Joint connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9844788-B2
Application number	US-201514746644-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2015
Priority date	Feb 12, 2008
Publication date	Dec 19, 2017
Grant date	Dec 19, 2017

Abstract

A ball joint connector is provided for linking a showerhead to a water supply pipe. The connector has an internal venturi that draws air into the connector to aerate water being provided to the showerhead. A flow control member is disposed in a fluid pathway connected to the venturi, preventing spraying or leaking out the air inlet, while reducing noise associated with the air induction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A joint connector comprising:
a housing having an inlet section configured to connect to a fluid supply outlet, and an outlet section configured to receive a fluid dispersing member;
a passageway extending axially through the housing, wherein a portion of the passageway is sized and shaped to form a venturi;
a fluid pathway extending from a portion of the venturi to a port in an exterior surface of the outlet section of the housing, wherein the fluid dispersing member conceals the port; and
a flow control member disposed within the fluid pathway.

2. The joint connector of claim 1 , wherein the outlet section is spherically sized and shaped to accept a standard showerhead.

3. The joint connector of claim 1 , wherein the outlet section is generally ball shaped and the venturi is disposed within the outlet section.

4. The joint connector of claim 3 , wherein the fluid pathway is disposed within the outlet section.

5. The joint connector of claim 1 , further comprising an inlet chamber disposed in the passageway and connected to an inlet portion of the venturi.

6. The joint connector of claim 5 , wherein a portion of the inlet chamber is disposed in the inlet section and a portion of the inlet chamber is disposed in the outlet section.

7. The joint connector of claim 1 , wherein the fluid pathway further includes a step sized and shaped to retain a portion of the flow control member.

8. The joint connector of claim 7 , wherein the flow control member has a flange sized and shaped to be received by the step.

9. The joint connector of claim 1 , wherein the housing further includes a fluid channel transecting the fluid pathway, and the fluid channel is a groove disposed circumferentially around a generally spherical portion of the outlet section.

10. A showerhead assembly configured to mount to a water supply line, the showerhead assembly comprising:
a showerhead; and
a unitary one-piece joint connector comprising an inlet portion, which is configured to mount to the water supply line, an outlet portion integrally formed with and extending from the inlet portion, a passageway extending through the joint connector and having a first frusto-conical portion that narrows to a cylindrical venturi throat, and a fluid pathway extending from the passageway to a port in the outlet portion;
wherein the showerhead is mounted to the outlet portion of the joint connector such that the port is concealed by the showerhead.

11. The showerhead assembly of claim 10 , further comprising a packing seal and a bushing provided between the showerhead and the joint connector, wherein the bushing has a split allowing fluid communication therethrough, and wherein the passageway includes a second frusto-conical portion downstream of the venturi throat.

12. A showerhead assembly configured to mount to a water supply line, the showerhead assembly comprising:
a showerhead;
a one-piece joint connector comprising:
an inlet portion configured to mount to the water supply line;
an outlet portion integrally formed with and extending from the inlet portion, the showerhead being mounted to the outlet portion; and
a passageway extending through the joint connector, the passageway having a portion that narrows to define a venturi throat;

a packing seal and a bushing provided between the showerhead and the joint connector, wherein a gap is disposed between the packing seal and the bushing, the gap is in fluid communication with the passageway, and a split in the bushing is in fluid communication with the gap and with an environment external to the showerhead assembly.

13. The showerhead assembly of claim 11 , wherein a gap is disposed between the packing seal and the bushing, the gap being aligned with at least a portion of a fluid channel, allowing fluid communication between a fluid pathway and a fluid volume exterior to the showerhead.

14. The showerhead assembly of claim 12 , wherein the packing seal is configured to cover at least a portion of a fluid pathway extending from the passageway to an exterior surface of the joint connector.

15. The showerhead assembly of claim 12 , wherein the bushing is configured to cover at least a portion of a fluid pathway extending from the passageway to an exterior surface of the joint connector.

16. The joint connector of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes:
a flat surface recessed inwardly from an outer surface of the housing.

17. The joint connector of claim 16 , wherein the inlet section of the housing includes a generally cylindrical portion having the outer surface, and the flat surface is defined by a void in the generally cylindrical portion.

18. The joint connector of claim 17 , wherein the passageway includes a narrowing section that leads to the venturi and an expanded section downstream of the venturi.

19. The joint connector of claim 18 , wherein the outlet section of the housing includes a generally ball shaped portion extending from the generally cylindrical portion, and the venturi is in the generally ball shaped portion.

20. The joint connector of claim 19 , wherein the housing is a one-piece housing that includes the generally ball shaped portion integrally formed with the generally cylindrical portion.

Assignees

• Kohler Co

Inventors

• Kajuch Peter
• Leonhard Todd W

Classifications

• E03C2001/082

  Outlets connected by an universal joint · CPC title

• B05B1/18

  Roses; Shower heads · CPC title

• B05B15/40

  Filters located upstream of the spraying outlets · CPC title

• B05B1/265

  the liquid or other fluent material being symmetrically deflected about the axis of the nozzle · CPC title

• B05B1/185 Primary

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