EP0847743A2

EP0847743A2 - Shower booth

Info

Publication number: EP0847743A2
Application number: EP97119634A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Antonio Cadamuro
Original assignee: Domino SpA
Current assignee: Domino SpA
Priority date: 1996-12-10
Filing date: 1997-11-10
Publication date: 1998-06-17
Also published as: EP0847743A3; IT241578Y1; ITPN960050U1

Abstract

The fitted-out shower booth has a support frame (1) for side walls (2) extending upwards from a base basin (3), and further comprises a plurality of water delivery spouts and nozzles that are capable of being selectively operated through valves controlled by a central electronic control unit (8), as well as steam generation means (6, 7). The central electronic control unit (8) and the steam generation means (6) are mounted on a substantially vertical support plate (18) that is arranged behind one of said side walls (2) of the booth and is linked up to said frame (1) by means of guiding means (19) that enable said plate to slide transversally into a position in which it is pulled out with respect to the booth, thereby ensuring easy and full accessibility of the operational component parts (6-17) that are mounted thereon.

Description

The present invention refers to a fitted-out shower booth.

It is a largely known fact that shower booths are increasingly popular, which are fitted out with a full set of own water supply and spray devices, as well as therewith associated control and adjustment devices, not only for washing, but also beneficially treating human bodies in general. Such booths usually comprise mainly a support frame for a plurality of side walls, which are usually so shaped as to feature niches, protrusions and/or seatings, at least one of which is capable of being installed against a wall and at least one of which is provided with an access door. Said walls extend upwards from a base basin provided with water drain.

In their more richly equipped versions, such fitted-out booths may be fitted internally with at least a shower head arrangement, which may possibly be height-adjustable, one or more groups of spray nozzles adapted to produce so-called dorsal water jets, a water vapour diffuser, one or more nozzles or spouts for waterfall-like or similar water jets, water jets for the feet, and the like.

Some of the above mentioned water discharging devices, such as for instance the shower head, can be controlled and/or adjusted by means of traditional, manually actuated cocks, while other such hydraulic devices, such as for instance the spray nozzles and the steam diffuser, are preferably operated and/or controlled in a relatively complex manner through a central electronic control unit.

The spray nozzle, for instance, are adapted to be supplied with water through respective electromagnetic valves, which can be selectively operated to open and to close by said central electronic control unit according to a pre-established sequence that determines the production of "modulated"-type dorsal water jets, ie. water jets that have a variable configuration or pattern so as to produce the effect of a beneficial massage on the human body.

The central electronic control unit also controls the operation of steam generation means whyich usually comprise a boiler provided with electric heating element to generate the water vapour that is conveyed to its diffuser through an appropriate conduit. Owing to safety reasons, the boiler is usually associated, thereby forming a system of communicating vessels, to a water reservoir that is kept substantially filled up when the boiler is operating. Additionally, further safety devices are of course provided, such as water level and temperature controls and the like.

The various above cited operational component parts, which are appropriately interconnected by means of electric wires and/or pipes, are usually attached to the frame of the booth by means of screws, elastic clamps or the like, in correspondence of the concealed, ie. unexposed zones that are available on the backside of the walls of the booth, usually in correspondence of the outer surface of a wall which is to be installed against the room wall. When the booth is normally installed, therefore, the same component parts (in particular the boiler and the related reservoir, which must be mounted in a side-by-side arrangement, as well as the central electronic control unit and the main electromagnetic valves) turn out to be poorly accessible, ie. difficult to be accessed to for possibly arising maintenance, servicing or repair needs, through a removable panel that allows only for a limited lateral access to the compartment that houses the same component parts.

In view of improving the accessibility of said component parts, fitted-out shower booths have been proposed, in which a moving wall, behind which the same component parts are arranged, is capable of being opened inwards, ie. towards the interior of the booth, for instance by means of appropriate hinging means. Such a solution, however, appears to be undesirably complicated from a construction point of view, as well as rather expensive. Furthermore, in order to allow for said moving wall to be opened, the need arises for the inner shape and contour of the walls of the booth to be undesirably confined to definite geometric requirements.

