AU603864B2 - Shower screens - Google Patents

Description

-ir ~Lj i 3 -i 603864 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952-69 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE: Class Int. Class Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: SAccepted: Published: Priority: Related Art: Thi3 document co(iains the amendments Inade under Section 4-I) and is correct for printin.

BETTA GLASS ALUMINIUM PTY. LIMITED Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: 42-44 BOX ROAD, TAREN POINT, COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA.

NEW SOUTH WALES, FRANK ZOKA WATERMARK, Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Suite 6, Floor 16, Town Hall House 456 Kent Street, Sydney, N.S.W. 2000 Complete Specification for the Invention entitled: "SHOWER SCREENS" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the bat method of performing it known to me/r-- -1- -2 This invention relates to shower screens and more particularly to a pillarless shower screen for a shower cubicle sited in a corner of such as a bathroom.

The kind of shower cubicle that is customarily installed in a corner of a bathroom generally has a spaced-apart pair of screens; the "reveal" or doorway formed between the two being closable by either a hinged door or a sliding door. The fixed screens and the door are usually of mesh-reinforced glass, translucent plastic, laminated glass or toughened glass, or any other safety glass.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a shower cubicle having what may be termed a "corner entry facility" which is considerably wider than conventional shower cubicle entries, the inventive cubicle being without a corner post or pillar.

It is a further object of ;he present invention to provide a pillarless shower screen having two or more openable doors which, in the closed position, meet one another adjacent an outwardly disposed corner position of said screen or cubicle, to provide a substantially watertight seal against water from the shower recess.

It is yet another object of the present invention tto provide a shower screen or shower cubicle adapted to be located between two adjacent walls disposed at an angle to one another, wherein the screen or cubicle has a cantilevered self-supporting lintel member, or especially a lintel member unsupported by pillars, and wherein the lintel member is articulated to facilitate fitting and attachment of the lintel member to both adjacent walls, especially 4 where these are insitu variations in the walls or where the angle between the walls is other than a right angle.

Thus, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a pillarless shower cubicle having a corner entry facility, said cubicle comprising a first upper frame member affixed to a first wall so as to project W1 A~ 3 substantially horizontally therefrom; a second upper frame member affixed to a second wall so as to project substantially horizontally therefrom, said second wall being disposed at an angle to the said first wall so that -t e- free ends of the said two upper frame members meet, or at least closely approach, each other at an angle therebetween; shower screen panels extending downwardly from said upner frame members to floor level, the geometry of each panel being such that one vertical i thereof is adjacent a said wall while the other vertical thereof is disposed intermediate the wall and the free end of a respective upper frame member; and a pair of door panels adapted to slide horizontally along respective upper frame members to thereby Smeet at the angle formed between the said two upper frame Smembers; the arrangement being such that, when said door panels are slid together so as to meet at the said angle, eR 'es the outer vertical -i-ese- of said door panels sealingly abut one another to prevent egress of water from the cubicle.

The upper frame members may constitute lintels which are cantilevered out from their associated walls.

Preferably the free ends of the upper frame members, or lintels, are connected together by means of a joining member and, advantageously, an extruded element may extend along the other vertical side of each sliding door panel, each extruded element having an outwardly-projecting, inwardly-curved flange so that, when the two door panels are slid together so as to meet, the flange of one door panel overlies the flange of the other door panel to thereby form a seal.

Ideally, a first sill member extends from the first wall along the floor of the cubicle, parallel to the first lintel, and a second sill member extends from the second wall similarily. A joining member is connectable to the free ends of the sill members so as to be disposed between them, the shower screen panels being receivable in -i 3-U 3a the sill members and the door panels also being adapted to slide horizontally along the sill members.

Each joining member is prefe -bly an articulated, or pivotable, quadrant member, most advantageously including upper and lower body portions pivoted together along a vertical axis, and a spigot portion extending outwardly from each body portion and adapted to be received in a free end of either an upper frame member, or lintel, or a sill member.

In order that the reader may gain a better understanding of the present invention, hereinafter will be described one or more preferred embodiments thereof, by way of example j4 r F- only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure 1 is a general isometric view of an inventive shower cubicle; Figure 2 is a simplified, view of the corner head or lintel quadrant; Figure 3 is a similar simplified view of the corner sill quadrant; Figures 4 to 4b show the inventive top pivot in greater detail; and 0o Figures 5 to 5b show the inventive bottom pivot, S again in greater detail.

