EP2767347A1

EP2767347A1 - A self-cleaning shower

Info

Publication number: EP2767347A1
Application number: EP13155090.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jijun Feng
Original assignee: Jiangmen Fenix Shower Products Technology Co Ltd
Current assignee: Jiangmen Fenix Shower Products Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2013-02-13
Filing date: 2013-02-13
Publication date: 2014-08-20

Abstract

A self-cleaning overhead shower comprises a containing chamber, a shutter (3) arranged in the containing chamber (11), a surface cover (6) arranged in the containing chamber (11) and forming a spout (61) and a supporting column (62), a water distribution part (5) arranged in the containing chamber (11) and forming a through hole (52) and one or more cleaning pins (51) positioned in alignment with spout holes of the spout (61), wherein the supporting column (62) of the surface cover (6) extends through the through hole (52) of the water distribution part (5) and is fixed to the shutter (3) in a manner that the surface cover (6) is movable with respect to the water distribution part (5) between an attached position in which the cleaning pin (51) penetrates the spout (61) and a detached position in which the cleaning pin (51) is detached from the spout (61), a spring (4) acting between the shutter (3) and the water distribution part (5) such that the spout (61) of the surface cover (6) is elastically biased in the attached position and a water pressure acting on the shutter (3) moves the shutter (3) together with the spout (61) in the detached position.

Description

Technical Field

The present invention concerns a water spraying device, particularly an oxygenating or water-air mixing shower with self-cleaning spout features, that can be hold in a hand or connected to a shower holder in an overhead position in a shower cabin or bathroom or installed in a bathing equipment.

Background Art

Showers or more specifically shower heads are widely used in a variety of bathing places. There are known three types of showers:

Hand-held shower: the so-called hand held shower can be conveniently held in the hand of the bather for a shower, and a shower bracket may be provided for fixing the hand held shower in a rest position or in a vertically adjustable position.
Overhead shower: the overhead shower, also known as "ceiling shower" , is fixed in an overhead position, its bracket may be embedded in a wall, and it may not have any lifting function.
Side shower: the side shower is embedded or hidden in the wall and adapted to spray water on the body of the bather, and there are a variety of possible mounting positions and spraying angles. All these known showers are used for body cleaning and massage.

However, the water from the existing water pipes contains impurities which inevitably accumulate in the shower and obstruct the spout holes after some time of use. Removing these impurities and incrustations from the spout holes of a shower, particularly from an overhead shower is very difficult annoying and requires removal or unmounting of the entire overhead shower.
Therefore, the present invention provides a preferably oxygenated or air water mixing overhead shower with self-cleaning spout holes.

Summary of the Invention

The object of the present invention is to provide a shower having features to obviate the drawbacks cited with respect to the prior art. Particularly, the invention aims to enable automatic removal of the dirt and impurities in the spout of a shower.
These and other objects are achieved by means of a self-cleaning overhead shower in accordance with the annexed claim 1.
The dependent claims concern advantageous embodiments.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention, a self-cleaning overhead shower comprises:

a fixing base and a main body locked together to form a containing chamber,
a shutter arranged in the containing chamber,
a surface cover arranged in the containing chamber and forming a spout and a supporting column protruding from the spout,

a water distribution part arranged in the containing chamber and forming a through hole and one or more cleaning pins positioned in alignment with spout holes of the spout, wherein the supporting column of the surface cover extends through the through hole of the water distribution part and is fixed to the shutter in a manner that the surface cover is movable with respect to the water distribution part between an attached position in which the at least one cleaning pin penetrates the at least one spout hole of the spout and a detached position in which the at least one cleaning pin is detached from the at least one spout hole of the spout,
a spring arranged in the containing chamber and acting between the shutter and the water distribution part such that the spout of the surface cover is elastically biased in the attached position and a water pressure acting on the shutter moves the shutter together with the spout (61) in the detached position.

In comparison with the prior art, the shower of the present invention takes full advantage of the water pressure and elastic force of the spring, and cleaning is automatically carried out upon turning on and off the water supply, thus avoiding spout blockage due to the accumulation of impurities and obviating troublesome cleaning of the shower.
The shower has a simple structure and is easy to install. There are no demanding requirements for the size and shape of the structural parts, and its manufacturing is thus simplified. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention shall be made apparent from the accompanying drawings and the description thereof, which illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the general description of the invention given above, and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the present invention.

