Flow quantity regulator

#The invention relates to a flow volume regulator having at least one throttle body which is composed of elastically deformable material and which is arranged in the throughflow duct of a regulator housing and which delimits a control gap between itself and a regulating profiling provided on an inner circumferential and/or outer circumferential duct wall, the clear throughflow cross section of which control gap can be varied as a result of the throttle body which can be deformed under the pressure of the medium flowing through, with the regulating housing bearing on its outer circumference a clamping edge region for clamping the flow volume regulator between two line sections or line components which are connected to one another.

#Flow volume regulators are designed to be inserted into sanitary water lines in order to define, independently of the water pressure, a maximum value for the water quantity which can be extracted from said water lines. Flow volume regulators of said type are already known in various embodiments.

#For example, DE 20 2007 008 808 U1 and DE 26 23 191 A1 have already disclosed flow volume regulators which are designed for water economization in showers. The already-known flow volume regulators have a housing which bears, in its face end regions, in each case one connecting thread. By means of the connecting threads provided in the face end regions, the regulator housing of said already-known flow volume regulator can be connected into the water line which leads to a shower head. The already-known flow volume regulators can also be installed into a water line retroactively; it is however a disadvantage that the regulator housing of said already-known flow volume regulator remains visible on account of the form and colour which are not matched to the existing line sections, and said regulator housing can therefore adversely affect the external appearance of the fitting.

#Further features of the invention will emerge from the following description of the figures in conjunction with the claims. A preferred exemplary embodiment will be explained in more detail below on the basis of the drawing, in which:

#FIG. 1 shows a flow volume regulator, illustrated in longitudinal section, which is arranged in the ring opening of a sealing ring provided at the outer circumference,

#FIG. 2 shows the flow volume regulator from FIG. 1 in a plan view of its inflow side,

#FIGS. 1 to 6, 8 to 33 and 35 show a flow volume regulator 1, 30, 31, 32 and 33 having an annular throttle body 2 composed of elastically deformable material, which throttle body 2 is arranged in the throughflow duct 3 of a regulator housing 4. The throttle body 2 delimits a control gap 5 between itself and a regulating profiling provided on an inner circumferential or outer circumferential duct wall, the clear throughflow cross section of which control gap 5 can be varied as a result of the throttle body 2 which can be deformed under the pressure of the medium flowing through. Since the throttle body 2 which is composed of elastically deformable material is deformed under the pressure of the inflowing water, and since the control gap 5 is progressively constricted as the pressure of the inflowing water increases, a maximum value can be defined for the volume, which flows through per unit time, of the medium passing through the throughflow duct 3.

#As can be seen in FIGS. 1 to 6, 8 to 33 and 35, the regulator housing 4 of the flow volume regulator 1, 30, 31, 32 and 33 has on its outer circumference a clamping edge region which is provided for clamping the flow volume regulator 1 between two line sections or line components, which are connected to one another, of a sanitary supply line. Here, it can be seen particularly clearly in FIGS. 1, 10, 16, 19, 21, 28, 31 and 35 that the regulator housing 4 is arranged in the ring opening of a sealing ring 6 whose end surfaces 7, 8 on the inflow and outflow sides form the clamping edge region. The flow volume regulator 1 can thus be inserted for example into the sleeve nut of a pipeline coupling, with the clamping edge region, which is formed by the sealing ring 6, of said flow volume regulator 1 serving to seal off to the outside the end surfaces, which bear against one another, of the adjoining line sections.

#FIGS. 1, 10, 19, 21, 28, 31 and 35 show that the regulator housing 4 of the flow volume regulator 1, 30, 32, and 33 can be releasably latched in the ring opening of the sealing ring 6. For this purpose, an encircling latching groove 9 is proved on the ring inner circumference, which borders the ring opening, of the sealing ring 6, which latching groove 9 can be releasably latched by a likewise encircling latching projection 10 on the outer circumference of the regulator housing 4.