DE29711352U1 - Guide arrangement for a door element - Google Patents

Description

JAEGER, BOCK & KÖSTER

Patent attorneys

Lido shower enclosures LDO-051 -GM

Ges.m.b.H. & Co. KG Kö/ba

Jechtenham 16

A-4775 Taufkirchen/Pram

Austria

Guide arrangement for a door element

European Patent Attorneys - Pippinplatz 4a- D-82131 Gauting near Munich Telephone (089)8506091- Fax (089)89341106 - Email eupat@eupat.de

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DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to a guide arrangement for a door element, in particular for a shower or bathtub partition or dividing wall, which door element is mounted in a hanging and laterally displaceable manner and has at least one guide element in its lower region, which can be brought into and out of engagement from below into a downwardly open guide groove of a lower guide rail by means of a hook.

Such a guide arrangement is known, for example, from EP-A-0 384 224. In the guide element described there, the hook is designed in the form of a rotating body which can be engaged and disengaged again by manually rotating it into the guide groove of a lower guide rail, so that the door element can be swung away from the fixed guide rail, which is attached to a fixed wall element, for example, when the hook is disengaged. In this way, the lower areas of wall elements, the lower guide rail attached there and also the lower area of the door element can be cleaned more easily, because dirt accumulates in these places in particular.

Another generic guide arrangement or shower partition is described in the German utility model G 93 03 656.6. This known shower partition has a lower guide device with a guide rail that is open at the bottom, into which the guide arm connected to the door element engages from below. The guide rail can be raised from a lower rest position, in which the guide arm is in engagement with the guide rail, so far upwards that the guide arm disengages and the door element can be swung away. In addition, the guide arm

When the door element is swung back, it automatically re-engages with the guide rail.

A disadvantage of these known guide arrangements is that the door element can only be disengaged and engaged with the guide rail from the inside, and an independent engagement of an individual door element independently of the other door elements is not possible.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved guide arrangement in which each door element can be disengaged from the outside and in particular separately from the lower guide rail.

This task is solved by the doctrine of claims.

In the guide arrangement according to the invention, the guide element is made up of a holding guide that is firmly connected to the door element (for example with the aid of a screw) and a slider that carries the hook. The slider can be moved relative to the holding guide. The slider can be pressed down at least essentially vertically downwards from an upper position in which the hook engages in the guide groove from below against a force, e.g. a spring, and thus moved relative to the holding guide. If the slider reaches a lower position on its downward displacement path in which the hook no longer engages in the guide groove, the door element can be pivoted away from the lower guide rail.

The spring force, which ensures that the slider is pressed into its upper position, is preferably exerted by a spring, which is located in a preferably vertically extending recess in the holding guide, which can be a blind hole or a groove open to the front and top. The spring is on the one hand on the bottom of the recess and on the other hand on the upper area,

particularly on the upper wall, which is a kind of cover, of the glider.

The slider is preferably connected via an arm to the hook that extends upwards and engages in the guide groove of the guide rail. This arm extends at least essentially horizontally and at an angle to the plane of the door element away from the slider. This makes it possible to arrange the guide element laterally spaced from the vertical side edge of a door element, while the hook is in the same vertical plane that runs perpendicular to the side edge or side profile through this side edge or side profile.

The door element is arranged towards the interior of a shower or bathtub partition; the guide element is then located between this door element and the lower guide rail. In other words, the guide element is arranged to the side in front of the door element or in front of the vertical plane of the door element. As a result, it is accessible from the outside by a user. The user only has to press down the slider and can then swing the door element inwards and carry out the necessary cleaning work. The cleaning water etc. then automatically drips into the bathtub or shower tray, because the guide rail is the part that is furthest out and is arranged on the edge of a shower tray or similar.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the slider can be pushed onto the holding guide, in particular from above, and then encloses it or surrounds or engages behind the holding guide in such a way that it is guided so as to be vertically displaceable. The slider preferably represents a type of rectangular sleeve or sliding sleeve, which is open in particular at the bottom and has a front wall, two side walls

walls, an upper wall and a rear wall and is therefore "hollow" inside. The rear wall is equipped with a vertically extending recess through which the section or part of the holding guide extends that is not enclosed by the glider and thus "serves to connect the holding guide to the door element".

