GB2531065A

GB2531065A - Electric shower

Info

Publication number: GB2531065A
Application number: GB1417971.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Cornelius Simon
Original assignee: Aqualisa Products Ltd
Current assignee: Aqualisa Products Ltd
Priority date: 2014-10-10
Filing date: 2014-10-10
Publication date: 2016-04-13
Also published as: GB201417971D0

Abstract

A front cover 6 for an electric shower unit includes a receiving portion 8 for removably receiving an interchangeable decorative panel 14. The receiving portion 8 may include a recess 16 into which the interchangeable decorative panel 14 is received and magnetic and ferrous components (34, Fig 4) may be used to releasably hold the interchangeable panel in place. Preferably, the front cover includes a rear wall 10 including at least one receiving portion and a front fascia 12, removably attached to the rear wall at an installed position at a location at least bordering a part of the receiving portion

Description

ELECTRIC SHOWER

The present invention relates to an electric shower and, in particular, the front cover of an electric shower.

A variety of housings for electric showers are well known th the art. These housings are provided in a variety of shapes and sizes.

An electric shower may be filled to the wall of a bathroom, in particular above a bath or within a shower surround, which has been designed and chosen carethlly according to a user's taste. The present invention is based at least partly on a recognition that it is important for the user to be able to choose an electric shower which has a pleasing appearance in combination with the surroundings in which it is installed.

It could be contemplated to provide a variety of different front covers for the same design of electric shower housing. Although this offers some solution to the general problem, it is generally not a trivial matter to replace the front cover of an electric shower, because of the way it attaches to the rest of the housing, in some cases offering some water resistance or scaling and allowing shower controls to penetrate therethrough. In general, the variety of available front covers will be limited to the use of different colours. The cost of providing a wider variety of different covers is likely to be prohibitive.

The present invention provides a front cover for an electric shower, wherein the front cover includes a least one receiving portion to removably receive an interchangeable decorative panel.

In this way, it is not necessary to manufacture different front covers for the electric shower in order to provide a variety of appearances. A single front cover is configured so as to receive, in the at least one receiving portion, a variety of different panels which may be interchanged with one another so as to provide a variety of different appearances. With this arrangement, it becomes possible to provide panels which themselves are relatively simple in construction and cost effective to manufacture. Hence, a large variety of different interchangeable panels may be provided, all for being removably received in the receiving portion of the front cover.

The receiving portion may be configured (in shape and size) to receive an item having the two-dimensional size and shape of a standard feature, such as a wall tile.

Interchangeable panels may be provided to match tiling and other decorative features of a bathroom. In other words, the receiving portion is configured to receive a tile of standard dimensions or a novel panel of such dimensions, for example including components held in a mosaic pattern.

The receiving portion may comprise a recess in the front cover. The recess is preferably configured to removably receive an interchangeable decorative panel having dimensions which match the dimensions of the recess. (

In this way, one of the variety of interchangeable panels may be fitted securely at a location defined by the recess. The depth of the recess may be confIgured to match the depth of the variety of interchangeable decorative panels, thereby allowing the periphery of an interchangeable decorative panel to lie flush with the outer surface of the front cover. It may have a depth configured to match a standard tile.

Although it would be possible to configure the receiving portion to receive an interchangeable panel in any convenient manner, for instance using adhesives or resilient clip portions on one or both of the interchangeable panel and the front cover, in a preferred embodiment, the interchangeable panels are releasably held at the receiving portions by means of magnetic attraction. In this respect, each receiving portion may include a magnetic component for magnetically attracting a ferrous or (opposite polarity) magnetic component provided as part of (in or on) an interchangeable panel. Similarly, the receiving portion may include a ferrous component which faces a corresponding magnetic component of an interchangeable panel so as to releasably hold the interchangeable panel in place, Of course, a plurality of such components may be provided in both the receiving portion and the interchangeable panel. The receiving portion may include components all of the same type or may include a mixture of magnetic and ferrous components for interacting with appropriate components in the interchangeable panels. This may be useful in ensuring that the interchangeable panels are secured to the receiving portion with a particular orientation which is determined by the positions of the various magnetic/ferrous components.

