Information
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Patent Grant
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6343750
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Patent Number
6,343,750
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Date Filed
Friday, September 29, 200024 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, February 5, 200222 years ago
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Inventors
-
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
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US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 239 5873
- 239 5874
- 239 463
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International Classifications
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Abstract
A shower head operates under low water pressure. The shower head utilizes a unitary ball. The ball includes a vaned member integrally formed in a passageway through the ball. The vaned member includes a plurality of spaced apart helical arms coterminating at an intermediate rounded spherically shaped surface which evenly distributes water intermediate the helical arms. Water from the vaned member discharges into a large vortex chamber and from the vortex chamber through a smaller venturi-like aperture which accelerates the water past aeration ports.
Description
This invention pertains to shower heads.
More particularly, the invention pertains to a water conserving shower head which operates quietly, produces a relatively full pattern of water droplets, and in use consumes a minimal amount of water.
At relatively low water pressures, many conventional shower heads do not function well. As a result, shower heads are utilized which can operate under the force of gravity, but which also, unfortunately, consume large volumes of water.
One problem associated with designing a shower head which can be utilized at low water pressures is noise. If a shower head makes an irritating noise while operating, the commercial value of the shower head is questionable, at best.
Another problem associated with designing a shower head which can be utilized at low water pressures is the spray pattern produced by the shower head. If the water droplets produced are too large or too small, the practical value of the shower head can be severely diminished. In addition, if a portion of the normal conical shower head droplet pattern is missing, of if there are no water droplets in the central area of the conical droplet pattern, the commercial value of the shower head can be minimal.
It is difficult to produce a shower head which meets each criterion of (1) minimizing water consumption, (2) being usable under varying water pressures, (3) operating quietly, (4) producing a conical shower droplet pattern including droplets of the appropriate size, and (5) producing a conical shower droplet pattern which is complete and does not have portions of the conical pattern missing.
Small changes in the physical dimensions of the path along which water flows through a shower head can have a significant impact on each of the foregoing criteria and, worse, can deleteriously affect some criteria while improving others.
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide a water conserving shower head which would meet each of the criteria noted above.
Therefore, it is a principal object of the invention to provide an improved water conserving shower head.
These and other, further and more specific objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description thereof, taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:
FIG. 1
is an exploded assembly perspective view illustrating a shower head constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention;
FIG. 2
is a perspective section view illustrating the unitary ball structure of the invention, including the vortex forming vaned member formed in the ball;
FIG. 3
is a top view of the unitary ball structure of
FIG. 2
; and,
FIG. 4
is a section view of the shower head of
FIG. 1
after assembly and further illustrating construction details thereof.
Briefly, in accordance with the invention, I provide an improved shower head. The shower head includes a first portion adapted to be attached to a water supply and a spray head pivotally attached to the first portion. The improvements direct water from the first portion into the spray head in a swirling direction. The improvements include a socket in the spray head; and, a unitary ball in the first portion and mounted in the socket to permit the spray head to pivot on the first portion. The unitary ball includes a spherical outer contact surface engaging the socket such that when the spray head is pivoted the socket slides over at least a portion of the spherical outer contact surface; includes a channel formed through the ball and in fluid communication with the water supply and the shower head; and, includes a vortex forming structure in the channel in a fixed selected orientation to impart a swirling vortex motion to water passing through the vortex forming structure. The vortex forming structure includes a plurality of spaced apart radially extending vanes.
