AU2017100062A4 - A portable shower - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract The present invention relates generally to a portable shower, and more particularly to a portable shower intended for use anywhere water is in short supply, private wet-space is unavailable and/or there is a desire to minimize water and energy costs. VA4c Figure 1

Description

ι 2017100062 18 Jan 2017 A portable shower

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a portable shower, and more particularly to a portable shower intended for use anywhere water is in short supply, private wet-space is unavailable and/or there is a desire to minimize water and energy costs.

Background of the Invention

Portable showers provide the convenience of allowing one to take a shower in locations where standard fixed showers are not readily available. Because portable shower units are intended to be transported it is desirable that such units be as compact as possible yet still provide sufficient space to allow one to shower privately and comfortably.

Against this background the present inventor has developed a portable shower which is easily transportable whilst providing ample space for showering privately and comfortably. The shower also consumes minimal water and energy.

Summary of the Invention

In one aspect the present invention provides a portable shower comprising a waterrecycling shower base, a showerhead and a plurality of walls that define a shower enclosure, the plurality of walls extending in upwards and outwards directions from the base.

The plurality of walls may be adapted to be attached to attachment points located above the shower enclosure.

The portable shower may further comprise a plurality of poles releasably joined to the base which support the walls.

The plurality of poles may diverge from one another.

Each of the plurality of poles may be located at a corner of the base.

The portable shower may comprise four walls.

The portable shower may comprise four poles.

One of the walls may provide an access point to the shower enclosure.

The access point may be a zippered section.

The walls may be made of fabric, for example tent fabric.

The poles may be made of a resilient material.

The poles may be tent poles. 2017100062 18 Jan 2017 2

The portable shower may further comprise a plurality of support members releasably attached atop each of the plurality of poles, the plurality of support members defining a pyramidal geometry.

The support members may be adapted to support a roof.

The portable shower may further comprise a roof.

The portable shower may comprise four support members.

The roof may be releasably attached to each of the walls.

The roof may be releasably attached to each of the walls via one or more zips.

The support members may be made of a resilient material.

The support members may be tent poles.

The roof may be made of fabric, for example tent fabric.

The water-recycling shower base may be square or rectangular

At its broadest points, the footprint of the shower enclosure may have an area that is between about 2 times and about 5 times, or between about 3 times and about 4 times the area of the footprint of the water-recycling shower base.

The water-recycling shower base may comprise side and bottom walls defining a reservoir and a pump which recirculates water collected in the reservoir to the showerhead via a conduit, and wherein water discharged from the showerhead is returned to the reservoir.

The water-recycling shower base may comprise a drain adapted to cooperate with a drain insert so as to establish fluid communication between the water-recycling shower base and an external drain.

The external drain may be located, for example, in a caravan, camper, trailer, motorhome or boat.

Water pumped from the water-recycling shower base may be passed through a heat exchanger prior to being discharged from the showerhead.

The water-recycling shower base may comprise a handle for transporting the portable shower.

The portable shower may further comprise a lid adapted to enclose all components of the portable shower within the water-recycling shower base. 3 2017100062 18 Jan 2017

Definitions

The following are some definitions that may be helpful in understanding the description of the present invention. These are intended as general definitions and should in no way limit the scope of the present invention to those terms alone, but are put forth for a better understanding of the following description.

Throughout this specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.

In the context of this specification, the terms "a" and "an" are used herein to refer to one or to more than one (i.e. to at least one) of the grammatical object of the article. By way of example, "an element" means one element or more than one element.

In the context of this specification, the term "about" is understood to refer to a range of numbers that a person of ordinary skill in the art would consider equivalent to the recited value in the context of achieving the same result.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1: Perspective view of a portable shower in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2: Top view of the portable shower shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3: Perspective view of a portable shower in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

Figure 4: Perspective view of a portable shower in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention.

Figure 5: Perspective view of the water-recycling shower base of the portable shower shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Detailed Description of Embodiments

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a portable shower 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a water-recycling shower base 101, a showerhead (not shown) and a plurality of walls 103 that define a shower enclosure. The plurality of walls 103 extend in upwards and outwards directions from water-recycling shower base 101. Portable shower 100 further comprises a plurality of poles 102 which are joined to the water-recycling shower base 101 via holes therein into which the plurality of poles 102 4 2017100062 18 Jan 2017 may be received. The plurality of poles 102 support the plurality of walls 103 via clips 104. The water-recycling shower base 101 together with the plurality of walls 103 define a shower enclosure whose shape is based on an upstanding cuboid rectangle modified such that two pairs of opposing quadrilateral faces diverge away from one another.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1 there are a total of four poles with each being located at a corner of the water-recycling shower base 101. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, depending on the shape of the water-recycling shower base 101, alternative numbers and arrangments of the plurality of poles 102 may be adopted. For example, if the water-recycling shower base 101 is of a hexagonal shape then six poles may be utilised by placing one at each corner of the hexagon.

