GB2377374A

GB2377374A - Shower system for entraining cleansing fluid

Info

Publication number: GB2377374A
Application number: GB0214540A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Lindsay Molyneux
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-07-09
Filing date: 2002-06-24
Publication date: 2003-01-15
Anticipated expiration: 2022-06-24
Also published as: GB0214540D0; WO2003006755A1; GB0116744D0; GB2377374B

Abstract

The shower system comprises a shower head 32 for connecting to a pressurised source of water and at least one housing 38 containing a source of cleansing fluid. A restriction 46 is located in the flow path of the water so that, upon flow of the pressurised water, it creates a region of increased pressure upstream of the restriction that acts to force cleansing fluid from the or each housing into the water stream via an outlet 42 downstream of the restriction, through the action of water at the inlet 40 of the housing upstream of the restriction. The restriction is preferably adjustable to as to vary the level of increased pressure and hence the volume of cleansing fluid forced into the water stream. The restriction is preferably formed from a manually operable plate member 48 which can be rotated between a position where it is substantially parallel with the flow of water and a position where it extends across the flow path and substantially blocks the flow of water. Valves 50 may be included to prevent or enable the release of cleansing fluid from a housing. The system is designed for use with shower gel, shampoo, hair conditioner etc. and may include a number of housings, one for each product.

Description

SHOWER SYSTEM FOR ENTRAINING CLEANSING FLUID This invention relates to a shower system for entraining cleansing fluid into the water stream of the shower.

Showering is a quick way of getting clean in a hurry, but there is a real problem doing so quickly and efficiently. Just how do you get the soap on while holding the shower head, or, conversely, how do you get the soap into the places that are hard to reach while leaving the shower head in a fixed position? Attempts have been made to introduce liquid soap or shower gel into the water stream of a shower, but most of these envisage expensive installations and/or complicated plumbing. Existing arrangements are typified by the disclosures of GB 2356561A, GB 2197786A, US 6233756, US 3763888, FR 2740156 Al and FR 2356400 Al.

It would be desirable to be able entrain liquid soap, shower gel or the like into the water stream to a shower in a simpler, cheaper and more efficient manner than heretofore.

According to the present invention there is provided a shower system for entraining cleansing fluid into the water stream of a shower, comprising a shower head with an outlet for connecting to a source of water under pressure and at

least one housing containing a source of cleansing fluid, characterised by, in the flow path of water to the outlet, a restriction which, on flow of pressurised water vs the outlet, creates a region of increased pressure upstream of the restriction thereby to force cleansing fluid from the housing into the water stream downstream of the restriction.

Preferably the restriction is adjustable to vary the level of increased pressure upstream of the restriction and therefore the volume of cleansing fluid forced into the water stream.

Conveniently the restriction comprises a manually operable plate member selectively movable between an inoperative position extending substantially parallel with the direction of flow of water and a fully obstructive position extending substantially transversely of the flow path to impede the flow of water therealong.

The or each housing may have an inlet thereto communicating with the flow path upstream of the restriction and an outlet therefrom communicating with the flow path downstream of the restriction.

If the pressure of the mains water supply is relatively low, the shower system may include a tube within the housing feeding from the inlet to the upper regions of the housing.

Preferably the shower system includes valve means operable to prevent or to enable release of the cleansing fluid into the water stream.

The valve means may be positioned within the outlet from the housing and may be manually operable to open/close said outlet.

The cleansing fluid may be shower gel.

Alternatively there may be three sources of cleansing fluid, one containing shower gel, one containing shampoo, and one containing hair conditioner.

By way of examples only, embodiments of the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a shower system according to the invention in the form of an adaptor, together with connectors shown separately, Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line II-II of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a vertical section through an alternative shower system according to the invention with the housing in the shower head.

Referring to Figs 1 and 2 the illustrated adaptor comprises a body indicated generally at 2 having a threaded inlet 4 and a threaded outlet 6 between which extends a flow path 8.

A connector 10 screws into the inlet 4 to connect with a source of mains water under pressure, and a connector 12 screws into the outlet 6 to connect with the shower tube of the associated shower system.

A housing or container 14 for shower gel is removably mounted on the body 2, the container having an inlet 16 and an outlet 18 both of which communicate with the flow path 8 as shown.

A manually operable control valve 20 enables the outlet 18 to be selectively closed or opened by screwing the valve up or down within the body 2.

A rotatable restriction is indicated generally at 22 and comprises a threaded shank 24 extending transversely through a wall of the body 2, the outer end of the shank 24 carrying a handle 26 by which the restriction can be manually rotated, and the inner end of the restriction 22 being in the form of a plate 28 positioned in the flow path 8 between the inlet 16 and outlet 18 of the container 14.

The plate can be selectively rotated between the inoperative position shown in the drawings in which it extends substantially parallel with the direction of flow of water along the path 8, and a fully displaced or obstructive position in which it extends transversely of the flow path, the fully displaced position being 90 rotated from the rest position.

In the inoperative position of the restriction 22, the presence of the plate 28 has little effect on the stream of mains water flowing along the path 8, whereby there is little pressure difference in the water flow at the inlet 16 and the outlet 18 of the container 14, and, with the valve 20 open, only little addition of gel to the water stream.

However, if the restriction 22 is turned so that the plate 28 impedes the water flow, and with the valve 20 open, pressure in the water stream rises upstream of the plate 28 creating a pressure differential across the plate 28 whereby water flows through the inlet 16 into the container 14 and forces gel from the container 14 through the outlet 18 and into the water downstream of the plate 28.

Clearly the rate of gel addition can be controlled by appropriate rotation of the restriction 22, maximum pressure differential, and therefore maximum gel addition, being achieved with full displacement of the plate 28 to its transverse condition.

