SHOWER ASSEMBLIES, MOUNTING HARDWARE AND MULTI-PORT DIVERTING VALVES THEREFOR, AND METHODS OF INSTALLING

Abstract

Shower assemblies, mounting hardware and multi-port diverting valves therefor, and methods of installing rain showerhead assemblies. The show assemblies include a bracket assembly that secures to the wall and/or to the ceiling and a rain showerhead assembly supported by the bracket assembly. The bracket assembly reduces off-axis forces against the shower wall and thereby minimizes damage to the shower wall. The bracket assembly may be used to mount a wall-mounted rain showerhead assembly or a ceiling-mounted rain showerhead assembly. A shower arm three-port diverting valve or a shower arm four-port diverting valve may be used with any one of the shower assemblies.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 63/341,678 filed May 13, 2022, and 63/368,709 filed Jul. 18, 2022, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention generally relates to shower assemblies and components, such as showerhead assemblies having rain-type showerheads, mounting hardware and multi-port diverting valves therefor, and methods of installing the same.

Rain-type showerheads (or more simply, rain showerheads) are so called because the showerhead is disposed directly above the shower space so that the water streams from the showerhead to travel substantially vertically downward onto a person taking the shower, giving the person the sensation that they are being rained on. Typically, rain showerheads, when installed in a new home, are piped into a permanent position (for example, the center of a shower space) from above the shower stall or tub ceiling. Alternatively, retrofitting a ceiling type rain showerhead to an already existing tub or shower stall is commonly done, for example, by a homeowner when it is desired to change the original wall showerhead to a rain showerhead.

One way to retrofit a ceiling type rain showerhead to an already existing tub or shower stall is by changing out an existing showerhead arm from the water pipe stub (i.e., the water pipe to which the showerhead is attached) that extends out from a wall such as a valve and piping wall, with a much longer, rising arm. These longer, rising arms are designed to position a rain showerhead up closer to the ceiling and farther away from the valve wall to give the person taking the shower the feeling they are getting rained on as they would if they had a new home installation straight down from the ceiling. Retrofitting a rain showerhead in this manner with a long and rising arm relies significantly on the shower arm fitting behind the wall to carry the weight of the extended arm and a typically much larger and much heavier rain showerhead. However, this installation may not always be safe and secure. For example, simply installing a larger rain showerhead using a longer shower arm can be a problem with heavier showerheads because the shower arm and/or threads can break due to the added weight and/or moment forces caused by the longer arm. In addition, the plumbing pipes and fittings can break under the additional force. Such an arrangement may need additional support. Furthermore, unless the arm support had blocking installed prior to trim, the flange would be attached to drywall only, creating a situation in which the drywall is likely to fail over time.

Another way of retrofitting a rain showerhead into an already existing tub or shower stall is to extend a bar, like a curtain rod, for example, from one side wall of the shower to the opposite side wall and then to hang the rain showerhead from this bar. Like the previous example, this rain showerhead can also be fed water from the old showerhead location with a hose or piping. This support relies on the rod having a friction fit to the side walls or being screwed to the drywall or tiled walls. The addition of or retrofitting a rain showerhead to an existing shower stall may not always be safe or secure. Further, both of these installations for retrofitting a rain showerhead to an existing shower stall may limit possible positioning of the rain showerhead and/or be limited by the weight of the rain showerhead.

Various methods and installation arrangements for retrofitting a rain showerhead to an existing wall showerhead are known. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0236451 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0089734 disclose showerheads that hang from a bar and are connected to the water pipe extending from the piping wall. U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,103 discloses a shower with a long rising arm extending from a piping wall of the shower. However, these arrangements may still be subject to one or more of the drawbacks identified above.

Therefore, it would be desirable if large, heavy ceiling-type rain showerheads could be installed into an already existing tub or shower stall in a safe and secure manner.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The intent of this section of the specification is to briefly indicate the nature and substance of the invention, as opposed to an exhaustive statement of all subject matter and aspects of the invention. Therefore, while this section identifies subject matter recited in the claims, additional subject matter and aspects relating to the invention are set forth in other sections of the specification, particularly the detailed description, as well as any drawings.

The present invention provides, but is not limited to, shower assemblies, mounting hardware and multi-port diverting valves therefor, and methods of installing rain showerhead assemblies.

