Shower spray heads

A shower spray head for providing a fluid spray with mechanical vibration of a part of the spray head, comprises, in combination, a fluid flow for delivering a shower spray; a turbine mounted in the path and drivable in rotation about an axis by fluid flow through the path; an eccentric rotatable form mounted for rotation about the axis and drivable by the turbine and eccentrically mounted with respect to the axis; and a vibratory housing connected by a pivotal connection to the eccentric form whereby rotation of the turbine during use causes vibration of the vibratory housing.

FIELD OF INVENTION 
This invention relates to spray nozzles or shower heads for producing a 
shower in for example a home showerbath, with mechanical vibration of the 
shower heads during use. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART 
Spray nozzles for producing pulsating streams of water are known and used 
for example in domestic bathrooms for producing pleasant massage effects. 
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,762,648 and my copending U.S. patent 
application Ser. No. 761,325, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,079,891, describe such 
arrangements. A certain degree of pulsation is produced in internal parts 
of the construction of the said prior patent and application, and in the 
pulsating shower spray construction of U.S. Pat. No. 3,734,410. It is 
however desirable to produce stronger massage effects than are obtainable 
when a stream of water is modulated. 
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
An object of this invention is a spray nozzle or shower head which 
incorporates a vibratory member which vibrates during use, so that the 
shower head can be used as a vibratory massager. 
Another object is a spray nozzle or showerhead in which a vibratory member 
has a brush massager mounted thereon. A further object of the invention is 
a spray nozzle or shower head for producing a user-adjustable combination 
of a shower spray with mechanical vibration of a vibratory member, and 
alternative or additional pulsating spray and continuous (non-pulsating) 
spray. Further objects will be apparent from the disclosure. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The invention provides a shower spray head for providing a fluid spray with 
mechanical vibration of a part of said head, said shower spray head 
comprising, in combination, means forming a fluid flow path for delivering 
a shower spray; a turbine member mounted in said path and drivable in 
rotation about an axis by fluid flow through said path, an eccentric 
rotatable member mounted for rotation about said axis and which is 
drivable by said turbine member and eccentrically mounted with respect to 
said axis; and a vibratory member connected by a pivotal connexion to said 
eccentric member whereby rotation of said turbine member during use causes 
vibration of said vibratory member. In one suitable embodiment of the 
invention, the eccentric member is an eccentric cam of substantial 
diameter around which said vibratory member is pivotally located with 
play, so that rotation of said cam caused by rotation of said turbine 
causes vibration of said vibratory member. The cam can suitably be an 
elliptical formation integral with and disposed eccentrically about said 
axis, and said vibratory member can have a circular aperture located about 
said elliptical formation with play to form said pivotal connexion. 
In an alternative embodiment, an arm is pivoted at one end thereof to a cam 
forming said vibratory member, said vibratory member being mounted for 
reciprocating motion about an axis which is spaced from said axis of 
rotation of said turbine. 
The invention also provides a spray nozzle or shower head comprising a 
housing having a fluid inlet and a plurality of fluid discharge orifices, 
the housing having therein a turbine member mounted for rotation about an 
axis and drivable in rotation about said axis by fluid flowing through the 
head, the turbine member carrying an eccentric member which is mounted 
eccentrically of said axis, said eccentric member being connected 
pivotally to a vibratory member which is accessible to the exterior of the 
head, whereby fluid flow through the head causes vibration of said 
accessible vibratory member. Suitably a massage brush can be mounted on 
said vibratory member. In two practical embodiments of the shower head 
described below with reference to drawings, there are provided two 
alternative fluid flow paths, a first alternative flow path including 
pulsation means for cyclic interruption of the fluid flow along it, for 
providing a pulsating fluid spray, and a second alternative flow path for 
producing a non-pulsating spray, control means being provided and manually 
operable by a user to distribute the flow adjustably amongst the flow 
paths. 
As described below, the pulsation means can very suitably be as described 
in my U.K. Patent Specification No. 1,490,836, which corresponds to my 
U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 761,325, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,079,891. 
In an embodiment of the invention particularly described below, the 
turbine, the vibratory member (which comprises a vibratory portion of the 
shower head housing), spray discharge outlets from a first flow path, and 
spray discharge outlets from a second alternative flow path, are disposed 
at respective radial distances about an axis, and the pulsation means and 
spray discharge outlets therefor are located centrally. 
