GB2351229A

GB2351229A - Shower door seal

Info

Publication number: GB2351229A
Application number: GB9914632A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ross Oliver Nixon; Christopher Guy Howsam
Original assignee: MATKI PLC
Current assignee: MATKI PLC
Priority date: 1999-06-24
Filing date: 1999-06-24
Publication date: 2000-12-27
Anticipated expiration: 2019-06-24
Also published as: GB9914632D0; GB2351229B

Abstract

A shower enclosure includes an outward-opening door 3 pivotally mounted in a door opening such that when the door is closed the bottom of the door is positioned above a threshold 21. A pair of magnetic strips 24 and 25 are moulded into the threshold, the innermost strip 24 having magnetic south poles adjacent to the door 3 and the outermost strip 25 having north poles adjacent to the door. The bottom of the door has an H-section moulding 6 which receives a T-section magnetic strip 7 retained by inturned flanges 36 and 37 to permit vertical movement. The strip 7 has magnetic north poles adjacent to the threshold 21 so that when the door is fully closed the inner magnetic strip 24 sealably holds the strip 7 against the threshold. When the door is opened the magnetic repulsion of the outer strip 25 causes strip 7 to lift as it passes over the threshold. The strip 7 may be frictionally held in the raised position to prevent further contact with the threshold until the door is closed again.

Description

2351229 1 J653 Matki plc SHOWER ENCLOSURES

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to shower enclosures and more specifically to shower enclosures having pivotally hung doors.

BACKGROUND

In such enclosures it is common to provide some form of flexible sealing arrangement along the bottom of the door to prevent leakage of water from inside the enclosure.

It is also known to use magnetic strips on the door and frame to hold a shower door closed.

The present invention seeks to provide a new and inventive form of shower enclosure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

2 J653 The present invention proposes a shower enclosure comprising a door pivotally mounted in a door opening such that its pivot axis extends along a substantially vertical margin of the door, and when the door is in a closed position a lower margin of the door is positioned above a door threshold which extends along the bottom of said door opening, in which said lower margin of the door is provided with a strip of magnetic material which is mounted to permit generally veffical movement thereof, and in which the door threshold comprises magnetic means which forms a mutual attraction with the sealing strip to sealably hold the strip against the threshold.

The magnetic means preferably comprises a further strip of magnetic material. The magnetic means is preferably moulded into the threshold.

The strip of magnetic material associated with the door is preferably provided with a head which is retained in a channel extending along the lower margin of the door, said channel having inturned lips or flanges. The channel may be provided by an extrusion which extends along the bottom of the door.

In a preferred arrangement the threshold preferably comprises further magnetic means which repels the magnetic strip associated with the door causing it to rise as the door is opened.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following description and the accompanying drawings referred to therein are included by way of non-limiting example in order to illustrate how the

3 J653 invention may be put into practice. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a general perspective view of a shower enclosure in accordance with the invention, shown sectioned on a vertical plane; and Finure 2 is a detail of the enclosure as viewed on the section plane of Fig. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring firstly to Fig. 1, the shower enclosure comprises a resinmoulded shower tray 1 which will generally be mounted in the corner of a room so that the walls of the room form at least one side wall of the enclosure. The remaining side walls are formed by glass partitions of conventional form upstanding from the shower tray 1. The enclosure has a door opening 2 in which a substantially rectangular outwardly-opening door 3 is pivotally mounted to a vertical jamb 4 secured to one of the aforementioned side walls. The door 3 may be fitted in the corner of the enclosure or in one of its sides.

-Referring also to Fig. 2, the door 3 comprises a glass sheet 5 with a metal or plastics extrusion 6 extending along its bottom margin. The extrusion contains a magnetic strip 7, which will be described in greater detail below. Fittings 8 are secured to one vertical margin of the glass sheet 5 by which the sheet is attached to a vertical post 9 using screws 11 and 12. The top and bottom ends of the post 9 are provided with axially aligned pins 13 4 J653 which are received in pivot mountings 16 allowing the door to rotate about a substantially vertical pivot axis 17.

The shower tray 1 comprises a bottom wall surrounded by a continuous upstanding side wall 20, part of which forms the bottom threshold 21 of the door opening 2. The upper surface 22 of the threshold 21 may be substantially flat or slightly curved in a transverse direction. Just below the surface 22, a pair of magnetic strips 24 and 25 are moulded into the threshold to exten d along its length. The innermost strip 24 is arranged such that magnetic south poles are disposed adjacent to the surface 22 whereas the outermost strip 25 is arranged with magnetic north poles adjacent to the surface 22. The two strips 24 and 25 are not therefore tending to repel each other and there is no risk of mutual clemagnetisation.

