CA1319797C - Sauna cabinet - Google Patents

Abstract

SAUNA CABINET
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE:
A mobile cabinet has a front opening door for entry of a user therein. The adoption of special door hinges permits the use of an effective door seal, for use with lightweight fiber glass cabinet construction. Other sauna aspects, including the steam generator and the seat attachment also are featured.

Description

~-`` 13~9~7 SAUNA CABINET
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:
This invention is directed to a mobile sauna and a hinged door arrangement therefor, and in particular to an improved hinge; and to a door cam gasket combination embodying the improved hinge. Additional sauna aspects including the steam generator and the seat attachment also are featured.
The use of light weight constructions of plastic and fiber glass are well known, and they are utilized in a wide variety of various types of application.
In the case of a mobile sauna, in which a light weight sauna cabinet is provided, the imposed weight restriction has led to the adoption of thin wall sections, with consequent associated flexibility of the respective members of the cabinet. This flexibility, in turn, has caused difficulties in achieving effective door seals.
In the case of a sit-in cabinet of the type illustrated in United States patent No. 3,707,732 COSPER, issued January 2, 1973, this shows such a lightweight cabinet of one piece molded construction. The structure incorporates a pair of wheels mounted adjacent the base of the cabinet, onto which wheels the ; cabinet can be readily tilted, rearwardly, for relocation, somewhat in-the fashion of a wheelbarrow. The molded cabinet has a one piece molded door construction, the cabinet and door being of fiber glass construction, the respective edge portions thereof lying predominantly in a single plane. These have laterally ; extending flange portions to which the respective plate portions of a piano hinge are attached. Sealing of the door edge, along the extended zone occupied by the piano hinge, due to the space ~; 1 ,Ig~, .
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. ' .: . ' 13~97~7 constraints imposed by the hinge, relies upon the plate-like aspects of the hinge, per se, to serve as a seal for steam and water vapour contained within the cabinet.
In the absence of an interposed edge seal, the plates ana hinge pin comprising the elements of the hinge serve as heat conductors between the interior and the exterior of the cabinet, so that an undue amount of condensation takes place in the vicinity of the hinge, together with a certain amount of direct leakage, between the hinge plate segments.
In the absence of effective door edgé seals, to substantially exclude the passage of steam, water vapour or liquid outwardly between the door flange and the associated cabinet flange, con~ensation and run down takes place, with consequent drip-off from the cabinet. In view of cabinet mobility, wherein it may be relocated for use in virtually any room or zone of a residence, the occurance of such condensation run off is entirely undesireable and unacceptable, and the provision of an effective edge seal assumes great importance in justifying and making acceptable and practical the widespread utilization of a mobile sauna device.
In the case of the steam generator for the COSPER
construction, as evidenced in a commercial production thereof, a somewhat Complex cast metal construction incorporates an integrated electrical heating coil into the thickness of a somewhat massive flat bottomed cast aluminum, shallow pan.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:
The present invention provides an improved hinge particularly adapted for use with a cabinet and door combination, the hinge being of lightweight construction and affording a .
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stand-off characteristic to the closure, whereby a soft ~eep section gasket may be interposed in secured sealing relation between door and cabinet.
The subject hinge further provides hinge plates having - 5 flange provisions thereof adapted for attachment to substantially flexible flange portions of a cabinet and associated door construction.
The present invention thus provides a hinge for use with a cabinet having a door pivotally supported thereon by the hinge.
The cabinet has an opening bounded by a laterally extending planar flange, to receive one plate of the hinge in secured relation thereto. The cabinet door has a planar flanged edge portion for attachment of the other plate of the hinge thereto.
The hinge has a first plate, and a second plate connected by a hinge pin in pivotal relation with the first plate.
Each of the hinge plates has a substantially planar edge flange portion for attachment, in use, to a face of a respective one of the flanges. At least one of the hinge plates has a post portion located intermediate the plate planar edge portion and the hinge pin, and extending at an angle from the planar portion, so as to use to position the hinge pin parallel with and in forward spaced relation from the front face of one of the flanged edge portions by a predetermined distance sufficient, in use, to receive a soft, deep section gasket in interposed sealing relation between the flanges.
One of the hinge plates also may have a portion thereof adjacent the edge flange potion offset therefrom to provide in co-operation with the respective cabinet or cabinet door edge flange a recess of predetermined limited depth, to receive a ,:

