HK1097170B - Shower apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Shower apparatus

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a shower device, and more particularly, to a shower device having a filter medium and a showerhead in a shower tank to remove contaminants, remove chlorine, and have an energy conversion feature.

Background

Chlorine has been identified as a disinfectant. The chlorine content in the tap water gradually increased. Chlorine is a dangerous carcinogen and chlorine in tap water can cause cancer or other diseases. Despite the low concentration of these carcinogens, these low levels are recognized by cancer scientists as a major cause of carcinogenesis in humans. Chlorine itself is not believed to cause this problem, but rather is caused by a family of chemicals formed by reactions between chlorine and natural substances and contaminants in water. Chlorine reacts with organic matter such as leaves, bark, twigs, sediments, etc. to form a chemical family called trihalomethanes and other highly toxic substances, which in turn can cause some cancers in humans.

Surprisingly, people consume chlorine while bathing. Typically, a bather will inhale chlorine equivalent to drinking 50 gallons of chlorine-containing tap water. Currently, known shower filters use various types of materials in order to filter out impurities in the water. However, the performance of some water filters is limited by the high temperature of the water.

U.S. patent application No.2005127004 to Lutich George discloses a water filtration device containing copper media for the effective treatment of water and a method of using the same. The water filtering device comprises: a housing having an inlet and an outlet; an inner filter having an inner filter housing, an inner filter housing inlet at one end, an inner filter housing outlet at an opposite end, and a uniform region of substantially pure copper disposed within the inner filter housing; wherein the internal filter is located within and in fluid communication with the housing. The internal filter also has a zone made of granular activated carbon and a filter plate separating the two zones. The water filtration device is a shower filter that removes over 90% of the chlorine when water passes through the water filtration device at a high flow rate for showering.

In japanese patent No.2000126759 to Kanai Hiroaki, in order to effectively remove chlorine remaining in tap water for a long time and produce a filter material at a low cost, the filter material is formed by fixing a calcium sulfite powder with a nonwoven fabric sheet so that at least a part of the surface of the powder can come into contact with passing water, thereby making the powder content 40-85% by using a water-repellent and chemically stable binder resin.

In another U.S. patent No. us5545314 to Parise Michael, a shower water filter assembly is disclosed which includes an elongated housing containing a cartridge of filter media and which is connected to a water outlet in a shower. To allow the elongate housing to be of sufficient length to perform the filtering function effectively, a flexible hose is connected to the bottom of the housing and extends through the tubular wand to the showerhead. For example, the stem and showerhead are supported on one side of a cylindrical housing to provide sufficient height for the showerhead during normal shower use. Alternatively, the wand with the showerhead may be removed from the support bracket and used manually for showering.

U.S. patent No. us5213688 to Robinson Dennis discloses a shower water filter assembly including a housing having a cavity for a filter element which is relatively large in relation to the cross-section of the water pipe to which the assembly is attached. A water inlet and a water outlet attached to the housing are connected to the shower pipe and the shower nozzle, respectively. The cavity portion of the housing containing the filter element moves laterally along the line of the shower pipe from the inlet and outlet. When the filter assembly is operatively connected to the shower pipe, the filter element may be located vertically above the water inlet and water outlet and the height of the shower head is not reduced by the inserted filter assembly.

The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of known systems while maintaining the advantages thereof.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a shower system which is relatively safe for use for a long period of time.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a water shower head having a water purification part including a filtering pipe for removing other substances among water and neutralizing agent so as to protect the skin.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a shower system having a filter medium that is easily cleaned and replaceable to remove contaminants present in the shower system.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a shower system with a hand held showerhead that meets the required filtering capacity and temperature requirements for the main water supply.

Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The shower apparatus of the present invention comprises: a first divided tank (divided tank) having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the tank is formed in a hollow shape to accommodate a first filter element in a roll form (rolled form) to filter water supplied to the first divided tank via the inlet; and a second partitioned tank having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the tank is formed in a hollow shape to accommodate a second filter element having a plurality of filter segments including filter media vertically mounted together to filter filtered water from the first partitioned tank. The filtered water enters the second partitioned tank through a pipe through an outlet of the first partitioned tank, and the filtered water from the second partitioned tank is discharged from an outlet of the second partitioned tank. Filtered water from the second divided tank is discharged through a showerhead connected to an outlet of the second divided tank.