Brief Description of Figures

Figure 1 is an exploded schematic view of a shower in accordance with an embodiment;
Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a shower in accordance with an embodiment with a water supply turned off;
Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a shower in accordance with an embodiment with a water supply turned on;
Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of a fixing base of a shower in accordance with an embodiment.

Description of the reference numerals

Connecting nut 1
Fixing base 2
Mounting seat 21
dome-shaped cavity 22
Shutter 3
Pressing part 31
Fixing part 32
Spring 4
Water distribution part 5
Cleaning pin 51
Through hole 52
Water passage holes 53
Surface cover 6
Spout 61
Supporting column 62
Gasket 7
Upper flange 71
Lower flange 72
ring wall 73
Main body 8
Ball joint 9
Air intake insert 91
Orifice 911
O-ring 92
Air inlet 93
Containing chamber 11
air chamber 12
secondary air inlets 13
expansion and mixing space 14
pressure chamber 15

Detailed Description of Embodiments

With regard to the figures, a preferably but not necessarily oxygenated overhead shower with a self-cleaning spout comprises a fixing base 2, a shutter 3, a spring 4, a water distribution part 5, a surface cover 6, a gasket 7 and a main body 8.
The fixing base 2 and the main body 8 are locked together to form a containing chamber 11, and the shutter 3, the spring 4, the water distribution part 5, the surface cover 6 and the gasket 7 are arranged in the containing chamber 11.
The surface cover 6 comprises or forms a spout 61 and a supporting column 62 protruding from the spout 61.
The water distribution part 5 comprises or forms a through hole 52 and one or more cleaning pins 51 positioned in alignment with the spout holes of the spout 61.
The supporting column 62 of the surface cover 6 extends through the through hole 52 of the water distribution part 5 and is fixed to the shutter 3, in a manner that the surface cover 6 is movable with respect to the water distribution part 5. In an initial state of the shower (with the water flow turned off), the cleaning pin or pins 51 of the water distribution part 5 is inserted or protrudes into the spout holes of the spout 61 of the surface cover 6. When the water flow is turned on, the surface cover 6 drives the spout 61 to detach the spout hole or holes from the cleaning pin or pins 51, and the shower sprays water through the spout holes of spout 61 to the outside. When the water supply or flow is turned off, the surface cover 6 drives the spout 61 to reset (to move back in a rest position) whereby the cleaning pin or pins 51 of the water distribution part 5 automatically penetrate the (spout holes of) the spout 61 of the surface cover and remove dirt and impurities accumulated therein.
The spring 4 is installed on the supporting column 62 of the surface cover 6, with a first spring end abutting against the shutter 3, and a second spring end abutting against the water distribution part 5, thereby biasing the spout 61 of the surface cover 6 permanently elastically towards the water distribution part 5.
The supporting column 62 of the surface cover 6 may be fixed to the shutter 3 by a variety of different connecting means. In accordance with an embodiment, the supporting column 62 of the surface cover 6 may have a hollow, e.g. threaded tube shape, and the shutter 3 may have a, e.g. flange shaped pressing part 31 and a, e.g. threaded tubular, fixing part 32. The threaded portion of the hollow supporting column 62 of the surface cover 6 may be thread connected with the fixing part 32 of the shutter 3 so that the (e.g. flange shaped) pressing part 31 of the shutter 3 presses against (e.g. the free end) of the supporting column 62.
The shower may further include a ball joint 9, an air intake insert 91 and a waterproof O-ring 92. The air intake insert 91 and O-ring 92 are arranged in the ball joint 9 and form together an air intake assembly. The ball joint 9, air intake insert 91 and O-ring 92 define together an air chamber 12 around the air intake insert 91. The ball joint 9 forms air inlets 93 which allow air to be sucked from an outside of the ball joint 9 to its inside, particularly into the air chamber 12. The air intake insert 91 forms a Venturi type channel and one or more secondary air inlets 13 extending through a side wall of the air intake insert 91 from the air chamber 12 in the Venturi type channel, so that a water flow through the Venturi-type channel will generate a pressure gradient which sucks environmental air through the air inlets 93 of the ball joint 9, the air chamber 12 and the secondary air inlets 13 into the Venturi-type channel inside the air intake insert 91 and mix the sucked in air into the water flow to increase its oxygen content, which is beneficial to the bathers health and helps saving water.
In accordance with an embodiment, the Venturi-type channel of the air intake insert 91 may form narrow orifices 911 adapted to accelerate a water flow therethrough and, downstream of the narrow orifices 911, an expansion and mixing space 14 having a greater flow section than the narrow orifices 911 and into which the secondary air inlets 13 open.
