Basically according to this invention there is provided within or for a shower head a valve member operated by heat responsive means for controlling or closing off water supply flow through the head and so prevent or minimise spray or like emission of water from the head above a predetermined temperature, or temperature threshold.

The heat responsive means may consist of at least one dished disc located in the head and directly connected to the valve member, which disc flexes when contacted by water supply flow reaching, or tending to reach, an excessive temperature so as to operate the valve member relative to or against an opening or seating in the shower head in order to control or close off water flow through the head to the spray or like emission outlet of the latter.

Further in accordance with the invention there is provided valve member lifting means on the shower head and manually operable from the exterior of the head in order to lift the valve member and over ride the heat responsive means for resuming water supply flow through the head for emission therefrom e. g. in the event of delayed valve member lifting operation by the heat responsive means.

A practical example of the safety means as a thermal cut out for controlling or closing off water flow through a shower head hand set is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figures 1,2 and 3 are axial plane sectional views of a shower head hand set each showing a different condition of operation of the safety means, and Figure 4 is an underside plan view of the hand set.

Referring to the drawings and in the usual manner the hand set 1 comprises a hollow head portion 10 and tubular handle 11 for the supply of water to the head 10 at a required temperature e. g. from a hot and cold water mixer valve (not shown) which latter may include thermostatic control.

In the example shown the head 10 is provided with a simple single mode spray plate 2 having a plurality of outlet jets or nipples 20 for emission of the water in spray form. However, the invention is applicable to a shower head having a multi-mode or other suitable spray or like emission arrangement. In a known manner the nipples 20 are of rubber or the like so as to have a scale removal action and project from an inner ring 21 behind the spray plate 2 through openings 22 in the latter.

For the purpose of this invention that part of the head 10 adjacent to the tubular handle 11 is provided with a valve chamber 3 containing a valve member 30 centrally connected by a stem 32 to a heat responsive flexible dished disc 33 fixedly located at its periphery in an upper part of the valve chamber 3. The disc 33 is of any suitable material or materials such as of bi-metallic construction so that it flexes when subject to excessively high temperature water flow direct from the tubular handle 11. On flexing in this way it impacts downward axial movement to the valve member 30 so that the latter is thrust into seating contact with a fixed valve seat 31 at a lower part of the valve chamber 3. Such action closes or cuts off the water supply flow into the head 10, or substantially reduces the flow, so that emission of excessively high temperature water spray from the spray plate 2 is quickly stopped or reduced especially if the user should have difficulty in moving wholly clear of the spray e. g. in a shower cabinet or cubicle.

If necessary a multi disc assembly may be employed at 33 to provide required over centre force and travel to satisfactorily and automatically seat or lift the valve member 30.

For comfortable use the temperature range of the outlet spray is usually of the order ouf 38'C to 45°C so that on this range being exceeded the disc 33 operates to close the valve member 30 against the valve seat 31 and so quickly stop or reduce the water emission and avoid or minimise discomfort to the user or possible injury in the nature of scalding.

On adjusting the water supply mixer valve and/or thermostat to a lower temperature setting the resulting reduced temperature of the water supply to the valve chamber 3 causes the disc 33 to flex back to its normal condition and so lift the valve member 30 from the valve seat 31 for resumption of water supply flow into the head 10.

Some time may elapse before the disc 33 responds to the reduced temperature flow and automatically resets to lift the valve member 30. To avoid undue delay and further in accordance with the invention provision is included for manually lifting the valve member 30 e. g. for testing the water spray emission by hand and/or resume emission by over-riding the closing action of the disc 33 and valve member 30.

This is shown effected by a yieldable button 4 in the spray plate 2 which on thumb or finger depression contacts the lower end of a depending stem 34 from the valve member 30 and causes lifting of the latter and re-setting of the disc 33 back to its normal condition which is retained if the temperature of the water supply has been sufficiently reduced. The button 4 is of suitable resilient material such as plastic or rubber or may be spring loaded. In the example shown the button 4 is part of the rubber ring 21 behind the spray plate 2 and has a locating or snap fit in the latter.

The interior part of the button 4 is shown recessed at 44 to receive the lower end of the stem 34. The stem 34 is also slidable through a central bore in the valve seat 31 so as to axially locate the valve member 30.

By way of further detail the valve chamber 3 is shown consisting of a tubular body part 35 received in a generally tubular housing 13 in the head 10. The body part 35 has an opening 36 directly communicating with the hollow interior of the handle 11 whilst the body part 35 also includes the valve seat 31 e. g. as an integral assembly. In the usual way the parts of the hand set 1 are of suitable plastics material apart from the rubber nipples 20 and ring 21 and any metal assembly screw 12.

As will be appreciated from the foregoing the invention provides a simple, inexpensive and compact arrangement which provides a high degree of safe operation of a shower head.

It is to be understood that various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention herein described. Thus, the complete safely means viz the assembly of the valve chamber 3 and it contents including any over ride operation as at 4 may be provided in a suitable position generally in the shower head 1 such as at any convenient location in the head 10 or in the handle 11 e. g. by local enlargement of the latter.