Fluid sprinkling – spraying – and diffusing – Selectively usable or variable diverse terminal outlets – And valve controlling flow
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-28
2003-04-22
Mar, Michael (Department: 3752)
Fluid sprinkling, spraying, and diffusing
Selectively usable or variable diverse terminal outlets
And valve controlling flow
C239S436000, C239S443000, C239S444000, C239S447000, C137S876000, C137S801000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06550697
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a shower head assembly, more particularly to a shower head assembly with an operating member extending outwardly of a shower head body for external operation so as to control discharging areas of water flow from the shower head body.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional shower head body generally includes a shower base which is mounted on a lower end of a housing body. The shower base has a wall which includes central and surrounding portions provided with a plurality of central and surrounding outlets for outward spraying of water. A valve member is disposed in the shower base and is shifted such that water is discharged from one or both of the central and surrounding outlets. An operating member is disposed on the wall and is operated to shift the valve member. However, during operation when water spraying, the user's hand is in direct contact with water, which results in water splashing, thereby causing inconvenience to the user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a shower head assembly which facilitates operation of a valve member to permit water to spray out from different areas.
According to this invention, the shower head assembly includes a housing body, a shower base, a valve member and an elongated operating member. The housing body has upper and lower ends opposite to each other in a longitudinal direction, and an inner annular wall which is interposed between the upper and lower ends, and which extends along a rotating axis to terminate at an inner end surface so as to confine a chamber. The inner end surface is provided with first and second inlet ports communicated with the chamber. A main inlet is formed in the inner annular wall to communicate with the chamber, and extends radially relative to the rotating axis and toward the upper end to communicate with a water supply channel. The shower base includes an upper wall which is anchored to the lower end, and a lower wall opposite to the upper wall in the longitudinal direction. The lower wall includes a central portion, and a surrounding portion which surrounds the central portion. The central and surrounding portions respectively have central and surrounding outlet ports for outward spraying of water. First and second through-flow ducts are formed in and through the housing body. The first and second through-flow ducts have first and second proximate ends which are disposed between the upper and lower ends, and which are connected to and which are communicated with the first and second inlet ports respectively, and first and second distal ends which extend into and through the upper wall so as to communicate with the central and surrounding outlet ports, respectively. The valve member is received in the chamber, and has an annular surrounding wall and a valve end surface which are rotatable relative to the inner annular wall and the inner end surface respectively about the rotating axis. The valve member further has a communicating duct which has an inflow port that is formed in and that extends along the annular surrounding wall and that is communicated with the main inlet when the annular surrounding wall is rotated relative to the inner annular wall. The communicating duct further has an outflow port which extends through the valve end surface in an axial direction parallel to the rotating axis. When the valve member is turned about the rotating axis to a first position, the outflow port is registered with the first inlet port to communicate the communicating duct with the first through-flow duct so as to permit water to be discharged from the central outlet port. When the valve member is turned to a second position, the outflow port is registered with the second inlet port to communicate the communicating duct with the second through-flow duct so as to permit water to be discharged from the surrounding outlet port. The operating member has an inner connecting end which is secured on the valve member, and an outer operating end which extends outwardly from the inner connecting end in the axial direction and outwardly of the housing body so as to be operated externally to turn the valve member between the first and second positions.
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Globe Union Industrial Corp.
Gorman Darren
Mar Michael
LandOfFree
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