EP1319359B1

EP1319359B1 - Shower box door

Info

Publication number: EP1319359B1
Application number: EP02425744A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Luigi Rabensteiner
Original assignee: TIF GmbH
Current assignee: TIF GmbH
Priority date: 2001-12-13
Filing date: 2002-12-04
Publication date: 2012-05-02
Anticipated expiration: 2022-12-04
Also published as: EP1319359A3; ITBS20010105A1; EP1319359A2; ATE555701T1; AT10153U3; AT10153U2

Description

Field of application:

The invention relates to a door for shower boxes comprising a mobile crystal plate forming the actual door, a fixed crystal plate to be fixed to the wall by a pair of metal brackets, and at least two hinges for pivoting the mobile plate relative to the fixed one, wherein each hinge consists of a first hinge member associated to the mobile plate and of a second hinge member associated to the fixed plate wherein each second hinge member is fixed to the corresponding L-shaped metal bracket exhibiting a portion parallel to said plates and wherein each second hinge member comprises a horizontal arm for supporting and pivoting a hinge pin.

Prior Art:

A door of this type has been described in EP 1 013 210 A2 . According to this prior art the fixed plate is secured to the front side of the L-shaped metal bracket. This causes the necessity to provide screw holes in the fixed plate. The L-shaped metal bracket protrudes from the wall and obstructs the interior of the cabin.
Document DE 33 10 139 A1 shows a construction in which the fixed plate is secured to the back side of the L-shaped metal bracket, whereas the mobile plate is fixed to the front side of the hinge.
The document EP 1 108 843 A2 discloses an adjustable fitting for the connection of a glass plate with a further glass plate or a wall where the fitting is glued to the glass plate. The fitting for connecting the glass plate to the wall is an L-shaped bracket, whereas the fitting for connecting the two glass plates is pivotable about a vertical axis.

Objects and summary of the invention

The present invention aims at improving the aforementioned door for shower boxes. In particular, an object of the present invention is to provide a door in which the hinges are glued to the crystal plate rather than fixed by screwing into through holes obtained in the plate, to the advantage of the ease of assembly and of the shower's appearance.
Another object of the invention is to propose a door for shower boxes made of crystal and provided with a magnetic closing system.
Yet another object of the finding is to propose a door for shower boxes provided with an adjustment means along the horizontal axis which should be easy, accurate and convenient to use.
Such objects are achieved by a door conforming with the claims reported hereinafter.

Brief description of the drawings

An example of practical embodiment of the finding will now be described with reference to the attached indicative and nonlimiting drawings. In such drawings:

Fig. 1 shows an exploded view of all members that form the door for shower boxes under discussion;
Fig. 2 shows an exploded view of the door hinge members only;
Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the assembled hinge;
Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the assembled door;
Figs. 5 and 6 show a cross-sectional view of magnetic profiles applied to the wall and to the crystal plate, respectively, for the door under discussion.

