AU596019B2 - Improved shower screen - Google Patents

Description

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AUSTRALIA

Form PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE Short Title: Int. CI: ication Number: Lodged: 596019 to .a iplete Specification-Lodged: Accepted: Lapsed: Published: ~*09 This document contun:s the I amenidments .nade und.,r Section 49 arid is correct fur i printing. )rity: Slated Art: COMPLETE-AFTER-PROVISIONAL P13179 ime of Applicant: t Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Servce: Complete Specification TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT DOWELL AUSTRALIA LIMITED 6 ALBERT STREET, PRESTON, VICTORIA, 3172.

AUSTRALIA.

CHRISTOPHER D. SASSELLA CLEMENT HACK CO., 601 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia.

for the invention entitled; "IMPROVED SHOWER SCREEN' The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- "PF/CPIF/2/80 SIXTY DOLLARS

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a I 1 Field if the Inven- ion This invention relati:es to improvements in shower screens and is concerned particularly to a top track of a shower screen installation which has sliding access doors.

Description of Prior Art Australian Patent Specification No. 513,610, to Dowell Australia Limited, relates to one particular top track unit for the above purpose.

The body of that specification is as follows:- "Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shower screen installation according to the invention with the door fully closed; 7"

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.4 IA J. .1 A. JLA A A Al PATENT AND0 TRADE MARK ATTORNEYS ME L BOU R NE S Y DN EY PE PT H -3- Figure 2 is a view in section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 2 with the door fully open; Figure 4 is a view in section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3; and Figure 5 is a fragmentary view corresponding to an upper part of Figure 4 showing the manner of removal of the panels and supporting rollers.

Referring firstly to Figure 1 there is shown therein a shower screen installation which is installed in thc corner of a bathroom and is shown separated from a bath 11 by a tiled wall 12. Two sides of the cttk.

1 osure are provided by the wall-s 13 and 14 respectively of the bathroom. A third wall of the enlsr spoieIyafxe ae of e enclosure is provided by a fixed panel 1 and t owl sliding panels 17 and 18 respectively.

The fixed pane-l 15 comprises a sheet of glass supported in a surrounding frame 19 and one edge of this is housed in a channel member 20 which is fixed to the wall 14.

9, The opposite edge is fitted within a member 21 which is a 99 metal extrusion and comprises a web 22 with a branch 23 near one end defining a channel into which the panel 15 is fitted.

The member 21 also ha's a flange 24 at the opposite edge so that there is defined, between the branch 23 and the flange 24 a, wider channel which faces towards the bathroom wall 13.

"9 The fixed front panel 16 comprises a sheet of glass which is mounted in a frame 33 extendin around each of its 9four edges. One of the vertical edges of the frame 33 is fitted into the narrower recess of the frame member 25 and is fixed therein. It will be noted from Figures 2 and 4 that the panel 16 is disposed inwardly of the shower recess, beyond th( inner edge of the sil? 29. It is connected to the sill 29 by means oC a bzack~st 34 which has an arm 35 shaped to fit within the interior of the lower outer cornei- of the frame member 33 to which it is fixed. The menber 34 has an intL-gral downwardly projecting lug 36 !#hich engages against the inner .4.

4vertical wall of the sill 29 and is fixed to it by a screw or other suitable fastening. Thus the panel 16 is effectively fixed in position in the installation at the inner side of the sill, leaving the sill free for the other panel members 17 and 18 to travel above it. .i order to support the panels 17 and 18 a track member 37 is provided. This is a further metal extrusion and its cross-sectional configuration is shown clearly in Figures 4 and 5. Its upper section comprises a channel of appropriate width to fit between the members 21 and 25 in the respective major recesses thereof. The said upper r iannel is constituted by flanges 38 and 39 which branch from ne top of a central web 40. The opposite, lower edge of the web 40 has a further flange 41 which extends to each side and has its upper surface shaped with two outer lips 41a to form two running tracks for rollers 42 and 43 which support the panels 17 and 18 respectively. To assist in the guidance and Sretention of the rollers 42 and 43 the web 40 has integral ribs 40a, one each side, at the roller axis height.

