CA1176285A - Showering system - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A showering system includes a source of hot water and a showerhead fed from that source. To produce steam, there is a conduit that delivers water from the source to any showerhead and in which is defined an outlet. Disposed within the conduit is a selectively controlled diverter of the water arriving from the source, so as to direct it away from the showerhead and through the outlet in the form of a mist. The preferred showerhead is of a turbine-valve kind in which the turbine is driven by nozzles. Apertures in a flow director plate, governed by a control plate, feed nozzles predetermined to vary the force of water delivered from outlet orifices in correspondence with the number of the nozzles open to communicate with the inlet through the apertures.

Description

i2~35 SPECIFICATION
The present lnventlon pertains to a showerlng system.
More particularly, lt relates to a steam producing apparatus assoclated with a showerhead preferably Or a klnd which en~bla~ vari~tion ln the rorc~ o~ pulses Or watcr dellv~red to a user.
Showerheads that dellver a pulsatlng spray have found widespread acceptance by the publlc. Those produced ln accordance with the teachlngs.or commonly-asslgned U. S. Patent Nos. 3,762,648, 3,801,019 and 3,958,756 ha~e enJoyed outstandlng success. In total, they enable the user to select a pulsating spray, a contlnuous spray or a comblnation of the two. The frequency of pulsation also is adJustable. The showerhead ~disclosed in Canadian Patent Serial ~o: 1,089,897 issued '~ 18th November, 1980 and assigned to the same assignee as the present - 1 - ~, , -1~76Z8S
application, offers the further feature of permitting a coordinated ad~ustment of the force of the pulses as perceived by the user. That appllcatlon also dlscloses apparatus for provldlng a stlll addltlonal spray mode of an extremely soft character. A control mechanlsm is provlded to allow the user t;o select as between dlfferent modes of operation, lncludlng either one of the two dlfferent continuous spray patterns OI' the pulsating patterns, as well as to ad~ust frequency of pulsatlon. A separate control enables the user to select the force of pulsation.
Most users Or showerhçads have experienced conditions ln whlch a certaln amount of steam or water vapor ls produced by actlon of the shower. Indeed, the user often will activate a ventllation system ln order to reduce the collection of condensatlon on nearby mlrrors and other surfaces. That ls, the s eam or vapor whlch ls produced ls considered to be a bothe~ There is insufficient steam produced to provide any kind of pleasing effect comparable to that available in a sauna especially constructed to afford a worthwhlle result~
Sauna-type devlces have heretofore been suggested for use ln showerstalls and the like. To that end, a valve arrangement usually is supplled for the purpose of diverting hot water into a separate fixture, at least usually connected by a hose, which leads to a mlstlng or atomlzing device. To operate efflciently, such a device requires that the user ad~ust hls faucets so as to supply only hot water. Should a rupture develop either ln the connectlng hose or ln the dlverting system, the user is in danger of being scalded by the water at the temperature selected to create the desired steam. ~ven absent a failure such as that, the user may similarly be scalded by exceedingly-hot water lf he has the device installed in connection with a showerhead and forgets to lower the water temperature before he switches back to use of the showerhead.
Maximum enJoyment of a showering system may be found with a combination operation of a steam sauna and a massage-actlon showerhead. Alternatlng between the respectlve effects upon the skin o~ the steam and the pulsating action of the - showerhead also upon the skin, the ~ser may achieve a very favorable result. To achieve that ~nd with an aggregation of prior apparatus, however, may endan~er the user as above indlcated as well as requiring the manipulation of several different controls.
One general ob~ect of the present invention is to provide a new,and improved showering system intended to overcome as much as possi~le disadvantages of the aforenoted approaches.
Another general ob~ect of the present invention is to provide a new and improved showerhead which enables unicontrol of pulse perceptlon along with ad~ustment of other water-delivery characteristlcs.
A further ob~ect of the present invention is to provide new and improved apparatus for achlevlng such ob~ectives with both safety and convenience.
A related obJect Or the present inventlon is to provide apparatus for achievlng the foregoing purposes and yet which is economical of manufacture and durable ln use.

