water jet originates, and to the ejection hole 13, to enable a mixture of air and water to be ejected towards the tub 30 of the bath. When hydromassage ceases, said valving element 50 moves into the closed position, with its front wall 56 adhering to the ejection hole 13 to close it, and with its rear wall 57 adhering to and closing the projecting mouth 22 of the nozzle 20 (see Figure 4A); by virtue of this, the water present in the tub is prevented from penetrating into the second chamber 12, or at least any organic substances are prevented from being able to flow back into the second chamber and from there to the first chamber 11, creating moulds and bacteria and possible blockage. Said closed position is achieved because of the fact that as the barycentre of the valving element 50 is displaced from its axis of rotation (axis of the rod 53), the weight of the valving element 50 creates a second twisting moment about the axis of the rod 53, to return the valving element 50 into its normal closed position, where it adheres to the cover 17 and to the nozzle 20. Elastic means, in particular a torsion spring 54, can be added to return the valving element 50 into its closed position when water flow is lacking.
To render the open and closed positions of the valving element 50 (Figures 4A and 4B) more stable, on the inner surface of the second part 16, in correspondence with the second chamber 12, there is positioned on one side a first magnet 26 or equivalent means, and on the opposite side a second magnet 27 or equivalent means, both able to attract the valving element 50. In this case, this either has a totally or partly ferromagnetic body, or presents two counter-magnets 26a and 27a having opposite polarities to the corresponding magnets 26 and respectively 27 and positioned on opposite sides of the valving element 50; the magnets and counter-magnets are in geometrical relationship to each other such that when the valving element is in its closed position (Figure 4A), the magnet 26 is in contact or near contact with the counter-magnet 26a, whereas when the valving element is in its open position (Figure 4B), the second magnet 27 is in contact or near contact with the counter-magnet 27a.
Consequently the pairs of magnets and counter-magnets 26-26a and 27-27a serve to secure the valving element with a certain force, maintaining it in either its closed or open position. The force of the pressurized water which on entering the first chamber 11 strikes the blade 52 is able to overcome the force of attraction between the magnet 26 and counter-magnet 26a, whereas the thrust of the spring 54 and the weight of the valving element 50 is able to overcome the force of attraction between the magnet 27 and counter-magnet 27a when the thrust of the pressurized water against the blade 52 ceases.
In the embodiment shown in Figure 2A, the rod 53 possesses a threaded intermediate portion which is helically engaged with the likewise threaded hole 25 in the wall 21; this engagement is such that when the valving element 50 is in its open position (as shown by the full lines in Figure 2A), it lies at a distance (a few millimetres) from the hole 13; in contrast, when the valving element 50 rotates into its closed position (as shown by dashed lines in Figure 2A), the engagement with the hole 25 causes it not only to rotate but also to translate, at least a little, towards the hole 13, until its front wall 56 adheres to it. Effective adhesion of the valving element against the hole 13 can hence be obtained, with consequent effective closure thereof.
A non-limiting embodiment of the present invention has been described and illustrated, however it is apparent to the expert of the art that modifications can be made to the shapes, the details and the orientations, without however leaving its scope.

Claims

For hydromassage baths, a nozzle assembly (1) to be applied to a wall (31) of the bath tub (30), comprising:

a casing (14,16) to be fixed to a wall (31) of the bath tub (30), in correspondence with a hole (32) for water entry into the tub (30) and having a hole (13) for ejecting the water jet into the bath tub (30), at least one water supply conduit (40) communicating with the casing (14, 16); characterised by comprising:

a nozzle (20) arranged to produce a water jet directed towards the ejection hole (13), the pressurized water originating from the supply conduit (40) being ejected through the nozzle (20) and through the ejection hole (13);

a valving element (50) movable with movement transverse or nearly transverse to the axis of the nozzle (20), to open or vice versa to close the ejection hole (13);

operating means (51) subjected to the pressure of the water originating from the supply conduit (40), to position the valving element (50) in its open position when a water flow arrives in a first chamber (11) and vice versa to release said valving element (50) into its closed position when said water flow is lacking.
A nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that:

said casing possesses a first chamber (11) and a second chamber (12) separated from each other,

said ejection hole (13) is located in the second chamber (12);

the nozzle (20) is located on the wall (21) separating the two said chambers (11, 12);

said valving element (50) is located in the second chamber (12).
A nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the valving element (50) comprises a front first wall (56) arranged to adhere or nearly adhere to the ejection hole (13) such as to close it when the valving element (50) lies in said closed position.
A nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the valving element (50) comprises a rear second wall (57) arranged to adhere or nearly adhere to a mouth (22) of the nozzle (20) such as to close it when the valving element (50) lies in said closed position.
A nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the valving element (50) is rigid with a rod (53) arranged to rotate about a hole (25), the axis of rotation being perpendicular or nearly perpendicular to the plane of the ejection hole (13).
A nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that the operating means (51) comprise a blade (52) located in the first chamber (11) and rigidly fixed to the rod (52) to cause the valving element (50) to rotate into the open position whenever said water pressure acts on the surface of said blade (52), the valving element (50) returning into its closed position whenever said water flow is lacking.
A nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that the rod (53) presents an axis distant from the barycentre of the valving element (50), said distance enabling said valving element (50), by virtue of its weight, to be returned into said closed position.
A nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that the blade (52) comprises elastic means (54) arranged to return the valving element (50) into an initial rest position, coinciding with said closed position.
A nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that the rod (53) is helically engaged with the hole (25), said engagement being such that when the valving element (50) rotates into its closed position, in addition to rotating it translates at least a little towards the hole (13) until it adheres to it with its front wall.
A nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that on the inner surface of the second part (16), there is positioned on one side a first magnet (26) or an equivalent means, and on the opposite side a second magnet (27) or an equivalent means, both able to secure the valving element (50) by magnetic attraction when this is in its closed or alternatively its open position.
A nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the second chamber (12) is connected to at least one air suction conduit (41).
A nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 11, characterised in that the valving element (50) comprises a through channel (55) shaped to enable, in combination with the nozzle (20), air to be drawn in to form a mixture of air and water originating from the nozzle (20); said channel (55) being coaxial with the nozzle (20) and with the ejection hole (13) when the valving element (50) is in said open position.
A nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the casing (14, 16) comprises:

a first part (14) to be fixed through the hole (32) of the wall (31),

a second part (16), in the interior of which said chambers (11, 12) are provided and which is to be housed as an exact fit within the inner surface (15) of said first part (14),

a clamping nut (70) and a thread (71) provided on a portion of the second part (16) distant from the bath tub (30), to axially secure the second part (16) to the first part (14).