Shower head having elongated arm, plural nozzles, and plural inlet lines

• US 5,499,767 A
• Filed: 08/31/1994
• Issued: 03/19/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MORAND, MICHEL
• Original Assignee: MORAND, MICHEL
• Inventors: Morand, Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): YOUNG, KAREN MERRITT
• Application Number:
  US08/297,541
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 239/380, 239/381, 239/383, 239/436, 239/443-449, 239/587.1, 239/587.4, 4/601, 4/604
• US Class Current: 239/383
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/16 having selectively- effective outlets
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/185 characterised by their outlet element; Mounting arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/62 Arrangements for supporting spraying apparatus, e.g. suction cups
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 3/04 driven by the liquid or other fluent material discharged, e.g. the liquid actuating a motor before passing to the outlet B05B3/023 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/06 Devices for suspending or supporting the supply pipe or supply hose of a shower-bath showers per se A47K3/28

Abstract

An improved shower head having an elongated, rigid arm with a shower nozzle at one end of the arm and with the other end of the arm acting as a handle adapted to be grasped by the user. The arm is mounted, near its one end, by a swivel joint onto a shower pipe. The arm can be grasped by its handle end to move it about the swivel joint to position the shower nozzle. A control valve can be mounted on the arm to control the flow of water from the shower pipe to the shower nozzle. A second shower nozzle can be mounted on the other end of the handle and the control valve can control the flow of water to either the nozzle or to both simultaneously.

Claims

1. A shower head having:

an elongated, rigid arm having a front and a back;

a shower nozzle provided at one end of the arm, the shower nozzle being at the front of the arm;

a swivel joint provided on the arm near the one end of the arm for use in connecting the shower head to a shower pipe, the swivel joint being at the back of the arm;

water connection means in the arm between the swivel joint and the shower nozzle for directing water from the shower pipe to the nozzle via the water connection means when the shower head is connected to the shower pipe;

the other end of the arm adapted to be manually moved to position the nozzle when the shower head is connected to the shower pipe.

2. A shower head as claimed in claim 1 wherein both ends of the arm are curved away from the swivel joint.

3. A shower head as claimed in claim 1 including a control valve on the arm, the water connection means leading from the swivel joint to the shower nozzle passing through the control valve.

4. A shower head as claimed in claim 3 wherein the shower nozzle is a first shower nozzle and the water connection means includes a first line leading from the control valve to the first shower nozzle, a second shower nozzle at the other end of the arm, the second nozzle normally directing water downwardly when the shower head is connected to the shower pipe, and the water connection means including a second line leading from the control valve to the second nozzle, the control valve constructed to selectively direct water to the first nozzle only, the second nozzle only, or to both nozzles simultaneously.

5. A shower head as claimed in claim 4 including a third shower nozzle at the front of the arm about midway between the first and second nozzles and the water connection means including a third line connecting the control valve to the third nozzle.

6. A shower head as claimed in claim 3 wherein the shower nozzle has at least two different sets of spray openings, the water connection means having a line leading to each set of spray openings from the control valve.

7. A shower head as claimed in claim 1 wherein the shower nozzle has at least two different sets of spray openings, the water connection means having a line in the arm leading to each set of spray openings, and control means on the arm for controlling the water supplied to each line from the shower pipe.

8. A shower head as claimed in claim 1 and further including a control valve in said water connection means, said control valve having an outer casing, a valve member rotatably mounted within the casing, an inlet in the casing, three outlets in the casing, the outlets spaced axially from the inlet but aligned with each other, one outlet extending radially from the casing in one direction, the other two outlets extending in opposite directions to the one outlet and parallel with the one outlet.

9. A shower head as claimed in claim 8 wherein the valve member has a base with an annular, cylindrical wall, a slot in the wall providing communication between the inlet and at least one of the outlets, the slot being wide enough to provide communication between the inlet and any two adjacent outlets when desired.

10. A shower head as claimed in claim 9 including seal means for sealing the slot off from those outlets it is not in communication with.

11. A shower head as claimed in claim 10 wherein the seal means has part circumferential grooves in the outer face of the wall of the base of the valve member below and in front of the slot and above and behind the slot;

a longitudinal groove adjacent each side of the slot in the face of the wall joining the part circumferential grooves together, and a seal member shaped to fit within all the grooves to extend about the circumference of the wall.

12. A shower head having:

a variable spray shower nozzle;

the nozzle having at least two sets of spray openings for spraying different patterns of water;

means in the shower head providing a separate supply of water to each set of spray openings in the nozzle; and

control means in the shower head for controlling the water supply means to control which sets of spray openings are provided with water.

13. A shower head as claimed in claim 12 wherein the water supply means comprise a water line leading to each set of spray openings in the nozzle.

14. A shower head having:

a main body;

at least two sets of spray openings, for spraying different patterns of water, on the body of the head;

a separate water inlet on the body for each set of spray openings;

a separate water line leading to each water inlet on the body;

a central chamber in the body for directing water form one water inlet to one set of spray openings;

an annular chamber in the body, surrounding the central chamber, for directing water from the other water inlet to the other set of spray openings; and

a spinner rotatably mounted in the annular chamber for pulsating water from the other set of spray openings.

15. A shower nozzle as claimed in claim 14 wherein the spinner has a flat annular section extending over about two thirds of the annular chamber, and spaced apart vanes extending transversely from the annular section.

16. A shower nozzle as claimed in claim 15 including a flow ring fixedly mounted within the annular chamber and dividing it into an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber, the spinner located in the outlet chamber, the flow ring having slanted passages therethrough for directing water from the inlet chamber into the outlet chamber at a shallow angle to impinge against the vanes of the spinner to rotate it within the annular body.

17. A shower nozzle as claimed in claim 16 wherein the flow ring has two slanted passages diametrically opposed to each other.

18. A shower nozzle as claimed in claim 16 including means on the body for directing water from the other water inlet into the inlet chamber in the direction of the slant of the passages.