Patent Publication Number: US-8113442-B2

Title: Hand held shower with a button switching mechanism for switching spray patterns

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a bath shower, more particularly, to a hand held shower with a button switching mechanism for switching spray patterns which is convenient in operation. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Hand held shower is one of the widely used appliance in daily life such as in bath. Generally Traditional hand held shower comprises a body and a face cover, said body having a water passage way therein, the body can be divide into a handle and a head, the water passage way leads from the tail of the handle to the head, the handle is for holding by users, the face cover rotatably mounted to the head, when the cover rotate relative to the head, the outlet direction and the outlet gap between the cover and the head will be changed so as to form different spray patterns. When the user want to change the spray pattern, it is necessary to hold the handle in one hand and rotate the cover with the other hand, which is inconvenient and awkward. For these and many other reasons, it would be desirable to provide a hand held shower which can be operated by one hand. Such as an utility model CN200720006708 which discloses a shower switched by a handle pushing button comprises a body and a handle, wherein, a water diverting slide plate and a water diverting body with more than two functional holes are arranged in the body; the water diverting slide plate is provided with a through hole which is communicated with the functional holes to realize the functional switch; the handle is provided with a pushing button in a slide way; a connecting bar mechanism is arranged inside the body, and one end of the connecting bar mechanism is connected with the pushing button while the other end is connected with the water separating slide plate, the switching of spray pattern can be accomplished by pushing the push button. However, the switching action of the spray device of these structure accomplished by pushing or pulling the button, thus the user must hold body tightly to formed an opposite force to push the button, the operation is not very convenient. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a hand held shower with a button switching mechanism for switching spray patterns, and the switching of spray patterns is accomplished by pressing the button, this shower having the characteristic of switching spray pattern by one hand, convenient operation, economy force and high operation location accuracy. 
     these and other objects of the present invention are achieved by providing a hand held shower with a button switching mechanism for switching spray patterns, wherein the shower comprising a body, a button switching mechanism and a cover unit, said button switching mechanism mounted in the front chamber of said body, a water passage way leading from the front chamber to the end of said body, said cover unit fixed to said button switching mechanism, said cover unit having several different channel with different spray pattern respectively, and said button switching mechanism having several inlets corresponding to the channels in said cover unit. 
     said button switching mechanism comprising a seat, a disc, a lever, a button, a lower ratchet wheel sleeve and an upper wheel bar, said seat fixed to said body and having an inlet channel communicated with said inlet, said disc movably mounted in said inlet channel, said disc having outlets which corresponding to the inlets of the inlet channel in rotation, the first end of the lever abut against the supporting portion of said seat and the lever urged against the seat via a return spring, the second end of said lever fixed to said button; the upper portion of said disc having a rotation shaft which pass through the lever, the lower ratchet wheel sleeve in turn and fixed to the upper ratchet wheel, the upper portion of the upper ratchet abut against said body. The lower portion of said upper ratchet wheel bar having several inclined grooves, and the upper portion of said lower ratchet wheel sleeve formed several upstanding first protrusions which having a first inclined surface corresponding to the inclined grooves of the upper ratchet wheel bar; said lever having a central channel for receiving said lower ratchet sleeve, the vertical direction of said central channel having rooms allowing for the movement of the lower ratchet wheel sleeve, the circular edge of the lower ratchet wheel sleeve having symmetrical second protrusions, and the bottom of said second protrusion formed second inclined surface, the bottom of central channel of lever formed a third inclined surface corresponding to the second inclined surface of the lower ratchet wheel sleeve, the upper portion of the central channel wall having a limiting surface corresponding to the top of the second protrusion. 
     A return spring disposed between said lower ratchet wheel sleeve and said lever, one end of said return spring fixed to the lever and the other end fixed to the lower ratchet wheel sleeve along the rotation direction of the lower ratchet wheel sleeve. 
     The upper portion of said rotation shaft is a flat shaft, and the upper ratchet bar has a flat hole, said flat shaft of rotation shaft match to the flat hole of said upper ratchet wheel bar. 
     The upper portion of the inlet channel of said seat has a lid, said disc movably mounted between the bottom of inlet channel and the lid, the shaft of said disc passing through the lid from bottom. 
