Water saving shower head

• US 4,614,303 A
• Filed: 06/28/1984
• Issued: 09/30/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Charles D. Moseley Jr, Charles D. Waring
• Original Assignee: Charles D. Moseley Jr, Charles D. Waring
• Inventors: Waring, Charles D., Moseley, Charles D. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/625,636
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 138/44, 239/579, 239/581, 239/590.3, 239/590.5, 239/456, 239/458, 239/457, 239/104, 239/106, 239/499, 239/460
• US Class Current: 239/499
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/12 capable of producing different kinds of discharge, e.g. either jet or spray having selectively-effective outlets B05B1/16
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/308 the controlling element comprising both a lift valve and a deflector

Abstract

A self-cleaning, water saver shower head which will provide a maximum flow rate without regard to water pressure and which may be adjusted from a no flow condition to a fine mist to a spray to a heavy pulsating rinse stream. The device uses a cavitation inducing orifice at the inlet to the head and a second cavitation inducing set of orifices upstream of the outlet with an elongated mixing chamber therebetween. A plunger is disposed in the outlet downstream of the second cavitation inducing orifices to direct the water exiting the device against a diffuser sleeve to define the spray. Rotation of a sleeve which defines the outlet and carries the diffuser causes axial displacement of the plunger within the outlet to provide the desired spray. In an embodiment of this invention, instead of a no flow condition, a drip condition will be produced by rotating the sleeve to cause axial displacement of the plunger until a knurled flange seats at the outlet thereof. Serrations on the flange permit a drip of water to pass therethrough so that when the shower head is in the drip position, a stream of water will not be permitted therethrough, but the water behind the shower head will not rise to the temperature of the hot water.

Claims

1. A self-cleaning, water saver shower head which is adjustable between a drip flow condition, a fine spray, a powerful spray and a heavy, pulsating rinse stream comprising:

an elongated, substantially hollow housing having an axial inlet port at one end for admitting water, a plurality of radial outlet ports adjacent the opposite end for expelling water and an interior mixing chamber in communication with the inlet port and the radial outlet ports;

first cavitation means disposed at the inlet for inducing cavitation in a stream of water passing therethrough and second cavitation inducing means disposed at the radial outlet ports for inducing cavitation in a stream of water passing therethrough;

a hollow sleeve rotatably mounted on the exterior of said housing surrounding the radial outlet ports, said sleeve including spray diffusing means extending axially outwardly from the ends of said housing adjacent the radial ports for collecting streams of water from said radial ports and dispensing the same in a spray pattern, said sleeve also mounting spray adjustment means disposed between the radial ports and said diffusing means for changing the spray pattern from said diffusing means responsive to rotation of said sleeve about said housing;

said sleeve further comprising an internal throat, an internal converging chamber upstream of the throat, and an internal diverging chamber downstream of the throat, said diverging chamber opening into a diffusing flange which forms the spray outlet of said head, the radial outlet ports of said housing being disposed within said sleeve upstream of the converging chamber;

said spray adjustment means further comprising a frustroconical plunger formed by the end of said housing adjacent the radial outlet ports and disposed downstream of the ports adjacent the throat whereby as said sleeve is rotated on said housing the plunger will move, selectively, into or out of the throat thereby changing the spray pattern therethrough; and

drip constricting means surrounding said housing between the plunger and the radial outlets for engaging the surface of the converging chamber when the plunger is fully received in the throat to constrict the flow of water therethrough to a drip

said drip constriction means comprising a flange extending radially outwardly from said housing, the peripheral surface of said flange defining knurled serrations so that when said flange seals against the converging chamber surface of said sleeve adjacent the throat the flow of water through said shower head will be restricted to a drip.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said first cavitation means includes a short tube orifice disposed in the inlet port so that water entering said housing must pass through the orifice.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said housing is substantially cylindrical and said plurality of radial ports comprises four radially directed ports disposed at 90 degree intervals around the longitudinal axis thereof.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said second cavitation means includes a sharp edged orifice disposed in each radial outlet port.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said housing is substantially cylindrical and said plurality of radial ports comprises two radially directed ports disposed at 180 degree intervals around the longitudinal axis thereof.