Patent Publication Number: US-11021857-B2

Title: Micro bubble generating device

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a micro bubble generating device, and more particularly to a micro bubble generating device for softening the water, increasing the air content of the water and improving the fineness of the bubbles. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The conventional aerator is mainly composed of a pump, a water outlet tube communicating with the pump, and an air-liquid mixing tube connecting the water outlet tube. The water outlet tube diameter is tapered from the pump toward the air-liquid mixing tube. The air-liquid mixing tube comprises a conduit connecting the water outlet tube, and an air inlet tube communicating with the outside air, and the conduit has a diameter larger than that of the water outlet tube. When the pump draws the water out and pressurizes it to send to the junction of the water outlet tube and the conduit, the water will form a negative pressure after entering the conduit, and the negative pressure will cause the outside air to be sucked into the air-liquid mixing tube from the air inlet tube, and the air is mixed with the water to form bubbles. The mixed bubble water is guided to an object to be washed, the objective of rinsing and sterilizing through the aeration of water can be achieved. If the aeration is used to rinse vegetables, purified water with high air content also has the effect of decomposing pesticides. 
     However, when the water of the conventional aerator structure flows through the air-liquid mixing tube, the bubble volume is determined by the volume of the air inlet tube and the water pressure of the pump. In addition, the water pressure of the pump must maintain the water above a specific flow rate in order that the air can be drawn in to form an air-liquid mixture. Therefore, under the premise of unable to change the water pressure or reduce the flow rate arbitrarily, the user cannot use the conventional aerator structure to change the average volume of bubbles generated in the air-liquid mixing tube, so when the user needs finer bubbles for water purification, the conventional aerators cannot meet the requirement. In addition, the air-liquid mixture produced by the aforementioned bubble mixing device has a very low air content, and the bubble volume is large, so it is difficult to maintain the shape of the bubble for a long time, also it is required to match with a high water pressure to be possible of producing an air-liquid mixture with an air content, and it is not possible to produce an air-liquid mixture with a milky white color containing a large amount of dense and fine bubbles. Therefore, how to improve the drawbacks of the aforementioned prior art is an issue that the industry is eager to overcome. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to improve the problems that the conventional air-liquid mixing device cannot be used in a low water pressure state or the outputted air-liquid mixture is insufficient in the amount of bubbles, and the density and fineness of bubbles are insufficient. 
     In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a micro bubble generating device disposed at one end of a liquid supply device. The micro bubble generating device comprises a water inlet unit, a water outlet unit, an air inlet groove, and a first sleeve. The water inlet unit comprises at least one first passage penetrating the water inlet unit, and a side of the water inlet unit penetrated by the first passage is provided with a first connecting surface; the water outlet unit comprises at least one second passage penetrating the water outlet unit, and a side of the water outlet unit penetrated by the second passage is provided with a second connecting surface, wherein the water inlet unit is disposed on the water outlet unit, and the first connecting surface and the second connecting surface partially abut against each other to form the air inlet groove between the first connecting surface of the water inlet unit and the second connecting surface of the water outlet unit, and the second passage communicates with the first passage, and the air inlet groove communicates an external air with the first passage and the second passage. The air inlet groove comprises a third passage and a first accommodating chamber circumferentially disposed around the third passage, the first accommodating chamber has a first spacing disposed perpendicularly to and between the first connecting surface and the second connecting surface, and the third passage has a second spacing between the first connecting surface and the second connecting surface. Wherein the first spacing is different from the second spacing; the first sleeve is disposed at a side of the water outlet unit opposite to the second connecting surface, the first sleeve is formed with a first side wall parallel to a first direction, an end of the first sleeve is formed with a first flange parallel to a second direction, and the first direction is orthogonal to the second direction. 
     Further, the first connecting surface of the water inlet unit is disposed with an abutting portion protruding toward the second connecting surface of the water outlet unit, the abutting portion is abutted at the second connecting surface, and the third passage is circumferentially disposed around the abutting portion. The first side wall of the first sleeve is disposed with at least one venting through hole communicating with the first accommodating chamber at a position opposite to the first accommodating chamber, and the water inlet unit and the water outlet unit are accommodated in the first sleeve. 
