Le Blanc, George T.
Le Blanc, Clifford H. (Beaumont, TX)
Balmer, Thomas A. (Beaumont, TX)
Hurst, Bobbie G. (Beaumont, TX)

05/037710

08/08/1972

05/15/1970

Download PDF 3681788       PDF help

Click for automatic bibliography generation

4/602

A47K3/32; A47K3/28; A47K3/23; A47K3/22

4/145,146,151,152,153,154,155,156,166 417/437,472

3431565	PORTABLE SHOWER	March 1969	Nelson
2148926	Shower bath	February 1939	Bullington
2852784	Portable shower bath apparatus	September 1958	Winkler
3208083	Portable shower cabinet of the knock-down type	September 1965	Witczak
3381316	Camper shower system	May 1968	Anderson

Artis, Henry K.

1. A portable shower comprising, a frame in excess of the height of a shower taker and including at least an upper forged fitting assembled frame header and a lower forged fitting assembled frame header, respectively, as base and top frame members, at least three riser members equally spaced from, and angularly spaced apart about a central vertical axis through the frame, each riser comprising forged fitting interfitted upper and lower portions, a laterally foldable shower curtain slidably connected upwardly to said top frame member to close around said risers as a shower taker takes a shower and openable at least between two risers for entry and exit, a closed shower water container having a pressurizing fitting removably installable in the top thereof, and spaced therefrom a shower water pickup tube and delivery tube fitting, at least one of said pressurizing and delivery tube fittings being selectively removable to permit filling the container with shower water and then replaceable, a bellows type pump to seat within the lowermost portion of said frame headers and adapted for removably anchored connection thereto whereby to hold position as foot operated by a shower taker within said shower by alternately applying and releasing foot pressure downwardly thereto to urge discharge air, through and included pump air delivery tube connecting said pump and said container, as said container is disposed adjacently exteriorally of said shower, into said container to urge the delivery of shower water through said pickup tube and delivery fitting, said bellows pump being adapted, upon release of foot pressure thereon, to expand and draw intake air thereinto through an included open ended intake air tube, an end of an included shower water flexible delivery tube being connected to said delivery tube fitting with said delivery tube extending with slack over said top frame member to dispose an included shower head, connected to the free end of said delivery tube, over said shower, said delivery tube delivering shower water responsive to pump operation to disperse shower water from said container upon the shower taker.

2. A portable shower as claimed in claim 1, in which said delivery tube to said shower is connected into substantially the lowermost portion of a side of said closed container.

3. A portable shower as claimed in claim 1, in which said frame comprises round base and top members.

4. A portable shower as claimed in claim 1, in which said frame comprises triangular shaped base and top members.

5. A portable shower as claimed in claim 1, in which said frame comprises rectangularly shaped base and top members.

6. A portable shower as claimed in claim 1, in which said container includes a grasp handle on the top thereof.

7. A portable shower comprising, a frame including at least one vehicle mounted frame member supported by an included vehicle mounted member and to which a laterally foldable shower curtain is slidably connected upwardly thereto, with the lower part of the shower curtain being associated with hold-down weight means, a closed shower water container on the ground and adjacently a bellows type pump including spike means to be spiked into the ground under said shower whereby to hold position as foot operated, said water container having a pressurizing fitting removably installable on the top thereof and having a shower water pickup tube and delivery tube fitting spaced therefrom, at least one of said pressurizing and delivery tube fittings being selectively removable to permit filling the container with shower water and then replaceable, said pump, responsive to foot operation downwardly discharging air, through an included pump air delivery tube into said container through said pressurizing fitting, upon foot pressure release said pump expanding to draw air thereinto through an included open ended air intake, air forced into said container forcing shower water up said pickup tube through said delivery tube fitting which is adapted to have an end of an included shower water flexible delivery tube connected thereto with said delivery tube extending with slack to said frame member to connect with an included shower head connected to the free end of said delivery tube, said delivery tube delivering shower water responsive to pump actuation to disperse shower water upon a shower taker thereunder in said shower.

The invention relates to portable showers of the types including shower frame parts with curtain to be set up beside water from which swimmers, upon exiting, may enter an adjacently set up shower, and operate a bellows type foot pump in the shower to discharge cleansing water through a shower head upon them, the foot pump air pressurizing a fresh water container at hand to force water to the shower head.

