Pulsating shower heads

Abstract

A pulsating shower head comprises a liquid chamber containing a spray block having an annular channel in which are disposed movable members in the form of rotatable balls and slidable segments driven by the force of the liquid to successively cover and uncover outlet openings formed in the annular channel to produce a pulsating effect on the liquid jets exiting from the spray block. The described shower head further includes additional outlet openings for producing non-pulsating liquid jets, and a manipulatable member for selectively connecting either the annular channel outlet openings to the liquid chamber in order to produce the pulsating liquid jets or to connect the additional outlet openings to the liquid chamber to produce non-pulsating liquid jets.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to shower heads, and particularly to a pulsating type of shower head wherein a pulsating effect is produced on the liquid jets exiting from the head.A number of pulsating shower heads are known. These typically include fuild oscillators in the form of valves which may be mechanically actuated to periodically interrupt the flow of liquid. As a rule, the known devices are of complicated construction and are therefore expensive to produce. In addition, some of the known devices suffer from "water-hammer" effects arising by the abrupt interruption of the liquid flow and thereby causing strong pressure waves to be produced and propagated along the liquid system.SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTIONAn object of the present invention is to provide a pulsating shower head having advantages in the above respects.According to the present invention, there is provided a pulsating shower head comprising a housing formed with an internal liquid chamber, a spray block having an annular channel communicating with the liquid chamber and formed with outlet openings extending through the spray block to produce a plurality of liquid jets exiting from the housing, and a plurality of movable members, including slidable segments and/or rotatable balls, disposable in the annular channel and driven by the force of the liquid to successively cover and uncover the outlet openings and thereby to produce a pulsating effect on the liquid jets exiting from the housing.According to another feature of the invention, the shower head includes additional outlet openings to produce non-pulsating liquid jets, and a manipulatable member for selectively connecting the annular channel outlet openings or the additional outlet openings to the liquid chamber.Further, an improved pulsating effect can be produced if the balls movable in the annular channel by the force of the liquid flowing therethrough include non-rollable members.Further features of the invention will be apparent from the description below.

Description

Claims

1. A pulsating shower head, comprising: a housing formed with an internal liquid chamber and with a liquid inlet communicating therewith; a spray block having an annular channel communicating with said liquid chamber which annular channel includes a bottom wall formed with an array of outlet openings to produce a plurality of liquid jets exiting from the housing; and at least one slidable segment disposed in said annular channel, said slidable segment including a bottom wall having a bottom face conforming to the face of the bottom wall of the annular channel, a plurality of upstanding side and end walls, and an open top, said slidable segment being drivable in said annular channel by the force of the liquid flowing therethrough to successively cover and uncover said outlet openings and thereby to produce a pulsating effect on said liquid jets exiting from the housing.

2. A shower head according to claim 1, wherein the shower head includes additional outlet openings for producing non-pulsating liquid jets, and a manipulatable member for selectively connecting said annular channel outlet openings or said additional outlet openings to said liquid chamber.

3. A shower head according to claim 2, wherein said manipulatable member comprises a movable member effective to move the spray block to a first position to establish communication between the annular channel outlet openings and the liquid chamber, or to move the spray block to a second position to establish communication between the additional outlet openings and the liquid chamber, said movable member being a rotatable knob, and the spray block being mounted eccentrically on a shaft rotated by the knob to raise or lower the spray block.

4. A shower head according to claim 3, wherein the inner wall of the housing includes a seal, and wherein said additional outlet openings are defined by axial grooves formed in the outer circumference of the spray block which grooves are brought into communication with the fluid chamber in the raised position of the spray block but are sealed therefrom by said housing seal in the lowered position of the spray block.

5. A shower head according to claim 4, further including a second seal effective in the lowered position of the spray block to effect communication between the annular channel outlet opening and the fluid chamber, and in the raised position of the spray block to interrupt said communication between the annular channel outlet openings and the fluid chamber.

6. A shower head according to claim 5, wherein said second seal is carried by a stem mounted to the housing and is cooperable with a sleeve carried by the spray block, the interior of the sleeve leading to the interior of the annular channel, said sleeve being formed with a radial opening which is disposed on one side of said second seal to effect communication between the annular channel and the liquid chamber in the lowered position of the spray block, and is disposed on the opposite side of said second seal to interrupt said communication in the raised position of the spray block.

7. A shower head according to claim 6, wherein said stem is loosely supported on a shaft fixed to the rotatable knob.

8. A shower head according to claim 5, wherein said second seal is carried by the upper face of the spary block.

9. A shower head according to claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of slidable segments, and said channel further includes a plurality of balls rollable therein, said channel being defined by a pair of coaxial annular walls spaced from each other a distance substantially equal to the diameter of the balls.

10. A pulsating shower head, comprising: a housing formed with an internal liquid chamber and with a liquid inlet communicating therewith; a spray block having an annular channel communicating with the said liquid chamber and formed with an annular array of outlet openings extending through the spray block; at least one ball rollable in said annular channel by the force of the liquid flowing therethrough to successively cover and uncover said outlet openings; and at least one slidable segment movable in said annular channel and having a relatively flat surface successively covering and uncovering said outlet openings to produce pulsating liquid jets exiting from said outlet openings, said slidable segment including a substantially flat bottom wall successively covering and uncovering said outlet openings, an open top, and a plurality of upstanding walls perpendicularly joined to the bottom wall, two of said upstanding walls facing each other and having a curvature conforming to that of the annular channel, the remaining two of said upstanding walls facing each other and extending radially with respect to the center of curvature of said annular channel.

11. A shower head according to claim 10, wherein said annular channel of the spray block includes a plurality of said slidable segments and a plurality of said rollable balls.