Patent Abstract:
The shower apparatus of the present invention has an arcuate pipe dimensioned to substantially encircle a person taking a shower. The arcuate pipe has perforations that allow water supplied to the pipe to be discharged onto the body of the person taking a shower. The arcuate pipe is pivotally attached to a carrier which is slidably movable along a vertical guide plate. The carrier has a clamping feature that allows the vertical position of the arcuate pipe to be fixed at a height selected by a user. The shower apparatus of the present invention can be retrofitted to existing shower fixtures.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/117,237, filed Jan. 26, 1999. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a shower system that allows water to be directed to a user&#39;s body without getting the user&#39;s head wet. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Many people have their hair professionally styled by a hair stylist at great expense. These people generally visit the hair stylist once a week to maintain the look and hairstyle that they desire. During the visits to the hair stylist their hair is shampooed and styled. To maintain their hair style in between visits to the hairstylist, such people must avoid getting their hair wet. 
     Heretofore, shower caps have been used to prevent the wetting of styled hair while the person takes a shower; however, shower caps suffer from several drawbacks. First, the perspiration trapped by the shower cap is often sufficient to cause the hair to get wet resulting in a matted, flattened look to the hair. Second, the mechanical impact of bunching the hair under the shower cap and of the force applied to the hair by the shower cap and its elastic gather, tend to flatten the hair or otherwise ruin the hair style. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide an appliance that allows people to take showers without getting their hair wet. 
     Many unconventional shower appliances for directing the flow of water to various body parts in a more controlled fashion have been proposed in the art. Examples of such shower appliances are provided herein below. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 382,011, issued to Benjamin C. Smith on May 1, 1888, shows a shower appliance including an arcuate, horizontal, perforated pipe having vertical, perforated pipes branching therefrom. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 1,501,762, issued to Robert G. Ferguson on Jul. 15, 1924, shows a shower appliance having a circular, perforated pipe which can be hydraulically raised or lowered. The height adjustment range of the appliance in Ferguson is very limited. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 1,758,767, issued to Louis E. Taggart on May 13, 1930, shows a shower appliance having a circular, perforated pipe which is pivoted down to place the circular pipe around a body and pivoted up to remove the circular pipe from around the body. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,829,379, issued to Robert M. McGee on Apr. 8, 1958, shows a bathing apparatus having a circular, perforated pipe which is placed on the ground and sprinkles water on a person sitting at the center of the circular pipe. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,170,171, issued to Lawrence E. Mayhew et al. on Feb. 23, 1965, shows a shower hoop for amusement purposes which includes a perforated pipe formed into an upright shower hoop. The upright shower hoop sprinkles water on people jumping through the hoop. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,142,257, issued to Allen R. Mace on Mar. 6, 1979, shows a pair of circular shower hoops that are height adjustable. The shower hoops are attached to a carrier which has internal passages for supplying water and other additives, such as soap or perfumes, to the shower hoops. Pairs of side-by-side rollers held between a pair of elongated channels having C-shaped cross sections, allow the assembly including the shower hoops and the carrier to be moved vertically. The carrier has clamping means for fixing the location of the shower hoops at a desired height. The shower hoops of Mace do not pivot. Further, Mace does not disclose a carrier or guide rail having the same structural features as the carrier and guide rail of the present invention. In addition, Mace fails to disclose any details of the structure of the clamping means used as part of the apparatus shown in the Mace patent. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,553, issued to Remigio Bianchi on Feb. 16, 1988, shows an apparatus for providing a hydromassage over the whole body of a person. The apparatus of Bianchi includes helical perforated pipe portions that rotate about an axis coincident with the axis of the person&#39;s body to thereby cause water to impinge upon the person&#39;s entire body. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,130, issued to Gustav E. Utzinger on Jun. 7, 1988, shows an apparatus for spraying water on a person. The apparatus of Utzinger includes a helically wound perforated pipe which sprays water upon a person surrounded by the helically wound perforated pipe. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,254, issued to George D. Kragle on Sep. 12, 1989, shows a two headed shower consisting of Y-shaped conduit having an inlet and a shower head at each of its two outlets. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,418,985, issued to Robert Antoine on May 30, 1995, shows a horizontal shower hoop attached to a carrier. The carrier is vertically movable and is guided by a T-shaped rail engaged by rollers mounted to the carrier. A cable attached to the carrier is taken up around a motorized, rotating cam to pull the carrier along the rail in accordance with a predetermined program. The shower hoop of Antoine does not pivot. Further, Antoine does not disclose a carrier or guide rail having the same structural features as the carrier and guide rail of the present invention. In addition, Antoine does not disclose a clamping means such as that used as part of the present invention. 
