Jet regulating shower head
United States Patent 1191 Katva JET REGULATING SHOWER HEAD [75] Inventor: IlmariKatva.Faurskov/Gelsted.  
 Denmark [73] Assignee: Alsons Corporation, Sommerset.  
 Mich.  
 [22] Filed: Aug. 27, 1973 [211 Appl. No.: 391,542  
 [52] US. C1. 239/437; 239/4173. 239/443; 239/558; 239/562; 239/583 (51] Int. Cl B051) 7/12; B051) 1/18 [58] Field of Search 239/4173. 436-441. 239/443- 149, 519, 541, 548.558.562.583  
 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2.382.066 8/1945 Klein 239/436 2.401.914 6/1946 DiPietm 239/445 X 2/ till [451 Apr. s, 1975 3.383.050 5/1968 Crist et a1. 239/436 3.498.546 3/1970 Logan et a1 239/583 3.545.681 12/1970 Crist 239/449 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 633.862 12/1949 United Kingdom 239/443 544.424 1/1956 Belgium 239/562 288.913 4/1928 United Kingdom 239/562 Prinmry E.mrrzilwrRobert S. Ward. Jr. Attorney. Agent. or Firm-Ly0n &amp; Lyon 1571 ABSTRACT A shower head having concentric rings of orifices separated by annular walls having axial ends forming concentric valve seats. a valve disk overlying the valve seats. and a thrust member positioned to press against the center of the disk and cause the disk to assume a progressively increased convex configuration for sequcntial contact with the valve seats.  
 7 Claims. 8 Drawing Figures .IET REGULATING SHOWER HEAD BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Shower heads. both wall mounted and hand held. wherein the one or more sets of shower orifices may be selected and have been proposed as exemplified in US. Pats. Nos. 3.383.050 and 3.545.681. In US. Pat. No. 3,383.050 this is accomplished by a lever exposed to the shower stream for pressing inwardly on a perforated disk through which the water discharges. In US Pat. No. 3.545.68l the lever is disposed out of the shower stream which controls a valve within the shower head.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to jet regulating shower head which overcomes the deficiencies of previous shower heads of this type, and is summarized in the following objects:  
  First. to provide a shower head wherein sets ofjet orifices. arranged in concentric rings. are sequentially closed or open by movement of a valve membrane so that. for a selected rate of water supply, the velocity of the discharging jets may be varied between a concentrated high velocity jet stream and a distributed low pressure stream.  
  Second. to provide a shower head as indicated in the preceeding object, which incorporates a novely arranged orifice member having sets of jet orifices disposed in concentric rings separated by annular walls. the inner extremities of which form annular valve seats, and a novely arranged valve membrane or disk covering the valve seats and adapted to engage or disengage the valve seats in sequence, the membrane being perforated for direct supply of water therethrough to the central set of jet orifices.  
  Third. to provide a shower head as indicated in the preceeding objects wherein the valve membrane is fixed at its outer periphery. and is capable of assuming a progressively increasing or decreasing convex contour in response to an axial force applied to. or withdrawn from the central portion of the valve membrane.  
  Fourth. to provide a shower head, as indicated in the other objects. one embodiment of which includes a housing member forming with the orifice member a valve chamber provided with a laterally disposed hollow handle for supply of water thereto. and a centrally disposed. screwthread mounted, thrust member accessible from the back side of shower head for adjusting the position of the valve membrane.  
  Fifth. to provide a shower head. as indicated in the other objects. wherein another embodiment of which includes a novely arranged orifice member having a peripheral wall screwthreaded to a cylindrical housing member. the housing member having a concentric connection to a water supply fitting and a thrust element engaging the central portion of the orifice member upon rotation of the orifice member.  
 DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES FIG. 1 is a side \iew showing one embodiment of the jet regulating shower head which is intended to be held in ones hand.  
  FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top view thereof, with portions shown in section.  
  FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken through 33 of FIG. 1 showing the shower head in its full flow condition.  
  FIG. 4 is a partial sectional. partial side view corresponding to FIG. 5 showing the jet control in an intermediate position.  
  FIG. 5 is a fragmentary end view showing the sets of orifices.  
  FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken within circle 6 of FIG. 3, but showing a modified structure.  
  FIG. 7 is a side view showing a further embodiment of the jet regulating shower head.  
  FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view thereof taken through 8-8 of FIG. 7.  
  Referring first to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 through 5, the jet regulating shower head includes a housing 1 having cylindrical side walls 2 from which extends a hollow handle 3 provided with a fitting 4 for attachment to a flexible supply line. The housing includes a back wall 5 having an arcuate channel 6 in its outer surface.  
  The open or front end of the housing 1 receives an orifice disk 7 which is joined to the housing by screwthreads 8. The orifice disk 7 is provided with a plurality oforifices 9 arranged in concentric sets. Three such are shown separated by annular sealing walls 10 and 1] directed into the housing.  
  Within the housing is a membrane assembly 12 which includes a backing disk 13 formed of plastic material capable of functioning as a disk spring. That is. the ma terial is capable of deformation under load but returns to its initial condition when the load is relieved. The outer periphery of the backing disk engages a shoulder 14 provided in the side wall 2 of the housing.  
  The disk is joined integrally to a hub 15 having a radially directed retainer lip 16. Fitted under the backing disk 13 and completing the membrane assembly I2 is an annular seal disk 17, the inner periphery of which is retained by the wall 16 and the outer periphery is retained between the shoulder 14 and the axially inner side of the peripheral portion of the orifice disk 7.  
  The hub 15 is joined integrally to a central stem 18 and is provided with perforations l9 communicating between the interior of the housing and the central set of orifices 9 within the annular sealing wall 11.  
  Mounted on the back side of the housing opposite from the orifice disk 7 is a handle 20 which includes a disk 21 having a stop 22 which rides in the arcuate channel 6. The handle includes a sleeve 23 which extends into the housing and receives the stem I8. Screwthreads 24 interconnect the sleeve and central stem so that rotation of the handle will cause axial movement of the seal disk. To prevent rotation of the stem and membrane assembly. the periphery of the seal disk may be clamped by the periphery of the orifice disk 7 or appropriate key slots may be provided in the periphery of the backing disk and the adjacent portion of the housing.  
  The sleeve 23 is provided with a seal ring 25 and retainer washers 26 and 27 retain the handle in position on the housing.  
  Operation of the jet regulating shower head is as follows:  
  When the stem 18 is retracted as shown in FIG. 3, the forward side of the seal disk 17 clears the sealing walls 10 and 11 so that the water received in the housing I may flow through the perforations l9 and directly out the center of perforations, water also flows indirectly radially past the sealing walls and 11 and out the peripheral sets of orifices. Because of the large number of orifices. the pressure between the membrane assembly valve and the orifice disk 7 is reduced so that the issuing water has relatively low velocity.  
  When the handle is rotated. the central stem 18 advances causing the backing disk 14 and seal disk 17 to assume an outwardly convex curvature. The sealing walls 10 and 11 differ in height so that the radially outer sealing walls it] is first engaged closing off the outer set of perforations. Further movement of the cen tral stem [8 causes further flexture until the scaling wall 1] is engaged thus confining the discharge of water to the central set of orifices. As the number of orifices is reduced. the jet velocity is increased. it is intended to proportion the screwthreads and arrange the axial dimensions of the scaling walls 10 and 11 so that a partial turn of the handle is sufficient to effect full control ofthe orifices. This can be determined readily upon engagement of the stop 22 with the ends of the channel 6.  
  Reference is now directed to FIG. 6 which illustrates a modification of the membrane assembly. in this construction. a flexible backing disk 28 is substituted for the backing disk 13. The backing disk 28 is not an integral part of the hub l5 but is separate therefrom and is preferably formed of metal. The disk 28 is provided with one or more inner lugs 29 which are received in appropriate recesses provided in the hub is and one or more outer lugs 30 which engage appropriate recesses provided in the cylindrical wall 2 of the housing 1. These lugs serve to prevent rotation of the hub and cen tral stem 18.  
