The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 27, 2011
Filed:
Jun. 14, 2005
Aaron Damian Macan, Loveland, CO (US);
Harold A. Luettgen, Windsor, CO (US);
Aaron Damian Macan, Loveland, CO (US);
Harold A. Luettgen, Windsor, CO (US);
Water Pik, Inc., Fort Collins, CO (US);
Abstract
An improved shower arm. The shower arm includes an elbow portion adapted to fluidly communicate with a shower head and an arm portion adapted to fluidly communicate with a water supply. The arm portion is pivotably coupled with the elbow portion about a long axis of the elbow portion, with the long axis of the elbow portion and a long axis of the arm portion forming an angle. The arm portion and the elbow portion form a continuous channel configured to fluidly connect the water supply with a shower head. A mechanism allowing a user to selectively pivot and lock the position of the arm portion relative to the elbow portion is provided. The locking mechanism may include one or more sets of splines or similar features, such that engagement of the sets of splines securely locks the relative position of the arm and elbow portions. The splines may be coupled and decoupled by a variety of mechanisms, including: hydraulic pressure generated by a restrictor plate; a spring forcing the sets of splines together; and a pair of magnets. Alternative embodiments may omit the splines and instead employ a tab-and-gear, tab-and-ratchet, or nut-and-collet structure to selectively prohibit rotational motion between the arm and elbow portions.