SHOWER ASSEMBLY WITH RADIAL MODE CHANGER

• US 20100065665A1
• Filed: 09/15/2009
• Published: 03/18/2010
• 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: Williams, Brian Randall, Leber, Leland C., Whitaker, Carl T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,348,181 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 239/562
• 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 shower assembly having a plurality of spray modes for expelling water includes a housing having a water inflow and a water outflow. The shower assembly provides a manifold defining a cavity having a sidewall. One or more mode apertures formed in the sidewall of the cavity are in fluid communication with the water outflow. A radial mode changer provided in the shower assembly defines a hollow passageway in fluid communication with the water inflow, and further defines a plurality of recessed ports in fluid communication with the hollow passageway. The radial mode changer is rotatably received in the cavity of the manifold and may be rotated relative to the manifold to align at least one of the recessed ports with at least one of the mode apertures for providing flow from the water inflow into the water outflow via the radial mode changer.

Claims

1. A shower assembly having a plurality of spray modes for expelling water, the shower assembly comprising:

a housing having a water inflow and a water outflow;

a manifold defining a cavity having a sidewall, wherein one or more mode apertures are formed in the sidewall of the cavity, and wherein each of the mode apertures corresponds to one of the plurality of spray modes and is in fluid communication with the water outflow; and

a radial mode changer formed in a shape complementary to the manifold cavity, the radial mode changer defining a hollow passageway in fluid communication with the water inflow, and further defining one or more recessed ports in fluid communication with the hollow passageway;

wherein the radial mode changer is received in the cavity of the manifold such that the radial mode changer may be rotated relative to the manifold to align at least one of the recessed ports with at least one of the mode apertures such that water may flow from the water inflow into the water outflow via the radial mode changer.

2. The shower assembly of claim 1, wherein water flows into the radial mode changer in a direction which is transverse to the direction in which water is expelled from the radial mode changer.

3. The shower assembly of claim 2, wherein:

the water inflow terminates in an inflow passageway that extends axially downward towards a top surface of the radial mode changer, and

the inflow passageway receives a top portion of the radial mode changer.

4. The shower assembly of claim 3, wherein:

one or more annular ridges are provided on a top portion of the radial mode changer, and

the top portion of the radial mode changer extends axially above the manifold.

5. The shower assembly of claim 4, wherein an O-ring is seated in or between the one or more annular ridges such that when the radial mode changer is received by the inflow passageway, at least a portion of the inflow passageway sealingly abuts the O-ring.

6. The shower assembly of claim 1, further comprising a mode changer knob extending from a bottom surface of the housing, wherein the mode chamber knob is coupled to the radial mode changer such that rotation of the knob effects rotation of the radial mode changer.

7. The shower assembly of claim 1, wherein the water outflow further comprises:

a front channel plate; and

a rear channel plate;

wherein

when the front channel plate and the rear channel plate are attached together, the plates form a plurality of continuous mode chambers that are each separate from the other of the plurality of the continuous mode chambers, and

one or more outlet flow paths are defined by the plurality of continuous mode chambers.

8. The shower assembly of claim 7, wherein the recessed ports of the radial mode changer are configured relative to the mode apertures of the manifold such that water flow at a given time may be provided to each of the mode chambers individually, or any combination of two or more spray modes.

9. The shower assembly of claim 7, wherein one or more of the plurality of mode chambers comprise a plurality of outlet apertures, each of the outlet apertures corresponding to a respective nozzle such that flow into the mode chambers may be expelled from the shower assembly via the nozzles.

10. The shower assembly of claim 1, wherein one or more seal cups are accommodated in the one or more recessed ports, and wherein the one or more seal cups each define one or more exit apertures for directing water to the water outflow.

11. A radial mode engine for expelling water using a plurality of spray modes, the radial mode engine comprising:

a front channel plate comprising;

a manifold comprising an annular wall and a plurality of mode apertures defined in the annular wall; and

a plurality of partitions extending from an exterior of the annular wall and defining at least two channels, each channel corresponding to one of the plurality of spray modes and providing a water outflow of the corresponding spray mode;

wherein the mode apertures provide fluid communication between the manifold and the at least two channels;

a rear channel plate configured to couple to the front channel plate and enclose the at least two channels to form at least two chambers; and

a radial mode changer received in the annular wall, the radial mode changer comprising a cylindrical body defining a hollow passageway in fluid communication with a water inflow and defining one or more recessed ports in fluid communication with the hollow passageway;

wherein when the radial mode changer is rotated relative to the manifold to align one of the recessed ports with one of the mode apertures, water from the water inflow flows through the radial mode changer into one of the chambers to provide water outflow to one of the plurality of spray modes; and

when the radial mode changer is again rotated relative to the manifold, the one or more of the recessed ports aligns with two of the mode apertures such that 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.

12. The radial mode engine of claim 11, wherein the radial mode changer defines a first recessed port and a second recessed port such that when each of the first and second recessed ports are aligned with a different mode aperture, the radial mode changer splits a water flow exiting the radial mode changer such that the water flow is provided to two or more chambers.

13. The radial mode engine of claim 11, wherein the radial mode changer defines a first recessed port extending longitudinally around a portion of a circumference of the radial mode changer such that the recessed port may align with up to two mode apertures and, upon such alignment, a water flow is split by the mode apertures receiving the water flow.

14. The radial mode engine of claim 13, further comprising a second recessed port extending longitudinally around a portion of a circumference of the radial mode changer such that the first recessed port may align with up to one mode aperture, and upon alignment of the first recessed port with one of the mode apertures and the second recessed port with another of the mode apertures, the radial mode changer splits the water flow exiting the radial mode chamber such that the water flow is provided to two mode apertures.

15. The radial mode engine of claim 11, wherein the one or more recessed ports further comprises a seal cup for providing a sealed conduit between a body of radial mode changer and one or more of the mode apertures.

16. The radial mode engine of claim 15, wherein the seal cup comprises an outer surface that abuts against an inner wall of the manifold and an inner surface that abuts against an outer wall of the radial mode changer to provide water-tight seal between the outer wall of the radial mode changer and the inner wall of the manifold.

17. The radial mode engine of claim 15, wherein

the mode apertures are each defined by an annular opening formed in the manifold, and

each mode aperture further comprises a rib extending across the annular opening to provide support to the seal cup.

18. A radial mode changer for receiving water inflow and directing water to a spray mode chamber of a showerhead having a plurality of spray mode chambers, comprising:

a cylindrical body, comprising;

a first cylinder that forms a hollow passageway for receiving water inflow; and

a second cylinder integrally formed with and concentrically arranged around the first cylinder comprising a height less than a height of the first cylinder;

wherein the first cylinder comprises a top recessed portion relative to the second cylinder, which forms a hollow passageway for receiving water inflow; and

wherein the second cylinder comprises a first and a second recessed port extending radially into the cylindrical body from a side of the second cylinder transverse to the top recessed portion, the first and second recessed ports fluidly connected to the hollow passageway to form a fluid passageway.

19. The radial mode changer of claim 18, further comprising seal cups arranged in the first and second recessed ports, the seal cups defining at least one exit aperture for directing water to the water outflow.