Abstract:
A shower assembly ( 10 ) including a shower head ( 11 ) to receive water from a cold water tap ( 12 ) and a hot water tap ( 13 ). Each of the taps ( 12, 13 ) has a tap body ( 20 ) within which there is located a flow restriction device ( 23 ). A further flow restriction device ( 33 ) is located downstream of the two flow restriction devices ( 23 ).

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to flow control assemblies for shower heads that are to receive water from a hot water tap and water from a cold water tap, and more particularly such assemblies that aid in regulating water to the shower head.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     To save water frequently shower assemblies are provided with flow restriction devices in the hot and cold water taps to aid in reducing water usage. These assemblies have the disadvantage that in respect of water being delivered to the hot and cold water taps, fluctuations in temperature and pressure can change the flow rate of the water delivered by the shower head.  
         [0003]     An alternative approach has been to insert a flow restriction device downstream of the two taps and before the shower head. However this has failed to overcome the above problem in that pressure fluctuations alter the temperature of water delivered by the shower head.  
       OBJECT OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     It is the object of the present invention to overcome or at least substantially ameliorate the above disadvantage.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     There is disclosed herein a flow control assembly for a shower head that is to receive hot water from a hot water inlet and cold water from a cold water inlet, said assembly including:  
         [0006]     a first flow restriction device to be operatively associated with the cold water inlet to restrict flow emanating therefrom;  
         [0007]     a second flow restriction device, said second device to be operatively associated with the hot water inlet to restrict the flow emanating therefrom;  
         [0008]     a pipe extending from the two devices so as to receive water therefrom and to deliver the water to the shower head; and  
         [0009]     a third flow restriction device, said third device being downstream of the first and the second device so as to restrict the flow of water to the shower head.  
         [0010]     Preferably, said third flow restriction device is a variable orifice device, with the orifice thereof being caused to close with an increase in water pressure delivered to the third device.  
         [0011]     Preferably, the first and second devices are fixed orifice water restriction devices.  
         [0012]     Preferably, the hot water inlet includes a hot water tap and the cold water inlet and a cold water tap.  
         [0013]     Preferably, said hot water inlet and cold water inlet are included in a mixer tap. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]     A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:  
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a schematic front elevation of a shower assembly;  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is a schematic sectioned bottom plan view of the assembly of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a schematic sectioned side elevation of a flow restriction device employed adjacent the shower head of the assembly of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0018]      FIGS. 4 and 5  are schematic sectioned side elevations of flow restriction devices employed in the taps of the assembly of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0019]      FIG. 6  is a schematic front elevation of a further shower assembly;  
         [0020]      FIG. 7  is a schematic bottom plan view of the assembly of  FIG. 6 ; and  
         [0021]      FIG. 8  is a schematic sectioned side elevation of a flow restriction device employed in the shower head of the assembly of  FIG. 6 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0022]     In the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted a shower assembly  10 . The shower assembly  10  includes a shower head  11  that receives water from a cold water tap  12  and a hot water tap  13 . A cold water inlet pipe  14  extends to the inlet  40  of tap  12  while a hot water inlet pipe  15  extends to the inlet  41  of tap  13 .  
         [0023]     A pipe  16  delivers water from the taps  12  and  13  to the head  11  via a first pipe portion  17  that delivers the water to a second pipe portion  18 . The portion  18  delivers the water to a pivotally mounted arm  19  to which the head  11  is attached.  
         [0024]     Each of the taps  12  and  13  includes a tap body  20  having a water inlet  21 . The body has an outlet  22  via which water is delivered to the pipe portion  17 . Mounted in the body  20  is a flow restriction device  23 . Examples of the device  23  are more fully described in Australian Patent Application 34326/02 and Australian Patent 705264. The device  23  provides a seat  24  that is engaged by a tap washer  25  moved by means of a spindle  26 . The spindle  26  has a threaded section  27  that is threadably engaged with a spindle mounting  28 , that in turn is threadably engaged with the body  20 . Rotation of the spindle  26  about the axis  29  causes movement of the spindle  26  longitudinally of the axis  29  to move the washer  25  relative to the seat  24 . Accordingly the washer  25  is movable from a position permitting water to flow through the device  23  (as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 ) and a position at which the washer  25  engages the seat  24  to prevent flow through the tap  12 / 13 . Each device  23  is of a fixed orifice type in that it has inlet passages  30  that extend to an outlet passage  31  but are generally normal thereto. The passage  31  extends to an opening  32  surrounded by the seat  24 , with the opening  32  being selectively closed by means of the washer  25 . When the washer  25  is spaced from the seat  23 , water passes from the inlet passage  30 , to the passage  31  to exit via the opening  32  so that water is delivered to the outlet  22 . The change in direction of water through the device  23  restricts flow.  
         [0025]     The device  23  is threadably engaged in the body  20  so as to be secured thereto.  
         [0026]     Immediately downstream from the head  13  is a flow restriction device  33 . The device  33  is of a variable aperture type in that the restriction device has apertures  34  that are in size dependent on the pressure applied to the device  33 . The device  33  has a plurality of flexible leaves  35  between which the apertures  34  are located. As pressure immediately upstream of the device  35  increase, the leaves  33  converge so that the apertures  34  are reduced, thereby increasing the resistance to flow through the device  33 . The leaves  35  are resilient so that upon a reduction in pressure the leaves  35  move apart to increase the size of the apertures  34 , thereby reducing resistance to flow.  
         [0027]     In operation of the above described assembly  10 , variations in the temperature of water delivered to the head  13  as a result of fluctuations in pressure delivered to the taps  12  and  13 , is diminished.  
         [0028]     In FIGS.  6  to  8  there is schematically depicted a modification of the above described assembly  10 . In this embodiment the taps  12  and  13  are replaced with a single lever mixer tap  36 . The tap  36  has a single lever  37  that is moved in the direction of the arrows  38  and  39  to change the flow rate and temperature of the water delivered to the device  33 . The tap  36  includes internally a hot water inlet and a cold water inlet, each of these inlets being provided with a device  23  as described above. The cold water inlet receives water from the cold water inlet-pipe  14  while the hot water inlet receives hot water from the hot water inlet pipe  15 .  
         [0029]     In the above described assemblies  10  preferably the pressure drop across each of the devices  23  is at least 100 KPA.