Abstract:
A showerhead with convenient mode switching mechanism includes a stationary plate, a water diverting plate, a gearwheel, a sliding groove, a stopper, a rotary plate, a rear plate, a showerhead casing, a stopper holder, a spray face fixedly engaged with the rotary plate, and a dial protruding outward from the spray face. Manual rotation of the rotary plate clockwise or anticlockwise effects movement of the pin of the stopper which then turns the gearwheel and the water diverting plate for switching to a different spray mode. Upon discontinuance of the manual rotation of the rotary plate, the rotary plate and the pin of the stopper are then biased to return to their original positions.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a showerhead and more particularly pertains to a showerhead with convenient mode switching mechanism. 
         [0002]    Nowadays, many showerheads available in the marketplace are provided with different shower modes. Mechanical and electronic mode switching are available. For mechanical mode switching, user needs to turn an annular ring surrounding the circumference of the showerhead to specific positions to switch to specific shower modes. As user usually switches shower mode during shower, user&#39;s hand usually interferes with water emerging from the showerhead and thus causes the water to deflect in undesired directions. Besides, it is often difficult to see clearly during shower and thus it is difficult for user to turn the annular ring accurately to achieve a specific shower mode. As for electronic mode switching, it is usually expensive and thus may not be affordable to all market sectors. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    In view of the aforesaid disadvantages now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a showerhead with convenient mode switching mechanism which is convenient to operate, and low in manufacturing costs. 
         [0004]    To attain this, the present invention generally comprises: 
         [0005]    a stationary plate having a central aperture and a stationary plate aperture which fluidly communicates with a water supply; 
         [0006]    a water diverting plate having a shaft extending from center of the water diverting plate to the central aperture of the stationary plate and a plurality of water diverting apertures disposed around the shaft and fluidly communicate with the stationary plate aperture, and rotation of the water diverting plate provides different spray modes by selectively providing fluid communication between the plurality of water diverting apertures and specific water pathways leading to specific nozzles on a spray face; 
         [0007]    a gearwheel having a plurality of identical tooth gaps and mounted on the shaft of the water diverting plate with an interference fit for rotating the water diverting plate freely within the central aperture; 
         [0008]    a sliding groove disposed on the stationary plate and having two symmetrical elongated raised portions within the sliding groove; the two raised portions each has a slanted inner edge facing each other to form a V-shaped notch in middle of the sliding groove and an elliptical pathway on each of a clockwise side and an anticlockwise side of the V-shaped notch; 
         [0009]    a stopper having a first stopper end which corresponds to one of the plurality of tooth gaps of the gearwheel in shape and size and a pin configured to be received in and move in the elliptical pathways and the V-shaped notch in the sliding groove, wherein the stopper is movable between an operating position where the first stopper end engages with one of the plurality of tooth gaps of the gearwheel and a stopping position where the first stopper end is removed from contacting the gearwheel, and the stopper is biased towards the stopping position by a biasing spring disposed at a second end of the stopper; 
         [0010]    a rotary plate rotatably engaged with the stationary plate and rotatable among a default central position, a clockwise position and an anticlockwise position and biased towards the default central position; the rotary plate is fixed in relation to the stopper so that manual rotation of the rotary plate from the default central position to either the clockwise position or the anticlockwise position moves the pin of the stopper from the stopping position at the V-shaped notch to the operating position and along an upper portion of the elliptical pathway on the clockwise side or the anticlockwise side of the sliding groove, thus turning the gearwheel and the water diverting plate clockwise or anticlockwise for switching to a different spray mode; and as the pin reaches an end of the upper portion of the elliptical pathway, discontinuance of manual rotation of the rotary plate and the biasing spring causes the pin to move automatically downward along the elliptical pathway to reach a lower portion of the elliptical pathway and thus reaches the stopping position where the pin is removed from contacting the gearwheel, thus the gearwheel and the water diverting plate stops turning, and as the rotary plate is biased to return to the default central position, the pin of the stopper is forced to move along the lower portion of the elliptical pathway back to the V-shaped notch. 
         [0011]    The showerhead further comprises a rear plate engaged with a showerhead casing, wherein the rear plate has a rear plate aperture which fluidly communicates with a water supply and the stationary plate aperture. 
