Patent Grant
11564470
The present invention relates generally to shower heads, and more particularly, to a shower head including a razor cleaning cavity for selectively jetting water on the head of a razor for removing hair shaving debris from between the cutting blades of the razor when shaving.
It is common for individuals to engage in the hygiene practice of shaving whether it involves a man shaving his beard or mustache, or a woman shaving her legs. There are various shaving devices available on the market today including electric razors or shavers having reciprocating or oscillating blades, and ultrasonic razors having vibration induced blades to assist in shaving. A more common razor used by many includes disposable or safety razors, or razors having disposable cartridges, Such razors generally include a handle and a razor head or cartridge attachment to the end of the handle. Many companies market the advantage of using disposable razors that have a plurality of cutting blades for providing a closer, smooth shave. Most disposable razors generally include anywhere between one and five cutting blades provided on the head of the razor, or cartridges that include a plurality of blades where the blades are arranged in a step configuration forming small passages between each blade to allow hair shaving debris to exit through the small passages. Shaving gels, foams, or creams are often used to condition the hair and skin of the shaver and reduce frictional contact of the blades on the user's skin to provide a comfortable shave.
Shaving often occurs throughout various places of the home, either in the bathtub, in the shower, or near a sink. For example, in considering the ways that men and woman shave, some men shave in the shower, or stand in front of the sink to typically view the shaving progress in a mirror. Woman often shave their legs in the shower with their feet on the shower floor, resting on the perimeter of the tub, or on a seat provided within the shower. During the course of shaving, loose hair often mingles with the shaving cream to form a residue lodged between the small passages of the razor blades. The build-up of residue typically occurs after making several shaving strokes. To retain the adequate function of the razor, users must constantly clean the razor blades while shaving. Various methods are employed by users in an attempt to clean the razor blades, for example, users often place the head of the razor under the water faucet, or under the shower head, to direct the flow of water over the razor blades to force out hair shaving residue. In doing so, users often hold the head of the razor under the faucet and shake the razor vigorously numerous times in an effort to force the cut hair and shaving cream out from between the blades. In conjunction with rinsing the razor, users also rap the head of the razor on the bottom or edge of the sink or shower to provide a jolted force to further dislodge any debris remaining between the razor blades. Still other users will submerge the head of the razor into a sink of water, or receptacle full of cleaning solution, and shake or swish the razor back and forth numerous times for the liquid to pass between the blades to flush out the hair debris. Such cleaning methods are used repeatedly throughout the course of shaving but provides a particular slow and poor job at removing hair from between the razor blades. On many occasions, the remaining hair residue is tightly jammed between the razor blades requiring a stronger force of water, or further rapping of the razor head on a surface. Many individuals do not take the time necessary to completely remove the cut hair from the blades, and thus, any residue remaining between the blades hardens over time as it dries making more difficult to clean between the blades.
Conventional razor cleaning devices or systems are provided to better assist individuals in removing hair shaving debris from between razor blades during or after use. For example, some devices generally include a funnel or scoop that is attached directly to the spout of a faucet, or to the head of the razor, for directing water over the blades of the razor to dislodge any shaving debris lodged between the razor blades. More sophisticated razor cleaning devices generally include a container having a reservoir for holding a cleaning solution therein, and an electricity or battery operated transducer, pump, or spray jet device, for circulating or spraying cleaning solution pass the head of the razor when the head of razor is disposed within the cleaning solution of the reservoir. Many razor cleaning devices have added features such as timers for setting time and length of cleaning, status indicators as to when to change the cleaning solution, include radio and/or clock features, and ultraviolet radiation sources to clean the surface of the blades for sanitary, or disinfectant purposes. Although such prior art devices provide some assistance in cleaning razor blades of disposable or safety razors, or blades provided on disposable cartridges, such devices are either, cumbersome to use while shaving, or comprise stand-alone units that are placed on a counter and used for cleaning razor blades after the user has finished shaving. The prior art razor cleaning devices, such as scoops, or reservoir filled cleaning solutions, do not allow users to effectively use such devices, or clean the razor blades of a razor, effectively while in the process of shaving or showering.
