Patent Publication Number: US-10327597-B1

Title: Stand-alone shower system

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This U.S. nonprovisional application for patent claims priority of U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/511,499, filed May 26, 2017. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     REFERENCE TO A BIOLOGICAL SEQUENCE LISTING 
     Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     This invention is in the field of bathing apparatuses, more specifically showers, and still more specifically stand-alone showers or showers that are not built into a wall or corners of a room. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     Typically, a shower enclosure is placed in the corner of a room, or in a recess in a wall, or in some especially partitioned-off portion of the room, which requires some integration of the shower enclosure into the room itself. While these designs are widely used, many consumers demand a more architecturally or aesthetically appealing enclosure or showering atmosphere. Although many contemporary shower designs incorporate aesthetically pleasing materials, functional hardware, and architecture into the showering environment, these shower designs are typically custom enclosures designed by architects or interior designers on a case-by-case basis. 
     A simple form of shower that can be installed near a wall but not incorporating the wall itself is a spray head mounted within a ring, which in turn is mounted on or near the wall. Water is plumbed to the spray head from a water source near or on the wall, and a curtain is suspended from the ring. A “stand-alone” version of such a shower includes a base with a vertical support rod holding the ring at a desired height. The shower head, base, or support rod may be fed water from a hose or dedicated pipe. Wastewater may drain to a sewer system, septic tank, or into the ground. Such showers may be seen at camp sites and pool areas. 
     While such showers are inexpensive and may even be portable, one can assume that consumers do not buy them for aesthetic reasons. There is a need and a potential market for an aesthetically pleasing indoor stand-alone shower, that is, a shower that is not mounted on or within a wall or in a corner. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Objects of the Invention 
     Objects of this invention include: providing an aesthetically pleasing and interesting stand-alone shower; providing various showering implements; and optionally providing built-in storage and shower entry means. 
     Summary of the Invention 
     A shower system is provided that includes a cylindrical shower compartment with a transparent, translucent, or opaque wall and door, one or more specially configured shower nozzles, an optional storage compartment, and an optional surrounding cylindrical privacy curtain. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a shower system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  side view of the superstructure of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a cutaway top view of another embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of an overhead vertical shower spray in embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of a side spray in embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is an oblique view of optional cabinet structure for embodiments of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Although the drawings represent some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated to better illustrate and explain the present invention. Further, the embodiments set forth herein are not intended to be exhaustive or otherwise limit or restrict the invention to the precise forms and configurations shown in the drawings and disclosed in the following detailed description. Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like elements among the drawings,  FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a shower system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The preferred embodiment of shower system  1  generally includes at least a cylindrical enclosure  2 , a curved door  3 , and a main shower head  8 . In the preferred embodiment, the enclosure  2  and the door  3  are transparent, and it includes a curtain (not shown in this view). Because the enclosure  2  is preferably transparent, the following features are visible without cross-section or cutaway of the view. Also included in the preferred embodiment is a plurality of auxiliary shower heads  9  and a movable seat  10 . The plurality of shower heads  9  may include one or more rain heads  11  and/or an arc spray  12  mounted on a rack bar  13 . The arc spray  12  may be disengaged from the rack bar  13  for use as a hand-held shower wand. The seat  10  has adjustable support legs  14  and seat support brackets  15 . The support brackets may be hinged at points  16  to permit the seat  10  to be folded down against the legs  14 . 
     The shower system  1  also has a drain  18 , a custom floor  17 , and an optional pedestal  19  holding it above the level of the room floor  20 . Further optional features are handrails  22 , preferably transparent plastic, and rear shelves  21 . As will be discussed in detail below, this described modularity of shower system  1  allows some or all of the components to be arranged in one of several different configurations to accommodate the environment in which the shower system  1  is installed or the particular taste of the user. 
