Patent Application
20130212799
1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention relate to shower enclosures, and in particular, a sliding shower panel assembly used to help prevent water from leaving an enclosure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typical bathroom showers use one of two different systems for providing modesty to users of the shower and for preventing water from escaping from the shower enclosure and going onto the floor or onto nearby objects. In one system a shower curtain is suspended from a rod, usually by rings that pass through the curtain and over the rod. This system has a number of disadvantages. For example, the “shower curtain effect” may cause the shower curtain to be blown inward to a user while the shower is running. This may be inconvenient and undesirable. Also, the highly flexible nature of a typical shower curtain is ill-suited to display of logos or other images that may be desired in a decorating context. Finally, in areas where a large number of shower curtains are used (for example, in the hospitality industry), the removal, cleaning, and replacement of a large number of shower curtains may be time-consuming and expensive, as following cleaning each shower curtain must have its hooks reapplied and then individually re-threaded over a rod.
A common alternative to the shower curtain is the use of a sliding shower door. These devices have their own disadvantages. For example, they require one or two tracks that are typically anchored to the wall, floor, and/or ceiling of the enclosure by drilling holes for the anchors. They are expensive to procure and replace, and they may break. They may “jump” their tracks, causing the entire door to unexpectedly leave the enclosure. The difficulty cleaning them is such a substantial chore that many hospitality vendors forego them in favor of conventional shower curtains, even though conventional shower curtains have the drawbacks discussed above.
Embodiments of the invention provide a rod that includes an insert. The insert has at least two tracks. Each track includes a panel that has a top portion that may be placed within the track and the rod. The panel then slides within the track. The rod may be held in a shower enclosure by friction. This allows the creation of an inexpensive and easily-cleaned and replaced shower enclosure.
a shows an exploded view of a rod, track-containing insert, retaining clips, and end caps of an embodiment of the invention, including a cross-section of the insert showing the shape of one embodiment of the tracks.
We provide a sliding shower panel that offers a more substantial enclosure than a shower curtain, but that does not require permanent mounting hardware. Embodiments of the invention may offer one or more of a number of inventions, including ease of cleaning and replacement, ease of installation, and the ability to cost-effectively decorate the panels of the enclosure. Detrimental effects or requirements such as unwanted curtain movement or the need for mounting hardware may be avoided.
Embodiments of the invention provide a rod that is held in place, typically by an adjustable screw on one end of the rod. The rod may be hollow or partially hollow. Normally the rod includes friction pads on each end to aid in securing the rod. Securing the rod through friction eliminates the need to screw the rod into the shower tile, fiberglass, or other shower enclosure material. A user of the rod may therefore secure it or change it without the danger of permanent damage to the shower. No tools or special construction skills are necessary.
Each rod further includes an insert that has two tracks. The insert may be, for example, aluminum, plastic, or another sufficiently durable material with relatively low friction. The tracks are oriented parallel to the long axis of the rod. Each track is designed to accommodate the a header at the top of a panel such that a panel may depend from the track while also being able to slide in the track and along the length of the rod. In one embodiment the insert is aluminum, with tracks that are square on three sides and with flange lips on the fourth side. This allows the header of a panel to have a cross-section shaped as a “T.” Other cross-sections are also possible, including a square or an “M.” Any cross-section that will allow the panel to slide freely without falling out of the track may be used. The rod includes a slot running the length of the rod and allowing access to the tracks by the panels.
The insert may be retained by clips in the rod, where the retention may affirmatively hold the insert in place, for example by an interference fit, or merely prevent the position of the insert from shifting within the rod. Clips may also be incorporated into end retainers that fit within the rod and retain the insert. These end retainers may support end caps, which may include a friction pad. In some embodiments the end retainers and end caps include mating screws that allow the position of one or both of the end caps to be varied somewhat to allow the overall length of the rod/insert assembly to be varied for ease of installation.
The tracks typically have close tolerances, often within one quarter inch. The use of these close tolerances allows the panels to slide past each other while preventing water from moving between the panels and therefore outside the designated shower area.