     Soviet Document Number 1806719, dated Apr. 7, 1993, shows an apparatus having a series of vertically arranged arcuate shower pipes which spray water on a person&#39;s body. Japanese Document Number 6,284,985, dated Oct. 11, 1994, shows a plurality of shower nozzles arranged in an arc to shower water upon a seated person. 
     None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. In particular, none of the above inventions and patents teach or suggest a pivoting shower arc adapted to move vertically. Further, none of the above inventions and patents teach or suggest a carrier or guide rail having the same structural features as the carrier and guide rail of the present invention. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a shower apparatus having an arcuate pipe dimensioned to substantially encircle a person taking a shower. The arcuate pipe has perforations that allow water supplied to the pipe to be discharged onto the body of the person taking a shower. The arcuate pipe is pivotally attached to a carrier which is slidably movable along a vertical guide plate. The carrier has a clamping feature that allows the vertical position of the arcuate pipe to be fixed at a height selected by a user. The shower apparatus of the present invention can be retrofitted to existing shower fixtures. 
     Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a shower apparatus that can shower a person&#39;s body with water without getting the person&#39;s head wet. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a shower apparatus having a perforated, arcuate pipe which substantially encircles the person taking a shower as liquid is discharged on to the person&#39;s body. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a shower apparatus which is adjustable in height to suit users of different heights. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide a shower apparatus which can be retrofitted to existing shower fixtures. 
     It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes. 
     These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an environmental view showing a person using the height-adjustable shower arc according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the guide plate of the height-adjustable shower arc according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the guide plate of the height-adjustable shower arc according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is an environmental view of the guide plate of the height-adjustable shower arc according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view showing the guide plate, of the height-adjustable shower arc according to the present invention, mounted to a water supply pipe of a conventional shower head. 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the shower arc carrier used as part of the height-adjustable shower arc according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view of the shower arc and carrier according to the present invention, showing the attachment of the water hose to the shower arc. 
     FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view showing details of the pivotal attachment of the shower arc to the carrier. 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the shower arc according to the present invention in isolation. 
     FIG. 10 is a fragmentary view showing a portion of the perforated arcuate pipe forming the shower arc according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 11 is a fragmentary view showing the angles of the perforations in the perforated, arcuate pipe forming the shower arc according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 12 is a fragmentary view showing details of the attachment, to the shower head water supply pipe, of the water hose supplying water to the shower arc made in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the height-adjustable shower arc according to the present invention showing the shower arc in the extended position. 
     FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the height-adjustable shower arc according to the present invention showing the shower arc in the retracted or folded position. 
     FIG. 15 is an environmental view showing an alternative type of guide plate, which attaches directly to the shower wall, for use with the height-adjustable shower arc according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 16 is an environmental fragmentary view showing a three-way valve which allows the use of a conventional shower head in conjunction with the height-adjustable shower arc according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 17 is a rear perspective view of the second embodiment of the circular shower bar carrier according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 18 is a front perspective view of the second embodiment of the circular shower bar carrier according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 19A is a perspective view showing the second embodiment of the shower arc and the shower arc carrier of the present invention with the shower arc in the down position. 
     FIG. 19B is a perspective view showing the second embodiment of the shower arc and the shower arc carrier of the present invention with the shower arc in the up position. 
     FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing the third embodiment of the guide plate used to slidably support the shower arc carrier of the present invention. 
     FIG. 21 is a perspective view showing the fourth embodiment of the guide plate used to slidably support the shower arc carrier of the present invention. 
     FIG. 22A is a top fragmentary perspective view showing details of an alternative form of the grooves at either side of the guide plate according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 22B is a bottom fragmentary perspective view showing details of an alternative form of the grooves at either side of the guide plate according to the present invention. 
