The present invention is directed to hardware for securing panels made of glass or similar material, of the type typically used in bathroom installations. More particularly, the invention encompasses a hinge structure allowing for an easier adjustment between a pivoting panel and fixed one. The invention also extends to a clamping structure for mounting a panel to wall.
In a broad aspect the invention provides a hinge for pivotally connecting a first panel to a second panel. The hinge has a first hinge member for connection to the first panel and a second hinge member for connection to the second panel. The hinge has a connector between the first hinge member and the second hinge member, the connector allowing the first hinge member to pivot with relation to the second hinge member. The connector is mounted in a track formed in the first hinge member and is selectively movable therein to vary a position of the first hinge member with relation to the second hinge member.
In another broad aspect, the invention provides a moveable panel structure having a first panel, a second panel and a hinge for mounting the panels to one another such that one panel can pivot with relation to the other about an imaginary axis. The hinge has a first hinge member mounted to the first panel and a second hinge member mounted to the second panel. The first hinge member is selectively moveable relative to the second hinge member along a direction that is generally transverse to the imaginary axis.
A clamping arrangement for mounting a panel to a wall, the clamping arrangement having a base component to be secured to the wall, the base component including a support leg projecting generally perpendicularly from the wall. The clamping arrangement also has a clamping member pivotally mounted to the base component, the clamping member including a clamping leg projecting from the clamping member and extending along the support leg to define with the support leg a seat for receiving a panel edge. A fastener is mounted on the clamping member for causing a pivotal movement of the clamping member to urge the clamping leg toward support leg.
A detailed description of examples of implementation of the present invention is provided hereinbelow with reference to the following drawings, in which:
In the drawings, embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood that the description and drawings are only for purposes of illustration and as an aid to understanding, and are not intended to be a definition of the limits of the invention.
A movable panel 14 is pivotally connected to the fixed panel 10 by a pair of hinges 16. In the example, two hinges 16 are shown, but more than two can be used, especially if the movable panel 14 is heavy and requires more support. The hinges 16 allow the movable panel 14 to pivot about a generally vertical axis 18 in order to open or close the door of the shower stall.
The hinges 16 mount to the respective panels 14 and 10 in such a way that the meeting edge portions of the panels overlap one another in the area 20. During the pivotal movement imparted to the moving panel 14 to open the door, the panel 14 pivots in the direction 22. The door closes when the panel 14 moves in the opposite direction identified by the arrow 24. The relative position in which the panels 10 and 14 are shown corresponds to a position in which the door of the shower stall is closed. In that position, the hinges 16 acts as abutments to prevent further movement of the moveable panel 14 along the direction 24, which if allowed could cause the panels 10, 14 to interfere with one another in the area of overlap 20. Note that this abutment feature is optional and the invention is not limited to this particular characteristic. Embodiments are possible where the abutment feature is not implemented.
Referring back to
A connector attaches the hinge member 26 to the hinge member 28 while allowing the hinge members 26, 28 to pivot one with respect to the other. The connector includes a pivot pin 40 mounted on the hinge member 26 which rests onto the hinge member 28 and at the same time allows a relative pivotal movement between the two hinge members 26, 28. The pivot pin 40 slidingly mounts in a track 42 extending longitudinally into hinge member 26. The track 42 opens at 44 and can receive the upper end portion 46 of the pivot pin 40. The upper end portion 46 is geometrically configured to match the cross-sectional profile of the track 42 such as to allow the pivot pin 40 to slidingly move in the track 42. The sliding movement allows positioning the pivot pin 40 at any desired position along the length of the hinge member 26. A screw 48 is threaded into the upper end portion 46 and it is received longitudinally into the track 42. A cap 50 made of plastic or any other suitable material closes the track opening 44 in order to keep the screw 48 captive in the track 42. The cap has an aperture 52 that lines up with the head of the screw 48 and allows receiving the head of a tool, such as a screw driver in order to turn the screw 48. The cap 50 mounts in the opening 44 of the track 42 and it is secured therein with a pair of Allen screws 54 or with any other suitable fasteners.
