Portable shower

Abstract

A portable shower comprising a vessel having an opening leading to a reservoir; a removable lid able to be attached to the vessel to cover the opening; a pressurisation device that extends through the lid into the reservoir to pressurise the reservoir; and a spray assembly fluidly connected to the reservoir to distribute fluid from the reservoir; wherein the vessel has an outer wall spaced from an inner wall.

Description

"A PORTABLE SHOWER"FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to a portable shower. In particular, the invention relates to a portable shower for personal use. However, it would be appreciated that the portable shower may be used for other purposes.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] In outdoor and remote settings, individuals often face significant challenges related to the accumulation of dirt, mud, saltwater, and sand, especially during activities such as camping, hiking, beach outings, or fishing. These elements can cover a person’s skin, creating discomfort and an overwhelming desire to wash off contaminants before entering a tent, vehicle, or other enclosed spaces.

[0003] In colder climates, the presence of these substances can be particularly problematic. After a day spent hiking through muddy trails or engaging in water activities, individuals may find themselves feeling cold and uncomfortable due to the dampness caused by mud or saltwater. The thought of using cold water from a portable shower in such conditions can be daunting. Further, the shock of cold water can exacerbate feelings of chilliness and lead to potential health risks like hypothermia. As a result, individuals may hesitate to wash, leading to a lingering sense of discomfort.

[0004] Conversely, in warmer environments, the accumulation of sand, sweat, and saltwater can create a different set of challenges. Individuals may feel sticky and overheated, seeking relief by washing off these irritants. In such conditions, cold water becomes desirable, providing a refreshing way to cool down and cleanse the skin. However, many existing portable shower solutions are designed without consideration for varying temperature needs, often delivering water that is at ambient temperature, which may not effectively address the discomfort caused by these environmentalfactors.

[0005] Some portable shower systems rely on heating water using energy provided by gas or battery power. While these systems can provide warm water, they are often heavy, expensive, and cumbersome to transport and set up in remote locations. The added weight and bulk can be significant drawbacks, making it difficult for users to carry these solutions to locations. This limitation not only diminishes the practicality of using portable showers but also discourages individuals from maintaining cleanliness when covered with dirt, mud, salt, or sand.OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0006] It is an object of the invention to overcome and / or alleviate the abovementioned problems and / or provide the consumer with a useful or commercial choice.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] In one form, although not necessarily the only or broadest form, the invention resides in a portable shower comprising: a vessel having an opening leading to a reservoir; a removable lid able to be attached to the vessel to cover the opening; a pressurisation device that extends through the lid into the reservoir to pressurise the reservoir; and a spray assembly fluidly connected to the reservoir to distribute fluid from the reservoir; wherein the vessel has an outer wall spaced from an inner wall.

[0008] The vessel may be made from a suitable material. Preferably, the vessel is made from metal. However, it is envisaged that the vessel may be made from other materials, such as glass or plastic or fibre-reinforced plastic.

[0009] The vessel may be insulated between the outer wall and the inner wall. A vacuum may be created between the outer wall and the inner wall. Alternatively, aninsulation material may be located between the outer wall and an inner wall. These insulation materials may include fibreglass, mineral wool, cellulose, natural fibres, polystyrene, polyisocyanurate, polyurethane, perlite, and phenolic foam or the like materials.

[0010] Typically, the inner wall defines the reservoir.

[0011] The vessel may have a flange that is typically associated with the opening. The flange may be threaded.

[0012] The removable lid may be attached to the vessel via the flange. A recess may be formed in the underside of the removable lid for this purpose. The recess may be centrally located in the removable lid. The recess may be threaded. The threaded recess may engage with the threaded flange to connect the removable lid with the vessel.

[0013] The removable lid may have a hole that extends through the removable lid. The hole may be centrally located in the removable lid. The hole may be threaded.

[0014] The pressurisation device is typically hand-operated. The pressurisation device may include a piston and a cylinder. The piston may have a handle to move the piston within the cylinder.

[0015] The cylinder may be connected to the removable lid. The cylinder may be connected to the hole in the removable lid. The cylinder may include a cylinder body. The cylinder may include a lower threaded portion. A diameter of the lower threaded portion may be larger than a diameter of the cylinder body. The lower threaded portion may engage with the threaded hole in the removable lid. A cylinder seal may be located adjacent the lower threaded portion to fluidly seal the lid and the cylinder.

[0016] Alternatively, the cylinder may be integrally formed with the removable lid.

[0017] The cylinder may have an upper threaded portion. The upper threaded portion may be larger in diameter than the cylinder body. The upper threaded portion may be larger in diameter than the lower threaded portion.

[0018] The cylinder seal may be located within a channel located between the upper threaded portion and the lower threaded portion.

[0019] The cylinder may extend into the reservoir.

[0020] A cylinder one-way valve may be located in the cylinder to allow air to pass out of the cylinder body. Typically, the one-way valve is located adjacent to a bottom of the cylinder body.

[0021] The piston may have a head connected to a rod. The rod may be connected to a handle. A collar may extend around the rod. An inside skirt of the collar may be threaded. The collar may be fastened to the upper threaded portion to hold the piston in position relative to the cylinder. The collar may also have a holder to hold the handle when the piston is not in use.

[0022] A piston one-way valve may be associated with the head of the piston to allow air to pass into the cylinder when the head is moved toward the removable lid.

[0023] The spray assembly may include a reservoir tube, a spray hose and a sprayer. The reservoir tube and spray hose may be fluidly connected. The spray hose and the sprayer may be fluidly connected. A connector may extend through the lid that connects the reservoir tube and the spray hose. It may also be used to mount either or both of the reservoir tube and spray hose.

[0024] Further features of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description below.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Embodiments of the invention will be described, by way of example only, withreference to the accompanying figures in which:

[0026] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable shower according to a first embodiment of the invention;

[0027] FIG. 2 is a front sectional view of the portable shower as shown in FIG. 1 ; and

[0028] FIG. 3 is an exploded front sectional view of the portable shower as shown in FIG. 1.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] FIGS 1 to 3 show a portable shower 10 that is used to wash dirt, mud, sand, salt or other unwanted material from a user’s body. The portable shower 10 can be filled with cold or hot water to retain a substantial amount of the thermal properties of the water for use at a later date. The portable shower 10 includes a vessel 20, a removable lid 30, a pressurisation device 40 and a spray assembly 50.

[0030] The vessel 20 is used to hold water. The vessel 20 is made from steel and has an outer wall 21 and an inner wall 22. A vacuum is formed between the outer wall21 and the inner wall 22 to make the vessel 20 a vacuum-insulated vessel 20. The inner wall 22 defines a reservoir 23 where water can be held. A surface of inner wall22 that forms the reservoir 23 has a reflective coating. The reflective coating is typically made of a metal such as aluminium, but other suitable metals can be used.

[0031] An opening 24 is located centrally above the reservoir 23. Water can be placed into the reservoir 23 through this opening 24. A flange 25 surrounds the opening 24. The flange 25 is externally threaded.

[0032] The removable lid 30 is used to seal the opening 24. The removable lid 30 is also used to mount the pressurisation device 40 and the spray assembly 50.

[0033] A recess 31 is located on an underside of the removable lid 30. The recess 31 is threaded. The threaded recess 31 is fastened to the threaded flange 25 to fastenthe removable lid 30 to the vessel 20. The recess 31 is centrally located in the removable lid 30.

[0034] A hole 32 extends through the centre of the removable lid 30. The hole 32 is internally threaded. The hole 32 is smaller in diameter than the diameter of the recess31 . The hole 32 is also located above the recess 31 .

[0035] The pressurisation device 40 is used to pressurise the reservoir 23. The pressurisation device includes a cylinder 60 and a piston 70. The piston 70 is reciprocated within the cylinder 60 to pressurise the reservoir 23.

[0036] The cylinder 60 includes a cylinder body 61. The cylinder body 61 is hollow and is made of plastic.

[0037] An upper threaded portion 62 is located adjacent a top end of the cylinder 60. A lower threaded portion 63 is located below and adjacent to the upper threaded portion 62. A diameter of the lower threaded portion 63 is larger than a diameter of the cylinder body 61. Similarly, a diameter of the upper threaded portion 62 is larger than the diameter of the cylinder body 61 . The upper threaded portion 62 is larger in diameter than the lower threaded portion 63.

[0038] A channel 64 is located between the upper threaded portion 62 and the lower threaded portion 63. A cylinder seal 65, in the form of an O-ring, is located within this channel 64. Hence the cylinder seal 65 is located between the upper threaded portion 62 and the lower threaded portion 63.