    
    
     Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-14, the present invention is directed to a height-adjustable shower arc  10 , also variously referred to herein as the shower apparatus or the shower appliance  10 . The shower appliance  10  includes four major components, these being the shower arc  12 , the guide plate  14 , the shower arc carrier  16 , and the water supply hose  18 . In a typical shower there is a shower head supply pipe  20  which projects from the wall  22  of the shower. The pipe  20  projects from the wall  22  above a tub  24  (see FIGS.  15  and  16 ). The pipe  20  is usually located above the bottom of the tub  24  at about the height of an average person. The pipe  20  usually projects horizontally from the wall  22 . The pipe  20  is usually bent such that the pipe&#39;s threaded end  26 , located distally from the wall  22 , points downward at an angle from the horizontal. A conventional shower head  28  is normally threadedly attached to the distal end  26  of the pipe  20  (see FIGS.  15  and  16 ). The shower head  28  is designed to spread the water stream over a wide area so as to efficiently wet the body of a person taking a shower. 
     The guide plate  14  is substantially rectangular and has a width and a length, the length being significantly longer than the width. Most preferably, the guide plate  14  is at least several times longer than it is wide. The guide plate  14  has a front face  30  and a back face  32  which is identical to the front face  30  except that the back face  32  faces in the opposite direction as compared to the front face  30 . The front face  30  is so designated because in the illustrated example the face  30  faces away from the wall  22 . The back face  32  is so designated because in the illustrated example the face  32  faces toward the wall  22 . The faces  30  and  32  being identical, the guide plate  14  is reversible and can be mounted on the pipe  20  with either the face  30  or the face  32  facing the wall  22 . 
     The faces  30  and  32  are parallel and spaced apart, and the perimeters of the faces  30  and  32  are superimposed on one another. The dimension extending between the faces  30  and  32  is the thickness of the guide plate  14 . Near the top surface  34  of the guide plate  14  is an elongated oval hole  36  dimensioned to allow the pipe  20  to pass through the guide plate  14 . 
     Lateral grooves  38  and  40  extend for substantially the entire length of the guide plate  14  on either side of the guide plate  14 . The grooves  38  and  40  are formed in the thickness of the guide plate  14 , intermediate the faces  30  and  32 , with the depth of each groove extending parallel to the faces  30  and  32 . The groove  38  opens to a plane defined by and extending between the lengthwise edges  42  and  44  of the faces  30  and  32 , respectively. Similarly, the groove  40  opens to a plane defined by and extending between the lengthwise edges  46  and  48  of the faces  30  and  32 , respectively. 
     The ends of the grooves  38  and  40  at which the grooves  38  and  40  intersect the top surface  34  of the guide plate  14 , are open. The ends of the grooves  38  and  40  at or near the bottom of the guide plate  14 , are obstructed by blockages  50  and  52  in order to prevent the carrier  16  from accidentally sliding off the bottom of the guide plate  14 . The blockages  50  and  52  are formed by the material of the guide plate  14  filling the grooves  38  and  40  at or near the bottom of the guide plate  14 . 
     To mount the guide plate  14  to the pipe  20 , the shower head  28  is first removed from the pipe  20 . Also, any decorative face plate covering the hole in the wall  22  through which the pipe  20  passes, such as face plate  54  shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 and, is removed. 
     The pipe  20  is then placed through the hole  36 , and the guide plate  14  is allowed to hang vertically down from the horizontal portion of the pipe  20  and is then pushed against the wall  22  such that the back surface  32  abuttingly contacts the wall  22 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the guide plate  14  is held in place by a retaining plate  56 . The retaining plate  56  has a plate portion  58  which presses against the guide plate  14 . Near the top of the plate portion  58  there is a hole which is dimensioned to fit around the pipe  20 . A collar  60  is attached to the plate portion  58  about the hole near the top of the plate portion. The collar  60  has a bore that is coextensive with the hole around which the collar is attached. A threaded hole  62  traverses the thickness of the wall of the collar  60  and communicates with the bore of the collar  60 . A set screw  64  is threadedly engaged to the hole  62  and can be turned to position a portion of the set screw in the bore of the collar  60 . The set screw  64  has a head or knob which is knurled, lobed, bladed, faceted, or otherwise shaped to allow the set screw  64  to be grasped and turned by hand. With the guide plate  14  mounted on the pipe  20 , the retaining plate  56  positioned on the pipe  20  such that the pipe  20  passes through the collar  60  and the guide plate  14  is sandwiched between the retaining plate  56  and the wall  22 . The set screw  64  is then tightened until the set screw  64  frictionally engages the pipe  20  to clamp the retaining plate  56  to the pipe  20  and thus hold the guide plate  14  in place. 
