Shower head assembly

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6739527
  • Patent Number
    6,739,527
  • Date Filed
    Monday, February 24, 2003
    21 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, May 25, 2004
    20 years ago
Abstract
A shower head assembly includes a shade, a water outlet seat, a water outlet disk, a locking disk, a water outlet panel, a mounting tube, a connecting head, and a locking nut. Thus, the water outlet seat and the water outlet disk form a smaller water chamber, thereby reducing the bearing weight of the water outlet disk, the locking disk and the water outlet panel. In addition, the water outlet seat, the water outlet disk, the locking disk and the water outlet panel are combined rigidly and stably without detachment.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The present invention relates to a shower head assembly, and more particularly to a shower head assembly, wherein the water outlet seat and the water outlet disk form a smaller water chamber, thereby reducing the bearing weight of the water outlet disk, the locking disk and the water outlet panel.




2. Description of the Related Art




A conventional shower head assembly in accordance with the prior art shown in

FIGS. 1-3

comprises a shade


11


, a water outlet panel


12


, a mounting tube


13


, a connecting head


14


, and a locking nut


15


. The shade


11


has a top formed with a mounting hole


111


and a bottom formed with a locking portion


112


. The water outlet panel


12


is formed with a plurality of water outlet holes


121


and a plurality of spraying heads


16


. A seal ring


122


is mounted on the periphery of the water outlet panel


12


. The mounting tube


13


is formed with a protruding ring


131


and an outer thread


132


. A seal washer


133


is mounted in the mounting tube


13


. The mounting tube


13


has a bottom formed with a closed face


134


and a plurality of water inlet holes


135


. The connecting head


14


has a first end pivotally mounted on the mounting tube


13


and a second end formed with an inner thread


141


. The a locking nut


15


is formed with an inner thread


151


screwed on the outer thread


132


of the mounting tube


13


and has a top formed with an urging flange


152


urged on the connecting head


14


.




However, the conventional shower head assembly has the following disadvantages.




1. The shade


11


and the water outlet panel


12


form a larger water chamber, so that the water outlet panel


12


bears a larger water pressure and load, and is easily detached from the shade


11


.




2. The shade


11


and the water outlet panel


12


form a larger water chamber, so that the conventional shower head assembly will drop water when the water supply is stopped.




3. The shade


11


and the water outlet panel


12


are combined in a rolling press manner, so that the water outlet panel


12


cannot be detached for washing the inside of the water outlet panel


12


.




4. The parts of the conventional shower head assembly are assembled by the soldering and rolling procedures, thereby increasing costs of fabrication.




5. The parts of the conventional shower head assembly are assembled by the soldering and rolling procedures, so that the shade


11


and the water outlet panel


12


are easily scratched due to hit, thereby decreasing the aesthetic quality thereof.




6. The water outlet panel


12


and the spraying heads


16


need to be processed by a screwing process, thereby increasing costs of fabrication.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The present invention is to mitigate and/or obviate the disadvantage of the conventional shower head assembly.




The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a shower head assembly, wherein the water outlet seat and the water outlet disk form a smaller water chamber, thereby reducing the bearing weight of the water outlet disk, the locking disk and the water outlet panel.




Another objective of the present invention is to provide a shower head assembly, wherein the water outlet seat, the water outlet disk, the locking disk and the water outlet panel are combined rigidly and stably without detachment.




A further objective of the present invention is to provide a shower head assembly, wherein the water stop rib of the water stop flange of the water outlet disk is rested on the inner face of the water outlet seat, and the urging section of the water stop flange of the water outlet disk is urged between the urging ring of the water outlet seat and the resting face of the protruding ring of the locking disk, thereby forming a double water stopping effect without incurring leakage.




A further objective of the present invention is to provide a shower head assembly, wherein the water outlet seat and the water outlet disk form a smaller water chamber, so that the shower head assembly will not drop water when the water supply is stopped.




A further objective of the present invention is to provide a shower head assembly, wherein the water outlet seat and the locking disk are combined by the screw members, so that the water outlet seat and the locking disk can be detached, thereby facilitating the user washing the water outlet seat.




A further objective of the present invention is to provide a shower head assembly, wherein the water outlet panel and the nozzle heads need not to be threaded, thereby decreasing costs of fabrication.




