Abstract:
A showerhead attachment mechanism connects a showerhead structure to a water supply pipe. The showerhead attachment mechanism includes a pivot ball defining a partially threaded central aperture and configured to directly attach to a water supply pipe. The attachment mechanism also includes a receiving structure having a fluid outlet and defining a cavity that mates with and pivots on a first portion of the pivot ball and an attachment nut that mates with a second portion of the pivot ball. Further, the attachment mechanism includes a housing connected to the attachment nut and enclosing the receiving structure and fluidly connected therewith.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/112,751, filed Apr. 30, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,371,618, issued on Feb. 12, 2013, entitled “Hidden Pivot Attachment for Showers and Method of Making Same,” and which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of provisional patent application No. 60/916,219, filed May 4, 2007, and entitled “Hidden Pivot Attachment for Showers and Method of Making Same”; provisional patent application No. 60/916,092, filed May 4, 2007, and entitled “Molded Arm for Showerheads and Method of Making Same”; and provisional patent application No. 60/916,146, filed May 4, 2007, and entitled “Low Flow Showerhead and Method of Making Same”; the contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. 
     INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE 
     This application is also related to co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 12/112,697, entitled “Molded Arm for Showerheads and Method of Making Same,” the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     This application hereby incorporates herein by reference U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,210 and U.S. Pat. No. 8,028,935 in their entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     Aspects of the present invention relate to a hidden pivot attachment for use in shower assemblies. More particularly, the present invention, in certain aspects, provides a hidden pivot attachment for a pivotal shower assembly fabricated from high-strength materials, which is attachable to a water supply. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Showerheads and other shower assemblies having various configurations typically attach to a water pipe, e.g. a j-pipe, by a cylinder having internal threading that is complementary to external threading of a water pipe. The assemblies typically will also include a pivot ball that is coupled to the non-attachment end of the attachment cylinder. Once the cylinder is attached to the water pipe, the cylinder and some of the pipe threading are visible to the user. Problems can result from such an assembly, as the cylinder and exposed pipe threading may be difficult to clean. In addition, when a cylinder assembly is a unitary structure, e.g., a pivot ball and cylinder attached to the outside of the pivot ball, the structure typically requires cosmetic treatment, e.g., electroplating or powder coating, in order for the showerhead attachment to appear pleasing to the user. As a result, the materials that may be selected to fabricate the cylinder assembly are limited. 
     Accordingly, there is a need to provide a showerhead and other shower assemblies with an attachment that is hidden within the assembly. In addition, there is a need for a showerhead assembly that covers or at least obscures external pipe threading on water pipes. Further, there is a need for a showerhead assembly that is easy to clean. 
     SUMMARY 
     Various embodiments of the invention address the issues described above by providing a hidden pivot attachment for attaching to water supplies that is usable in various shower assemblies. When housed in various shower assemblies, each of the hidden pivot attachment, any visible external threading on the water supply, and in some instances, a portion of the water supply that is not threaded are substantially hidden from view. Providing a hidden pivot attachment that is substantially hidden during use enables the pivotal attachment to be fabricated from various high-strength materials that do not require cosmetic treatment. In addition, the overall design of shower assemblies incorporating the hidden pivot attachment therein may be modified in order to provide shower assemblies that are easily cleaned. 
     According to one configuration, a water supply attachment is a spherically-shaped pivot attachment having a hollow passage extending between opposing ends. The hollow passage includes at least a threaded portion for coupling to water supplies and extends from one of the hollow passage opposing ends into the hollow passage. 
     In another configuration, an assembly for showers having a hidden pivot attachment includes a spherically-shaped pivot attachment; a nozzle plate cover having a threaded portion; and an attachment nut having a threaded portion, the threaded portion having threading that is complementary to the nozzle plate threaded portion; where when the assembly is coupled to a water supply, the spherically-shaped pivot attachment is coupled to a water supply pipe, the attachment nut and the nozzle plate enclose the spherically-shaped pivot attachment in a chamber-like interior having opposing opened ends, and where the opposing opened ends are configured to allow the spherically-shaped pivot attachment to attach to the water supply and allow water supply egress. 
