Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
  • E03C—DOMESTIC PLUMBING INSTALLATIONS FOR FRESH WATER OR WASTE WATER; SINKS
  • E03C1/00—Domestic plumbing installations for fresh water or waste water; Sinks
  • E03C1/02—Plumbing installations for fresh water
  • E03C1/08—Jet regulators or jet guides, e.g. anti-splash devices
  • E03C1/086—Jet regulators or jet guides, easily mountable on the outlet of taps

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an aerator applicable to the outlet of a tap.
• aerator means a device which is applied to the outlet of a tap to control the flow of water dispensed so that it is more regular and assumes the classic shape of a cylindrical column.
• the aerator is limited to "channelling" the liquid through a series of blades arranged radially.
• the aerator makes it possible to mix air with the flow of water passing through it so as to increase the volume of the fluid in output and thereby reduce the volume of water consumed.
• the aerator usually comprises a series of overlapping grills and channels such that, during the passage of the liquid in the central part of the device air is drawn in mixing with the water so that the jet appears soft and smooth.
• the aerator comprises an aerator insert housed in an external, hollow body of a cylindrical shape which ends at the top with a threaded portion, of male or female type, for screwing to the outlet of the tap.
• the aerator body may be desirable to give a particular shape instead of the conventional cylindrical shape.
• a shape which is not axially symmetric could end up being oriented axially in a position which does not give the desired effect.
• the object of the present invention is to propose an aerator having an outer body which can also have a non- axial-symmetric shape and which can be rotated into a desired position.
• Another object of the invention is to satisfy the above-mentioned need to customise the aerator body without, however, significantly increasing the complexity and, therefore the production costs, of the aerator structure.
• Figure 1 shows an exploded view of an aerator according to the invention
• FIG. 3 shows the aerator connected to the outlet of a tap
• Figure 4 is an axial cross-section of the aerator assembled and applied to the outlet of the tap.
• reference numeral 1 globally denotes an aerator according to the invention applicable to the outlet 2 of a tap 3.
• the aerator 1 comprises an aerator insert 10, suitable to be crossed by a flow of water coming from the tap so as to deliver a regular and uniform jet of water, preferably a jet of aerated water.
• the present invention can use any aerator commercially available, which does not therefore require a detailed description herein.
• the aerator insert 10 is housed watertight in an aerator seat 12 made in an aerator body 14.
• the aerator seat 12 is made in an axial duct 16 of the aerator body.
• the axial duct 16 is suitable to be crossed by the flow of water coming from the outlet 2 of the tap 3.
• the aerator body 14 extends between an upper end 14 1 , facing towards the outlet of the tap and a lower outlet end 14" of the jet of water.
• the aerator further comprises a connecting ring nut 18 suitable to connect the aerator body 14 to the outlet 2 of the tap 3.
• the connecting ring nut 18 makes it possible to place the dispenser duct of the jet of water made in the body, in fluid communication with the axial duct 16 made in the aerator body 14.
• the aerator 1 further comprises a ring retaining member 20 that axially constrains the connecting ring nut 18 to the aerator body 14 with the possibility of a free axial rotation of the aerator body 14 with respect to the connecting ring nut 18.
• the ring retaining member 20 makes it possible to realise the aerator body 14 and the connecting ring nut 18 as two separate elements, so that the first is axially rotatable relative to the second.
• the aerator body 14 can be rotated into any angular position.
• the aerator body 14 can thus be made with any external shape, in particular with a non-axial symmetric shape .
• the connecting ring nut 18 is pressed by the ring retaining member 20 against the aerator body 14 in such a way that the axial rotation of the aerator body 14 with respect to the ring nut takes place with a calibrated coupling and the angular positioning of the aerator body 14 is stable.
• the ring retaining member 20 comprises a lower portion 202 connected to the aerator body 14 and a head 204 positioned inside the connecting ring nut 18 so as to axially engage the connecting ring nut 18 with the possibility of axial rotation.
• the lower portion 202 when connected to the aerator body 14, is integral with the aerator body 14 both in the axial direction and in the angular direction.
• the ring retaining member 20 thus being an extension of the aerator body 14 which engages the connecting ring nut 18, is also crossed by an axial passage 206 suitable to fluidically connect the outlet 2 of the tap 3 to the aerator insert 10 housed in the aerator body 14.
