MOBILE SHOWER UNIT

Abstract

A mobile shower unit for use in a truck, comprising a shower curtain (10) permanently attached to a shower tray (19), which is fixed at its top to the roof of the truck cab. Heated clean water is supplied to the shower curtain (10) by a water pump via a shower hose with an inlet (6) from a clean water tank (12) with a heater (1) and a thermostat (2). At the end of the shower hose is a shower handle with a switch for the water pump. The shower tray (19) has a drain hole for dirty water into the dirty water tank (13) with a plug (7). (See diagram: Fig. 1)

Description

Title of the invention: MOBILE SHOWER UNIT

[0001] The object of the utility model is a mobile shower unit for use in a truck.

[0002] Service areas often have sanitary facilities where toilets are available. These facilities are used by many people and often raise concerns about their hygiene. Conversely, it is not possible to bathe while traveling by car in areas without sanitary facilities. The chauffeur profession employs millions of drivers worldwide who do not have access to basic hygiene such as showering. Only a few TIR service areas are equipped with permanent showers, and with more than a hundred drivers in such a parking area at any one time, the hygienic condition of the showers in these parking areas leaves much to be desired.

[0003] Simple solutions for mobile showers are known. In most cases, this consists of a small tent on a lightweight, foldable frame, similar to small tourist tents. A lightweight cover with an entrance hole and a zipper is attached to the frame. The resulting shower cubicle has no floor. Bathing is done by pouring water from an inserted container or, in a more advanced version, using a pump at the end of the shower hose. In both cases, the problem of wastewater arises. In cubicles without a floor, the water used with detergent flows out and pollutes the environment. In the case of a cubicle with a floor, the problem is more significant, as the water must be drained from inside the cubicle and contaminates the surrounding area.These cabins are easy to fold and unfold and take up little space, but they don't allow for hot water showers and don't offer an environmentally friendly way to dispose of wastewater. If you want to use such a shower, it's not possible to do so in the truck cab.

[0004] Portable mobile shower according to the description contained in the Chinese utility model CN211796086U, comprising: a folding tent, a shower handle, a hot and cold water mixer, a water pump assembly, an electrical control box, a water bucket, a wastewater bucket, a tent stand, a roof, a side panel, a wastewater tank, a infiltration plate, a water pump mounting base, a first water pump, a second water pump, and a third water pump. The folding tent consists of a tent pole, a roof, a side panel, a wastewater tank, and a infiltration plate. The roof is inserted on the outside of the upper part of the tent pole, and the side panel is inserted on the outside of the lower part of the tent pole. The side panel is attached to the roof by a zipper. The wastewater tank is located at the bottom of the The tent frame and the inside of the side panel are secured. The infiltration plate is fixed and installed above the wastewater tank. The shower is suspended and installed on the tent support. The three water pumps are permanently mounted on the mounting base, and the electrical control box is permanently mounted on the first water pump's mounting base through the pole. The water inlet end of the first water pump is connected to the bucket by a water hose. The first water outlet end is connected to the hot and cold water mixer by a water hose. The water outlet end of the hot and cold water mixer is connected to the shower by a water hose. The water hose is connected to the wastewater tank, and the water outlet of the third water pump is connected to the wastewater bucket by a water hose.The structure described in the CN211796086U utility model is complex and contains numerous components. Despite its great utility, this type of mobile shower is complicated to unfold and fold. Furthermore, the number of components results in a significant volume and weight for the entire kit, making it unsuitable for use in a truck cab with floor space of only about 4 square meters. Additionally, for people who travel long distances and change locations frequently, even daily, setting up and deploying such a structure is too time-consuming. Moreover, using such a shower inside a truck cab is practically impossible due to the considerable number of components that must be assembled and subsequently disassembled.It remains to develop a design that, on the one hand, meets user expectations, is easy to assemble and disassemble, and takes up little space when folded, and, on the other hand, ensures user comfort and is environmentally friendly.

[0005] A mobile shower according to Polish application P.441979 is known, with a closed water circuit characterized in that it comprises a cold water tank connected by a pump to a heating water tank and a thermostatic mixer in the shower, a heating water tank connected by a tap installed in the shower tray and the cold water tank, and an internal coil connecting the circuit to the thermostatic tap of the shower and the shower tray having an outlet connected by a pump and a filter system to the heating water tank and an insulating cushion on the bottom of the shower tray, the water heating tank contains a heating system in the form of an electric resistance.

