GB2285217A - Pivotally mounted shower screen with vertically sliding panel - Google Patents

Abstract

A screen for a shower or bath comprises a wall post (12) which is both attached to a translucent panel (4), so as to allow a sliding vertical movement of the panel relative to the post, and mounted to a wall surface via brackets to permit pivotal rotation of the panel/post combination about a vertical axis relative to the wall surface. Thus the screen may be opened out (see reference numeral 1) to define a cubicle or folded back (see reference numeral 3 and ghost outline) to rest above the taps (6). Preferably the sliding mechanism incorporates a braking device (38, see figure 3; 57, see figure 7). <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to bathroom appliances, and more part;cularly to a screen for a tray in a shower, bath or like receptacle. Known screens are fixed to the wall above a shower tray or the like to form a space forming a cubicle in order to avoid splashing of water beyond the tray.

The screens comprise at least one panel connected to the vtall by a wall post, the panel being articulated in relation to the wall and being raisable to allow it either to be folded back above the taps in a storage position or to be opened out and rest on the edge of the tray to form a cubicle. The panels generally comprise a frame, composed of two uprights and two crosspieces about a translucent sheet. We refer in particular to the screens described French patent publications 2563098 (ATMO), 2604736 (ATMO), 2629996 (ATMO) and more particularly 2615091 (ATMO) which describes a shape from which the frame and the wall post are made, braced longitudinally to house at least two end channels having ledges for forming the slideways intended to accommodate at least one long joint and/or a mobile part.

A screen of the present invention is of general type mentioned above and more particularly is related to that disclosed in FR 2615091 (ATMO).

One object of the invention is to provide a screen the structure of which is simple and inexpensive.

According to the invention a screen of the kind described is arranged so that the wall post is mounted for pivotal movement about a vertical axis relative to the wall and the panel is mounted for sliding movement relative to the wall post.

Preferably the vertical axis is defined by two pivot pins which are each an integral part of support means fastened to the wall and situated respectively at the lower and upper ends of the wall post. Preferably the wall post forms a slide having at least one slideway for at least one sliding part fixed on to the said panel.

Advantageously, the movement of the sliding part is limited between two stop positions and is braked to control movement of the panel, the braking means being part of the stop means.

According to a preferred embodiment, the sliding part is fastened on to the panel at a predetermined distance from the upper edge thereof, the upper support means forming a stop to the sliding of the part. In addition, the sliding part exerts a pressure against at least one of the walls of its slideway. As a result the vertical movement of the panel on the one hand has a path limited to the value corresponding to the distance, and on the other hand is braked so as to inhibit any wobbling or vibration of the panel.

The support means comprises a profile having end channels and one central channel so each pivot pin is advantageously articulated on the wall post by means of an end portion formed to cooperate with the central channel of the profile on the inside of which it is threaded forcibly and has a bearing accommodating the pivot pin in sliding contact.

Preferably, the sliding part is fastened by a screw to one of the posts, called support posts, of the frame and is essentially composed of two parts: one is formed in such a manner as to be threaded adjustably on the inside of the end channel corresponding to the said support post; the other, called brake shoe is formed to slide along the slideway of the wall post and is elastically deformable in such a manner as to exert the said pressure in order to obtain an easy fit sliding.

Preferably the face of the brake shoe facing the base of the slideway of the wall post is concave along its length and the brake shoe is split longitudinally at each of its ends, so that the ends of the said face are unbent during assembly of the screen in order to be in easy fit contact with the base of the slideway.

Advantageously, the panel has two sliding parts fastened respectively at the said distance from its lower and upper edges. In addition, the panel has brackets at the ends of the support post and formed in such a manner as to slide in sliding contact along the wall post slideway. As a result the panel is guided in sliding along the wall post at a minimum of three points, one of which is in sliding contact and two in easy fit contact.

