Patent Application
20240151015
The present disclosure relates generally to the field of handshowers and showerheads for use in bathing and showering. More specifically, this application relates to handshowers and showerheads having improved docking systems.
At least one embodiment relates to a showerhead assembly. The showerhead assembly includes a handshower and a docking mechanism. The handshower includes a mounting puck mountably coupled to a rear portion of the handshower. The docking mechanism is configured to receive the handshower. The docking mechanism includes a cradle assembly positioned adjacent the handshower that is configured to receive the mounting puck. The cradle assembly includes a first portion, a second portion, and a first O-ring. The second portion is adjacent the first portion. The second portion includes a face extending along a rear of the first portion. The first O-ring is provided annularly about a perimeter of the first portion and the second portion to secure the first portion and the second portion relative to one another. Upon receiving the mounting puck, the mounting puck urges the first portion into an open position to receive the mounting puck within the cradle assembly.
At least one embodiment relates to a mounting assembly. The mounting assembly includes a mounting puck and a cradle assembly. The cradle assembly is configured to receive the mounting puck. The cradle assembly includes a first portion, a second portion, a first O-ring, a first post, a second post, and a second O-ring. The second portion is adjacent the first portion. The second portion includes a face extending along a rear of the first portion. The first O-ring is provided annularly about a perimeter of the first portion and the second portion to secure the first portion and the second portion relative to one another. The first post extends from the first portion. The second post extends from the second portion. The second O-ring is configured to stretch between the first post and the second post. Upon receiving the mounting puck, the mounting puck urges the first portion into an open position to receive the mounting puck within the cradle assembly.
Another embodiment relates to a mounting assembly. The mounting assembly includes a mounting puck and a cradle assembly. The mounting puck includes a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface. The cradle assembly is configured to receive the mounting puck. The cradle assembly includes a first portion, a second portion, and an O-ring. The first portion has a first engagement feature. The second portion is adjacent the first portion. The second portion includes a second engagement feature. The second portion includes a face extending along a rear of the first portion. The O-ring is provided annularly about a perimeter of the first portion and the second portion. The O-ring is configured to bias the first portion against the second portion. The cradle assembly is repositionable between an open position and a closed position. Upon insertion of the mounting puck into the cradle assembly, the first inclined surface abuts the first engagement feature to urge the first portion outward into a clearance. The second engagement feature engages the second inclined surface when the mounting puck is received within the cradle assembly.
This summary is illustrative only and should not be regarded as limiting.
The disclosure will become more fully understood from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements, in which:
Before turning to the FIGURES, which illustrate certain exemplary embodiments in detail, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the details or methodology set forth in the description or illustrated in the figures. It should also be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description only and should not be regarded as limiting.
Referring generally to the FIGURES, a showerhead assembly is shown according to various exemplary embodiments. The showerhead assembly includes a handshower and a docking assembly. The handshower includes a housing, a handle extending outward from the handshower, and a mounting puck coupled to a rear portion of the handshower. The docking assembly includes a housing, a hollow channel in which a water flow may be provided therethrough, and a cradle assembly. The handshower may be reconfigured between a released position and a docked position by coupling the handshower to the docking assembly. The cradle assembly is configured to receive the mounting puck to reposition the handshower between the released position and the docked position.
The mounting puck includes one or more inclined surfaces. The inclined surfaces are coupled to one another along an exterior face of the mounting puck, and further have varying diameters that slope opposite one another. The cradle assembly may include a first portion and a second portion. The first portion includes a first engagement feature, and the second portion includes a second engagement feature. Additionally, the second portion includes a face extending along a rear side of the first portion to prohibit the first portion from repositioning out of alignment with the second portion. The cradle assembly further includes an O-ring provided around a perimeter of the cradle assembly. The O-ring is configured to bias the first portion adjacent the second portion. The cradle assembly is repositionable between an open position and a closed position by linearly repositioning the first portion relative to the second portion. Upon insertion and removal of the mounting puck within the cradle assembly, the inclined surfaces engage the first and second engagement features to urge the first portion outward thereby repositioning the cradle assembly into the open position. Once the mounting puck is fully inserted or removed, the O-ring provides an inward force to bias the first portion adjacent the second portion to reposition the cradle assembly into the closed position.
