Patent Application
20060208111
This invention relates generally to the field of plumbing accessories, and in particular to a new and improved showerhead extension arm for connecting a showerhead to a water supply conduit.
Due to time and energy savings, showers have become a preferred manner of bathing in many cultures and countries. With the ever increasing popularity of showering, a considerable amount of time and effort has been devoted to the development of various types and forms of showerheads having a variety of different features and physical attributes, ranging from reduced water consumption to pulsating spray patterns providing an invigorating or massaging effect. While a significant emphasis has been placed upon the showerhead design, little effort has been expended on developing showerheads and related devices that accommodate use by individuals of different sizes and physical abilities, and for use in shower stalls of varying dimensions.
To date, devices that aid in the use of a showerhead by individuals of different heights and different physical abilities and requirements have generally been limited in the use of a vertical pipe or rail onto which a showerhead may be releasably secured at different elevations. The positioning of the showerhead at different elevations is commonly accommodated through the use of a flexible supply line or hose used to connect the showerhead to a water supply or conduit in the adjacent wall. More recently others have proposed the use of rigid or flexible extensions that are connectable to the showerhead and to the water supply conduit, and that permit the showerhead to be positioned at a lower elevation than if the showerhead were fixed directly to the supply conduit at the point that it passes through the shower wall. Unfortunately, such prior devices have proven to be of only marginal assistance in practice. Where the extension arm is fixed, the relative height of the showerhead is not adjustable once the showerhead and extension arm have been threaded or otherwise connected together. In the case of currently available adjustable extension arms, their structures are severely limited in terms of their ability to allow a user to orient a showerhead in different positions. For example, currently available extension arms are generally only capable of rotating through a range of from about 60 to 70 degrees. With larger “rainfall” type showerheads experiencing widespread popularity, the ability to position the head in a horizontal plane over the head of a user is becoming increasingly important. Unfortunately, available extension arms are limited in their ability to increase the height of the showerhead above the position where the supply conduit passes through the wall. Similarly, such devices are generally inefficient in presenting a means to lower the elevation of the showerhead to accommodate a shorter individual or child. Even where available extension arms allow for increasing or decreasing the elevation of the showerhead, they often fail to permit the head to be easily positioned in a horizontal plane at its new elevation. Currently available adjustable extension arms also tend to be somewhat clumsy to use, often utilizing wing nuts or similar structures that hinder the re-positioning of a showerhead, particularly for elderly people or persons with physical limitations or disabilities. In addition, the utilization of currently available extension arms typically results in the showerhead being offset by a considerable distance from the shower wall, an attribute that may not be desirable in smaller shower stalls or enclosures.
The invention therefore provides a showerhead extension arm that is both simple to use and that provides the ability to position a showerhead over an enhanced range of positions and locations within a shower stall or enclosure.
Accordingly, in one of its aspects the invention provides a showerhead extension arm comprising a generally tubular body portion having an internal passageway to permit the flow of fluid therethrough; first and second hub members, said first hub member rotationally secured to a first end of said tubular body portion and said second hub member rotationally secured to a second end of said tubular body portion, each of said hub members permitting the flow of fluid therethrough; a showerhead engaging portion rotationally secured to said first hub member and permitting said showerhead extension arm to be secured to a showerhead such that said showerhead is permitted to rotate relative to an axis generally perpendicular to said tubular body portion and to simultaneously rotate relative to an axis generally parallel to said tubular body portion; and, a shower arm coupling rotationally secured to said second hub member and releasably securing said extension arm to a water supply conduit such that water from said conduit is permitted to flow through said shower arm coupling, through said second hub member, through said tubular body portion, through said first hub member, through said showerhead engaging portion and into said shower head.
In a further aspect the invention provides a showerhead extension arm for connecting a showerhead to a water supply conduit, the showerhead extension arm comprising a generally tubular body portion having an internal passageway to permit the flow of water therethrough; first and second hub members, said first hub member rotationally secured to a first end of said tubular body portion to permit rotation of said first hub member relative to axis generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said tubular body portion, said second hub member rotationally secured to a second end of said tubular body portion to permit rotation of said second hub member relative to axis generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said tubular body portion; a showerhead engaging portion to secure said showerhead to said first hub member and permitting said showerhead to rotate relative to axis generally perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said first hub member about said tubular body portion; and, a shower arm coupling releasably securable to said water supply conduit and rotationally secured to said second hub member to permit rotation of said shower arm coupling relative to an axis generally perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said second hub member about said tubular body portion.