In an embodiment, the ball joint 9 may be fluid connected and fixed to the fixing base 2 by means of a connecting nut 1. The connecting nut 1 may have an annular flange portion and a tubular wall portion connected thereto. An inner surface of the tubular wall portion of the connecting nut 1 may form an internal thread which can be screw connected with a corresponding external thread formed on an external surface of a tubular mounting seat 21 of the fixing base 2.
As can be seen in figures 2 and 3, the ball joint 9 extends through the connecting nut 1 and is rotatably received in the mounting seat 21 of the fixing base 2 so that and the air inlet 93 of the ball joint 9 is exposed outside the connecting nut 1. The connecting nut 1 is screw connected with the mounting seat 21 of the fixing base 2, thereby restraining the ball joint 9 in the mounting seat 21 of the fixing base 2 and allowing adjustment of the water outflow angle of the overhead shower. As illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, a ring-shaped gasket 7 can be interposed between the main body 8, the fixing base 2, the distribution part 5 and the surface cover 6 to achieve water tight sealing therebetween.
In accordance with an embodiment, the gasket 7 may have a "Z" shaped or a "C" shaped cross-sectional shape. More particularly, the gasket 7 can form an upper flange 71 and a lower flange 72 connected by a ring wall 73, wherein a bottom surface of the upper flange 71 abuts against the main body 8, a top surface of the upper flange 71 abuts against the water distribution part 5 and the fixing base 2, so that the upper flange 71 is sealingly clamped between the water distribution part 5 and the fixing base 2 from above and the main body 8 from below. A bottom surface of the lower flange 72 abuts (with an underside thereof) against the main body 8 and the surface cover 6 is arranged to abut against (and sealingly clamp the lower gasket flange 72 between the surface cover 6 and the main body 8) and detach from the a top surface of the lower flange 72 in a movable manner, such that, when water flows through the shower, the surface cover 6 abuts against the top surface of the lower flange 72 of the gasket 7 and, when the water supply is turned off, the surface cover 6 detaches from the top surface of the lower flange 72. The shower adopts mechanical or hydrodynamic sealing and automatic sealing can be achieved in dependency of the water pressure acting on the components of the shower. Of course, the gasket 7 can also adopt other shapes, as long as it can maintain the water tightness of the overhead shower.
With reference to the exemplary embodiment in Figure 4, the fixing base 2 forms a, preferably but not necessarily dome-shaped, cavity 22 facing the shutter 3 and adapted to define together with the shutter 3 a pressure chamber. The dome-shaped cavity 22 maintains the pressure chamber 15 space comparatively small so that a water pressure can be built up inside the pressure chamber 15 more easily and without any need of any additional devices.
When the shower is in its initial state, the shutter 3 abuts against the fixing base 2 due to the elastic force of the spring 4, and the surface cover 6 (which is screwed on the shutter 3) is elastically hold against the water distribution part 5, so that the cleaning pin or pins 51 of the water distribution part 5 penetrate into the spout holes of spout 61 of the surface cover 6.
As illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, when water flows through the fixing base 2, a water pressure builds up in the pressure chamber 15 between the fixing base 2 and the shutter 3, which water pressure pushes the shutter 3 to move against the spring 4 force (downward) away from the fixing base 2. This (downward movement of the shutter 3) compresses the spring 4 against an elastic reaction force and drives the surface cover 6 to move (downward and) away from the water distribution part 5, so that the hole or holes of the spout 61 of the surface cover 6 detach from the cleaning pin or pins 51 of the water distribution part 5. Thus, the shower will spray water. When the water supply is turned off, the water pressure drops, and the spring 4 automatically resets (expands) under the elastic force and drives the surface cover 6 to move toward the water distribution part 5 so that the cleaning pin or pins 51 of the water distribution part 5 penetrate the spout holes of spout 61 and automatically remove dirt and impurities accumulated therein, so as to achieve the self-cleaning function.
Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, it is not the intention of the applicant to limit the scope of the invention to such particular embodiments, but to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims

A self-cleaning overhead shower, comprising:
- a fixing base (2) and a main body (8) locked together to form a containing chamber (11),

- a shutter (3) arranged in the containing chamber (11),

- a surface cover (6) arranged in the containing chamber (11) and forming a spout (61) and a supporting column (62) protruding from the spout (61),