     Further, an end of the first passage is defined as a first water inlet and another end of the first passage is defined as a first water outlet, the first water outlet is located at the first connecting surface, and the first passage is tapered from the first water inlet toward the first water outlet. 
     Further, an end of the second passage is defined as a second water inlet and another end is defined as a second water outlet, a water guiding portion is disposed between the second water inlet and the second water outlet. The second water inlet is located at the second connecting surface, and is tapered toward the water guiding portion. The second water outlet is enlarged in parallel with the first direction and away from the water guiding portion. 
     Further, the water guiding portion has a third spacing at the second direction, and a length ratio of the second spacing to the third spacing is between 1:20 and 1:100. 
     Further, the first water outlet has a fourth spacing at the second direction, and a length ratio of the second spacing to the fourth spacing is greater than 1:1 and less than or equal to 1:3. 
     Further, when viewed in the cross-sectional direction, the fourth spacing of the first water outlet is smaller than the second water inlet at an extending position of the second connecting surface. 
     Further, the first spacing is greater than the second spacing. 
     Further, the second connecting surface of the water outlet unit is disposed with an abutting portion protruding toward the first connecting surface of the water inlet unit, the abutting portion is abutted at the first connecting surface, and the third passage is circumferentially disposed around the abutting portion. 
     Further, the water outlet unit is formed with a second side wall parallel to the first direction, the second side wall is circumferentially disposed around the water inlet unit and the first side wall, and the second side wall is disposed with at least one venting through hole corresponding to the first accommodating chamber and communicating with the first accommodating chamber. 
     Further, the water inlet unit is formed with a third side wall parallel to the first direction, the third side wall is circumferentially disposed around the water outlet unit and the first side wall, and the third side wall is disposed with at least one venting through hole corresponding to the first accommodating chamber and communicating with the first accommodating chamber. 
     Further, the micro bubble generating device further comprises a second sleeve, the second sleeve accommodates the water inlet unit, the water outlet unit, the air inlet groove and the first sleeve, and fixes the micro bubble generating device to the liquid supply device. 
     Further, the micro bubble generating device comprises a aerator mesh assembly disposed between the water outlet unit and the first sleeve, wherein the aerator mesh assembly comprises at least one partition and at least one aerator mesh disposed at a side of the partition along the first direction, the partition has a fourth passage penetrating through the partition, the fourth passage communicates with the second passage, and each of the aerator meshes further has a plurality of sieve holes. 
     Further, the farther a number of the aerator mesh disposed between the two adjacent partitions is from the second connecting surface, the greater the number of the aerator mesh disposed between the partitions. 
     Further, a size of each of the sieve holes is between 0.048 mm and 0.3 mm. 
     Further, another side of the partition along the first direction disposed with at least one aerator mesh, a number of the aerator meshes disposed at the two sides of the partition is increased as a distance from the second connecting surface is increased, and projections of the sieve holes of the aerator meshes disposed at two sides of the partition onto the second connecting surface is smaller as the distance from the second connecting surface is increased. 
     Further, a height of each of the partitions at the first direction is preferably between 0.2 mm and 1 mm. 
     Therefore, through the third passage of the air inlet groove and the first accommodating chamber circumferentially disposed around the third passage, when arbitrary water flows through the water inlet unit and the water outlet unit, the present invention allows the outside air to be capable of simply passing through the venting through hole, the first accommodating chamber, and the third passage of the air inlet groove, so that the outside air enters the second passage after generating sound wave oscillation through the air inlet groove to mix air with liquid, and then air bubbles in the water are further cut and refined by the aerator meshes. Additionally, the air inlet groove further utilizes the arrangement of the first accommodating chamber and the third passage having a shorter length, so that the water under any water pressure can contain a large amount of dense and fine bubbles, thereby the present invention not only reduces the water pressure requirement of the water for the micro bubble generating device to generate the negative pressure, but also increases the efficiency of air-liquid mixing. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective combination view of the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic view of the state of use of the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the state of use of the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a partial enlarged view of the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 9  is an exploded perspective view of an aerator mesh assembly of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The technical features and operation modes of the present application described in the following preferred embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying figures are provided as reference for examining. Further, the proportions in figures of the present invention are not necessarily drawn according to actual scales in order to facilitate illustrating. The proportions in the figures are not intended to limit the scope of the requested claims. 
