The invention relates to a shower head for a sanitary shower where several water supplies leading to different jet outlet openings are arranged in a shower head housing.
The object of the invention is to provide a shower head which is of very simple design, can be easily assembled and leads to a precisely defined seal between the jet outlet openings.
To solve this problem, the invention proposes a shower head comprising a shower head housing, which is sealed by a jet disc having jet outlet openings, a water inlet into the shower head housing, at least two water supplies separated from one another inside the shower head housing, which each lead to a group of jet outlet openings in the jet disc, and a seal which is arranged between each two groups of jet outlet openings and which closes at least temporarily an opening between the groups of jet outlet openings and so seals the groups of jet outlet openings from one another. Further embodiments of the invention are the subject-matter of sub-claims.
Due to the separate water supplies inside the shower head housing and the sealing between the groups of jet outlet openings, it is ensured that the water entering a water supply indeed only exits through the associated group(s) of jet outlet openings.
In the simplest case, sealing can be designed such that it is produced when the shower head housing is assembled, for example when the jet disc is connected to the shower head housing.
In a development of the invention, it can be provided that the sealing between the groups of jet outlet openings forms a kind of valve device which, depending on the side from which a pressure applied by the water inside the shower head housing acts on the seal, closes or opens the opening. In other words, the seal is only effective in one direction. It can be pretensioned here in such a way that when the pressure is applied in the reverse direction, it only opens when a certain pressure is exceeded.
In particular, it can be provided in a development of the invention that the seal is formed by an element which is deformable by water pressure and which contacts a preferably fixed rim of the opening between the two groups of jet outlet openings in order to achieve sealing. The movement of the valve device occurs in this case only due to a deformation of an element in itself, meaning that no movable parts are required.
It can be provided in a development in accordance with the invention that the deformable element is formed by a lip integrally moulded on a lining made of an elastomer material and contacting the inside of the jet disc. This lining of elastomer material can then simultaneously ensure rim sealing of the jet disc, so that the number of individual parts required for the shower head housing does not increase.
The lip can be of varying stiffness along its longitudinal extent, such that it is continuously sealing in the area of differing radius, for example, while retaining its movable function in other areas. The differing stiffness can for example be achieved by a differing thickness of the lip.
It is also possible for the opening to have a different width.
The elastomer lining can be made together with the jet disc as a two-component part. It is however also possible for it to be made and inserted as a separate mat.
It can be provided in a development in accordance with the invention that the deformable lip is integrally moulded on that elastomer lining which also has integrally moulded nipples for the formation of jet outlet ducts.
It can be expediently provided that the opening between the two groups of jet outlet openings has the form of a slot whose longitudinal direction can be approximately parallel to the jet disc.
The at least two water supplies in the shower head housing can for example originate from an inlet already forming several separate inlet ducts into the shower head housing. Preferably however, it can be provided in a development of the invention that inside the shower head housing or immediately in front of it a changeover valve is arranged which is inserted between the water inlet into the housing and the water supplies and supplies the water supply with water depending on its setting.
The groups of jet outlet openings are arranged, according to a further proposal of the invention, preferably in an annular form, so that a group of jet outlet openings surrounds another group in annular form. The shape of the rings can vary here from circular to rectangular shape and assume any required shape.
Depending on the circumstances of the specific case or on the requirements of the designer, the direction in which the seal is released can be varied. In accordance with the invention, the solution preferred is that in which the permeability of the valve device is from the outside to the inside. This means that when the respective inner group of jet outlet openings is supplied with water, the outer group is not supplied, whereas when the outer group of jet outlet openings is supplied, the water also exits from the inner group.
If three chambers are provided, it can be provided in a development in accordance with the invention that when the middle of the three chambers is supplied with water, the inner and outer chambers are also opened, but conversely this is not the case.
It can be provided in a development in accordance with the invention that the shower head has an intermediate disc adjacent to the jet disc, i.e. directly behind the jet disc. The seal can then be provided between this intermediate disc and the jet disc. In particular, it can be provided that the rim of the valve opening is formed on the intermediate disc.
In another development of the invention, it can be provided that the valve opening extends in annular form around the respective group of jet outlet openings.
In accordance with the invention, it can be provided that the water supplies are arranged in front of the intermediate disc and that the connection between the water supplies and the associated groups of jet outlet openings is achieved in each case by at least one opening in the intermediate disc.
Further features, details and advantages of the invention are shown in the claims and in the abstract, the wordings of both of which are made into the substance of the description by reference, in the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention, and by the drawing. The drawings show in:
Downstream of the changeover valve 5, two substantially flat discs 7, 8 are arranged in the shower head housing 2 and are approximately parallel to one another. One disc 7 is designed as the rear wall of the water supplies, the other intermediate disc 8 is placed directly behind the jet disc 3. The rear wall 7 of the water supplies is placed in front of the rear wall of the shower head housing 2.