In another embodiment of the invention, I provide an improved shower head including a first portion adapted to be attached to a water supply and a spray head attached to the first portion. The improvements direct water from the first portion into the spray head in a swirling direction. The improvements include a mounting structure in the spray head; a water input orifice formed in the first portion and in fluid communication with the water supply; and, a vortex forming structure in the first portion and mounted in the mounting means. The vortex forming structure includes a vortex forming member including a plurality of spaced apart radially extending vanes for imparting a swirling vortex motion to water passing through the vortex forming member and over the vanes. Each of the vanes includes an upper surface. The upper surface is the portion of said vane closest to the orifice. The distance from the upper surface of each vane to the orifice is in the range of 0.090 inch to 0.190 inch. The vortex forming structure also includes a channel extending from the orifice to the vortex forming member to direct water from the orifice through the vortex forming member; and, includes a smooth rounded surface intermediate the vanes and extending outwardly away from the vanes toward the orifice. The distance from the rounded surface to the orifice is in the range of 0.030 to 0.130 inch.
In a further embodiment of the invention, I provide an improved shower head comprising a first portion adapted to be attached to a water supply and a spray head attached to the first portion. The improvements in the shower head direct water from the first portion into the spray head in a swirling direction. The improvements include a vortex chamber in the spray head; a water input orifice formed in the first portion and in fluid communication with the water supply; a vortex forming structure in the first portion; and, a channel in the first portion extending from the orifice to the vortex forming means to direct water from the orifice through the vortex forming means and into the vortex chamber. The vortex forming structure includes a hub; and, a plurality of spaced apart vanes extending outwardly from the hub for imparting a swirling vortex motion to water passing through the vortex forming structure and over the vanes. Each of the vanes includes an upper surface. The upper surface tapers outwardly away from the hub and terminates at at least one edge. The edge is rounded to minimize turbulence caused when water flows over the edge. The vortex forming structure also includes a smooth rounded surface on the hub intermediate the vanes and extending outwardly away from the vanes toward the orifice.
In still another embodiment of the invention, I provide an improved shower head comprising a first portion adapted to be attached to a water supply and a spray head attached to the first portion. The improvements direct water from the first portion into the spray head in a swirling direction. The improvements include a vortex chamber in the spray head; a water input orifice formed in the first portion and in fluid communication with the water supply; a vortex forming structure in the first portion; and, a channel in the first portion extending from the orifice to the vortex forming structure to direct water from the orifice through the vortex forming structure and into the vortex chamber. The vortex forming structure includes a hub; a plurality of spaced apart vanes outwardly extending from said hub for imparting a swirling vortex motion to water passing through the vortex forming structure and over the vanes; and, a smooth rounded surface on the hub intermediate the vanes. The smooth rounded surface extends outwardly away from the vanes toward the orifice a distance in the range of 0.040 to 0.080 inch; and, has a width in the range of 0.120 to 0.190 inch.
In a further embodiment of the invention, I provide an improved shower head comprising a first portion adapted to be attached to a water supply and a spray head pivotally attached to the first portion. The improvements in the shower head direct water from the first portion into the spray head in a swirling direction. The improvements include a socket in the spray head; a vortex chamber in the spray head, the vortex chamber having a depth in the range of 0.60 to 0.80 inch; a unitary ball structure in the first portion and mounted in the socket to permit the spray head to pivot on the first portion. The unitary ball structure includes a spherical outer contact surface engaging the socket such that when the spray head is pivoted the socket slides over at least a portion of the spherical outer contact surface. The unitary ball structure also includes a channel formed through the ball structure and in fluid communication with the water supply and the vortex chamber in the shower head. The channel includes an opening adjacent the vortex chamber. The ball structure also includes a vortex forming structure formed in the channel in a fixed selected orientation to impart a swirling vortex motion to water passing through the vortex forming structure into the vortex chamber. The vortex forming structure includes a plurality of spaced apart radiating vanes each terminating at the opening of the channel adjacent the vortex chamber.
Turning now to the drawings, which depict the presently preferred embodiments of the invention for the purpose of illustrating the practice thereof and not by way of limitation of the scope of the invention, and in which like reference characters refer to corresponding elements throughout the several views,
FIG. 1
is an assembly view of a shower head constructed in accordance with the invention and including a first portion adapted to be attached to a water supply and a spray head
10
pivotally attached to the first portion. The first portion includes internally threaded orifice member
12
, collar
13
with lip
13
A, unitary ball structure
27
, and, elastic cylindrical rubber seal
14
with tapered conical surface
32
.