The plurality of poles 102 are typically made of a resilient material. In some embodiments the plurality of poles 102 are tent poles. Each of the plurality of poles 102 may be made up of smaller sections that can be attached to form the pole. The smaller sections may be permanently attached to one another by, for example, elastic cord which assists in reducing the time taken to assemble the portable shower 100. The plurality of poles 102 may further comprise guy rope attachment points (not shown). Guy ropes may be used to provide additional stability for the portable shower 100 when it is used in windy conditions.

The plurality of walls 103 may be made of tent fabric, however those skilled in the art will appreciate that any suitable fabric that provides privacy may be used. One of the plurality of walls 103 may provide an access point to the shower enclosure. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1 the access point is a longitudinal zippered section 105. In embodiments such as that shown in Figure 1 the plurality of walls 103 are attached to each other along the length of their respective side edges. This arrangement results in the shower enclosure being sealed on all sides so as to minimise or prevent water loss therefrom.

The geometry of the shower enclosure advantageously provides the user of the shower with ample space at shoulder height where it is most required in order to shower comfortably. The outwards divergence of the plurality of walls 103 from the waterrecycling shower base 101 also allows for the size of the water-recycling shower base 101 to be minimised as it need only accommodate a pair of feet and the remaining components of the shower. Minimisation of the size of the water-recycling shower base 101 optimises the ease with which the portable shower 100 may be transported. Typically, the water-recycling shower base 101 has an area of about 2000 cm2 to 3000 5 2017100062 18 Jan 2017 cm2. In one embodiment the water-recycling shower base has an area of about 2500 cm2.

In some embodiments, at its broadest points 200a, 200b, 200c and 200d, the footprint of the shower enclosure has an area that is between about 2 times and about 5 times, or between about 3 times and about 4 times, or about 3.3 times the area of the footprint of the water-recycling shower base 101 (see Figure 2).

Referring again to Figure 1, in some embodiments the portable shower 100 may comprise a plurality of support members 106 releasably attached atop each of the plurality of poles 102. The plurality of support members 106 meet at a point 107 above the top of the plurality of poles 102 so as to define a pyramidal geometry. The plurality of support members 106 may assist in tensioning the plurality of poles 102 such that each of the poles diverge from one another. In some embodiments the portable shower 100 comprises a roof 108. This provides additional privacy to the user of the shower. Roof 108 is attached to support members 106 via clips 109. In some embodiments roof 108 is releasably attached to each of the plurality of walls 103. The roof 108 may be releasably attached to each of the plurality of walls 103 via one or more two-way zips. When the roof 108 is present, opening of the zip or zips provides ventilation and also allows a user of the portable shower 100 to see outside the shower enclosure. The zip or zips also allow complete removal of the roof 108 from the shower enclosure if desired.

The support members 106 are typically constructed the same as, and made of the same material as, the plurality of poles 102. Like the plurality of walls 103, the roof 108 may be made of tent fabric, however those skilled in the art will recognise that other fabrics may also be used.

Whether or not the support members 106 alone, or the support members 106 and the roof 108 together, are present will depend on the environment in which the portable shower 100 is used. For example, where the portable shower 100 is used outdoors in cold conditions or in conditions where the UV index is high, it may be desirable to utilise the support members 106 and the roof 108 so that the user is protected from the cold or UV light, insects and weather.

When used in environments in which overhead attachment points are available (for example in a van, a caravan, a campervan, a motorhome, a boat and the like), the portable shower may be used without the plurality of poles. In these embodiments the plurality of walls are adapted to be attached to attachment points located above the shower enclosure. Reference to Figure 3 shows the portable shower 100 erected under 6 2017100062 18 Jan 2017 the tailgate of a van 300. The inner side of vertically opening tail gate 301 comprises four attachment points (of which two are shown) that enable the plurality of walls 103 to be tied thereto. In alternative embodiments, the plurality of walls 103 may be attached to predetermined attachment points on tail gate 301 via snap fasteners.

In situations where the overhead attachment points are lower than the full length of the walls, the walls may be folded and attached to the attachment points part way along their length as shown in Figure 4. In order to facilitate attachment of the walls to the attachment points in this embodiment loops may be stitched at intervals along the inside seams of each corner of the walls.

Figure 5 depicts the water-recycling shower base 101 that is shown in Figure 1. In this embodiment the water-recycling shower base 101 is of a square shape, however those skilled in the art will appreciate that the base may take other shapes (such as for example a rectangular shape) if desired.

