Shower system with adjustable streams

• US 6,322,005 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2000
• Issued: 11/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Original Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Inventors: Bauer, Wilhelm, Kern, Peter, Schopp, Rainer, Frede, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Morris, Lesley D.
• Application Number:
  US09/509,628
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 239/436, 239/443, 239/444, 239/446, 239/569, 239/578, 462/3, 461/5, 460/5, 460/4, 459/6
• US Class Current: 239/444
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/052 Mechanical devices not being part of the tap, e.g. foot pedals
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/055 Electrical control devices, e.g. with push buttons, control panels or the like

Abstract

The invention relates to a shower system with a showerhead (18) which is connected to a mixer faucet (12) for warm and cold water via a water delivery channel (16) and can be operated with various, according to selection, streams. According to the invention, a remote control unit is provided for adjusting the stream of the showerhead in order to enable an easier and more reliable change of the stream. To this end, an actuating element is located at a distance from the showerhead.

Claims

1. A shower system including:

a showerhead connected to a water supply channel and selectively operable with various types of streams;

a mixing valve provided between said water supply channel and said shower head, said mixing valve for selecting warm and cold water;

a control means provided at a distance from the showerhead for adjustment of the stream type of the showerhead;

an adjustment device provided in the showerhead with which the shower stream is adjusted to the desired stream type via a push-pull or rotation movement, and

a final control element which transmits control force from the control means to the adjustment device;

wherein the final control element includes hydraulic control-force transmission segments which are acted upon by water under pressure from the water supply channel, and

wherein the final control element includes two hydraulic pistons, each one respectively provided in one of said hydraulic control-force transmission segments and connected to the adjustment device via a rod element.

2. A shower system according to claim 1, wherein said control means comprise a wall-mounted control panel with control input elements for adjustment of the stream type as well as the water temperature and flow amount.

3. A shower system according to claim 2, wherein said control panel includes a display device via which the instantaneous condition values and/or the selected inputs for the water temperature, the stream strength, and/or the stream type are selectable.

4. A shower system according to claim 3, wherein the display device is a liquid crystal display or a LED display.

5. A shower system according to claim 1, wherein the water supply channel is a flexible hose or a pipe, within which the final control element is provided in a water-tight jacket.

6. A shower system including

a showerhead connected to a water supply channel and selectively operable with various types of streams;

a mixing valve provided between said water supply channel and said shower head, said mixing valve for selecting warm and cold water,

a control means provided at a distance from the showerhead for adjustment of the stream type of the showerhead,

an adjustment device provided in the showerhead with which the shower stream is adjusted to the desired stream type via a push-pull or rotation movement, and

a final control element which transmits control force from the control means to the adjustment device,

wherein the final control element includes hydraulic control-force transmission segments which are acted upon by water under pressure from the water supply channel, and

wherein the final control element further includes two throttle valves provided respectively in said hydraulic control-force transmission segments, which are selectively operable via the control means to open or close the appropriate hydraulic control-force transmission segment so that a control force for producing the various stream types can be transmitted to the adjustment device.

7. A shower system according to claim 6, wherein said control means comprise a wall-mounted control panel with control input elements for adjustment of the stream type as well as the water temperature and flow amount.

8. A shower system according to claim 7, wherein said control panel includes a display device via which the instantaneous condition values and/or the selected inputs for the water temperature, the stream strength, and/or the stream type are selectable.

9. A shower system according to claim 8, wherein the display device is a liquid crystal display or a LED display.

10. A shower system according to claim 6, wherein the water supply channel is a flexible hose or a pipe, within which the final control element is provided in a water-tight jacket.