Fitted-out shower booths are also known, in which the above mentioned component parts are substantially grouped on the outside of an upper wall. Even such a solution, however, has a drawback in that the various operational component parts may again prove to be scarcely accessible, especially in the case of rooms with a low ceiling. It furthermore requires (for compliance with safety standard regulations covering electrical insulation, with reference for instance to the so-called "water spray or rain test") that the same component parts be thoroughly protected by means of an appropriate protective capping, casing or similar guarding means. By all means, even such a solution turns out to be undesirably complicated in its construction and poorly convenient as far as repair and maintenance of said component parts is concerned.

It therefore is a main purpose of the present invention to provide a fitted-out shower booth which is simple in its structure, while at the same time ensuring a quick. convenient accessibility of its main operational component parts.

According to the present invention, such an aim is reached in a fitted-out shower booth incorporating the features as recited in the appended claims.

Anyway, the invention will be more readily and clearly understood in its characteristics and advantages from the description that is given below by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

Figure 1 is a schematical, partial and perspective view of a fitted-out shower booth according to the present invention, in which some operational component parts are shown in a pulled-out position;
Figure 2 is a front, partially cross-sectional view of a detail of the shower booth illustrated in Figure 1, such a detail being shown in a normal operating position thereof;
Figure 3 is a schematical top view of the detail shown in Figure 2; and
Figure 4 is a schematical side view of the detail shown in Figure 2.

With reference to the above listed Figures, the fitted-out shower booth can be noticed to mainly comprise a support frame 1 for a plurality of side walls 2 (only one of which is actually shown in Figure 1) extending upwards from a base basin 3 provided with appropriate water drain (not shown).

At least one of the above cited side walls (not shown for reasons of greater simplicity) is provided with an access door, and at least another one of said side walls (for instance, the one that is generally indicated at 2 in Figure 1) has an inner surface 4 that is shaped so as to feature a number of functional members and/or is provided with a number of functional members.

In particular, the shower booth may be internally equipped, in a per se known manner, with a plurality of water delivery means, such as a shower head arrangement (not shown), one or more sets of spray nozzles 5 adapted to produce so-called dorsal water jets, one or more delivery spouts (not shown) to produce waterfall-like or similar water jets, spouts to produce water jets for the feet, and the like. Furthermore, the shower booth is provided with at least a diffuser (not shown) of water vapour produced by a boiler 6 which is preferably associated to a water reservoir 7 and is controlled by a central electronic control unit 8. In a per sè known manner, said central electronic control unit 8 shall be in turn understood to be associated with a traditional type of command push-button unit or similar keyboard arrangement, and is adapted to also control the operation of at least some of the water delivery means through respective controlled valve means (not shown for reasons of greater simplicity). For instance, the central electronic control unit is adapted to operate the spray nozzles 5 according to a pre-determined sequence or pattern that determines the production of "modulated" dorsal water jets so as to bring about an effect of beneficial massage on the human body.

The boiler 6 is provided with a steam outlet 15 that communicates with the above cited water vapour diffuser through a conduit 16 of a flexible type or, anyway, easily detachable with respect to said outlet 15. The boiler 6 is preferably of the type comprising an electric resistance-type heating element 9, is associated to thermostatic control means 17, and its bottom is connected to the reservoir 7, which is arranged on a side thereof, so as to form a system of communicating vessels. In particular, the reservoir 7 is provided with a water inlet 10 (associated to a valve 12 controlled by the central electronic control unit 8) and a drain outlet 11 associated to a valve 12' that is also controlled by said central electronic control unit 8. Furthermore, the reservoir 7 preferably comprises a lowest/highest water level sensor 13 and an overflow arrangement 14. The latter and the drain outlet 11 are adapted to directly communicate with the base basin 3 of the booth.

The general operation of the above described fitted-out shower booth is a traditional one, so that it shall not be described here any further. In this connection it should only be noticed that, thanks to the water level sensor 13 and the control action of the central electronic control unit 8, when a delivery of water vapour is desired both the boiler 6 and the reservoir 7 are kept substantially filled up with water (up to a pre-determined level), while the boiler 6 delivers through the outlet 15 the steam produced by the heating element 9, the operation of which is controlled by the thermostatic control means 17. The boiler 6 and the reservoir 7 can then be emptied by opening the drain valve 12'.