     Referring to FIG. 6, the shower arc carrier  16  has a pair of ribs  66  and  68  which are dimensioned to fit into and be slidably movable along the grooves  38  and  40 , respectively. The ribs  66  and  68  project perpendicularly from side plates  70  and  72 , respectively. Side plates  70  and  72  are parallel to one another and have profiles that are superimposed on one another when the carrier  16  is viewed from either side. When installed, the side plates  70  and  72  project perpendicularly relative to the wall  22  and the front face  30  of the guide plate  14 , in a direction away from the wall  22  on either side of the guide plate  14 . The ribs  66  and  68  are formed along the edges of the side plates  70  and  72 , respectively, which are proximate to the wall  22  and the guide plate  14 . A front plate  74  is fixedly attached to the side plates  70  and  72 , and extends from the distal edge of the side plate  70  to the distal edge of the side plate  72 , the distal edges of the side plates  70  and  72  being the edges farthest from the guide plate  14  in the fully assembled shower appliance  10 . The front plate  74  spans the distance between the distal edges of the side plates  70  and  72  over only a portion of the vertical extent of the side plates  70  and  72 , to thereby give greater flexibility to the carrier  16  and allow relative movement between the side plates  70  and  72 . Thus, when the shower appliance  10  is fully assembled, the side plates  70  and  72  straddle the width of the guide plate  14  with the ribs  66  and  68  positioned in the grooves  38  and  40 , respectively. Normally, the carrier  16  would be engaged to the guide plate  14  before the guide plate  14  is mounted to the pipe  20 , otherwise the pipe  20  may interfere with the sliding of the ribs  66  and  68  into the grooves  38  and  40  from the top of the guide plate  14 . 
     The surface of the side plate  72  which faces the side plate  70 , has a protuberance  76  projecting therefrom. In the illustrated embodiment, the protuberance  76  is substantially cylindrical and projects perpendicularly from the side plate  72  toward the side plate  70 . The attachment of the protuberance  76  to the side plate  72  may have a fillet or a weld which causes the protuberance  76  to deviate from a perfect cylinder. The protuberance  76  has a central bore or cavity which is threaded to matingly receive the threaded shaft of a screw  78 . 
     The shaft of the screw  78  passes through a hole in the side plate  70  which is large enough for the shaft of the screw  78  to pass through, but the hole through which the shaft of the screw  78  passes is too small for the screw head  80  to pass therethrough. Screw head  80  is in the form of a knob which is suitable for grasping and turning by hand. The screw head or knob  80  can be knurled, lobed, bladed, faceted, grooved, or otherwise shaped to allow the knob  80  to be grasped and turned by hand. With the threaded shaft of the screw  78  passing through the hole in the side plate  70  and matingly engaging the threaded bore of the protuberance  76 , turning the knob  80  to tighten the screw  78  will cause the side plates  72  and  70  to be brought together. Thus when the screw  78  is sufficiently tightened, the carrier  16  will be clamped to the guide plate  14  to thereby fix the carrier  16 , and the shower arc  12 , at the desired height. If the shaft of the screw  78  is long enough it can directly engage a threaded hole in the side plate  72  without the need for the protuberance  76 . Also, any support structure that can fixedly support a threaded bore relative to the side plate  72 , even with the threaded bore extending for a very short distance, can be substituted for the cylindrical protuberance  76  without affecting the function of the carrier  16 . 
     The carrier  16  in its relaxed state is dimensioned such that the fit of the ribs  66  and  68  into the grooves  38  and  40  is loose enough for the carrier  16  to be slidably movable along the guide plate  14 . When the screw  78  is sufficiently tightened, the side plates  70  and  72  are forced together thereby clamping the carrier  16  to the guide plate  14 . The material of the carrier  16 , which can be aluminum, stainless steel, brass, or plastic, is inherently resilient enough such that when the screw  78  is loosened the side plates  70  and  72  return to their original positions relative to one another, and the carrier  16  can once again slide freely along the guide plate  14 . The screw  78  can then once again be tightened to fixedly position the carrier  16  and the shower arc  12  at any desired height. 