     Furthermore, the ordinal numbers such as “first”, “second”, and the like used in the specification and the claims to modify the elements of the claims, are not intended to mean and represent that the claimed elements have any preceding ordinal numbers, nor do they represent the order of a claimed element and another claimed element, or the order of the manufacturing method. The use of these ordinal numbers are only used to make a claimed element with a certain name distinguishable from another claimed element with the same name. 
     In addition, the positions mentioned in the specification and the claims, such as “on”, “upper”, “above”, “under”, “lower” or “below”, can mean that the two elements are in direct contact, or the two elements are not in direct contact. When a value is defined between a first value and a second value, the defined value comprises the first value, the second value, or any value between the first value and the second value. 
     Furthermore, the features of the various embodiments disclosed herein can be combined with one another to form another embodiment. 
     For the techniques of the present invention, please refer to FIG.  1 ,  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 4 . The present invention provides a micro bubble generating device  100  disposed at one end of a liquid supply device  900 , and the liquid supply device  900  can be a shower nozzle, a faucet, etc. The micro bubble generating device  100  causes the water to contain a large amount of fine bubbles, raises the air content in the water, and enhances the washing ability by rubbing a surface of an object to be washed by the bubbles. The micro bubble generating device  100  can be disposed at an internal tube line of the liquid supply device  900 , or can be installed outside the liquid supply device  900  as shown in  FIG. 4 , and is not limited in the present invention. 
     Specifically, as shown in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 5 , the micro bubble generating device  100  comprises a water inlet unit  10 , a water outlet unit  20 , an air inlet groove  30 , a first sleeve  40 , a aerator mesh assembly  50  and a second sleeve  60 . The water inlet unit  10  comprises at least one first passage  11  penetrating through the water inlet unit  10 , wherein a side of the water inlet unit  10  is defined as a first connecting surface  12 , and one end of the first passage  11  which is located at the first connecting surface  12  is defined as a first water outlet  112 , and another end of the first passage  11  is defined as a first water inlet  111 . The first passage  11  is tapered from the first water inlet  111  toward the first water outlet  112 . In one embodiment, the water inlet unit  10  comprises a plurality of the first passages  11 . The water outlet unit  20  comprises at least one second passage  21  penetrating through the water outlet unit  20 , wherein a side of the water outlet unit  20  facing the first connecting surface  12  is defined as a second connecting surface  22 , and the second connecting surface  22  and the first connecting surface  12  partially abut against each other. One end of the second passage  21  which is located at the second connecting surface  22  is defined as a second water inlet  211  communicating with the first water outlet  112 , and another end of the second passage  21  is defined as a second water outlet  212 . Further, a water guiding portion  213  is disposed between the second water inlet  211  and the second water outlet  212 . The air inlet groove  30  is formed between the first connecting surface  12  of the water inlet unit  10  and the second connecting surface  22  of the water outlet unit  20 , and the air inlet groove  30  comprises a third passage  31  and a first accommodating chamber  32  circumferentially disposed around the third passage  31 . The first accommodating chamber  32  communicates with external air (not labeled with number, as indicated by circles shown in  FIG. 5 ), allowing the external air to pass through the first accommodating chamber  32  and then pass through the third passage  31  to mix with the water which passes through the first passage  11 . The air then flows into the second passage  21 , as indicated by a dotted line arrow as an external air path. The first sleeve  40  is disposed at another side of the water outlet unit  20  opposite to the second connecting surface  22 . The first sleeve  40  is formed with a first side wall  41  parallel to a first direction Z and a first flange  42  parallel to a second direction X and connected to the first side wall  41 . The first direction Z is orthogonal to the second direction X. The aerator mesh assembly  50  is disposed between the water outlet unit  20  and the first sleeve  40 , and the aerator mesh assembly  50  comprises at least one partition  51  and at least one aerator mesh  52 , the at least one aerator mesh  52  is disposed at least one side of the partition  51  along the first direction Z. Each of the partitions  51  is penetrated by a fourth passage  511 , and at least one of the aerator meshes  52  is disposed between the two adjacent