US2466378A

US2466378A - Shower stall construction

Info

Publication number: US2466378A
Application number: US672584A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charteris Leslie
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-05-27
Filing date: 1946-05-27
Publication date: 1949-04-05
Anticipated expiration: 1966-04-05

Description

L. CHARTERIS SHOWER STALL CONSTRUCTION April 5; 1949.

2 Sheets-Sheet" 2 Filed May 27, 1946 INVENTOR.

1554/5 CHAFTEQ/i Arm/9min Patented Apr. 5, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOWER STALL CONSTRUCTION Leslie; Charteris, LosAngeles, Calif.

Application May27, 1946', Serial No. 672,584

'2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to bath apparatus, and

more particularly to animproved shower stall construction.

Anobject of my invention is toprovide an improved shower stall and storage closet constructionparticularly adaptedfor, but not necessarily limited to, installation and use inlocations where economy of space is an important factor, such as; in house trailers and small apartment dwellings.

A more detailed object in this connection is the provision of a combined. shower stall and storage closet construction wherein the storage closet is mounted adjacent, the shower stall, of which it forms a portion and which is movable in such a. manner that it can be retracted to occupy a position inside the showerstalli so that both the stall. and the storage closet occupy a space no larger than that required for the shower stall alone when the shower stall; is not being used.

A further object is to provide a mounting for the storage closet of such a nature that the closet is subject tobeing. withdrawn easily and quickly ated with the. shower stall atv all times except when. the, storage closet is removed therefrom.

A- still further object. is to provide a shower curtain andv a supporting. device therefor which is. drawn automatically into operative position across the front of the. shower. stall when. the storage closet is. withdrawn therefrom. ands retracted into. concealed position. within the shower stall. when the storage closet is moved thereinto.

It is a further object of the invention to pro,- vide. a combined shower stall and. storage closet construction. of the; general character indicated which. is relatively simple, and. inexpensive andyet. which is. generally superior inefficiency andserviceability.

The invention possesses, other objectsand ad'- vantageous features, some. of which, with those. enumerated, are setforth in the following description of the inventions particular. embodtments which are. illustrated in. the, drawings accompanying and. forming a. part of the specie fication. The. form of construction herein dis-.

closed. has in. actual. use. proven to, be very ellicient capable of facile and; rapid; operation. and generally desirable in other respects. For these however, that while these details are hereinafter specific-ally described, variations may be effected within the scope of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure I is a perspective view of a combined shower stall and storage. closet construction in.- corporati'ng the principles of the present invention, illustrating one manner of installation thereof which adapts itparticularly for use in a house trailer. This figure illustrates the invention with the storage closet in retracted position within the shower stall.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but showingthe storage closet withdrawn from the shower stall.

Figure 3 is a vertical, medial sectional view taken through the combined construction of the present invention ina plane extending longitudinally of the trailer, this plane being indicated by the lines 3-3 of Figure 1' and the direction of view by the arrows.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view, the plane of; section being indicatedv by the line 4-4 of. Figure 3' and the direction of view by the arrows.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, but with the storage closet removed from the shower stall as indicated in Figure 2.

Figure 6' is a view similar to Figure 4, but showing a slightly modifiedform of construction.

Figure Iisa View similar to Figure 6, but showing. the storage. closet withdrawn. from the shower stall.

Referring first to the modification of my invention. indicated in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, my combined shower stall and storage closet con struction. is. illustrated as installed in the corner defined bythe rear wall 1 and the right-hand side wall 8 of a conventional: house trailer. It shoulclbeunderstood however that the construc tion, forming the subject matter of the present invention is. notlimited; to such. manner of in-- stallation inasmuchv as by a simple rearrange-- ment, of parts, Well. within the comprehension 0t workmen. skilled in the art to which this invention pertains, it can be adapted. for installation ina wide variety. of di-fferentlocations. However; owing. tothe fact thatone oi the salientfeatures of theinvention is the economy ofspacewhich it efiectsp it makes available a nearly ideal arrangement for. use in. house trailers and small apartment.dwellingswhere economy of space is a consideration of prime importance.

The shower stall indicated in its entirety at 9 comprises a rear wall II which may be a continuation of the rear wall I of the trailer itself, and a side wall I2 which similarly may well be a continuation of the side wall 8 of the trailer. The floor of the shower stall 9 is preferably in the nature of a receptor I3 the surface of which slopes downward to a drainopening I4 in the conventional manner. The top of the shower stall 9 is preferably defined by a ceiling l6 which, when the invention is used as a feature of installation in a house trailer, may conveniently constitute also the bottom wall of a tank IT for the storage of water it for use in the shower.