Orifice member
12
includes internal threads
30
which turn onto the external thread
15
of the conduit in a shower which supplies water to the shower head. Member
12
also includes nose
17
. Nose
17
includes external serrations
17
A. Nose
17
is press fit into channel
29
of ball structure
27
in the manner illustrated in FIG.
4
. Serrations
17
A are sized such that they function to lock nose
17
in cylindrical aperture
29
when nose
17
A is press fit into channel
29
. Orifice
18
is formed in member
12
and extends through nose
17
in the manner illustrated in FIG.
4
. Water from conduit
15
travels into the input end of orifice
18
, travels through orifice
18
, and travels through the output end of orifice
18
into channel
29
toward vortex forming structure
40
(FIG.
2
). Petcock
16
is mounted in member
12
and is used to regulate the flow of water traveling from conduit
15
through orifice
18
.
Ball structure
27
seats against lip
13
A of collar
13
in the manner shown in
FIG. 4
such that lip
13
A slides over outer spherical surface
27
when spray head
10
is manually grasped and pivoted on ball structure
27
. Ball structure
27
remains in fixed position when spray head
10
is pivoted on structure
27
.
When internal threads
36
of collar
13
are turned onto the external thread
37
of the neck of spray head
10
, lip
37
A compresses seal
14
against a portion of the outer spherical surface
27
as depicted in FIG.
4
.
Spray head
10
includes hollow cylindrical member
22
having cylindrical aperture
22
A and includes member
11
provided with passageway
21
. Apertures
23
,
32
and
20
,
24
permit air to be drawn into hollow areas in head
10
and into the stream of water which exits aperture
22
A and flows into diverging conical passageway
21
of head
10
. Inner cylindrical wall
28
circumscribes member
11
. Lower end
26
of head
10
threads into hollow housing
25
. Housing
25
includes inner cylindrical wall
28
. Member
11
includes the neck which includes external threads
37
.
FIGS. 2 and 3
further illustrate the construction of unitary ball structure
27
. Ball structure
27
includes vortex forming structure
40
. While parts of the ball structure can be manufactured separately and then assembled in the shower head, the ball structure
27
is presently preferably molded at one time or otherwise constructed to produce a unitary ball structure
27
which comprises one assembled piece and is utilized as one piece when the show head of the invention is assembled. This construction is believed to be critical in the practice of the invention because many hours of experimentation were required to determine the configuration of the shower head of the invention and because specific tolerances are required for the shower head to function efficiently. When the components of the ball structure
27
are provided separately and are assembled during assembly of the showerhead, tolerance errors can be introduced.
Structure
40
includes cylindrical hub
41
and a plurality of vanes
42
to
44
radially helically extending from hub
40
to channel
29
. Each vane tapers as the vane extends outwardly from hub
40
. For example, the portion
45
B of the surface
45
of vane
42
which is adjacent hub
40
is wider than the portion
45
A of vane
42
which is further away from hub
40
.
Vane
42
includes upper surface
45
. Surface
45
terminates in part at spaced apart edges
54
and
55
which bound surface
45
. Vane
43
includes upper surface
46
. Surface
46
, like surface
45
, terminates in part at a pair of spaced apart edges which bound surface
46
. Surface
47
, like surface
45
, terminates in part at a pair of spaced apart edges which bound surface
47
. The pair of spaced apart edges which bound each surface
45
to
47
are preferably rounded and smooth, i.e., each of the edges has a “radius” and is not a sharp edge. Rounded surface
48
is formed on hub
41
intermediate vanes
42
to
44
and intermediate surfaces
45
to
47
. Hub
41
includes arcuate edges
56
to
58
each extending intermediate a pair of vanes
42
to
44
. Each edge
56
to
58
is preferably rounded and smooth, i.e., each of the edges has a “radius” and is not a sharp edge.
