Showerhead with flow directing plates and radial mode changer

• US 8,757,517 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2013
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Water Pik Incorporated (Church & Dwight Company Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Water Pik Incorporated (Church & Dwight Company Incorporated)
• Inventors: Whitaker, Carl T., Leber, Leland C., Williams, Brian Randall
• Primary Examiner(s): Gorman, Darren W
• Application Number:
  US13/735,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20130119159A1
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 239/436, 239/443, 239/444, 239446-449, 239/548, 239/556, 239558-562, 239/567, 239/581.1
• US Class Current: 239/447
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/1636 by relative rotative movement of the valve elements B05B1/1672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/169 having three or more selectively effective outlets
• 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 1/3026 the controlling element being a gate valve, a sliding valve or a cock B05B1/3006, B05B1/326 take precedence; gate valves or sliding valves in general F16K3/00; cocks in general F16K5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 3/04 driven by the liquid or other fluent material discharged, e.g. the liquid actuating a motor before passing to the outlet B05B3/023 takes precedence

Abstract

A showerhead having a plurality of spray modes including a manifold defining a plurality of mode apertures, a front channel plate, a rear channel plate, and a radial mode changer. The front channel plate includes a plurality of front plate partitions connected to an exterior surface of the manifold. The front plate partitions define at least two channels, each channel of the at least two channels corresponds to one of the plurality of spray modes. The mode apertures in the manifold provide fluid communication between the manifold and the at least two channels. The rear channel plate encloses the at least two channels to form at least two chambers. When the radial mode changer is rotated, one or more of the ports of the radial mode changer is aligned with one or more of the mode apertures, and water flows through the radial mode changer into one of the chambers.

Claims

1. A showerhead having a plurality of spray modes comprising

a manifold defining a plurality of mode apertures;

a front channel plate comprising a plurality of front plate partitions connected to an exterior surface of the manifold and defining at least two channels, each channel of the at least two channels corresponding to one of the plurality of spray modes, wherein the mode apertures provide fluid communication between the manifold and the at least two channels;

a rear channel plate connected to the front channel plate, wherein the rear channel plate encloses the at least two channels to form at least two chambers; and

a radial mode changer received in the manifold, the radial mode changer defining a hollow passageway in fluid communication with a water inflow and defining one or more ports in fluid communication with the hollow passageway, at least one port of the one or more ports extends around a portion of a circumference of the radial mode changer;

wherein

when the radial mode changer is rotated relative to the manifold to a first position, one or more of the ports is aligned with one or more of the mode apertures and water from the water inflow flows through the radial mode changer into one of the chambers providing water outflow to one of the plurality of spray modes; and

when the radial mode changer is in a second position, the at least one port aligns with two mode apertures and a water flow is split by the two mode apertures receiving the water flow.

2. The showerhead of claim 1, wherein when the radial mode changer is rotated relative to the manifold to the second position, water from the water inflow flows through the radial mode changer into two of the chambers to provide water outflow to two of the plurality of spray modes.

3. The showerhead of claim 1, wherein the one or more ports comprises a first port and a second port, wherein when the first and second ports are aligned with a first mode aperture and a second mode aperture, respectively, the water outflow exiting the radial mode changer is split into two steams providing water flow into two of the at least two chambers.

4. The showerhead of claim 1 further comprising a respective sealing member received in a recess surrounding each of the one or more ports, wherein each sealing member defines a sealed conduit between the radial mode changer and one or more of the mode apertures.

5. The showerhead of claim 4, wherein the mode apertures are each defined by an opening formed in the manifold.

6. The showerhead of claim 5, wherein a rib extends across the opening formed in the manifold defining two apertures, wherein each mode aperture is defined by the two apertures.

7. The showerhead of claim 1, wherein

the rear channel plate further comprises a plurality of rear plate partitions;

and

a top surface of the front plate partitions and a top surface of the rear plate partitions engage to form the at least two chambers.

8. The showerhead of claim 7, wherein the manifold is defined by a circular wall extending from a top surface of the front channel plate.

9. The showerhead of claim 8, wherein the radial mode changer comprises a first end and a second end, wherein the first end extends above the manifold and the second end extends below the manifold.

10. The showerhead of claim 9, further comprising a knob, wherein the knob engages the second end of the radial mode changer and movement of the knob rotates the radial mode changer relative to the manifold.

11. A showerhead having a plurality of spray modes comprising

a first plate having a top surface and a bottom surface and comprising a plurality of first channel walls extending from the top surface;

a second plate connected to the first plate, the second plate having a top surface and a bottom surface and comprising a plurality of second channel walls extending from the bottom surface;

a manifold formed as an annular wall extending from the top surface of the first plate and having two or more mode apertures defined therein; and

a radial mode changer positioned in the manifold and in fluid communication with a water inlet, the radial mode changer comprising one or more ports in selective fluid communication with the two or more mode apertures;

wherein

the first channel walls of the first plate engage the second channel walls of the second plate to define a plurality of chambers;

each of the plurality of chambers is in fluid communication with one of the two or more mode apertures defined in the manifold; and

rotation of the radial mode changer within the manifold selectively varies water flow through the plurality of chambers.

12. The showerhead of claim 11, wherein the first plate further comprises a plurality of nozzles extending from the bottom surface, wherein each of the plurality of chambers is fluidly connected with a subset of the plurality of nozzles.

13. The showerhead of claim 12, wherein the radial mode changer has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end extends above a top end of annular wall and the second end extends below a bottom end of the annular wall.

14. The showerhead of claim 13, wherein a knob is connected to the second end of the radial mode changer and rotation of the knob rotates the radial mode changer within the manifold.

15. The showerhead of claim 11, wherein the radial mode changer further comprises a radial mode body defining a first hollow passageway through a center of the radial mode body and the first hollow passageway is in fluid communication with the water inlet and the one or more ports.

16. The showerhead of claim 15, wherein the radial mode changer body further defines a second hollow passageway through the center thereof and the second hollow passageway is not in fluid communication with the first hollow passageway.

17. The showerhead of claim 16, wherein an end of the radial mode body defining the second hollow passageway extends through the first plate and connects to a knob.

18. The showerhead of claim 11, wherein rotation of the radial mode changer to a first position fluidly connects a first chamber of the plurality of chambers with one of the one or more ports.

19. The showerhead of claim 18, wherein rotation of the radial mode changer to a second position fluidly connects the first chamber and a second chamber of the plurality of chambers with the one of the one or more ports.

20. The showerhead of claim 18, wherein rotation of the radial mode changer to a second position fluidly connects a second chamber of the plurality of chambers with one of the one or more ports and fluidly disconnects the first chamber with another one of the one or more ports.