Patent Publication Number: US-2023160193-A1

Title: Shower head

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a device and system for dispensing a fluid additive simultaneously or separately with water from a shower spray and in particular for use as a bidet shower or bidet sprayer. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In a large number of countries and in many cultures, the use of a bidet shower is a common practice considered to be essential to cleansing after the use of a toilet for urination or defecation. The bidet shower is also frequently used beyond these cultures for maintaining hygienic cleanliness for the genital and back end areas for both males and females. This practice and use is primarily prevalent in Muslim countries, where the bidet shower is commonly known as a shattaf bidet spray, and Asian cultures. For the purposes of this disclosure, the terms shattaf, bidet spray, bidet shower or any combination thereof, may be used interchangeably to describe the same item and without segregation or differentiation between one or the other. 
     A bidet shower is often available as an attachment in both private and public bathrooms or washrooms, and conveniently placed for easy access and use while seated on a toilet. The use of this device is considered to be of the highest hygienic importance and is indispensable in many countries and cultures. These sprays, if not already available, can easily and conveniently be installed on an already existing toilet seat and almost any washroom or bathroom. 
     Whereas the present disclosure defines the device and its use for the specific application on bidet showers, said disclosure is not limited to the example defined herein by the description and claims, and for a person of ordinary skills, it will become apparent that the applicability of the present device and method may extend to other applications including, but not limited to, bath shower heads, kitchen sink shower heads, any sink shower head, gardening shower heads as well as applications in both home, garden, office and various industries. The description herein in no way limits the invention to one or the other applications, but is rather used to better describe certain embodiments of both the device and the method of use of said device in a convenient and exemplary manner. 
     A bidet shower, as stated above, is a common attachment found in Muslim and Asian cultures where post-urination and post-defecation hygiene is considered of the utmost importance and indispensable. Western cultures preferably rely on the bidet seat, which is generally an oval or rectangular basin located next to a toilet seat and includes a spraying faucet and water temperature and pressure controls. It is worth noting that in most countries, and in particular in cities, where living spaces are becoming smaller due to an increase living demand and less build-up space, the bidet seat, as a separate plumbing fixture, is becoming obsolete as bathrooms become smaller. Furthermore, as a natural result of globalization and migration, there is an increase in the number of people of varying ethnic, religious and racial background, for whom the use of a bidet shower is indispensable, into countries and regions where this device is not readily available. A shower bidet solves the problem of limited space as the same merely requires a hose connected to the toilet seat water container, a shower head and a means of hanging or fixing the system on or in proximity of the toilet seat itself. 
     The idea of a shattaf already exists for dispensing or spraying water only. None of the prior art however describes, discloses or even teaches for an integrated shattaf that dispenses cleanser such as soap separately or mixed with water, 
     A number of devices or assemblies have been developed over the years, even patented, for adding or mixing liquid additive with a water stream coming out of a shower head. To date there has been no such system which has been proven to be convenient or practical to be brought into commercial use. Certainly, none have been developed or used as a shattaf. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,926,212 discloses soap dispensing devices for adding liquid soap to water as it travels to a showerhead. The said device includes a pump which is positioned in a housing and an actuator for actuating the pump. The pump is coupled to a soap reservoir whereby actuating the pump will draw the soap into the water inlet thus allowing for the soap to mix with the water on its way out the shower head. This system is rather bulky and has limited applications in particular as applied to a bidet shower. The system requires a complex installation process and may not be applicable to limited spaces such as those discussed previous sections. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,789 proposes an insert for dispensing a liquid additive in a water inlet stream. The insert is divided into two separate chambers and when activated, the pressure pushes the liquid additive out into the flow of the water. The system gives the user partial control over the dispensing in particular the quality of the liquid additive, since after every use, the said liquid additive may mix with a small amount of water. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,520 discloses a complete shower head assembly having an integral means for introducing soap or the like into the water stream and having a quick on/off feature. The assembly includes an integral narrowed section in the inlet tube to provide a Venturi effect to draw soap into the stream. A number of other proposed ideas, namely U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,651,930, 4,121,773, 4,651,930, 3,764,074 are based on a similar concept of pushing a liquid additive which resides is located in an external compartment by the use of pressure as the primary mechanism of introducing said liquid additive into the water flow. 
     Another prior art is GB2445736 which discloses a shower head comprising a dispenser whereby said dispenser is inserted into the handle of said showerhead. The disclosure is developed for use by elderly and infirm persons, to help them take a comfortable and safe shower. The proposed system requires the user to hold the shower head with one hand and control the dispenser with the other hand. 
