US1971802A

US1971802A - Antidrip and antisplash device for shower bath doors

Info

Publication number: US1971802A
Application number: US683469A
Authority: US
Inventors: Eugene H Zechiel
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1933-08-03
Filing date: 1933-08-03
Publication date: 1934-08-28
Anticipated expiration: 1951-08-28

Description

E. H. ZECHIEL Aug. 28,1934.

ANTIDRIP AND ANTISPLASH DEVICE FOR SHOWER BATH DOORS Filed Aug. 3, 1933 frew se' 41/ 1 J I lNvE-ron EH, ZICH/E1. l

ATTCRNEY Patented Aug. 28, 1934 ANTIDRIP AND ANTIsPLAsn DEVICE FOR SHOWER BATH DOORS Eugene H. Zechiel, Los Angeles, Calif. Application August s, 1933, Serin No. 683,469

7 Claims.

fstall doors and contemplates thelprovision of an l'attachment for doors of this general class adapted I to aord protection to the floorof the bathroom outside the shower stall from water splashing unlder the door when the door is closed andthe fshower stall is being used, and also from `water dripping from the door after the `door has been swung to open positiontextending outwards over 1G the floor of the bathroom.

A more detailed object is to provide a trough or gutter attachment for the lower edge of a door of the general class indicated, whereby water running down the inner surface of the door will be collected before it has had opportunity to drip off the door, and conducted toward that edge of the door with which its hinges are associated, where the Water is. permitted to drip onto the upper and usually sloping surface of the curb 29 of the shower stall, the result being that this water is caused to return to the shower stall itself instead of being permitted to drip Onto the floor of thebathroom outside the shower stall.

A further object is to soV construct the antidrip device that the amount. of water that it is en- 'abled to conduct toward hinged edge of ther `door iis limited. Consequently, when the door is 'closed vand the shower stall in use, large volumes of water running downthe inside surface of the door '30 will be returned directly` to the `shower stall instead of being conducted to the hinged edge of the door. The advantage of this feature is that if a relatively large volume of water were to be carried to the hinged edge of the Vdoor and permitted to flow onto a relatively small area of the upper surface of the shower stall curb, there would be considerable tendency for at least some of the water to flow to the Outside of the curb and hence onto the bathroom iloor; and inasmuch as whenever the door is opened only a relatively small amount of water will Vbe running down the inner surface of the door, there is no need for conducting any but quite small quantities of water toward the hinged edge of the door.

A further object is to provide as an antisplash feature preferably a plurality of flanges extending downwards from the under'surface of the antidrip trough. These flanges are-spaced apart so as to deflecta maximum amount of water splashing on the upper surface of the shower stall curb and in this manner afford additional protection for the oor of the bathroom outside the shower stall.

A still further object is to provide these antisplash flanges with relatively thin lower edges,

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'This invention relates to shower bath or shower thereby resisting the tendency for drops of water to collect thereon and cling thereto, but instead to cause any water impinging against the under surface of the antidrip and antisplash de.- vice to drip therefrom immediately, i. e., before the door is opened.

VAnother object is to provide an attachment for a shower bath door having the above described characteristics, which not only is a very simple and hence relatively inexpensive construction, but G51 one which can be manufactured and attached in operative relation upon the door with the greatest facility and which when so added materially enhances the ornamental appearance of the entire door.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the embodiment of my invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming 7.5-

`a part of this specification, It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the showing made by the said drawing and description, as I may adopt variations of the described form within the scope of my invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken through a shower bath door having the antidrip and antisplash device of my invention operatively installed thereupon. The door is illustrated in its closed position and the curb of the shower stall with which it is associated is indicated in broken lines. This figure may be considered a sectional view taken upon the line 1-1 of Figure 2 with the direction of view as indicated.

Figure 2 is a view in elevation of the inner surface of the door .showing the antidrip and antisplash device in operative position thereupon. Portions of the figure are broken away to reduce its size;

In terms of broad inclusion, the device of the present invention comprises means providing a gutter or trough which is adapted to be secured to a shower bath door adjacent the lower edge thereof and upon its inner surface and in position 100 to intercept water running down the inner surface of the door. The device provides a channel extending transversely of the door whereby, owing to the sloping nature of the bottom of the channel, water intercepted by the channel will be con- 105 ducted to a side`.edge of the door, preferably the hinged side, the result being that when the door is open any water running down the inner surface of the door and which would otherwise drip upon the `floor of Ythe bathroom outside the shower 11.0

i mastic material).

stall, will be deposited upon the upper surface of the curb of the shower stall, which slopes inwards in most installations, thereby causing such water to be returned to the inside of the shower stall. The channel, however, is of limited depth, the result being that when a large volume of water runs down the inner surface of the door, as when the door is closed and the shower stall in use, this large volume of water will ilow over the curb which defines the inner edge of the channel and hence return immediately to the shower stall without being conducted to a side edge of the door. The device is further provided with antisplash flanges, spaced apart 'and 'extending downfwards from the under surface of the channel. When the door is closedthese channels are .in such position with respect to the upper surface of the curb of the shower stall that the tendency 'for water to splash upon the upper surface of the shower stall curb and hence to the exterior of the shower stall is reduced to a minimum. Moreover, these ilanges have relatively thin lower edges, which reduces to a minimiun the tendency for drops of water to cling thereto.

