GB2609237A

GB2609237A - A shower screen seal attachment

Info

Publication number: GB2609237A
Application number: GB2110702.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Cattlin Brett
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2021-07-26
Filing date: 2021-07-26
Publication date: 2023-02-01
Anticipated expiration: 2041-07-26
Also published as: GB202110702D0; GB2609237B

Abstract

This disclosure provides a screen hinge assembly 10 for a shower enclosure, comprises a wall channel 12 which is attachable to a wall adjacent to a water receptacle. A hinge barrel 14 is rotatably attached to the wall channel and configured to rotate about a rotational axis between a closed position and an open position. A screen (30, Fig 2) is attached to the barrel. A seal (36, Fig 2) extends along a bottom edge of the screen, where the seal comprises a flexible blade configured to make a wiping contact with an edge of the water receptacle in use. The hinge barrel 14 comprises a seal guide 26 which receives an end portion of the flexible blade proximal to the hinge. The seal guide is configured to limit the lateral deflection of the blade when in the closed position.

Description

A Shower Screen Seal Attachment Technical Field of the Invention The present disclosure relates to a shower screen seal attachment for maintaining the integrity of a shower screen seal at the base of the shower screen hinge.

Background to the Invention

Shower screens comprising a solid screen, typically glass, which is attached to a wall via one or more hinges are well known in the art. It is also well known to provide a flexible strip seal at the base of a screen to sealably mate with a water receptacle, typically a bath tub. The strip seal are attached along the bottom edge of the screen and are sufficiently flexible to provide a wiping contact with the edge of the water receptacle when the screen is moved from an open position to a closed position. Due to the movement of the shower screen relative to the water receptacle, there is relative movement of the seal relative to the stationary part of the hinge and water escape is possible.

The present invention seeks to provide an improved way of attaching a shower screen seal to a shower screen hinge

Summary of the Invention

The present invention provides a screen hinge according to the appended claims.

The present disclosure provides a screen hinge assembly for a shower enclosure, comprising: a wall channel which is attachable to a wall adjacent to a water receptacle; a hinge barrel rotatably attached to the wall channel and configured to rotate about a rotational axis between a closed position and an open position; a screen attached to the barrel; a seal extending along a bottom edge of the screen, the seal comprising a flexible blade configured to make a wiping contact with an edge of the water receptacle in use; wherein the hinge barrel comprises a seal guide which receives an end portion of the flexible blade proximal to the hinge, the seal guide being configured to limit the lateral deflection of the blade when in the closed position.

The seal guide may be appended to a hinge base of the barrel. The hinge base may be separate to and configured to receive a main body of the hinge barrel.

The seal guide may comprise a pair of opposing jaws having a gap therebetween in which a portion of the flexible blade is received. The jaws may comprise a flared inlet for receiving the flexible blade. The pair of jaws may be provided by parallel plates which flank the sides of the flexible blade.

An external surface of the seal guide may be sloped to direct water into the water receptacle The width of the plates at an upper edge thereof maybe narrower than at the base of the seal guide to provide a sloped surface to direct water into the water receptacle. The sloped surface may be provided by a corner fillet located at the junction of the hinge barrel and the plate. The plates may comprise a convexly curved outer surface.

The hinge barrel may engage with the wall channel via a spindle. The spindle may comprise either a male or female part appended to the wall channel and the other of the male or female part provided by the hinge barrel. The spindle may be configured to allow degree of rotation greater than 90 degrees between the closed and open positions.

The degree of rotation may be less than 120 degrees between the closed and fully open positions. The screen may open on either side of the closed position such that the full extent between the open positions on either side of the screen is between and 240 degrees.

The seal guide may extend downwardly from beneath the bottom edge of the screen panel. The bottom of the seal guide may be located above the bottom of the wall channel by at least the thickness of the blade.

The hinge barrel may comprise a dummy seal guide at an upper end thereof The rotatable attachment between the barrel and wall channel may be provided by an end plate of the wall channel.

The wall channel or end plate thereof may comprise a notch for receiving the seal guide when in a fully open position.

The axis of rotation is eccentrically aligned with an outermost peripheral edge which resides opposite the seal guide such that a gap between the peripheral edge of the end plate and the radially inner edge of the seal guide is smallest when in the closed position.

