GB2461746A

GB2461746A - A shower rail which can swing out from the wall

Info

Publication number: GB2461746A
Application number: GB0812805A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Henrik Moore
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-07-12
Filing date: 2008-07-12
Publication date: 2010-01-20
Also published as: GB0812805D0

Abstract

A vertical rail 24, to receive the holder 52 of a showerhead 12, is pivotable about a vertical axis so that it can be folded against wall 6 or swung out. The rail is pivotally held by brackets 54 at both ends. The brackets may include a through bore along the pivot axis. The connections 10 between the showerhead 12, the hose 2 and the water outlet 4 are preferably axially rotatable. The showerhead can detach from its holder. Independently claimed the rail 24 is rigidly attached to the wall 6 and an elongate holder 20 could pivot around it.

Description

Shower Rail The present invention relates to the provision of improved shower assemblies especially suitable for use in showers installed above baths.

In order to provide the option of showering or bathing in a bathroom where there is insufficient space to provide both a bath and a separate shower enclosure it is common to install shower fittings above the bath. The bath is used as the bottom part of a shower enclosure. Typically the bath is installed adjacent at least two walls of the bathroom, with one wall running along one side of the bath and the other running along one end of the bath. A shower curtain or shower screen fitted about the side(s) of the bath not provided with walls completes the upper part of the shower enclosure.

Whilst such arrangements are commonly used there are some difficulties associated with installation and obtaining a good showering experience.

Modern baths are often narrow (700mm) resulting in a restricted space for showering comfortably. The shower fittings are often located above the bath on a wall or panel above the end of the bath where the taps are fitted.

In a typical arrangement a hot and a cold water supply is piped behind the end wall of the bath to a mixer valve sited on the wall at the bath end. The water from the mixer valve outlet is then led through a flexible hose to a showerhead.

The showerhead is releasably mounted on a showerhead holder to a shower rail assembly, which has a vertically disposed shower rail. The releasable mounting of the showerhead allows the use of the showerhead, when detached from the rail, for example for washing the hair when seated in the bath.

The showerhead when mounted on the showerhead holder can be moved up and down on the shower rail and angled to provide a chosen direction of spray.

Alternative water supply to the shower hose can be from a box mounted on the end wall of the bath that contains an electric heater which heats a cold water supply to a selected temperature, a so called "instant" shower. The box includes controls for adjusting temperature which in turn regulates the flow rate of the water. In another example the shower box may also include a pump to increase t water flow rate in a gravity fed installation and hence pressure/volume of water through the showerhead spray plate, a "power" shower. Alternatively a power shower system may include a pump installed close to the hot water supply which is controlled from the shower box.

Generally the mixer valve or shower box is fitted to the wall at the end of the bath in a side-by-side relationship with the shower rail. This arrangement has the advantage that the controls for the mixer valve or instant shower can be located at a convenient height for a user whilst at the same time the shower rail can allow the showerhead to be vertically positioned at a height to suit most users of the shower.

However, this arrangement also presents certain disadvantages. In a narrow bath, a shower user has restricted ability to move about under the spray pattern to obtain an effective cleaning action. Indeed because of the curvature at all sides of a typical bath bottom a user can generally only move up and down the centre line of the bath and cannot approach very closely to the bath end wall.

Therefore the spray from the showerhead should ideally be directed down the centre line of the bath and sufficiently away from the end wall so as to make it easy for a user to clean himself/herself easily. At the same time it is desirable that the showerhead and associated hose and rail should not intrude into the space above the bath when not required for showering.

If the shower rail is not centrally located on the bath end wall, directing the water from the showerhead into the middle of the end of the bath onto a user can be difficult.

This is especially so where a typical shower rail arrangement is used. In such an arrangement the rail is close to the wall and the showerhead attached by a holder which is a joint/clamp holding the showerhead close to the rail so that it has to be angled to project the spray outwards from the end wall as well as downwards in order to reach a shower user.