The panel 17 is again a glass ranel supported by a surrounding metal frame 44 and the upper member of the latter has an extended side 45 to which are fastened the two supporting rollers 42. Although not shown in the drawings it should be understood that the panel 17 is supported by two rollers 42, one near each upper corner of the extended side 45. The method of fastening the rollers 42 comprises supporting screws 46 which are inserted into holes which are t slotted vertically or inclined to the horizontal so that by 44£ altering the position of the screws in the slots the panel can be raised or lowered at either or both ends. The height of the panel 17 can be adjusted by a persoi standing within the enclosure without needing to remove the panel to make adjustments. A feature of the arrangement is that the flange 38 extends over the rollers 42 and has a downwardly extending lip 47 which is in substantially the same plane as the lip 4ia below it, beyond the inner faces of the rollers 42. This configuration of the track section prevents the rollers from being dislodged from the track. The configuration and

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dimensions are arranged so that although -he panel 17 can be lifted bodily to an extent determined by the clearance between the rollers 42 and the flange 38, before the panel can be removed it must first be raised and then the lower part of it must be drawn into the interior of the shower enclosure, tilting the panel in the process, so as to move the rollers 42 over the lip 41a of the track 41. Figure 5 illustrates the manner in which the lifting and subsequent tilting of the panel enables the upper part of the roller to be positioned adjacent the lower face of the flange 38, inside the lip 47, while the lower part of the roller is carried over the edge of the lip 41a. It will be clear that this could not be done inadvertently. Inward movement of the panel 17 without lifting would cause the rollers 42 to jam between the lip 41a S 15 and the rib It is known to provide a support for sliding panels comprising an I-section member with a lower flange forming tracks for rollers, with an upper flange exte ding over the rollers, and with beads on the lower side of the upper flange directly above the upper surfaces of the rollers. Such an arrangement is shown in Australian patent specification No.

237,558. With such a construction the beads are intended to prevent accidental dislodgement of the rollers from the track.

A construction of this nature is not suitable for supporting a 4ia pair of door panels in a shower screen installation. This is because the door panel which is to be suspended from the inner side of the track member must be tilted to such an extent that the upper parts of the supporting rollers can be inserted upwardly, beyond the downwardly projecting bead, before the lower parts of the rollers can be lifted over the edge of the track. With rollers of adequate width to support shower door panels the angle of tilting needed for installation or removal of the door panels is far greater than is possible within the limited space available in a normal shower screen enclosure.

Fitting of the door panels from outside the enclosure is not possible because of the raised flange at the front of the sill.

ci -6- The present invention is superior to such a known construction in that, because the lip on the upper flange is above that on the lower flange and is to one side of the rollers, the extent of tilting required to enable the rollers to be lifted over the edge of the track is much less, and is well within the limits permitted by the size of the shower screen enclosure.

The panel 18 is similarly mounted in a supporting frame 48 and the upper section thereof has an extended side 49 to which the two rollers 43 are attached by adjustment screws inserted through slots. As illustrated by the drawings the t C flange 39 extends over the rollers 43 as a constraint to r prevent accidental dislodgement, and as seen in Figure 5 the t C panel 18 must be tilted inwardly until the tops of the rollers 15 43 are beyond the constraint whereupon the panel can be raised t C to lift the rollers over the lip of the track 41 and remove the panel from the installation.

It is thus a feathre of the invention that each of the movable panels 17 and 18 can be inserted from within the S 20 enclosure by tilting and raising them into position whereupon 4 4 they are moved to the vertical position and lowered. In the case of the panel 17 the lowering is done after that panel is vertical, while in the case of the panel 18, the lowering is effected first. Their height can then be adjusted while they are installed and it is not then possible for them to be displaced accidentally.

a c The movable panels 17 and 18 are installed prior to the installation of the fixed panel 16 aud when they are installed a pair of retaining lugs 51 are fixed in the two lower corners of the frame 48. The lugs 51 extend laterally 1 ,and horizontally, and their ends project upwardly and are shaped to engage with clearance within the recess 32 in the flange 31 at the front of the sill 29. Thus the panel 18 is constrained so that while it can be moved along the track it cannot be pushed inwardly or outwardly, into or from the enclosure. Similarly, after the panel 17 is installed a bracket 52 is fitted into the fi. ne 44 at the corner adjacent J.w 7 -7to the outer panel 18 and this bracket extends laterally and horizontally and its end projects upwardly into a recess which extends horizontally in the lower member of the frame 48 between the two brackets 51. Because of this arrangement movement of the outer panel 18 causes the intermediate panel 17 to be engaged and moved with it in the closing a d opening of the door. In Figure 2 the door is shown fully closed whereas in Figure 3 the door is shown, fully open and the inter-engagement of the members 51 and 52 is shown in these Figures. A further engagement between the panels 16 and 17 is provided by an integral lug 53 which extends upwardly from the bracket 34 into a recess extending along the lower edge of the frame 44 of the panel 17. In conjunction with the bracket 52 this ensures that the panel 17 does not move inwardly or t 15 outwardly from its normal panel of alignment.

