Safety Shower

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/829,186, filed Sep. 9, 2024, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/629,822, filed Apr. 8, 2024, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/516,917, filed Nov. 21, 2023, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/346,161, filed Jun. 30, 2023, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/186,845, filed Mar. 20, 2023, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/937,756, filed Oct. 3, 2022, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/751,544, filed May 23, 2022, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/572,516, filed Jan. 10, 2022, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/461,777, filed Aug. 30, 2021, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/239,304, filed Apr. 23, 2021, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/120,017, filed Dec. 11, 2020, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/933,788, filed Jul. 20, 2020, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/806,989, filed Mar. 2, 2020, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/592,624, filed Oct. 3, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/421,307, filed May 23, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/224,424, filed Dec. 18, 2018, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/607,310, filed Dec. 18, 2017, entitled “Safety Shower,” which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety, including but not limited to those portions that specifically appear hereinafter, the incorporation by reference being made with the following exception: In the event that any portion of the above-referenced applications are inconsistent with this application, this application supercedes said above-referenced applications.

Not Applicable.

The present disclosure relates generally to mobile safety shower systems that can be used to dispense water on user who have been exposed to hazardous materials.

It is known that on industrial sites, laboratories, or at disaster locations, where the usual available water supplies are not readily available or easily accessible, creating situations where any cleansing or washing facilities are mostly unavailable. Due to the potential exposure to hazardous materials, traditional washing facilities are largely unavailable and insufficient to adequately wash an exposed user and dispose of contaminated water.

Therefore, it is an object and an advantage of the present invention to provide a safety, emergency and portable apparatus useful and movably available for cleansing, showering, washing and the like.

Convention safety shower device that are mobile are usually dependant on external power sources and often require substantial set up and take down procedures. Conventional mobile safety showers are also often cumbersome and difficult to move or reposition making some locations or desired work sites unmanageable or inaccessible.

Additionally, due to the conventional use of a powered water pump to supply water from a water storage tank to a showerhead, in the situation of a power failure, such conventional safety shower are rendered unusable since the water can no longer be supplied to the showerhead.

The prior art is thus characterized by several disadvantages that are addressed by the present disclosure. The present disclosure minimizes, and in some aspects eliminates, the above-mentioned failures, and other problems, by utilizing the methods and structural features described herein.

The features and advantages of the present disclosure will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the present disclosure without undue experimentation. The features and advantages of the present disclosure may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base, or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present disclosure as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application.

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles in accordance with the disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, and any additional applications of the principles of the disclosure as illustrated herein, which would normally occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the disclosure claimed.

Before the present structural embodiments and methods for using and constructing a safety shower are disclosed and described, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the particular configurations, process steps, and materials disclosed herein as such configurations, process steps, and materials may vary somewhat. It is also to be understood that the terminology employed herein is used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting since the scope of the present disclosure will be limited only by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

It must be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In describing and claiming the present disclosure, the following terminology will be used in accordance with the definitions set out below.

As used herein, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” “characterized by,” and grammatical equivalents thereof are inclusive or open-ended terms that do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps.

As used herein, the phrase “consisting of” and grammatical equivalents thereof exclude any element, step, or ingredient not specified in the claim.

Applicant has invented an improved safety shower that is self contained and mobile, including having the ability to use the shower with the need for a pump and means of containing and transporting contaminated water as a product of use of the safety shower. Conventionally, mobile safety showers required an external power source and had difficulty transporting sufficient water in an enclosure that is easily set up and usable a user with little training. The following detailed description of Applicant's safety shower will identify how these conventional safety shower problems are overcome by the disclosed safety shower.

Referring now to, the disclosed portable safety showerincludes a base or mounting plate. The mounting plateprovides a structural foundation for a shower enclosure. The mounting plateincludes a plurality of mounting bracketswhich are used to secure the mounting plateto a foundation (not shown). Additionally, the mounting platecan include lift structures, such as fork lift slotswhich can be used to more easily and effectively move the portable safety showerto a variety of desired locations, while minimizing the risk of damage to the safety shower.

