Shower head

• US 7,243,863 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2002
• Issued: 07/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hansgrohe AG
• Original Assignee: Hansgrohe AG
• Inventors: Glunk, Guenter
• Primary Examiner(s): HWU, DAVIS D
• Application Number:
  US10/467,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20040164184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,978 Days
• Field of Search: 239/549, 239/548, 239/553, 239/443, 239/445, 239/436, 239/437, 239/438
• US Class Current: 239/525
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/185 characterised by their outlet element; Mounting arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/528 by resilient deformation of the nozzle
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/654 using universal joints
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 239/04 O-ring
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 239/12 Flexible outlets

Abstract

The invention relates to a shower head containing a cup-like housing (1) that, in particular, is injection molded out of plastic. The cup bottom has an opening (3) for placing a connection element (4) therethrough. A spray disk element (7) is to the housing and can be joined to said housing (1) by means of a simple plugging-in, snapping-in or turning. The shower head is comprised of two parts and, optionally, of a separate seal (8, 15, 20).

Claims

1. A shower head comprising:

a connecting element by which the shower head is connectable to a water supply,

a housing that has an opening receiving the connecting element and an exit opening opposite the connecting element toward a direction of water jet exit,

a sprayer-disk element that has a sprayer disk that covers the exit opening and seals around a rim of the housing, and wherein the sprayer-disk element has a joint that attaches at an inner surface of the housing,

wherein a seal for sealing between the inner surface of the housing and the connecting element is pressed against the connecting element by the sprayer-disk element in a position where the sprayer disk seals around the rim of the housing,

wherein the sprayer-disk element has a roughly cylindrical extension on whose outer end is located the sprayer disk, and,

wherein the cylindrical extension of the sprayer-disk element abuts against a cylindrical extension of the inner surface of the housing.

2. A shower head according to claim 1, wherein the joint at which the sprayer-disk element attaches to the inner surface of the housing acts between the cylindrical extensions of the sprayer-disk element and the inner surface of the housing.

3. A shower head comprising:

a housing that has an opening for inserting a connecting element and an exit opening opposite the connecting element,

a sprayer-disk element that has a sprayer disk sealed to a rim of the housing that covers the exit opening and may be joined to an inner surface of the housing,

a seal for sealing the inner surface of the housing to the connecting element that is pressed against the connecting element by the sprayer-disk element,

wherein a seal for sealing the sprayer disk is part of an elastomer disk bearing the openings from which jets of water exit that abuts against the inner surface of the sprayer disk.

4. A shower head according to claim 3, wherein the housing is shaped as a cup, and wherein the opening for the connecting element is arranged in a vicinity of a base of the cup.

5. A shower head according to claim 3, wherein the joint at which the sprayer-disk element attaches to the inner surface of the housing is in a vicinity of the opening for receiving the connecting element.

6. A shower head according to claim 3, having a joining device comprising a bayonet fitting.

7. A shower head according to claim 3, wherein the joint at which the sprayer-disk element attaches to the inner surface of the housing comprises a threaded fitting.

8. A shower head according to claim 3, wherein the seal comprises an O-ring.

9. A shower head according to claim 3, wherein the seal has a large surface area.

10. A shower head according to claim 3, wherein the sprayer-disk element has a roughly cylindrical extension on whose outer end is located the sprayer disk.

11. A shower head according to claim 3, wherein the seal for sealing the connecting element and a seal for sealing the edge of the sprayer disk are molded into a single, monolithic unit.

12. A shower head according to claim 3, wherein the sprayer disk is configured such that it is at least one of resilient and flexible, along a direction normal to its plane.

13. A shower head according to claim 3, wherein the sprayer disk has a section that is thinner than a remainder of the sprayer disk extending around a zone near its edge.

14. A shower head according to claim 3, wherein the joint at which the sprayer-disk element attaches to the inner surface of the housing is closer to the opening for the connecting element than to the opening in the housing from which water exits, when viewed along a longitudinal direction.

15. A shower head according to claim 3, wherein the connecting element has a roughly spherical end section that engages the housing, is pivotable with respect to the housing, and is braked and detented by the seal for sealing between the inner surface of the housing and the connecting element.

16. A shower head according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the housing and sprayer-disk element comprises a single monolithic unit injection molded from plastic.

17. A shower head according to claim 3, wherein the sprayer-disk element and an elastomer are injection molded employing a two-component process such that the elastomer seals the sprayer-disk element with at least one of the connecting element and the rim of the housing.

18. A shower head comprising:

a connecting element by which the shower head is connectable to a water supply,

a housing that has an opening receiving the connecting element and an exit opening opposite the connecting element toward a direction of water jet exit,

a sprayer-disk element that has a sprayer disk that covers the exit opening and seals around a rim of the housing, and wherein the sprayer-disk element has a joint that attaches at an inner surface of the housing,

wherein a seal for sealing between the inner surface of the housing and the connecting element is pressed against the connecting element by the sprayer-disk element in a position where the sprayer disk seals around the rim of the housing, and,

wherein a seal for sealing the sprayer disk is loaded in compression along a direction normal to a plane of the opening in the housing from which jets of water exit, by attachment of the sprayer-disk element to the housing at the joint at which the sprayer-disk element attaches to the inner surface of the housing.