Two embodiments of the shower head or spray nozzle of the invention are 
hereinafter particularly described by way of example only with reference 
to the accompanying drawings, made a part hereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
FIG. 1 of the drawings shows a spray nozzle according to the invention, 
designated 1, in perspective view, in the form of a shower spray head 
adapted for attachment to the end of a flexible water-pipe or hose by an 
inlet connector 2 and adapted for hand-held use by means of a hollow 
handle portion 3 forming part of housing 4. The nozzle 1 has a central 
group of spray discharge outlets 5, from which a pulsating spray can be 
delivered as described below, a peripheral group of discharge outlets 6, 
for delivering a non-pulsating spray, and a peripheral outlet 7 for 
delivering a spray with simultaneous mechanical vibration of a vibratory 
housing portion 8 in a manner to be described below. A manually operable 
rotary function selector control 9 enables the flow to be adjustably 
distributed amongst the flow paths leading to the three types of outlets 
6, 7 and 8. 
FIGS. 2 and 3 together form an exploded and partly cut-away view of the 
nozzle of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a corresponding sectional view. 
The housing 4 shown in FIG. 1 comprises an upper hollow housing portion 10 
integral with the handle 3 and inlet connector 2, engageable by a screw 
thread with a lower housing portion 11. The housing portions can suitably 
be of plastics material. 
Located with the housing so formed are an apertured inner housing 12 and a 
ring 13, which cooperate with lower housing portion 11 to form outlets 6. 
The upper surface of inner housing 12 is attached to and cooperates with a 
cover 14 to form a chamber within which is located a turbine member 15. 
Cover 14 has an inlet tube for conducting fluid flow from flow selector 
mechanism to be described below to the turbine chamber. The inlet to the 
chamber is arranged so that the entering flow impinges on the turbine 
blades in such a direction as to cause the turbine 15 to rotate. 
Turbine member 15 has a central cylindrical bushing which extends downwards 
through a central aperture in inner housing 12 to mate with an apertured 
disc 16 bearing an eccentric member 17 in the form of an elliptical 
formation located eccentrically relative to the aperture to form an offset 
cam. Turbine member 15 and disc 16 with eccentric member 17 are so 
attached, e.g. by adhesive or splined connection, as to rotate as a unit. 
Around eccentric member 17 is located (with play) a circular aperture 18 in 
an upper member 8a which, together with lower member 8b threadedly engaged 
thereto, forms the vibratory housing portion 8. 
Vibratory housing portion 8 is located in position partly within housing 4, 
and retained in position with lateral free play between inner housing 12 
and an apertured bushed plate 19 which in turn is attached to the axial 
portion 20 of an angled tube 21, which extends upwards through the central 
aperture in inner housing 12 and through the cylindrical bushing of 
turbine 15 and disc 16, to connect with flow selector mechanism to be 
described below. 
A first flow path of the spray nozzle is formed by a path from the flow 
selector mechanism to be described below, via the inlet in cover 14 and 
the turbine chamber formed by inner housing 12 and cover 14, and apertures 
12a in inner housing 12 leading to outlet 7 between lower housing portion 
11 and vibratory housing portion 8. 
Mechanical vibration is produced in operation by fluid flow along this flow 
path, as fluid entering the turbine chamber causes turbine 15 to rotate 
together with disc 16 carrying eccentric member 17. The rotation of 
eccentric member 17 causes vibration in the vibratory housing portion 8 
owing to the location of eccentric member 17 within aperture 18 of upper 
member 8a, (shown more clearly in the fragmentary diagrammatic sectional 
plan FIG. 5). The fluid flow along this flow path emerges as spray from 
outlet 7. The bushing of turbine 15 is not a tight fit about angled tube 
21 so that some fluid flow also finds its way between the bushing and the 
tube: this brings about a lubricating effect. A ring 8c bearing a brush 
(shown in FIGS. 2 & 3) can be attached to vibratory housing portion 8 and 
can be used as a vibratory massage device when the spray nozzle is being 
used in its vibratory mode. 
A first alternative flow path of the spray nozzle is formed by a path from 
the flow selector mechanism to be describe below, via the angled tube 21, 
which connects via the apertured bushed plate 19 with pulsation means 
comprising a rotary valve and valve chamber for supplying a pulsating 
spray to the outlets 5. 
