[0001] The present invention relates to a shower stall with heating wall.
[0002] Shower stalls heated by means of electric devices fitted on at least one of the walls
of the shower are known.
[0003] Such a solution is known from patent
EP2431669, for example, which describes an electrically heated glass panel of a shower stall.
Electric current crosses a system made of wire links, or other poorly conducting materials,
enclosed between two walls made of glass, or other transparent or translucent, waterproof
material. The heat generated by energy dispersion due to the electric current crossing
said wire link system radiates through the glass wall itself to heat a shower stall.
The glass has a low thermal conductivity, and therefore most of the heat radiated
by the wire links is lost through the radiation absorption process by the glass walls,
thus preventing an effective heating of the shower stall.
[0004] This heating system is poorly efficient because, on one hand, most of the energy
introduced into the wire link system is dissipated to generate heat, and on the other
hand most of this heat cannot radiate towards the interior of the shower because it
is absorbed by the glass wall.
[0005] The need to include a waterproof wall inside the shower stall to prevent the water
from contacting the electric current crossing the links contributes to the inefficiency
of the system. The use of electric current close to the shower stall could make some
users reluctant to purchase this apparatus.
[0006] Other methods including the use of an electric radiator or a radiator connected to
the home heating system to the purpose of heating a bathroom with a shower stall are
also known.
[0007] Such a solution is known, for example, from patent
FR2957411, which describes a radiator of hot fluid of a home heating system, which fluid flows
within a plurality of longitudinal and transversal pipes. These systems use radiators
which heat a fluid or gas contained in pipes in contact with the environment. The
heat exchange between pipe and surrounding environment allows the entire room to be
heated by radiation of heat in the air and by convection of the air flow near the
pipe itself.
[0008] This system is poorly efficient for heating the shower stall because the glass walls
must remain open to let the hot air enter from the environment of the room.
[0009] DE19846941A1 discloses a shower stall with a sliding door heated at distance by an external radiator.
The slidable wall is in front of the radiator. The external radiator is not mounted
with the wall of the sliding door because the needs of opening the sliding door. Further
the radiator is external because the need of protecting the person from burns, in
fact the sliding door isolates the external radiator from the internal of the shower
stall when the person is inside.
[0010] It is the object of the present invention to provide a shower stall with heating
wall which is energy-efficient and increases the heating efficacy.
[0011] It is a further object to heat laundry or towels resting on the interior and exterior
of a shower stall.
[0012] Such an object is achieved in accordance with the invention by a shower stall with
heating wall, as defined by claim 1, which is characterized in that it comprises at
least one heating wall comprising two vertical section bars, at least one glass wall
and at least one crosswise section bar, said two vertical section bars holding said
at least one glass wall and connected by said at least one crosswise section bar,
said section bars having hollow sections connected to one another, in which a hot
fluid flows, at least one of the hollow sections being connected to at least one hollow
pipe in which a hot fluid, preheated by an external heating system, can enter and
to at least one pipe from which said fluid can exit.
[0013] An advantage of the present invention is to use a hot fluid for heating both the
bathroom environment and the interior of a shower stall.
[0014] Another advantage is to save energy by using a preheated hot fluid without using
ineffective electric current dissipation methods to produce heat.
[0015] A further advantage is to avoid the reluctance of users to employ electric current
near running water.
[0016] A yet further advantage is to have a glass wall through which only part of the heat
which crosses at least one hollow section bar in which a hot fluid flows may radiate.
[0017] A further advantage is to use crosswise section bars for hanging damp laundry to
be dried both inside and outside the shower stall.
[0018] These and other features of the present invention will become further apparent from
the following detailed description of practical embodiments thereof, shown by way
of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 shows a front view from the exterior of a heating wall of a shower stall
according to the present invention;
Figure 2 shows a front view from the interior of a heating wall of a shower stall
according to the present invention;
Figure 3 shows a section view taken along line III-III in Figure 2 of a heating wall
with a clothes rack in resting position;
Figure 4 shows a section view taken along line III-III in Figure 2 of a heating wall
with a clothes rack in working position;
Figure 5 shows a section view taken along line V-V in Figure 2 of a heating wall with
a clothes rack in working position;
Figure 6 shows a first detail of figure 5;
Figure 7 shows a second detail of figure 5;
Figure 8 shows a perspective view of a detail of a clothes rack in working position;
Figure 9 shows a perspective view of a detail of a clothes rack in resting position;
Figure 10 shows a perspective view from the exterior of a shower stall with a heating
wall;
Figure 11 shows a perspective view from the exterior of a shower stall with a heating
wall;
Figure 12 shows a perspective view of a heating wall used as partition.