Preferably, the shower head comprises: an elongated hollow body; a spray head detachably coupled to an upper end of the body; and an internal chamber having a filter media and mounted within the body of the showerhead. The filter medium used in the inner chamber is a neutralizing agent as vitamin C.

Preferably, filtered water from the second divided tank can be discharged from the outlet to the inlet of the water heater.

Preferably, the first and second partitioned tanks may be integrally formed as a single-body tank or two split-type tanks.

Preferably, the first filter element comprises an elongated tube having mesh holes, which is surrounded by a cloth and rolled up to be installed in the first partitioned water tank. The elongated tube also includes longitudinal openings that allow water to flow into the cloth and filter the water through the mesh.

Preferably, the plurality of filter stages includes a first lower section having a lower end formed with an inlet extended to be connected with an outlet of the first divided tank through a first outlet connector of the housing. The top end of the topmost segment is covered with a mesh to allow filtered water to pass therethrough.

Drawings

The invention will now be further described, by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 shows an exploded view of the shower device of the present invention showing the separate tank and connection.

Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of a shower head connected to a shower water tank of a shower device.

Detailed Description

The present invention is a shower apparatus 10 having a replaceable filter unit and a showerhead 12 located in a shower water tank 11 for removing chlorine, contaminants, fine precipitates and other deposits from tap water. Fig. 1 shows an exploded view of the shower device 10 of the present invention. As shown in fig. 1, the shower water tank 11 includes a first partitioned water tank 13 and a second partitioned water tank 14, which are surrounded by a case 15 to accommodate a filter unit. The separate water tanks 13, 14 may be integrally formed as a single-body water tank or two separate water tanks. Optionally, the housing 15 of the shower tank 11 is split in half for ease of installation. The top of the housing 15 is provided with a cover 16 to enable the user to easily change the filter element. Housing 15 of shower tank 11 may be constructed of a suitable material such as a high strength plastic or the like in any conventional or known manner.

At the bottom of the housing 15 of the shower water tank 11, there is provided at least one inlet connector 17 and outlet connector 18, the inlet connector 17 and outlet connector 18 being connected to respective water inlets and outlets of the respective divided water tanks 13, 14 via the bottom of the housing 15. For example, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the water inlet and the water outlet of the first divided water tank 13 are connected with the first inlet connector 17a and the first outlet connector 18a of the shower water tank 11, respectively; and the water inlet and the water outlet of the second partitioned tank 14 are connected to the second inlet connector 17b and the second outlet connector 18b of the shower tank 11, respectively. The first outlet connector 18a of the first partitioned tank 13 is connected to the second inlet connector 17b of the second partitioned tank 14 via a pipe 21. The first inlet connector 17a is fixed to one end of a flexible pipe (not shown) by snap-fitting with elastic means or any other fastening means used. The other end of the flexible pipe is fixed to the outlet of the water supply, the tap or the water heater in a known manner. The shower water tank 11 is connected to the shower head 12 at a second outlet connector 18 b.

The separate tanks 13, 14 may be configured as either closed-end tanks or open-end tanks, as shown in FIG. 1. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the top ends of the separate tanks 13, 14 are open to receive the tank cap 22. The tank lid 22 may be snap-fitted to the water tanks 13, 14 or screwed thereto so as to be fixed thereto. The water tanks 13, 14 are formed in a hollow shape to accommodate the filter unit therein. The open ends of the tops of the separate tanks 13, 14 allow the user to easily replace the filter unit. Outlets and inlets (not shown) are formed at the lower ends of the divided tanks 13, 14 to be connected with pipes by connectors. An additional clip cover 23 may be added to conform to the profile of the divided tanks 13, 14 to secure the tanks in place within the housing 15 of the shower tank 11.

