Sanitary component, namely a stream regulator or stream former for flowing fluid media, method of producing such a sanitary component, and use of such a sanitary component

Abstract

A sanitary component, namely a stream regulator or stream former for flowing fluid media, including of property-defining constructional elements which are arranged in a sandwich-like manner in the direction of flow and have at least one wire-mesh screen attachment, a diffuser plate system and a shell body with stream-forming segments extending over the cross-sectional area thereof and provided with openings. The property-defining constructional elements are exchangeable and combinable. A locking means is arranged on the inner circumference of the shell body, and a corresponding counter-locking means is arranged on the outer circumference of the diffuser plate system. The diffuser plate system is provided with an optical coding specifying the flow rate class and the shell body with an optical coding defining the flow type. Moreover, the wire-mesh screen attachment is inserted in a surrounding internal recess of the circular diffuser plate system, wherein, if a flow regulator is provided between the wire-mesh screen attachment and the diffuser plate system, the wire-mesh screen attachment is formed to be translucent or transparent and the flow regulator has another optical coding. If there is no flow regulator, an optical coding of the wire-mesh screen attachment is formed to match with that of the diffuser plate system or is provided in a predefined combination.

1 . . A faucet stream regulator system, comprising:
 a plurality of combinable and exchangeable flow-altering subsystems, including at least a first flow-altering subsystem and a second flow-altering subsystem, each of said flow-altering subsystems comprising a mesh screen attachment and a diffuser plate system; and   a shell body configured and adapted to interchangeably receive said diffuser plate system of any one of said plurality of said flow-altering subsystems in a mated configuration; wherein,   in each of said flow-altering subsystems, said diffuser plate system is configured and adapted to receive said mesh screen attachment in an interlocked configuration;   each of said flow-altering subsystems is configured and adapted to receive a flow regulator intermediate said diffuser plate system and said mesh screen attachment when said diffuser plate system and said mesh screen attachment are in said interlocked configuration; and   each of said flow-altering subsystems has a first optical coding indicative of whether a flow regulator is present intermediate said diffuser plate system and said mesh screen attachment, said first flow-altering subsystem lacking a flow regulator and having a mesh screen attachment that is opaque as said first optical coding, and said second flow-altering subsystem having a flow regulator and having a mesh screen attachment that is transparent or translucent as said first optical coding.   
     
     
         2 . The faucet stream regulator system according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 said flow regulator in said second flow-altering subsystem is color coded; and   the color code for said flow regulator comprise light green, dark grey, green, lilac, dark blue, pink, orange, black, yellow and white.   
     
     
         3 . The faucet stream regulator system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said plurality of interchangeable flow-altering subsystems further comprises a third flow-altering subsystem and a fourth flow-altering subsystem;   said mesh screen attachment and said diffuser plate system of said third flow-altering subsystem have a green color; and   said mesh screen attachment and said diffuser plate system of said fourth flow-altering subsystem have a dark red color.   
     
     
         4 . The faucet stream regulator system of  claim 3 , wherein:
 rated pressure of said third flow-altering subsystem is 60 psi;   predetermined flow rate of said third flow-altering subsystem at 60 psi is 1.5 gpm;   rated pressure of said fourth flow-altering subsystem is 60 psi; and   a predetermined flow rate of said fourth flow-altering subsystem at 60 psi is 2.2 gpm.   
     
     
         5 . The faucet stream regulator system of  claim 1 , wherein said colored mesh screen attachment has a color selected from the group consisting of dark green, burgundy, light green, light blue, yellow, dark blue, dark grey, light grey, grey, orange, blue, ivory, green, brown, olive, red, beige, black, pink, lilac and white. 
     
     
         6 . The faucet stream regulator system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said plurality of interchangeable flow-altering subsystems comprises a first group of flow-altering subsystems;   each of said first group of flow-altering subsystems comprises a mesh screen attachment that is one of transparent and translucent; and   each of said first group of flow-altering subsystems comprises a flow regulator having a color selected from the group consisting of light green, dark grey, green, lilac, dark blue, pink, orange, black, yellow and white.