In another aspect the invention concerns a showerhead extension arm for connecting a showerhead to a water supply conduit, the showerhead extension arm comprising a generally tubular body portion having an internal passageway to permit the flow of water therethrough; a showerhead engaging portion to secure said showerhead to said tubular body portion, a hub member secured to said tubular body portion; and, a shower arm coupling releasably securable to said water supply conduit and rotationally secured to said hub member, said hub member and said shower arm coupling together permitting the simultaneous rotation of said tubular body member, and said showerhead attached thereto, relative to both an axis that is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said tubular body portion and relative to an axis that is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of said tubular body portion.
Further aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken together with the accompanying drawings.
For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings which show the preferred embodiments of the present invention in which:
a is a side elevational view of the showerhead extension arm shown in
b is a side elevational view of the showerhead extension arm of
a is a plan view of a male portion of the tubular body portion of the showerhead extension arm shown in
b is a sectional view taken along the line 6b-6b of
c is a side elevational view of the male portion of the tubular body portion shown in
a is a plan view of a female portion of the main tubular body portion of the showerhead extension arm shown in
b is a sectional view taken along the line 7b-7b of
c is a side elevational view of the female portion of the main tubular body portion shown in
a is a plan view of one of the hub members of the showerhead extension arm shown in
b is an upper side perspective view of the hub member shown in
c is a front elevational view of the hub member shown in
d is a sectional view taken along the line 8d-8d of
a is a side elevational view of a shower arm coupling used in association with the embodiment of the showerhead extension arm shown in
b is a bottom view of the shower arm coupling shown in
c is a sectional view taken along the line 9c-9c of
a is an upper perspective view of the showerhead shown in
b is an enlarged detailed view of the structure shown in
a is a top plan view of a ratchet locking ring used in association with the embodiment of the showerhead extension arm shown in
b is a side elevational view of the ratchet locking ring shown in
c is a side perspective view of the ratchet locking ring shown in
d is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the ratchet locking ring shown in
a is a side perspective view of a star washer used in association with the embodiment of the showerhead extension arm shown in
b is a plan view of the star washer shown in
a is a plan view of a hub insert used in association with the embodiment of the showerhead extension arm shown in
b is an upper side perspective view of the hub insert shown in
c is a side elevational view of the hub insert shown in
d is a sectional view taken along the line 13d-13d of
a is a side elevational view of a coupling insert used in association with the embodiment of the showerhead extension arm shown in
b is a sectional view taken along the line 14b-14b of
The present invention may be embodied in a number of different forms. However, the specification and drawings that follow describe and disclose only some of the specific forms of the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention as defined in the claims that follow herein.