[0019] The above-listed figures show a heating wall 1 with two vertical section bars 2 and
3 holding a glass wall 4. Said section bar 2 is connected to the other section bar
3 by means of a number of crosswise section bars 11, 12.
[0020] The crosswise section bars 11 are fitted along a longitudinal line onto the two vertical
section bars 2 and 3 so as to be in contact with the glass wall 4, while the crosswise
section bars 12 are fitted onto the outer side of the section bars 2 and 3 so as to
be spaced apart by a gap which substantially corresponds to the thickness of the section
bars 2 and 3 themselves.
[0021] Section bars 2, 3, 11 and 12 have hollow sections (23, 25, 26 and 27, respectively)
in which a hot fluid flows, which may be a liquid or gas, advantageously preheated
by means of a home heating system or by means of a similar external heating system.
The section is square in the described embodiment, but any shape could be used, i.e.
a pipe section.
[0022] The two pipes 20 and 21 are connected to the home heating system and the hot fluid
entering and exiting from the hollow section 23 of the section bar 2 can flow therein.
[0023] Section bar 2 is wedged in an upright 22 (figure 7). It is worth noting that the
upright 22 has a hollow C-shaped section, and the section bar 2 has two extensions
231, 232 of section 23 which externally envelop the free sides 221, 222 of the C-shaped
section of upright 22. Such a type of coupling ensures assembly firmness.
[0024] Section bar 3 comprises a hollow section 25 with an integral insert 24 to be wedged
in the glass wall 4 (figure 6).
[0025] Glass wall 4 is supported and fixed onto the inner side of section bar 2 by means
of plugs 13, while it is fixed to the other end of section bar 3 by means of the wedge
insert 24.
[0026] A clothes rack 30 can be fitted on the glass wall 4 inside the shower stall by means
of at least two support uprights 34, fixed to the walls of section bars 2 and 3, respectively,
inside the shower stall.
[0027] The support uprights 34 are installed on the inner wall of the shower stall by means
of plugs 13 which are also used to fix glass wall 4 to section bar 2.
[0028] The clothes rack 30 comprises a series of horizontal pipes 31, where the first from
the top and the last from the bottom are fitted on connecting rods 33 by means of
pairs of pins 37.
[0029] The other horizontal pipes 31 between the latter two are positioned at regular intervals
and connected to one another by means of two cords 32 through knots onto the pins
37 present at their ends.
[0030] The other ends of the pairs of connecting rods 33 can rotate within pairs of pins
36 positioned on two support uprights 34.
[0031] The connecting rods 33 can be displaced from a retracted resting position to an extended
working position (as shown in Figures 8 and 9) by means of the cords 32 which can
be coupled to the pins 35 positioned on the support uprights 34.
[0032] Operatively, the shower stall is heated by introducing a hot fluid, advantageously
pre-heated by a home heating system, by means of pipe 20 within the hollow section
23 of section bar 2 fitted on at least one of the glass panels 4 of the shower stall
1, as shown in the example illustrated in figures 10 and 11.
[0033] The hot fluid flows in the hollow section 23 of section bar 2, may cross the hollow
section 26, 27 of the crosswise section bars 11, 12, and may flow in the hollow section
25 of section bar 3.
[0034] The hot fluid may advantageously return to the home heating system via the outlet
pipe 21.
[0035] The flow of fluid or gas from the home heating system into the section bars 2, 3,
11, 12 generates heat which heats glass 4 but also the air around the section bars
2, 3, 11, 12, thus heating the surrounding environment.
[0036] The crosswise section bar 12 is fitted so as to advantageously leave a gap between
itself and the glass wall 4, so that damp laundry can rest thereon and be dried both
by contact with the section bar 12 and by convection of hot air which rises from the
bottom upwards, advantageously heated in turn by the crosswise section bars 11.
[0037] The heat generated by the section bars 2, 3, 11 and 12 is also radiated in part through
the glass panel 4 so as to advantageously heat the interior of the shower stall.
[0038] The clothes rack 30 inside the shower stall advantageously increases the surface
on which the laundry can be hung out. Said clothes rack 30 can be advantageously used
to hang out laundry when the shower is not in use.
