SHOWER BOX COLUMN

The present invention relates to a shower box column.

Shower box columns with one or more shower heads and associated regulating and control means (mixers and/or selectors) connected to the water supply systems and fixed to a wall at two or more points are known. Also known are shower columns which rest on the ground or, more frequently, on a shower base by means of suitable supporting connections.

Almost always the shower box consists of panels which require an independent fixing system which is complicated to install and maintain in addition to the system for fixing the column. The dimensions of the column, moreover, are such that the user's movements are hindered, in particular in the leg zone, and the cleaning operations are not facilitated, in particular in the case where the column is joined to the shower base or entirely fixed along a wall of the box.

The main object of the invention is to provide a shower column which is easy to use and to clean.

These and other objects are achieved by a shower column designed for installation in a shower box which is situated adjacent to a wall and has a vertical panel, characterized in that it comprises fixing means for securing it to the wall and to the panel so as to keep it in a suspended position. Since the shower column is fixed to the wall and connected to one or more panels of the shower box, the need to mount the column on the floor or on a shower base is avoided, thus resulting in a suspended shower column. Complex operations for mounting the column on the ground are thus avoided, and the leg zone is left free, resulting in greater convenience for the user. Preferably the column is formed as follows:

(i) the panel fixing means comprise a spacing member for spacing the column from the panel (which facilitates the cleaning/maintenance operations);

(ii) the means for performing fixing to the panel comprise a pin member which is inserted in the panel so as to pass through it and a pin-member fastened to the top edge of the panel (it has been found that this simple solution is the most effective and inexpensive);

(iii) the column is composed (when in use) of a horizontal structure and a vertical structure which are joined at the ends so as to form overall a structure in the form of an overturned L;

(iv) the pin members are located on the outer surface of the vertical structure, and the free end of the horizontal structure comprises a point for fixing to the wall;

(v) the structure which forms the column is hollow and comprises internally water supply lines;

(vi) a horizontal support member which is integral with the horizontal structure and can be fixed to a wall is added to the column. The features and advantages of the present invention will emerge more clearly from the following description, provided purely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

- Figure 1 is a side view of a shower column according to the invention associated with a shower box; - Figure 2 is cross-sectioned side view along a vertical plane of the shower box in

Figure 1;

- Figures 3 and 4 are a perspective view and a front view, respectively, of the column according to Figure 1, shown in isolation.

With particular reference to Figures 1 to 3, a multi-function column 10 comprises a horizontal structure (or cross member) 16 which has a parallelepiped form and is fixed at one of its ends to a wall 12 by fixing means 14. At the opposite end the structure 16 is joined at right angles to a vertical structure 18 with a parallelepiped form such that the column 10, during use, has the form of an overturned L. The structures 16, 18 are hollow.

The column 10 is secured to the wall 12 and also to a panel 20 of the shower box (not fully shown in the figures) by means of two pins 22 which are integral with the vertical structure 18, so as to space it from the panel 20 at a distance L. The space between the column 10 and the panel 20 facilitates the cleaning operations. The horizontal structure 16 may also be fixed to other panels of the shower box which may be mounted on a shower base 25 via a rod (or upright or bar) 24 which is integral with the structure 16. The structure 16 comprises on the underside a shower head 30, while the structure 18 comprises, at the top, a flat-jet outlet and underneath a handheld spray unit 28 which is connected to supply lines inside the column 10 via a flexible tube 26.

The handheld spray unit 28, if not used, can be positioned inside a recess formed on the edge of a shelf 38 which is fixed at the bottom to the vertical structure 18, as shown in Figures 1 , 3 and 4.

The structure 18 also has, mounted thereon, a mixer 36 for regulating the temperature of the water, and a selector 34 for selecting the desired water delivery means (shower head 30 and/or flat jet and/or handheld spray unit 28).

As can be seen in Figure 2, the mixer 36 is connected to the supply lines 40 via two pipes 42, 44 (for cold water and hot water) and regulates the outlet temperature of the water.

The pipes 42, 44 are connected to the supply lines 40 via a coupling 41.

The water which is mixed according to the user's needs is conveyed via a pipe 48 to the selector 34 which is connected via a first pipe 52 to the flexible tube 26 of the handheld spray unit, via a second pipe to the shower head 30 (pipe 54 and shower head 30 are connected via a coupling 31) and via a third pipe 56 to the flat-jet outlet 32 (the pipe 56 and the outlet 32 are connected via a coupling 33).

Obviously the shower column may also comprise a single delivery means, for example only the overhead shower head or several outlets of the known type such as those illustrated above. According to a number of variants of the invention, the shower column may have a form different from that of an overturned L and may be composed of a different number of parts: for example a single arc-shaped piece or parts which are not connected together at right angles. The securing points of the column 10 may be different from those shown: for example the shelf 38 may become a structural load-bearing member (if suitably fixed to a wall) and may support most or all of the weight of the column 10. In any case the connection to the panel close to the column ensures, simultaneously or separately:

(i) a further fixing/ support point for the column;

(ii) a system for stabilizing/fixing the panel.