EP3501357A1 - Shower structure - Google Patents

Abstract

Shower structure (10) comprising a receiver (12), having a water drainage hole (14), and one or more side walls (22, 24, 26) defining, with the receiver (12), a cabin shower (28), at least one main wall (24) among the side walls being supported by a frame (40) and comprising a removable panel (50) for accessing a maintenance space (36) from the shower cabin ( 28).

Description

TECHNICAL AREA

This presentation relates to the field of sanitary facilities, and more particularly a shower structure that can be installed in a bathroom or other sanitary space.

TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUND

The so-called Italian showers, integrated into the masonry of a bathroom, are known to be aesthetic but require significant installation work and maintenance can be complex.

To facilitate the installation of a shower, there are also known structures forming prefabricated integral shower cabins. These structures can be installed as they are in the bathrooms and then connected to the pipes. However, the built-in side of these cab structures can make maintenance difficult.

There is therefore a need for a new type of shower structure, the maintenance of which can be performed simply.

GENERAL PRESENTATION

For this purpose, the present disclosure relates to a shower structure comprising a receiver, having a water drain hole, and one or more side walls defining, with the receiver, a shower enclosure, at least one main wall among the side walls being supported by a frame and comprising a removable panel for accessing a maintenance space from the shower enclosure.

A receiver is called a floor element of a shower enclosure. The receiver may take the form of a shower tray or a substantially planar element, optionally having inclined portions to facilitate the flow of water through the water drain hole. The water discharge hole is intended to lead to a water outlet, typically comprising a drain and a discharge pipe, and possibly a siphon.

The shower structure comprises at least one side wall, generally two, three or four side walls. The side walls may be of any shape, in particular flat or curved, and of different shapes from each other. The side walls can be assembled to the receiver, for example by interlocking, latching, gluing, etc.

The side walls may be positioned generally on the sides of the receiver, on the periphery of the receiver or close to said periphery. In the position of use of the shower structure, the side walls extend upwardly relative to the receiver. Thus, the side walls define between them a space, bounded below by the receiver, forming a shower enclosure, that is to say a closed or semi-closed space in which a user can shower.

It is understood that the shower structure comprises, among the side walls, one or more main walls. Subsequently, and unless otherwise indicated, by "a" or "the" main wall, means "at least one" or "the at least one" main wall. Conversely, the generic use of the plural can include the singular, especially with regard to the number of side walls.

The main wall may comprise a portion, fixed relative to the receiver, defining a housing adapted to receive the removable panel.

It is understood that the removable panel can be installed and removed without having to disassemble a complete wall.

Thus, the removable panel can be movable between a mounted position, in which it is integrated with the main wall, and a disassembled position, in which the main wall has a window for access to the maintenance space. The window can give, on one side, entirely on the shower stall and on the other side entirely on the maintenance space. The removable panel may be provided with means for holding it in the mounted position.

The maintenance space is a space for the maintenance and the maintenance of the shower and the various parts that it includes, especially the plumbing. In addition, the maintenance space can act as a crawl space, form a substantially hollow buffer provided for sanitary purposes and provide a space in which the pipes and other plumbing fixtures / fittings are easily accessible and can be hidden without to be drowned in masonry. The maintenance space is located outside the shower enclosure, for example on a side opposite to the shower enclosure with respect to the main wall.

Thanks to the aforementioned characteristics, the shower structure offers easy and spacious access to the maintenance space, while remaining simple installation.

In some embodiments, the frame includes fastening means for attachment to a wall. Thus, the main wall can be firmly anchored, which improves the stability of the entire structure and the security when removing the removable panel. The wall is in particular a vertical or quasi-vertical wall, for example substantially plane and / or an average inclination of at most 20 °, or even 10 ° relative to the vertical direction.

In some embodiments, said fixing means comprise a system for adjusting the distance between the frame and the wall. These fastening means make it possible to compensate for any defects in the verticality and / or flatness of the wall, which can occur in particular when only a part of the wall is covered with a facing, typically tiling.

In some embodiments, the removable panel extends over at least half the height of the main wall. So, the access offered to the maintenance space can be particularly large, so practical. Preferably, the removable panel extends over at least 70% of the height of the main wall, preferably at least 80%, preferably at least 90%, more preferably over the entire height of the main wall. The height is the dimension in the vertical direction, normally transverse to the average plane of the receiver. The height of a wall generally corresponds to its longitudinal dimension.

In some embodiments, the removable panel is traversed by at least one fluid passage conduit. The fluid may be water, for example for the supply of a hand shower or a tap, or another fluid, for example when a diffuser of essential oils is provided. As a result, the supply lines of said pipe may be at least partly in the maintenance space. Removal of the removable panel provides easy access to these supply lines.