The hinge barrel may comprise a skirt which overhangs the end plate.

The skilled person will appreciate that except where mutually exclusive, a feature described in relation to any one of the aspects, embodiments or examples described herein may be applied mutatis mutandis to any other aspect, embodiment or example. Furthermore, except where mutually exclusive, any feature described herein may be applied to any aspect and/or combined with any other feature described herein.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood one or more embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 shows an exploded view of a hinge assembly according to the present

disclosure;

Figure 2 shows a bath having a screen comprising the hinge assembly of Figure Figures 3a to 3d show various views of a hinge base comprising a seal guide; Figure 4 shows a spindle used to provide a rotational attachment between the hinge base and an end plate of the hinge assembly; Figure 5 shows an exploded view of an alternative hinge assembly according to the present disclosure; Figures 6a and 6b show an alternative hinge base and end plate spindle formations; Figure 7 shows an alternative hinge base including deflectors, Figure 8 shows a further alternative hinge base; Figure 9 shows a yet further alternative hinge base mounted to an end plate; Figures 10a and 10b show a perspective view and a plan view of an end plate, Figure 11 shows a hinge base mounted to an end plate in a fully rotated position, Figure 12 shows a hinge base comprising a strip seal; Figure 13 shows an underside view of the strip seal of Figure 12 in a closed position configuration; and, Figure 14 shows a plan view of an alternative end plate.

Detailed Description of the Invention

Figure 1 shows an exploded side view of a screen hinge assembly 10 according to the present disclosure. The hinge assembly 10 comprises an elongate butt hinge having a stationary part, referred to herein as a wall channel 12, which is affixed in a vertical orientation to a wall adjacent the shower (or other area) which is to be screened, and an elongate barrel 14 which is rotatably held between spindle formations 18 provided by end plates 16 of the wall channel 12. A screen panel (not shown in Figure 1) is mounted to the barrel 14.

The barrel 14 shown in Figure 1 comprises multiple parts including a main hinge body 20, and opposing end parts referred to herein as a hinge base 22 and hinge top 24.

The hinge base 22 and hinge top 24 may be an integral part of the hinge main body 20 in some embodiments, or separate parts which are attached to the main body 20 by snug insertion or some other suitable attachment, an embodiment of which is shown in Figure 1. Examples of each are described below. The hinge base 22 comprises seal guide 26.

The spindle formations 18 may be either male or female and define between them an axis of rotation 28 about which the barrel 14 can rotate such that the screen can be moved between an open position and a closed position, typically either into or away from a water receptacle.

Figure 2 shows the hinge assembly 10 and screen 30 in place adjacent a water receptacle in the form of a bath 32. It will be appreciated that other water receptacles such as a shower tray may be used. The wall channel 14, is affixed to a wall 34 which defines a general enclosure for the bath 32 with the screen 30 extending along the horizontal edge of the bath 32 when in the closed position, as shown. The screen 30 is held by the hinge barrel 14 using any suitable means and includes at a lower edge a flexible strip seal 36 which is in wiping contact with the edge of the bath 32. The wiping contact is provided by the strip seal 36 being deflected by the edge of the bath 32 as the screen 30 is rotated from an open position outside of the bath 32 (to the left of the figure) to the closed position, as shown. When the screen 30 is open, the strip seal 36 would typically hang vertically downwards (with the exception of any residual deformation). The strip seal 36 may comprise a blade 36a and a main body 36b which is attached to the bottom edge of the screen 30 and from which the blade 36a extends downwardly. The main body 36b shown in the embodiment comprises a U-shaped channel which is friction fitted on to the bottom edge of the screen, but this is not a limitation and other configurations and/or methods of attaching the seal 36 to the screen are possible.

In a typical installation, the hinge assembly 10, and thus screen 30 are located relative to the bath edge such that the height of the blade 36a is sufficient to bridge the gap between the bottom edge of the screen 30 and the bath edge and is readily deformable across its height so as to provide the wiping contact. The positioning of the hinge assembly 10 relative to the bath edge is typically achieved by mounting the bottom end plate 16 directly onto the bath 30.

