Patent Publication Number: US-6991184-B2

Title: Shower rinse system

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   U.S. Provisional Application for Patent 60/381,095, filed May 17, 2002, with title, “Shower Rinse System”, which is hereby incorporated by reference. Applicant claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. par. 119(e)(i). 
   STATEMENTS AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. 
   Not applicable. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates to a shower rinse system for use in prisons and like facilities, and more particularly, a shower rinse system installed in shower stalls that provides a means to mix a selected product, like a medicated shampoo or other chemical for example, with the water that flows from the conventional shower head of a shower device. 
   2. Brief Description of Prior Art 
   Many penal institutions, such as prisons, jails and the like require in-coming inmates for example, to shower when the inmate is initially incarcerated. It is further common for the institution to require the inmate to apply certain cleansing and/or medicated products during the shower process. While soap or the like is conventionally available for cleansing, stronger materials such as medicated shampoo or other chemicals are often required during the shower in order to effectively cleanse and remove any parasites and their eggs that may infest the skin or hair. It is obviously necessary for each inmate to achieve such a cleansing prior to that inmate joining the institution&#39;s population. 
   Officers working in the penal institution will often supply a selected amount of any such medicated product to the inmate just prior to the inmate entering the shower. The inmate is then instructed to manually apply the product during the shower. Obviously if the inmate applies the product improperly or intentionally avoids applying the product the risk exists that the inmate remains infested, and may therefore infest other inmates. As a result, the officer is required to monitor the inmate during the shower process in order to verify that the inmate applied the medicated product properly. Such monitoring is time consuming for the officer and a misuse of the institution&#39;s employee resources. Further, human mistake and oversight by the officer is possible resulting in the inmate remaining infested and therefore infesting the prison population. 
   As will be seen from the subsequent description, the preferred embodiments of the present invention overcome these and other shortcomings of prior art. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   This present invention is a shower rinse system for use in prisons and like facilities, and more particularly, a shower rinse system installed in shower stalls that provides a means to mix a selected product, like a medicated shampoo or other chemical for example, with the water that flows from the conventional shower head of a shower device. The preferred embodiment includes a flow injector attached to the shower head, a solenoid valve, and a push-button switch. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a shower rinse system attached to a conventional shower device. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the components of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, namely, an injector attached to a conventional shower head, a solenoid valve, and a push-button switch. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIGS. 1–2  illustrate a preferred embodiment of a shower rinse system  10  made in accordance with the present invention. The present invention may be used in prisons and like facilities, and generally, is installed in a shower stall  100  and provides a means to mix a selected product  200 , like a medicated shampoo or other chemical for example, with the water that flows from a conventional water supply line  110  through a shower head  115  of a shower device. 
   As best shown in  FIG. 2 , the shower rinse system  10  generally including a flow injector  20 , a solenoid valve  30 , and a push-button switch  40 . 
   As best shown in  FIG. 1 , the shower stall  100  has the water supply line  110  and the shower device including the shower head  115  attached to a shower arm  117  that projects outwardly through the wall of the shower stall  100 . The shower arm  117  having threaded ends  117 A and  117 B, the threaded end  117 A for threadably mounting the shower arm  117  to the shower head  115 , and the threaded end  117 B opposite the threaded end  117 A for generally mounting the shower arm  117  to the flow injector  20  as will be discussed. The shower stall  100  and shower device is conventional in design. 
   Referring to  FIG. 2 , the flow injector  20  including a first end  20 A and a second end  20 B opposite the first end  20 A. The flow injector  20  further including a first threaded bore (not shown) disposed in the first end  20 A for threadably mounting the flow injector  20  to the threaded end  117 B of the shower arm  117 ; and a second threaded bore  24  disposed in the second end  20 B for threadably mounting the flow injector  20  to the water supply line  110 . The first threaded bore and the second threaded bore of the flow injector  20  defining a passage  26  in the injector  20  for fluid communication between the second threaded  24  bore and the first threaded bore. 
   The flow injector  20  further includes an inlet  25  for receiving the selected chemical product  200  as will be further discussed. The inlet  25  being in fluid communication with the passage  26  defined within the injector  20 . An example of an acceptable flow injector  20  is a single-stage injector manufactured by ROMA. 
   During use, water from the water supply line  110  is directed continuously into the flow injector  20 . The water flows through the passage  26  of the flow injector  20  and to the shower arm  117 . The water is then disbursed from the shower head  115 . While water is flowing through the flow injector  20  as discussed above, the chemical product  200  is selectively introduced to the flow injector  20  through the inlet  25 . The flowing water effectively blends with the introduced product  200  within the flow injector  20  and disburse from the shower head  115 . 
   The solenoid valve  30  controls release of a predetermined volume of the chemical product  200  to the inlet  25  of the flow injector  20 . As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the valve  30  is operated in response to a control signal. The valve  30  is normally closed, so that failure of the control means will prevent constant chemical products  200  from issuing to the flow injector  20 . A manual push-button switch  40  is remotely located from the shower stall  100  and the system  10 . In this way, control of the switch  40  is preferably not available or accessible to the inmate and, chemical products  200  can be selectively supplied to the flow injector  20  and therefore disbursed from the shower head  115 . An acceptable solenoid valve  30  is known in the art and available by many manufacturers. 
   As shown in  FIG. 1 , the solenoid valve  30  is preferably mounted to the back side of the wall of the shower stall  100 . The valve  30  includes an inlet port  32  and an outlet port  34 , the inlet port  32  for receiving the chemical products  200  and the outlet port  34  for ejecting the chemical products  200  and directing the products  200  to the inlet  25  of the flow injector  20  as described above. 
   The system  10  further includes first and second flow tubes  50 A and  50 B, the flow tubes  50 A,  50 B are known in the art. One end of the first flow tube  50 A is connected to the inlet  25  of the flow injector  20 , and the opposite end of the first flow tube  50 A is connected to the outlet port  34  of the solenoid valve  30  so that the flow injector  20  is in fluid communication with the solenoid valve  30 . One end of the second flow tube  50 B is connected to the chemical products  200  supply source, and the opposite end of the second flow tube  50 B is connected to the inlet port  32  of the solenoid valve  30  so that the chemical products  200  supply source os in fluid communication with the solenoid valve  30 . Appropriate plumbing interconnects the first and second flow tubes  50 A,  50 B as described above. 
   An acceptable push button switch  40  is known in the art. The switch  40  is preferably an air operated switch, however an electric switch or other mechanical switch would be acceptable. 
   Although the description above contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of a presently preferred embodiment of this invention. 
   Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims in the formal application and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.