Shower head assembly

• US 5,127,580 A
• Filed: 07/19/1991
• Issued: 07/07/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Liu Fu-I
• Original Assignee: Liu Fu-I
• Inventors: Fu-I, Liu
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRANT, WILLIAM ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US07/732,607
• Time in Patent Office: 354 Days
• Field of Search: 239/446, 239/447, 239/448, 239/449, 239/525, 239/581.1
• 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

Abstract

A shower head assembly includes a handle, a housing rotatably engages with the handle, and an output member received in the housing. The handle has a water supply end from which a block protrudes. Two water supply holes are formed on the block. The housing includes a first portion defining a first chamber therein for receiving the water output end of the handle, a second portion defining a second chamber therein for receiving the output member, and a mediate portion connecting the first and second portions. Two first water passages and two second water passages are formed in the mediate portion. The output member has a central output in fluid communication with the second water passages and a plurality of fine peripheral apertures in fluid communication with the first water passages. The first water passages are in fluid communication with the water supply holes and the second water passages are not in fluid communication with the water supply holes when the rotatable housing is in a first position. The first water passages are not in fluid communication with the water supply holes and the second water passages are in fluid communication with the water supply holes when the rotatable housing is in a second position. And the first and second water passages are both in partial fluid communication with the water supply holes when the rotatable housing is between the first and second positions.

Claims

1. A shower head assembly comprising:

a handle having a water supply end from which a block protrudes, a set of water supply holes being formed on said block;

a housing including a first portion defining a first chamber therein, a second portion defining a second chamber therein, and a mediate portion connecting said first and second portions, said first chamber receiving said block so that said housing rotatably engages with said water supply end of said handle, a first set of water passages and a second set of water passages being formed in said mediate portion;

an output means received in said second chamber, said output means having a central output in fluid communication with said second set of water passages and a plurality of peripheral outputs in fluid communication with said first set of water passages;

said first set of water passages being in fluid communication with said water supply holes and said second set of water passages not being in fluid communication with said water supply holes when said rotatable housing is in a first position, said first set of water passages not being in fluid communication with said water supply holes and said second set of water passages being in fluid communication with said water supply holes when said rotatable housing is in a second position, and said first and second sets of water passages both being in partial fluid communication with said water supply holes when said rotatable housing is between said first and second positions.

2. The shower head assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second set of water passages meet at a position before said central hole.

3. The shower head assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein a stop is formed on an inner peripheral wall of said first chamber for restraining said rotatable housing between said first and second positions under cooperation with said block.

4. The shower head assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said output means includes a substantially cylindrical portion received in said second chamber, said cylindrical portion having an inner passage for communicating said central hole with said second set of water passages, an outer periphery of said cylindrical portion and an inner peripheral wall of said second portion of said housing together defining a space for communicating said peripheral outputs with said first set of water passages.

6. The shower head assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a flange formed on an outer wall of said water supply end, an outer peripheral wall of said first portion being threaded, and a cap with inner threading being provided around said first portion for retaining said rotatable housing on said flange without affecting the rotational movement thereof relative to said handle.

7. The shower head assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a seal and a spring in each of said first and second water passages, said spring being compressed by the water stream from said water supply holes to bias said seal to be against an inner wall of said first chamber for preventing water leakage.

8. The shower head assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a grasp cone provided around said rotatable housing.

5. The shower head assembly as claimed in claimed 1, wherein a gasket is provided between an inner peripheral wall of said first portion and an outer periphery of said water supply end of said handle.