GB2063952A - Shower enclosures - Google Patents

Abstract

A shower enclosure for use over a bath includes a first rectangular panel 2 mounted by a hinge 4 to a first wall and a second rectangular panel 8 mounted by a hinge 10 to the first panel. The enclosure is arranged so that the free edge of the second panel just reaches a second wall perpendicular to the first and the two walls and two panels together define an enclosed space. The second wall is provided with a channel section sealing strip 12 which receives the free edge of the second panel and forms a watertight seal with it. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Shower enclosures The present invention relates to shower enclosures or screens of the type that are mounted on or over a bath to ensure that water sprayed from the shower is substantially all deflected into the bath and does not fall on the bathroom floor.

According to one aspect of the present invention a shower enclosure includes a first screen adapted to be pivotally mounted about a vertical axis to a first wall, and a second screen pivotally mounted on the first screen about a vertical axis.

When the bath with which a shower is to be used is situated in the corner of a bathroom, the shower enclosure is advantageously mounted on the first wall about mid-way along the length of the bath. In use the first screen is pivoted to extend transverse to the length of the bath, and the second screen is pivoted to extend along the outer edge of the bath as far as the other second wall defining the corner of the room.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a shower enclosure in accordance with the first aspect of the invention in combination with a sealing strip adapted to be secured to a second wall and to be contacted by the free edge of the second screen so as to ensure a substantially watertight seal. Preferably the sealing strip comprises a channel section member adapted to receive the free edge of the second panel between its limbs. Retaining means may be provided to retain the edge of the second panel in contact with the sealing strip.

The combination preferably also includes cooperating retaining means carried by the enclosure and adapted to be carried by the first wall to retain the enclosure in its inoperative position against the first wall.

The enclosure in accordance with the invention is simple and economical to manufacture and may be simply moved from a position in which it is retained flush against a bathroom wall to a position in which it together with two bathroom walls forms an enclosed shower cubicle not prone to leakage.

Further features and details of the invention will be apparent from the following description of one specific embodiment of the invention which is given by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a shower enclosure in its operative position over a bath in the corner of a bathroom; Figure 2 is a scrap sectional view of the hinge mounting the main panel to the bathroom wall; and Figure 3 is a scrap plan view showing the knob on the secondary panel when the enclosure is in its inoperative position.

As seen in Figure 1 the enclosure comprises two rectangular section panels of which the main or first panel 2 is secured along one of its long sides by a hinge 4 to a bathroom wall at a point about mid-way along the length of a bath 6. The second panel 8 is of the same height as the main panel and is secured to the outer edge of the main panel by a hinge 10. Each panel has a height of 1 500 mm and the main panel has a width of 650 mm, while the secondary panel has a width of 850 mm, and is provided on its inner surface near its outer edge with a knob 12 (seen in Figure 3).

When not in use, the enclosure is pivoted to the position shown in chain dotted lines with both panels against the wall to which the hinge 4 is secured, and when in use the panels are pivoted to the position shown in Figure 1 in which they are at right angles and together with the bathroom walls define a shower cubicle. The hinge 4 is positioned so that the secondary panel 8 just reaches the other wall of the bathroom. In order to insure that at this point no leakage of water can occur, a vertically extending channel section extrusion 12 of aluminium or plastics material is provided having a height equal to that of the panels affixed to the bathroom wall extending transverse to the length of the bath. The free edge of the secondary panel is introduced between the limbs of the extrusion 1 2 and remains there.If desired the extrusion may be shaped so that the edge of the secondary panel is a friction fit within it, or alternatively fastening means may be provided such as a spring loaded nylon catch which cooperates with the knob 12. The outer edge of the secondary panel is preferably provided along its length with a sealing strip, e.g. a hollow section of soft PVC/rubber adapted to contact the web of the extrusion 12 and to compensate for any misalignment and thus to ensure a watertight joint.

The hinge 4 is shown in more detail in Figure 2 and extends the full length of the main panel. As may be seen the hinge is of interfitting C shape type which is substantially water-tight and allows the main panel to rotate through 900 from the operative position to the inoperative position shown in dotted lines. The hinge 10 is of generally similar construction.

The panels are of generally conventional construction comprising an outer frame 1 6 of e.g.

extruded aluminium or plastics material carrying a sealing bead 1 8 of e.g. plasticised PVC/rubber which receives an opaque sheet of plastics material or the like 20.

As may be seen in Figure 3 the knob 12 is of mushroom shape having a stem somewhat longer than the thickness of the panels. Positioned on the bathroom wall at the position where it would be contacted by the knob is a soft rubber locating buffer 14 having a frusto-conical recess into which the head of the knob may be forced and subsequently removed. The buffer thus serves to retain the enclosure in its inoperative position.

Additional retaining means, such as a spring loaded nylon catch may also be located on the main panel adjacent to the hinge 10 to assist in retaining the enclosure in its inoperative position.

When in its operative position the water from the shower will impinge against either the bathroom walls or one of the two panels and will then run into the bath, whereas in its inoperative position the enclosure lies flush against the bathroom wall.

Claims (9)

1. A shower enclosure including a first screen adapted to be pivotally mounted about a vertical axis to a first wall and a second screen pivotally mounted on the first screen about a vertical axis in combination with a sealing strip adapted to be secured to a second wall and to be contacted by the free edge of the second screen so as to ensure a substantially watertight seal.

2. A shower enclosure including a first rectangular screen pivotally mounted about a vertical axis to a first wall and a second screen pivotally mounted on the first screen about a vertical axis and a sealing strip secured to a second wall inclined to the first wall and adapted to be contacted by the free edge of the second screen so as to ensure a substantially watertight seal.

3. A shower enclosure as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the sealing strip comprises a channel section member adapted to receive the free edge of the second screen between its limbs.

4. A shower enclosure as claimed in any one of the preceding claims including retaining means to retain the free edge of the second screen in contact with the sealing strip.

5. A shower enclosure as claimed in any one of the preceding claims including cooperating retaining means carried by the enclosure and carried by, or adapted to be carried by, the first wall to retain the enclosure in its inoperative position against the first wall.

6. A shower enclosure as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the free edge of the second screen is provided with a sealing strip of resilient material.

7. A shower enclosure as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the pivotal mounting between the first screen and the first wall comprises an elongate substantially watertight hinge of interfitting C shape type.

8. A shower enclosure as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the pivotal mounting between the first screen and the second screen comprises an elongate substantially watertight hinge of C shape type.

9. A shower enclosure substantially as specifically herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.