Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a device for dispensing at least one product, in addition to water, through a shower head. More particularly, it is a device that conserves product, by using a coaxial shower nozzle that has separate flow channels for water and the product selected by a user. 
     The prior art contains a variety of shower devices that mix water and a product, such as soap or shampoo, in a shower head. One such device as taught by Greenhut, et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,056 uses a coupling that produces a venturi effect to pass shower water and draw in a liquid product from a reservoir. Garneys in U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,789 teaches the use of an insert located between a water inlet pipe and a shower head that diverts the water to a reservoir containing product where the water mixes with the product before entering the shower head. The device taught by Lacy in U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,158 uses a mixer disc in a shower head to intimately water spray with one or two products in a reservoir. The device taught by Davison in U.S. Pat. No. 4,218,013 uses an insert between a shower head and a water inlet pipe to introduce a product stored in a reservoir and selected by a valve into the water stream entering the shower head. 
     Most other shower head mixing devices, such as the shower soap dispenser taught by Bishop in U.S. Patent Application US 2013/0186971, use a vacuum-Venturi effect to draw a product into the water flow. This requires a very high vacuum to operate properly and generates noise because of the high velocity of fluid traveling across the Venturi. The instant invention uses pressure to force the flow of product into the shower head to eliminate the noise from the Venturi operation. Conventional shower hear mixing devices do not allow for fine regulation of the concentration of a product in the water flow leaving a shower header. Too often the product is too dilute in the stream leaving the shower head. This wastes the product and the water in the stream. In contrast, the instant invention has a two-stage coaxial shower head that allows for either conventional water flow or a low rate flow of water and product with just enough water to spray the product on the user&#39;s body. This eliminates undue dilution of the product. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention has a two-stage coaxial shower head that allows conventional water flow through the shower head or a mixture of product and water through a product low flow nozzle. The product may be such liquids as soap, moisturizer, shampoo, or hair conditioner. Products are contained within product pressure reservoirs. There may be more than one such reservoir. In fact, it is preferred to have more than one product, so that, for example, soap and moisturizer can be dispensed in succession. In the drawings, two reservoirs are shown for illustration. During a shower, a user rotates a selector dial at the multi-ported spool valve to select a product or conventional water flow for rinsing, 
     When a product is selected water flow through a water supply tube from the multi-ported spool valve to the shower head will cease. This will cause the pilot operated shut-off valve in the shower head mechanism to close, which in turn will cause water to stop flowing through water high flow head and will redirect pressure to force water down through the water pressure supply tube to the multi ported spool valve and the selected product pressure reservoir&#39;s water pressure supply tube. A differential pressure is set up that will force product in this reservoir chamber up from the top of the reservoir through a product supply tube into the stage 1 mix chamber in the shower head mechanism. At the same time, water will be passing through the low flow adjustment valve into the stage 1 mix chamber where it will mix with the selected product. After further mixing in the stage 2 mix chamber, the product-water mixture will exit the shower head through the product low flow nozzle. 
     The invention has an object of providing a high concentration water-product mixture without waste of water and product from excess dilution of product. Efficient use of water is made possible by use of a pilot operated shut-off valve. Another object is to provide the user with the ability to control the speed and concentration of the of the product flow to the product low flow nozzle by use of a flow control dial. Still another object is to allow a user to apply different produces in succession on parts of the body that are difficult to reach by hand. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of the part of the invention with the product pressure reservoirs. 
         FIG. 4A  shows the liquid flow through the shower head when the selector dial is set art rinse. 
         FIG. 4B  shows the liquid flow through the shower head when the selector dial is set intermediate between rinse and a product 
         FIG. 4C  shows the liquid flow through the shower head when the selector dial is set to a product. 
         FIG. 5  shows a side view of the spool valve assembly. 
         FIG. 6  shows the top view of the spool valve assembly and selector dial. 