Referring to
The handshower assembly 100 may include a docking assembly 140. The docking assembly 140 may be mounted, or otherwise coupled, to an interface, shown as ball joint 150. The ball joint 150 may be mounted to a wall of the bathing environment such that the docking assembly 140 is mounted to the wall of the bathing environment. Advantageously, the docking assembly 140 may rotate relative to the ball joint 150 to direct a water spray in a particular direction. In other embodiments, the docking assembly 140 may be coupled to the wall of the bathing environment via an alternate interface (e.g., fixed mounting interface, fastener, etc.). As shown in
As shown in
Referring to
Referring now to
In some embodiments, the water flow 200 may pass through a diverter system. The diverter system may be positioned within the handshower 110, the docking assembly 140, or a component before the docking assembly 140. The diverter system may be configured to selectively permit or prohibit the water flow 200. For example, the diverter system may be switched (e.g., manually, electronically, etc.) to an open position to permit the water flow 200 through the handshower assembly 100. In another example, the diverter system may be switched (e.g., manually, electronically, etc.) to a closed position to prohibit the water flow 200 through the handshower assembly 100.
Referring still to
The cradle assembly 250 may be configured to receive a mounting puck 300. The mounting puck 300 may be coupled to a rear side of the handshower 110. The handshower 110 may be selectively repositionable between the docked position and the released position by the cradle assembly 250 selectively receiving the mounting puck 300. For example, when the handshower 110 is in the docked position, the mounting puck 300 is received within the cradle assembly 250 to secure the handshower 110. Accordingly, when the handshower 110 is in the released position, the mounting puck 300 is not received within the cradle assembly 250, thus permitting movement of the handshower 110 relative to the docking assembly 140.
Referring still to
The second cradle portion 320 may include an extension 327 (e.g., shown best in
The cradle assembly 250 may further include one or more engagement features, shown as engagement feature 330 (e.g., finger, tab, lip, rib, collar, teeth, etc.). The engagement feature 330 may be provided along an inner surface of the cradle assembly 250. Additionally or alternatively, the engagement feature 330 may extend inward from the inner surface of the cradle assembly 250. As shown in
The cradle assembly 250 may further include an O-ring 340 positioned around a perimeter of the cradle assembly 250. The O-ring 340 may be positioned within a recess 345. The recess 345 may be positioned within both the first cradle portion 310 and the second cradle portion 320 such that the O-ring 340 may be provided about both the first cradle portion 310 and the second cradle portion 320. The O-ring 340 may be configured to provide an inward (e.g., elastic, etc.) force onto the cradle assembly 250 to bias cradle portions (e.g., first cradle portion 310 and second cradle portion 320, etc.) together. The cradle assembly 250 may further include a second O-ring 380. The second O-ring 380 may be configured to provide additional protection from elastic creep over time.
The cradle assembly 250 may be repositionable between an open position and a closed position. The open position may be a position where the first cradle portion 310 and the second cradle portion 320 are separated such to allow a component (e.g., mounting puck 300, etc.) to be received within. Accordingly, the closed position may be a position where the first cradle portion 310 and the second cradle portion 320 abut one another. The cradle assembly 250 may be linearly repositionable to reconfigure between the open position and the closed position. More specifically, the first cradle portion 310 may linearly displace to reconfigure the cradle assembly 250 between the open position and the closed position. The O-ring 340 may be configured to bias the cradle assembly 250 in the closed position such that, upon receiving of the mounting puck 300, the cradle assembly 250 secures the mounting puck 300. In some embodiments, the cradle assembly 250 may include an additional locking component that is engaged when the cradle assembly 250 is in the closed position.
Referring now to
As shown in
Referring now to
The mounting puck 300 may include one or more inclined surfaces to assist in repositioning the cradle assembly 250 between the open position and the closed position, shown as first inclined surface 420, second inclined surface 430, and third inclined surface 440. The first inclined surface 420 may be positioned opposite the mating portion 410. The first inclined surface 420 may be an external surface of the mounting puck 300. The first inclined surface 420 may have a diameter that varies along the length of the first inclined surface 420. For example, the first inclined surface 420 may have a diameter positioned at a first location that is less than a diameter positioned at a second location, where the second location is between the first location and the mating portion 410. In some embodiments, the diameter at the first location is greater than the diameter at the second location. In still some embodiments, the diameter is constant along the length of the first inclined surface 420.
