Showerhead

Abstract

 A personalized shower head, comprising a water spray nozzle (2) associated with a handle (3) that is provided, at its end, with a connector (4) for coupling to a water supply duct, and at least one chamber (9), which is isolated hermetically from the water flow and is closed by at least one substantially transparent wall (10); the chamber (9) contains fixed and/or moving decorative elements (11), which can be viewed from outside through the transparent wall (10).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a personalized shower head.

[0002] Shower heads having the most disparate and increasingly original and innovative shapes, essentially conceived in order to meet the changing aesthetic tastes of users, are currently commercially widespread and available.

[0003] However, the need is currently felt to offer commercially shower heads that allow to provide decorative and aesthetic effects that are currently not yet available.

[0004] The aim of the present invention is to meet the requirement cited above, by providing a shower head that is adapted to create innovative aesthetic effects according to different tastes and is oriented toward both adult and predominantly young buyers.

[0005] Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a shower head whose innovative aesthetic characteristics can be changed easily without having to resort to the replacement of parts, according to users' taste.

[0006] Another object of the present invention is to provide a shower head that has a simple structure, is relatively simple to provide in practice, safe in use, effective in operation, and has a relatively low cost.

[0007] This aim and these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by the present personalized shower head, comprising a water spray nozzle associated with a handle that is provided, at its end, with a connector for coupling to a water supply duct, characterized in that it comprises at least one chamber, which is isolated hermetically from the water flow and is closed by at least one substantially transparent wall, said chamber being adapted to contain fixed and/or moving decorative elements that can be viewed from outside through said transparent wall.

[0008] Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become better apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a personalized shower head according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation view of a first embodiment of the shower head according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a partially sectional exploded side elevation view of said head;

Figure 3 is a partially sectional side elevation view of a detail of a second embodiment of the head;

Figure 4 is a side elevation view of a third embodiment of the head according to the invention;

Figure 5 is a sectional view, taken along the line V-V of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a side elevation view of a fourth embodiment of the head.

[0009] In the embodiments that follow, individual characteristics, given in relation to specific examples, may actually be interchanged with other different characteristics that exist in other embodiments.

[0010] Moreover, it is noted that anything found to be already known during the patenting process is understood not to be claimed and to be the subject of a disclaimer.

[0011] With reference to Figure 1, the reference numeral 1 designates a personalized shower head according to the invention.

[0012] The head comprises, in a known manner, a water spray nozzle 2, which is associated with a handle 3 provided, at its end, with a connector 4 for connection to an external water supply duct, which is not shown in the figures for the sake of simplicity, since it is entirely conventional (preferably of the flexible metallic type).

[0013] The handle 3 forms internally a water flow channel 5, which connects the connector 4 to the spray nozzle 2; the connector 4 is preferably detachable, for reasons of simplicity in the assembly of the shower head, and comprises a threaded portion 6 for connection to the water supply duct, and a tang 7 with a sealing gasket 8, which is designed to engage within the flow channel 5.

[0014] According to the invention, the shower head comprises advantageously at least one chamber 9, which is isolated hermetically with respect to the flow of the water to be dispensed and is closed by at least one substantially transparent wall 10; the chamber 9 is suitable to contain fixed and/or movable decorative elements, generally designated by the reference numeral 11, which are visible from outside through the transparent wall 10.

[0015] The wall 10 is preferably made of a synthetic material such as plastics, substantially for production cost containment reasons; in a fully equivalent manner, however, it can also be made of glass.

[0016] The chamber 9 conveniently has a substantially tubular geometry and is provided around the flow channel 5; also the wall 10 consequently has a substantially tubular shape and is coaxial to the channel 5. There are two sealing rings 12, 13, which are arranged substantially at the ends of the wall 10.

[0017] According to the invention, the decorative elements 11 are constituted for example by a colored liquid of suitable density (colored oily liquid or a liquid having equivalent characteristics), which is suitable to provide, by way of its movement within the chamber 9, an aesthetically pleasant effect that is visible through the wall 10.

[0018] More advantageously, the decorative elements 11 can be constituted by a mixture of two or more colored liquids of suitable densities (for example oily liquids or the like) that are substantially mutually insoluble and produce a pleasant effect by moving within the chamber 9.