The invention thus has, as a primary object, the provision of portable showers, a shower being of the type having a curtain and shower water container, with bellows type air pump in shower foot operable to deliver water (from container) through shower head above shower upon person therebelow actuating air pump.

The invention also has, as an important object, the provision of portable showers of the class described with frame comprised of at least upper and lower header members connected by risers comprised of at least upper and lower sections.

The invention also has as another important object, the provision of portable showers of the class described, with frame comprised of at least one frame member, and with frame adapted to be supported from a structure, as a camper.

Also, the invention has, as another object, the provision of portable showers of this class which include a bellows type air pump easily, readily, and releasably anchored to the lower header or base frame member.

The invention also has, as a further object, the provision of portable showers of this class with shower water containers equipped with quickly threaded in fitting for flexible conduit from air foot pump connection thereon, and with quickly threaded on adapter fitting including pick-up tube, for connection thereto of flexible shower water delivery conduit to shower head.

It is also another and further object of the invention to provide portable showers of this class with interconnection of frame elements, as riser parts with horizontally disposed frame parts, being effected readily and positively by means of specially provided fitting members.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide portable showers of this class which are comprised of attractively designed and readily assembled parts, and which are most effectively operable at location by the user thereof.

Other and further objects will be apparent when the specification herein is considered in connection with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a modified perspective or pictorial view of a preferred, or round frame form of the invention with shower curtain drawn therearound;

FIG. 2 is a modified perspective or pictorial view of the form of invention shown in FIG. 1, the shower curtain being omitted;

FIG. 3 is a modified perspective development view of the form of invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, shower curtain omitted, and indicative of the readily assembled character of the portable shower;

FIG. 4 is a plan view, taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 3; also curtain installation outwardly of frame, and optionally, inwardly of frame, is indicated in this view;

FIG. 5 is a modified perspective or pictorial development view of assembly features indicated as comprised within the jagged circle 5 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a modified perspective or pictorial development view of assembly features indicated as comprised within the jagged circle 6 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary; sectional elevational view through the container shown in FIGS. 1-3, inclusive, as taken along line 7--7 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a modified perspective or pictorial view of the snap-on connection member for removably connecting the foot bellows pump to the bottom frame member;

FIG. 9 is a modified perspective or pictorial view of a square frame form of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a modified perspective or pictorial development view of details of riser connection to frame member, indicated as comprised within the jagged circle 10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a modified perspective or pictorial view of a triangular frame form of the invention;

FIG. 12 is a modified perspective or pictorial view of a curtain hanging slidable loop or hook, for slidably connecting shower curtain to top frame member;

FIG. 13 is an elevational view, partially diagrammatic, showing variations of pumps and shower water delivery arrangements; and

FIG. 14 is an elevational view of another embodiment of the invention.

Referring now in detail to the drawings in which like reference numerals are applied to like elements in the various views, a portable shower 10 is shown in FIGS. 1-8, of the round frame type, including a bottom ring 11, central ring segment 12, and top ring 13. Also lower riser portions 14a, 14b and 14c, are shown extending upwardly from interfitment upon substantially equally, angularly spaced apart fittings 15, which are connected to upstand from the bottom ring 11.

At their upper ends the lower riser portions 14a, 14b, 14c are fitted into lower fittings 15, disposed on the underside of the lower fittings 15, upperfittings 15 are mounted to upstand above the aforesaid central ring segment 12, and respective upper riser portions 14d, 14e and 14f are interfitted at their lower ends on the respective upper fittings 15 to extend thereabove. Then, at their upper ends the respective upper riser portions 14d, 14e and 14f are interfitted into respective uppermost, downwardly extending fittings 15, which are equally, angularly spaced about the under side of the aforesaid top ring 13.

