US2812168A - Fluid mixer - Google Patents

Description

Nov.v 5, 1957 v D. F. KUMPMAN 2,812,168

FLUID MIXER Filed Jan. 4, 195e flll/////// IIIIII III Il United States Patent FLUID MIXER Daniel F. Kumpman, Dover, N. .L

Application January 4, 1956, Serial No. 557,414

4 Claims. (Cl. 261-71) The invention herein disclosed relates to a novel faucet construction and more particularly to a faucet having a device for mixing air with the stream of water.

The advantages of aerating water as it flows from a sink or laundry faucet are well known. There are various aerating devices on the market at the present time which attempt to perform this function. However, those devices have certain drawbacks and disadvantages which the device of the present invention overcomes. One such disadvantage is that it is customary to employ a screen or wire mesh in the aerator which becomes clogged after extended use. This necessitates disassembling of the device to clean the wire mesh. Another disadvantage of the aerators heretofore 'devised is that the air is drawn into the stream of water from around the edge or circumference thereof, thus resulting in an inefficient mixture of the fluids. The present invention provides an aerator o-r fluid mixer which overcomes these and other disadvantages of prior aerators.

Objects of the present invention therefore are to provide an aerator of simple construction which will operate to mix air and water effectively and eiciently.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an aerator especially adapted for use with a sink faucet in which the air is drawn into the stream of water from the center thereof whereby a complete and thorough mixing of air and water is obtained.

Other desirable objects and the novel features through which the purposes of the invention are attained are set forth or will appear in the course of the following specication.

The drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrates present approved forms of the invention. Structure, however, may be further modified and changed as regards the immediate illustration, all within the true intent and scope of the invention as hereinafter dened'and claimed.

Fig. l is a side view partially broken away, of a faucet construction of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1; y

Fig. 3 is a side view broken away, of a modification of the embodiment shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a bottom View of the embodiment shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a broken sectional detail of a still further modification of the faucet and aerator of the present in- Vention.

Referring first to Figs. l and 2, numeral represents a faucet having a depending head portion or casing 11 which has a generally cylindrical, hollowed out center within which the aerator elements are located. The aerator, generally indicated by numeral 12, includes a core 13 which is cylindrical and threaded as at 14. The

core is conveniently inserted in the upper opening of head 11 and screwed into place as shown in Fig. 1. The faucet head or casing 11 has a recess 15 which pr0- vides a shoulder 16 against which an annular lip 17 of the core rests. The core lip and shoulder 16 cooperate to limit and determine the position of the core within the casing 11. The bottom portion of core 13 has a cylindrical bore 18 which defines the cylindrical side 21. A series of radially extending ports 19 pass through the core wall 21. A second cylindrical bore 22 is formed within the center of the core, as clearly seen in Fig. 1. The two core bores overlap somewhat to form a deflector ring 23. It should be noted that the outer surface of the deflector ring is frustro-conical, for a purpose to be hereinafter described. A second series of radial ports 24 extend from the bore 22 outward to the outside surface of core 13.

The faucet 10 is tapered to form a neck as at 25 which terminates in an annular groove 26 extending around the inner surface of the casing 11. It is seen that the openings of ports 19 are aligned with the neck 25 and groove 26. Thus as the stream of water passes through the faucet 10 it ows around groove 26 and then passes through the ports 19. As the water enters the hollowed out portion of the core 13 it strikes against the conical surface of deflector ring 23 and is directed downward.

Thewater thus passing the bottom of cylindrical bore 22 downward through a chamber 27 which is especially designedkand constructed to prevent splashing and to confine the aerated water to a well dened stream as it passes out'of the faucet. The chamber 27 is located in the bottom portion of the hollow casing 11. The perforated cylindrical member 28 which may be made of sheet metal, is located around the inner surface of the Vchamber 27. As seen in Fig. 2, member 28 is split, as vat 30, so that it may be readily inserted upwardly through they bottom opening of casing 11. With the cylindrical member 28 in position, its bottom edge rests against a shoulder 31 formed at the bottom opening of the faucet head. `A single piece of sheet material is bent to form a flower petal formation which is more clearly speen in Fig. 2. The petal shaped member 32 is inserted upward ly through the mouth of the faucet and lits in place with the outer ends of each petal abutting against the inner surface of sleeve member 28. The shoulder 31 maintains the Vpetal shaped member 32 in its proper position.

'L It is readily seen then that the aerated water passes do-wnward from the mixing chamber 18 through the petal network and passes out through the mouth of the faucet.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, there is shown an embodiment of the present invention wherein the aerating mechanism may be selectively turned off or rendered inoperative, in which case the water will emanate from the faucet in a circular spray. Numeral 33 represents a faucet having a depending head portion or casing 34 which has a hollowed out, generally cylindrical center portion 35. An annular groove 36 is formed in the side of cylinder 35 near the bottom thereof, providing a shoulder 37. The circular mouth at the bottom of casing 34 has a series of semi-circular notches 38 around the edge thereof. An aerator 39 which may be a core of generally cylindrical construction fits within cylinder 35, as shown in Fig. 3. The core has two circular flanges 41 and 42 which are of slightly less diameter than cylinder `the mouthat the bottom of the aerator.

