Abstract:
A jet aerator ( 1 ) having an aerator housing ( 8 ) that can be installed in the water discharge of a sanitary outlet fitting, and having a jet splitter ( 12 ) in the interior of the housing, dividing the inflowing water flow into a plurality of individual jets, a mixing zone ( 14 ) being disposed downstream of the splitter for aerating the individual jets, wherein at least one aerator duct ( 16 ) is provided that ends in the mixing zone ( 14 ). The jet aerator has a throttle or closing piece ( 18 ) for reducing and/or optionally activating or deactivating the aerating function, the throttle or closing piece being displaceable between an open position opening the at least one aerating duct ( 16 ) and a throttle or closing position at least partially closing the at least one aerating duct ( 16 ) by a rotary and/or sliding movement.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The invention relates to a sanitary unit having a jet aerator which has an aerator housing which can be inserted into the water outlet of a sanitary outlet fitting and which, in its housing interior, has a jet splitter which separates the incoming water flow into a multiplicity of individual jets and downstream of which at the outflow side is positioned a mixing zone for aerating the individual jets, with at least one aerating duct which opens out in the mixing zone being provided, and also having a throttling or closing piece which, for throttling and/or selectively activating or deactivating the aerating function, can be varied in terms of its relative position with respect to the aerator housing. 
         [0002]    Attachment units having jet aerators of said type are already known in a wide variety of embodiments. The already known jet aerators have an aerator housing which can be inserted into the water outlet of a sanitary outlet fitting. A jet splitter is provided in the housing interior of the aerator housing, which jet splitter may for example be embodied as a perforated plate or as a diffuser and separates the water flow flowing to the jet aerator into a multiplicity of individual jets. Positioned in the aerator housing downstream of the jet splitter at the outflow side is a mixing zone in which the individual jets are aerated before said jets are merged and formed again in downstream functional units of the jet aerator to form a homogeneous, sparkling, soft and non-sputtering overall jet. To be able to supply the required air to the mixing zone, at least one aerating duct is provided which may for example be formed by the annular chamber which is arranged between the outlet mouthpiece and the aerator housing and which leads to orifice openings in the aerator housing. 
         [0003]    The aeration of the water jet flowing out of the outlet fitting, as is sought with the already known jet aerators, manifests itself in a multiplicity of air bubbles which cause the outflowing water jet to be made noticeably white in color. In some culture groups, however, only a clear, non-colored and therefore non-aerated water jet is tolerated as being fit for consumption. Furthermore, the aeration of the water jet may possibly increase the risk of germs being entrained in the water jet, for which reason such aeration of the water jet is in part also avoided in hospitals, for example. In such cases, jet regulators are used in which aeration of the water jet is not possible. Different jet regulator designs must therefore be produced and stocked according to the application and field of use. 
         [0004]    DE-B 1 107 607 already describes various embodiments of a device which serves to aerate water which emerges under pressure, in particular in domestic water lines. In the already known device, external air can freely enter below a perforated transverse wall, wherein the splitting of the water and the intimate mixture of said water with the air is performed by a sieve body which is dimensioned such that a coherent, air-bubble-laden water flow emerges from said sieve body. In the already known device, to influence the composition of the water-air mixture which is generated, and to also be able to activate or deactivate the aerating function if appropriate, the throughflow cross section of the perforated transverse wall and therefore the speed of the water flowing through the transverse wall and impinging on the sieve body can be regulated. In said already known device, however, it is disadvantageous that the aerating function is regulated only indirectly by means of a change in the throughflow speed or throughflow power of the water flowing to the mixing zone, and that other parameters of the outflowing water jet are also changed with the regulation of the aerating function. The handling of the already known device is thereby impeded considerably. 
         [0005]    A device has also already been created in which, to generate aerated or non-aerated jets, sieves or sieve-free outlet openings can be selectively placed in the region below the transverse wall openings in which the external air can freely enter (cf. DE-B 1 184 706). Since sieves of said type can however retard the emerging water jet, other parameters of the emerging water jet are noticeably changed by means of the aerating function in said device too. Furthermore, said already known device does not permit continuously variable regulation of the aerating function. 
