SHOWERHEAD WITH MOVABLE CONTROL VALVE

• US 20150343464A1
• Filed: 08/11/2015
• Published: 12/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Water Pik Incorporated (Church & Dwight Company Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Water Pik Incorporated (Church & Dwight Company Incorporated)
• Inventors: Luettgen, Harold A., Leber, Leland C., Quinn, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,636,694 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/16 having selectively- effective outlets
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/1636 by relative rotative movement of the valve elements B05B1/1672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/1663 by relative translatory movement of the valve elements B05B1/1672 takes precedence
• 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 1/185 characterised by their outlet element; Mounting arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86863 Rotary valve unit

Abstract

A showerhead including a handle portion, a showerhead portion, a water supply connector, and a moveable mode selector positioned about and sealed with respect to the water supply connector. The moveable mode selector includes a fluid tight chamber; an inlet aperture aligned with the first fluid outlet to provide fluid communication between the fluid passage and the chamber; and two or more outlet apertures respectively and selectively alignable with the two or more second fluid inlets to provide fluid communication between the chamber and the two or more second fluid channels. Movement of the mode selector selectively aligns one of the two or more outlet apertures with a corresponding one of the two or more second fluid inlets while maintaining fluid communication between the inlet aperture and the fluid outlet.

Claims

1. A handheld showerhead comprising

a showerhead portion extending from the handle portion and having

a plurality of nozzle outlets;

two or more first fluid channels, wherein one of the first fluid channels is in fluid communication with a first set of the nozzle outlets and another of the first fluid channels is in fluid communication with a second set of the nozzle outlets; and

a base wall defining two or more first fluid inlets each in fluid communication with a respective one of the two or more fluid channels;

a handle portion including

a water supply connector having

a first fluid inlet configured for connection to a water supply;

a fluid passage configured to transport the water flow from the fluid inlet within the handle in a first flow direction;

a fluid outlet defined in a wall of the water supply connector and configured to direct the water flow in a second flow direction;

two or more second fluid inlets defined in the wall of the water supply connector;

two or more second fluid channels in fluid communication with respective ones of second fluid inlets at a first end and with respective ones of the first fluid inlets at a second end; and

a moveable mode selector positioned about and sealed with respect to the water supply connector and further defining

a fluid tight chamber;

an inlet aperture aligned with the first fluid outlet to provide fluid communication between the fluid passage and the chamber; and

two or more outlet apertures respectively and selectively alignable with the two or more second fluid inlets to provide fluid communication between the chamber and the two or more second fluid channels;

wherein

movement of the mode selector selectively aligns one of the two or more outlet apertures with a corresponding one of the two or more second fluid inlets while maintaining fluid communication between the inlet aperture and the fluid outlet.

2. The handheld showerhead of claim 1, wherein the two or more second fluid inlets are positioned spaced apart circumferentially about the water supply connector.

3. The handheld showerhead of claim 1, wherein the two or more second fluid inlets are spaced at different positions longitudinally along the water supply connector.

4. The handheld showerhead of claim 2, wherein the two or more second fluid inlets are spaced at different positions longitudinally along the water supply connector.

5. The handheld showerhead of claim 4, wherein each of the two or more second fluid inlets is positioned azimuthally equidistant from each adjacent second fluid inlet about the water supply connector.

6. The handheld showerhead of claim 4, wherein each of the two or more second fluid inlets is spaced evenly apart longitudinally and at different distances from the fluid outlet.

7. The handheld showerhead of claim 2, wherein each of the two or more second fluid inlets is positioned azimuthally equidistant from each adjacent second fluid inlet about the water supply connector.

8. The handheld showerhead of claim 1, wherein the first flow direction is substantially transverse to the second flow direction.

9. The handheld showerhead of claim 6, wherein the second flow direction is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the handle portion.

10. The handheld showerhead of claim 1, wherein the mode selector moves substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the water supply connector.

11. The handheld showerhead of claim 1, wherein the mode selector and the water supply connector together define a series of detent structures therebetween that are engaged and disengaged by longitudinal movement of the mode selector along the water supply connector.

12. The handheld showerhead of claim 10, wherein the detent structures comprise a spring and a ball pin received within a cavity in an exterior wall of the water supply connector and a series of recesses on an interior surface of the mode selector.

13. The handheld showerhead of claim 1, wherein the two or more second fluid channels extend longitudinally in parallel with each other.

14. The handheld showerhead of claim 12, wherein the two or more second fluid channels are formed by a plurality of radial walls extending from a longitudinal center of the water supply connector outward to a circumferential wall of the water supply connector.

15. The handheld showerhead of claim 12, wherein the mode selector comprises

an inner circumferential wall;

and

an outer circumferential wall spaced apart from the inner circumferential wall to form the chamber; and

wherein

the inlet aperture and the two or more outlet apertures are defined in the inner circumferential wall.

16. A handheld showerhead comprising

a showerhead portion extending from the handle portion and having

a plurality of nozzles;

two or more outlet channels, wherein one of the outlet channels is in fluid communication with a first set of the nozzles and another of the outlet channels is in fluid communication with a second set of the nozzles; and

a handle portion including

a fluid passage configured to transport water flow within the handle in a first flow direction;

a fluid outlet providing a flow egress from the fluid passage and configured to direct water flow in a second flow direction transverse to the first flow direction;

two or more fluid inlets; and

two or more inlet channels defined within the handle portion, each in fluid communication with respective ones of the two or more fluid inlets and respective ones of the two or more outlet channels; and

a mode selector positioned about, sealed, and longitudinally movable with respect to the handle portion and further defining

a fluid tight chamber;

an inlet aperture aligned with the fluid outlet to provide fluid communication between the fluid passage and the chamber; and

two or more outlet apertures respectively and selectively alignable with the two or more inlet channels to provide fluid communication between the chamber and the two or more inlet channels;

wherein

movement of the mode selector selectively aligns one of the two or more outlet apertures with a corresponding one of the two or more inlet channels while maintaining fluid communication between the inlet aperture and the fluid outlet.

17. The handheld showerhead of claim 16, wherein the two or more fluid inlets are positioned spaced apart circumferentially about the water supply connector.

18. The handheld showerhead of claim 17, wherein the two or more fluid inlets are spaced at different positions longitudinally along the water supply connector.

19. The handheld showerhead of claim 18, wherein each of the two or more fluid inlets is positioned azimuthally equidistant from each adjacent fluid inlet about the water supply connector and is spaced evenly apart longitudinally and at different distances from the fluid outlet.

20. The handheld showerhead of claim 16, wherein the two or more fluid inlet channels are formed by a plurality of radial walls extending from a longitudinal center of the handle portion outward to a circumferential wall of the handle portion.