The receiving portion may have a reflective surface. This may be particularly advantageous to receiving an interchangeable panel having at least a portion which is either translucent or transparent.

A front fascia may also be provided. This is preferably removably attachable. The front cover may be considered to include a rear wall including the at least one receiving portion. The front fascia may be removably attachable to the rear wall at an installed position. In that install position, the front fascia preferably is at a location where by the front fascia at least borders a part of the receiving portion.

It is also possible to provide a var ety of interchangeable front fascias for use with the front cover. Further vai-iations in the appearance of the front cover may thus be achieved.

In the installed position, the front fascia may surround the at least one receiving portion. Where there are two or more receiving portions for receiving two or more interchangeable panels, the fascia can be arranged to surround each of those receiving portions.

In the installed position, the front fascia may be configured to overlap with an interchangeable panel received by its corresponding receiving portion. Where there are a plurality of receiving portions, the front fascia may overlap with each of those receiving portions.

In this way, the front fascia additionally helps secure interchangeable panels in their respective receiving portions. Where the front fascia surrounds a receiving portion, it can also overlap a corresponding interchangeable panel at one or more distinct portions or around the entire periphery of interchangeable panel.

Where the front fascia borders a receiving portion, it can be considered to have an edge. This edge may include a recess configured to fit with a corresponding edge of an interchangeable panel received in its receiving portion. In particular, in this way, an interchangeable panel may be configured to have a depth slightly greater than the depth of the recess of the receiving portion (in other words the recess configured to have a depth slightly less than the interchangeable panel), thereby allowing easier installation and removal. However, the protrusion of the interchangeable panel beyond the general surface of the rear wall may be taken up by the recess in the edge of the front fascia.

In one arrangement, the rear wall may be constructed with a general outer surface, with a recessed surface for receiving the front fascia and with receiving portions, having respective recesses, within the recessed surface. The front fascia, when installed against the rear wall preferably has a front surface flush with the general outer surface of the rear wall.

In one arrangement, the front fascia extends to at least one peripheral edge of the rear wall, thereby allowing a user to make contact with that front fascia at that edge for easy removal.

The front fascia may be secured to the rear wall in any convenient maimer, for instance using adhesives or resilient clip members. 1-lowever, preferably, the rear wall includes a plurality of magnetic or ferrous components and the front fascia S includes a plurality of magnetic or ferrous components. As descr bed above with respect to the receiving portions, a magnetic component on one or other of the front fascia and the rear wall faces a corresponding (opposite polarity) magnetic component or ferrous component on the front fascia. The magnetic and ferrous components may be positioned such that, with the front fascia in the installed position, the corresponding magnetic and ferrous components face each other so as to releasably attach the front fascia to the rear wall.

The front fascia may include at least one undercut portion at an outer edge of the fascia to facilitate removal by a user. This may be positioned at an outer edge of thc front cover.

The front cover may be configured to provide for a control protruding forward of the front cover. In one embodiment, the control could inc'ude a rotatable shaft having an axis generally perpendicular to the front cover. The front fascia may include a through-hole to be aligned with the control when the front fascia is in the installed position. 1-lence, the control, such as the rotatable shaft, may extend forwardly from the rear wall ofthe front cover through the front fascia. (

Thus, the front fascia may surround one or more controls and one or more receiving portions of the front cover.

The front fascia may be provided as a moulded plastics material and, indeed, the S entire front cover be provided from moulded plastics material.

As noted above, the front cover may be provided with a plurality of receiving portions for receiving respective interchangeable panels.

The present invention also provides an interchangeable panel for a front cover of an electric shower. The interchangeable panel is configured to be removably attached to a receiving portion of the front panel. In particular, the interchangeable panel may be one of the interchangeable panels described above and configured to be removably attached to a receiving portion of the front panel as described above.

The interchangeable panel may have a rear surface to be removably attached to a receiving portion of a front panel. The rear surface may include one of a ferrous component and a magnetic component to be releasably held by a magnetic or ferrous component in the receiving portion; The interchangeable panel may have an outer edge of the peripheral size and shape to fit into a recess of a receiving portion of the front cover. The interchangeable panel may have a depth which extends out of the recess. As described above, this may be received by the front faseia. Furthermore, at an outer edge of the interchangeable ( panel, at least one flange may protrude outwardly to overlay the front cover outside the receiving portion and facilitate removal by a user. The at least one flange may also be taken up inside a recess at the back surface of the front fascia.