~'7&Z~ilS
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a showerhead that has an inlet, a series of circumferentially-spaced orifices, a turbine with a valve for se~uentially opening successive ones of said orifices, a plurality of nozzles for driving said turbine, a flow director plate having a multiplicity of apertures including at least first and second apertures for communicating water from said inlet to said nozzles, a control plate for selectively coupling water from said inlet to different ones of said apertures, and a control for moving said control plate relative to said director plate, the improvement comprising:
at least first and second ones of said nozzles;
at least the said first and second apertures associated with said director plate;
15 and shutters associated with said control plate for selectively opening said apertures in different combination, the flow capacities of said nozzles being predetermined to vary the force of water delivered from said orifices in correspondence with the number of said nozzles opened to communication with said inlet through said apertures.
Also in accordance with the invention there is provided a showerhead that has an inlet, a series of circumferentially-spaced orifices, a turbine with a valve for sequentially opening successive ones of said orifices, a plurality of nozzles for driving said turbine, a flow director plate having a multiplicity of apertures for communicating water from ~. ., ~1~6Z8S

- sald lnlet to said nozzles, a control plate for selectlvely coupling water from sald inlet to different ones of said apertures~ and a control for movlng sald control plate relatlve to sald director plate;
a cup in whlch said orlflces are defined;
at least one plenum chamber deflned ln sald cup and from which said nozzles extend;
a tube upstanding from sald cup;
and a boss projecting outwardly from said director plate toward said cup, the outer end portion of said tube belng coupled into sald boss.

- 4a :1~7~i28S
to the followirg descrlption taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, ln the several figures Or which l;ke reference numerals identify like elements, and in whlch:
Figure 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of a showering system;
Figure 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a component assembly included in the system of Flgure l;
Figure 3 is a view slmllar to Flgure 2 but with certaln components ln a different position;
Figure 4A is an enlarged bottom plan vlew of a component shown in Figures 2 and 3;
Figure 4B is a slde elevational vlew Or the component shown in Flgure 4A;
Flgure 4C ls a top plan vlew of the component Or Flgures 4A and 4B;
Flgure 5 is a longltudinal cross-sectional vlew through a showerhead included in Figure l;
Figure 6 is an exploded view Or the showerhead assembly shown in Figure l;
Figure 7 is a plan view Or a component shown ln Figure 6;
Figure 8 is a plan view of another component shown in Figure 6;
Figures 9A-9F are diagrammatic views showing relative ad~ustment Or components in the assembly of Figure 6 during dlfferent modes of operatior;
Figure 10 is a view of one component shown in Figures 1-3;
Figure 11 is a view of another component shown in Flgures 5 and 6; and :117628S
Figure 12 is an isometrlc view of another embodiment of a showering system whlch includes components simllar to those shown in Figures 2-7.
A showerhead 30 includes an annular housing 32 threaded at 34 to receive a somewhat cup-shaped connector 36 and sealed thereto by a gasket 38. Pro~ecting outwardly and integrally from connector ~6 is a tube 40 externally threaded on its outer end portlon a1; 42. Seated within the forward end portion of housing 32 is an orifice cup 44 the outer perimeter of whlch rests upon a ledge 46 of housing 32 and whlch, upon assembly, is secured into appropriate orientational relationshlp by the seating of nonsymmetrically disposed lugs 48 ln slots 50. Cup 44 defines an internal vortex chamber 52. Pro~ecting forwardly from and through the bottom of cup 44 from chamber 52 are a plurality of orifices 54. Orifices 54 are arranged ln three circumferentially-spaced groups 56, 57 and 58.
Defined around the lnterior of the forward portion of housing 32 are a series of circumferentially-spaced channels 60. Seated in a slot 62, formed around the periphery of cup 44, is one leg of a Z-shaped resilient seal 66 the opposlte leg of which covers all Or channels 60, so that the latter become a series of outlet spray orlflces. Preferably, channels 60 alternate in inclination so as ultimately to result in the emission of two deflnable cones of spray having mutually-different dlvergent angles.
Projectlng centrally through the forwardly facing wall Or cup 44 is a tube 68. Centered withln tube 68 is a spider 70 the legs of whlch hold a splndle 72. Threaded 1~76~:85 longitudinally within spindle 72 is a screw 74 that holds in place on its outer end a central orifice plate 76 through which extend a distributed array of emltter apertures 78. .
As will be observed hereinarter, water may be inletted into tube 68 ln a contlnuous stream. Spider 70 serves to dlsperse that stream, so that it floods apertures 78. A cover or front cone 80 ci rcumferentially spans the region between plate 76 and seal 66 for cosmetlc purposes J while havin~ operings 82 that clrcumscribe each of groups 56-58.
Surrounding the exterior Or houslng 32 are ring segments 84 clamped at thelr rear by the joinder of connector 36 to housing 32 and at their front formed into an annular band 86. A decal 88, secured on the forward face of band 86, carrles printed lnformation to be employed by the user ln operation of the showerhead as lndlcated ln the drawing.
Seated freely within cavity 52 is a turbine 90. It includes a plurallty of radlal blades 92 a portion of whlch pro~ect from a central semi-cylinder 94 which partially enclrcles the lnner end Or tube 68. A valve plate 96 defines a sector of an annulus having an extent, ln this case, Or approxlmately 216 that completes the enclrclement of tube 68 and carries the remalnder of blades 92.
Disposed on the inner surface of the forwardly-facing wall of chamber 52 are a serles of lands 98 that correspond wlth groups 56-58 and are interconnected by ribs 100 so as to accommodate rotatlon of plate 96. The purpose of this arrangement is to enable turbine 90 to operate more satisfactorily under a condition Or a low water throughput and as described and explained in more detail in U.S.Patent Serial t~o: 4,190,207, issued 26th Februar~, 1900.