         FIG. 7  shows the device with an electric product pump instead of a hydraulic pump and an electrically operated valve with a electrical touch pad instead of a spool valve. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In the preferred embodiments, and as shown in  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 7 , the invention has two main assemblies: a shower head assembly  100  and below it a product supply assembly  200 , the two assemblies being connected by tubes. A water supply  10  that emerges from a wall  60  enters an intermediate section  20  of the shower head assembly. If a selection dial  30  located at the top of the product supply assembly is not set to a product, but rather to water rinse  59  a pilot operated shut-off valve  12  in the intermediate section of the shower head assembly will be open and water will pass through the intermediate section to a coaxial head  40  and to a water high flow head  42  as in a conventional shower head. 
     A pilot operated control tube  14  extends to the pilot operated shut-off valve  12  in the shower head assembly from a multi ported spool valve  32  in the product supply assembly that is controlled by the setting of the selection dial  30 . When the selector dial is set to a product, either P1  57  for product 1 or P2  58  for product 2, water flow through the pilot operated control tube  14  will be turned off. This will cause the pilot operated shut-off valve  12  to close, thus stopping water flow through the water high flow head  42  and redirecting pressure to force water through a water pressure supply port  16 A which flows through channel  16  and through tube  16 C, to =multi-ported spool valve  32  and to the selected product pressure reservoir&#39;s  50  water pressure supply tube  52 . Each product pressure reservoir has a product separation piston  54  that separates water in the lower part of the reservoir from product in the higher part. This piston  54  has resilient sealing surface at the outside diameter which seals against the inside diameter of product pressure reservoir&#39;s  50  and at the inside diameter which seals against the outside diameter of supply tube  52 . The water flowing into the lower part of a product pressure reservoir  51  from the water pressure supply valve sets up a differential pressure that causes the produce separation piston to rise thereby forcing product up from the top of the product pressure reservoir  50  through the product supply tube  18 B (for the right hand product pressure reservoir as shown in  FIG. 2 ) into the stage 1 mix chamber  22  in the shower head assembly. 
     A flow control dial  56  at the head of each product pressure reservoir can be used to control the speed of the product entering the product supply tube, and the concentration of the mixture of product and water comes out of the product low flow nozzle  28 . At the same time, a small amount of water from the water supply will be passing through a slow flow adjustment valve  24  into the stage one mix chamber  22  to begin mixing with the product. This water will mix further with the product as it passes through a stage 2 mix chamber  26  and out of the product low flow nozzle  28 . Valve  24  can be closed off to allow only product to flow out nozzle  28  if desired. 
     If the selector dial  30  has a position intermediate between rinse water and a product as shown in  FIG. 4B , the pilot operated shut-off valve will be closed causing liquid in the shower head to leave the shower head through the product low flow nozzle  28 . However, for this selector dial position, the multi-ported valve  32  will be closed so that product will not pass through a product supply valve. Hence, only a low flow of water will leave the product low flow nozzle. 
       FIG. 4A  shows a detail of shower head assembly  100  with the selector dial  30  set toward RINSE  60 . In this position, the multi-ported spool valve  32  aligns internal port  73 , connecting ports  63  and  72 . This allows the water pressure above diaphragm  87  in the shower head assembly to pass through a hole in this diaphragm  88  into the cavity created by cap  89  which forces this flow to tube  14  and to the drain at port  11  on assembly  200 . This allows diaphragm  87  to lift and open flow of water from water source  10  through the valve seat  90  and out through annular space to the water high flow head  42 . Cap  89  creates a pressure chamber for the valve, above the diaphragm  87  and has a vent channel and tube  14 . Item  89  is screwed or clamped onto valve housing  86 . 
       FIG. 4B  shows a detail of shower head assembly  100  with the selector dial  30  set between RINSE  59  and the product 2 (P2) setting  58 . In this position the multiported spool valve  32  shuts the connection between ports  63  and channel  73 . This stops the water from draining out of port  11  and causes the water pressure above diaphragm  87  to build and force the diaphragm down, causing it to close onto valve seat  90 . This closes off the water flow to the high flow head and only allows flow through port  16 A and channel  16  and slow flow adjustment valve  24  which flows through channel  16 B to the low flow nozzle  28 , shown as stream  92 . 