The extrusion 6 is generally H-shaped with the upper channel 29 of the H being provided with longitudinal ribs 30 to grip the bottom of the glass sheet 5. A drip flange 31 slopes downwardly from the inner face of the extrusion 6 to shed water into the shower tray after running down the inner surface of the door. The inverted lower channel 32 of the H-section receives the magnetic strip 7 which is of T-shaped cross-section. The head 34 of the Tsection is retained within the extrusion 6 by inturned lips or flanges 36 and 37, between which the stem 40 of the strip is received to project from the bottom of the extrusion. The gap between the flanges 36 and 37 is such that the magnetic strip 7 is free to move up- and-down within the extrusion 6, either freely or with a light frictional retention. The strip 7 is further arranged such that magnetic north poles are disposed at the bottom of the strip adjacent to the surface 22. Thus, when the door is in a normal fully closed position as illustrated in Fig. 2 the inner magnetic strip 24 within the J653 threshold forms a mutual attraction with the sealing strip 7 to sealably hold the strip 7 against the threshold so that water cannot run beneath the door. In addition, the magnetic attraction may serve to, or at least assist in, holding the door closed.

The provision for vertical movement of the strip 7 has several advantages. Firstly, it ensures that an effective seal is maintained when the door is closed without the need for accurate adjustment during installation of the enclosure. Secondly, since the strip 7 can move upwards there is a reduced tendency for the sealing surface of the strip to scuff against the surface of the threshold so that less force is required to open the door and, in addition, there is a reduced risk of wearing of the seal over a period of time, which could eventually cause the seal to fail.

Scuffing of the seal is further reduced by the action of the outer magnetic strip 25. When the door is opened the outer strip causes mutual repulsion with the strip 7 causing it to be raised as it passes over the threshold. If the strip 7 is arranged to be held in the raised position by friction or other means this will prevent further contact between the strip 5 and the threshold until the door is returned to the fully-closed position whereupon the strip 7 is pulled down by the inner magnetic strip 24 to re-establish sealing contact with the threshold. In other cases the strip 7 may move freely and the repulsion of the outer strip 25 is sufficient to raise the seal until clear of the threshold.

Clearly, if the shower door should open inwardly the relative positions of the two strips 24 and 25 would be reversed.

6 J653 Although the above example refers to a shower tray a similar sealing arrangement can be provided where a shower enclosure is constructed over a bath. In such cases the magnetic strips may be mounded into the bath or provided by a separate bar which is secured and sealed to the rim of the bath.

Claims

It will be appreciated that the features disclosed herein may be present

in any feasible combination. Whilst the above description lays emphasis on those areas which, in combination, are believed to be new, protection is claimed for any inventive combination of the features disclosed herein.

7 J653 CLAIMS 1 A shower enclosure comprising a door pivotally mounted in a door opening such that its pivot axis extends along a substantially vertical margin of the door, and when the door is in a closed position a lower margin of the door is positioned above a door threshold which extends along the bottom of said door opening, in which said lower margin of the door is provided with a strip of magnetic material which is mounted to permit generally vertical movement thereof, and in which the door threshold comprises magnetic means which forms a mutual attraction with the sealing strip to sealably hold the strip against the threshold.
2. A shower enclosure according to Claim 1, in which the magnetic means comprises a further strip of magnetic material.
3. A shower enclosure according to Claim 1 or 2, in which the magnetic means is moulded into the threshold.
4. A shower enclosure according to any preceding claim, inwhich the strip of magnetic material is provided with a head which is retained in a channel extending along the lower margin of the door, said channel having inturned lips or flanges.
5. A shower enclosure according to Claim 4, in which the channel is provided by an extrusion which extends along the bottom of the door.

8 J653
6. A shower enclosure according to any preceding claim, in which the threshold comprises further magnetic means which repels the magnetic strip causing it to rise as the door is opened.
7. A shower enclosure according to Claim 6, in which the further magnetic means comprises a further strip of magnetic material.
8. A shower enclosure according to Claim 6 or 7, in which the further magnetic means is moulded into the threshold.
9. A shower enclosure substantially as described with reference to the drawings.