~7~i2~35 Formed into the rearwardly-presented surface of cup 44 are a separated palr of arcuate troughs or plenums 110 and 112. Communicating from trough 110 into chamber 52 ls a single nozzle 114 oriented to deliver water from that trough into driving action against blades g2 on turbine 90. Similarly oriented nozzles 116 and 118 extend inwardly from trough or plenum 112. Each of nozzles 114, 116 and 118 are cut into the side wall of the corresponding trough and extend from the top of the trough only a llmited extent toward its bottom and the depth of the chamber. Water entering through the nozzles ~ creates a forced vortex within chamber 52 that propels turbine 90 in the manner explained more fully in said ~.S. Patent Serial No. 4,190,207.
Seated ad~acent to cup 44 and within housing 32 is a flow director 12Q. A resilient gasket 122 is disposed between the mating surfaces of cup 44 and director 120. The effectiveness of that seal is enhanced by the inclusion of seal directlng ribs on the facin~ surface of director 120 that encircle the various apertures in the manner described ln the ~foresaid U.S. Patent~o: 3,958,756. Lugs 126 extend outwardly from the periphery of director 120 to seat within slots 128 formed in correspondence with slots 50 so that director 120 is correctly oriented when assembled. A shelf 130 formed on the internal wall of housing 32 accommodate$ a resilient 0-rin~
132 disposed beneath an overhang 134 on director 120, so as to effect a further degree of seallng. Pro~ectlng rearwardly from director 120 are a pair of space-opposed posts 140 the rearward ends of which, upon assembly, are engaged by the undersurf~ce of connector 35 in order to create sealing pressure upon gasket 122 and seal 132.