According to a feature of the present invention, at least the central electronic control unit 8 and the boiler 6, preferably jointly with the reservoir 7, are mounted on at least a substantially vertical support plate 18. In a preferred manner, moreover, the thermostatic control means 17 and at least some of the valves controlled by the central electronic control unit 8 (for instance, the valves 12 and 12') are also grouped, in substantially a side-by-side arrangement on a vertical plane with respect to the boiler, the reservoir and the central electronic control unit, in correspondence of a surface of the plate 18 facing the interior of the fitted-out shower booth.

In any case, said support plate 18 is arranged behind one of the side walls 2 of the fitted-out shower booth and is fastened to the frame 1 thereof by means of guiding means that enable it to slide transversally in at least one direction. Such guiding means can for instance consist of appropriately shaped brackets 19 fixed to the frame 1 and adapted to emable respective horizontal edges of the plate 18 to slidably link up therewith. It will of course be appreciated that also said plate edges can be appropriately shaped, for instance as shown in Figure 4.

The plate 18 can be simply and quickly caused to slide transversally from a position of normal operation (as shown in Figures 2 and 3), in which the operational component parts 6-17 are protected and "concealed" behind the wall 2, to a position in which it is at least partially pulled out with respect to the shower booth (as shown in Figure 1), in which said operational component parts 6-17 appear to be fully and easily accessible to any maintenance, servicing and/or repair purpose.

This quick and full accessibility of the operational component parts of the fitted-out shower booth is particularly advantageous in the preferred case in which the fitted-out shower booth is installed with its side wall 2, behind which said support plate 18 is provided, against a wall of the room (as shown in Figure 1).

Since the operational component parts 6-17 mounted on the plate 18 must be connected to the internal delivery spouts and spray nozzles and the command push-button unit provided inside the booth by means of hydraulic and/or electric connections (which are shown only partially in the Figures), such connections are preferably of the flexible and/or detachable type, so as to enable the plate 18 to easily and conveniently slide, ie. be displaced, without any particular technical intervention bein required to that purpose.

Should it be desired, anyway, the plate 18 can be normally locked in its operational position by means of at least a fastening screw, or similar fastening means, that is easily accessible for possible servicing or other interventions.

It will of course be appreciated that the above described fitted-out shower booth may be the subject of a number of variations and modifications without departing from the scope of the present invention. For instance, in view of further improving the transversal slidability of the plate 18, the latter can be provided with at least a side handle 20 or similar gripping means.

Claims

Fitted-out shower booth comprising a support frame for a plurality of side walls extending upwards from a base basin, said booth being provided internally with a plurality of water delivery spouts and nozzles that are capable of being selectively operated through valves controlled by a central electronic control unit, and comprising also a diffuser of water vapour that is capable of being supplied by steam generation means controlled by said central electronic control unit, characterized in that at least said central electronic control unit (8) and said steam generation means (6) are mounted on at least a substantially vertical support plate (18) that is arranged behind one of said side walls (2) of the booth and is linked up to said frame (1) by means of guiding means (19) that enable said plate to slide transversally into a position in which it is pulled out with respect to the booth, thereby ensuring easy and full accessibility of the operational component parts (6-17) that are mounted thereon.
Fitted-out shower booth according to claim 1, characterized in that said steam generation means comprise a boiler (6) associated to thermostatic control means (17) and connected to a water reservoir (7) provided in a side-by-side arrangement with respect thereto, which is provided with a water inlet (10) and a water outlet (11) controlled by the central electronic control unit (8) through respective valve means (12, 12'), said latter valve means and said thermostatic control means being grouped, in a substantially side-by-side arrangement on a vertical plane with respect to the boiler, the reservoir and the central electronic control unit, in correspondence of a surface of the plate (18) which is facing the interior of the fitted-out shower booth.
Fitted-out shower booth according to claim 1, characterized in that at least some of said valve means are mounted on said slidable support plate (18).
Fitted-out shower booth according to any of the preceding claims, in which said operational component parts mounted on said plate are connected to said internal water delivery means and to command and control members provided inside the shower booth by means of hydraulic and/or electric connections, characterized in that said connections are of the flexible and/or detachable type, so as to enable the support plate (18) to easily and conveniently slide on guiding means (19) thereof.
Fitted-out shower booth according to claim 1, characterized in that said support plate (18) is provided with at least a side handle (20), or similar gripping means, adapted to improve the transversal slidability thereof.