A further objective of the present invention is to provide a shower head assembly, wherein the parts of the shower head assembly can be assembled easily, rapidly and conveniently, thereby decreasing costs of fabrication.




A further objective of the present invention is to provide a shower head assembly, wherein the parts of the shower head assembly can be assembled without having to be treated by the soldering and rolling procedures, thereby enhancing the aesthetic quality thereof.




In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a shower head assembly, comprising a shade, a water outlet seat, a water outlet disk, a locking disk, a water outlet panel, a mounting tube, a connecting head, and a locking nut, wherein:




the water outlet seat is mounted in the shade and has a periphery formed with a locking flange, the water outlet seat has a center formed with a mounting body extended upward therefrom, the mounting body has an inner wall formed with a stepped hole;




the water outlet disk is mounted in the shade and rested on the water outlet seat, the water outlet disk has a periphery formed with a substantially inverted U-shaped water stop flange extended outward therefrom;




the locking disk is mounted in the shade and rested on the water outlet disk, the locking disk has a top formed with a protruding ring;




the water outlet panel is mounted in the shade and rested on the locking disk;




the mounting tube is mounted between the shade and the water outlet seat;




the connecting head is mounted on the shade; and




the locking nut is mounted on the shade and secured on a top of the mounting tube.











Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.




BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of a conventional shower head assembly in accordance with the prior art;





FIG. 2

is a plan cross-sectional view of the conventional shower head assembly as shown in

FIG. 1

;





FIG. 3

is a schematic operational view of the conventional shower head assembly as shown in

FIG. 2

;





FIG. 4

is an exploded perspective view of a shower head assembly in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;





FIG. 4A

is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the shower head assembly as shown in

FIG. 4

;





FIG. 4B

is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the shower head assembly as shown in

FIG. 4

;





FIG. 5

is a bottom perspective view of a water outlet seat of the shower head assembly in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;





FIG. 6

is a partially cut-away perspective cross-sectional assembly view of the shower head assembly in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;





FIG. 7

is a plan cross-sectional assembly view of the shower head assembly in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;





FIG. 7A

is a partially enlarged view of the shower head assembly as shown in

FIG. 7

;





FIG. 8

is a schematic operational view of the shower head assembly as shown in

FIG. 7

in use; and





FIG. 8A

is a partially enlarged view of the shower head assembly as shown in FIG.


8


.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION




Referring to the drawings and initially to

FIGS. 4-7

, a shower head assembly in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a shade


20


, a water outlet seat


30


, a water outlet disk


40


, a locking disk


50


, a water outlet panel


60


, a mounting tube


70


, a connecting head


80


, and a locking nut


90


.




The shade


20


has a top formed with a mounting hole


21


.




As shown in

FIGS. 4 and 5

, the water outlet seat


30


is mounted in the shade


20


and has a circular disk shape. The water outlet seat


30


has a periphery formed with a locking flange


31


. The locking flange


31


is formed with a plurality of equally spaced locking holes


311


, and has a bottom face formed with a plurality of equally spaced positioning recesses


312


. Preferably, the positioning recesses


312


and the locking holes


311


of the water outlet seat


30


are arranged in a staggered manner. The water outlet seat


30


has a bottom face having a periphery formed with a tapered urging ring


32


. The water outlet seat


30


has a center formed with a mounting body


33


extended upward therefrom. The mounting body


33


has an inner wall formed with a stepped hole


331


. The stepped hole


331


of the mounting body


33


has a upper portion and a lower portion having a diameter greater than that of the upper portion. The lower portion of the stepped hole


331


of the mounting body


33


has a wall formed with a hexagonal fixing recess


3311


and a plurality of equally spaced screw bores


3312


.




As shown in

FIGS. 4 and 4A

, the water outlet disk


40


is mounted in the shade


20


and rested on the water outlet seat


30


. The water outlet disk


40


is made of the rubber material. The water outlet disk


40


has a periphery formed with a substantially inverted U-shaped water stop flange


41


extended outward therefrom. The water stop flange


41


has an inner side formed with an oblique urging section


411


rested on the urging ring


32


(see

FIG. 7A

) of the water outlet seat


30


and an outer side formed with an arcuate water stop rib


412


rested on an inner face of the water outlet seat


30


. The water outlet disk


40


has a surface formed with a plurality of water outlet holes


42


. Each of the water outlet holes


42


has a bottom extended downward and formed with a hollow water ejection post


421


.