Preferably, a first long sealing member is placed in between the wall post and the wall in such a manner as to ensure water tightness between the wall and the screen whatever the orientation thereof. This first member is partly accommodated in the end channel corresponding to the said wall post. A second sealing member is placed in between the support post and the wall post in such a manner as to ensure water tightness between the panel and the wall post whatever the level of the screen. This second member is partly accommodated in the end channel corresponding to the support post and is broken up into several elements placed in between the sliding parts and the brackets.

In order that the invention may well be understood it will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bath fitted with a screen according to the invention; Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of a comer of the screen of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a sliding part for the screen of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a transverse section of the wall posts and support posts of the screen of Figure 1; Figure 5 is an exploded elevation of another sliding part which comprises two elements; Figure 6 is a view as Figure 5 showing the part in assembled condition; Figure 7 shows schematically the operation of the sliding part of Figures 5 and 6; and Figure 8 is an exploded elevation as Figure 2 showing an assembly including the sliding part of Figures 5 and 6.

As shown in Figure 1, a bath 2 is fitted with a single flap screen which may be opened out as illustrated by reference numeral 1 to form a cubicle or be folded back above the taps 6 as shown in ghost outline and by reference numeral 3. The screen comprises a panel 4 formed of a frame composed of two support or side posts 8, and two crosspieces 10, supporting a translucent wall. The panel 4 is connected to the wall of the room by a wall post 12. The frame forming the panel 4 and the wall post 12 are each a profile defining three vertical sections, two of which 14 and 18 are end channels and one 16 a central box section, the end channels 14 and 18 having ledges to form slideways (Figure 4).

This screen must be able to pivot as shown by arrow 5 in relation to the wall and to be raised in the direction of arrow 7, to fold it back above the taps 6 (condition 3) or opening it out to rest on the edge of the bath 2 (condition 1). To this end, the wall post 12 on the one hand is pivotally mounted on the wall and on the other hand defines a slide for two sliding parts 28 secured to the panel.

As shown in Figure 2, the pivot axis 20 of the wall post 12 is defined by two pivot pins 22, each forming an integral part of a square shaped support bracket 24 screwed to the wall at the upper and lower ends of the wall post 12. A block portion 25 is urged into the central section 16 of the profile, block 25 having a through hole containing a bearing 26 to accommodate the pivot pin 22 in sliding contact. As a result the pivot pin 22 can articulate with respect to the wall post 12.

The sliding parts 28 are each fastened by screw 30 on to one side post 8 of the panel 4 at a distance d respectively from the lower and upper edges thereof. The upper bracket 24 cooperates with the upper sliding part 28 to limit the vertical travel of the panel 4 to the distance d.

Two angle pieces 32 slide along the slideway 14 of the wall post 12 and are at the upper and lower ends thereof. The blocks 25 of the brackets 24 form a stop to the sliding parts 28; they are rounded and are received in a concave groove in the angle pieces 32. This shaping makes it possible to reduce the dimensions of the sliding parts 28 and of the brackets 24 while permitting pivoling of the screen and movement relative to the brackets 24 when the panel 4 is raised or lowered.

As shown in Figure 3, the sliding part 28 is composed essentially of two integral parts: one a base part 34 adjustably received in the end channel 18 of the support post 8 of the panel 4; the other is a top part 36 which is received in loose contact in the end channel 14 of the wall post 12. The upper part 36 is arranged to apply pressure to the base of the end channel 14 of the wall post 12 and act as a brake to movement of the panel 4. To this end the corresponding face 38 of the upper part 36 is concave along its length and is split longitudinally (40) at each of its ends, so that the ends of the concave face (38) are unbent and the upper part 36 is urged to the straight condition during assembly of the screen in order to be an easy fit contact in the base of the channel 14 of the wall post 12.

