Showerhead

• US 4,561,593 A
• Filed: 01/19/1983
• Issued: 12/31/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Water Pik Incorporated (Church & Dwight Company Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Teledyne Industries Incorporated (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Smith, David W., Cammack, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nase, Jeffrey V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moon, Jr., James R.
• Application Number:
  US06/459,137
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 239/443-449, 239/553, 239/600, 239/587, 239/553.3, 239/590, 239/590.3
• US Class Current: 239/600
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/1654 about an axis parallel to the liquid passage in the stationary valve element
• 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 1/3026 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

Abstract

A showerhead includes a hollow housing with front and rear openings and a closure in the front opening which defines first and second groups of flow outlets. The showerhead is secured to a supply pipe by a nut which has a snout to captivate a ball and fix the position of a shank that projects from the ball and around which the housing is rotatable. A flow control device rotationally fixed on the shank enables selection of liquid flow through the ball and shank to selected ones of first and second channels that lead to corresponding first and second groups of flow outlets as the housing is rotated about the shank.

Claims

1. A showerhead comprising:

a generally hollow housing having front and rear openings leading to the interior of said housing;

a closure affixed within said front opening and defining outlets for directing liquid in a selected spray pattern outwardly from said interior;

a pivot assembly including a ball in the form of a generally spherical segment and joined to a shank which projects away from said ball and is slidably received through said rear opening in protrusion toward said front opening, a conduit being defined through said ball and said shank to deliver liquid into said interior;

a nut having means for connection to a delivery pipe and a snout enveloping said ball, the internal wall of said snout tapering inwardly to captivate said ball when the latter is urged outwardly relatively to said snout;

means for urging said ball outwardly relative to said snout when said connection means is attached to said pipe and for effecting a seal for said liquid;

means within the interior of said housing for captivating said shank against withdrawal from said rear opening, said captivating means seating said shank within said housing, permitting rotation of said housing around said shank;

means defined in said housing including said closure for creating first and second groups of flow outlets for said liquid;

first and second channels defined in said closure for enabling the flow of said liquid individually to respective different ones of said groups;

and a flow director secured to said shank for selecting the path of flow of said liquid as between said first and second channels as said housing is rotated around said shank.

2. A showerhead as defined in claim 1 in which said flow director is snap-fitted onto said shank, so as to remain oriented therewith as said housing is rotated around said shank.

3. A showerhead as defined in claim 1 in which said flow director is movably secured longitudinally on said shank but has a portion disposed in the path of flow inletted through said conduit as to be urged by that flow into selective cooperation with said channels.

4. A showerhead as defined in claim 1 in which said flow director includes a pair of space-opposed legs which engage over the inner end portion of said shank, and in which a pair of space-opposed lugs, which project outwardly from said end portion, define a pair of space-opposed channels in which individual ones of said legs respectively are seated.

5. A showerhead comprising:

a generally hollow housing having front and rear openings leading to the interior of said housing;

a closure affixed within said front opening and defining outlets for directing liquid in a selected spray pattern outwardly from said interior;

a pivot assembly including a ball in the form of a generally spherical segment and joined to a shank which projects away from said ball and is slidably received through said rear opening in protrusion toward said front opening, a conduit being defined through said ball and said shank to deliver liquid into said interior;

a nut having means for connection to a delivery pipe and a snout enveloping said ball, the internal wall of said snout tapering inwardly to captivate said ball when the latter is urged outwardly relatively to said snout;

means for urging said ball outwardly relative to said snout when said connection means is attached to said pipe and for effecting a seal for said liquid;

means within the interior of said housing for captivating said shank against withdrawal from said rear opening, said captivating means seating said shank within said housing, permitting rotation of said housing around said shank;

a removable restrictor inserted in said conduit for reducing the rate of flow of water into said housing below that which otherwise would be permitted by said conduit for a given water pressure;

said restricter including a tab which projects rewardly from said ball, so as to permit a user readily to remove said restricter upon removal of said showerhead from said delivery pipe and without disassembly of said showerhead;

and in which said restrictor is of oblong shape and effectively includes a pair of laterally-spaced webs which fit into said conduit and continue into end portions one of which enables removal of said restrictor from said conduit.

6. A showerhead as defined in claim 5 in which the central portion of said restrictor has a multi-faceted cross sectional shape, and said conduit includes a portion of receptive shape which enables randomly-selected orientation of said restrictor upon insertion while insuring accessibility for removal.

7. A showerhead comprising:

a generally hollow housing having front and rear openings leading to the interior of said housing;

a closure affixed within said front opening and defining outlets for directing liquid in a selected spray pattern outwardly from said interior;

a pivot assembly including a ball in the form of a generally spherical segment and joined to a shank which projects away from said ball and is slidably received through said rear opening in protrusion toward said front opening, a conduit being defined through said ball and said shank to deliver liquid into said interior;

a nut having means for connection to a delivery pipe and a snout enveloping said ball, the internal wall of said snout tapering inwardly to captivate said ball when the latter is urged outwardly relatively to said snout;

means for urging said ball outwardly relative to said snout when said connection means is attached to said pipe and for effecting a seal for said liquid;

means within the interior of said housing for captivating said shank against withdrawal from said rear opening, said captivating means seating said shank within said housing, permitting rotation of said housing around said shank;

a pair of space-opposed lugs projecting outwardly from the inner end portion of said shank;

a pair of space-opposed nubs projecting inwardly from a wall of said housing to define a pair of space-opposed channelways through which said lugs are receivable for disposition behind said nubs upon insertion and twisting of said shank relative to said housing;

and means disposable within said channelways for inhibiting untwisting of said shank relative to said housing that would enable withdrawal of said shank from said rear opening.

8. A showerhead comprising:

a generally hollow housing having front and rear openings leading to the interior of said housing;

a closure affixed within said front opening and defining outlets for directing liquid in a selected spray pattern outwardly from said interior;

a pivot assembly including a ball in the form of a generally spherical segment and joined to a shank which projects away from said ball and is slidably received through said rear opening in protrusion toward said front opening, a conduit being defined through said ball and said shank to deliver liquid into said interior;

a nut having means for connection to a delivery pipe and a snout enveloping said ball, the internal wall of said snout tapering inwardly to captivate said ball when the latter is urged outwardly relatively to said snout;

means for urging said ball outwardly relative to said snout when said connection means is attached to said pipe and for effecting a seal for said liquid;

means within the interior of said housing for captivating said shank against withdrawal from said rear opening, said captivating means seating said shank within said housing, permitting rotation of said housing around said shank;

a pair of space-opposed lugs projecting outwardly from the inner end portion of said shank;

a pair of space-opposed nubs projecting inwardly from a wall of said housing to define a pair of space-opposed channelways through which said lugs are receivable for disposition behind said nubs upon insertion and twisting of said shank relative to said housing;

and indexing means for inhibiting untwisting of said shank relative to said housing that would enable withdrawal of said shank from said rear opening.