A showerhead extension arm constructed in accordance with one the preferred embodiments of the present invention is shown in the attached drawings and noted generally by reference numeral 1. In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings showerhead extension arm 1 is comprised primarily of a generally tubular body portion 2, first and second hub members 3 and 4, a showerhead engaging portion 5 and a shower arm coupling 6. Referring to
With specific reference to
As shown in the attached drawings, showerhead engaging portion 5 is secured to first hub member 3 and serves as the mechanism by which showerhead 7 is attached or secured to the showerhead extension arm. In addition, and as in the case of the attachment of the hub members to tubular body portion 2, in the preferred embodiment showerhead engaging portion 5 is preferably rotationally secured to first hub member 3 to enable the showerhead attached thereto to rotate relative to the hub member. Further, shower arm coupling 6 is preferably rotationally secured to second hub member 4 and is designed to be releasably securable to a water supply conduit.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that a variety of different mechanisms could be utilized to secure the shower arm coupling to a water supply conduit. In the embodiment shown in the attached drawings, the shower arm coupling 6 has an internal threaded bore 14 that permits it to be threaded onto the end of a comparably threaded supply conduit. Alternately, the shower arm coupling could be glued, crimped or soldered onto the supply conduit, or could be secured by means of a variety of other mechanical fastening mechanisms. As is shown in
As shown in the attached drawings, extension arm 1 may be constructed of primary and secondary components that are later assembled together into the finished product. Fabricating components in this manner will in most cases be simpler and more cost effective than attempting to construct larger and more complex parts as a single unit., particularly where the parts are molded from plastic. In the embodiment shown in
Referring to
Referring once again to
From an appreciation of the manner in which the hub members are secured to opposite ends of tubular body portion 2, it will understood by those skilled in the art with reference to the attached drawings that each of showerhead engaging portion 5 and shower arm coupling 6 are in this embodiment of the invention secured to their respective and associated hub members in essentially the same fashion. To simplify the manufacturing of the hub members, flanges 20 are not formed with centrally positioned spigots as in the case of flange 17. Instead, a hub insert 26 (see
The hub inserts are formed with spigots 27 having on their lower ends 28 a star or other non-circular structure, essentially the same as described above with respect to spigots 21. With hub insert 26 received within flange 20 of the hub member, spigot 27 may then be inserted into a hollow bore in either shower arm coupling 6 or showerhead engaging portion 5 (as the case may be) to be received therein and securably held in place, once again through the use of a star washer and fastener in the same manner as described above. With the tightening of the fastener in place, the flanges on the hub members will align with corresponding flanges on either the shower arm coupling or the showerhead engaging portion to form an aesthetically pleasing transition and a mechanically stable connection. One or more seals and/or 0-rings may once again be utilized to present a fluid tight connection between the parts. As shown particularly in
Just as the fabrication of hub inserts for receipt into the internal passageway of flange 20 on the hub members aid in the manufacturing of the hubs, to simplify the manufacturing of the shower arm coupling a coupling insert 50 may be formed for receipt into the coupling's hollow interior. One embodiment of the coupling insert is shown in
It will thus be understood that the described manner of assembling the primary component parts of showerhead extension arm 1 will permit rotational movement between a number of the different parts and in planes that are generally perpendicular to one another. Specifically, showerhead 7 and showerhead engaging portion 5 are permitted to freely rotate about spigot 27 on hub insert 26 of first hub member 3. Similarly, first hub member 3 is permitted to rotate about an axis along the length of spigot 21 when it is received within first end 10 of tubular body portion 2. Spigot 21 on second hub member 4 permits second hub member 4 to rotate about an axis along the length of the spigot when it is received within the second end 11 of tubular body member 2. Finally, shower arm coupling 6 is permitted to freely rotate about spigot 17 on the hub insert received within second hub member 4.
In this manner, when connected to the showerhead extension arm showerhead 7 is permitted to rotate about an axis generally perpendicular to tubular body portion 2 and simultaneously about an axis generally parallel to the tubular body portion. Stated another way, when assembled in the fashion described first hub member 3 will be rotationally secured to first end 10 of tubular body portion 2 in a manner that permits rotation of the first hub member about an axis generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tubular body portion. The second hub member 2 will be rotationally secured to second end 11 of tubular body portion 2 in a fashion that permits rotation of the second hub member about an axis that is also generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tubular body portion. Showerhead engaging portion 5 will be securable to showerhead 7 in a manner that permits the showerhead to rotate about an axis that is generally perpendicular to the axis of rotation of first hub member 3 about tubular body portion 2. Further, shower arm coupling 6 will be releasably securable to a water supply conduit and will be rotationally secured to second hub member 4 in a manner that permits rotation of the shower arm coupling about an axis that is generally perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the second hub member about the tubular body portion.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention that is shown in the attached drawings, each of the points of rotation (ie between the first and second hubs and the tubular body portion, between the first hub member and the showerhead engaging portion, and between the second hub member and the shower arm coupling) are designed so as to permit movement in fixed and incremental amounts or degrees. That is, the design of the rotational connections between the various parts is such that if sufficient force is applied to the extension arm various parts or combinations of parts can be rotated with respect to one another to permit a wide range of positions to which the showerhead may be moved. When the applied force is removed, the rotatable connections preferably lock into place rigidly fixing the location of the showerhead until such time as force is once again applied. In one embodiment the manner of permitting rotational movement of the various parts relative to one another by incremental amounts or degrees is achieved through the use of a ratchet locking member 30 at each rotational juncture. To more fully explain the structure and function of ratchet locking member 30, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the rotational connection of first hub member 3 to tubular body portion 2.