[0039] In order to hang out the laundry, the cords 32 are pulled and coupled to the two
pins 35 fitted at the top on the vertical support rods 34. Pulling the cords 32 raises
the pair of connecting rods 33, which rotate on the pairs of pins 36 fitted on the
vertical support rods 34. The connecting rods 36 are in turn connected at one of their
ends by means of pins 37 both to the cords 32 and to the transversal pipes 31.
[0040] Pulling the cords 32 advantageously allows to create a space in which the laundry
can be hung out between the series of pipes 31 and the glass wall 4 of the shower
stall.
[0041] Alternatively, the clothes rack 30 can be provided on the outer glass wall 4 of the
shower stall.
[0042] A clothes rack 30 can also be fitted on the other walls of the shower stall.
[0043] The support uprights 34 may be installed on the section bars 2 and 3 by means of
plugs 13 or by means of glue or adhesive.
[0044] Another alternative includes several heating walls of the shower stall. The section
bars 2, 3, 11 and 12 may be fitted either on one side of the glass wall 4 or on the
other.
[0045] Alternatively, a crosswise section bar 11 arranged at the bottom between two adjacent
sheets of glass can be provided, so as to directly heat the interior of the shower
stall. Thereby, the interior of the shower stall can be advantageously heated by radiation
of heat though the glass wall 4 itself and by a flow of hot air which moves by convection
from the bottom upwards inside the shower stall.
[0046] Figure 12 shows the above-described heating wall 1 used as a partition in a single
room, e.g. in a bathroom, for separating the washbasin area from the toilet area.
[0047] Heating wall 1 generally allows to better locate the heating by exploiting the central
heating system, when the user is, for example, in a shower stall near a washbasin,
or even in rooms other than the bathroom. In open space-type rooms, it may be useful
to create a heating wall 1 close to a sofa or desk or dining table.
1. A shower stall with heating wall, characterized in that it comprises at least one heating wall (1) comprising two vertical section bars (2,
3), at least one glass wall (4) and at least one crosswise section bar (11, 12), said
two vertical section bars (2, 3) holding said at least one glass wall (4) and connected
by said at least one crosswise section bar (11, 12), said section bars (2, 3, 11,
12) having hollow sections (23, 25, 26, 27) connected to one another, in which a hot
fluid flows, at least one of the hollow sections (23, 25, 26, 27) being connected
to at least one hollow pipe (20) in which a hot fluid, preheated by an external heating
system, can enter and to at least one pipe (21) from which said fluid can exit.
2. A shower stall according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes at least one crosswise section bar (11) in contact with the glass wall
(4).
3. A shower stall according to claim 2, characterized in that it includes at least one crosswise section bar (12) spaced apart from the glass wall
(4).
4. A shower stall according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one vertical section bar (2) is wedged in an upright (22).
5. A shower stall according to claim 4, characterized in that said upright (22) has a C-shaped hollow section, and the vertical section bar (2)
has two extensions (231, 232) of the section (23) which externally envelop the open
sides (221, 222) of the C-shaped section of the upright (22).
6. A shower stall according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one vertical section bar (3) includes a hollow section (25) with an integral
insert (24) to be wedged in the glass wall (4).
7. A shower stall according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least one clothes rack (30) fitted on at least one heating wall (1).
8. A shower stall according to claim 7, characterized in that the clothes rack (30) comprises at least one transversal pipe (31) on which laundry
can be hung out, movable between a retracted position and an extended position by
means of cords (32) associated with at least one pair of connecting rods (33) and
with pins (35, 36, 37) fitted on at least two support uprights (34) associated with
the vertical section bars (2, 3).
1. Duschkabine mit Heizwand, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass sie wenigstens eine Heizwand (1) mit zwei vertikalen Profilstangen (2, 3), wenigstens
eine Glaswand (4) und wenigstens eine Querprofilstange (11, 12) umfasst, wobei die
zwei vertikalen Profilstangen (2, 3) die wenigstens eine Glaswand (4) halten und mittels
der wenigstens einen Querprofilstange (11, 12) verbunden sind, wobei die Profilstangen
(2, 3, 11, 12) miteinander verbundene hohle Querschnitte (23, 25, 26, 27) haben, in
denen eine heiße Flüssigkeit fließt, und wobei wenigstens einer der hohlen Querschnitte
(23, 25, 26, 27) mit wenigstens einem Hohlrohr (20), in das eine heiße, durch ein
externes Heizsystem vorgeheizte, Flüssigkeit eintreten kann, und mit wenigstens einem
Hohlrohr (21), durch das die Flüssigkeit austreten kann, verbunden ist.
