US3198437A

US3198437A - Shower bath dispenser

Info

Publication number: US3198437A
Application number: US231631A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jack C Faglie
Original assignee: Dermaster Corp
Current assignee: Dermaster Corp
Priority date: 1962-10-19
Filing date: 1962-10-19
Publication date: 1965-08-03
Anticipated expiration: 1982-08-03

Description

Aug. 3, 1965' J. c. FAGLlE SHOWER BATH DISPENSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 19, 1962 Jack C Fag/1'6 INVENTOR Aug. 3, 1965 FAGI-IE 3,198,437

SHOWER BATH DISPENSER Filed 001;. 19, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jack C. Fhg/h'e INVENTOR %L.C.M

ATTORNEY 3,198,437 SHGWER BATH DISPENSER flack (I. Faglie, San Antonio, Tex., assignor to The Dermaster Corporation, a corporation of Texas Filed Oct. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 231,631 3 Claims. (Ci. 239-3ii9) This invention relates to dispensers to be used with shower bath installations and more particularly to dispensing apparatus for metering bath oils, medicants, or liquid soap into the shower bath water.

As is well-known, at the present time more people prefer bathing in a shower bath to bathing in a bathtub or the like. As a result there has been a substantial increase in the number of people suffering rom dry and itchy skin, especially during cold and dry weather. There is currently no provision for metering medicants, bath oils or the like into the shower bath Water to alleviate such conditions.

Also, in the taking of a shower bath, the bather is often inconvenienced by having to hold in one hand a bottle or other container constructed of glass or other breakable material; this not only constitutes a safety hazard but also permits the bather the use of only one hand to apply the products in said container.

The subject invention, in general, relates to apparatus which is to be either temporarily or permanently affixed to the shower bath fixtures or to related structures in proximity to the shower head, whereby bath oils, medicants or the like may be injected or metered into the stream of water emitting from the shower head.

It is therefore an immediate object of this invention to provide means for injecting bath oils or other liquid medication directly into the shower bath water.

A further object of this invention is to provide apparatus for use in a shower bath installation for holding a container of shampoo or liquid soap and which may be dispensed in any desired quantity at the will of the user.

Another object'of this invention is the provision of a device which conveniently frees ones hands and allows the use of both hands while showering.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a metering'device which is simple in construction, easy to use, inexpensiveto manufacture, universal in its adaptability and adjustable to various sized shower bath installations.

Other objects andfeatures of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the disclosure is made in the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying sheets of drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a side elevational view showing one embodiment of the present invention'attached to a coninvention showing still another attaching device connected thereto.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a modification of the invention; and

,FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of the modification of FIG. 6.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIG. 1 a con- United States Patent 1 b of the receptacle.

ventional shower bath installation including a water pipe re and a shower head 11 attached thereto. bands 12 encircle pipe 10 and are secured thereto by being drawn together by bolts 13424312 which extend through bores 14 (see FIG. 5 in the extremities of said bands and wingnuts 1561-15b threaded on the bolts 13a13b, respectively. The band is to be adjustably positioned along the pipe 19 so that aperture 161) of the dispenser 16, hereinafter to be described in detail, is in proximity to and insertable into the stream of water emitting from the shower head 11.

As best seen in FIG. 5 of, the drawings, extending horizontally between the parallel spaced extremities of the bands is an arm 17; said arm includes a transverse bore 17a in the innermost end which aligns with bores 14 in the bands. Bolt 13b passes through

bores

14 and 17a, respectively; wingnut 15b is threaded thereon and tightened. The arm 17 is thus pivotally secured to pipe 10 and preferably is to be maintained in anessentially horizontal plane. In the preferred embodiment of the invention arm 1'7 is formed of plastic, hard rubber, ceramics, aluminum or other suitable material.

Vertically disposed and integrally formed in the outermost end of arm 17' is a receptacle 18 including a connector 18a. There is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings, merely for purposes of illustration and without constituting a limitation as to the types of connectors which may be utilized in the practice of the subject invention, a female connector into which the corresponding mating connector of container 19 inserts. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the container 19 includes a pliable membrane 1% secured over the opening of said container.