From a thorough understanding of the invention it will be appreciated that ratchet locking member 30 may take a variety of different forms. One of the preferred forms of the ratchet locking member is shown and represented in
As shown in
To force teeth 31 and 38 into engagement with one another, a biasing member is preferably positioned within race 35 beneath tabs 34 of the ratchet locking member. The biasing member may be any of a wide variety of different spring structures, including spring or belleville washers, coil springs, and compression springs. In addition, it will be appreciated that rather than a separate dedicated spring the biasing member may be comprised of a flexibly resilient flange positioned within race 35. Regardless of its particular structure the biasing member will tend to drive the teeth 31 of ratchet locking member 30 into teeth 38 within the race on the tubular-body portion. With tabs 34 effectively fixing the ratchet locking member within the hub member, rotation of the hub member about the end of the tubular body portion can thus only be achieved through the application of a force that is in excess of the biasing force driving the two sets of teeth together. In this manner, movement of the hub about the end of the tubular body portion can only be accomplished through the application of sufficient force, the removal of which will cause the teeth to be engaged and effectively lock the parts together. For large or heavy extension arms or showerheads it may be desirable to double-up or increase the strength of the biasing members. Increasing the spring constant of biasing member 39 will increase the force tending to hold the various components in their fixed positions and assist in maintaining the showerhead in position during use.
The structure and operation of the ratchet locking member used in association with the showerhead engaging portion and the shower arm coupling is essentially the same as that described above for the hub members. In the case of showerhead engaging portion 5, the component contains an internal race 40 having a series of partitions 41 that together receive tabs 34 on the ratchet locking member and prevent relative movement between the locking member and the showerhead engaging portion (see
In essentially the same manner shower arm coupling 6 includes an internal race 44 having partitions 45 that together receive and prevent relative movement between the ratchet locking member and the shower arm coupling. When the coupling is secured to the end of the hub member a biasing member 39 will force an engagement of teeth 31 on the ratchet locking member with corresponding teeth 43 in the hub member to prevent rotational movement of the coupling about the hub until sufficient force is applied to overcome the biasing force that drives the two sets of teeth together.
It will thus be appreciated that the structure of the ratchet locking member described above will permit relative rotational movement of the various parts of showerhead extension arm 1 by fixed and incremental amounts or degrees when sufficient force is applied in order to overcome the biasing force applied to the locking member.
From a thorough understanding of the invention as described and shown herein, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that showerhead extension arm I permits a large degree of freedom with respect to the movement and positioning of a showerhead secured thereto on account of the multiple axes of rotation that are provided between the various component parts that make up the extension arm. Some of the positions that the showerhead may be adjusted to are shown in
In addition, and as noted above, in one embodiment of the invention tubular body portion 2 is slightly curved or arcuate in shape (see
It is to be understood that what has been described are the preferred embodiments of the invention and that it may be possible to make variations to these embodiments while staying within the broad scope of the invention. Some of these variations have been discussed while others will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, while in the enclosed drawings showerhead engaging portion 5 is shown as being rigidly fixed to the rear surface of the showerhead, in an alternate embodiment the showerhead engaging portion may include a threaded nipple to effectively allow the showerhead extension arm to be threaded on to the back of a standard or traditional showerhead. In addition, while in the described embodiment the shower arm coupling contains an internal threaded bore for threading onto a water supply conduit, it will be appreciated that the coupling may instead be fitted or formed with a threaded nipple for receipt into an elbow or other fitting within the wall of the shower stall or enclosure. Further, it will also be appreciated that the use of ratchet locking members will be only but one manner of holding the showerhead in its desired position. Alternately, wing nuts or other forms of locking nuts could be used while remaining within the broad scope of the invention.