         [0006]    DE 34 18 165 C2 has already disclosed a device having an aerating device for aerating the water jet emerging from a tap, which aerating device has a plurality of transverse walls arranged transversely with respect to the outflow direction of the water jet, wherein air can be supplied from the outside at least downstream of the first transverse wall. Here, the water quantity per unit time can be adjusted by rotating a spindle which projects out of the aerating device downstream. In the device already known from DE 34 18 165 C2, therefore, a water jet is generated which is variable in terms of its throughflow quantity but which is always aerated. 
         [0007]    A jet aerator having an aerator housing is already known from US-A-2004/0199995. The already known jet aerator can be inserted with its aerator housing into the outlet-side end opening of a throttling or closing piece in such a way that the aerator housing can be gripped by a partial region, which projects out of the throttling or closing piece, and can be rotated in terms of its relative position with respect to the throttling or closing piece in such a way that the duct sections, which are provided firstly in the throttling or closing piece and secondly in the aerator housing, of the at least one aerating duct can be placed in order out of alignment, into an open and closed position respectively. 
         [0008]    Since, in the jet aerator already known from US-A-2005/0199995, the aerating duct is aligned radially with respect to the longitudinal axis of the water outlet and since the throttling or closing piece forms the outflow-side outlet end region of the sanitary outlet fitting, the duct inlet, which is arranged on the outer periphery of the throttling or closing piece, of the aerating duct is always in the field of view of the user. However, since, at relatively low line pressures and low flow speeds, as regularly occur during the opening and closing of a fitting, the vacuum required for air induction in the mixing chamber below the jet splitter device is not yet generated, it is often the case that the throughflowing water can build up upstream of the insert parts which are positioned downstream of the aerator housing, and can flow into the region of the aerating duct. With increasing throughflow and increasing acceleration of the individual water jets in the jet splitter device, the vacuum required for air induction is duly generated, but the aerating duct is also still wetted, which can lead to accumulations of limescale in the case of lime-containing water, which limescale accumulations are firstly visible as undesired dirt in the region of the duct inlet, which is arranged at the outer peripheral side, of the aerating duct, and secondly causes the free duct cross section of the aerating duct to become progressively smaller until said aerating duct is completely contaminated with dirt and is unusable. Furthermore, in the jet aerator provided in US-A-2004/199995, the aerating duct can be hermetically sealed off with respect to the throttling or closing piece in order to reliably prevent an induction of air in the throttling or closed position. For this purpose, it is necessary for the seal, which surrounds the duct sections provided firstly in the throttling or closing piece and secondly in the aerator housing, to bear under preload against the throttling or closing piece, such that a rotational movement which is applied to the aerator housing relative to the throttling or closing piece is possible only with increased friction. As a result, there is the risk that, in the event of such a rotational movement being applied to the aerator housing, the throttling or closing piece can also be inadvertently detached from the outflow-side end of the outlet fitting. Furthermore, the attachment unit already known from US-A-2004/0199995 has the disadvantage that it is not compatible with commercially available jet aerators and can therefore be produced only with considerably increased production expenditure. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0009]    It is therefore the object to create a sanitary unit of the type mentioned in the introduction having a jet aerator whose aerating function can be varied in a simple manner, which can be used in a correspondingly versatile manner and by means of which the disadvantages known from already known jet aerators can be avoided. 
         [0010]    According to the appended proposal for a new application for protection, said object is now achieved according to the invention in that the jet aerator can be inserted into an outlet mouthpiece which can be mounted on the water outlet of the outlet fitting, in that the at least one aerating duct is provided, at least in sections, between the outlet mouthpiece and the aerator housing, in that the throttling or closing piece can be moved, by means of a rotational and/or sliding movement, between an open position, in which the at least one aerating duct is open, and a throttling or closed position, in which the at least one aerating duct is at least partially closed, and in that the throttling or closing piece, in the throttling or closed position, at least partially closes off the at least one aerating duct in the region of the at least one duct orifice, which leads to the mixing zone, of said aerating duct and/or in the region of the at least one duct inlet of said aerating duct. 
