US2687917A - Shower head - Google Patents

Description

Aug 31, 1954 R. E. BLETCHER ETAL 2,687,917

SHOWER HEAD Filed April 23, 1951 @Uve/V616 Patented Aug. 31, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOWER HEAD Application April 23, 1951, Serial No. 222,468

Claims. 1

This invention relates to a new and useful shower head.

The principal object of this invention is to convert a stream of relatively high velocity water into a shower of finely divided and relatively low velocity water suitable for use in a shower bath or the like.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a shower head which will produce a shower consisting principally of droplets of water as distinguished from streams or jets of water produced in the ordinary shower head.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a shower head wherein the discharge spray has a major axis and a minor axis, thereby rendering the shower head particularly adaptable for use in a bathtub or other installation. This is accomplished by providing a discharge spray, a cross section of which is approximately elliptical in shape and wherein the major axis is substantially larger than the minor axis.

The preferred embodiment of this invention contemplates a housing provided with a restricted throat and a plug member adapted to be inserted into said throat, means forming water passages to form and direct converging streams of water to said housing below said restricted throat and means for discharging water from the housing after the converging streams of water have contacted each other.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be readily apparent from the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of the shower head embodying this invention attached to the water supply pipe.

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a plan view taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 2. 4

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5--5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a side elevation in section of a modied form of this invention.

Figure 7 is a plan view taken along the vline 'I-l of Figure 6.

The shower head is formed by a housing I0 which is preferably cylindrical externally and threaded as at I2 at its upper extremity to adapt the shower head to be screwed into the retaining nut I 4 provided at the extremity of the water supply pipe I6 to which water is supplied under pressure. l A transverse web I8 is provided inside the housing I0 forming a restricted throat 20 and dividing the housing into an upper chamber 24 and a lower chamber 28. A plug valve 22 is inserted into the upper chamber 24, the lower extremity 26 of the plug valve 22 being adapted to t into the restricted throat 20, thereby preventing the ow of water from the upper chamber 24 to the lower chamber 28.

To permit passage of water by the plug valve 22 and into the lower chamber 28, a pair of recesses are provided, either in the plug valve or in the web to form water passages. In this particular embodiment these water passages 30 and 32 are formed by recessing the web I8. Thus when the removable plug valve 2G is inserted into the upper chamber 24 so that it projects into the restricted throat 20, water will flow from pipe IS into chamber 24 about the plug valve 22 and through the water passages 30 and 32 in the form of convergingstreams emptying into the lower chamber 28. For reasons hereinafter described, it is preferred that the streams of water discharged through passages 30 and 32 be directed towards one another and that these streams be of substantially the same volume and velocity. The same volume in these two streams is insured by providing ribs 34 formed in the wall of the upper chamber 24. These ribs are preferably positioned so that one of them will fall on each side of the passages 30 and 32 and so that the ribs falling on each side of these passages are equally spaced from the adjacent passage. The plug valve 20 is provided, in this embodiment, with a lip 36 at its upper extremity. The diameter of the lip corresponds approximately to the diameter of the space formed between the ribs 34. This lip 36 functions to insure a central location of the plug 20 and an equal spacing from the inner wall of the housing I0 all about the periphery of the plug 2D. Thus water entering the upper chamber 24 is directed between the ribs 36 into the opposed water passages 30 and 32 in equal quantities.

The lower extremity of the plug valve 26 is tapered or beveled as at 38, this tapered portion projecting a substantial distance above the web I8 when the lower extremity of the plug valve 26 projects into therestricted throat 20. The web I8 is preferably beveled at its upper side to receive the tapered portion 38 of the plug valve and to provide a suitable seat for said plug valve.

