IE904358A1 - Shower unit with internal unclogging device - Google Patents

Abstract

A shower head with a jet floor (16) contains a cleaning device in its interior. Said device consists of a swivellably mounted base element (19) on whose side facing the inside of the jet floor (16) projections (20) are arranged. The projections (20) correspond in their size and arrangement to the jet holes (18) of the jet floor (16). With the aid of an actuation element, the base element can be swivelled by the user in such a way that the projections (20) engage at least as far as into the jet holes (18). <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to hand held and wall mounted shower units, and, in particular, to an internally located device for clearing clogged spray holes due to accumulated mineral deposits left by residual water.

If a shower unit is located in an area having a high mineral concentration in its water, after each use residual water lingering at the spray holes evaporates, leaving a hard mineral deposit, and, after repeated occurrences, these deposits accumulate sufficiently to partially, and finally completely, clog the spray holes. User frustration and dissatisfaction results from the serious reduction in shower efficiency caused by the decrease in the force and volume of the water emitted from the shower head, since the user must take more time and effort to wet and rinse themselves at the start and end of the shower, respectively.

Present shower units on the market fall generally into two categories, the first being less expensive units that have integrally moulded spray holes in the unit, and the second being more expensive units that have spray holes created by multiple parts that combine to create a pattern of spray holes, which multiple parts are assembled, said assembly then being screwed into the unit. When the less expensive units become clogged, the user must unclog the spray holes by the use of a pin or needle. When the more expensive units become clogged, the user must either use a pin or needle, or they must unscrew, remove, disassemble, and then brush clean the parts creating the spray holes, and then, reassembly, replacement, and rescrewing is required.

There is, therefore, a need for a shower unit fitted with a device to simplify the unclogging of spray holes in shower heads. The present invention is directed toward providing such a device.

According to the invention there is provided a shower unit having located within its case a press situated above the spray hole openings of the shower head in a non-parallel relationship to the wall containing said spray hole openings, such that said press is pivotally engaged to said spray hole openings wall on one end, said press being maintained in an elevated position away from said wall on the opposite end by securing means, said opposite end connected to an arcuate extension extending downward toward and through said surface, said extension having a handle on its end external to the case of the unit, and said press having protrusions on its lower surface opposite said spray hole openings such that pulling said handle away from unit causes said press to overcome said securing means and pivot towards and come into contact with said spray hole openings wall such that said (3) protrusions pass through said spray hole openings, whereupon reversal of said pulling of said handle causes said press to return to and be secured in an elevated position.

The invention will be understood in greater detail from the 5 following description of a preferred embodiment thereof given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is cross-sectional side view of the shower unit in the hand held configuration and with the unclogging device in the secured position; Fig. 2 is a partial cross-sectional side view of Fig. 1 shown with the handle removed and with the unclogging device in the pulled down position; Fig. 3 is a partial cross-sectional top view of Fig. 1 along line 3-3.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional end view taken along line 4-4.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional end view taken along line 5-5.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional end view similar to Fig. 4 showing a second embodiment.

Fig. ? is a partial cross-sectional side view similar to Fig. showing a third embodiment.

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of the shower unit in the wall mounted configuration.

Referring to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals designate like parts, and referring initially to Figs. 1 through 5, a shower unit having an internal spray hole unclogging device is shown.

The hand held device 10 has a handle 11 and a shower head 12, said handle 11 being connected to a hose 13 by a threaded collar 14 at the end of the handle 11 opposite the shower head 12, said shower head 12 including a top wall 15 and a spray hole wall 16, said top wall 15 angled downward toward said spray hole wall 16 at a forward wall 1? opposite said handle 11 and said spray hole wall 16 having spray holes 18 passing through it.

Within said shower head 12 is a flat press 19 comprised of protrusions 20 positioned on its bottom surface arcuately facing said spray hole wall 16 and arcuately opposite said spray holes 18, a longitudinally running central rib 21 and (4) laterally running support ribs 22 on its top surface facing said top wall 15, a roller 24 located at forward wall 1? connected to said central rib 21 and connected to said press 19 by bilateral arms 23, and a press connector 25 located at the end of said central rib 21 opposite said roller 24.

Adjacent to and between said arms 23 are bilateral front wall restraints 32 extending inwardly from said front wall 1? and bilateral spray hole wall restraints 33 extending inwardly from said spray hole wall 16, such that said front wall restraints 32 and said spray hole wall restraints 33 maintain said roller 24 positioned against the joining point of said front wall 1? and said spray hole wall 16.

Connected to said press 19 is an arcuate extension 26, said extension 26 having an extension connector 2? connected into said press connector 25, said extension 26 extending downward toward and through said spray hole wall 16 at an extension opening 28 and having at its end a handle 29 which handle 29 is outside of said shower head 12.