There is often a desire, whether to save time, or simply for added convenience, to shave while taking a shower. The conventional shower head provides a water spray for washing the body and is also used to quickly rinses any shaving cream, soap, or hair-shaving debris remaining on the body. Most shower heads include a handheld shower head including a plurality of spray apertures, a hose connected to the shower head for delivering water to the plurality of spray apertures, and a bracket for holding the shower head in place. Users have the option of retaining the shower head within the holding bracket, or alternatively, holding the shower head in hand when showering. Most shower heads include a rotating head for allowing users to adjust both the pattern and pressure of water exiting from the spray apertures of the shower head. When shaving in a shower, users typically hold the head of a razor in close proximity to the spray apertures of the shower head in hopes of projecting water directly onto the blades of a razor to flush out any hair-shaving debris from between the blades. On many occasions, users orient the head of the razor in different positions, while under the show head, to align the water spray between the blades to remove hair shaving debris, a process which is repeated over and over again while shaving in the shower. Users often adjust the rotating head to increase water pressure or flow in an effort to increase the force of water to adequately clean the razor blades. As such, conventional shower heads do not provide a prescribed means of effectively cleaning razor blades of a razor leaving users to resort to other cumbersome methods of cleaning the razor blades. Also, many individuals do not take the time needed to adequately clean the razor blades, and simply replace existing razor blade cartridges, or disposable razors with new ones leading to increase costs.
Accordingly, there is an established need for solving some of the aforementioned problems by providing a shower head including a razor cleaning cavity and spray control for selectively jetting water onto the head or cartridge of a razor, removably inserted within the razor cleaning cavity, to clean the blades of the razor, or to flow from the shower head for showering.
The present invention is directed to a showerhead including a razor cleaning cavity provided within the central region of the shower head for jetting water onto the head of a razor for removing hair cutting debris from between the blades of the razor while shaving. A control valve allows users to selectively divert water out from the showerhead when showering, or out from the razor cleaning cavity to clean the blades of a razor.
A first embodiment of the invention provides a shower head having a razor cleaning cavity, said shower head comprising a spray head including: a front member including a central cavity having an opening and an inner circular wall, and a planar front surface surrounding the central cavity, the inner circular wall and the planar front surface including a plurality of holes; a back member including a plurality of apertures, and a drain cover disposed over the plurality of apertures defining a drain channel; a plurality of spray nozzles extending from the plurality of holes in both the planar front surface, and the inner circular wall; a first peripheral channel in fluid communication with the plurality of spray nozzles on the front surface; a second peripheral channel in fluid communication with the plurality of spray nozzles in the inner circular wall, where the front member is attached to the back member enclosing the peripheral channels and disposing the plurality of apertures at a closed end of the central cavity; a handle housing a diverter valve assembly including an inlet port, a rotating diverter plate associated with a stem, a first supply conduit in fluid communication with the first peripheral channel, and a second supply conduit in fluid communication with the second peripheral channel, one end of the stem extending through a front wall of the handle and coupled to a control knob for operating the diverter plate, where the spray head is attached to one end the handle; a hose having one end removably attached to one end of the inlet port, and another end removably attachable to a water delivery fixture; and wherein the diverter valve is selectively operated to allow water to flow out from either the plurality of spray nozzles on the front surface of the spray head, or to flow out from the plurality of spray nozzles within the razor cleaning cavity.
In a second aspect, the plurality of spray nozzles extend forward from the spray head to deliver water onto a person when showering, and the plurality of spray nozzles provided within the cleaning cavity are arranged perpendicular pointing to each other, to direct water towards the central region of the cleaning cavity.
In another aspect, the diverter valve comprises a rotating valve that is rotated in a first position so that the diverter plate prevents water from flowing through the first supply conduit, and within the first peripheral channel and out from the plurality of spray nozzles provided on the planar front surface of the spray head, but allows water to flow through the second supply conduit within the second peripheral channel and out from the plurality of spray nozzles provided within the central cavity.
In still another aspect, the diverter valve comprises a rotating valve that is rotated in a second position so that the diverter plate prevents water from flowing through the second supply conduit and within the second peripheral channel and out from the plurality of spray nozzles provided in the central cavity, but allows water to flow through the first supply conduit within the first peripheral channel and out from the plurality of spray nozzles provided on the planar front surface of the spray head.
In another aspect, the opening of the central cavity includes a rounded entrance perimeter allowing users to maneuver the handle of a razor in various angles to orient the head of the razor within the cavity in various positions allowing water that is ejected from the spray nozzles in the cavity to effectively flush hair cutting debris from between the blades of the razor.
In yet another aspect, the shower head includes a holding bracket having an extended member including a water inlet attachable to a water delivery fixture, a water outlet for removable attachment of one end of the delivery hose, and a pair of arms extending from the member and spaced apart to form a cradle for removably inserting and holding the handle of the shower head.