         [0012]    The showerhead further comprises a stopper holder having a stopper holding portion for receiving the stopper and a gearwheel holding portion which aligns with the central aperture of the water diverting plate for rotatably receiving the gearwheel; the stopper holding portion is fixedly engaged with the rotary plate by positioning between two protruding pieces disposed on the rotary plate. 
         [0013]    The showerhead further comprises a dial protruding outward from the spray face, and the spray face is fixedly engaged with the rotary plate so that manual rotation of the dial achieves manual rotation of the rotary plate. 
         [0014]    The stationary plate and the rotary plate abut against each other and provide two symmetrical spring receiving chambers at a top center portion; a spring is received in each of the two spring receiving chambers to bias the rotary plate towards the default central position. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a sectional view of the embodiment as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is an elevational view of the stationary plate of the embodiment as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is enlarged view of the sliding groove on the stationary plate of the embodiment as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the stopper of the embodiment as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the stopper holder of the embodiment as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the water diverting plate of the embodiment as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the gearwheel of the embodiment as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 9  is an elevational view illustrating the position of the rotary plate at the default central position in the embodiment as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 10  is an elevational view illustrating the position of the rotary plate at the clockwise position in the embodiment as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0025]    As shown in  FIGS. 1-10 , a preferred embodiment of the showerhead of the present invention comprises a stationary plate  1 , a water diverting plate  2 , a gearwheel  3 , a sliding groove  4 , a stopper  5 , a rotary plate  6 , a rear plate  7 , a showerhead casing  8 , a stopper holder  9 , a spray face  10  fixedly engaged with the rotary plate  6 , and a dial  11  protruding outward from the spray face  10 . 
         [0026]    The stationary plate  1  has a central aperture  101  and a stationary plate aperture  102  which fluidly communicates with a water supply. In this embodiment, the stationary plate aperture  102  fluidly communicates a rear plate aperture  71  on the rear plate  7  which fluidly communicates with a water supply. The rear plate  7  engages with the showerhead casing  8 . 
         [0027]    The water diverting plate  2  has a shaft  201  extending from center of the water diverting plate  2  to the central aperture  101  of the stationary plate  1  and a plurality of water diverting apertures  202  disposed around the shaft  201  and fluidly communicate with the stationary plate aperture  102 , and rotation of the water diverting plate  2  provides different spray modes by selectively providing fluid communication between the plurality of water diverting apertures  202  and specific water pathways leading to specific nozzles  1001  on the spray face  10 . 
         [0028]    The gearwheel  3  has a plurality of identical tooth gaps  301  and mounted on the shaft  201  of the water diverting plate  2  with an interference fit for rotating the water diverting plate  2  freely within the central aperture  101 . 
         [0029]    The sliding groove  4  is disposed on the stationary plate  1  and has two symmetrical elongated raised portions  401  within the sliding groove  4 ; the two raised portions  401  each has a slanted inner edge  402  facing each other to form a V-shaped notch  403  in middle of the sliding groove  4  and an elliptical pathway  404  on each of a clockwise side and an anticlockwise side of the V-shaped notch  403 . 
         [0030]    The stopper  5  has a first stopper end  501  which corresponds to one of the plurality of tooth gaps  301  of the gearwheel  3  in shape and size and a pin  502  configured to be received in and move in the elliptical pathways  404  and the V-shaped notch  403  in the sliding groove  4 . The stopper  5  is movable between an operating position where the first stopper end  501  engages with one of the plurality of tooth gaps  301  of the gearwheel  3  and a stopping position where the first stopper end  501  is removed from contacting the gearwheel  3 , and the stopper  5  is biased towards the stopping position by a biasing spring  503  disposed at a second end  504  of the stopper  5 . 
         [0031]    In this embodiment, the stopper  5  is received in a stopper holding portion  901  in the stopper holder  9 . The stopper holder  9  further has a gearwheel holding portion  902  which aligns with the central aperture  101  of the water diverting plate  1  for rotatably receiving the gearwheel  3 . The stopper holding portion  901  is fixedly engaged with the rotary plate  6  by positioning between two protruding pieces  601  disposed on the rotary plate  6 . 
