CA2337671A1 - Adjustable shower arm assembly - Google Patents

Adjustable shower arm assembly Download PDF

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Publication number
CA2337671A1
CA2337671A1 CA 2337671 CA2337671A CA2337671A1 CA 2337671 A1 CA2337671 A1 CA 2337671A1 CA 2337671 CA2337671 CA 2337671 CA 2337671 A CA2337671 A CA 2337671A CA 2337671 A1 CA2337671 A1 CA 2337671A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
conduit
adjustable
fixed
arm assembly
shower arm
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
CA 2337671
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Jackson Chen
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Globe Union Industrial Corp
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of CA2337671A1 publication Critical patent/CA2337671A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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  • Bathtubs, Showers, And Their Attachments (AREA)

Abstract

A shower arm assembly includes a fixed conduit and an adjustable condui t. The fixed conduit has an inlet end connectable to the supply plumbing and an outlet end. The adjustable conduit is attachable to the fixed conduit and has an inlet end and an outlet end. The inlet end receives the outlet end of the fixed conduit, a nd the outlet end supplies water to a shower fixture. The adjustable conduit is adjustable relative to the fixed conduit so that the adjustable conduit can be configured in a desired orientation.

Description

ADJUSTABLE SHOWER ARM ASSEMBLY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of Invention The present invention relates to shower arm assemblies, and in particular, to shower arm assemblies that can be adjusted to the desired orientation independent of the connections between the shower arm assemblies and the water supply pipes.
2. Description of Related Art Shower arms are well known bathroom fixtures that extend outward from a water supply pipe located in a wall to supply water from the water supply pipe to a shower head (not shown) attached to the free end of the shower arm. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, a conventional shower arm 200 is a one-piece construction having an inlet end 202 that attaches to the water supply pipe, a body 204, an outlet end 206 and a bore 208. The bore 208 extends through the body 204 from the inlet end 202 to the outlet end 206.
The inlet end 202 typically includes a male threaded portion that threadedly engages a female fitting of the water supply pipe, within the wall. The body 204 is slightly bent to project water flowing through the bore 208 downward when the shower arm 200 is installed in its proper orientation. The outlet end 206 includes a male threaded portion to threadedly engage a shower head or other downstream fixture.
In a typical installation, a shoulder 210 of the shower arm 200 abuts the wall when the shower arm 200 is fixedly attached to the water supply pipe.
Specifically, during installation, an installer rotates the shower arm 200 to engage the male threaded portion of the inlet end 202 with the stationary fitting (in this case, a female fitting) within the wall. As stated, the outlet end 206 of the properly installed shower arm should be oriented to point directly downward when the installation is complete.
The installer may reach the desired tightness between the inlet end 202 of the shower arm 200 and the wall fitting while the outlet end is not pointed directly downward. If so, the installer may be forced to rotate the shower arm 200 clockwise (i.e., thereby overtightening the connection) or counterclockwise (i.e., thereby loosening the connection and causing it to be a loose connection until the shower arm 200 is in the desired orientation).

