Patent Application
20060207015
The present invention relates to a shower fixture, and more particularly to a showerhead assembly which provides a broad halo-like waterfall effect.
Oversized luxury showers and accessories are becoming increasing desirable in new construction and bathroom renovations. Such showers typically include one or more multi-function showerheads that have a plurality of spray modes, including various standard sprays and pulsed sprays. Multi-function showerheads may also have flow control valves to allow the user to adjust the flow pressure to a desired level. Other conventional showerheads provide simulated rainfall or waterfall experiences.
Although somewhat effective in providing such simulated experiences, conventional rainfall and waterfall showerheads may be lacking in simulating a significantly satisfactory flow of water to simulate being within a rain or water fall.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a showerhead assembly which provides a significantly satisfactory flow of water to simulate being within a rain or water fall.
A showerhead assembly according to the present invention includes a body which mounts to a ceiling of a shower through a flexible water supply conduit. The water supply conduit communicates water into the body such that the water is dispensed from an peripheral edge thereof in an annular or halo-like pattern. The body is generally hollow such that water flows from the water supply conduit though the body and out of the peripheral edge to dispense water in a random sheet-like pattern to provide a relatively broad water field to significantly cover a majority of a bather with a relatively large quantity of water.
The flexible water supply conduit is mounted to a reel adjacent to the ceiling such that the body may be adjusted in height by reeling and unreeling the flexible water supply conduit.
One embodiment of the body includes a handle located within the body such that the body is readily manipulated by a bather.
Another embodiment locates a conventional hand held shower sprayer within the body. The hand held shower sprayer is retractably mounted to the housing such that the hand held shower sprayer may be reeled and unreeled from within the body to facilitate bathing.
The present invention therefore provides a showerhead assembly which provides a significantly satisfactory flow of water to simulate being within a rain or water fall.
The various features and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the currently preferred embodiment. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows:
The showerhead assembly 18 generally includes a body 20 which mounts to the ceiling 16 through a flexible water supply conduit 22. The water supply conduit 22 communicates water into the body 20 such that the water is dispensed from an peripheral edge 24 thereof in an annular or halo-like pattern. The body 20 is generally hollow such that water flows from the water supply conduit 22, though the body 20 and out of the peripheral edge 24. The body 20 is most preferably of a relatively large diameter and generally of shoulder width in diameter to increase the “waterfall” effect.
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Irrespective of the dispensing openings, the body 20 is preferably a relatively large umbrella or bell shaped member to provide a relatively broad water field to significantly cover a majority of a bather. The showerhead assembly 18 provides a random release of the water onto the bather to provide a significant halo-like water fall effect with a relatively large quantity of water.
It should be further understood that although the peripheral edge 24 in the illustrative embodiment is generally circular in shape, other peripheral edge shapes, such as rectilinear, and or discontinuous shapes (
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Although particular step sequences are shown, described, and claimed, it should be understood that steps may be performed in any order, separated or combined unless otherwise indicated and will still benefit from the present invention.
The foregoing description is exemplary rather than defined by the limitations within. Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. The preferred embodiments of this invention have been disclosed, however, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described. For that reason the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.
