Friedrich Grohe Aktiengesellschaft

Friedrich Grohe Ag & Co. Kg

Eckhard Gransow

Bernd Bischoff

Jurgen Humpert

Hans Lobermeier

Uwe Neumann

Andreas Rehklau

Hans-Peter Strelow

Sascha K&ouml;rfer

Joachim St&ouml;rk

Holger Ellerbrock

Andreas Kirchhoff

Thomas Raadts

Hans-J&uuml;rgen Linde

Bruno Heimann

Harald Dickel

Rudolf Haufe

J&uuml;rgen Humpert

A hand shower has a handle having an outer part extending along a handle axis and having an outer face and a shower head forming at least one spray opening directed along a spray axis extending nonparallel to the handle axis. A pivot between the handle and shower head allows pivoting of the head on the handle about a pivot axis inclined at 30&deg; to 90&deg; to the handle axis, normally 45&deg;. The pivot axis extends at an angle between 35&deg; and 50&deg; to the spray axis.

Multiposition hand shower

A shower has an elongated C-section holder tube having a laterally open full-length slot open at both ends, a bracket securing the holder tube to the wall, and a shower head. The head has a guide part snugly engageable in and slidable along the holder tube, a narrow neck projecting laterally from the guide part out of the tube through the slot thereof, and a spray part provided with spray holes and mounted on the neck outside the tube. A hose has an inner end connected to the guide part and communicating therethrough with the spray part and an outer end connectable to a source of water under pressure for spraying water from the holes of the spray part. The head is slidable along the holder tube with the hose extending from the guide part inside the holder tube and out of the open end of the holder tube.

Wall-mount adjustable bath hand shower

A shower fixture has a base adapted to be fixed to a wall, connected to a pressurized-water supply, and having a pressurized water outlet. A pair of generally parallel and spaced tubes have inner ends pivotal about an inner horizontal axis on the base and outer ends. At least one of the tubes is internally connected at the base to the outlet so that pressurized water can flow from the supply through the base to the tube. An element joins together the two tubes for joint pivoting. A shower head mounted between the outer ends is pivotal on the tube about an outer horizontal axis and is connected internally at the outer axis to the one tube so that water from the one tube can flow into the head.

Pivotal dual-head shower fixture

A valve system in which a magnetic valve is in series with a manually-operated valve and contact with the handle of the manually-operated valve initiates flow via the electronic controller whereas, upon loss of contact, a proximity detector controls the magnetic valve when an object, such as a user's hand, is in range. The manual contact is superordinate and proximity detection is subordinate and the proximity detector remains permanently switched on during the operating duration.

Faucet system for sanitary fixtures

A faucet has a tubular faucet arm, a water-pressurizable hose in the arm having an outer end, and a head housing mounted on the hose outer end, extending along an axis, formed with a radially throughgoing slot, and dimensioned to be grasped in one hand. Body structure in the head communicates with the hose outer end and forms first and second valve seats and a nozzle assembly mounted on the body structure forms a first outlet communicating with the first valve seat and a second outlet communicating with the second valve seat. A valve element is displaceable in the body structure between a first end position engaging the first seat and diverting flow from the hose to the first outlet and a second end position engaging the second seat and diverting flow from the hose to the second outlet. A lever partially projecting through the slot from the housing is pivoted on the body structure. This lever is coupled to the valve element for displacing it from the first and position to the second end position on depression of the lever toward the housing. Normally a spring is braced between the body structure and the valve element to urge the valve element into the first end position.

Dual-flow faucet head

A faucet assembly has a conduit defining a flow path between a supply of water and an outlet, a mechanical valve in the conduit and having an open position and a closed position, and a lever coupled to the mechanical valve for shifting it between its open and closed positions. A proximity detector has a detection field adjacent the outlet and a controller connected between the proximity detector and an openable and closable servo valve is activatable for opening the servo valve on detection of an object in the field of the proximity detector. A position-detecting switch associated with the mechanical valve is connected to the controller for activating this controller on shifting of the mechanical valve into its open position and for deactivating the controller on shifting of the mechanical valve into its closed position.

Single-lever faucet with electronic control

A valve assembly has a housing having an abutment and a valve cartridge in the housing having an actuating stem displaceable about a flow-control axis for varying a flow rate between a maximum flow and a minimum flow and about a temperature-control axis for varying temperature of the flow. A handle connected to the stem carries another abutment engageable with the housing abutment in a position of the valve cartridge corresponding to partial flow through the cartridge. A deflectable override button on the handle is operable to displace the handle abutment out of engagement with the housing abutment.

Single-lever mixing valve with override

A faucet has a base provided with a valve for supplying water under pressure and a tubular U-shaped spout having an inner end pivotal in the base and an opposite downwardly directed outer end forming a downwardly open seat. A hose has an inner end connected in the base to the water-supply valve, an intermediate portion extending through the tubular spout, and an outer end carrying an end fitting formed with a rearwardly directed abutment and fittable in the seat of the spout in a seated position with the abutment engaged against the spout outer end.

Hose-type pull-out faucet

A hand shower has a shower housing having an inner end formed centered on an axis with an axially open central recess and an outer end carrying a shower head. A male coupling part adapted to be fixed to the end of a supply hose has a tubular outlet end engageable axially in the housing inner end. A latch element can be displaced radially of the axis in the inner end between a holding position engaging and axially retaining the coupling part in the recess and a freeing position allowing the coupling part to move axially freely into and out of the recess. The housing has a central feed tube forming the inner and outer ends and at least one rigid outer housing part surrounding and completely enclosing the central feed tube. Furthermore the shower includes a pair of such latch elements radially oppositely displaceable between the positions. These elements can be fitted without soldering or fusing into the housing for a very inexpensive and simple assembly of the device.

Growing community of inventors

Frondenberg, Germany

Eckhard Gransow