GB2403168A

GB2403168A - Shower head

Info

Publication number: GB2403168A
Application number: GB0314596A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Patrick Cheek
Original assignee: Aqualisa Products Ltd
Current assignee: Aqualisa Products Ltd
Priority date: 2003-06-23
Filing date: 2003-06-23
Publication date: 2004-12-29
Anticipated expiration: 2023-06-23
Also published as: GB2403168B; GB0314596D0

Abstract

A shower head includes a housing 18 having a face plate 14 defining a plurality of through holes forming jet outlets 16 and ducting 24 for receiving a supply of water and extending into a cavity defined by the housing. The ducting has defined therein an opening 34 located within the cavity for supplying water to the cavity and the through holes, wherein the opening is positioned and orientated within the shower head so that, with the face plate facing downwards, the opening faces upwards and gravity pulls the surface of any water at the opening inwardly of the ducting. In the preferred embodiment, the ducting comprises a ducting member and a cup member 26, wherein the ducting member has an outlet 32 which is formed below the level 30 of the cup member outlet.

Description

2403 1 68

SHOWER HEAD

The present Invention relates to a shower head, in particular a shower head and a method of reducing dripping from the shower head.

It is well known to provide showers of the general type illustrated schematically in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings. A shower head 2 having a face plate 4 forming jet outlets 6 is mounted on a wall or ceiling. A valve 8 controls flow from a water supply and pipework 10a, 10b and 10c connects the valve 8 to the shower head 2.

This previous arrangement is undesirable, because, when valve 8 is turned off, water drips from the face plate 4 of the shower head 2. In particular, even with a good seal in the valve 8 and the resulting reduced pressure in the upward pipe 1 Oa, water will slowly drip from the shower head 2, then the downward pipe 10c and then the transverse pipe 1 Ob.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or at least reduce this problem.

According to the present invention, there is provided a method of reducing dripping from a shower head having a face plate defining a plurality of through holes forming jet outlets and a cavity for supplying water to the through holes, the method including: dueling water into the cavity from an opening positioned and orientated within the shower head so that, with the face plate facing downwards, the opening faces upwards and gravity pulls the surface of any water at said opening inwardly of the ducting.

According to the present invention, there is also provided a shower head including: a housing having a face plate defining a plurality of through holes forming jet outlets; and ducting for receiving a supply of water and extending into a cavity defined by the housing, the ducting having defined therein an opening located within the cavity for supplying water to the cavity and the through holes; wherein the opening is positioned and orientated within the shower head so that, with the face plate facing downwards, the opening faces upwards and gravity pulls the surface of any water at the opening inwardly of the ducting.

In this way, water at the opening is held in place and gravity does not pull against its surface tension to cause small drips of water to break away. Indeed, by virtue of the present invention, surface tension becomes unimportant. By preventing the small drips of water to break away, the reduced pressure water contained in any pipework leading from the supply valve is retained, thereby preventing further loss of water. Any dripping from the shower head is limited to the volume of water within the shower head down stream of the opening. Hence, preferably, the volume of water between the opening and the face plate should be as small as possible.

It will be appreciated that a further advantage for reduced dripping will be reduced scaling of the face plate.

The shower head could be mounted with the face plate at a slight angle from 1 S horizontal. Indeed, in a preferred embodiment, a ballpoint can be provided allowing, for instance, 20 degrees of movement. Despite this, the face plate can still be considered as facing downwards and the opening should be orientated accordingly.

In general, the opening should face away from the face plate and is preferably orientated parallel with the face plate.

This provides a good compromise for reducing dripping in all orientations of the shower head.

Preferably, the ducting includes a cup-shaped member having a peripheral wall with an outer edge defining an open side facing away from the face plate.

In this way, during use, water from the supply flows over the outer edge of the peripheral wall so as to supply the jet outlets.

However, once the supply Is turned off, water will sit in the cup-shaped member with its surface level with the outer edge. Hence, dripping is limited to the water outside of the cup-shaped member.

Preferably, the upper opening formed from the open side and defined by the peripheral wall is as high as possible (as far from the face plate as possible) and the cup-shaped member should be as wide as possible with the lower boundary formed from the bottom wall of the cup-shaped member as low as possible (as close to the face plate as possible).

Preferably, the ducting includes a ducting member for receiving the supply of water, the ducting member having defined therein an outlet located within the cup- shaped member.

In this way, the water is supplied to the cup-shaped member.

Preferably, the ducting member extends into the cup-shaped member through the open side and the opening is defined in the open side between the outer edge of the peripheral wall and an outer surface of the ducting member.

In this way, the ducting member supplies water to the shower head in a conventional downward direction towards the back surface of the face plate.

However, by virtue of the cup-shaped member, the previous problem of dripping from the downward supply is prevented or at least reduced. So as to reduce the amount of water available for dripping from the shower head, the upward facing opening should be positioned as high as possible within the head and the lower face of cup-shaped member as low as possible.

With the face plate facing downwards, the lowest point of the outer edge of the peripheral wall is above the highest point of the outlet.

Thus, all of the outer edge of the peripheral wall may be further from the face plate than any part of the outlet.

In this way, the cup-shaped member retains the water in the ducting member.

According to the present invention there may also be provided a shower assembly including a shower head as defined above, together with a valve for controlling water flow and pipework for connecting the valve to the shower head.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure I illustrates schematically a known shower arrangement; Figure 2 illustrates schematically a cross section through a shower head embodying the present invention;

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Figure 3 illustrates schematically cut away portions of the embodiment of Figure 2; Figure 4 illustrates schematically a shower assembly embodying the present invention; Figures S(a) and (b) illustrate a preferred embodiment.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated schematically in Figures 2 and 3.

