Abstract:
A shower device is attached to a wall and is not connected in a fixed manner to the interior shower or to an additional hand shower. A hose that extends from a plumbing fixture to a hand shower is used for supplying the shower device or hand shower. The hand shower has an outlet for water discharged from the hose. The outlet can be joined to an inlet into the shower device such that the water reaches the shower device via the hand shower. The shower device can be configured as a wall-mounted rod. Preferably, the connection that redirects the water is established by a mechanical coupling device.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The invention relates to a shower device with a plumbing fixture in which a plumbing valve is provided and used, among other purposes, for activating a shower hose connection. 
     During renovation of bathrooms, the problem can arise that one would like additional devices for showering but there is little or no possibility of installing full lines under the respective shower surfaces. For this purpose, it is already common to design a side shower for retrofit installation (DE 29604312) such that a shower rail, deriving its water via a hose that is held by the plumbing fixture, is provided for a side shower. The connection to the wall-mounted rail then consists of a further changeover valve, so that the normal hand-held showerhead can be connected via a further means. In this manner, the quantity and temperature of the water for the side shower can be controlled via the already existing fixture, while a changeover valve exists elsewhere for changing between the side shower and the hand-held showerhead. 
     SUMMARY 
     An object of the invention is to provide a possibility of being able to activate an additional shower device via an existing plumbing fixture. 
     To achieve this object the invention proposes a shower device and a hand-held showerhead, with the features mentioned in the appended claims. 
     The hand-held showerhead belonging to the plumbing fixture also features an additional outlet connection to its normal jet outlet element that can be connected with an inlet connection of a further shower device. 
     When this outlet connection is connected with the inlet connection of further shower devices, the further shower device can be activated by means of the plumbing fixture. Therefore, no further manually operated plumbing valve is required, for instance, in order to change or set the amount and/or the temperature of the water flowing to the other shower device. Only an additional valve is required to open or close the outlet connection of the hand-held showerhead. 
     The other shower device can be an additional device besides the hand-held showerhead, for instance a supplement to the hand-held showerhead with a different jet type or a different shape or feature a different type of handling. This additional showerhead can be handled together with the hand-held showerhead, or also feature its own handle that can be used to operate the additional hand-held showerhead and the hand-held showerhead. 
     In further development of the invention, it can be provided that the hand-held showerhead features a mechanical coupling device for mechanically coupling the hand-held showerhead to the other shower device. 
     In particular, it can be provided that the coupling device is formed in such a way that in the mechanical connection between the hand-held showerhead and the other shower device the outlet connection of the hand-held showerhead is hydraulically connected simultaneously with the inlet connection of the other shower device. This makes it possible to establish the liquid connection between the two parts simultaneously by means of a simple mechanical connection process. 
     As already mentioned, a valve can be provided for opening the outlet connection. This valve, for instance, allows operation by means of an activating element to be activated manually. Then the user can deliberately establish the liquid connection. 
     The valve can for instance be located inside the hand-held showerhead itself. It can be formed and mounted as a common valve for switching over between different jet-types of a hand-held showerhead so that previous solutions of valves located in hand-held showerheads can be used further. 
     It is also considerable and within the scope of the invention that valves for opening the outlet connection of the hand-held showerhead be located inside the plumbing fixture itself. In this case, for instance, a hose with two water lines can be used. 
     It is also possible that the valve is accommodated inside the hand-held showerhead, but its activating element is mounted inside the plumbing fixture. 
     A further possibility proposed by the invention is that the valve for opening and shutting the outlet connection can be activated by establishing or disconnecting a mechanical connection with the inlet connection of the shower device. The user must not perform additional activities in order to activate further shower devices. 
     For instance, the mechanical connection that at the same time establishes the liquid connection can be executed as plug-in coupling so that the outlet connection in the hand-held showerhead forms a part of this plug-in coupling, of which the other part is mounted in the other shower device. Plug-in couplings are actually known so that familiar solutions are used, whereby an adaptation to the special application case in question here can be carried out if necessary. 
     The valve that opens and shuts the outlet connection of the hand-held showerhead, for instance, in further development can be formed so that when the outlet connection is open, the water supply to the jet outlet element is at least partly switched off. In addition, a full shut-off means can be provided. This means that upon establishing the connection between the hand-held showerhead and the other shower device, the water is then only supplied or first supplied to the other shower device. 