2. Duschkabine nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass sie wenigstens eine die Glaswand (4) berührende Querprofilstange (12) umfasst.
3. Duschkabine nach Anspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass sie wenigstens eine von der Glaswand (4) beabstandete Querprofilstange (12) umfasst.
4. Duschkabine nach einem der Ansprüche 1 oder 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass wenigstens eine vertikale Profilstange (2) in einem senkrechten Ständer (22) verklemmt
ist.
5. Duschkabine nach Anspruch 4, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der senkrechte Ständer (22) einen C-förmigen hohlen Querschnitt hat und die vertikale
Profilstange (2) zwei Verlängerungen (231, 232) des Querschnitts (23) hat, die die
offenen Enden des C-förmigen Querschnitts des senkrechten Ständers (22) außen umschließen.
6. Duschkabine nach einem der vorherigen Ansprüche, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass wenigstens eine vertikale Profilstange (3) einen hohlen Abschnitt (25) mit einem
integralen Einsatzstück (24) besitzt, das in die Glaswand (4) eingeklemmt wird.
7. Duschkabine nach einem der vorherigen Ansprüche, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass sie mindestens ein an wenigstens einer Heizwand (1) befestigtes Trockengestell (30)
aufweist.
8. Duschkabine nach Anspruch 7, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das Trockengestell (30) wenigstens ein Querrohr (31) aufweist, an dem Wäsche aufgehängt
werden kann, wobei das Querrohr mittels Schnüre (32) beweglich zwischen einer eingefahrenen
und einer ausgefahrenen Position ist, wobei die Schnüre (32) mit wenigstens einem
Paar Verbindungsstangen (33) und mit Stiften (35, 36, 37) verbunden sind, wobei die
Stifte (35, 36, 37) an wenigstens zwei senkrechten Stützleisten (34) befestigt sind,
die mit den vertikalen Profilstangen (2, 3) verbunden sind.
1. Cabine de douche avec paroi chauffante, caractérisée en ce qu'elle comprend au moins une paroi chauffante (1) comprenant deux barres à sections
verticales (2, 3), au moins une paroi en verre (4) et au moins une barre à sections
transversales (11, 12), lesdites deux barres à sections verticales (2, 3) supportant
ladite paroi en verre au nombre d'au moins une (4) et étant reliées par ladite barre
à sections transversales au nombre d'au moins une (11, 12), lesdites barres à sections
(2, 3, 11, 12) comportant des sections creuses (23, 25, 26, 27) reliées les unes aux
autres, dans lesquelles s'écoule un fluide chaud, au moins l'une des sections creuses
(23, 25, 26, 27) étant reliée à au moins un tuyau creux (20) dans lequel un fluide
chaud, préchauffé par un système de chauffage extérieur, peut entrer, et à au moins
un tuyau (21) à partir duquel ledit fluide peut sortir.
2. Cabine de douche selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce qu'elle comprend au moins une barre à sections transversales (11) en contact avec la
paroi en verre (4).
3. Cabine de douche selon la revendication 2, caractérisée en ce qu'elle comprend au moins une barre à sections transversales (12) mutuellement espacée
vis-à-vis de la paroi en verre (4).
4. Cabine de douche selon la revendication 1 ou 2, caractérisée en ce qu'au moins une barre à sections verticales (2) est coincée dans un montant (22).
5. Cabine de douche selon la revendication 4, caractérisée en ce que ledit montant (22) a une section creuse en forme de C, et en ce que la barre à sections verticales (2) comporte deux extensions (231, 232) de la section
(23) qui enveloppent extérieurement les côtés ouverts (221, 222) de la section en
forme de C du montant (22).
6. Cabine de douche selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, caractérisée en ce qu'au moins une barre à sections verticales (3) comprend une section creuse (25) avec
un insert intégré (24) destiné à être coincé dans la paroi en verre (4).
7. Cabine de douche selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, caractérisée en ce qu'elle comprend au moins une étagère à vêtements (30) adaptée sur au moins une paroi
chauffante (1).
8. Cabine de douche selon la revendication 7, caractérisée en ce que l'étagère à vêtements (30) comprend au moins un tuyau transversal (31) sur lequel
du linge peut être suspendu, mobile entre une position rétractée et une position étendue
à l'aide de cordons (32) associés à au moins une paire de tiges de liaison (33) et
à des broches (35, 36, 37) adaptées sur au moins deux montants de support (34) associés
aux barres à sections verticales (2, 3).