Abstract
A shower jet outlet device and a shower head equipped therewith have a jet disk with at least one jet disk opening and a jet outlet element disposed in the jet disk opening. The jet outlet element is pot-shaped with an outlet-side bottom, a side wall and a hollow chamber delimited by the bottom and the side wall. The bottom faces in the jet outlet direction and includes fine jet openings. The bottom and the side wall are made of an elastic material and the jet outlet element is configured to deform by bulging of its bottom and/or its side wall, in response to fluid pressure in the hollow chamber when operating.
Claims
1. A shower jet outlet device comprising: a jet disk including at least one jet disk opening and a jet outlet element disposed in the jet disk opening, wherein the jet outlet element is pot-shaped with an outlet-sided bottom, a side wall and a hollow chamber delimited by the bottom and the side wall, the bottom is arranged facing in a jet outlet direction and includes a plurality of fine jet openings, the fine jet openings having an outlet cross section of, in each case, at most 0.2 mm.sup.2, and the bottom and the side wall of the jet outlet element are made of an elastic material and the jet outlet element is configured to deform by bulging of the bottom and the side wall of the jet outlet element in response to a fluid operating pressure present in the hollow chamber during active device operation when a fluid jet is emitted through the jet outlet element.
2. The shower jet outlet device according to claim 1, wherein an outer diameter of the bottom and the side wall is at most 10 mm.
3. The shower jet outlet device according to claim 2, wherein the outer diameter of the bottom and the side wall is at most 6 mm.
4. The shower jet outlet device according to claim 1, wherein the bottom includes at least three and at most ten fine jet openings.
5. The shower jet outlet device according to claim 1, wherein the jet outlet element is arranged to be displaceable in the jet outlet opening in parallel to the jet outlet direction between a backward end position and a forward end position, wherein the jet outlet element is in the forward end position when the fluid operating pressure is present in the hollow chamber, and is in the backward end position when the fluid operating pressure is absent in the hollow chamber.
6. The shower jet outlet device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of a diameter and a passage cross section of the side wall of the fine jet openings of the jet outlet element bulge in response to the fluid operating pressure, in relation to a non-pressurized condition, is increased by at least 3% by the fluid operating pressure reaching 0.5 bar.
7. The shower jet outlet device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of a diameter and a passage cross section of the side wall of the fine jet openings of the jet outlet element bulge in response to the fluid operating pressure, in relation to a non-pressurized condition, is increased by at least 8% by the fluid operating pressure reaching 1 bar.
8. The shower jet outlet device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of a diameter and a passage cross section of the side wall of the fine jet openings of the jet outlet element bulge in response to the fluid operating pressure, in relation to a non-pressurized condition, is increased by at least 12% by the fluid operating pressure reaching 1.5 bar.
9. The shower jet outlet device according to claim 1, wherein the bottom and the side wall of the jet outlet element are composed of an elastomer material having a Shore A hardness of at most 75.
10. The shower jet outlet device according to claim 1, wherein the jet outlet element includes a holding shoulder radially salient from the side wall.
11. The shower jet outlet device according to claim 1, wherein the jet outlet element includes spacers axially projecting on an inlet-sided face end of the jet outlet element.
12. The shower jet outlet device according to claim 1, wherein the jet disk has a plurality of jet disk openings and a corresponding number of jet outlet elements disposed in the jet disk openings are provided, wherein the jet outlet elements are molded integrally to a jet outlet plate abutting on an interior side of the jet disk and made of elastic material.
13. The shower jet outlet device according to claim 1, wherein the fine jet openings have an outlet cross section of in each case at most 0.1 mm.sup.2.
14. The shower jet outlet device according to claim 1, wherein the bottom and the side wall of the jet outlet element are composed of an elastomer material having a Shore A hardness of at most 40.