An overtightened connection between the shower arm and the wall fitting can lead to cracks in the wall material (e.g., tile). Also, the overtightened connection may be difficult to loosen in the future if the shower arm must be serviced, maintained or replaced, or the water supply pipe accessed.
A relatively loose connection between the shower arm and the water supply pipe may lead to water leaks. Also, there may be undesirable play and/or an undesirable gap between the shoulder 210 and the wall surface adjacent the shoulder 210. Such play may cause undesirable noise and/or wear due to contact between the shoulder 210 and the adjacent wall surface when water supplied through the shower arm 200 is initiated or terminated. Also, water may leak into the gap between the wall and the shoulder 210.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a shower arm construction that would allow an installer to achieve the optimum tightness between the inlet end of the shower arm and the water supply pipe, yet still permit the installer to adjust the 1 S orientation of the outlet end. Stated differently, it is desirable to have a shower arm assembly wherein the orientation of the shower arm assembly is independent of the shower arm assembly/water supply pipe connection.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The shower arm assembly of the present invention solves the problems associated with conventional shower arms as discussed above, as well as other problems.
According to the present invention, the shower arm assembly includes a fixed conduit and an adjustable conduit. The fixed conduit has an inlet end that is connectable to the supply plumbing and an outlet end. The adjustable conduit has an inlet end which receives the outlet end of the fixed conduit and an outlet end for supplying water to a shower fixture. The adjustable conduit is adjustable to a desired orientation relative to the fixed conduit. Preferably, the adjustable conduit is rotatable relative to the fixed conduit.
Preferably, the inlet end of the fixed conduit includes a threaded portion that is threadedly engagable with the supply plumbing. The shower arm assembly preferably includes a set screw that can be engaged to secure the adjustable conduit of the fixed conduit in the desired orientation. Preferably, the set screw passes through the adjustable conduit and bears on the fixed conduit.
3 The outlet end of the fixed conduit preferably includes a pair of opposing flat surfaces. The fixed conduit preferably includes a shaft and at least one O-ring disposed in a groove in the shaft. The shaft preferably defines an attachment axis along which the adjustable conduit is selectively attachable.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Preferred embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the following drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements, and wherein:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the shower arm assembly of the present invention showing the fixed conduit and the adjustable conduit assembled together;
Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the embodiment of Fig.l with a portion of the adjustable conduit cut away to show the engagement between the fixed conduit and the adjustable conduit;
Fig. 4 is side sectional view along the line IV-IV of the embodiment of Fig.l;
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a conventional shower arm; and Fig. 6 is a side sectional view along the line VI-VI of the conventional shower arm of Fig. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
As shown in Figs. 1-4, certain embodiments of a shower arm assembly, shower-arm assembly 10, of the present invention include a fixed conduit 12 and an adjustable conduit 14. The fixed conduit 12 is attached to the water supply pipe to the proper tightness, and the adjustable conduit 14 is then attached to the fixed conduit 12 after being adjusted to the desired orientation, as discussed below.
The fixed conduit 12 includes an inlet end 16, a shaft 18, an outlet end 23 and a bore 24 extending between the inlet end 16 and the outlet end 23. The inlet end 16 is designed to be attached to a standard water supply pipe commonly used to supply water to shower assemblies.
In the illustrated embodiment, the inlet end 16 includes a male threaded portion for threadedly engaging a corresponding female fitting in the water supply pipe. Of course, the inlet end 16 could be configured differently (e.g., with a female
4 threaded portion) depending upon the corresponding wall fitting with which the inlet end 16 is designed to engage.
The shaft 18 bears at least one seal 20 disposed within a groove in the shaft to seal the connection between the fixed conduit 12 and the adjustable conduit when the fixed conduit 12 and the adjustable conduit 14 are secured together.
[Globe-Union - please confirm] In the illustrated embodiment, two seals 20 that are spaced from each other along the shaft 18 are used.
The outlet end 23 preferably includes one or more pairs of opposing flat surfaces 22. The installer can engage the flat surfaces 22 with a tool (e.g., pliers or a wrench) if the fixed conduit 12 must be rotated to properly engage the water supply pipe.
The adjustable conduit 14 includes a shoulder end 26, a body 34, an outlet end 32 and a bore 38 extending from the shoulder end 26 to the outlet end 32. In the illustrated embodiment, the body 34 includes a set screw bore 28 that can receive a set screw 30.
The adjustable conduit 14 is installed by fitting the adjustable conduit 14 over the installed fixed conduit 12, rotating the adjustable conduit 14 to its proper orientation relative to the fixed conduit 12, and tightening the set screw 30 to secure the adjustable conduit 14 to the fixed conduit 12. Of course, any other known means or mechanisms for fixedly attaching the adjustable conduit 14 to the fixed conduit 12 can be employed instead of the set screw 30.
The body 34 includes a bent portion 36. As stated, the bent portion is normally oriented 36 so that water flowing through the shower arm 10 exits in a directly downward direction. The outlet end 32 may include a threaded portion as illustrated to receive, e.g., a shower head or other fixture.
When the adjustable conduit 14 and the installed fixed conduit 12 are assembled, the bore 24 of the fixed conduit 12 and the bore 38 of the adjustable conduit 14 form a passage for water to be supplied from the water supply pipe to the outlet end 32. The seals 20 prevent water from traveling in a reverse direction toward the shoulder end 26 between the fixed conduit 12 and the adjustable conduit 14 (e.g., by capillary action). [Globe-Union - please confirm]
The adjustable conduit 14 is adjustable with respect to the fixed conduit 12 in two ways. First, the adjustable conduit 14 can be rotatably adjusted relative to the fixed conduit 12 as discussed above. Second, the adjustable conduit 14 can be longitudinally adjusted relative to the fixed conduit 12. Stated differently, the adjustable conduit 14 can slide longitudinally along fixed conduit 12 until the desired combined length is obtained and/or until shoulder end 26 abuts the wall e.g., to accommodate different wall fitting-to-outside wall surface distances, to accommodate additional conduits (e.g., a ring) between the wall surface and the shoulder end 26, etc.
The fixed conduit 12 and the adjustable conduit 14 are preferably made of metal, although other suitable materials such as plastics (e.g., PVC) may also be used.
Although the connection between the inlet end 16 of the fixed conduit 12 has been described above as a threaded connection, the present invention also pertains to applications with an inlet end that is attached to the wall fitting without threads (e.g., by brazing or bonding).
Although this invention is described in conjunction with its specific embodiments thereof, many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent 1 S to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the preferred embodiments of the invention as set forth above are intended to be illustrative, not limited. Various changes to the invention may be made without departing from its true spirit and scope as defined in the following claims.