0o0" A corner entry shower cubicle according to the So"o. present invention ray be installed in a corner of such as a .OS: 15 bathroom, generally referenced 10 in Figure 1. The shower 0 0 cubicle has self-supporting cantilevered top lintel or head members 11, bottom sill members 12 and fixed glass panels 13. Fixed panels 13 may have extruded aluminium or aluminium alloy side frames and their top and bottom edges are secured in the head and sill members, 11 and 12, respectively.

Adapted to overlie these two fixed panels, when the cubicle is "open", are two sliding panels 14. The top frames of these sliding panels are also aluminium or S 25 aluminium alloy extrusions and are provided with paired wheels or rollers which run in cooperating tracks formed in the bottom walls of head members 11; sliding panels 14 may be provided with bar handles 15. While the head and sill members are, like the frame members of the panels, preferably aluminium or aluminium alloy extrusions, nevertheless members of extruded rigid plastic material are also envisaged.

The "outer" ends 16, 17 of head and sill members 11, 12 respectively are fixable to the walls of the room the "inner" ends 19, respectively are connected via articulated or pivotable quadrant members 20 and 21, best to -I m i i be seen in Figures 2 and 3. Thus, it will be seen that the inventive shower cubicle has no corner post and that, when the sliding panels are pushed fully open, entry into the cubicle is facilitated by virtue of the width of the "reveal" or doorway.

Turning now to Figure 2, head corner quadrant has spigot portions 22 adapted to inserted into ends 18 of head members 11, and preferably comprises components which allow for some angular adjustment.

In similar manner, and referring to Figure 3, ends 19 of sill members 12 are connected by the sill corner Sq quadrant 21, the spigot portions 23 being adapted to be 0400 inserted in spaces 24 formed between webs 25 of sill members 12 and the floor. Sill corner quadrant 21 is provided with 40V0 means whereby it can be angularly adjusted.

As indicated above, the corner quadrants 20 and 21 may be provided with means whereby their associated head and sill members can be angularly adjusted relative to each Sother, thus compensating for the previously-mentioned possible angular irregularity between adjacent walls. These means may well be concealed top and bottom pivots enabling a pair of head or sill members to be connected together pivotally. By way of an apt analogy, such pivots are somewhat similar to those used for the pol6s of beach umbrellas.

Figures 4, 4a and 4b illustrate the upper articulated quadrant member in greater detail.

This multiple-part member is ideally cast or moulded from any suitable material, such as aluminium or glass-filled nylon and, whereas the embodiment illustrated has four parts, it will be appreciated that this is for ease and cheapness oE manufacture only; it could equally well be composed of three, or even two, parts.

Each articulated quadrant 20 member includes upper body portions 26 and 27, and lower body portions 28 and 29 these four body portions being pivoted vertically together at the pivot point Extending outwardly from each body portion 26, 27, 28 and 29 is a spigot portion, referenced respectively 31, 32, 33 and 34, each of these spigot portions being adapted to be received in a free end of a lintel member, as 11.

When the four body portions are pivoted together, the assembly as schematically shown in Figure 2 results.

Figures 5, 5a and 5b show the lower articulated member 21 in greater detail. Of material similar to the upper articulated member, this lower component has two parts and includes an upper body portion 35 and a lower body portion 36, these two body portions being pivoted vertically together at the pivot point 37.

Extending outwardly from each body portion 35, 36 is a spigot portion, referenced respectively 38, 39, each spigot portion being adapted to be received in a free end of a sill member, as 12. Each body portion has an upstanding flange, as 40 and 41 adapted to partially overlap when the articulated member is pivoted so that the centre lines of the spigots 38 and 39 are at an angle of more than 900°.

As has been stated, the inventive shower cubicle is adapted to be located between two adjacent walls disposed at an angle to one another and this angle may be other than the usual 90°. Thus, as may be seen from Figures 4 and 5 oE the drawings, these angles may well be from the said usual 900 to, say, 180°, or any required angle in between.