15. A shower device including a shower jet outlet device, the shower jet outlet device comprising: a jet disk including at least one jet disk opening and a jet outlet element disposed in the jet disk opening, wherein the jet outlet element is pot-shaped with an outlet-sided bottom, a side wall and a hollow chamber delimited by the bottom and the side wall, the bottom is arranged facing in a jet outlet direction and includes a plurality of fine jet openings, the fine jet openings having an outlet cross section of, in each case, at most 0.2 mm.sup.2, and the bottom and the side wall of the jet outlet element are made of an elastic material and the jet outlet element is configured to deform by bulging of the bottom and the side wall of the jet outlet element, in response to a fluid operating pressure present in the hollow chamber during active device operation when a fluid jet is emitted through the jet outlet element.
16. The shower device of claim 15, configured as a sanitary shower device.
Description
(1) Advantageous embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and are described below. In the drawings:
(2) FIG. 1 shows a half longitudinal sectional view of a shower device having jet outlet elements moulded integrally to a jet outlet plate,
(3) FIG. 2 shows a partial plan view from below of a quarter circle of the shower device of FIG. 1,
(4) FIG. 3 shows a detail view of a region III of FIG. 1,
(5) FIG. 4 shows the detail view of FIG. 3 for a shower device variant with individually arranged jet outlet elements,
(6) FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of one of the jet outlet elements in FIG. 4,
(7) FIG. 6 shows a plan view of a bottom of the jet outlet element of FIG. 5,
(8) FIG. 7 shows a sectional view of the jet outlet element of FIG. 5 along a line VII-VII in FIG. 6,
(9) FIG. 8 shows a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 5 for an embodiment variant of the jet outlet element,
(10) FIG. 9 shows a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 5 for a further embodiment variant of the jet outlet element,
(11) FIG. 10 shows a bottom view of the jet outlet element corresponding to FIG. 6 with a prevailing fluid operating pressure of 0.5 bar,
(12) FIG. 11 shows a side view of the jet outlet element in the pressurized condition of FIG. 10,
(13) FIG. 12 shows the bottom view of FIG. 10 with a fluid operating pressure of 1.0 bar,
(14) FIG. 13 shows the side view of FIG. 11 in the pressurized condition of FIG. 12,
(15) FIG. 14 shows the bottom view of FIG. 10 with a fluid operating pressure of 1.5 bar,
(16) FIG. 15 shows the side view of FIG. 11 in the pressurized condition of FIG. 14,
(17) FIG. 16 shows a comparative bottom view for the operating conditions in the non-pressurized condition according to FIG. 10 and in the pressurized condition according to FIG. 14,
(18) FIG. 17 shows a comparative side view for the non-pressurized condition according to FIG. 11 and the pressurized condition according to FIG. 15,
(19) FIG. 18 shows the bottom view of FIG. 6 in the non-pressurized condition for an embodiment variant of the jet outlet element,
(20) FIG. 19 shows the bottom view of FIG. 18 at a fluid operating pressure of 0.5 bar,
(21) FIG. 20 shows the bottom view of FIG. 18 at a fluid operating pressure of 1.0 bar, and
(22) FIG. 21 shows the bottom view of FIG. 18 at a fluid operating pressure of 1.5 bar.
(23) The shower device shown by way of example in FIGS. 1 to 3 as a possible exemplary embodiment of the invention is of a flat design known per se, as used for example for sanitary overhead shower devices. The shower device has a flat, circular cylindrical shower housing 1 which is held on an inlet-side inlet nozzle 3, which is longitudinally central in the shower device, by means of a ball joint 2 so as to be correspondingly pivotable on all sides. On the outlet side, the shower housing 1 terminates with a shower jet outlet device which includes a jet disc 4 which is provided with at least one jet disc opening 5, in the example shown with a plurality, for example about 150 to 200, jet disc openings which are distributed uniformly over the jet disc 4.