     It is however considerable and within the scope of the invention that the valve is formed in such a way that when the outlet connection is open, the water supply to the jet outlet element of the hand-held showerhead remains sustained. In a mechanical coupling between the hand-held showerhead and the other shower device, depending on the attachment and formation of the other shower device, the hand-held showerhead can still be used as an overhead shower or side shower. 
     According to the invention, it can be provided in a further development that the outlet connection and/or the coupling device are/is arranged on the hand-held showerhead such that when connected with the other shower device the jet outlet element points in a direction facing the user. This is then reasonable when the jet outlet element should further be used for showering. 
     In further development, it can be possible that the coupling device features a water delivery plug-in nipple. The same can for instance be covered when the hand-held showerhead is not coupled, so that it is first exposed upon establishing the mechanical connection. A sleeve or a similar element can serve for this purpose, which can also feature additional functions, for instance, function as an element for holding the hand-held showerhead when said is not in use. 
     The invention proposes, in further development, to connect the described shower device with a shower device connected and mechanically coupled with this outlet connection of the hand-held showerhead. 
     This can particularly feature a shower device that does not have its own liquid connection with a house installation. Preferably, this however involves a shower device that is independently fastened mechanically to a wall or to any other part of the fitting in a bathroom, a shower cell or the likes. 
     It was mentioned at the beginning that the activation of a wall-mounted rail with the help of a hose is already known. The additional shower device proposed by the invention, which is connected with the hand-held showerhead, can be any shower device, for instance, also a wall-mounted rail that can serve for holding the side shower. 
     For instance, in further development of the invention the wall-mounted rail can additionally serve as a normal wall-mounted rail, in that it can feature a preferably displaceable holder for the hand-held showerhead, so that this can be used as a showerhead even without operation of the wall-mounted rail. 
     In further development of the invention, it can be provided that the wall-mounted rail is made hollow so that it can internally serve as a water carrier. 
     In further development of the invention, it can be provided that the inlet connection of the shower device formed as a wall-mounted rail and/or of the part of the coupling device associated with the wall-mounted rail is located in the lower end area of the wall-mounted rail. 
     According to the invention, it can be provided that the other shower device at least features an overhead shower. By plugging the hand-held showerhead into the coupling device, the showerhead can be supplied with water. 
     The wall-mounted rail can also feature at least one side shower. 
     The shower device can feature its own changeover valve for switching over between the showerhead and side shower. 
     The quantity of water exiting the showerhead or the side shower as well as its temperature is furthermore controlled or determined by the plumbing valve inside the plumbing fixture. 
     According to the invention, it can be provided that a console is located in the bottom end area of the wall-mounted rail that features the parts of the connection and/or the coupling device. The console can feature or form additional function elements, for instance, tray possibilities for articles needed or desired when showering. 
     The invention likewise proposes a shower device for fixing on a wall or on another part of a shower cabinet, which at least features a jet outlet element, an inlet connection for connection with an outlet connection of a hand-held showerhead as well as a water carrier from the inlet connection to the at least one jet outlet element. 
     This shower device can be formed as a wall-mounted rail; it can also feature a mechanical coupling device for mechanically coupling a hand-held showerhead. 
     The invention likewise proposes a hand-held showerhead with a connection for a shower hose, at least a jet outlet element and a selectively opened outlet connection for connection with an inlet connection of a shower device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION 
       Features, details and preferences of the invention including those stated above, are derived from the claims and the abstract, of which the wording refers to the content of the description, and of the following description of a preferred embodiment as also shown in the drawing. The following figures show: 
         FIG. 1  purely schematically, the overview of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  a side view of a hand-held showerhead, which can be used for the shower device of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  a side view of a further hand-held showerhead; 
         FIG. 4  the hand-held showerhead of  FIG. 3  in a ready state for connection with the wall-mounted rail; 
         FIG. 5  a longitudinal section through a coupling device between a wall-mounted rail and the hand-held showerhead of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 6  a section corresponding to  FIG. 5  of the two parts in a connected state; 
         FIG. 7  an illustration of the shower device corresponding to  FIG. 1 , which is particularly suitable for the hand-held showerhead of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 8  the side view of a hand-held showerhead with another shower device in the form of an additional showerhead. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows the parts in a strongly simplified schematic illustration, with whose help the invention should be clarified. A plumbing fixture  1  in which a plumbing valve is accommodated is attached at an arbitrary point of a bathroom. For instance, this involves a thermostatic valve that should be operated with the help of an activating element  2 . From the plumbing fixture  1 , a connection  3  for a shower hose  4  leads outwards. At the end of the shower hose  4  a hand-held showerhead  5  is connected, which features a grip  6  and a showerhead  7 . On the front-side of the showerhead  7 , visible in  FIG. 1 , a jet outlet element in the form of a jet disc  8  is located, which is provided with different jet outlet openings. 