     As was previously stated, the carrier  16  needs to be sufficiently flexible to allow the side plates  70  and  72  to resiliently move relative to one another. If necessary, a U-shaped cutout  82  may be formed in the front plate  74  to provide added flexibility to the carrier  16 . 
     Located proximate the bottom of each of the side plates  70  and  72  is a hole  84  (only one shown) for receiving a respective one of a pair of pivot shafts  86  (only one shown). Only one of the holes  84  and only one of the pivot shafts  86  are shown, because each hole  84  and its respective pivot shaft  86  are mirror images of the other hole  84  and its associated pivot shaft  86 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 1,  7 - 10 , the shower arc  12  is formed in part by a perforated, arcuate pipe  88 . The arcuate pipe  88  extends along a circular arc and has first and second ends  90  and  92  which are spaced apart from one another to form a C-shaped arcuate pipe. The pipe  88  is closed at its ends  90  and  92  and has two sets of perforations  94  and  96  along its length. When the shower arc  12  is unfolded such that the arc along which the pipe  88  extends lies essentially in a horizontal plane, each of the first set of perforations  94  is oriented to discharge water substantially horizontally or at a slight angle below the horizontal and, in plan view, toward the center of the arc along which pipe  88  extends. Again with the pipe  88  in the horizontal position, each of the second set of perforations  96  discharges water downward at a greater angle from the horizontal as compared to the first set of holes  94 . In addition, when the pipe  88  is in the horizontal position, the perforations  96  discharge water toward a vertical line passing through the center of curvature, of the arc along which the pipe  88  extends. For example, each of the second set of perforations  96  may be oriented so as to discharge water downward at about a 45° angle relative to the horizontal, toward a vertical line passing through the center of curvature of the arcuate pipe  88 . Preferably, with the shower arc  12  positioned at just above a person&#39;s shoulders, the holes  94  will discharge water toward the person&#39;s shoulders and upper torso, while the holes  96  will discharge water toward the person&#39;s lower chest or waist. Both sets of holes  94  and  96  are evenly distributed along the length of the pipe  88  with one hole  96  being positioned intermediate each pair of holes  94  in plan view. Each of the holes  94  and  96  is spaced about an inch apart from its nearest neighbor, i.e. each hole  94  is spaced two inches apart from each adjacent hole  94  and each hole  96  is spaced two inches apart from each adjacent hole  96 . The gap between the first and second ends  90  and  92  allows a person taking a shower to exit the shower area without having to lower his or her head and shoulders or having to raise the shower arc  12 . 
     Projecting from the middle of the pipe  88 , in a direction radially away from the center of curvature of the pipe  88 , is a short length of pipe  98 . The pipe  98  forms the inlet to the arcuate pipe  88 , the bore of the pipe  98  being in fluid communication with the arcuate pipe  88 . The end  100  of the inlet pipe  98 , located distally from the arcuate pipe  88 , is open and is threaded externally to allow attachment of the hose  18 . 
     A pair of pivot plates  102  and  104  are attached to the arcuate pipe  88  on either side of the inlet pipe  98 . The pivot plates  102  and  104  extend parallel to the inlet pipe  98  away from the center of curvature of the arcuate pipe  88 . The pivot plates  102  and  104  are spaced apart such that the carrier  16  fits snugly between the pivot plates  102  and  104 , with the side walls  70  and  72  parallel to the pivot plates  102  and  104 . Each of the pivot plates  102  and  104  has a hole  106  and  108 , respectively. With the pivot plates  102  and  104  positioned on either side of the carrier  16 , each of the holes  106  and  108  registers with a respective one of the holes  84 . Each of the pivot shafts  86  is then positioned to extend through a respective hole  84  and a respective one of the holes  106  and  108  to pivotally attach the shower arc  12  to the carrier  16 . The pivot shafts  86  are shown schematically in the attached illustrations and can be of any well known type. For example, each pivot shaft  86  can be a pin press fitted to either its respective hole  84  or the respective one of the holes  106  and  108 . Preferably, the pivot shafts  86  are a pair of bolts, each being positioned to extend through a respective hole  84  and a respective one of the holes  106  and  108  and secured in place by a respective nut. The bolts acting as pivot shafts  86  should be tightened enough such that there is sufficient frictional force between the pivot plate  102  and the side plate  72  and between the pivot plate  104  and the side plate  70  so that the shower arc  12  will stay up after it has been folded up into the retracted or storage position. 