Thus it may be seen that the stationary portions of the shower stall 8 include a rear wall H and but a single side wall 12. The opposite side wall of the shower stall 9, when the shower stall is in condition for its normal use, is presented by a wall 2| of a storage closet 22 which is pivotally mounted, preferably by a piano hinge 23, for movement about a vertical axis adjacent the edge of the shower stalls rear wall 1 l which is remote from the side wall l2 thereof.

The stall 2! preferably constitutes the rear wall of the storage closet 22 inasmuch as the opposite wall 23 is defined by a door hinged as indicated at 24 to the forward edge of one of the two side Walls 28 of the storage closet. The storage closet 22 also includes a top wall or ceiling 2! and a floor 28 so that when the door 23 is closed any material stored within the closet is adequately protected from dust, moisture, or the like.

Since the axis of the hinge 23 is closely adjacent the intersection of the plane of the outer face of the closets side wall 26 and the plane of the inner face of the trailers after wall I, the entire storage closet 22 is subject to being swung optionally from retracted position within the shower stall 9 as illustrated in Figure 1, or to its Figure 2 position wherein the storage closet 22 is disposed alongside the shower stall 9, thus leaving the shower stall 9 unoccupied and available for use for bathing. However, when it is not desired to so use the shower stall 9, the storage closet 22 can be swung back into the shower stall so that the total space occupied by both shower stall and storage closet is no greater than that required for the shower stall alone.

A shower head 3! preferably of conventional design is suitably mounted in operative relation within the shower stall 9 so as to direct its spray therein in a manner capable of affording the greatest convenience to a person showering therein. In the modification presently being discussed,

the shower head 3! is disposed at an elevation reater than the highest portion of the pivotally mounted closet 22 inasmuch as the latter is only slightly smaller in its outside horizontal dimensions than the inside horizontal dimensions of the shower stall 9, with the result that the closet 22, in being retracted into the shower stall moves into position directly under the shower head 3|. A valve 32 is interposed in the tubing 33 whereby water is conducted to the shower head 3|, this valve 32 comprising a housing 34 having a stem 36 which operates to open or close the valve by moving through 90 or less, about an axis in alignment with that of the hinge 23. Moreover, the stem 36 is provided with a'lateral extension 31 which is rigidly secured to any suitable portion of the storage closet 22 with the result that when the closet 22 is moved upon its axis the valve 32 is opened or closed, depending upon whether the closet 22 is being swung outwards or inwards, respectively, with respect to the shower stall 9. Accordingly, when the storage closet 22 is in retracted position within the shower stall 9, means are provided for positively preventing leakage of water from the shower head 3| onto the storage closet 22, which might otherwise result from carelessness on the part of the operator in shutting the control valve (not shown) by which he normally regulates flow through the shower head 3 1. However, owing to the fact that removal of the storage closet 22 from the shower stall is accompanied by opening of the valve 32, it is necessary for the operator only to manipulate the said control valve in order to actuate the shower head, when the storage closet 22 is withdrawn from the shower stall.

I also prefer to provide a shower curtain 4| preferably of conventional design and material, suspended from a suitable member 42 termed herein a curtain rod even though it is of a flexible nature. One end of this curtain rod 42 is aifixed to the shower stall 9 adjacent the front edge of its side wall 12 while the opposite end of the curtain rod 42 is affixed to the storage closet 22 adjacent the front edge of the rear wall 2| of the storage closet. Hence, when the storage closet 22 is retracted into the shower stall 9, the rod 42 and the curtain 4| suspended therefrom are also withdrawn into the shower stall where they both are substantially concealed by the storage closet 22. However, when the storage closet 22 is withdrawn from the shower stall 9, the end of the curtain rod 42 which is carried by the storage closet is swung outwards until the curtain rod 42 is stretched substantially taut across the front of the shower stall 9 as best illustrated in Figure 2, in which position it supports the curtain in such a manner that it can optionally be drawn across the front of the shower stall to prevent splashing on the floor outside the shower stall, or drawn to one side.