For relatively low pressure system, the container 14 may include a tube 30 extending from the inlet 16 to the upper regions of the container 14 to facilitate ejection of gel from the container 14, such a tube not being necessary in higher pressure systems in which the jet of mains water

entering the container 14 effectively scours the container 14.

Instead of connecting the adaptor to the end of the shower tube remote from the shower head, the adaptor may be connected between the shower tube and the shower head, in which case the connector 10 would be screwed into the outlet 6 and the connector 12 would be screwed into the inlet 4.

Clearly the threads on the connectors 10,12 and of the inlet 4 and outlet 6, as well as the threads of the valve 20 and the restriction 22 can be chosen to suit local requirements, and are such as to enable location of the adaptor of the invention in any suitable position between a source of mains water under pressure and a shower head.

Although the above described adaptor uses just one fluid, more advanced models incorporate more than one container 18 for different fluids, each with its own associated valve 20 and restriction 22. Three containers, for example, offer a complete shower, one for gel, one for shampoo, and one for hair conditioner.

Fig. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention in which the means for entraining cleansing fluid are embodied in the shower head rather than comprising an adaptor separate from the shower head as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring to Fig. 3 a shower head 32 has an inlet 34 and an outlet 36 in conventional manner. Formed within the shower head 32 is a housing or compartment 38 having an inlet 40 and an outlet 42, a screw-threaded plug 44 providing access to the interior of the compartment 38 for charging thereof with cleansing fluid.

A restriction indicated generally at 46 in the form of a paddle 48 is provided in the flow path between the inlet 34 and the outlet 36, the paddle 48 being rotatable between an inoperative position and a fully obstructive position equivalent to those of the plate 28 in the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2.

A manually operable control valve 50 enables the outlet 42 to be selectively opened or closed by screwing the valve 50 up or down within the shower head.

The embodiment of Fig. 3 operates in the same way as detailed with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. As mentioned with reference to the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, more than one compartment 38, for example three compartment, may be incorporated in the shower head 32, one for gel, one for shampoo, and one for hair conditioner.

When patients are to undergo an operation they are often asked to shower with a disinfectant liquid agent. A shower system according to the invention would be a very

good method of ensuring good distribution of the agent on their body.

Claims

1. A shower system for entraining cleansing fluid into the water stream of a shower, comprising a shower head with an outlet for connecting to a source of water under pressure, at least one housing containing a source of cleansing fluid, and, in the flow path of water to the outlet, a restriction which, on flow of pressurised water to the outlet, creates a region of increased pressure upstream of the restriction thereby to force cleansing fluid from the housing into the water stream downstream of the restriction.

2. A shower system as claimed in claim 1 in which the or each housing is contained within an adaptor removably connected in the flow path of the water to the outlet.

3. A shower system as claimed in claim 1 in which the or each housing is contained within the shower head.

4. A shower system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 in which the restriction is adjustable to vary the level of increased pressure upstream of the restriction and therefore the volume of cleansing fluid forced into the water stream.

5. A shower system as claimed in claim 4 in which the restriction comprises a manually operable plate member (28) selectively movable between an inoperative position extending substantially parallel with the direction of flow of water to the outlet and a fully obstructive position extending substantially transversely of the flow path (8) to impede the flow of water therealong.

6. A shower system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 in which the or each housing has an inlet thereto communicating with the flow path upstream of the restriction and an outlet therefrom communicating with the flow path downstream of the restriction.

7. A shower system as claimed in claim 6, and including a tube within the housing feeding from the inlet to the upper regions of the housing.

8. A shower system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 and including valve means operable to prevent or to enable release of the cleansing fluid into the water stream.

9. A shower system as claimed in claim 8 together with claim 6 or claim 7 in which the valve means are positioned within the outlet from the housing and are manually operable to open/close said outlet.

10. A shower system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 in which the cleansing fluid is shower gel.

11. A shower system substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

11. A shower system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 in which there are three sources of cleansing fluid, one containing shower gel, one containing shampoo, and one containing hair conditioner.

12. A shower system substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

1. A shower system for entraining cleansing fluid into the water stream of a shower, comprising a shower head with an outlet for connecting to a source of water under pressure, at least one housing containing a source of cleansing fluid, and, in the flow path of water to the outlet, a restriction which, on flow of pressurised water to the outlet, creates a region of increased pressure upstream of the restriction thereby to force cleansing fluid from the or each housing into the water stream downstream of the restriction, the restriction being adjustable to vary the level of increased pressure upstream of the restriction and therefore the volume of cleansing fluid forced into the water stream.

4. A shower system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 in which the restriction comprises a manually operable

plate member selectively movable between an inoperative position extending substantially parallel with the direction of flow of water to the outlet and a fully obstructive position extending substantially transversely of the flow path to impede the flow of water therealong.

5. A shower system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the or each housing has an inlet thereto communicating with the : low path upstream of the restriction and an outlet therefrom communicating with the flow path downstream of the restriction.

6. A shower system as claimed in claim 5, and including a tube within the or each housing feeding from the inlet to a region of the or each housing remote from the inlet.

7. A shower system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 and including valve means operable to prevent or to enable release of the cleansing fluid into the water stream.

8. A shower system as claimed in claim 7 together with claim 5 or claim 6 in which the valve means are positioned

within the outlet from the or each housing and are manually operable to open/close said outlet.

9. A shower system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 in which the cleansing fluid is shower gel.

10. A shower system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 in which there are three sources of cleansing fluid, one containing shower gel, one containing shampoo, and one containing hair conditioner.