Handheld shower system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9919331-B2
Application number	US-201615041563-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2016
Priority date	Feb 13, 2015
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

The present invention provides a handheld shower system with magnetic docking and a mechanical retention feature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A handheld shower system, comprising:
a handheld, the handheld including a handheld housing, the handheld housing including a handle and a head, the handle including an inlet, the head including an outlet, the handheld housing including a passageway extending between the inlet and the outlet, the head having a front side and a back side, the front side of the head being operable to attach to a spray face; and
a cradle, the cradle including a cradle housing, the cradle housing including an inlet, an outlet, and a passageway extending between the inlet and the outlet, the cradle housing having a front end and a back end;
wherein the outlet of the cradle housing is operable to be fluidly connected to the inlet of the handheld housing;
wherein one of the back side of the handheld housing and the front end of the cradle housing includes a lip, and the other of the back side of the handheld housing and the front end of the cradle housing includes a tab;
wherein the cradle housing does not include any spray nozzles;
wherein one of the handheld and the cradle includes a magnet, and the other of the handheld and the cradle includes a magnet or a magnetically attractable material;
wherein the handheld is docked on the cradle by attraction of the magnet of one of the handheld and the cradle to the magnet or the magnetically attractable material of the other of the handheld and the cradle;
wherein the attraction of the magnet of one of the handheld and the cradle to the magnet or the magnetically attractable material of the other of the handheld and the cradle is sufficient to retain the handheld on the cradle;
wherein, as a downward force is applied to the handheld while the handheld is docked on the cradle, the tab on one of the front end of the cradle housing and the back side of the handheld housing contacts the lip on the other of the front end of the cradle housing and the back side of the handheld housing and the handheld is retained on the cradle; and
wherein, as an upward force is applied to the handheld while the handheld is docked on the cradle, the tab on one of the front end of the cradle housing and the back side of the handheld housing does not contact the lip on the other of the front end of the cradle housing and the back side of the handheld housing and the handheld becomes undocked from the cradle.

2. The handheld shower system of claim 1 , wherein:
the back side of the handheld housing includes the lip; and
the front end of the cradle housing includes the tab.

3. The handheld shower system of claim 1 , wherein:
the lip has a top side and a bottom side; and
the tab has a front side, a back side, and a top side.

4. The handheld shower system of claim 3 , wherein:
the bottom side of the lip includes an undercut.

5. The handheld shower system of claim 3 , wherein:
the front side of the tab includes a chamfer.

6. The handheld shower system of claim 1 , wherein:
the handheld housing includes a handheld body and a handheld cover; and
the handheld cover includes the lip.

7. The handheld shower system of claim 1 , wherein:
the handheld housing includes a handheld body and a handheld cover; and
the handheld body includes the lip.

8. A handheld shower system, comprising:
a handheld, the handheld including a handheld housing, the handheld housing including a handle and a head, the handle including an inlet, the head including an outlet, the handheld housing including a passageway extending between the inlet and the outlet, the head having a front side and a back side, the front side of the head being operable to attach to a spray face; and
a cradle, the cradle including a cradle housing, the cradle housing including an inlet, an outlet, and a passageway extending between the inlet and the outlet, the cradle housing having a front end and a back end;
wherein the outlet of the cradle housing is operable to be fluidly connected to the inlet of the handheld housing;
wherein one of the back side of the handheld housing and the front end of the cradle housing includes a lip, and the other of the back side of the handheld housing and the front end of the cradle housing includes a tab;
wherein one of the handheld and the cradle includes a magnet, and the other of the handheld and the cradle includes a magnet or a magnetically attractable material;
wherein the handheld is docked on the cradle by attraction of the magnet of one of the handheld and the cradle to the magnet or the magnetically attractable material of the other of the handheld and the cradle;
wherein the attraction of the magnet of one of the handheld and the cradle to the magnet or the magnetically attractable material of the other of the handheld and the cradle is sufficient to retain the handheld on the cradle;
wherein no portion of the cradle housing surrounds any portion of the head of the handheld housing that is at or above the lip or the tab on the back side of the handheld housing when the handheld is docked on the cradle;
wherein, as a downward force is applied to the handheld while the handheld is docked on the cradle, the tab on one of the front end of the cradle housing and the back side of the handheld housing contacts the lip on the other of the front end of the cradle housing and the back side of the handheld housing and the handheld is retained on the cradle; and
wherein, as an upward force is applied to the handheld while the handheld is docked on the cradle, the tab on one of the front end of the cradle housing and the back side of the handheld housing does not contact the lip on the other of the front end of the cradle housing and the back side of the handheld housing and the handheld becomes undocked from the cradle.

9. The handheld shower system of claim 8 , wherein:
the lip has a top side and a bottom side; and
the tab has a front side, a back side, and a top side.

10. The handheld shower system of claim 9 , wherein:
the bottom side of the lip includes an undercut.

11. The handheld shower system of claim 9 , wherein:
the front side of the tab includes a chamfer.

12. The handheld shower system of claim 8 , wherein:
the back side of the handheld housing includes the lip; and
the front end of the cradle housing includes the tab.

13. The handheld shower system of claim 8 , wherein:
the handheld housing includes a handheld body and a handheld cover; and
the handheld cover includes the lip.

14. The handheld shower system of claim 8 , wherein:
the handheld housing includes a handheld body and a handheld cover; and
the handheld body includes the lip.

15. A handheld shower system, comprising:
a handheld, the handheld including a handheld housing, the handheld housing including a handle and a head, the handle including an inlet, the head including an outlet, the handheld housing including a passageway extending between the inlet and the outlet, the head having a front side and a back side, the front side of the head being operable to attach to a spray face, the back side of the handheld housing including a lip and a first surface located below the lip; and
a cradle, the cradle including a cradle housing, the cradle housing including an inlet, an outlet, and a passageway extending between the inlet and the outlet, the cradle housing having a front end and a back end, the front end of the cradle housing including a top portion, the top portion of the front end of the cradle housing including a tab, the front end of the cradle housing including a second surface located below the tab;
wherein the outlet of the cradle housing is operable to be fluidly connected to the in

Assignees

• Moen Inc

Inventors

• Scheffer Georg
• Shepler William Wray
• Tonissen Eric John

Classifications

• E03C1/06

  Devices for suspending or supporting the supply pipe or supply hose of a shower-bath {(showers per se A47K3/28)} · CPC title

• B05B1/185

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

• B05B15/62 Primary

  Arrangements for supporting spraying apparatus, e.g. suction cups · CPC title

• B05B15/061 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic