NL2017503B1 - Shower - Google Patents

Abstract

Shower system comprising a recirculation shower with a shower head and a water collection reservoir arranged to collect water dispensed by the shower head. A pump circulates water from the water collection reservoir to the shower head via a recirculation line. A tap is provided for supplying fresh water to the water collection reservoir, e.g., via a funnel, into a chamber with an open side for collecting water from the at least one tap, and an outlet opening below the maximum water level of the water collection reservoir.

Description

Patent center

The Netherlands

© 2017503

BI PATENT (51) Int. CL:

E03B 1/04 (2017.01) E03C 1/00 (2017.01) E03F 5/22 (2017.01) (21) Application number: 2017503 © Application submitted: 21/09/2016

© Application registered: 29/03/2018 © Patent holder (s): Hamwells Holding B.V. in Arnhem. © Request published: © Inventor (s): Michel Etiene van Kralingen in Maassluis. © Patent granted: Eddie Ho-Wan Lau in Maassluis. 29/03/2018 Jurgen Wilhelmus Bastiaan van de Mortel in Maassluis. © Patent issued: Helmer Reiling in Maassluis. 30/03/2018 Wouter Niels Hekel in Maassluis. Reitse de Jong in Maassluis. Roel van Hal in Maassluis. Coen Willem Jan Greidanus in Maassluis. Eefje Lysia Teijgeler in Maassluis. Eric van Duin in Maassluis. © Authorized representative: ir. A.R. Aalbers in Amsterdam.

© Shower © Shower system including a recirculation shower with a shower head and a water collection reservoir arranged to collect water dispensed by the shower head. A pump circulates water from the water collection reservoir to the shower head via a recirculation line. A tap is provided for supplying fresh water to the water collection reservoir, eg, via a funnel, into a chamber with an open side for collecting water from the least one tap, and an outlet opening below the maximum water level of the water collection reservoir.

NL BI 2017503

This patent has been granted regardless of the attached result of the research into the state of the art and written opinion. The patent corresponds to the documents originally submitted.

SHOWER

The invention relates to a shower system with a recirculation shower. Such shower systems typically include a shower head, a water collection reservoir arranged to collect water dispensed by the shower head, and a pump for circulating water from the water collection reservoir to the shower head via a recirculation line.

Recirculation showers are mainly used as wellness showers. With a limited amount of water or a much higher water flow rate can be dispensed via the shower head. Usually, the wellness showers also include a conventional shower, so a user may first wash himself and then, after the used soaps water has been rinsed away, the user can switch over to the recirculation shower for enjoying the comfort of a wellness shower. An example of such a wellness shower is disclosed in WO 2014/206685.

During use of such a recirculation shower, a user may want to mix the recirculated water with fresh water, for example to keep the water at a comfortable temperature.

Mixing in fresh water should not result in frothing and inclusion or air in the recycled water. Also, official regulations exist requiring constructional measures to avoid contamination or fresh water supply by used, recycled water.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a system allowing mixing or fresh water into a recycled water stream reducing frothing and complying with official regulations for avoiding contamination of water supply lines.

The object of the invention is achieved with a shower system according to claim 1. This way, fresh water enters the water collection reservoir at a level below the water level in the reservoir. This way air inclusion and frothing can be effectively prevented.

Frothing can be further reduced if the chamber comprises an inclined bottom, inclining downward towards the outlet opening. The inclined bottom gently guides the fresh water into the water collection reservoir, minimizing swirl.

In a specific embodiment, the system may include a funnel for guiding a water flow between the tap and the chamber. The lower end of the funnel may be below a top edge of the chamber.

To comply with official regulations the one or more taps are at a distance above the water collection reservoir, e.g. at a distance above a top end of the funnel. Optionally, two or more taps can be used, e.g., a hot water tap and a cold water tap.

The chamber may for example be a part of a filter housing including a filter crossing a flow between the water collection reservoir and the pump. The filter housing is removable, e.g., for cleaning. After cleaning it can be replaced. To this end the removable filter housing may include a handle. The filter can for example be attached to the filter housing by means of one or more magnets. The filter may for example form a lower side, e.g., a substantially horizontal lower side of the filter housing.

In a specific embodiment, the filter housing may be provided with an inclined guiding surface extending downward from the outlet opening from the chamber and away from the pump to the level of the filter. This way, water entering the water collection reservoir via the chamber outlet cannot flow directly to the pump but is detoured and guided into the water collection reservoir. This results in a better mixing of fresh water and recirculated water.

In a further embodiment, the system may include a pump chamber connecting a discharge of the water collection reservoir to the recirculation line the pump chamber encasing a pump rotor at the level of an inlet of the recirculation line, a return line being arranged at a higher Level to return water from the pump chamber to the water collection reservoir. Part of the pumped water will enter the recirculation line, while another part of the water will swirl up and be returned to the water collection reservoir via the return line. As a result, air will escape from the water. Water flowing from the pump rotor to the return line may for example be guided along a pump motor or the pump to provide additional cooling. Such a configuration can also be used with other types of recirculation showers, e.g., not having a chamber between the fresh water supply and the water collection reservoir.

