Shower head

• US 5,730,363 A
• Filed: 12/28/1995
• Issued: 03/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hansa Metallwerke AG (Paasikivi Family)
• Original Assignee: Hansa Metallwerke AG (Paasikivi Family)
• Inventors: Kress, Hermann
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): Douglas, Lisa Ann
• Application Number:
  US08/580,244
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 239/104, 239/106, 239/107, 239/109, 239/116, 239/117, 239/123, 239/548, 239/436, 239/447, 239/552, 239/553, 239/553.3, 239/554, 239/596, 239/602, 239/DIG. 12
• US Class Current: 239/123
• 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

Abstract

The shower base (1) of an otherwise conventional shower head comprises a perforated plate (1a) made of a rigid material and a jet insert (1b) which is made of a flexible material and which is attached to the perforated plate (1a) in such a way that it can be removed. The jet insert (1b) consists of a base plate (9) which extends along the outer surface of the perforated plate (1a) and protects it against impact damage. There are preformed on to the base plate (9) of the jet insert (1b) a number of hose-type jet attachments (10) each of which extend through a hole (3) in the perforated plate (1a), going from outside in, in fact, such that the free ends of the jet attachments (10) are located inside the shower head. The jet insert (1b) has a locking device (32), with which it is secured to the perforated plate (1a) in such a way that it can be removed. The entire jet insert (1b) can be removed from the perforated plate (1a) by applying axial pull, without having to dismantle the shower base (1) from the shower head housing. The entire jet insert (1b) which is removed from the shower head can easily be cleaned and in particular manual flexing can be carried out to remove limescale deposits which build up on the wall surface of the jet channels (13) going through the jet attachments (10), especially in the area around the water outlet openings (15) (FIG. 1).

Claims

1. A shower head, comprising:

a) an essentially bell-shaped housing in which at least one water chamber is formed which can be linked with a water supply channel;

b) a shower base, which seals a bottom of the bell-shaped housing and comprises;

ba) a perforated plate made of a rigid material, which has a number of holes;

bb) a jet insert made of a flexible material which can be detached from the perforated plate, which consists of a base plate pressing against one surface of the perforated plate and a number of hose-type jet attachments which are preformed in one piece onto the base plate, each of which has a jet channel terminating in a water outlet opening going through them and each of which pass through a hole in the perforated plate,

wherein;

c) the base plate (9;

109;

     209) of the jet insert (1b, 101b, 201b) rests against the outer surface of the perforated plate (1a, 101a, 201a), and

d) the jet attachments (10, 110,

     210) are pushed through the holes (3, 103,

     203) in the perforated plate (1a, 101a, 201a), from the outside such that their free ends are located inside the shower head.

2. Shower head according to claim 1, characterised in that

a) the outer diameter of the jet attachments (10) of the jet insert (1b) is the same as the diameter of the holes (3) in the perforated plate (1a), and

b) there is preformed on the outer surfaces of each of the jet attachments (10), a radially protruding retaining band (32) which, when mounted, rests against the inner surface of the perforated plate (1a).

3. Shower head according to claim 2, characterised in that the retaining band (32;

132;

     232) rests against a chamfer (33;

133;

     233) at the inside end of the corresponding hole (3;

103;

     203).

4. Shower head according to claim 1, characterised in that

a) the outer diameter of the jet attachments (110;

210) of the jet insert (101b;

201b) is smaller than the diameter of the holes (103;

     203) in the perforated plate (101a;

201a);

b) there are preformed on the base plate (109,

     209) of the jet insert (101b;

201b) retaining collars (120;

     220), each of which goes around the jet attachment (110;

     210) and has the same outer diameter as the diameter of the holes (103;

     203) in the perforated plate (101a;

201a);

c) preformed onto the outer surface of each of the retaining collars (120;

     220) is a radially protruding retaining band (132;

     232) which, when mounted, rests against the inner surface of the perforated plate (101a;

201a).

5. Shower head according to claim 4, characterised in that the circular spaces (240) going round the jet attachments (210) of the jet insert (201b) are connected to a water chamber which, when the shower head is in operating mode, supplies water and is, in addition, connected to the outer surface of the shower base (201) via ring-segment shaped openings (250).