Patent Application
20060200902
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a portable shower apparatus to transport and dispense water during outdoor activities, such as camping or going to the beach.
2. Description of Related Art
Prior art devices attempt to solve the problem of storing water during an outing. Some of these devices include flexible fluid container such as a bag, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,295,663 B1 of Haller et al, or a solid container as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,651,907 B2 of Rodd and U.S. Pat. No. 6,049,919 of Roteman.
Moreover, these devices address the problem of dispensing said liquid with the help of a pumping means. In the apparatus of Haller, the pumping means is a foot pump while Rodd and Roteman show the use of a DC powered pump.
However, these devices fail to show means for protecting elements of the apparatus that extend from the fluid container, such as the shower head and power connector cord, thus preventing said elements from being damaged or soiled during transport and/or storage. For example, when a prior art portable shower apparatus is stored in a trunk of a vehicle the shower head and power
cords are likely to lay on the floor of the trunk where they can be ruptured by another object placed on top thereof.
The present invention solves the aforementioned problems by providing means for holding the shower head when not in use and means for carrying the power cord and additional accessories during storage and/or transport of the device.
Other benefits of the present invention are ease of storage and transport by providing means to anchor the apparatus.
The present invention comprises a portable shower apparatus with a variable flow shower head and an electric fluid pump which can be powered through a 12-Volt DC adapter of a vehicle. Additionally, the fluid container is provided with several features to facilitate handling, storing and/or transporting the apparatus while protecting the shower head, power connector cord and other accessories.
The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the drawings in which:
The system of the present invention includes a solid container 10 for storing a volume of fluid. The container has a top 12, bottom 14 and side walls 16a-16d. The top 12 of the container 10 has a circular aperture 12a with an internal thread 18a formed on perimeter of the aperture 12a. First 20 and second 22 ports are installed on the exterior of the container 10. A fluid connection coupler 20a is engaged to the first port 20 and an electrical connection coupler 22a is engaged to the second port 22. A bracket 24 is installed on the exterior of said container 10, preferably on the upper portion of a side wall 16 of said container 10, as shown in
The apparatus further includes a lid 26 for said container 10. The bottom surface of the lid 26 is provided with external threads 18b that mate with the internal threads 18a on the container aperture 12a to form a watertight seal. The lid 26 is also provided with a knob 28 engaged to the top surface of the lid to facilitate handling of the lid 28, thereby ensuring a proper sealing of the container 10. As shown in
A fluid pump 30 is positioned within the container 10 to force dispensing of the liquid carried by the container 10. Said pump requires a 12-Volt power source to operate. In the illustrated embodiment, the pump 30 is powered through a 12-Volt DC adapter of a vehicle, such as a cigarette lighter adapter. However, the apparatus can alternately be powered through any 12-Volt DC power adapter of a vehicle or by providing a battery. The use of the term vehicle refers in general to an automobile, truck, boat, trailer, or camper. The pump 30 has an electrical power input terminal 32 connected to the second coupler 22a by an electrical lead 34. A fluid inlet 36 of the pump 30 accepts liquid held by the container. A fluid outlet 38 discharges fluid from said pump 30 into a corrugated conduit 40 connected from the outlet 38 to the first coupler 20a.
Extending from the container 10, a hose 42 is connected to the first coupler 20a opposite said conduit 40 transports fluid into the shower head 44. The first coupler 20a ensures a water tight connection between the corrugated conduit 40 and the hose 44 to prevent a leakage of fluid from the container. The shower head 44 is capable of dispensing a variable flow of fluid and is actuated by a push-button 46 which regulates the flow of liquid dispensed by the shower head 44. The bracket 24 is used to secure the shower head 44 onto the container when not in use. This prevents damage to the shower head 44 that can occur by someone stepping on it or placing an object on top of the shower head, and further prevents the shower head 44 from getting soiled with mud or other substances in the trunk of a vehicle.
Also extending from the container 10, a cable 48 is connected to the second coupler 22a opposite the electrical lead 34 and the other end of the cable 48 is coupled to an adapter plug 50 through which electrical power is provided to the pump 30. The second coupler 22a ensures a water tight electrical connection between the lead 34 and the cable 48 and prevents a leakage of fluid from the container. The adapter plug 50 is adapted to mate with a 12-Volt DC adapter in a vehicle, such as a cigarette lighter adapter.
A pouch 52 is releasably attached to a side wall of the container 10. The pouch is used to hold the cable 48 and adapter plug 50 when the shower is not is use and can also carry additional accessories, such as a brush, and bath products to be used with the shower apparatus.
When the portable shower apparatus is stored or transported in a vehicle, the apparatus can be anchored by the use of an elastic band 54 provided with hooks 54a at either end. The use of this band prevents the device from slipping or turning on its side during transport and/or storage, thereby preventing damage to the container and any feature extending there from. The elastic band 54 is also stored in the pouch 52 when not in use.
The present invention can also be used for other applications besides acting as a portable shower, such as carrying and dispensing a beverage; carrying and dispensing water for engine cleaning; carrying and dispensing water for pet care or kid care during an outdoor activity; or for use during any medical, military, or emergency personnel activities.
While the present invention has been shown and described herein in what are conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is recognized that departures, modifications, adaptations, variations and alterations in the described methods and systems may be made and will be apparent to those skilled in the art of the foregoing description which does not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention which is therefore not to be limited to the details herein.
For this reason, such changes are desired to be included within the scope of the appended claims. The descriptive manner which is employed for setting forth the embodiments should be interpreted as illustrative but not limitative of the full scope of the claims which embrace any and all equivalents thereto.