The invention will be further explained with reference to the accompanying drawings.

shows schematically a front view or a shower system to the present invention;

shows a rearview of the shower system or Figure 1; shows the shower system or Figure 1 in use in side

Figure 1: according to Figure 2: Figure 3: view; Figure 4: just after Figure 5: housing is Figure 6: air bleed shows the side view or Figure 3 showing the shower use;

shows the side view of Figure 3 while the filter being removed;

shows a detail of the shower system including an line.

Figure 1 shows a shower system 1 including a recirculation shower 2. The recirculation shower 2 comprises a shower head (not shown) and a water collection reservoir 4 arranged to collect water dispensed by the shower head. The water collection reservoir 4 has an upper edge 5 defining a maximum water level and a drain 6 which is closed during use of the recirculation shower 2. A pump 7 (see Figure 3) circulates water from the water collection reservoir 3 to the shower head via a recirculation line 9. The pump 7 has a pump inlet 8 below the maximum water level in the water collection reservoir 4. A channel 10 fluidly connects the water collection reservoir 4 and the pump inlet 8.

To allow a user to mix the recycled water flow with fresh water, the recirculation shower 2 is provided with two taps 11, 12 for supplying hot and cold fresh water respectively.

Water flows from the taps 11, 12 via a funnel 14 into a chamber 16 with an open top side. The chamber 16 has a lateral outlet opening 18 below the maximum water level of the water collection reservoir 3. The chamber 16 has an inclined bottom 20, inclining downward towards the outlet opening 18 in order to guide the waterflow gently into the water collection reservoir 3 without frothing.

The chamber 16 is a part of a removable filter housing 22 including a filter 24 crossing a flow between the water collection reservoir 3 and the pump 7. In the shown embodiment, the filter 24 forms a horizontal bottom side of the filter housing 22, attached to the rest of the filter housing 22 by means of a magnet (not shown). The filter 24 is spaced from the bottom of the water collection reservoir 3 in order to allow water to flow via the filter 24 to the backside of the filter housing 22, where the pump 7 is located.

Below the outlet opening 18 the filter housing flares out to block the shortest flow between the opening 18 and the channel 10 to the pump inlet 8. The flaring part of the filter housing forms including a guiding surface or skirt 21 extending downward from the opening 18 and away from the channel 10 to the level of the filters 24. As a result water flowing from the opening 18 is first guided into the water collection reservoir 4 along the skirt 21 and mixed with the present recirculated water. A better mix of fresh hot water and circulated water is obtained.

The filter housing 22 is removable, so it can be easily cleaned. To allow easy removal and replacing the filter housing 22 is provided with a handle 26 (Figure 5).

Figure 4 shows the situation when the recirculation shower 2 is turned off. The pump 7 stops pumping and water in the recirculation line 9 flows back to the water collection reservoir 4 and the opened drain 6. This return flow passes the filter in a flow direction opposite to the flow direction during showering. As a result, filtered material is rinsed away by this back flow and the filter is cleaned.

Figure 6 shows the pump 7 in more detail. The pump 7 is positioned in a pump chamber 28 connecting a discharge 30 of the water collection reservoir 3 to the recirculation line 9. The pump chamber 28 encases a pump rotor 32 at the level of an inlet 34 of the recirculation line 9. A bleed line 36 is arranged at a higher level to return water from the pump chamber 28 to the water collection reservoir 3.

Part of the water is pumped into the recirculation line 9, while the rest of the pumped water swirls upwardly, along an outer surface of the pump motor 38 to the bleed line 36.

Circulation via this air bleed 36 reduces the air content in the recycled water. Water flowing from the pump rotor to the return line is guided along the pump motor 38 or the pump 7. This provides additional cooling of the pump motor 38.

Claims (11)

CONCLUSIONS A shower device, comprising: - a shower head; - a water collection tray for collecting water from the shower head, which water collection tray has a maximum water level; - a pump for circulating water from the water collector to the shower head via a recirculation line; - at least one tap for the supply of fresh water to the water collector; Characterized in that the shower device further comprises a chamber with an open side for collecting water from the at least one tap, which chamber has an outlet opening which opens into the water collection tray below the maximum water level of the water collection tray. A shower device according to claim 1, wherein the chamber comprises an inclined bottom that slopes downwards in the direction of the outlet opening. Shower device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, provided with a funnel for guiding a water flow from the tap to the room. Shower device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the chamber is part of a filter housing comprising a filter placed between the water tray and the pump. Shower device according to claim 4, wherein the filter housing is removable. The shower device of claim 5, wherein the removable filter housing has a handle. Shower device according to claim 4, 5 or 6, wherein the filter is attached to the filter housing by means of one or more magnets. A shower device according to claim 4, 5, 6 or 7, wherein the filter forms a bottom side of the filter housing. A shower device according to claim 8, wherein the filter housing comprises a sloping downward guide surface that runs downwards from the outlet opening in a direction away from the pump to the level of the filter. Shower device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, comprising a pump chamber which connects a drain from the water collector to the recirculation line, which pump chamber houses a pump rotor at an inlet of the recirculation line, wherein a return line is arranged at a higher position for return of water from the pump chamber to the water catcher. A shower device according to claim 10, wherein water flowing from the pump rotor in the direction of the return line is conducted along a pump motor of the pump. 1/6