         [0011]    Since the jet aerator of the attachment unit according to the invention is inserted into an outlet mouthpiece which can be mounted on the water outlet of the outlet fitting, it is possible to resort even to commercially available jet aerators. Since the at least one aerating duct is not arranged radially, and its duct opening therefore also need not have an attachment unit at the outer periphery, limescale accumulations which lie in the field of view of the user are prevented. Since the rotational and/or sliding movement required for the throttling and/or selective activation or deactivation of the aerating function is applied to the throttling or closing piece, and since the jet aerator is, in contrast, held in an outlet mouthpiece which can be mounted on the water outlet of the outlet fitting, an inadvertent detachment of the attachment unit composed of jet regulator, throttling or closing piece and outlet mouthpiece is prevented. 
         [0012]    One particularly simple and nevertheless advantageous embodiment according to the invention provides that the throttling or closing piece is of sleeve-shaped design and engages around the aerator housing. 
         [0013]    It is expedient if the throttling or closing piece is held in a rotatable and/or slidable manner on the aerator housing or on the outlet mouthpiece. 
         [0014]    One embodiment of the invention provides that the throttling or closing piece can be latched, preferably in a detachable fashion, in its open position and/or in its throttling or closed position. 
         [0015]    It may be expedient if the throttling or closing piece is connected to the outlet mouthpiece by means of a screw thread. 
         [0016]    Another embodiment of the invention consists in that the throttling or closing piece carries an annular seal which, in the throttling or closed position of the throttling or closing piece, at least partially closes off the inlet opening of the aerating duct which is provided between the outlet mouthpiece and the aerator housing. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]    Further features according to the invention can be gathered from the following description of the figures and from the claims. The invention is described in more detail below on the basis of advantageous exemplary embodiments. 
           [0018]    In the figures: 
           [0019]      FIGS. 1 to 2  show a jet aerator in which an aerating duct which leads to a mixing zone in the aerator housing can be opened and closed off in the region of the inlet opening, 
           [0020]      FIGS. 3 to 4  show a jet aerator in which the inlet opening of the aerating duct is delimited by a sealing surface on the aerator housing, which sealing surface interacts with a counterpart sealing surface on a throttling or closing piece which can be moved in the direction of the aerator housing, 
           [0021]      FIGS. 5 to 6  show a jet aerator which can be inserted into an outlet mouthpiece which, instead of the internal thread provided in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , has an external thread by means of which the outlet mouthpiece can be detachably mounted on a sanitary outlet fitting, 
           [0022]      FIGS. 7 to 8  show a jet aerator in which a throttling or closing piece is guided in an axially movable manner, which throttling or closing piece, in its closed position, closes off the orifice openings, which lead to a mixing zone in the housing interior, of the aerating duct, 
           [0023]      FIGS. 9 to 12  show a jet aerator in which the throttling or closing piece is held in a rotatable manner on the aerator housing and has, at the periphery, aerating openings which, in the open position of the closing piece, are aligned with orifice openings in the aerating housing, while the closing piece, in its closed position, closes off the orifice openings, 
           [0024]      FIGS. 13 to 16  show a jet aerator whose throttling or closing piece has a rotary piece, which is held in a rotatable manner on the outlet mouthpiece, and a closure piece which is guided in an axially slidable manner on the aerator housing, wherein the rotary piece and the closure piece are connected to one another by means of a screw connection which converts a rotational movement at the rotary piece into an axial sliding movement of the closure piece, 
           [0025]      FIGS. 17 to 19  show a jet aerator which is of substantially comparable design to  FIGS. 13 to 16 , and 
           [0026]      FIGS. 20 to 24  show a jet aerator whose throttling or closing piece is guided in an axially slidable manner on the aerator housing and, in its closed position, closes off the orifice openings on the aerator housing. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0027]      FIGS. 1 to 24  show a jet aerator in various embodiments 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. The jet aerator  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6  and  7  has an aerator housing  8  which can be mounted on the water outlet of a sanitary outlet fitting (not illustrated in any more detail here). For this purpose, an outlet mouthpiece  9  is provided which can be screwed with an external thread  10  or with an internal thread  11  to a counterpart thread provided on the water outlet of the outlet fitting, and into which the jet aerator  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6  and  7  can be inserted from the inflow side of the outlet mouthpiece  9  up to an insertion stop. 
