NOZZLES FOR WATER DISPENSING

Description

DESCRIPTION of the invention entitled: “NOZZLES FOR WATER DISPENSING” In the name of NUOVA OSMO S.r.l., of Italian nationality, with registered office in 28017 San Maurizio d'Opaglio (NO), Via Dr. Bellosta, 46 Inventor: GIULINI NERI, Angelo Uber *** DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to a nozzle for dispensing water and, in particular, to a nozzle provided with particular light emission characteristics in the field of visible light as a function of the ambient temperature and / or lighting conditions. The invention can be applied for example to shower dispensers, such as shower heads or hand showers, to give these types of product various aesthetic and functional characteristics capable of arousing the interest of the market. For example, shower dispensers equipped with LEDs which are controlled to emit light of different colors based on the temperature of the water supplied, are already known and commercially distributed. This makes it possible to check whether the water dispensed has reached the desired temperature, or to emit light of different colours, regardless of the water temperature, to generate particular pleasant and / or relaxing atmospheres during the shower. These products of known type are in any case rather complex since they require a dedicated electrical system, at least one temperature sensor, an electronic control circuit and means for electrically powering the circuit and the LEDs at low voltage. In addition to the complexity, it is necessary to bear in mind that all the components used to obtain these effects still have a certain size which can limit the freedom of planners and designers in creating particularly pleasant and interesting to offer on the market. The aim of the present invention is to provide a nozzle for dispensing water which allows to overcome the drawbacks of products of the known type, in particular by proposing an improved nozzle which allows to obtain variations in the light emission characteristics as a function of the environmental conditions of temperature and / or lighting without requiring ancillary components to be installed in the dispenser. Within the scope of this aim, an object of the present invention is therefore to provide a nozzle for dispensing water which allows to obtain in a simple way the variation of the light emission characteristics as a function of the temperature of the water dispensed. Another object of the present invention is to provide a nozzle for dispensing water which allows to obtain in a simple way the variation of the light emission characteristics according to the ambient lighting conditions. These aims are achieved by the invention thanks to a nozzle for dispensing water according to claim 1. Further particular characteristics of the invention are set forth in the respective dependent claims. The invention also relates to a shower dispenser which includes nozzles made in this way. A nozzle for dispensing water according to the invention is made of elastically deformable material in which an additive component is incorporated to vary the color and / or brightness of the nozzle in the field of visible light according to the environmental conditions of temperature and / or or lighting. Thanks to these characteristics, it is possible to obtain, for example, a particularly simple shower dispenser, in which the variation of the light emission characteristics is achieved by suitably selecting an additive or a pigment at the material that makes up the nozzles, without it being necessary to add bulky components to the dispenser or introduce design and construction complications. The elastically deformable material can consist, for example, of silicone or a silicone rubber. These elastic materials are advantageous not only for their resistance to aging and high temperatures, but also for their non-stick properties which limit the accumulation of limescale deposits. According to a possible embodiment of the invention, the additive component is a thermochromatic component capable of varying the color of the nozzles according to the temperature of the water supplied. The thermochromatic additive component preferably has a color transition temperature around 38°C. A material suitable for making nozzles of this type is, for example, a silicone rubber identified by the initials MG1996BL70P produced and distributed by MESGO S.p.A. The water dispensing nozzles according to the invention can thus change their color in the field of visible light, signaling with a first colour, for example blue, a temperature of the water dispensed lower than that of the body and with a second colour, for example red , a temperature of the water supplied higher than that of the body. As an alternative to or in combination with a thermochromatic component, the additive component can also be a photoluminescent component, i.e. a component capable of accumulating light energy when it is irradiated by the light of a natural or artificial source, and of releasing the stored energy in the form of light radiation during dark or low light conditions. A material suitable for making nozzles of this type is for example rubber silicone identified by the initials MG1992BV70P produced and distributed by MESGO S.p.A. The nozzles according to the invention can therefore be easily installed both in a fixed type shower head and in a manual shower head. In shower dispensers which include the nozzles according to the invention, at least one elastically deformable portion of each of the nozzles protrudes externally from the main body of the dispenser. This simplifies the removal of any scale deposits by slightly deforming the protruding part of the nozzles, thus further improving the anti-limescale features which are highly appreciated by the market. Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the following description, given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the attached schematic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a circular shower head; - Figures 2A and 2B are sectional views along the plane II-II of Figure 1 of possible embodiments of the nozzles of the invention; Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of a square-shaped shower head; And - Figures 4A and 4B are sectional views along the broken plane IV-IV of Figure 3 of possible embodiments of the nozzles of the invention. Figure 1 shows a circular shower head 10 which includes a main body 20 and a plurality of nozzles 30 for dispensing water. Of the body 20, for clarity of exposition, only the lower face from which the nozzles emerge is shown here, but it is well known that the main body of a shower head generally delimits a water distribution chamber fed through an inlet fitting (not shown). The body 20 can be made for example of metal, aluminum alloys, plastic materials, ceramics or a combination of various elements of these materials. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2A, the water distribution is obtained through single nozzles 30, each one inserted in a respective hole of the body 20 and blocked in position between an internal flange 31 and the base of the protruding portion 32. Since the nozzles according to the invention are made of elastically deformable material, the protruding portion 32 can be elastically bent to allow the removal of any limescale deposits with a simple deformation thereof. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2B the nozzles 30 are instead integrated in a single plate 35 of the same material which is rested internally on the lower face of the main body 20. Also in this embodiment the nozzles 30 still comprise a flexible portion 32 which protrudes externally from the body 20. Figure 3 shows a shower head 40 formed by a body 50 with a square plan. The nozzles 60 according to the invention are formed in strips 68 of elastically deformable material and aligned along them at regular intervals. In the embodiment of Figure 4A separate strips 68 are provided, while in the embodiment of Figure 4B the strips 68 are integrated in a single plate 65 of the same material. Also in these embodiments the strips 68 have a flexible portion which protrudes outside the shower body to allow the removal of any limescale deposits. The strips 68 in which the nozzles 60 are obtained are particularly simple to assemble and can be held in position by means of an upper portion (not shown) of the main body. In the part of the strips 68 facing towards the inside of the main body 50, discontinuous ribs 63 can therefore be provided on which the upper closing portion of the main body can rest. The discontinuities present along the ribs 63 allow the water to be channeled towards the nozzles 60. In all the embodiments shown here the nozzles 30 and 60, as well as the possible plates 35, 65 and the strips 68 are obtained for example by injection molding of silicone or silicone rubber which includes a thermochromatic component and / or a photoluminescent component . Various modifications to the embodiments shown here can be envisaged without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, although reference has been made to embodiments of fixed shower heads, it is evident that the characteristics of the invention can also be advantageously applied to hand showers, as well as to other water dispensing devices. Therefore, the shape of any water dispenser that includes nozzles according to the invention can also be different from that of the shower heads shown here, just as the number and arrangement of the nozzles in the dispenser can be different.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Nozzle for dispensing water made of elastically deformable material, characterised in that said elastically deformable material comprises an additive component for varying the colour and / or brightness of said nozzle in the visible light range as a function of the environmental temperature and / or lighting conditions.

2. A water dispensing nozzle according to claim 1, wherein said elastically deformable material is made of silicone or a silicone rubber.

3. A water dispensing nozzle according to claim 1, wherein said additive component is a thermochromic component.

4. A water dispensing nozzle according to claim 3, wherein said thermochromic additive component has a color transition temperature around 38 °C.

5. A water dispensing nozzle according to claim 1, wherein said additive component is a photoluminescent component.

6. Water dispenser comprising at least one dispensing nozzle, characterised in that said at least one dispensing nozzle is made according to any of claims 1 to 5.

7. Shower dispenser comprising a main body, a connection for the incoming water and a plurality of dispensing nozzles, characterised in that said nozzles are made according to any of claims 1 to 5.

8. A shower head according to claim 7, wherein at least one elastically deformable portion of each of said nozzles projects externally from said main body.