As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the base of a first elongate seal 42 is partly received in the end channel 18 of the wall post 12 to ensure water tightness between the wall and the screen; a second seal 44 is partly received in the end channel 18 of the support post 8 to ensure water tightness between the panel 4 and the wall post 12, this second seal 44 comprising lengths between the sliding parts 28 and the angle pieces 32.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 5 to 8 the two part brake member 51 exerts a braking effect on the panel 4 in the following manner. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the brake member 51 comprises two parts: a retractor part 52 comprising essentially an inner wall or sole 55 to be received in an end channel 14 or 18 and an arrowhead or wedge 56, and a block part 53 of generally U shape having arms 57, 58 having inside recesses 59 to receive the wedge 56 and a spiral spring 60 holding the arms apart to create a friction force.The block part 53 and the wedge part 56 are inserted longitudinally in one of the channels 14 or 18 to lie-against the base of the panel 4 constraining the wedge 56, spacing the arms 56, 58 of the block 53 to create a supplementary frictional force: as shown the insole 55 is located in the channel 18 of the profile 8, the braking part is located above the wedge and these last mentioned parts are located in the channel 14 of the profile 12.

It is also evident from Figures 5, 6 and 7 that the braking part 56 has the shape of a dihedron or corner.

On the basis of this arrangement of the braking part the following beneficial effects occur: on the one hand the light brake obtained by the action of the spring does not depend on the wear or the elastic resilience of the wedge, as is the case of the wedge 28 (Fig. 3) and on the other hand a substantial braking is exerted only when there is need, that is to say from top to bottom to avoid sliding of the panel under its own weight.

Claims (12)

1. A screen for the tray of a shower, bath or the like, comprising at least one panel having at least one vertical side wall joined to a wall post mounted for pivoting around a vertical axis, the panel sidewall and the post forming a slideway for at least one sliding part fixed to the panel, and arranged such that pivoting of the wall post with respect to the wall causes pivoting of the screen with respect to the wall and a sliding movement of the sliding part causes vertical movement of the screen with respect to the wall..

2. A screen according to Claim 1, including braking means to limit vertical movement of the panel between two stop positions.

3. A screen according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the wall post is fixed to the wall between two vertically spaced pivot pins mounted by brackets to the wall at the upper and lower ends of the post, the post being arranged to pivot along a vertical axis between the pins.

4. A screen according to Claim 3, wherein the sliding part is fixed to the panel at a distance d from the upper edge thereof and the upper bracket forms a stop to the sliding of the sliding part to limit the vertical movement of the panel to the distance d, and the sliding part is arranged to exert pressure against at least one of the walls of its slideway in such a manner as to restrain the vertical sliding.

5. A screen according to Claim 3 or 4, wherein the slideway comprises two end channels separated by at least one central channel which receives the pivot pins.

6. A screen according to Claim 5, wherein the sliding part is fixed by a screw to the sidewall of the panel and comprises a base part adjustably received in the end channel and a brake part which slides in the slideway of the wall post and which is elastically deformable to exert sufficient pressure so that the sliding part is an easy fit.

7. A screen according to Claim 6, wherein the face of the brake part facing the base of the slideway of the wall post is concave along its length and the ends are slit longitudinally such that the ends of the concave face are urged straight during assembly of the screen to be in easy fit contact against the base of the slideway.

8. A screen according to Claim 4, wherein the panel has two sliding parts fastened respectively at the distance d from its upper and lower edges, and has brackets at the ends of the wall post formed so as to slide in sliding contact along the slideway of the wall post, such that the guiding of the panel sliding along the wall post is ensured at a minimum of three points, one of which is in sliding contact and two in easy fit contact.

9. A screen according to any of Claims 4 to 8, wherein one seal member is present and partly accommodated in the end channel adjacent the wall post, and a second seal member is present between the sidewall and the wall post to ensure water tightness between the panel and the wall post irrespective of the height of the screen, the second member being partly accommodated in the end channel of the sidewall and comprising several elements located between the sliding parts and the brackets.

10. A screen according to any preceding Claim, wherein the sliding part is arranged to apply a braking force when the panel is lowered.

11. A screen according to Claim 1 to 5, wherein the sliding part comprises two elements, one of which includes a wedge element to be received between two sprung arms of the other.

12. A screen substantially as described herein and with reference to Figures 1 to 4 or Figures 5 to 8 of the drawings.