- a water distribution part (5) arranged in the containing chamber (11) and forming a through hole (52) and one or more cleaning pins (51) positioned in alignment with spout holes of the spout (61),
wherein the supporting column (62) of the surface cover (6) extends through the through hole (52) of the water distribution part (5) and is fixed to the shutter (3) in a manner that the surface cover (6) is movable with respect to the water distribution part (5) between an attached position in which the at least one cleaning pin (51) penetrates the at least one spout hole of the spout (61) and a detached position in which the at least one cleaning pin (51) is detached from the at least one spout hole of the spout (61),

- a spring (4) arranged in the containing chamber (11) and acting between the shutter (3) and the water distribution part (5) such that the spout (61) of the surface cover (6) is elastically biased in the attached position and a water pressure acting on the shutter (3) moves the shutter (3) together with the spout (61) in the detached position.
The self-cleaning overhead shower according to Claim 1, in which the supporting column (62) of the surface cover (6) has a hollow threaded shape and the shutter (3) has a flange shaped pressing part (31) and a threaded tubular fixing part (32), wherein the threaded portion of the hollow supporting column (62) is screwed on the fixing part (32) of the shutter (3) so that the pressing part (31) of the shutter (3) presses against the supporting column (62).
The self-cleaning overhead shower according to Claim 1 or 2, comprising:
- a ball joint (9) defining a passage hole

- an air intake insert (91) and a waterproof O-ring (92) arranged in the passage hole of the ball joint (9) and defining together an air chamber (12) around the air intake insert (91),

- at least one air inlet (93) formed in a side wall of the ball joint (9) and allowing air to be sucked from an outside of the ball joint (9) into the air chamber (12),

- at least one secondary air inlet (13) extending through a side wall of the air intake insert (91) from the air chamber (12) in a Venturi type channel of the air intake insert (91), so that a water flow through the Venturi-type channel sucks environmental air through the air inlet (93) of the ball joint (9), the air chamber (12) and the secondary air inlets (13) into the Venturi-type channel inside the air intake insert (91) and mix the sucked in air into the water flow.
The self-cleaning overhead shower according to Claim 3, in which the Venturi-type channel of the air intake insert (91) forms:
- narrow orifices (911) adapted to accelerate a water flow therethrough and,

- downstream of the narrow orifices (911), an expansion and mixing space (14) having a greater flow section than the narrow orifices (911), the secondary air inlets (13) opening into said expansion and mixing space (14).
The self-cleaning overhead shower according to claim 3 or 4, in which the ball joint (9) is fluid connected and fixed to the fixing base (2) by means of a connecting nut (1) having an annular flange portion and an internally threaded tubular wall portion screwed on an externally threaded tubular mounting seat (21) of the fixing base (2),
wherein the ball joint (9) extends through the connecting nut (1) and is rotatably received in the mounting seat (21) of the fixing base (2) so that and the air inlet (93) of the ball joint (9) is exposed outside the connecting nut (1).
The self-cleaning overhead shower according to any one of the preceding claims, in which a ring-shaped gasket (7) is interposed between the main body (8), the fixing base (2), the distribution part (5) and the surface cover (6).
The self-cleaning overhead shower according to claim 6, in which said gasket (7) has a "Z" shaped or a "C" shaped cross-sectional shape.
The self-cleaning overhead shower according to claim 6 or 7, in which the gasket (7) forms an upper flange (71), a ring wall (73) and a lower flange (72),
wherein a bottom surface of the upper flange (71) abuts against the main body (8) and a top surface of the upper flange (71) abuts against both the water distribution part (5) and the fixing base (2), so that the upper flange (71) is sealingly clamped between the water distribution part (5) and the fixing base (2) from one side and the main body (8) from the other side,
wherein a bottom surface of the lower flange (72) abuts against the main body (8) and the surface cover (6) is arranged to:
- abut against a top surface of the lower flange (72) to clamp the lower flange (72) between the surface cover (6) and the main body (8) when the spout (61) is in the detached position, and

- detach from the top surface of the lower flange (72) when the spout (61) is in the attached position,
such that, when water flows through the shower, the surface cover (6) abuts against the top surface of the lower flange (72) of the gasket (7) and, when a water supply is turned off, the surface cover (6) detaches from the top surface of the lower flange (72).
The self-cleaning overhead shower according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the fixing base (2) forms a cavity (22) facing the shutter (3) and adapted to define together with the shutter (3) a pressure chamber that is smaller than the containing chamber (11), wherein a water pressure built up inside the pressure chamber (15) moves the shutter (3) together with the surface cover (6) in said detached position.