The wiping contact with the bath edge deforms the blade 36a so as to comprise a vertical portion 'V' and a sealing portion 'S'. In order to improve the sealing attributes of the seal 36, the hinge assembly 10 comprises the seal guide 26 which is provided proximal to the hinge base 22 in order to maintain the form of the seal 36 at the corner region between the seal 36, the bath edge and hinge base 22.

The seal guide 26 is configured to restrict the lateral movement of the seal blade 36a. In particular, the seal guide 26 maintains the vertical portion V of the seal blade 36a adjacent the hinge base 22 whilst allowing sealing portion S of the blade 36a to correctly deflect and form against the edge of the bath 32 at the end of the seal 36 as the screen 30 is moved into the closed position. As such, the shape of the seal blade 36a and associated wiping contact can be maintained along the full length of the seal 36 from the hinge outwardly, thereby reducing the likelihood of leaking.

The seal guide 26 may comprise any suitable formation which is capable of maintaining the shape of the blade 36a in the corner region. The seal guide 26 shown in the Figures comprises a projecting formation in which the seal guide 26 extends outwardly from the hinge base 22 to provide a lateral restriction which bears against the blade 36a during use. In some embodiments, the seal guide 26 may be provided by a female formation, such as a notch, in the hinge base 22 into which the seal blade 36a is inserted Figures 3a and 3b show perspective views of the hinge base from above and below respectively, Figures 3c and 3d show side and reverse plan views respectively. Referring to Figures 3a to 3d, there is shown a seal guide 26 comprising a lateral support in the form of a pair of jaws 26a,b which define a gap 26g therebetween in which the deformable blade 36a of the strip seal 36 is received. The gap 26g between the jaws 26a,b may be varied according to the thickness of the blade 36a. In some embodiments, the blade 36a may be snugly received between the jaws 36a,b to restrict any movement. In other embodiments, the blade 36a may be loosely received so as to allow some deformity and thereby reduce any local stresses and associated fatigue at a deflection point which the blade transitions between the vertical V and sealing S portions. The jaws 26a,b may include contoured inner surfaces, such as a curved portion at the lower end, against which the blade can bear so as to bend with a gradual curvature. In some embodiments, the seal blade 36a may be sealably received within the jaws 26a,b. The jaws 26a,b, shown in Figures 3a to 3d are configured to accommodate the blade 36a only and not the main body 36b of the seal 36. However, this is not a limitation. Further, the upper edges of the jaws 26a,b may abut the underside of the main body 36b.

It will be appreciated that in some embodiments where the screen is openable in a single direction, the seal guide 26 may comprise a single jaw only on one side of the seal blade 36a. In such embodiments, the jaw would be provided above the sealing portion S when in the closed position The hinge base 22 comprises a generally cylindrical body 40. The seal guide 36 extends radially outwards from an outer surface of the body 40. The radial extent of the jaws 36a,b in the direction of seal insertion may be between 3 and 15mm, preferably 10 mm. The width of the gap 26g between the jaws 36a,b may be between 0.3mm and 2mm, preferably 1 mm. The width of each jaw may be between 3mm and lmm, preferably 2mm.

The jaws 36a,b have an axial length in relation to the rotational axis 28 of the hinge assembly 10. The extent of the axial length may vary according to the length of the blade 36a and the intended separation between the bath edge and the screen 30. In the embodiment shown, the axial length extends from below the screen 30, specifically from the bottom surface of the main body 36b of the seal 36, to below the hinge base 22. In use, the jaws 26a,b will be separated from the bath edge e.g. the bottom surface of the end plate 16 at least by an amount sufficient for the thickness of the sealing portion S of the blade 36a to pass underneath. The axial (vertical) length of the jaws may be between 3 and 35 mm, preferably 13-14 mm. The separation between the underside of the end plate 16 (which may correspond to the bath edge) and the underside of the jaws 26a,b may be between 1 and 4 mm, preferably 2 mm.

The jaws 26a,b comprise an opening 26i at the radially terminal edge which is configured to receive the blade 36a during assembly. To aid the insertion of the blade 36a into the guide 26, the opening 26i of the jaws 26a,b may be flared thereby providing a larger inlet at the opening. The flared portion may comprise curved surfaces leading into the parallel portion of the jaws 26a,b, or may comprise a straight taper.

