US2527852A

US2527852A - Shower bath flow control

Info

Publication number: US2527852A
Application number: US114414A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rinehimer Clarence
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1949-09-07
Filing date: 1949-09-07
Publication date: 1950-10-31
Anticipated expiration: 1967-10-31

Description

Oct. 31, 1950 c. RINEHIMER SHOWER BATH FLOW CONTROL Filed Sept. 7, 1949 JEJ INVENTOR. Clarence Pine/2 im lorney Patented Oct. 31, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOWER BATH FLOW CONTROL Clarence Rinehimer, Chicago, Ill.

Application September 7, 1949, Serial No. 114,414

5 Claims.

7 The present invention relates to a shower bath and is concerned primarily with the control of water which flows to the shower head.

A person taking a shower ordinarily likes to have the water which emerges from the shower head at a particular temperature before entering the stall in which the shower head is located. This temperature is usually in the range of hot or warm water. Moreover, at the completion of the shower, most people like to end off with a cold shower.

With most of the now available shower bath installations, the individual controls for the hot and cold water are located either exteriorly of the stall or on the interior thereof. With the controls located exteriorly of the stall it is necessary for the user to extend his arm into the stall to test the temperature of the water coming from the shower head. This is highly inconvenient and even when this factor is eliminated by operatively associating a thermometer with the conduit which goes to the shower head and which thermometer is arranged exteriorly of the stall so that it may be seen by the person operating the controls, it is still not practical for the user to end off his shower with a cold shower or vary the temperature of the water during the taking of the shower.

When the controls are located interiorly of the stall considerable inconvenience is experienced by the user in obtaining the desired temperature of the water prior to entry into the stall. With the foregoing conditions in mind, the present invention has in view as its foremost objective the provision of a shower bath installation which consists essentially of a stall in which a shower head is located. Individual hot and cold water conduits are provided which merge into a single conduit that goes to the shower head. A thermometer is operatively associated with the latter conduit and positioned exteriorly of the stall where it may be viewed by a user. Each of the hot and cold conduits is provided with a control valve which may be adjusted to vary the amount of water which is delivered to the common conduit. Each of these control valves is provided with a pair of operating members. One member of each pair is located exteriorly of the stall and the other interiorly of the stall.

With. a shower bath designed in accordance with the foregoing arrangement, a person desirous of taking a shower may avail of the hot and cold water controls that are located exteriorly of the stall to achieve a desired temperature in the water coming from the spray head, perature being indicated on the thermometer that is located exteriorly of the stall. After entry into the stall and during the taking of the shower, the person may vary the temperature of the water coming from the spray head by using the operating members for the control valves that are located interiorly of the stall. Thus, a maximum of convenience and comfort in the taking of a shower is provided.

Various other more detailed objects and advantages of the invention such as arise in connection with carrying out the above noted ideas in a practical embodiment will, in part become apparent, and in part be hereinafter stated as the description of the invention proceeds.

The invention, therefore, comprises a shower bath installation in which a shower head is located. Communicating directly with this shower head is a single conduit that is connectedto hot and cold water conduits. A thermometer is operatively associated with the single conduit and located exteriorly of the stall. Each of the individual hot and cold water conduits is provided with a control valve. There is a pair of operating members for each control valve with one operating member of each pair located exteriorly of the stall and the other interiorly thereof.

For a full and more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following description and accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shower bath installation designed in accordance with the precepts of this invention.

Figure 2 is another perspective with a portion of the stall broken away and looking at the wall which carries the conduits.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken about on the plane represented by the line 33 of Figure 2 and showing the conduits in elevation.

Figure 4 is a detail showing mostly in section but partially in elevation of one of the control valves and the operating members associated therewith; and V Figure 5 is another detail sectional view taken about on the plane represented by the line 5--5 of Figure 4.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts and first more particularly to Figure 1, a shower bath stall is therein illustrated and referred to in its entirely by the reference character S. The stall S comprises a front wall l0, a-rear wall II,

the temand side Walls I2 and I3. The front wall It is formed with an opening at I4 which accommodates a door I5. Obviously, the door I5 may be opened to provide ingress to or egress from stall S. At this point it is Well to note that the stall S which is depicted in the drawing is purely illustrative of one stall construction which may be used. So far as the present invention is concerned, the only thing that is necessary is that the stall have a front wall I!) and an opening such as indicated at I4 through which a person may pass in entering or leaving the stall. Any one or all of the walls II, I2 and I3 may be a permanent part of a building construction in which the stall is located. I

Referring now more particularly to Figure 2, a pair of conduits It and ll are shown as located on the inner side of the front Wall I6. One of these conduits is the hot water conduit and the other the cold water conduit. For the purposes of this specification it will be assumed that the conduit I6 is the hot water conduit and the conduit I I the cold water conduit.