il7~;Z85 Seated lmmedlately to the rear of director 120 ls a control plate 142. It includes a rearwardly-turned peripheral margin 144 that faces a forwardly-directed annulus 146 on connector 36 whlch restrains control plate 142 in position against director 120. A ring gear 150 is defined on the radlally-inward surface of peripheral portion 144 and mates with a spur gear formed on one end of a shaft 152 that pro~ects rearwardly `,hrough connector 36 alongsLde tube 40.
An 0-ring 154 is sea~,ed on shaft 152 so as to establlsh a rotational seal bet~een that shaft and the wall of connector ~ 36-Enci~cling a~qd essentlally ridlng around the entlre assembly ls a control rlng 160. It includes a forwardly-facing serles of flutes 161 for grasplng by the fingers of the user to orient rGtatlon of rlng 160 relative to decal 88. The rotational pGsitlon is indicated by a radial ear 162. A
skirt 163 depends rearwardly and is then bent inwardly to deflne a bearing 164 ensleeved upon a surface 166 presented by tube 40 outwardly of connector 36.
Seated snugly more to the rear Or ring 160 is a base cone 168 which mates at one end with skirt 163 and from its other end includes an inwardly pro~ecting boss 170 internally threaded to mate with tube 40 at threads 42. A ring gear 172, formed wlthir. control ring skirt 16~, mates wlth a spur gear 174 attached on the rearward end of shaft 152, so as to drive the latter ir rotation and thereby rotate control plate 142 about the longitudin~l axis 176 of the entlre unit.
A well~ formed on the internal perLphery of the rearward ena of tube 40, accommodates a seal 177. .~ preferably included . _ g 1~76285 mesh screen 178 ls seated ~ust forwardly of seal 177, the internal conformation of tube 40 acceptlng that orlentation.
The other end portion 180 of boss 170 is conformed to the more-rearward portlon of a spherical pivot ball 182 which mounts the entire showerhead 30. As shown, the rearward end portion of tube 40 also is conformed to seat on ball 182 and be sealed thereto by means Or seal 177.
Returning to a dlscussion of cup 44, lt lncludes t:~e format.ion o~ space-opposed passages 190 and 192 which lead from ~irector 120 dlrectly to channels 60. When water is ~ emltted through those passages, a continuous spray ls outletted throu~h the orifices defined by channels 60 and seal 66 for the purpooe of emittlng a contlnuous spray. A boss 184 on the forward surface of director 120 has an interference flt on the rearward end of tube 68, so that director 120 is seated in place frictionally in sealing engagement with tube 68 and held in position by force lnduced in posts 140; Similarly held in position ls a clrcular rib 194 which seats inside of the continuous inner wall Or troughs 110 and 112 and passages 190 and 192. Rib 194 assists in retaining gasket 122 in place.
With the exceptlon of a few but significant details yet to be dlscussed in more depthj the arrangement so far descrlbed implements the prlnciples taught in the aforementloned U.S. patents 3,801,018; 3,762,648 and 3,958,756, as augmented by the disclosure in Canadian Patent Serial No: 1,089,987, with regard to the inclusion of and the selection as between the use of such as central orifices 78. Additional features as described in the above-mentioned U.S. Patent No: 4,190,207 have been included as representing the presently-best-s known mode of implernenting the current inventlon. In particular, the present invention seeks to implement selection as to the degree of pulse perception sensed by the user as described in said ~atent Serial r~o: 1,089,~97.
On the other hand, and specirically with respect to showerhead 30, lmportant distinctions are hereinafter to be described, particularly with relation to the operation Or noz~les 114, 116 and 118 and thelr cooperation wlth director 120 and control plate 142.
Dlrector plate 120 includes apertures 200 and 202 respectively allgned wlth passages 190 and 192 so as to communicate water to channels 60. A somewhat centrally located aperture 204 is aligned to emit water into tube 68 so as to outlet through ori~ices 78. Oriented to discharge directly into chamber 52, and thus to "spoil" the speed of rotation of turbine 90, ls an~aperture 206 which admits water directly into the path of rotation of turbine 90 so as to slow down lts speed of rotation. On one marginal portion of director 120 is an aperture 208 that communlcates to trough or plenum 112.
Near the opposite margln o~ dlrector 120 are a pair of circumferentlally-spaced apertures 210 and 212 that communicate with trough or plenum 110. Troughs 110 and 112 are each sealed, so as to be independent of one another.
~ontrol pl~te 142 overlies all of the apertures ~ust descrlbed and includes shutter blades 220, 222, 224 and 226.
Extending ~rom blade 222 toward but spaced ~rom blade 220 is a web 228, and a slmllar web 230 extends from blade 222 toward blade 224. Slmilarlv, there is a web 232 which extends from :~7t~285 blade 226 toward but spaced rrom blade 224 and a ~eb 234 that extends from blade 226 toward blade 220. Thls combinatlon of webs and blades define openlngs 236, 238, 240 and 242, as well as openings 244 and 246 which accommodate posts 140. Each of the apertures in plate 120 takes the form of a well that includes an 0-ring 248, engageable with a correspondlng surface on control plate 142, in the manner described in said Patent No. 3,958,756 for the purpose of achieving a satisfactory seal between the director and the o~erlylng portion of the control plate.
- Openlngs 236 J 238, 240 and ~!42 are aligned with apertures 200, 202, 208, 210 and 212. Situated radially inside openings 244 and 246 are a spaced-opposed palr of openings 250 and 252 that are radially aligned wlth aperture 204. Disposed radially outward from openings 244 and 246 are a respective pair of space-opposed openings 254 and 256 that are radially aligned with aperture 206. As will be appreciated after further description, a degree of redundancy has been lncluded in cor.trol pl~te 142 in order to acoommodate its being assem~led in either Or two possib]e orientations. That is, only one of openings 250 and 252 and only one of openings 254 and 256 become functional when the unit is finally assembled.
It is intended that the user manipulate control ring 160 sc as, through shaft 152, to rotate control plate 142 relative to director 120 ln a manner that achieves selection of the flow of water as between different ones of the apertures in the director. These differences ln relative rotational relationships are lllustrated in Figures 9A through ~F.