The slider and the holding guide also have means that limit the vertical displacement path of the slider upwards and downwards, so that the slider cannot separate itself from the holding guide once it has been placed or pushed onto it. The means for limiting the upward displacement path of the slider is preferably a snap-in nose attached to the slider, which can come into contact with a stop on the holding guide and thus prevents further upward displacement. The means for limiting the downward displacement path of the slider is preferably the upper wall or a part connected to it, for example a pin, of the slider.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the slider, when it is in the lower position or close to the lower position in which the door element can be pivoted away from the lower guide rail, can automatically tilt about a virtual axis running approximately horizontally in the upper area of the holding guide, for example, by the action of a spring force. The slider folds away from the holding guide and the door element in its lower area. In addition, the slider can be fixed in this tilted position in this embodiment.

By exerting approximately horizontal pressure on the slider in the direction of the retaining guide, this slider is folded back from its fixed position to the door element or the retaining guide. This horizontal pressure can be exerted by

the door element that has been swung away from the lower guide rail is swung back towards the guide rail so that the hook comes into contact with the guide rail and the slider folds back towards the door element. This can be achieved, for example, by a user swinging the door element away a certain amount and then letting go. Due to gravity, the door element then swings back until the hook hits the lower guide rail. This folds the slider back from its fixed position and moves upwards due to the spring force so that the hook of the slider engages in the guide groove almost automatically. This can also be referred to as automatic locking.

To disengage the hook, a user simply has to press the slider down until it tilts and is fixed. The user can then swing the door element away and carry out the desired cleaning activities. To return the guide arrangement to its operating state, the user simply lets go of the door element. It then engages automatically. This process can also be carried out individually for each door element.

The glider is preferably fixed in the tilted position by the holding guide being equipped with at least one locking lug in the lower area, which comes to rest in a recess in the glider when the glider is in the lower position and tilted away from the door element. This locking lug thus prevents the glider from moving vertically upwards in the tilted position.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the holding guide represents a substantially vertical holding rod, which is attached to the door element with its rear wall. In addition, the slider can be pushed onto the holding rod and encloses or encompasses it in such a way that the slider is guided so that it can be moved vertically.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the holding rod has an approximately rectangular, in particular approximately square, cross-section and is attached with its rear side to the door element. A spring arm is attached to at least one side and preferably to both sides of the holding rod in its upper area, which extends freely from there approximately vertically downwards and whose free end, when unloaded, projects forwards beyond the front of the holding rod. In this embodiment, the slider expediently forms a type of rectangular sleeve with a front wall, a rear wall, which has a recess in the area of the rear of the holding rod, two side walls and an upper wall. The slider is dimensioned in such a way that the rear side of the front wall runs close to the front of the holding guide and, when pushed open, swings the spring arm back towards the door element, whereby a spring force acting on the slider is exerted in the form of a tilting moment.

If the slider is in the upper position, the free end of the spring arm extends into a recess or hole in the front wall. This recess is designed in such a way that further upward movement of the slider is prevented by the free end of the guide arm engaging in the recess, for example by the free end coming into contact with the floor or the edge of the floor of the recess. In this position, no or only a small tilting moment is exerted on the slider by the spring arm. The recess is also designed in such a way that when the slider is pressed down, the free end of the spring arm moves out of the recess and the spring arm is swung back. When the slider is pressed down further, the spring arm then exerts a tilting moment on the slider away from the door element, since the free end of the guide arm rests against the inside of the front wall of the slider and exerts a spring force.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the spring arm is attached to the holding rod in the form of a shoulder, forming a round guide. If the material of the holding rod is plastic, which is preferably the case, then the spring arm is expediently formed as one piece onto the holding rod. The spring arm also runs towards its free end preferably at an angle to the vertical, so that a type of oblique plane is formed, which ensures that the spring arm can slide out of the recess when the slider is pressed down and swings back towards the door element.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the locking lug is arranged approximately vertically below the spring arm on the side of the holding rod; the recess in which the locking lug comes to rest when the slider is tilted is expediently arranged or attached in the rear wall of the slider. The locking lug and the spring arm are expediently guided between the front wall and the rear wall of the slider and represent a vertical movement sequence or a vertical guide of the slider when pressed down or when moving upwards.