     In one implementation, a method for making a water supply attachment includes forming a spherically-shaped pivot attachment having a hollow passage extending between opposing ends, where the hollow passage includes at least a threaded portion for coupling to water supplies, where the threaded portion extends from one of the hollow passage opposing ends into the hollow passage. 
     These and other features and advantages of aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, where it is shown and described illustrative embodiments, including best modes contemplated for carrying out the invention. As it will be realized, the various aspects of the invention are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  depicts a cross-sectional view of a shower bracket for a hand shower with a hidden pivot attachment. 
         FIG. 1B  depicts a side-view of a shower bracket for a hand shower with a hidden pivot attachment inside. 
         FIG. 1C  depicts a cross-sectional view of a showerhead with a hidden pivot attachment. 
         FIGS. 2A-F  depict various views of a hidden pivot attachment. 
         FIG. 3A  is an expanded view of a hidden pivot attachment assembly. 
         FIG. 3B  is an exploded cross-sectional view of an attachment nut, seal cup and hidden pivot attachment. 
         FIG. 4A  shows a cross-sectional view of a hidden pivot attachment coupled to a pipe. 
         FIG. 4B  provides a side-view of a hidden pivot attachment coupled to a pipe. 
         FIG. 5A  shows a side-view of the hidden pivot attachment coupled to a pipe, along with an attachment nut. 
         FIG. 5B  is a view from the back of the pipe showing the hidden pivot attachment coupled to the pipe, along with an attachment nut. 
         FIGS. 6A-F  depict various views of another hidden pivot attachment. 
         FIGS. 7A-F  depict various views of yet another hidden pivot attachment. 
         FIG. 8A  depicts a cross-sectional view of a hidden pivot attachment. 
         FIG. 8B  depicts an attachment wrench. 
         FIG. 9A  is a side-view of a hidden pivot attachment coupled to a pipe, along with another attachment nut. 
         FIG. 9B  is a cross-sectional view of the hidden pivot attachment with the attachment nut shown in  FIG. 9A . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Certain embodiments of the invention provide a hidden pivot attachment for use with shower assemblies such as mounted showerheads, shower brackets for hand showers, diverter valves, shower arms and shower combinations. The various aspects of the present invention are described below with reference to the figures. 
       FIG. 1A  provides a cross-sectional illustration of an exemplary shower bracket assembly  100  for a hand shower assembly that includes a hidden pivot attachment  101  for attaching to pipe P, e.g., a water pipe such as a threaded j-pipe or another fluid supply structure. The hidden pivot attachment  101  includes an attachment feature that enables the hidden pivot attachment  101  to be coupled to pipe P, and a passageway that provides open fluid communication with the shower bracket assembly. Hidden pivot attachment  101  allows angular adjustment of the shower bracket assembly, e.g., rotational and/or pivotal adjustment. Further aspects of hidden pivot attachment  101  are described in detail below. 
     The shower bracket assembly is coupled to hidden pivot attachment  101  via attachment nut  102 , which is a collar-shaped structure having opened ends and external threading. Attachment nut  102  serves to enclose a portion of the hidden pivot attachment  101 , extend over a portion of the end of pipe P and to engage with the internal threading of the shower bracket assembly via the complementary external threading. Attachment nut  102 , at one end, includes an open circumference with a cup-like recess sized and shaped to accommodate a first part of the hidden pivot attachment  101 , e.g. about half of the hidden pivot attachment  101 . At an opposite end, attachment nut  102  has an open circumference sized to enable a portion of the first part of the hidden pivot attachment  101  to protrude from an interior of the attachment nut  102 , thus allowing hidden pivot attachment  101  to couple to pipe P. 
     Arranged in the interior of shower bracket assembly is seal cup  103 , another cup-shaped structure having opened ends. The cup-shaped portion of seal cup  103  serves as a receiver for hidden pivot attachment  101 . At one end, seal cup  103  has an opened circumference sized for receiving another part of the hidden pivot attachment  101 , e.g., the balance of the hidden pivot attachment  101  that is not accommodated by attachment nut  102 . At its opposite end, e.g., at the trough of the cup, seal cup  103  has an opened circumference sized for allowing water to exit from it. In addition, seal cup  103  includes a recessed external circumferential area for accommodating an o-ring  113 . 
