Multiple discharge shower head with revolving nozzle

• US 6,719,218 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2001
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Moen, Inc. (Canada) (Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Moen, Inc. (Canada) (Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.)
• Inventors: Korb, Yaakov, Kacik, Mark S., Parso, Richard A., Zaborszki, Stephen J., Cool, Lonnie F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hwu, Davis D
• Application Number:
  US09/888,892
• Publication Number:
  US 20030006304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: 239/443, 239/449, 239/440, 239/462, 239/222.11, 239/222.15, 239/222.13, 239/222.17, 239/222.19, 239/223, 239/224, 239/380-383, 239/389, 239/237, 239/240, 239/255, 239/262
• US Class Current: 239/443
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/1636 by relative rotative movement of the valve elements B05B1/1672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/185 characterised by their outlet element; Mounting arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 3/008 comprising a wobbling or nutating element, i.e. rotating about an axis describing a cone during spraying B05B3/0463 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 3/0422 with rotating outlet elements

Abstract

A shower head has a housing with a water inlet and a control valve which connects to the housing inlet and has a plurality of water outlets. The control valve regulates the flow of water to a plurality of circumferentially arranged spray openings and to a nozzle which is located within the periphery of the spray openings. The nozzle has the ability to turn or spin, thus providing a soft spray which may be independent of or concurrent with the discharge of water from the spray openings. The nozzle may also wobble, which movement may be described as nutational, or the slow movement of the axis of the nozzle about another axis. Wobbling movement provides a somewhat more concentrated spray than that provided when the nozzle only spins. The shower head further has an auxiliary port which may be utilized with other spray devices such as fixed sprays or hand-held shower heads.

Claims

1. A shower head including a housing, a water inlet in said housing, a control valve in said housing having a water inlet and a plurality of water outlets, a water passage between said housing inlet and said control valve inlet,

a plurality of peripherally arranged spray openings in said housing, a spray opening water passage between one of said control valve outlets and said spray openings,

a spray nozzle on said housing having a plurality of outlets and a water conduit connected thereto,

a wobble inducing member in said housing and associated with said nozzle to impart a wobbling motion thereto, a wobble water passage between another one of said valve outlets and said wobble inducing member whereby water passing from said control valve to said wobble inducing member causes it to wobble and to induce wobble in said nozzle, said wobble water passage communicating with said nozzle conduit to supply water to said nozzle outlets,

a spin inducing member in said housing and associated with said nozzle to impart a spin motion thereto, a spin water passage between yet another one of said valve outlets and said spin inducing member, whereby water passing from said control valve to said spin inducing member causes it to spin and to induce spin in said nozzle, said spin water passage communicating with said nozzle conduit to supply water to said nozzle outlets,

said control valve being movable between positions to direct water from said control valve inlet to said control valve outlets.

2. The shower head of claim 1 wherein said control valve is movable between positions to direct water from said control valve inlet to each control valve outlet, and to direct water simultaneously to more than one control valve outlet.

3. The shower head of claim 2 wherein said control valve is formed and adapted to simultaneously direct water to said spray opening water passage and to said spin water passage, and to said spin water passage and said wobble water passage.

4. The shower head of claim 1 wherein said control valve includes a seal support sleeve having outlet ports therein and a rotating sleeve positioned within said seal support sleeve and having an inlet port therein.

5. The shower head of claim 4 wherein said rotating sleeve further includes an outlet port therein.

6. The shower head of claim 4 further including a stem attached to said rotating sleeve, a control member, located on said housing remote from said control valve, and a linkage connected between said control member and said stem.

7. The shower head of claim 1 wherein said wobble inducing member includes a turbine having a plurality of blades, said turbine and said turbine blades being in alignment with and facing said wobble water passage.

8. The shower head of claim 7 wherein said housing includes a turbine chamber, with said turbine being positioned within said chamber, said wobble water passage opening into said turbine chamber.

9. The shower head of claim 8 wherein said turbine blades are non-radial.

10. The shower head of claim 9 wherein said turbine blades have a concave shape with the result that water directed onto said blades from said wobble water passage is turned by said blades approximately 90°

, with the result that the turbine is moved by water from said wobble water passage in a direction approximately 90°

to the wobble water passage.