(24) As a further constituent part of the shower jet outlet device, a jet outlet element 6 is arranged in each case in each jet disc opening 5. The jet outlet element 6 is pot-shaped with an outlet-sided bottom 6a, a side wall 6b and a hollow chamber 6c delimited by the bottom and the side wall, said element being arranged with its bottom 6a facing in the jet outlet direction, i.e. the bottom 6a forms the outlet-side end face of the respective jet element 6. In FIG. 1, the jet outlet direction points from the top downwards in the region of the jet disc 4, and the bottom 6a forms the lower end face of the jet outlet elements 6. The bottom 6a of each jet outlet element 6 has a plurality of fine jet openings 7, in each case five fine jet openings 7 in the example shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.
(25) In the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, the jet outlet elements 7 are moulded integrally to a jet outlet plate 9 which is arranged facing an inner side of the jet disc 4, for example abuts an inner side of the jet disc 4. The jet outlet plate 9 is produced from an elastic material which can be in particular a conventional silicone-based elastomer material. A housing plate or intermediate plate 8′ of the shower device is disposed on the inner side of the jet outlet plate 9 which, by virtue of its elastic nature, is also referred to as an outlet mat, the housing plate/intermediate plate 8′ being provided with spacing projections 10 or spacing webs such that an intermediate space 11 functioning as a fluid outlet chamber remains between said plate 8′ and the steel outlet plate 9, into which intermediate space the jet outlet elements 6 open on the inlet side, i.e. with their open pot side. In this way, fluid supplied to the shower device is distributed or guided via this fluid outlet chamber into the hollow chamber 6d of the individual jet outlet elements 6 and from there can exit the shower device as a fine/needle jet through the fine jet openings 7.
(26) FIG. 4 shows in a detail view corresponding to FIG. 3 an embodiment variant of the shower device of FIGS. 1 to 3 in which the jet outlet elements 6 are produced as individual parts and held in the shower device. For this purpose, they are inserted from inside into the respectively associated jet disc opening 5 of the jet disc 4 and held in this position by a housing plate or intermediate plate 8 of the shower device that is laid against them on the inner side of the shower device. To this end, as can be seen in more detail from FIGS. 5 and 7, the jet outlet element 6 has a holding shoulder 6d salient radially from the side wall 6b and a spacer 6e axially projecting on its inlet-sided face end. In the example shown, the spacer 6e includes a plurality of spacing webs which are arranged with a spacing in the circumferential direction of the circular ring-shaped upper, inlet-sided edge of the jet outlet element 6 and project axially from this edge. In this way, a clearance remains between the spacing webs of the spacer 6e, through which clearance shower fluid which is supplied to the shower device can flow via the upper, inlet-sided pot opening of the pot-shaped outlet element 6 into the hollow chamber 6c thereof. Here, an axial spacing between the housing plate or intermediate plate 8 and the jet disc 4 forms a fluid-outlet chamber 11′ from which the jet outlet elements 6 open and via which the fluid supplied to the shower device can be distributed to the plurality of jet outlet elements 6.
(27) In the two exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 4, the jet outlet elements 6 each project outwardly beyond the jet disc 4 in the jet outlet direction with their bottom 6a and an adjoining region of their side wall 6b, for example by about a fifth to a third of their overall axial length. This can be advantageous, for example, for periodic manual cleaning operations. In addition, moreover, the embodiment of FIG. 4 with the individual jet outlet elements 6 corresponds in terms of function and properties to the shower jet outlet device of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, and therefore, for the sake of simplicity, reference will be made below in relation to the further FIGS. 8 to 21 to the embodiment variant with the individual, separately produced jet outlet elements.
(28) Since the wall thickness of the bottom 6a is significantly smaller that the axial length of the jet outlet element 6, for example only about a fifth to a twentieth of the axial length of the jet outlet element 6, the fine jet openings 7 can be incorporated into the elastic material of the bottom 6a in a comparatively simple manner in terms of manufacturing and with a comparatively small passage cross section.
