U.S. patent number 3,612,355 [Application Number 05/002,875] was granted by the patent office on 1971-10-12 for combination shower and toiletries dispenser.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Frank W. Turben, by said Stogsdill. Invention is credited to Walter A. Stogsdill, Karl R. Stucky.
United States Patent |
3,612,355 |
Stucky , et al. |
October 12, 1971 |
COMBINATION SHOWER AND TOILETRIES DISPENSER
Abstract
A device for storing and dispensing in a wall fixture associated
with a shower head, a plurality of shower bathing fluids. The
fluids are stored in aerosol cans receptacled in the device. The
cans are selectively actuated by remote push buttons to discharge
their contents into a mixing chamber associated with the shower
head or into the hand for application to the body.
Inventors: |
Stucky; Karl R. (Phoenix,
AZ), Stogsdill; Walter A. (Phoenix, AZ) |
Assignee: |
Frank W. Turben, by said
Stogsdill (N/A)
|
Family
ID: |
21702956 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/002,875 |
Filed: |
January 14, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
222/135; 4/903;
222/144.5; 222/190; 239/304 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47K
5/12 (20130101); Y10S 4/903 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47K
5/00 (20060101); A47K 5/12 (20060101); B67d
005/52 () |
Field of
Search: |
;222/132,135,144.5,190,488 ;239/304,305,310 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Reeves; Robert B.
Assistant Examiner: Kocovsky; Thomas E.
Claims
Having now fully described my invention and the presently preferred
embodiment thereof, I claim:
1. A combination shower bathing and toiletries dispensing device
comprising:
a. an elongate base having
a top,
a bottom,
a front,
a rear,
two ends,
a closed manifold disposed laterally along the length of said
base,
a plurality of spaced apertures in the top of said base,
a plurality of annular bosses concentrically formed in the top of
said base around said plurality of apertures,
a plurality of spaced ports on the bottom of said base,
a plurality of spaced bores in the front of said base, said bores
communicating with said manifold, said apertures and said
ports;
b. a removable cover;
c. a shower head having a mixing chamber;
d. a conduit communicating between said mixing chamber and said
manifold;
e. means for connecting said shower head to a source of water under
pressure;
f. a plurality of aerosol cans containing shower bathing fluids,
said cans having
bottoms,
tops having normally closed spring-loaded discharge valves;
g. means for sealably supporting said aerosol cans on said
bosses;
h. means for selectively actuating the discharge valves of said
aerosol cans, said means comprising:
a plurality of elongate push buttons sealingly disposed for
reciprocation and rotation within said plurality of bores from a
normally extended position out of contact with their associated
aerosol can discharge valves to
a first depressed shower dispensing position for selectively
dispensing the contents of one of said aerosol cans through said
manifold, thence to said mixing chamber for mixing and discharge
through said shower head, and to an alternate depressed hand
dispensing position for discharging the contents of said aerosol
can through said port,
a plurality of pistons sealingly disposed within said bores, each
piston attached to one end of each of said elongate push buttons,
each of said pistons having a duct having an intake end and a
discharge end, the intake end communicating with said aperture
associated therewith, said discharge end being adapted to
communicate alternately between said manifold and an associated
port when said push button is in said shower dispensing position
and said hand dispensing position, respectively, a tapered end
adapted to engage the end of an associated discharge valve and push
in said discharge valve by forcing said discharge valve to move
along the surface of the inclined plane presented by said tapered
end of said piston, thus releasing the contents of said associated
aerosol can;
i. spring means for urging said push buttons to said normally
extended position.
2. The invention of Claim 1 wherein the means for sealably
supporting said aerosol cans on said annular bosses comprises:
a. a plurality of rubber grommets disposed within said spaced
apertures in the top of said base, said grommets being adapted to
receive said discharge valve and provide a seal between said can
and said aperture;
b. a vise having
vertical metal standards having an upper and lower end, said upper
end being threaded and said lower end being attached to said base
of said device,
a bridge provided with spaced holes adapted to receive the upper
ends of said standards, said bridge adapted to engage the bottoms
of said aerosol cans,
wing nuts adapted to fit the upper ends of said standards such that
by tightening said wing nuts the said bridge is caused to exert
pressure against the bottoms of said aerosol cans.
