Shower device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9687859-B2
Application number	US-201314080432-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2013
Priority date	Nov 16, 2012
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

A multi-mode shower device. The shower device may provide an aerated spray mode and a non-aerated spray mode. The spray engine may include an elastomeric layer providing a spray face and defining an outlet and a support layer defining an opening, material of the elastomeric layer extending from the spray face and through the opening to provide an integrated seal on the opposite surface of the support layer. A conduit to one shower mode outlet may pass through a plenum for another shower mode, the conduit being completely surrounded by the plenum as the conduit passes through the plenum. The shower device may include a valve having a valve body defining a valve port in fluid communication with the inlet and a mode isolator adjacent the valve port.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-mode shower device comprising:
a housing defining an inlet connectable to a water supply;
a valve including a valve body defining a valve port in fluid communication with the inlet, the valve body including a mode isolator adjacent the valve port, a raised sealing surface being formed between the valve port and the mode isolator, the valve body being formed as a single piece of material;
the mode isolator, the raised sealing surface, and the valve port being formed on the single piece of material of the valve body; and
a spray engine supported for pivoting movement relative to the valve to change a mode of the shower device, the spray engine providing a spray face having a first outlet and a second outlet, the spray engine defining a first inlet port and a second inlet port;
in a first shower mode position of the spray face relative to the valve, the first inlet port being aligned with the valve port to provide a first shower mode through the first outlet and the second inlet port being misaligned with the valve port and at least partially aligned with the mode isolator to substantially prevent flow through the second outlet;
in a second shower mode position of the spray face relative to the valve, the second inlet port being aligned with the valve port to provide a second shower mode through the second outlet and the first inlet port being misaligned with the valve port;
in an intermediate shower mode position of the spray face relative to the valve, the first inlet port being at least partially aligned with the valve port to provide the first shower mode through the first outlet and the second inlet port being at least partially aligned with the valve port to provide the second shower mode through the second outlet.

2. The shower device of claim 1 , wherein the valve body includes, on opposite sides of the valve port, a first mode isolator and a second mode isolator, in the intermediate shower mode position of the spray face relative to the valve, the first inlet port being at least partially aligned with each of the valve port and the first mode isolator and the second inlet port being at least partially aligned with each of the valve port and the second mode isolator.

3. The shower device of claim 1 , wherein the spray face has a third outlet, wherein the spray engine defines a third inlet port, and wherein the valve body includes an integrated spill cover adjacent the mode isolator, in the first shower mode position of the spray face relative to the valve, the third port being aligned with the integrated spill to substantially prevent flow through the third outlet.

4. The shower device of claim 3 , wherein the spray face has a fourth outlet, wherein the spray engine defines a fourth inlet port, and wherein the valve body includes, on opposite sides of the valve port, a first mode isolator and a second mode isolator, in the first shower mode position of the spray face relative to the valve, the second inlet port being misaligned with the valve port and at least partially aligned with the first mode isolator to substantially prevent flow through the second outlet and the fourth inlet port being misaligned with the valve port and at least partially aligned with the second mode isolator to substantially prevent flow through the fourth outlet.

5. The shower device of claim 3 , wherein adjacent ones of the valve port, the mode isolator and the integrated spill cover are separated by the raised sealing surface.

6. The shower device of claim 5 , wherein the valve port, the mode isolator and the integrated spill cover are positioned about a circumference of the valve body.

7. The shower device of claim 1 , wherein the valve body defines a first valve port and a second valve port and includes a first mode isolator adjacent the first valve port and a second mode isolator adjacent the second valve port, the spray engine defining a pair of first inlet ports and a pair of second inlet ports.

8. The shower device of claim 7 , wherein the valve body includes a pair of first mode isolators, one adjacent each opposite side of the first valve port, and a pair of second mode isolators, one adjacent each opposite side of the second valve port.

9. The shower device of claim 8 , wherein the valve includes an integrated spill cover adjacent to and between one first mode isolator and one second mode isolator.

10. The shower device of claim 9 , wherein the valve body defines three valve ports and includes three pair of mode isolators, one of each pair being on one side of an associated valve port, the other of each pair being on the other side of the associated valve port, and three integrated spill covers, each integrated spill cover being adjacent to and between two adjacent mode isolators.

11. The shower device of claim 7 , wherein, in the first shower mode position of the spray face relative to the valve, one first inlet port is aligned with the first valve port and the other first inlet port is aligned with the second valve port to provide a first shower mode through the first outlet, one second inlet port being misaligned with the first valve port and at least partially aligned with the first mode isolator and the other second inlet port being misaligned with the second valve port and at least partially aligned with the second mode isolator to substantially prevent flow through the second outlet;
wherein, in the second shower mode position of the spray face relative to the valve, one second inlet port is aligned with the first valve port and the other second inlet port is aligned with the second valve port to provide a second shower mode through the second outlet, one first inlet port being misaligned with the first valve port and at least partially aligned with the first mode isolator and the other first inlet port being misaligned with the second valve port and at least partially aligned with the second mode isolator to substantially prevent flow through the first outlet; and
wherein, in the intermediate shower mode position of the spray face relative to the valve, one first inlet port is at least partially aligned with the first valve port and the other first inlet port is at least partially aligned with the second valve port to provide the first shower mode through the first outlet and one second inlet port is at least partially aligned with the first valve port and the other second inlet port is at least partially aligned with the second valve port to provide the second shower mode through the second outlet.

12. A multi-mode shower device comprising:
a housing defining an inlet connectable to a water supply and a housing port in fluid communication with the inlet; and
a spray engine supported by the housing and operable to change a mode of the shower device, the spray engine providing a spray face having a first outlet and a plurality of second outlets, the plurality of second outlets being arranged in an annular zone on the spray face, the first outlet being positioned in the annular zone, at least one second outlet being positioned radially inwardly of the first outlet and at least one second outlet being positioned radially outwardly of the first outlet, the spray engine defining a plurality of inlet ports including a first inlet port in fluid communication with the first outlet and a second inlet port in fluid communication with the plurality of second outlets, wherein the plurality of inlet ports are evenly spaced in a generally circular arrangement;
in a first shower mode, the first inlet port being axially aligned with the housing port to provide flow to the first outlet;
in a second shower mode, the second inlet port being axially aligned with the housin

Assignees

• Kohler Co

Inventors

• Kajuch Pete

Classifications

• B05B1/185

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

• B05B1/1645 Primary

  the outlets being rotated during selection · CPC title

• E03C1/0408

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

• B05B1/1654 Primary

  about an axis parallel to the liquid passage in the stationary valve element · CPC title

• B05B1/1636 Primary

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