Shower assembly with interconnected, revolving nozzle arms

Abstract: The invention describes a shower assembly comprising a plurality of water delivery nozzles or arms (10), which are essentially radial and angularly staggered with respect to one another and which are mounted on a rotor (12) supported in a freely rotatable manner by generally stationary support means (18). The water delivery nozzles or arms (10) can be oriented with respect to said rotor (12) both about their longitudinal axes and into mutually converging or diverging positions. In these latter positions, when the emission of the water flows from said nozzles is inclined with respect to the vertical, rotation of the delivery nozzles (10) about a substantially vertical axis is caused.

Description: The present invention relates to a shower assembly comprising a plurality of revolving arms for the delivery of water. The known shower assemblies may be classified into two distinct categories. In a first type the associated water delivery nozzle is fixed to the wall or made integral therewith by means of a support element which projects from said wall. Delivery devices of this type are also provided with means for adjustment of the jets of water which are issued therefrom so that these jets may be varied in intensity and regulated so as to be pulsed or have variable flow rates by modifying the exit cross-section of the delivery holes. These delivery devices, although offering generally satisfactory performances owing to the aforementioned means which are known per se and hence not described in detail, have the major drawback due to the fact that the overall flow of water issued therefrom has a fixed direction so that their performance, as regards the distribution of the water onto the user, is limited. Another known type of shower assembly is that commonly known as a "handset" type shower head which can be used in two ways as specified hereinbelow. A first possibility of using the shower head consists in arranging it on suitable wall-mounted support means and then operating the delivery nozzle. In this way the direction of the overall water flow issued from the shower head will be fixed and it will be possible to modify the direction thereof only by periodically displacing manually the associated support means. A second possibility of using the shower head consists in removing it from the aforementioned support means so that, once it has been gripped manually, the user is able to direct the flow of water as required in accordance with his/her needs and wishes. However, in this case the use of the shower head has a drawback consisting in the fact that the user will always have one of his/her hands occupied in gripping the shower head, thus limiting considerably his/her freedom of movement. The most relevant prior art is in any case the patent GB-A-1 347 659 disclosing a shower assembly, which actually is a sprinkler for watering gardens, where a plurality of radial arms for the water delivery are separately supported by a central distribution hub through ball-and-socket connections. It is possible for the use to vary the orientation of each arm in relation to the axis of rotation of the hub and to rotate each arm about its longitudinal axis, independently of the other arms. A shower assembly has now been devised, and forms the subject of the present invention, in which all the drawbacks mentioned above may be eliminated and which, in particular, as will become more apparent below, has the following innovative features: the assembly has a plurality of delivery arms which are angularly staggered with respect to each other and can be supplied simultaneously with water; the delivery arms according to the above paragraph can be oriented both about their longitudinal axis and along a substantially vertical plane; the means which support said delivery arms are rotatable about a substantially stationary central support and, when the arms are displaced along said vertical plane so as to be arranged diverging or converging with respect to one another, the whole shower assembly will be rotated as explained in detail below, generating a flow of water whose direction is continuously variable. The main object of the present invention is to provide a shower assembly in which the nozzles are interconnected with each other by suitable means which transmit the movement from one delivery arm to the other so that it is necessary sufficient to modify and ajust only the position of one of them, the position of the remainder being consequently modified and adjusted in synchronism. It is also necessary to underline the characteristic feature consisting in the fact that the aforementioned means also ensure the simultaneous and synchronised rotation of all the delivery nozzles or arms. The present invention therefore relates to a shower assembly comprising a plurality of water delivery arms protruding from a hub which is rotatable about a substantially vertical axis, characterized in that means are provided in the hub to connect each other the various arms in such a way that they may be simultaneously be oriented about their longitudinal axes and/or along the planes defined by the same longitudinal axes and the axis of the hub. The characteristic features as well as the advantages of the shower assembly according to the present invention will be obvious from the following detailed description of a non-limiting embodiment thereof, a description which will be provided with reference to the accompanying figures in which: Figure 1 is an overall schematic side view of the shower assembly according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a view of the shower assembly according to Figure 1 along the section II-II of the same figure; Figure 