     The majority of the visible portion of the shower bracket assembly is formed of bracket housing  104 . Bracket housing is arranged such that it is adjacent to seal cup  103 , and in its interior, is sized to accommodate seal cup  103 , a portion of hidden pivot attachment  101  and the threaded portion of attachment nut  102 . Bracket housing  104  includes internal threading complementary to the external threading of attachment nut  102  so that bracket housing  104  and attachment nut  102  may be coupled, and hidden pivot attachment  101  and seal cup  103  secured within. 
     In addition,  FIG. 1A  includes o-ring  110  coupled to a recessed circumferential area of hidden pivot attachment  101  such that it runs transversely to the ribs, and o-ring  113  arranged in a recessed circumferential area of seal cup  103 . O-rings  110  and  113  can provide water tight sealing so that all water from pipe P exits the water egress of bracket housing  104 . For example, hidden pivot attachment  101  with o-ring  110  attached can form a sliding seal with seal cup  103 , and seal cup  103  with o-ring  113  can form a seal with bracket housing  104 . In addition, o-rings, such as o-ring  110 , may facilitate holding the shower assembly in place in relation to the hidden pivot attachment  101  once a position has been selected by a user. 
       FIG. 1B  is an illustration of a side-view of the substantially visible portions of the shower bracket assembly described in  FIG. 1A . In order to connect the shower bracket assembly to a water source, attachment nut  102  may be slid over pipe P and hidden pivot attachment  101  may then be coupled to pipe P. In this way, hidden pivot attachment  101  retains attachment nut  102  on pipe P. After hidden pivot attachment  101  is secured to pipe P, the seal cup  103  and bracket housing  104  together are brought near or into contact with hidden pivot attachment  101 . Attachment nut  102  may then be slid down pipe P to hidden pivot attachment  101  so that the external threading of attachment nut  102  contacts the internal threading bracket housing  104 . The attachment nut  102  can be rotated into the bracket housing  104 , while the rest of the assembly remains stationary. The attachment nut  102  may be configured so that it can be tightened to bracket housing  104  sufficiently to hold the bracket assembly in a desired position. As the attachment nut  102  and bracket housing  104  are tightened, any o-rings provided in the assembly may form a seal with its opposing surfaces, e.g., o-ring  110  may couple to the opposing surfaces on seal cup  103  and in the internal recess of hidden pivot attachment  101 . The attachment nut  102  and/or the bracket housing  104  may also be loosened to enable the bracket assembly to be repositioned, and then retightened to hold the bracket assembly in its adjusted position. 
     Upon assembly, the attachment nut  102  and bracket housing  104  are visible, and hidden pivot attachment  101  and seal cup  103  (not shown) are housed within the assembled shower bracket. According to this embodiment, due to the hidden pivot attachment  101  being attached to the water source separately from the other portions of the assembly, the orientation of the bracket housing  104  with respect to the water source can be selected without concern for whether the entire assembly needs adjusting in order to adequately couple to the water source. 
       FIG. 1C  provides an exemplary cross-sectional view of a showerhead that includes hidden pivot attachment  101 . The showerhead of  FIG. 1C  includes similar structures to the shower bracket assembly described in  FIG. 1A  above, except that nozzle plate cover  105  is provided that includes internal threading complementary to the threading of attachment nut  102 . In addition,  FIG. 1C  includes flow regulator  107  arranged in the hollow passage of the hidden pivot attachment  101  in an area between a threaded portion and a water egress portion, which can be a 1-5 gallon flow regulator, for example. Similar to the shower bracket assembly, the visible portions of the assembled showerhead are nozzle plate cover  105  and attachment nut  102 , while the hidden pivot attachment  101 , seal cup  103  and flow regulator  107  are housed within the assembled showerhead. In addition, the showerhead assembly may be connected to a water source in the same way as the shower bracket assembly. 
     As a result of the hidden pivot attachment  101  being substantially invisible after the shower bracket is assembled, hidden pivot attachment  101  can have various shapes and sizes, and can be fabricated using a variety of high-strength materials, such as composite plastics. In addition, it is unnecessary for the hidden pivot attachment  101  to receive cosmetic treatment. 