The shower enclosurecan be constructed from self-framing modular walls, although conventional wall construction can also be used, such as, tubular framing and wall sheeting, for example. The self-framing modular wallscan be defined as wall panels that are formed with framing members integrated with wall sheeting as a single unitary piece, such that a plurality of self framing modular wallscan be couple and fastened together to form exterior walls of the shower enclosure, without having a separate framing and wall sheeting system. Many conventional shower enclosures are formed from standard tubular frame systems, with wall sheeting (often sheet metal) attached to the tubular frame. However, in contrast to the tubular framing systems, the self-framing wallsincrease the ease of building the shower enclosurebecause there are fewer interconnecting pieces, and the self-framing wallsare often stronger because the framing and wall sheeting are integrated. The self-framing wallscan be formed from aluminum or other corrosion resistant material.

The wallsalso include insulation, as shown in, which can be necessary to control or regulate the interior temperature of the shower enclosure, as well as, the temperature of the water used in the safety shower. The insulationcan be a closed cell foam which not only aides in regulating temperature, but can also add structural strength to the walls. The insulationcan also include other waterproof materials that will not be adversely effected by moisture and become waterlogged.

The shower enclosurecan include doors. The doorscan be hinged, enabling substantially 360 degrees of movement, and be spring loaded, enabling a user to easily enter the shower enclosurewithout having to use a handle. A slipmay be hung in the entry to the shower enclosure, just inside the doors. The slipmay be pliable and made of plastic, for example, which would enable a user to easily enter the shower enclosurewhile maintaining a substantial seal against outside elements upon closure.

The shower enclosuremay include two compartments, a shower compartment, and a water tank compartment. Both compartmentsandcan be sealed from the outside environment and both compartments can be insulated with insulationas described above.

The water tank compartmentcan house a water tank. The water tank, as also illustrated in, can include a plurality of mounting bracketswhich can be used to fix the water tank within the water tank compartment. The water tankcan be made of aluminum, zinc coated steel, or another desired corrosion resistant material. The water tankcan hold, for example, 425 gallons of water. Alternatively, the water tankbe hold less than 425 gallons of water or more than 425 gallons of water. The water tankmay have a diameter of 50 inches and a height of 52 inches. These dimensions enable the water contained therein to have enough pressure, merely through gravity, to generate 20 gallons per minute of water velocity (industry standard for safety showers) out of a showerheadthat is fluidically connected to the water tank, but positioned within the shower compartment. In alternative embodiments, the dimensions of the water tank may have an increased or decreased height and/or diameter.

The water tank can also include a water treatment solution dispenserwhich can be set to dispense a predesignated amount of water treatment in order to present unwanted contamination of the water stored within the water tank. The water tankcan also include a heater, which can include, for example, an immersion heater or a pad heater. Depending on the temperature of the environment around the safety shower, the water in the water tankmay need to be heated in order to meet industry standards and heatercan be used to regulate the water temperature to ensure industry standards are met. The exterior of the water tank compartment can also include a temperature gaugewhich identifies the temperature of the water inside the water tank, thus enabling a user to inspect the water temperature without directly accessing the water within the water tank.

The water tankmay also include a float, a water level indicator, which can be connected to a float valve, which can work together to ensure the water level within the water tankdoes not exceed a predetermined level. The floatcan also be used to identify the water level within the water tankby a connection with a water level indicator mounted on the exterior of the water tank compartment. This water level indicatormakes it ease of a user or inspector to immediately identify the water level within the water tankand easily determine if additional water is necessary to keep the safety shower fully functional.

If additional water is necessary of desired, the water tankincludes a hatch, which can be opened and additional water can be added to the water tank. A user can access the water tankby opening a lidwhich seals the top of the water tank compartment. The lidcan be removably secured to shower enclosurevia a plurality of latchesenabling a user to access the water tankand then reseal the water tank compartment.

