GB2395121A - Shower installation - Google Patents

Abstract

A shower installation comprises a shower area (16, Fig 1) defined between at least first and second walls (10, 12, Fig 1), a shower screen 26 for connection to one of the walls, the screen defining the boundary of the shower area. A moveable panel means 40 is provided which can be moved to an open or closed position to prevent spray escaping beyond the shower area. The shower is preferably of a type known as a 'walk in' shower.

Description

1 2395121

Shower Installations This invention relates to shower installations.

Although the following description refers almost exclusively to a

shower installation of a type known as a "walk in". It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention could relate to any other type of shower installation.

lis a result ' f shower installation development, there has resulted a shower installation of a type, known as "walk in". In such an installation, there is as shower screen having a free upright edge which is spaced from an adjacent wall (usually of the room in which the shower is installed) and the user to gain access to the showering space, simply walks through the space between the shower screen free edge and the wall. The shower rose is placed strategically so that the water falls on the inside of the screen and drains downwardly into the shower tray or onto the floor, where the flooring is designed to act as a draining surface.

When a shower tray is provided, and this will be the more usual case, it will often be shaped to have an extension portion outside the showering space, which forms a platform for the user before he or she walks into the showering space. This platform is used as a wet area by the user so that the user can dry off. If the shower tray and shower screen are fitted on the adjacent two walls at the corner of a room it is usual to have a fixed end panel which rests on the top of the end calf the tray at the open end. This acts as a shield for reducing the amount of overspray of water from the shower at the open end of the shower screen, but due to the necessary gap between the fixed panel and the end of the shower screen, through which the user gains entry into the wet area and then into the showering area, overspray of water from the shower cannot be completely eliminated.

These walk in installations work effectively only when the showering water is set at an Optimum flow rate, but of course different users - 'perate showers at different flow rates, and when the flow rate is high, or the flow pressure is increasecl, or indeed the rose is not set to the correct angle, surplus water spray from the shower can splash cut of the entry opening, and sometimes beyond the tray extension onto the room floor, which may be carpeted. This is undesirable and is a disadvantage of the known walk in shower installations.

it is an object of the present invention to overcome this disadvantage, and in accordance with the invention there is provided a shower installation, said installation including a shower area defined between at least hrst and second walls, a shower screen for connection to one of said first and second walls for defining, at least in part, a boundary of said shower area and wherein panel means are provided which are movable between an open position, wherein the panel means is clear of the space between the other of said first and second walls and the shower screen, and a closed position, wherein the panel means is in a position so as to prevent spray from a shows r used within the installation from passing out of the space.

Preferably the shower installation is of a walk in type.

l'he panel means is preferably pivotally mounted on the other of said first and second walls adjacent the free edge of the shower screen. By a simple means, the disadvantage is overcome, and the user has the facility to use the installation normally as a walk in shower installation, or to provide the extra containment of water spray, by having the panel means in the closed position, or at various positions between the open and closed position.

The panel means may be attached to the wall by any suitable means, such as adjustable bar mountings, pivot members, hinges or the like, and it may be a single panel or several inter-connected panels, of any appropriate material, such as glass, plastics and/or metal.

l'refcrably the free end of the panel means engages with or is provided a pre-determined small distance apart from said free end of the shower screen. 'sac pre-detcrmincd distance is sufficient so as to prevent surplus spray from passing out of the space between the free end of the shower screen a further wall defining the shower area.

Sealing means can be provided on the free ends of the panel means and the shower screen if required.

lhc shower screen can be movably mounted to a wall surface but in a preferred embodiment the shower screen is typically fixedly nountcd to a wall surface defining the shower area.

The base of the panel means can engage with a surface of the shower area in at least said closed position or it can be provided a pre-

detcrmined distance above the area sufficient to prevent surplus spray from passing out of the space.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided panel means for use in a shower installation.

According tail further aspects of the present invention there is provided a walk in shower installation, and a kit of parts for forming a shower installation.

In one embodiment the shape and/or size of the panel means is different to the shape and/or size of the shower screen.

Shower installations are normally constructed on the adjacent two walls at the corner of a room, but sometimes are constructed in a recess of a room formed by three walls, or indeed sometimes a third wall is constructed to form such a recess. The invention applies to all of these arrangements, and examples as applied to the different constructions are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which are all plan views, and wherein; Fig. 1 is a known walk in shower installation of a type having a shower tray and being constructed between two walls; Fig. 2 is a known walk in shower installation of a type having a shower tray and being constructed in a recess formed by three walls; Fig. 3 is a known walk in shower installation of a type with no shower tray and being constructed between twc> walls; and Figs. 4, 5 and G are views of the same shower installations respectively shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, but modified tc> form shower installations according to the invention.