The installation is completed by the application of a head capping which is an ext:ruded channel of appropriate dimensions to fit over the track section 37 and the ends of the members 21 and 25, and also to cover the uppec end of the 20 firame 33 of the fixed panel 16.

If desired, the upper corner of the panel 16 remote from the wall 13 can be supported from the member 37 by a bracket (not shown) connected between the members.

Also, if desired the panels 16, 17 ard 18 can be provided at their upper ends wi.,th lugs (not shown) which inter-engage in a similar manner to those at the lower ends of the panels, to assist in guidirng them and to prevent the panels from rocking if they are moved too forcibly." Object and Statement of the Invention It has been found that if the access panels are moved quickly such that panel 18 is caused to bump panel 17, then panel 18 can sometimes be dislodged from 'he top track section 37.

i 8 The present invention attempts to overcome this dislodging problem and has been realized by the provision of an extra downwardly depending lip or rib on the track to innibit the rollers of panel 18 from jumping out of the track.

Therefore according to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a top track unit for a shower screen installation, said unit being for the purpose of supporting two sliding access door panels and enabling each to be fitted to the unit from within the limited space provided by a shower enclosure, said unit comprising a bar having a central web, a first flange extending from one edge of the web to either side thereof and formed aF running tracks for rollers, and a second flange extending to each side of the opposite edge of the web, said second flange at both sides incorporating a respective lip or rib extending generally parallel to the web towards the first flange, said lip or rib being disposed so that when a roller is supported o the track at a respective side, each lip or rib extends at the side of the roller remote from the web so as to inhibit the disengagement of the roller from the track at that side except ,I by first raising the roller and then tilting it through an angle to carry the roller over the edge of the first flange.

Brief Description of the Drai.ings In order that the present invention can be now more clearly ascertained reference will now be made to a preferred o embodiment shown in Figure 6.

In Figure 6 like components to those shown in Figures 1 to 5 have been shown with the same numerals. The section shown is a transverse section through the extrusion bar.

It is noted that the top track or bar is provided with two downwardly extending lips or ribs 47 which are located directly above the lips 41(a). These lips or ribs 47 act in the same manner as the lip 47 or rib in the previous invention but now there is provided one on each side of web so that the respective rollers from the respective panels 17 i: 9 and 18 will be inhibited from jumping out of the tracks defined by flange 41 and i-he lips 41(a). Fitting of the panels to the tracks is effected by following the same procedure as in the previous embodiment. The panils then hang from the rollers supported in the tracks.

Modifications may be made to the present invention as would be apparent to persons skilled in the extrusion arts or the shower screen arts. These and other modifications may be made without departing from the ambit of the invention the nature of which is to be determined from the foregoing description and the appended claims.

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Claims (2)

1. A top track unit for a shower screen installation, said unit being for the purpose of supporting two sliding access door panels and enabling each to be fitted to the unit from within the limited space provided by a shower enclosure, said unit comprising a bar having a central web, a first flange extending from one edge of the web to either side thereof and formed as running tracks for roller:s, and a second flange extending to each side of the opposite edge of the web, said second flange at both sides incorporatirng a respective lip or rib extending generally parallel to the web towards the first flange, said lip or rib being disposed so that when a roller is supported on the track at a respective side, each lip or rib extends at the side of the roller remote from the web so as to inhibit the disengagement of the roller from the i track at that side except by first raising the roller and then tilting it through an angle to carry the roller over the edge of the first flange.

2. A top track unit for a shower screen installation as claimed in Claim 1 and substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 6. DATED THIS 30TH DAY OF JUNE, 1988. DOWELL AUSTRALIA LIMITED By Its Patent Attorneys I CLEMENT HACK CO. Fellows Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia S:A f