       FIGS. 2A-2F  provide various views of an exemplary hidden pivot attachment  101  according to the invention.  FIG. 2A  depicts a side-view of hidden pivot attachment  101  showing a cylindrical pivot ball having an internal hollow passage  200  and external ribs  201  separated by parallel recesses  202  around its circumference, a circumferential recess  203  for accommodating an o-ring, a first opened end  204  that is planar, and an opposite opened end  205  that is shaped like a hexagon so that the opened end has a scalloped shape around the circumference of its hexagonal opening. The ribs  201  around the circumference are arranged axially in  FIG. 2A  and are initiated adjacent to the first opened end  204  of the hidden pivot attachment  101  and terminate in an area adjacent the circumferential recess  203 . In some implementations, the ribs  201  form a smooth external surface of the hidden pivot attachment in order to provide a surface that shower assembly components can pivot about. The circumferential recess  203  for accommodating an o-ring is formed by a revolved cut, which provides a radially oriented recessed surface for accepting an o-ring. The hollow passage  200  in the interior of hidden pivot attachment  101  is hollow between the first opened end  204  and the opposite opened end  205 , and the portions of the hidden pivot attachment  101  forming the hollow spaces have varying configurations, e.g., threaded, small bore, large bore and hexagonal. 
       FIG. 2B  depicts a top view of hidden pivot attachment  101  that may be attached to pipe P (not shown) via the attachment&#39;s recessed threading  206  in hollow passage  200 .  FIG. 2C  depicts a bottom view of the hidden pivot attachment  101 , where water from pipe P exits the hollow passage  200  via the hexagonally shaped opened end  205 . The hexagonally shaped opened end  205  may be used for installing hidden pivot attachment pipe P. For example, a hex wrench sized to closely fit in the hexagonal shape provided at the opened end  205  of hidden pivot attachment  101  may be used for rotating the hidden pivot attachment  101  about pipe P.  FIG. 2D  depicts an isometric view showing internal threading  206  recessing into hidden pivot attachment  101 , along with the relief structure of the ribs  201  formed on the attachment&#39;s exterior circumference.  FIG. 2E  is another isometric view showing the opened end  205  having the hexagonal opened end  205  in the hidden pivot attachment  101  from which water passes into the rest of the shower assembly, e.g., into a bracket housing  104  or nozzle plate cover  105  for water egress.  FIG. 2F  is yet another isometric view showing internal threading  206  of hidden pivot attachment  101  and a bore hole arranged in the attachment, beyond the threading, that is sized to fit a removable flow regulator  107 . 
       FIG. 3A  depicts an exploded view of hidden pivot attachment  101 , attachment nut  102 , seal cup  103 , and o-ring  110 . The combination of the attachment nut  102  and seal cup  103  form the engagement structure of the shower head to movingly engage the pivot ball, and together form a chamber-like spherical area, i.e., interior void space. The chamber-like spherical area is defined by a wall or walls of the attachment nut  102  and seal cup  103 , and has opened opposing ends, which receives the hidden pivot attachment  101  with o-ring  110 . The attachment nut  102  includes a series of indentations  301  arranged around the exterior for providing a gripping surface, which may facilitate rotation of the attachment nut  102  in order to couple or decouple the attachment nut  102  threading  302  with the threading of bracket housing  104  or nozzle plate cover  105 . Seal cup  103  includes a series of fins  303  extending outwardly from the rear of the seal cup  103  for properly seating the seal cup in a shower assembly such as bracket housing  104  and nozzle plate cover  105 .  FIG. 3B  depicts a cross-sectional view of the attachment nut  102  and seal cup  103  in close proximity. 
     From  FIG. 3B , the chamber walls are sized to closely fit the shape of hidden pivot attachment  101  to enable the chamber-like spherical area to pivot about hidden pivot attachment  101 . For example, ribs  201  separated by recesses  202  provided on the external surface of the hidden pivot attachment and the chamber-like spherical area may be configured so that at least a portion of the ribs are contacting the chamber-like spherical area. 