~7~i~85 As shown in Flgure 9A, one extreme rotatlonal posltlon as between dlrector 120 and plate 142 results in the flow of water only from openlng 250 (or 252) through aperture 204 so as to cause the emlsslon of a so~t central spray from apertures 78. All other apertures are blocked by the shutters and webs.
When plate 142 ls rotated to the positlon shown in Figure 9B, apertures 200 and 202 are er.abled to feed water to the outer spray dlscharged from channels 60 and aperture 204 ls closed as are all other apertures. Intermediate the positions of Figures 9A and 9B, there ls a combination of the central and ~ outer sprays.
Continuing with rotation in the same direction of plate 142 to the position shown in Figure 9C, apertures 208 and 210 admit the flow of water only into troughs 110 and 112 so as to drive turblne 90 and produce a pulsatlng spray through orlfices 54. That spray is in the form of a fast hard pulse, because a maxlmum flow of water is admitted through orifices 54 by reason of the utillzation of both of troughs 110 and 112.
Intermediate the positions of Figures 9B and 9C, there is the emlssion of a combination of outer spray from channels 60 and fast comparatively-hard pulses from orifices 54.
When control plate 142 is further rotated to the position of Figure 9D, apertures 208 and 210 remain open but one of openings 254 and 256 uncovers aperture 206. As the latter ls uncovered, that serves to slow down the speed of pulsation by reason of the spoiling effect Or the dlrect flow into the path of turbine 90. Thus, Flgure 9D represents a condltlon for the emission of hard but slow pulses from orifices 54.

~7~Z85 With still further rotation Or control plate 142 toward the position of Figure 9E, aperture 210 begins to be covered as aperture 212 begins to be opened, the amount of closing of aperture 210 being proportional to the amount of opening of aperture 212. Thus, the flow of water delivered through nozzle 114 stays the same. On the other hand, the flow of water dellvered through nozzles 116 and 118 is being reduced as aperture 208 ls progresslvely being closed by the interposition thereover of one of b~ades 220 or 224. In the position of Figure 9E, apertures 206 and 212 are uncovered, - but aperture 208 is closed. As a result of terminating flow lnto plenum 112 and through nozzles 116 and 118, the showerhead delivers only soft and slow pulses through orlflces 54.
Finally, further rotatlon to the position of Flgure 9F causes the one of openings 254 and 256 being used to again close aperture 206 and only aperture 212 ls uncovered. That causes the speed of pulsation to return to a fast condltlon.
Because the entire flow is restricted to aperture 212, however, these fast pulses exhiblt a soft force.
In the partlcular embodiment dlsclosed, control of the rate of pulsation is by means o the sizes assigned to nozzles 114, 116 and 118. ~.lternatively, the ultlmate forces could be controlled by selectlon of the slzes of apertures 208, 210 and 212. In any case, the development of a hard pulsatlng effect as delivered from orifices 54 requires that water be delivered to both of troughs 110 and 112. On the other hand? one of nozzles 116 and 118 may be eliminated, provlded that the other is made comparatlvely larger so as to prevent turbine 90 from rotatlng excessively fast.

1 11 _ :1~7~Z85 In the preferred embodlment, turbine 90 rotates at a speed of between 3400 and 3800 revolutions per minute when in the fast-pulse mode. As water is fully emitted through aperture 206 ln order to achieve slow pulsatlon, the speed of turblne 90 preferably is between 900 and 1200 revolutions per mlnute. At a delivery pressure Or 30 pounds per square inch, the unit delivers approximately 3.7 gallons per minute when in the hard-pulse mode and about 2.0 gallons per minute in the soft-pulse mode.
Both of troughs 110 and 112 are preferably included, so as to enable obtaining the desired range of speed while yet being able to change th~ amount of total water flow in order to vary output force and, hence, perception of the pulses as sensed on the skin of the user. To these ends, nozzles 114, 116 and 118 and the sizes of apertures 208, 210 and 212 all are selected so as to enable a change from hard to soft pulsating delivery without any significant degree of change in speed of turbine 90. Thus, the sizes of troughs 110 and 112 as comblned with apertures 20~, 210 and 212 is sufficient to enable ad~ustment of flow rate of the water ultimately e~.itted from orifices 54, leavlng lt to the additional element of control afforded by the emission Or water through aperture 206 to vary the speed of pulsation.
It wlll be observed that manipulation of the single control member 160 enables ~election as between three different kinds of spray, speed of pulsatlon o~ one mode of spray and degree of pulse perceptlon ln that latter mode cf spray. The user has the choice between massage action by pulses that range from fast and hard through slow but hard and slow but soft to fast but soft. On the other hand, the manner ~:176Z8S

