Fluid sprinkling – spraying – and diffusing – Unitary plural outlet means – Insert at terminus forms plural streams
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-26
2001-06-19
Douglas, Lisa Ann (Department: 3752)
Fluid sprinkling, spraying, and diffusing
Unitary plural outlet means
Insert at terminus forms plural streams
C239S596000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06247656
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to water mixing and dispensing devices, and more particularly to a water spray assembly properly functioning during a long period of time. Specifically, the invention relates to a combination of a water spray director and a dispersal plate reliably engaging the water director and a method of manufacturing this combination.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A wide variety of shower heads have been devised and used, ranging from simple sprinkling can type which provides a cluster of small streams of water to complicated and frequently adjustable heads which supply a wide range of shower patterns. While many details of these structures are vastly different, practically all of them have a spray assembly creating a plurality of water jets.
A shower head directs water from a shower fixture to a user in a stream or spray. Adjustable shower heads permit the user to select a wide variety of shower spray options. For example, a user may select a “fine” spray that distributes water in thin streams. Similarly, a user may select increasingly stronger sprays that distribute water in stronger, thicker streams. Fine sprays are often used to provide gentle rinsing action over a wide area. Strong sprays are used to provide intense massage action to one particular area.
Strong massage sprays are produced by directing all water flow through a central opening in a spray director of the shower head. Using a spray ring or dispersal plate disposed in the spray director often produces fine spray.
The dispersal plate typically has an outer surface formed complementary to an inner periphery of the spray director and defined by an edge, which engages formations provided on the inner periphery of the spray director. Such engagement permits water to flow through an array of small apertures formed in the dispersal plate and breaking a stream of water into a multiplicity of water jets.
A process of manufacturing the spray director usually involves a machine provided with a drilling tool, which is driven to traverse a blank. The blank is held in a position wherein its longitudinal axis extends parallel to displacement of the drilling tool which typically makes a central bore in the blank extending between inner and outer ends of the blank. Once this operation is completed, the blank is remounted to have its axial ends inverted for tapping the outer end of the blank.
As a consequence, an inner peripheral wall which may narrow toward its threaded outer end is formed and has an annular flange which separates the threaded outer end from the rest of the wall and may serve as a seat for a dispersal plate.
As known from the prior art which is illustrated in
FIGS. 1 and 2
, a dispersal plate
18
is typically a thin annular plate made of metal and having an array of small orifices
20
which may be arranged in a circular pattern spaced radially from the plate's edge.
Referring to
FIG. 2
, a rather typical spray director
10
has an inner peripheral wall extending between an inner end
12
and an outer end
14
which, in turn, is provided with a thread
16
, as explained above. An annular flange
22
receives a dispersal plate
18
pneumatically pushed to sit on the flange
22
while gripping the wall with its edge. A stream of water entering the inner end
12
encounters the dispersal plate having an array of orifices that break the stream in a plurality of water jets delivered to a user.
As mentioned above, a process of manufacturing the spray director typically necessitates remounting of a blank in order to tap one of the opposite ends of the blank and, thus, may be rather complex and time consuming.
Also, a position of a dispersal plate during its installation within the spray director may not be properly centered along a center axis of the director due to the deformation of the plate during its displacement. Moreover, while current designs of the dispersal plate may operate satisfactorily while new, after a period of use it may be subject to deformations hampering the engagement with the spray director. All of it may easily lead to a rather high manufacturing cost and multifunction of the spray director during its use.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide a method of manufacturing a spray director without having a tool blank to be machined readjusted after a central bore has been made. It is also desirable to provide a method of ensuring a proper position of a dispersal plate within the spray director, as is the dispersal plate which has a structure facilitating and ensuring properly positioning of the dispersal plate during its displacement along the spray director.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This is achieved by a method of forming a spray director without readjusting a tool blank on a working station of a multi-spindle bar machine and by one dispersal plate having its edge which is provided with an array of engaging elements gripping the inner periphery of the spray director.
According to one aspect of the invention, a blank to be machined is centered in a position, wherein a drilling tool drills a central bore. Afterwards, without dismounting the tool, a thread is formed by a threading tool brought up in an alignment with the bored blank and displaceable to tap an outer end of the blank. Further, a recessing tool is displaced in alignment of the bored and tapped blank to provide a recess in the vicinity of the outer end next to the thread. Initially recessing the inner peripheral wall of the spray director and, subsequently, tapping the outer end thereof may reverse a sequence in which the last two steps are performed.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a dispersal plate has an array of angularly spaced apart legs, wherein a distance between diametrically spaced legs is grater than a diameter of a region of the inner peripheral wall against which the legs resiliently urge.
According to still another aspect of the invention, the legs are bent with respect to a plane of the plate and have a degree of flexibility to resiliently engage an inner peripheral wall upon displacement of the plate toward the inner end of the spray director. Particularly, the legs formed on the edge are bent upwardly toward an inner end of the spray director at an angle varying from 10° to 20°.
Particularly, an inner peripheral wall of the spray director has a peripheral groove receiving the legs of the dispersal plate to center the dispersal plate in a predetermined position regardless of possible misalignment of the plate during its displacement toward an outer end of the spray director.
As a consequence, the bent legs of the dispersal plate spring into the groove and lock in place upon displacement of the dispersal plated toward the outer end of the spray director.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a method of manufacturing a spray assembly including a spray director which remains in the same position during its entire manufacturing process.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a spray director having peripheral groove receiving a dispersal plate to lock the dispersal plate in a centered position, wherein it lies generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the spray director.
Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a dispersal plate having an array of bent flexible legs which are formed on a peripheral edge of the plate to resiliently engage a peripheral groove of the spray director and lock in place.
REFERENCES:
patent: 515669 (1894-02-01), Fry
patent: 2998932 (1961-09-01), Aghnides
patent: 3313490 (1967-04-01), Loveland
patent: 3537543 (1970-11-01), Gibel
patent: 3630444 (1971-12-01), Nelson
patent: 3640472 (1972-02-01), Hruby, Jr. et al.
patent: 5381957 (1995-01-01), Bianco
patent: 5626295 (1997-05-01), Heyse et al.
Lagasse Roland
Wales Michael
Douglas Lisa Ann
Resources Conservation, Inc.
St. Onge Steward Johnston & Reens LLC
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