DE29722518U1 - Universal base for shower and bath tubs - Google Patents

Description

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Patent attorneys . . . . .-..:.· Tcici;« (0202)593708

Dipl.-Ing. Harald Ostriga ¹

Dipl.-Ing. Bernd Sonnet*

Dipl.-ing. Jochen-Peter Wirths ^&Igr;'&Ggr;&idiagr;&Iacgr;!·! ₆ - ₈

* Authorized by the European Patent Office 42275 Wuppertal-Bannen

Osiriga, Sonne! & Wirths · PO Box 20 16 53 ■ D-42216 Wuppertal

W/m

Applicant: &Mgr;&Egr;&Rgr;&Agr;-Pauli und Menden GmbH

Rolandsecker Weg 37 10-,

53 619 Rheinbreitbach

Designation

of the invention: Universal base frame for shower

and bathtubs

The invention relates to a universal base frame for shower or bathtubs, with at least one central part on which a central rail and at least two at least partially pivotable support arms are arranged, wherein the central rail and the support arms have a plurality of height-adjustable support feet.

Such a subframe for showers and bathtubs is known, for example, from DE-GM 296 12 945 from Ferroplast GmbH. The subframe described there has a support rail attached to a fixing plate and two primary support rails that can be pivoted around a fixed pivot point in a limited area, each of which is provided with an additional secondary support rail and a stiffening angle.

Although this base frame is already adaptable to different tub types and tub shapes, it is considered to be a disadvantage

Postbank 3)445 04-431 Credil and Volksbank eG 024 Commerzbank AG VAT ID No. Eat Wuppertal-Barme &eegr; Wuppc rial- Barmen VAT No. (Bank code 36(1 100 4 (Bank code 330 600 9S) 3(11 891 (Bank code 330 400 OO 4 034 823 EN 121068676

&Mgr;&Egr;&Rgr;&Agr;-Pauli and Menden Gmbif

It is considered that the structure is relatively complicated and that the adjustment options for the base frame are limited according to the state of the art.

The object of the invention is therefore to create a new universal base frame with a simplified structure and the greatest possible adjustability.

The solution to this problem arises from the features of claim 1, in particular the features of the characterizing part, according to which the central part is formed from two pivoting brackets connected to one another in an articulated manner, on which the central rail and the support arms are each arranged, at least indirectly, in a manner that is almost completely pivotable and displaceable.

The main advantage of the base frame according to the invention is that within a circular area resulting from, for example, the total length of a swivel bracket and the length of a support arm, every point can be reached by a support arm and a support foot arranged on it due to the wide range of adjustment options. Given the large variety of different tub types and sizes, the universal base frame according to the invention can thus be adjusted in such a way that the optimal distribution of the support feet or support arms specified by the manufacturer can be set for each tub type.

In addition, the universal base frame according to the invention consists of only a few different components. In addition to two identical swivel brackets and the

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If the support arms/central rail are of the same construction, they only have several support feet, each forming an assembly, which are connected to one another using commercially available fastening elements.
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In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the central rail is arranged on the swivel brackets in a common overlapping area and a support arm is arranged on the two free end areas and approximately in the middle. This embodiment achieves optimal coverage of the adjustment range with minimal manufacturing effort, whereby such a universal base frame could be used not only for corner tubs, but also for normal rectangular tubs.

In order to further increase the stability of the universal base frame according to the invention, the central rail arranged in the overlap area can have two support feet, while all other support arms are only provided with one support foot.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the central rail and the support arms are formed from profile rails, with adjustment elements being guided in the latter, each of which accommodates a pivot pin connecting the pivot bracket and the central rail/support arm. This embodiment serves to attach the pivot bracket and profile rails to one another in a simple but changeable manner, whereby the handling of this embodiment can be significantly improved if the adjustment elements each have a manually operable clamping bracket.

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which allows them to be easily attached in any desired position.

The same applies, of course, to a further variant of the invention, in which the adjusting elements each have a manually operable locking tab with which the adjusting element can be anchored in one of the numerous locking holes arranged in a base area of the profile rail.
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In order to reduce the manufacturing costs, it is ultimately also possible in the last-mentioned embodiments of the invention for the adjusting elements to be designed as plastic injection-molded parts.
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Finally, a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention has additional adjustment elements that are arranged in the central rail or in the support arms. These adjustment elements serve to displaceably arrange support feet that extend towards the floor and/or the edge of the tub.