The hinge member 26 is assembled by threading the screw 48 into the upper end portion 46 and then the upper end portion 46 is inserted into the track 42 via the entryway 44. The upper end portion slides into the track 42 until the extremity of the screw 48 abuts against the bottom of the track 42. The cap 50 is then placed in the track 42 to close the entryway 44 and secured in place via the Allen screws 54.
The screw 48 allows locating the pivot pin 40 at any desirable position in the track 42. To adjust the position of the pivot pin 40, any appropriate tool is used to turn the screw 48 and as a result cause a translational movement of the upper end portion 46 within the track 42.
This arrangement is such that the position of the hinge member 26 can be easily adjusted with relation to the hinge member 28. Referring back to
It is to be noted that since the upper and lower hinges 16 are independent from one another, they can be independently adjusted such as to position the corresponding edges of the panel 14 in the desired position. This adjustability is very useful when it is desired to position the edge 56 of the panel 14 very close to an adjoining panel or structure (not shown in the drawings). Accordingly, the moveable panel 14 does not need to be cut at a very precise panel width in order to achieve a tight and visually pleasant fit with the structure adjoining the edge 56. In order to locate the edge 56 close to the adjoining structure, the panel 14 is hung on the fixed panel 10 with the hinges 16 adjusted independently in order to locate the edge 56 as close as desired to the adjoining structure. It is to be noted that such adjustability is possible since the meeting edges of the panels 14 and 10 do not abut; rather they overlap to permit a relative degree of movement.
Referring back to
When the moveable panel 14 is in a closed position, the lower edge 66 of the moveable panel and the seal 68 are positioned such that they are in firm contact with the shower stall floor. Thus, when the movable panel 14 is in a closed position, the seal 68 which is pressed against the floor creates a water tight joint. As the moveable panel 14 is opened by pivoting outwardly, the upward movement imparted to the panel 14 raises the panel 14 up and disengages the seal 68 from the floor. The moveable panel 14 is then free to continue pivoting unimpeded since the seal 68 is disengaged from the floor.
The upward motion of the moveable panel 14 is achieved by creating an interaction between the pivot pin bushing 62 and the pivot pin 40. The interaction is such that as the two components pivot one with respect to the other (during the door opening motion) they are also vertically pushed away from one another along the pivot axis of connector, which produces the vertical motion of the panel 14.
With specific reference to
The pivot pin bushing 62 also has a through aperture 82, used for alignment purposes, as it will be discussed below.
When the pivot pin 40 is mounted into the pivot pin bushing 62, the projections 88 and 86 enter the recess 70 and fit between the projections 72 and 74. The bearing surfaces 90 engage the bottom of the recess 70 and the projection 84 is also received in the aperture 82. This position corresponds to the position of the moveable panel 14 shown in
As the moveable panel 14 is moved back such as to close the door, the reverse sequence of events takes place. The bearing surfaces 90 disengage from the top surfaces 76 and at that point contact between the pivot pin 40 and the pivot pin bushing 62 occurs at the level of the ramp surfaces 80 and 92. The ramp surfaces 80 and 92 interact and allow the pivot pin 40 to retract into the pivot pin bushing 62 in order to create a descending movement of the moveable panel 14 as it pivots toward the closed position. The cycle terminates as the projections 86 and 88 are fully located between the projections 72 and 74. Any further pivotal movement will not be possible by virtue of the abutment surfaces 94 and 78 engaging one another. Since those surfaces are vertical they act as a stopping device to prevent the moveable panel 14 from being moved beyond the closed position shown in
The panel 500 which may be part of a shower installation or similar arrangement is attached to a wall structure 502. The panel 500 is usually intended to be mounted at right angle with relation to the plane of the wall 502.
In some instances, the wall 502 may not be perfectly vertical and in such case the edge of the panel 500 will not be exactly parallel to the wall 502. The clamping structure 504 provided to mount the glass panel 500 to the wall 502 is designed to accommodate such “out of plumb” situations while allowing to securely attach the glass panel 500 in place.