The modification thus far described is adapted for installation in a corner of a room inside the space defined by the walls thereof, i. e., projecting into the room itself. However, Figures 6 and 7 illustrate a slightly modified form of construction adapted for installation in such a manner that when the storage closet is retracted into the shower stall none of the space defined by the walls of the room is occupied by either the shower stall or the closet. Here the shower stall 5! is defined by a rear wall 52 and two spaced side walls 53 which extend inwards from the wall 54 of the room into which the shower stall 5! opens. The storage closet 56 is mounted as by a hinge 51 for pivotal movement about a vertical axis adjacent the inner section of the inner face of one of 'the side walls 53 and the outer face of the rooms wall 54. In this instance the axis of the hinge 51 is adjacent one of the forward corners of the storage closet 56 so that the closet 56 can be swung outwards from the shower stall 5! into position wherein it extends into the room, but offset from the shower stall 5| as shown in Figure 7. This type of construction requires that the shower stall 5| be materially wider than the storage closet 56 so as to provide the clearance which is necessary to compensate for the arcuate path traversed by the corner of the storage closet diagonally opposite the hinge 51 as the storage closet 56 moves into or out of the shower stall 5|. Accordingly, the front wall of the storage closet 22 includes an extended wing portion 9| wide enough to extend across, and thus eifectually close, the front of the shower stall 5| when the storage closet 56 is swung into the shower stall 5|, as illustrated in Figure 6.

I claim:

1. In a combined shower stall and storage closet construction, a shower stall comprising a rear wall and at least one side wall, a shower head associated. with said stall in position to direct its spray therein, a closet pivotally mounted for movement about a vertical axis adjacent the edge of said rear wall remote from said side wall and optionally into said shower stall or out of said shower stall into position wherein a side of said closet serves as another side wall of said shower stall, a flexible curtain rod secured at one end adjacent the forward edge of said first mentioned side wall and at its other end to said closet adjacent the edge of the rear wall thereof remote from said axis, and a shower curtain suspended from said rod.

2. In a combined shower stall and storage closet construction, a shower stall comprising a rear wall and at least one side wall, a shower head associated with said stall in position to direct its spray therein, a closet pivotally mounted for movement about a vertical axis adjacent the edge of said rear wall remote from said side wall and optionally into said shower stall or out of said shower stall into position wherein a side of said closet serves as another side wall of said shower stall, and means operable by said closet in moving into said shower stall for making said shower head inoperative.

3. In a combined shower stall and storage closet construction, a shower stall comprising a rear wall and at least one side wall, a shower head associated with said stall in position to direct its spray therein, a closet pivotally mounted for movement about a vertical axis adjacent the edge of said rear wall remote from said side wall and optionally into said shower stall or out of said shower stall into position wherein a side of said closet serves as another 'side wall of said shower stall, means for supplying water to said shower head comprising a valve housing, a stem mounted for rotary movement therein, and tubing connecting said housing to said shower head, said valve being mounted on said shower stall in position with said stem in axial alignment with said axis of said closets movement, and means connecting said stem to said closet.

4. In a combined shower stall and storage closet construction, means providing a shower stall, a closet mounted thereadjacent for moveunent optionally into or out of said shower stall a shower head operatively associated with said shower stall, and means actuated by said closet in moving into said shower stall for cutting ofi the supply of water to said shower head.

5. In a combined shower stall and storage closet construction, means providing a shower stall, a closet mounted thereadjacent for movement optionally into or out of said shower stall, a shower head operatively associated with said shower stall, a valve controlling supply of water to said shower head, and means for closing said valve when said closet is moved into said shower stall and for operating said valve when said closet is moved out of said shower stall.

6. In a combined shower stall and storage closet construction, means providing a shower stall, a closet mounted thereadjacent for movement optionally into or out of said shower stall, a shower head operatively associated with said shower stall, a shower curtain, and a flexible curtain rod supporting said curtain and operably connected to said closet to be moved into said shower stall when said closet is moved thereinto and to be drawn across the front of said shower stall when said closet is withdrawn therefrom.

7. A combined shower stall construction comprising stationary side and rear walls intersecting each other to define a rear corner of said stall, a storage closet comprising a pair of spaced side walls and front and rear walls, said closet being removably receivable within said stall with its rear wall adjacent and parallel to said rear wall of said stall and with one of its side walls adjacent and parallel to said side wall of said stall, and hinge means secured to said closet at the rear corner thereof defined by said closets other side wall and rear wall, said hinge means also being secured to said stalls rear wall at a position spaced from said side wall of said stall by a distance at least as great as the width of said closet whereby said closet can be swung outwardly from said stall-about the axis of said hinge means to position said closets other side wall adjacent and substantially parallel to said stalls rear wall with said rear wall of said closet extending substantially perpendicularly lfrom said stalls rear wall to define the other side wall of said stall.

LESLIE CHARTERIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,183,420 Abramson May 16, 1916 1,731,746 Hunter Oct. 15, 1929 2,200,934; Platt et a1 May 14, 1940