Proceeding'now with a more particular descrip'- tion of the device of my invention, .I have illustrated that embodiment of my antidrip and -antisplash device which may be considered as pre- .ferred, as being operatively installed upon the inner surface v6 of a shower door 7 adjacent the lower edg'ethereof These doors are usually constructed 'of side Arnouldings 9,a bottom moulding 11 and atop moulding (not shown) and the bottom moulding 1l affords convenient means for attaching the antidrip and antisplash device,which is indicated in its entirety at .12, in opera-tive position upon the vdoor 7. In 'the usual shower bath door construction, the

mouldings

9 and 11 serve as a support for a panel 13, which usually is of glass. glass panel 13 should be cushioned from the mouldings 9 'and 1.1, which usually are of metal, such brass or aluminum, as by la strip 'of resilient an'dpreferably fibrous matter 14 such as cotton wicking and by gir-outing 16 of suitable Doors of 'this general character are usually supported, Aas by'any convenient type of `hinge .17, in such position that when closed it is .disposed 'at suitable elevation above the upper surface 1'8 of a curb 19 'which extends upwards from the floor 21 of the bathroom and the floor '2'2 'of the shower stall. Preferably, the upper-surface 'or sill 1'8 'of the curb 119 slopes inwards towards the shower stall 22 'so that any water 'de- .posited thereupon will be returned to the shower stall. The hinge 17 is usually so arranged that the door swings outward to open position, where it extends 'over the floor 21 of the bathroom 'in stead of 'exten-ding inwards over the floor T22 oi the shower stall.

That embodiment of my anti-drip and :antisplash device which. has been Vused for illustration comprises `an elongated strip 26 so shaped that its upper surface presents a channel or trough V27 fox-tending 'transversely with respect to the doorv 7. This strip 26 is preferably Aof the saine Imetal -as the door mouldings, its Aprincipal roquirement being, zhowever, :that it be possessed of ithe necessary :inherent strength and tendency to -resist 'deterioration by corrosion the like; and it Tis preferably suitably `Aplated, 4as by nickel orfch'romiuim so yas to protect it further against deterioration Vand also -to 'impart to it the desired ornamental-appearance to vcause it to ,harmonize satisfactorily 'with the .material of lwhich the reymainderuif the* door ..7 .is composed. `An Aattaching flange 28 extends upwards from that edge of the trough or channel which is to be secured to the door 7; and this flange 28 is preferably reversely bent upon itself to provide a double thickness of material through which the screws 29 used for attaching the device in operative po sition can extend. These screws are preferably threaded into the flower moulding 11, las clearly shown upon nFigure u1. The flange 28 is preferably formed higher at one end 31 than at the other end 32, the result being that when the device is 'attached to the door 7 with the upper edge of the ilange 28 disposed horizontally, the bottom 33 "of the trough 'will slope downwards from the 'en'd`32 tothe end 31, as best shown upon Figure r2. In order to accommodate both right and left hand doors, it is therefore desirable to provide two 'forms of the Adevice, one where the slope is from right to left and the other where the slope is from left to right.

Another flange vor curb 36 extends upwards .from that edge of the bottom 33 of the channel 27 which is `opposite the iange y28; and the parts rare so Varranged that the vbottom 33 slopes .not

only from one edge to the yother of the door, but

it also slopes downwards and away from the door, i. e., towards the vcurb 36, as clearly shown upon rligure 1. Moreover, the curb 36 .is relatively low Yand instead of rising vabruptly from the bottom 33 of the channel 27, curves gradually upwards and outwards therefrom, the result being that when any large volume Yof water rushes down the inner surface of the door 7 and into the channel 27 it will flow over the curb 36 and hence directlly onto the upper surface 13 of the curb 19 and 'into the stall 22. However, when `any small quantity of water runs fdown the inner surface of the door 7 and thence .into ythe channel 27. such, for example, as the relatively small amount of water in a form of 'drops which -cling to the door after the shower has 'been in use and the door swung open, it will find sufficient obstrucu tion to its movement transversely with respect to the channel .27 when it lencounters the curb 36, and hence will Abe caused to .run downwards along the bottoni 33 of the rchannel 27 toward the .lower end 31; i. e., toward the hinged edge cf the door, where it is permitted to :drop upon the upper surface of the curb 18, .regardless of whether the door is open or closed. The reason for so constructing the santidrip device that relatively large volumes of water such as ordinarily run down the inner surface in a substantially continuous flow when the shower is in use, will notbe conducted to a side edge of the door is that this would cause such a large volume of water `to be deposited in a relatively small area upon the upper surface of the curb .18 that at least a portion 'of it would tend `to flow upward upon the sloping upper surface .113 and Vtl'lence down the vouter surface of the curb 'i9 and onto the floor 21 of the bathroom, whereas, if the relatively large volume of water which is apt to run down vthe inner surface of the Vdoor when the shower is being used Yis distributed through-- out the entire length of the curb '19, this tendency for the water to rush up the surface 18 and onto the floor of the bathroom is overcome.