The shower apparatus 10 is provided with a filtering unit to filter bacteria in the water supplied to the shower water tank 11 and the shower head 12. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first divided water tank 13 is connected with a first filter element (not shown) to filter the supplied water entering the shower apparatus 10. The first filter element basically comprises an elongated tube having a mesh (not shown) surrounded by a cloth and rolled up to be mounted in a first partitioned water tank 13 of the shower water tank 11. The elongated pipe is fixed to and extends from the water inlet of the first partitioned tank 13. The first filter element is for filtering bacteria in the shower water supplied to the shower device 10. The elongated tube of the first filter element is formed in a hollow shape, one end of which is closed and the other end of which is opened to be connected with the water inlet of the first partitioned water tank 13. The elongated tube is also provided with a longitudinal opening located approximately in the middle of the tube to allow water to flow into a cloth (not shown) and be filtered through the mesh. The meshed rolled cloth then filters the bacteria in the shower water. In this way, bacteria and any other contaminants remain in the filter unit of the shower water tank.

The filtered water accumulated in the separate water tank 13 then flows into the second separate water tank 14 through the outlet of the first separate water tank 13 and the pipe 21 under the influence of the water pressure. The second compartmented water tank 14 is connected to a second filter element (not shown) for removing chlorine and adding a water softener to provide clean and energized shower water to the user. The second filter element comprises a housing formed by a plurality of filter segments (not shown) which can be mounted together vertically. The filter segments are formed with threaded ends to allow the filter segments to be mounted together. Preferably, each segment contains a different filter medium for a different filtering action. The first lower section of the second filter element is preferably formed with an elongate inlet (not shown) at its lower end. The elongated inlet is fixed in an opening of the second inlet connector of the second partitioned tank 14. Preferably, the topmost section of the second filter element is covered with a mesh to enable filtered water to pass therethrough but to retain the filter media within the second filter unit. The filter units of the first and second partitioned tanks 13, 14 can be removed from the partitioned tanks 13, 14 in a correct and safe manner.

As shown in fig. 2, showerhead 12 of shower apparatus 10 includes an elongated hollow body 31 forming a handle portion for gripping showerhead 12; and a spray head 32 connected to an upper end of the body 31 as a spray unit. Spray head 32 is preferably an angled spray head that is secured to body 31 by a bent pipe (not shown). The lower end of the body 31 includes a nozzle connector 33. The shower head connector 33 is connected to an inlet of an internal chamber 34, the internal chamber 34 being mounted in the body 31 within the shower head 12. An outlet at the other end of the interior chamber 34 is connected to the curved conduit of the showerhead 12. Thus, water entering from the inlet via the nozzle connector 33 will flow into the inner filter medium of the inner chamber 34. The filter media used in the interior chamber 34 is a neutralizing agent. In a preferred embodiment, the neutralizing agent used in the inner chamber is vitamin C. The body 31 is detachable from the spray head 32 to allow a user to change and replace a new filter medium.

The present invention provides considerable advantages in terms of ease and flexibility of use for filtering chlorine or other unwanted substances from a shower water heater. In use, when supply water from a flexible conduit (not shown) enters the first divided tank 13 via the first inlet connector 17a, the water will pass through the filter medium in the first filter element into the divided tank 13 and then to the water outlet of the first divided tank 13 via the first outlet connector 18 a. The filtered water will then flow into the inlet of the second filter element via the second inlet connector 17b and then through the filter medium of the second filter element and out of the mesh of the second filter element into the second partitioned tank 14. The filtered water flows through the outlet of the second divided tank 14 via the second outlet connector 18b before exiting the shower tank 11. The filtered water from the shower tank 11 is then conveyed to the showerhead 12 via a conduit (not shown) to flow through the filter medium in the interior chamber 34 prior to being discharged from the spray head 32 of the showerhead 12. During use, filtered shower water supplied to showerhead 12 flows out of the outlet of second compartmented water tank 14.

As described above, the shower apparatus 10 of the present invention may be installed directly from the water supply and discharge water from the showerhead 12. Other possible installations are not limited to installing the shower device before and after the water heater for providing hot or cold shower water. If the shower device 10 is installed before the water heater, the inlet of the shower device 10 is connected to the water supply and the outlet of the shower device is connected to the inlet of the water heater. Whereas for mounting the shower device 10 after the water heater, water will be supplied to the water heater and hot water from the outlet of the water heater will be connected to the inlet of the shower device 10. The filtered hot water will be discharged directly from showerhead 12.

