EP1958700A2

EP1958700A2 - Shower head with luminous and multicoloured water jet

Info

Publication number: EP1958700A2
Application number: EP08101510A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Marcello Power Electronic di Carluccio Marcello Carluccio; Franco Power Electronic di Carluccio Marcello Tosato
Original assignee: Power Electronic di Carluccio Marcello
Current assignee: Power Electronic di Carluccio Marcello
Priority date: 2007-02-13
Filing date: 2008-02-12
Publication date: 2008-08-20
Also published as: ITPD20070046A1; EP1958700A3

Abstract

Shower head (1) with luminous and multicoloured water jet, lighted by means of high-intensity LEDs (6) in different colours that are switched on in sequence, powered by an internal generator (8) that is set in motion by the water output pressure.

Description

Shower heads are known, which substantially comprise a duct or grip that can be connected to a water pipe and has at one end a terminal element provided with a plurality of holes and suited to eject the water delivered by the pipe in the form of a spray or jet.
The shower heads currently used only allow the user to choose among various types of jets or water flows, like for example a single central flow, continuous annular flows, pulsating flows, etc.
Hot and cold water mixed together can be conveyed into the shower head using the hot and cold water taps, or shifting the mixer lever. Actually, the initial adjustment of the taps or mixer must be successively modified, since the water present in the hot water ducts near the taps or the mixer isn't always sufficiently hot, having released its heat over time. It is necessary to wait for the hot water coming directly from the boiler or the water heater to reach the taps or the mixer. Normally the user, in order to check the temperature of the water flowing out of the shower head, puts a hand in the flow of water, feeling very cold if the hot water has not yet reached the tap or mixer, or running the risk of burning his/her hand if the water flowing out of the head is very hot.
The object of the present invention is to carry out a shower head capable of emitting light without being connected to the electricity network.
Another object of the present invention is to carry out a shower head capable of emitting light in the same direction as and inside the water flow that is ejected by the shower head itself.
A further object of the present invention is to carry out a shower head capable of emitting light of different colours.
A further object of the present invention is to carry out a shower head capable of emitting light of different colours according to the temperature of the water passing through said shower head.
The present invention concerns a shower head provided with one or more lighting bodies powered by an alternator or dynamo whose shaft is connected to a rotor that is struck by the flow of water that passes through the shower head itself.
Both the lighting bodies and the alternator or dynamo are housed in a watertight compartment that is not affected by the water flow. In particular, only the rotor connected to the shaft of the alternator or dynamo is housed in one of the compartments or spaces crossed by the water flow.
An adjustment and control circuit, also housed in a watertight compartment not affected by the water flow, adjusts and adapts the electric current in such a way as to correctly power the lighting bodies.
According to the invention, each of the lighting bodies can emit light of one colour and they can all be of the same colour, or each of the lighting bodies can emit light of one colour and they can all be of different colours, or each of the lighting bodies can emit light of two or more colours. Consequently, the adjustment and control circuit provides for lighting up the bodies in different colours according to pre-defined or casual patterns and/or sequences.
According to the invention, said adjustment and control circuit is connected to a temperature sensor suited to record the temperature of the water passing through the shower head, and said adjustment and control circuit lights up suitable lighting bodies or controls the different colour of the light emitted by said lighting bodies according to the temperature of the water passing through the shower head. The light emitted by said lighting bodies can possibly be substantially blue/light blue if the water is too cold, while it can be substantially red/orange if the water is too hot and it can take on intermediate colours depending on the intermediate temperatures of the water flow.
Furthermore, said adjustment and control circuit may also show the temperature recorded by the sensor on a suitable display.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the rotor and the shaft of the dynamo or alternator are not directly joined, but separated by a suitably shaped portion of the watertight compartment that houses the dynamo or alternator. The rotor is substantially provided with a central projection that is coaxial to its rotation axis and with a hole on the side opposite said projection. Said projection rotates on a suitable seat located inside the terminal element of the shower head, while a cylindrical portion of the wall of the watertight compartment is housed in the hole located in the rotor, opposite its projection.
In particular, said cylindrical portion of the wall of the watertight compartment is axially hollow and communicates only with the watertight compartment.
On the shaft of the dynamo or alternator there is a driving element comprising a disc and a cylindrical portion, constructed in such a way that said cylindrical portion is inserted in the end of the shaft of the dynamo or alternator and said disc-shaped portion is orthogonal to said shaft of said dynamo or alternator. In particular, said cylindrical portion of said driving element is suited to be housed in the cylindrical portion of the wall of the watertight compartment, on the side opposite the rotor.