According to a nonlimiting aspect, a three-port shower arm diverting valve includes a valve body, an inlet port in the valve body for attaching to a shower water pipe protruding from a piping wall to receive a flow of water therefrom, a first outlet port in the valve body that operatively couples with a rain showerhead to provide a flow of water to the rain showerhead, and a second outlet port in the valve body that operatively couples to a handheld showerhead to provide a flow of water to the handheld showerhead. A rotary valve is disposed inside the valve body. The rotary valve has a first position that directs water from the inlet port to only the first outlet port, a second position that directs water from the inlet port to both the first outlet port and the second outlet port, and a third position that directs water from the inlet port to only the second outlet port.

According to another nonlimiting aspect, a shower assembly includes the three-port shower arm diverting valve, a rain showerhead that operatively couples to the first outlet port, and a handheld showerhead that operatively couples to the second outlet port and can be releasably mounted to the bracket.

According to yet another nonlimiting aspect, a four-port shower arm diverting valve includes a valve body, an inlet port in the valve body for attaching to a shower water pipe protruding from a piping wall to receive a flow of water therefrom, a first outlet port in the valve body that operatively couples with a rain showerhead to provide a flow of water to the rain showerhead, a second outlet port in the valve body that operatively couples to a handheld showerhead to provide a flow of water to the handheld showerhead, a third outlet port in the valve body that operatively mounts a third showerhead to provide a flow of water to the third showerhead, and a rotary valve disposed inside the valve body. The rotary valve has a first position that directs water from the inlet port to only the first outlet port, a second position that directs water from the inlet port to only the first outlet port and the third outlet port, a third position that directs water from the inlet port to only the third outlet port, a fourth position that directs water from the inlet port to only the third outlet port and the second outlet port, a fifth position that directs water from the inlet port to only the second outlet port, and a sixth position that directs water from the inlet port to only the first outlet port and the second outlet port.

According to a further nonlimiting aspect, a shower assembly includes the four-port shower arm diverting valve, a rain showerhead that operatively couples to the first outlet port, a handheld showerhead that operatively couples to the second outlet port, and a third showerhead that mounts to the third outlet port.

According to a yet a further nonlimiting aspect, a shower assembly includes a showerhead assembly and a mounting bracket assembly. The mounting bracket assembly includes a bracket mounting plate having a flat back side, a front side opposite the back side, and a post with a threaded bore extending from the front side, a flanged fastener, a nut, and a bracket fastener. The flanged fastener has a nose portion for threading into a support structure, a back end opposite the nose portion, and a flange between the nose portion and the back end. The bracket mounting plate mounts to the back end of the flanged fastener. The nut locks the bracket mounting plate on the back end of the flanged fastener. The showerhead assembly fits onto the post on the front side of the bracket mounting plate. The bracket fastener threads into the threaded bore and retains the showerhead assembly on the post.

According to still another nonlimiting aspect, a method of installing a rain showerhead assembly is provided. The method includes driving a nose portion of a flanged fastener into a support structure behind a wall or ceiling, mounting a bracket mounting plate to a back end of the flanged fastener with a back side facing the wall or ceiling, locking the bracket mounting plate against a flange on the flanged fastener with a nut threaded onto the back end of the flanged fastener, mounting the rain showerhead assembly onto a post on the front side of the bracket mounting plate, and threading a bracket fastener into the threaded bore of the post to retains the rain showerhead assembly on the post.

Technical aspects of shower assemblies, valves, bracket assemblies, and methods having features as described above preferably include the ability to allow larger, heavier rain showerheads to be installed into already existing tubs or shower stalls in a safe and secure manner that minimizes damage to the wall and/or ceiling of the shower stall.

These and other aspects, arrangements, features, and/or technical effects will become apparent upon detailed inspection of the figures and the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a shower assembly with a wall-mounted rain showerhead assembly mounted with a bracket assembly to a shower wall according to a nonlimiting example of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the showerhead assembly of FIG. 1 in partial cross-section showing aspects of the bracket assembly mounted to the shower wall.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the showerhead assembly of FIG. 2 with the bracket assembly shown in exploded view.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detailed view of a portion of the hardware shown in FIG. 3 as surrounded by a dashed rectangle.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the showerhead assembly of FIG. 2 with the bracket assembly partly assembled.