       FIG. 2  is a top view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The cylindrical enclosure  2  appears in this view as concentric circles and consists of clear acrylic or the like. A main shower pipe  23  crosses from a water feed pipe coming up from the floor (not shown) to a main shower head  8 . A curtain ring support frame  24  consisting of three brackets  25 A,  25 B, and  25 C and a central bearing  26  is attached to the upper edge of the enclosure  2 . A curtain ring  30  is attached to the upper surfaces of the outer ends of the brackets  25 . A curtain ring pull arm  27  has a handle  28  and a crank  29 . The pull arm  27  is rotatable clockwise and counterclockwise through arc A from point B to point C. The pull arm  27  is connected to the crank  29  by a vertical shaft  31  which passes through the bearing  26 . A shower curtain  32 , shown from above in multiple folds, is suspended from the curtain ring. The top of the trailing end of the shower curtain  32  is fixed to the curtain ring at point D. At the front of the enclosure  2  (bottom of this view) is a door  35  connected to the enclosure  2  by a door hinge  36 . The door  35  has a door pull  37 . At the rear of the enclosure  2  (top of this view) is a cabinet  38 , having a cabinet door  39  opening inward. The cabinet door  39  has a cabinet door pull  40 . 
       FIG. 3  side view of the superstructure of the present invention. Again, the main shower pipe  23  is shown to cross from a water supply pipe  33  coming up from the floor to the main shower head  8 . The curtain ring support frame  24  consisting of the visible brackets  25 B and  25 C and the central bearing  26  is attached to the upper edge of the enclosure  2 . The curtain ring  30  is attached to the upper surfaces of the outer ends of the brackets  25 . The curtain ring pull arm  27  has a a crank  29 , a handle  28 , and a handle grip  41 . The pull arm  27  is connected to the crank  29  by the vertical shaft  31 , which passes through the bearing  26 . The pull arm  27  passes over the curtain ring  30  and terminates in a pull hook  34 . The top leading edge of the shower curtain  32  is connected to the pull hook  34 . A plurality of free curtain hooks (not shown) slide over the curtain ring  30  as they would in a conventional shower curtain. The entire structure shown in  FIG. 3  may be left open or covered by a decorative roof (not shown). 
       FIG. 4  is a cutaway top view of another embodiment of the invention. This embodiment has the same features as the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 1, 2 and 3  except for delivery of water to the shower. Instead of the vertical supply pipe  33  and shower head  8 , water is delivered to various vertical shower sprays  43  and  44  by flex lines  42  installed peripherally around the inside lower edge of the enclosure  2 . The shower sprays  43  thrust water substantially horizontally toward the center as shown at  45 , see also  FIG. 6 . The shower angle sprays  44  thrust water obliquely toward the shower center as shown also in  FIG. 5 . The number and angular placement of these two types of sprays may be varied according to customer wishes. 
       FIG. 5  is a side view of an overhead vertical shower spray  44 , which is shown from above in  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 6  is a side view of a side spray  43 , which is shown from above in  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 7  is an oblique view of optional cabinet structure for embodiments of the present invention. The optionally transparent enclosure  2  is shown here in cutaway. At the rear of the enclosure  2  (left in this view) is a cabinet  38  to which access is obtained through a hole  53  in the wall of the enclosure  2 . In embodiments, the cabinet  38  may be mounted at other locations on the periphery of the enclosure  2 . The cabinet  38  is preferably made of opaque material, such as wood, and has a cabinet door  39  opening towards the center of the enclosure  2 . The cabinet door  39  has a cabinet door pull  40 . The space  50  behind the door  39  is open for hanging, e.g., a bathrobe, on a rod  51 . The space  50  extends downward behind an opaque panel  52  and is optionally open  54  (see cutaway) at the bottom. 
     An optional feature not shown in the drawings is an entry platform outside the shower door  3  which may include a step up into the shower and a safety handrail. 
     The present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the foregoing embodiments, which are merely illustrative of the best modes for carrying out the invention. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein may be employed in practicing the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. This description of the invention should be understood to include all novel and non-obvious combinations of elements described herein, and claims may be presented in a later application to any novel and non-obvious combination of these elements. Moreover, the foregoing embodiments are illustrative, and no single feature or element is essential to all possible combinations.