GB2266454A

GB2266454A - Shower assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2266454A
Application number: GB9309011A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Alfred Hooker; Christopher John Hooker
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-05-01
Filing date: 1993-04-30
Publication date: 1993-11-03
Also published as: GB9309011D0

Abstract

A shower assembly comprises a battery-operated water pump (3) with an intake (4) to draw in water from a bath. The water is then pumped through a pipe (2) to a shower spray head (1) from which in spraying it is returned to the bath. The assembly may be used with a bath board having suction pads engaged with the inside walls of the bath, Figure 2. <IMAGE>

Description

Improvements in shower assemblies The present invention relates to improvements in shower assemblies.

Difficulties are often encountered in installing a shower for example in a bathroom, due to the lack of a suitable electrical power supply to the bathroom or because the plumbing system into which the shower assembly would have to be fitted is not adequate for that purpose. While the former problem can be overcome by the provision of a suitable extension of the electrical circuitry from a location somewhere near the bathroom in which the shower assembly is to be installed, inadequacies in the plumbing system may be rather more difficult to overcome, not least because they may cause fluctuations in the temperature of the water mix supplied by the shower assembly.Such variations may be particularly disadvantageous when the shower assembly is used by a disabled person who may find it difficult to adjustthe temperature of hot water which is mixed with the cold water feed to achieve a steady and acceptable shower water temperature.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a shower assembly comprising: a shower spray member; an electrically operable water pump having an intake for drawing in water from a water bath container; pipe means connecting the output of the water pump to the shower spray member; and an operating unit for accommodating a battery for operation of the pump.

An embodiment of a shower assembly according to the present invention will now be described by way of example in highly simplified form with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Figure 1 is a highly diagrammatic view of the shower assembly according to the invention, and Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of a bath board for use in the assembly shown in Figure 1, also showing on an enlarged scale detail of mountings thereof.

Referring firstly to Figure 1, reference numeral 1 identifies a shower spray head which can be a hand-held shower head or a shower head which is fixedly or removably mounted to a suitable support such as a wall bracket. The shower head 1 is connected to a pipe 2 which will be a flexible hose in the case of a hand-held shower head or which may be a rigid pipe when the shower head 1 is fixed to a wall bracket. The pipe 2 is in turn connected to an electrically operated pump 3 with an intake 4 which draws water from a bath. The pump 3 may be a submersible water pump which is actually disposed in the water in the bath, or a low-voltage in-line self-priming water pump which is disposed outside the bath but in such a position that it can draw in water contained in the bath.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a container for housing a lowvoltage battery, for example a 6-volt or 12-volt battery, together with an on-off switch for operation and control of the pump 3, to which it is connected by a suitably proofed line. The container 5 may also comprise a battery charger point for recharging of the battery and a safety fuse device.

The container 5 further comprises suitable mounting means such as a hook for suspension from a wall bracket or the like, or plastics or rubber suction pads for mounting the container 5 to a wall such as a tiled wall above the bath, in relation to which the shower assesmbly is to be used.

In use of the shower assembly therefore, the bath in relation to which the shower assembly is to be used will be filled with water at the appropriate temperature suited to the person using same. It will be noted that the bath does not need to be filled to a very high level, as would be the case if the user wished to actually take a bath, but it is only necessary for the level of the water in the bath to be such as to ensure that the intake 4 of the pump 3 is always submerged in the water to provide a continuing feed of water to the shower head 1.

In operation therefore, the user operates the on/off switch of the container 5 to bring the pump 3 into operation. The pump 3 will thus draw water in through the intake 4 from the body of water contained in the bath and feed the intake water through the pipe 2 to the shower head, from which the sprayed water will return to the body of water in the bath.

The user can suitably adjust the temperature of the water in the bath to his or her personal requirements, and that person can then take a shower by virtue of recirculation of water from the bath through the shower head. The shower assembly is completely independent of outside plumbing or wiring requirements, so that it can be quickly installed ready for use and can be easily moved to other locations.

Reference will now be made to Figure 2 showing a bath board which can be advantageously used in the shower assembly shown in Figure 1.

The bath board in Figure 2 is made of any suitable material such as wood, plastics or composite material and is designed to span across the top of a bath to provide a seat upon which for example a disabled person may sit.

The bath board comprises a main board member 6 which adjacent its ends, in its upward surface, has recesses for accommodating the shower head 1 with its feed pipe 2. The end of the feed pipe 2 remote from the shower head 1 is connected to the pump 3 which in this construction is mounted to the underside of the board member 6 and which has its intake 4 extending downwardly from the underside of the board member 6, in the form of an intake pipe.

Mounted to the underside of the board member 6 at respective ends thereof are firstly a fixed mounting 7 comprising a downwardly projecting mounting portion 8 bearing one or more plastics or rubber suction pads 9 while at the other end the board member 6 carries a pivotable mounting means 10 comprising a mounting portion 11 mounted pivotably to the board member 6 and carrying one or more plastics or rubber suction pads 12. The pads 9 and 12 are thus capable of bearing against the inside surfaces of the side walls of a bath to provide a firm suction grip thereon.In that way the bath board can be securely mounted in position across the top of the bath so that when for example a disabled person sitting on the bath board leans forward or is in the process of transferring between the bath board and for example a stool outside and beside the bath, there is an at least substantially reduced risk of the bath board tipping and thus throwing the person off the bath board.

The board member 6 may have a plurality of locating holes for carrying the pivot spindle about which the pivoted mounting portion 11 is pivotable, to allow the suction pads 12 to be moved into close proximity with the inside surface of the side wall of the bath before they are moved into full contact with that surface by pivotal movement of the mounting portion 11.

It will be appreciated that the above-described constructions havebeen set forth solely by way of example of the present invention and that various modifications and alterations may be made therein without thereby departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A shower assembly comprising: a shower spray member; an electrically operable water pump having an intake for drawing in water from a water bath container; pipe means connecting the output of the water pump to the shower spray member; and an operating unit for accommodating a battery for operation of the pump.

2. A shower assembly according to claim 1 wherein said pipe means includes a flexible hose.

3. A shower assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said water pump is a submersible water pump.

4. A shower assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said water pump is a self-priming water pump.

5. A shower assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said operating unit comprises a container for housing a battery and an on/off switch for controlling the supply of power to the water pump.

6. A shower assembly according to claim 5 wherein said container comprises mounting means.

7. A shower assembly according to claim 6 wherein said mounting means comprises a hook.

8. A shower assembly according to claim 6 wherein said mounting means comprises at least one suction pad.

9. A shower assembly according to one of the preceding claims and further including a bath board for spanning across the top of a bath, the bath board comprising a main board member and mounting means disposed adjacent respective ends thereof, for co-operating with the side walls of the bath on which in use the bath board is supported.

10. A shower assembly according to claim 9 wherein the mounting means at at least one end of said board member is mounted pivotably thereto.

11. A shower assembly according to claim 9 or claim 10 wherein said board member additionally carries said water pump with a pipe forming the pump intake and arranged to extend into water contained in the bath on which in use the bath board is supported.

12. A shower assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing.

13. A shower assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawing.