Showerhead

• US 4,674,687 A
• Filed: 08/09/1985
• Issued: 06/23/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Water Pik Incorporated (Church & Dwight Company Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Teledyne Industries Incorporated (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cammack, Michael A., Smith, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jones, Mary Beth O.
• Application Number:
  US06/764,137
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 239/436-442, 239/282, 239/283, 239/383, 239/588, 239/381, 239/600, 239/443-449, 239/525, 239/587, 285/330, 285/282, 285/61, 285/82, 285/263, 285/376, 285/377, 248/222.2, 248/222.3, 248/75
• US Class Current: 239/447
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/1645 the outlets being rotated during selection
• 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 1/30 designed to control volume of flow, e.g. with adjustable passages B05B11/0094 takes precedence

Abstract

A showerhead includes a housing which defines different sets of spray outlets and includes a mounting for the housing that defines a path of water flow from an inlet. Formed on the housing are circumferentially-spaced grooves and formed on the mounting are mating lugs. Lands disposed between successive ones of the grooves include a cam surface which elevates in continuation toward the entrance of a next groove and then terminates in a step leading toward the bottom of that next groove, as a result of which the assembly atop the lands and subsequent movement of the lugs over the cam surface lockingly drops the lugs into corresponding ones of the grooves. The mounting includes a handle through which water flows and which is removably received within arms of a bracket to which water is supplied and therefrom led into the handle. A channel within the body of the bracket accepts a shank projecting from a pivot ball which sealing seats within a nut that, in turn, is threaded onto a water-supply pipe. The inner end of the shank is locked into place by means of inner interengaging lugs and ears which cooperate with a retainer that inhibits their inadvertent or intentional disassembly.

Claims

1. A showerhead comprising:

a housing defining at least one spray outlet and a water inlet;

a mounting for said housing which defines a path of water flow to said inlet;

means formed on a side of one said housing and said mounting that faces the other of said housing and said mounting and defines a plurality of circumferentially-spaced grooves;

means formed on a side of the other of said housing and said mounting that faces the one of said housing and said mounting and defining a plurality of circumferentially-spaced resilient lugs insertable within respective different ones of said grooves, each groove having a predetermined length and receivable of corresponding ones of said lugs for movement along the length of the corresponding groove, and a plurality of lands disposed in circumferential succession between successive corresponding ones of said grooves, each of said lands including a cam surface which elevates in continuation toward the entrance of the next groove and then terminates in a step leading toward the bottom of said next groove, whereby assembly of said lugs atop said lands and subsequent movement of said lugs over said cam surface abruptly drops said lugs lockingly into corresponding ones of said grooves and in inhibition of subsequent disassembly of said housing from said mounting.

2. A showerhead as defined in claim 1 in which the end of each of said grooves remote from the corresponding step includes a stop which prohibits further movement of said lugs relative to said grooves.

3. A showerhead as defined in claim 1 which includes a hollow handle depending from said mounting and connectable to a source of water to be conducted interiorally of said handle to said path.

4. A showerhead as defined in claim 1 in which a plurality of sets of spray outlets are defined in said housing, which includes a flow director for selecting the path of water flow to different ones of said sets of spray outlets, and which includes means for interconnecting said director and said mounting to permit movement of said housing relative to said mounting and said director for determining said path of water flow as between or among said sets.

5. A showerhead as defined in claim 4 in which at least a pair of prongs project from one toward the other of said director and said mounting and at least a pair of retainers project from the other to the one of said director and said mounting with said prongs being interlocked with said retainers.

6. For use with a showerhead from which projects a hand-held handle, a bracket comprising:

a hollow body from which project means for removably accepting said handle for mounting thereon;

an outlet coupling projecting from said body for connection of water flow to said showerhead;

an inlet opening into a channel within the interior of said body and leading to said outlet;

a plurality of circumferentially-spaced lugs projecting from said body into said channel;

a nut securable upon a water supply pipe and having one part of a swivel joint facing said body;

a shank terminating at one end in the other part of said swivel joint and having its other end portion disposed through said inlet opening and into said channel;

a plurality of circumferentially-spaced ears projecting laterally from said other portion of said shank and, when said shank is inserted within said channel, to effect completion of said pivot joint and then rotated relative to said channel, individually seated behind respective different ones of said lugs;

and a retainer having a plurality of circumferentially-spaced feet individually engageable with the respective sides of the corresponding different ones of said ears which face said pivot joint, a plurality of circumferentially-spaced legs projecting from respective different ones of said feet in the direction of said other end of said shank and sized to be seated between corresponding different ones of said ears and means joining together the ends of said legs remote from said feet with said retainer exhibiting sufficient resiliency to allow said feet to be moved over said ears and lodge adjacent to said sides and with successive ones of said feet defining gaps therebetween into which said lugs project.

7. A bracket as defined in claim 6 which further includes a collar encircling said shank in a location spaced from said ears toward said pivot joint a distance sufficient to accept an elastomeric ring for sealing said shank with said channel.

8. For use with a showerhead from which projects a hand-held handle, a bracket comprising:

a hollow body from which project means for removably accepting said handle for mounting thereon;

an outlet coupling projecting from said body for connection of water flow to said showerhead;

an inlet opening into a water flow channel within the interior of said body and leading to said outlet;

a plurality of circumferentially-spaced lugs projecting from said body into said channel;

a nut securable upon a water supply pipe and having one part of a swivel joint facing said body;

a shank terminating at one end in the other part of said swivel joint and having its other end portion disposed through said inlet opening and into said channel;

and means disposed within said channel and interengagable with said lugs and shank for irreversably locking said shank within said channel upon being assembled together.

9. A showerhead comprising:

a housing defining at least one spray outlet and a water inlet;

a mounting for said housing which defines a path of water flow to said inlet;

means formed on a side of one of said housing and said mounting that faces the other of said housing and said mounting and defines a plurality of circumferentially-spaced grooves;

means formed on a side of the other of said housing and said mounting that faces the one of said housing and said mounting and defining a plurality of circumferentially-spaced resilient lugs insertable within respective different ones of grooves, each groove having a predetermined length and receivable of corresponding ones of said lugs for movement along the length of the corresponding groove and a plurality of lands receivable of corresponding ones of said lugs and disposed in circumferential succession between successive corresponding ones of said grooves, each of said lands including a cam surface which elevates in continuation toward the entrance of the next groove and then terminates in a step leading toward the bottom of said next groove, whereby assembly of said lugs atop said lands and subsequent movement of said lugs over said cam surface abruptly drops said lugs lockingly into corresponding ones of said grooves and in inhibition of subsequent disassembly of said housing from said mounting;

a hollow handle depending from said mounting and connectable to a source of water to be conducted interiorally of said handle to said path;

a hollow body from which project means for removably accepting said handle for mounting thereon;

an outlet coupling projecting from said body for connection of water flow to said showerhead;

an inlet opening into a water flow channel within the interior of said body and leading to said outlet;

a plurality of circumferentially-spaced lugs projecting from said body into said channel;

a nut securable upon a water supply pipe and having one part of a swivel joint facing said body;

a shank terminating at one end in the other part of said swivel joint and having its other end portion disposed through said inlet opening and into said channel;

and means disposed within said channel and interengagable with said lugs and shank for irreversably locking said shank within said channel upon being assembled together.