Alternatively or in addition, a valve element can be mounted on the removable panel. Access to this element is thus facilitated by the removal of the removable panel. In addition, the shower structure offers a recessed faucet appearance.

In some embodiments, the main wall, or even the removable panel, cooperates by engagement with the receiver. The main wall and / or the removable panel on the one hand, and the receiver on the other hand, are therefore engaged with each other, for example by interlocking.

In some embodiments, the main wall comprises a bearing portion having a shoulder adapted to receive the removable panel. The bearing portion may be on all or part of the periphery of the housing of the removable panel in the main wall, typically on the inner edge of the main wall. Thanks to the shoulder, the removable panel can be installed precisely to integrate with the main wall.

In some embodiments, an assembly area between the removable panel and the remainder of the main wall is provided with a seal. As a result, in some embodiments, in the mounted position of the removable panel, the seal may be sandwiched between the removable panel and the remainder of the main wall. The assembly zone may include the aforementioned shoulder.

In some embodiments, means for fixing the removable panel relative to the frame are provided in the maintenance space. These fixing means are thus protected from the water flowing in the shower enclosure.

In some embodiments, said attachment means is accessible at one end of the main wall opposite the receiver. By passing his hand over the main wall, a user can easily remove the removable panel.

In some embodiments, the fastening means comprises a pin configured to be inserted into a slot of a plate integral with the removable panel and / or an orifice provided in the frame.

In some embodiments, the shower structure includes a cover mounted outside the shower enclosure, adjacent to the main wall and defining, with the main wall, the maintenance space.

The maintenance space may be further delimited by other elements, for example the aforementioned wall, and / or other walls or walls.

The cover can be dismountably mounted to allow access to the maintenance area from outside the shower enclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

• la figure 1 représente, en perspective, une structure de douche selon un mode de réalisation, vue depuis l'avant ;
• la figure 2 représente, en perspective éclatée, la structure de douche selon le même mode de réalisation, vue depuis l'arrière ;
• la figure 3 représente, en perspective, la paroi principale de la structure de douche avec un panneau amovible démonté, vu depuis l'arrière ;
• la figure 4 est une vue en coupe selon le plan IV-IV de la figure 2 ;
• la figure 5 est une vue en coupe selon le plan V-V de la figure 2 ;
• la figure 6 est un agrandissement, vu sous un autre angle, de la zone VI de la figure 2.

The invention and its advantages will be better understood on reading the following detailed description of embodiments given as non-limiting examples. This description refers to the accompanying drawings, in which:

• the figure 1 represents, in perspective, a shower structure according to an embodiment, seen from the front;
• the figure 2 represents, in exploded perspective, the shower structure according to the same embodiment, seen from the rear;
• the figure 3 represents, in perspective, the main wall of the shower structure with a removable panel removed, seen from the back;
• the figure 4 is a sectional view along plane IV-IV of the figure 2 ;
• the figure 5 is a sectional view along the VV plane of the figure 2 ;
• the figure 6 is an enlargement, seen from another angle, of zone VI of the figure 2 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

A shower structure 10 according to one embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6 . With respect to these figures, a height direction, or high (H) - down (B) direction, generally vertical in the normal use position of the shower structure, and a front (AV) direction - rear (AR), the rear part of the shower structure being intended to be affixed against a wall, and the front part may be the part through which a user enters the shower enclosure. The directions HB and AV-AR are generally perpendicular to each other. However, in this presentation, the terms associated with these directions are to be understood in a relative sense only, in that they make it possible to distinguish opposite locations, without prejudging the true orientation of the structure in space.

As indicated above, the shower structure 10 comprises a receiver 12 having a water discharge hole 14, here covered by a grid. The water evacuation hole 14 can lead to an evacuation known per se and provided elsewhere.

As we see more clearly on the figure 2 , the tray 12 may comprise a platform 16, in this case substantially planar, supported by a support frame 18, each leg 20 is here adjustable in height, the setting being lockable typically using a clamping nut.

The shower structure 10 also comprises one or more side walls, in this case three side walls 22, 24, 26. The side walls 22, 24, 26 define, with the receiver 12, a shower stall 28 in which a user can enter to shower. The side walls 22, 24, 26 define sides of the shower enclosure 28, while the receiver 12 defines a bottom, or lower part, of the shower enclosure 28.

In this embodiment, the receiver 12 has a substantially parallelepiped shape, with a platform 16 of generally rectangular shape, and the side walls 22, 24, 26 are each placed on one side of the rectangle. In this embodiment, the side walls 22, 24, 26 are planar. However, other forms are possible, especially when the tray 12 and / or the platform 16 has non-rectilinear sides.