Panels may be made of many materials. One preferred material is PVC, which is sufficiently rigid to avoid issues associated with shower curtains but still flexible enough to be loosely rolled for shipping. Panels may also bear ornamentation, including by printing, molding, appliques, or other materials. Panels may be transparent, translucent, or opaque. They may have the same or different colors. They may be embossed.
As previously discussed, the header at the top of the panel has a cross-section designed to slide within the track. Although embodiments of the invention have been described as including two tracks and two panels, in other embodiments varying number of tracks and panels may be used. For example, an embodiment may include three tracks and three panels, one of which is intended to be positioned in the center of the rod when the enclosure has been placed.
Placement of the header into the insert is straightforward. The rod has a wall aperture in communication with a groove that is angled within the insert. These allow insertion of the header by pushing the top up into the wall aperture. Once the header is fully in the insert, it is not removed until a user aligns it with the groove and the wall aperture and pulls it down and out of the insert and rod.
In a further embodiment, the header is separate from the remainder of the panel, and is attached to the panel by hooks, chains, a heat-seal, epoxy, or other attachments. These allow secure connection and quick replacement of the panel.
The sides of each panel near the ends of the rod may have a flexible insert that allows the panel to shape around the shower enclosure. In a further embodiment the sides of the panel are rigid but angled to help prevent egress of water. In a further embodiment the sides of each panel near the center of the rod are angled to contact the opposite panel. This decreases the effective distance between the panels and further reduces the potential for egress of water.
In further embodiments the panels include magnets to secure the panel and further assist in making the enclosure as water-secure as possible. For example, the sides of the panels near the ends of the rod may include magnets that are disposed to match magnets placed on opposing surfaces, for example the sides of a shower stall or bathtub. This helps secure the sides of the panel. In a still further embodiment the panels include magnets on the sides of each panel near the center of the rod, allowing the panels to be connected by magnets when the panels have placed the shower enclosure into a closed position.
Of course, other methods of securing the panels, either to each other adhesives or to the walls of an enclosure, may be used. For example, the panels may be secured by hook-and-eye fasteners (including VELCRO® brand fasteners), adhesives, suction cups, or other fasteners. When combined with the relative stiffness provided by the material of the panels allows them to be better secured than typical shower curtains, and therefore prevents egress of water in a manner superior to existing technology.
The bottoms of the panels may also have a flexible attachment, which may be, for example, rubber or silica. This allows the bottom of the panel to meet the tub or shower and further help prevent leaks.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the figures.
1. Description of Components
An insert 11 is also included. The insert may be retained in the rod by one or more clips 13. These clips may further be incorporated in end retainers 15, which act to prevent the insert from sliding out of the rod. The end retainers may further be adapted to hold an end cap 17, which may include a friction pad. The end retainers and end caps may include mating threads, allowing the length of the rod/end cap system to be adjusted.
The insert, which is shown in more detail in
An embodiment also typically includes two opposite panels 31 and 33. A panel is shown in more detail in
In one embodiment there are two panels and each has a header with a different cross-section. This allows a user to confidently assemble the panel in the preferred place, which is most useful for assembling an enclosure with a specific design. The header of each panel may be inserted through the wall aperture and the groove and into a separate track, The track retains the header of each panel and allowing the panels to depend from the insert and slide along the length of the rod.
Not shown in
As also shown in
2. Assembly
Assembly of embodiments of the invention is straightforward. A user places the header of a panel into the rod's wall aperture, through the track's groove, and up into the track. The entire header is then fed through the aperture and groove, along the track until it is within the track. At that point the top portion will not fall back through the wall aperture and groove at least because of the angle of the groove, but instead must be aligned with the groove and aperture and pulled through them by a user. The insertion is repeated with the second and any subsequent panels. The rod is then placed between two opposing surfaces and the ends of the rod are adjusted to allow a secure fit. If necessary, magnets are affixed to opposing surfaces to allow magnets on the outer edges of the panels to be secured when the enclosure is in use.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the above examples provide specific embodiments of the invention and are not exhaustive, and that the scope of the invention is defined by the claims.