3 is a schematic, longitudinally sectioned side view of a shower assembly according to the invention in which the delivery nozzles are in a mutually diverging position and oriented about their longitudinal axes so as to generate a substantially vertical flow of water inclined in the selected direction which keeps the shower assembly stationary; Figure 4 is a view similar to that of Figure 3, in which the delivery arms, still in a mutually diverging position, have been further oriented about their longitudinal axis so that the flow of water issued therefrom is inclined also with respect to a vertical plane so as to cause the shower assembly to revolve; Figure 5 is a view similar to that of Figure 3 illustrating the delivery arms in a mutually converging position and so oriented along their longitudinal axes to keep the shower assembly stationary; Figure 6 is a view similar to that of Figure 4 in which the delivery nozzles or tubes, still in the mutually converging position, have been further oriented about their longitudinal axes so as to cause the shower assembly to revolve; Figure 7 is a schematic side view, longitudinally sectioned and on a larger scale, of the shower assembly according to the present invention in which, solely for explanatory purposes, a first arm is shown oriented downwards, while a second arm is shown oriented upwards; Figure 7a is a view along the section line VII-VII of Figure 7; Figure 8 is a view along the section line VIII-VIII of Figure 7; Figure 9 is a view along the section line IX-IX of Figure 7; Figure 10 is a view similar to that of Figure 7 of a variant which corresponds to Figures 3 to 6; Figure 11 is a schematic side view, partially longitudinally sectioned, of a water delivery arm; Figure 12 is a schematic front view, partially transversely sectioned, of the same delivery arm. It must be stated first of all, solely for the sake of completeness of reference, that the definitions, given above, of "diverging" arms (Figure 3) and "converging" arms (Figure 5) must be understood as referring to the relative direction of the flows of water emitted from the aforementioned delivery devices. In the embodiments provided in the description which follows, the fixed wall which supports a shower assembly according to the present invention may be for example the "roof" of a shower unit, but it is obvious that this wall may also form part of any configuration of a shower environment, so that the example of the shower unit must obviously not be regarded as limiting the invention. With particular reference first of all to Figures 1 and 2, a shower assembly according to the present invention comprises a plurality of water delivery arms, which are each indicated in their entirety by 10. In the present embodiment there are three arms. The delivery arms 10 are arranged substantially radially at the same angular distance from one another and hence with their longitudinal axes Y arranged at 120° from one another. The delivery arms 10 are supported in such a way that they may be simultaneously oriented by a hub denoted in its entirety by 12 which is freely rotatable about a substantially vertical axis Z, as wil be explained below. With reference now also to the remaining accompanying figures, and in particular to Figures 7 and 10 which show in a cress section an entire shower assembly and Figure 11 which shows in detail one of the aforementioned arms 10, it can be seen that each of the said arms consists of an essentially tubular body 14 of elongated shape which extends radially outside the hub 12. In their part inside the hub 12 the arms 10 are interconnected by means which allow a different orientations thereof at the same time, as explained below. The stationary part 18 of the shower assembly according to the invention is fixed in a manner known per se to a wall 16 by means of locking screws 20 and the intervening arrangement of a seal 22. The shower assembly receives the water to be delivered in a known manner by means of a supply duct, shown schematically and indicated at 24, which is connected to a source (not shown) supplying hot and/or cold water and to the said stationary portion 18 by means of a ring 28 and a seal 26. To the stationary portion 18 is also rigidly connected the top end of a tubular shaft 30 which has a substantially vertical axis Z and is provided with a plurality of holes 32 to convey the water supplied by the duct 24 to inside the hub 12 so that it may be introduced into the delivery arms 10. The hub 12, by means of a thrust-bearing bush 31, is rotatable about the tubular shaft 30, namely about the already mentioned axis Z, as indicated by arrow L in Figure 2. With reference now to Figure 11, but considering also Figures 7 and 10, it can be understood that each arm 10 is provided, along its generatrix line, with a series of water delivery holes 34, from which water jets will emerge, the direction of said jets depending on the orientation imparted to the arm 10. Still with reference to the aforementioned figures, it can also be seen that the external surface of the body 14 each arm 10 is provided with a plurality of longitudinal grooves 36 intended to ensure more efficient holding and gripping by a user when he/she wishes to modify its orientation. Still with particular reference to Figures 7 and 10, but taking into account in this case also Figures 2 to 6, it is possible to note that the hub 12 is composed of two shaped cover-pieces, the upper one of which is indicated by 38, while the lower one is indicated by 40. These cover-pieces are connected together in any known manner not shown, for example by means of connecting screws, a snap-engagement connection between the edges of said cover-pieces, bonding or the like. The hub 12, thus