In this example, the side walls 22, 24, 26 extend from an upper face of the receiver 12, here the platform 16. The first side wall 22 and the third side wall 26 may each be adjacent to the second side wall 24, on either side of said second wall 24. The second side wall 24 is here a rear wall, while the first and third side walls are side walls. In other embodiments, a fourth wall, for example of the door type, may also be provided to close the front facade of the shower enclosure 28. third side walls 22, 26 can be secured to one another by a retaining bar 30.

In this embodiment, the second and third side walls 24, 26 are intended to be affixed against a wall. As will be seen later, the second side wall 24 is intended to be fixed to the wall via a frame 40, while the third side wall 26 is intended to be arranged along a wall, without fixation. The first side wall 22 may be provided in a transparent manner and / or provided with a towel rail or a decorative bar, as illustrated in FIG. figure 1 . As can be seen on the figure 2 , the shower structure 10 is said to be reversible in that the first and third side walls 22, 26 can be interchanged according to the desired installation side.

For aesthetic reasons, the shower structure may comprise a first cover 32 and / or a second cover 34 (see FIG. figure 1 ), used to hide the space between the shower structure and the walls.

In this embodiment, the second side wall 24 serves as the main wall to the shower structure (hereinafter "main wall 24"). It could, however, be provided several main walls.

A maintenance space 36, also called a crawl space, is formed outside the shower enclosure 28, in this case at the back of the shower enclosure 28. In this embodiment, the maintenance space 36 is delimited by the main wall 24 and the first cover 32 adjacent to the main wall 24. The maintenance space 36 may be further delimited by the walls against which the shower structure 10 is affixed. The figure 2 shows that the maintenance space can house the supply lines of the different shower components, pipes whose representation is omitted. The covers 32, 34 may be provided wide enough so that the space between the shower structure 10 and the walls is large enough to accommodate plumbing fixtures (pipe, valves, valves, mixers, etc.) and / or accommodate the fact that a wall is not level or not plumb. For example, at least one of said covers 32, 34 may have a width greater than or equal to 35 mm (millimeters). The cover 32 may have a width greater than or equal to 70 mm, preferably greater than or equal to 100 mm. In addition, if there is provided an intermediate piece for fixing the cover 32 relative to the main wall 24 (see for example, on the figures 2 , 3 and 6 , the plates at the ends of the uprights 42), the depth of the crawl space can be further adjusted by selecting the point of attachment between the cover 32 and said intermediate piece.

In this embodiment, as illustrated in the figure 2 , the side walls 22, 26 are nested in respective grooves 22a, 26a of the receiver 12, here of the platform 16, and in respective grooves 22b, 26b provided of the main wall 24. However, other structures of FIG. engagement could be employed, for example structures using rib / groove cooperation. In addition, the cooperation elements can be interchanged between the different side walls and with the receiver. Thus, more generally, the main wall 24 comprises means for holding at least one side wall 22, 26. All or part of the grooves 22a, 22b, 26a, 26b, or more generally of said holding means, may be provided with a seal, typically pre-assembled to avoid the use of silicone during the installation of the shower structure 10.

The receiver 12 may have, in its rear part, a fillet 38 whose free end, upper, forms a flange on which the main wall 24 can be placed and / or nested.

The main wall 24 can be supported by a frame 40, as shown in FIG. figure 2 . In this embodiment, the frame 40 is formed by a frame comprising a plurality of uprights 42 and sleepers 44, here metal profiles. As illustrated on the figure 2 , the Mount 40 rests on the receiver 12. In addition, the frame 40 may include fixing means 78 for its attachment to a wall, which will be detailed later with reference to the figure 6 . As can be seen on the figure 2 said fixing means 78 may be provided at least at two points of the frame 40, in this case six points of the frame 40. The fixing means 78 may be distributed over the upper part of the frame 40 and on its lower part, and / or on each side and possibly in the center, as is the case in this embodiment. As is apparent from the figure 2 , the fixing means 78 of the frame 40 to the wall form the sole means of attachment between the shower structure 10 and the wall. The fact that the shower structure 10 is fixed to a wall provides greater freedom and ease of installation.