of construction follows dlrectly from earlier showerheads, as described ln the herein incorporated references, that already have proved to be highly successful. In terms of the total number of prlncipal components involved for producing the new showerhead, the count remains the same as before. Nevertheless, the differences herein described afford a much greater flexibility in performance characteristlcs.
As particularly shown, the combination of each shutter blade or web of plate 142 and the associated aperture in director 120 is a valve. The best mode of ~ implementaticn, as shown, incorporates all apertures in a single director and all shutters ln a single plate. However, separate but associated valvlng may be substituted. For example, one alternative has aperture 204, which supplies water to the cent~ral spray, serve as a seat for a disc-shaped valve that is centrally disposed in an opening through control plate 142. The valve is mechanically coupled to plate 142, and one or more cams ad~acent to that aperture serve to open the valve when water is to be fed to the central spray.
In this particular case, showerhead 30 is coupled through connecting ball 182 to a supply pipe 300.
Although othe~ and well-known spherlcal balls may be employed, the one shown lncludes a top shell 301 of generally semi-hemispherical shape mated to a bott~m shell 302 so as to form a connector that accommodates tube 42 and end portion 180 of boss 170. A tube 301a depends inwardly of top shell 301 and ls ln this case lnterference flt lnto the bore 302a Or bottom shell 302.
External threads at 303 on ball 182 recelve a sleeve 304 whlch ls part of a mistlng devlce 305. Slidably recelved wlthln sleeve 304 ls a tube 306. At the rear end portlon of tube 306 is a metal collar 308 threaded thereon and also threaded rOr attachment to plpe 300. Collar 308 is sealed to tube 306 by a washer 309. Collar 308 ls not really necessary. However, it has been found to be desirable to include a metal part avallable for the home-user to apply to - his inlet pipe 300 by use of a wrench. Actually, everything hereln descrlbed could be lnstalled by mere hand manipulatlon wlthout the use of tools.
At its forward end, toward ball 182, tube 306 ls necked down and recessed to allow disposltlon of a resillent 0-ring 311 which seats withln the rearwardly-dlrected portlon of the base of ~all assembly 182 and completes a seal therewith.
In the orientation illustrated ln Flgure 2, therefore, water ls permltted to flow from supply pipe 300, as a source, and be delivered through ball 182 lnto showerhead 30.
The assembly of tube 306 and sleeve 304 constitutes a conduit for dellverlng water from the source represented by pipe 300 toward showerhead 30. Disposed wlthln that condult ls an assembly 310 for selectively divertlng the water from the source away from showerhead 30 and ~hrough an outlet 312 deflned in sleeve 306. As will be explained further, that diverted water ls outletted in the form of a mist.

~.~7~;285 Assoclated with tube 306 is a valve 314 and a valve seat 316. Arfixed to and pro~ecting away from valve 314 is a deflector 318 that serves to cause the opening of valve 314 from seat 316 ln order to allow water to pass around valve 314 and enter showerhead 30. On the other hand, valve 314 includes a by-pass orlflce 320 that, when val~e 314 is seated in engagement with seat 316, as shown ln Figure 3, permlts water redirested from deflector 318 to be discharged through outlet 312. On its side facing plpe 3009 valve 314 is cup-shaped to define a piston face 321. Water inletted ~ from pipe 300 exerts substantial force agalnst face 321, which has an area lar~er than that of oriflce 320i so as to urge the valve strongly into a closed condition.
For ~he last-mentioned mode of operation, deflector 318 lncludes a pan 322 against which the incomlng water impinges and is particllzed. The shape of pan 322 is such that partlcles of the water are dlrected through outlet 312 ln a generally oval-shaped cross-sectlonal patterr Included on tube 306 is a lug 324 that cor.stitutes a key ridable withln a keyway 328. Upon sliding movement of tube 306 relatively toward showerhead 30, lug 324 emerges from keyway 328 and, thereafter, may be locked into a seat within elther one of notches 330 and 332, disposed interlorly of sleeve 304 ln respective directlons ~f rotational orlentatlon. Each notch includes a shoulder 333 beyond which lug 324 may be seated. When sleeve 304 ls moved rearwardly on tube 306, to the positlon shown in Figure 2~ deflector 318 is pushed to the rear, so as to move its integrally associated i~762~5 valve 314 also rearwardly as lts laterally-proJectlng plvot plns 334 rlde in longltudlnal channels 336 cut lnto the inner wall of tube 306. A tab 338, pro~ectlng laterally outward from sleeve 304, asslsts the user ln movlng sleeve 304 over tube 306.
It wlll be seen that valve 314 ls a part of an assembly that, when the water ls being diverted through outlet 312, is substantlally blased agalnst the selectlon of water flow to showerhead 30. That degree of blas occurs automatlcally in response to the flow of water into the condult assembly.
Orifice 320 is what may be called self-flushing. That is, when valve 314 is opened, the flow df water to showerhead 30 serves to clean orlflce 320.
Guide channels 336 serve to malntaln valve 314 in an appropriate posltlon at all tlmes. When tube 306 ls so moved with respect to sleeve 304 as to close openlng 312 as in Figure