     Independent of the plumbing fixture  1  a further shower device  10  is attached in the bathroom, for instance, on the wall. This further shower device  10  has no water connection to the house installation, is however fastened independent of the plumbing fixture  1 . 
     The other shower device contains a wall-mounted rail  11  that is formed as a hollow pipe. The cross-section deviates preferably from the round shape. The wall-mounted rail  11  stretches between a console  12  located at its bottom end and an overhead shower  13  located at its top end, whereby the illustrated example entails a splash shower, in which the water exits out of a slit  14  in the form of a thin fan. 
     On the front side of the wall-mounted rail  11 , visible in  FIG. 1 , individual jet outlet openings  15  are formed, which are connected with the inner side of the wall-mounted rail  11 . A holder  16  is provided on the wall-mounted rail  11 , which partly surrounds the wall-mounted rail  11 , and is able to slide in the longitudinal direction of the wall-mounted rail. It can be fixed in an arbitrary position, for instance, by means of internal material stress, of which the holder  16  is made. On its side, a common conical holder  18  is attached via a rotary connection  17 . The grip  6  of the hand-held showerhead  5  can be stuck in this conical holder  18 . The wall-mounted rail  11  can be used in this manner like a common wall-mounted rail. 
     The holder  16  is formed such that it leaves the middle area free, thus the front side of the wall-mounted rail  11 , in which the jet outlet elements  15  are located. 
     In the console  12 , a depression is formed in the middle  19 , in whose middle point a socket  20  is visible. This socket  20  forms an inlet connection for water and is connected with the hollow internal side of the wall-mounted rail  11 . 
     The invention now proposes that the hand-held showerhead  5  be provided with an outlet connection that can be connected with the socket  20  of the wall-mounted rail  11  such that the water conveyed through the shower hose  4  can reach the interior of the wall-mounted rail  11 . This shall first be explained in  FIG. 2  with a hand-held showerhead that deviates in the form from the one explained in  FIG. 1 . The hand-held showerhead  5  dashed in  FIG. 2  is not considered for the wall-mounted rail  11  of  FIG. 1 , but for another wall-mounted rail. The hand-held showerhead  5  features the shape of a thin cylinder. On its bottom end is a thread  21  for connection of the union nut depicted at the end of the shower hose  4 . In the jacket surface of the cylinder a field with individual jet outlet elements  22  is formed. These jet outlet elements  22  are oriented such that they do not all produce parallel jets but that the opening angle of the produced jet fan is nonetheless smaller than the circumference of the field. 
     On the end of the hand-held showerhead  5  facing away from the connection for the shower hose  4  a rotatable ring element  23  provided, which forms an activating element for a changeover valve located in the internal part of the hand-held showerhead  5 . An outlet connection for the water guided through the shower hose  4  is located in the face side  24 . This can involve a socket that interacts with a nipple of a wall-mounted rail. The example of  FIG. 2  was selected in order to show that the arrangement of an outlet connection on a hand-held showerhead, as the invention proposes, does not need to impair the design of the hand-held showerhead in its external appearance. The hand-held showerhead can be used and applied exactly as before. In a wall-mounted rail, which should be used with the hand-held showerhead according to  FIG. 2 , one would lay the inlet connection reasonably on the bottom side so that the hand-held showerhead is located in the extension of the wall-mounted rail. It is naturally also considerable, in the case of a wall-mounted rail with the form illustrated in  FIG. 1  to attach the hand-held showerhead of  FIG. 2  on the bottom side of the showerhead  13 , which would have the side effect that the hand-held showerhead simultaneously serves as side shower. 
     The  FIGS. 3 and 4  now show a hand-held showerhead, which is specially meant for the wall-mounted rail of  FIG. 1 , thus for coupling in the cutout  19  in the console  12 . As already mentioned, the hand-held showerhead contains a showerhead  7  with a spray disc  8 . The jet outlet elements or jet openings are not depicted here. 