The recesses in the web I8 forming water passages 30 and 32 are at an angle with respect to the axis of the housing so that the bottom of the recess provides a surface substantially parallel to the beveled portion 38, of th'eplug 26.'` I'hese recesses should 'also be `suicientlyl deep` to assure` continuous iiow from the chamber 24 through the passages 30 and 32 into the lower chamber 28..' The water passages 30 and 32, in this embodimenm..

are positioned exactly opposite one another on opposed sides of the centralaaxisoffthe showerY head and are of the same size. Thus the streams walls44 and 46, and end walls 48 and 50 ,winch extendfrom the webjl lto .the.,dischargeopening,A

and 32 meet, the water is deilected Vonto the side. walls 44 and 46 and some of 'which water follows the surface of the side wallsv tothedischarge. opening 42; other particlesof'the,Water strike,v

the` side walls 4.4fand,'46 and are deectedinwardly, thereby, lling the discharge spray. As.v the water pressure inthe pipe IG is increased, theY volume .of water `and 'thevelocity of the streams are increased, the greater amount of water-being deflected onto theside walls 44.and 46.. The water.

tends vto spreadoutall along the sidewallsy 44 and 46, .thereby enlarging the discharge showen; giving the discharge shower a major axis, andjaV minor axis.v As.- this filmof water spreads outwardly on the side walls. it approaches the end;

walls 48 and 50, therebyenlarging the discharge. shower. At one water pressure the outer extremity of the films of water on the side Walls will pass around the curved. edges` of the end walls 48 and 5and will. join` with one another. This creates a considerable turbulence, which canbe eliminated byk ribs 52 and 54 'which are formed` in the end walls..48 and, 50 adjacent the. discharge. These ribs function to divert the` opening 42. sheets of water at their outer extremity into the central part of the discharge shower. Itis readily' apparent that the character of the. discharge shower is substantially controlled by the relative,

lengths of the walls 44and '45 and the Yend-walls 48 and 5D. By elongating the walls 44 and'46, the'V majoraxis'of the discharge shower is increased;

similarly by increasing the endA walls 48 `and 50 the minor axis of the dischargeshower is in*- creased.

Referring now to Figures 6 and 7', wherein a modified form of this invention isV illustrated and' wherein like partsI are given the same numerical'v designation as in the principalembodiment, the

only difference between the mod-ined form and' the principal embodiment lifes in the provision of arcuate bevels formed in the side walls 44 and 46. These bevels 56`and58 are preferably formed in the side walls 44 yand li'of 'chamber` 28 at a posi'- tion substantially above the discharge opening-'42.'

Thepurpose of these bevels is to alter the shape housing I0, due to these bevels, the more circular in: formY the discharge shower becomes.

The operation of these` shower heads is as follows. Water is delivered at pressure through the supply pipe I6 to the upper chamber 24. The

water Vthen passes between the ribs 34 around the plug valve 2G and through the water passages 3D and 32. The twodischarge streams are directed by vthe passages 3B, 32 towards one another. When the two streams, which are of approximately the same volume and velocity meet, a largeportion of the water is deflected onto side walls 44 and 4B.. The water then passes down the side walls and is discharged. As the water pressure isincreased, the area of the side walls onto which the water is deflected increases and the discharge shower enlarged. By varying the depth of the-water passages 3U and 32, the shower can be changed from a very fine mist, in the case of extremely shallow passages, to heavy drops, in the case of deep` passages. However,l the shower produced by this shower head is. soft in character and does noty produce streams or jetsv of water as does the conventional shower head.

The` plug valve 22 is preferably removably retained in chamber 24 and foreign matter which collects in chamber 24 may be ushed by pushing the plug 22 upward.

While the above description is of the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is readily apparent that changes in the size, shape and formation of the elements can be resorted to without departf ing from vthe scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

LA shower head comprising: a housing provided with a web forming a restricted throat, movable plug means to control iiow through said throat held in said throat by the weight of the plug,V converging water passages formed between said web andl said plug means directing flow of water into the lower portion of said housing from which water is discharged in the formvofI a shower comprising a plurality of droplets of water similar to raindrops.

2. A'shower head comprising: a housing p rovided with a web forming a restricted throat, movable plug means adapted to be inserted, into said throat held in said'throat by the weight of the plug, water passages formed between said web and said plug means to direct flow of water into streams which converge in the lower portion of the housing frornnwhich water is .discharged in the form of 'a shower comprising a plurality of droplets of water similar to raindrops.