     Said inlet hole disposed in the bottom of inlet channel, and a sealing ring installed in the inlet hole. 
     The upper portion of said shaft having a pressure spring which urge the bottom of said disc abut against the bottom of inlet channel, said pressure spring arranged between the upper portion of said shat and the front wall of body. 
     the hand held shower with a button switching mechanism for switching spray patterns of the present invention consisted of a body, a button switching mechanism and a cover unit, and said button switching mechanism comprising a seat, a disc, a lever, a button, a lower ratchet wheel sleeve and an upper wheel bar, by the linkage between the button and the lever and the cooperation between the lever and the lower ratchet wheel sleeve, the lower ratchet wheel sleeve and the upper wheel bar, the upper wheel bar and the disc, each time the button pressed, the disc will be rotated to a certain angle so that the outlet hole of the disc will align with the different inlets of seat. Then by the cooperation of the inlets of the seat and the channel with different function of the cover unit, thus the switching of different spray pattern will be accomplished. The switching of the spray pattern is by press, which can be accomplished by one hand, in operation, the user just only need to grip to press the button, and the reposition of the button can be accomplished by the return spring which is convenient and economy; Because the lever cooperated with the lower ratchet wheel sleeve by the cooperation between the second inclined surface of the second protrusion and the third inclined surface of the lever and by the cooperation between the top of the second protrusion of the lower ratchet wheel sleeve and the limit surface of the lever, the lower ratchet wheel sleeve and the upper ratchet wheel bar cooperated by the inclined grooves of the upper ratchet wheel bar and the first inclined surface of the first protrusion of the lower ratchet wheel sleeve, thus the shower has high operation location accuracy. 
     A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the attached drawings wherein: 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional view of the seat of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a top view of the seat of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a front view of the disc of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a top view of the disc of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a front view of the upper ratchet wheel bar of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a top view of the upper ratchet wheel bar of the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a front view of the lower ratchet wheel sleeve of the present invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a top view of the lower ratchet wheel sleeve of the present invention; 
         FIG. 12  is a top sectional view of the lower ratchet wheel sleeve of the present invention; 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the lever; 
         FIG. 14  is a front view of the lever; 
         FIG. 15  is a partial view of the present invention (the button is in release status); 
         FIG. 16  is a partial view of the present invention (the button is in pressed status); 
         FIG. 17  illustrates the cooperation of the upper ratchet wheel bar and the lower ratchet wheel sleeve in position  1 ; 
         FIG. 18  illustrates the cooperation of the upper ratchet wheel bar and the lower ratchet wheel sleeve in position  2 ; 
         FIG. 19  illustrates the cooperation of the upper ratchet wheel bar and the lower ratchet wheel sleeve in position  3 ; 
         FIG. 20  illustrates the cooperation of the disc and the seat in position  1 ; 
         FIG. 21  illustrates the cooperation of the disc and the seat in position  2 ; 
         FIG. 22  illustrates the cooperation of the disc and the seat in position  3 . 
     
    
    
     PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 14 , the shower with a button switching mechanism for switching spray patterns of the present invention comprises a body  1 , a button switching mechanism  2  and a cover unit  3 , said button switching mechanism  2  mounted in the front chamber  11  of the body  1 , a water passage way  12  leads from the front chamber  11  to the end of said body, said cover unit  3  fixed to said button switching mechanism  2 , said cover unit  3  having several different channel  31  with different spray pattern respectively, and said button switching mechanism  2  having several inlets  2011  corresponding to the channels in said cover unit. 