partitions  51 . Please refer to  FIG. 9 , two sides of the partitions  51  in this embodiment are both disposed with the at least one aerator mesh  52 , and each of the aerator meshes  52  comprises a plurality of sieve holes  521 . Further, comparing the amounts of the aerator meshes  52  disposed at the two sides of the partition  51 , the side which is farther from the second connecting surface  22  is disposed with a larger amounts of the aerator meshes  52 . Besides, the larger amount of the aerator meshes  52  corresponds to the smaller size of the sieve holes  521  projected onto the second connecting surface  22 . That is, the size of the sieve holes  521  of three aerator meshes  52  is smaller than the one of two aerator meshes  52  when projecting on the second connecting surface  22 . Moreover, the second sleeve  60  is able to accommodate the water inlet unit  10 , the water outlet unit  20 , the air inlet groove  30 , the aerator mesh assembly  50 , and the first sleeve  40 . Besides, the second sleeve  60  can fix the micro bubble generating device  100  on the liquid supply device  900 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , in this embodiment, the first accommodating chamber  32  has a first spacing L 1  between the first connecting surface  12  and the second connecting surface  22 , and the third passage  31  has a second spacing L 2  between the first connecting surface  12  and the second connecting surface  22 , wherein the first spacing L 1  is different from the second spacing L 2 . In this embodiment, the first spacing L 1  is greater than the second spacing L 2 . The first spacing L 1  refers to a distance between the first connecting surface  12  and the second connecting surface  22  at the first accommodating chamber  32 , and the second spacing L 2  refers to a distance between the first connecting surface  12  and the second connecting surface  22  at the third passage  31 . Further, due to errors of manufacturing processes, the first connecting surface  12  and the second connecting surface  22  are substantial parallel to each other, and spacing between the first connecting surface  12  and the second connecting surface  22  substantially is the smallest distance between the first connecting surface  12  and the second connecting surface  22 . The water guiding portion  213  has a third spacing L 3  at the second direction X when viewed in the cross-sectional direction, and a length ratio of the second spacing L 2  to the third spacing L 3  is between 1:20 and 1:100. The first water outlet  112  has a fourth spacing L 4  at the second direction X when viewed in the cross-sectional direction, and a length ratio of the second spacing L 2  to the fourth spacing L 4  is greater than 1:1 and less than or equal to 1:3. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6  again, in this embodiment, the first connecting surface  12  of the water inlet unit  10  is disposed with an abutting portion  13  protruding toward the second connecting surface  22  of the water outlet unit  20 , and the abutting portion  13  is abutted on the second connecting surface  22 . However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, that is, the abutting portion  13  may also be protruded from the second connecting surface  22  of the water outlet unit  20  toward the first connecting surface  12  of the water inlet unit  10  (not shown in the figure). 
     In addition, as shown in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 5 , and  FIG. 6 , in this embodiment, the first side wall  41  of the first sleeve  40  is disposed with at least one venting through hole  43  communicating with the first accommodating chamber  32  at a position corresponding to the first accommodating chamber  32 , and the first flange  42  of the first sleeve  40  is convexly disposed inwardly to abut and limit a position of the aerator mesh assembly  50 . In this embodiment, two of the venting through holes  43  are provided, the venting through holes  43  communicate with the first accommodating chamber  32  of the air inlet groove  30 , and the water inlet unit  10  and the water outlet unit  20  are accommodated in the first sleeve  40 . The second water inlet  211  is located at the second connecting surface  22  and is tapered toward the water guiding portion  213 , and the second water outlet  212  is enlarged toward the water guiding portion  213  at the first direction Z. The water inlet unit  10  is disposed on the water outlet unit  20 , and the second passage  21  communicates with the first passage  11  and the third passage  31 . The venting through hole  43  not only allows the outside air to enter the air inlet groove  30 , but the venting through hole  43  also facilitates cleaning of the micro bubble generating device  100  by a user by means of needle, gas injection or liquid injection. Wherein two of the venting through holes  43  are preferably disposed in the first side wall  41  as in the present embodiment, but one or more than two of the venting through holes  43  can also be disposed, for example, three of the venting through holes  43  are disposed in the first side wall  41 . 
