Timed shower head valve
First Claim
1. A valve assembly adaptable for mounting on a conduit leading to a bath shower head and to a said bath shower head so as to conserve the amount of water employed for a complete shower in one cycle of operation of said assembly, by control of the time of individual periods of flow of water through said shower head, so as to provide a sequence of a plurality of timed periods of water flow separated by at least one period of non-flow of water during one cycle of operation,in which said valve is structured and fitted with time control means so as to automatically provide a shower cycle sequence of a first timed period of water flow for wetting of the user, a second timed period of non-water flow to provide the user time to soap himself, without wasting water, and a third timed period of water flow to provide a rinse period for the user,in which the assembly comprisesa valve housinga clock timer device that serves as said time control means, which is mounted to said valve housing and fitted with a rotatable shaft, said clock timer incorporating spring clock work mechanism to cause said shaft to rotate, at a uniform velocity in a second direction for a circular angular sector generally equal to the circular angular sector that said shaft has been initially rotated manually in a first direction, with a first end of said shaft attachable externally to a knob,a circular valve member rotatably mounted in an interior chamber in said valve housing and attached to said shaft,an interior chamber of a shape to fit about the circular perimeter of said valve housing,an internal inlet port and an internal outlet port in said valve housing each joining said interior chamber by an individual passageway to an external inlet port and an external outlet port respectively,a first groove recessed in the circular perimeter of the valve member, and a second groove recessed in the circular groove of the valve member, with the axis of each groove lying substantially in a common plane that intersects the axis of both internal inlet and outlet ports, said common plane being substantially perpendicular to the axis of the rotatable shaft of the clock timer, and with each groove separated from the other groove along the periphery of the valve member by non-recessed sections of the valve member periphery, where each said non-recessed section extends along an angular sector, in said common plane, so as to completely block an internal inlet port or internal outlet port when said non-recessed section is aligned with said internal port,a through passageway in said valve member joining both said grooves,said grooves and said non-recessed sections located so that in the initial and final position of the valve member a first non-recessed section completely blocks one internal port, so that ina second position of the valve member, one recessed groove extends completely to both internal ports so as to permit water flow through said groove, so that ina third position of the valve member, a second non-recessed section completely blocks an internal port, and so that ina fourth position of the valve member each internal port communicates directly with one recessed groove with water flow travelling between said ports through the through passageway in said valve member,said second, third, fourth and final positions being positions that the valve member is rotated to, in sequence, in a second direction by the timer shaft after the timer shaft has been rotated manually in the first direction, opposed to said second direction, from the said initial and final position to the said second position.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A shower head valve assembly for saving on the amount of water used for a single shower, which provides a timed cycle allowing water to flow on for wetting, turns the water off for soaping and then turns on the flow of water again for rinsing for a preset period. The assembly includes a rotating ball set in a valve chamber. The ball is grooved and ported to control the flow of water. Rotation of the ball is controlled by a manually set spring operated timer which is wound to set the timer and valve in operation.
22 Citations
2 Claims
-
1. A valve assembly adaptable for mounting on a conduit leading to a bath shower head and to a said bath shower head so as to conserve the amount of water employed for a complete shower in one cycle of operation of said assembly, by control of the time of individual periods of flow of water through said shower head, so as to provide a sequence of a plurality of timed periods of water flow separated by at least one period of non-flow of water during one cycle of operation,
in which said valve is structured and fitted with time control means so as to automatically provide a shower cycle sequence of a first timed period of water flow for wetting of the user, a second timed period of non-water flow to provide the user time to soap himself, without wasting water, and a third timed period of water flow to provide a rinse period for the user, in which the assembly comprises a valve housing a clock timer device that serves as said time control means, which is mounted to said valve housing and fitted with a rotatable shaft, said clock timer incorporating spring clock work mechanism to cause said shaft to rotate, at a uniform velocity in a second direction for a circular angular sector generally equal to the circular angular sector that said shaft has been initially rotated manually in a first direction, with a first end of said shaft attachable externally to a knob, a circular valve member rotatably mounted in an interior chamber in said valve housing and attached to said shaft, an interior chamber of a shape to fit about the circular perimeter of said valve housing, an internal inlet port and an internal outlet port in said valve housing each joining said interior chamber by an individual passageway to an external inlet port and an external outlet port respectively, a first groove recessed in the circular perimeter of the valve member, and a second groove recessed in the circular groove of the valve member, with the axis of each groove lying substantially in a common plane that intersects the axis of both internal inlet and outlet ports, said common plane being substantially perpendicular to the axis of the rotatable shaft of the clock timer, and with each groove separated from the other groove along the periphery of the valve member by non-recessed sections of the valve member periphery, where each said non-recessed section extends along an angular sector, in said common plane, so as to completely block an internal inlet port or internal outlet port when said non-recessed section is aligned with said internal port, a through passageway in said valve member joining both said grooves, said grooves and said non-recessed sections located so that in the initial and final position of the valve member a first non-recessed section completely blocks one internal port, so that in a second position of the valve member, one recessed groove extends completely to both internal ports so as to permit water flow through said groove, so that in a third position of the valve member, a second non-recessed section completely blocks an internal port, and so that in a fourth position of the valve member each internal port communicates directly with one recessed groove with water flow travelling between said ports through the through passageway in said valve member, said second, third, fourth and final positions being positions that the valve member is rotated to, in sequence, in a second direction by the timer shaft after the timer shaft has been rotated manually in the first direction, opposed to said second direction, from the said initial and final position to the said second position.
Specification
-
- Resources
-
Current AssigneeWilliam H. Dunckhorst
-
Original AssigneeWilliam H. Dunckhorst
-
InventorsDunckhorst, William H.
-
Primary Examiner(s)Cohan, Alan
-
Application NumberUS06/064,532Time in Patent Office735 DaysField of Search137/624.11, 137/624.12, 137/624.18, 137/624.2, 239/70US Class Current137/625.18CPC Class CodesF16K 11/0873 the plug being only rotatab...F16K 11/0876 one connecting conduit havi...F16K 31/48 actuated by mechanical timi...Y10T 137/86445 Plural, sequential, valve a...Y10T 137/86558 Plural noncommunicating flo...