Detailed description of the invention

The door for shower boxes under discussion essentially comprises a mobile crystal plate 11, forming the actual door, and a fixed plate 12, made of crystal as well, to be fixed to the wall by a pair of metal brackets 13. Two hinges 14 are provided for the pivoting of the mobile plate 11 relative to the fixed plate 12, each consisting of two hinge members 15 and 16, respectively glued to the mobile plate 11 and to the fixed plate 12.
More in detail, a first hinge member 15 consists of a first plate 17 intended to be glued to the mobile plate 11, and of a plaque 18 fixable by screwing to plate 17 and intended to lock on the upper side a hinge pin 19 by a nut 20 and relevant washer 20'.
The second hinge member 16 consists of a second plate 21 intended to be glued to the fixed plate 12 and configured for receiving an arm 22 having an end 22' facing the first hinge member 15 and intended to house an insert 23 for supporting and pivoting the hinge pin 19. Insert 23 is provided with a plurality of projections 23' acting as cams for a door opening/closing by the usual raise/lower system. Arm 22 is locked into the second plate 21 by a locking plaque 24 screwed therein by four screws 24'.
Each metal bracket 13 exhibits an L shape, that is, it consists of a portion 13' perpendicular to plates 11 and 12 for fixing the bracket to the wall, and of a portion 13" parallel to said plates, to which the second hinge member 16 is intended to be fixed by a pair of screws 26. Portion 13' of plate 13 is also provided with three adjustment screws 25 that allow compensating any irregularities or deficiencies of the wall, by keeping the bracket always into the correct position relative to the door.
The second hinge member 16 is also configured for receiving an adjustment pin 27 arranged horizontally and having both ends 27' threaded in opposite direction for screwing on one side to arm 22 and on the opposite side to portion 13" of bracket 13. An intermediate portion 27" of the adjustment pin 27 protrudes from the relevant seat in the second hinge member 16 so as to pivot pin 27 and thereby adjust the hinge along the horizontal axis of the door for shower boxes.
In order to lock the adjustment pin 27 into the desired angular position, arm 22 exhibits a threaded hole 28 perpendicular to the axis of pin 27 wherein a locking screw 29 passing through a slot 24" of the locking plaque 24 is intended to be fit.
Each hinge is completed by aesthetic coating elements 30, 31, 32 and 33 for the first hinge member, the second hinge member and the metal bracket, respectively.
Mobile plate 11 and fixed plate 12 are reciprocally sided with the interposition of a lip seal 34 whereas in the lower side, the mobile plate exhibits a seal 35 intended to interfere with a flood-preventing profile 36 mounted on the edge of the shower tray.
At the side opposed to the hinges, the door for shower boxes under discussion further comprises a first aluminium profile 37 to be fixed to the wall, a second aluminium profile 38 that can be coupled to the first one and configured for receiving a first permanent magnet 39, and a third aluminium profile 40 fixed to the vertical edge of the mobile plate 11 and configured for receiving a second permanent magnet 39 equal and opposite to the first one, so that said two magnets 39 attract one another for the magnetic closing of the shower. Figs. 5 and 6 show an example of embodiment of the magnetic profiles 38, 39 and 39, 40. Thanks to the possibility of horizontal translation of the door, by the adjustment pin 27, the two magnetic profiles can be placed perfectly in contact without any air spaces, and therefore without any possibility of water leaks from the shower box.

Claims

Door for shower boxes comprising a mobile crystal plate (11) forming the actual door a fixed crystal plate (12) to be fixed to the wall by a pair of L-shaped metal brackets (13) of the door, and at least two hinges (14) for pivoting the mobile plate (11) relative to the fixed one, wherein each hinge (14) consists of a first hinge member (15) associated to the mobile plate (11) and of a second hinge member (16) associated to the fixed plate (12), wherein each second hinge member (16) is fixed to the corresponding L-shaped metal bracket (13) exhibiting a portion (13") parallel to said plates (11, 12) and wherein each second hinge member (16) comprises a horizontal arm (22) for supporting and pivoting a hinge pin (19) characterized in that both hinge members (15, 16) are glued to the outer side of the respective crystal plates (11, 12), the second hinge member (16) comprising a plate (21) configured to receive the horizontal arm (22), the fixed crystal plate (12) being glued to the inner side of said plate (21) and said portion (13") of the bracket (13) being connected by means of screws (26) to the outer side of said plate (21) further characterized in that said horizontal arm (22) is connected to the corresponding L-shaped metal bracket (13) for fixing to the wall by an adjustment pin (27), said adjustment pin exhibiting threaded ends in opposed direction intended to be screwed one into said horizontal arm (22) and the other in the corresponding L-shaped metal bracket (13), and an intermediate portion (27") accessible from the outside for turning the adjustment pin (27).
Door for shower boxes according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment pin (27) can be locked in a desired position by a locking screw (29) screwable perpendicularly to the axis of said pin into the horizontal arm (22).
Door for shower boxes according to any one of the previous claims, wherein in the free end of the horizontal arm (22) there is housed an insert (23) provided in its upper side with projections (23') acting as cams for a pivoting of the door combined with its raising and lowering motion.
Door for shower boxes according to any one of the previous claims, characterized in that it further comprises a first magnetic profile (38, 39) constrained to the wall opposed to the fixing brackets, and a second magnetic profile (39, 40) constrained to the corresponding vertical side of the mobile plate (11) for a magnetic dosing of the door.
Door for shower boxes according to any one of the previous claims, wherein mobile plate (11) and fixed plate (12) are reciprocally sided with the interposition of a lip seal (34) and wherein the mobile plate is provided, along its lower horizontal side, with a seal (35) intended to interfere with a flood-preventing profile (36) fitted onto the shower tray.