Abstract:
A shower head or lateral shower head is provided for installation in a ceiling or wall, having a pivotable jet-producing device which is mounted in a ball housing by a ball-and-socket joint through which water flows, the housing surrounding the jet-producing device and being arranged in a manner both tiltable and displaceable in a direction perpendicular to the ceiling or wall, and the housing having an outer flange which extends to the surface of the ceiling or wall. A connection element is provided between a water connection and the ball housing.

Description:
[0001]    This nonprovisional application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/EP2009/004841, which was filed on Jul. 4, 2009, and which claims priority to German Patent Application No. DE 10 2008 031 558.3, which was filed in Germany on Jul. 7, 2008, and which are both herein incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to an overhead or lateral showerhead for installation in a ceiling or wall with a pivotable jet producing unit. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Background Art 
         [0005]    In fixedly installed overhead or lateral showerheads, it is advantageous for the tilt and direction of the spray jet to be varied. In modern overhead and lateral showerheads, it is desirable in addition that these be made as flat as possible or even almost flush with the ceiling or wall surface. For example, DE 100 11 504 A1 discloses a showerhead with a spherical section and a spherical shell, which in turn has guides arranged perpendicular to one another, so that the showerhead can be moved in a vertical and a horizontal axis. Furthermore, WO 2006/093954 A1, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,628,341 and 7,770,825, discloses a lateral showerhead for installation in a wall, whose jet producing element is pivotable all around by means of a coupling assembly rotatable around two axes arranged perpendicular to one another. 
         [0006]    If the showerhead is to be flush with the ceiling or wall surface, apart from the flattest construction and design possible, it is necessary for the showerhead to be adaptable to different wall thicknesses or to different wall constructions or coverings. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a design for overhead and lateral showerheads that meet the aforementioned requirements. 
         [0008]    The invention provides an overhead or lateral showerhead for installation in a wall or ceiling which has a pivotable jet producing unit. The jet producing unit is mounted by means of a ball joint, through which water flows, and whose associated ball housing surrounds the jet producing unit and is arranged tiltable. Further, the ball housing has an outer flange, which extends to the ceiling or wall surface. An overhead or lateral showerhead with very small depth is achieved by the compact design of the ball joint subassembly, which comprises the ball housing and the ball joint, and the jet producing unit. To adapt to different ceiling or wall thicknesses, a connection element is provided between a water connection and the ball housing. This makes possible the displaceable arrangement of the ball housing substantially perpendicular to the ceiling or wall surface. Overall, apart from the depth compensation, a fine adjustment of the showerhead and optionally an angle adjustment to adapt to possible slanting of the ceiling or wall are possible. 
         [0009]    According to an embodiment of the invention, fasteners are provided with which the ball housing is fixed to the connection element and simultaneously the outer flange of the ball housing is secured against the ceiling or wall surface. 
         [0010]    Particularly in the case of overhead or lateral showerheads with an angular outer contour, it is advantageous when the ball housing can be fastened to a disk or annular disk, mounted rotatably on the connection element, by means of screws, because the orientation of the showerhead can then occur independent of the position of the fastener. Because of the rotatable arrangement of the annular disk, the position of the screw holes can be matched to the position of the ball housing. The orientation of the ball housing does not need to be changed further during the fixation thereof. 
         [0011]    The annular disk contains a plurality of tapped holes for receiving the screws and is mounted securely in a groove on the connection element in the axial direction. The ball housing can be oriented initially according to the wall covering, so that in the case of rectangular showerheads the housings are oriented precisely horizontally and vertically. Then, the ball housing is fastened to the connection element, used for depth adjustment, by means of screws. To this end, the connection element can be shortened and/or be made of multiple parts. 
         [0012]    The connection element comprises a connection thread on the one side, which corresponds to the thread of the water connection. On the side facing the jet producing unit, the cross section of the connection element increases abruptly, so that a seat for a connection fitting of the ball housing is formed. Advantageously, the connection element and/or seat for the connection fitting of the ball housing are formed rotationally symmetric, so that the position of the connection element is immaterial for the orientation of the ball housing. The connection fitting of the ball housing is guided in turn displaceably and tiltably in the seat of the connection element. Its final position and thereby the position of the ball housing are also determined by the screws described above. As a result, an especially fine orientation and adjustment of the ball housing is possible. 
         [0013]    Furthermore, the ball housing is formed so that in the connection fitting of the ball housing a seat for a screen and/or a backflow preventer is provided, which results in a space-saving arrangement for these structural parts. 
