Aerator construction

Claim 2

In a faucet aerator of the type that provides a mixing chamber having upstream and downstream ends, water-jet defining means at the upstream end of said chamber, air intake means to said chamber, and at least one screen adjacent the downstream end of said chamber, the improvement comprising, in combination: three annular molded parts, a first of said molded parts being axially elongated and having integral therewith an inner annular ring located between the ends of the part to provide spaced upstream and downstream recesses, the second molded part being of a size and shape to aid in providing water-jets and to enter the upstream recess and to be retained therein in operative position by gravity, the third molded part being of a size and shape to aid in defining the air intake and to support a screen and to enter the downstream recess to abut a portion of said inner annular ring, and an elongated annulus of metal with an inturned flange at one end arranged to surround the first said part with said flange engaging the third part and with the other end gripping the first part to hold the third part in assembled position.

Claim 3

A construction as in claim 1 wherein the first molded part with an integral inner annular ring is provided with a sleevelike centering section immediately upstream of the annular ring and an annular shoulder spaced upstream of the annular ring and bounding the upstream end of the centering section, and the second molded part having an out-turned flange of a size to slide fiT into the sleevelike centering section, and to have the upstream side thereof coplanar with said annular shoulder so that said coplanar surfaces are adapted to provide a seat for a sealing washer.

Claim 4

A construction as in claim 1 wherein inner annular ring on the first molded part provides an upstream surface that curves downstream moving radially inwardly and terminates at an innermost edge, and the second molded part being cup-shaped with an out-turned flange engaging the upstream side of the inner annular ring, a series of spaced apertures in the sidewall of the cup-shaped part located upstream of the innermost edge of the inner annular ring, and the portion of the cup-shaped part downstream of the apertures extending in spaced relation concentrically of and downstream past the innermost edge of the inner annular ring to provide a constricted annular flow passageway through which water enters the mixing chamber.

Claim 5

A construction as in claim 1 wherein the portion of the first molded member that bounds the downstream recess provides a cylindrical wall, the third molded member including a cylindrical sleeve element spaced concentrically inwardly of the said cylindrical wall of the first member and spaced from the downstream side of the inner annular ring to define an airflow passageways, and a plurality of spacer ribs integral with the cylindrical sleeve and of greater axial length than the sleeve and extending outwardly of the sleeve, said ribs being adapted to engage the downstream side of the inner annular ring and the inner cylindrical wall of the first molded part to provide proper interfitting of the members.

Claim 6

A construction as in claim 4 wherein the axial length of the cylindrical sleeve is such that the upstream edge of said sleeve lies at least as close to the downstream side of the inner annular ring as the furthermost downstream extent of the second molded part.

Claim 7

A construction as in claim 1 wherein the portion of the first molded member bounding the downstream recess provides a cylindrical wall spaced downstream of the inner annular ring, and a frustoconical wall extending between the upstream edge of said cylindrical wall and the downstream side of said inner annular ring, and the third molded member including a cylindrical sleeve element spaced concentrically inwardly of the said cylindrical wall of the first member to define an airflow passageway therebetween, and a plurality of spacer ribs integral with the cylindrical sleeve and extending outwardly thereof and upstream of the cylindrical sleeve element and being shaped to complement both the inner cylindrical wall and frustoconical wall of the first molded part to insure proper interfitting of the members.

Claim 8

A construction as in claim 1 wherein the first molded member provides a section of outer periphery, spaced upstream of the downstream end of said member, that tapers frustoconically inwardly to provide a retainer means for the metal annulus that is adapted to have a section of the metal annulus forced inwardly thereagainst after telescoping of the metal annulus onto the first molded member.

Claim 9

A construction as in claim 4 wherein a portion of the second member extends downstream through the central opening of the inner annular ring and also concentrically of the cylindrical sleeve of the third molded member to a position downstream of the upstream end of said cylindrical sleeve.

Claim 10

In a faucet aerator of the type that provides a mixing chamber having upstream and downstream ends, water-jet defining means at the upstream end of said chamber, air intake means to said chamber, and at least one screen adjacent the downstream end of said chamber, the improvement comprising, in combination: three annular molded parts, a first of said molded parts being axially elongated and having integral therewith an inner annular ring with an impingement surface thereon located between the ends of the part, the second molded part being of a size and shape to aid in providing water-jets and to enteR a recess defined in the first molded part upstream of the inner annular ring and to be supported by said annular ring in operative position by gravity, the third molded part being of a size and shape to aid in defining the air intake and to support a screen, said third molded part being positioned to abut said first molded part downstream of the impingement surface of the inner annular ring, and an elongated annulus of metal with an inturned flange at one end arranged to surround a portion of the first said part with said flange engaging the third part and with a portion of the metal annulus gripping the first part to hold the third part in assembled position.

Claim 11

In a faucet aerator of the type that provides a mixing chamber having upstream and downstream ends, water-jet defining means at the upstream end of said chamber, air intake means to said chamber, and at least one screen adjacent the downstream end of said chamber, the improvement comprising, in combination: three annular molded parts, a first of said molded parts being axially elongated and having integral therewith an inner annular ring with an impingement surface thereon located between the ends of the part, the second molded part being of a size and shape to aid in providing water-jets and to enteR a recess defined in the first molded part upstream of the inner annular ring and to be supported by said annular ring in operative position by gravity, the third molded part being of a size and shape to aid in defining the air intake and to support a screen, said third molded part being positioned to abut said first molded part downstream of the impingement surface of the inner annular ring, and an elongated annulus of metal with an inturned flange at one end arranged to surround a portion of the first said part with said flange engaging the third part and with a portion of the metal annulus gripping the first part to hold the third part in assembled position.

Claim 12

In a liquid aerator of the type that provides means for breaking up liquid jets to effect a mixing of liquid with air before the mixture issues from the aerator, the improvement comprising, in combination: an annular outer member providing thereon an innermost ring with a convex impingement surface on said ring curving radially inwardly and downstream to an innermost annular edge; a jet-forming means including an annular upright wall positioned concentrically of said annular outer member and spaced inwardly of said innermost annular edge to provide between said upright wall and said innermost edge a constructed downstream annular passageway through which liquid is discharged in noncoherent form for mixing with air ingested into the aerator, said jet-forming means including a plurality of axially elongated slots through said upright wall, the lower edge of said slots terminating at a point spaced upstream of the innermost annular edge, whereby liquid flow through said slots operates to direct jets of liquid outwardly against said convex impingement surface to be partly broken up and to be reflected back inwardly against the annular upright wall before passing downstream through said constricted downstream annular passageway.

Claim 13

In a liquid aerator of the type that provides means for breaking up liquid jets to effect a mixing of liquid with air before the mixture issues from the aerator, the improvement comprising, in combination: an annular outer member providing thereon an innermost ring with a convex impingement surface on said ring curving radially inwardly and downstream to an innermost annular edge; a jet-forming means including an annular upright wall positioned concentrically of said annular outer member and spaced inwardly of said innermost annular edge to provide between said upright wall and said innermost edge a constructed downstream annular passageway through which liquid is discharged in noncoherent form for mixing with air ingested into the aerator, said jet-forming means including a plurality of axially elongated slots through said upright wall, the lower edge of said slots terminating at a point spaced upstream of the innermost annular edge, whereby liquid flow through said slots operates to direct jets of liquid outwardly against said convex impingement surface to be partly broken up and to be reflected back inwardly against the annular upright wall before passing downstream through said constricted downstream annular passageway.