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flange eage trim section in entered relation therebetween.
The present invention further provides, in combination with the subject hinge, a cabinet and door of lightweight, semi-flexible construction. The cabinet and door each have a laterally extending substantially planar flange, having a plurality of the hinges securing the flanges in pivotal relation one with the other, and with a deep section gasket interposed in sealing relation therebetween.
In the preferred embodiment of the subject combination, that portion of the subject hinge having the upstanding post portion thereon is secure~ to the peripheral flange of the cabinet, in abutting relation with the face of that flange remote from the door.
It will be understood that alternatively, the hinge plate could be secured to the cabinet flange in interposed relation between the flange and the door.
Also in the preferred embodiment, the other plate of the hinge is secure~ to the door flange, on the cabinet side thereof, ana having the sealing gasket in secured relation to the door flange. However, the relative positions of the components may be varied.
A -further aspect of the herein disclosed sauna is a steam generator arrangement therefor, comprising an evaporator tray with an enclosure having a bottom portion and an encircling wall thereaout. The bottom portion has an electrical heating element therein and a heat transfer surface having a plurality of ~ groove serrations therein to increase the heat transfer surface ;~ proportionately.

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The width and depth of the grooves are selected on the basis of practical manufacturing requirements, and to substantially increase, by factors such as 2, 3, 4 or more the heat transfer area, while providing a serrated surface that lends itself readily to cleaning and maintenance, and does not readily foul up from hard water and other deposits.
In the preferred embodiment a rectangular, substantially square planform is adopted, being of cast aluminum and having three legs to ensure stability and safety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:
Certain embodiments of the invention are described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, wherein;
Figure 1 is a general view of the subject cabinet in an open condition;
Figure 2 is a side view, in part section, of the subject cabinet in a closed condition;
Figure 3 is a detail section elevation, showing the seat attachment to the cabinet wall;
Figure 4 is a detail section through a subject hinge, the cabinet being closed;
Figure 5 is a like detail of the opposite door edge seal;
Figure 6 is a sectional view of the subject hinge;
Figure 7 is a plan view of the hinge of Figure 6;
Figure 8 is a general view of the steam generator of the sauna; and Figure 9 is a section view of the steam generator, taken at 9-9 of Figure 8.

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ThE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT:
Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, a sauna cabinet 10 has a cabinet body portion 12 and a door portion 14.
A recess 16, illustrated as being in the door portion, receives the neck of a user in accommodatea relation therein.
A seat 18, comprising a plurality of slats 20 is secured between the side walls 22, 24 of the cabinet.
A steam generator 26 is accommodated behind enclosure wall 28 ana beneath perforated grill 30.
Referring particularly to Figure 3, one end of seat 18 is shown slideably secured to wall 22 of the cabinet 10, which is of light weight, fibre glass construction.
An elongated unitary track member 32 extending beside seat 18 has a side plate 34, secured directly to the fibre glass wall 22 by way of two pairs of machine screws 35, with plate washers 37 and nuts 38 in retaining relation therewith. Neoprene nut covers 39 conceal and protect the nuts 38.
The track member 32 has four T-bar rails 40 extending the depth of the seat, in supporting relation with one side of the seat.
The seat slats 20 are mounted on a bearer 23, the bearer 23 having a slide member 32A bolted thereto.
The slide member 32A is identical to track member 32, and is machine bolted to bearer 23 by way of bolts 42 and nuts 44, in reversed overlying relation with track member 32.
The seat 18 may thus be forwardly or rearwardly adjusted, or entirely removed by sliding it forwardly off tracks 32.

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, . ~3:L~7~7 Turning to Figures 4 through 7, the hinge 50 has a pair of plate members 52, 54 pivotally interconnected by hinge pin 56.
Each plate 52, 54 has a planar outer flange portion 58, 60 respectively having bolt holes 61 therethrough, for bolting to cabinet flange 62 and door flange 64 respectively, by way of bolts and nuts 66.
Neoprene caps 68 conceal and protect the respective nuts thereof.
The edge of cabinet flange 62 is protected along the length thereof by a plastic trim section 7Q. Similarly, the edge of door flange 64 has a trim section 72 thereabout. However, trim section 72 also secures an edge portion of soft elastomeric door gasket 74, in trapped relation therewith. The gasket 74 is of deep section and is ventilated, as at 73, to provide a soft, conformable resilient seal, preferably of neoprene~
Referring to Figure 5, this shows the door opening edge with door flange 64, cabinet flange 62 and the respective arrangements of edge trims 70, 72 and gasket 74.
It will be seen how in Figure 5 the gasket 74 is fully expanded, whereas in Figure 4, in the zone of the hinges 50, the gasket 74 suitably accommodates itself with the elements of the hinge, the flange trim sections, the securing nuts and respective neoprene covers 68, while providing an effective seal therealong.
Riverting to Figure 6, it will be seen that hinge plate member 54 has an offset portion 53, adjoining the outer flange portion 60, the amount of offset being sufficient to accommodate a portion of door trim section 72 and the edge portion of door gasket 74 in sandwiched relation therewith, against door flange , . ~:

~ 3 ~ ~ 7 ~ l 64. Also, the hinge plate member 52 has an upstanding post portion 53 projecting therefrom, illustrated as being substantially at righ~ angles therefrom, for minimized obstruction thereby. It will be seen from Figure 4 that the outer flange portion 58 accommodates an upturned edge portion of cabinet flange 62 and its associated trim section 70.
Turning to Figures 8 and 9, the steam generator 80 has three supporting legs 82, each of which is centrally tapped to receive a mounting capscrew in threaded retaining relation therein. The case 84 has a base portion 86 and upstanding walls 88 thereabout. The base portion 86 contains an electric rodded heating element 90, illustrated as being cast therein.
The upper surface 92 of base portion 86 is deeply corrugated, being shown with deep grooves 94, the surfaces thereof increasing the heat transfer area, in the case of the illustrated embodiment by a factor of about two. It will be evident that this transfer area factor can be selected from a range. However, this illustrated factor of two, combined with the easy to clean serrations has proven worthwhile. In addition, the sharp edges 96 of the serrations facilitate ebulition, by enhanced release of vapour bubbles travelling up the vertical sides of the serrations, which in turn induces the release of vapour bubbles from the transverse surfaces.

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Claims (11)

1. A hinge for use with a cabinet having a door pivotally supported thereon by the hinge, the door opening of the cabinet, and the door being each bounded by a substantially planar flange for attachment of said hinge thereto, said hinge having first and second plates connected by hinge pin means in mutual pivotal relation, each said hinge plate having a substantially planar flange portion for attachment, in use, to a respective one of said cabinet and door flanges; at least one of said hinge plates having a projecting post portion located intermediate said planar flange portion and said hinge pin means and extending at an angle from said planar flange portion, in use to position said hinge pin means parallel with and in spaced apart relation from the respective said cabinet or door flange; so that in use, said cabinet and door flanges are positioned a predetermined distance apart, which distance is sufficient to receive a soft, deep section gasket in interposed, conforming and sealing relation therebetween.

2. The hinge as set forth in claim 1, one said hinge plate having a portion thereof adjacent said planar flange portion offset therefrom, to provide in co-operation with the respective cabinet and door flange portion a recess of predetermined limited depth, to receive a flange edge trim section in entered relation therebetween.

3. The hinge as set forth in claim 2 said at least one hinge plate having said planar flange portion thereof adjacent said post portion of sufficient lateral extent, in use, to locate said post in spaced relation from said cabinet flange a distance sufficient to receive a flange edge trim portion in interposed accommodated relation thereagainst.

4. The hinge as set forth in claim 3 in combination with said cabinet, including said door, having said deep section soft gasket in interposed sealing relation between the door and the cabinet, and in conforming relation with abutting portions of said hinge.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 4, said gasket having an attachment edge portion extending therefrom, said gasket edge portion being secured to an edge portion of a said flange by an overlapping edge trim of U-section.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 4, including seat rail means mounted in direct, bolted relation to a wall portion of said cabinet.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 4, said cabinet being a sauna cabinet, including steam generator means, said steam generator means having a heat transfer bottom portion of corrugated section.

8. The combination as set forth in claim 7, said corrugated section comprising deep grooves of substantially right rectangular section, to provide an increased heat transfer area substantially double the projected area of said bottom portion.

9. For use in a sauna cabinet, a steam generator having a heat transfer bottom portion which is of a corrugated section.

10. The steam generator of claim 9, wherein said corrugated section comprises deep grooves of substantially right rectangular section, to provide an increased heat transfer area substantially double the projected area of said bottom portion.

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