     On the rear side of the showerhead  7 , there is a projection  26 , which features the shape of a button. With this projection  26 , the hand-held showerhead may be hung on a corresponding holder. The projection  26  is formed such that it can be pushed into the housing of the showerhead  7  by pressing its rear side, see  FIG. 4 . Thereby, the nipple  27  with the water line inside the showerhead  7  remains standing, which is meant for engagement inside the socket  20  in the console  12 . 
     Now as regards another embodiment that is depicted in the  FIGS. 5 and 6 . The  FIGS. 5 and 6  show in their upper part the lower end of a wall-mounted rail  30 , which in its interior features a water line  31  formed by a hose. In the bottom end of the wall-mounted rail  30  a plug  32  is inserted, which features a continuous channel  33 . The plug  32  then forms a sleeve  34  in the bottom area in which a nipple  35  is screwed. The hollow nipple  35  features in the area of its free end individual webs  36 , which form interstices between themselves. 
     The plug  32  is firmly screwed with the help of a wall holder  37  on the wall. This wall holder also serves for holding the wall-mounted rail  30  with the help of the plug  32 . 
     An external sliding sleeve  38  is attached over the sleeve  34 , which is pushed upwards by a contacting spring  39  onto a shoulder of the sleeve  34 , that is, in the direction towards the plug  32 . Between the sleeve  34  and the sliding sleeve  38  is an inserted swivel hook  40 , which, in the depicted position, protrudes inside the interior space of the sleeve  34 . If the sleeve  38  is shifted downwards against the effect of the spring  39  in  FIG. 5 , then the radial exterior  41  of the swivel hook  40  enters a groove  42 , where the interior of the sliding sleeve  38  features a larger diameter. Through this, the swivel hook  40  allows being swivelled outwards so that its inner edge  43  is pushed from the inner part of the sleeve  34  outwards. 
     An end of a hand-held showerhead  45  acts together with the inner side of the sleeve  34 , which is depicted in the section of  FIG. 5  in its end area. It involves a hand-held showerhead that is similar in design to the hand-held showerhead  5  in  FIG. 2 . The end of the hand-held showerhead  45  contains a circumferential groove  46  that features a certain distance from the face end. If the hand-held showerhead is pushed into the sleeve  34 , then the swivel hook  40 , of which there are several besides the one depicted in  FIG. 5 , enters this groove  46  and hence locks the hand-held showerhead in the sleeve  34 . A valve  47  is accommodated in the end area of the hand-held showerhead, which is closed by the effect of a spring  48  in a normal state. 
     After pushing in the hand-held showerhead, the position depicted in  FIG. 6  occurs. The end of the valve closing plate  49  lies on the external ends of the webs  36 . These push the valve closing plate  49  so far in the inner part of the hand-held showerhead such that the valve is opened. The water passing through the hand-held showerhead and its water line  50  flows past the valve closing plate  49  and through the interstices between the webs  36  into the inner part of the plug  32 . 
     From there, the water reaches the water line  31  of the wall-mounted rail  30 . 
     To loosen the connection, the sliding sleeve  38  in  FIG. 6  is pushed downwards so that the swivel hook  40  is out of engagement with the groove  46 . Then the hand-held showerhead again allows itself to be pulled out of the inlet connection of the wall-mounted rail  30 . 
       FIG. 7  shows an illustration corresponding to  FIG. 1 , in which the hand-held showerhead  5  features the form of the hand-held showerhead of  FIG. 2 . With its front face end, it is fitted in the axial inlet connection of a wall-mounted rail  11 , which is formed as a round pipe continuing the shape of the hand-held showerhead  5 . In the area around its upper end, the pipe transforms into an elbow  51  in the head shower  13 , which in this case features the shape of a flat disc with a large jet outlet surface. 
       FIG. 8  shows the above mentioned possibility that the other shower device involves an attachment  52  for the hand-held showerhead, for instance, an additional showerhead, which in this case provides its jets in different direction from that of the hand-held showerhead  5 . In the case of the attachment  52  for the hand-held showerhead  5 , which is connected in the same manner with the hand-held showerhead  5  as the wall-mounted rail  11 , the embodiment according to  FIG. 7  can also involve for instance a showerhead equipped with brushes.