2, valve 314 is pushed, by the result of abutment of deflector 318 against the lnterior 340 of the base of bottom shell 302 of ball 182, to an open position. The area of flow permltted around valve 314, ln that condltlon, ls fully sufflclent to allow operation of showerhead 30.
On the other hand, when the assembly is ln the position shown in Flgure 3, in which valve 314 ls engaged wlth seat 316, deflector 318 is malntained ln a very fixed posltlon, so as to cause the flow of water conducted through crlflce 320 to be dlscharged ln the form of a mlst. The force of water dellvered through orlflce 320 and agalnst panshaped portlon 322 ls sufficient that it is extremely difficult for the user to push sleeve 304 backwardly into the "shower" positlon. The . ,~

~1762~S

purpose Or that is very consistent with the desire to use the hottest water temperature for development of the steam. It is not desired that the user be readily able to switch back to use of the showerhead while the water faucet assembly is ad~usted to supply only hot water. Otherwise, the user could be scalded.
When deflector 318 ls disposed in the operative position, and hot water is supplied thereto through orifice 320, the water ls particlized or atomized into an extremely fine mist. That mist is dlrected downwardly alongslde the - wall of a showerstall. By the time the mist reaches the bottom, lt ls cool enough to be safe for receptlon on the skln of a user. On the other hand, the hydraulic force of the flow of the mlst ls sufflGlent to entraln outside air whlch asslsts ln producing steam that rises upwardly toward the showerhead. As a result, no conflnlng apparatus ls needed to convert a showerstall lnto a sauna. If deslred, however, a shroud may be lnst~lled over the usual plastic, glass or plastlc sheet enclosure around a showerstall or tub unlt.
Such a shroud may be a~flxed to the celllng and allowed to depend downwardly over the more-normal upper edge portlons of the stall or other enclosure.
Several of the predecessor showerheads, as descrlbed ln the above-mentioned references, have been ~f~r~ both in a wall-mounted unlt or in a hand-held model. As so ~ar dlscussed, the unlt of Flgure 1 is a wall-mounted unit.
Figure 12 illustrates lts adaptatlon as a hand-held unlt. The structure and manner Or operation Or the essential components remalns the same. That ls, showerhead 350 ls baslcally like 6;28S

showerhead 30 except for the provlsion of a laterally pro~ecting handle 352 through which the water from a hose 354 is admitted. Hose 354 connects through an adaptor 356 to a misting device 358 mounted on a supply pipe 360. Here again, the structure and mar.ner of operation of device 358 is the same as device 305 in all essential respects. Only certain exterlor shaping, as shown, is changed to conform better with the dlfferent mode of mountlng. A bracket 362, mounted on adaptor 356, secures showerhead 350 in a storage or fixed-delivery position. Detachment of showerhead 350 from bracket 362 permlts the user to dlrect the various spray patterns and modes as deslred;
What has been presented herein is a combination unit that enables en~oyment by the user of sauna steam followed by, or interspersed w~lth, the applicatlon to the body of the user of a pulsating spray for massage action. hs separated from the overall concept, the disclosed showerhead has its own advantages in presenting a unicontrol operation of pulse perception variation, pulse speed and a combination of different spray patterns, while the misting devlce hereln dlsclosed is appropriate ~or adaptation to usage not only wlth the showerhead speciflcally shown but also wlth many others.
For use of showerhead 30 wlthout misting devlce 305, the base of ball 182 preferably is internally threaded, so as to fit directly onto pipe 300. Alternatively, of course, a suitable fixed coupling may be used to connect the illustrated form of base to a supply pipe. To use misting device 305 with a different showerhead, a sultable ~ixed coupling slmilarly 11~76285 may be supplied. When, as usual, that different showerhead has a fittlng matable with supply plpe 300, a reduclng nipple is provided and has one set Or threads engageable at 303 and another set of threads to mate with those on the supply pipe.
While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, and alternatives and modiflcations have been mentioned, lt will be o~vious to those skllled ln the art that changes and further modiflcatlons may be made without departing from the inventlon in it-s broader aspects.
Therefore, the alm ln the appçnded clalms ls to cover all such changes and modlficatlons as fall withln the true spirlt and scope of the invention.

