EP2085144A1

EP2085144A1 - Shower head with simplified assembly

Info

Publication number: EP2085144A1
Application number: EP09150212A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Angelo Uber Guilini Neri
Original assignee: Nuova Osmo Srl
Current assignee: NUOVA OSMO S.R.L.
Priority date: 2008-01-29
Filing date: 2009-01-08
Publication date: 2009-08-05
Also published as: ITMI20080133A1

Abstract

A shower head (1) comprising a first body (2) and a second body (6), which can be coupled to each other, the first body and the second body being provided with complementary locking means (4, 7) that are adapted to define an accommodation space for fastening means (8, 9) that are adapted to jointly lock the first and second bodies (2, 6), a closure element (17) being associable with the first and second bodies (2, 6).

Description

The present invention relates to a shower head with simplified assembly. More particularly, the invention relates to a shower head which, thanks to its structure, can be assembled without the aid of screws.
As is known, shower heads are currently provided by means of a plurality of components, which are assembled one another by means of screws and similar fixing elements, which allow to provide the body of the shower head, to be then connected to the water dispensing duct.
The assembly of shower heads of this type therefore requires an expenditure of manual work, and accordingly the assembly costs are not low, thereby affecting the final cost of the product.
Moreover, assembly by means of screws causes assembly times to be long.
The aim of the present invention is to provide a shower head in which assembly of the shower head body can occur without the aid of screws or similar fixing elements.
Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a shower head whose assembly occurs in an extremely short time and without the aid of tools.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a shower head whose assembly can be performed even by non-specialized personnel.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a shower head that is highly reliable, relatively simple to provide and at competitive costs.
This aim, as well as these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a shower head, characterized in that it comprises a first body and a second body, which can be coupled to each other, said first body and said second body being provided with complementary locking means that are adapted to define an accommodation space for fastening means that are adapted to jointly lock said first and second bodies, a closure element being associable with said first and second bodies.
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the shower head according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the shower head according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view of the shower head according to the present invention;
Figures 3 and 4 are perspective views of components of the shower head according to the present invention.

With reference to the figures, the shower head according to the present invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, comprises a first body 2, which is for example disk-shaped, provided with a plurality of passages 3 for the outflow of water and provided peripherally with a plurality of engagement means 4, which are mutually spaced one another for example at regular intervals and are constituted by tabs that are substantially C-shaped.
The shower head further comprises a second body 6, which is provided with a plurality of holes 5 that are adapted to be positioned at the passages or nozzles 3 for the outflow of water. The second body 6, which is adapted to be coupled to the first body 2, is provided with a plurality of locking means 7, which are substantially C-shaped, are arranged at the peripheral edge of the second body 6 and are spaced identically. The locking means 7 are adapted to be accommodated between the locking means 4 of the first body 2.
Substantially, the locking means 4 of the first body 2 constitute a sort of C-shaped channel, which is interleaved with spaces, and the locking means 7 are coupled in such spaces so as to reconstitute the continuity of the channel, which is formed therefore by the locking means 4 and 7 that are arranged adjacent to each other.
Substantially, the coupling of the first body 2 and of the second body 6 occurs so that the locking means 4 and the locking means 7 arrange themselves complementarily with respect to each other.
In order to perform the assembly of the first and second bodies 2 and 6, there are fastening means, which are provided conveniently for example by a pair of elements 8 and 9, which can be coupled to each other and can be accommodated within the channel formed by the C-shaped locking means of the first body and of the second body.
Conveniently, in the case of a disk-shaped head, as shown in the figures, the first and second fastening elements are provided by two half-rings provided with a plurality of interleaved notches 10, which are adapted to couple within the C-shaped channel defined by the coupling of the first body 2 and of the second body 6.
The first and second fastening elements are each provided, at one end, with a pair of pins 12, which are respectively adapted to couple within a pair of mutually opposite seats formed at the opposite fastening element, in order to be coupled to the first fastening element.
The end of the fastening elements that lies opposite the one provided with the pair of pins 12 is provided with a tab 14 with teeth that are adapted to mate within a slot defined at the end of the opposite fastening element that is provided with the pair of pins 12.
Therefore, the two semi-annular elements 8 and 9 mate with each other when they are fastened within the C-shaped channel formed by the coupling of the first and second bodies of the shower head, thereby jointly connecting to each other the first and second bodies.
The first body 2 is conveniently provided with a threaded protruding bush 16, which allows to screw on a lid 17 for closing the shower head body, so as to lock, with the edge 18 of the lid 17, the fastening means 8 and 9 when they are coupled within the channel formed by the coupling of the first and second shower head bodies.
In this manner, the assembly of the shower head body occurs entirely without screws, utilizing instead the interlocking coupling of the several elements, thus simplifying assembly and reducing its costs.
The shower head thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims; all the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.
In practice, the materials used, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.
The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. MI2008A000133 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.
Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

A shower head (1), characterized in that it comprises a first body (2) and a second body (6), which can be coupled to each other, said first body (2) and said second body (6) being provided with complementary locking means (4, 7) that are adapted to define an accommodation space for fastening means (8, 9) that are adapted to jointly lock said first and second bodies (2, 6), a closure element (17) being associable with said first and second bodies.
The shower head according to claim 1, characterized in that said first body (2) is provided with a plurality of C-shaped locking means (4) and said second body (6) is provided with a complementary plurality of C-shaped locking means.
The shower head according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said locking means (4, 7) are adapted to define a channel for the coupling of said fastening means (8, 9), said fastening means being provided within a first element (8) and a second element (9), which can be coupled to each other within said channel.
The shower head according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said first body (2) is provided with a threaded bush (16) that protrudes therefrom and is adapted to allow the screwing of the closure element (17) on said assembled first and second bodies (2, 6).
The shower head according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said closure element allows to lock said fastening means (8, 9) within said channel defined by the coupling of said first and second bodies (2, 6).
The shower head according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said first element (8) and said second element (9) of said fastening means are provided at the respective ends with complementary coupling means (12).