     said button switching mechanism comprising a seat  201 , a disc  206 , a lever  202 , a button  203 , a lower ratchet wheel sleeve  204  and an upper wheel bar  205 , said seat  201  fixed to said body  1  and an inlet  2011  of the button switching mechanism  2  disposed in the seat  201 , the seat  201  further having an inlet channel  2012  communicated with said inlet  2011 , said disc  206  movably mounted in said inlet channel  2012 , said disc  206  having outlets  2061  which can cooperate with different inlets  2011  of the inlet channel  2012  in rotation, the disc has one outlet  2061  in this embodiment. The first end of the lever  202  abut against the supporting portion  2013  of said seat  201 , and the lever  202  urged against the seat  201  via a return spring  207 , the second end of said lever  202  fixed to said button  203 ; the upper portion of said disc  206  having a rotation shaft  2062  which pass through the lever  202 , the lower ratchet wheel sleeve  204  in turn and fixed to the upper ratchet wheel bar  205 , the upper portion of the upper ratchet bar  205  abut against said body  1 . The lower portion of said upper ratchet wheel bar  205  having several inclined grooves  2051 , and the upper portion of said lower ratchet wheel sleeve  204  formed several upstanding first protrusions  2041  which having a first inclined surface  2044  corresponding to the inclined grooves  2051  of the upper ratchet wheel bar  205  respectively; said lever  202  having a central channel  2027  for receiving said lower ratchet sleeve, the vertical direction of said central channel  2027  having rooms allowing for the movement of the lower ratchet wheel sleeve  204 , the circular edge of the lower ratchet wheel sleeve  204  having symmetrical second protrusions  2042 , the bottom of said second protrusion  2042  formed second inclined surface  2045 , the bottom of central channel of lever  202  formed a third inclined surface  2021  which match with the second inclined surface  2045  of the lower ratchet wheel sleeve, the upper portion of the wall of the central channel of the lever  202  formed a limit surface  2026  which match with the top of the second protrusion  2042 . 
     Herein: 
     A clamping spring  208  disposed between said lower ratchet wheel sleeve  204  and the lever  202 , one end of said clamping spring  208  fixed to the lever  202  and the other end fixed to the lower ratchet wheel sleeve  204  along the rotation direction of the lower ratchet wheel sleeve. The lever  202  formed a slot  2023  for fixing the clamping spring  208 , and the lower ratchet wheel sleeve  204  formed a slot  2043  for fixing the clamping spring  208  also. 
     The upper portion of said rotation shaft  2062  is a flat shaft, and the upper ratchet bar  205  has a corresponding flat hole  2052 , said flat shaft of rotation shaft  2062  match to the flat hole  2052  of said upper ratchet wheel bar. 
     The upper portion of the inlet channel  2012  of said seat has a lid  210 , said disc  206  movably mounted between the bottom of inlet channel  2012  and the lid  210 , the shaft  2062  of said disc pass through the lid  210  from bottom. 
     Said inlet hole  2011  disposed in the bottom of inlet channel  2012 , and a sealing ring  211  installed in the inlet hole  2011 . 
     The upper portion of said shaft having a pressure spring  209  which urge the bottom of said disc abut against the bottom of inlet channel  2012 , said pressure spring  209  arranged between the upper portion of said shaft  2062  and the front wall of body  1 . 
     The first end of lever  202  formed a supporting shaft  2025  which abut against the supporting portion  2013  of the seat, said supporting portion  2013  of the seat is a groove. 
     The second end of lever  202  has a pin  2022 , the top of the button  203  has a slot  2031  by which the button fixed to pin  2022  of the lever. 
     The top of the lever formed a groove  2024  for receiving the return spring, the return spring  207  disposed between the groove  2024  and the wall of the front channel of body  1 . 
     The bottom of the seat  1  formed a disc shape so as to match to the channel of the cover unit. 