Referring again to FIG. 2, a tubular dispenser 16, including a central bore 160, terminates at one end in aperture 16b. 7 The other end of said dispenser rotatably connects to the lower portion of receptacle 18. Specifically, disposed substantially beneath receptacle 18 in the lower portion of arm 17 is a socket 29 receiving a ball 21 from which the dispenser radially extends. Ball 21 closely fits into socketZh to prevent leakage and has a central bore 21a formed therein which communicates with the bore 16a of the dispenser. In the preferred embodiment of the invention a needle 22, of stainless steel or the like, is centrally positioned in the bottom surface Needle 22 contains a longitudinal bore 22a which terminates in an aperture 22!), said bore 22a aligns with the

bores

16a and 21a, respectively. The needle 22 punctures the membrane 19a, heretofore referred to, when the container 19 inserts into the receptacle 18.

When the valve comprising the ball and socket is in its normal position as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the

bores

22a, 21a and 16a are substantially vertical and in registration thereby permitting the liquid in the container 19 to be discharged into the shower bath water by gravity flow or expansion of the air and/or liquid due to the heat of the shower bath water. In order to insure registration of the

bores

22a, 21a and 16a the dispenser 16 preferably abuts the periphery of the shower head 11, thereby pro-' viding a stop for the dispenser and insuring the alignment of the bores. When the ball member is rotated, however, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the bore 21a in ball 21 does not align with bore 221:, preventing the liquid in the container from flowing into the shower bath water. It will be apparent then that when the bores are in an essentially vertical plane, the valve is open; and when the bore in the ball is moved out of vertical alignment the valve will be closed. It will thus be seen that the valve may be operated by the mere movementof the dispenser 16.

There is shown in FIG. 4 an attaching device for use with the embodiments of FIGS. 2 and 6 and which may be placed on any flat surface 'in proximity to the shower Patented Aug. '3, 1965 V A pair of pipe Q29 head. Specifically, a conventional suction cup 23, including a female fitting 23a, attaches to any surface 24 in a conventional manner. One end 25a of member 25 inserts into fitting 23a and is retained therein by friction, or alternatively, by any adhesive suitable for use with rubher. The other end 25b includes a transverse bore 26 which is to be used to connect with the dispensers of FIGS. 2 and 6.

Referring now to FIG. of the drawings, there is shown an alternative arrangement whereby the arm 17 is afiixed to the pipe. In this embodiment the bands 27a-27b encircle the pipe and terminate in outwardly extending flange portions 28:1-2817. Clamps 29a-29b engage the respective flanges 28a-28b and are tensioned by a spring 30 which attaches to the most inward portions of said clamps. It is to be understood that the circular loop at each end of a conventional coil spring may be attached directly to flange portions 28a-28b, eliminating clamps 29a-29b entirely.

There is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 a modification of the invention whereby a plurality of containers may be utilized to simultaneously meter liquid-s into the shower bath water. The arm 31 is provided with transverse portions 32a32b and outwardly-extending arms 33a-33b terminating in receptacles 34a34b. Each of the arms 33a-33b, including receptacles 3411-3411, is constructed in accordance with the principles heretofore illustrated and described in connection with the embodiment of FIG. 1. A platform 35 is formed in the-lower portion of the multiple dispenser integral with and bounded by transverse portions 3211-321) and arms 3341-3312, as best seen in FIG. 6 of the drawings; platform 35 preferably terminates in an upturned edge 35a in proximity to receptacles 34a-34b. In connection with this embodiment of the invention it is to be understood that either a single dispenser o both dispensers may be inserted into the shower bath water emitting from the shower head. Alternatively, a single dispenser may be used to meter bath oils or medicants directly into the shower bath water in the manner heretofore described; the second dispenser, which may contain liquid soap, shampoo or the like, may be used to dispense any desired quantity of the aforementioned liquids directly into the hands of the bather, which is obviously an important advantage.