(29) FIGS. 5 to 7 show the relevant jet outlet element 6 in the non-pressurized condition in an embodiment with five cross-sectionally circular fine jet openings 7 which are incorporated into the bottom 6a as axial passage ducts while being distributed equidistantly on an identical radius R and in the circumferential direction. FIG. 8 shows an embodiment variant which corresponds to that of FIGS. 5 to 7 with the sole difference that, instead of the five, only three fine jet openings 7 are arranged at an angular distance of 120° from one another in the bottom 6a of the jet outlet element 6. FIG. 9 shows a further embodiment variant in which, as the sole difference from the embodiment according to FIGS. 5 to 7, the jet outlet element 6 has in its bottom 6a six instead of five fine jet openings 7, specifically an additional, central, sixth fine jet opening in comparison to the embodiment variant of FIGS. 5 to 7.
(30) In further alternative embodiments, the fine jet openings 7 do not, as can be seen for example from FIG. 7, all extend parallel to one another along a longitudinal axis of the jet outlet element 6, but at least some of them extend obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the jet outlet element 6 and/or obliquely to other of the fine jet openings 7. For example, the fine jet openings 7 can extend so as to diverge obliquely outwards or converge obliquely inwards at an oblique angle of 15° or less to the longitudinal axis of the jet outlet element 6 or extend obliquely towards one side in a synchronous manner to one another. The oblique angle can be equal for all fine jet openings 7, or, alternatively, be different for at least two fine jet openings 7. In further alternative embodiments, in addition to the fine jet openings 7 in the bottom 6a, one or more fine jet openings can be provided in a region of the side wall 6b of the jet outlet element 6 that projects beyond the jet disc 4.
(31) As already mentioned in relation to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, the individual jet outlet elements 6 in the embodiment variants of FIGS. 4 to 9 are also made of an elastic material, for example a silicone-based elastomer material. Preferably, here, at least the bottom 6a and the side wall 6b are made in one piece from the elastic material; in the example shown, the jet outlet element 6 is made completely in one piece as a component consisting of an elastic material. Here, the jet outlet element 6 is configured to deform during operation by bulging of its bottom 6a and/or its side wall 6b, in response to a pressure, present in the hollow chamber 6c, of the fluid supplied to the shower device. This is explained in more detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 5 to 7 and the further FIGS. 10 to 17.
(32) As mentioned, FIGS. 5 to 7 show the jet outlet element in the non-pressurized condition, i.e. in the condition when no fluid pressure is present in the hollow chamber 6c. In the examples shown, said element has a circular cross section; in alternative embodiments, it has a different cross section, for example an oval or polygonal cross section. The jet outlet element 6 is preferably produced such that, in this non-pressurized condition, its fine jet openings 7 have a passage cross section of in each case at most about 0.2 mm.sup.2, in particular at most about 0.1 mm.sup.2. In addition or alternatively to this dimensioning of the fine jet openings 7, the jet outlet element 6 is preferably configured such that, in the non-pressurized condition, its outer diameter in the region of the bottom 6a and of the side wall 6b is at most about 10 mm, in particular at most about 6 mm, for example only about 4 mm.
(33) FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate the jet outlet element 6 in an operating condition in which an operating pressure of the supplied fluid, such as water, of about 0.5 bar prevails in the hollow chamber 6c or in an associated fluid supply. It can be seen that the bottom 6a and the side wall 6b of the jet outlet element 6 already begins to bulge slightly as compared with the non-pressurized condition by the prevailing fluid pressure, a diameter D of the side wall 6b and/or a passage cross section A of the fine jet openings 7 being typically already increased by at least 3% with respect to the non-pressurized condition as a result of the bulging. Here, by virtue of the deformation of the bottom 6a, the passage cross section A of the fine jet openings 7 begins to change from its circular shape in the non-pressurized condition into an oval shape which widens in the circumferential direction of the jet outlet element 6. In an experimental test on a practice specimen, there resulted for example an increase in the diameter D by about 5% from about 4 mm in the non-pressurized condition and an increase in the passage cross section A by about 6.5% from about 0.1 mm.sup.2 in the non-pressurized condition.
