Multi port adjustable shower fixture
A shower fixture being affixed to a wall at opposite ends of an existing shower enclosure. The fixture is connected at one end to a pressurized water source utilizing an existing shower head threaded plumbing connection. A pair of generally parallel or coaxial spaced tubes present pressurized water to both ends of the fixtures at approximately equivalent pressures. The horizontal fixture is attached to at least two showerheads disposed generally at opposite ends to provide an equalized flow of water from opposite directions in the shower enclosure.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to shower fixtures. The invention more specifically provides a shower fixture which may be used to retrofit an existing shower utilizing plumbing which is in place. The invention allows the conversion of a single shower outlet to multiple shower outlets and interconnection with the existing shower fixture plumbing.
2. Description of the Related Art
A shower fixture is well known in a domestic setting. Shower fixtures in most homes are conventional and have a base adapted to be fixed to a wall connected to a pressurized water source, normally a domestic water supply provided by a domestic well or a municipal water supply. Normally, the metal tube has an internal connection through the base to an outlet so that pressurized water can flow from the supply through the base of the tube to a showerhead. Conventional showerheads are pivotable on the tube, usually about an outer horizontal axis at the end thereof and are connected internally at the outer axis to the one tube so that water from the one tube can flow into the head. The tube is rigid so as to support a showerhead and it can be swung in various directions at the discretion of the user depending on the preferences.
With a standard conventional domestic shower configuration, there is only one outlet or a remote handheld shower accessory can be attached whereby the showerhead is either replaced or augmented by a handheld shower device which sometimes has other accessories available, such as shower massages or spray fixtures which allow adjustment.
Modern luxury bathroom configurations include spa-type showers and have styles including multiple showerheads normally projecting from more than one wall of the shower enclosure. Typical configurations include showerheads positioned at various levels or heights, as well as showerheads which are projected into the showering area from opposite ends of the enclosure. This allows a more luxurious experience in that multiple points of water spray are provided to the user.
The disadvantage of the more sophisticated systems that are available to the average homeowner include need to install additional plumbing, a custom enclosure, or a prefabricated plumbing device which provides for the various outlets that must all be configured in the building process or in extensive remodeling. All of these solutions requires extensive resources and simply has a higher cost to the homeowner. There is a need to have a simple device that may be applied to a conventional showerhead fixture by an average homeowner without the need to install additional plumbing or to require installation of fixtures through substantial remodeling of an existing configuration of an typical domestic shower.
The present invention provides a means to retrofit a conventional showerhead fixture by utilizing the existing showerhead neck threading, applying a flexible plumbing connection means to introduce the pressurized water source into the invention which itself has two or more showerheads configured at near opposite ends of the fixture. The fixture is comprised of a lineal design similar to the shape and configuration of a conventional shower curtain rod extending horizontally from the front of the shower to the rear, and may be installed using simple screws and anchoring devices in the same fashion that one would install a shower curtain rod. Spring loading or other affixing solutions including ratchet means may be used to allow for temporary or semi-permanent installation of the fixture to an existing shower.
Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide an improved multiple showerhead fixture. It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved showerhead fixture which requires connection only to existing plumbing fixtures and showerhead-threaded extension pipes without the requirement to add additional plumbing nor requires extensive renovation to incorporate the device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA shower fixture in accordance with the present invention is adopted to be fixed to a wall connected to a pressurized water supply utilizing connections to an existing showerhead-threaded pipe, and the associated plumbing therewith. A pair of generally parallel spaced tubes comprise a plumbing loop which can be installed on or between existing walls within an existing shower enclosure from the front to the rear end of the shower enclosure overhead, allowing two or more shower heads or other water accessories to be fed from a single existing showerhead outlet pipe. The use of a pair of generally parallel spaced tubes to feed two or more showerheads allows pressure equalization to be obtained. Use of such plumbing loop allows the rate of water flow for each showerhead in the present invention to be equal and does not require valving or adjustments to regulate the quantity of flow from each shower.
The invention may be mounted using conventional hardware similar to such hardware as used for shower curtain installation, and generally is connected to the existing shower outlet by removal of an existing showerhead device from the neck threads, and threading a flexible plumbing tube from the existing neck of the showerhead device to the inlet of the dual tube pressure loop which supplies two or more shower heads or other shower accessories.