The valve chamber is made up of a cylindrical valve chamber body 22 having 
one end closed by an integral wall and the other end closed by a 
screw-threaded cover 23, sealing being provided by a rubber sealing ring 
24. Opening out of the cylindrical surface of the valve chamber body 22 
are outlets which open externally to form outlets 5. Opening into the 
cylindrical surface of the valve chamber body 22 on the opposite side 
thereof from outlets 5 is an inlet 25, formed by a pair of slots in the 
wall of the body 22 partly occluded by a semicircular insert 26, so that 
the inlet passes through the wall thickness at an oblique angle and so 
that water passing through inlet 25 has a component of motion tangential 
to the cylindrical valve chamber body 22. Integral with valve chamber body 
22 is a cylindrical neck 27 (shown partly cut away in FIG. 2) disposed 
about inlet 25, and connected with the fluid supply via the apertured 
bushed plate 19 and angled tube 21. 
Mounted for rotation within the rotary valve chamber body 22 is a rotary 
valve generally designated 35. Rotary valve 35 has four arcuate flaps 
pivotally mounted thereon, of which two are designated 36 (FIG. 2). Each 
arcuate flap 36 has an arcuate part-cylindrical surface which is 
substantially complementary with the inner cylindrical surface of the 
cylindrical valve chamber body 22. 
Rotary valve 35 comprises a disc or plate 37, which has bushings centrally 
disposed on each side, and which fits with clearance in the cylindrical 
valve chamber. Plate 37 is mounted for rotation within said chamber about 
the axis of the chamber and also about the centre and in the plane of said 
plate 37, by means of bushings disposed centrally on the inner side of 
cover 23, and on the inside of the opposite circular end face of 
cylindrical valve chamber body 22, which bushings telescopically overlap 
said bushings of said plate 37. Plate 37 has on each surface thereof a 
plurality of turbine blades 38, and pins 39 adjacent the periphery of 
plate 37 for pivotally and releasably mounting the arcuate flaps 36. Some 
of the turbine blades 38 are cut away so that they can accommodate the 
arcuate flaps within the periphery of plate 37 and retain the flaps 
axially on their mounting pins 39. Pins 39, about which said arcuate flaps 
36 are pivotable, are parallel and equidistant to the axis of rotation of 
the rotary valve 35, and arranged in two pairs, with one pin of each pair 
on each surface of plate 37, and on opposite radii thereof. The two pins 
39 on each surface of plate 37 are so disposed and the arcuate flaps 
mounted thereon are of such a length that said flaps occupy adjacent arcs 
of the periphery of plate 37. 
Rotary valve 35 is mounted in the valve chamber in such a direction that 
water entering the chamber through inlet 25 thereof drives valve 35 in 
rotation by impinging on the turbine blades 38, and so that arcuate flaps 
36 trail the valve member, and trail behind their pivot mountings, being 
urged centrifugally against the cylindrical periphery of the chamber. The 
outlets in the cylindrical inner surface of the valve chamber body 22, in 
communication with respective outlets 5 on the outside surface thereof, 
are arranged in two groups, each of which groups is disposed on said 
cylindrical surface so that it is swept by the arcuate flaps 36 on one of 
said surfaces of plate 37 when the valve 35 is driven in rotation. Hence 
in operation the arcuate flaps cyclically occlude outlets 5 during 
rotation of the turbine when the control switch is set to allow flow 
through the valve chamber, to give a pulsating spray through outlets 5. 
The operation of this form of pulsation means is described in my copending 
U.K. patent application No. 17853/76 dated Apr. 30, 1976 which corresponds 
to U.S. Pat. No. 4,079,891. 
A second alternative flow path of the spray nozzle is formed by space 40 
within upper housing 10 and externally of the turbine chamber formed by 
inner housing 12 and cover 14, and externally of angled tube 21. This 
space 40 conducts fluid flow from flow selector mechanism to be described 
below to the outlets 6, via a set of apertures 41 peripherally spaced 
about inner housing 12 (shown in FIG. 4 but not FIGS. 2 and 3). This 
second alternative flow path provides a non-pulsating spray, without 
driving turbine 15 to cause vibration of the vibratory housing portion 8. 
The flow selector mechanism of the spray nozzle is located between the 
hollow handle portion 3 and the upper housing portion 10 of the housing 4. 
The manually-operable rotary function selector control 9 is attached by 
means of a leaf spring 42 and through a housing cover portion 43 to an 
apertured selector cylinder 44 around which is fitted correspondingly 
apertured rubber gasket 45. The selector cylinder 44 is rotatable by 
control 9 to wipe an inlet surface 46 of a flow connecting piece 47 (shown 
partly broken away in FIGS. 2 and 3). Flow connecting piece 47 has three 
apertures in the portion of its surface wiped by cylinder 44: a first 
aperture 48 thereof opens into a connector tube attached to the inlet tube 
of cover 14: a second aperture 49 opens into a connector tube attached to 
angled tube 21: and a third aperture 50 opens into space 40 within upper 
housing portion 10. Hence it can be seen that fluid flow through aperture 
48 provides spray through outlet 7 with vibration of the vibratory housing 
portion 8, and fluid flow through aperture 49 provides the pulsating spray 
through outlets 5, and fluid flow through aperture 50 provides the 
non-pulsating spray through outlets 6. 