A shower head 16, extending with stem downwardly directed from the long leg of a triple legged fitting 16a, is shown in FIG. 3 with center leg interfittable upon a fitting 15, ring section 11b, mounted above a corresponding underside fitting 15 onto which the upper end of the upper riser portion 14d is interfitted. A flexible tubular fluid delivery member or conduit 17 has its upper end interfitted upon the leg of the fitting 16a opposite the header mounting leg, and such delivery conduit 17 extends to a container 18 which contains the clean water for taking a rinse off shower after a swimmer comes out of a body of water, as a stream or tank, not necessarily clean, and probably sticky.

Note the construction of the upper and lower rings 11 and 13 with sections 11a, (lower ring 11), sections 11a, 11b, (upper ring 13), having reduced diameter leading ends 11c to fit into the trailing ends of the section immediately in advance thereof in clockwise relationship. Note also the central ring segment 12 comprised of sections 12a, 12b, with reduced diameter leading end 11c, section 12a, being adapted to fit within the trailing end of section 12b, in clockwise advance thereof. Also, it should be noted that the opposed ends of the sections 12a, 12b, are plugged with caps 12c, as for purposes of safety and/or appearance. Also, note the inverted U-shaped hold-down hoops, rods, or wickets 19 shown in FIG. 3, and adapted to be driven into the ground at substantially equally, angularly spaced apart locations about the lower ring 11, to anchor the portable shower 10 against displacement, as otherwise such shower 10 could be displaced in service.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 4 and 12, it can be visualized how a shower curtain 20, FIG. 1, extends around the shower frame, as suspended by shower hooks or loops 21 spaced apart around the upper edge of the shower curtain, and slidable upon the upper ring 13 of the shower frame. As shown in FIG. 12, the hooks or connections 21 are of conventional design, each comprising an upper, larger loop 21a subtending approximately 270° of arc of a circle, and of diameter to fit slidably about a section of the aforesaid upper or top ring 13. Therebelow the hook comprises two portions 21b and 21c, which extend from the opposed lower ends of the loop 21a, one portion 21b being grooved, dished or recessed along the length thereof, as is conventionally known, and the other portion 21c at first extending downwardly parallel to the hook portion 21b, and then being recurved to extend back upwardly, and apaced from the downwardly extending part substantially the same distance that the portion 21b is spaced therefrom. The hooks 21 are made of metal, preferably a light spring steel rod stock serving. The streamlined end of the recurved hook portion 21c is passed through an eyelet 20a in the shower curtain, and then the recurved hook portion is hooked or latched by its inherent spring tension, into the grooved hook portion 21b. The eyelets 20a may be provided in the hem 20b along the top edge of the shower curtain 20, or they may be provided in the shower curtain below the hem, as indicated in FIG. 12. The curtain may be of any suitable fabric, sheet plastic, or other curtain material, and an oil cloth finish, at least on the side adjacent the bather, may be preferred.

As indicated in FIG. 4 by the full line circle 20, the shower curtain may be suspended to extend around the outer peripheries of the frame rods or rings and thus outwardly of the risers of the frame. Or optionally, as indicated by the dotted line circle, with dotted lead line thereto, the shower curtain 20 may extend within the frame rings and within its vertical riser members. As shown in FIG. 4 when the shower curtain may be unfolded or spread out to full extent around the frame, it overlaps at 20d. When the curtain 20 is folded back upon itself on each side, it bags up in folds clockwise against the riser 14a, 14d and counterclockwise against the riser 14c, 14f. In this regard notice that the ring segment 12 is thus not a full circle, but is interrupted between the respective closure plugs 12c at the respective ends of the aforesaid ring segment 12.

Make reference now to FIGS. 5 and 6, a fitting 15, one being employed at each end of the riser portions 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d, 14e and 14f, is shown respectively in development detail above a section of the lower or base ring 11, and above and below the ring segment 12. Such a fitting comprises a swaged or forged body 15a, with saddle recess 15b to seat upon, or up against, a cylindrical pipe, or ring of round cross-section. At the predetermined point on a horizontally disposed frame member at which fitting installation is to be made, a vertical hole 22 is drilled, through which is passed upwardly a bolt 23 with threaded shank end 23a upwardly, head 23b downwardly. In FIG. 5 such a hole 22 is indicated in a section of the base ring 12, with bolt shank then to pass through a washer 24a, then through the body 15a of a fitting 15, then through a pronged washer 24b, then through a nut 25 as such may be threadably engaged into or through the nut 25, which is threaded full of on the threaded shank end 23a of the bolt 23 to bear on the upper surface of the pronged washer 24b.