     Referring to  FIG. 15  to  FIG. 22 , the switching of spray pattern of the shower of present invention is accomplished by: press the button  203 , the button  203  will move upwardly to drive the second end of the lever  202  to move upwardly, because the first end of the lever inserted into the groove  2013  of the seat and the spring  207  urged on the top of the lever  202 , the button  203  drive the lever  202  to rotate relative to the supporting portion  2013  of the seat anti-clockwise via the pin  2022  of the lever (as shown in  FIG. 5 ). When the lever  202  rotated, the bottom of the central channel  2027  of the lever (i.e. the third inclined surface  2021 ) is rise, because the third inclined surface  2021  of the lever is match with the bottom (i.e. the second inclined surface  2045 ) of the lower ratchet wheel sleeve and the third inclined surface  2021  of the lever abut against the second inclined surface  2045  of the lower ratchet wheel sleeve, the upward moving of the third surface  2021  of the lever drive the second protrusion  2042  move upwardly also, thus the lower ratchet wheel sleeve  204  move upwardly accordingly; after the lower ratchet wheel sleeve  204  move up, the first protrusion  2041  of the lower ratchet wheel sleeve will abut against the inclined groove  2051  of the upper ratchet wheel bar, i.e. the first inclined surface  2044  of the first protrusion of the lower ratchet wheel sleeve will abut against the inclined groove  2051  of the upper ratchet wheel bar, because the first inclined surface  2044  of the lower ratchet wheel sleeve match to the inclined groove  2051  of the upper ratchet wheel bar, thus the lower ratchet wheel sleeve  204  moving up will drive the upper ratchet wheel bar  205  to move upwardly. However, as the top of the upper ratchet wheel bar  205  abut against the body  1 , the upper ratchet wheel bar  205  can not move up, urged by the first inclined surface  2044  of the lower ratchet wheel sleeve, the inclined groove  2051  of the upper ratchet wheel bar  205  slided along the first inclined surface  2044  of the lower ratchet wheel sleeve, thus the upper ratchet wheel bar  205  will rotate relative to the axis itself; because the shaft  2062  of the disc  206  fixed to the upper ratchet wheel bar  205 , the rotation of the upper ratchet wheel bar  205  will make the disc  206  to rotate accordingly, when the first protrusion  2041  of the lower ratchet wheel sleeve  204  reach the bottom of the inclined groove  2051  of the upper ratchet wheel bar, the upper ratchet wheel bar  205  can not rotate relative to the lower ratchet wheel sleeve  204 , herein the upper ratchet wheel bar has been rotated an angle φ 1 , and the disc  206  rotated an angle φ 1  also; when the button  203  move up continue, because the second inclined surface  2045  of the second protrusion match to the bottom (i.e. the third inclined surface  2021 ) of the central channel of the lever, the second protrusion  2042  of the lower ratchet wheel sleeve will slide along the third inclined surface  2021  of the lever, thus both the lower ratchet wheel sleeve  204  and the upper ratchet wheel bar  205  will rotate relative to the shaft themselves with an angle φ 2 , because the upper ratchet wheel bar  205  rotated an angle φ 2  more, the disc  206  will rotate an angle φ 2  more also; therefore the disc  206  rotated an angle of φ 1 +φ 2  by the action of the button  203 , and the cooperation between the upper wheel bar and the lower ratchet wheel sleeve is from position  1  to position  2 . 
     When the button  203  released by the user, the lever  202  will rotate relative to the pivot clockwise by the return spring  207 , i.e. the lever  202  repositioned, the reposition of the lever  202  will make the upper wall (i.e. the limiting surface  2026 ) of the central channel of the lever move downwardly, because the limiting surface  2026  of the central channel of the lever match with the top of the second protrusion  2042 , the limiting surface  2026  of the lever will drive the second protrusion  2042  of the lower ratchet wheel sleeve to move downwardly, i.e. the lever  202  will drive the lower ratchet wheel sleeve  204  to move downwardly, when the lower ratchet wheel sleeve  204  move to a position in which the top of the first protrusion  2041  leave from the inclined bottom of inclined groove  2051  of the upper ratchet wheel bar, the lower ratchet wheel sleeve  204  will rotate relative to the shaft itself to the beginning position by the return spring  208 , the cooperation between the upper ratchet wheel bar and the lower ratchet wheel sleeve will from position  2  to position  3 , thus a button switching period accomplished. 
     In a button switching period, the upper ratchet wheel bar  205  rotate an angle φ 1 +φ 2 , the disc  206  rotate an angle φ 1 +φ 2  accordingly, with the rotation of the disc  206 , the outlet  2061  of the disc can correspond to the different inlet  2011  to distribute the water into different channels having different spray patterns, thus achieve the switching of the different spray patterns, as shown in  FIG. 20  to  FIG. 22 . 
     In this embodiment, the upper ratchet wheel bar  205  has six inclined grooves  2051 , and the lower ratchet wheel sleeve has six first protrusion  2041 , in a button switching period, the φ 1 +φ 2  of the rotation of the upper wheel bar  205  is 60°, i.e. the disc  206  rotate 60°. 
     Those who are skilled in the art will readily perceive how to modify the invention. Therefore, the appended claims are to be construed to cover all equivalent structures which fall within the true scope and spirit of the invention.