Due to the fact that the spring arm exerts a pre-tensioning force on the slider in the direction of a tilting movement, when the slider is tilted, as soon as it has been pushed down far enough, the sliding element is also pivoted away from the guide rail almost automatically.

The invention is described in more detail below with reference to the figures, which show two preferred embodiments. Figures 1 to 7 show an embodiment in which the slider can only perform an up and down movement. In the embodiment shown in Figures 8 to 14

The glider can also perform a tilting movement. The figures show in detail:

Fig. 1 a longitudinal sectional view (partially broken away) through a door element together with the guide arrangement attached to it with slider and associated guide rail ei

a first embodiment, wherein the slider is in the upper position,

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, with the slider in the lower position,

Fig. 3 a view from the door element to the back of Hal

guide and slider in the positions shown in Fig. 1 and 2,

Fig. 4 different views of the holding guide,
Fig. 5 different views of the glider,

Fig. 6 a longitudinal section through the guide arrangement and

associated guide rail in the operating state in which the hook of the slider is in engagement with the guide rail ,

Fig. 7 is a section A-A according to Fig. 6,

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view (partially broken away) through

a door element together with a guide arrangement attached to it with a tilted slider and associated guide rail according to a second embodiment,

Fig. 9 different views of the holding guide according to Fig. 8,
Fig. 10 different views of the slider according to Fig. 8,

Fig. 11 a longitudinal section corresponding to Fig. 8 with the slider folded back in its lower position,

Fig. 12 is a section corresponding to Fig. 11, but with the slider in its upper position and its hook engaging in the guide groove,

Fig. 13 is a longitudinal section corresponding to Fig. 12, in which the spring which exerts an upward force on the slider and a screw for fastening the holding guide are also shown and

Fig. 14 is a section A-A according to Fig. 13.

Identical parts are provided with the same reference symbols in the figures.

As can be seen from Fig. 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12 and 13, the guide arrangement 1 according to the invention is fastened to the side of a transverse glass strip 23 of a door element 2 and is equipped with a hook 4, which, in the locked state or in the operating state, engages from below into the downwardly open guide groove 5 of a guide rail 6 designed as an arched profile.

The guide arrangement 1 has a guide element 3, which is constructed from a holding guide 7 and a slider 8.

The guide element 3 is arranged between the door element 2 and the guide rail 6 and is accessible from the outside, i.e. from the right in Fig. 6, 13. In these Fig. 6, 13, the guide element 3 is in the operating state in which the hook 4 engages in the guide groove 5.

If the slider 8 is pressed vertically downwards from the upper position shown in Fig. 6, 13, the slider 8 moves to its lower position shown in Fig. 2, 11.

In this lower position, the door element can then be swiveled sideways to the left, see Fig. 2, 11. After releasing the slider 8, the situations shown in Fig. 1, 8 arise. In this case, the hook 4 is no longer engaged in the guide groove 5; the lower areas of the door element 2, guide rail 6, etc. can be cleaned.

Further details of the first embodiment, shown in Figures 1 to 7, are described below.

After releasing the slider 8, it automatically moves back to the upper position shown in Fig. 1.

The holding guide attached to the cross glass strip 23 is shown in more detail in Fig. 4. The top left illustration shows a side view, the top right illustration a view from behind, the bottom left illustration a view from above and the bottom right illustration a section along A-A. The holding guide 7 has a horizontal hole 24 for a screw 25 (see Fig. 6) for fastening this holding guide 7 to the door element 2. On the back 26 there is also a pin 27 or one is formed there, which prevents the holding rod 7 from twisting and engages, for example, in a hole in the cross glass strip 23.

in the holding guide 7, a vertical groove 19 is cut out, which is open at the front and at the top and in which a spring 9 (see Fig. 6) is placed. This spring 9, preferably a helical coil spring, is supported on the one hand on the base 20 of the groove 19 and on the other hand on the upper wall 21 of the slider 8 (see Fig. 5).

The holding guide 7 has a front section 42 with an approximately rectangular cross-section (in the projection onto a horizontal base surface) and a rear section 43 with a rectangular cross-section, but whose horizontal width is smaller.

On the left and right side edges (or edge surface) of the rear section 43 there is a laterally protruding stop 41 (see in particular the illustration at the top right) with an upper, slanted sliding surface 44 and a lower, approximately horizontal or only slightly slanted stop surface 45.

The slider 8 shown in more detail in Fig. 5 is pushed onto this holding guide 7 from above. This slider 8 is a rectangular sleeve or sliding sleeve that is open at the bottom and has a front wall 16, two side walls 29 and a rear wall 28, which has a recess 34 that is open at the bottom and extends essentially vertically almost to the upper wall 21.

When pushed or placed on, the slider 8 with its side walls 29 and the rear wall 28 encloses the front section 42 of the holding guide 7. The inner surface 35 of the rear wall 28 lies approximately on the rear surface 36 of the holding guide 7 (see Fig. 4), while the inner surface 37 of the front wall 16 lies approximately on the front surface 38 of the holding guide 7. The same applies to the side walls 29 and the side surfaces of the front section 42 of the holding guide. In this way, the slider 8 represents a type of vertically movable sliding sleeve. The rear section 43 of the holding guide 3 lies in the vertical recess 34 or between the two areas of the rear wall 28 of the slider 8.

In the lower area of the rear wall 28, which consists of two vertically extending strips and in the upper area of a horizontal strip, a snap-in nose 40 is formed which extends approximately horizontally in the plane of the rear wall 28. The snap-in nose 40 has a lower, obliquely running sliding surface 47 and an upper, approximately horizontal or ^only slightly obliquely running stop surface 46.

If the slider 8 is pushed onto the holding guide 7, as shown in Fig. 3, whereby in the top left illustration the slider 8 is in the upper position and in the top right illustration it is in the lower position, the stop 41 and the snap nose 40 work together and represent the means for limiting the upward displacement path. In the upper position the stop surface 47 of the snap nose 40 comes into contact with the corresponding stop surface 45 (see also Fig. 4) of the stop 41. The sliding surfaces 44 and 46 serve the purpose of ensuring that the snap nose 40 and stop 41 can pass each other when the opening in the slider 8 is expanded, as the inclined sliding surfaces 44 and 46 run into each other. This can also be promoted or achieved by using appropriately flexible materials and dimensions.

The center for limiting the downward displacement path of the slider 8 consists of a pin 38 extending vertically downwards from the upper wall 21 of the slider 8, which comes into a stop against the upper area of the holding guide 7 when the slider 8 is in the lower position.

The slider 8 has in its lower area a boom 22 which extends horizontally and at an angle to the vertical plane of the slider 8 and which has a hook 4 extending approximately vertically upwards at its free end. The oblique arrangement of the boom 22 makes it possible to arrange the guide arrangement laterally spaced from the side edge of a door element 2 (see, for example, Fig. 7), so that it is easier to operate. The pre-tensioning force of the spring 9 also results in better guidance of the door element. In addition, the guide element can easily be operated from the outside by the person being operated.

The embodiment shown in more detail in Figs. 8 to 13 is described below. Many of the features of the holder 8 and the holding guide 7 in this embodiment are the same as in the previously described embodiment, so that the differences are primarily explained below. The holding guide 7 is more of a so-called holding rod, so that the latter term is used from now on.

Further details of the holding rod 7 are shown in Fig. 9. In the upper view, starting from the left, a top view (i.e. from the guide rail 6 in the direction of the door element 2 according to Fig. 8), a side view and a rear view are shown. In Fig. 9 below, a top view from below is shown.

Two pins 27 are also attached or molded onto the back 26 of the holding rod 7, which prevent the holding rod 7 from twisting and, for example, engage in a hole in the transverse glass strip 23.