As shown in

FIGS. 4 and 4B

, the locking disk


50


is mounted in the shade


20


and rested on the water outlet disk


40


. The locking disk


50


has a top formed with a protruding ring


51


. The protruding ring


51


has a top having an inner side formed with an oblique resting face


511


rested on the urging section


411


(see

FIG. 7A

) of the water stop flange


41


of the water outlet disk


40


. The locking disk


50


has a periphery formed with a plurality of equally spaced positioning posts


52


each inserted into a respective one of the positioning recesses


312


of the water outlet seat


30


, and formed with a plurality of equally spaced screw bores


53


. The screw bores


53


and the positioning posts


52


of the locking disk


50


are arranged in a staggered manner. The shower head assembly further comprises a plurality of locking screws


316


each extended through a respective one of the locking holes


311


of the water outlet seat


30


and each screwed into a respective one of the screw bores


53


of the locking disk


50


, so that the water outlet seat


30


is combined with the locking disk


50


. The locking disk


50


is formed with a plurality of through holes


54


located in the protruding ring


51


.




The water outlet panel


60


is mounted in the shade


20


and rested on the locking disk


50


. The water outlet panel


60


has a tapered shape. The water outlet panel


60


is formed with a plurality of through holes


61


. The water outlet panel


60


includes a plurality of hollow nozzle heads


62


each extended through a respective one of the through holes


61


of the water outlet panel


60


and a respective one of the through holes


54


of the locking disk


50


. Each of the water ejection posts


421


of the water outlet disk


40


is inserted into a respective one of the hollow nozzle heads


62


of the water outlet panel


60


.




The mounting tube


70


is mounted between the shade


20


and the water outlet seat


30


. The mounting tube


70


has a top having an inner wall receiving a filter net


71


and a seal washer


72


and an outer wall formed with an outer thread


73


. The mounting tube


70


has a bottom formed with a hexagonal fixing plate


74


secured in the hexagonal fixing recess


3311


of the water outlet seat


30


. The mounting tube


70


includes two seal rings


75


rested on the fixing plate


74


and urged on the upper portion of the stepped hole


331


of the water outlet seat


30


. The fixing plate


74


of the mounting tube


70


has a periphery formed with a plurality of equally spaced fixing holes


741


. The shower head assembly further comprises a plurality of locking screws


742


each extended through a respective one of the fixing holes


741


of the fixing plate


74


of the mounting tube


70


and each screwed into a respective one of the screw bores


3312


of the mounting body


33


of the water outlet seat


30


, so that the fixing plate


74


of the mounting tube


70


is combined with the mounting body


33


of the water outlet seat


30


.




The connecting head


80


is a hollow body. The connecting head


80


is mounted on the shade


20


, and has a spherical-shaped first end rested on the seal washer


72


of the mounting tube


70


, and a second end having a cylindrical shape.




The locking nut


90


is mounted on the shade


20


, and secured on the top of the mounting tube


70


. Preferably, the locking nut


90


has an inner wall formed with an inner thread


91


screwed on the outer thread


73


of the mounting tube


70


. The locking nut


90


has a top formed with an urging flange


92


.




In assembly, the water outlet panel


60


is rested on the locking disk


50


. Then, each of the hollow nozzle heads


62


of the water outlet panel


60


is extended through a respective one of the through holes


61


of the water outlet panel


60


and a respective one of the through holes


54


of the locking disk


50


, and is riveted on the locking disk


50


, so that the water outlet panel


60


is combined with the locking disk


50


. Then, each of the water ejection posts


421


of the water outlet disk


40


is inserted into a respective one of the nozzle heads


62


of the water outlet panel


60


, so that the water outlet disk


40


is combined with the locking disk


50


and the water outlet panel


60


. Then, the mounting tube


70


is inserted into and protruded outward from the mounting body


33


of the water outlet seat


30


, with the two seal rings


75


of the mounting tube


70


being urged on the upper portion of the stepped hole


331


of the water outlet seat


30


, and with the fixing plate


74


of the mounting tube


70


being fixed on the fixing recess


3311


of the mounting body


33


of the water outlet seat


30


by the locking screws


742


. Then, the locking disk


50


is mounted on the water outlet seat


30


, with each of the positioning posts


52


of the locking disk


50


being inserted into a respective one of the positioning recesses


312


of the water outlet seat


30


. Then, each of the locking screws


316


is extended through a respective one of the locking holes


311


of the water outlet seat


30


and screwed into a respective one of the screw bores


53


of the locking disk


50


, so that the water outlet seat


30


is combined with the locking disk


50


.




