Shower bar system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10024038-B2
Application number	US-201715586139-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2017
Priority date	Dec 17, 2010
Publication date	Jul 17, 2018
Grant date	Jul 17, 2018

Abstract

An assembly for a shower system having first and second shower members and connectable to a water supply with a supply pipe having a pipe outlet. The assembly includes an adjustable supply assembly and a diverter valve. The adjustable supply assembly includes an adapter coupleable to the pipe outlet, a supply member having a supply outlet and coupled to the adapter for movement along the axis, and a seal positioned to provide a sealed connection in adjusted positions. The diverter valve includes a valve inlet in fluid communication with the supply outlet, and first and second valve outlets in fluid communication with the first and second shower members, respectively. The shower system is mounted in an enclosure having a wall. The adapter connects to the pipe outlet on one side of the wall, and the diverter valve is located on another side of the wall.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly for a shower system, the shower system including a first shower member and a second shower member, the assembly being connectable to a water supply including a supply pipe having a pipe outlet, the assembly being fluidly connectable between the water supply and the first shower member and the second shower member to be operable to dispense water from the water supply through the first shower member and through the second shower member, the assembly comprising:
an adjustable supply assembly including
an adapter defining an axis and having an inlet coupleable to the pipe outlet,
a supply member having a supply outlet in fluid communication with the adapter, the supply member being coupled to the adapter for movement along the axis to adjust a distance between the pipe outlet and the supply outlet, the supply outlet being fluidly connectable to the first shower member and the second shower member, and
a seal positioned to provide a sealed connection between the adapter and the supply member in adjusted positions of the supply member relative to the adapter; and

a diverter valve in fluid communication with the supply outlet, the diverter valve including a valve inlet in fluid communication with the supply outlet, a first valve outlet in fluid communication with the first shower member, and a second valve outlet in fluid communication with the second shower member;
wherein the shower system is mounted in an enclosure having a wall, wherein the adapter connects to the pipe outlet on one side of the wall, and wherein the diverter valve is located on another side of the wall.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the supply outlet is located on the other side of the wall.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a shower bar assembly coupleable to the supply outlet.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the supply member is slidably coupled to the adapter.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the seal includes an o-ring between the adapter and the supply member.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the adapter is threadedly coupled to the supply pipe.

7. An assembly for a shower system, the shower system including a first shower member and a second shower member, the assembly being connectable to a water supply including a supply pipe having a pipe outlet, the assembly being fluidly connectable between the water supply and the first shower member and the second shower member to dispense water from the water supply through the first shower member and through the second shower member, the assembly comprising:
an adjustable supply assembly including
an adapter defining an axis and having an inlet coupleable to the pipe outlet,
a supply member having a supply outlet in fluid communication with the adapter, the supply member being coupled to the adapter for movement along the axis to adjust a distance between the pipe outlet and the supply outlet, the supply outlet being fluidly connectable to the first shower member and the second shower member, and
a seal positioned to provide a sealed connection between the adapter and the supply member in adjusted positions of the supply member relative to the adapter;

a diverter valve having a valve inlet, a first valve outlet in fluid communication with the first shower member, and a second valve outlet in fluid communication with the second shower member; and
a shower bar assembly including
an outer pipe defining a shower bar inlet in fluid communication with the supply outlet,
a first flow path within the outer pipe communicating between the shower bar inlet and the first valve outlet, and
a second flow path within the outer pipe communicating between the second valve outlet and the second shower member.

8. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the diverter valve is movable between a first condition, in which the valve inlet is in fluid communication with the first valve outlet and not the second valve outlet, and a second condition, in which the valve inlet is in fluid communication with the second valve outlet and not the first valve outlet.

9. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the diverter valve is positioned in a valve body for movement between the first condition and the second condition.

10. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first flow path and the second flow path are parallel and non-collinear within the outer pipe.

11. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first flow path and the second flow path are side-by-side within the outer pipe.

12. A shower assembly connectable to a water supply, the water supply including a supply pipe having a pipe outlet, the shower assembly comprising:
a shower bar assembly defining a longitudinal axis and having an inlet fluidly connectable to the water supply and an outlet disposed at a distal end of the shower bar assembly in the axial direction, wherein the inlet is spaced from the outlet in the axial direction;
a connector having a connector inlet fluidly connectable with the outlet of the shower bar assembly and a connector outlet, the connector inlet defining an inlet axis substantially coaxial with the longitudinal axis, the connector outlet defining an outlet axis angled relative to the inlet axis;
a hose having a hose inlet fluidly connected to the connector outlet and a hose outlet, the hose having a first portion proximate the hose inlet, the first portion generally extending along the outlet axis and being angled relative to the inlet axis; and
a handshower member coupled to the hose outlet and operable to dispense water from the water supply.

13. The shower assembly of claim 12 , further comprising a shower member for dispensing water from the water supply.

14. The shower assembly of claim 13 , wherein the shower bar assembly further includes:
a shower bar defining the longitudinal axis, and
a transfer valve assembly coupleable to the shower bar, the transfer valve assembly operable to direct water to the shower member and to the handshower member, and wherein the outlet of the shower bar assembly is defined by the transfer valve assembly.

15. The shower assembly of claim 12 , wherein the shower assembly is mounted in an enclosure having a wall, and wherein the shower bar assembly is mounted in the enclosure to the wall.

16. The shower assembly of claim 15 , wherein the first portion of the hose is positionable to be substantially parallel to the wall.

17. The shower assembly of claim 15 , further comprising:
an adapter defining an axis and having an inlet coupleable to the pipe outlet;
a supply member having a supply outlet in fluid communication with the adapter, the supply member being coupled to the adapter for movement along the axis to adjust a distance between the pipe outlet and the supply outlet, the supply outlet being fluidly connectable to the handshower and the shower member; and
a seal positioned to provide a sealed connection between the adapter and the supply member in adjusted positions of the supply member relative to the adapter.

18. The shower assembly of claim 17 , wherein the adapter connects to the pipe outlet on one side of the wall, and wherein the supply outlet is located on another side of the wall.

19. The shower assembly of claim 12 , wherein the angle of the first portion relative to the inlet axis is between about 95 degrees and about 175 degrees.

20. The shower assembly of claim 12 , wherein the connector swivels relative to the shower bar assembly.

Assignees

• Kohler Co

Inventors

• Wilson John M

Classifications

• F16K11/0856

  having all the connecting conduits situated in more than one plane perpendicular to the axis of the plug · CPC title

• E03C1/0408

  Water installations especially for showers (E03C1/06 takes precedence; shower heads B05B1/18) · CPC title

• F16K11/085 Primary

  with cylindrical plug · CPC title

• F16K5/08

  Details · CPC title

• E03C1/066 Primary

  allowing height adjustment of shower head · CPC title