• the lower portion 202 of the ring retaining member 20 is connected to the aerator body 14 by means of a threaded connection.
• a top section of the axial passage 206 is delimited by a side wall 207 adapted to be engaged by a tool for screwing the ring retaining member 20 to a threaded end portion 141 of the aerator body 14.
• a side wall 207 has one or more flat portions adapted to form a shaped coupling with a tool.
• the connecting ring nut 18 is provided with an inner annular shoulder 182 adapted to be engaged by the head 204 of the ring retaining member 20.
• the connecting ring nut 18 is provided with an upper threaded portion 184, of the male or female type, suitable to be screwed to the outlet 2 of the tap 3 and has, on its outer surface, a crown socket 186 adapted to be engaged by a tool for the screwing the ring nut to the mouth of the tap.
• the aerator body 14 is formed of two body portions, lower 142 and upper 144, axially superposed and fixed together, for example by welding.
• the insert seat 12 is made in the lower body portion 142, while the upper body portion 144 is engaged by the lower portion 202 of the ring retaining member 20. This way, the aerator insert 10 can be inserted in the respective aerator seat 12 before joining the two portions of the aerator body 14.
• the upper portion 144 with an inner diameter even greater than the diameter of the aerator insert 10, and in particular make the side wall of the upper portion 144 of the aerator body 14 with a thickness greater than that of the wall of the lower portion 142, for example to facilitate the creation of the threaded portion 141 and to provide an adequate support base for the connecting ring nut 18, as is clear from figure 4, while maintaining the outer diameter of the upper portion 144 of the aerator body the same as the outer diameter of the lower portion 142.
• the aerator body may thus assume a substantially cylindrical shape adapted to be covered by a coating shell, as described below.
• a first sealing ring 30, for example a rectangular cross-section gasket, is interposed between the top of the aerator insert 10 and the side wall of the aerator body 14, so that the entire flow of water entering the aerator body 14 passes through the aerator insert 10.
• a second sealing ring 32 for example a rectangular cross-section gasket, is placed on the connecting ring 18 to form a seal with the outlet 2 of the tap 3.
• a third sealing ring 34 is interposed between the lower portion 202 of the ring retaining member 20 and an upper end portion of the aerator body 14.
• a washer 36 made for example of a polymeric material and preferably having a flat rectangular cross-section, is interposed between the connecting ring nut 18 and the aerator body 14. Such washer 36 may facilitate the controlled rotation of the aerator body 14 with respect to the connecting ring nut 18.
• both the connecting ring nut 18 and the aerator body 14 are provided with flat facing surfaces.
• the aerator body 14 has a substantially cylindrical shape and is at least partially covered by a coating shell 40 which confers the desired shape to the aerator 1.
• the coating shell 40 has the shape of lips.
• the aerator body 14 and the coating shell 40 are provided with coupling means 42, 44 for their mutual coupling.
• the coating shell 40 is formed of two half-shells 40' facing each other, each suitable to be radially coupled to the aerator body 14.
• the aerator body 14 is provided, on its outer side wall, with interlocking coupling means 42 adapted to be engaged by corresponding interlocking counter coupling means 44 made in the half-shells.
• the aerator body 14 is provided with pierced ears 42 diametrically opposite each other in which corresponding pins 44 extending from the half- shells 40' are inserted.
• the coupling means 42, 44 can perform a guiding and provisional coupling function between the half-shells 40' and the aerator body 14 for a subsequent welding step of said coupling means, or, if appropriately sized, may form a definitive pressure coupling.
• the coating shell 40 ends with a top collar 402 on which the connecting ring nut 18 rests. This way, the aerator body 14 is completely hidden by the coating shell 40 and a continuous outer surface is obtained between the coating shell 40 and the ring nut 18.
• a person skilled in the art may make modifications and variations to the embodiments of the aerator according to the invention, replacing elements with others functionally equivalent so as to satisfy contingent requirements while remaining within the sphere of protection of the following claims. Each of the characteristics described as belonging to a possible embodiment may be realised independently of the other embodiments described.

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=57233807

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Citations (4)

• 2016
  • 2016-09-02 WO PCT/IT2016/000204 patent/WO2018042465A1/en unknown
  • 2016-09-02 EP EP16791111.4A patent/EP3507426A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Patent Citations (4)

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