Alternatively if the shower rail is positioned centrally on the end wall of the bath then the mixer valve or shower box is displaced to one side or the other and can have restricted access.

It is an object of the present invention to provide shower rails, assemblies and installations that avoid or at least reduce one or more of the aforementioned disadvantages.

According to a first aspect the present invention provides a shower assembly, for installation to a wall or a panel above a bath and comprising: a hose having a first end attachable to a water supply fitted to a said wall or panel by a swivel connector which allows free rotation of the hose about its longitudinal axis, and a second end formed for attachment to a shower head; a shower head attachable in use to the second end of the hose; a rail assembly, having an elongate rail member and being formed and arranged for substantially parallel and vertical attachment of the rail member to a said wall or panel in use; an extension arm projecting away from the shower rail in use and having a first clamp end formed for pivoting about and releasable clamping to the rail member and a second holder end formed for holding said shower head; whereby in use with the shower head held in the extension arm attached to the rail member the shower head may be moved from a first showering position where the extension arm projects outwards from the wall or panel above the bath to a second stowed position where the extension arm, shower head and hose lie close to or adjacent the wall or panel.

The arrangement has several benefits, by selecting a suitable length extension arm the showerhead can be placed (in the first position) so as to be well away from the wall and directly above a user's head, thereby allowing the shower head to direct water straight down onto the user rather than outwards and downwards from close to the wall as in prior art arrangements. This gives a more even distribution of water to the user's body and provides more room for movement, as the user does not need to stand close to the end wall when showering.

On the other hand the showerhead and its attached hose can be neatly stowed away to one side or the other of the *rail member and against the wall (the second position) when the shower is not in use. By virtue of the swivel connector on the hose the hose is not strained or twisted when moving between these two positions and so lies in a relaxed fashion between the water outlet and the showerhead.

Therefore when in the second position where the showerhead end of the hose is adjacent the wall or panel the hose will conform closely to the wall in a tidy fashion.

The shower assembly of the invention allows advantageous fitting of a shower to a wall or panel above a bath, on an end wall or panel, that is particularly suited to a typical narrow bath with limited showering space as described above. The water outlet and mixer valve, can be centrally located on the wall or panel above the bath end. At the same time the rail assembly can also be centrally fitted above the bath end allowing the showerhead (when the extension arm is in the first position) to be placed directly above the user's head. The shower assembly then allows stowage (second position of the extension arm) of the showerhead and the hose, without unsightly twisting or kinking of the hose, which can reduce its working life.

Thus according to a second aspect the present invention provides a shower installation for use above a bath comprising: a shower assembly comprising a hose having a first end attached to a water supply fitted centrally to an end wall or end panel above a said bath by a swivel connector which allows free rotation of the hose about its longitudinal axis, and a second end attached to a shower head; a rail assembly fitted centrally to said wall or panel and having a rail member substantially vertical and parallel to said wall or panel and above said water supply; an extension arm projecting away from the rail member in use and having a first clamp end formed for pivoting about

S

and releasable clamping to the rail member and a second holder end formed for holding said shower head; whereby in use with the shower head held in the extension arm attached to the rail member the shower head may be moved from a first showering position where the extension arm projects outwards from the wall or panel centrally above the bath to a second stowed position where the extension arm, shower head and hose lie close to or adjacent the wall or panel.

It will be appreciated that with the shower assembly and shower installations of the invention the extension arm and showerhead can be raised or lowered on the rail member of the shower rail to a desired height as with conventional assemblies and installations. Furthermore the extension arm and hence the showerhead can be pivoted to positions intermediate between the first and second positions as desired. For example when the shower assembly is not installed with the rail member centrally located, a user may position the extension arm at a chosen angle with the respect to the wall or panel so as to position the showerhead centrally above the bath.

Advantageously the holder end of the extension arm is formed to releasably hold the showerhead. This allows the showerhead to be detached from the extension arm. For example, for hair washing when seated in the bath or f or spraying the bath surface when cleaning it.

