Patent Publication Number: US-7594617-B2

Title: Shower attachment

Description:
The invention relates to a spray attachment comprising a first part, which is to be connected to a water conduit and has a water guiding channel, and comprising a second part, which has at least a first and a second exit opening, which can be selectively connected to the water guiding channel of the first part by means of a valve, the valve being able to be switched over by a movement of the second part with respect to the first part. 
   Switchable spray attachments have long been known, in particular as shower attachments for baths and as spray attachments for washing dishes. With these, it is possible to use an actuating element to switch over, for example, between two types of jet. The actuating element is, for example, a lever which can be actuated by hand and is connected to a displaceable valve body. Depending on the position of the valve body, the water in the water guiding channel is directed to one or the other exit openings. 
   A spray attachment of the stated type is disclosed by DE 102 19 943. In the case of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3  of this document, the first part forms an fastening part, which is to be connected to a shower hose and is displaceably fastened on a shower sliding rail. The second part forms a functional part, which can be turned by 180° about a longitudinal axis of the first part to switch over the valve. The valve is formed by end faces of the first part and of the second part which run perpendicularly in relation to the axis of rotation about which the second part can be turned for switching over the valve. 
   A further spray attachment is disclosed by DE 198 03 554 A. To actuate the valve, the spray attachment has a two-armed lever, which is arranged underneath a membrane. The lever is connected to a closure element, which can be adjusted between two positions by pivoting said lever. This spray attachment comprises a comparatively large number of individual parts. 
   The invention is based on the object of providing a further spray attachment of the stated type. 
   The object is achieved in the case of a spray attachment of the generic type as claimed in claim  1 . 
   In the case of the spray attachment according to the invention, the valve is located inside the second part. This permits a compact construction and production with few individual parts. 
   A particularly compact construction and simple switching over of the valve are obtained if, according to a development, the two said parts are pivotably connected to each other. The valve can in this case be switched over by pivoting the second part. 
   According to a development of the invention, it is provided that the first part forms a pivot spindle for the pivoting of the second part and has at least one exit opening at a distance from said spindle and that the second part has at least two entry openings, likewise at a distance from this pivot spindle. The exit opening can consequently be connected selectively to one or the other entry opening by pivoting one part. 
   According to a development of the invention, it is provided that the first part has at least two exit openings, which are connected to the water guiding channel, and that the second part has at least four entry openings, two exit openings respectively being able to be connected to two entry openings. This makes it possible to make the cross sections of these openings, and consequently the overall height of the valve, smaller. 
   Instead of a single exit opening, consequently a number of exit openings are provided, the water that flows through being divided among them. 
   According to a development of the invention, it is provided that the valve has a valve part with at least one exit opening and that the second part has a valve part with a slider with at least one entry opening and that the two valve parts are displaceable or pivotable with respect to each other. Such a slider permits suitable guidance of the movable second part on the first part. 
   According to a development of the invention, it is provided that the second part has an opening in which a front end of the first part engages. The valve can, as a result, be integrated particularly easily into the second part. Since the valve is located in the second part, the first part can be made more slender than before. 
   A particularly simple and functionally reliable construction is obtained if, according to a development of the invention, the valve is arranged inside an opening of the second part. This opening is preferably formed in such a way that it permits pivoting of the second part with respect to the first part. 
   Particularly simple and functionally reliable switching over of the valve is possible when, for switching over the valve, the second part is pivoted about a spindle which runs substantially perpendicularly in relation to the direction of flow of the water in the water guiding channel of the first part. This permits, in particular, switching over by pivoting the second part by a comparatively small angle, according to the present invention less than 90° and in particular less than 45°. 
   The second part may in principle also have more than two outlet openings, but preferably only two outlet openings are provided. 
   Particularly simple switching over is possible when the second part forms a spray head and the valve can be switched over by moving the spray head, and in particular by a tipping movement. 