The Yantisplash feature of the device of my invention is attained through the expedient of a plurality, preferably two,

flanges

41 and 42, eX- tending downwards from the under surface of the trough and spaced a material distance 'from each other, as clearly shown upon Figure l1. The flange 41 can most conveniently be .formed by extending the outer edge of the metal forming the curb 36 far enough for it to project a material distance below the botto-m 33 of the trough or channel 27. The flange 42, however, is preferably provided by means of an additional strip 43 of metal, the upper edge of which is clamped between the two opposed portions of the reversely bent flange 28. Both these flanges 4l and 42 extend preferably throughout the entire length of the trough, i. e., substantially throughout the entire width of the door '7. Moreover, the parts are so proportioned and arranged that the lower edges of both

flanges

41 and 42 are in substan tially horizontal alinement' and preferably not more than an eighth or a quarter of an inch higher than the highest point of the curb 19 of the shower stall. The fact that the two

flanges

41 and 42 are spacedra material distance from each other reduces to a minimum any tendency for waterV to splash to the outside of the shower stall by passing under the flange 4l, impinging' against the upper surface 1S of the flange 19, and splashing upwards and outwards from the point of impingement. Moreover, the lower edges of both

flanges

41 and 42 are quite thin, the purpose being to reduce to an absolute minimum any tendency for drops of water to cling thereto by capillary attraction, and in this manner cause such drops of water to drop immediately onto the upper surface of the curb 19 and not to wait until the door has been swung open before they drop from the under surface of the door or from the under surface of the antidrip device. It is preferred that the extreme lower edge of the flange 42 be deilected outward slightly, as is best shown upon Figure 1. A

It is preferred that the moulding l1 employed inrconjunction with the antidrip and antisplash device be provided with a shoulder 46 against which the extreme edge of the fiange 2S may rest, thereby insuring that the proper pitch will be imparted to the bottom 33 of the channel 27. Moreover, I prefer that a suitable grouting of any satisfactory mastic material 47 be interposed between the ila-nge 28 and the moulding 1l, to which it is attached. Y

I claim:

1. An antidrip device for a shower bath door, comprising a trough, means for attaching said trough along one edge thereof to a shower bath door in operative position thereon, the bottom of said trough sloping downwards away from said attaching means, and `also sloping with respect to itslength, and a curb extending upwards from the bottom of said trough along the other edge thereof, said curb being low and'curving gradually upwards from said bottom to pass large volumes of water over the curb but being adapted to deflect small volumes to flow along the bottom of the trough to an end thereof.

2. An antidrip and antisplash device for a shower door, comprising a trough secured to said door adjacent the lower end thereof and adapted to conduct water therealong toward a side edge i of the door, and a splash deflector extending downwards from said trough.

3. An antidrip and antisplash device for a shower door disposed over a sloping sill when closed, comprising a trough secured to said door adjacent the lower end thereof and adapted to conduct water therealong toward a side edge of the door, and a plurality of spaced splash deflectors extending downwards from said trough, both of said deiiectors being disposed over said sill when the door is closed.

4. An antidrip and antisplash Vdevice for a shower door disposed over a sloping sill when closed, comprising a trough secured to said door adjacent the lower end thereof and adapted to conduct water therealong toward a side edge of the door, and a flange extending downwards from adjacent each lateral edge of said trough, both of said flanges being disposed over said sill when the door is closed, said flanges being spaced from each other to deflect a maximum amount of splash.

5. An antidrip and antisplash device for a shower door disposed over a sloping sill when closed, comprising a trough secured to said door adjacent the lower end thereof and adapted to conduct water therealong toward a side edge of the door, and a flange extending downwards from adjacent each lateral edge of said trough, both of said flanges being disposed over said sill when the door is closed, said fiangesheing spaced from each other to deflect a maximum amount of splash, and each presenting a thin bottom edge to reduce the tendency for drops of water to cling thereto.

6. An antidrip and antisplash device for a shower bath door, comprising a trough, means for attaching said trough to a shower bath door in operative position thereon, the bottom of said trough sloping downwards away from said attaching means and also sloping with respect to its length, a curb extending upwards from the bottom of said trough along an edge thereof spaced from said door, said curb being low and curving gradually upwards from said bottom to pass large volumes of water over the curb but being adapted to deflect small volumes to flow along the bottom of the trough to end thereof, and a splash deilector extending downwards from said trough.

7. An antidrip and antisplash device for a shower bath door, comprising a trough, means for attaching said trough to a shower bath door in operative position thereon, the bottom of said trough sloping downwards away from said attaching means and also sloping with respect to its length, a curb extending upwards from the bottom of said trough along an edge thereof spaced from said door, said curb being low and curving gradually upwards from said bottom to pass large volumes of water over the curb but being adapted to deflect small volumes to iiow along the bottom of the trough to an end thereof, and a ange extending downwards from adjacent each lateral edge of said trough, said Iianges being spaced from each other to deflect a maximum amount of splash and presenting thin bottom edges to reduce the tendency for drops of water to cling thereto.

EUGENE H. ZECHIEL.