Dispensing Device For Showers And The Like

Abstract

A holder for sepro or like cans of fluid under pressure having a valve member which seals against the nozzle when pushed to release fluid and which directs the fluid to the desired outlet. The fluid may be liquid or foam. One use is for showers where the fluid may be directed either to the line leading to the shower head or to an outlet adjacent the valve.

Description

This invention is a holder for sepro or like cans of fluid under pressure with a normally closed nozzle which is pushed to release the fluid. A valve member mounted in the holder seals against the nozzle when pushed to release the fluid and a port in the valve member conducts the released fluid to an outlet. In a preferred form two outlets are provided, one leading to the line feeding the shower head and the other to a port adjacent the valve member so the discharged fluid may be received in the operator's hand.

In the drawing,

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of the holder with the cover removed,

FIG. 2 is a side elevation with the cover broken away,

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the base of the holder,

FIG. 4 is a section on line 4--of FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged section showing the discharge nozzle and the valve spindle in the "off" position, and

FIG. 6 is a section on line 6--6 of FIG. 4.

The particular holder shown which is designed for use with showers has a base or shelf 1 fixed to the lower end of a wall mounting plate 2 which has a clearance hole 3 for the line 4 supplying a shower head. A removable cover 5 has a flange 6 hooked over the upper edge of the wall mounting plate. The cover encloses the edges of the base and wall plate. A nipple 7 fixed to the base has its upper end connected to the shower line 4 and its lower end depending below the base for convenient connection to a shower head. An aerator 8 and vacuum breaker check valve is shown in the shower line directly above the nipple for preventing reverse flow back into the shower line.

The sepro or like cans 9 are releasably mounted on the base in inverted position with the rim 10 of each container seated on the upper surface 11 of the base and resiliently held in this position by a spring catch 12 at the upper end of the plate 2 and engaging the rim 13 at the lower end of the container. Sepro cans contain a plastic bag in which the material to be dispensed is contained. Gas released into the can forces the material out without the intermixing of the gas with the material and consequent foaming as occurs with aerosol cans. The liquid content of the foam from an aerosol can is about one third that of a sepro can. In other words, a sepro can contains about three times the liquid of an aerosol can of the same size. When so mounted the nozzle 14 of each container depends below the upper surface 11 of the base into a bore 15 at the upper end of a valve member or spindle 16. The nozzle 14 has a sliding fit in the bore 15 and, as shown in FIG. 5, the lower end 17 of the nozzle in the off position is slightly spaced above a sealing shoulder 18. Mounting the can on the base 1 does not disturb the normally sealed relationship between the can and the dispensing nozzle 14.

The valve stem or spindle 16 is integral with a disc 19 fixed to the upper end of a knob 20. The valve stem 16 is both rotatable and slidable in a bore 21 in the base and is normally in the lowered position shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 where the distance between the upper surface of the disc 19 and the lower surface of the base 1 is substantially equal to the length of a pin 22 fixed to and depending below the lower surface of the base. In this position, a longer pin 23 likewise fixed to the base 1 depends into an arcuate notch 24 in the disc with shoulders 25 and 26 at opposite ends which cooperate with the pin 23 to limit the rotational movement of the valve stem. When the pin 23 engages shoulder 25, hole 27 in the disc is opposite the short pin 22 and the valve stem 16 may be pushed upwardly by a thrust on the knob 20. When the pin 23 engages the shoulder 26, the short pin 22 is opposite the hole 28 and a similar upward movement on the valve is possible. When the pin 23 is between the shoulders 25 and 26, upward movement of the valve stem is blocked by the short pin 22 and the valve stem remains in the lower position shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5. Downward movement of the valve stem from the lower position is blocked by a snap ring on the stem 29 which seats on a shoulder 30 around the bore 21 adjacent the upper surface 11 of the base.

When the pin 23 engages one of the shoulders 25, 26, a port 30a in the valve stem communicating with a reduced diameter section 31 of the bore 15 is in alignment with a way 32 leading to an outlet 33 on the under side of the base 1. When the pin 23 engages the other shoulder, the port 30a is in alignment with a way 34 leading to the nipple 7 in the shower line.

The fluid contents of the containers 9 is entirely the choice of the user. Commonly used containers might have shaving cream, shampoo, liquid soap or detergent. The outlet 33 is generally useful for shaving cream or shampoo. It is arranged adjacent the lower end of the knob 20 so that the fluid or foam is discharged directly into the user's hand.

The mounting of the containers 9 is simple. The nozzle 14 of the inverted container is inserted in the bore 15 at the upper end of the valve stem 16 and the upper end 13 of the container is pushed under the catch 12. The container is easily removed by merely pulling the upper end of the container out from under the catch.

When used for a shower, one of the containers might contain a liquid soap and the other container a shampoo. The liquid soap could be discharged through the way 34 leading to the shower line fitting 7. Pushing upward on the knob 20 for the liquid soap container for approximately two seconds is ordinarily sufficient. Shampoo or shaving cream would ordinarily be discharged through the outlet 33.

Although only two containers are shown, it is obvious that a greater or lesser number could be used. The containers are so easily changed that it is ordinarily unnecessary to have more than two different containers mounted at the same time.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A supporting structure for wall mounting including a shelf, means for securing on the shelf in inverted position a pressurized can of the type having its fluid contents released through a nozzle at its upper end by push on the nozzle, operating means on the under side of the shelf having a vertical spindle reciprocable in said shelf, said spindle having a bore receiving the nozzle and a shoulder for pushing the nozzle and a port in the spindle leading to the outside of said bore, and an outlet way in said shelf leading from said port.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which the container has a first rim at its upper end surrounding the nozzle and a second rim at its lower end and the securing means comprises a resilient catch engaging the second rim and holding the first rim against the shelf.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which the operating means is a vertical spindle mounted in a bore in the shelf intersecting the outlet way.

4. The structure of claim 1 in which the shelf has a fitting for connection to a shower head and the outlet way leads to said fitting.

5. The structure of claim 1 in which the outlet of said way is downwardly directed to the under side of said shelf adjacent said spindle.

6. The structure of claim 4 in which the shelf has another way leading from its bore, said other way being to an outlet on the under side of said shelf adjacent said spindle angularly spaced from the way leading to said fitting and communicating with a port in the spindle in said upper position of the spindle.

7. The structure of claim 6 in which the spindle has a single port which may be selectively brought into communication with either of said ways by rotating the spindle.

8. The structure of claim 7 having means blocking upward pushing of said spindle until the spindle is first rotated into position to communicate with one of said ways.

9. The structure of claim 4 having reverse flow preventing means on the supply side of said fitting.