Claims (19)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. In a showerhead that has an inlet, a series of circumferentially-spaced orifices, a turbine with a valve for sequentially opening successive ones of said orifices, a plurality of nozzles for driving said turbine, a flow director plate having a multiplicity of apertures including at least first and second apertures for communicating water from said inlet to said nozzles, a control plate for selectively coupling water from said inlet to different ones of said apertures, and a control for moving said control plate relative to said director plate, the improvement comprising:
at least first and second ones of said nozzles;
at least the said first and second apertures associated with said director plate;
and shutters associated with said control plate for selectively opening said apertures in different combination, the flow capacities of said nozzles being predetermined to vary the force of water delivered from said orifices in correspondence with the number of said nozzles opened to communication with said inlet through said apertures.

2. A showerhead as defined in Claim 1 in which said nozzles extend from a common plenum into which water is fed through said apertures.

3. A showerhead as defined in Claim 1 which further includes a third one of said apertures associated with said director plate, and in which said shutters selectively open all three of said apertures.

4, 4 showerhead as defined in Claim 3 in which said shutters are disposed to enable opening said second aperture commensurate with closing of said third aperture.

5. A showerhead as defined in Claim 3 in which two of said nozzles extend from a first plenum and a third one of said nozzles extends from a second plenum separate from said first plenum.

6. A showerhead as defined in Claim 5 in which said shutters and apertures are disposed to enable feeding water simultaneously to one of said two nozzles and said third nozzle.

7. A showerhead as defined in Claim 6 in which said shutters and apertures also are disposed to enable feeding the other of said two nozzles as said one is closed.

8. A showerhead as defined in Claim 7 in which said shutters and apertures further are disposed to enable feeding only said other nozzle.

9. A showerhead as defined in Claim 1 in which said turbine is confined within a vortex chamber, and in' which each of said nozzles opens only into a limited extent of the depth of said chamber.

10. A showerhead as defined in Claim 1 which further includes another aperture associated with said director plate aligned to admit water into the path of rotation of said turbine, and in which said shutters also are formed to selectively admit water through said other aperture.

11. A showerhead as defined in Claim 10 in which said control plate includes an opening aligned to admit water into said other aperture selectively in coordination with selective opening of said first and second apertures.

12. A showerhead as defined in Claim 1 in which said showerhead additionally includes first means for discharging a continuous spray of water, said director plate includes at least one additional aperture communicating with said first means, and said control plate includes shutter elements disposed for opening of said additional aperture selectively in coordination. with selective opening of said first and second apertures.

13. A showerhead as defined in Claim 12 in which said showerhead further includes second means, disposed within said first means and said orifices, for emitting a continuous spray of water, said director plate includes a further aperture communicating with said second means, and said control plate includes shutter elements disposed for selective opening of said further aperture selectively in correspondence with selective opening of said first, second and additional openings.

14. A showerhead as defined in Claim 12 in which said control plate enables selection as between outlet only from said first means, outlet from said first means in combination with a hard force of water delivered from said orifices at a fast rate of pulsation, outlet only from said orifices with a hard force at a fast rate, outlet only from said orifices at a slow rate and with a hard force, outlet from said orifices at a slow rate and with a soft force and outlet from said orifices at a fast rate and with a soft force.

15. A showerhead as defined in Claim l in which all of said shutters are dispose on and are integral with said control plate.

16. In a showerhead that has an inlet, a series of circumferentially-spaced orifices, a turbine with a valve for sequentially opening successive ones of said orifices, a plurality of nozzles for driving said turbine, a flow director plate having a multiplicity of apertures for communicating water from said inlet to said nozzles, a control plate for selectively coupling water from said inlet to different ones of said apertures, and a control for moving said control plate relative to said director plate;
a cup in which said orifices are defined;
at least one plenum chamber defined in said cup and from which said nozzles extend;
a tube upstanding from said cup;
and a boss projecting outwardly from said director plate toward said cup, the outer end portion of said tube being coupled into said boss.

17. A showerhead as defined in claim 16 in which said cup includes a centrally disposed means for emitting a spray of water, in which said tube communicates with said emitting means, and in which said director plate and said control plate include means for selectively feeding water into said tube.

18. A showerhead as defined in Claim 17 which includes means, disposed within said tube, for dispersing water to said centrally-disposed means that is received in a confined stream through said director plate.

19. A showerhead as defined in Claim 16 in which said tube and said boss respectively are sized to an interference fit that allows frictional sealing of said director plate to said cup.