The frame 40 can be assembled to the main wall 24, for example by gluing. In this case, with reference to figures 2 and 3 , the frame 40 can be assembled, via its uprights 42 in this example, to a fixed part of the main wall 24, taking the form here of two strips or longitudinal strips 46. In this embodiment, the longitudinal strips 46 ' extend over the entire height of the main wall 24, on the sides of this main wall 24, and define between them a housing 48 configured to accommodate a removable panel 50. However, the fixed portion of the main wall 24 could be under other forms. As illustrated, the fixed portion of the main wall 24 may at least partly define the perimeter of the shower enclosure 28. The aforementioned holding means, such as the grooves 22b, 26b, may be provided on the fixed part of the wall principal 24.

Thus, the main wall 24 comprises the removable panel 50 and the disassembly of the removable panel 50 allows, as shown in FIG. figure 3 , to access the maintenance space 36 from the shower enclosure 28. In other words, as figures 2 and 3 , the removable panel 50 is movable between a mounted position ( figure 2 ) in which it is integrated with the main wall 24, and a disassembled position, in which the main wall 24 has an access window to the maintenance space 36, the access window being here formed by the housing 48. it is deduced from figures 2 and 3 , the window gives, on one side, on the shower enclosure 28 and on the other side on the maintenance space 36.

The removable panel 50 can extend over at least half the height of the main wall 24 or, as in this example, over the entire height of the main wall 24. Thus, the removable panel 50 can be supported on the receiver 12, in this case on the free edge of the leave 38, or even nested.

In this embodiment, the removable panel 50 comprises a facing 52 overlooking the shower enclosure 28, and a frame 54 supporting the facing 52. For example, the frame 54 may be provided in the form of a frame all or part of the uprights 56 and / or sleepers 58 are configured to correspond with the uprights 42 and / or the cross members 44 corresponding to the frame 40 when the removable panel 50 is mounted and integrated in the main wall 24. An example is represented on the figure 2 which shows the respective crosspieces 44, 58 of the frame 40 and the frame 54 adjacent to each other. In one example, the armature 54 can be fixed to the facing 52 by gluing.

As illustrated on Figures 1 to 3 , the removable panel 50 can be traversed by at least one fluid passage pipe, in this case by a pipe 60 supplying a hand shower 62. Other valve elements, such as a valve control 64, can also pass through. the removable panel 50.

The figure 4 , which is a sectional view along plane IV-IV of the figure 2 , illustrates the means for maintaining the removable panel 50 in the mounted position, that is to say the fixing means of the removable panel 50 relative to the frame 40. In the present case, these fixing means consist of an assembly 66 comprising a pin 68 intended to be inserted into two holes in correspondence of the frame 40 and the frame 54. The pin 68 thus forms a means of locking the engaged position of the armature 54 in the frame 40. More specifically, in this embodiment, a cross member 44 of the frame 40 comprises a first orifice. Furthermore, a cross member 58 of the armature 54 is associated with a plate 70 having a second orifice. The first and second ports are provided to align when the removable panel 50 is in the mounted position. The pin 68 can then be inserted into the first and second orifices and fix the armature 54 relative to the frame 40, and consequently the removable panel 50 relative to the remainder of the main wall 24.

In order to facilitate the alignment of the first and second orifices, at least one of them may have an oblong shape, for example the second orifice, in particular transversely to the direction of removal of the removable panel, which makes it possible to remedy certain inaccuracies mounting.

As illustrated on figures 2 and 3 it can be provided a plurality of such assemblies 66 forming fastening means, in this case three, distributed or not on different sleepers (at least two different sleepers, as illustrated, or sleepers all different from each other).

In addition, these fixing means are provided in the maintenance space 36.

The figure 5 , which is a sectional view along the VV plane of the figure 2 , illustrates the integration of the removable panel 50 in the main wall 24. In this case, the main wall 24, and more specifically each of the longitudinal strips 46, comprises a bearing portion 72 having a shoulder 74 adapted to receive the panel 50. Each support portion 72 may form, with the corresponding edge of the removable panel 50, an assembly area. A seal 76 may be provided in said assembly area. In this case, the seal 76 is a semicircular section seal which can be pre-mounted on the longitudinal strips 46, for example by gluing. In addition, the alignment between the first and second aforementioned orifices may be dimensioned so that in mounted position, the removable panel 50 compresses the seal 76 against the bearing portion 72, the seal 76 then flattening and expanding transversally to take the shape shown on the figure 5 .

In the configuration of the figure 5 , the main wall 24 with the integrated removable panel 50 has a flat surface, the removable panel 50 being flush with the longitudinal strips 46.