When the fitting 15 has thus been assembled to upstand from the ring 11, and to seat thereon, then a riser portion 14a, 14b, 14c, (FIGS. 1, 2 or 3), is press fitted upon the flattened or swaged, substantially bifurcated portion 15c, which is of dimension thereacross substantially equal to the inner diameter of the respective riser portion that is press fitted thereupon.

Correspondingly, as shown in FIG. 6, fittings 15, constituted of parts correspondingly as shown in FIG. 5, are assembled, one to seat upon, and one to bear upwardly against the under side of the ring segment 12, at the three equally, angularly spaced apart locations thereon, as indicated in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. In these cases the bolt 23 is longer to extend upwardly through both under side fitting 15 and co-axially aligned upper side fitting 15. Correspondingly, although not necessary to show in the drawings, aligned upper and lower fittings 15 are provided for the upper ring 13 at location to seat upon, and bear upwardly against the upper ring 13 at location where the shower head three legged fitting 16a will have its internally upwardly plugged, central leg press fitted downwardly upon the respective upper fitting 15. Also, correspondingly as indicated in FIG. 5, fittings 15 are installed to bear upwardly against the upper ring 13 at location where the shower head three legged fitting 16a will have its internally upwardly plugged, central leg press fitted downwardly upon the respective upper fitting 15. Also, correspondingly as indicated in FIG. 5, fittings are installed to bear upwardly against the upper ring 13 at its other two equally, angularly spaced apart locations, the upper ends of the respective riser portions 14d, 14e and 14f being press fitted upon the downwardly extending, bifurcated portions 15c of the respectively under side fittings 15.

As shown in FIG. 7, the clean water delivery conduit 17 has its lower end pressed upon the serrated upper end 27a of the hollow stem 27 of an adapter fitting 26 which is fitted upon the left top portion, FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, of the container 18. As shown in detail in FIG. 7, the adapter fitting 26 includes a knurled cap 28 with under side annularly grooved and internally threaded at 28a, 28b, respectively, to be threaded upon an externally threaded hollow boss 29a that extends upwardly from the aforesaid left top portion of the top 18a of the container 18. Such container 18 is indicated in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 7 as being of rectangular cross-section in plan and in elevations, and as thus being comprised of bottom 18b, top 18a, side walls 18c, 18d and end walls 18e, 18f. The stem 27 is thus shown in FIG. 7 as extending through the center of the cap 28, with central portion 27b press fitted or epoxy welded thereto, the serrated lower portion 27c extending therebelow and having the upper end 31a of a plastic pick-up tube 31 pressed thereupon, with a coil spring 32 serving as a releasable safety latch when urged upwardly about the pick-up tube to latch the upper end tightly around the upper end 31a of the pick-up tube 31, thus to bind it tightly in engagement internally with the serrated lower end 27c of the stem 27. As indicated in FIG. 3, the pick-up tube extends to some point near the bottom 18b of the container 18.

The container 18 is indicated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 as having a hand grasp, grip lift or handle 33 formed to upstand from the central and right end portions of the container top 18a, and also, adjacently to the handle a connection or hollow adapter fitting 34 is shown with its serrated upper and 34a extending thereabove as the flange 34b thereof seats upon the container, with the fitting portion 34c therebelow being externally threaded to be received through an internally threaded bore 35 in the container top 18a.

Now considering FIGS. 8 and 13 in relation to FIGS. 2, 3 and 7, a bellows type pump 36 is shown in modified perspective or pictorial view in FIGS. 2, 3 and 8 as comprised of a bellows 37 mounted upon a valve housing base 38 with air intake and air exhaust fittings 38a, 38b extending therefrom. A connection member or looped hook 39 has loop 39a to fit around the top of the base 38 just under the bellows 37, with the ends of the loop 39a crossed over each other and formed into a pair of spaced apart latch loop members 39b, 39c, best shown in FIG. 8. As formed these members 39b, 39c, are adapted to fit about the round cross-section base ring 11 with substantial friction, thus to hold the pump 36 at location within the shower 10 as the pump is foot operated to force container water through the shower head or spray 16, as will be hereinbelow described.