         [0014]    To seal the overhead or lateral showerhead relative to the ceiling or wall, the connection element, the ball housing with the ball joint, and the jet producing unit are arranged in an installation housing. Said installation housing can also be shortened and/or be made of many parts. 
         [0015]    Typically, in all fixtures which are installed in the ceiling or wall, for decorative reasons trims or frames are provided on the anterior side, which surround the fixture, in this case the side or ceiling showerhead, and form a seal relative to the wall. Typically, they also have sealing elements, which seal either between the fixture and the wall or between the trim and the interior of the fixture. In rectangular or square overhead or lateral showerheads, care must be taken that the trim, which covers the ball housing, is made so that during pivoting of the jet producing unit it does not afford a view of the interior or the construction of the showerhead. 
         [0016]    In an embodiment, he trim can be made so that it covers the outwardly directed side of the ball housing and provides a view only of the area of the joint socket in which the ball of the joint and the adjacent jet producing unit are fastened. 
         [0017]    For fastening the trim, which completely covers the outer flange of the ball housing, the ball housing is placed against the wall or ceiling surface and therefore secured simultaneously with the trim. 
         [0018]    In addition, the overhead or lateral showerhead may have water draining devices at the outwardly and/or inwardly directed side of the ball housing, so that both the water that penetrates into the connection area behind the ball housing and the water that enters the space between the ball housing and jet producing unit can be brought out again from the lateral showerhead. 
         [0019]    An embodiment of the invention provides that a regulating device is provided to control the flow volume at the overhead or lateral showerhead. To this end, an adjusting nut with variable opening cross sections is provided in the connection area of the ball joint, through which water flows, and the jet producing unit. When a plurality of overhead or lateral showerheads are connected to a common water connection, therefore a uniform spray pattern can be achieved by means of the regulation of the flow-through openings despite different water pressures at the individual overhead or lateral showerheads. 
         [0020]    Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0021]    The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein: 
           [0022]      FIG. 1  shows a section through an overhead or lateral showerhead in the installed state with a minimal installation depth; 
           [0023]      FIG. 2  shows a section through the overhead or lateral showerhead of  FIG. 1  in the pivoted state; 
           [0024]      FIG. 3  shows a section through an overhead or lateral showerhead in the installed state with a maximum installation depth; and 
           [0025]      FIG. 4  shows a section through a variant of an overhead and lateral showerhead in the installed state. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0026]      FIGS. 1 through 4  show a lateral showerhead with a pivotable jet producing unit  10   a,    10   b  in the installed state. The lateral showerhead comprises a jet producing unit  10   a,    10   b,  which is mounted pivotable in all directions in a ball housing  51   a,    51   b.  Ball housing  51   a,    51   b  is formed so that, on the one hand, it forms a joint socket  57   a,    57   b  for a ball joint  55   a,    55   b,  through which water flows, but simultaneously surrounds the entire jet producing unit  10   a,    10   b  and by means of an outer flange  58   a,    58   b  forms a stop for the lateral showerhead at the wall surface. 
         [0027]    A water connection  30 , provided during the framing, is located in wall  70 . First, a connection fitting  90  is mounted on water connection  30 . Said connection fitting  90  has a flange against which a mounting box  20  lies, which is pushed onto connection fitting  90 . Mounting box  20  is fastened from its inside with a threaded nut  91  to connection fitting  90 . Further, after alignment mounting box  20  can be affixed to wall  70  by means of anchor bolts and screws. After plastering, mounting box  20  is sealed in the outer area relative to the wall with a sealing collar  21 , onto which the decorative wall covering can be applied. Thereafter, mounting box  20  is shortened according to its installation depth, so that it ends flush with the wall covering, for example, the tile level. 
         [0028]    During mounting of the lateral showerhead, first the required installation depth between the wall surface or outer edge of the installed mounting box  20  and the connection fitting  90  is to be measured. In addition to connection element  40 , an extension piece  80  may be necessary, which must correspond to the connecting geometries of connection fitting  90  and connection element  40 , to assure a tight connection. 
         [0029]    Then, connection element  40  is fastened either directly to connection fitting  90  or extension piece  80 . Connection element  40  with suitable tolerances has been adjusted beforehand to the measured installation depth. 
