Illuminated showerhead

• US 6,637,676 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2001
• Issued: 10/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Water Pik Incorporated (Church & Dwight Company Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Interbath, Inc. (Church & Dwight Company Incorporated)
• Inventors: Zieger, Hennig, Zieger, Claus D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ganey, Steven J.
• Application Number:
  US09/843,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20020158153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 239/17, 239/18, 239/211, 239/289, 239/548, 239/19, 362/96, 362/227, 362/234, 362/551, 362/555, 607/80
• US Class Current: 239/548
• 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 15/00 Details of spraying plant or spraying apparatus not otherwise provided for; Accessories
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 17/08 Fountains drinking fountains E03B9/20; wash fountains E03C1/16
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 2200/10 of light guides of the optical fibres type
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/004 Sanitary equipment, e.g. mirrors, showers, toilet seats or paper dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2121/02 for fountains
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/401 for swimming pools

Abstract

A showerhead which may be utilized as a source of illumination includes a source of illumination which is efficiently coupled to individual ones of a plurality of water sprays. In an exemplary embodiment, a plurality of fiber-optic members transmit light from one or more individual light sources to corresponding ones of a plurality of individual shower sprays or nozzles. Light from the source of illumination is thus transferred to and is transmitted through a plurality of individual water sprays.

Claims

1. An illuminated shower head comprising:

a plurality of water outlet orifices; and

a plurality of sources of illumination, each of the plurality of sources of illumination being located adjacent to corresponding ones of the plurality of water outlet orifices such that light emitted from each of the plurality of sources of illumination passes rough the corresponding ones of the plurality of water outlet orifices.

2. The illuminated shower head of claim 1, further comprising a light transmission element located between individual ones of the plurality of sources of illumination and the corresponding ones of the plurality of water outlet orifices, the light transmission element for transmitting light emitted from the individual ones of the plurality of sources of illumination through the corresponding ones of the plurality of water outlet orifice.

3. The illuminated shower head of claim 2, wherein the light transmission element is a fiber-optic element.

4. The illuminated shower head of claim 2, wherein the light transmission element is a lens element.

5. The illuminated shower head of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sources of illumination comprise a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs).

6. The illuminated shower head of claim 1, further comprising a registration member for mechanically positioning each of the plurality of sources of illumination over the corresponding ones of the plurality of water outlet orifices.