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a shower arm three-port diverter valve according to a nonlimiting example of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a left side view of the shower arm three-port diverter valve of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a front elevation view of the shower arm three-port diverter valve of FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 is an exploded isometric view of the shower arm three-port diverter valve of FIG. 6 showing interior valve components thereof.

FIG. 10 is an isometric view of a shower arm four-port diverter valve according to a nonlimiting example of the invention.

FIG. 11 is a left side view of the shower arm four-port diverter valve of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a front elevation view of the shower arm four-port diverter valve of FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 is an exploded isometric view of the shower arm four-port diverter valve of FIG. 10 showing interior valve components thereof.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of another shower assembly with a ceiling-mounted rain showerhead assembly in combination with the shower arm three-port diverter valve of FIG. 6 and a handheld showerhead according to a nonlimiting example of the invention.

FIG. 15 is an enlarged view of the shower arm three-port diverter valve and handheld showerhead in the dashed circle in FIG. 14 and in FIG. 1.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of another shower assembly with the ceiling mounted rain showerhead assembly in combination with the shower arm four-port diverter valve of FIG. 10, a handheld showerhead, and a third showerhead according to a nonlimiting example of the invention.

FIG. 17 is an enlarged view of the shower arm three-port diverter valve and third showerhead in the dashed circle in FIG. 16 and in FIG. 1.

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of a wall and ceiling bracket of the shower assemblies shown in FIGS. 14 and 16.

FIG. 19 is a side view of the wall and ceiling bracket of FIG. 18.

FIG. 20 is a partially exploded diagrammatic side view of the wall and ceiling bracket and mounting bracket assembly of the shower assemblies in FIGS. 14 and 16.

FIG. 21 is a diagrammatic side view of the wall and ceiling bracket and mounting bracket assembly of FIG. 20 in an installed configuration.

FIG. 22 is a side view of another shower assembly with wall and ceiling bracket and rain showerhead according to another nonlimiting example of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The intended purpose of the following detailed description of the invention and the phraseology and terminology employed therein is to describe what is shown in the drawings, which include the depiction of and/or relate to one or more nonlimiting embodiments of the invention, and to describe certain but not all aspects of what is depicted in the drawings, including the embodiment(s) to which the drawings relate. The following detailed description also identifies certain but not all alternatives of the embodiment(s) depicted in the drawings. As nonlimiting examples, the invention encompasses additional or alternative embodiments in which one or more features or aspects shown and/or described as part of a particular depicted embodiment could be eliminated, and also encompasses additional or alternative embodiments that combine two or more features or aspects shown and/or described as part of different depicted embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims, and not the detailed description, are intended to particularly point out subject matter regarded to be aspects of the invention, including certain but not necessarily all of the aspects and alternatives described in the detailed description.

Although the invention will be described hereinafter in reference to the rain showerhead assemblies shown in the drawings, it will be appreciated that the teachings of the invention are also generally applicable to other types of showerhead assemblies.

To facilitate the description provided below of the embodiment(s) represented in the drawings, relative terms, including but not limited to, “proximal,” “distal,” “anterior,” “posterior,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “lateral,” “front,” “rear,” “side,” “forward,” “rearward,” “top,” “bottom,” “upper,” “lower,” “above,” “below,” “right,” “left,” etc., may be used in reference to the orientation of the examples shown in the drawings during use and/or as represented in the drawings. All such relative terms are useful to describe the illustrated embodiment(s) but should not be otherwise interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention.

Turning now to the nonlimiting embodiments represented in the drawings, FIGS. 1-5 depict a first shower assembly 30 including a wall-mounted rain showerhead 32 carried by a swing-out rain showerhead assembly 38 with a swing-out piping assembly 28 that has a pot filler-styled configuration mounted to a vertical wall 34 of a shower stall with a bracket assembly 36. The bracket assembly 36 is configured to support the rain showerhead 32 as it is pivoted and or moved throughout the shower without applying pressure to the finished surfaces on the wall 34.