It can also be seen that flow into each of apertures 48, 49 and 50 can 
occur only when an apertured portion of cylinder 44 and gasket 45 is 
aligned therewith, and is blocked when a portion of the cylinder wall is 
aligned therewith. The distribution of apertures in selector cylinder 44 
is chosen to allow manual selection of fluid flow through apertures 48, 
49, and 50, singly or in combination according to the location of 
apertures in cylinder 44 and the setting of control 9, and hence to 
provide spray through outlets 5, 6 and/or 7 and pulsation and/or vibration 
as desired by the user. 
FIGS. 6-7 of the drawings show an exploded view of a shower spray head 
according to a further embodiment of the invention. 
The spray head comprises a combined handle and upper housing portion 51, 
and an inner housing of which a top cover is shown at 52. Mounted for 
rotation within the inner housing is a nylon toothed flywheel 53 secured 
to a rotatably mounted eccentrically-projecting brass camshaft 54. 
Disposed below flywheel 53 is a divider ring 55 forming a lower 
peripherally perforated spray forming chamber within the remainder of the 
inner housing 56. The eccentrically-projecting camshaft 54 extends through 
a hole in a spigoted lever arm 57 of which the spigot is pivotally secured 
via a washer 58 in a hole 59B in a vibratory member 59 of crescent shape. 
Vibratory member 59 has a further hole 59A by which it is rotatably secured 
to a spigot X of inner housing 56 by a nut or washer 60. Also secured to 
inner housing 56 is a rotary valve arrangement contained in an apertured 
casing 62 for supplying a pulsating shower stream: such a valve including 
an arcuate flap as shown here at 61, a valve chamber body 62, a 
turbine-bearing rotary valve member 63 and a valve chamber closure 64 is 
fully described in U.K. Patent Specification No. 1,490,836, which 
corresponds to my U.S. patent application No. 761,325, now U.S. Pat. No. 
4,079,891, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
Disposed about the rotary valve arrangement and chamber 62 is a vibratory 
head 65 having a lower aperture for emergence of a pulsating spray from 
outlets in chamber 62, and fitted by a screw thread about said aperture is 
a brush-bearing plate 66. Vibratory head 65 is open above and is secured 
to crescent-shaped vibratory member 59 at its edge. 
The spray-head also incorporates a labelling strip 67 secured to housing 
and handle member 51, and a bush insert 68, rubber seal 69, rubber ring 
70, valve member 71, and associated rubber seal 72, washer 73, screw 74 
and knob 75 together located in and projecting from a recess in handle and 
housing member 51 to form a user-operable valve switch to direct a water 
inflow from the handle to any of three outlets into the housing and 
structures therein, in known manner and as described with reference to 
FIGS. 1-5. 
In use, water enters through the handle of handle and housing member 51 via 
the members 68-75 forming the switch, and is directed into any of three 
courses as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11. In one such course, the water is 
directed into the inner housing 56 into the upper part thereof above the 
divider ring 55, wherein is located the flywheel 53. The direction of 
water flow is such as to drive flywheel 53 in rotation, so causing 
rotation of the eccentrically-projecting camshaft 54 and hence 
reciprocating motion of spigoted lever arm 57. Such reciprocating motion 
causes oscillation of vibratory member 59 and the head 65 and brush 66 
attached thereto, with relatively small amplitude about the pivotal 
mounting 59A of vibratory member 59, as shown more clearly in FIG. 11. 
The water flow which causes the vibration emerges as a shower spray around 
vibrating head 65 through apertures in the floor of the upper portion of 
inner housing 56. 
A second course for water flow, controllable by the switch (members 68-75) 
channels water flow into rotary valve chamber 62 to produce a pulsating 
shower spray. 
A third course for water flow, controllable by the switch (members 68-75) 
channels water flow into the lower-peripherally perforated spray-forming 
chamber within the lower remainder of inner housing 56. This water flow 
emerges as a steady shower spray from the lower periphery of inner housing 
56. 
Thus it can be seen that this embodiment of the invention includes facility 
for providing a steady shower-spray, and/or pulsating shower-spray, and/or 
shower-spray with vibration of a brush-bearing portion of the shower spray 
head.