[0039] The cylinder 60 is removably attached to the removable lid 30 via the hole 32. To attach the cylinder 60 to the hole 32, the cylinder body 61 is placed through the top of the hole 32. The lower threaded portion 63 then engages with the threaded hole32. Rotation of the cylinder body 61 causes the lower threaded portion 63 to move further into the hole 32 until the cylinder seal 65 is firmly pressed into the hole 32. The cylinder seal 65 makes the hole 32 airtight at this point. The upper threaded portion 62 extends upwardly above the hole 32 in the removable lid 30.

[0040] A cylinder one-way valve 66 is located at the base of the cylinder body 61 to allow air to pass out of the cylinder body 61 but prevent air from passing into the cylinder body 61. The one-way valve 66 in this embodiment is a resilient flap (not shown) that can pivot in one direction but not the other. However, it would be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that numerous other one-way valves may be used to replace the resilient flap to achieve the same effect.

[0041] The piston 70 is formed from a head 71 that is connected to a rod 72 that, in turn, is connected to a handle 73. A collar 74 extends around the rod 72 and allows the rod 72 to slide through an aperture (not shown) located through the collar 74. Accordingly, the collar 74 guides the movement of the rod 72. A skirt 76 of the collar 74 is threaded.

[0042] The collar 74 is fastened to the upper threaded portion 62 of the cylinder body 61 via the threaded skirt 76. This holds the rod 72 in position relative to the cylinder body 61 . It also allows the piston 70 to be reciprocated by hand by the handle 73.

[0043] The collar 74 also forms a holder 75 to hold the handle 73 when the piston 70 is not in use. The holder 75 is in the form of a bayonet fitting with the handle 73 having pins that fit within bays located within the collar 74. When the handle is not engaged in the holder 75, the piston 70 is able to move relative to the cylinder 60. When the handle 73 is engaged with the holder 75, the piston 70 is unable to move relative to the cylinder 60. In this position, the handle 73 can be used to carry the portable shower 10 from place to place.

[0044] A piston one-way valve 78 is associated with the head 71 of the piston to allow air to pass into the cylinder body 61 when the head 71 is moved toward the removable lid 30. The piston one-way valve 78 also prevents air from flowing past the head 71 when the head 71 is moved away from the removable lid 30. This forces air out of the cylinder one-way valve 66 to pressurise the reservoir 23.

[0045] The piston one-way valve 78 is formed with the head 71 having a top portion 80 and bottom portion 81 that are separated from each other to form a groove 82. A piston seal 83, in the form of an O-ring, sits within this groove 82. Slots 84 are locatedthrough the bottom portion 81 . Accordingly, when the piston 70 is pushed downwardly, the seal 83 is pushed against the top portion 80 to form a seal with the cylinder body 61 . Accordingly, air is compressed within the cylinder body 61 and is forced out of the cylinder one-way valve 66. On the return stroke, the seal 83 is pushed against the bottom portion 81 adjacent the slots 84. Hence, air is able to flow around the seal 83 and into the cylinder body 61 .

[0046] It would be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that the other types of piston one-way valves could be associated with the head 71 to achieve the same effect.

[0047] The spray assembly 50 includes a reservoir tube 51 , a spray hose 52 and a sprayer 53. The reservoir tube 51 and spray hose 52 are both connected to a connector 33. The connector 33 includes a conduit that extends through the removable lid 30. One external end 34 of the connector 33 is threaded and connects to the spray hose using a threaded cap 54. The other internal end 36 of the connector 33 is a spigot 35 onto which is pushed the reservoir tube 51 . Hence the reservoir tube 51 is fluidly connected to the spray hose 52 via the connector 33. The sprayer 53 is fluidly connected to the spray hose 52. The spray hose 52 is formed in a coil so that it is compact when the portable shower 10 is being carried but is sufficiently long that the sprayer can be manoeuvred around a user’s body.

[0048] In use, the removable lid 30 is removed from the vessel 20 by rotating the removable lid 30 which disengages the recess 31 from the flange 25. Once the removable lid 30 is removed from the vessel 20, hot or cold water can then be placed into the reservoir 23 via the large opening 24. The removable lid 30 is attached to the vessel 20 by rotating the removable lid 30 in the opposite direction to engage the recess 31 with the flange 25. Once the removable lid 30 is tightened, the reservoir 23 is airtight.

