US 5,495,627 A · Combination adjustable jet valve

Abstract

A combination adjustable jet valve for use in a spa, tub or the like, having a valve body and nozzle assembly which can be easily manipulated to adjust the water jet flow, aeration of the water jet and direction of the discharging water jet. A flush mounted control grip on the spa valve body can be rotated to vary the water jet from off to full flow positions. The valve nozzle can be pulled to an on position, allowing the valves venturi effect to draw air into the water flow and aerate the discharging water jet. Alternatively, the nozzle can be pushed into the off position such that air is no longer drawn into the water flow and the discharging water jet is no longer aerated. The nozzle is mounted into a ball socket type arrangement within the valve, allowing directional adjustment of the discharging water jet. Also disclosed is an embodiment where both the water and air are controlled through manipulation of the spa valve nozzle.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A spa jet valve capable of utilizing a standard spa jet housing for discharging an adjustable mixture of air and water into a spa, said spa jet valve comprising:

a cylindrical hollow valve body having a cylindrical shape and a central axis, an aeration chamber positioned in said valve body, said valve body having a water inlet port and a separate air inlet port for directing water and air through said valve body and into said aeration chamber, means mounted in said valve body to manually control and adjust the flow of water into said aeration chamber;
and a tubular rotatable nozzle mounted within said valve body and extending into the spa interior, said nozzle communicating with said aeration chamber for discharging a set of water and air from said aeration chamber into the spa, said nozzle including means of manually controlling the flow of air in to said aeration chamber independent of said means to control and adjust the flow of water, said nozzle further including means of directional adjustment for controlling the direction of the set discharging into the spa.

A spa jet valve for creating and discharging an adjustable mixture and flow of air and water comprising:

a valve housing having an internally threaded open front chamber, two additional internal chambers, an air inlet port and a water inlet port;
an externally threaded flanged sleeve for clamping said spa jet valve to a spa or tub wall, said threaded flange sleeve being threaded into said valve housing's internally threaded open front chamber;
an inner valve body having a cylindrical through bore, side walls and plurality of separate openings through the side walls into the valve body for passage of both water and air from the valve housing air and water inlet ports into the inner valve body;
a valve sleeve having a cylindrical through bore and a plurality of inlet slots for passage of water into the cylindrical through bore, said sleeve fitting inside and freely rotating within a limited range within said inner valve body;
an outer valve body rotatable within said valve housing and fixed such it can rotate said valve sleeve and control the amount of water flowing into the outer valve body from the valve housing, said outer valve body including a control grip located in the spa or tub for user actuation and an aeration chamber in which air is drawn into the flow of discharging water;
a nozzle that is slidable and directable from the valve housing open front chamber to open or close air flow into said aeration chamber and to direct the discharging flow, said nozzle intake located at the aeration chamber and nozzle outlet located within the spa or tub.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Combination adjustable jet valve

Life of this patent

Combination adjustable jet valve

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims15