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US4557003A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Shower mirror apparatus

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1985-04-22
•
Granted: 1985-12-10
•
Expires: 2005-04-22
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Abstract

Abstract A shower apparatus includes a mirror mounted in a housing which forms a plenum behind the mirror. All of the shower water is made to flow through the plenum to heat the back of the mirror and thereby through convection heat the reflective front surface to prevent fogging prior to being discharged through the shower head. Rotatable coupling joints are employed to facilitate positioning of the mirror.

Inventors

  • 👤 Thomas L. Jones

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-30 03:03
CPC Classifications
A; A47; A47K; A47K3/00; A47K3/28; A47K3/281; A47G; A47G1/00; A47G1/02

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim 340 words
In a shower apparatus having a water supply for dispensing shower water through a shower head, the improvement comprising: (a) a first tubular connector having a fixed connection to a shower water supply; (b) a second tubular connector mounting on one end of a shower head; (c) a tee fitting including: (i) an inlet connected to said shower water supply through said first tubular connector; (ii) an outlet connected to said shower head through said second tubular connector; and (iii) an internal divider establishing a first passage communicating with said inlet and a second passage communicating with said outlet; (d) a mirror assembly having: (i) a housing having a back wall and a front wall; (ii) a mirror mounted in said housing adjacent said front wall and having a front reflective surface and a back surface; and (iii) a plenum formed by said front wall with said back wall for holding shower water to be placed in contact with said front wall which is in contact with said mirror back surface so as to transmit heat from said front wall to said mirror back and to heat said mirror front surface to prevent fogging thereof; (e) a third tubular connector having: (i) a first passage communicating said tee fitting first passage with said plenum for transferring shower water from said supply to said plenum to fill said plenum and through heat transfer heat said mirror; and (ii) a second passage communicating said tee fitting second passage with said plenum for transferring shower water which has heated said mirror back surface through heat transfer from said plenum to said shower head; (f) rotatable coupling means joining said tee connector to said first, second and third tubular connectors and said third tubular connector to said housing whereby: (i) said tee connector is enabled to rotate relative to said first and second tubular connectors; (ii) said third tubular connector is enabled to rotate relative to said tee connector; and (iii) said mirror housing is enabled to rotate relative to said third tubular connector.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 340 words
In a shower apparatus having a water supply for dispensing shower water through a shower head, the improvement comprising: (a) a first tubular connector having a fixed connection to a shower water supply; (b) a second tubular connector mounting on one end of a shower head; (c) a tee fitting including: (i) an inlet connected to said shower water supply through said first tubular connector; (ii) an outlet connected to said shower head through said second tubular connector; and (iii) an internal divider establishing a first passage communicating with said inlet and a second passage communicating with said outlet; (d) a mirror assembly having: (i) a housing having a back wall and a front wall; (ii) a mirror mounted in said housing adjacent said front wall and having a front reflective surface and a back surface; and (iii) a plenum formed by said front wall with said back wall for holding shower water to be placed in contact with said front wall which is in contact with said mirror back surface so as to transmit heat from said front wall to said mirror back and to heat said mirror front surface to prevent fogging thereof; (e) a third tubular connector having: (i) a first passage communicating said tee fitting first passage with said plenum for transferring shower water from said supply to said plenum to fill said plenum and through heat transfer heat said mirror; and (ii) a second passage communicating said tee fitting second passage with said plenum for transferring shower water which has heated said mirror back surface through heat transfer from said plenum to said shower head; (f) rotatable coupling means joining said tee connector to said first, second and third tubular connectors and said third tubular connector to said housing whereby: (i) said tee connector is enabled to rotate relative to said first and second tubular connectors; (ii) said third tubular connector is enabled to rotate relative to said tee connector; and (iii) said mirror housing is enabled to rotate relative to said third tubular connector.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 21 words
A shower apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tubular connectors, tee connector and mirror housing comprise plastic molded components.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 42 words
In a shower apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said third tubular connector includes an integral tubular portion thereof mounted within said plenum and said integral tubular portion forms a portion of said third tubular connector first passage in said plenum.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 52 words
In a shower apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including a clip member secured at opposite ends to and enabling said first and second connectors to remain relatively fixed in relation to each other while allowing limited rotation of said tee connector between and with respect to said first and second connectors.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3594063A Cited
US3708218A Cited
US4072397A Cited
US4150869A Cited
US4327961A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1988-12-09 1989-06-10 1989-12-10 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1992-12-09 1993-06-10 1993-12-10 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1996-12-09 1997-06-10 1997-12-10 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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