In the upper and front area of the holding rod 7, a spring arm 13 is attached to each of the two sides, which extends from there approximately vertically downwards and is guided at an angle at its free end 14 so that it protrudes forwards over the front side 15. Vertically below the spring arm 13, a laterally projecting locking lug 11 is arranged in the lower area of the holding rod 7.

The slider 8 shown in more detail in Fig. 10 is pushed or placed onto the holding rod 7 shown in more detail in Fig. 9. This slider 8 represents - as in the previously described embodiment - a rectangular sleeve that is open at the bottom with a front wall 16, an upper wall or cover 21 and a rear wall 28. In Fig. 10, in the top row starting from the left, a view from the front and thus from the guide rail 6 in the direction of the door element 2, a side view and a view from the rear are shown.

The illustration shown in Fig. 10 below is a view from above.

The slider 8 shown in Fig. 10 also has two side walls 29. The slider 8 also carries the hook 4, which is connected to it via an inclined arm 22.

A vertical recess 34 is provided in the rear wall 28, through which the holding rod 7 extends with its rear wall 26, so that the holding rod 7 can be attached to the door element 2 and the slider 8 can be moved or displaced vertically up and down.

In the rear wall 28 of the slider 8, there is also a recess 12 or an opening in which the locking lug 11 of the holding rod 7 comes to rest when the slider 8 is pressed down into its lower position and pivoted about the virtual axis 10, see Fig. 8. The locking lug 11 prevents the slider 8 from being moved upwards again in the fixed position due to the force exerted by the spring 9, by the locking lug 11 resting against the lower edge 31 of the opening 12. Of course, it must be ensured that the slider cannot be folded or tilted away so far that the locking lug 11 is no longer in the space delimited by this recess 12. This is prevented in the embodiment shown by the fact that the slider 8 rests against the cross glass strip 23 in its upper area in the tilted position, so that the possible tilting or pivoting path is limited. The front wall 16 of the slider 8 forms, together with the side walls 29 and the rear wall 28, a type of internal cavity 32 in which the locking lug 11 and the spring arm 13 with its round guide 18 are guided in such a way that the slider 8 can be moved up and down. These parts are expediently dimensioned in such a way that the tilting play of the slider 8 is as limited as possible.

The slider 8 has a further recess or opening 17 in the front wall 16, into which the free end 14 of the spring arm 13 engages when the slider 8 is in its upper position (see Fig. 12). The free end 14 rests against the lower edge 33 (see Fig. 12) of the recess 17 and prevents the slider from moving further upwards.

The functioning of the guide arrangement according to the invention and the movement sequence of the slider 8 etc. are summarized again below.

By pushing the slider from its upper position shown in Fig. 12 in the direction of the arrow also shown there, the spring arms 13 (Fig. 8 and 9) of the holding guide or the holding rod 7 are tensioned and exert a compressive force on the front wall 16 of the slider 8.

The slider 8 is pressed downward until the locking lug 11 of the holding rod 7 can engage in the opening or recess 12 in the rear wall 28, triggered by the pre-tension of the spring arms 13. The slider 8 is tilted around the round guides 18 of the spring arms 13, which fixes the slider in the tilted position so that the door element 2 (arrow in Fig. 8) can be swung out.

By swiveling the door element 2 in, the fixation between the holding rod 7 and the slider 8 is unlocked again. The compression spring 9 pushes the slider 8 upwards. The corresponding movements are shown clearly in Fig. 4 by arrows.

The recess 17 in the front wall 16 of the slider 8, into which the spring arms 13 engage, limits the path of the slider 8 on the one hand and also prevents the slider 8 from sliding off the holding rod 7 due to the pressure force of the spring 9, see also

mais Fig. 5. To remove the slider 8, you only have to press the spring arms 13 further by hand so that the slider 8 can be pulled upwards.

The guide arrangement according to the invention is used in particular in so-called round showers, in which the lower guide rail is curved in a certain area, for example in the entry area. The guide arrangement according to the invention can therefore also be regarded as a round shower glider. It can, for example, be constructed from plastic parts, with the spring being in particular a non-rusting spring, e.g. made of stainless steel.