Further advantages of the invention emerge from the following description of an embodiment. show:

Fig. 1 a perspective top view of a universal base frame,

Fig. 2 a universal base frame according to Fig. 1 in exploded view,

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Fig. 3 a longitudinal section through an adjusting element,

Fig. 4 is a side view of an adjusting element according to Fig. 3,
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Fig. 5 a view of the adjustment element according to arrow V in Fig. 3 and

Fig. 6 is a perspective top view of an adjusting element according to Fig. 3.

In the drawings, a universal base frame is designated as a whole by the reference number 10.

A base frame 10 has two swivel brackets 12 connected to one another via a joint 11, on which a central rail 13 and four support arms 14 are arranged in a hinged manner (joints 11, 16) and in a movable manner. The central rail 13 and the support arms 14 are each designed as C-profile rails and have locking holes R at regular intervals. The connection between the swivel brackets 12 and the central rail 13 or the support arms 14 is made via adjustment elements 15 arranged in the profile rail in a locking manner and into which the joint 11 or joints 16 engage.

In addition, two support feet 17 are arranged in the central rail 13 and one in each support arm 14. The support feet 17 each have a threaded rod 18 including height adjustment 19 and ADS cap 20. The support feet 17 are fastened by means of a clamping plate 21 and a threaded plate 22 arranged within the C-profile rail.

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Finally, the height adjustment of the support feet 17 is carried out via a self-tapping screw B arranged on the threaded rod 18.

In Fig. 2 it can be seen that the entire universal base frame 10 consists of only a few different parts or assemblies.

The adjusting element 15 is shown in detail in Figs. 3 to 6. It has a receiving hole 23 for a hinge pin 11, 16 each provided with a self-tapping thread. The adjusting element 15 is physically designed in such a way that it can be inserted into the C-profile-like central rail 13 as well as into the support arms 14. A locking tab 25 with a locking projection 26 and an actuating tab 27 is formed on one side of a main body 24 of the adjusting element 15. In the assembled state, the actuating tab 27 protrudes from the central rail 13 or the support arms 14. This makes it possible to grip it with a finger and to bend the locking tab 25 in the direction of a movement arrow x in Figs. 3 and 4. Due to this movement of the locking tab 25, the locking projection 26 slides out of one of the locking holes R of the central rail 13 or the support arms 14, so that the central rail 13 or a support arm 14 can be moved relative to the associated pivoting tab 12. If the locking tab 26 is not raised any further, a new automatic locking takes place in the adjacent locking hole R, although the locking can be canceled again at any time.

In a manner not shown, it is of course possible that the support feet 17 are also mounted on adjustment elements 16

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are arranged, which also enables a faster change in position of the support feet 17 without any tools.

Furthermore, it is conceivable that the adjusting element 15 does not have a locking tab 26, but rather a clamping tab, so that a continuous adjustment is possible.

Claims (8)

&Mgr;&Egr;&Rgr;&Agr;-Pauli and Menden GmbTi I .X ," , ·..! .· Claims 1. Universal base frame for shower or bath tubs, with at least one central part on which a central rail and at least two at least partially pivotable support arms are arranged, the central rail and the support arms having a plurality of height-adjustable support feet, characterized in that the central part is formed from two pivoting brackets (12) which are connected to one another in an articulated manner and on which the central rail (13) and the support arms (14) are each arranged at least indirectly so as to be almost completely pivotable and displaceable. . ' ■ 2. Universal base frame according to claim 1, characterized in that the central rail (13) is arranged on the pivoting brackets (12) in a common overlapping area and a support arm (14) is arranged on both free end areas and approximately in the middle of each. 3. Universal base frame according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the central rail (13) arranged in the overlapping area has two support feet (17), while all other support arms (14) are only provided with one support foot (17). 4. Universal base frame according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the central rail (13) and the support arms (14) are made of profile rails and that adjustment elements (15) are guided in the latter, each of which has a pivoting bracket (12) and a central &Mgr;&Egr;&Rgr;&Agr;-Pauli and Menden tral rail (13)/support arm (14). 5. Universal base frame according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the adjusting elements (15) each have a manually operable clamping tab (27) with which they can be fastened in any desired position. 6. Universal base frame according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the adjusting elements (15) each have a manually operable locking tab (25) with which the adjusting element (15) can be locked in one of the numerous positions in a base area of the central rail (13)/support arm (14) arranged locking holes (R). 7. Universal base frame according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the adjusting elements (15) are designed as plastic injection-molded parts. 8. Universal base frame according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the central rail (13) and the support arms (14) have additional adjustment elements (15) which serve for the displaceable arrangement of support feet (17) extending towards the floor and/or the edge of the tub.