     The various devices or systems disclosed in the prior art require complicated, cumbersome or excess space for mechanisms which may not be economically, ergonomically or even functionally feasible or practical, let alone as an improvement on existing bidet showers. Furthermore, the more compact or contained systems are based on a mechanism which provides little control or are inconvenient for use. Even further, none of the systems or devices disclosed in the prior art provide for a cleaning system which does not require the user to use at least a hand in mechanically wiping clean the desired area. 
     The disclosure below proposes to address all of these defects and in particular the ergonomics and the innovative ability of cleansing simply by using the pressure of the showerhead to dislodge (i.e. fecal matter) or deeply cleanse the desired parts of the body. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, a displacement system is provided for introducing cleanser into the water jet stream flowing through a shower hose and out of a shower head. The cleanser may be in the form of liquid, gel, dissolvable pellets, or any other state amenable to being drawn by negative pressure and dissolving in water. The cleanser of the invention is contained in a cartridge which is an integral part of the present invention, yet the said cartridge is removable, replaceable and/or refillable. The dispenser of the invention introduces the aforementioned cleanser by toggling a switch which opens or closes a means by which the cleanser is mixed with water. The said cartridge is adapted to be inserted between a shower line and shower head, and in one embodiment in the handle of the shower head itself 
     In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a shower head is attached to a shower arm which in turn is attached to a shower line. Said shower arm is composed of a plurality of compartments whereby at least one of said compartments is set to house a cartridge or pouch wherein said cartridge or pouch contains said cleanser. The compartment in question is sealed off from the flow of water when the toggle switch is activated in one position and the compartment in question is open to the system when the switch is toggled in another position, thus allowing the cleanser to be mixed with the water. 
     As a result, the mixed water with the cleanser is sprayed from the shower head and can provide one handed use of the shattaf, without the need to use the other hand for wiping or cleaning. It is well known that the action of soap and water is the main means of cleansing and the proposed device of the present invention will provide cleansing of the specific parts easily and allow for a hygienic state of the private areas following urination, defecation or for mere hygienic cleansing purposes. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a full frontal external view of a shattaf bidet sprayer with the dispenser (not shown) and the toggle switch. 
         FIG.  2    is a full rear external view of a shattaf bidet sprayer showing the location where the cartridge or pouch is located. 
         FIG.  3    represents a full internal view of the shower handle showing the different parts for enabling the proposed system. 
         FIG.  4    is a representation of the internal back part of the shattaf and the relevant elements thereof. 
         FIG.  5    is a representation of the internal system through which the water and cleanser circulate and flow as well as mixed. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the dispenser is comprised of a shower head  105 , a shower arm  104  and at least one button or switch  103 . The dispenser is connected to the water source via a shower line  102 . The dispenser also comprises at least one compartment for storing a cartridge, pouch or any such similar container. 
     For further descriptions, the preferred embodiment used herein will be the one where the dispenser is a unit comprising the different parts of shower head  105 , shower arm  104  and the said at least one button  103 . The definitions and descriptions provided herein for the mechanism by which the cleanser is found in the present embodiment and the mixing between said cleanser and water are applicable to this preferred embodiment as well as the alternate embodiment as can be seen hereinafter to a person of skills. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the shower arm  102  is made from non-corrosive material or coated as needed to prevent corrosion. The shower arm  104  preferably has an elongated hollowed shape  101  with openings at each end of said shape. Since the shower arm connects the shower line  102  to the shower head  105 , water flows into the shower arm from the opening at the said end which is attached to the shower line  102  and through a plurality of tubes (as shown in  FIGS.  3  and  4   ) when the toggle switch  103  is pressed for the function to release a water jet or spray from the shattaf  101  through the connected aerator. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the hollowed interior of the shower arm  101  contains a recipient  201  in which a removable cartridge or pouch  402  can be inserted. Said recipient  201  is an integral part of the shower arm  101 . Said recipient  201  has also an elongated hollowed shape but is of smaller dimensions than the shower arm  101  itself. 
     In the present embodiment, the said removable cartridge or pouch  402  is connected to the internal tubing system via the opening  506  of tube  505 . The connection is made to be sealed to prevent leakage of soap, water, air or any mix thereof. The seal provides for a closed and contained system for an improved performance of the device disclosed herein. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the shower arm  101  has at least one button or switch  103  on the upper or lower side of said shower arm  101 , and even, conceivably with minor variations in design, on any facet which allows for ergonomic use of said button. Said at least one button  103  functions to perform one of the following two tasks when pressed: allow only water to flow through the shower arm  101  in the dedicated tube  304  and out the shower head  105  and the dedicated spray holes (aerator)  106 ; or, allow water to flow through the shower arm  101  in the dedicated tube  304  while opening the valve  306  for the recipient  201  simultaneously, thus mixing the content of the container or pouch  402  with the water at the junction  308  prior to the mixture coming out of the shower head  105  and through the spray hole  107  (aerator). In the present embodiment, it is to be made clear that there are two sets of spray holes or two separate aerators; these are:  106  through which only water sprays and  107  from which the mixture of water and cleansing composition sprays out. 