A metal leaf spring 30 is located between central rib 21 and said spray hole wall 16 and between said arms 23, said leaf spring 30 being held in place at each end by spring restraints 31 located on said spray hole wall 16. Said leaf spring 30 normally biases said handle 29 against said spray hole wall 16 and said press 19 away from said spray hole wall 16 and against said top wall 15. Upon pulling said handle 29 away from said spray hole wall 16, said spring 30 flexes under said central rib 21 and said press 19 moves downward into contact with said spray hole wall 16, said protrusions 20 going into and through said spray holes 18. Upon release of said handle 29, said spring 30 is released and biases said handle 29 back into contact with said spray hole wall 16 and said press 19 away from said spray hole wall 16 and into contact with said top wall 15. Control of movement of said press 19 is aided by bilateral press guides 36 within said shower head 12. to Fig. 6, there is shown a second embodiment of where the aforesaid leaf spring 30 and spring 31 are eliminated, and integrally moulded resilient rods 34 extend downward from the central rib 21 and abut upon the aforesaid spray 16, said resilient rods 34 functioning in like said leaf spring 30 and said spring restraints 31 unnecessary due to said resilient rods 34 being moulded onto said central rib 21.

Referring device 10 restraints bi lateral aforesaid hole wall manner as rendered integrally Referring to Fig. 7, there is shown a third embodiment of the device 10 where the aforesaid leaf spring 30, spring (5) restraints 31, and resilient rods 34 are eliminated, and said extension 26 has encorporated around it a ridge 35 such that when the aforesaid handle 29 is pushed flat against the aforesaid spray hole wall 16, causing the aforesaid press 19 to abut upon the aforesaid top wall 15, said ridge 35 is within said shower head 12 and abuts up against the aforesaid spray hole wall 16, restraining said handle 29 and press 19 in their said respective positions. Upon pulling handle 29 away from said spray hole wall 16, said ridge 35 is through the aforesaid extension opening 28 and said 19 moves downward into contact with said spray hole 16, said protrusions 20 going into and through said holes 18. Upon pushing said handle 29 back toward said hole wall 16 said ridge 35 is forced back through the forced press wall spray spray said aga inst said top extension opening 28, thereby securing said handle 29 said spray hole wall 16 and said press 19 against wall 15. is connected a spr i ng hook 46 central rib 21 spring hook 46 Referring to Fig. 8, there is shown a wall mounted device 10A where the aforesaid handle 11, hose 13, collar 14, leaf spring 30, spring restraints 31, resilient rods 34, and ridge 35 are eliminated, and there is a tulip shaped enclosure 39 connected to a ball connector 39 on a pipe 40 by a socket connector 38 and having an internal wall 41 extending downward from said socket connector 38 and connected to the aforesaid top wall 15 that funnels water from said pipe 40 into the aforesaid shower head 12 and creates a dead space 42 that eliminates water pressure movement of said press 19, said top wall 15 having an indentation 43 allowing space for fixing hooks 44 extending down from said top wall 15 to which coil spring 45 around which is engaged a extending upward from the aforesaid said of said press 19, said coil spring 45 and biasing said press 19 in like manner as the aforesaid leaf spring 30.

The invention is not limited to or by the specific embodiments described which can undergo considerable variation in construction and detail without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (10)

1. Shcwer head with a spray hole wall (16) having spray holes (18) and a cleaning device positioned in the interior of the shower head (12), which has a plurality of pin-like protrusions (20) arranged cn a basic element and corresponding to the spray holes (18), said protrusions being movable at least up to engagement in the spray holes (18), characterized in that the basic element is pivotably arranged about an axis running approximately parallel to the plane of the spray hole wall (16).

2. Shower head according to claim 1, characterized in that the basic element is fixed by locking action, spring action, etc. in an inoperative position, where the protrusions (20) are not engaged with the spray holes (18).

3. Shower head according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that on the basic element is provided an operating elsnent, which extends through a wall of the shower head (12) in the vicinity of the spray hole wall (16) and whose aid located outside the shower head (12) is used for grasping purposes.

4. Shower head according to claim 3, characterized in that, in the inoperative position, the outer end of the operating element projects only slightly over the shower head (12).

5. Shower head according to claims 3 or 4, characterized in that the operating element can be fixed to the basic element with the aid of a snap connection (27).

6. Shower head according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pivot axis is adjacent to the spray hole wall (16).

7. Shower head according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the basic element has a plate-like construction.

8. Shower head according to one of the claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the basic element is latticed.

9. Shower head according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in - 7 - . that the spray hole wall (16) is approximately rectangular.

10. Shower head according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the basic element is approximately rectangular.