The swing-out rain showerhead assembly 38 includes two connected pipe segments that swing horizontally to allow the rain showerhead 32 to be pivoted substantially horizontally at a pre-selected height across a large area of the shower stall. The first pipe segment is connected at a first end to a vertical pipe with a pivot fitting so as to pivot substantially horizontally about the vertical pipe when the piping assembly 28 is installed vertically on the shower stall wall 34. The second pipe segment is connected at a first end to the second end of the first pipe segment with a second pivot fitting so as to pivot substantially horizontally about the second pivot fitting. In this manner, the two pipe segments form a swing-out piping assembly 28 that can swing the rain showerhead 32 horizontally about a large area of the shower stall. The showerhead assembly 38 may include one or more leveling rods 52 and leveling nuts 54 configured to support the cantilevered pipe segments. The leveling nuts 54 can be adjusted, for example by rotating, to adjust the length of the respective leveling rods 52. In this way, the swing-out piping assembly 28 can be adjusted so that the rain showerhead 32 pivots in a substantially horizontal plane above the floor (not shown) of the shower stall.

The bracket assembly 36 includes a bracket mounting plate 40 that engages against the shower wall 34. One or more posts 42 extend outwardly from one side of the bracket mounting plate 40, and the opposite side of the bracket mounting plate 40 is substantially flat to engage against the shower wall 34 (or any finishes, such as tile, on the wall 34). The bracket mounting plate 40 is mounted to the shower wall 34 with one or more flanged fasteners 44 (as nonlimiting examples, lag screws, lag bolts, or wood screws) and a threaded nut 46 (e.g., a lock nut) threaded onto the exposed end of each fastener 44 to clamp the bracket mounting plate 40 between the flange of the fastener 44 and the nut 46. The fasteners 44 each have a nose portion for threading into a support structure of the wall 34, illustrated in FIGS. 2-5 as a wall stud though may also or instead be a top plate or drywall backing supporting the wall. Each fastener 44 also has a back end opposite the nose portion, and a flange between the nose portion and the back end. Each post 42 has a threaded axial bore. A cover plate (escutcheon) 48 of the showerhead assembly 38 mounts onto the posts 42 of the bracket mounting plate 40. At each post 42, a bracket fastener (e.g., screw) 50 extends through the cover plate 48 and threads into the threaded axial bore of a respective post 42, thereby securing the rain showerhead 32 to the shower wall 34. Advantageously, the bracket assembly 36 can be attached to any already existing framing or combination of already existing framing in a shower stall. For example, some typical locations of already existing framing are the studs to the left and right of the shower faucet, the corner where two walls meet, the corner where a wall and ceiling meet, and joists located above the ceiling. In this way, the bracket assembly 36 attaches the swing-out rain showerhead assembly 38 to the framing located behind the shower stall wall 34 and/or above the finished surface of the shower stall wall 34 with hardware that minimizes or eliminates any off-axis forces or pressures that would be applied to the finished surfaces while the rain showerhead 32 is moved horizontally around the shower stall, for example by being pivoted and/or swung with the swing-out piping assembly 28.

A shower valve and suitable conduit connect the shower assembly 30 to a water supply pipe stub 56 (FIG. 1) projecting out of the shower wall 34 to supply water to the showerhead 32 via the swing-out piping assembly 28. The shower valve is a multi-port diverter valve, represented in the drawings as either a shower arm three-port diverter valve 60 (FIGS. 6 through 9) or a shower arm four-port diverter valve 62 (FIGS. 10 through 13), each of which is described in further detail hereinafter. However, in some configurations, a different type of shower valve could be used with the shower assembly 30 (or any of the shower assemblies disclosed herein). A handheld showerhead 64 (also called a sprayer) is operatively coupled to and mounted on the three-port diverter valve 60. The four-port diverter valve 62 allows both the handheld showerhead 64 and a third showerhead 66 to be coupled to the valve 62. The third shower head 66 may be any suitable type of showerhead, such as a fixed showerhead or an adjustable showerhead.

