GB2289458A

GB2289458A - Apparatus for the installation of a facade, in particular , for a bath tub

Info

Publication number: GB2289458A
Application number: GB9509836A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gerard Dieudonne; Pascal Foizel
Original assignee: NEOMEDIAM
Current assignee: NEOMEDIAM
Priority date: 1994-05-16
Filing date: 1995-05-15
Publication date: 1995-11-22
Anticipated expiration: 2015-05-15
Also published as: FR2719861B1; GB9509836D0; GB2289458B; FR2719861A1; DE19517712A1

Description

A 1 2289458 Title: DEVICE FOR THE INSTALLATION OF A FACADE, IN PARTICULAR.

F-OR A BATH TUB This invention relates to the sphere of sanitary installations, in particular bathrooms and notably bath tubs, and is particularly concerned with the covering of the visible vertical faces thereof. More particularly, the invention relates to a device for the installation of a facade, in particular for a bath tub.

Baths which are generally provided at their upper part with a shoulder require a covering intended to hide their supporting elements, that is the adjusting feet, as well as water supply and waste pipes and possibly balneotherapy pipes or equipment.

Such a covering can be produced in the form of a podium or a solid low wall, generally provided with a covering of tiles or anti-rot carpeting or again in the form of a wall of synthetic material or of metal having a covering identical to that of the bath tub and fixed on its visible faces, that is on the frame of the bath tub or on stationary means provided on the periphery by means of clips, magnets, screws or screw and nut assemblies of the mechanical jack type.

A solid covering allows a perfectly aesthetic finish to be obtained but does however have the drawback of a high cost price and of necessitating either the provision of a discreet access trap or the provision of such a trap in the wall of an adjacent or underground technical room, the absence of a trap necessitating destruction of the solid covering in order to gain access which also increases the cost of the installation.

Clips or magnetic fixing elements have the drawback of not guaranteeing secure fixing over a period of time. Clips, such as resilient holding elements, as well as magnets tend to lose their effectiveness in the course of time, leading to a fixing defect or even the impossibility of securing the covering.

2 The fixing of a covering by screwing is certainly simple and reliable but in such a case, however, the screw heads remain visible and this impairs the appearance of the covering.

Finally, the use of screw and nut type assemblies of the mechanical jack " which are connected to the lower part of the covering while the upper part thereof is inserted behind the shoulder of the bath tub increases the cost of the covering to a relatively great extent since the covering has to be equipped with such nut and bolt assemblies at regular intervals and consequently has to be provided with means for fixing these assemblies and optionally reinforcements in the region of the fixing. Furthermore, as the covering is locked by manoeuvring the screw, it is necessary to arrange a space for the passage of the manoeuvring spanner, this space increasing with the manoeuvre, the covering assembly being displaced upwardly in order to cooperate with the shoulder of the bath with the result that the appearance of the lower part is compromised.

The present invention aims to overcome these drawbacks.

According to the invention, there is provided a facade installation device, in particular for a bath tub, said device comprising means which are adjustable in height for receiving and holding the lower edge of a covering facade and means for guiding and retaining the upper edge of said covering facade.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the means for receiving and holding the lower edge of the covering facade comprise a base for fixation to the ground and an element for receiving and holding the lower edge of the covering facade, said element being installed in a vertically sliding manner on a vertical guide extending from the base and being provided with means for locking the covering facade, said locking means cooperating with a device on the base, in the insertion position.

3 The invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is a part-sectional part lateral elevational view of one embodiment of an installation device according to the invention in the position of insertion of a 5 covering facade; Fig. 2 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1 but showing the device in the position for holding the covering facade; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of means for receiving and holding the lower edge of the covering facade; Fig. 4 is a partial lateral elevational view showing unlocldng of the facade; and Fig. 5 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1 of another embodiment of an installation device according to the invention.

In the drawings, like parts are denoted by like reference numerals.

Referring to the drawings and, as illustrated more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, the device for the installation of a facade, in particular for a bath tub, essentially consists of a means 1 which is adjustable in height for receiving and holding the lower edge of a covering facade 2 and of a means 3 for guiding and retaining the upper edge of said covering facade 2.

The means 1 for receiving and holding the lower edge of the covering facade 2 advantageously consists of a base 4 for fixation to the ground by screwing, by adhesion or by crimping and of an element 5 for receiving and holding the lower edge of the covering facade 2 installed in a vertically sliding manner on a vertical 4 guide 6 integral with the base 4, this element 5 being provided with a means 7 for loeldng the covering facade cooperating with a device 8 integral with the base 4, in the insertion position.

