Handheld showerhead with magnetic coupling assembly
An improved handheld showerhead assembly is provided which includes a handheld showerhead. In addition, the showerhead assembly includes a mounting structure for affixing the handheld showerhead to a wall of a shower stall. The mounting structure includes a magnet which is affixed to the backside of the showerhead. The mounting structure also includes a wall strip made of a ferromagnetic material intended to be affixed to a shower stall wall. The wall strip is preferably elongated and intended to be mounted by a fastener upon a shower stall wall with the wall strip's long axis extending vertically so that the handheld showerhead can be affixed at various heights upon the shower stall wall. Also preferably, the magnet is affixed to the showerhead by a ball joint so that the showerhead can swivel vertically and side-to-side.
1 . A handheld showerhead assembly comprising:
a handheld showerhead including a showerhead and an elongate hollow handle, said showerhead having a rear side, a front face and a plurality of nozzles projecting from said front face, said elongate hollow handle having a proximal end and a distal end with said distal end affixed to said showerhead, said handheld showerhead further including a channel connecting said hollow handle's proximal end to said nozzles for transporting water received from said handle's proximal end to said nozzles;
a flexible hose having first and second ends with said first end being connectable to said elongate handle's proximal end;
a mounting structure including a magnet, a wall strip, and a fastener, wherein the magnet is affixed to the backside of the showerhead, wherein said wall strip is planar, has a front side, a back surface, and an elongate longitudinal length larger than said magnet, and wherein said fastener is constructed to affix said wall strip's back surface to a shower wall; and
wherein said wall strip is made of a ferromagnetic material the entirety of said wall strip's elongate longitudinal length and said magnet is configured to magnetically couple the showerhead directly to the wall strip at a plurality of different positions along the elongate longitudinal length of the wall strip without a mechanical guide, track, or discrete docking structure, such that the showerhead is selectively positionable at any of a continuum of locations along the wall strip by magnetic attraction alone.
2 . The handheld showerhead assembly of claim 1 wherein said wall strip has a width of at least one (1) inch and a height of at least twelve (12) inches.
3 . The handheld showerhead assembly of claim 1 wherein said wall strip has a width of at one (1) to three (30) inches and a height of twelve (12) to thirty-six (36) inches.
4 . The handheld showerhead assembly of claim 1 wherein said fastener is an adhesive.
5 . The handheld showerhead assembly of claim 1 wherein said fastener is an adhesive backed tape.
6 . The handheld showerhead assembly of claim 1 wherein said fastener includes a plurality of screws.
7 . The handheld showerhead assembly of claim 1 wherein said magnet is affixed to said showerhead's backside by a ball joint assembly including a ball and a cavity, and wherein the ball joint is configured to permit angular adjustment of the magnet relative to the showerhead while the magnet remains magnetically coupled to the wall strip, such that an orientation of a magnetic coupling interface between the showerhead and the wall strip is adjustable independently of an orientation of water discharge from the showerhead.
8 . The handheld showerhead assembly of claim 7 wherein said showerhead's backside includes said cavity, and said ball extends from said magnet.
9 . The handheld showerhead assembly of claim 7 wherein said wall strip has a width of at least one (1) inch and a height of at least twelve (12) inches.
10 . The handheld showerhead assembly of claim 7 wherein said wall strip has a width of at one (1) to three (30) inches and a height of twelve (12) to thirty-six (36) inches.
11 . The handheld showerhead assembly of claim 7 wherein said fastener is an adhesive.
12 . The handheld showerhead assembly of claim 7 wherein said fastener is an adhesive backed tape.
13 . The handheld showerhead assembly of claim 7 wherein said fastener includes a plurality of screws.