         [0032]    The rotary plate  6  is rotatably engaged with the stationary plate  1  and rotatable among a default central position, a clockwise position and an anticlockwise position. The stationary plate  1  and the rotary plate  6  abut against each other and provide two symmetrical spring receiving chambers  602  at a top center portion; a spring  603  is received in each of the two spring receiving chambers  602  to bias the rotary plate  6  towards the default central position. As the rotary plate  6  is fixed in relation to the stopper  5 , manual rotation of the rotary plate  6  from the default central position to either the clockwise position or the anticlockwise position moves the pin  502  of the stopper  5  from the stopping position at the V-shaped notch  403  to the operating position and along an upper portion of the elliptical pathway  404  on the clockwise side or the anticlockwise side of the sliding groove  4 , thus turning the gearwheel  3  and the water diverting plate  2  clockwise or anticlockwise for switching to a different spray mode; and as the pin  502  reaches an end of the upper portion of the elliptical pathway  404 , discontinuance of manual rotation of the rotary plate  6  and the biasing spring  503  causes the pin  502  to move automatically downward along the elliptical pathway  404  to reach a lower portion of the elliptical pathway  404  and thus reaches the stopping position where the pin  502  is removed from contacting the gearwheel  3 , thus the gearwheel  3  and the water diverting plate  2  stops turning, and as the rotary plate  6  is biased to return to the default central position, the pin  502  of the stopper  5  is forced to move along the lower portion of the elliptical pathway  404  back to the V-shaped notch  403 . 
         [0033]    The present embodiment operates as follows: 
         [0034]    Initially, the showerhead is at a first spray mode wherein a first set of the water diverting apertures  202  fluidly communicates with a first water pathway leading to a first set of nozzles  1001  on the spray face  10 , thus water from the water supply flows through the rear plate aperture  71  and the stationary plate aperture  102  to the first set of the water diverting apertures  202  and thereafter along the first water pathway to the first set of nozzles  1001 . 
         [0035]    As the user turns the dial  11  on the spray face  10  clockwise, the rotary plate  6  overcomes the biasing force of the spring  603  in the spring receiving chamber  602  on the clockwise side and rotates clockwise from the default central position to the clockwise position; the stopper holder  9  and the stopper  5  are forced to turn with the rotary plate  6 , and so the pin  502  of the stopper  5  overcomes the biasing force of the biasing spring  503  to move from the stopping position at bottom of the V-shaped notch  403  upwards along the slanted inner edge  402  of the raised portions  401  on the clockwise side, thus bringing the first stopper end  501  of the stopper  5  to the operating position to engage with one of the plurality of tooth gaps  301  of the gearwheel  3 . As the user continues to turn the dial  11 , the pin  502  turns the gearwheel  3  correspondingly as it moves along the upper portion of the elliptical pathway  404  on the clockwise side of the V-shaped notch  403  towards a clockwise direction, and the water diverting plate  2  thus turns together with the gearwheel  3  for switching to a different spray mode. When the pin  502  reaches the end of the upper portion of the elliptical pathway  404 , the elliptical pathway  404  restricts the pin  502  from moving clockwise further, thus signaling the user to stop turning and release the dial  11 . As the user stops turning and releases the dial  11 , the biasing spring  503  causes the pin  502  to move automatically downward along the elliptical pathway  404  to reach the lower portion of the elliptical pathway  404  and thus reaches the stopping position where the first stopper end  501  of the stopper  5  is removed from contacting the gearwheel  3 , thus the water diverting plate  2  stops turning. As the rotary plate  6  is biased by the spring  603  in the spring receiving chamber  602  on the clockwise side to return to the default central position, the pin  502  of the stopper  5  is forced to move along the lower portion of the elliptical pathway  404  towards an anticlockwise direction back to the V-shaped notch  403 . The operation for anticlockwise rotation of the dial  11  is substantially similar to the aforementioned operation for clockwise rotation of the dial except that the direction is changed from clockwise to anticlockwise and so the details are not repeated herein. The movement of the pin  502  in the V-shaped notch  403  and the elliptical pathways  404  are illustrated in the arrow paths in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0036]    The above embodiments are preferred embodiments of the present invention. The present invention is capable of other embodiments and is not limited by the above embodiments. Any other variation, decoration, substitution, combination or simplification, whether in substance or in principle, not deviated from the spirit of the present invention, is replacement or substitution of equivalent effect and falls within the scope of protection of the present invention.