     Proximate the bottom edge of the pivot plate  102  there is a cylindrical projection  110  which projects toward the pivot plate  104 . The projection  110  is located behind the center of pivot of the respective pivot shaft  86  of the pivot plate  102 , and the projection  110  abuts the bottom edge of the side plate  72  when the shower arc  12  is in the horizontal position. Similarly, proximate the bottom edge of the pivot plate  104  there is a cylindrical projection  112  which projects toward the pivot plate  102 . The projection  112  is located behind the center of pivot of the respective pivot shaft  86  of the pivot plate  104 , and the projection  112  abuts the bottom edge of the side plate  70  when the shower arc  12  is in the horizontal position. The projections  110  and  112  act as stops which prevent the shower arc  12  from pivoting downward past the horizontal position. Another U-shaped cutout  114  formed in the front plate  74  provides clearance for the inlet pipe  98  so that the shower arc  12  can pivot without interference from the front plate  74  of the carrier  16 . 
     The hose  18  is routed through an elongated oval hole  116  formed in the side plate  72 . A hole similar to hole  116  may be provided in the side plate  70  to give the user the option of routing the hose  18  through either one of the side plates  70  or  72 . 
     A threaded collar  118  couples one end of the hose  18  to the threaded end of the inlet pipe  98  in a watertight manner. As shown in FIG. 12, the other end of the hose  18  is coupled to an on/off valve  120  by the threaded collar  122 , also in a watertight manner. The on/off valve  120  is threadedly coupled to the threaded distal end  26  of the shower head supply pipe  20 , again in a watertight manner. Thus, a watertight fluid conducting circuit is created between the shower head supply pipe  20  and the shower arc  12 . With the hot and cold valves (not shown) normally supplying water to the shower head opened to supply water in the normal manner and at the desired temperature to the pipe  20 , the on/off valve  120  is used to control the discharge of water from the shower arc  12 . With the on/off valve  120  in place, once the hot and cold valves are opened to supply water at the desired temperature, the water flow through the shower arc  12  can be turned on and off without having to readjust the water temperature. The coupling between the hose  18  and the inlet pipe  98  and the coupling between the hose  18  and the on/off valve  120  are made using well known, standard plumbing fittings and techniques and will not be described herein in detail. Further, the on/off valve  120  is a well known, standard plumbing fixture and will also not be described herein in detail. 
     Referring to FIGS. 15 and 16, an alternative guide plate  14   a  can be seen. Guide plate  14   a  is intended for direct attachment to the shower wall  22 . Guide plate  14   a  may be attached to the wall  22  in any well known manner including, but not limited to, using adhesives, using bolts or screws, using masonry anchors, and providing welded structures at the back of the guide plate  14   a  that can be embedded in mortar. Caulking or silicon rubber sealant can be used to seal gaps around the guide plate  14   a . Except for the absence of the hole  36  and modifications necessary for direct attachment to the wall  22 , the guide plates  14   a  and  14  are identical. 
     Referring to FIG. 16, a three-way valve  124  can be used in place of the on/off valve  120  to allow users the option of using either the shower arc  12  or the conventional shower head  28 . The three-way valve  124  has an inlet and two outlets. The inlet of the three-way valve  124  is connected by a watertight coupling to a shortened shower head supply pipe  20   a . Then one outlet of the three-way valve  124  is connected by a watertight coupling to the conventional shower head  28 , while the second outlet of the three-way valve is connected by a watertight coupling to the end of the hose  18  distal from the threaded end of the shower arc inlet pipe  98 . The three-way valve  124  has a knob  126  which has three settings. The first setting of the three-way valve  124  completely stops water flow through the three-way valve  124 . The second setting of the three-way valve  124  allows water flow to the shower arc  12 , while the third setting of the three-way valve  124  allows water flow to the shower head  28 . Thus, at the option of the user either the shower arc  12  or the conventional shower head  28  can be used. Alternatively, a Y-shaped pipe such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,254, incorporated herein by reference, can be used in place of the pipe  20 . An on/off valve such as on/off valve  120  can be provided at each outlet of the Y-shaped pipe. The shower head  28  would be connected to one on/off valve, while the shower arc  12  would be connected, via the hose  18 , to the other on/off valve. This arrangement would allow independent control of the water flow through the shower head  28  and the shower arc  12 , and this arrangement would allow simultaneous use of the shower head  28  and the shower arc  12  at the option of the user. The watertight couplings and the three-way valve  124  are well known, standard plumbing fittings and fixtures and will not be described herein in detail. 