S Preferably, there are provided a plurality of the interchangeable panels. All of the interchangeable panels may have the same dimensions for being removably attached to a receiving portion, but are provided with a variety of different aesthetic designs.

A front cover as defmed above may be included in combination with one or more of 19 the interchangeable panels. Furthermore, an electric shower may be provided including at least the front cover and, optionally, a selection of interchangeable panels.

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 1 illustrates the front cover of an electric shower with interchangeable panels and a front fascia; Figure 2 illustrates the interchangeable tiles fitted to the front cover; 29 Figure 3 illustrates the front fascia fitted to the front cover; Figure 4 illustrates the underside of a front fascia; Figure 5 illustrates the inside of the front cover; and Figure 6 illustrates an example of an interchangeable panel.

Electric showers having outer housings with a variety of different shapes and sizes are well known. With respect to the present invention, a housing having a generally rectangular shape will be considered, but the present invention is nevertheless applicable to other shapes.

Figure 1 illustrates an electric shower 2 having an outer housing 4 with a front cover 6 embodying the present invention. In this illustrated embodiment, two respective receiving portions 8 are formed in a rear wall 10 of the front cover 6 and a front fascia 12 is provided for being removably attached to the rear wall 10. Figure 1 also illustrates two interchangeable decorative panels 14 to be received in respective receiving portions 8 as illustrated in Figure 2.

Each receiving portion S includes a recess 16 configured to receive a respective interchangeable panel 14. The shape and dimensions of the recess 16 matches the interchangeable panels 14 so that any one of the interchangeable panels 14 may be received closely within the recess 16.

In the illustrated embodiment, along one edge of each interchangeable panel 14, there is provided a flange 18 which extends generally parallel with the front surface of the respective interchangeable panel. As illustrated in Figure 2, the flange 1 8 is configured to overlay the front cover 6 outside the recess 16 of the receiving portion 8. The flange 18 provides a convenient means by which a user can lift the respective intcrchangeable panel 14 out of the recess 16. Where, as illustrated, the interchangeable panels 14 and recesses 16 are rotationally symmetric, it is possible for an interchangeable panel 14 having a flange 18 on one edge to be inserted into either of the two recesses 16, with the flange 18 facing in opposite respective directions.

It will be appreciated that the front cover 6 could be provided with additional receiving portions 8 having additional respective recesses 16 for receiving additional interchangeable panels 14. In a preferred embodiment, so as to maximise the use and interchangeability of the panels 14, all of the recesses 16 of the receiving portions 8 of the front cover 6 will have dimensions for receiving the same interchangeable panels 14. However, embodiments are also possible where two or more varieties of interchangeable panels are provided having different respective sizes and/or shapes and corresponding varieties of recesses are provided in the front cover 6.

In the illustrated embodiment, as noted above, a front fascia 12 is also provided. This is removably attached to the rear wall 10 of the front cover 6 as illustrated in Figure 3 and may be arranged to boarder the receiving portions 8. In the illustrated embodiment, the front fascia 12 borders and surrounds each of the receiving portions 8. In particular, the front fascia 12 includes respective panel openings 20 corresponding to the receiving portions 8. When the front fascia 12 is releasably attached to the front cover 6 in an installed position, the panel openings 20 align with the receiving portions 8. Although the interchangeable panels 14, when fitted in the recesses 16 of the receiving portions 8 could protrude entirely through the panel openings 20, in one embodiment, the thickness of the front fascia 12 may be recessed around the periphery of the panel openings 20 so that the inner edges or periphery of the panel openings 20 overlay or overlap with the outer edges or periphery of the interchangeable panels 14. This overlap will help secure the interchangeable panels 14 in place. Also, the reduced thickness of the fascia 12 where it meets with the interchangeable panels 14 may have an improved appearance.

