Shower header with removable spray nozzles

• US 7,617,990 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2005
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spraying Systems Company
• Original Assignee: Spraying Systems Company
• Inventors: Huffman, David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ganey; Steven J
• Application Number:
  US11/596,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20080111004A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,651 Days
• Field of Search: 239/104, 239/106, 239/114, 239/115, 239/116, 239/123, 239/390, 239/548, 239/550, 239/566, 239/590, 239/590.3, 239/596, 239/600, 239/71, 239/567, 239/601, 239/DIG.13, 239/1, 239/11, D23/249, 162/275
• US Class Current: 239/1
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/001 Cylindrical or annular brush bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/3013 Brushes for cleaning the inside or the outside of tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/14 with multiple outlet openings B05B1/02, B05B1/26 take precedence; with strainers in or outside the outlet opening
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/52 for removal of clogging particles

Abstract

A shower header type spray device is provided. The spray device includes an elongated spray header having a plurality of laterally spaced liquid spray nozzles each of which is mounted in a corresponding pocket in the spray header. An elongated cleaning brush assembly includes a rotatable brush housed in the spray header for cleaning inlet apertures of the spray nozzles. At least one spray nozzle has a dome portion with a discharge orifice and a substantially flat mounting flange portion extending around the periphery of the dome portion. The mounting flange portion of the at least one spray nozzle has a notch adapted to receive a removal tool for enabling prying and dislodgment of the at least one spray nozzle from its respective pocket in the spray header.

Claims

1. A shower header type spray device comprising:

an elongated spray header having a plurality of laterally spaced liquid spray nozzles arranged in alignment parallel to a longitudinal axis of the header, said plurality of laterally spaced liquid spray nozzles each being mounted in a corresponding pocket in the elongated spray header;

an elongated cleaning brush assembly including a rotatable brush housed in the elongated spray header for cleaning discharge orifices of the plurality of laterally spaced liquid spray nozzles;

said plurality of laterally spaced liquid spray nozzles each having a dome portion with a discharge orifice and a substantially flat mounting flange portion extending around the periphery of the dome portion;

said mounting flange portion of each spray nozzle having a notch adapted to receive a removal tool for enabling prying and dislodgment of each spray nozzle from its respective pocket in the spray header, and said plurality of laterally spaced liquid spray nozzles being mounted with the notch of each mounting flange portion arranged in alignment along a line parallel to the longitudinal axis of said elongated spray header.

2. The shower header device according to claim 1, further including a respective locking member that engages the mounting flange portion of each spray nozzle to retain the spray nozzle in its respective pocket in the spray header.

3. The shower header device according to claim 1 in which said mounting flange portion is formed with a pair of diametrically opposed notches in alignment parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongated spray header.

4. A spray header type spray device comprising an elongated spray header with a plurality of laterally spaced pockets for receiving spray nozzles, said spray nozzles each comprising a dome portion with a discharge orifice and a substantially flat mounting flange portion extending around the periphery of the dome portion, the mounting flange portion of each spray nozzle having an elongated, non-circular configuration with opposite elongated ends thereof arranged along a longitudinal axis of the elongated flange portion, said spray nozzles being mounted in said elongated spray header with the longitudinal axis of the elongated flange portions similarly oriented with respect to a longitudinal axis of the elongated spray header, and said spray nozzles each being formed with at least one notch in one of said elongated ends adapted to receive a removal tool for enabling prying and dislodgment of each spray nozzle from its respective pocket in the elongated spray header.

5. The spray header type spray device according to claim 4, wherein the at least one notch in the one elongated end of the mounting flange portion of each spray nozzle has a substantially semi-circular configuration that opens to an outer perimeter of the mounting flange portion.

6. The spray header type spray device according to claim 4, wherein the mounting flange portion of each spray nozzle has a pair of diametrically opposed notches in the mounting flange portion.

7. The spray nozzle according to claim 4 wherein the mounting flange portion of each spray nozzle has a pair of diametrically opposed notches in the mounting flange portion arranged in alignment parallel to a longitudinal axis of the elongated spray header.

8. A shower header type spray device comprising:

an elongated spray header having a plurality of laterally spaced liquid spray nozzles each of which is mounted in a corresponding pocket in the elongated spray header; and

an elongated cleaning brush assembly including a rotatable brush housed in the spray header for cleaning of the discharge orifices plurality of laterally spaced liquid spray nozzles;

at least one spray nozzle of said plurality of laterally spaced liquid spray nozzles having a dome portion with a discharge orifice and a substantially flat mounting flange portion extending around the periphery of the dome portion;

said mounting flange portion of the at least one spray nozzle of said plurality of laterally spaced liquid spray nozzles having at least one notch adapted to receive a removal tool for enabling prying and dislodgment of the at least one spray nozzle of said plurality of laterally spaced liquid spray nozzles from its respective pocket in the elongated spray header, and said mounting flange portion of said at least one spray nozzle of said plurality of laterally spaced liquid spray nozzles having an elongated non-circular configuration with a longitudinal axis that extends parallel to a longitudinal axis of the header.

9. The shower header spray device according to claim 8 wherein the at least one notch in the mounting flange portion of the at least one spray nozzle of said plurality of laterally spaced liquid spray nozzles has a substantially semi-circular configuration that opens to an outer perimeter of the mounting flange portion.

10. The shower header spray device according to claim 8 wherein the mounting flange portion of the at least one spray nozzle of said plurality of laterally spaced liquid spray nozzles has a pair of diametrically opposed notches in the mounting flange portion.

11. The shower header spray device according to claim 8 wherein the mounting flange portion of the at least one spray nozzle of said plurality of laterally spaced liquid spray nozzles has a pair of diametrically opposed notches in the mounting flange with a respective one of the notches being at each end of the mounting flange portion on the longitudinal axis thereof.

12. The shower header device according to claim 8 further including a gasket that is interposed between the mounting flange portion of the at least one spray nozzle of said plurality of laterally spaced liquid spray nozzles and its respective pocket in the elongated spray header.

13. A method of installing and removing liquid spray nozzles in an elongated spray header having a cleaning brush rotatably supported in the elongated spray header for cleaning discharge orifices of the spray nozzles, comprising the steps of:

mounting a plurality of spray nozzles in respective longitudinally spaced pockets of the elongated spray header with each spray nozzle having a dome with a discharge orifice and a substantially flat mounting flange portion extending around the periphery of the dome formed with a notch and with the discharge orifice of each spray nozzle positioned for contact by the cleaning brush rotatably supported in the elongated spray header,

retaining the plurality of spray nozzles in the respective pockets by respective retaining devices that engage the flat mounting flange portion, and

removing the plurality of spray nozzles for cleaning and/or replacement by removing the retaining devices and engaging the notch of the flat mounting flange portion with a removal tool for prying and dislodging the plurality of spray nozzles from the respective pockets of the elongated spray header.