The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made within the scope of the invention as described. For example, the filter unit, the shower water tank 11 and the shower head 12 may be designed in various ways, various shapes, various materials. The filter media housed within the filter unit may include any other type of filter media that may be used alone or in combination with different materials.

It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that other specific forms of the invention may be readily made without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

Claims (22)

1. A shower apparatus comprising:

a first divided water tank having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the water tank is formed in a hollow shape so as to accommodate a first filter element in a roll form to filter water supplied to the first divided water tank through the inlet; and

a second divided tank having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the tank is formed in a hollow shape so as to accommodate a second filter element having a plurality of filter segments containing filter media vertically mounted together to filter filtered water from the first divided tank, wherein the filtered water enters the inlet of the second divided tank through a pipe through the outlet of the first divided tank and the filtered water from the second divided tank is discharged from the outlet of the second divided tank;

wherein the first filter element comprises an elongated tube having mesh holes, which is surrounded by cloth and rolled up to be installed in the first divided water tank.

2. The shower device of claim 1, wherein the inlet and outlet for the first and second partitioned water tanks are formed at a bottom end of the water tank.

3. The shower apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first and second compartmented water tanks are formed with a top end that is open to receive the filter element and is secured by a tank cap.

4. The shower device of claim 1, wherein the first and second partitioned water tanks are surrounded by a housing to form a shower water tank for the shower device.

5. The shower device of claim 4, wherein the housing comprises: an openable cover provided at a top of the case; and a plurality of connectors formed at the bottom of the housing.

6. The shower device of claim 5, wherein the housing includes first inlet and outlet connectors connected to the inlet and outlet of the first divided water tank, respectively.

7. The shower device of claim 5, wherein the housing includes second inlet and outlet connectors connected to the inlet and outlet of the second compartmented water tank, respectively.

8. The shower apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first and second partitioned water tanks may be integrally formed as a unitary water tank or two split water tanks.

9. The shower device of claim 8, wherein the first and second divided tanks further comprise a clip cover, conforming to the shape of the divided tank, added on one side of the tank to hold the tank in place within the housing of the shower tank.

10. The shower apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elongated tube is formed in a hollow shape, one end of the elongated tube is closed and the other end thereof is opened to be connected with a water inlet of the first divided water tank.

11. The shower device of claim 10, wherein the elongated tube further comprises longitudinal openings for allowing water to flow into the cloth and filter through the mesh.

12. The shower device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of filter segments includes a first lower segment having a lower end formed with an inlet extending to connect with the outlet of the first divided tank through a first outlet connector of the housing.

13. The shower device of claim 12, wherein the plurality of filtering segments includes a topmost segment having a top end covered with a mesh to allow filtered water to pass therethrough.

14. The shower device of claim 1, wherein the first and second filter elements are removable from the divided tank and interchangeable between the first and second divided tanks.

15. The shower device of claim 1, wherein the filtered water from the second partitioned water tank is discharged through a showerhead connected to an outlet of the second partitioned water tank via a second outlet connector of the housing.

16. The shower device of claim 1, wherein the showerhead comprises: an elongated hollow body; a spray head detachably coupled to an upper end of the body; and an internal chamber having a filter media and mounted within the body of the showerhead.

17. The shower apparatus of claim 16, wherein the internal chamber is replaceable and removable from the elongated hollow body of the showerhead.

20. The shower device of claim 16, wherein the filter media used in the interior chamber is a neutralizing agent.

21. The shower device of claim 18, wherein the neutralizing agent is vitamin C.

20. The shower device of claim 16, wherein the hollow body includes a spout connector at a lower end thereof, the spout connector being connected to an inlet formed at a bottom end of the internal chamber.

21. The shower device of claim 1, wherein the filtered water from the second compartmented water tank is discharged from the outlet to an inlet of a water heater.

22. The shower device of claim 6, wherein the inlet of the first divided water tank is connected to a water supply or faucet via the first inlet connector of the housing.

23. The shower device of claim 6, wherein the inlet of the first divided water tank is connected to an outlet of the water heater via the first inlet connector of the housing.

24. The shower device of claim 1, wherein the filter medium of the second filter is a water softener.