     In  FIG. 3B , attachment nut  102  is configured with a circumferential wall  304  forming the opening through which a shower pipe first passes through attachment nut  102 . The circumferential wall  304  is angularly arranged and may be provided at various angles in order to allow the attachment nut  102  and associated shower assembly to pivot about hidden pivot attachment  101  with a range of motion to a larger or smaller degree. For example, the attachment nut in the assembly in  FIG. 1A  allows the assembly to pivot about pipe P to a pivot position where pipe P rests against the circumferential wall of the attachment nut. If the circumferential wall were provided at a larger or smaller angle, the shower assembly would be permitted a range of motion that is larger or smaller than that provided by attachment nut  102 . Furthermore, with reference to  FIG. 5B , the distance the shower assembly can pivot about hidden pivot attachment  101  is defined by the space S between the circumferential wall  304  of attachment nut  102  and pipe P. 
     In  FIG. 3B , seal cup  103  is provided with an opening formed by circumferential wall  305 , which allows water to pass out of the chamber-like spherical area. The circumferential wall  305  may be sized so that water freely flows out of the chamber-like spherical area at any position relative to the hidden pivot attachment. According to the embodiment in  FIG. 3B , attachment nut  102  and seal cup  103  are arranged so that they are nearly touching. In some embodiments, the attachment nut  102  and seal cup  103  may loosely fit together. In further embodiments, an o-ring may be provided that forms a seal between attachment nut  102  and seal cup  103 . It will be understood that each portion forming the chamber-like area may have various configurations while maintaining an internal chamber-like area having a void area that closely accommodates hidden pivot attachment  101 . 
     In addition, from  FIG. 3B , the internal walls of the hidden pivot attachment  101  forming the hollow passage  200  include a first opened end  204 , internal threading  206 , a large bore  307 , e.g., for supporting a flow regulator, a small bore  308  and opposite opened end  205  having a hexagonal shape. It will be understood that hidden pivot attachment  101  may include a hollow channel having varying sizes and shapes, and that other channel configurations are contemplated, as would be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. For example, hidden pivot attachment may have more or less threading along the hollow space compared to the threading depicted in  FIG. 3B . In addition, the hollow space may be configured to accept additional components including filter screens, o-rings and other seals (See  FIG. 7F ). 
       FIGS. 4A and 4B  depict a cross-sectional view and a side-view of hidden pivot attachment  101  coupled to pipe P, respectively. The hidden pivot attachment  101  securely couples to pipe P via its internal threading, and as a result, a separate attachment cylinder is unnecessary in the shower assemblies of the present invention. In each of  FIGS. 4A and 4B , a small portion of the pipe threading is visible. According to configurations of the invention, and with reference to  5 A, attachment nut  102  fits over a portion of hidden pivot attachment  101  and pipe P, thereby substantially masking the hidden pivot attachment  101  and any additional pipe threading.  FIG. 5B  shows a view of hidden pivot attachment  101  and attachment nut  102  from the back of pipe P. As can be seen by contrasting  FIG. 5A  with  5 B, hidden pivot attachment  101  is substantially hidden except for when viewing the assembly from a back end. 
     Although hidden pivot attachment  101  is depicted in conjunction with the shower assemblies and various components thereof in  FIGS. 1A-5B , it should be understood that other hidden attachments are also contemplated.  FIGS. 6A-F  depict various views of another hidden pivot attachment  1001  that may be incorporated in various shower assemblies according to the present invention. Hidden pivot attachment  1001  is similar to hidden pivot attachment  101  because, as depicted in  FIGS. 6A-F , hidden pivot attachment  1001  is a cylindrical pivot ball with ribs  2001  around its exterior separated by recesses  2002  and threading  2006  extending into hollow passage  2000  at one end of its interior. However, hidden pivot attachment  1001  differs because it has a recess  2003  for receiving o-ring  1010  formed by a revolved cut located nearer to the water egress opened end  2005  compared to hidden pivot attachment  101 . The revolved cut forming the recess  2003  for receiving an o-ring is axially oriented, which allows an o-ring to be easily pressed onto the hidden pivot attachment  1001  in the recessed area. Hidden pivot attachment  1001  also includes an annular opened end  2005  for water egress as opposed to a hexagonal opened end  205  in hidden pivot attachment  101 . The annular opened end  2005  is formed by an annular circumferential protrusion  2007 , and an o-ring may be fitted around the circumferential protrusion  2007  and/or into the recess formed from the revolved cut. In addition, between the ribs  2001  on the exterior of hidden pivot attachment  1001 , additional material is provided along a portion of hidden pivot attachment  1001  that corresponds to the location of the threading running in the interior of the hollow passage and the additional material terminates in a shoulder  2008  where the hollow passage becomes narrower and the threading terminates. Further, a first planar surface  2051  and a second planar surface  2052  may be defined on adjacent sides of the pivot attachment between the open ends of the pivot attachment  1001 . Moreover, a first surface rib  2053  extends from the pivot attachment to substantially bisect the first planar surface  2051  and a second surface fib  2055  extends from the pivot attachment to substantially bisect the second planar surface  2052 . 
