Cleaning apparatus and method for bath enclosures

• US 4,872,225 A
• Filed: 09/06/1988
• Issued: 10/10/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: John C. Wagner
• Original Assignee: John C. Wagner
• Inventors: Wagner, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/240,209
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• Field of Search: 4/596, 4/597, 4/600, 4/601, 4/605, 4/612, 4/615, 4/616, 4/617, 4/618, 4/662, 239/559, 239/567, 239/209, 128/366, 134/167 R, 134/168 R, 134/169 R, 134/22.18
• US Class Current: 4/662
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/046 Adding soap, disinfectant, or the like in the supply line or at the water outletpreventing contamination of drinking-water pipes E03C1/10
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 9/002 Automatic cleaning devices

Abstract

A cleaning device in a bath enclosure connected to a water supply pipe and to a shower head and operable to direct water flow through either the shower head or a spray head disposed in an upper portion of the bath enclosure. The spray head has a plurality of discharge openings arranged to direct streams of fluid in a spread pattern so as to wash down substantially the entire inside surface of the bath enclosure. An injector assembly permits a container to introduce a cleaning fluid into the water to be sprayed through the spray head. One form disclosed has a diverter valve between the shower head and water supply pipe and the other form has a diverter valve at the hot and cold water control valves.

Claims

1. A cleaning device for a bath enclosure that is usable in combination with a shower head and a water supply pipe comprising:

spray means for mounting in an upper portion of a bath enclosure, said spray means including a spray pipe shaped to extend along the inside surface of a bath enclosure, said spray pipe having a plurality of discharge opening selectively located at spaced intervals along an outer side of the pipe, each said discharge opening being substantially the same distance from the inside surface of the bath enclosure and arranged for directing and spraying a liquid stream at a downward angle in an overlapping pattern against substantially the entire inside surface of at least one wall of said bath enclosure,

water flow control and support means arranged for supporting and supplying water to a shower head to spray inside the bath enclosure and supporting and in the alternative supplying water to said spray means, and

fluid injection means for introducing a cleaning fluid into the water flowing from a water supply pipe to said spray means to provide a cleaning liquid that is sprayed by said spray means against said inside surface and flows down along an inside surface area of said wall to clean substantially all of said inside surface area.

2. A cleaning device as set forth in claim 1 including connection means to removably couple said spray means to a water supply pipe that supplies said spray means with water.

3. A cleaning device as set forth in claim 1, said water and control support means including diverter means for diverting water from said water supply pipe to either said spray means or to a shower head.

4. A cleaning device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said diverter means is coupled between an outlet of a water supply pipe and a shower head.

5. A cleaning device as set or forth in claim 3 wherein said diverter means is coupled to the control valves for regulating the flow control to the water supply pipe.

6. A cleaning device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said diverter means includes a control member to set the fluid flow therethrough to either said spray head or said shower head.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said discharge openings are directed at a downwardly directed angle between about 20°

and 50°

from the horizontal so as to prevent a splash and cause the liquid to spread across a wall surface being cleaned.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said discharge openings are directed downwardly towards said walls at a downwardly directed angle of about 40°

from the horizontal so as to prevent a splash and cause the liquid to spread across a wall surface area being cleaned.

9. A cleaning device as set forth in claim 6 wherein said spray means includes a length of pipe arranged in a closed loop, four-sided configuration that substantially conforms to the configuration of the bath enclosure.

10. A cleaning device as set forth in claim 6 wherein said discharge openings are spaced a selected distance from the inside of said bath enclosure and are directed at said angle to form streams that spread in a pattern when the stream strikes said inner surface to form a plurality of spread patterns with the patterns of adjacent streams overlapping.

11. A cleaning device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said fluid injection means includes a body with a flow passage containing a check valve which permits the flow of said cleaning fluid into water flowing to said spray means but prevents a return flow of said cleaning fluid and water being supplied to said spray means from backflowing through said check valve.

12. A cleaning device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said fluid injection means includes a body with an inlet passage to receive a spout of container containing a cleaning fluid so that said cleaning fluid can be dispensed into water discharged to said spray means via said inlet port without leakage of said fluid between the interface of said spout and said inlet passage.

13. A cleaning device as set forth in claim 12 wherein said container is elastically compressible so that said cleaning fluid is dispensed therefrom by compressing said container.

14. A cleaning device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cleaning fluid is a water spot remover.

15. A cleaning device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cleaning fluid includes a detergent liquid cleaner.

16. A cleaning device for a bath enclosure that is usable in combination with a shower head and a water supply pipe comprising:

spray means arranged for spraying an upper portion of a plurality of walls defining a bath enclosure, said spray means shaped to extend around the contour of the inside of the bath enclosure and including a length of conduit provided with a plurality of selectively located discharge openings along an outer side of said conduit for directing and uniformly spraying a cleaning liquid in an overlapping spray pattern onto said upper portion so that said liquid rinses substantially all of the surface area of said side walls located below said upper portion for cleaning said walls;

water flow control and support means arranged for supporting and supplying water to a shower head to spray inside the bath enclosure and for supporting and in the alternative supplying water to said spray means, said water flow control and support means including diverter means for switching the direction of the flow of said water back and forth between a first position for directing said water to said spray means and a second position for directing said water to said shower head; and

fluid injection means for introducing cleaning fluid into said spray means so that said cleaning fluid combines with water in said spraying means to provide said cleaning liquid.

17. A cleaning device as set forth in claim 16 wherein said source of pressurized water includes a water supply pipe extending through a wall of a four-sided bath enclosure and wherein said connect means is connected to said water supply pipe and wherein said length of conduit is connected to said connect means and supported thereby, said length of conduit also being rectangularly shaped so that each side of the rectangularly shaped conduit sprays a separate side wall of the bath enclosure with said liquid.

18. In combination, a generally four-sided bathing enclosure having three walls and a movable door, a water supply including flow control valve means for supplying hot and cold water to said enclosure, and shower head means for spraying water into said enclosure, and a device for cleaning said enclosure, said device including:

water flow control and support means for supporting and supplying water to said shower head means and including diverter means connectable to said water supply means for switching the direction of the flow of water back and forth between a first position for discharge of said water to said shower head means and a second position for discharge of said water through a second outlet;

spray means supplied by said water flow control and support means arranged for spraying an upper portion of the side walls of the bathing enclosure, said spray means including a spray pipe shaped to extend around the inside of a bath enclosure having a plurality of discharge openings at spaced intervals along an outer side of said spray pipe for directing and spraying a liquid stream against an upper portion of said side walls, said spray pipe being removably connected to said second outlet for receiving water therefrom when the diverter means is in the second position; and

fluid injection means for introducing a cleaning fluid into the water flow to said spray means so that said cleaning fluid combines with water supplied via said diverter means to provide a cleaning liquid containing said water and said cleaning fluid for spraying onto an upper portion of the inside surface area of said bath enclosure, said liquid running down said side walls after being sprayed onto said upper portion threeof so as to rinse said side walls with said cleaning liquid, said liquid thereby cleaning said inside surface area.

19. The combination, as set forth in claim 18 including bracket means mounted to the inside of said bath enclosure to support said spray means a selected distance from the inside of said bath enclosure.

20. The combination, as set forth in claim 19 wherein said bracket means includes a straight portion fastened to the bath enclosure, an inclined portion, and a lower curved portion on which the spray means seals.