Magnetic elements are inserted in or applied to both the rotor and the disc-shaped portion of the driving element, so that the magnetic elements of the rotor and the magnetic elements of the driving element are mutually attracted by each other.
In this way the rotation of the rotor causes the rotation of the driving element and consequently of the shaft of the dynamo or alternator by magnetic attraction. This solution ensures total and guaranteed insulation between the compartments crossed by the flow of water and the watertight compartment in which the dynamo or alternator and the other electric elements are housed.
The new shower head makes it possible to add coloured lighting to the shower water without modifying the existing shower systems and without providing any electrical line.
The characteristics of the new shower head with luminous and multicoloured water jet will be highlighted in greater detail in the following description with reference to the attached drawings that are enclosed as non-limiting examples.
Figure 1 shows a sectional view of the new shower head, while Figure 2 shows the various individual parts of the new shower head.
The new shower head (1) comprises a hollow grip having one threaded end (1.11) for connection to the water delivery pipe, and a terminal element (2) at the other end (1.12).
Said terminal element (2) has substantially the shape of a cap or dome with the grip joined to it in a position substantially tangent to the central part of said cap or dome.
Inside said dome-shaped terminal element (2) there is an inner element (3) constituted by a further dome-shaped portion (3.1) having an annular edge (3.2). Said dome-shaped portion (3.1) is smaller than the dome-shaped part of said terminal element (2); the annular edge (3.2) joins the dome-shaped portion (3.1) of the inner element (3) to the edge (2.1) of the dome-shaped terminal element (2).
In particular, said annular edge (3.2) is provided with holes, slots, openings or nozzles (3.21) for the outflow of water.
The central area (3.11) of the dome-shaped portion (3.1) of the inner element (3) is substantially flat and parallel to the edge of said dome-shaped portion (3.1).
The inner element (3) is housed in the dome-shaped terminal element (2), so that the dome-shaped portion (3.1) of the inner element (3) is housed in the dome-shaped terminal element (2), thus creating an air space (4) between the two dome-shaped parts (2, 3.1), and so that the annular edge (3.2) of the inner element (3) is joined to the edge (2.1) of the dome-shaped terminal element (2).
A closing element (12), wholly or partially transparent or translucid, in a generically circular and flat shape, is applied to close the dome-shaped portion (3.1) of the inner element (3), so as to obtain a central compartment (11) in the dome-shaped terminal element (2).
Said central compartment (11) houses the lighting bodies (6), the adjustment and control circuit (7) and the dynamo or alternator (8).
In this example the dynamo or alternator (8) is applied to the central flat area (3.11) of the wall of the dome-shaped portion (3.1), so that the shaft (8.1) of said dynamo or alternator (8) passes through said wall of the dome-shaped portion (3.1) and the rotor (8.2) comes to be positioned in the air space (4) between the dome-shaped portion itself (3.1) and the cap or dome-shaped terminal element (2) at the point where water is conveyed from the grip (1) into the air space (4).
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention described in this example, the lighting bodies (6) consist of LEDs (6) mounted on a strip (7) on which the electric and/or electronic components that make up the adjustment and control circuit (7) are installed and connected.
Said strip (7) is circular in shape and is suited to be housed in the central compartment (11).
According to the invention, a temperature sensor (10) electrically connected to said adjustment and control circuit (7) is inserted through the wall of the dome-shaped portion (3.1) of the inner element (3) and sealed, in such a way as to record the temperature of the water circulating in the air space (4) and at the same time avoiding the infiltration of water in said central compartment (11).
According to the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in detail in Figure 3, on the central flat area (3.11) of the dome-shaped portion (3.1) of the inner element (3) there is a cylindrical projection (3.3) that extends on the convex side of the dome-shaped portion (3.1). Said cylindrical projection (3.3) is hollow and communicates only with the hollow part of said dome-shaped portion (3.1). The rotor (8.2) is inserted in and rotates on said cylindrical projection (3.3). A generically disc-shaped driving element (8.3) is applied to the shaft (8.1) of the dynamo or alternator (8).
Magnetic elements (8.4) are applied to or inserted in both the rotor (8.2) and the driving element (8.3), so that the magnetic elements (8.4) of the rotor (8.2) and the magnetic elements (8.4) of the driving element (8.3) mutually attract each other. In this way the rotation of the rotor (8.2) causes the rotation of the driving element (8.3) and consequently of the shaft (8.1) of the dynamo or alternator (8) by magnetic attraction. This solution ensures perfect insulation between the compartments crossed by the water flow and the watertight compartment or central compartment (11) that houses the dynamo or alternator (8) and the other electric elements (7, 10).
Since the voltage of the current generated by the dynamo or alternator (8) is very low, in the order of approximately 4 volts, there is no risk of electrocution or shock; furthermore, since all the parts interested by the electric current are housed in a watertight compartment, they cannot be damaged, for example, by the immersion of the new shower head in water.
The luminous flow is switched on only when the water jet is opened, since the LEDs are powered by the water flow that passes through the shower head and strikes the rotor (8.2) of the dynamo or alternator (8), setting it rotating.
Therefore, with reference to the above description and the attached drawings, the following claims are expressed.

