Shower device

• US 9,387,495 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2012
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kohler Company
• Original Assignee: Kohler Company
• Inventors: Schumacher, Jeffrey A., Barczynski, James J., Kohler, Herbert V. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hall, Arthur O
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Viet
• Application Number:
  US13/705,977
• Publication Number:
  US 20130092752A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,315 Days
• Field of Search: 239/154, 239/574, 239/436, 239/444, 239/445, 239/446, 239/447, 239/562, 239/586, 137/625, 137/625.3, 137/625.33, 137/625.36, 137/625.37, 137/625.14, 137/625.29, 251/205, 251/206
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 1/3013 the controlling element being a lift valve B05B1/3006, B05B1/3033 take precedence; lift valves in general F16K1/00

Abstract

A shower device, such as a hand shower, includes a housing having an inlet and an outlet, the housing defining a first flow path and a second flow path between the inlet and the outlet, a first flow regulator positioned in the first flow path and limiting a flow of water therethrough to a first flow rate, and a second flow regulator upstream of the first flow regulator and limiting a flow of water therethrough to a second flow rate, the first flow path and the second flow path passing through the second flow regulator. A valve may be positioned in the second flow path and biased to close the second flow path and an actuator may be coupled to the valve and operable to open the valve, the actuator being positioned on the housing flush with or recessed from the housing surface.

Claims

1. A shower device comprising:

a housing having an inlet and an outlet, the housing defining a first flow path and a second flow path between the inlet and the outlet;

a first self-closing flow regulator positioned in the first flow path and limiting a flow of water therethrough to a first flow rate; and

a second self-closing flow regulator positioned upstream of the first flow regulator and limiting a flow of water therethrough to a second flow rate, the first flow path and the second flow path passing through the second flow regulator, the second flow rate being greater than the first flow rate.

2. The shower device of claim 1, wherein the shower device includes a hand shower, the hand shower including a handle at least partially providing the housing.

3. The shower device of claim 1, and further comprising a valve positioned in the second flow path, the valve selectively closing the second flow path.

4. The shower device of claim 3, wherein the valve includes a valve seat and a valve member engageable against the valve seat to close the second flow path.

5. The shower device of claim 4, wherein water in the second flow path biases the valve member to the closed position.

6. The shower device of claim 5, and further comprising a spring biasing the valve member to the closed position.

7. The shower device of claim 4, wherein the shower device further comprises an actuator operable to move the valve member from a closed position, in which the second flow path is closed, to an open position, in which the second flow path is open.

8. The shower device of claim 7, wherein the housing has a surface, and wherein the actuator is positioned on the housing one of flush with and recessed from the surface of the housing.

9. The shower device of claim 7, wherein the actuator includes a flexible membrane having outer edges fixedly coupled to the housing, the flexible membrane flexing between a first position, corresponding to the closed position of the valve member, and a second position, corresponding to the open position of the valve member.

10. A shower device comprising:

a housing having an inlet and an outlet;

a first flow passage communicating between the inlet and the outlet and configured to provide a first flow rate of water; and

a second flow passage communicating between the inlet and the outlet and configured to provide a second flow rate of water;

wherein the shower device is operational in a low flow mode, to provide water through the first flow passage at the first flow rate, and in a high flow mode, to provide water through the first flow passage and the second flow passage at a total flow rate, the total flow rate being a sum of the first flow rate and the second flow rate; and

wherein a water pressure in the second flow passage is configured to bias the shower device to the low flow mode.

11. The shower device of claim 10, and further comprising:

a first flow regulator positioned in the first flow passage and limiting a flow of water therethrough to the first flow rate; and

a second flow regulator positioned upstream of the first flow regulator and limiting a flow of water therethrough to the total flow rate, the first flow passage and the second flow passage communicating with the second flow regulator.

12. The shower device of claim 10, wherein the shower device includes a hand shower, the hand shower including a handle at least partially providing the housing.

13. The shower device of claim 10, and further comprising a valve positioned in the second flow passage, the valve selectively closing the second flow passage.