The already mentioned water supplies are explained in more detail with reference to
The shower head housing contains a total of three water supplies arranged downstream of the changeover valve 5. A first water supply 11 leads from the changeover valve 5 in a straight line as a duct into the centre of the approximately circular-cylindrical shower head.
Separated by a partition, a second water supply 12 designed as an approximately annular duct and adjoining at its one end the changeover valve 5 extends around the end of the first water supply. Separated by a further partition, the second water supply 12 is surrounded by a third water supply 13 likewise designed as an annular duct. This third water supply 13 is connected at one of its ends to the changeover valve 5.
All three water supplies 11, 12, 13 are separated from one another or from the outer rim of the shower head housing 2 by intermediate walls extending between the rear wall 7 and the intermediate disc 8. For example, the intermediate walls are integrally moulded on the intermediate disc 8 and are connected to the rear wall 7.
The intermediate wall 14 between the inner water supply 11 and the middle water supply 12 is designed relatively thick, while the other intermediate walls 15, 16 are designed thinner.
In the intermediate disc 8, an opening 17, 18, 19 respectively is provided in the area of each water supply 11, 12, 13, through which opening the water passes from the water supply into the space between the intermediate disc 8 and the jet disc 3.
In the position of
The jet disc has jet openings, shown in more detail later, which are designed as nipples of an elastomer material, all nipples being integrally moulded on a lining of the same material contacting the inside of the jet disc 3. Sealing elements are also integrally moulded on this lining which in the area between the intermediate disc 8 and the jet disc 3 seal off from one another spaces associated with the three water supplies 11, 12, 13. The shower head housing can be assembled very easily from a few parts, where the sealing elements on the rear of the jet disc 3 then assume the sealing function. The lining also has seals which seal off the outer rim of the jet disc.
In the representation in
In
The three following
On the front side of the intermediate disc 8 facing the jet disc 3, several all-round ribs are integrally moulded, i.e. a rib 20 in the area of the radial outer face, a further rib 21 between the openings 19 and 18 of the third and second water supplies, and a third rib 22 between the second and first water supplies.
Linings 23, 24 and 25 are fastened on the inside of the jet disc 3, consisting of an elastomer material and extending as rings around the entire jet disc. The three linings could also be part of a common lining. The largest part of them is located in a recess in the rear side 26 of the jet disc 3. A plurality of nipples 27 is integrally moulded on the front of the linings, projecting through holes in the jet disc 3 as far as the front or outside of the jet disc 3 and protruding slightly on the front side. There is a plurality of such nipples 27 extending over the entire circumference of the jet disc. The nipples 27 form the jet outlet openings. All nipples 27 integrally moulded on a lining 23 and/or 24 and/or 25 each form a group of jet outlet openings.
A rib 28 is also provided in the radial outer area on the rear of the jet disc 3, being parallel to the outer rib 20 of the intermediate disc 8 and at a short distance from the latter.
A lip 29, 30, 31 is integrally moulded on the inward facing rear of the linings at their respective radial outer rims. Each lip runs approximately at right angles to the rear of the jet disc 3. The lip 29 is located between the rib 28 of the jet disc 3 and the rib 20 of the intermediate disc 8 and thereby seals this intermediate space.
The lip 30 counted second from the radial outside contacts the radial inside of the second rib 21 of the intermediate disc 8 with a defined pretension.
The next lip 31 inwards in the radial direction contacts in the same way the third rib 22 of the intermediate disc 8.
The second and third lips from the outside can each be supported by a web 32. Supporting webs can also come from the opposite intermediate disc.
In the position shown in
The deformable lips 30 and 31 each contact a rib 21 or 22 respectively. The intermediate space between the webs 32 and the respective rib 21 or 22 forms a slot-like opening extending around the centre point of the jet disc. This opening is sealed by the respective lip 30, 31 in the pressureless state as shown in
In the embodiment shown, the mode of operation of the shower is as follows. It is assumed that the changeover valve 5 is switched to the position shown in
If the changeover valve is now reset such that the valve closing element 9 takes up the position shown in
If the changeover valve is now operated so that the valve closing element 9 assumes the position shown in
It is of course possible that when the water pressure is low the openings only open slightly.
In another embodiment, in which for example the lips contact the other side of the ribs respectively, another type of association between the water supplies and the jet outlet openings supplied with water can be achieved.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
10 2012 213 518.9 | Aug 2012 | DE | national |