Advantageously the showerhead may have a handle with the spray plate at one end and at the other end the hose connector is formed for fitting to the holder on the extension arm of the assembly i.e. the showerhead may be of the conventional form with the water running from the hose through the handle to the spray plate.

When the showerhead has such a handle preferably the showerhead is rotatable in use about the end fitted to the holder on the extension arm. This allows even more flexibility in the positioning of the showerhead when showering using the assembly or installation of the invention. The position of the spray plate may be adjusted both by moving the extension arm and also by rotating the showerhead about its connection to the holder.

Advantageously for both the shower assembly and the shower installation of the first and second aspects of the invention the second end of the hose is connected to the showerhead by means of a swivel connector allowing free rotation of the hose about its longitudinal axis. This arrangement prevents twisting or kinking of the hose even when the showerhead is rotatable in the holder of the extension arm.

It will be appreciated that the holder for the showerhead on the extension arm may be formed and arranged to allow pointing of the showerhead (i.e. directing of the water flowing from the spray plate) over a wide range of angles, both horizontal and vertical, as in conventional showering assemblies. For example the holder may take the form of a collar into which the end of the showerhead, attached to the hose, fits. The collar is attached to the extension arm by means of a moveable joint which allows the direction of water flow from the spray plate to be set as desired.

The rail assembly used for the shower assembly and installation may be of the conventional form i.e. a tube or other elongate member forming the rail member, to which the extension arm attaches. The rail is typically attached to a wall or a panel by means of fitting brackets attached at either end of the rail member. Typically the brackets are themselves elongate members projecting from the rail so that when the rail is fixed in position, vertically and parallel to the wall or panel, there is a small space between the wall (or panel) and the rail. This allows easy attachment of and sliding up and down movement and pivoting of the extension arm as desired.

Whilst the shower assembly and installation described above may be used with most mixer valve arrangements in some circumstances the fitting of the shower rail may not be ideal. For example, electrically heated showers and shower arrangements (power showers) comprising a shower box containing not only controls but also a heater or a pump.

These arrangements require a greater wall surface or panel surface area than typical exposed or concealed mixer valves which simply mix a hot and cold water supply. This can lead to some difficulty in providing an easy to use and effective installation in a confined showering space. For example when it is desired to provide a centrally located shower rail and a centrally located shower box.

An alternative shower assembly and corresponding installation comprising a novel shower rail assembly can provide the benefits of the assembly and installation described above and also addresses these issues.

Thus according to a third aspect the present invention provides a shower rail assembly comprising: an elongate rail member; and at least one bracket assembly having a proximal end formed and arranged for attachment to said rail member and a distal end comprising a pivot fitting attachable to a wall or panel in use, the bracket assembly being formed and arranged f or substantially vertical and parallel attachment of the rail member to a said wall or panel and to allow pivoting of the rail member about a vertical axis adjacent the wall or panel in use.

A rail member that pivots about the distal end of a bracket that attaches it to a wall or panel can be part of a shower assembly that provides the same advantages as the shower rail and extension arm assembly of the first aspect of the invention described above. As the rail member pivots about a vertical axis adjacent the wall or panel, a shower head attached to the rail member, can be moved by the motion of the rail member from a first showering position where the shower head is above the bath (the rail member is away from the wall or panel) to a stowed second position where the shower head is adjacent the wall or panel (the rail member is adjacent the wall or panel). By this arrangement, with a suitably long bracket the showerhead can be positioned directly above a shower user. A suitable length of bracket for a given bath arrangement is easily determined by consideration of the dimensions of the bath (width of bath surround and curvature of the bottom of the bath sides) and -13 -the desired distance of the showerhead over the bath when in the first position.

An advantage of this pivoting rail arrangement is that the shower rail can be fitted so that in use the rail member may be positioned so as to be in front of a mixer valve or shower box. i.e. the rail member can be moved about the pivot so as to be in front of a mixer valve or shower box.