7 A T-fitting I8 is connected to the upper end of the hot water conduit by a curved fitting I9 and another curved fitting 2i? connects the upper end of the cold water conduit Il' to the T-fitting I8. From this T-fitting I8 a single conduit 2| extends to a shower head that is depicted at 22,

Referring now more particularly to Figure 3, the single conduit 21 is shown a including another T-fitting 23 to which is connected a conduit 24 that passes through an opening 25 formed in the wall Ill. The outer free end of the conduit 24 is connected to a thermometer designated 26.

specification. Thus, the valve V will be described as included in the hot water conduit I6.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 4 and 5, the control valve V is shown as comprising a cylindrical valve casing 27 divided internally into two chambers 28 and 29 by a partition 38. 4

An inlet 3I, which is formed in the lower side and inner end of the casing 21, gives entrance from the supply source to the chamber 28. The chamber 29, then, communicates with chamber 28 through ports 32 formed in the partition 39. An outlet 33 from chamber 28 is provided in the upper side and approximately in the middle of the casing 27. A conical valve cap 35, which is located in chamber 28 and operatively fixed to a rod 35, controls the water supply by moving its end of greatest diameter back and forth against the partition 31 thereby, opening or blocking the ports 32. The rod 35 is moved longitudinally in the casing by thread 56 formed on one end of the rod 35. The threads 50 are screwed into a sleeve 37 which is formed axially between the partition 36 and the end-Wall 38 of the casing 21. At the opposite end of thecasing 27 a screw cap 38 closes one end of the chamber 28 and has through its center a bearing to support the outer end of rod 35. The casing 2'! is mounted with the inlet 3I and outlet33 on the inner side of wall I0 and with the cap 33 end of the casing extend- ,edthrough the wall ID to protrude on the exterior sideof the shower stall. An operating-member (ill 4 3B is fixed to the screw end of rod 35, thus on the inner side of the shower stall, and an operating member 39 is fixed to the opposite end of the rod 35, thus on the exterior side of the shower stall S.

Operation While the manner of using the shower bath installation above described is believed to be obvious from the description of the parts given, it may be briefly outlined as follows:

A person desirous of taking a shower first avails of the operating members 39 which are located exteriorly of the stall S to adjust the flow of hot and cold water through the conduits I6 and I! so that the mixture of the two which flows through the single conduit 2I to the shower head 22 has a desired temperature which is indicated on the thermometer 26.

When this temperature has been achieved the person enters the stall and takes the shower in the usual way. If at any time during the taking or the shower it is desired to vary the temperature of the water coming from the spray head 22, the operating members 36 are available for this purpose. Atthe end of the shower the valve V for-the hot water conduit It may be completely closed to provide for ending off with a cold shower;

While a preferred specific embodiment of the invention is hereinbefore set forth, it is to be clearly understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact constructions, mechanisms, and devices illustrated and described because various modifications of these details may be provided in putting the invention into practice within the purview of the appended claims.

'What is claimed is:

1. In a shower bath installation including'a stall with a spray head therein, a single conduit leading to said spray head, and hot and cold water conduits in communication with said single conduit, the improvement consisting of: a thermometer operatively associated with said single conduit and arranged exteriorly of said stall, a control valve in each of said hot and cold water conduits, and a pair of operating members for each of said control valves, one

operating member of each pair being located mounted on the outer face of said wall, a conduit passing through an opening in said wall and operatively connecting said thermometer to said single conduit, a control valve in each of said hot and cold water conduits, and a pair of operating members for each of said control valves, one operating member of each pair being located on the inner side of said wall and the other operating member being located on the outer side of said wall.

.duit passing through an opening in said well and operatively connecting said thermometer :to said single conduit, .a control valve in each of said hot and cold Water conduits, and a, pair of operating members for each of said control valves, one operating member of each pair being positioned on the inner side of said wall, the other operating member of each pair being positioned on the outer side of said wall, and rods journalled in each of said valves, each of said rods establishing an operating connection between each pair of said last-mentioned operating members and one ofsaid valves.

4. In a shower bath installation including a wall and a water conduit on one face thereof, a control valve in said conduit and a pair of operating members for said control valve, one

being located on one side of said wall and the 15 a control valve in said conduit, a air of operating members for said control valve, one being located on one side of said Wall and the other on the other side of said wall, and a rod journalled in said valve and operatively connecting each pair of said operating members to said valve.

CLARENCE RINEHIMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 511,008 Blunt Dec. 19, 1893 1,860,968 Tracy May 31, 1932 2,501,194 Shumaker Mar. 21, 1950