Referring to the drawings wherein similar reference numerals are used for similar or equivalent parts, in Fig. 1 a shower installation is shown, and the installation is constructed in the corner of the room which is defined by two walls 10 and 12. On the floor is fitted a shower tray 14 which has a showering section 16 and an entry platform section 18.

As shown, the showering section defines roughly a quarter of a circle, with straight edges 20 and 22 adjacent the two walls 12 and 10, and a curved edge 24 extending between these two straight edges. The area defined by the edges 20, 22 and 24 is recessed for the catching of the shower water. 1( curved shower screen 26 follows the line of edge 24, and is mounted on wall 12 by an

appropratc mounting device 28 which is of a type rendering the screen 26A in a fixed position, but which allows the capability of removing the screen and fitting it in a different angle in an alternative fixed position.

In the use of the known shower installation shown in Fig. 1, the user simply steps on the platform 18 and then enters the showering area via a space 30 defined between the free edge 32 of the screen 26A, and the adjacent wall 10.

lithe arrangement of Fig. 2 differs from that in Fig. 1 only insofar as the shower tray 14 is fitted into a recess defined by walls 10, 12 and a third wall 34 which may be a specially constructed wall in the room to form the recess for the shower tray.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the only difference between the arrangement of Fig. 3 and that of Fig. 1 is that no shower tray is provided, and the floor o f the room is designed to be a draining surface, but again to gain access, the user walks through a space 30 between the free edge 32 of the shower panel 26 and the adjacent wall 10.

In each of the three arrangements thus far described, the shower rose is located strategically so that the screen 26 will catch and drain the shower water effectively, but the fact of the matter is that depending upon the pressure and velocity of the shower water, so there is often spray leakage through the space 30 and on to the entry platform 18 or the room floor, which is undesirable.

The arrangements of Figs. 4, 5 and 6 which correspond to the arrangements of Figs. 1, 2 and 3 include the addition of a panel 40 pivotally carried on a mounting 42 of similar type to mounting 28 so that the panel 40 can be moved between the open position shown in full lines in each of Figs. 4, 5 and 6 to the closed dotted line

position (shown in Fig. 4) only whereby a rubber scaling gaiter 42A on the upright edge of the panel 40 seats against the outside of the shower screen as shown on Fig. 4. 'thereby, the surplus spray is prevented from reaching the bathroom floor. It will be seen that the panel 40 is arranged so that the installation can function effectively as a walk-in shower installation, but with the additional advantage that the panel 40 can be moved to a closed position to prevent excess spraying -'utwardly of the shower water through the entry space 30.

Claims (16)

Claims:

1. 1Y shower installation, said installation including a shower area defined between at least first and second walls, a shower screen for connection to one of said first and second walls for defining, at least in part, a boundary of said shower area and wherein panel means are provided which are movable between an open position, wherein the panel means is clear of the space between the other of said first and second walls and the shower screen, and a closed position, wherein the panel means is in a position so as to prevent spray from a shower used within the installation from passing out of the space.

2. An installation according to claim 1 wherein the panel means is pivotally mounted to the other of said first and second walls.

3. An installation according to claim 1 wherein the panel means is attached to the wall via any or any combination of an adjustable bar mounting, hinges and/or pivot members.

4. An installation according to claim 1 wherein the panel means is a single panel.

5. An installation according to claim 1 wherein the panel means includes two or more interconnected panels.

6. An installation according to claim 1 wherein a free end of the panel means engages with a free end of the shower screen in said closed position.

7. An installation according to claim 6 wherein sealing means are provided on the engaging surfaces of the panel means and/or shower screen.

8. An installation according to claim 1 wherein a base of the panel means engages with a surface of the shower area.

9. An installation according to claim 1 wherein the shower installation is of a walk in type.

10. An installation according to claim 1 wherein the shower installation is provided with an entry platform.

11. An installation according to claim 1 wherein the shower screen is movably mounted on one of said walls.

12. An installation according to claim I wherein third or further walls are provided to define the shower area.

13. An installation according to claim l wherein any of the at least first and second walls are formed from fixed panels.

14. Len installation according to claim 1 wherein the Axed panel is or has at least a portion which is curved in shape.

15. An installation according to claim 1 wherein the shower screen is or has at least a portion which is curved in shape.

16. Panel means for use in a shower installation according to claim 1.