assembled, is fixed by a screw 42 or the like to the closed bottom end of the tubular shaft 30. As can be seen from Figures 7, 10 and 11, the end of the body 14 of each arm 10 which is arranged towards the inside and inside the hub 12 is shaped. More precisely this end has in particular a cylindrical portion 44 which is connected to an enlarged end or "head" 46 having a mainly hemispherical shape with substantially parallel and flat surfaces at its ends. More precisely, the head 46 is pivotally supported by an annular support element 48 provided with a seal, not shown, the external contour of which is housed in a seat 50 of annular shape of the cover-pieces 38 and 40, while the internal contour is shaped in a complementary manner to the head 46. This arrangement allows the desired orientations of each arm 10 both about its longitudinal axis Y (as indicated by arrows K) and along the planes defined by the same axes Y and by the axis of rotation Z of the hub 12, namely upwards and downwards (as indicated by arrows A) - see Figures 7 and 10. The arm 10 (Figure 11) is provided with a longitudinal passage 47 for introduction of water inside said arm. With particular reference now to Figures 7 and 11, it can be seen that, in the rear part of the head 46 of each arm 10, two substantially rectilinear lugs are provided, indicated by 52 and 54 respectively. More particularly, the first of said lugs, the one indicated by 52, extends with its longitudinal axis along the axis Y of the arm 10, while the second of said lugs, the one indicated by 54, extends with its longitudinal axis R inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal axis Y of the arm 10. The lugs 52 and 54 are connected integrally with one another, in an intermediate zone of their length, by a portion 56 with an essentially curvilinear profile having the form of a circular rim. Both the free ends of said lugs 52 and 54 have an enlarged part which, with regard to the lug 52, is essentially disk-shaped and is indicated by 58 (see also Figure 9), whereas that of the second lug 54, indicated by 60, has an essentially spherical shape (see also Figure 8). The aforementioned enlarged parts 58 and 60 are housed in suitable seats of a composite sleeve indicated in its entirety by 62. The composite sleeve 62, as can be seen in particular from Figure 7, comprises an internal portion, indicated by 64, which has an essentially cylindrical annular shape and which is arranged on the body of the tubular shaft 30 with the possibility of longitudinal translations and rotations about the axis Z. The internal portion 64 of the composite sleeve 62 is connected to a second sleeve portion 66 which also has an annular and cylindrical shape and which is arranged essentially offset upwards with respect to the internal portion 64, being in any case coaxial therewith. The internal portion 64 of the composite sleeve 62 is provided with an essentially annular projection indicated by 69, inside which the enlarged part 58 of each lug 52 of the arm 10 is housed. The aforementioned arrangement allows rotations to be imparted to the arm 10 about its longitudinal axis Y so as to orient the same and hence direct the water jets emitted by its delivery holes 34, in different directions from the vertical to others inclined with respect to the latter. The enlarged part 60 of the lug 54 is housed in a radially displaceable manner in a seat of the external sleeve portion 66 delimited by two radial walls 68 which are parallel with one another and inside which said enlarged part 60 is able to move when the arm 10 is displaced in a substantially vertical direction, as illustrated in Figure 7. In this way, in the example considered here, the composite sleeve 62 is displaced from a substantially raised position (that shown on the left in the figure in question) into a lowered position (that shown on the right of the same figure). A fork-shaped wall 59 integral with the cover-piece 40 of the hub 12 guides the angular and vertical displacements of the lug 52. The angular displacements in the direction of arrows A are delimited by end of travel stops consisting, in the embodiment in question, of the contour of openings 70 delimited by the inwardly curved contour of facing concave parts provided on the upper cover-piece 38 and lower cover-piece 40, when they engage with the portion 44 of the arms 10. From the above description it is obvious that the downwards or upwards movements of the arms 10 are performed in synchronism with one another since all the enlarged parts of the lugs 52 of said arms 10 are housed in the seat 69 of the composite sleeve 62. In this way, when one of these arms 10 is moved, from example, from the lowered position, shown in the left-hand half of Figure 7, to the raised position, shown in the right-hand half of the same figure, the remaining two arms 10 therefore undergo the same displacement. This characteristic feature is clarified in particular by considering, in combination, Figure 2 in relation to Figure 7 which has now been described in detail. A similar situation of synchronised movement occurs when one of the arms 10 is made to perform an angular displacement about its longitudinal axis Y. This displacement is transmitted to the remaining two arms since the external sleeve portion 66 is also formed as one piece and the associated seats delimited by its walls 68 are also arranged at 120° from one another with respect to the longitudinal axis Z of the tubular shaft 30 (Figures 7 and 7a). Therefore, when an arm 10 is made to rotate about its longitudinal axis Y, a corresponding rotation is imparted to its lug 54 and transmitted to the remaining two arms 10 owing to the rotation of the walls 68 of the external sleeve portion 66 of the