     In this embodiment, each of the first passages  11  is tapered from the first water inlet  111  toward the first water outlet  112 , and the fourth spacing L 4  at the first water outlet  112  is smaller than a diameter of the second water inlet  211  at a extending position of the second connecting surface  22 , so that after the water passes through the first passage  11 , the water is pressurized first due to the tapered diameter and then flow to the second passage  21 , and a Venturi effect is occurred in the air inlet groove  30  to cause the external air to pass through the first accommodating chamber  32  and the third passage  31  of the air inlet groove  30  from the venting through hole  43 , and allow the external air to be mixed with the water in the first passage  11 . Then, the water mixed with the external air flows into the second passage  21 . As shown in  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , after the water passes through the first water outlet  112  of the first passage  11 , a negative pressure will be generated in the second water inlet  211  with a larger diameter and the third passage  31 . After the air is introduced into the first accommodating chamber  32  through the venting through hole  43 , the air passes through the third passage  31  from the first accommodating chamber  32  to generate a vigorous air-liquid mixing effect with the water at the second water inlet  211  of the second passage  21 . Thus, not only that the density and the number of bubbles generated are increased by reducing the length of the second spacing L 2  of the air inlet groove  30 , and further, the water pressure requirement of negative pressure for generating the Venturi effect is reduced because a path length of the air passing through the third passage  31  is shortened. 
     Referring to  FIG. 9 , in order to increase the number of bubbles outputted by the aerator mesh assembly  50  of the micro bubble generating device  100 , each of the aerator meshes  52  comprises the sieve holes  521 . Further, the amount of the aerator mesh  52  disposed at the side of the partition  51  which is farther from the second connecting surface  22  is larger. Besides, since the larger amount of the aerator meshes  52  corresponds to the smaller size of the sieve holes  521  projected onto the second connecting surface  22 , the size of the sieve holes  521  of three aerator meshes  52  is smaller than the one of two aerator meshes  52  when projecting on the second connecting surface  22 , and the size of the sieve holes  521  of two aerator meshes  52  is smaller than the one of single aerator mesh  52  when projecting on the second connecting surface  22 . For example, in this embodiment, three aerator meshes  52  and one partition  51  are provided at the position which is farthest from the second connecting surface  22 , and then two aerator meshes  52  and the partition  51  are provided, and then one aerator mesh  52  is provided at the position which is nearest to the second connecting surface  22 . That is, different amounts of the aerator meshes  52  are separated by the partitions  51 . Besides, when viewing the sieve holes  521  projected on the second connecting surface  22  from the first direction Z, the sizes of the sieve holes  521  with different amounts of the aerator meshes  52  are different since different amounts of the aerator meshes  52  are stacked and overlapped together. Therefore, the aerator meshes  52  located at the position farther from the second connecting surface  22  not only comprises the larger amount of the aerator meshes  52 , but also have the smaller size of the sieve holes  521  projected onto the second connecting surface  22 . Furthermore, in this embodiment, another partition  51  and another aerator mesh  52  are further disposed on the aerator mesh  52  located at the position closest to the second connecting surface  22  to filtrate impurities in water. When the invention is used in a general household faucet, or in a sprinkler for car washing or agriculture, the size of the sieve holes  521  of each of the aerator meshes  52  is preferably between 0.048 mm and 0.3 mm depending on the amount of water flowing through, and a height of each of the partitions  51  parallel to the first direction Z is preferably between 0.2 mm and 1 mm, however, the disclosure is not limited thereto. 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , in a second embodiment of the present invention, the water outlet unit  20  is formed with a second side wall  23  parallel to the first direction Z, and the second side wall  23  is circumferentially disposed around the water inlet unit  10 , the aerator mesh assembly  50  and the first side wall  41 . The second side wall  23  is disposed with at least one venting through hole  24  communicating with the first accommodating chamber  32  at a position corresponding to the first accommodating chamber  32 , and the first flange  42  of the first sleeve  40  is convexly disposed outwardly to abut and limit a position of the second side wall  23 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , in a third embodiment of the present invention, the water inlet unit  10  is formed with a third side wall  14  parallel to the first direction Z, and the third side wall  14  is circumferentially disposed around the water outlet unit  20 , the aerator mesh assembly  50  and the first side wall  41 . The third side wall  14  is disposed with at least one venting through hole  15  communicating with the first accommodating chamber  32  at a position corresponding to the first accommodating chamber  32 , and the first flange  42  of the first sleeve  40  is convexly disposed outwardly to abut and limit a position of the third side wall  14 .