Description
The shower in the typical American bathroom is inconveniently
arranged with respect to the handling of toiletries. Usually such a
shower is equipped only with a stall, a shower head and a soap
dish. A great many toiletries are used in the shower, for example,
soap, shampoos and rinsing liquids of various sorts. This has been
a source of inconvenience and a safety hazard as well. National
manufacturers of toiletries have recognized this problem and have
acted to reduce the safety hazards by packaging their toiletries
which are commonly used in showers and bathrooms in plastic instead
of glass bottles. This has, to a great extent, reduced the safety
problems in the shower, although many commonly used toiletries are
still packaged in glass. But, still untouched is the problem of the
inconvenience in transporting toiletries from m storage place to
shower and back again. There is the inconvenience of handling
slippery tubes and bottles of toiletries. If the bather desires to
use a number of different toiletries, he or she must employ
makeshift means for storing these articles in the shower while
awaiting use, usually setting them on the floor where such articles
are under foot and drenched with water from the shower. Another
convenience feature which the average bathroom lacks is a device
for mixing certain toiletries into the shower stream so that they
can be used as a part of the showering process without the
necessity of first applying the toiletry by hand. Soap, for
example, is applied by hand and then a shower stream is applied to
create a lather. It is much more convenient to have a source of
soap supply which is mixed into the shower stream without the
necessity of handling soap, either in the liquid or in the solid
form. This is especially important for persons with physical
handicaps such as the elderly and the convalescing. People with
many types of minor handicaps find it inconvenient to handle
slippery bars of soap and soap containers, and have difficulty
recovering such slippery objects from a shower floor. A greater
quantity and variety of toiletries are being used today than were
in use when most of todays bathroom facilities were constructed.
Consequently, storage facilities in bathrooms are limited.
There exists a long standing need for a device which can meet these
various needs.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a device
for selectively dispensing toiletries into the shower water or
directly into the hand.
It is another object of this invention to provide such a device
which provides convenient and attractive storage for a plurality of
commonly used toiletries.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide greater
safety in the storage and dispensing of these commonly used
toiletries.
Still another object of this invention is to provide such a device
which will be of rugged construction and simple of operation.
Other, further and more specific objects and advantages of the
invention disclosed will become apparent to those skilled in the
art from the following description of the invention taken in
conjunction with the drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is an elevation view of this invention as it would appear
installed in place;
FIG. 2 is a view of the invention of FIG. 1, in section, along the
line 2--2;
FIG. 3 is an offset section of the invention of FIG. 1, along the
line 3--3;
FIG. 4 is a view of the invention of FIG. 1, in section, along the
line 4--4;
FIG. 5 is a view of the invention of FIG. 1, in section, along the
line 5--5;
FIG. 6 is a view of an enlarged portion of the view of FIG. 4,
illustrating one of the push buttons in its normally extended
position;
FIG. 7 is a view of FIG. 6 showing the push button in the first
depressed shower dispensing position;
FIG. 8 is a view of FIG. 6 showing the push button in the alternate
depressed hand dispensing position.
Briefly, I provide a combination shower bathing and toiletries
dispensing device which has several elements including an elongate
base. The base has: a top; a bottom; a front; a rear; two ends; a
closed manifold disposed laterally along the length of the base; a
plurality of spaced apertures in the top of the base; a plurality
of annular bosses concentrically formed around the plurality of
apertures in the top of the base; a plurality of spaced ports on
the bottom of the base; and a plurality of spaced bores in the
front of the base, these bores communicating with the manifold,
apertures and ports. Also included are a removable cover, a shower
head having a mixing chamber, a conduit communicating between the
mixing chamber and the manifold and means for connecting the shower
head to a source of water under pressure. A plurality of aerosol
cans containing shower bathing fluids are supportably, sealingly
engaged by the annular bosses. These cans have normally closed
spring-loaded discharge valves. Another element of this invention
is the means for selectively actuating the discharge valves of the
aerosol cans. The means comprise a plurality of elongate push
buttons sealingly disposed for reciprocation and rotation within
the plurality of bores from a normally extended position out of
contact with their associated aerosol can discharge valves to: (a)
a first depressed shower dispensing position for selectively
dispensing the contents of one of the aerosol cans through the duct
in the piston to the manifold, thence to the mixing chamber for
mixing and discharge through the shower head, and to (b) an
alternate depressed hand dispensing position for discharging the
contents of said aerosol can through a port. There are a plurality
of pistons sealingly disposed within the bores, each piston formed
at one end of each of the elongate push buttons. Each of the
pistons has a duct which has an intake end and a discharge end. The
intake end communicates with the aperture associated with that
particular intake end. The discharge end is adapted to communicate
alternately between the manifold and an associated port when the
push button is in the shower dispensing position and the hand
dispensing position respectively. Each of the pistons also has a
tapered end adapted to engage the end of an associated discharge
valve and push in the discharge valve by forcing the discharge
valve to move along the surface of the inclined plane presented by
the tapered end of the piston thus releasing the contents of the
associated aerosol can. Another element of the invention is a
spring means for urging the pushbutton to the normally extended
position.
The means for sealably supporting the aerosol cans on the annular
bosses comprises a plurality of rubber grommets disposed within the
spaced apertures in the top of the base and adapted to receive the
discharge valve and provide a seal between the can and the
aperture. Also provided is a vise having: vertical metal standards
with an upper and lower end, the upper end being threaded and the
lower end being attached to the base of the device; a bridge
provided with spaced holes adapted to receive the upper ends of the
standards and adapted to engage the bottoms of the aerosol cans;
and wing nuts adapted to fit the upper ends of the standards such
that by tightening the wing nuts the bridge is caused to exert
pressure against the bottoms of the aerosol cans.