In its simplest configuration the invention is a continuous plumbing loop comprised of two parallel pipes which are connected at both ends to allow pressurized fluid to flow from one end, where the fluid is introduced, to all points in the resulting plumbing loop to allow the pressure of the fluid to be largely equalized across the length of the plumbing. In the preferred embodiment, the plumbing loop is contained internally to a shroud or housing coaxially constructed around the plumbing to hide the plumbing components with a facade. Such enclosures may be adapted to provide for a more uniform and finished appearance when the device is hung across the length of a conventional shower stall or enclosure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
And now the invention shall be described in terms of the preferred embodiment utilizing the various figures provided, wherein like-numbers in the figures refer to like-parts. Beginning at
Upper pipe 12 is parallel to lower pipe 14 as shown such as to provide equalized pressure across the fixture when pressure is applied to a first fixture water feed end 22 as shown. In applying water to the fixture, existing shower fixture pipe 16 is connected to flexible plumbing extension 20 through the threaded shower neck 18. In utilizing the invention, it could be appreciated that the showerhead that would normally be found in a conventional shower would be removed from the shower fixture pipe 16 such as to allow the threaded shower neck 18 to be available for connection to the plumbing extension 20. Extension 20 is a metallic or plastic flexible pipe frequently seen in bathrooms as might be used, for example, with a removable showerhead or other type of plumbing extension. One end of plumbing extension 20 is connected to the water source at shower fixture pipe 16, the other end continuing and being threaded into the first fixture water feed end 22 as suggested in
Since fixture 10 is symmetrical in its design, it can be seen that the opposite end of the fixture has a similar second fixture water feed end 24 which essentially is equivalent to first fixture water feed end 22. There can be either an elbow connection or a straight line connection for both end 22 and end 24 as may be desired for a particular application. As shown in
In
Many times it would be desirable to have fixture 10 dressed in a more appropriate cover facade such as to hide the internal plumbing.
In the configuration suggested in
The embodiment shown in
Although the invention has been described in accordance with the preferred embodiment, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the application of the present invention is useful in a variety of configurations and designs not specifically described above. All such designs and applications are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure, and the invention is applicable across a wide variety of applications. Such applications are considered within the scope and spirit of the present invention.
Claims
1. A shower fixture comprising a pair of generally parallel tubes connected to comprise a continuous pressure loop;
- at least two shower heads mounted between the outer ends of the length of said tubes connected internally to at least one tube, whereby water from the one tube can flow into the said shower head;
- a base adopted to be fixed to opposite ends of said tubes to mount said fixture on the wall of a shower area; and
- means to connect said pressure loop to an existing threaded shower head outlet to apply pressurized water to said fixture.
2. A shower fixture to provide a plurality of shower head outlets from one or more sources of water comprised of:
- a plumbing loop to supply feed water from one end of said loop to equalize pressure across the length of said loop;
- at least one water inlet feed point to attach to an existing water feed outlet;
- at least two plumbing outlets located along the length of said loop to provide for the attachment of one or more plumping fixtures;
- support means disposed generally at the opposite ends of said plumbing loop to support said loop and the plumbing fixtures attached to said loop.
3. A shower fixture to provide a plurality of shower head outlets from one or more sources of water within a shower enclosure comprised of:
- means to convey water from an existing source into at least two separate outlets separated by a distance substantially the length of a shower stall for which the fixture is to be applied;
- means to equalize the water pressure presented at the said separate outlets;
- means to secure the fixture to at least one wall within said shower enclosure.
4. The invention of claim 1 wherein further said parallel tubes are enclosed in a shroud to visually isolate the said tubes.
5. The invention of claim 1 wherein further said base is comprised of an enclosure which visually isolates the said tubes.
6. The invention of claim 1 wherein said parallel tubes are configured to be coaxial.
7. The invention of claim 2 wherein said plumbing loop is comprised of at least two coaxial pipes.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 9, 2005
Publication Date: Feb 15, 2007
Inventor: Andrew Faux (West Chester, PA)
Application Number: 11/199,880
International Classification: A47K 3/28 (20060101);