The locking means 7 preferably consists of a bar mounted so as to pivot by one 5 of its ends on the upper end of the receiving and holding element 5, having a length greater than the height of said receiving and holding element 5 and cooperating with the device 8 integral with the base 4.

The device 8 integral with the base 4 is preferably made up in the form of a rack at the upper part of the base 4 and of which the teeth cooperate with the free end of the bar forming the means 7, the means 7 advantageously being equipped with a cutout having a width slightly greater than that of the device 8. Thus, the free end of the means 7 cooperating with the device 8 is guided on the rack forming it. When the element 5 for receiving and holding the lower edge of the covering facade 2 is raised, the bar forming the locking means 7 slides on the base 4 and the device 8 over the teeth 9 of the rack forming it, producing a lock when said lift is released (Figures 2 and 3).

According to a characteristic of the invention, the cutout provided at the free end of the bar has the form of a U with unequal arms (Fig. 3). This embodiment is intended to allow actuation of the means 7 in order to unlock it, that is to free it from its mesh with the teeth 9 of the rack forming the device 8, for example by means of a screwdriver or the like slid beneath the covering facade 2 as indicated in Fig. 2.

The element 5 for receiving and holding the lower edge is provided at its lower end with a hook 10 for receiving the lower edge of the covering facade 2 and has the form of a tubular element guided on the vertical guide 6 integral with the base 4. Thus, perfect guidance of the element 6 on the element 5 can be ensured, the 9 h positioning of the hook 10 toward the front of the bath tub being guaranteed by the cooperation of the cutout having the form of a U with unequal arms provided at the free end of the bar forming the locking means 7 on the device 8.

The means 3 for guiding and retaining the upper edge of the covering facade 2 advantageously consists of an adjustable angle fixed beneath the shoulder of the bath tub and defining with the rim 11 thereof a space 12 for receiving the upper edge of the covering facade 2. Owing to this embodiment, the covering facade 2 is held perfectly in the fixing position without the risk of detachment and without clearance.

Fig. 5 of the drawings shows a variation of the invention in which the vertical guide 6 integral with the base 4 is provided with a means 13 for supporting the area of the bath tub. This means 13 can advantageously be made up in the forTn of an optionally bent tube guided or fixed in the vertical guide 6 and provided at its upper end with a screw threaded rod 14 cooperating with a nut 15 integral with said end of the tube-shaped means 13, this threaded rod 14 being able to be locked in an adjusted position by means of a lock nut 16. It is thus possible to hold the area of the bath tub and to install its covering facade 2 or panel with the same device.

The device according to the invention is fixed on the ground with a slight offset 20 from the line of the edge of the bath tub with a positioning template, the bath tub having previously been positioned and levelled or positioned and levelled after arrangement of the device according to the invention in the case of the embodiment shown in Fig. 5. The operator then cheeks that all the elements 5 for receiving and holding the lower edge of the covering facade 2 of the devices are in their lower position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5. Next, the covering facade 2 is inserted by its lower edge into the hook 10 provided at the lower part of each element 5 and is applied by its upper edge to the guiding and retaining means 3.

6 It is thus sufficient to insert a screwdriver or another pointed element beneath each hook 10, simultaneously or successively, and to raise the element 5 so as to slide the covering facade 2 upwardly until its upper edge penetrates the space 12 defined between the rim 11 and the arm of the angle forming the means 3.

During the lifting of the covering facade 2 by means of the elements 5, the bars forming the means 7, which are mounted pivotally on a respective end of the elements 5, slide on the device 8 and on the teeth 9 of the racks forming said device 8 in the direction in which their free end approaches the base of the vertical guide 6. As a result, when the covering facade 2 reaches the top position and therefore the element 5 finishes its rising movement, the bar forming the means 7 cooperates by the bottom of the cutout of its free end with a tooth 9 of the device 8 and thus holds the element 5 and therefore the covering facade 2 in their top position corresponding to the installed position of the covering facade 2 (Figs. 2 and 3).

In order to unlock and therefore remove the covering facade 2, it is sufficient to insert a screwdriver or other flat or pointed element in the gap defined beneath the covering facade 2 in line with the installation device, to hold it by hand and to push with the end of the screwdriver or the like on the longest arm defining the cutout provided at the free end of the bar forming the means 7.

As a result, the engagement with the teeth 9 of the device 8 is released and said free end pivots in the direction opposed to the element 5 and to the guide 6 so the element 5 can slide on the guide 6 in a descending direction. The covering facade 2 can therefore be released so as to slide downwardly in the hook 10 and be removed. It is then possible to gain access to the space beneath the bath tub.