Often times a safety showermay not be used for extended periods of time. Therefore, the water inside the water tankmay be susceptible to contaminants and/or increased pressure. To account for and resolve these issues a ventand a pressure release valveare connected to the water tankand can release water and pressure build up within the water tank, and release such into the shower compartment. The pressure release valvecan also include a drain valve, for example, a 2″ drain valve, which can be used to drain or depressurize the water in the water tank, in accordance with industry standards or according to custom need or uses of the safety shower.

The water tankmay also include a level and temperature and temperature switch. The switchcan be used to set or change the desired temperature or level of the water within the water tank, which can account for different preferences and situations such as low use areas or high temperature or low temperature environments.

The water tank compartmentcan include a external lightwhich can be used to illuminate the entrance to the shower compartment. The lightcan be an LED light or other desired light source. The water tank compartmentcan also include an alarmwhich provides a auditory signal used to announce that the safety showeris in use. The alarmmay also include a lightwhich is another indicator that the safety showeris in use. The lightmay be colored, like red or another desired color, and may be a continuous light, flashing light, or even a strobe light.

The shower compartmentis sealed for the outside environment by four walls, a floor and a ceiling. Each of the walls, ceiling and floor of the shower compartment may be insulated with the same type of insulation as discussed above with respect to insulation, as shown in, which can be necessary to control or regulate the interior temperature of the shower enclosure, as well as, the temperature of the shower compartment. The insulationcan be a closed cell foam which not only aides in regulating temperature, but can also add structural strength to the walls of the shower compartment. The insulationcan also include other waterproof materials that will not be adversely effected by moisture and become waterlogged.

The shower compartmentmay include a non-slip shower floorwhich can provide additional friction for the user and reduce the likelihood of an unwanted slip during use of the showerhead. Additionally the shower compartment may include an activation leveror push bar, which can be connected to the showerheadsuch that a user can activate the showerheadand dispense water without the need of significant dexterity, such as turning a knob, although other activation means may also be used, such as a knob or a pull chain, which are know to those skilled in the art. The shower compartmentmay also include space heaterwhich can be used to regulate the ambient air temperature within the shower compartment, which can be beneficial and necessary in situation where the outside environment has cold temperatures. Because the safety showermay be used in dimly lit or dark areas, the shower compartment also includes an interior light. The interior light, may be automatically activated upon entry into the shower compartmentor the lightmay be activated by a manual switch or button.

In addition to the showerhead, the shower compartmentmay also include an eyewash station. The eyewash stationmay be fluidically connected to the water tankand may be activated simultaneously with the showerheador have a separate activator switch or bar.

While a user is using the safety shower, either the showerheador the eyewash station, the used water, which is likely contaminated with hazardous material will be drained through a floor drain, and into a containment pan. The containment panmay be made of aluminum, stainless steel, or any other desired non-corrosive material. The containment pan may also be recoverable from the safety showerenabling a user to safely remove any contaminated water, fluid or material, and safely disposing of the same, without having to move or relocated the safety showeritself. This can provide for faster and safer disposal of hazardous waste. Additionally, the containment pancan include a drainage outlet, such as a 2″ stainless steel outlet (although other non-corrosive material may be used if desired), enabling a user to drain the contaminated water, fluid or material out of the containment panwithout removing the containment panfrom the safety shower. This drainage outletcan enable a user to drain the contaminated fluid from the safety showerwith little disturbance to the safety showeritself and can facilitate cleaning of the containment panand the shower compartmentwithout moving or removing any components of the safety shower.

An electrical junction boxis secured to the exterior of the shower compartmentand can be used to facilitate the input of electricity from an outside power source. In alternative embodiments the electrical junction boxmay be connected to a self-contained power source, such as a battery. The electrical junction box can provide power to all the power-requiring components of the safety shower, including, but not limited to, the lightsand, and the alarm. Adjacent to the electrical junction boxis a testing leverwhich is connected to the showerheadsuch that a user can actuate the showerhead, for example, without having to enter the shower compartment.