As shown in dotted lines in FIG. 13, the bellows type pump 36 is indicated diagrammatically in operative detail with hollow base 38 being shown divided by a partition wall 38d into two chambers, while at the inner end of the intake fitting 38a, an upwardly opening flapper valve 38c admits air to pass upwardly as the bellows 37, compressed downwardly by foot pressure, is allowed to expand. Thus the intake air is drawn upwardly through the perforated top portion 38c of the base 38 to fill the bellows 37. Then, when foot pressure is renewed upon the bellows 37, downward movement of the bellows urges air to close the intake flapper valve 38c into the intake chamber, and to open a downwardly opening flapper valve 38f included through the unperforated top portion or plate of the base 38.

The arrow adjacent the bellows 37 in FIG. 13 indicates that downwardly applied foot pressure on the bellows 37 is urging the intake flapper valve 38c closed, and the outlet or discharge flapper valve 38f open. The air thus evacuated from the bellows 37 under compression passes out through a flexible conduit or tube 40, with one end fitted upon the discharge or outlet air fitting 38b from the bellows base 38, and with its other end fitted over the serrated upwardly extending portion of the adapter fitting 34 into the container 18, as best shown in FIG. 7. Also, such fitting 34 is indicated diagrammatically in FIG. 13, and to small scale in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.

The operation of the portable shower 10 should now be obvious, the working of the bellows 37 of the bellows type pump 36 drawing air into the bellows and discharging it through conduit 40 to pressurize the shower water in the container 18 so that it passes up the pick-up tube 31 therein, and out through the adapter fitting stem 27 of the adapter fitting 26, and via the flexible conduit 17 to the shower head 16. Thus the operator of the shower, as a bather in from salt water, or dirty creek, river or pond water, is able to operate the delivery of his own shower water as he takes a cleansing bath after swimming.

As indicated in full lines in FIG. 13, the discharge from the container 18 may be made, not through pick-up tube 31 and adapter fitting 26, as indicated in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 7 and 8, but through a positive displacement pump 41, shown in full lines in this figure, as an alternative pump for shower water delivery from container. In this case a conventional gear type, positive impeller 42 is indicated. With a positive displacement pump 41 being employed, a discharge or delivery nipple 18g from the container 18 has a valve 43 installed therein including a conventional pinion which connects the valve with the intake 44 into the positive displacement of gear type pump 41. Thence the gear type impeller 42 urges the fluid out through a discharge or outlet nipple 41a into the aforesaid flexible conduit 17 to the shower head 16.

The construction of the portable shower frame is subject to variation, and alternate constructions are shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, and in FIG. 11, to meet variations in taste, shipping expediency, and simplification of assembly in certain cases. Thus a square or rectangularly shaped frame 45 is shown in FIG. 9 comprised of a base member 46 and top member 47 with lower risers 48a, 48b, 48c and 48d upstanding from adjacent the corners of the base member 46, and with respective upper risers 48e, 48f, 48g and 48h extending downwardly from adjacent the corners of the top member 47 to be inter-fitted into and with the respective aforesaid lower risers 48a, 48b, 48c and 48d. As indicated in FIG. 9, the lower ends 49 of the upper risers are tapered, swaged or pointed to fit within the respective lower risers, with the upper and lower risers being of the same diameter or stock, so that in assembly the lower faces of the upper risers seat upon the upper faces of the lower risers. In this form of the invention no provision is thus provided for changing elevation of the shower by vertical adjustment.

The upper end portions of the upper risers 48e, 48f 48g, 48h and the lower end portions of the lower risers 48a, 48b, 48c and 48d are specially formed as indicated by the riser end clasp 50 in FIG. 10. Such an end clasp portion 50a comprises an arcuate grasp portion 50a connected by a neck or reduced diameter or swaged portion 50b to the lower end of the tube comprising a riser, the lower riser 48a being shown in FIG. 10, but each of the aforesaid risers being correspondingly comprised.

