SHOWER HEAD LIQUID DISPENSER

DISTRIBUTEUR DE LIQUIDE SUR POMME DE DOUCHE

English Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A liquid dispenser connectable between a shower pipe and a
shower head and adapted to automatically dispense soap or bath oil
through the shower head. This shower head liquid dispenser includes
a tubular body connecting at opposite ends to the shower pipe and the
shower head, respectively, to form a direct path for water and including
an upstream section of smaller cross-section and a downstream section of
larger cross-section. A liquid flow restricting internal lip projects
transversely of the tubular body at the junction of the upstream and down-
stream section to produce a greater liquid pressure in the upstream
section than in the downstream section, despite the larger cross-section
of the downstream section. The smaller upstream section is provided
with a lateral outlet; the larger downstream section is provided with a
lateral inlet; a soap or bath oil reservoir is removably screwed to the
lateral outlet; a flexible tube connects the reservoir to the lateral
inlet and forms a second liquid path with the reservoir; and a piston and
spring combination is mounted in the reservoir to expel the soap or bath
oil from the reservoir in response to a pressure differential on the
piston and to return the latter to an inoperative position under the bias-
ing action of the spring upon disappearance of the pressure differential.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or
privilege is claimed, are defined as follows:
1. A shower head liquid dispenser comprising a tubular body
forming a first liquid path extending from end to end of the tubular
body and having an upstream portion of relatively smaller cross-section
and a downstream portion of relatively larger cross-section, a liquid
flow restricting internal lip projecting transversely of the tubular
body into the first liquid path and located intermediate the upstream
portion and the downstream portion of the tubular body, a lateral liquid
outlet and a lateral liquid inlet communicating with said upstream and
downstream portions, respectively, a liquid reservoir having a neck at
one end removably screwed on said lateral outlet and a removable
cover in fluid-tight engagement with the other end of said liquid
reservoir, a flexible tube having one end in communication with the
inside of said reservoir through said cover and having its other end
connected to said lateral liquid inlet, said lateral outlet, reservoir,
flexible tube and lateral inlet forming a second liquid path, a piston dis-
placeable in the liquid reservoir and dividing the second liquid path
into an upstream path section and a downstream path section in open com-
munication with the lateral outlet and lateral inlet, respectively, a
compression spring mounted in said reservoir between said piston and
said cover and biasing said piston towards said lateral outlet and away
from said cover, a pinch cock secured to said flexible tube to regulate
the flow of liquid therethrough, said pinch cock including a roller and a
support for the roller for adjustable pinching of the latter against said
tube upon rolling of the roller along the support, so constructed and
arranged that the flow of liquid along said first path produces relatively
higher liquid pressure in the upstream path portion than in the down-
stream path portion of said tubular body which displaces the piston against
the action of said spring to expel a liquid in the downstream section of

the reservoir through the downstream section back into said tubular
body through said lateral inlet.

Description

1~43107
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This invention relates to a liquid dispenser el the type
; which is connected to the shower pipe and shower head to dispense
liquid soap or bath oil through the shower head.
- It is a general object of the present invention to provide
. ~ a shower head liquid dispenser of the above type, which is of simple
construction and low cost, automatic operation, easy to refill with
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liquid soap or bath oil and which avoids wastage of the selected
liquidO
It is another object of the present invention to provide
a shower head liquid dispenser of th~ above t~pe, which simply
uses a pressure differential along a water supply pipe to sxpel
soap or bath oil from a reservoir to the shower head.
It is a more specific object of the present inven~ion to
~ provide a shower head liquid dispenser of the above type and, as
; a~orementioned, wherein a piston and spring combination swiftly
interrups the dispensing of the selected liquid and returns the piston
to inoperative position to avoid wastage of the liquid and to allow
` easy refill of the reservoir.
The above and other objects and advantages of the present
invention will be better understood in the light of the following
detailed description thereof which i8 illustrated, by way of example,
in the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shower head liquid
dispenser with parts broken away and in accordance with
the present invention; and
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional elevation view of the shower head
~ liquid dispenser of Figure 1.
- The illustrated shower head liquid dispenser includes a
, tubular member or body 1 having an upstream section 2 of relatively
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smaller transverse cross-section and a dows tream section 3 of
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~ 1~143107
relatively larger transverse cross-section. This tubular body defines
a path for the passage of water from the externally threaded upstream
end 4 to the internally threaded downstream end 5. Thus, this tubular
body is adapted to be connected to the shower pipe at the end 4 and to
the shower head at the end 5. The upstream section 2 of the tubular
body is formed with a lateral outlet 6, while the downstream section
of the tubular body is formed with a lateral liquid inlet 7.
A lip 8 projects transversely into the liquid path defined
by the tubular body 1 downstream of the lateral liquid outlet 6, such
as to regulate the pressure upstream thereof at a relatively higher
value than in the larger downstream section 3.
cylindrical tank, or reservoir 9, is provided with a neck
10 which is screwed in the la-teral outlet 6 to mount the reservoir
upright on the tubular body 1. The reservoir 9 is provided with a
screwable cover 11 formed with an outlet 12. A piston 13 is dis-
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~-~ placeable up and down in the reservoir 9 and has opposite bottom and
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top faces. ~ spring 14 is engaged in the reservoir 9 between the top
face of the piston 13 ana the removable cover 11. Thus~ the spring 14
~ downwardly biases the piston 13 toward an inoperative position against
`~ 20 the pressure differential between the upstream section 2 ana the down-
stream section 3.
A flexible tube 15 is connected at one end to the outlet
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12 in the cover 11, and at the other end to the lateral inlet 7 of
- the downstream section 3. A pinch cock 16 is connected to the flexible
tube 15 to regulate the flow of soap, bath oil or other dispensable
liquid through this tube. llhe pinch cock simply includes a roller 17
i and a support 18 having opposite sides 19 converging toward each other,
such that rolling of the roller 17, as shown by the arrow 20 in
Figure 2, will either increase or decrease pinching of the tube 15.
ThUS~ the reservoir 9 and the flexible tube 15 are
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1~43~07
connected to each other and to the lateral outlet 6 and lateral inlet 7,
respectively, to form a second flow path through these elements.
As the water flows in the tubular body l in the direction of
- the arrows 21 in Figure 2, a pressure differential is created between
` the lateral outlet 6 and the lateral inlet 7. This pressure differential
- is caused by the lip 8 in s~ite of the greater diameter of the downstream
section 3 relative to upstream section 2. Thus, the higher pressure acts
against the bottom face of piston 13; that is, in the upstre~m path
-` section of the second nath. The lower ~ressure acts against the top face
of the piston 13; that is, in the downstream path section of the second
~ath. When the pressure differential exceeds the action of the spring
; l~, the soap or bath oil above the piston in the reservoir is expelled
through the tube 15 and the lateral inlet 7 to be dispensed at the shower
head together with the water passing in the tubular body l.
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