     In a preferred embodiment both the spray holes or aerators,  106  and  107 , are designed to help control both the pressure of the sprays and the consistency of the mixture to provide for a much higher cleansing experience and outcome. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the recipient  201  can hold a replaceable or refillable cartridge or pouch (or any such container)  402  which contains an additive such as soap in the form of liquid, or gel or dissolvable pebbles or any other water miscible cleansing composition which is adequate for the purposes of the present disclosure. The said cartridge is adapted to fit in its designated space  402 . The cartridge may be composed. of any material, but is preferably composed from flexible material in order to ensure that the cleanser is adequately and completely utilized when expelled into the water stream via a Venturi effect. The cartridge may be secured in its designated place by a multitude of systems such as twisting, turning, capping, clicking, etc. with a seal lodging it in place to dispense into the relative tube  505 . The cartridge may be replaced by removing the cover  201 , pulling the empty cartridge out and re-inserting a new cartridge. 
     The connection where the cartridge dispenses the cleanser into the tube  506  may be a sharp point with openings to break the seal of a new cartridge and allow the flow of the cleanser once the Venturi effect is activated. 
     In brief, the flow in the proposed system is as follows. A water hose is connected to the device of the invention at  501 , which is the main tube of the system. Once the water from the source is on, the tube  502  will always contain water under pressure of a range of 1.5 to 5.0 bars. Furthermore, the connecting tubes  503  and  504  will also contain water when the device is connected to a hose and the water source is turned on. The water will fill up these spaces and stop at the valves inside  303  and  306 , which valves are controlled by the levers  302  and  305 , respectively and which in turn are activated by the switch  103  depending on which side of said switch is pressed. In a different embodiment where the switch  103  is in fact two separate buttons, the same effect can be obtained from pressing one button or the other. For the purposes of this disclosure and based on the supporting figures, a single switch which may be pressed at either end is presented. 
     In a further embodiment, there are included springs or spring-acting parts lodged within the parts  303  and  306  which allow for the levers  302  and  305  to go back to their initial position once the switch  103  is depressed. Said springs are designed in an innovative manner to withstand the pressure of the water flowing through them and are capable to return to their resting position despite the water pressure once the switch is depressed. The springs, their position and mode of action are innovative in order to enable the smooth and flawless execution of their role when activated and when the related switch is depressed. 
     Depending on how the said switch  103  is pressed, either only water is sprayed or a mixture of water and cleanser is sprayed. 
     The diameter of tube  502  is crucial in maintaining the adequate pressure inside the system in this section of the device. The diameters of the rest of the tubes within the system are also critical in achieving the desired flow rate and outflowing pressure. These have been studied to ensure the optimal functioning of the device and its function. If the diameters are larger than required, then the water or mixed water/cleanser jet will be too low to be effective; and if the diameters are smaller, then this will result in excessive internal pressure which may affect the integrity of the device as well as cause the release of the water or mixed water/cleaner jet at too high of a pressure to be usable. 
     The said diameters vary depending on the overall size of the device, however the resulting spray coming out of the device must be appropriate for doing the desired function of cleaning without the need to use a hand to wipe and without excess pressure which may be painful and cause splatter. 
     It was deemed indispensable to refrain from defining the specific diameters, lengths, shape and connection style of the different tubing parts since these will vary depending on the overall size of the device. In addition, since the proposed device may be used in multiple industries and for varying purposes as disclosed herein above, it is submitted that the relative ratios between the different parts is what matters and these are assessed for each type of device as needed based on a specific formula which results in the desired effect and outcome. 
     In a further embodiment, the shape of said tubes may be cylindrical in form or adopt a slightly tapering conical shape at specific junctions to enable a preferred performance and prevent return flow, bubble formation, which may block adequate flow or repeated use of the device. It is submitted herein that the size and shape of the tubing at various positions of the system are critical and crucial and contribute to a key innovative element, not disclosed or cited anywhere in the prior art. 
