Shower head

• US 6,736,336 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2001
• Issued: 05/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KDW Company Limited
• Original Assignee: INTERNATIONAL CONCEPTS, INC.
• Inventors: Wong, Kwok Din
• Primary Examiner(s): EVANS, ROBIN OCTAVIA
• Application Number:
  US09/975,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20020113145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 239/104, 239/106, 239/114, 239/115, 239/116, 239/117, 239/118, 239/123, 239/380, 239/381, 239/436, 239/437, 239/440, 239/446, 239/441, 239/462, 239/548, 239/553, 239/567, 239/575
• US Class Current: 239/446
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/1654 about an axis parallel to the liquid passage in the stationary valve element
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/185 characterised by their outlet element; Mounting arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/40 Filters located upstream of the spraying outlets
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/5225 the cleaning element being located upstream of the discharge opening or being actuated upstream therefrom

Abstract

A shower head is disclosed having a front housing portion and a rear housing portion. Intermediate the front and rear housing portions is an integral filter canister including copper-zinc media for the removal of chlorine and other chemicals and contaminants. The shower head also has a plurality of spray openings for spraying water outwardly from the shower head, with a plurality of spray modes and patterns achievable by rotation of the front housing portion. A cleaning ring is also positioned within the front housing portion, it has a camming surface such that upon rotation of the front housing portion to change the spray modes, the cleaning ring is cammed forward to clean associated spray holes of accumulated minerals such as calcium.

Claims

1. A shower head for spraying water on a user, the shower head comprised of a front housing portion having a plurality of water spray openings, and a rear housing portion which receives incoming water from a source, and an integral filter positioned intermediate said front and rear housing portions, said filter being defined as a cylindrical canister and filled with a filter medium comprised of copper-zinc crystals.

2. The shower head of claim 1, wherein the rear housing portion has a rear port for receiving water, said rear port having pipe threads for fixed connection with a water supply.

3. The shower head of claim 1, wherein the rear housing portion includes a handle portion, and an elongate flexible hose for connection with a water supply, whereby the handle and shower head can be hand-held.

4. The shower head of claim 1, wherein said plurality of water spray openings are profiled in a plurality of spray patterns.

5. The shower head of claim 4, further comprising a rotatable water flow director, which is rotatable to direct water to areas to define said spray patterns.

6. The shower head of claim 1, wherein said rear housing portion comprises a rear filter retainer having a water flow inlet to said filter, and said front housing portion includes a front filter retainer having a water flow outlet from said filter.

7. A shower head for spraying water on a user, the shower head comprising a plurality of water spray openings in a front face plate of said shower head and a plurality of channels on a rear side of said front face plate, said openings being profiled to define different spray modes operable by rotating said front face, said shower head having therein a rotatable water flow director which rotates with said front face to direct water to various channels, and said water flow director directing water to various spray openings to vary the spray mode.

8. The shower head of claim 7, wherein said channels are defined as concentric channels of various radii.

9. The shower head of claim 8, further comprising an internal wall having at least one opening therethrough, and said water flow director has a plurality of openings, whereby rotation of said water flow director aligns at least one of said water flow director openings with said internal wall opening to direct the water flow.

10. The shower head of claim 9, wherein said water flow director is comprised of a plate, having said plurality of openings adjacent to said wall, and having internal passageways communicating with apertures adjacent to said channels, with an aperture for each channel.

11. The shower head of claim 10, wherein said wall includes more than one opening, and wherein a plurality of said water flow director openings can be aligned with said internal wall openings, whereby a plurality of spray modes operate simultaneously.

12. The shower head of claim 7, further comprising an internal filter positioned adjacent to said internal wall, whereby water is directed through said filter and then through said internal wall opening.

13. A shower head for spraying water on a user, the shower head comprising a plurality of water spray openings in a front face plate of said shower head, said openings being profiled to define at least four different spray modes operable by rotating said front face, said shower head having therein a rotatable water flow director which rotates with said front face, said water flow director directing water to various spray openings to vary the spray mode.

14. The shower head of claim 13, wherein said face is rotatable to a combined spray mode where said water flow director simultaneously directs water to openings associated with at least two different spray modes.

15. The shower head of claim 13, wherein the spray modes include a standard shower spray mode, a massaging or pulsing spray mode, an aerated spray mode with an enlarged opening to aerate and add volume to the water, and a water mist mode wherein the water flows through an atomizer ring to vaporize the water.

16. A shower head for spraying water on a user, the shower head comprising a plurality of spray openings in a front face plate thereof, a cleaning ring positioned behind said face plate with a plurality of cleaning pins aligned with said plurality of spray openings, and a camming surface positioned on said cleaning ring, said front face plate and said cleaning ring being rotatable, whereby said cleaning ring is cammed forward, projecting said cleaning pins through said spray openings.

17. The shower head of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of springs, spring loading said cleaning ring in the fully rearward position.

18. The shower head of claim 17, wherein the front faceplate has a plurality of detented positions, and the cam is profiled to traverse a complete cycle between adjacent detented positions.

19. A shower head for spraying water on a user, the shower head comprising:

a front face plate having a plurality of spray openings defining a plurality of spray patterns, and said front faceplate being rotatable to vary the spray patterns;

a water distributor directing the flow of water between select spray patterns; and

a filter positioned upstream of said front face plate to filter water prior to exiting from said face plate; and

a cleaning ring positioned behind said faceplate having cleaning pins which are moved into and out of at least some of said openings, upon rotation of said faceplate.

20. A shower head for spraying water on a user, the shower head comprising a plurality of water spray openings in a front face plate of said shower head, said openings being profiled to define different spray modes operable by rotating said front face, said shower head having therein a rotatable water flow director which rotates with said front face, said water flow director directing water to various spray openings to vary the spray mode, and said shower head having rotational limitations defined by a lug encountering stopping surfaces in an arced-shaped channel through which the lug travels while said front face is rotated.

21. A shower head for spraying water on a user, the shower head comprising a front housing portion having a plurality of water spray openings, a rear housing portion which receives incoming water from a source, and an integral filter positioned intermediate said front and rear housing portions, said integral filter including a pair of end caps, both of said end caps having water passage openings.

22. The shower head of claim 21, further including at least one intermediate cap positioned between a filter medium and one of said end caps, said intermediate cap including water passage holes.

23. The shower head of claim 22, further including a mesh screen located between said intermediate cap and said one end cap.

24. The shower head of claim 23, further including another intermediate cap and another mesh screen located between the filter medium and said other end cap.

25. A shower head for spraying water on a user, the shower head comprising a front housing portion having a plurality of water spray openings, a rear housing portion which receives incoming water from a source, and an integral filter positioned intermediate said front and rear housing portions, said integral filter including a filter body having grooves around an outer circumference thereof, profiled to receive a sealing member.

26. The shower head of claim 25, further including a filter retainer and a sealing member, said filter retainer having an upper portion and a lower portion, each of said portions of said filter retainer having a water passage therethrough, said seal member being positioned in said groove and sealed against an inner diameter of said filter retainer.

27. The shower head of claim 26, wherein said filter retainer is removable from said shower head.

28. The shower head of claim 26, wherein said filter retainer includes at least one groove around an outer circumference thereof profiled to receive a sealing member.

29. The shower head of claim 26, wherein both of said upper and lower portions of said filter retainer include filter stand-offs.

30. The shower head of claim 26, wherein one of said upper or lower portions of said filter retainer has polarizing lugs and said other portion of said filter retainer has polarizing openings for receiving said polarizing lugs.