       FIGS. 7A-F  depict yet another hidden pivot attachment  1101  that may be used in shower assemblies according to various embodiments. The hidden pivot attachment  1101  resembles the hidden pivot attachment provided in  FIGS. 6A-F . For example, as shown in  FIGS. 7A-F  the hidden pivot attachment  1101  may include a hollow passage  2100  through a length of the body, terminating at an open end  2105 , similar to the hollow passage  2000  and open end  2005  of the hidden pivot attachment in  FIGS. 6A-F . Also, the hidden pivot attachment  1101  may also include a recess  2103  defined circumferentially around a top surface for receiving an o-ring. This recess  2103  is similar to the recess  2003  in the hidden pivot attachment  1001  illustrated in  FIGS. 6A-F . However, in this embodiment, the hidden pivot attachment  1101  is formed with its own annular surface  2109  running transversely to the hollow passage for forming a seal between it and an attachment nut and/or a seal cup. In some implementations the annular surface  2109  may protrude from hidden pivot attachment  1101 . In addition or alternatively, two or more annular surfaces may be provided on hidden pivot attachment  1101  in order to form a seal between in and an attachment nut and/or a seal cup.  FIG. 7F  is an isometric view of hidden pivot attachment  1101 , along with additional components including: filter screen  1102 , regulator  1103 , and seal  1104  that may optionally be included in the hollow passage. 
     Moreover, the various views of the hidden pivot attachments provided in  FIGS. 2A-2F ,  6 A-F and  7 A-F depict exemplary hidden pivot attachments  101 ,  1001  and  1101 , and it will be understood that even further hidden pivot attachment configurations are contemplated, as would be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. For example, a hidden pivot attachment may have two external recesses for accepting o-rings in order to form a seal between hidden pivot attachment  101 ,  1001 ,  1101  and attachment nut  102  and between hidden pivot attachment  101 ,  1001 ,  1101  and seal cup  103 . Alternatively, a hidden pivot attachment may be formed without recesses. Ribs provided on the exterior of the hidden pivot attachment may be oriented transversely or at another angle relative to the hollow passageway of the hidden pivot attachment. In addition, the external surface of the hidden pivot attachment that engages with various components of the shower assembly may be relatively smooth and/or may have a relief, e.g., a rough surface or a relief pattern. For example, a relief pattern provided on the exterior of the hidden pivot attachment may enable the shower assembly to pivot about the hidden pivot attachment for positioning, but the relief provided may facilitate holding the assembly in place once a position is selected. All or a portion of the external surface of the hidden pivot attachment may be overmolded to enhance frictional engagement. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,210, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. 
