Showerhead with engine release assembly

• US 10,525,488 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2018
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Water Pik Incorporated (Church & Dwight Company Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Water Pik Incorporated (Church & Dwight Company Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cacka, Joseph W., Leber, Leland C., Quinn, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hwu, Davis D
• Application Number:
  US15/937,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20180214895A1
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 239600
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/1654 about an axis parallel to the liquid passage in the stationary valve element
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/1663 by relative translatory movement of the valve elements B05B1/1672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/169 having three or more selectively effective outlets
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/18 Roses; Shower heads with means for adding soap or the like E03C1/046; jet regulators E03C1/08
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/185 characterised by their outlet element; Mounting arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/3026 the controlling element being a gate valve, a sliding valve or a cock B05B1/3006, B05B1/326 take precedence; gate valves or sliding valves in general F16K3/00; cocks in general F16K5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 3/04 driven by the liquid or other fluent material discharged, e.g. the liquid actuating a motor before passing to the outlet B05B3/023 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/0405 enabling multiple spray patterns
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/0409 Shower handles

Abstract

The present disclosure is related to a showerhead. The showerhead includes a housing, an engine received within the housing, and an engine release assembly connected to the housing and the engine. The housing may define a chamber in fluid communication with a fluid source. The engine may be fluidly connected to the chamber. The engine may include a plurality of outlets in selective communication with the chamber. The engine release assembly may selectively secure and release the engine from the housing.

Claims

1. A showerhead comprising:

a housing defining a chamber in fluid communication with a fluid source;

an engine received within the housing and fluidly connected to the chamber, wherein the engine includes a plurality of outlets in selective communication with the chamber; and

an engine release assembly connected to the housing and the engine, wherein the engine release assembly selectively secures and releases the engine from the housing,

wherein the housing comprises a cap cavity defined through a back wall of the housing,

wherein the engine release assembly comprises;

a keyed washer connected to the engine and seated on a bottom wall of the cap cavity; and

a fastener securing the keyed washer to the engine.

18. The showerhead of claim 1, wherein the keyed washer is mountably keyed to the engine.

2. A showerhead comprising:

a housing defining a chamber in fluid communication with a fluid source;

an engine received within the housing and fluidly connected to the chamber, wherein the engine includes a plurality of outlets in selective communication with the chamber; and

an engine release assembly connected to the housing and the engine, wherein the engine release assembly selectively secures and releases the engine from the housing,

wherein the housing comprises a cap cavity defined through a back wall of the housing,

wherein the engine release assembly comprises a fastener and a keyed washer,

wherein to release the engine from the housing, the fastener is removed from the keyed washer and the engine.

3. The showerhead of claim 2, wherein the fastener is accessible through the cap cavity.

19. The showerhead of claim 2, wherein the keyed washer is mountably keyed to the engine.

20. The showerhead of claim 2, wherein:

the keyed washer interacts with the housing to define a rotational range for the engine within the housing, and

rotation of the engine within the rotational range defined by the keyed washer changes a mode for the showerhead.

4. A showerhead comprising:

a housing defining a chamber in fluid communication with a fluid source;

an engine at least partially received within the housing and fluidly connected to the chamber;

an engine release assembly selectively securing the engine to the housing, the engine release assembly including a keyed washer connected to the engine by a fastener,

wherein the keyed washer is at least partially seated against a portion of the housing,

wherein the keyed washer is aligned with at least one corresponding keyed protrusion extending from the engine.

5. The showerhead of claim 4, wherein the keyed washer interacts with the housing to define a rotational range for the engine within the housing.

6. A showerhead comprising:

a housing defining a chamber in fluid communication with a fluid source;

an engine at least partially received within the housing and fluidly connected to the chamber;

an engine release assembly selectively securing the engine to the housing, the engine release assembly including a keyed washer connected to the engine by a fastener,

wherein the keyed washer is at least partially seated against a portion of the housing,

wherein the keyed washer interacts with the housing to define a rotational range for the engine within the housing,

wherein rotation of the engine within the rotational range defined by the keyed washer changes a mode for the showerhead.