The grasp or clamp end 50a of each riser has a hole or bore 50c centrally therethrough to match with a corresponding transverse horizontally extending bore 51 through the base (or top) member 46 (47), as indicated to small scale in FIG. 9. An internally threaded cap or nut 52 is provided for each clamp end 50a to be threaded onto the externally threaded end of an assembly bolt 53 provided to extend through each clamp end bore 50c and through each adjacent frame member bore 51, whereby the risers and frame members normal thereto may be positively and quickly assembled. The shower head 16 shown in FIG. 9 is of the same type as shown in FIGS. 1-3 and in FIG. 13, with one leg of the modified tee shaped fitting 16a to be connected to the top frame member and with another leg adapted to have the flexible tubular conduit 17, (FIGS. 1-3 and FIG. 13), fitted thereon.

In the form of invention shown in FIG. 11 the portable shower 55 includes triangular shaped base member 56, having rigidly connected thereto risers 58a, 58b, 58c, upstanding from within the corners thereof. Also, corresponding triangular shaped top member 57 has rigidly connected thereto downwardly extending risers 58d, 58e, 58f, of smaller diameter than the lower risers, and with lower end portions to be intertelescoped into the upper portions of the lower risers. With this type of frame the assembly can be effected with greatest speed, also the frame is adjustable in height by the selective depth to which the upper risers extend into the lower risers, setscrews 59 being provided to extend threadably through the lower risers to bind against the upper risers, thus locating the top frame member 57 elevations. Noticeably, the top frame member 57 may mount the same type tee fitting 16a with shower head 16 thereon as shown in FIG. 9.

As the bellows type pump is actuated by the bather in the shower, so the positive displacement type pump 41, FIG. 13, may be so controlled from the shower, as by a water-proofed push-button to the motor for the pump 41, not shown, separately but included by the pump symbol. Such control may also be effected by a mechanical means, as a conventional push-pull leverage, to start and stop the positive displacement type pump motor.

The invention is subject to substantial variation within the spirit thereof, and thus substantial breadth for coverage is set forth. The round frame type shower shown in FIGS. 1-3 may omit the ring segment 12 and instead employ ways of directly connecting upper and lower risers as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 (lower-upper end face abutment), or in FIG. 11 (inter-telescopment, setscrews). Also a central, horizontally disposed connection segment may be provided centrally for the frames, FIGS. 9 and 10, and FIG. 11, through which upper and lower riser sections or members are connected. Obviously such a central connection must omit one leg or horizontal member for entrance into the shower.

Other variations and combinations of features are also considered. For instance the delivery or discharge of water may take place through a bottom or lowermost side connection, as shown in FIG. 13, although the bellows type foot operated pump is used. This is indicated as an alternative, by reference numeral 17 in FIG. 13 with dotted lead line to dotted line shower water delivery conduit, FIG. 13. Also, as indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 13, the positive displacement pump, (indicated in full lines as a gear pump 41), may as well be a centrifugal pump 60, with the conventional discharge therefrom connected to shower head 16 by flexible tubing 17.

The camper 61, FIG. 14, has a suspension member 62 indicated as supporting a portable shower 63 which includes as frame 64 a single hoop member 65, a round frame member being indicated in correspondence with the upper frame member 13, FIG. 2. In FIG. 14 it is indicated diagrammatically that the shower curtain 66 is slidable connected, to be folded closed, and opened, by connection members 68, slidable upon the upper, or single frame member 64, and connected through the upper hem 67 of the shower curtain. Below, the shower curtain is indicated diagrammatically as being weighted, as by weight means included in its lower hem W. A conventional flexible tubing 17 is shown in this view connecting the container 18 to shower head 16, as supported by conventional fitting 16a from the upper frame member 64. Also, in this view, a conventional bellows type pump 36 is shown connected by flexible tube 40 to deliver air under pressure into the top of the container 18. Noticeably, in this view, a conventional stab or spear 71 may be provided whereby the bellows type pump 36 may be anchored conveniently to be foot operated by the shower operator. Also, in this form of the invention, the pump may be a positive displacement pump as indicated in FIG. 13, connected to take suction from the container and discharge through the flexible tube to the shower head.

Obviously the spirit of the invention is disclosed as within the extent of the variations thereof set forth, the application being completed by the appended claims which are exemplary.