[0019] As an alternative, the decorative elements 11 are conveniently constituted by colored powders made of synthetic material, or by natural granules such as sand, or also by a mixture thereof.

[0020] The decorative elements 11 can also comprise at least one photographic image (for example on paper, light cardboard or plastics), which is rolled up substantially so as to form a tube, is inserted in the chamber 9 (Figure 2) and is visible through the wall 10. The image, which can be actually of any kind depending on the decorative effect that one wishes to obtain (for example artistic images, or images for children), can be fixed to the flow channel 5 by means of adhesive or the like, and can be advantageously combined with liquids, powders or movable granules.

[0021] It has thus been shown that the invention achieves the intended aim and objects.

[0022] The shower head can be personalized simply and easily by replacing the decorative elements inside the chamber or any photographic images or the liquids or granules. This also allows to contain production costs substantially, since the same head can be marketed in the most disparate configurations.

[0023] The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept.

[0024] A second embodiment of the shower head according to the invention is shown in partial cross-section in Figure 3. In this embodiment, the wall 10 has at least one portion, designated by the reference numeral 14, which has a larger diameter so as to easily contain the decorative elements 11. This solution also allows to insert in the chamber 9, together with the liquids and the photographic images, small moving objects, which are free to float.

[0025] A third embodiment of the shower head is shown in Figures 4 and 5. The chamber 9 for the decorative elements 11 is provided laterally along the handle 3 and therefore has a smaller volume. The wall 10 accordingly has a substantially semicircular transverse cross-section (as shown in particular in Figure 5) and is welded hermetically to the body of said handle. Conveniently, the water flow channel 5 is displaced laterally with respect to the handle 3. The optional photographic image provided inside the chamber 9 can be fixed conveniently to the bottom 15 of the chamber 9.

[0026] Figure 6 illustrates a fourth embodiment of the shower head according to the invention. In this embodiment, the chamber 9 is provided substantially at the water spray nozzle 2 and preferably runs from the handle 3 to the connector 4. Accordingly, the wall 10 has a shape that substantially replicates the shape of the head, and consequently the chamber 9 surrounds the water flow channel 5. This solution allows to provide a chamber 9 that has a larger volume, which is suitable to allow the movement of the decorative elements 11, accordingly producing a more suggestive effect.

[0027] All the details may be replaced with other technically equivalent ones.

[0028] In practice, the materials used, as well as the shapes and dimensions, may be any according to requirements without thereby abandoning the protective scope of the appended claims.

[0029] Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

1. A personalized shower head, comprising a water spray nozzle (2) associated with a handle (3) that is provided, at its end, with a connector (4) for coupling to a water supply duct, characterized in that it comprises at least one chamber (9), which is isolated hermetically from the water flow and is closed by at least one substantially transparent wall (10), said chamber (9) being adapted to contain fixed and/or moving decorative elements (11) that can be viewed from outside through said transparent wall (10).

2. The shower head according to claim 1, characterized in that said decorative elements (11) comprise at least one photographic or imaginary image, which is rolled up substantially so as to form a tube and is inserted along said handle (3) along said chamber (9).

3. The shower head according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said decorative elements (11) comprise a colored liquid of suitable density, which moves within said chamber (9).

4. The shower head according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said decorative elements (11) comprise a mixture of colored liquids having suitable densities, which are mutually substantially insoluble and move within said chamber (9).

5. The shower head according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said decorative elements (11) comprise powders or natural granules such as sand, which move within said chamber (9).

6. The shower head according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said decorative elements (11) comprise artificial powders or granules, which move within said chamber (9).

7. The shower head according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said decorative elements (11) comprise at least one liquid in which freely floating objects are immersed.

8. The shower head according to one or more of the preceding claims,
characterized in that said chamber (9) is provided at said handle (3).

9. The shower head according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said chamber (9) reaches said spray nozzle (2).

10. The shower head according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said chamber (9) is provided around a water flow channel (5), which connects said connector (4) to said spray nozzle (2), said wall (10) having a substantially tubular shape and being coaxial to said flow channel (5).

11. The shower head according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said wall (10) has at least one portion (14) that has a larger diameter.

12. The shower head according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said chamber (9) is provided laterally along said handle (3), said wall (10) having a substantially semicircular transverse cross-section.

Drawing