     Following up on the flow in the system, if the user wishes to spray only water, then the switch  103  is pressed in the desired direction to activate lever  302  which will open the valve located inside  303 . The water will then flow freely through  303  and tube  304  and out the opening  310  and spray out from  107 . The diameters of the different components are specific to the size of the device to ensure the adequate pressure coming out of the head  107 . Once the user is done rinsing, the user releases the switch which will result in the valve inside  303  to close again and hold the water behind it. 
     If the user wishes to spray a mixture of water and cleanser, then the lever  103  is pressed in the desired direction to activate lever  305  which will open the valve located inside  306 . The water will then flow through the opening at  303 . As the water flows through the tube section  507 , it will create a vacuum inside tube  505 . The vacuum creates a negative pressure which, based on the Venturi principle, will draw or aspirate cleanser form the cartridge  402  through the opening  506  and through the tube  505  which will then mix with the water at  507 . The mixed water/cleanser solution will then continue to flow through tube  508  and into the shower head through tube  511 . The mixed water/cleanser will exit through the opening  309  and spray out through  106 . 
     In order to enable this process, it is submitted that the relative sizes and shapes of various sections of the tubing play an important role in ensuring constant flow at a desired pressure to obtain the necessary spray in the right amount and pressure to achieve the purpose of the invention. 
     To rinse the mixed water/cleanser, the user then releases the switch which will close the valve inside  305  thus canceling the Venturi effect and stop the flow of the cleanser into  507 . The user then presses on the switch  103  in the direction to activate lever  302  to go through the previously described flow to spray water only. Again, the tapered conical shape at the junction plays a critical role in maintaining the pressure when open and preventing an air bubble from blocking the flow once the action is terminated. 
     When the switch  103  is pressed to allow the cleanser to flow, the water passing through the tube  307  creates a negative pressure or vacuum in tube  403 , creating a Venturi effect using the Bernoulli principle, thus drawing the cleanser through the tube  403  which then mixes with the water upstream of tube  307 . The mixed water and cleanser then proceeds under the water pressure to flow through the system and spray out the shower head  105  from the opening  310  spraying out the holes  107 . As a result, the user of said shattaf will hygienically cleanse the soiled parts following urination or defecation or for general cleansing. By toggling the switch back to the water only function, the user of the shattaf can rinse the cleansing mixture off. 
     It is well known in the art and in practical use of showerheads, regardless of their intended use as a shattaf, as disclosed in the present embodiment of the current description or a showerhead for taking showers, or in the use in the kitchen, or hospitals, etc. cleaning requires the use of mechanical cleansing in addition to spraying water and or detergent. So for example, under the shower, a user needs to scrub down with the hands, maybe even using a device such as a sponge to mechanically remove dirt, apply shampoo or soap across the desire area to be cleansed. 
     In a similar manner, and going back to the concept of a shattaf, a person skilled in the art knows that a shattaf spraying water alone is not enough to provide the desired hygienic cleanliness. A user is obliged to use at least one hand, a cloth or a sponge in order to properly and thoroughly clean the desired area. Even bidet&#39;s fail to adequately cleanse without the need for the user to mechanically wipe away stuck fecal matter, blood or other deposits. It is the assertion herein that this defect is resolved with the proposed showerhead and system thereof. 
     Traditional and existing shower heads use a direct tube for water flowing from the source at one end of a showerhead and through the dispensing jets or outlet at another end of said showerhead. The flow of the water may be controlled, i.e. released or stopped, using a lever which opens or closes a valve lodged within the tube. The system of the proposed invention proposes a plurality of tubes with a plurality of valves to control the flow, the pressure of the flow, be it water alone or a mixture of water and cleanser, and the pressure of the outgoing jet directed to the area to be cleansed. 
     According to studies performed to identify the pressure at which the water and water/cleanser mixture should be sprayed to adequately clean by removing any attached fecal matter, blood, or other it was found that the incoming pressure into the shattaf should be around 3 bar between. Accordingly, based on calculations to obtain said pressure, a study was developed to determine the different diameters of said plurality of tubes to ensure that this pressure is delivered. Anything different will result either in lower pressure which will fail in providing the adequate cleaning required; or in higher pressure which may cause pain or random splattering, which will also result in inadequate cleansing. 
     In the present embodiment, it was thus determined what the diameter range for the tube  301  should be, as well as the range of diameters for tubes  304 ,  307  and  308 . In addition, the studies resulted in a range of acceptable diameters for the opening releasing water only  310  as well as that of the opening releasing the mixture of water and cleanser  309 . 
     While certain embodiments were disclosed in the description, these are merely used as examples to clarify the device and system of the invention. These are not to be considered as limiting to one or other type of device or system or cleansing means. The detailed description does not limit the scope of the invention to the design shown in the figures, as again, this was merely used for illustrative purposes.