Showerhead with movable control valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9636694-B2
Application number	US-201514823704-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2015
Priority date	Dec 29, 2006
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

A showerhead including a handle portion, a showerhead portion, a water supply connector, and a moveable mode selector positioned about and sealed with respect to the water supply connector. The moveable mode selector includes a fluid tight chamber; an inlet aperture aligned with the first fluid outlet to provide fluid communication between the fluid passage and the chamber; and two or more outlet apertures respectively and selectively alignable with the two or more second fluid inlets to provide fluid communication between the chamber and the two or more second fluid channels. Movement of the mode selector selectively aligns one of the two or more outlet apertures with a corresponding one of the two or more second fluid inlets while maintaining fluid communication between the inlet aperture and the fluid outlet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A handheld showerhead comprising
a showerhead portion having
a plurality of nozzle outlets;
two or more fluid channels, wherein one of the fluid channels is in fluid communication with a first set of the nozzle outlets and another of the fluid channels is in fluid communication with a second set of the nozzle outlets; and
a base wall defining two or more base fluid inlets each in fluid communication with a respective one of the two or more fluid channels;

a handle portion connected to the showerhead portion including
a water supply connector having
a connector fluid port configured for connection to a water supply;
a connector fluid passage configured to transport a water flow from the connector fluid port in a first flow direction;
a connector fluid outlet defined in a wall of water supply connector and configured to direct the water flow in a second flow direction;
two or more connector fluid inlets defined in the wall of the water supply connector;
two or more connector fluid channels, each of the two or more connector fluid channels in fluid communication with a respective one of the two or more connector fluid inlets at a first location and with a respective one of the base fluid inlets at a second location; and

a moveable mode selector positioned about and sealed with respect to the water supply connector and further defining
a fluid tight chamber;
a mode selector inlet aperture aligned with the connector fluid outlet to provide fluid communication between the connector fluid passage and the chamber; and
two or more mode selector outlet apertures respectively and selectively alignable with the two or more connector fluid inlets to provide fluid communication between the chamber and the two or more connector fluid channels; wherein

movement of the mode selector selectively aligns one of the two or more mode selector outlet apertures with a corresponding one of the two or more connector fluid inlets while maintaining fluid communication between the mode selector inlet aperture and the connector fluid outlet.

2. The handheld showerhead of claim 1 , wherein the two or more connector fluid inlets are positioned spaced apart circumferentially about the water supply connector.

3. The handheld showerhead of claim 1 , wherein the two or more connector fluid inlets are spaced at different positions longitudinally along the water supply connector.

4. The handheld showerhead of claim 2 , wherein the two or more connector fluid inlets are spaced at different positions longitudinally along the water supply connector.

5. The handheld showerhead of claim 4 , wherein each of the two or more connector fluid inlets is positioned azimuthally equidistant from each adjacent connector fluid inlet about the water supply connector.

6. The handheld showerhead of claim 4 , wherein each of the two or more connector fluid inlets is spaced evenly apart longitudinally and at different distances from the connector fluid outlet.

7. The handheld showerhead of claim 2 , wherein each of the two or more connector fluid inlets is positioned azimuthally equidistant from each adjacent connector fluid inlet about the water supply connector.

8. The handheld showerhead of claim 1 , wherein the first flow direction is substantially transverse to the second flow direction.

9. The handheld showerhead of claim 6 , wherein the second flow direction is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the handle portion.

10. The handheld showerhead of claim 1 , wherein the mode selector moves substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the water supply connector.

11. The handheld showerhead of claim 1 , wherein the mode selector and the water supply connector together define a series of detent structures therebetween that are engaged and disengaged by longitudinal movement of the mode selector along the water supply connector.

12. The handheld showerhead of claim 11 , wherein the detent structures comprise a spring and a ball received within a cavity in an exterior wall of the water supply connector and a series of recesses on an interior surface of the mode selector.

13. The handheld showerhead of claim 1 , wherein the two or more connector fluid channels extend longitudinally in parallel with each other.

14. The handheld showerhead of claim 12 , wherein the two or more connector fluid channels are formed by a plurality of radial walls extending from a longitudinal center of the water supply connector outward to a circumferential wall of the water supply connector.

15. The handheld showerhead of claim 12 , wherein the mode selector comprises
an inner circumferential wall; and
an outer circumferential wall spaced apart from the inner circumferential wall to form the chamber; and wherein
the mode selector inlet aperture and the two or more mode selector outlet apertures are defined in the inner circumferential wall.

16. A handheld showerhead comprising
a showerhead portion having
a plurality of nozzles;
two or more outlet channels, wherein one of the outlet channels is in fluid communication with a first set of the nozzles and another of the outlet channels is in fluid communication with a second set of the nozzles; and

a handle portion connected to the showerhead portion including
a fluid passage configured to transport water flow within the handle portion in a first flow direction;
a fluid outlet providing a flow egress from the fluid passage and configured to direct water flow in a second flow direction transverse to the first flow direction;
two or more fluid inlets; and
two or more inlet channels defined within the handle portion, each in fluid communication with respective ones of the two or more fluid inlets and respective ones of the two or more outlet channels; and

a mode selector positioned about, sealed, and longitudinally movable with respect to the handle portion and further defining
a fluid tight chamber;
an inlet aperture aligned with the fluid outlet to provide fluid communication between the fluid passage and the chamber; and
two or more outlet apertures respectively and selectively alignable with the two or more inlet channels to provide fluid communication between the chamber and the two or more inlet channels; wherein

movement of the mode selector selectively aligns one of the two or more outlet apertures with a corresponding one of the two or more fluid inlets while maintaining fluid communication between the inlet aperture and the fluid outlet.

17. The handheld showerhead of claim 16 , wherein the handle portion further comprises a water supply connector, and wherein the two or more fluid inlets are positioned spaced apart circumferentially about the water supply connector.

18. The handheld showerhead of claim 17 , wherein the two or more fluid inlets are spaced at different positions longitudinally along the water supply connector.

19. The handheld showerhead of claim 18 , wherein each of the two or more fluid inlets is positioned azimuthally equidistant from each adjacent fluid inlet about the water supply connector and is spaced evenly apart longitudinally and at different distances from the fluid outlet.

20. The handheld showerhead of claim 16 , wherein the two or more inlet channels are formed by a plurality of radial walls extending from a longitudinal center of the handle portion outward to a circumferential wall of the handle portion.

Assignees

• Water Pik Inc

Inventors

• Luettgen Harold A
• Leber Leland C
• Quinn Michael J

Classifications

• B05B1/1636 Primary

  by relative rotative movement of the valve elements (B05B1/1672 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T137/86863

  Rotary valve unit · CPC title

• B05B1/18

  Roses; Shower heads · CPC title

• B05B1/1663

  by relative translatory movement of the valve elements (B05B1/1672 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B05B1/185 Primary

  characterised by their outlet element; Mounting arrangements therefor · CPC title