[0006] The distinctive feature of this utility model lies in a mobile shower unit with a shower cubicle consisting of walls and a ceiling, water tanks, and a rubber shower hose with a shower handle. The entire shower unit is housed in a truck in which a curtain made of waterproof material is permanently attached to the shower tray, which is fixed high on the roof of the truck cab.

[0007] The second version is a cabin consisting of a curtain with chambers filled with compressed air which, once filled, form a cabin ready to receive a shower.

[0008] Heated clean water is introduced into the shower curtain by means of a water pump via a shower hose. The fresh water tank is heated by a thermostatically controlled heater. At the end of the shower hose is a shower handle with a water pump switch. The shower tray is equipped with an outlet / drain hole for the dirty water to drain into the dirty water tank. The water heater and water pump are powered by an electrical cable from the truck's 12 V DC or 24 V DC system, depending on the vehicle. The shower tray is located in one of the two side storage compartments of the truck cab. The clean water tank is located in the space under the lower shelf of the truck cab or outside, behind the rear wall of the truck cab. The dirty water tank is located outside the truck cab, under the truck floor.

[0009] This solution allows the driver to shower without leaving the cabin.

[0010] The object of the utility model is represented in the drawing where [Fig. 1] shows the shower components in a ready-to-use position; [Fig. 2] shows the shower components in a ready-to-use position; [Fig. 3] shows the shower components in a ready-to-use position; [Fig. 4] shows the Shower components in a ready-to-use position. Figure 2 shows the components. [Fig. 3] shows the shower in an exploded view, including the location of the heater, water pump, drain hole and shower handle; [Fig. 4] shows the complete shower installed in the truck cab after the seat and beds have been assembled and are ready for use; [Fig. 5] shows an alternative curtain frame in the form of inner tubes and a curtain; [Fig. 6] shows the truck cab with the shower folded down and ready for use; [Fig. 7] shows the side view of the truck cab after opening the side storage compartment with the shower folded down in a version with a clean water tank located behind the rear wall of the truck cab.

[0011] The object of the utility model, which is a mobile shower unit, can be installed in the truck as an accessory and will only require the conversion of the two beds into folding beds and that the water inlet and outlet be located outside the interior of the truck cab.

[0012] The shower consists of a folding curtain 10 made of waterproof material forming a unit with the four walls and the ceiling, a rubber hose with a shower handle 11, and a shower tray 19 with a safety door 5. The curtain 10 is permanently attached to the walls of the shower tray 19 and temporarily to the roof of the truck by means of hooks 17 fixed to each other and wheels permanently fixed to the roof of the truck, or by other similar means. In the curtain of one of the walls, there is a zipper 16 which, when opened, allows entry to and exit from the shower enclosure.

[0013] The curtain frame 10 can also consist of four interconnected air chambers 9 which are filled with compressed air via air valves 14. The shower structure consists of a clean water tank 12 and a dirty water tank 13. In the fresh water tank 12 is a water pump 3, to which a shower hose is connected, at the end of which is a shower handle 11 with a switch 15 for the water pump 3 and a heater 1 with a thermostat 2, which heats the water to the desired temperature with the additional possibility of setting the desired bath temperature via the thermostat 2. The heater 1 and the water pump 3 are powered by the truck's 12 V DC or 24 V DC system via cable 20, depending on the vehicle. A shower hose fitted with a 6-inch inlet screw cap is used to pour clean water.