Claims (13)

PROTECTION CLAIMS 1. Guide arrangement for a door element (2), in particular for a shower or bath partition or dividing wall, which door element (2) is mounted in a hanging and laterally displaceable manner and has at least one guide element (3) in its lower region, which can be brought into and out of engagement from below into a downwardly open guide groove of a lower guide rail (6) by means of a hook (4),
characterized, that the guide element (3) is made up of a holding guide (7) firmly connected to the door element (2) and a slider (8) carrying the hook (4) and is arranged between the door element (2) facing the interior of the shower or bath partition and the lower guide rail (6) and is accessible from the outside the slider (8) can be displaced from an upper position, in which the hook (4) can engage in the guide groove (5), relative to the holding guide (7) and can be pressed downwards at least substantially vertically against a force that is still directed upwards, into a lower position in which the hook (4) no longer engages in the guide groove (5) and thus the door element (2) can be pivoted away, and its upward and downward displacement path is limited. 2. Guide arrangement according to claim 1
characterized, that the holding guide (7) has a recess (19), in particular a blind hole or a groove open to the front, in which there is a spring (9) exerting the upward force, which spring is on the one hand on the bottom (20) of the recess (19) and on the other hand- is supported on the upper region, in particular on an upper wall (21), of the slider (8). 3. Guide arrangement according to claim 1 or 2,
characterized, that the slider (8) is connected to the hook (4) via an arm (22) which extends at least substantially horizontally and obliquely to the plane of the door element (2) away from the slider (8). 4. Guide arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in the slider (8) can be pushed onto the holding guide (7), in particular from above, and encloses or encompasses it in such a way that it can be moved vertically. 5. Guide arrangement according to claim 4
characterized, that the slider (8) is a type of rectangular sleeve, particularly open downwards, with a front wall (16), two side walls (29), an upper wall (21) and a rear wall (28) with a vertically extending recess (34). 6. Guide arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that to limit the upward displacement path of the slider (8) there is at least one snap lug (40) attached to the slider (8), which can come into contact with a stop (41) on the holding guide (7). 7. Guide arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 5,
characterized, that the slider (8) automatically moves when it reaches the lower position by an amount approximately horizontal in the upper area of the holding guide (7). · ·»
• · ····
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* ♦ · » running virtual axis (10) is tilted and in the process folds or swings away from the holding guide (7) in the lower area and is then fixed in the tilted position, and can be pivoted back from its fixed position by exerting approximately horizontal pressure on the slider (8) in the direction of the holding guide (7). 8. Guide arrangement according to claim 7
characterized, that the holding guide (7) has at least one locking lug (11) in the lower area, which comes to rest in a recess (12) in the slider (8) when the slider (8) is in the lower position and is folded away from the door element (2). 9. Guide arrangement according to claim 7 or 8
characterized, that the holding guide is a substantially vertical holding rod (7) which has an approximately rectangular, in particular approximately square, cross-section, that on at least one side and in particular on both sides of the holding rod (7) in its upper area a spring arm (13) is attached, which extends freely from there approximately vertically downwards and whose free end (14) in the unloaded state projects forwards beyond the front side (15) of the holding rod (7) and that the slider (8) designed as a rectangular sleeve has a recess (17) in its front wall (16) into which the free end (14) of the spring arm (13) engages when the slider (8) is in the upper position, whereby the upward displacement path of the slider (8) is limited, and the free end (14) is moved out of the recess (17) again when the slider (8) is pressed down. 10. Guide arrangement according to claim 9,
characterized, that the spring arm (13) is attached to the support rod (7) to form a circular guide (18). 11. Guide arrangement according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the spring arm (13) runs obliquely to the vertical towards its free end (14). 12. Guide arrangement according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that that the locking lug (11) is arranged approximately vertically below the spring arm (13) on the side of the holding rod (7) and the recess (12) is arranged in the rear wall (28) of the slider (8). 13. Guide arrangement according to claim 12,
characterized, that the locking lug (11) together with the spring arm (13) are guided between the front wall (16) and the rear wall (28) of the slider (8), so that the slider (8) is guided so as to be vertically displaceable and can only tilt if the recess (12) of the slider (8) is at the level of the locking lug (11).