This means that a showerhead attached to the rail member can also be directly in front of the mixer valve or shower box. Therefore where space is restricted or the shower box is large it is possible with this shower rail to provide a shower installation where both the shower box and rail assembly are centrally located and the rail member can extend to any practical length, allowing a showerhead to be placed at a desired height above a bath.

Thus according to a fourth aspect the present invention provides a shower assembly for installation to a wall or a panel above a bath and comprising: a hose having a first end attachable to a water supply fitted to a said wall or panel and a second end formed for attachment to a shower head; a shower head attachable in use to the second end of the hose; and a shower rail assembly comprising an elongate rail member; a shower head holder formed for pivoting about and releasable clamping to the rail member; and at least one bracket assembly having a proximal end formed and arranged for attachment to said rail member and a distal end comprising a pivot fitting attachable to a said wall or panel in use, the bracket assembly being formed and arranged for substantially vertical and parallel attachment of the rail member to a said wall or panel and to allow pivoting of the rail member about a vertical axis adjacent the wall or panel in use; whereby in use with the shower head held in the shower head holder attached to the rail member the shower head may be moved from a first showering position where the rail member is distal from the wall or panel to a second stowed position where the rail member, shower head and hose lie close to or adjacent the wall or panel.

As with the shower assembly of the first aspect of the invention the shower assembly of the fourth aspect can be provided with a swivel connector at the first end or at both ends of the hose in order to prevent twisting of the hose and to allow neat stowage of the hose when the rail is pivoted to the second position. The showerhead holder may be of any of the conventional designs used with conventional shower rails, providing any desired range of angular movement for the showerhead when it is held.

Preferably the showerhead is releasably detachable from the holder. Preferably the showerhead has a handle with the spray plate at one end and the other end formed for fitting to the holder on the rail member i.e. the showerhead may be of the conventional form with the water running from the hose through the handle to the spray plate.

The shower assembly of the fourth aspect may form part of a shower installation. Thus according to a fifth aspect the present invention provides a shower installation for use above a bath comprising: a shower assembly comprising a hose having a first end attached to a water supply fitted centrally to an end wall or end panel above a said bath and a second end attached to a shower head; a shower rail assembly comprising an elongate rail member; a shower head holder formed for pivoting about and releasable clamping to the rail member; and at least one bracket assembly having a proximal end attached to said rail member and a distal end comprising a pivot fitting centrally attached to a said wall or panel, the bracket assembly being formed and arranged for substantially vertical and parallel attachment of the rail member to said wall or panel and allowing pivoting of the rail member about a vertical axis adjacent the wall or panel; whereby in use with the shower head held in the shower head holder attached to the rail member the shower head may be moved from a first showering position where the rail member is distal from the wall or panel and the shower head is centrally above the bath to a second stowed position where the rail member, shower head and hose lie close to or adjacent the wall or panel.

The shower rail, shower assembly and shower installation of the third, fourth and fifth aspects of the invention have a shower rail assembly with at least one bracket assembly.

Whilst one bracket assembly can be sufficient to support and allow pivoting of the rail member it is preferred that at least two bracket members be employed. An arrangement with two bracket members provides more secure fixing to a wall or panel.

Preferably the shower rail assembly is provided with a bracket assembly at each end of the rail member. The wall space between the bracket assemblies is therefore left free for placement of mixer valves, shower boxes or other items such as soap dishes or shelves or cabinets for items such as shampoos and shower gels. Conveniently a combination shower box and storage cabinet can be provided as part of the shower installation, located between bracket assemblies of the shower rail assembly.

Advantageously where the shower rail of the third aspect of the invention is employed a bracket assembly of the shower rail assembly may comprise a through bore. For example the water supply conduit may pass from a shower box downwards through a through bore in a bottom bracket assembly of a shower rail assembly and then connects to the showerhead by a swivel connection.

Advantageously the through bore is formed through the pivot of the pivot fitting. As the pivot arm moves laterally when the shower rail is pivoted the connection through to the water supply remains fixed and separate from the pivot fitting in this arrangement.

