Shower soap dispenser for liquid soaps

• US 5,356,076 A
• Filed: 03/29/1993
• Issued: 10/18/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert A. Bishop
• Original Assignee: Robert A. Bishop
• Inventors: Bishop, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRANT, WILLIAM ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US08/038,216
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 239/310, 239/311, 239/315, 239/318, 239/335, 239/581.1, 137/889, 137/893, 137/894, 137/625.41
• US Class Current: 239/311
• 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 7/0425 without any source of compressed gas, e.g. the air being sucked by the pressurised liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/2443 the carried liquid and the main stream of carrying liquid being brought together downstream of the container before discharge B05B7/2454 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

An improved design for a soap dispenser for use with liquid soaps, primarily in showers, has a unique multi-position valve, and separate mixing and air entraining controls. Liquid soap stored in a reservoir is drawn into a flowing water stream by siphonic action. The amount of soap/air mixture is regulated by a mixture valve. Air in controllable proportions is added by an air entrainment valve. The proportion of air with respect to the soap is adjustable. Simultaneous control of the amount of soap/air mixed with the flowing water stream is controlled by a unique mixture valve geometry.

Claims

1. A soap dispenser for mixing a liquid soap from a soap reservoir, and air, into a flowing water stream from a pressurized water source, and for delivering water having entrained soap and air to an outlet, for ultimate delivery to the user, comprising:

a body, having an inlet (7), an outlet (8), and a main valve cavity (14) having an essentially circular cross section, and having;

an inlet passage (16) communicating between the inlet (7) and the main valve cavity (14),

an outlet passage (17) communicating between the main valve cavity (14), and the outlet (8)

a soap supply valve cavity (20) having a soap supply valve seat (22),

an air supply valve cavity (28),

a soap supply passage (19) having a first section communicating between the main valve cavity (14) and the soap supply valve cavity (20) and having a second section communicating between the soap supply valve cavity (20) and the soap reservoir (10), and

an air supply passage (34) communicating between the air supply valve cavity (28) and the soap supply passage (19);

a main valve element (15) having an essentially cylindrical form, and rotatably mounted within the main valve cavity (14), said main valve element having;

a metering passage (23, 24,

     25), having an inlet section (23) and an outlet section (25), wherein the metering passage inlet section (23) has a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of the inlet passage (16), and wherein the metering passage outlet section (25) has a cross-sectional area larger than the cross-sectional area of the metering passage inlet section (23), said metering passage inlet section (23) and metering passage outlet section (25) extending approximately diametrically through the valve element and being positioned so that when the valve element is rotated to a first position the metering passage inlet section (23) communicates with the body inlet passage (16) and the metering passage outlet section (25) communicates with the body outlet passage (17), and

a straight-through passage (26) having an inlet and an outlet, said straight-through passage (26) extending through the main valve element (15) at approximately its diameter, and communicating with the intersection (24) of the metering passage inlet section (23) and the metering passage outlet section (25), said soap supply passage (19) being positioned so that when the valve element is rotated to the first position the straight-through passage (26) communicates with the soap supply passage (19), and when the main valve element (15) is rotated to a second position the straight-through passage (26) communicates with the body inlet passage (16) and the body outlet passage (17);

a soap supply valve element (21) adapted to match to the soap supply valve cavity (20) and adjustably closeable with respect to the soap supply valve seat (22), whereby a restriction provided by the soap supply valve element (21) in conjunction with the soap supply valve seat (22) may be adjustably set;

an air supply valve element (29) adapted to match and adjustably closeable with respect to the air supply valve cavity (28), whereby a restriction provided by the air supply valve element (29) in conjunction with the air supply valve cavity (28) may be adjustably set.