Splashless spray head

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9259743-B2
Application number	US-201414207244-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2014
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Feb 16, 2016
Grant date	Feb 16, 2016

Abstract

A spray head for a sprayer includes a body portion that receives a supply of fluid and a head portion in fluid communication with the body portion. The head portion of the spray head includes an outer surface which includes a plurality of spray nozzles used to direct a high velocity fluid flow from the spray head and a plurality of spray holes arranged as an outer ring which concentrically surrounds the spray nozzles and directs a lower velocity curtain of water that substantially surrounds the high velocity fluid flow. The lower velocity curtain of water reduces splashing that may result from the high velocity spray directed from the spray nozzles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A spray head, comprising:
a body portion that receives a supply of fluid; and
a head portion in fluid communication with the body portion, wherein the head portion includes an outer surface;
a plurality of spray nozzles and a plurality of spray holes formed within the head portion, the spray nozzles being arranged within a central portion of the head portion, and the spray holes being arranged as an outer ring within the head portion, so that the spray holes surround the spray nozzles;
wherein the spray nozzles are configured to direct a spray having a first velocity therefrom and the spray holes are configured to direct a fluid flow having a second velocity that is lower than the first velocity of the spray in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the body portion;
wherein the spray holes are further configured such that the fluid flow effectively reduces splashing that may result from the spray impacting an object when the supply of fluid is in fluid communication with both the spray holes and the spray nozzles.

2. The spray head of claim 1 , wherein when the supply of fluid is in fluid communication with the spray holes, the fluid flow is substantially cylindrical.

3. The spray head of claim 1 , further including a valve used to separately regulate the fluid flow and the spray.

4. The spray head of claim 1 , wherein the spray head includes between 100 and 180 spray holes having diameters measuring between 0.28 mm and 0.32 mm disposed therein.

5. The spray head of claim 1 , wherein the spray holes are formed using a photo-etching process.

6. The spray head of claim 1 , wherein the head portion is formed from a stainless steel disc.

7. The spray head of claim 1 , wherein the spray holes are arranged as an outer ring are spaced approximately at most 1 mm apart.

8. A spray head, comprising:
a body portion that receives a supply of fluid;
a head portion in fluid communication with the body portion;
a plurality of spray nozzles extending through the head portion and configured to direct a spray having a first velocity from the head portion; and
a plurality of spray holes which extend through the head portion, surround the spray nozzles, and are configured to direct a curtain of water having a second velocity lower than the first velocity that substantially contains the spray when the spray holes and spray nozzles are in fluid communication with the supply of fluid;
wherein the spray holes are further configured such that the curtain of water effectively reduces splashing that may result from the spray impacting an object when the supply of fluid is in fluid communication with both the spray holes and the spray nozzles.

9. The spray head of claim 8 , wherein when the supply of fluid is in fluid communication with the spray holes, the curtain of water is substantially cylindrical.

10. The spray head of claim 8 , wherein when the supply of fluid is in fluid communication with the spray holes, the curtain of water is conical.

11. The spray head of claim 8 , further including a valve used to separately regulate the flow curtain of water and the spray.

12. The spray head of claim 8 , wherein the spray head includes between 100 and 180 spray holes having diameters measuring between 0.28 mm and 0.32 mm disposed therein.

13. The spray head of claim 8 , wherein the spray holes are formed using a photo-etching process.

14. The spray head of claim 8 , wherein the head portion is formed from a stainless steel disc.

15. The spray head of claim 8 , wherein the spray holes that are arranged as an outer ring are spaced approximately at most 1 mm apart.

16. A spray head, comprising:
a body portion that receives a supply of fluid; and
a head portion in fluid communication with the body portion;
a plurality of spray nozzles that extend through the head portion and are configured to direct a spray having a first velocity from the head portion; and
a plurality of spray holes spaced approximately at most 1 mm apart extend through the head portion and surround the spray nozzles and are configured to direct a fluid flow having a second velocity lower than the first velocity from the head portion;
wherein when the supply of fluid is in fluid communication with both the spray holes and the spray nozzles, a fluid flow dispensed through the spray holes is substantially cylindrical and surrounds the spray dispensed through the spray nozzles.

17. The spray head of claim 16 , wherein the spray holes are formed using a photo-etching process.

18. The spray head of claim 16 , wherein the spray holes are configured such that the fluid flow dispensed therethrough effectively reduces splashing that may result from the spray when the supply of fluid is in fluid communication with both the spray holes and the spray nozzles.

19. The spray head of claim 16 , wherein the spray head includes between 100 and 180 spray holes having diameters measuring between 0.28 mm and 0.32 mm disposed therein.

20. The spray head of claim 16 , wherein the head portion is formed from a stainless steel disc.

21. A spray head, comprising:
a head portion having a central axis;
a plurality of spray nozzles disposed in the head portion and configured to emit jets of water at a first velocity and in a direction substantially parallel to the central axis;
a plurality of spray holes disposed in the head portion and configured to emit a ring of discrete streams of water substantially parallel to, and surrounding, the central axis and the spray nozzles, the spray holes configured to emit the ring of discrete streams of water at a second velocity that surrounds the jets of water emitted by the spray nozzles;
wherein the second velocity is less than the first velocity.

Assignees

• Kohler Co

Inventors

• Hanna Ken S
• Kajuch Pete
• Swarte Gregory De

Classifications

• B05B1/22

  Spouts (anti-splash devices for water-taps E03C1/08) · CPC title

• B05B1/06 Primary

  in annular, tubular or hollow conical form · CPC title

• B05B15/0431

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B05B1/14 Primary

  with multiple outlet openings (B05B1/02, B05B1/26 take precedence); with strainers in or outside the outlet opening · CPC title

• E03C1/0405

  enabling multiple spray patterns · CPC title