The clamping structure 504 is an extrusion having a generally constant cross-sectional shape along its length, made of aluminum or any other suitable material which has a base element 506 and a clamping element 508. The base element 506 is L-shaped and has a leg 510 that sits flat against the surface of the wall 502. The base element 506 also has a support leg 512 that is at right angles with respect to the leg 510 and is also transversal to the plane of the wall 502. On the inside surface of the leg 512 are provided a series of longitudinally extending grooves 514 in which is mounted a gasket 516 made of compliant material, such as rubber. The gasket 516 has a component 518 which extends along the leg 512 and component 520 that runs along the leg 510. The component 520 engages the edge of the glass panel 500 when the glass panel 500 is mounted to the clamping structure 504, while the component 518 engages one of the main faces of the glass panel 500.
The clamping element 508 is generally L-shaped and has a clamping leg 524 extending generally transversally to a support leg 526. The clamping leg 524 has a longitudinally extending recess in which is mounted a gasket 528, similar to the gasket 516. The gasket 528 engages the other main face of the glass panel 500 when the glass panel 500 is secured to the clamping structure 504.
The clamping element 508 is pivotally mounted to the base element 506 via a hinge arrangement 522. More specifically, the clamping element 508 includes a longitudinally extending projection 530 that constitutes a fulcrum. The projection 530 engages a hook-shaped longitudinally extending recess 532.
The projection 530 and the mating recess 532 thus form a hinge that allows the clamping element 508 to pivot about a generally vertical axis (which coincides with the longitudinal axis of the clamping structure) with relation to the base element 506. The degree of pivotal movement allowed is within a limited angular range but it permits to open sufficiently the spacing between the legs 524 and 512 to allow insertion of the glass panel 500 and then securely clamp the glass panel 500 in place. The pivotal movement also allows different glass panel thicknesses to be accommodated in the clamping structure 504.
The installation of the glass panel 500 to the wall 502 by using the clamping structure 504 starts by mounting the clamping structure 504 to the wall 502. This is achieved by placing the base element 506 against the wall 502 and securing the base element 506 by using any suitable fasteners. An example of a suitable method for securing the base element 506 is to drive screws at spaced apart locations through the leg 510, which engage a stud (not shown) in the wall 502.
The clamping element 508 is then mounted to the base element 506. This is achieved by inserting the projection 530 into the recess 532.
The glass panel 500 is then mounted to the clamping structure 504. This is done by inserting the vertical edge of the glass panel 500 between the clamping leg 524 and the leg 512. In cases when the wall 502 is not perfectly vertical, hence the surface of the wall is not strictly parallel to the vertical edge of the glass panel 500, the clamping structure will accommodate this fault while still holding the edge of the glass panel 500 securely. The extent to which an “out of plumb” imperfection can be accommodated is determined by the length of the legs 524 and 512. The deeper the glass panel edge penetrates into the clamping structure 504 the greater the compensation capability is.
When the glass panel edge is inserted into the clamping structure 504, the clamping element 508 is pressed against the glass panel 500. This is achieved by causing the clamping element 508 to pivot with respect to the base element 506 by the intermediary of the hinge arrangement 522. The pivotal movement is achieved by tightening a series of set screws 534 arranged longitudinally along the edge of the clamping element 508. The set screws 534 are threadedly mounted in the clamping element 508. As they are tightened, they project from the clamping element and engage the base leg 510 of the base element 506. This in turn drives the clamping element 50 to pivot counterclockwise, thus pressing it against the glass panel 500. The degree of pressure exerted against the glass panel 500 can be adjusted by varying the degree of tension applied to the set screws 534.
Although various embodiments have been illustrated, this was for the purpose of describing, but not limiting, the invention. Various modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art and are within the scope of this invention, which is defined more particularly by the attached claims.
The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/571,041, filed on Sep. 30, 2009, which claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/213,912 filed on Jul. 28, 2009, the disclosure of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 12571041 | Sep 2009 | US |
Child | 13455503 | US |