[0049] When a user wishes to use the water to wash themselves, the handle 73 of the piston 70 is moved up and down. This causes the head 71 to also move up and down to push air through the cylinder one-way valve 66 of the cylinder body 61 . This in turn increases the pressure within the reservoir 23. A pressure relief valve 90 isassociated with the removable lid and is fluidly connected to the reservoir 23 when the removable lid 30 is connected to the vessel 20. If a threshold pressure is exceeded, the pressure relief valve 90 is opened to relieve pressure from the reservoir 23.

[0050] Once the reservoir 23 is pressurised, water can be dispensed through the spray assembly 50. To achieve this, the sprayer 53 is activated by depressing a trigger 55 on the sprayer 53. This allows water to pass through the reservoir tube 51 located within the water in the reservoir 23, through the connector 33, into the spray hose and then out of the sprayer 53. Water will continue to pass through the spray assembly 50 until the trigger 55 is released or until the pressure dissipates within the reservoir 23.

[0051] The portable shower 10 provides the advantage that the vessel 20 is thermally insulated keeping the water hot or cold. The way in which the cylinder 60 is connected to the removable lid 30 also assists in preventing thermal loss. Similarly, having a removable lid 30 can be quickly and efficiently locked to the vessel 20, also reducing thermal loss.

[0052] In this specification, terms such as upward, downward, horizontal and vertical, and their grammatical derivatives, are used to describe the invention in its normal orientation and are not to be construed to limit the invention to any particular orientation.

[0053] The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that the prior art forms part of the common general knowledge.

[0054] It should be appreciated that various other changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments described without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS:1 . A portable shower comprising: a vessel having an opening leading to a reservoir; a removable lid able to be attached to the vessel to cover the opening; a pressurisation device that extends through the lid into the reservoir to pressurise the reservoir; and a spray assembly fluidly connected to the reservoir to distribute fluid from the reservoir; wherein the vessel has an outer wall spaced from an inner wall.

2. The portable shower of claim 1 wherein the vessel is made from metal.

3. The portable shower of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the vessel is insulated between the outer wall and the inner wall.

4. The portable shower of any one of the preceding claims wherein a vacuum is be created between the outer wall and the inner wall.

5. The portable shower of any one of the preceding claims the vessel has a flange that is associated with the opening, the removable lid being attached to the vessel via the flange.

6. The portable shower of claim 6 wherein the flange is threaded and a threaded recess is formed in the underside of the removable lid such that the threaded recess engage with the threaded flange to connect the removable lid with the vessel.

7. The portable shower of any one of the preceding claims wherein the pressurisation device includes a piston and a cylinder,8. The portable shower of claim 7 wherein the cylinder is connected to the removable lid via a hole located within removable lid.

9. The portable shower of claim 8 wherein the cylinder includes a cylinder bodyand a lower threaded portion, the diameter of the lower threaded portion being larger than a diameter of the cylinder wherein the lower threaded portion engages with the hole in the removable lid.

10. The portable shower of claim 9 wherein a cylinder seal is located adjacent the lower threaded portion to fluidly seal the lid and the cylinder. gf11 . The portable shower of any one of the preceding claims wherein the cylinder extends into the reservoir.

12. The portable shower of anyone claims 9 to 11 wherein a cylinder one-way valve is located in the cylinder to allow air to pass out of the cylinder body.

13. The portable shower of claim 9 or claim 10 wherein the cylinder has an upper threaded portion, the upper threaded portion being larger in diameter than the cylinder body.

14. The portable shower of anyone claims 9 to 13 wherein the piston has a head connected to a rod.

15. The portable shower of claim 14 wherein a collar extends around the rod and the collar is fastened to the upper threaded portion to hold the piston in position relative to the cylinder.

16. The portable shower of claim 14 or claim 15, wherein a one-way piston valve is associated with the head of the piston to allow air to pass into the cylinder when the head is moved toward the removable lid.

17. The portable shower of any one of the preceding claims wherein the spray assembly may include a reservoir tube, a spray hose and a sprayer, the reservoir tube and spray hose being fluidly connected, and the spray hose and the sprayer may be fluidly connected.

18. The portable shower of claim 17 wherein a connector extends through the lidthat connects the reservoir tube and the spray hose.

19. The portable shower of claim 18 wherein the connector is be used to mount either or both of the reservoir tube and spray hose.

20. The portable shower of any one of claims 7 to 19 when the piston has a handle to move the piston within the cylinder.

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