     Referring to FIGS. 17,  18 ,  19 A, and  19 B, a simplified embodiment of the height-adjustable shower arc  10   a  can be seen. The shower appliance  10   a  includes a shower arc  12   a , a shower arc carrier  16   a , and the water supply hose  18   a . The carrier  16   a  can be mounted to any of the guide plates  14  and  14   a  in the same manner as the carrier  16 . 
     The shower arc carrier  16   a  has a pair of ribs  66   a  and  68   a  which are dimensioned to fit into and be slidably movable along the grooves  38  and  40 , respectively. The ribs  66   a  and  68   a  project perpendicularly from side plates  70   a  and  72   a , respectively. Side plates  70   a  and  72   a  are parallel to one another and have simple rectangular profiles. A front plate  74   a  is fixedly attached to the side plates  70  and  72 , and extends from the distal edge of the side plate  70   a  to the distal edge of the side plate  72   a , the distal edges of the side plates  70   a  and  72   a  being the edges farthest from the guide plate  14  or  14   a  in the fully assembled shower appliance  10   a . The ribs  66   a  and  68   a  are formed along the edges of the side plates  70   a  and  72   a , respectively, which are proximate to the guide plates  14  or  14   a  in the fully assembled shower appliance  10   a . Thus, when the shower appliance  10   a  is fully assembled, the side plates  70   a  and  72   a  straddle the width of the guide plate  14  or  14   a  with the ribs  66   a  and  68   a  positioned in the grooves  38  and  40 , respectively. 
     A protuberance  76   a  projects from one of the side plates  70   a  and  72   a  toward the other of the side plates  70   a  and  72   a . The protuberance  76   a  has a threaded bore which is threaded to matingly receive the threaded shaft of a screw  78   a . The shaft of the screw  78   a  passes through a hole formed in the side plate  70   a  or  72   a  which does not have the protuberance  76   a . The hole through which the shaft of the screw  78   a  passes is large enough for the shaft of the screw  78   a  to pass through, but the hole through which the shaft of the screw  78   a  passes is too small for the screw head  80   a  to pass therethrough. Screw head  80   a  is in the form of a knob which is suitable for grasping and turning by hand. With the threaded shaft of the screw  78   a  passing through the hole in one of the side plates  70  and  72   a  and matingly engaging the threaded bore of the protuberance  76   a , turning the knob  80   a  to tighten the screw  78   a  will cause the side plates  72   a  and  70   a  to be brought together. Thus when the screw  78   a  is sufficiently tightened, the carrier  16   a  will be clamped to the guide plate  14  or  14   a  to thereby fix the carrier  16   a , and the shower arc  12   a , at the desired height. Located proximate the bottom of each of the side plates  70   a  and  72   a  is a hole  84   a  for receiving a respective one of a pair of pivot shafts or pins  86   a . Only one of the pivot shafts  86   a  is shown, because each pivot shaft  86   a  is identical to the other. Carrier  16   a  differs from the carrier  16  in that the U-shaped cutout  82 , the U-shaped cutout  114 , and the elongated oval hole  116  have been eliminated from the carrier  16   a  thus simplifying the manufacture of the carrier  16   a . In addition, the plates  70   a ,  72   a , and  74   a  are simple rectangular plates which helps to further simplify the manufacture of the carrier  16   a.    
     The shower arc  12   a  differs from the shower arc  12  in that the inlet pipe  98  is removed from the middle of the pipe  88 . The inlet pipe  98  is replaced by an elbow  98   a  which is attached to the pipe  88  at a location on either side of the middle portion of the pipe  88  which is delineated by the pivot plates  102   a  and  104   a . The elbow  98   a  projects perpendicularly above the plane defined by the circular arc of the pipe  88 . The elbow  98   a  forms the inlet to the arcuate pipe  88 , the bore of the pipe elbow  98   a  being in fluid communication with the arcuate pipe  88 . The pipe elbow  98   a  is adapted for the attachment of the hose  18  and allows for fluid communication between the hose  18  and the pipe  88 . 