Referring to Figure 5, water-recycling shower base 101 comprises side walls 500 and bottom wall 501 which define a reservoir having a drain 504. Bottom wall 501 comprises a recess portion 502 which accommodates a pump (not shown) that recirculates water collected in the reservoir to the showerhead via a conduit, which may be for example, a flexible hose. Typically, the pump is a 12V electric pump. A mechanical foot pump may be used in place of the electric pump in situations where electricity is unavailable.

Water discharged from the showerhead may be returned to the reservoir and resued thereby obviating the need to provide a continuous supply of water whilst the shower is in use. By utilising water recycling, the portable shower may be used effectively with 3 to 4 litres of water only. The bottom wall 501 is of a shape that ensures minimal water is required to reach the pump inlet.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 5 water-recycling shower base 101 further comprises brackets 503 in each corner to which velcro straps may be attached so as to allow securing and tensioning of the plurality of walls 103 and also folding of the plurality of walls 103 into the base for storage. In the embodiment shown in Figure 5 waterrecycling shower base 101 further comprises grooves 505 and 506 to allow passage of a power cord from the pump (not shown) and water hoses (not shown). In the embodiment shown in Figure 5 water-recycling shower base 101 further includes two pairs of holes 507 on opposing sides through which pegs can be driven so as to assist stability when the portable shower 100 is located on soil or grass or an uneven surface.

In some embodiments drain 504 may be fitted with a plug when the shower is in use to facilitate water recycling. When a user has finished showering the plug may be removed 7 2017100062 18 Jan 2017 so that water collected in the reservoir may be discharged. When the shower is used in an environment where a pre-exisiting drain is present, for example in a caravan, camper, trailer, motorhome, boat or the like, drain 504 may be adapted to cooperate with a drain insert so as to direct water from the reservoir into a pre-existing drain. In this embodiment, once a user has finished showering the plug may be removed and water collected in the reservoir will be discharged to the pre-existing drain via drain 504 and the drain insert. The drain insert may be, for example, a threaded pipe adapted to be screwed into the drain 504. The drain insert may also assist in locating the waterrecycling shower base 101 in position in the caravan, camper, trailer, motorhome, boat or the like and prevent it from moving.

In other embodiments, water pumped from the water-recycling shower base 101 may be passed through an external heat exchanger prior to being discharged from the showerhead. This enables a user to have a continuous hot shower. The portable shower may be used in a range of different environments, and in particular in environments where water is in short supply. For example, the portable shower may be used when camping or in a boat, camper, caravan, trailer, motorhome, campervan and the like. The portable shower may also be used in domestic situations or in developing countries.

The showerhead, conduit, poles, support members, walls and roof (and any other ancilliary components) are all able to be placed in the water-recycling shower base and enclosed therein by a lid for transport. When packed and ready for transport the waterrecycling shower base resembles a suitcase and may further comprise a handle to facilitate carrying during transport.

In embodiments of the invention, the portable shower 100 depicted in Figure 1 is readily erected at an appropriate place as described below. 1. Place the water-recycling shower base on the ground within reach of a 12V power supply. 2. Remove the lid. 3. Secure the water-recycling shower base by driving pegs through the holes in the side walls and into the ground. 4. Locate the four poles in the holes provided in the water-recycling shower base. 5. Attach the four support members atop the four poles. 6. Clip the fabric walls and fabric roof to the poles and support members and tension with the four lower corner straps. 2017100062 18 Jan 2017 8 7. Position the pump into the tub recess and power cord into one of the grooves in the water-recycling base and connect to the 12V power source. 8. Place the plug in the drain. 9. Pour 3 or 4 litres of water (either warm or cold) into the tub. 10. Turn on the pump to activate the flow of water through the showerhead.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention described herein is susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described. It is to be understood that the invention includes all such variations and modifications.

The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from it), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or admission or any form of suggestion that that prior publication (or information derived from it) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endevour to which this specification relates.

Claims (5)

1. CLAIMS:

   1. A portable shower comprising a water-recycling shower base, a showerhead and a plurality of walls that define a shower enclosure, the plurality of walls extending in upwards and outwards directions from the base.
2. 2. The portable shower of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of poles releasably joined to the base which support the walls.
3. 3. The portable shower of claim 2, wherein the plurality of poles diverge from one another.
4. 4. The portable shower of claim 2 or claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of poles are located at a corner of the base.
5. 5. The portable shower of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at its broadest points, the footprint of the shower enclosure has an area that is between about 2 times and about 5 times, or between about 3 times and about 4 times the area of the footprint of the water-recycling shower base.