In the embodiment shown, the jaws 26a,b are provided by parallel plates which are affixed or homogeneously formed with the hinge base 22. The opposing inner surfaces of the parallel plates provide the jaw surfaces for receiving the blade 36a. The outer surfaces of the parallel plates may take any suitable form but are shown as tapering towards the axially upper edge with a convexly curved profile to encourage water run-off in use.

With reference to Figures 3a-d and 4, the cylindrical body 40 may be generally hollow having a spindle cavity 18b for rotatably receiving a spindle 18a of the stationary end plate 16. The cylindrical body 40 may comprise an outer cavity 42 into which a body 44 of the end plate is received, arid which precedes the spindle cavity 18b. Also shown is a screen notch 46 for receiving and retaining the screen 30.

The hinge base shown in Figures 3a to 3d is a separate part which is configured to receive a barrel main body 20, shown in Figure 1. Thus, hinge barrel 14 may be 30 formed from a hinge base 22 comprising the seal guide 26, a barrel main body 20 which may in the form of a hollow tube and a hinge top 24 which provides the spindle connection at the upper end of the hinge barrel 14. In order to attach the hinge base to the barrel main body 20, a cylindrical plug 48 having a reduced diameter compared to the cylindrical body 40 may be provided for mating with a corresponding hollow socket in the terminal end of the barrel main body 20. The hinge top 24 may be provided with a similar formation, as shown in Figure 1 In other embodiments, as shown in Figure 5, the hinge barrel 14' may comprise a single piece construction in which the hinge base 22' and seal guide 26' are integrally formed as part of the main body 20'.

Figure 5 also shows a dummy seal guide 26d located at an upper end of the hinge barrel 14'. The dummy seal guide 26d is not employed in use, but is provided to allow for the hinge barrel 14' to be mounted in either orientation which may be useful in some embodiments. It will also be appreciated, that the hinge top shown in Figure I may be provided by a hinge base including seal guides, thereby allowing the hinge base 22 and hinge top 24 to be provided by a common part and allowing the number of parts to be manufactured to be reduced Figures 6a and 6b show an embodiment of a hinge base 622 which comprises the hinge spindle 618a which is received within a corresponding socket 618b in the end plate 616. Also shown in Figures 6a is a small rebate 619 along the back edge of the jaws such that rear edge of the jaws are offset from the line of the external surface of the hinge base 622. As such, the seal 36 may extend beyond the rear edge of the jaws to provide an improved contact with the end plate 16 when in the closed position. As with many of the features described in this present disclosure, this feature may be provided in any of the embodiments described herein.

Figure 7 shows a further embodiment of a hinge base 722 having deflector surface 750a,b on one or more external surfaces of the seal Ode 726. The deflectors 750a,b are provided at the junction between jaw 26a,b and hinge base body 40. The deflector surface 750a,b comprise a widening of the jaws 26 towards the lower end of the hinge base 722 thereby providing a flow path which directs water favourably away from the corner region of the seal 36 towards the internal volume of the bath 32. The deflector surfaces are shown as being provided on each of the jaw 726a,b to allow the hinge base 722 to be installed on either side of a water receptacle. However, it will be appreciated that this need not be the case and the deflector may be provided on one side only. The deflector surface 750a,b may comprise any suitable shape but will typically comprise a surface which is inclined to the vertical so as to slope away from the seal blade 36a towards the bath edge. In the embodiment shown in Figure 7, the deflector surface comprises fillets which expand in thickness as they descend towards the lower edge of the seal guide 726.

Figure 8 shows a hinge base 822 in which the screen door notch shown in Figure 3a is not present. As such, the upper end of the main body 840 comprises a fully cylindrical plug 848 over which the hinge barrel tube is received. It will be appreciated that in this embodiment, the screen 30 would be attached to the barrel main body 20 by other means Figure 9 shows a hinge base 922 comprising a circumferential skirt 952, which extends downwards from the hinge base body 940 at the lower extremity thereof The skirt 952 defines an internal cavity into which the end plate 916 can be fully received such that water passing over the hinge base body is deflected away from the end plate 916.