35. In this manner ange 41 and cylinder wall 35 c0- operate in a snug sliding lit. Flange 42 is of a greater diameter than the mouth of head 34 so that shoulder 37 will determine the lowerposition of the aerator core 39. A series of radial ports 43 are formed through the ange 41 and extend from annular water groove 26a in the casing into a cylindrical mixing chamber`44 within the core 39. These ports are aligned with the (narrowed neck 45 of the faucet when the aerator is in its lower position with ange 42 `abutting shoulder 37. A bore 46 formed in the center of the core connects with a serles of radial air inlet ports 47 which extend outwardly to the outside surface of the aerator. `It will be seen then that as the stream of water Afrom the faucet passes through ports 43 it will strike against deflector ring 48 and ow downward into'the mixing chamber 44. The lower portion of deflector ring 48 is serrated to provide a circular series of teeth 49 which extend downwardly and slightly inwardly. VThus as the water passes radially inwardly into the mixing chamber 44 air is aspirated -or drawn through ports 47, down through bore 46 to mix centrally with the water in the chamber 44. rl`his fluid mixture then passes out through the mouth at the bottom of the aerator core 39.

A lever 51, Fig. 3, is shown pivotally mounted on top of the faucet by means of screw 52. The end of lever 51 is shown connected to the top of thel sliding core 39 by means of a screw 53 so that as the handle end of the lever is depressed the aerator core 39 will be raised to a position wherein ports 43 are above the narrowed -neck 45 and annular groove 26a and thus closed off. With the ports closed, the water from the faucet will pass down betweenthe inner surface of cylinder 35 and the outer surface of the core into the annular groove 36 and then out through the semi-circular notches 38 in the mouth of the faucet head in the form of a spray.

If it is desired to have an aerated stream of water, the aerator core will be positioned as shown and the water will pass into the periphery of the mixing chamber 44 and the air be'drawn down through the center of the water stream and the` uid mixture will discharge from If a spray of water is desired, the lever handle 51 is depressed to raise the aerator core 39 to close off ports 43. In this position the water will pass down between the sides of the aerator and the casing 34 and be formed into spray by 'notched openings 38.

hofthe casing is screw-threaded as at 57 and has an annular groove 58 near the top portion thereof aligned and is screw-threaded as at63. The aerator is screwed into place as shown in Fig. 5, and has a series of radially extending ports 64. The bottom portion of the aerator has V notches 66 which extend downwardly and inwardly. With the aerator in position the stream of water will pass into the annular groove 58 and downward through. the mixing chamber 67, thus drawing or aspirating air through ports 64 and downward through bore 61 into the mixing chamber. At this point the air and water are effectively mixed and 'pass out through the mouth of the faucet head 56.

It is seen that this invention provides a `fluid mixer wherein the stream of air is drawn in through the center of the water stream to insure a thorough and complete mixture of the two fluids, and this without the use of fine screens or other clogging medium.

What is claimed is:

l. Aerating faucet comprising an upright tubular faucet body having an annular water groove in the inner wall of the same, a water inlet in the side of the same opening into said water groove and a discharge nozzle at the ylower end of the same, a closure plug seated in the upper end of said faucet body, having a dependent outer annular wall extending down past said annular water `groove and having water inlet ports extending therethrough in line with said annular water groove, said plug having an inner annular wall spaced from said outer annular wall and extending downwardly past said water inlet ports and said plug having a central air inlet chamber within said inner annular wall and air inlet ports opening through the upper portion of the plug ,into the top of said air inlet chamber, whereby streams of water passing through the water inlet ports from the annular water groove and deilected downwardly by said inner annular wall, will inspirate ow of air from the air inlet ports and air inlet chamber down through the center of the hollow water column deflected downwardly by said inner annular wall.

2. The invention according to claim l with a petal shaped anti-splash member seated in the discharge nozzle of said faucet.

` 3. Theinvention according to claim l in which said plugjmemberis vertically adjustable in the faucet body and in `which said water inlet ports are disposed to be cut off by the wall at one edge of the annular water groove when said plug is shifted in one direction.

4. The invention according to claim 3 with spray discharge means at the lower end of the faucet body cooperative with the 'lower end of said plug, to release a spray discharge of water from the annular water groove when the plugis shifted as described.

References Cited inthe le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,519,312 Kelleher Dee 16, 1924 2,405,375 smith Aug. 6, 1946 `2,483,426 Moore oct. 4, 1949

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