The second inclined surface 430 may be positioned adjacent the first inclined surface 420. The second inclined surface 430 may be an external surface of the mounting puck 300. The second inclined surface 430 may have a diameter that varies along the length of the second inclined surface 430. For example, the second inclined surface 430 may have a diameter positioned at a first location that is greater than a diameter positioned at a second location, where the second location is between the first location and the mating portion 410. In some embodiments, the diameter at the first location is less than the diameter at the second location. In still some embodiments, the diameter is constant along the length of the second inclined surface 430.
The third inclined surface 440 may be positioned adjacent both the mating portion 410 and the second inclined surface 430. The third inclined surface 440 may be an external surface of the mounting puck 300. The third inclined surface 430 may have a diameter that varies along the length of the third inclined surface 430. For example, the third inclined surface 430 may have a diameter positioned at a first location that is less than a diameter positioned at a second location, where the second location is between the first location and the mating portion 410. In some embodiments, the diameter at the first location is greater than the diameter at the second location. In still some embodiments, the diameter is constant along the length of the third inclined surface 430.
Referring now to
After the engagement feature 330 extends past the first inclined surface 420, the O-ring 340 biases the cradle assembly 250 into the closed position and the mounting puck 300 is received within the cradle assembly 250. Upon full insertion of the mounting puck 300 into the cradle assembly 250, the engagement feature 330 is positioned adjacent the third inclined surface 440 via the biasing force provided by the O-ring 340. As shown in
As further shown in
Upon removal of the mounting puck 300 from the cradle assembly 250, the user may provide a pull force onto the handshower 110 (e.g., handshower housing 120, handle 130, etc.) to remove the handshower 110 from the docked positon. When this happens, the second inclined surface is tapered as such to urge the engagement feature 330 outward. Simultaneously, the first cradle portion 310 is repositioned into the clearance 450 to permit removal of the mounting puck 300. Once the mounting puck 300 is fully removed, the first cradle portion 310 may be linearly repositioned via the O-ring 340 to reconfigure the cradle assembly 250 back in to the closed position.
Although the systems and methods herein have been described as a handshower, it can be appreciated that a similar system and method can be incorporated into an alternative application (e.g., kitchen faucet, bathroom faucet, showerhead, etc.).
As utilized herein with respect to numerical ranges, the terms “approximately,” “about,” “substantially,” and similar terms generally mean +/−10% of the disclosed values, unless specified otherwise. As utilized herein with respect to structural features (e.g., to describe shape, size, orientation, direction, relative position, etc.), the terms “approximately,” “about,” “substantially,” and similar terms are meant to cover minor variations in structure that may result from, for example, the manufacturing or assembly process and are intended to have a broad meaning in harmony with the common and accepted usage by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the subject matter of this disclosure pertains. Accordingly, these terms should be interpreted as indicating that insubstantial or inconsequential modifications or alterations of the subject matter described and claimed are considered to be within the scope of the disclosure as recited in the appended claims.
It should be noted that the term “exemplary” and variations thereof, as used herein to describe various embodiments, are intended to indicate that such embodiments are possible examples, representations, or illustrations of possible embodiments (and such terms are not intended to connote that such embodiments are necessarily extraordinary or superlative examples).
The term “coupled” and variations thereof, as used herein, means the joining of two members directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary (e.g., permanent or fixed) or moveable (e.g., removable or releasable). Such joining may be achieved with the two members coupled directly to each other, with the two members coupled to each other using a separate intervening member and any additional intermediate members coupled with one another, or with the two members coupled to each other using an intervening member that is integrally formed as a single unitary body with one of the two members. If “coupled” or variations thereof are modified by an additional term (e.g., directly coupled), the generic definition of “coupled” provided above is modified by the plain language meaning of the additional term (e.g., “directly coupled” means the joining of two members without any separate intervening member), resulting in a narrower definition than the generic definition of “coupled” provided above. Such coupling may be mechanical, electrical, or fluidic.
References herein to the positions of elements (e.g., “top,” “bottom,” “above,” “below”) are merely used to describe the orientation of various elements in the FIGURES. It should be noted that the orientation of various elements may differ according to other exemplary embodiments, and that such variations are intended to be encompassed by the present disclosure.
Although the figures and description may illustrate a specific order of method steps, the order of such steps may differ from what is depicted and described, unless specified differently above. Also, two or more steps may be performed concurrently or with partial concurrence, unless specified differently above.
This application claims the benefit and priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/423,980, filed on Nov. 9, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63423980 | Nov 2022 | US |