Further preferred features and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following detailed description given by way of example of some preferred embodiments illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 shows a shower assembly and installation of the invention having an extension arm; Figs. la to le illustrate the use of the shower assembly of figure 1; Figs. 2 and 2a show a shower rail of the invention in use with a mixer valve; Fig. 3 shows a pivot bracket assembly for a shower rail of the invention; and Figs. 4, 5 and 5a show further shower installations of the invention.

Figure 1 shows a shower assembly 1 of the invention included in a shower installation on a wall at the end of a bath (see figure la). The shower assembly 1 comprises a flexible hose 2 connected to a water supply 4 on a wall 6 fed from a concealed mixer valve 8. The connection between the hose 2 and the water supply 4 is by means of a swivel connector 10, which allows free rotation of the hose 2 about its longitudinal axis, whilst sealing connection to the water supply 4 is maintained. The hose connects at its other end to a conventional showerhead 12 by means of a second swivel connector 14 of the same type as the connector 10 at the other end of the hose 2.

The showerhead 12 is releasably held in a holder 16 at the holder end 18 of an extension arm 20. A hose restraint 21 secures the hose 2 and showerhead 12 to the extension arm in case it is accidentally dropped. A clamp end 22 of the extension arm 20 releasably grips a rail member 24 of a conventional shower rail assembly 26, which includes fixing brackets 28,30 attaching the rail member 24 vertically and parallel to the wall 6. The extension arm 20 is rotatable about the rail member 24, and can be moved up and down to a selected height after pushing release button 32 on the clamp end 22 of the extension arm 20. After relocating the extension arm 20 the release button 32 is let go and the grip action of the clamp end 22 is restored.

As shown in figure 1 the extension arm 20 is in a second, stowed position against the wall 6 and the hose 2 also closely conforms to the wall 6. The hose 2 lies in a relaxed curve as the swivel connectors 10,14 prevent twisting or kinking irrespective of the position of the extension arm 20 or showerhead 12. If desired the showerhead 12 can be rotated in the holder 16 to place the spray plate 34 adjacent the wall 6 to stow the assembly even more closely to the wall.

Figure la shows in schematic end elevation the assembly 1 and installation of figure 1 but with the extension arm 20 in the first showering position where the showerhead 12 is extended well out from the end 34 of a bath 36 so as to allow the water 38 from the spray plate 40 of the showerhead 12 to be directed straight downwards onto a user who does not need to stand right at the end of the bath 34.

As with the stowed position the hose 2 is not twisted or kinked by virtue of swivel connectors 10 and 14. Figure lb shows in plan view the arrangement of the extension arm 20 and showerhead 12 as in figure la. It will be appreciated that the showerhead 12 when held in the holder 16 may be moved into many other positions depending on the requirements of the shower user. Plan views ic to le illustrate the range of movement possible. Figure ic shows the extension arm 20 fully out from the wall 6 and illustrates (curved arrow) the rotation of the showerhead 12 about the holder 16 with three possible positions shown.

Figures id and le show other possible showering positions with the extension arm 20 intermediate between the stowed position and its most extended position from the wall 6.

Figure 2 shows a shower rail 41 of the invention as part of a shower assembly 42 installed on a wall 6 at the end of a bath (not shown). The arrangement is generally the same as that shown in figure 1 except that the shower rail 41 has its rail member 24 attached to the wall 6 by means of two bracket assemblies 44,46 which connect to the wall 6 by pivots 48,50 which allow the rail member 24 to be pivoted from a position adjacent the wall 6 to a selected position away from the wall. In place of an extension arm as used in the assembly shown in figure 1 the showerhead is attached to the rail member by a conventional releasable clamp 52, which has a holder 16 for the showerhead 12. As with the assembly of figure 1 the hose 2 does not become twisted or kinked in moving the showerhead 12. In order to avoid unwanted movement of the rail member, for example when shower water pressure changes the pivots 48,50 are fitted with an internal friction brake 54 (see figure 3 discussed below). These brakes 54 allow pivoting of the rail member 24 but act to prevent rotation unless a shower user applies a moderate force.

