Shower Head

• US 20090200404A1
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cristina S.R.L.
• Original Assignee: CRS SpA
• Inventors: Cristina, Alberto
• Granted Patent: US 8,240,583 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 239/562
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/18 Roses; Shower heads with means for adding soap or the like E03C1/046; jet regulators E03C1/08

Abstract

A shower head comprising a pair of plates, for dispensing and closing, directly facing each other relative to an axial direction. The shower head comprises a closing ring which is directly arranged between the plates and fixing and sealing means suitable for fixing the plate each other and for realising a liquid tight seal, so as to sealingly delimit with the plates a fluid collecting chamber and dispense the liquid through holes of the delivery plate. The shower head is especially thin, inexpensive to manufacture and to assemble.

Claims

1-34. -34. (canceled)

35. A shower head comprising

a dispensing plate provided with at least one hole for dispensing water,

a closing plate, in fluid connection with a water outlet, wherein said plates are directly facing each other relative to an axial direction and the shower head comprises a closing ring directly arranged between said dispensing and closing plates, so as to comprise two opposite axial faces, each face being directly opposed to a relative dispensing and closing plate,

the shower head comprising fixing and sealing means, placed between at least one axial face of the ring and the respective opposed plate, said means being suitable for realizing a relative fixing of the plates and a liquid tight seal, so as to sealingly delimit a collecting chamber for dispensing the fluid through the holes of the dispensing plate.

36. A shower head according to claim 35, wherein the plates have the same external dimensions so as to axially overlap with respect to the axial direction.

37. A shower head according to claim 35, wherein said closing ring is disposed coaxially with respect to said axial direction.

38. A shower head according to claim 35, wherein said fixing and sealing means are fixed to the ring and to the plates so as to oppose to the disassembly of the plates.

39. A shower head according to claim 35, wherein said fixing and sealing means are radially comprised into the radial thickness of the ring.

40. A shower head according to claim 35, wherein the axial thickness of fixing and sealing means is negligible with respect to the thickness of the plates and of the ring so that the overall axial thickness of the shower head is substantially equal to the sum of the axial thickness of the ring and of the plates.

41. A shower head according to claim 35, wherein fixing and sealing means are at least partially housed in housings within the ring and/or the plates so that the overall axial thickness of the shower head is substantially equal to the sum of the axial thickness of the ring and of the plates.

42. A shower head according to claim 35, wherein fixing and sealing means comprise a welding which circumferentially delimits all the collecting chamber of the shower head.

43. A shower head according to claim 42, wherein said welding is a radial welding, it is to say a welding performed on the side of the external circumference of the shower head.

44. A shower head according to claim 42, wherein said welding is an axial welding, it is to say a welding performed on the side of the axial faces of the ring.

45. A shower head according to claim 42, wherein said welding is TIG welding.

46. A shower head according to claim 42, wherein said welding is a MIG welding.

47. A shower head according to claim 42, wherein said welding is a MAG welding.

48. A shower head according to claim 42, wherein said welding is a laser welding.

49. A shower head according to claim 35, wherein said fixing and sealing means comprise a gluing portion which circumferentially delimits all the collecting chamber of the shower head.

50. A shower head according to claim 49, wherein said gluing portion is axial, it is to say performed on the side of the axial faces of the ring.

51. A shower head according to claim 49, wherein the ring comprises at least one groove, the groove being placed on at least one axial face and being suitable for improve an even placing and distribution of glue on the ring.

52. A shower head according to claim 51, wherein said groove is a circumferential groove.

53. A shower head according to claim 49, wherein said gluing portion comprises a silicon glue.

54. A shower head according to claim 49, wherein said gluing portion comprises an epoxy glue.

55. A shower head according to claim 35, wherein in an assembly configuration, said plates determine a collecting chamber having a decreasing axial thickness between a central portion and a peripheral portion of shower head, relative to the axial direction.

56. A shower head according claim 35, wherein the closing ring is substantially stiff at least in an axial direction so as to form an end of stroke in the approach between the plates during the shower head assembly step and to ensures a minimum thickness of the collecting chamber for the water flow towards the dispensing holes.

57. A shower head according to claim 35, comprising nozzles suitable for being partly inserted in the holes of the dispensing plate.

58. A shower head according to claim 57, wherein said nozzles comprise a dispensing portion projecting from the dispensing plate and a stopping portion suitable for forming a stop in the introduction of the nozzles into the relevant holes.

59. A shower head according to claim 58, wherein an axial thickness of said stopping portion is smaller than the thickness of said closing ring.

60. A shower head according to claim 57, wherein said nozzles are made integral with a membrane.

61. A shower head according to claim 35, wherein said dispensing and distribution plates are axially constrained to each other in compression by screw connecting means.

62. A shower head according to claim 61, wherein said screw connecting means comprise at least one screw passing through connecting holes obtained on the plates, and provided with a head in abutment on one of said plates.

63. A shower head according to claim 62, wherein said screw is locked on an end opposite the head, on the side of the other plate by a nut.

64. A shower head according to claim 62, wherein said screw is locked on an end opposite the head, on the side of the other plate by a thread through the ring and/or the plate.

65. A shower head according to claim 61, wherein said screw connecting means are arranged on a peripheral portion of said plates radially external to the collecting chamber.

66. A shower head according to claim 61, wherein said screw connecting means pass through fixing holes of said closing ring so as to lock said closing ring into position relative to the plates.

67. A shower head according to claim 35, wherein said dispensing and distribution plates, at faces directly facing each another, are substantially plane.

68. A shower head according to claim 35, wherein said dispensing and distribution plates, at faces directly facing each another, are concave or convex.