     The hidden pivot attachment may also have varying shapes, e.g., a semi-spherical shape at one end and an alternative shape at another end. For example, the hidden attachment may have a semi-spherical shape at one end, e.g., an end that is received by seal cup  103 , and a cone shape at another end. This may allow the shower assembly to pivot in the seal cup  103  in all directions, e.g., via the semi-spherical portion of the attachment, while enabling the attachment nut to have an interior cone-void space that is complementary to the alternatively shaped portion of the hidden attachment. In addition, the hidden pivot attachment may have a solid exterior surface, which may provide enhanced frictional engagement. In another alternative configuration, a hidden attachment may be cylindrically shaped and aligned longitudinally with pipe P, thus allowing only a rotational adjustment of a shower assembly, e.g., a shower arm. In such an implementation, the attachment nut and seal cup  103  may be suitably formed so that their void space with opened ends resembles the cylindrical shape of the hidden attachment. In another implementation, a cylinder may be aligned perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the supply pipe, thus allowing only a pivotal adjustment (about a single axis) of a shower assembly, e.g., a shower arm. 
     Moreover, a hidden pivot attachment may be attached to a water source using a specially made tool.  FIG. 8  depicts a cross sectional view of hidden pivot attachment  1101  showing the relief provided by the ribs of hidden pivot attachment  1101 . According to various embodiments, a tool such as a spanner wrench  8001  may be provided with an opening sized to receive a portion of the spherically-shaped pivot attachment and shaped to engage with the ribs  2101  and/or recesses  2102  arranged about the circumference. For example, the opening may have a complementary configuration to the relief provided by the ribs  2101  of the hidden pivot attachment. A review of each of the hidden pivot attachments depicted herein, see e.g.,  FIGS. 2C and 6B  and  7 B, shows the relief provided by the ribs  201 ,  2001 ,  2101  and recesses  202 ,  2002 ,  2102  which are complementary to the opening in spanner wrench  8001 , and that any of the hidden pivot attachments  101 ,  1001  and  1101  may be affixed to a water source using spanner wrench  8001 . Accordingly, a user may insert the hidden pivot attachment into the spanner wrench  8001  so the water egress is passes through the opening of spanner wrench until the protruding ribs of the hidden pivot attachment engage with the complementary recesses in the spanner wrench  8001 . A user may place the opened end  204 ,  2004 ,  2104  proximate the threaded portion  206 ,  2006 ,  2106  of the hidden pivot attachment against a water source by raising the spanner wrench holding the hidden pivot attachment up towards the water source and begin rotating the spanner wrench and hidden pivot attachment about the threading provided on the water source. This may enable a user to more easily assemble their shower assembly because a user may exert torque on the spanner wrench  8001  and transfer the torque to the hidden pivot attachment in order to rotate the hidden pivot attachment around the threading provided on a water source so as to form a threaded engagement. It will be understood that the spanner wrench  8001  is not limited to the configuration provided in  FIG. 8 , and instead may have any configuration suitable for engaging with any hidden pivot attachment. 
     Hidden pivot attachments such as those described above may be fabricated using various manufacturing methods including: molding, injection molding, reaction injection molding, machining, pressing and punching. One hidden pivot attachment fabrication method involves providing a machined threaded insert in a mold having a hidden pivot attachment configuration, e.g., the hidden pivot attachment configuration of  101 ,  1001 ,  1101  or combinations or variations thereof, and delivering a durable plastic composite at high pressure and/or high temperature into the mold. As a result, the hollow passageway consists of the machined threaded insert, and the rest of the hidden pivot attachment is formed of a highly durable plastic. In another method, the threaded insert may extend from one end of the hidden pivot attachment partly into the molded hidden pivot attachment. Machining a portion of the molded plastic until the threaded insert is reached may form the remainder of the passageway. This allows the passageway to have varying configurations. For example, the passageway may be formed with an arc or at an angle in order to cause water to be delivered from, for example, hidden pivot attachment  101 ,  1001 ,  1101  or combinations or variations thereof, at an angle that is different from the water supply&#39;s angle of delivery. 
