Water spouting device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9328491-B2
Application number	US-201113053953-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2011
Priority date	Mar 31, 2010
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

The present invention provides a water spouting device which enables air bubble entrained water with an increased entrainment rate of air bubbles to be discharged at a low flow rate stage even though the user adjusts the flow rate based on the same feeling as that for a conventional water spouting device, the present water spouting device further enabling, at a high flow rate stage, prevention of discharge of air bubble entrained water with such a total amount as makes the user feel that the resultant amount of water significantly exceeds that intended by the user. A spout cap BC serving as the present water spouting device includes a pressure reducing portion 30 serving as an entrainment rate adjusting portion to adjust the entrainment rate of air bubbles entrained in air bubble entrained water in an air bubble entraining portion 703 . The pressure reducing portion 30 serving as the entrainment rate adjusting portion increases the entrainment rate until inflow water from an inflow port 101 reaches a predetermined flow rate, and suppresses an increase in entrainment rate when the inflow water from the inflow port 101 exceeds the predetermined flow rate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A water spouting device comprising:
a main body portion with a discharge port formed therein and from which water is discharged, an inflow port formed therein and into which the water to be discharged from the discharge port flows from a water supply source, and an internal channel formed therein and extending from the inflow port to the discharge port;
an orifice portion configured to inject the inflow water from the inflow port toward a downstream side of the internal channel;
an air bubble entraining portion with an opening portion formed therein and through which air is introduced into the internal channel, the air bubble entraining portion entraining the air introduced from the opening portion into the water injected from the orifice portion to generate air bubble entrained water and supplying the air bubble entrained water to the discharge port;
an entrainment rate adjusting portion having a member in order to change a channel structure of the water spouting device and configured to adjust an entrainment rate of the air bubbles entrained in the air bubble entrained water in the air bubble entraining portion, the entrainment rate adjusting portion increasing the entrainment rate until the inflow water from the inflow port reaches a predetermined flow rate, and suppressing an increase in entrainment rate automatically, without manual operation by a user, when the inflow water from the inflow port exceeds the predetermined flow rate; and
a biasing device which provides the suppression of the increase in entrainment rate.

2. The water spouting device according to claim 1 , wherein the entrainment rate adjusting portion suppresses the amount of the air introduced into the air bubble entraining portion to restrain an increase in the entrainment rate when the inflow water from the inflow port exceeds the predetermined flow rate.

3. The water spouting device according to claim 2 , wherein the entrainment rate adjusting portion increases the entrainment rate until the inflow water from the inflow port reaches the predetermined flow rate and suppresses the flow of the air and thus an increase in entrainment rate so as to hinder the air from being entrained into the air bubble entraining portion when the inflow water from the inflow port exceeds the predetermined flow rate.

4. The water spouting device according to claim 3 , wherein the entrainment rate adjusting portion increases a channel resistance in the opening portion to suppress the flow of the air and thus an increase in entrainment rate when the inflow water from the inflow port exceeds the predetermined flow rate.

5. The water spouting device according to claim 4 , wherein the entrainment rate adjusting portion reduces an opening area of the opening portion with respect to the internal channel to suppress the flow of the air and thus an increase in entrainment rate.

6. The water spouting device according to claim 5 , further comprising an attenuation portion configured to attenuate a variation in pressure of the inflow water from the inflow port and then to allow the resultant inflow water to flow out to a downstream side of the internal channel,
wherein the entrainment rate adjusting portion comprises a pressure receiving plate configured to receive, in an area of the pressure receiving plate including a center thereof, water flowing out from the attenuation portion and is configured to advance and retract freely along the internal channel under a force exerted by the water received by the pressure receiving plate, and
when the amount of the water received by the pressure receiving plate exceeds a threshold water amount, the entrainment rate adjusting portion moves so as to reduce the opening area.

7. The water spouting device according to claim 3 , wherein the entrainment rate adjusting portion increases an internal pressure in the air bubble entraining portion to reduce a difference in pressure between the air on an upstream side of the opening portion and the air in the air bubble entraining portion to suppress an increase in entrainment rate.

8. The water spouting device according to claim 7 , further comprising a rectification portion provided between the air bubble entraining portion and the discharge port to converge and rectify air bubble entrained water generated by the air bubble entraining portion,
wherein the entrainment rate adjusting portion increases a channel resistance in the rectification portion and thus an internal pressure in the air bubble entraining portion to suppress an increase in entrainment rate.

9. The water spouting device according to claim 8 , further comprising an attenuation portion configured to attenuate a variation in pressure of the inflow water from the inflow port and then to allow the resultant inflow water from the inflow port to flow out to the downstream side of the internal channel,
wherein the entrainment rate adjusting portion comprises a pressure receiving plate configured to receive, in an area of the pressure receiving plate including a center thereof, water flowing out from the attenuation portion and is configured to advance and retract freely along the internal channel under a force exerted by the water received by the pressure receiving plate, and
when the amount of the water received by the pressure receiving plate exceeds a threshold water amount, the entrainment rate adjusting portion moves so as to reduce a cross-sectional area of the internal channel in the rectification portion.

10. The water spouting device according to claim 2 , wherein the entrainment rate adjusting portion restrains a force to draw air from the opening portion into the air bubble entraining portion to suppress the amount of introduced air when the inflow water from the inflow port exceeds the predetermined flow rate.

11. The water spouting device according to claim 10 , further comprising a pressure reducing plate provided so as to block the internal channel and comprising a plurality of holes forming the orifice portion,
wherein the air bubble entraining portion is configured to generate a negative pressure by means of water injected from the plurality of holes to draw in air through the opening portion under an effect of the negative pressure, and
the entrainment rate adjusting portion suppresses an increase in flow velocity of water injected from the plurality of holes to restrain the force to draw in air through the opening portion when the inflow water from the inflow port exceeds the predetermined flow rate.

12. The water spouting device according to claim 11 , wherein the entrainment rate adjusting portion increases the opening area of the plurality of holes to suppress an increase in the flow velocity of the water injected from the plurality of holes when the inflow water from the inflow port exceeds the predetermined flow rate.

13. The water spouting device according to claim 11 , wherein the entrainment rate adjusting portion comprises a path other than the plurality of holes formed downstream of the pressure reducing plate in such a manner that the water flows to and through the path, to suppress an increase in the flow velocity of the water injected from the plurality of holes when the inflow water from the inflow port exceeds the predetermined flow rate.

14. The water spouting device according to claim 1 , wherein the entrainment rate adjusting portion suppresses efficiency at which the air bubble entraining portion entrains air bubbles into the water to restrain an increase in entrainment rate when the inflow water from the inflow port exceeds the predetermined flow rate.

15. The water spouting de

Assignees

• Kitaura Hidekazu
• Takeda Koji
• Kudo Tomohiro
• Yaita Ryohei
• Toto Ltd

Inventors

• Kitaura Hidekazu
• Takeda Koji
• Kudo Tomohiro
• Yaita Ryohei

Classifications

• E03C1/084 Primary

  Jet regulators with aerating means · CPC title