         [0030]    On the side, facing the wall surface, of connection element  40 , the cross section of connection element  40  increases abruptly, so that a seat  43  for a connection fitting  56  of ball housing  51   a,    51   b  arises. In the delivered state, ball housing  51   a,    51   b  is already equipped with a backflow preventer  53  and a screen  52 , which is arranged in connection fitting  56 . Ball housing  51   a,    51   b  is already preassembled with a spring  54 , a disk, and a seal, which are arranged below ball joint  55   a,  and ball joint  55   a,    55   b  itself to form a subassembly. 
         [0031]    For attachment of ball housing  51   a,    51   b  to connection element  40 , a rotatable annular disk  41 , which is secured in the axial direction, is arranged at connection element  40 . In the present case, annular disk  41  lies against a flange of connection element  40  and is fixed by means of a retaining ring  44 . When the position of ball housing  51   a,    51   b  is determined relative to the wall surface, ball housing  51   a,    51   b  or according to the embodiment a subassembly comprising a trim  60   a  and ball housing  51   a  is screwed onto annular disk  41  with screws  42 . 
         [0032]    Because connection fitting  56  of ball housing  51   a,    51   b  is mounted axially displaceable and tiltable in the seat of connection element  40 , ball housing  51   a,    51   b  can be adjusted very precisely to the wall surface. Even after the adjustment of the length of connection element  40 , a fine adjustment in the axial direction, therefore substantially perpendicular to the wall surface, and an angle adjustment to a possible slanting of the wall surface can still occur. The end position of ball housing  51   a,    51   b  and therefore the lateral showerhead is fixed according to the orientation of ball housing  51   a,    51   b  by screws  42 . Alternatively, annular disk  41  may also be provided with fixed threaded bolts and ball housing  51   a,    51   b  or the entire subassembly  51   a,    60   a  be fastened with threaded nuts to the threaded bolts. 
         [0033]    After ball housing  51   a,    51   b,  in which ball joint  55   a,    55   b  has already been premounted, is screwed together, jet producing unit  10   a,    10   b,  which comprises a welding subassembly  11   a,    11   b,  is fastened to ball joint  55   a,    55   b.  Whereas a ring-shaped groove is provided on ball joint  55   a,    55   b,  welding subassembly  11   a,    11   b  has a mounting cylinder  13 , which is pushed into the groove. The final fastening of welding subassembly  11   a,    11   b,  which comprises a water distribution chamber and a spray producer with water outlet openings, to ball joint  55   a,    55   b  occurs via a central screw  15 , in which a regulating screw  12  is integrated. The flow volume per lateral showerhead is set by means of regulating screw  12 . In an arrangement of a plurality of lateral showerheads in a row to a water connection, therefore the flow volume can be adjusted to the different pressure conditions, so that uniform spray patterns can be generated. Finally, a cover  14   a,    14   b,  which covers welding subassembly  11   a,    11   b  all around, can be pushed onto welding subassembly  11   a,    11   b.    
         [0034]    Very small installation depths of less than 5 cm can be realized by the compact design in the lateral showerhead of the invention. With a similar lateral showerhead design, it is also possible, however, to achieve installation depths of 9 to 10 cm by means of the variable connection element  40 . 
         [0035]      FIGS. 1 through 3  show lateral showerheads with a pivotable angular jet producing unit  10   a.  In the mounting of the lateral showerhead, the precise orientation of the angular jet producing unit  10   a  relative to ball housing  51   a  is the main focus. For this reason, ball joint  55   a  has a component for rotational fixation  551  of jet producing unit  10   a.  For this purpose, fittings or pins can be provided on ball joint  55   a,  which correspond to the recesses provided for them in joint socket  57   a,  so that jet producing unit  10   a  can be installed only in certain predefined positions. 
         [0036]    In the shown lateral showerheads, a trim  60   a  is provided, which surrounds the outwardly directed side of ball housing  51   a  with the exception of joint socket  57 . This is screwed together with ball housing  51   a  and secured. The mounting of jet producing unit  10   a  occurs thereafter. 
         [0037]    In contrast to this,  FIG. 4  shows a lateral showerhead with a pivotable round jet producing unit  10   b  in the installed state. In contrast to the angular design, in the round variant no rotational fixation is needed during the fastening of jet producing unit  10   b.  During the mounting process, the fastening of jet producing unit  10   b  occurs before the fastening of trim  60   b.  Instead of a screw connection, ball housing  51   b  is provided with latching hooks and trim  60   b  is provided with corresponding recesses or grooves, so that trim  60   b  can be attached form-fittingly to ball housing  51   b.    
         [0038]    The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.