The end plate 16 may be provided as an integral part of the wall channel 12 which is attached to the wall 34 or may be a separate part which is attached to the wall channel 12 prior to it being fixed to the wall 34. Figures 10a and 10b show an end plate 16 which is attached to the wall channel during an assembly of the hinge.

The bottom end plate 16 principally provides vertical and rotational support for the hinge barrel 14 via the hinge base 22. The rotational support is provided by the spindle 18a which engages with the spindle cavity 18b and defines the axis of rotation 28 for the hinge and screen 30 as previously described. The vertical support may be provided via the spindle arrangement and/or by an upper surface 44a of the body 44 against which the corresponding opposing surface of the hinge base cavity sits.

The end plate 16 may comprise a substantially plate-like body having a planar underside surface 54 which is located on the edge of the bath 32 in use to define the vertical position of the hinge assembly and screen 30 in relation to the bath edge. The end plate 16 comprises a wall channel portion 16a which is configured to be attached to the wall channel 12, and a spindle portion 16b on to which the hinge base 22 is mounted. In the embodiment shown, the wall channel portion 16a has a generally rectangular footprint with an arcuate cut-out for the hinge base 22, and the spindle portion 16b being circular to correspond to the hinge base 22 and spindle. However, it will be appreciated that these may vary in other embodiments.

A plurality of optional attachment features 56 are provided on an upper surface of the wall channel portion 16a for engagement with corresponding attachment features in the wall channel 12. In the embodiment shown, the attachment features 56 are in the form of a plurality of square projections which extend into engage with an internal surface of the hollow wall channel 12, as well known in the art.

The spindle 18a comprises a cylindrical shaft extends perpendicularly and concentrically from the upper surface of the cylindrical body 44 to define the rotational axis 28. The spindle 18a has a smaller cross-section than the main body 44. The main body 44 may extend from a lower plate 58 which joins the wall channel portion 16a.

With reference to Figures 10a, 10b and 11, the lower plate 58 may comprise circular peripheral edge which extends through an angle greater than 90 degrees on one or both sides of the closed position centre line 62. The angle may be between 90 and UO degrees.

In order to accommodate the seal guide 26, the main body 44 and/or lower plate 58 may comprise a notch 60 in which the lower extremities of seal guide can be received when the screen door is rotated over 90 degrees from the closed position. The notch 60 may be provided on either or both sides of the centre line 62 such that the end plate can be used for a door opening on either side. A radially inner wall of the notch 60 may curved having a radius centred on the axis of rotation 28. The notch 60 may extend circumferentially from a point local to 90 degrees from the closed position rearwards towards and optionally into the wall channel portion 16a. The angular extent of the notch 60 may be determined by position of the wall channel which will limit the rotation of the screen 30 and seal guide 26. Hence, the notch 60 may terminate circumferentially adjacent to the wall channel. Figure 11 shows the hinge base 22 in a fully rotated configuration in which the foot of the seal guide is provided in the notch 60.

Although not shown in the drawings, the screen may be restricted such that it can open in only one direction. The restricted opening may be provided by a mechanical stop as known in the art. The mechanical stop may be provided within the hinge base.

Figure 12 shows the seal 36 located in a closed position but in the absence of the bath edge. Hence, the blade 36a of the seal is extending vertically downwards in a non-deflected, non-deformed state. Figure 13 shows the seal from underneath when in a deformed wiping contact state. It can be seen from Figure 13, that the seal blade 36a passes underneath the seal guide jaw 26a, with the vertical portion of the blade 36a being held by the seal guide 26 so as to maintain the sealing contact up to the end of the seal blade 36a and proximate to the hinge base 22, thereby helping to prevent leaks in the corner region.

Figure 14 shows a further embodiment of an end plate 1416 in which the spindle 18a is eccentrically mounted in relation to the lower plate 1458 of the hinge portion such that the separation between the seal guide 26 and end plate 1416 is at a minimum when the hinge base 22 is in the closed position In this way, the seal 26 may contact the end plate 22 when the screen 30 is in the closed position but be clear of the end plate when in the open position. In other words, the radial extent of the lower plate 1458 in relation to the centre of the spindle 1418a is greatest at the point where the seal guide 22 is located when in the closed position (shown at point 1464).