Claims (20)

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. A shower arm assembly comprising:
a fixed conduit with an inlet end connectable to supply plumbing and an outlet end; and an adjustable conduit attachable to the fixed conduit, the adjustable conduit having an inlet end which receives the outlet end of the fixed conduit and an outlet end for supplying water to a shower fixture;
wherein the adjustable conduit is adjustable to a desired orientation relative to the fixed conduit.
2. The shower arm assembly of claim 1, wherein the adjustable conduit is rotatable relative to the fixed conduit.
3. The shower arm assembly of claim 1, wherein the inlet end of the fixed conduit includes a threaded portion that is threadedly engagable with the supply plumbing.
4. The shower arm assembly of claim 2, further comprising a set screw that can be engaged to secure the adjustable conduit to the fixed conduit in the desired orientation.
5. The shower arm assembly of claim 4, wherein the set screw passes through the adjustable conduit and engages the fixed conduit.
6. The shower arm assembly of claim 1, wherein the fixed conduit includes a shaft and at least one seal disposed in a groove in the shaft.
7. The shower arm assembly of claim 1, wherein the fixed conduit includes an outlet end opposite the supply end, and wherein the outlet end includes a pair of opposing flat surfaces.
8. The shower arm assembly of claim 1, wherein the fixed conduit includes a shaft, and wherein the adjustable conduit is selectively attachable longitudinally along the shaft.
9. The shower arm assembly of claim 8, wherein the inlet end of the fixed conduit includes a shoulder, and wherein the shoulder abuts a surface when the fixed conduit is connected to the supply plumbing.
10. The shower arm assembly of claim 8, wherein the point at which the adjustable conduit is attached to the fixed conduit yields a desired overall length from the inlet end of the fixed conduit to the outlet end of the adjustable conduit.
11. The shower arm assembly of claim 1, further comprising an attachment mechanism which selectively attaches the adjustable conduit to the fixed conduit.
12. The shower arm assembly of claim 11, wherein the attachment mechanism includes a set screw that is threadedly engageable in a bore of the adjustable conduit to bear on the fixed conduit, thereby allowing the adjustable conduit to be secured to the fixed conduit in the desired orientation.
13. The shower arm assembly of claim 1, wherein the shower arm assembly includes attaching means for attaching the adjustable conduit to the fixed conduit.
14. The shower arm assembly of claim 13, wherein the attaching means is selectively engageable to allow the adjustable conduit to be positioned relative to the fixed conduit in the desired orientation.
15. A method of installing a shower arm assembly that channels water from supply plumbing to a shower fixture, the shower arm assembly including a fixed conduit and an adjustable conduit, the method comprising:
connecting the fixed conduit to the supply plumbing;
attaching the adjustable conduit to the fixed conduit; and adjusting the orientation of the adjustable conduit relative to the fixed conduit.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising securing the adjustable conduit to the fixed conduit.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the shower are assembly includes a set screw, and wherein securing includes engaging the set screw to secure the adjustable conduit to the fixed conduit.
18. The method of claim 15, wherein the fixed conduit includes a threaded inlet end portion, and wherein the step of connecting includes rotating the threaded inlet end portion with a corresponding fitting of the supply plumbing.
19. The method of claim 15, wherein the fixed conduit includes an outlet end opposite the inlet end and the adjustable conduit includes a bore dimensioned to receive the fixed conduit, wherein attaching includes fitting the adjustable conduit over the outlet end of the fixed conduit.
20. The method of claim 15, wherein the fixed conduit defines an attachment axis, and wherein adjusting includes positioning the adjustable conduit at a desired point along the attachment axis.
CA 2337671 2000-07-26 2001-02-21 Adjustable shower arm assembly Abandoned CA2337671A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US62648400A 2000-07-26 2000-07-26
US09/626,484 2000-07-26

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2337671A1 true CA2337671A1 (en) 2002-01-26

Family

ID=24510550

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA 2337671 Abandoned CA2337671A1 (en) 2000-07-26 2001-02-21 Adjustable shower arm assembly

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CA (1) CA2337671A1 (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US10352025B2 (en) 2016-04-29 2019-07-16 Moen Incorporated Plumbing fixture fitting with mounting system

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US10352025B2 (en) 2016-04-29 2019-07-16 Moen Incorporated Plumbing fixture fitting with mounting system
US10570592B2 (en) 2016-04-29 2020-02-25 Fb Global Plumbing Group Llc Plumbing fixture fitting with diverting system

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