Referring now to, another embodiment of a disclosed portable safety showermay include a base or mounting plate. The mounting platemay provide a structural foundation for a shower enclosure. The mounting platemay include a plurality of mounting bracketswhich may be used to secure the mounting plateto a foundation (not shown). Additionally, the mounting platecan include lift structures, such as fork lift slotswhich can be used to more easily and effectively move the portable safety showerto a variety of desired locations, while minimizing the risk of damage to the safety shower.

The shower enclosurecan be constructed from self-framing modular walls, although conventional wall construction can also be used, such as, tubular framing and wall sheeting, for example. The self-framing modular wallscan be defined as wall panels that are formed with framing members integrated with wall sheeting as a single unitary piece, such that a plurality of self framing modular wallscan be couple and fastened together to form exterior walls of the shower enclosure, without having a separate framing and wall sheeting system. Many conventional shower enclosures are formed from standard tubular frame systems, with wall sheeting (often sheet metal) attached to the tubular frame. However, in contrast to the tubular framing systems, the self-framing wallsmay increase the ease of building the shower enclosurebecause there are fewer interconnecting pieces, and the self-framing wallsare often stronger because the framing and wall sheeting are integrated. The self-framing wallscan be formed from aluminum or other corrosion resistant material.

The wallsmay also include insulation, as shown in, which can be necessary to control or regulate the interior temperature of the shower enclosure, as well as, the temperature of the water used in the safety shower. The insulationcan be a closed cell foam which not only aides in regulating temperature, but can also add structural strength to the walls. The insulationcan also include other waterproof materials that will not be adversely effected by moisture and become waterlogged.

The shower enclosurecan include doors. The doorscan be hinged, enabling substantially 360 degrees of movement, and be spring loaded, enabling a user to easily enter the shower enclosurewithout having to use a handle.

The shower enclosuremay include two compartments, a shower compartment, and a water tank compartment. Both compartmentsandcan be sealed from the outside environment and both compartments can be insulated with insulationas described above.

The water tank compartmentcan house a water tank. The water tank, can include a plurality of trusseswhich are attached, or integral, with a bottom surfaceof the water tank, providing structural support to the water tankand obviating the need for exterior supports for the water tankwithin the water tank compartment. The trussescan thereby reduce dead space within the water tank compartmentwhich can otherwise be utilized by a larger water tank. The bottom The water tankmay have a substantially square cross-section which can optimize the utilized space within the water tank compartment, although other suitable desired cross-sectional shapes can be used for the water tank. The water tankmay be attached directly to the wall panelswithin the water tank compartmentutilizing wall mountswhich may be secured to the exterior of the water tank. The water tankmay also be secured to the wall panels by any other suitable desired securement mechanism or method.

The water tankcan be made of aluminum, zinc coated steel, or another desired corrosion resistant material. The water tankcan hold, for example, 425 gallons of water. Alternatively, the water tankbe hold less than 425 gallons of water or more than 425 gallons of water. The water tankmay be configure to enable the water contained therein to have enough pressure, merely through gravity, to generate 20 gallons per minute of water velocity (industry standard for safety showers) out of a showerheadthat is fluidically connected to the water tank, but positioned within the shower compartment. The bottom surface of the water tankmay actually serve as a ceiling for the shower compartmentand seal the shower compartment from the water tank compartment. Accordingly, the shower headcan be plumbed directly to the water tank.

The water tankmay also include a water level indicatorwhich can makes it easy for a user or inspector to immediately identify the water level within the water tankand easily determine if additional water is necessary to keep the safety shower fully functional.