         [0028]    The jet aerator  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6  or  7  has, in the housing interior of its aerator housing  8 , a jet splitter  12  which separates the incoming water jet into a multiplicity of individual jets. Said jet splitter  12  may be designed as a perforated plate—in the present figures, however, the jet splitter  12  is embodied as a pot-shaped diffuser which, at the peripheral edge of its pot shape, has throughflow openings  13  arranged so as to be distributed at regular intervals in relation to one another. Positioned in the housing interior of the aerator housing  8  downstream of the jet splitter  12  at the outflow side is a mixing zone  14  in which the individual jets can be aerated before said jets are merged and formed in a downstream flow straightener which is preferably designed as a honeycomb-shaped perforated plate  15 , or if appropriate in further upstream functional units of the jet aerator  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6  or  7 , to form a homogeneous, sparking, soft and non-sputtering water jet. 
         [0029]    To be able to aerate the individual jets in the mixing zone  14 , an aerating duct  16  which is embodied as an annular chamber is provided between the outlet mouthpiece  9  and the aerator housing  8 , which aerating duct  16  opens out into a plurality of orifice openings  17  which are arranged in an encircling fashion on the housing periphery of the aerator housing  8  and which serve as a duct outlet. As a result of the constriction of the jet cross section in the region of the jet splitter  12 , and the resulting increase in speed of the individual jets in relation to the incoming water flow, a vacuum is generated in the mixing zone  14 , which vacuum causes air to be inducted via the aerating duct  16 . 
         [0030]    From a comparison of  FIGS. 1 to 24 , it is clear that the aerating function of the jet aerators  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7  can be selectively activated or deactivated. For this purpose, a throttling or closing piece  18  is provided which can be moved, by means of a rotational and/or sliding movement, between an open position, in which the at least one aerating duct  16  is open, and a throttling or closed position, in which the at least one aerating duct  16  is closed. Since the aerating function can be varied in a continuous fashion in the exemplary embodiments 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 illustrated here, intermediate positions with a throttled aerating function in relation to the open position are also possible. 
         [0031]    The throttling or closing piece  18  is of sleeve-shaped design and engages around the aerator housing  8 . While the throttling or closing piece  18  closes off the aerating duct  16  in the region of its at least one duct inlet  19  in the jet regulators  1 ,  2 ,  5  shown in  FIGS. 1 to 6  and  13  to  16 , the throttling or closing piece  18  of the jet aerators  3 ,  4 ,  6  and  7  illustrated in the other figures blocks in the region of the at least one duct orifice, which leads to the mixing zone  14 , of said aerating duct  16 . 
         [0032]    In the jet aerators  3 ,  4  and  7  shown in  FIGS. 7 to 12  and  20  to  24 , the throttling or closing piece  18  is held in a rotatable and/or slidable manner on the aerator housing  8 . In contrast, in the jet aerators  1 ,  2 ,  5  and  6 , the throttling or closing piece  18  is guided in a movable manner on the outlet mouthpiece  9 . 
         [0033]    The throttling or closing piece  18  of the jet aerators  3 ,  4 ,  7  can be latched at least in the closed position in a detachable fashion. 
         [0034]    In the jet aerators  1 ,  2  illustrated in  FIGS. 1 to 4 , the throttling or closing piece  18  is held on the outer periphery of the outlet mouthpiece  9  in a rotatably and axially adjustable manner by means of a screw thread  20 . Here, the throttling or closing piece  18  of the jet aerator  1  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  has, on its inner periphery, an annular seal  21  which, in the closed position of the throttling or closing piece, closes off the duct inlet of the aerating duct  16  which is provided between the outlet mouthpiece  9  and aerator housing  8 . 
         [0035]    The jet aerator  2  illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4  has, on the outlet-side end edge region of its aerator housing  8 , an encircling sealing surface  22  which interacts with a counterpart sealing surface  23  on the throttling or closing piece  18 . As can be seen from the open position shown in  FIG. 4 , the inlet opening  19  of the aerating duct  8  is bordered by the sealing surface  22  and the counterpart sealing surface  23  which has a corresponding chamfer with respect to the jet aerator longitudinal axis. 
         [0036]    By means of a rotational movement applied to the throttling or closing piece  18 , the closing piece  18  is screwed to the outlet mouthpiece  9  in such a way that, in the closed position as per  FIG. 3 , the sealing surface  22  acts on the counterpart sealing surface  23  in a sealing fashion. Here, the annular gap which is provided between the throttling or closing piece  18  on the one hand and the outlet mouthpiece  9  on the other hand is sealed off by means of an annular seal  24  which is held in an annular groove  25  on the outer periphery of the outlet mouthpiece  9 . 