Claims

Shower head (1), characterized in that it comprises an electric current generator (8), one or more lighting bodies (6) and an adjustment and control circuit (7) connected to one another and housed in a watertight compartment (11) of the shower head itself, and wherein the electric current generator (8) comprises a dynamo, or alternator (8) mechanically connected to a rotor (8.2) that is set rotating by the water flow passing through the shower head (1) itself, and wherein said lighting bodies (6) are positioned near the holes that eject the water flow produced by said shower head (1).
Shower head (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises:
- a duct or grip (1.1) with a cap or dome-shaped terminal element (2);

- an inner element (3) in the shape of a cap or dome, having an annular edge (3.2) provided with holes or nozzles (3.21), suited to be housed in the cap or dome-shaped terminal element (2) of the shower head (1), so that said annular edge (3.2) is joined to the edge (2.1) of the cap or dome-shaped terminal element (2), thus creating an air space (4) between the two cap or dome-shaped parts (2, 3.1);

- a closing element (12), wholly or partially transparent or translucid, in a generically circular and flat shape, applied to close the dome-shaped portion (3.1) of the inner element (3) in such a way as to obtain a watertight central compartment (11) that houses the lighting bodies (6), the adjustment and control circuit (7) and the electric current generator.
Shower head (1) according to claim 1, 2, characterized in that said lighting bodies (6) are positioned in such a way as to emit light in the same direction as the water ejected by the shower head (1).
Shower head (1) according to claims 1, 2, 3, characterized in that said dome-shaped portion (3.1) of the inner element (3) has a hole, if necessary provided with a gasket, for the watertight passage of the rotation shaft (8.1) of the electric current generator (8) only, in such a way as to allow the electric current generator (8) to be housed inside the watertight compartment (11) and the rotor (8.2) of said electric current generator (8) to be arranged in the air space (4) for the passage of the water flow.
Shower head (1) according to claim 1, 2, 3, characterized in that:
- said dome-shaped portion (3.1) has a cylindrical projection (3.3) that is hollow and communicates only with the concave part of said dome-shaped portion (3.1) extending on the convex side of the dome-shaped portion (3.1),

- the rotor (8.2) is inserted in and rotates on said cylindrical projection (3.3),

- a generically disc-shaped driving element (8.3) is applied to the shaft (8.1) of the electric current generator (8),

- magnetic elements (8.4) are applied to or inserted in the rotor (8.2) and the driving element (8.3), so that the magnetic elements (8.4) of the rotor (8.2) and the magnetic elements (8.4) of the driving element (8.3) mutually attract each other.
Shower head (1) according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, characterized in that each one of said lighting bodies emits light in a colour different from the others or from a group of other lighting bodies.
Shower head (1) according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, characterized in that each one of said lighting bodies emits light in different colours according to the power received.
Shower head (1) according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that said adjustment and control circuit (7) comprises a temperature sensor (10) suited to record the water temperature, and wherein said adjustment and control circuit (7) controls the switching on of certain lighting bodies (6) or the colour emitted by the lighting bodies according to the temperature recorded by said sensor (10).
Shower head (1) according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that said adjustment and control circuit (7) comprises a temperature sensor (10) suited to record the water temperature, and wherein said adjustment and control circuit (7) shows the recorded temperature on a display.