To ensure that the outer surface of the hinge base 22 and lower plate 1458 align when in the closed position, the hinge base 22 may be shaped to correspond to the elongate shape of the lower plate 1458. Thus, the hinge base 22 may be elongate in the plane defined by the gap 26g such that the radial extent between the rotational axis 28 and the outer surface of the hinge base 22 is greatest at the location of the seal guide 26. In some embodiments, the wall portion of the hinge base 22 which is local to the seal guide 26 may be inclined such that the lower edge of the hinge base 22 is located opposite to and flush with the apex of the end plate 1416 provided at 1464 in the closed position. This inclination is shown in Figure 3c where the line of the cylindrical body 40 is inclined rearwards away from the vertical line of the jaws 26a. The angle of the hinge base 22 behind the seal guide may be between 5 and 15 degrees. The angle may taper to 0 degrees, i.e. vertical, at the diametrically opposed face, i.e. the rear of the hinge base 22 may be vertical.

The one or more embodiments are described above by way of example only. Many variations are possible without departing from the scope of protection afforded by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMSA screen hinge for a shower enclosure, comprising: a wall channel which is attached to a wall adjacent to a water receptacle; a hinge barrel rotatably attached to the wall channel and configured to rotate about a rotational axis between a closed position and an open position; a screen attached to the hinge barrel; a seal extending along a bottom edge of the screen, the seal comprising a flexible blade configured to make a wiping contact with an edge of the water receptacle in use; wherein the hinge barrel comprises a seal guide which receives an end portion of the flexible blade proximal to the hinge, the seal guide being configured to limit the lateral deflection of the blade when in the closed position.
2. The hinge of claim 1, wherein the seal guide is appended to a hinge base of the barrel
3. The hinge of claim 2, wherein the hinge base is separate to and configured to be attached to a main body of the barrel.
4. The hinge of any preceding claim, wherein the seal guide comprises a pair of opposing jaws having a gap therebetween in which a portion of the flexible blade is received.
5. The hinge of claim 4, wherein the jaws comprise a flared inlet for receiving the flexible blade
6. The hinge of either of claims 4 or 5, wherein the pair ofjaw-s are provided by parallel plates which flank the sides of the flexible blade.
7. The hinge of any preceding claim, wherein an external surface of the seal guide is sloped to direct water into the water receptacle.
8. The hinge of claim 7, wherein slope of the external surface is provided by a corner fillet located at the junction of the hinge barrel and the plate.
9. The hinge of either of claims 7 or 8, wherein the surface guide comprises a convexly curved outer surface.
10. The hinge of any preceding claim, wherein the hinge barrel engages with the wall channel via a spindle.
11. The hinge of claim 10, wherein the spindle comprises a male-female connection in which either a male or female part is appended to the wall channel and the other of the male or female part is provided by the hinge barrel.
12. The hinge of claim 11, wherein the spindle is configured to allow degree of rotation greater than 90 degrees between the closed and open positions.
13. The hinge of claim 12, wherein the degree of rotation is less than 120 degrees between the closed and fully open positions.
14. The hinge of any preceding claim, wherein the seal guide extends downwardly from beneath the bottom edge of the screen panel.
15. The hinge of any preceding claim, wherein the bottom of the seal guide is located above the bottom of the wall channel by at least a thickness of the blade.
16. The hinge of any preceding claim, wherein the hinge barrel comprises a dummy seal guide at an upper end thereof
17. The hinge of any preceding claim, wherein the rotatable attachment between the barrel and wall channel is provided by an end plate of the wall channel.
18. The hinge of claim 17, wherein bottom of the seal guide is located above the bottom of the end plate by at least the thickness of the blade.
19. The hinge of claim 18, wherein axis of rotation is eccentrically aligned with an outermost peripheral edge which resides opposite the seal guide such that a gap between the peripheral edge of the end plate and the radially inner edge of the seal guide is smallest when in the closed position.
20. The hinge of any claims 18 or 19, wherein the hinge barrel comprises a skirt which overhangs the end plate.