7. A showerhead comprising:

a housing defining a chamber in fluid communication with a fluid source;

an engine at least partially received within the housing and fluidly connected to the chamber;

an engine release assembly selectively securing the engine to the housing, the engine release assembly including a keyed washer connected to the engine by a fastener,

wherein the keyed washer is at least partially seated against a portion of the housing,

wherein the keyed washer interacts with the housing to define a rotational range for the engine within the housing,

wherein the keyed washer includes a tab extending from a sidewall of the keyed washer, the tab seated within a seat formed in the housing.

8. The showerhead of claim 7, wherein the engine release assembly further comprises a cap covering the fastener.

9. A showerhead comprising:

a housing defining a chamber in fluid communication with a fluid source;

an engine at least partially received within the housing and fluidly connected to the chamber;

an engine release assembly selectively securing the engine to the housing, the engine release assembly including a keyed washer connected to the engine by a fastener,

wherein the keyed washer is at least partially seated against a portion of the housing,

wherein the engine release assembly further comprises a cap covering the fastener,

wherein the cap is releasably fastened to a back wall of the housing.

10. The showerhead of claim 9, wherein the engine comprises:

a face plate defining a plurality of outlets; and

a back plate connected to the face plate.

11. The showerhead of claim 10, wherein the connection between the face plate and the back plate defines at least two fluid channels in selective fluid communication with the fluid source and with respective subsets of the plurality of outlets.

12. An engine release assembly selectively securing a showerhead engine to a showerhead housing, the engine release assembly comprising:

a keyed washer connected to the showerhead engine, the keyed washer including a plurality of engagement features engaged with corresponding features of the showerhead engine to rotationally position the keyed washer relative to the showerhead engine; and

a fastener arranged to secure the keyed washer to the showerhead engine,

wherein the keyed washer is arranged such that a portion of the showerhead housing is positioned between the keyed washer and the showerhead engine to secure the showerhead engine to the showerhead housing.

15. The engine release assembly of claim 12, wherein the keyed washer includes one or more alignment features defining a rotational position of the keyed washer relative to the showerhead housing.

13. An engine release assembly selectively securing a showerhead engine to a showerhead housing, the engine release assembly comprising:

a keyed washer connected to the showerhead engine, the keyed washer including a plurality of engagement features engaged with corresponding features of the showerhead engine to rotationally position the keyed washer relative to the showerhead engine; and

a fastener arranged to secure the keyed washer to the showerhead engine,

wherein the plurality of engagement features comprises a plurality of sidewalls defining a keyed cavity recessed within a bottom surface of the keyed washer.

14. The engine release assembly of claim 13, wherein the keyed cavity is arranged to receive one or more keyed protrusions extending from the showerhead engine.

16. An engine release assembly selectively securing a showerhead engine to a showerhead housing, the engine release assembly comprising:

a keyed washer connected to the showerhead engine, the keyed washer including a plurality of engagement features engaged with corresponding features of the showerhead engine to rotationally position the keyed washer relative to the showerhead engine; and

a fastener arranged to secure the keyed washer to the showerhead engine,

wherein the keyed washer includes one or more alignment features defining a rotational position of the keyed washer relative to the showerhead housing,

wherein the one or more alignment features comprises a tab extending from a sidewall of the keyed washer to seat within a key seat formed in the showerhead housing.

17. A showerhead comprising:

a housing defining a chamber in fluid communication with a fluid source;

an engine at least partially received within the housing and fluidly connected to the chamber;

an engine release assembly selectively securing the engine to the housing, the engine release assembly including a keyed washer connected to the engine by a fastener,

wherein the keyed washer is at least partially seated against a portion of the housing,

wherein the engine comprises;

a face plate defining a plurality of outlets; and

a back plate connected to the face plate,

wherein the keyed washer is mountably keyed to the back plate of the engine.