At this time, the water stop rib


412


of the water stop flange


41


of the water outlet disk


40


is rested on the inner face of the water outlet seat


30


as shown in

FIG. 7

, and the urging section


411


of the water stop flange


41


of the water outlet disk


40


is urged between the urging ring


32


of the water outlet seat


30


and the resting face


511


of the protruding ring


51


of the locking disk


50


as shown in

FIG. 7A

, thereby forming a double water stopping effect.




Then, the mounting tube


70


is extended through the mounting hole


21


of the shade


20


. Then, the connecting head


80


is mounted on the seal washer


72


of the mounting tube


70


. Then, the locking nut


90


is mounted on the connecting head


80


, with its inner thread


91


being screwed on the outer thread


73


of the mounting tube


70


, thereby fixing the shade


20


on the water outlet seat


30


. At this time, the urging flange


92


of the locking nut


90


is urged on the connecting head


80


.




In operation, referring to

FIGS. 8 and 8A

, the connecting head


80


is connected to the water pipe (not shown). Thus, the water flows through the connecting head


80


, the filter net


71


, the mounting tube


70


, the water outlet seat


30


, the water outlet disk


40


, each of the water ejection posts


421


of the water outlet disk


40


and each of the nozzle heads


62


of the water outlet panel


60


. Then, the water flow is ejected outward through each of the nozzle heads


62


of the water outlet panel


60


.




Accordingly, the shower head assembly in accordance with the present invention has the following advantages.




1. The water outlet seat


30


, the water outlet disk


40


, the locking disk


50


and the water outlet panel


60


are combined rigidly and stably without detachment.




2. The water outlet seat


30


and the water outlet disk


40


form a smaller water chamber, thereby reducing the bearing weight of the water outlet disk


40


, the locking disk


50


and the water outlet panel


60


.




3. The water stop rib


412


of the water stop flange


41


of the water outlet disk


40


is rested on the inner face of the water outlet seat


30


as shown in

FIG. 7

, and the urging section


411


of the water stop flange


41


of the water outlet disk


40


is urged between the urging ring


32


of the water outlet seat


30


and the resting face


511


of the protruding ring


51


of the locking disk


50


as shown in

FIG. 7A

, thereby forming a double water stopping effect without incurring leakage.




4. The water outlet seat


30


and the water outlet disk


40


form a smaller water chamber, so that the shower head assembly will not drop water when the water supply is stopped.




5. The water outlet seat


30


and the locking disk


50


are combined by the screw members, so that the water outlet seat


30


and the locking disk


50


can be detached, thereby facilitating the user washing the water outlet seat


30


.




6. The water outlet panel


60


and the nozzle heads


62


need not to be threaded, thereby decreasing costs of fabrication.




7. The parts of the shower head assembly can be assembled easily, rapidly and conveniently, thereby decreasing costs of fabrication.




8. The parts of the shower head assembly can be assembled without having to be treated by the soldering and rolling procedures, thereby enhancing the aesthetic quality thereof.




Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment(s) as mentioned above, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claim or claims will cover such modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the invention.