As shown in the schematic plan view of figure 2a, moving the rail member 24 about the pivots 48,50 allows the showerhead 12 to be moved to a (first showering) position out over a bath in a similar fashion to that shown (using an extension arm) in figure lb. Figure 3 shows an exploded view of a bracket assembly 44 and its connection to a rail member 24. The assembly 44 has a proximal end 56 through which the rail member 24 fits and is secured by means of a screw 58 which has a clip on cover 60. An end cap 62 covers the top of the rail member 24. The distal end 64 of the bracket assembly 44 is a pivot fitting for attacbinent to a wall or panel. The fitting has a similar end cap 66 to that for the rail member to prevent water ingress. The distal end 64 has a pivot 68 fitting into a pivot block 70. Washer 72 aids rotation whilst locking ring 73 holds the assembly together. A friction brake 54 fits inside the pivot block and consists of a metal sheet spring 74 with two friction pads 76, which grip onto the hollow pivot 68 by virtue of the bias of the spring 74. This provides friction braking to the rotation of the bracket assembly 44 about the hollow pivot 68. A cover 78 completes the assembly, protecting the pivot and brake mechanism from water. Alternative means of providing an appropriate pivot mechanism will be readily apparent to a skilled man.

Figures 4 and 5 show the use of shower rail assemblies similar to those of figures 2 and 3 but in use with an "instant" electric shower unit 80. In figure 5 the unit 80 is conventional and the box 82 houses controls 84 and an electric heater. Water (from cold mains supply in this example) is fed into the box 82, where it is heated en route to the hose 2 via a through bore 86 in the bottom bracket assembly 46 and then swivel connector 10. This arrangement provides a particularly compact installation.

In figure 5 a similar assembly and installation is shown but the shower unit 80 has a different form of shower box 88, which makes use of the space on the wall 6, between the bracket assemblies 44 and 46, by including a storage space covered by sliding doors 92 which is convenient for holding soap, shower gel and shampoo for example. Figure 5a shows in schematic plan view the range of movement of the shower rail 41 about the shower box 88 as indicated by the curved double headed arrow.