[0014] The dirty water tank 13 has an outlet opening 7 with a screw cap. The dirty water from the shower tray 19 flows through the drain hole 4 and the drain pipe 8 into the dirty water tank 13. The tank 13 is in the form of a jerrycan and, after using the shower, this tank can be detached and taken to a wastewater treatment plant to discharge the dirty water through the drain opening 7. The mobile truck shower, depending on the model, consists of a shower curtain 10, a shower tray 19, a clean water tank 12 and a dirty water tank 13, as well as a shower hose with a shower handle 11. When unfolded, the curtain 10 has four walls attached to the roof of the vehicle, while at the bottom it is permanently fixed to the walls of the shower tray located in the side storage compartment of the passenger compartment. The curtain 10 is fixed to the roof of the truck cab using hooks 17 and wheels when the shower is used on the roof.Access to the shower is from inside the truck by folding down approximately one-third of the lower and upper bunks. A fresh water tank 12 and a waste water tank 13 are located under the lower deck or outside the truck cab. A water pump 3 is mounted in the chamber of the fresh water tank 12, to which a shower hose is connected. At the end of this hose is a shower handle 11 with a water pump switch 3. The fresh water tank 12 is fitted with a filler cap. The waste water tank 13 has an outlet opening with a screw cap. The shower walls and roof or curtain are made of a waterproof material and are attached to the truck roof using temporary mounting techniques, such as hooks, wheels, Velcro, fasteners, loops, or clips. The curtain mounting frame can also be an inner tube 9 filled with compressed air, in which case the frame has at least one lockable inlet / outlet for filling it with air. The shower walls and roof, made of waterproof material, are permanently attached to the frame. Advantageously, the inner tube frame has four inlet / outlet valves so that the inner tubes can be emptied more quickly. A water heater 1 with a thermostat 2 is installed in the fresh water tank 12. It heats the water to the desired temperature, with the additional option of setting the desired bathing temperature using the thermostat.The water heater 1 and water pump 3 are powered by either 12V DC or 24V DC from the vehicle's electrical system via cable 20, depending on the vehicle. The heater's power output is matched to the power supply. When folded, the shower is located in a side storage compartment on the left or right side of the truck cab. The user refills the fresh water tank 12. Then, to heat the water in the fresh water tank 12, switch on the water heater 1 using the switch and set the desired temperature using the thermostat knob 2. The fact that the water has been heated, i.e., has reached the set temperature, is indicated by the indicator light illuminating or by an audible signal. Both beds must then be folded down approximately one-third to access the side storage compartment from inside the driver's compartment.The next step is to lift the door protecting the shower curtain 10 from mechanical damage caused by transported luggage and to remove the shower curtain 10 and the shower handle 11. The shower curtain 10 is secured by hooks 17 located at the top of the curtain 10 and wheels attached to the roof of the truck cab, and the curtain fabric is pulled upwards. A zipper 16 is attached to one side of the shower curtain 10, which, when unfastened, provides access to the inside of the shower. Once inside, the water pump button 3 located on the shower handle 11 is activated. The water pump 3 begins to pump the heated water. Hot water begins to flow from the shower control at the temperature set on the thermostat. A drain hole 4 is installed at the bottom of the shower, through which the dirty water flowing through the floor of the shower tray is conveyed by gravity to the dirty water tank 13. When leaving the shower, let it dry.The curtain 10 is then detached from the roof of the truck cab, folded into the shower tray 19, and the shower tray door 19 is closed. The wastewater tank 13, which is drum-shaped, is detached from the wastewater drainpipe 8 and transported to a location equipped with a sewer for emptying. A similar procedure is followed if the enclosure is in the form of chambers. Inflatable air chambers 9, with air being evacuated from the chambers of the enclosure by unscrewing the inlet / outlet valves. The wall and ceiling material of the curtain 10 folds into the shower tray 19 and closes the protective door of the shower tray 19.

Claims

Demands

1. Mobile shower unit with shower cabin consisting of walls and a roof, water tanks and a rubber shower hose with shower handle, characterized in that the unit is located in a truck and the shower cabin consists of a shower curtain (10) permanently fixed to the shower tray (19), which is fixed at the top on the roof of the truck cabin, heated clean water is introduced into the curtain (10) by a water pump (3) via a shower hose with an inlet (6) from the clean water tank (12) with a heater (1) and a thermostat (2), at the end of the shower hose is a shower handle (11) with a switch (15) for the water pump (3), while the shower tray (19) has an outlet / drain hole (4) which discharges the dirty water into the dirty water tank (13) with a plug (7).

2. The shower assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the shower cabin consists of a shower curtain (10) permanently connected to the chambers (9) filled with compressed air which constitute the shower cabin after filling.

3. Shower assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the water heater (1) and the water pump (3) are supplied by the truck installation, depending on the vehicle, with 12 V DC or 24 V DC via an electrical cable (20).

4. Shower assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that the shower tray (19) is located in one of the two side storage compartments of the truck cab.

5. Shower assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that the dirty water tank (13) is located outside the truck cab, under the truck floor.

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