As best seen in FIGS. 6-9, the three-port diverter valve 60 is a multi-way valve that can be selectively adjusted to any of three water flow settings. The three-port diverter valve 60 has a valve body 70 that retains a three-way rotary valve 72 (e.g., a valve cartridge) therein. In this example, the valve body 70 has a cylindrical drum shape, but other shapes could be used. An inlet port 74 is disposed on a back side of the valve body 70. The inlet port 74 includes a fitting 80, such as a female threaded collar coupling, that threads onto a male threaded end of the water supply pipe stub 56 so as to convey a flow of water from the pipe stub through the inlet port 74 to the rotary valve 72. Thus, the three-port diverter valve 60 can be mounted directly on the end of the water supply pipe stub 56 with the fitting 80. A first (top) outlet port 76 with a threaded stub with male threads is located at the top of the valve body 70. A second outlet port 78 (bottom port) with a threaded stub with male threads is located at the bottom of the valve body 70. The three-port diverter valve 60 operatively mounts to the pipe stub 56 with the fitting 80. A valve handle 82 is disposed on the left side of the valve body 70 and can be turned to any one of three different positions to cause the three-way rotary valve 72 to feed water through either only the top outlet port 76, only the bottom outlet port 78, or simultaneously through both the top outlet port 76 and the bottom outlet port 78. The bottom outlet port 78 may be used, for example, to feed water through a hose coupled to the handheld showerhead 64. A sprayer bracket 84, such as a movable rotatable holder disposed on a ball joint, is disposed on a front side of the valve body 70 opposite the inlet port 74. The sprayer bracket 84 includes a pair of opposing arms that releasably clasp a handle portion of the handheld showerhead 64 so that the handheld showerhead 64 (e.g., a sprayer) can be releasably mounted to the front side of the valve body 70 facing into the shower stall. As best seen in FIG. 15, the inlet port 74 may be mounted directly onto the water pipe stub 56 with the fitting 80. A first conduit 86, such as a flexible hose, can be used to operatively couple the bottom outlet port 78 to the handheld showerhead 64. A second conduit 88, such as a flexible hose or a custom shaped length of pipe, may be used to operatively couple the first (top) outlet port 76 to the shower assembly 30 to conduct water from the three-port diverter valve 60 to the rain showerhead 32. The handheld showerhead 64 can then be releasably mounted to and retained by the sprayer bracket 84 facing the interior of the shower stall when not being used and pulled out of the sprayer bracket 84 when a person wishes to use it.

As seen in FIGS. 10-13, the four-port diverter valve 62 is somewhat similar to the three-port diverter valve 62 in outward configuration, but instead of the sprayer bracket 84, a third (front) outlet port 90 on a front side of the valve body 70. The four-port diverter valve 62 is a multi-way valve that can be adjusted to any of six different water flow settings. Thus, the four-port diverter valve 62 includes a valve body 70 that retains a six-way rotary valve 92 therein, an inlet port 74 is disposed on a back side of the valve body 70, a first outlet port 76 (top port) with a threaded stub located at the top of the valve body, a second (bottom) outlet port 78 with a threaded stub located at the bottom of the valve body, the third outlet port 90 with a threaded stub on the front side of the valve body, and a valve handle 82 disposed on the left side of the valve body. A fitting 80, such as a female threaded coupling, that threads onto a male threaded end of the water supply pipe stub 56 is located at the inlet port 74. Thus, as best seen in FIG. 17, the inlet port 74 may be mounted directly onto the male threaded end of the water pipe stub 56 with the fitting 80. The valve handle 82 can be turned to any one of six different positions to cause the six-way rotary valve 92 to feed water through either only the top outlet port 76, only the bottom outlet port 78, only the front outlet port 90, simultaneously only through both the top outlet port 76 and the bottom outlet port 78, simultaneously only through both the top outlet port 76 and the front outlet port 90, or only through both the front outlet port 90 and the bottom outlet port 78. The handheld showerhead 64 may be operatively coupled to the bottom outlet port 78, for example with the hose 86. The top outlet port 76 may be operatively coupled with the shower assembly 30, for example with the conduit 88. The third showerhead 66 may be mounted directly on the front outlet port 90 so as to be pointed into the center of the shower stall when the four-port diverter valve 62 is mounted to the water pipe stub 56. Optionally, the handheld showerhead 64 may optionally be releasably mounted to and retained by another appropriate bracket (not shown) installed elsewhere in the shower stall when not being used and pulled from the bracket when a person wishes to use it.

When the shower assembly 30 (or any of the other shower assemblies disclosed herein) is implemented with either the shower arm three-port diverter valve 60 or the shower arm four-port diverter valve 62, a person in the shower stall is able to both shower in the standard showering area, for example under the rain showerhead 32 and/or the third showerhead 66, and also is able to use of the handheld showerhead 64, either simultaneously or alternatingly or in any of the various combinations allowed by the respective rotary valves 72 and 92. Further, because each of the diverter valves 60 and 62 has an additional outlet port, such as the top outlet port 76, each of the diverter valves 60 and 62 allows water to be fed to the rain showerhead hanging bracket portion of the shower assembly from a commonly installed water pipe stub 56 without requiring significant reconfiguration of the water supply piping in the piping wall 34.