  Reference is now directed to H65. 7 and 8. The embodiment here illustrated is intended to be mounted on a fixed tubular fitting 31 extending from a wall. This embodiment includes an outer housing 32 having cylindrical side walls 33 and an end wall in the form of an orifice disk 7 joined integrally to the side walls 33.  
  The outer housing 32 receives an inner housing 34 also having a cylindrical side wall 35. The two walls are joined by scrcwthrcads 36. The inner housing 34 is provided with an inwardly directed tubular central stem 37 which is internally screwthreaded to receive the fitting 31. The stem 47 is provided with an axially directed end seal 38.  
  Received in the chamber formed by the two housings is a membrane assembly 39 having a backing disk 40 which is preferably a thin metal disk. Underlying the backing disk 40 is a seal disk 41 having a peripheral sealing flange 42 engaging the side wall immediately inward of the orifice disk 7. Both of the backing disk and seal disk and seal disk are centrally perforated as indicated by 43.  
  Operation of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is a follows:  
  The end seal 38 engages the backing disk so that water entering through the fitting 31 passes through the perforations 4!] into the region between the seal disk and the orifice disk without flowing into the annular space surrounding the central stem 37. As in the first described embodiment, rotation of the outer housing 32 in one direction with respect to the inner housing 34 causes the central stem and its end seal 38 to press against the backing disk 40 yieldably distroting the disk in the manner shown in FlG. 4 so that the seal disk 41 progressively engages the sealing walls 10 and 11. Suitably stop means not shown. may be provided to limit relative movement ofthe inner and outer end housings.  
 Having fully described my invention it is to be understood that l am not to be limited to the details herein set forth. but that my invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.  
 I claim:  
 I. A jet regulating shower head. comprising:  
 a. a housing structure;  
 b. an orifice member forming a front side ofthe housing structure and defining therewith a chamber, the orifice member being pierced by a plurality of jet orifice sets disposed in concentric relation and separated by a plurality of concentric valve seat walls facing into the chamber;  
 c. a flexible membrane means supported at its periphery within the chamber and covering the orifice member. the membrane means having at least one entrance opening communicating with one set of orifices;  
 d. and the flexing means for applying a force to the central portion of the membrane means to cause the membrane means to assume a variable contour for engagement or disengagement with the valve seat walls in sequence.  
 2. A shower head as defined in claim 1. wherein:  
 a. the membrane means includes a seal disk formed of an elastomeric material and a backing disk having spring properties and is biased for movement toward a position tending to clear the seal disk with respect to the valve seat wall.  
 3. A shower head as defined in claim 1, wherein:  
 a. the flexing means includes a central stem carried by the membrane means and a screwthreaded drive means including a handle accessible from the exterior of the housing.  
 4. A shower head as defined in claim 1, wherein:  
 a. the flexing means includes a thrust member disposed in bearing engagement with the center portion of the membrane means and a screwthreaded drive means including a handle accessible from the exterior of the housing.  
 5. A shower head. comprising:  
 a. housing means defining a cylindrical chamber having an inlet and including an essentially rigid front wall having at least a central set of orifices and a peripheral set of orifices and an inwardly extending annular valve seat separating the sets of orifices;  
 b. a flexible sealing membrane means secured by its periphery within the chamber in confronting relation in its central region and movable between a position clearing the valve seat whereby water re ceived in the chamber flows from both sets of ori ficcs and a position engaging the valve seat whereby water received in the chamber flows through the central set of orifices only;  
 . and means for effecting flexing of the membrane means.  
 6. A shower head as defined in claim 5, wherein:  
 av the membrane means includes a backing element. and a yieldable sealing ring engageable with the valve seat:  
 b. the flexing means includes a stem integral with the backing element. screwthread means connecting the stem to the housing means and an external 5 6 handle for advancing and retractingthe sealing ring connected to a water supply and having an end Wlth respect I he valve seat. sealingly engaging the membrane means to exclude 7. A shower head as defined in claim 5, wherem: Water {mm the Surrounding Chamber and exep a. the membrane means includes a backing element.  
 and a yieldable sealing ring engageable with the valve seat;  
 b. the flexing means includes a central tubular stem nally accessible screwthread means for effecting relative movement of the stem and membrane.