Claims
  • 1. A shower head assembly, comprising a shade, a water outlet seat, a water outlet disk, a locking disk, a water outlet panel, a mounting tube, a connecting head, and a locking nut, wherein:the water outlet seat is mounted in the shade and has a periphery formed with a locking flange, the water outlet seat has a center formed with a mounting body extended upward therefrom, the mounting body has an inner wall formed with a stepped hole; the water outlet disk is mounted in the shade and rested on the water outlet seat, the water outlet disk has a periphery formed with a substantially inverted U-shaped water stop flange extended outward therefrom; the locking disk is mounted in the shade and rested on the water outlet disk, the locking disk has a top formed with a protruding ring; the water outlet panel is mounted in the shade and rested on the locking disk; the mounting tube is mounted between the shade and the water outlet seat; the connecting head is mounted on the shade; and the locking nut is mounted on the shade and secured on a top of the mounting tube.
  • 2. The shower head assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the shade has a top formed with a mounting hole.
  • 3. The shower head assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the water outlet seat has a bottom face having a periphery formed with an urging ring, the water stop flange has an inner side formed with an oblique urging section rested on the urging ring of the water outlet seat and an outer side formed with an arcuate water stop rib rested on an inner face of the water outlet seat, and the protruding ring has a top having an inner side formed with an oblique resting face rested on the urging section of the water stop flange of the water outlet disk.
  • 4. The shower head assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the mounting tube has a top having an outer wall formed with an outer thread, and the locking nut has an inner wall formed with an inner thread screwed on the outer thread of the mounting tube.
  • 5. The shower head assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the locking nut has a top formed with an urging flange urged on the connecting head.
  • 6. The shower head assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the urging ring of the water outlet seat has a tapered shape.
  • 7. The shower head assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the locking flange is formed with a plurality of equally spaced locking holes and has a bottom face formed with a plurality of equally spaced positioning recesses, and the locking disk has a periphery formed with a plurality of equally spaced positioning posts each inserted into a respective one of the positioning recesses of the water outlet seat, and formed with a plurality of equally spaced screw bores.
  • 8. The shower head assembly in accordance with claim 7, wherein the positioning recesses and the locking holes of the water outlet seat are arranged in a staggered manner.
  • 9. The shower head assembly in accordance with claim 7, wherein the screw bores and the positioning posts of the locking disk are arranged in a staggered manner.
  • 10. The shower head assembly in accordance with claim 7, further comprising a plurality of locking screws each extended through a respective one of the locking holes of the water outlet seat and each screwed into a respective one of the screw bores of the locking disk, so that the water outlet seat is combined with the locking disk.
  • 11. The shower head assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the stepped hole of the mounting body has a upper portion and a lower portion having a diameter greater than that of the upper portion.
  • 12. The shower head assembly in accordance with claim 11, wherein the mounting tube includes two seal rings urged on the upper portion of the stepped hole of the water outlet seat.
  • 13. The shower head assembly in accordance with claim 11, wherein the lower portion of the stepped hole of the mounting body has a wall formed with a hexagonal fixing recess and a plurality of equally spaced screw bores, and the mounting tube has a bottom formed with a hexagonal fixing plate secured in the hexagonal fixing recess of the water outlet seat.
  • 14. The shower head assembly in accordance with claim 13, wherein the fixing plate of the mounting tube has a periphery formed with a plurality of equally spaced fixing holes, and the shower head assembly further comprises a plurality of locking screws each extended through a respective one of the fixing holes of the fixing plate of the mounting tube and each screwed into a respective one of the screw bores of the mounting body of the water outlet seat, so that the fixing plate of the mounting tube is combined with the mounting body of the water outlet seat.
  • 15. The shower head assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the water outlet disk has a surface formed with a plurality of water outlet holes, the locking disk is formed with a plurality of through holes located in the protruding ring, the water outlet panel is formed with a plurality of through holes, and includes a plurality of hollow nozzle heads each extended through a respective one of the through holes of the water outlet panel and a respective one of the through holes the locking disk.
  • 16. The shower head assembly in accordance with claim 15, wherein each of the water outlet holes has a bottom extended downward and formed with a hollow water ejection post inserted into a respective one of the hollow nozzle heads of the water outlet panel.
  • 17. The shower head assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the mounting tube has a top having an inner wall receiving a filter net and a seal washer.
  • 18. The shower head assembly in accordance with claim 17, wherein the connecting head has a spherical-shaped first end rested on the seal washer of the mounting tube and a second end having a cylindrical shape.
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Number Name Date Kind
2402741 Draviner Jun 1946 A
5172862 Heimann et al. Dec 1992 A
5228625 Grassberger Jul 1993 A
5398872 Joubran Mar 1995 A
5860599 Lin Jan 1999 A
6382531 Tracy May 2002 B1