   
     An exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of the drawing, in which: 
       FIG. 1  shows a section through a spray attachment according to the invention along the line I-I of  FIG. 2 , 
       FIG. 2  shows a section along the line II-II of  FIG. 1 , 
       FIG. 3  shows a section corresponding to  FIG. 2 , but after switching over of the valve, and 
       FIG. 4  shows a section corresponding to  FIG. 1  through the spray attachment according to the invention, but after switching over of the valve. 
   

   The spray attachment  1  shown in  FIG. 1  is a shower spray attachment and has a first part T 1  and a second part T 2 . The first part T 1  has in a tubular housing  4  a water guiding tube  3 , which forms a water guiding channel  2 . At one end, the water guiding tube  3  has a thread  5 , to which a water conduit not shown here, for example a flexible hose, is to be connected. The direction of flow of the water is indicated by the arrow  25 . By means of a valve V, which is a switchable valve, water is supplied to the second part T 2 . This second part T 2  has on an underside of a shell  21  a plurality of second outlet openings A 2 , which are formed as nozzles and with which a spray jet can be formed. The second part T 2  consequently forms a spray head. 
   The second part T 2  has an upper part  15  and a lower part  16 , between which there is a space  14 , which is connected to the second outlet openings A 2 . Molded onto the lower part  16  in this space  14  is a rubber-elastic insert  17 , through which the exit openings A 2  are formed. The upper part  15  forms a shell  21 , with an overflow edge  22 . The shell  21  forms an upwardly open space  26 , into which a first exit opening A 1  opens. Mounted from above on the upper part  15  is a hood-shaped cover  18 , which is releasably interlocked with the upper part  15 . A cylindrical collar  32  molded onto the upper part  15  lies on its inside against the cover  18  and, according to  FIG. 4 , is surrounded at a radial distance by a skirt  33 , which is molded onto the cover  18  and extends downward. Molded onto the underside of the cover  18  is a supporting part  20 , which rests on a spindle  24 , which is molded onto the upper side of the water guiding tube  3 . As  FIG. 1  shows, the second part T 2  has on the underside an opening  27 , in which the first part T 1  engages from below with a front end. The opening  27  is dimensioned in such a way that the second part T 2  is pivotable to a limited extent about the spindle  24 . The angle by which the second part T 2  is pivotable is preferably less than 90°, preferably less than 45°. In  FIG. 1 , the second part T 2  is shown in the upper pivoted position. The pivoting movement by which the second part T 2  can be pivoted downward about the spindle  24  and into the position shown in  FIG. 4  is indicated by the arrow  28 . In such a pivoting movement, the overflow edge  22  is moved downward. In such a pivoting movement, a rear edge  29  correspondingly moves downward according to arrow  30 . This pivoting movement is limited. 
   The valve V is formed by a region BE of the part T 1  and a region B 2  of the part T 2 . Both regions B 1  and B 2  are located inside the second part T 2 . According to  FIG. 1 , the region B 1  is possibly oval in cross section and is molded onto the upper end of the water guiding tube  3 . It has laterally two exit openings  7 , which can also be seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . These exit openings  7  are, for example, circular openings, which lead out laterally from a space  6  ( FIG. 2 ). The direction of flow through the exit openings  7  consequently runs substantially at right angles to the direction of flow of the water guiding channel  2 . One of these exit openings  7  is formed through a wall  12 , which is mounted in the manner of a cover in an opening  13  of a wall  11 . If the second part T 2  is in the upper pivoted position according to  FIG. 1 , the exit openings  7  are respectively in connection with an entry opening  8 , as is shown in  FIG. 2 . These entry openings  8  are formed by two sliders  19  running parallel to each other, as  FIG. 2  shows. The entry openings  8  lead into the already mentioned space  14 , which is connected to the second outlet openings A 2 . Sealing means  10  serve for sealing the sliders  19  with respect to the region B 1 . These sealing means  10 , preferably formed in a rubber-elastic manner, are inserted in recesses of the sliders  19 . They are formed in such a way that the region B 1  is displaceable along the inner side of the sliders  19 . 