The rounded opposing edges bounding each surface
45
to
47
, the rounded edges
56
to
58
, the tapering of vanes
42
and
44
as they extend outwardly from hub
41
, and the hemispherical rounded surface
48
are important in producing a showerhead which is quiet, which can be utilized at low water pressure, which conserves water, and which produces a conical water droplet pattern that includes water droplets fairly evenly dispersed throughout the pattern.
One critical dimension in the practice of the invention is the distance, indicated by arrows B, from the top of rounded surface
48
to the outlet end of orifice
48
. This distance is preferably in the range of 0.030 to 0.130 inch. If the distance B is greater than 0.130 inch, the spray pattern can become irregular when the spray head
10
is pivoted on ball structure
27
. The pattern becomes irregular when a portion of the conical pattern is lost, i.e., if, for example, one-half of the conical droplet pattern is lost and the droplets exiting the shower head only form one-half of a cone. The pattern also becomes irregular if it is “hollow” because there are few, if any, water droplets in the center of the conical pattern. If the distance B is less than 0.030 inch, the flow rate decreases and the noise produced by the shower head increases.
Another critical dimension is the distance, indicated by arrows A, from the top surfaces
45
to
47
to the outlet end of orifice
48
. This distance is preferably in the range of 0.090 to 0.190 inch.
Other critical dimensions which affect the noise produced by the showerhead and affect the spray pattern are the width and height of rounded surface
48
. The width, indicated by arrows D, of surface
48
is preferably in the range of 0.120 to 0.190. The height, indicated by arrows C, of surface
48
is preferably in the range of 0.040 to 0.080 inch.
Still another critical dimension in the practice of the invention is the height, indicated by arrows E, of the cylindrical vortex chamber circumscribed by wall
31
. Wall
31
circumscribes space
34
. The height E of the vortex chamber is in the range of 0.60 to 0.80 inch.
Yet another important feature of the invention is that the lower edges of vanes
42
to
44
terminate at the same point as the lower circular end or outlet
50
of channel
29
. If the lower edges of vanes
42
to
44
extend down into the vortex chamber they interfere with the swirling motion produced by vortex forming structure
40
. If in
FIG. 4
, the lower edges of vanes
42
to
44
terminate inside channel
29
at points spaced upwardly away from the outlet
50
, the swirling motion of water exiting structure
40
would slow due to frictional contact with channel
29
. It is preferable that water existing structure
40
enter immediately into the vortex chamber.
Still a further important feature of the invention is that the diameter or width of the vortex chamber must be greater than the diameter or width of channel
20
and structure
40
. The expansion of the swirling water produced by structure
40
into the vortex chamber and the subsequent venturi-like constriction of the water passage into channel
22
A appears central to the construction of the shower head of the invention. The diameter F of the vortex chamber is in the range of 0.65 to 0.86 inch. The diameter of channel
29
is in the range of 0.4 to 0.6 inch.
In use, pet cock
16
is turned such that opening
16
A formed through pet cock
16
permits water from supply conduit
15
to flow through opening
16
A into orifice
18
to exit via the outlet end of orifice
18
into channel
29
. Water supplied by orifice
18
flows through channel
29
and vortex forming structure
40
. Water exiting structure
40
swirls into vortex chamber space
34
, through space
35
, through aperture
22
A, into conical passageway
21
, and exits passageway to form a generally conical pattern of water droplets. As earlier noted, water exiting aperture
22
A draws in air through apertures
32
to aerate the water. Space
35
is circumscribed by generally conical wall
33
.
As would be appreciated by those of skill in the art, means other than serrations
17
can be utilized to fix nose
17
in aperture
29
. For example, nose
17
can be externally threaded, and aperture
29
can be internally threaded. Or adhesive can be utilized, etc.
