Shower head with air introduction

• US 20060163391A1
• Filed: 12/12/2003
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hansgrohe AG
• Original Assignee: Hansgrohe AG
• Inventors: Schorn, Franz
• Granted Patent: US 7,913,934 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 239/596
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 33/027 Gas-water mixing nozzles therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 33/6052 Having flow regulating means
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/1609 with a selecting mechanism comprising a lift valve B05B1/1681 takes precedence; lift valves in general F16K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/185 characterised by their outlet element; Mounting arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/0425 without any source of compressed gas, e.g. the air being sucked by the pressurised liquid

Abstract

A shower head with a housing and a jet outlet surface can be achieved with an example embodiment of the invention. An adjuster device is provided on one side, for adjusting the supply of water to individual or all regions, into which the jet outlet surface is divided. The above can be a central small region and the region surrounding the above. Furthermore, an air supply device is provided for aerating the water jets. The air supply device is simultaneously operated with the switching between the regions.

Claims

1. A shower head having

a housing,

a disk for exit of jets, wherein the disk has

numerous apertures from which the jets exit,

a water inlet for admitting water to the housing, and

an aerator for aerating water flowing through the shower head.

2. A shower head according to claim 1 having a structure for forming several said water jets.

3. A shower head according to claim 2, wherein the aerator is configured such that it aerates water upstream from the structure moans for forming jets.

4. A shower head according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the means for forming jets and the aerator is configured such that individual water jets are aerated at least one of jointly and severally.

5. A shower head according to claim 2, having guides for guiding aerated water jets to the apertures from which jets exit, over the entire disk.

6. A shower head according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the guides and the aerator is configured to generate turbulence in the aerated jets.

7. A shower head according to claim 1, wherein the aerator is configured such that it generates discrete aeration jets.

8. A shower head according to claim 7, wherein every said aeration jet is coordinated to a water jet.

9. A shower head according to claim 2, wherein the structure for forming jets comprises a perforated disk.

10. A shower head according to claim 1, wherein the aerator has a hub that has at least one radial air conduit in a vicinity of an end thereof that faces an interior of the housing.

11. A shower head according to claim 10, wherein the aeration hub has on its exterior essentially axially arrayed guides for guiding the discrete aerated jets.

12. A shower head according to claim 11, wherein the jet guides on the exterior of the aeration hub are inclined.

13. A shower head according to claim 5, wherein the guides have deflectors arranged on a base of an aeration hub.

14. A shower head according to claim 13, wherein the deflectors are at least one of angularly offset from a radial direction and curved in a plane of the jet disk.

15. A shower head according to claim 5, further comprising guides on at least one of a rear face of the jet disk and a front face of a rear wall of a distribution chamber of the housing of the shower head.

16. A shower head according to claim 1, wherein the aerator is selectively activatable and deactivatable.

17. A shower head according to claim 1, wherein a surface from which the jets exit has at least two zones and further comprising a selector for switching between conducting water to the first zone and conducting water to the second zone, wherein the selector and one or both of the aerator and an air intake, are intercoupled such that the air intake is switchable for changing between an activated state and a deactivated state or to change activation states, when the selector is actuated.

18. A shower head according to claim 17, wherein the first zone is part of the surface from which the jets exit and the second zone covers the entire surface from which the jets exit, including the first zone, and wherein the first zone is centrally arranged on the surface from which the jets exit.

19. A shower head according to claim 17, wherein operation of the air intake is activated whenever the selector is set to the second zone.

20. A shower head according to claim 17, wherein the selector is manually actuatable, by moving a component of the housing bearing the surface from which the jets exits, relative to a component bearing the water inlet.

21. A shower head according to claim 17, wherein the zones are connected to one of a water intake and water inlet (33), via a distribution chamber, where the selector restricts the distribution chamber'"'"'s coverage to the first zone when set to the first zone, and that restriction of the coverage of the distribution chamber is eliminated when the selector is set to the second zone.

22. A shower head according to claim 17, wherein the selector has a cap that may be emplaced on a rear face of the surface from which the jets exit and is arranged for switching, and restricting the coverage of, the distribution chamber, wherein a structure is arranged for sealing against a rear face of a wall on the selector.

23. A shower head according to claim 22, wherein a seal abutting against a seat facing upstream, referenced to a direction of water flow, is provided for sealing.

24. A shower head according to claim 17, wherein the surface from which jets exit is formed from a jet disk fabricated from an elastic material and forms a seal on its rear face.

25. A shower head according to claim 17, wherein a water intake on the shower head is centered thereon, as is an air intake, and the air intake passes through a central aperture in the surface from which jets exit.

26. A shower head according to claim 25 having an air intake that is connected to the surface from which jets exit via a channel, where the selector is connected to the water inlet, the surface from which jets exit is movable with respect to the water inlet for selection and activation purposes, and thereby causes a shutter on the water inlet to open or shut the channel.

27. A shower head according to claim 26, wherein air from the channel enters normal to longitudinal axes of the water intake and water inlet.

28. A shower head according to claim 17, wherein the water intake has numerous annular apertures distributed about a centerline and air from the air intake enters immediately downstream from said apertures.

29. A shower head according to claim 17 further comprising turbulence-generating devices.

30. A shower head according to claim 29, wherein the turbulence-generating devices are configured for deflecting and distributing incoming water to zones on the surface from which jets exit.

31. A shower head according to claim 25, wherein the channel of the air intake is tubular, attached to the front face of the shower head, and transits a center of the distribution chamber and futher comprising turbulence-generating devices formed on the channel'"'"'s outer walls.

32. A shower head according to claim 1, wherein the shower head is configured for side-mounting.