It has been found that containers manufactured of flexible or soft plastic are especially adaptable for use with the subject invention since any amount of liquid may be manually expressed and the flow maintained either by gravity or by the pressure within said container.

Although the embodiment of FIG. 1 is to be used primarily in a shower bath installation, it is understood that said embodiment may also be attached to and used on any plumbing fixture in a conventional bathtub, wash basin, sink or laundry tub installation to meter liquids into the water, in the manner heretofore described in detail.

Various modifications are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as hereinafter defined by the appended claims, as only preferred embodiments thereof have been disclosed.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus to be used in a shower bath installation consisting of a water pipe and a shower head attached thereto whereby a liquid is metered into the water emitting from the shower head comprising acontainer for said liquid, means mounting said container on the water pipe in proximity to the shower head, said means including a connector, said container having a mating connector insertable into said connector, an elongated dispenser including a central longitudinal bore communicating with said container and terminating at one end in an aperture and at the other end in a ball member integral with said dispenser, a socket receiving said ball, said connector including a cutting element in one surface thereof, said container including a membrane over the opening of said container whereby said cutting element perforates the membrane when the mating connector of the container inserts into the connector.

2. The invention of claim 1 in which said mounting means includes a pair of bands which encircle said pipe, said bands terminating in outwardly-extending portions, a spring attaching to and connecting said outwardly-extending portions.

3. The invention of claim 1 in which said mounting means includes a pair of bands which encircle said pipe, said bands terminating in outwardly-extending portions, and spring biased clamps connected to said outwardly-extending portions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 651,048 6/00 Leggett et al. 239-306 1,179,905 4/16 Engelrnann 239-314 2,120,774 6/38 Belmont 239-304 2,206,173 7/40 Ewing 222-533 2,316,307 4/43 Young 239-379 2,451,658 10/48 Bugatti 24-125 2,538,948 1/51 Richards 239-407 2,625,430 1/53. Murphy 239-314 2,639,840 5/53 Wons 222-181 2,705,091 3/55 Marchand 239-314 2,727,658 12/55 Mart 222-545 2,781,152 2/57 Van Slyke 222-181 2,800,259 7/57 Wilson et al 222-536 2,828,895 4/58' Mart 222-554 2,893,644 7/59 Holden 239-282 2,921,711 1/60 Mack 239-309 3,043,524 7/ 62 Jokelson 239-409 3,052,417 9/62 Daniel 23.9-310 3,116,856 1/64 Prussin et al 239-337 M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Primary Examiner.

ROBERT A. OLEARY, EVERETT W. KIRBY, LOUIS J. DEMBO, Examiners.

Claims

1. APPARATUS TO BE USED IN A SHOWER BATH INSTALLATION CONSISTING OF A WATER PIPE AND A SHOWER HEAD ATTACHED THERETO WHEREBY A LIQUID IS METERED INTO THE WATER EMITTING FROM THE SHOWER HEAD COMPRISING A CONTAINER FOR SAID LIQUID, MEANS MOUNTING SAID CONTAINER ON THE WATER PIPE IN PROXIMITY TO THE SHOWER HEAD, SAID MEANS INCLUDING A CONNECTOR, SAID CONTAINER HAVING A MATING CONNECTOR, INSERTABLE INTO SAID CONNECTOR, AN ELONGATED DISPENSER INCLUDING A CENTRAL LONGITUDINAL BORE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CONTAINER AND TERMINATING AT ONE END IN AN APERTURE AND AT THE OTHER END IN A BALL MEMBER INTEGRAL WITH SAID DISPENSER, A SOCKET RECEIVING SAID BALL, SAID CONNECTOR INCLUDING A CUTTING ELEMENT IN ONE SURFACE THEREOF, SAID CONTAINER INCLUDING A MEMBRANE OVER THE OPENING OF SAID CONTAINER WHEREBY SAID CUTTING ELEMENT PERFORATES THE MEMBRANE WHEN THE MATING CONNECTOR OF THE CONTAINER INSERTS INTO THE CONNECTOR.