Claims
- 1. In a shower head comprising a first portion adapted to be attached to a water supply and a spray head attached to said first portion, the improvements for directing water from the first portion into the spray head in a swirling direction, the improvements including(a) mounting means in the spray head; (b) a water input orifice formed in the first portion and in fluid communication with the water supply; (c) vortex forming means in said first portion and mounted in said mounting means, said vortex forming means including (i) a vortex forming member including a plurality of spaced apart radially extending vanes for imparting a swirling vortex motion to water passing through said vortex forming member and over said vanes, each of said vanes including an upper surface, said upper surface being the portion of said vane closest to said orifice, the distance from said upper surface of each vane to said orifice being in the range of 0.090 inch to 0.190 inch, (ii) a channel extending from said orifice to said vortex forming member to direct water from said orifice through said vortex forming member, (iii) a smooth rounded surface intermediate said vanes and extending outwardly away from said vanes toward said orifice, the distance from said rounded surface to said orifice being in the range of 0.030 to 0.130 inch.
- 2. In a shower head comprising a first portion adapted to be attached to a water supply and a spray head attached to said first portion, the improvements for directing water from the first portion into the spray head in a swirling direction, the improvements including(a) a vortex chamber in the spray head; (b) a water input orifice formed in the first portion and in fluid communication with the water supply; (c) vortex forming means in the first portion; (d) a channel in the first portion extending from said orifice to said vortex forming means to direct water from said orifice through said vortex forming means and into said vortex chamber, said vortex forming means including (e) a hub; (f) a plurality of spaced apart vanes extending outwardly from said hub for imparting a swirling vortex motion to water passing through said vortex forming member and over said vanes, each of said vanes including an upper surface, said upper surface (i) tapering outwardly away from said hub, (ii) terminating at at least one edge, said edge being rounded to minimize turbulence cause when water flows over said edge; and, (g) a smooth rounded surface on said hub intermediate said vanes and extending outwardly away from said vanes toward said orifice.
- 3. In a shower head comprising a first portion adapted to be attached to a water supply and a spray head attached to said first portion, the improvements for directing water from the first portion into the spray head in a swirling direction, the improvements including(a) a vortex chamber in the spray head; (b) a water input orifice formed in the first portion and in fluid communication with the water supply; (c) vortex forming means in the first portion; (d) a channel in the first portion extending from said orifice to said vortex forming means to direct water from said orifice through said vortex forming means and into said vortex chamber, said vortex forming means including (e) a hub; (f) a plurality of spaced apart vanes extending outwardly from said hub for imparting a swirling vortex motion to water passing through said vortex forming member and over said vanes, and, (g) a smooth rounded surface on said hub intermediate said vanes, said smooth rounded surface (i) extending outwardly away from said vanes toward said orifice a distance in the range of 0.040 to 0.080 inch, and (ii) having a width in the range of 0.120 to 0.190 inch.
- 4. In a shower head comprising a first portion adapted to be attached to a water supply and a spray head pivotally attached to said first portion, the improvements for directing water from the first portion into the spray head in a swirling direction, the improvements including(a) socket means in the spray head; (b) a vortex chamber in the spray head and having a depth in the range of 0.60 to 0.80 inch; (c) unitary ball means in said first portion and mounted in said socket means to permit the spray head to pivot on the first portion, said unitary ball means including (i) a spherical outer contact surface engaging said socket means such that when the spray head is pivoted said socket means slides over at least a portion of said spherical outer contact surface, (ii) a channel formed through said ball means and in fluid communication with the water supply and said vortex chamber in the shower head, said channel including an opening adjacent said vortex chamber, (iii) vortex forming means integrally formed in said channel in a fixed selected orientation to impart a swirling vortex motion to water passing through said vortex forming means into said vortex chamber, said vortex forming means including a plurality of spaced apart radially extending vanes each terminating at said opening of said channel adjacent said vortex chamber.
US Referenced Citations (4)