Shower head having a rubber/plastic face plate and a diverter valve using rubber sleeve back pressure activation

A shower head comprising:

• a hollow body connected at one end to a water source;
• a face plate connected at the other end of the hollow body, the face plate including a plastic substrate having a plurality of openings formed therein and a thermoplastic rubber layer formed on portions of the plastic substrate, including walls of plastic substrate openings, wherein the thermoplastic rubber layer includes ridge portions extending away from and circumferentially around the plastic substrate openings;
• and
• a plurality of plungers, wherein each plastic substrate opening receives a corresponding plunger and the ridge portions closely surround the plungers to form a close fit between the plungers and plastic substrate openings.

A shower head comprising:

• a hollow body connected at one end to a water source;
• a face plate connected at the other end of the hollow body, the face plate having a plurality of circumferential openings provided therein and a central opening provided therein;
• a plurality of plungers connected to a spider, each face plate circumferential opening receiving a corresponding plunger;
• and
• a diverter valve having a cylindrical insert communicating with the cental opening of the face plate, the cylindrical insert having a plurality of openings formed therein and connecting to the spider, the diverter valve further having a deformable member arranged on the inside of the cylindrical insert and covering the plurality of openings formed in the insert, wherein when water flowing through plungers is stopped, the water pressure against the deformable member increases and forces the deformable member away from the cylindrical insert openings, allowing water to flow through the central opening of the face plate.

A shower head comprising:

• a hollow body connected at one end to a water source;
• a face plate connected at the other end of the hollow body, the face plate including a plastic substrate having a plurality of circumferential openings formed therein and a central opening provided therein, the face plate further having a thermoplastic rubber layer formed on portions of the plastic substrate, including walls of the plastic substrate circumferential openings, wherein the thermoplastic rubber layer formed on the walls of the plastic substrate circumferential openings includes ridge portions extending away from and circumferentially around the plastic substrate circumferential openings;
• a plurality of plungers connected to a spider, wherein each plastic substrate circumferential opening receives a corresponding plunger and the ridge portions closely surround the plungers to form a close fit between the plungers and plastic substrate circumferential openings;
• and
• a diverter valve having a cylindrical insert communicating with the cental opening of the face plate, the cylindrical insert having a plurality of openings formed therein and connecting to the spider, the diverter valve further having a deformable member arranged on the inside of the cylindrical insert and covering the plurality of openings formed in the insert, wherein when water flowing through plungers is stopped, the water pressure against the deformable member increases and forces the deformable member away from the cylindrical insert openings, allowing water to flow through the central opening of the face plate.

A shower head comprising:

• a hollow body connected at one end to a water source;
• a face plate connected at the other end of the hollow body, the face plate including a plastic substrate having a plurality of openings formed therein and a thermoplastic rubber layer formed on portions of the plastic substrate, including walls of plastic substrate openings, wherein the thermoplastic rubber layer formed on the walls of the plastic substrate openings includes ridge portions extending away from and circumferentially around the plastic substrate openings;
• and
• a plurality of plungers, wherein each plastic substrate opening receives a corresponding plunger and the ridge portions closely surround the plungers to form a close fit between the plungers and plastic substrate openings, each of the plurality of plungers having:
• a generally cylindrical shaft portion having an upper end, means for attaching the shaft portion to a means for adjusting the plunger within the corresponding plastic substrate opening, and a lower end having a collar thereon whose diameter corresponds to that of the upper end, and
• a body portion having a plurality of semicircular grooves provided therein to permit water to pass through the corresponding plastic substrate opening in a controlled spray pattern, the plurality of semicircular grooves extending partially along the length of the body portion, the body portion further having a plurality of slots provided therein, each slot extending from a corresponding semicircular groove to a bottom of the body portion, wherein the slots permit water to pass through the corresponding plastic substrate opening in a needle-like spray pattern.