By means of the device according to the invention it is possible to produce a device for the installation of a facade, in particular for a bath tub, allowing rapid and simple positioning of a covering facade or panel on any type of bath tub and, in particular, on a corner bath tub, this device being particularly reliable.

1 7 Furthermore, very rapid removal and reinstallation of the facade are possible. Moreover, by means of the device according to the invention, the fixing of the facade or of the panel does not necessitate a perforation of the panel so no screws are visible. Finally, the device according to the invention can be combined with a device for holding the area of the bath tub and its adaptation to a corner bath tub allows a perfect, inexpensive aesthetic effect to be obtained.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described and illustrated in the drawings. Modifications are possible, in particular with regard to the constitution of the various elements or by substitution of technical equivalents without 10 departing from the scope of protection of the invention.

8

Claims

1. A facade installation device, in particular for a bath tub, said device comprising means which are adjustable in height for receiving and holding the lower edge of a covering facade and means for guiding and retaining the upper edge of said covering facade.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the means for receiving and holding the lower edge of the covering facade comprise a base for fixation to the ground and an element for receiving and holding the lower edge of the covering facade, said element being installed in a vertically sliding manner on a vertical guide extending from the base and being provided with means for locking the covering facade, said locking means cooperating with a device on the base, in the insertion position.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein the locking means comprise a bar installed so as to pivot by one of its ends on the upper end of the vertical guide, having a length greater than the height of the receiving and holding element and cooperating with the said device on the base.

4. A device according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the device on the base takes the form of a rack on the upper part of the base and having teeth which cooperate with a free end of the locking means.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein the locking means comprise a bar pivoted at one end on the vertical guide and provided at its other, free, end with a cutout having a width slightly greater than that of the rack.

1 P i i i 9

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the cutout at the free end of the bar has the form of a U with unequal arms.

7. A device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the element for receiving and holding the lower edge of the covering facade is provided, at its lower end, with a hook for receiving the lower edge of the covering facade and takes the form of a tubular element guided on the vertical guide.

8. A device according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the vertical guide is provided with means for supporting an area of the bath.

9. A device according to claim 8, wherein the supporting means comprise a tube which is guided or fixed in the vertical guide and provided at its upper end with a threaded rod cooperating with a nut integral with said end of the tube, the threaded rod being lockable in a position by a lock nut engaged on the threaded rod.

10. A facade installation device substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.

10. A device according to claim 9, wherein the tube is bent.

11. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the means for guiding and retaining the upper edge of the covering facade comprises an adjustable angle adapted to be fixed beneath the shoulder of a bath and defining with the rim of said shoulder a space for receiving the upper edge of the covering facade.

12. A facade installation device substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.

z W Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A facade installation device, in particular for a bath tub, said device comprising means for receiving and holding the lower edge of a covering facade, said means comprising a base for fixation to the ground and an element for receiving and holding the lower edge of the covering facade, and means for guiding and retaining the upper edge of said. covering facade comprising an adjustable angle adapted to be fixed beneath the shoulder of a bath and defining with the rim of said shoulder a space for receiving the upper edge of the covering facade, wherein the element for receiving and holding the lower edge of the covering facade is installed in a vertically sliding manner on a vertical guide extending from the base and being provided with reversible means for locking the covering facade, said locking means cooperating with a device on the base, in the insertion position.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the locking means comprise a bar installed so as to pivot by one of its ends on the upper end of the vertical guide, having a length greater than the height of the receiving and holding element and cooperating with the said device on the base.

3. A device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the device on the base takes the form of a rack on the upper part of the base and having teeth which cooperate with a free end of the locking means.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the locking means comprise a bar pivoted at one end on the vertical guide and provided at its other, free, end with a cutout having a width slightly greater than that of the rack.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein the cutout at the free end of the bar has the form of a U with unequal arms.

1 It.

6. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the element for receiving and holding the lower edge of the covering facade is provided, at its lower end, with a hook for receiving the lower edge of the covering facade and takes the form of a tubular element guided on the vertical guide.

7. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the vertical guide is provided with means for supporting an area of the bath.

8. A device according to claim 7, wherein the supporting means comprise a tube which is guided or fixed in the vertical guide and provided at.its upper end with a threaded rod cooperating with a nut integral with said end of the tube, the threaded rod being lockable in a position by a lock nut engaged on the threaded rod.

9. A device according to claim 8, wherein the tube is bent.