The shower head 12 of this embodiment includes a face plate 14 defining a plurality of through holes 16 which form jet outlets for the shower.

The shower head 12 is formed from a housing 18 which defines within it a cavity 20 supplying water to the through holes and jet outlets 16.

Ducting 22 can be connected to a supply of water and provides water to the cavity 20.

As illustrated, the ducting 22 includes a ducting member 24 which extends inwardly of the housing 18 into the cavity 20. The ducting 22 also includes a cup shaped member 26 within the cavity 20. The cup-shaped member 26 includes a peripheral wall 28 having an outer edge 30.

The ducting member 24 extends into the cup-shaped member 26. In particular, the ducting member 24 defines by its lowermost periphery 43 an outlet 32 which is positioned below the outer edge 30 of the peripheral wall 28 of the cup shaped member 26. As illustrated, the ducting member 24 is provided as an open ended duct. However, it is also possible for the outlet of the ducting member 24 to be formed as one or more outlets in its peripheral walls.

By virtue of the ducting formed by the ducting member 24 and cup-shaped member 26, an opening 34 is formed into the cavity 20. In particular, the opening 34 is provided between the outer edge 30 of the peripheral wall 28 of the cup-shaped member 26 and the outer surface of the ducting member 24.

As illustrated, the opening 34 faces away from the face plate 14. Thus, with the face plate facing downwards (as illustrated), the opening 34 faces upwards.

During use, water is supplied to the shower head 12 via the ducting 22. By virtue of the water pressure, water is provided down through the ducting member 24 and then up out of the cup-shaped member 26 over the outer edge 30 of the peripheral wall 28 and into the cavity 20 so as to supply the through holes 16 ofthe face plate 14.

When a supply valve is turned off and the supply pressure ceases, water in the cavity 20 will flow out of the through holes 16. However, water at the opening 34 will be pulled downwards by gravity, such that the surface of the water in the cup shaped member 26 will remain at the level of the opening 34. Hence, no dripping will occur from the opening 34.

Referring to Figure 4, when the supply valve 40 is turned off, the weight of water in the downward supply pipe 42c will cause a reduced pressure in the upward supply of pipe 42a and transverse supply pipe 42b. As a result of this reduced pressure, the water in the downward supply pipe 42c will be held in place. By virtue of the arrangement in the shower head 12 preventing dripping, air is prevented from moving into the pipework 42a, 42b and 42c, whereby the reduced pressure is maintained.

It should be appreciated that it is sufficient for the outlet 32 of the ducting member 24 to be below the opening 34. If the shower head 12 is orientated horizontally, then it is sufficient for the outlet surfaces 2 to be positioned closer than the opening 34 to the face plate 14, in other words, it is sufficient for there to be a finite distance between the outer edge 30 and the lowermost periphery 43. The minimum value for this distance will depend on the meniscus and viscosity of the liquid, which can be affected by the temperature. However, in certain applications, the distance could be as little as tom, though in practice a value of 0. lmm would be more realistic and values greater than lmm or 3mm could be used to allow for slight variations in manufacture or mounting of the shower head.

The shower head 12 may be orientated at a slight angle or, indeed, may be provided on a mounting, such as a ballpoint, to allow slight movement. Figures 5(a) and (b) illustrate a preferred embodiment having a ballpoint B allowing the head to move up by up to 17.5 degrees. The trap is arranged to function for angles of approximately 19 degrees (19.1 to 19.7 degrees as illustrated) and has the outer edge spaced axially from the lowermost periphery 43 by 14.5mm, i.e. in a direction along the general central axis of the shower head as illustrated and perpendicular to the general extent ofthe face plate as illustrated.

It will be appreciated that the effect of the present invention can be achieved with any ducting which provides an upwardly facing opening into the cavity 20.

Hence, the ducting member 24 could be provided at one side of the cupshaped member 26 and/or joined with it to form a U-tube.

Claims

1. A shower head including: a housing having a face plate defining a plurality of through holes forming jet outlets; and ducting for receiving a supply of water and extending into a cavity defined by the housing, the ducting having defined therein an opening located within the cavity for supplying water to the cavity and the through holes; wherein the opening is positioned and orientated within the shower head so that, with the face plate facing downwards, the opening faces upwards and gravity pulls the surface of any water at the opening inwardly of the ducting.

2. A shower head according to claim 1 wherein said opening faces away from the face plate.

3. A shower head according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the ducting includes a cup shaped member having a peripheral wall with an outer edge defining an open side facing away from the face plate.

4. A shower head according to claim 3 wherein the ducting includes a ducting member for receiving the supply of water, the ducting member having defined therein an outlet located within the cup-shaped member.

5. A shower head according to claim 4 wherein said ducting member extends into the cup-shaped member through said open side and said opening is defined in said open side between the outer edge of the peripheral wall and an outer surface of the ducting member.

6. A shower head according to claim 4 or 5 wherein, with the face plate facing downwards, the lowest point of the outer edge of the peripheral wall is above the highest point of the outlet.

7. A shower head according to claim 4, 5 or 6 wherein all of the outer edge of the peripheral wall is further from the face plate than any part of the outlet.

8. A shower assembly including: a shower head according to any preceding claim; a valve for controlling water flow; and pipework for connecting the valve to the shower head.

9. A method of reducing dripping from a shower head having a face plate l O defining a plurality of through holes forming jet outlets and a cavity for supplying water to the through holes, the method including: ducting water into the cavity from an opening positioned and orientated within the shower head so that, with the face plate facing downwards, the opening faces upwards and gravity pulls the surface of any water at said opening inwardly of the dusting.

10. A shower head constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by Figures 2 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A shower assembly constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by Figures 2 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

12. A method of reducing dripping from a shower head substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by Figures 2 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.