Other arrangements of storage or shelf space can be included in a shower box without interfering with the operation of the shower rail and assembly of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A shower rail assembly comprising: an elongate rail member; and at least one bracket assembly having a proximal end formed and arranged for attachment to said rail member and a distal end comprising a pivot fitting attachable to a wall or panel in use, the bracket assembly being formed and arranged for substantially vertical and parallel attachment of the rail member to a said wall or panel and to allow pivoting of the rail member about a vertical axis adjacent the wall or panel in use.
2. A shower rail assembly according to claim 1 comprising a bracket assembly at each end of the rail member.
3. A shower rail assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein a bracket assembly comprises a through bore.
4. A shower rail assembly according to claim 3 wherein *". 20 the through bore is formed through the pivot of the pivot * *** fitting of the bracket assembly.
5. A shower assembly for installation to a wall or a **** panel above a bath and comprising: a hose having a first end attachable to a water supply fitted to a said wall or panel and a second end formed for attachment to a shower head; a shower head attachable in use to the second end of the hose; and a shower rail assembly comprising an elongate rail member; a shower head holder formed for pivoting about and releasable clamping to the rail member; and at least one bracket assembly having a proximal end formed and arranged for attachment to said rail member and a distal end comprising a pivot fitting attachable to a said wall or panel in use, the bracket assembly being formed and arranged for substantially vertical and parallel attachment of the rail member to a said wall or panel and to allow pivoting of the rail member about a vertical axis adjacent the wall or panel in use; whereby in use with the shower head held in the shower head holder attached to the rail member the shower head may . 20 be moved from a first showering position where the rail member is distal from the wall or panel to a second stowed position where the rail member, shower head and hose lie close to or adjacent the wall or panel.I S *
6. A shower assembly according to claim 5 further comprising a swivel connector at the first end of the hose.
7. A shower assembly according to claim 5 further comprising a swivel connector at both ends of the hose.
8. A shower assembly according to anyone of claims 5 to 7 wherein the showerhead is relea.sably detachable from the holder.
9. A shower assembly according to claim 8 wherein the showerhead has a handle with the spray plate at one end and the other end is formed for fitting to the holder on the rail member.
10. A shower installation for use above a bath comprising: a shower assembly comprising a hose having a first end attached to a water supply fitted centrally to an end wall or end panel above a said bath and a second end attached to . 20 a shower head; a shower rail assembly comprising an elongate rail member; a shower head holder formed f or pivoting about and : releasable clamping to the rail member; andSat least one bracket assembly having a proximal end attached to said rail member and a distal end comprising a pivot fitting centrally attached to a said wall or panel, the bracket assembly being formed and arranged for substantially vertical and parallel attachment of the rail member to said wall or panel and allowing pivoting of the rail member about a vertical axis adjacent the wall or panel; whereby in use with the shower head held in the shower head holder attached to the rail member the shower head may be moved from a first showering position where the rail member is distal from the wall or panel and the shower head is centrally above the bath to a second stowed position where the rail member, shower head and hose lie close to or adjacent the wall or panel.
11. A shower assembly, for installation to a wall or a panel above a bath comprising: a hose having a first end attachable to a water supply ****s, 20 fitted to a said wall or panel by a swivel connector which allows free rotation of the hose about its longitudinal axis, and a second end formed for attachment to a shower head; a shower head attachable in use to the second end of the hose; a rail assembly, having an elongate rail member and being formed and arranged for substantially parallel and vertical attachment of the rail member to a said wall or panel in use; an extension arm projecting away from the shower rail in use and having a first clamp end formed for pivoting about and releasable clamping to the rail member and a second holder end formed for holding said shower head; whereby in use with the shower head held in the extension arm attached to the rail member the shower head may be moved from a first showering position where the extension arm projects outwards from the wall or panel above the bath to a second stowed position where the extension arm, shower head and hose lie close to or adjacent the wall or panel.
12. A shower assembly according to claim 11 wherein the holder end of the extension arm is formed to releasably hold the showerhead. * * **.*

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13. A shower assembly according to claim 11 or claim 12 wherein the showerhead has a handle with the spray plate at one end and at the other end the hose connector is formed **** for fitting to the holder on the extension arm of the * S assembly.
14. A shower assembly according to claim 13 wherein the showerhead is rotatable in use about the end fitted to the holder on the extension arm.
15. A shower assembly according to any one of claim 11 to 14 wherein the second end of the hose is connected to the showerhead by means of a swivel connector allowing free rotation of the hose about its longitudinal axis.
16. A shower assembly according to any one of claims 11 to wherein the holder takes the form of a collar into which the end of the showerhead, attached to the hose, fits and the collar is attached to the extension arm by means of a moveable joint which allows the direction of water flow from the spray plate to be set as desired.
17. A shower installation for use above a bath comprising: a shower assembly comprising a hose having a first end attached to a water supply fitted centrally to an end wall or end panel above a said bath by a swivel connector which allows free rotation of the hose about its longitudinal axis, and a second end attached to a shower head;SS..',.a rail assembly fitted centrally to said wall or panel and having a rail member substantially vertical and parallel to said wall or panel and above said water supply; an extension arm projecting away from the rail member in use and having a first clamp end formed for pivoting about and releasable clamping to the rail member and a second holder end formed for holding said shower head; whereby in use with the shower head held in the extension arm attached to the rail member the shower head may be moved from a first showering position where the extension arm projects outwards from the wall or panel centrally above the bath to a second stowed position where the extension arm, shower head and hose lie close to or adjacent the wall or panel.
18. A shower assembly substantially as described hereinbefore and with reference to Figs 1 to S of the accompanying drawings. * * S S* S * 55. * S 5 4. * I a *si I...I I...SIS.... I 0