Each of the sliding door panels has an extruded element extending vertically along its outer edge 26 (see Figure preferably, each such extrusion Eits over the edge and has an outwardly-projecting, inwardly-curved flange. One flange thus can overlie the other flange when l U the door panels are slid together, whereby there is formed a seal which prevents egress of water from the cubicle.

Figure 11, referred to below, shows such an extruded element in transverse cross-section.

6 Attention is now directed to Figures 6 to 11 which illustrate, in transverse cross-section, suitable extrusions for use in certain embodiments of the invention.

Figure 6 shows the head member; Figure 7 shows the sill member; Figure 8 shows the upper sliding panel frame; i Figure 9 shows the fixed panel frame; 1 Figure 10 shows the jamb member for securing to a wall; and Figure 11 illustrates the aforesaid extruded curved-flange element. In this Figure 11 is to be seen a longitudinally-extending channel 42, in which is receivable a side 26 of a door 14, and the outwardly-projecting, inwardly-curved flange 43. The flanges 44 and 45 may provide convenient interior and exterior handles to facilitate the opening and closing of the door panels.

While the description is couched in terms of a shower cubicle having sliding door panels, it is also envisaged that hinged door panels might well be employed and to this end the head and sill members may be provided with Shinge or pivot means on which the door panels are able to swing.

From the abovegoing, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that numerous variations and modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as set out in the following claims.

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Claims (9)

1. A pillarless shower cubicle having a corner entry facility, said cubicle comprising a first upper frame member affixed to a first wall so as to project substantially horizontally therefrom; a second upper frame member affixed to a second wall so as to project substantiall horizontally therefrom, said second wall being disposed at an angle to the said first wall so that -t4e- free ends of the said two upper frame members meet, or at least closely approach, each other at an angle therebetween; shower screen panels extending downwardly from said upper frame members to floor level, the geometry of each panel being such that one vertical thereof is adjacent a said wall while the other vertical -e-de- thereof is disposed intermediate the wall and the free end of a respective upper frame member; and a pair of door panels adapted to slide horizontally along respective upper frame members to thereby meet at the angle formed between the said two upper frame members; the arrangement being such that, when said door panels are slid together so as to meet at the said angle, the outer vertical of said door panels sealingly abut one another to prevent egress of water from the cubicle.

2. The pillarless shower cubicle as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said upper frame members are adjoined to one another at the said angle therebetween.

3. The pillarless shower cubicle as claimed in Claim 2 wherein said upper frame members are fixedly adjoined to one another to constitute a unitary upper lintel member extending between adjacent first and second walls.

4, The pillarless shower cubicle as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said free ends of the said two upper frame i -i 9 members are connected together by means of a joining member.

The pillarless shower cubicle as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein a extruded element extends along -the said other vertical -e of each sliding door panel, each extruded element having an outwardly-projecting, inwardly-curved flange so that, when said door panels are slid together so as to meet at said angle, the curved flange of one door panel overlies the curved flange of the other door panel to thereby form a seal.

6. The pillarless shower cubicle as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein there is provided a of4 first sill member extending from said first wall along the So" "floor of the cubicle, parallel to said first upper frame member; a second sill member exterding from said second wall o along the said floor; and a joining member connectable to free ends of said sill members so as to be disposed therebetween, the said shower screen panels being receivable in said sill members and the said door panels also being oOo adapted to slide horizontally along the said sill members.

7. The pillarless shower cubicle as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 6, wherein each joining member is an articulated, or pivotable, quadrant member.

8. The pillarless shower cubicle as claimed in Claim I 7, wherein each articulated, or pivotable, quadrant member includes upper and lower body portions pivoted together along a vertical axis of rotation, and a spigot portion extending outwardly from each body portion and adapted to be received in a free end of either an upper frame member or a sill member. 1^ M i 1 I 10

9. A pillarless shower cubicle, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 18th day of July, 1989. BETTA GLASS ALUMINIUM PTY. LIMITED WATERMARK PATENT TRADEMARK ATTORNEYS SUITE 6, FLOOR 16, TOWN HALL HOUSE, 456 KENT STREET, SYDNEY N.S.W. 2000. n E Itn i U: r rl