Inline Shower Device

Abstract

An inline dispensing device for dispensing an ingredient into a stream of water includes a housing, a pump, and a diverter assembly. The pump and the diverter assembly are disposed within the housing. The diverter assembly includes a diverter that is movable between a first position at which activation of the pump draws an ingredient into the housing, and a second position at which activation of the pump delivers the ingredient into the flow passing through the housing.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An inline dispensing device, comprising:
 a housing;   a pump disposed within the housing and configured to dispense an ingredient into a flow passing through the housing; and   a diverter assembly disposed within the housing, the diverter assembly including a diverter that is movable between a first position at which activation of the pump draws the ingredient into the housing, and a second position at which activation of the pump delivers the ingredient into the flow passing through the housing.   
     
     
         2 . The inline dispensing device of  claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a refill port, the diverter configured to move from the second position to the first position in response to engagement of a refill apparatus with the refill port. 
     
     
         3 . The inline dispensing device of  claim 1 , wherein the pump is configured to operate in a suction mode when the diverter is in the first position, and the pump is configured to operate in a discharge mode when the diverter is in the second position. 
     
     
         4 . The inline dispensing device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a user interface; and   a controller communicably coupled to the user interface and configured to control operation of the pump between a suction mode and a discharge mode based on inputs to the user interface.   
     
     
         5 . The inline dispensing device of  claim 1 , wherein the housing includes:
 a plurality of housing sections that are removably coupled to one another; and   at least one bulkhead disposed between two housing sections of the plurality of housing sections, the at least one bulkhead configured to prevent water from leaking between the two housing sections.   
     
     
         6 . The inline dispensing device of  claim 1 , further comprising a battery pack disposed within the housing and coupled to the pump, wherein the battery pack is removable from the housing. 
     
     
         7 . The inline dispensing device of  claim 1 , wherein the diverter assembly further includes:
 a diverter housing coupled to the housing, the diverter housing defining an internal cavity; and   the diverter disposed within the internal cavity and rotatably coupled to the diverter housing.   
     
     
         8 . The inline dispensing device of  claim 7 , wherein the diverter defines:
 a diverter cavity extending from an axial end thereof;   a transverse opening extending from an outer perimeter of the diverter to the diverter cavity; and   a diverter passage fluidly separated from the diverter cavity and the transverse opening.   
     
     
         9 . The inline dispensing device of  claim 1 , further comprising a filter assembly detachably coupled to the housing. 
     
     
         10 . The inline dispensing device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a user interface coupled to the housing and including only a single actuator; and   a control circuit electrically coupled to the user interface and the pump, the control circuit configured to control operation of the pump between a discharge mode and a suction mode based on actuation of the single actuator.   
     
     
         11 . The inline dispensing device of  claim 10 , wherein:
 in response to a single short selection of the single actuator, the control circuit activates the pump in a first operating mode; and   in response to a single long selection of the single actuator, the control circuit activates the pump in a second operating mode, wherein one of the first operating mode and the second operating mode is the suction mode, and the other of the first operating mode and the second operating mode is the discharge mode.   
     
     
         12 . A refill apparatus for an inline dispensing device, comprising:
 a container defining a liquid reservoir configured to contain a liquid ingredient therein, the container further defining an opening that is fluidly coupled to the liquid reservoir; and   a diverter interface coupled to the container at the opening, the diverter interface configured to fluidly couple the container to the inline dispensing device, the diverter interface including a keyed interface that is engageable with the inline dispensing device to actuate a diverter of the inline dispensing device to change a flow direction of a liquid through the inline dispensing device.   
     
     
         13 . The refill apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the diverter interface includes a plug having a plug body and wherein the keyed interface includes at least one protrusion extending radially away from the plug body. 
     
     
         14 . The refill apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one protrusion comprises a pair of studs that are disposed on opposing sides of the plug body and that are configured to engage with slots defined by a refill port of the inline dispensing device. 
     
     
         15 . The refill apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the keyed interface is configured to engage with a keyed port of the inline dispensing device, and wherein the keyed interface is configured to secure the container to the inline dispensing device. 
     
     
         16 . The refill apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the keyed interface forms part of a twist-lock mechanism between the refill apparatus and the inline dispensing device that is configured to rotate at least one component of the inline dispensing device. 
     
     
         17 . A capsule for an inline dispensing device, comprising:
 a capsule housing defining a capsule reservoir configured to receive a liquid ingredient therein;   a cover coupled to the capsule housing at a first end of the capsule reservoir;   an engagement portion coupled to the capsule housing at a second end of the capsule reservoir opposite from the first end, the engagement portion configured to removably couple the capsule housing to a device housing of the inline dispensing device; and   a locking ring coupled to the capsule housing adjacent to the engagement portion, the locking ring configured to engage the device housing to prevent separation of the engagement portion from the device housing.   
     
     
         18 . The capsule of  claim 17 , wherein the cover includes a locking feature that prevents a user from accessing the capsule reservoir without an unlocking tool. 
     
     
         19 . The capsule of  claim 17 , wherein the engagement portion is a first engagement portion, further comprising a second engagement portion extending between the capsule reservoir and the first engagement portion. 
     
     
         20 . The capsule of  claim 19 , further comprising a cover tether coupled to the cover and the capsule housing and configured to secure the cover to the capsule housing during refilling of the capsule reservoir.