(34) These deformation tendencies are intensified with increasing fluid operating pressure. FIGS. 12 and 13 show the conditions corresponding to FIGS. 10 and 11 for a fluid operating pressure of about 1 bar. It is visible from FIG. 12 that the cross sections of the fine jet openings 7 are now already appreciably oval, and it can be seen from FIG. 13 that the side wall 6c has bulged further in its diameter D and the bottom 6a has bulged increasingly outwards, i.e. downwards in FIG. 13. On said practice specimen, a percentage increase in the diameter D and in the passage cross section A of the fine jet openings 7 by in each case about 11% to 13% was observed for this fluid pressure of about 1 bar. In general, the jet outlet element 6 is preferably configured such that said percentage increase for these two parameters is at least about 8% at 1 bar.
(35) FIGS. 14 and 15 show the conditions corresponding to FIGS. 12 and 13 with the fluid operating pressure further increased to a value of about 1.5 bar. As can be seen from FIG. 14, the fine jet openings 7 have now widened so as to be appreciably oval. In said practice specimen, an increase in the passage cross section A at this pressure of about 1.5 bar by somewhat over 80% with respect to the non-pressurized condition was determined. It can be seen from FIG. 15 that the side wall 6b has bulged further, i.e. increased, in terms of its diameter D and the bottom 6a has bulged further outwards, i.e. downwards in FIG. 15. The latter results in the aforementioned oval widening of the fine jet openings 7.
(36) FIGS. 16 and 17 illustrate the conditions for the state at the fluid pressure of about 1.5 bar according to FIGS. 14 and 15 in a comparison arrangement with the non-pressurized condition according to FIGS. 5 to 7 in a common bottom view or side view. It is clear from FIG. 16 that and how a non-pressurized, circular passage cross section A.sub.0 of the fine jet openings 7 expands into a passage cross section A.sub.15 which is widened ovally in the circumferential direction of the jet outlet element 6. FIG. 17 illustrates how a non-pressurized diameter value D.sub.0 of the side wall 6b is increased into a bulged-out diameter value D.sub.15 at the fluid pressure value of 1.5 bar.
(37) As will be understood by a person skilled in the art, the system design for the bulging behaviour of the jet outlet element 6 is determined above all by suitable selection of the wall thickness for the bottom 6a and the side wall 6b and of the ratio of axial length to diameter and of the elasticity of the material used, such as the Shore hardness of an elastomer material used. It can further be of importance whether and by what fraction of their axial length the jet outlet elements 6 project beyond the jet disc 4. As needed, the respective jet outlet element can be configured such that with fluid pressure present only its bottom or only its side wall deforms by bulging, or, as explained above, its bottom as well as its side wall deform by bulging.
(38) By virtue of the above-explained bulging, which can also be referred to as breathing, of the jet outlet element 6 in response to the prevailing fluid pressure, the surface of said element remains in movement through the operation of the shower device since the fluid pressure changes during operation, in particular between the non-pressurized condition with the shower device switched off and the respectively provided normal operating pressure of the fluid during active shower device operation. This constant or recurring movement of the surface of the jet outlet element 6 hampers or prevents remaining deposits of dirt and lime particles. This applies in particular also to the region of the fine jet openings 7 which are thus kept free of adhering dirt/lime particles and remain passable over comparatively long operating periods. Moreover, by virtue of this breathing of the jet outlet element 6, any accumulated dirt/lime deposits can usually be automatically detached or discarded through the operation of the shower device.
(39) As explained above, in the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 5 to 17 the fine jet openings 7 which are circular in cross section in the non-pressurized condition change, with increasing fluid pressure, to fine jet openings 7 which are widened ovally in cross section in the circumferential direction of the jet outlet element 6. In an embodiment variant illustrated in FIGS. 18 to 21, this effect is used in a reverse sense.