11. The shower head of claim 10 wherein water directed at said non-radial blades cause said turbine to rotate.

12. The shower head of claim 7 wherein said nozzle includes a post, said turbine being movably positioned on said post.

13. The shower head of claim 12 wherein said turbine includes a concave socket, with said nozzle post extending into said socket to thereby support said turbine for wobbling and spinning movement.

14. The shower head of claim 7 wherein said turbine extends into and is movable relative to said spin inducing member.

15. The shower head of claim 14 wherein said spin inducing member limits the range of wobble of said turbine.

16. The shower head of claim 15 wherein said nozzle includes a post, said post extending into said spin inducing member and supporting said turbine.

17. The shower head of claim 16 wherein said nozzle water conduit extends through said post.

18. The shower head of claim 17 wherein said nozzle, spin inducing member, and turbine are coaxially positioned, one to another.

19. The shower head of claim 1 wherein said housing includes a spin chamber, said spin inducing member being located therein, said spin water passage including a plurality of partial tangential openings into said spin chamber.

20. The shower head of claim 19 wherein said spin inducing member includes a plurality of outwardly extending blades positioned to receive water from said openings.

21. The shower head of claim 20 wherein said spin inducing member blades are concave and positioned to catch water from said partial tangential openings to cause said spin inducing member to rotate.

22. The shower head of claim 21 wherein said spin inducing member blades are non-radial.

23. The shower head of claim 20 wherein said spin inducing member includes a plurality of windows wherein water from said partial tangential openings, after contacting said blades, passes through said windows and into said nozzle conduit.

24. The shower head of claim 23 wherein said blades are curved at the upper end thereof.

25. The shower head of claim 23 wherein said windows are separated by posts, said posts having a curvature directing the water inwardly towards the nozzle conduit.

26. The shower head of claim 25 wherein said nozzle includes a post, said nozzle post extending into said spin inducing number, with said nozzle conduit being located within said nozzle post.

27. The shower head of claim 1 further including an auxiliary port in said housing, and a passage between said housing inlet and said auxiliary port.

28. The shower head of claim 1 wherein said nozzle includes a diverging cone having a plurality of water openings, and a tube forming said conduit and connected to said diverging cone.

29. The shower head of claim 28 wherein the combined cross sectional area of said diverging cone plurality of water openings is greater than the cross sectional area of said conduit.

30. The shower head of claim 29 wherein said plurality of diverging cone water openings include a single center opening and peripheral openings arranged thereabout.

31. The shower head of claim 30 wherein said peripherally arranged openings diverge outwardly from said center opening.

32. The shower head of claim 28 wherein said tube extends into said spin inducing member, and said wobble inducing member extends within said spin inducing member.

33. The shower head of claim 28 wherein said tube is fixed to said spin inducing member, with said wobble inducing member causing wobble movement in both said spin inducing member and said nozzle, means on said housing for limiting wobble movement of said spin inducing member and for limiting wobble movement of said nozzle.

34. The shower head of claim 33 wherein the ratio of the means limiting wobble movement of said spin inducing member to the exterior of said spin inducing member is the same as the ratio of the means limiting wobble movement of said tube to the exterior of said tube.

35. The shower head of claim 1 wherein said spray openings are radially outside of said nozzle.

36. The shower head of claim 35 wherein said spray openings extend partially circumferentially about said housing.

37. The shower head of claim 36 wherein said spray openings are located in two circumferential rows, an inner row and an outer row.

38. The shower head of claim 37 wherein each spray opening has an axis, with the spray openings in the inner row having a tapered cone-shaped wall, with water passing through said inner row openings along the axis of said cone.

39. The shower head of claim 37 wherein the outer row spray openings each has an asymmetrical tapered wall which directs the spray therefrom outwardly of the spray opening axis.

40. The shower head of claim 35 wherein said spray opening water passage includes a peripherally extending trough in communication with said spray openings.

41. The shower head of claim 1 wherein said housing inlet includes a filter.

42. The shower head of claim 41 wherein said housing inlet includes a flow restrictor downstream of said filter.

43. The shower head of claim 42 wherein said housing includes an auxiliary port, said auxiliary port being upstream of said flow restrictor and downstream of said filter.

