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US 7,458,112 B1Granted
Shower assembly kit with multiple functions
OwnerUe-Ming Yanginventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A three-way rotary valve is remotely operated by a remote actuator assembly at multiple positions that include diverting flow to: a hand held shower head, an over head fixed shower head, both hand held shower head and over head fixed shower head, and diverting minimum leakage flow to hand held shower head to cause water dripping out of hand held shower head. The body of the remote actuator assembly allows a cross bar and a bracket to retain the hand held shower head at an adjustable height.
Claims9
A three-way rotary valve comprises:
- an inlet port, a first and second outlet ports;
- and
- an internal flow chamber having a first opening fluidly connected to said inlet port through a first passage way, a second opening fluidly connected to said first outlet port through a second passage way, a third opening fluidly connected to said second outlet port through a third passage way;
- and
- a plug having an upper cylindrical section, an eccentric midsection, and a lower cylindrical section, in which, the outer surface of said upper cylindrical section is provided with a lateral groove for receiving a first o-ring, the outer surface of said lower cylindrical section is provided with another lateral groove for receiving a second o-ring, and the outer surface of said eccentric midsection is provided with a peripheral groove for receiving a third o-ring;
- wherein:
- said plug being rotated within said flow chamber to a first position so that said eccentric midsection diverts flow from said inlet port to both said first and second outlet ports;
- and
- said plug being rotated within said flow chamber to a second position so that said eccentric midsection diverts flow from said inlet port to said first outlet port, and said third o-ring completely envelopes said third opening to stop leakage flow to said second outlet port;
- and
- said plug being rotated within said flow chamber to a third position so that said eccentric midsection diverts flow from said inlet port to said second outlet port, and said third o-ring completely envelopes said second opening to stop leakage flow to said first outlet port;
- and
- said plug being rotated within said flow chamber to a fourth position so that said third o-ring completely envelopes both said first and second openings, therefore, there is only a leakage flow diverted from said inlet port only to said first outlet port, and there is no flow, not even a minimum leakage flow, diverted to said second outlet port;
- and
- said first, second, third and fourth positions are equally separated within a 360 degree rotation.
12 more elements
A shower assembly kit comprises:
- a three-way rotary valve having an inlet port, a first and second outlet ports;
- and
- a flexible hose having an inlet and outlet ends, and said inlet end being fixedly connected to said first outlet port of said rotary valve;
- and
- a hand-held shower head being fixedly connected to said outlet end of said flexible hose;
- and
- a swing arm having an inlet end and outlet ends, and said inlet end being rotationally connected to said second outlet port of said rotary valve so that said swing arm can rotate vertically to adjust the height of said outlet end of said swing arm;
- and
- a over head fixed shower head being rotationally connected to said outlet end of said swing arm so that said over head fixed head can rotate to face downward;
- and
- a remote actuator assembly connected to said rotary valve so that said rotary valve can be remotely operated at distance away from said rotary valve;
- and
- a cross bar being slidably connected to the outer surface of a body of said remote actuator assembly so that said cross bar can be adjusted to a various height;
- and
- a bracket being attached to said cross bar for retaining said hand-held shower head;
- wherein:
- said rotary valve capable of being remotely operated at three positions, in which, a first position is to divert flow to said hand held shower head through said first outlet port of said rotary valve, a second position is to divert flow to said over head fixed shower head through said second outlet port of said rotary valve, and a third position is to divert flow to both said over head fixed shower head and said hand held shower head through both said first and second outlet ports.
14 more elements
A shower assembly kit comprises:
- a three-way rotary valve having an inlet port, a first and second outlet ports;
- and
- a flexible hose having an inlet and outlet ends, and said inlet end being fixedly connected to said first outlet port of said rotary valve;
- and
- a hand-held shower head being fixedly connected to said outlet end of said flexible hose;
- and
- a swing arm having an inlet end and outlet ends, and said inlet end being rotationally connected to said second outlet port of aid rotary valve so that said swing arm can rotate vertically to adjust the height of said outlet end of said swing arm;
- and
- a over head fixed shower head being rotationally connected to said outlet end of said swing arm so that said over head fixed head can rotate to face downward;
- and
- a remote actuator assembly connected to said rotary valve so that said rotary valve can be remotely operated at distance away from said rotary valve;
- and
- a cross bar being slidably connected to the outer surface of a body of said remote actuator assembly so that said cross bar can be adjusted to a various height;
- and
- a bracket being attached to said cross bar for retaining said hand-held shower head;
- wherein:
- said rotary valve capable of being remotely operated at four equally separated positions within a 360 degree rotation, in which, a first position is to divert flow to said hand held shower head through said first outlet port of said rotary valve, a second position is to divert flow to said over head fixed shower head through said second outlet port of said rotary valve, a third position is to divert flow to said over head fixed shower head and said hand held shower head through said first and second outlet ports respectively, and a fourth position is to divert a minimum leakage flow to said hand held shower head through said first outlet port, but divert no flow, not even a minimum leakage flow, to said over head fixed shower head through said second outlet port.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.