Showerhead assembly with oscillating nozzle
AssigneeEtl, LLC
InventorDavid Hofman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A showerhead assembly is provided which includes a conduit, a gear train and oscillating nozzle chamber. The gear train includes a propeller, toothed pinion, and toothed gear. Water flows from the conduit into an internal chamber within the showerhead housing. Specifically, water enters the propeller thereby causing it to rotate, the rotation of which causes the pinion to rotate, and consequently, the toothed gear to revolve. Additionally, a pin seated on the toothed gear rotates, thereby causing the nozzle chamber to oscillate. Further, the chamber's horizontal movement is hindered by one or more shoulder arms. As water exits the toothed gear, it travels through a central channel and into the oscillating nozzle chamber, whereby it expels through the nozzle outlet in a reciprocating spray pattern.
Claims12
A water spraying assembly comprising:
- an inlet;
- a showerhead comprising a face and a neck portion with a central conduit in fluid connection with said inlet;
- an oscillating nozzle assembly including a nozzle housing having a central chamber and one or more nozzles in fluid communication with said central chamber;
- a gear housing located within said showerhead, said nozzle housing being rotatably affixed to said gear housing so as to rotate about a longitudinal axis, said gear housing comprising a cavity in fluid communication with said showerhead's central conduit, said nozzle housing's central chamber in fluid communication with said cavity, said one or more nozzles configured to receive water from said central chamber and expel said water from said one or more nozzles;
- and
- a gear train positioned within said gear housing, said gear train comprising a propeller, a toothed gear operatively engaged with said propeller, and a rocker plate configured to pivot along a horizontal axis, said propeller configured to spin in response to water entering said cavity and contacting said propeller, said toothed gear configured to rotate in response to said propeller rotating, said toothed gear comprising a pin configured to rotate in response to said toothed gear rotating, and wherein said rocker plate comprises a pin engaging lip configured to engage with said pin and wherein upon rotation of said toothed gear causes said pin to rotate in a circular path along said pin engaging lip and cause said rocker plate to pivot along said horizontal axis which thereby causes said nozzle housing to oscillate about said longitudinal axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.