The figure 6 illustrates fastening means 78 for fixing the frame 40 to a wall. In this embodiment, said fixing means 78 comprise a system for adjusting the distance between the frame 40 and the wall. Here, the adjustment system comprises two members sliding relative to each other in the direction AV-AR, transversely to the main wall 24, and a locking element to block the relative position of these two bodies. For example, the relative sliding of the sliding members makes it possible to modulate the depth of the maintenance space between 80 mm and 180 mm, preferably between 90 mm and 160 mm, more preferably between 100 mm and 150 mm, more preferably between 105 mm and 140 mm, these distances being measured between the rear face of the main wall 24 and the point of the sliding member furthest from said rear face.

For example, the adjustment system may comprise a blade 80 fixed to the frame 40, in particular to an upright 42 or a crossbar 44 (see also FIG. figure 2 ), and provided with an oblong slot 80a. Moreover, the adjustment system may comprise a bracket 82, each face of which may have a slot 82a, 82b, for respectively fixing the bracket 82 to the blade 80 and the wall. In this example, a bolt 84 is inserted into the respective slots 80a, 82a of the blade 80 and the bracket 82 and provides both the translational guidance of the bracket 82 relative to the blade 80, when the bolt 84 is loosened, and the locking in position of the bracket 82 relative to the blade 80 when the bolt 84 is tightened.

A mounting method according to an exemplary embodiment will now be described.

We can begin by placing the receiver 12 on the floor. For example, to leave a space of appropriate size between the receiver 12 and a wall, it is possible to press the back of a baseboard 19 of the receiver 12 against a wall.

The main wall 24 is mounted without a removable panel 50, that is to say essentially the frame 40 and the longitudinal strips 46, on the receiver 12. Thanks to the housing 48 forming the access window, it is possible to easily access the fixing means 78 from the shower enclosure 28 to fix the frame 40 against the wall, using if necessary the adjustment system described above. The lights 82b of the brackets 82 can be fixed to the wall in a manner known per se.

Once the pipe connections made, and more generally all operations that require easy access to the maintenance space, the removable panel 50 is assembled to the frame 40 so as to form the main wall 24 complete. The positioning of the removable panel 50 can be achieved by pressing and / or fitting the bottom of the removable panel 50 on the tray 12 and by pivoting the removable panel 50, as shown in FIG. figure 3 . The removable panel 50 is held in the mounted position by inserting the pins 68 provided for the upper cross member of the removable panel; Indeed, the fixing means of the removable panel 50 relative to the frame, namely the assembly 66, being accessible at one end of the main wall 24 opposite the receiver 12, it is sufficient for an installer located in the cabin of shower to pass the hand over the main wall 24 to install the pins 68.

The pin 68 provided on the intermediate web, in the lower part of the removable panel 50, can be inserted through the lateral opening of the maintenance space 36, before the installation of the first cover 32.

The first and third side walls 22, 26, as well as the retaining bar 30 which connects them, can be installed before or after the removable panel 50.

Disassembly of the removable panel 50 to access the maintenance space can be achieved by removing the pins 68 and then pivoting the removable panel 50, in the opposite direction of the steps described above.

Although the present description refers to specific exemplary embodiments, modifications can be made to these examples without departing from the general scope of the invention as defined by the claims. In particular, individual features of the various embodiments illustrated / mentioned can be combined in additional embodiments. Therefore, the description and drawings should be considered in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense.

Claims (10)

Shower structure (10) comprising a shower tray (12) having a water drain hole (14) and one or more side walls (22, 24, 26) defining, with the shower tray (12), a shower cabin showerhead (28), at least one of the side walls (24) being supported by a frame (40) and having a removable panel (50) for accessing a maintenance space (36) from the shower enclosure ( 28), wherein the main wall (24) comprises a portion (46), fixed relative to the receiver (12), defining a housing (48) adapted to receive the removable panel (50). Shower structure (10) according to claim 1, wherein the frame (40) comprises fixing means (78) for attachment to a wall. A shower structure (10) according to claim 2, wherein said securing means (78) comprises an adjustment system (80, 82, 84) of the distance between the frame and the wall. Shower structure (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the removable panel (50) extends over at least half the height of the main wall (24). Shower structure (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the removable panel (50) is traversed by at least one fluid passage conduit (60). A shower structure (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the main wall (24) comprises a bearing portion (72) having a shoulder (74) adapted to receive the removable panel (50). A shower structure (10) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein an assembly area between the removable panel (50) and the remainder of the main wall is provided with a seal (76) . Shower structure (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein means (66) for fixing the removable panel (50) to the frame (40) are provided in the maintenance space (36) . Shower structure (10) according to claim 8, wherein said fastening means (66) is accessible at one end of the main wall (24) opposite the receiver (12). A shower structure (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising a cover (32) mounted outside the shower enclosure (28), adjacent to the main wall (24) and defining, with the main wall (24), the maintenance space (36).

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