Water jet ventilator

#The invention relates to a water jet ventilator or aerator for connection to a sanitary fitting in accordance with the preamble of claim 1.

#Such water jet ventilators, also known as jet regulators, have a water inlet and a water outlet, as well as devices for splitting up the water flowing into the water jet ventilator positioned between the water inlet and the water outlet and which serve to mix the water with drawn in air. Water jet ventilators are nowadays widely used, because a ventilated or aerated water jet does not splash and allows a quiet inflow of water. In addition, e.g. for washing the hands, the water quantity can be reduced without this having a disadvantageous effect on the cleaning power.

#The devices for splitting up and mixing the inflowing water with drawn in air normally operate in a number of stages. Firstly the inflowing water is split up by a device for producing single jets. For this purpose there are normally one or more superimposed perforated plates, the holes normally being staggered. Following this in the flow direction there is normally a free space or a chamber with the possibility of air access from below, so that here air can be drawn in according to the water jet pump principle. The individual jets are then split up in at least one splitting and mixing device following in the flow direction and are mixed with the drawn in air.

#These and further features of the invention can be gathered from the following description of preferred embodiments in conjunction with the subclaims and drawings. The individual features can be implemented singly or in the form of combinations. In the drawings show:

#FIG. 1 Two juxtaposed axial sections through two embodiments of inventive water jet ventilators, which are substantially identical with regards to the geometry of their components.

#FIG. 2 A larger scale detail view of the encircled area I of the left-hand embodiment of FIG. 1.

#FIG. 1 shows two juxtaposed, differing embodiments of a substantially cylindrical water jet ventilator or aerator 1, both embodiments being identical with regards to the geometry of the components and are therefore jointly represented. In per se known manner the water jet ventilator is fixed by a sleeve 4 having an external thread 2 and a bearing shoulder 3 and accompanied by the interposing of a packing ring 5, to the outlet of a water tap or faucet 6 or an intake for a bath tub or the like. The water jet ventilator 1 is an example of the jet regulators of the type shown in EP 151 998, whose geometrical features regarding arrangement and/or dimensioning of individual components can be implemented in substantially unchanged form in inventive water jet ventilators. The relevant features are hereby made by reference into part of the present application.

#Considered in the flow direction, the ventilator 1 essentially comprises four functional units. These are a device 7 for producing individual water jets, the device comprising two perforated plates 8 and 9 with staggered holes, an air space 10 located below it and which is supplied with suction air through lateral openings 11, several concentric, terraced devices 12 for splitting up the individual jets accompanied by a simultaneous mixing with air, as well as connected, concentric guide channels 13. The guide channels have common partitions 14 and additional radial partitions 15, which at least at the outlet side are so thin that the air/water flows on passing out of the ventilator 1 combine to form a single, joint ventilated water jet.

#There are four cylindrical sleeves 14 and 17 concentric to one another and serving as boundary or partition walls, which in the area of the water outlet 16 terminate in a common exit plane for the ventilated jet and bound four passage channels 13, the central channel being cylindrical and the channels arranged around it are constructed as ring or circular channels, which are interrupted by eight web-like, radial partitions 15. The outer-most sleeve forms the outer jacket 17 of the jet ventilator with a conventional external diameter, which is provided in the upper region with a step-like widening or extension used for bearing on the shoulder 3 of the fixing sleeve 4.