Turning to FIGS. 14-21, another shower assembly 100 has a ceiling-mounted rain showerhead assembly 101 that includes a ceiling bracket 102 that attaches to at least one of two opposite walls 34 and the ceiling 104 of the shower stall and a rain showerhead 32 that is carried by the ceiling bracket 102. In this example, the ceiling bracket 102 extends all the way between and is mounted to opposite side walls 34 of the shower stall. The ceiling bracket 102 is attached to the wall 34 and ceiling 104 in order to support the rain showerhead 32 and is preferably attached the framing that supports the ceiling 104 using brackets that are generally similar to the bracket assembly 36 of FIGS. 1 through 5 so as reduce any off-axis forces from putting undue pressures to the finished surfaces of the ceiling 104 and wall 34 as the showerhead 32 is pivoted or moved in any way throughout the shower, as described in more detail hereinafter. The shower assembly 100 may be implemented using the three-port diverter valve 60 (FIGS. 14 and 15) or the four-port diverter valve 62 (FIGS. 16 and 17) coupled to the water pipe stub 56 as described previously. When implemented with the three-port diverter valve 60, the shower assembly 100 preferably includes the handheld showerhead 64, as generally described previously herein. When implemented with the four-port diverter valve 62, the shower assembly 100 preferably includes both the handheld showerhead 64 and the third showerhead 66, as generally described previously herein. However, other configurations are possible and may be used.

As best seen in FIGS. 18 and 19, the ceiling bracket 102 has a horizontal body section 106 that extends along and couples to the ceiling 104 and two downwardly extending flange sections 108, one disposed at each opposite end of the horizontal body section 106. The horizontal body section 106 and the flange sections 108 are hollow. A pipe or hose coupling 110 for connecting to a water supply conduit, such as conduit 88, is disposed in the bottom end of each flange section 108. A fitting 112 is disposed inside the horizontal body section 106. The fitting 112 operatively couples to and carries the rain showerhead 32 hanging downwardly therefrom. In this example, the fitting 112 is in a fixed location between the opposite ends of the horizontal body section 106; however, in other arrangements, the fitting 112 could be configured on a rail to slide along the horizontal body section 106. A water conduit 114 connects the fitting 112 to either selected one of the couples 110, depending on which flange section 108 is desired to be operatively connected with the water pipe stub 56 when installed in the shower stall. The water conduit 114 is preferably flexible, such as a flexible length of hose and can be selectively coupled to either of the couplings 110 and either side opposite of the fitting 112. In the nonlimiting example installed arrangement shown in FIGS. 14-19, the water conduit 114 is connected to the left coupling 110 and the coupling on the left side of the fitting 112; however, in a different installation, the water conduit 114 could be connected to the right coupling 110 and the coupling on the right side of the fitting 112.