At at least one edge 22 of the front fascia 12, an undercut region 24 may be provided at the rear face of the front fascia 12. This facilitates a user gripping front fascia 12 to remove it from its installed position against the front cover 6. In the illustrated embodiment, the front fascia 12 extends to a peripheral edge of the front cover 6 so 19 that the undercut region 24 is exposed and easily accessible by a user.

In the illustrated embodiment, the front cover 6 has a generally planar front surface, but the rear wall 10 is stepped rearwardly to accommodate the front fascia 12. In particular, with the front fascia 12 in its installed position against the rear wall 10, the front face of the front fascia 12 is flush with the remainder of the front face of the front cover 6. Preferably, the rear wall 10 of the front cover 6 is stepped rearwardly for an area corresponding to the front fascia l2so that the front fascia 12 fills that rearwardly stepped area.

It will be appreciated that it may be desirable to provide controls on the electric shower and, in many embodiments, these will protrude forwardly from the front cover 6. In some embodiments, the controls may be provided at a portion of the front cover 6 away from the front fascia and receiving portions 8. However, it is also possible, as illustrated, for one or more control 26 to be provided in the region of the installed position of the front fascia 12. In this respect, the front fascia 12 may additionally be provided with a through-hole 28 which, with the front fascia 12 in its installed position, aligns with the control 26, allowing the control 26 to protrude forward from the front cover 6 through the through-hole 28 and out in front of the front fascia 12. In preferred embodiments, the through-hole 28 may be provided with a shape and size to match the shape and size of the protruding control 26.

Figure 4 illustrates the rear face of an example of a front fascia 12. In this example, even though the peripheries of panel openings 20 have a rearwardly extending flange, in comparison with the outer periphery of the front fascia 12, these peripheries may still be considered as being recessed to receive the protruding interchangeable panels 14. In particular, the illustrated example of the front fascia 12 has a thickness or depth defined by the length of flanges 30 around the periphery of the front fascia 12 (and, in the illustrated example, around the through-hole 28). These flanges 30 step the front fascia 12 away from the rear wall 10 of the front cover 6, allowing the front fascia 12 to overlap the peripheral edges of the interchangeable panels 14. Additional smaller flanges 32 may be providcd around the panel openings 20 according to the extent to which the interchangeable panels 14 protrude from the receiving portions 8.

It would be possible for the front fascia 12 to be attached to the rear wall 10 of the front cover 6 in any appropriate manner, including adhesives arid resilient clip members. However, according to the illustrated embodiment, magnetic or ferrous component 34 are bonded to the rear of the front fascia. In the example of Figure 4, eight such components are provided.

Figure 5 illustrates the inside of the front cover 12. As illustrated, magnetic or ferrous components 36 are bonded to the inside of the front cover 12. They are located at positions corresponding to the positions of the components 34 of the front fascia 12 when the front fascia 12 is in its installed position. In this way, by magnetic attraction, the front fascia 12 is releasably secured at its installed position.

It will be appreciated that a magnetic component can attract a ferrous component or a magnetic component of opposite polarity. Appropriate components 34 and 36 may be 19 chosen for the fascia 12 and the front cover 6. In one embodiment, the components in the front fascia 12 may be provided as plated steel discs and the components in the front cover 6 may be provided as magnets.

Figure 6 illustrates an example of an interchangeable panel 14 to be received by a receiving portion 16 of the front cover 6. This includes a magnetic or ferrous component 38 which is bonded to the rear of the interchangeable panel 14. As illustrated in Figure 5, a corresponding magnetic or ferrous component 40 is provided on the inside of the front cover 6. As explained above, one or both of the components could be magnetic or one component could be magnetic and one ferrous. In a preferred embodiment, component 38 in the interchangeable panel 14 may he provided as a plated steel disc with a magnet 40 provided inside the front cover 6. In alternative embodiments, two or more components could be provided in each of the interchangeable panels and respective receiving portions.

C

Interchangeable panels 14 can be provided in any desirable form, for example as a variety of moulded components with different colours and/or textures. They may also be provided from different materials, such as metal, ceramic and glass. It is possible for an interchangeable panel to include a ceramic tile for matching the ceramic tiles used on an architectural surface to which the electric shower is to be installed.