       FIG. 4C  shows a detail of shower head assembly  100  with the selector dial  30  set to the product 2 (P2) setting  58 . In this position the multi-ported spool valve  32  shuts off the connection between ports  63  and −. This stops the water from draining out of port  11  and causes the water pressure above diaphragm  87  to build and force the diaphragm down to close the diaphragm on to valve seat  90 . This closes off the water flow to the high flow head and only allows flow through port  16 A and channel  16  and slow flow adjustment valve  24  which flows through channel  16 B to the low flow nozzle  28 . Water flows from channel  16  through the water pressure supply tube  16 C to the ports  65  and  71  on the multi-ported spool valve  32 . When this valve is in the P2 position, it will allow water pressure to flow out of port  67  through down tube  52  applying force to the lower area  51  of product pressure reservoir&#39;s  50 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . This will drive up the product separation piston  54  and applies pressure to the product above a plate through valve  56  and up tube  18 B and into the back of stage one mix chamber  22 , through the inline mix chamber  26 . This provides a combined controlled mixture of water and product that leaves the shower head assembly through low flow nozzle  28 , the mixture being shown as stream  93 . 
       FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6  each show a view of the multi-ported spool valve  32 . These drawings show the valve body  64  and the spool valve  66 , which is rotated by selector dial  30 . The chambers of the valve are sealed by O-ring  62 . With the selector dial in the RINSE position  59 , the valve allows flow in ports  63  and out port  11 . In the P1  57  position, the valve allows water flow through ports  71 , aligns the spool valve  66  so channel  70  connects  71  and  68 . This allows the increased water pressure to flow to the lower water side  51  of product pressure reservoir  50 , to force the product up to the shower head assembly  100  via product tubes  18 A. In the P2  58  position, the valve allows water flow through ports  65 , aligns the spool valve  66  so channel  69  connects  65  and  67 . This allows the increased water pressure to flow to the lower water side  51  of product pressure reservoir  50 , to force the product up to the shower head assembly  100  via product tubes  18 B. 
     In an alternative embodiment, valves are controlled electrically rather than hydraulically. Electrically controlled valves and a product pump are used instead of a product pressure reservoir  50  as shown in  FIG. 7 . Product is pumped to the shower head when the Product A button is pressed on a touch pad  83 . There may be multiple products. One product is shown in  FIG. 7  for clarity. The choices of Product A, Rinse, or Low, equivalent to a selector dial setting between rinse and product in the hydraulic embodiment, as described above. Product is stored in a non-pressurized reservoir  85 , with reservoir cover  80  and is pumped with an electrically operated pump  81  to the shower head assembly  100  when selected from a touch pad  83  by pressing button  82 . When the Rinse button  97  is selected, valve  84  remains open and allows water to drain from tube  11 A which keeps the pilot valve  12  in the open position, and water will pass through the intermediate section  20  to a coaxial head  40  and to a water high flow head  42  as in a conventional shower head. The pilot valve  12  can be performed by alternate valve designs using electrical actuation. When the Low button  98  is selected, valve  84  will be energized and will close and stop the water from draining from tube  11 A. This forces pilot valve  12  to close so that water will only pass through low flow passage  16  to passage  22  and out low flow nozzle  28 . To dispense product, press the product button  82 . When Product A button  82  is pressed, valve  84  will close, shutting off drain tube  11 A and turning off the high water flow through tube  14  that extends to intermediate section  20 . Pump  81  draws the product from tube  52  and pumps it through tube  18 A and into the shower head assembly. Conventional battery operated power or direct grid connected power can be used. A rotary switch or other electrical switch device can be used in place of the touch pad, to control the electrical signals.

Technology Category: 7