(40) In this exemplary embodiment, the fine jet openings 7 in the non-pressurized condition shown in FIG. 18 have a cross section which is widened ovally in the radial direction of the jet outlet element 6. FIG. 19 shows these fine jet openings 7 at a fluid operating pressure of about 0.5 bar. As can be seen therefrom, the oval shape of the fine jet openings 7 in this case already begins to diminish somewhat in the direction of a circular cross-sectional shape in that the widening of the fine jet openings 7 that is already mentioned above sets in in the circumferential direction of the jet outlet element 6. FIG. 20 shows the jet outlet element 6 in the state at a fluid operating pressure of about 1.0 bar. As can be seen, the fine jet openings 7 which are oval in the non-pressurized condition have widened further in the circumferential direction of the jet outlet element 6 and now have an only weakly oval, already rather circular cross section. FIG. 21 shows the state at a fluid operating pressure of about 1.5 bar. As can be seen, the fine jet openings 7 have now widened in the circumferential direction of the jet outlet element 6 in such a way that they have an approximately circular cross section.
(41) For the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 18 to 21 with the fine jet openings 7 which are oval in the non-pressurized condition, it is determined that the diameter D of the jet outlet element 6 and the passage cross section A of the fine jet openings 7 increase percentagewise with increasing fluid operating pressure to the same degree as indicated above with respect to the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 5 to 17 for the embodiment variant with the fine jet openings 7 which are circular in the non-pressurized condition.
(42) Thus, depending on the requirement, it is possible with a typical fluid operating pressure in the range from 0.5 bar to 1.5 bar by using the embodiment variant of FIGS. 5 to 17 or the embodiment variant of FIGS. 18 to 21 to provide a shower jet which is produced by the fine jet openings 7 having a rather oval or a rather circular cross section.
(43) In the examples shown the respective jet outlet element is arranged in the associated jet disk opening to be axially unmovable and laterally guided. In alternative embodiments, not shown, the respective jet outlet element is arranged in the associated jet disk opening to be axially movable, i.e. in jet output direction, so that it moves forward by fluid pressure action and thus moves a bit more or nearly completely out of the jet disk opening. This favours, depending on the specific realization, the bulging of its bottom and/or its side wall by the fluid pressure. The skilled person is aware of various possibilities to realize such axially movable support of a jet outlet element in a jet disk opening, so this needs no further explanations here. In further alternative embodiments, not shown, the respective jet outlet element is arranged with lateral distance from the associated jet disk opening, so that its side wall can bulge by the fluid pressure, if needed, not only in a region which axially protrudes out of the jet disk opening, but also in an region which is not axially protruding out of the jet disk opening.
(44) As the shown and aforementioned exemplary embodiments make clear, the invention provides a shower jet outlet device which is comparatively insensitive to clogging phenomena through dirt particles and lime deposits and can be embodied as required in such a way that it can produce a particularly fine, if desired virtually mist-fine shower jet. For this purpose, the fine jet openings can preferably be incorporated with a very small passage cross section in an elastic bottom material of the respective jet outlet element. The fluid-pressure-dependent breathing of the jet outlet element prevents clogging of the small fine jet openings. By virtue of the fact that the cross section of the fine jet openings 7 changes significantly in its area and in its shape, for example between oval and circular as in the embodiments shown, any accumulated dirt/lime particles can be automatically detached or dislodged, and the development of dirt/lime deposits which appreciably constrict the fine jet openings 7 in their free throughflow cross section is effectively counteracted.
(45) It will be understood that, in addition to the shown and the above-explained embodiment variants, the invention encompasses further embodiments of the shower jet outlet device, with the only necessity being that the jet outlet element arranged in the associated jet disc opening is pot-shaped and is arranged with its bottom facing in the jet outlet direction and a plurality of fine jet openings are provided in the bottom. The shower jet outlet device can be used for any conventional type of sanitary shower devices, such as showering devices, kitchen shower devices and shower devices for mixer taps, and non-sanitary shower devices.
