Showerhead

• US 6,250,572 B1
• Filed: 09/07/2000
• Issued: 06/26/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Globe Union Industrial Corporation
• Original Assignee: Globe Union Industrial Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Jackson
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HWU, DAVIS D
• Application Number:
  US09/656,897
• Time in Patent Office: 292 Days
• Field of Search: 239/602, 239/550, 239/556, 239/558, 239/559, 239/567, 239/546, 239/533.13, 239/DIG.12, 467/5, 467/8, 459/6, 460/5, 461/5, 490/3
• US Class Current: 239/602
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/185 characterised by their outlet element; Mounting arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/528 by resilient deformation of the nozzle

Abstract

A showerhead includes a housing and a face plate to confine a chamber therebetween. A plurality of spray nipples are mounted on the face plate. Each spray nipple includes a nozzle body and a securing sleeve member. The nozzle body is made of a deformable material, and includes a stem portion with a shank end fitted to a respective inner peripheral wall in the face plate, a tapered end extending outwardly of a front major wall of the face plate, and a shoulder portion formed at a juncture of the shank and tapered ends. An enlarged head portion is secured to the shank end opposite to the tapered end, and defines an abutment shoulder to abut against a rear major wall of the face plate. A spray passageway extends from the stem portion through the enlarged head portion. Thus, the tapered end is bendable relative to the front major wall such that particulate dirt will be bounced out of the spray passageway once the tapered end swings back to its original state. The securing sleeve member is sleeved on the shank end, and abuts against the shoulder portion and the front major wall to cooperate with the abutment shoulder to clamp the face plate therebetween so as to secure the respective spray nipple to the face plate.

Claims

1. A showerhead comprising:

a housing with a main inlet adapted to communicate with a water source;

a face plate tightly covering said housing to confine with said housing a chamber communicating with said main inlet, said face plate having a front major wall, a rear major wall opposite to said front major wall in a spray direction, and a plurality of inner peripheral walls each extending from said front major wall through said rear major wall to confine a through hole so as to permit water in said chamber to be discharged therethrough in the spray direction; and

a plurality of spray nipples, each including

a nozzle body made of a deformable material, and including

a stem portion including a shank end which is fitted to a respective one of said inner peripheral walls from said rear major wall through said front major wall, a tapered end which extends from said shank end in a first direction away from said rear major wall and outwardly of said front major wall and which converges in the first direction, and a shoulder portion which is formed at a juncture of said shank and tapered ends and which extends outwardly and radially from said shank end,

an enlarged head portion connected securely to said shank end opposite to said tapered end, and defining with said shank end an abutment shoulder which abuts against said rear major wall when said shank end of said stem portion is fitted to said respective one of said inner peripheral walls, and

a spray passageway extending from said stem portion through said enlarged head portion in the first direction to communicate with said chamber for discharging water in said chamber outwardly of said tapered end, said tapered end being disposed to be bendable relative to said front major wall such that particulate dirt will be bounced out of said spray passageway once said tapered end swings back to its original state, and

a securing sleeve member sleeved on said shank end of said stem portion, and having front and rear abutting end portions which abut against said shoulder portion and said front major wall respectively after said securing sleeve member has been brought to sleeve over said tapered end, to cooperate with said abutment shoulder to clamp said face plate therebetween so as to secure a respective one of said spray nipples to said face plate.

2. The showerhead as claimed in claim 1, wherein said nozzle bodies are made of rubber.

3. The showerhead as claimed in claim 1, wherein said nozzle body of each of said spray nipples further includes an engaging flange which is formed on said abutment shoulder and which is inserted in said through hole and in friction contact with said respective one of said inner peripheral walls.

4. The showerhead as claimed in claim 3, wherein said securing sleeve member of each of said spray nipples further includes an engaging ring formed on and extending rearwardly of said rear abutting end portion so as to abut against said engaging flange in said through hole after said securing sleeve member has been sleeved on said shank end.