US 4,588,130 AGranted

Showerhead

AssigneeTeledyne Industries, Inc.

InventorsJohn M. Trenary, Joseph G. Mammoser

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Abstract

A showerhead has a series of orifices together with a series of spray outlets and a turbine with a valve for sequentially opening successive ones of the orifices. The turbine is driven by water emitted from a nozzle. A multiply-apertured flow director plate communicates water to the nozzle, the orifices and the outlets. Overlying the director plate is a control plate that selectively couples water to different ones of the apertures in the director plate as the latter is moved by a control ring. First, second and third passages are defined in the showerhead, the first between an aperture in the director plate to the nozzle and also through the valve to the orifices, the second from an aperture in the director plate to the outlets and the third from an aperture in the director plate in bypass of the nozzle but through the valve to the orifices in a manner to retard the speed of the turbine. A first set of shutters on the control plate serves to close the third passage, open the first passage and variably open the second passage during opening of the first passage as the control plate is moved. A second set of shutters also defined on the control plate close the first and second passages, while opening the third passage again as the control is moved. The different combinations include a mode in which a comparatively slow delivery of pulses is combined with the delivery of a spray.

Claims8

Dependent claims

In a showerhead that has an inlet, a series of circumferentially-spaced orifices, a series of spray outlets, a turbine with a valve for sequentially opening successive ones of said orifices, at least one nozzle for driving said turbine, a multiply-apertured flow director for communicating water to said nozzle, said orifices and said outlets, a control for selectively coupling water from said inlet to different ones of the apertures in said director and means for moving said control relative to said director, the combination comprising:

means in said showerhead defining a first passage from at least a first aperture in said director to said nozzle and through said valve to said orifices;
means in said showerhead defining a second passage from at least a second aperture in said director in bypass of said nozzle but through said valve to said orifices and in retardive interaction with said turbine;
means in said showerhead defining a third passage from at least a third aperture in said director to said outlets;
first shutter means defined on said control for closing said third passage, opening said first passage and variably opening said second passage during opening of said first passage as said control is moved;
second shutter means defined on said control for closing said first and second passages, while opening said third passage as said control is moved;
and said first and second shutter means being mutually oriented to at least partially open said second passage when said control is moved to a position in which both of said first and third passages are at least partially opened.

3 more elements

In a showerhead that has an inlet, a series of circumferentially-spaced orifices, a series of spray outlets, a turbine with a valve for sequentially opening successive ones of said orifices, at least one nozzle for driving said turbine, a multiply-apertured flow director plate for communicating water to said nozzle, said orifices and said outlets, a control plate for selectively coupling water from said inlet to different ones of the apertures in said director plate and means for moving said control plate relative to said director plate, the combination comprising:

means in said showerhead defining a first passage from at least a first aperture in said director plate to said nozzle and through said valve to said orifices;
means in said showerhead defining a second passage from at least a second aperture in said director plate in bypass of said nozzle but through said valve to said orifices and in retardive interaction with the speed of rotation of said turbine;
means in said showerhead defining a third passage from at least a third aperture in said director plate to said outlets;
a first shutter defined on said control plate for closing said third passage, opening said first passage and variably opening said second passage during opening of said first passage as said control plate is moved;
a second shutter defined on said control plate for closing said first and second passages, while opening said third passage as said control plate is moved;
and said control plate being movable to rotate said shutters relative to said director plate in continued revolution to effect repeated sequences of said openings and closings of said passages.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 06/571,577Filed 17 Jan 1984
Granted: 13 May 1986
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

B05B 1/1636
With a selecting mechanism comprising a gate valve, a sliding valve or a cock: by relative rotative movement of the valve elements
B05B 1/085
The pulsating mechanism comprising movable parts: rotated by the liquid or other fluent material discharged, e.g. liquid rotated turbines
B05B 1/189
With user-actuated controlling members: actuated by a rotating movement
B05B 3/04
With rotating elements: driven by the liquid or other fluent material discharged, e.g. the liquid actuating a motor before passing to the outlet