44. A shower head including a housing, a water inlet in said housing, a plurality of peripherally arranged spray openings in said housing, a spray opening water passage between said housing water inlet and said spray openings,

a spray nozzle on said housing having a plurality of outlets and a water conduit connected thereto,

a wobble inducing member in said housing and associated with said nozzle to impart a wobbling motion thereto, a wobble water passage between said housing water inlet and said wobble inducing member whereby water flowing to said wobble inducing member causes it to wobble and to induce wobble in said nozzle, said wobble water passage communicating with said nozzle conduit to supply water to said nozzle outlets, and

a spin inducing member in said housing and associated with said nozzle to impart a spin motion thereto, a spin water passage between said housing water inlet and said spin inducing member whereby water flowing to said spin inducing member causes it to spin and to induce spin in said nozzle, said spin water passage communicating with said nozzle conduit to supply water to said nozzle outlets.

45. The shower head of claim 44 further including valve means in said housing controlling the flow of water from said housing inlet to said water passages to provide for selective use of said spray openings, wobble inducing member and spin inducing member.

46. The shower head of claim 45 wherein said valve means provides for the flow of water to said water passages for simultaneous water flow to said openings and to said nozzle.

47. The shower head of claim 45 further including a manual selection member located on the exterior of said housing, and a linkage between said manual selection member and said valve means.

48. The shower head of claim 44 wherein said nozzle is fixed to said spin inducing member, and said wobble inducing member is supported on said spin inducing member.

49. A shower head including a housing, a water inlet in said housing, a control valve in said housing having a water inlet and a plurality of water outlets, a water passage between said housing inlet and said control valve inlet,

a plurality of peripherally arranged spray openings in said housing, a spray opening water passage between one of said control valve outlets and said spray openings,

a spray nozzle on said housing having a plurality of outlets and a water conduit connected thereto,

a wobble inducing member in said housing and associated with said nozzle to impart a wobbling motion thereto, a wobble water passage between another one of said valve outlets and said wobble inducing member whereby water passing from said control valve to said wobble inducing member causes it to wobble and to induce wobble in said nozzle, said wobble water passage being connected to said nozzle conduit to supply water to said nozzle outlets,

said control valve being movable between positions to direct water from said control valve inlet to said control valve outlets.

50. The shower head of claim 49 further including a spin inducing member in said housing and associated with said nozzle to impart a spin motion thereto, a spin water passage between yet another one of said valve outlets and said spin inducing member whereby water passing from said control valve to said spin inducing member causes it to spin and to induce spin in said nozzle, said spin water passage being connected to said nozzle conduit to supply water to said nozzle outlets, said wobble inducing member being supported in said housing on said spin inducing member.

51. A shower head including a housing, a water inlet in said housing, a control valve in said housing having a water inlet and a plurality of water outlets, a water passage between said housing inlet and said control valve inlet,

a plurality of stationary, peripherally arranged spray openings in said housing, a spray opening water passage between one of said control valve outlets and said spray openings,

a nozzle on said housing having a plurality of outlets and a water conduit connected thereto,

a spin inducing member in said housing and associated with said nozzle to impart a spin motion thereto, a spin water passage between another one of said valve outlets and said spin inducing member whereby water passing from said control valve to said spin inducing member causes it to spin and to induce spin in said nozzle, said spin water passage being connected to said nozzle conduit to supply water to said nozzle outlets,

said control valve being movable between positions to direct water from said control valve inlet to said control valve outlets.

52. The shower head of claim 51 further including a wobble inducing member in said housing and associated with said nozzle to impart a wobbling motion thereto, a wobble water passage between yet another one of said valve outlets and said wobble inducing member whereby water passing from said control valve to said wobble inducing member causes it to wobble and to induce wobble in said nozzle, said wobble water passage being connected to said nozzle conduit to supply water to said nozzle outlets.

53. The shower head of claim 52 wherein said wobble inducing member has a plurality of blades, positioned to receive water from said wobble water passage whereby the water directed to said blades causes said wobble inducing member to wobble.

54. The shower head of claim 51 wherein said spin inducing member has a plurality of curved blades positioned to catch water from said spin water passage to cause rotation of said spin inducing member.