Modular shower arm mounting system

• US 6,464,265 B1
• Filed: 10/22/1999
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Moen, Inc. (Canada) (Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Moen, Inc. (Canada) (Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mikol, Erwin F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Browne, Lynne H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): THOMPSON, KENNETH L
• Application Number:
  US09/422,773
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 285/333, 285/355, 285/390, 239/282
• US Class Current: 285/333
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 15/02 allowing substantial longitudinal adjustment by use of a long screw-threaded part

Abstract

A modular shower arm mounting system includes a water conduit and a replaceable shower arm assembly in sealing engagement therewith. The water conduit has a generally uniform inner wall and an outer diameter wall having a hexagonally or polygonally shaped drive force receiving area adjacent a threaded area. The conduit has one end attached to a manifold behind a shower wall surface and an outlet end projecting from the wall surface of sufficient length therefrom so that the drive force receiving area and threaded area are spaced from the wall surface. The replaceable shower arm assembly has an inner wall with a threaded portion for engagement with the conduit and a substantially smooth portion of gradually decreasing inner diameter downstream of said threaded portion approaching an outwardly projecting end thereof. The seal ring is adjacent the outlet end of the conduit to form a seal with the assembly. The shower arm assembly is replaceable without disconnecting the conduit from the manifold thereby allowing the user to easily change the shape and/or color of the visible shower arm assembly.

Claims

1. A modular shower arm mounting system, including:

(a) a rigid water conduit formed and adapted to mount to a water manifold located behind a shower wall, said conduit having an inner water passage and an exterior wall, said exterior wall having formed thereon a first threaded area for connection to the manifold and having formed thereon a second threaded area remote from the first threaded area and positioned on a visible side of the shower wall when the water conduit is mounted to the water manifold, a polygonally shaped drive force receiving area on said exterior wall near said second threaded area and being positioned on the visible side of the shower wall when the water conduit is mounted to the water manifold, the drive force receiving area providing for mounting of the water conduit to the water manifold from the visible side of the shower wall;

(b) a replaceable shower arm assembly having an inner wall with a threaded portion for engagement with the second threaded area of the water conduit and a substantially smooth portion downstream of said threaded portion terminating in an outwardly projecting end thereof, said assembly extending over and masking said drive force receiving area when threadably attached to the water conduit, a seal ring adjacent the outlet end of the water conduit in sealing engagement with said assembly inner wall, an exterior wall of said assembly being threaded on an outlet end thereof for attachment of a shower head; and

(c) said assembly covering and masking said conduit when attached thereto and having an end thereof directly adjacent the shower wall when attached to the conduit, said assembly being removable and replaceable to change the appearance thereof without disconnecting the conduit from the manifold.

2. The modular shower arm mounting system of claim 1, wherein the conduit second threaded area is directly adjacent said drive force receiving area.

3. The modular shower arm mounting system of claim 2, wherein the second threaded area has a larger diameter than the drive force receiving area.

4. The modular shower arm mounting system of claim 1, wherein the drive force receiving area has a hexagonal configuration.

5. The modular shower arm mounting system of claim 1, wherein the outer end of the water conduit carries the seal ring for engagement with a reduced diameter portion of the assembly inner wall.

6. The modular shower arm mounting system of claim 1, wherein a portion of the assembly is disposed at a downward angle for directing water toward a user of the shower head.