As best seen in FIGS. 20 and 21, the ceiling bracket 102 is mounted to the exterior sides of the ceiling 104 and wall(s) 34 with a bracket assembly 116 that is similar to the bracket assembly 36 of FIGS. 1-5, but with a different overall shape adapted for coupling to the ceiling 104 and walls 34. The bracket assembly 116 includes a bracket mounting plate 118 that has a horizontal plate 120 and two flange plates 122 extending downwardly from opposite ends of the horizontal plate 120. In this example, each of the horizontal plate 120 and flange plates 122 are shaped as elongate strips with a width narrower than its length. The bracket mounting plate 118 is sized and shaped complementary to the shape of the ceiling bracket 102 such that the ceiling bracket 102 fits snugly between the flange plates 122 along the horizontal plate 120 of the bracket assembly 116. In some embodiments, the bracket mounting plate 118 may be integrated as part of the ceiling bracket 102 with appropriate trim sections that attach thereto to form the remaining portions of the ceiling bracket 102. The bracket mounting plate 118 can be secured to support structures of the ceiling 104 and walls 34 (as nonlimiting examples, wall studs, top plates, or drywall backing supporting the walls 34, or ceiling joists or drywall backing supporting the ceiling 104) with flanged fasteners 44 (as nonlimiting examples, lag screws, lag bolts, or wood screws) and nuts 46 such that the horizontal plate 120 and the flange plates 122 are captured between the flanges of the fasteners 44 and their respective nuts 46, similarly as with the bracket assembly 36. The flat back sides of the horizontal plate 120 and the flange plates 122 are thereby installed flat against the respective outer surface of the ceiling 104 and walls 34, or any finishes thereon, Thereafter, the ceiling bracket 102 is mounted onto posts 42 on the front side (opposite the back side) of the horizontal plate 120, and a bracket fastener (e.g., screw) 50 is threaded into the threaded bore of each post 42 to hold the ceiling bracket 102 to the bracket mounting plate 118. The bracket assembly 116 thereby prevents off-axis forces on the rain showerhead 32 or the couplings 110 from twisting against the outer surface of the walls 34 and/or ceiling 104 so as not to apply pressures to the finished surfaces as the rain showerhead 32 is pivoted or moved in any way throughout the shower stall. Once the water conduit 114 is installed, enclosing trim items can be installed on the ceiling bracket 102 and the rain showerhead 32 attached to the fitting 112 to complete the installation. In some arrangements, the rain showerhead 32 is installed such that it can be pivoted, for example about a ball and socket fitting at either or both ends of a connector pipe extending between the rain showerhead 32 and the fitting 112 so that a user can selectively adjust the angle of the rain showerhead during use. Similar to the bracket assembly 36, the bracket assembly 116 attaches the ceiling-mounted rain showerhead assembly 101 to the framing located behind the shower stall wall 34 and ceiling 104 and/or above the finished surfaces thereof with hardware that minimizes or eliminates any off-axis forces or pressures to be applied to the finished surfaces while the rain showerhead 32 is moved horizontally around the shower, for example by being pivoted and/or slid along the length of the horizontal body section 106.

FIG. 22 shows a variation of the ceiling bracket 102 in which the rain showerhead 32 is slidably carried by a truck assembly 124 or other type of roller that slides along a rail 126 so that the rain showerhead 32 may be selectively slid horizontally by a user along the length of the rail 126 while showering. In this variation, the ceiling bracket 102 can be mounted to the ceiling 104 and walls 34 of the shower stall (e.g., similar to what is shown in FIGS. 14 and 16) with the bracket assembly 116 and can be operatively coupled with either of the three-port diverter valve 60 or the four-port diverter valve 62 as described previously herein.

As previously noted above, though the foregoing detailed description describes certain aspects of one or more particular embodiments of the invention, alternatives could be adopted by one skilled in the art. For example, the shower assemblies and their components could differ in appearance and construction from the embodiments described herein and shown in the drawings, functions of certain components of the shower assemblies could be performed by components of different construction but capable of a similar (though not necessarily equivalent) function, and various materials could be used in the fabrication of the shower assemblies and/or their components. As such, and again as was previously noted, it should be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to any particular embodiment described herein or illustrated in the drawings.

Claims

1. A three-port shower arm diverting valve comprising:

a valve body;

an inlet port in the valve body for attaching to a shower water pipe protruding from a piping wall to receive a flow of water therefrom;

a first outlet port in the valve body that operatively couples with a rain showerhead to provide a flow of water to the rain showerhead;

a second outlet port in the valve body that operatively couples to a handheld showerhead to provide a flow of water to the handheld showerhead; and

a rotary valve disposed inside the valve body, wherein the rotary valve has a first position that directs water from the inlet port to only the first outlet port, a second position that directs water from the inlet port to both the first outlet port and the second outlet port, and a third position that directs water from the inlet port to only the second outlet port.

2. The three-port shower arm diverting valve of claim 1, wherein the shower arm valve further comprises a bracket that releasably holds the handheld showerhead.

3. The three-port shower arm diverting valve of claim 2, wherein the inlet port is disposed on a back side of the valve body, and the bracket is disposed on a front side of the valve body.

4. The three-port shower arm diverting valve of claim 3, wherein the first outlet port is disposed on a top side of the valve body.

5. The three-port shower arm diverting valve of claim 4, wherein the second outlet port is disposed on a bottom side of the valve body.

6. A shower assembly comprising:

the three-port shower arm diverting valve of claim 2;

a rain showerhead that operatively couples to the first outlet port; and

a handheld showerhead that operatively couples to the second outlet port and can be releasably mounted to the bracket.

