Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DIVERTER ASSEMBLY FOR USE IN HOLDING SHOWER HEAD
AND SHOWER NOZZLE
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a diverter assembly for shower, and more
particularly to
a diverter assembly for holding a shower nozzle, and for controlling the
amount of water
to flow out through either or both of a shower head and a shower nozzle
steplessly.
Related Art
Typical American shower appliances include a shower head fixed on a wall and a
shower nozzle for a user to hold, and a diverter is disposed between the
shower head and
the shower nozzle for controlling the water to flow out through either or both
of the
shower head and the nozzle.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,299,510 discloses a holder device for a shower head and a
shower nozzle
as described above. The holder device includes an inlet and two outlet ports.
A knob is
pivotally disposed at one end of the holder device to operate a valve stem
disposed inside
the holder device for controlling the water flowing directions. An attaching
device is
disposed at the other end of the diverter assembly for holding the shower
nozzle.
The two outlet ports of the holder device pass through a chamber, and the
valve stem
switches a valve member to positions corresponding to either one of the two
outlet ports
or between the two outlet ports. That is to say, when the valve stem switches
the valve
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member to the position corresponding to one of the outlet ports, the water
flows out
through the other outlet port. When the valve stem switches the valve member
to the
position between the two outlet ports, the water flows out through both of the
outlet ports.
Although the above-mentioned controlling technique of the three valve stem
positions
satisfies basic needs of users, when the valve stem switches to the position
to have the
water flow out through both of the outlet ports, that is, when the water flows
out through
both of the shower head and the shower nozzle, users can not further adjust
the amount of
the water flowing out through both of the shower head and the shower nozzle.
The above
situation is obviously to be improved for users.
On the other hand, an attaching device for the shower nozzle to be attached
thereto
includes a follower rotatably disposed on a partition secured to the holder
device for the
attaching device to be rotated along with the follower and for the opening of
the attaching
device to change the angle so that users can handle the shower nozzle or
attach it in the
holder device.
However, there is nothing between the attaching device and the partition for
securing the
attaching device, and the securing of the attaching device comes from the
friction among
the follower, the attaching device and the partition. If the screw for
securing the follower
and the attaching device is loosen, or after being used for a long time, a
wearing issue
occurs among the follower, the attaching device and the partition such that
the attaching
device loses securing capability, resulting in the falling of the shower
nozzle secured in
the attaching device. The falling of the shower nozzle can result in damaging
of the
shower nozzle or other appliance, or more seriously, hurt users thereof.
Therefore, the
attaching device is needed to be improved further.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned
issues and
to provide a diverter assembly for holding a handheld shower nozzle, and for
controlling
the amount of water to flow out through either or both of a shower head and
the shower
nozzle steplessly.
The secondary object of the present invention is to provide a diverter
assembly for
limiting the rotating angle of the shower nozzle so that the shower nozzle can
be secured.
For achieving the above-mentioned objects, the diverter assembly according to
the
present invention includes a main body, a valve device and a movable body. The
main
body is hollow and has a water inlet tube and two water outlet tubes. One of
the two
water outlet tubes is communicated through a hose to a shower nozzle. The
valve device
is disposed at the main body and has a valve capable of linearly moving back
and forth
for steplessly communicating the water inlet tube with either or both of the
water outlet
tubes. The movable body is inserted in one end of the main body. A socket is
pivotally
disposed in the movable body, and has a hole for the shower nozzle to be
inserted in.
Accordingly, the diverter assembly can steplessly adjust the valve position
for
controlling the water to flow from any of the water outlet tubes into either
or both of the
shower nozzle or the shower head, so as to achieve the object of steplessly
adjusting the
amount of water to flow out from the shower nozzle and the shower head.