In another aspect, the holding bracket includes a ball and socket, tooth clamp arrangement, or other lockable pivot arrangement or mechanism that is operated to pivotably hold the shower head in various positions.
In yet another aspect, the control knob may include a rotating knob, a slide member, a toggle mechanism, an electric operator, or a push button.
In another aspect, the handle of the shower head may include ridges, indentations, nubs, raised surfaces, or a friction material to prevent the handle from slipping when holding the handle during use.
In yet another aspect, the drain cover includes one end attached to a back surface of the back member adjacent the plurality of apertures and an opposite end detached and free from the hack surface of the back member to define the drain channel where excess water in the razor cleaning cavity exits from the plurality of apertures and through the drain channel behind the shower head.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the attached drawings and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments, which follow.
The preferred embodiments of the invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings provided to illustrate and not to limit the invention, where like designations denote like elements, and in which:
The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the described embodiments or the application and uses of the described embodiments. As used herein, the word “exemplary” or “illustrative” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” or “illustrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. All of the implementations described below are exemplary implementations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to make or use the embodiments of the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, which is defined by the claims. For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “left”, “rear”, “right”, “front”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in
Shown throughout the figures, the present invention is directed to a shower head including a razor cleaning cavity provided within the central region of the shower head for removing hair cutting debris from between the blades of the razor while shaving. A control valve allows users to selectively divert water out from the shower head when showering, or out from the razor cleaning cavity to jet water onto the blades of a razor for flushing hair cutting debris from the blades.
Referring now to the drawings wherein like elements are represented by like numerals throughout, there are shown in
The nozzle assembly 110 includes a plurality of water spray nozzles 124 formed in the front planar surface 118 of the front member 108, and arranged to jet water outwards towards a person when taking a shower. The diametrical size of each spray nozzle 124 is designed to permit water to jet out at a predetermined force or pressure, and may comprise any number of nozzles that are oriented in any fashion or configuration on the outer planar surface 118 of the front member 108. In one exemplary embodiment, the spray nozzles 124 are disposed in a peripheral orientation forming concentric circles. However, the spray nozzles 124 may be disposed in any variation, layout, or orientation on the outer surface 118 of the front member 108. Each spray nozzle 124 may comprise any of, channels or apertures that are formed through the body of the front member 108, or include rubber, plastic, or metal nozzle extensions or ports extending from, or associated with, corresponding spray holes. It will be understood that in another embodiment, the spray head 104 may include a mechanical or electrical system to allow users to adjust both the pattern, or delivery pressure of water ejecting from the spray nozzles 124. For example, a rotating disc or valve system can be implemented to provide a spray pattern, a trickle pattern, a power spray pattern, a messaging force, or any combination thereof.
The nozzle assembly 110 also includes a plurality of water spray nozzles 126 provided on, or formed within, the inner wall or hub 120 of the razor cleaning cavity 102. As illustrated in both
The back member 112 generally comprises a body having a geometrical shape that corresponds in shape and size of the front member 108 and includes a surrounding cylindrical wall 128 that is integrally formed with a back panel 130. The back member 112 is attached to the front member 108 such that the outer surface of each surrounding wall 114, 128 is coplanar with each other forming a shower head having main surrounding wall. The back member 112 is permanently or releasably attached to the front member 108 using any well-known water proof adhesive, fastener, interlocking detents formed within the body of each the front and back member, or by ultrasonic plastic welding. In one embodiment, the back member 112 includes a back central hub 132 defined by a circular wall integrally formed with the inner surface of the back panel 130, and having an opening. When the back member 112 is attached to the front member 108, the back central hub 132 aligns and engages with the front central hub 120 of the front member 108 so that the bottom opening of the front central hub 120 correspondingly aligns with the opening for the back central hub 132 defining a razor cleaning cavity 102 having a back panel 130. Thus, it will be understood that the diameter and depth of the razor cleaning cavity 102 is defined by the diameter and depth of each central hub 120 and 132. As such, a spray head 104 may include a razor cleaning cavity 102 having different diameters, and/or depths. It will also be understood that the razor cleaning cavity 102 may comprise any geometrical size and shape including for example, a square, oval, or rectangular geometric shape, and may be located or provided in or on any part of the spray head 104.
