Shower screens kit

Abstract

 The present invention relates to showers, in particular to shower doors and screens. In the installation of showers and shower areas, it is conventional to provide a shower screen to prevent egress of water. Typically, such screens are in the form of a simple curtain hung from a rod or pole, or may be a glass or plastics panel. Shower areas vary considerably in their dimensions. Whilst shower curtains are readily adaptable to provide protection for a range of sizes, including by means of providing a plurality of curtains, the same is not the case with panel shower screens. The present invention seeks to address this problem. We describe a shower screen comprising first and second, mutually slidable, panels, each panel including respective mounting means adapted to secure the respective panel to a surface and wherein at least said first mounting means further includes a pivotally-mounted panel, forming a door. The first mounting means comprises an elongate member securable to a horizontal surface. The shower screen may include one or more panels, intermediate the first and second panels.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to showers, in particular to shower doors and screens.

[0002] In the installation of showers and shower areas, it is conventional to provide a shower screen to prevent egress of water. Typically, such screens are in the form of a simple curtain hung from a rod or pole, or may be a glass or plastics panel.

[0003] Shower areas vary considerably in their dimensions. Whilst shower curtains are readily adaptable to provide protection for a range of sizes, including by means of providing a plurality of curtains, the same is not the case with panel shower screens. Only by manufacturing a screen specifically for a given installation, can a shower screen provide proper protection. There is no 'off-the-shelf' solution. The present invention seeks to address this problem.

[0004] In its broadest sense, the present invention provides a shower screen comprising first and second, mutually slidable, panels, each panel including respective mounting means adapted to secure the respective panel to a surface and wherein at least said first mounting means further includes a pivotally-mounted panel, forming a door. The first mounting means comprises an elongate member securable to a horizontal surface.

[0005] The shower screen may include one or more panels, intermediate the first and second panels.

[0006] Typically, the second mounting means comprises a wall-mountable channel into which the second panel is securable.

[0007] The above and other aspects of the present invention will now be described in further detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the shower screen of the present invention in a typical installation;

Figure 2 is a side view of the embodiment of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the embodiment of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a plan view of a modification of the embodiment of Figure 3.

[0008] Referring to Figures 1 to 3, there is shown a typical shower installation including an embodiment of a shower screen in accordance with the present invention. In an alcove of a room is provided a shower head 10 above a shower tray 11. A shower screen 12 prevents egress, in use, of water from the shower area into the room. In the embodiment shown, the shower screen 12 comprises a first screen 13 and a second screen 14, although additional, intermediate screens may be provided as required, depending upon the dimensions of the shower area.

[0009] Typically, each panel comprises a transparent or semi-transparent glass or plastics panel mounted within a metal frame.

[0010] Each panel is mounted upon a respective mounting element. First panel 13 is mounted upon a mounting element which comprises an elongate element or pole 20. Pole 20 is securable to the floor adjacent the shower tray 11, suitably by means of a boss 21 into which pole 20 locates. A further panel 22 is pivotally mounted upon the pole 20, suitably between upper and lower hinge brackets 23, 24, thereby forming a door.

[0011] Typically, the mounting element for second panel 14 is in the form of a generally U-shaped channel 25 securable to a wall adjacent the shower area. Suitably, the second panel is located in the channel and secured in place by means of screws 26 passing through a wall of the channel into the body of the panel. The use of channel 25 in this way allows easy installation of the apparatus and is also adaptable for walls which are not vertical.

[0012] Suitably, elongate element 20 includes a similar channel 27 into which first screen panel 13 is received and secured in place.

[0013] In the embodiment shown, which is particularly suitable for users confined to a wheelchair, panels 13,14 are half-height and pole 20 extends vertically upwards to form an intermediate support for a shower curtain rail 30 carrying a curtain 31 (Figure 1). However, it will be appreciated that there are shower curtain rails available for which additional support of this nature is not necessary. Accordingly, pole 20 may, in other embodiments, be of substantially the same height as panels 13,14.

[0014] In an alternative embodiment (not shown), panels 13,14 are full-height such that rail 30 and curtains 31 may be omitted.

[0015] First and second screens 13,14 are arranged to be mutually slidable between a first position of maximum overlap in which their combined length is a minimum and a second position of minimum overlap in which their combined length is at a maximum. Mutual slidability may be achieved in any one of a number of ways. For example, the sliding arrangement described in our earlier patent application EP 1 123 680, in which slider elements cooperating with channels in both panels, may be adapted. Alternative arrangements include the use of twin upper and lower parallel rails in which the panels may slide.

[0016] In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, a second hinged panel 32 is provided in the installation, the second panel being mounted between respective upper and lower hinge brackets 33,34. It will be appreciated that the provision of an additional door is optional and its provision or otherwise will be dependent upon the width of the opening to be spanned and the access requirements of the user. For example, a wheelchair-bound user will require access of greater width than an able-bodied user and so may require the double-door arrangement of Figures 1 to 3. Where narrower access is acceptable, second panel 32 may be omitted with panel 22 typically closing against a wall stop (not shown). Figure 4 illustrates an alternative arrangement suitable for use in an installation in a comer of a room, wherein first and second panels are disposed at an angle of 90°.

Claims

1. A shower screen comprising first and second, mutually slidable, panels, each panel including respective mounting means adapted to secure the respective panel to a surface and wherein at least said first mounting means further includes a pivotally-mounted panel, forming a door; wherein said first mounting means comprises an elongate member securable to a horizontal surface.

2. A shower screen as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the screen comprises one or more additional panels intermediate the first and second panels.

3. A shower screen as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the second mounting means comprises a wall-mountable channel into which the second panel is securable.

4. A shower screen as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each panel comprises a transparent or semi-transparent glass or plastics panel mounted within a metal frame.

5. A shower screen as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the mounting element for the first panel comprises an elongate element or pole.

6. A screen as claimed in Claim 5 wherein the elongate element or pole is securable, in use to the floor adjacent a shower tray by means of a boss into which the elongate element or pole locates.

7. A screen as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6 wherein a further panel is pivotally mounted upon the elongate element pole between upper and lower hinge brackets thereby forming a door.

8. A shower screen as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the mounting element for the second panel is in the form of a generally U-shaped channel securably, in use, to a wall adjacent a shower area.

Drawing