composite sleeve 62, which is transmitted to the projecting parts 60 of the other two arms 10. With particular reference now to Figures 3 to 6 and Figure 10 in particular it is possible to see a variant of the shower assembly according to the present invention which, in terms of its general features, is substantially the same as the embodiment described above in detail. Most of the reference numerals used in the above description are retained in Figure 10 and only the differences of the variant with respect to the said embodiment will therefore be briefly considered hereinbelow. First of all, the composite sleeve 162 which connects the arms 10 together and mutually transmits rotation thereof is made of two parts which are separate from one another and, more precisely, a first sleeve, 164, which has formed in it the seat 169 housing the enlarged ends 58 of the first lug 52 of the arms 10, and a second sleeve 166, coaxial with the first sleeve 164, which is provided, in its upper part, with three pairs of flat walls 168 inside each pair of which the enlarged ends 160 of the second lug 54 are housed in a slidable and substantially radial manner. In this case, as it is possible to see in particular from Figure 12, the enlarged ends 160 of the lugs 54 are formed by a substantially spherical central portion and a pair of essentially cylindrical lateral extensions 161, the ends of which in contact with said flat walls 168 are slightly rounded. A further difference consists in the fact that, whereas in the previous embodiment, the walls 68 of the second sleeve 66 are not connected transversely to one another, the corresponding walls 168 of the sleeve 166 of the present variant are connected together at the top by a curved wall 71 which allows the enlarged ends 160 of the arms 10 to be displaced vertically upwards and downwards as well as radially. As it is possible to see in particular from Figure 10, but observing also Figures 3 to 6, the first sleeve 164 has two possibilities of displacement, namely a vertical translation movement, which is that shown in detail in the aforementioned figures, and a rotational movement about a substantially vertical axis which is not shown in the figures in question, but which can be deduced by observing Figure 2. The second sleeve 166, which in this case is arranged inside the first sleeve 164 and hence directly in contact with the tubular shaft 30, has only one possibility of displacement and more precisely that of rotation about the substantially vertical axis Z. This sleeve, moreover, is substantially stationary since its upper and lower ends make contact respectively with the upper cover-piece 38 and the lower cover-piece 40 of the hub 12, so that this sleeve 166 is not displaceable vertically. The above description clearly reveals the considerable advantages and the extreme versatility of use of the shower assembly according to the present invention, as described hereinbelow in its essential features, with particular reference to Figures 3 to 6. Figures 3 and 5 in particular show the delivery arms 10 with the outlet holes 34 in a vertical so that the jets of water emerging from them are correspondingly directed. It is possible to orient the arms 10 either upwards (Figure 3) so that, in this position, the aforementioned water jets are diverging with respect to one another (as indicated schematically by the arrows F in Figure 3) or downwards so that the water jets have a substantially converging direction (as indicated schematically by the arrows G of Figure 5). In all the cases considered here the hub 12 and the arms 10 are stationary, since there is no transverse pressure component of the above mentioned water jets which causes rotation thereof about the vertical axis Z. With reference to Figures 4 and 6, in this case also, the arms 10 may be oriented upwards (Figure 4) or downwards (Figure 6). In case that furthermore, an angular displacement of a predetermined and desired amplitude is now imparted to the arms 10 about their longitudinal axes Y, the direction of the water jets emitted by the delivery holes 34 is inclined with respect to the above mentioned planes defined by the axes Y and the axis Z, as indicated schematically by the arrows H in Figures 4 and 6. The aforementioned orientation therefore produces a transverse pressure component exerted by the jets referred to above, whether they be oriented towards the user as illustrated in Figures 4 and 6, or whether they be directed upwards against the fixed wall 16. In this way, owing to the aforementioned transverse pressure component of the water jets, the arms 10 are made to rotate in one of the two directions indicated schematically by the double arrow L of Figure 2 depending on the orientation imparted to them. In this situation, particularly when the water jets are oriented towards the user, i.e. downwards as schematically indicated in Figures 4 and 6, a plurality of groups of jets, one for each arm 10, will be generated so that each group of jets is distributed overall in the manner of a helix, as schematically indicated by the arrows M of Figures 4 and 6. Finally, in Figure 1, the arrows N schematically indicate two of the possible orientations of the water jets of the arms 10 with respect to the vertical direction. The above comments made with regard to the first embodiment of the shower assembly according to the invention are obviously valid for and may be extended to the embodiment according to Figure 10. Therefore, that illustrated in particular in Figures 3 to 6 must be considered as being applicable also to this embodiment. Finally, structurally and functionally equivalent variations and/or modifications may be made to the shower assembly as described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings without thereby departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims: Shower assembly comprising a plurality of water delivery arms (10) protruding from a hub (12) which is rotatable about a substantially vertical axis (Z), characterized in that means (62, 162) are provided in the hub (12) to interconnect the various arms (10) in such a way that they may be simultaneously oriented either about their longitudinal axes (Y) or along planes defined by the same longitudinal axes (Y) and by the axis of rotation (Z) of the hub (12). Shower assembly according to Claim 1, characterized in that said arms (10) are arranged in an essentially radial manner with respect to said hub (12) and angularly equidistant from one another. Shower assembly according to Claim 1, characterized in that it comprises stationary support means (18), fixed to a wall (16), which are rigidly connected to a tubular shaft (30) extended along the said substantially vertical axis (Z) and having a plurality of through-holes (32) for conveying water from a supply duct (24) to each of the arms (10) through the hub (12). Shower assembly according to Claim 3, characterized in that each of the said arms (10) consists of an essentially tubular body (14) having a plurality of holes (34) for the delivery of water jets, a closed free end, an essentially longitudinal passage (47) for the introduction of water and an inner portion (46) having an essentially spherical shape and arranged inside said hub (12). Shower assembly according to Claim 4, characterized in that the external surface of the body (14) of each arm (10) is provided with a series of longitudinal grooves (36) substantialty parallel with one another. Shower assembly according to Claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the holes (34) for delivery of water jets are arranged along a generatrix of the body (14) of each arm (10). Shower assembly according to any of the Claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the hub (12) is composed of an upper and a lower shaped cover-piece (38, 40) providing a seat (50) for an annular support element (48) of the said inner portion (46) of each arm (10). Shower assembly according to any of the Claims 4 to 7, characterized in that a composite sleeve (62, 162) is arranged inside the hub (12) and houses the enlarged ends (58, 60) of a first and a second protruding lug (52, 54), angularly staggered with respect to one another, which are provided at said inner portion (46) of each arm (10), and constitutes the said means to interconnect the various arms (10). Shower assembly according to Claim 8, characterized in that the longitudinal axis of the first lug (52) of each arm (10) coincides with the longitudinal axis (Y) of the body (14) of the arm (10), while the longitudinal axis of the second lug (54) is inclined with respect to said longitudinal axis (Y). Shower assembly according to Claim 8 or 9, characterized in that said composite sleeve (62), which is made as one piece, is provided with an essentially annular seat (69) projecting radially towards the inside of the hub (12) housing in a solely rotatable manner the enlarged ends (58) of each first lug (52) of the arm (10) and is also provided with a series of pairs of walls (68), again projecting radially from said tubular shaft (30), where the enlarged ends (60) of each second lug (54) are displaceable in an essentially radial manner and in a substantially vertical simultaneous direction. Shower assembly according to Claim 8 or 9, characterized in that said composite sleeve (162) is formed as two parts which are separate from one another, namely a first sleeve (164) which has formed in it a seat (169) housing the enlarged ends (58) of each first lug (52) of the arm (10), and a second sleeve (166), coaxially arranged inside the first sleeve (164), housing the enlarged ends (160) of each second lug (54). Shower assembly according to Claim 11, characterized in that said first sleeve (164) of the composite sleeve (162) is freely rotatable and displaceable longitudinally along said tubular shaft (30) while the second sleeve (166) is freely rotatable with respect to the same shaft (30) but longitudinally stationary with respect to the latter. Shower assembly according to any of the Claims 8 to 12, characterized in that said lugs (52, 54) of each arm (10) are essentially coplanar with one another, the orientation of the body (14) of the arms (10) about its longitudinal axis (Y) resulting in a simultaneous rotation of the first lug (52) about its longitudinal axis and the consequent rotation of the second lug (54) about the longitudinal axis of the arm (10). Shower assembly according to Claim 13, characterized in that the orientation of the body (14) of the arms (10) along a plane containing the axis (Z) of the hub (12) results in the simultaneous rotation of the lugs (52 and 54) of said body (14) along the same plane. Shower assembly according to Claim 8, characterized in that the enlarged end (58) of each first lug (52) of each arm (10) is essentially disk-shaped. Shower assembly according to Claim 8, characterized in that the enlarged end (60) of each second lug (54) of each arm (10) has an essentially spherical shape. Shower assembly according to Claim 8, characterized in that the enlarged end (160) of each second lug (54) of each arm (10) has a substantially spherical central portion and a pair of essentially cylindrical lateral portions (161) which are adapted to be in contact with the walls (168) of the respective seat (169) provided in said second sleeve (66).

Inventors: FURLAN LIVIO, FURLAN, LIVIO
Applicants: JACUZZI EUROP, JACUZZI EUROPE SPA
Application year: 1997
Main classification: B05B3
IPC codes: B05B3