Turning now to the drawings, in which a presently preferred
embodiment of this invention is depicted, referring to FIG. 1, the
outward appearance of this invention presents a standard shower
head 3, a cover 2 and six push buttons 4. The shower head 3 is a
standard item presently on the market. The push buttons 4 and cover
2 are made of aluminum. As seen in FIG. 4 the cover 4 is secured to
the base 12 by means of a steel hinge 5 and a standard magnetic
catch 7. The hinge 5 is at the bottom 8 of the cover 2 where it
joins with the base 12. The cover opens from the top to make it
easier to install and remove the aerosol cans 19. The cover 2 has
sides 10 which extend around to meet the back 11. Thus, a close fit
of the cover 2 is obtained with respect to the base 12 and the back
11, and the entry of moisture inside the cover 2 is minimized. In
the sectional view of FIG. 2, the relationship of the interior
parts is illustrated. In the base 12 are a plurality of spaced
apertures 13 which conduct to the manifold 14. The manifold is
constructed by boring a lateral hole in the base 12 and closing the
ends with plugs 16. Annular bosses 15 and 17 surround the aperture
13. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the annular bosses 15 and 17 are
formed to receive the top portion 18 of the standard aerosol cans
19. Returning to FIG. 2, the aerosol cans 19 are held in place on
the annular bosses 15 and 17 by means of metal standards 21
embedded in the base 12. The metal standards 21 are threaded at the
upper end 22 for the reception of wing nuts 23 which are employed
to tighten a bridge 24 against the bottom ends 25 of the aerosol
cans 19. The contents of the aerosol cans 19 are discharged through
the spaced apertures 13 into the manifold 14, or in the
alternative, through a plurality of spaced ports 27. Spaced bores
28 are provided in the front 29 of the base 12 for the reception of
push buttons 4. The push buttons 4 are reciprocated in the spaced
bores 28 to open and close the spring-loaded discharge valves 31
associated with the aerosol cans 19. In the normally extended
position shown in FIG. 6, the discharge valves 31 of the aerosol
cans 19 are closed. To actuate the valve, the push button 4 is
turned either counterclockwise or clockwise depending upon whether
it is desired to discharge the contents of the aerosol cans 19 into
the manifold 14 or through the spaced ports 27. In the base 12, the
ends 33 of a plurality of small screws 32 are positioned to
register with a groove 34 in the exterior of the push button 4. The
groove 34 has longitudinal legs 35 in opposed relationship on the
exterior surface of the round push button 4 with a connecting
channel 36. When fully rotated counterclockwise, the end 33 of the
screw 32 registers with the longitudinal leg 35 of the groove 34.
The button can then be depressed and the end 37 of the valve 31 is
forced to ride up the inclined plane 39 presented to the end 37 of
the valve 31 by the end 41 of the pistons 42, which in this case is
an extension of the push button 4. The contents of the aerosol cans
19 pours into the spaced apertures 13 which a apertures have rubber
grommets 30 concentrically disposed about them, thence into ducts
44 in the pistons 42 and thence into the manifold 14. The contents
are conducted through the manifold 14 to a conduit 45 communicating
between the manifold 14 and a mixing chamber 46 associated with the
shower head 3. By returning the push button 4 to its fully extended
position as illustrated in FIG. 6, and rotating the push button
180.degree. clockwise, the position illustrated in FIG. 8 can be
accomplished. In this instance, the depression of the push button 4
causes the discharge ends 47 of the ducts 44 to register with the
spaced ports 27 instead of with the manifold 14. Thus, at the
option of the user of the dispenser 1, the contents of the aerosol
cans 19 can be dispensed either into the mixing chamber 46 for use
with the shower spray or into the hand through the spaced ports 27.
The spaced bores 28 are sized to closely fit the exterior surfaces
of the push buttons 4 and pistons 42 to prevent leaking. Rubber
O-rings 49 are placed in circumferential grooves the exterior of
the pistons 42 provided for that purpose. Coil springs 51 are
disposed within the spaced bores 28 to urge the push buttons 4 to
the normally closed fully extended position.
Referring to FIG. 5, the shower head 3 is connected to a source of
water under pressure (not shown) by means of standard plumbing
fixtures. A mixing chamber 46 is created in the base 12. The shower
head 3 is connected to a pipe 43 which enters an aperture 48 in the
base 12. The aperture 48 is sealed around the pipe 43. A second
aperture 50 is created in the top 53 of the base 12. A bushing 54
provides the seal between the mixing chamber 46 and the copper pipe
extension 55. The pipe 43 and pipe extension 55, bushing 54 and
apertures 48 and 50 and interconnected and joined by appropriately
threaded male and female members. A similar arrangement is employed
for the joining of copper pipe extension 55 to a water pipe 56
which delivers water under pressure to the invention. The pipe 56
is externally threaded to receive a support nut 57. The back 11 has
a suitably sized aperture 58 through which the water pipe 56
enters. The support nut 57 secures the back to the water pipe 56
pressing the back against the wall of the shower (not shown). In
this particular case, the water pipe supports the entire dispenser
1. In case the water pipe 56 is not securely fastened in the wall,
it may be necessary to provide wall mountings by means of screws
59. A plurality of conveniently located holes 60 are provided for
this purpose.
* * * * *