         [0037]    While the outlet mouthpiece  9  of the jet regulator  2  shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4  can be fastened with an internal thread  11  to the water outlet of a sanitary outlet fitting, an external thread  10  is provided for this purpose in the jet aerator  2  shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . 
         [0038]    The aerator housing  8  of the jet aerator  3  shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8  has, on its outflow-side housing peripheral edge, orifice openings  17  which can be closed off by means of a throttling or closing piece  18  which is guided in an axially slidable manner on the outer periphery of the aerator housing  8 . The throttling or closing piece  18  has corresponding passage openings  26  which, only in the open position shown in  FIG. 8 , are aligned with the orifice openings  17  which lead to the mixing zone  14 . The throttling or closing piece  18  can be latched to the housing outer periphery of the jet aerator in a detachable fashion in the open position and in the closed position. 
         [0039]      FIGS. 9 to 12  illustrate a jet aerator  4  which is of similar design but whose passage openings  26  can, by means of a rotational movement, be placed in alignment with the orifice openings on the aerator housing  8 . To be able to tangibly discern that the jet aerator  4  is in the open position shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , corresponding latching means  27 ,  28  are provided between the aerator housing  8  and the throttling or closing piece  18 , which latching means  27 ,  28  latch in each case in the different open and closed positions. 
         [0040]    The jet aerators  5 ,  6  shown in  FIGS. 13 to 19  have a two-part throttling or closing piece  18  with a rotary piece  29  which is held in a rotatable manner on the outlet mouthpiece  9  and with a closure piece  30  which is guided in an axially slidable manner on the jet aerator  5 ,  6 . Here, the rotary piece  29  and the closure piece  30  are connected to one another by means of a screw connection  31  which converts a rotational movement of the rotary piece  29  into an axial sliding movement of the closure piece  30 . By means of a rotation applied to the rotary piece  29 , the closure piece  30  can be adjusted axially from the open position shown in  FIGS. 13 and 15  into the closed position shown in  FIG. 14 , until the counterpart sealing surface  23  which is provided on the inner periphery of the closure piece  30  acts on the sealing surface  22 , which is arranged on the outflow-side end edge region of the aerator housing  8 , in a sealing fashion. 
         [0041]    A jet aerator  6  which is of comparable design is shown in  FIGS. 17 to 19 . However, the jet aerator  6  has, on that side of the orifice openings  17  which faces toward the water outlet of the jet aerator  6 , a sealing surface  22  which projects in the manner of a bead and which interacts with the inflow-side end edge region, which has a corresponding chamfer, of the closure piece  30 , which end edge region forms the counterpart sealing surface  23 .  FIG. 19  shows that the outer periphery of the rotary piece is of non-circular design in order that the user can grip the rotary piece in a rotationally fixed manner between the fingers. 
         [0042]    The jet aerator  7  shown in  FIGS. 20 to 24  has, on its aerator housing  8 , the axially slidably guided throttling or closing piece  18  which, in its open position according to  FIG. 21  and in its closed position according to  FIG. 20 , can latch in each case on the aerator housing  8 . 
         [0043]    The jet aerators  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7  have, at the inflow side, an ancillary sieve  34  which is intended to retain the dirt particles which are entrained in the water and to ensure the correct functioning of the jet aerator  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7 . All the jet aerators  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7  have an inflow-side sealing ring  37  which can be sealingly clamped between the jet aerators  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7  and the adjacent end edge of the water outlet of the outlet fitting. 
         [0044]    It can be seen in  FIGS. 20 to 24  that a handle  36  projects on the outer end edge region of the throttling or closing piece  18 . Said handle  36  is integrally formed on the throttling or closing piece  18  and is formed by a wall section, which extends up to a longitudinal central plane, of the throttling or closing piece  18 , which wall section can be bent in the direction of the longitudinal central plane from the initial position or readiness position illustrated in  FIGS. 20 and 21  into the use position shown in  FIGS. 22 and 23 . In said use position, the throttling or closing piece  18  can be gripped by the handle  36  and moved in the desired rotational direction. To be able to better grip the handle  36 , said handle has a projection  35  which is preferably arranged centrally and projects outward beyond the outlet mouthpiece  9 .