With continued reference to
The handle 106 generally includes a front wall 144 integrally formed with, or separately attached to, a back wall 146 defining an inner chamber 148. In one embodiment, the back wall 146 includes a curvature or a curved configuration to enable a downward positioning of the spray head 104 when the shower head 100 is placed in a holding bracket 150 within the shower. The curved configuration of the back wall 146 also promotes directional flow of water towards users when holding in hand and maneuvering the shower head around the body during use. The inner chamber 148 is adapted to house a water diverter valve 152, and includes a bottom opening for receiving a distal end of a water delivery hose 154. The handle 106 may, include any width, and length, and may include friction enhancing materials, indentations, stubs, ridges, or the like to prevent the handle 106 from slipping through a user's hand during use.
The shower head 100 includes a diverter valve 152 for selectively directing water out from the plurality of spray nozzles 124, 126 located on the front member 118, or in the razor cleaning cavity 102, respectively. In one embodiment, the water diverter valve 152 generally includes a valve body comprising an inlet port 156, a rotatable diverter plate 158 attached to the lower bottom section of a stem, water delivery conduits 160, 162 in fluid communication with the delivery tube 154, and a control knob 164. In at least one embodiment, such as is shown in
The hose 154 includes one end that is permanently, or removably, coupled to the inlet port 156 of the diverter valve 152, and another end that is coupled to an outlet 166 of a holding bracket 150 that is readily attachable to the end of a shower pipe. The hose 154 is designed to deliver water to the inlet port 156 and selectively divert water through a first conduit 160, or through a second conduit 162. In one embodiment, the hose 154 comprises any well-known shower hose currently available on the market today. In another embodiment, the hose 154 is generally constructed from any of plastic, plated stainless steel, PVC flexible material, or stainless steel, or brass material. In another embodiment, the hose 154 may include an attachment device such as a clamp, twist-lock connector, bayonet connector, spring detent connector, or coupling, adapted for removable attachment to either the inlet port 156 of the diverter valve 152, and/or to the outlet 166 of the holding bracket 150. The hose 154 may comprise any color selected to match with the spray head 104, the handle 106, or with existing bath fixtures.
The shower head 100 is removably attachable to a holding bracket 150 that is mountable on the end of a shower pipe generally provided in shower stalls, or to an end of a faucet or other water delivery fixture. The holding bracket 150 includes a water inlet 164 having a plurality of threads formed on the inner surface of the inlet for threading the bracket onto the end of the shower pipe, and a water outlet 166 for releasable connection to the hose 154 for delivering water to the shower head under pressure. The holding bracket 150 includes a pair of holding arms 168, 170, as better illustrated in
Turning to
Referring now to
Upon readily positioning the head 202 of a razor 200 within the razor cleaning cavity 102, the user rotates the control knob 164 to selectively divert water through the plurality of spray nozzles 126 and eject the water onto the head 202 of the razor 200 to remove hair cutting debris from between the blades of the razor 200 by force of the water, as shown in
As illustrated in
The shower head 100 includes a razor cleaning cavity 102 that is designed to clean razor blades of razors quickly, more efficiently, and with much less effort when shaving. Compact in design, it makes shaving, with a bladed razor, much easier and safer than using traditional methods or conventional devices for cleaning razor blades. The shower head including a razor cleaning cavity 100 can be installed onto the end of any water delivery fixture such as at the end of a shower pipe or faucet, and can be permanently or removably installed to provide for a portable device for use anywhere. For example, a woman shaving her legs could mount the shower head including razor cleaning cavity 100 in any convenient location in close proximity to her body to make cleaning the razor blades easier and faster for her when shaving. The shower head 100 is easily mounted onto existing shower tee connections generally located on the shower neck, as such the shower head 100 can replace existing shower heads with ease and convenience.
The shower head including razor cleaning cavity 100 can be engineered and designed to accommodate specific brands of men's and women's razors having razor blade heads or razor blade cartridges comprising different sizes and/or shapes. Further, the shower head 100 may include aesthetic indicia, patterns, or designs, come in a range of different colors, styles, or popular finishes such as chrome, bronze, brushed chrome, white, ivory, or other colors. A detachable razor holder may be incorporated for holding one or more razors, and various hygiene accessories may be included with, or sold separately from, the shower head 100.
Since many modifications, variations, and changes in detail can be made to the described preferred embodiments of the invention, it is intended that all matters in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Furthermore, it is understood that any of the features presented in the embodiments may be integrated into any of the other embodiments unless explicitly stated otherwise. The scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/829,379, filed on Apr. 4, 2019, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
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