Indeed, an interchangeable panel may be formed from a standard tile provided with appropriate magnets and/or ferrous components for securing it into a corresponding respective recess 16.

Figure 6 illustrates an embodiment in which the interchangeable panel 14 includes a tile tray 42 configured with respective portions for receiving individual mosaic tiles 44. The mosaic tiles may be bonded in place in various arrangements and colour schemes. For arrangements where the mosaic tiles are transparent or translucent, such as with glass tiles, the tile tray may be chrome plated so as to enhance and reflect colours of the glass tiles.

It is also possible for the surface of the receiving portion 8 to be configured with a reflective surface, such as chrome, for providing reflection of light through transparent or translucent interchangeable panels.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A front cover for an electric shower, wherein the front cover includes at least one receiving portion for removably receiving an interchangeahie decorative panel.
2. A front cover according to claim 1 wherein the receiving portion comprises a recess in the front cover configured to removably receive an interchangeable decorative panel having dimensions matching the dimensions of the recess.
3. A front cover according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the receiving portion comprises at least one of a magnetic component and a ferrous component configured to rclcasably hold an interchangeable panel having at least one of a ferrous component and a magnetic component.
4. A front cover according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the receiving portion has a reflective surface for receiving an interchangeable panel having at least a portion which is one of translucent and transparent.
5. A front cover according to any preceding claim wherein the front cover includes a rear wall including the at least one receiving portion and a front facia removably attachable to the rear wall at an installed position at a location at least bordering a part of the receiving portion. (
6. A front cover according to claim 5 wherein, in the installed position, the front facia surrounds the at least one receiving portion.
7. A front cover according to claim S or 6 wherein, in the installed position, the S front facia is configured to overlap with an interchangeable panel received by the at least one receiving portion.
8. A front cover according to claim 5, 6 or 7 wherein an edge of the front facia bordering and facing the at least one receiving portion includes a recess configured to fit with an edge of an interchangeable panel received by the at least one receiving portion.
9. A front cover according to any one of claims 5 to 8 wherein the rear wall includes a plurality of magnetic or ferrous components and the front facia includes a plurality of magnetic or ferrous components, the magnetic and ferrous components being positioned such that, with the front facia in the installed position, magnetic components of one of the rear wall and the front facia face the magnetic or ferrous components of the other of the rcar wall and the front facia and releasably attach the front facia to the rear wall.
10. A front cover according to any one of claims 5 to 9 wherein the front facia includes at least one undercut portion at an outer edge of the facia to facilitate removal by a user.I
11. A front cover according to any one of claims 5 to 10 wherein the front cover is configured to provide for a control protruding forward of the front cover and the front facia includes a throughhole to be aligned with the control when the front facia is in the installed position.
12. A front cover according to any one of claims S to 11 when the front facia is a moulded plastics material.
13. A front cover according to any preceding claim wherein the front cover is a moulded plastics material.
14. A front cover according to any preceding claim including at least two of said receiving portions for receiving respective interchangeable panels.
15. An interchangeable panel for a front cover of an electric shower, the interchangeable panel being configured to be removably attached to a rcceiving portion of the front panel.
16. An interchangeable panel according to claim 15 having a rear surface to be removably attached to a rcceiving portion of a front panel, the rear surface including one of a ferrous component and a magnetic component to bc rclcasably held by a magnetic or ferrous component in the receiving portion.C
17. An interchangeable panel according to claim 15 or 16 having an outer edge with a peripheral size and shape to fit into a recess of a receiving portion of a front cover and with a depth to extend out of the recess and having at least one flange protruding from the outer edge to oveday the front cover outside the receiving portion S and facilitate removal by a user.
18. A plurality of interchangeable panels according to any one of claims 15 to 17 wherein all of the interchangeable panels have the same dimensions for being removably attached to a receiving portion, but have a variety of different aesthetic designs.
19. A front cover according to any one of claims ito 14 including one or more interchangeable panels according to claims 15 to 18.
20. An electric shower including a front coveraccording to any one of claims 1 to 14 and 19.
21. A front cover constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
22. An interchangeable panel constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings. (
23. A plurality of interchangeable panels constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
24. An electric shower constructed and arrangement substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.