14. The shower device of claim 13, wherein the valve includes a valve seat and a valve member engageable against the valve seat to close the second flow passage.

15. The shower device of claim 13, wherein water in the second flow passage biases the valve member to the closed position.

16. The shower device of claim 15, and further comprising a spring biasing the valve member to the closed position.

17. The shower device of claim 14, wherein the shower device further comprises an actuator operable to move the valve member from a closed position, in which the second flow passage is closed, to an open position, in which the second flow passage is open.

18. The shower device of claim 17, wherein the housing has a surface, and wherein the actuator is positioned on the housing one of flush with and recessed from the surface of the housing.

19. The shower device of claim 17, wherein the actuator includes a flexible membrane having outer edges fixedly coupled to the housing, the flexible membrane flexing between a first position, corresponding to the closed position of the valve member, and a second position, corresponding to the open position of the valve member.

20. A hand shower device comprising:

a handle having a surface;

a primary flow path for directing a first portion of fluid flow;

a supplemental flow path for directing a second portion of the fluid flow;

a valve positioned in the supplemental flow path and operable to close the supplemental flow path; and

a manually engagable actuator coupled to and in contact with the valve and manually operable to open the valve, the actuator being positioned on the handle one of flush with and recessed from the surface of the handle;

wherein the shower device is operational in a low flow mode to provide the first portion of fluid flow through the primary flow path, and in a high flow mode to provide a sum of the first portion and the second portion, the first portion of the fluid flow being provided through the primary flow path in the high flow mode and the second portion of the fluid flow being provided through the supplemental flow path in the high flow mode.

21. The shower device of claim 20, wherein the actuator includes a flexible membrane having outer edges fixedly coupled to the housing, the flexible membrane flexing between a first position, corresponding to the closed position of the valve member, and a second position, corresponding to the open position of the valve member.

22. The shower device of claim 20, and further comprising:

a first flow regulator positioned in the primary flow path and limiting a flow of water therethrough to the first flow rate; and

a second flow regulator positioned upstream of the first flow regulator and limiting a flow of water therethrough to the total flow rate, the primary flow path and the supplemental flow path communicating with the second flow regulator.

23. The shower device of claim 20, wherein the valve includes a valve seat and a valve member engageable against the valve seat to close the supplemental flow path.

24. The shower device of claim 23, wherein water in the second flow passage biases the valve member to the closed position.

25. The shower device of claim 24, and further comprising a spring biasing the valve member to the closed position.

26. A shower device comprising:

a housing;

a primary flow path for directing a first portion of fluid flow;

a supplemental flow path for directing a second portion of the fluid flow;

a valve positioned in the supplemental flow path and operable to close the supplemental flow path; and

a manually engagable actuator coupled to the valve and manually operable to open the valve, the actuator including a flexible membrane having outer edges fixedly coupled to the housing, the flexible membrane flexing between a first position, in which the supplemental flow path is closed, and a second position, in which the supplemental flow path is open;

wherein the shower device is operational in a low flow mode to provide the first portion of fluid flow through the primary flow path, and in a high flow mode to provide a sum of the first portion and the second portion, the first portion of the fluid flow being provided through the primary flow path in the high flow mode and the second portion of the fluid flow being provided through the supplemental flow path in the high flow mode.

27. The shower device of claim 26, wherein the valve includes a valve seat and a valve member engageable against the valve seat to close the supplemental flow path.

28. The shower device of claim 26, wherein water in the second flow passage biases the valve member to a closed position.

29. The shower device of claim 28, and further comprising a spring biasing the valve member to the closed position.

30. The shower device of claim 26, and further comprising:

a first flow regulator positioned in the primary flow path and limiting a flow of water therethrough to a first flow rate; and

a second flow regulator positioned upstream of the first flow regulator and limiting a flow of water therethrough to a second flow rate, the primary flow path and the supplemental flow path passing through the second flow regulator, the second flow rate being greater than the first flow rate.

31. The shower device of claim 26, wherein the shower device includes a hand shower, the hand shower including a handle at least partially providing the housing.