If additional water is necessary of desired, the water tankincludes a hatch, or lid, which can be opened and additional water can be added to the water tank. A user can access the water tankby opening a lid, which can not only seal the top of the water tank compartment, but also seal the water tank. Therefore the hatchmay essential act as a lid to both the water tank compartmentand the water tank itself. The lidcan be removably secured to shower enclosurevia a plurality of latches enabling a user to access the interior of the water tankand access any and all plumbing fixtures that are attached and fluidically coupled to the bottom surfaceof the water tank, such as the showerhead, for example.

The water tankmay also be plumbed with a ventand a pressure release valveconnected to the bottom surfaceof the water tankand can release water and pressure build up within the water tank, and release such into the shower compartment.

The water tank compartmentcan include a external lightwhich can be used to illuminate the entrance to the shower compartment. The lightcan be an LED light or other desired light source. The water tank compartmentcan also include an alarmwhich can provide an auditory signal used to announce that the safety showeris in use. The alarmmay also include a lightwhich can be another indicator that the safety showeris in use. The lightmay be colored, like red or another desired color, and may be a continuous light, flashing light, or even a strobe light.

The shower compartment may include an activation leveror push bar, which can be connected to the showerheadsuch that a user can activate the showerheadand dispense water without the need of significant dexterity, such as turning a knob, although other activation means may also be used, such as a knob or a pull chain, which are know to those skilled in the art.

While a user is using the safety showerthe used water, which is likely contaminated with hazardous material may be drained through a floor drain, and into a containment pan. The containment panmay be made of aluminum, stainless steel, or any other desired non-corrosive material. The containment pan may also be recoverable from the safety showerenabling a user to safely remove any contaminated water, fluid or material, and safely disposing of the same, without having to move or relocated the safety showeritself. This can provide for faster and safer disposal of hazardous waste. Additionally, the containment pancan include a drainage outlet, such as a 2″ stainless steel outlet (although other non-corrosive material may be used if desired), enabling a user to drain the contaminated water, fluid or material out of the containment panwithout removing the containment panfrom the safety shower. This drainage outletcan enable a user to drain the contaminated fluid from the safety showerwith little disturbance to the safety showeritself and can facilitate cleaning of the containment panand the shower compartmentwithout moving or removing any components of the safety shower.

An electrical junction boxmay be secured to the front exterior of the shower compartmentand can be used to facilitate the input of electricity from an outside power source. In alternative embodiments the electrical junction boxmay be connected to a self-contained power source, such as a battery. The electrical junction box can provide power to all the power-requiring components of the safety shower, including, but not limited to, the lights, and the alarm. By disposing the electrical junction box on the front exterior surface of the shower compartment, the effective footprint of the safety showercan be reduced since the front exterior surface of the safety shower must remain unblocked because of the entrance door, but the remaining three side of the safety showercan abut or nearly abut adjacent walls or objects without impeding any use or operation of the safety shower.

Referring now to, the disclosed portable safety showermay include a base or mounting plate. The mounting platemay provide a structural foundation for a shower enclosure. The mounting plateincludes a plurality of mounting bracketswhich are used to secure the mounting plateto t a foundation (not shown). Additionally, the mounting platecan include lift structures, such as fork lift slots, which can be used to more easily and effectively move the portable safety showerto a variety of desired locations, while minimizing the risk of damage to the safety shower.

The shower enclosurecan be constructed from self-framing modular walls, although conventional wall construction can also be used, such as, tubular framing and wall sheeting, for example. The self-framing modular wallscan be defined as wall panels that are formed with framing members integrated with wall sheeting as a single unitary piece, such that a plurality of self framing modular wallscan be couple and fastened together to form exterior walls of the shower enclosure, without having a separate framing and wall sheeting system. The self-framing wallscan be formed from aluminum or other corrosion resistant material and may include insulation and have the same construction as the self framing wallsdisclosed above in the safety shower.

The shower enclosurecan include doors. The doorscan be hinged, enabling substantially 360 degrees of movement, and may be spring loaded, enabling a user to easily enter the shower enclosurewithout having to use a handle, and the spring loaded doorsmay also better ensure that the doorremain closed when not being actively opened.