Massage-action showerhead

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

0001(a) Technical Field of the Invention

0002The present invention relates showerheads and more particularly, to a massage-action showerhead.

0003(b) Description of the Prior Art

0004A showerhead is a component of a modern bathroom for showering the body with hot or cold water desired. An old design showerhead is sued simply for showering the body. A modern showerhead provides a massage-action to massage the user's body when showering. A massage-action showerhead has a rotary or switching knob for control the speed and volume of output water. A massage-action showerhead of this design uses the impact force of running water to massage the user's body. This design of massage-action showerhead does not massage the user's body with vibration. There are known massage-action showerheads that massage the user's body by vibration. However, these massage-action showerheads commonly have a complicated vibration mechanism, and consume electricity during operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

0005The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a massage-action showerhead, which provides a massaging effect when showering. It is another object of the present invention to provide a massage-action showerhead, which allows change of different types of showerhead face members for different massaging effects. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a massage-action showerhead, which allows regulation of water flowrate. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a massage-action showerhead, which does not consume power supply. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a massage-action showerhead, which eliminates transmission of vibration to the user's hand when massing the user's body. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a massage-action showerhead, which allows positive grasping of the hand.

0006To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, the massage-action showerhead comprises a showerhead body, the showerhead body having a first end, a second end, a water passage in communication between the first end and the second end; a showerhead face member coupled to the first end of the showerhead body, the showerhead face member having a plurality of jet nozzles for output of water passing through the water passage and a center pivot axle; an eccentric water wheel eccentrically and pivotally coupled to the center pivot axle of the showerhead face member inside the showerhead body in a tangential manner relative to the water passage and rotatable by water passing through the water passage toward the showerhead face member to vibrate the showerhead body; and a tubular handle connected to the second end of the hollow showerhead body for connection to a water source to guide water into the water passage.

0007Further, the hollow handle has a water flowrate regulating valve for regulating the flowrate of water passing through the hollow handle to the water passage, and a water flowrate control knob coupled to the water flowrate regulating valve for operation by the user to regulate the flowrate of water passing through the water flowrate regulating valve.

0008The massage-action showerhead further comprises a connector coupled between the hollow showerhead body and the tubular handle, and two shock-absorbing gasket rings respectively connected between the hollow showerhead body and the connector and between the connector and the tubular handle.

0009Further, the tubular handle has an anti-slip structure on the periphery.

0010Further, the showerhead face member can be made having multiple bundles of bristles fastened to a front wall thereof for massaging. Alternatively, the showerhead face member can be made having a plurality of studs, round pins, or sharp tips protruded from a front wall thereof for massaging.

0011The foregoing object and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.

0012Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

0013<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> is a plain view of a showerhead in accordance with the present invention.

0014<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> is an exploded plain view of the showerhead shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>.

0015<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref> is a schematic sectional view of the present invention, showing moving direction of water through the hollow showerhead body and rotation of the eccentric water wheel.

0016<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref> is a schematic drawing showing the action of flowing water against the eccentric water wheel according to the present invention.

0017<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5A</figref> is a sectional plain view showing an alternate form of the showerhead face member for the massage-action showerhead according to the present invention.

0018<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5B</figref> is a sectional plain view showing another alternate form of the showerhead face member for the massage-action showerhead according to the present invention.

0019<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5C</figref> is a sectional plain view showing still another alternate form of the showerhead face member for the massage-action showerhead according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

0020The following descriptions are of exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

0021Referring to <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 1</figref>, <b>3</b> and <b>4</b>, a massage-action showerhead in accordance with the present invention is shown comprising a hollow showerhead body <b>1</b>, which defines a water passage <b>11</b>, an eccentric water wheel <b>3</b> pivotally and eccentrically mounted in the front end of hollow showerhead body <b>1</b> and rotatable by water passing through the water passage <b>11</b> to vibrate the hollow showerhead body <b>1</b>, and a tubular handle <b>6</b> affixed to the hollow showerhead body <b>1</b> in fluid communication with the water passage <b>11</b> for the connection of a hose. When in use, the user can hold the handle <b>6</b> with the hand to move the hollow showerhead <b>1</b> over any part of the user's body as waster is passing through the water passage <b>11</b>, thereby massaging the user's body.

0022Referring to <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref>, the massage-action showerhead further comprises a detachable shower face member <b>2</b>, a connector <b>4</b>, and two shock-absorbing gasket rings <b>5</b>.

0023Referring to <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 1-4</figref> again, the hollow showerhead body <b>1</b> has an outer thread <b>12</b> at the front end, and an inner thread <b>13</b> at the rear end. The water passage <b>11</b> extends through the front and rear ends of the hollow showerhead body <b>1</b>.

0024The showerhead face member <b>2</b> is a flat circular cap having an inner thread <b>23</b> threaded onto the outer thread <b>12</b> of the hollow showerhead body <b>1</b>, a plurality of jet nozzles <b>21</b> through which water passes out of the water passage <b>11</b> of the hollow showerhead <b>11</b>, a center pivot axle <b>22</b> perpendicularly extended from the center of the back wall for supporting the eccentric water wheel <b>13</b>, and bundles of bristles <b>2</b>A fastened to the front wall around the jet nozzles <b>21</b>.

0025The eccentric water wheel <b>3</b> has an axle bearing <b>31</b> provided at an eccentric location and pivotally coupled to the pivot axle <b>22</b> of the showerhead face member <b>2</b> inside the hollow showerhead body <b>1</b> for allowing rotation of the eccentric water wheel <b>3</b> relative to the showerhead face member <b>2</b>, and a plurality of arched blades <b>32</b> radially arranged around the axle bearing <b>31</b>. When running water passes through the water passage <b>11</b>, it touches the arched blades <b>32</b> tangentially (see <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref>) to move the eccentric water wheel <b>3</b>, thereby causing the eccentric water wheel <b>3</b> to vibrate the hollow showerhead body <b>1</b>.

0026Further, the tubular handle <b>6</b> has an inner thread <b>61</b> at the front end, a water flowrate regulating valve <b>62</b> mounted in the rear end, and a water flowrate control knob <b>63</b> coupled to the water flowrate regulating valve <b>62</b> for operation by hand to regulate the flowrate of water passing through the water flowrate regulating valve <b>62</b>. The tubular handle <b>6</b> preferably has an anti-slip structure around the periphery. For example, the tubular handle <b>6</b> can be covered with a rubber covering having an embossed surface pattern for the grasping of the hand positively and comfortably.

0027The connector <b>4</b> has an outer thread <b>41</b> disposed at each of the two distal ends and respectively threaded into the inner thread <b>13</b> of the hollow showerhead body <b>1</b> and the inner thread <b>61</b> of the tubular handle <b>6</b>.

0028The shock-absorbing gasket rings <b>5</b> are respectively mounted in between the rear end of the hollow showerhead body <b>1</b> and one end of the connector <b>4</b> and the other end of the connector <b>4</b> and the front end of the hollow handle <b>6</b> to prohibit water leakage and to absorb shocks, eliminating or lessening transmission of shockwaves from the hollow showerhead body <b>1</b> to the tubular handle <b>6</b>.

0029Further, the showerhead face member <b>2</b> may be variously embodied. According to the embodiment shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5A</figref>, the showerhead face member <b>2</b> has massaging studs <b>5</b>B protruded from the front wall. According to the embodiment shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5B</figref>, the showerhead face member <b>2</b> has massaging round rods <b>5</b>C protruded from the front wall. According to the embodiment shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5C</figref>, the showerhead face member <b>2</b> has sharp massaging tips <b>5</b>D protruded from the front wall.

0030It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above.

0031While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.