     In addition to the alternative configurations of the hidden pivot attachments described above, other shower assembly components may also have alternative configurations.  FIGS. 9A-B  depict an alternative configuration of an attachment nut  1002  that may be provided according to certain embodiments. Attachment nut  1002  includes flanges protruding from an exterior in order to facilitate a user rotating the attachment nut  1002 . The flanges may provide a user with a surface for exerting rotational torque using their fingers. Accordingly, flanges may assist in threadably engaging or disengaging the attachment nut  1002  to the bracket housing  104  and/or nozzle plate cover  105 . For example, during attaching and detaching procedures where the attachment nut  1002  is stuck in place or difficult to rotate, additional rotational force exerted via the flanges may help facilitate movement of the attachment nut  1002  on or off of the bracket housing  104 . In addition, if the assembled shower assembly is wet, flanges provide surfaces where a user&#39;s fingers will not slip off of the assembly. Furthermore, compared to attachment nut  102 , the end of the attachment nut  1002  that first receives pipe P, as seen in the cross-sectional view of attachment nut  1002  and hidden pivot attachment  1101  in  FIG. 9B , is longer and has an internal circumferential wall that runs substantially vertically compared to the angled orientation of the corresponding portion of attachment nut  102 . As discussed above, the angle of the vertically arranged circumferential wall  3004  affects the range of motion the attachment nut  1002  and shower assembly can pivot about hidden pivot attachment  1101  and pipe P. In certain implementations, the vertically arranged circumferential wall may not be configured with a different angle, but instead may have a larger or smaller radius than the radius R of vertically arranged circumferential wall  3004 , which allows the attachment nut  1002  to have a larger or smaller range of motion. However, it will be understood that the circumferential wall  3004  of attachment nut  1002  may be configured with a variety of other radii and other angles in order to provide a desired range of motion. 
     In alternative configurations, seal cup  103  may be integrated with bracket housing  104 , nozzle plate cover  105  or another water delivery device. In addition, it is not critical for seal cup  103  to have a spherical shape. Instead, the seal cup  103  may have a shape that is complementary to the shape of a hidden attachment, e.g., hidden pivot attachment  101 ,  1001 ,  1101  or other hidden attachment. Alternatively, seal cup  103  may not have a complementary shape to a hidden attachment, but may instead be configured to cooperate with a hidden attachment. For example, seal cup  103  may include an inner surface with features that guide the movement of a hidden attachment. 
     Moreover, bracket housing  104  or nozzle plate cover  105  may have external threading and attachment nut  102  may have internal threading that is complementary to the external threading of bracket housing  104 . Alternatively, threading may be replaced with some other attachment structure such as clamps, snap locks, sealing o-rings, or other mechanisms that would allow the mating portions of the shower assembly to be securely coupled. 
     In addition, o-ring  110  may be positioned in a recessed circumferential area of the cup-shaped portion of seal cup  103  rather than coupled to hidden pivot attachment  101 ,  1001 ,  1101 . In this way, a seal between seal cup  103  and hidden pivot attachment  101 ,  1001 ,  1101  are still provided. Similarly, o-ring  113  may be positioned in a recess on the internal surface of bracket housing  104  rather than the external surface of seal cup  103 , while still providing a seal between seal cup  103  and bracket housing  104 . 
     In alternative embodiments, the hidden attachment, a seal cup and an attachment nut may be assembled together in a way that allows the hidden attachment to move within the void space of the seal cup and the attachment nut. An opened circumferential portion of the attachment nut would allow the attachment nut to be coupled to a water pipe, and threading on the attachment nut or seal cup would enable the combined structure to be coupled to a shower bracket or nozzle plate, for example. 
     The shower assemblies of the present invention may be considered to have better aesthetics for the user because the hidden attachment and pipe threading are substantially hidden from view. In addition, because the hidden attachment is substantially hidden, it can be made of a variety of highly durable materials, regardless of their appearance, and without the need for cosmetic treatments, e.g., electroplating, painting or powder coating. Further, shower assemblies may be designed with features that are easily cleanable as compared to other shower assemblies having exposed pipe attachments. 
     Embodiments of the invention may be combined with various showerhead devices. For example, hidden pivot attachments of the present invention may be used in combination with an ecologically friendly showerhead that is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,028,935 on May 2, 2008 with a priority date of May 4, 2007 and entitled “Low Flow Showerhead And Method Of Making Same,” which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. In addition, the hidden pivot attachment  101  may be incorporated with a molded arm for showerheads, which is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,789,218 filed on Apr. 30, 2008 with a priority date of May 4, 2007 and entitled “Molded Arm For Showerheads And Method Of Making Same,” which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     From the above description and drawings, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the particular embodiments shown and described are for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. References to details of particular embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.