3. Ashower head comprising: a housing provided with va web forming a,v restricted throat dividing said housing into upper and lower chambers. movable` plug means adaptedA to be inserted into said throat held in said throat by the weight of the, plug, means forming water passages between said web and said plug means shower comprising a plurality of droplets of water similar to raindrops.

4. A shower head comprising:l a housingprovided with a web forming a restricted throat dividing said housing into upper and lower chambers, plug means adapted to be inserted into said throat, means forming water passages between said web and said plug means, said water passages communicating between the upper and lower chambers of said housing and directing ow of water into streams which converge in the lower chamber of said housing, and ribs in said upper chamber to center said plug means and direct an equal volume or water into each of said water passages.

5. A shower head comprising: a housing provided with a web forming a restricted throat dividing said housing into upper and lower chambers, plug means adapted to be inserted into said throat, means forming water passages between said web and said plug means, said water passages communicating between the upper and lower chambers of said housing and directing flow of water into streams which converge in the lower chamber of said housing, said lower chamber having side walls substantially parallel to said water passages which are substantially larger than the end walls of said chamber.

6. A shower head comprising: a housing provided with a web forming a restricted throat dividing said housing into upper and lower chambers, plug means adapted to be inserted into said throat, means forming water passages between said web and said plug means, said water passages communicating between the upper and lower chambers of said housing and directing iiow of water into streams which converge in the lower chamber of said housing, said lower chamber having side walls substantially paraliel to said water passages which are substantially larger than the end walls of said chamber, and ribs `formed on each end wall of said lower chamber.

7. A shower head comprising: a housing provided with a web forming a restricted throat dividing said housing into upper and lower chambers, plug means adapted to be inserted into said throat, means forming water passages between said web and said plug means, said water passages communicating between the upper and lower chambers of said housing and directing flow of water into streams which converge in the lower chamber of said housing, and ribs in said upper chamber to center said plug means and direct an equal volume of water into each of said water passages, said lower chamber having side walls substantially parallel to said water passages which are substantially larger than the end walls of said chamber.

8. A shower head comprising: a housing provided with a web forming a restricted throat dividing said housing into upper and lower chambers, plug means adapted to be inserted intosaid throat, means forming water passages between said web and said plug means, said water passages communicating between the upper and lower chambers of said housing and directing ow of Water into Streams which converge in the lower chamber of said housing, ribs in said upper chamber to center said plug means and direct an equal volume of water into each of said water passages, said lower chamber having side walls substantially parallel to said Water passages which are substantially larger than the end walls of said chamber, and ribs formed on each end wall of said lower` chamber.

9. A shower head comprising: a housing provided with a transverse web dividing said housing into upper and lower chambers, means forming water passages communicating between said upper and lower chambers, said water passages directing Water into streams which converge in said lower chamber, said lower chamber having side walls substantially parallel to said water passages which are substantially longer than the end walls of said lower chamber.

10. A shower head comprising; a housing provided with a web forming a restricted throat dividing said housing into upper and lower chambers, plug means adapted to be inserted into said throat, means forming water passages between said web and said plug means, said water passages communicating between the upper and lower chambers of said housing and directing iiow of water into streams which converge in the lower chamber of said housing, said lower chamber having side walls substantially parallel to said water passages which are substantially larger than the end walls of said chamber, said side walls of the lower chamber having arcuate bevels in the lower portion thereof.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 200,376 Daughtrey Feb. 19, 1878 442,762 Wainwright Dec. 16, 1890 1,173,279 Kinney Feb. 29, 1916 1,895,307 Beck Jan. 24, 1933 1,919,027 Klotzman July 18, 1933 2,235,258 Jones Mar. 18, 1941 2,396,449 Wahlin Mar. 12, 1946 2,605,144 Northup July 29, '1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 577,048 Germany May 24, 1933 635,281 Germany Sept. 14, 1936

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