     A pair of pivot plates  102   a  and  104   a  are attached to the arcuate pipe  88  on either side of the middle portion of the arcuate pipe  88 . The pivot plates  102   a  and  104   a  extend in parallel to one another away from the center of curvature of the arcuate pipe  88 . The pivot plates  102   a  and  104   a  are spaced apart such that the carrier  16   a  fits snugly between the pivot plates  102   a  and  104   a , with the side walls  70   a  and  72   a  parallel to the pivot plates  102   a  and  104   a . Each of the pivot plates  102   a  and  104   a  has a hole for a respective pivot pin  86   a  to extend through the pivot plate. With the pivot plates  102   a  and  104   a  positioned on either side of the carrier  16   a , each of the pivot shafts  86   a  is positioned to extend through a respective hole  84   a  and through the hole in the respective one of the plates  102   a  and  104   a  to pivotally attach the shower arc  12   a  to the carrier  16   a . The pivot shafts  86   a  can be of any well known type. There should be sufficient frictional force between the pivot plate  102   a  and the side plate  72   a  and between the pivot plate  104   a  and the side plate  70   a  so that the shower arc  12   a  will stay up after it has been folded up into the retracted or storage position. The pivot plates  102   a  and  104   a  are also provided with projections or stop pins  110  and  112  to prevent the shower arc  12   a  from pivoting downward past the horizontal position. The pivot plates  102   a  and  104   a  are essentially similar to the pivot plates  102  and  104 , except that the pivot plates  102   a  and  104   a  are shaped differently due to their closer proximity to the knob  80   a.    
     Referring to FIGS. 20,  21 ,  22 A, and  22 B, alternative embodiments  14   b  and  14   c  of the guide plate  14  can be seen. The guide plate  14   b  is essentially the same as the guide plate  14   a , while the guide plate  14   c  is essentially the same as the guide plate  14 . The only major difference between the guide plate  14   b  and the guide plate  14   a  is that the grooves  38   a  and  40   a , on either side of the guide plate  14   b , are slightly modified as compared to grooves  38  and  40 . In the case of the grooves  38   a  and  40   a , the walls  128  and  130  of the grooves  38   a  and  40   a , respectively, laterally extend for a greater distance as compared to the walls  132  and  134  of the grooves  38   a  and  40   a . The walls  128  and  130  of the grooves  38   a  and  40   a  are positioned adjacent the shower wall  22  when the guide plate  14   b  is installed in a shower. This feature allows the grooves  38   a  and  40   a  to better support the rib  66  or  66   a  and the rib  68  or  68   a , respectively. Similarly, the only major difference between the guide plate  14   c  and the guide plate  14  is that the grooves  38   a  and  40   a , on either side of the guide plate  14   c , are slightly modified as compared to grooves  38  and  40 . The grooves  38   a  and  40   a  of the guide plate  14   c  are modified in exactly the same manner as has already been described with reference to the grooves  38   a  and  40   a  of the guide plate  14   b . Also, the embodiment  14   c  of the guide plate illustrates a circular hole  36   a , designed to allow the shower head supply pipe  20  to extend through the guide plate, which can be used as an alternative to the oval opening  36  of the guide plate  14 . In addition, the embodiments  14   b  and  14   c  of the guide plate illustrate alternative forms  50   a  and  52   a  for the stops  50  and  52  formed at the bottom ends of the grooves  38  and  40 . 
     The arcuate pipe  88  extends along the circumference of the imaginary circle defining the circular arc followed by the arcuate pipe  88 , for a distance in the range of about one half to about seven eighths of the circumference of the imaginary circle. In one embodiment, the arcuate pipe extends for about three quarters of the circumference of the circle defining the circular arc followed by the arcuate pipe  88 . 
     The holes  84  or  84   a  should be positioned at a sufficient perpendicular distance above the plane containing the circular arc followed by the arcuate pipe  88 , when the arcuate pipe  88  is in the horizontal position, such that the arcuate pipe  88  can be pivotally moved to the vertical or storage position without the carrier  16  or  16   a  interfering with the pivotal movement of the arcuate pipe  88  to the vertical position. 
     It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the sole embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0