7. A four-port shower arm diverting valve comprising:

a valve body;

an inlet port in the valve body for attaching to a shower water pipe protruding from a piping wall to receive a flow of water therefrom;

a first outlet port in the valve body that operatively couples with a rain showerhead to provide a flow of water to the rain showerhead; and

a second outlet port in the valve body that operatively couples to a handheld showerhead to provide a flow of water to the handheld showerhead;

a third outlet port in the valve body that operatively mounts a third showerhead to provide a flow of water to the third showerhead; and

a rotary valve disposed inside the valve body, wherein the rotary valve comprises: a first position that directs water from the inlet port to only the first outlet port; a second position that directs water from the inlet port to only the first outlet port and the third outlet port; a third position that directs water from the inlet port to only the third outlet port; a fourth position that directs water from the inlet port to only the third outlet port and the second outlet port; a fifth position that directs water from the inlet port to only the second outlet port; and a sixth position that directs water from the inlet port to only the first outlet port and the second outlet port.

8. The four-port shower arm diverting valve of claim 6, wherein the inlet port is disposed on a back side of the valve body, and the third outlet port is disposed on a front side of the valve body.

9. The four-port shower arm diverting valve of claim 7, wherein the first outlet port is disposed on a top side of the valve body, and the second outlet port is disposed on a bottom side of the valve body

10. A shower assembly comprising:

the four-port shower arm diverting valve of claim 8;

a rain showerhead that operatively couples to the first outlet port;

a handheld showerhead that operatively couples to the second outlet port; and

a third showerhead that mounts to the third outlet port.

11. A shower assembly comprising:

a showerhead assembly; and

a mounting bracket assembly, the mounting bracket assembly comprising: a bracket mounting plate having a flat back side, a front side opposite the back side, and a post with a threaded bore extending from the front side; a flanged fastener; a nut; and a bracket fastener;

wherein the flanged fastener has a nose portion for threading into a support structure, a back end opposite the nose portion, and a flange between the nose portion and the back end,

the bracket mounting plate mounts to the back end of the flanged fastener,

the nut locks the bracket mounting plate on the back end of the flanged fastener,

the showerhead assembly fits onto the post on the front side of the bracket mounting plate, and

the bracket fastener threads into the threaded bore and retains the showerhead assembly on the post.

12. The shower assembly of claim 11, wherein the showerhead assembly comprises a rain showerhead.

13. The shower assembly of claim 11, wherein the showerhead assembly is a wall-mounted showerhead assembly.

14. The shower assembly of claim 13, wherein the wall-mounted showerhead assembly comprises a swing-out piping assembly that pivots a rain showerhead substantially horizontally when installed in a shower stall.

15. The shower assembly of claim 11, wherein the showerhead assembly is a ceiling-mounted showerhead assembly.

16. The shower assembly of claim 15, wherein the bracket mounting plate comprises a horizontal plate and a flange plate extending downwardly from each of two opposite ends of the horizontal plate and the showerhead assembly mounts to the horizontal plate between the flange plates.

17. The shower assembly of claim 11, further comprising:

the three-port shower arm diverting valve of claim 2;

a rain showerhead that operatively couples to the first outlet port; and

a handheld showerhead that operatively couples to the second outlet port and can be releasably mounted to the bracket.

18. The shower assembly of claim 11, further comprising:

the four-port shower arm diverting valve of claim 8;

a rain showerhead that operatively couples to the first outlet port;

a handheld showerhead that operatively couples to the second outlet port; and

a third showerhead that mounts to the third outlet port.

19. A method of installing a rain showerhead assembly, the method comprising:

driving a nose portion of a flanged fastener into a support structure behind a wall or ceiling;

mounting a bracket mounting plate to a back end of the flanged fastener with a back side facing the wall or ceiling;

locking the bracket mounting plate against a flange on the flanged fastener with a nut threaded onto the back end of the flanged fastener;

mounting the rain showerhead assembly onto a post on the front side of the bracket mounting plate; and

threading a bracket fastener into the threaded bore of the post to retains the rain showerhead assembly on the post.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the support structure comprises a wall stud, top plate, or drywall backing supporting the wall or a ceiling joist or drywall backing supporting the ceiling.