Abstract:
A head ( 1 ) for dispensing water in a handshower, comprising a cover ( 2 ) that is associated in a fixed manner with the end of a water feed duct ( 3 ) and comprises means for connection to an underlying rotatable dispenser ( 9 ) that is adapted to selectively convey the water to diffusers that produce different jets; the connection means comprise two ceramic plates ( 7,8 ) that are in mutual contact and are perforated, one plate ( 7 ) being monolithic with the fixed cover ( 2 ), the other plate ( 8 ) being rigidly coupled to the rotatable dispenser ( 9 ).

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The invention relates to a water dispensing head adapted to be used in a handshower.  
           [0002]    It is known that the water dispensing heads provided in handshowers at the end of a water feed duct contained within a covering enclosure comprise, in a very common embodiment, a cover that is fixed to the end of the duct and has, at the surface that makes contact with the water conveyed by the duct, a port for the passage of the water to the region below the cover, where there is a rotatable dispenser.  
           [0003]    As a consequence of a rotation of the dispenser performed by the user, said passage port is selectively connected to different ports provided in the dispenser, which convey the water toward different diffusers that are associated with the dispenser and are suitable to cause the water to exit in the form of different jets.  
           [0004]    In the known art, the surface of the cover that is provided with the water passage port directly faces the surface of the dispenser that is provided with the various ports, and correct conveyance of the water from the port provided in the cover to a port provided in the dispenser occurs thanks to the presence of gaskets at the peripheral region of said ports, but it is readily evident that less than optimum operation is achieved and that a sufficient durability is not ensured.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The aim of the present invention is therefore to provide a water dispensing head in a handshower that ensures gentle actuation for users and very long durability.  
           [0006]    This aim is achieved by a dispensing head, according to the invention, comprising a cover that is associated in a fixed manner with the end of a water feed duct contained within a covering enclosure, and comprises means for connection to an underlying rotatable dispenser that is adapted to selectively convey the water to diffusers suitable to cause the water to exit in the form of different jets, characterized in that said connection means comprise two ceramic plates that are in mutual contact and are perforated, one plate being rigidly coupled to the fixed cover, the other plate being rigidly coupled to the rotatable dispenser. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become better apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the invention, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a handshower provided with the head according to the invention;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is a perspective sectional view of the head, taken along a longitudinal plane;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIGS. 3 and 4 are perspective exploded views of the head;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIGS. 5 and 6 are two different perspective views of the dispenser, with some parts removed;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIGS. 7, 8 and  9  are sectional views of three different operating conditions. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0013]    With reference to the figures, the reference numeral  1  generally designates a head, which comprises a cover  2 , which is associated with a hood  3   a  provided at the end of a water feed duct  3  contained within a covering enclosure  4  and is provided with lugs  2   a  and  2   b  that prevent rotation with respect to the hood; all the elements of the head described hereafter are held together by a central stem  5 , whose upper end  5   a  is threaded in order to fix the head to the hood  3   a.    
         [0014]    The cover  2 , which has a slot  6  at the surface  2   c  designed to be reached by the water conveyed by the duct  3 , has a ceramic plate  7  rigidly coupled thereto; the plate  7  is provided with a slot  7   a  and is fixed with respect to the cover  2  by the association of a hexagonal hole  7   b  with the complementarily shaped protrusion  2   d  of the cover in the position in which the slot  7   a  is arranged at the slot  6  provided in the cover.  
         [0015]    The ceramic plate  8  is in contact with the fixed ceramic plate  7  and is rigidly coupled to a rotatable dispenser  9  by the association of the hexagonal hole  8   a  with a complementarily shaped protrusion  9   a  of the dispenser; said plate  8  is provided with uniformly distributed holes  10 ,  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14 ,  15  at holes  10   a ,  11   a ,  12   a ,  13   a ,  14   a ,  15   a  that are provided in the rotatable dispenser  9  and are suitable to selectively convey the water to the diffusers, described hereafter, for forming different jets.  
         [0016]    The slots  6  and  7   a  have a circumferential shape that allows them to be placed at two consecutive holes provided in the plate  8  and in the dispenser  9 , in positions determined by the elastic insertion of a locator  16  provided at the peripheral region of the rotatable dispenser  9  in seats such as  16   a  provided in the cover  2 ; in this way, by turning the dispenser  9  in the manners described hereinafter, the user places different pairs of the holes provided in the plate  8  and in the dispenser  9  at the slots  6  and  7   a  and provides the different operating conditions that are now described.  
         [0017]    The two holes  10   a ,  11   a  of the first pair are provided with apertures, respectively designated by the reference numerals  10   b  and  11   b , which are open onto a portion of space  17  formed within the dispenser  9  and are connected to openings such as  18   a  that are provided in a conveyor  18  for conveying the water to ports such as  19   a  of a central diffuser  19 , with an impeller  20  interposed in order to create a pulsating central jet.  
         [0018]    This is the situation shown in FIG. 7, which occurs when, as a consequence of the rotation of the dispenser  9 , the holes  10   a ,  11   a  and the corresponding holes  10 ,  11  are connected to the slots  6  and  7   a.    
         [0019]    The two holes  12   a ,  13   a  of the second pair lead to a port  21 , in a portion of space  22  that is connected by means of small holes such as  23  to a portion of space  24 , formed within an external diffuser  25 , which gives access, with a flow regulator element  26  interposed, to ports such as  27  provided in the external diffuser  25  to create an intermediate jet.  
         [0020]    This is the situation shown in FIG. 8, which occurs when the holes  12   a  and  13   a  and the corresponding holes  12  and  13  are connected to the slots  6  and  7   a.    
         [0021]    It should be noted at this point that there are locators, such as  28  and  28   a , respectively on the dispenser  9  and on the external diffuser  25 , which rotationally rigidly couple them, so that the user turns the dispenser  9  by acting on the external diffuser  25 ; the central diffuser  19  is in turn rotated by the dispenser  9  by friction.  
         [0022]    The two holes  14   a ,  15   a  of the third pair lead to the port  29 , which is open onto a portion of space  30  that is connected to a section  31  of the external diffuser  25 , provided with ports such as  32  to create a peripheral jet.  
         [0023]    This is the situation shown in FIG. 9, which occurs when the holes  14   a ,  15   a  and the corresponding holes  14 ,  15  are connected to the slots  6  and  7   a.    
         [0024]    Intermediate situations, in which the water exits from the holes of two contiguous jets, can occur if holes that belong to different pairs are arranged so as to face the slots  6  and  7   a ; for example, if the holes  11   a  and  12   a  are made to face said slots, water exits partially from the holes such as  19   a  of the central jet and partially from the holes such as  27  of the intermediate jet.  
         [0025]    From the above description it is easily understandable that the presence of the ceramic plates ensures very gentle actuation, watertightness, and great durability.  
         [0026]    The described invention is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept; moreover, for example, the dispenser can assume any shape.  
         [0027]    A dispenser such as the one described may also be associated with means for connection to the cover of the head of a known type.  
         [0028]    The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. MN2001A000026 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.