Furthermore, the movable body has an upper blocking part and a lower blocking
part
opposing the socket. When the shower nozzle is inserted in the socket, the
upper and the
lower blocking parts are respectively for the shower nozzle to lean against,
such that the
rotating angle of the shower nozzle is limited to secure the shower nozzle.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed
description given herein below for illustration only, and which thus is not
limitative of
the present invention, and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a shower appliance according to the present
invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional structural schematic view of the movable body in
the
present invention;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional structural schematic view of the present
invention;
FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a first operating condition of the present
invention;
FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a second operating condition of the present
invention; and
FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a third operating condition of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Refer to FIG. 1 to FIG 7, which shows a preferred embodiment according to the
present invention.
Refer to FIG 1, which is a schematic view of a shower appliance according to
the
present invention. A shower appliance usually has a water outlet tube 11
protruding on
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top of a wall. The water flowing out of the water outlet tube 11 is controlled
by a switch
12 disposed on bottom of the wall. The diverter assembly 2 of the present
invention is
integrated with the water outlet tube 11, respectively communicated with a
shower head
13 and communicated with a handheld shower nozzle 15 by a hose 14.
Refer to FIG. 2, which is a perspective view of the present invention. The
diverter
assembly 2 of the present invention has a hollow main body 20. The main body
20 has a
water inlet tube 21, a first water outlet tube 22 and a second water outlet
tube 23. A knob
24 is pivotally disposed at one end of the main body 20. The knob 24 rotates
in
accordance with a valve device 3(referring to FIG. 4) disposed in the main
body 20, and
the valve device 3 controls the water to flow out from the first water outlet
tube 22 and
the second water outlet tube 23.
A sliding track 25 is disposed at one end of the main body 20 opposing the
knob 24.
The sliding track 25 is for a movable body 4 to engage in. A sliding groove 41
(referring
to FIG. 4) is disposed on the movable body 4 corresponding to the sliding
track 25 for
the movable body 4 to match with the sliding track 25 by the sliding groove
41, so that
the movable body 4 engages in the main body 20.
Refer to FIG. 2 to FIG. 4. FIG 3 is a cross-sectional structural schematic
view of the
movable body in the present invention. FIG 4 is a cross-sectional structural
structural
schematic view of the present invention. The movable body 4 is U-shaped and
has an
accommodating space 42 in the middle thereof. A socket 43 is pivotally
disposed in the
accommodating space 42. An upper blocking part 401 and a lower blocking part
402 are
respectively disposed at upper and lower edges of the accommodating space 42
of the
movable body 4. A protruding axis 431 is disposed respectively at two ends of
the socket
43. An axial hole 44 is disposed on the movable body 4 corresponding to the
protruding
axis 431. The protruding axis 431 is tightly engaged to the axial hole 44. A
hole 432 is
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disposed in the center of the socket 43 and has an opening 433 for the shower
nozzle 15
to be inserted. The upper blocking part 401 and the lower blocking part 402
are
respectively for the shower nozzle 15 to lean against, such that the rotating
angle of the
shower nozzle 15 is limited.
Refer to FIG. 4. The valve device 3 in the hollow main body 20 has a first
sleeve 31
and a second sleeve 32 sleeved by each other. A partition A is formed between
the first
sleeve 31 and the second sleeve 32, and communicates a first passage Al and a
second
passage A2. Three O-rings 311, 312 and 313 are disposed separately at an outer
edge of
the first sleeve 31 to form a first partition C l, a second partition C2 and a
third partition
C3 among the main body 20, the first sleeve 31 and the second sleeve 32. The
first
partition Cl communicates with the water inlet tube 21. The second partition
C2
communicates with the first water outlet tube 22. The third partition C3
communicates
with the second water outlet tube 23.
Further, the first sleeve 31 has a first through hole 314 communicating the
first
passage A1 and the second partition C2 for the first passage A1 to communicate
with the
first water outlet tube 22. The second sleeve 32 has a fourth partition C4
communicating
with the second passage A2 and the third partition C3 respectively, so that
the second
passage A2 communicates with the second water outlet tube 23.
A spiral sleeve 33 is slidably disposed at one end of the first sleeve 31
opposing the
second sleeve 32 and integrated with an axis 34. The axis 34 extends and
passes the
partition A and has a valve 35 at one section of the partition A. One end of
the spiral
sleeve 33 opposing the axis 34 is spirally engaged with a spiral rod 36. The
spiral rod 36
is pivotally disposed to the main body 20 by a cover 37, and the section
thereof
extending out of the cover 37 is integrated with the knob 24 for the knob 24
to rotate the
spiral rod 36 and further to slide the spiral sleeve 33 and the axis 34.
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Further, an accommodating space D is disposed at one end of the first sleeve
31
opposing the second sleeve 32. A sliding groove 315 is disposed respectively
at two
opposite ends in the radical direction of the accommodating space D. A slider
331 is
disposed respectively at the spiral sleeve 33 opposing the two sliding grooves
315. The
spiral sleeve 33 can slide relative to the first sleeve 31 by the cooperating
of the two
sliding grooves 315 and two sliders 33 1.
Refer to FIG. 5, which is a schematic view showing a first operating condition
of the
present invention. When a user rotates the knob 24 to slide the spiral sleeve
33 and the
axis 34 toward the second passage A2 until the valve 35 closes the second
passage A2,
the water flows into the water inlet tube 21 and then enters the partition A
through the
first partition Cl, and then flows through the first through hole 314 and the
second
partition C2 from the first passage Al, and is finally sprayed from the shower
head 13
through the first water outlet tube 22.
Refer to FIG. 6, which is a schematic view showing a second operating
condition of
the present invention. When a user wants the water to flow out of the shower
nozzle 15
and rotates the knob 24 to slide the spiral sleeve 33 and the axis 34 toward
the first
passage Al until the valve 35 closes the first passage Al, the water flows
into the water
inlet tube 21 and then enters the partition A through the first partition Cl,
and onto the
third partition C3 through the second passage A2 and the fourth partition C4,
and fmally
into the hose 14 through the second water outlet tube 23 to be sprayed from
the shower
nozzle 15.
Refer to FIG. 7, which is a schematic view showing a third operating condition
of the
present invention. When a user wants the water to flow out of the shower head
13 and
the shower nozzle 15 simultaneously and rotates the knob 24 to slide the
spiral sleeve 33
and the axis 34 until the valve 35 is located between the first passage Al and
the second
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passage A2 and the first passage Al communicates with the second passage A2,
the
water flows in through the water inlet tube 21 and then enters the partition A
through the
first partition C1, and onto the partition A through the first passage A1 and
the second
passage A2, and is finally sprayed from the shower head 13 and the shower
nozzle 15
through the first water outlet tube22 and second water outlet tube 23, so that
the water is
sprayed from the shower head 13 and the shower nozzle 15 simultaneously.
If the user wants the amount of water flowing out from the shower nozzle 15
more
than from the shower head 13, the user can rotate the knob 24 to slightly
slide the spiral
sleeve 33 and the axis 34 toward the first passage A1 so that the valve 35 is
near the first
passage Al and reduces the amount of water flowing from the first passage Al
to the
shower head 13 and increases the amount of water flowing out from the shower
nozzle
15. Thereby, the location of the valve 35 is finely adjusted by the knob 24 to
steplessly
adjust the amount of water flowing out from the shower head 13 and the shower
nozzle
15.
Moreover, the hole 432 of the socket 43 of the movable body 4 is for the
shower
nozzle 15 to be inserted in, and the socket 43 is pivotally disposed on the
movable body
4. Thus, the socket 43 can rotate to adjust the angle for a user to take or
hang the shower
nozzle 15. The upper blocking part 401 and the lower blocking part 402 of the
movable
body 4 are respectively for the shower nozzle 15 to lean against, such that
the rotating
angle of the shower nozzle 15 is limited and the shower nozzle 15 is prevented
from
dropping when the rotating angle of the socket 43 is too much.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and
variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without
departing from
the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended
that the
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present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention
provided they fall
within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.
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