   If the second part T 2  is in the upper pivoted position shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , and water flows in through the water guiding channel  2  in the direction of the arrow  25 , it enters the space  6  of the region B 1  and passes from the latter through the openings  7  and  8  into the space  14 , and finally downward through the second outlet opening A 2  as a spray jet. 
   According to  FIG. 2 , the sliders  19  form second entry openings  9 , which are arranged above the entry openings  8  and, in the position of the first part T 1  according to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , are closed by the region B 1 . If, as mentioned above, the second part T 2  is then pivoted about the spindle  24 , the second entry openings  9  move downward into the position shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The region B 1  thereby moves along the sliders  19  into a space  23 , which is formed by the sliders  19  and the cover  18 . In this position, the two entry openings  9  are connected to the exit openings  7  and the first entry openings  8  are closed by the region B 1 . These second entry openings  9  are connected to a space  31 , which is formed by the cover  18  and the upper part  15 . This space  31  leads downward into the shell  21  or into the upwardly open space  26 . 
   If the second part T 2  is in the second pivoted position, shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , and water flows in through the water guiding channel  2 , it again enters the space  6 , which is formed by the region B 1  of the first part T 1 . In turn, the water flows laterally through the exit openings  7 , but now outward through the second entry openings  9  into the space  31 . From the latter, the water flows through the first outlet opening A 1  into the space  26 . Since the overflow edge  22  is offset downward with respect to the horizontal plane and the edge  29  is offset upward, the water flows out of the space  26  over the overflow edge  22  downward in a surge. If the second part T 2  is pivoted counterclockwise back into the position shown in  FIG. 1 , the second entry openings  9  are again closed by the wall  11  and  12 , and the exit openings  7  are connected to the entry openings  8 . The water then flows again through the second outlet openings A 2  and no longer through the first outlet openings A 1  to the outside. The valve V is consequently formed by the two parts T 1  and T 2  or the regions B 1  and B 2 . The switching over of the valve V takes place by a relative movement between the parts T 1  and T 2 . Here the first part T 1  is preferably fixed, for example fixedly connected to a wall of a building. In the case of the exemplary embodiment shown, the relative movement is a pivoting movement about the spindle  24 , which is arranged at a distance from the exit opening  7 . An embodiment with a linear or other movement, and in particular a tipping movement, is also conceivable. In the case of a linear movement, the spindle  24  is replaced by linear guiding elements. Horizontal or vertical pushing movements are conceivable here, for example. Actuating elements such as buttons or the like are not required here, since the second part T 2  can be directly grasped and pivoted by hand. 
   The assembly of the spray attachment  1  according to the invention and its production are very simple, since these two parts T 1  and T 2  can be produced from a very small number of sturdy parts that can be produced by the injection-molding process. The valve V can be produced with comparatively small spatial dimensions. It is advantageous here in particular that the water flowing into the space  6  is distributed between two exit openings  7  and two entry openings  8  and  9 . The cross sections of these openings can therefore be chosen to be comparatively small. 
   LIST OF DESIGNATIONS 
   
       
         1  spray attachment 
         2  water guiding channel 
         3  water guiding tube 
         4  housing 
         5  thread 
         6  space 
         7  exit opening 
         8  first entry opening 
         9  second entry opening 
         10  sealing means 
         11  wall 
         12  wall 
         13  opening 
         14  space 
         15  upper part 
         16  lower part 
         17  insert 
         18  cover 
         19  slider 
         20  supporting part 
         21  shell 
         22  overflow edge 
         23  space 
         24  spindle 
         25  arrow 
         26  space 
         27  opening 
         28  arrow 
         29  edge 
         30  arrow 
         31  space 
         32  collar 
         33  skirt 
       A 1  first outlet opening 
       A 2  second outlet opening 
       B 1  region 
       B 2  region 
       T 2  second part 
       V valve