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<ep-patent-document id="EP09154224A2" file="EP09154224NWA2.xml" lang="en" country="EP" doc-number="2098648" kind="A2" date-publ="20090909" status="n" dtd-version="ep-patent-document-v1-4">
<SDOBI lang="en"><B000><eptags><B001EP>ATBECHDEDKESFRGBGRITLILUNLSEMCPTIESILTLVFIROMKCYALTRBGCZEEHUPLSKBAHRIS..MTNORS..</B001EP><B005EP>J</B005EP><B007EP>DIM360 Ver 2.15 (14 Jul 2008) -  1100000/0</B007EP></eptags></B000><B100><B110>2098648</B110><B120><B121>EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION</B121></B120><B130>A2</B130><B140><date>20090909</date></B140><B190>EP</B190></B100><B200><B210>09154224.1</B210><B220><date>20090303</date></B220><B250>en</B250><B251EP>en</B251EP><B260>en</B260></B200><B300><B310>MN20080006</B310><B320><date>20080307</date></B320><B330><ctry>IT</ctry></B330></B300><B400><B405><date>20090909</date><bnum>200937</bnum></B405><B430><date>20090909</date><bnum>200937</bnum></B430></B400><B500><B510EP><classification-ipcr sequence="1"><text>E03C   1/06        20060101AFI20090429BHEP        </text></classification-ipcr></B510EP><B540><B541>de</B541><B542>Badezimmerduschvorrichtung</B542><B541>en</B541><B542>Bathroom shower set</B542><B541>fr</B541><B542>Ensemble de douche pour salle de bain</B542></B540><B590><B598>1</B598></B590></B500><B700><B710><B711><snm>AQA s.r.l.</snm><iid>10015270</iid><irf>E047125MNMlp</irf><adr><str>Via G. Falcone 3</str><city>46040 Casaloldo (MN)</city><ctry>IT</ctry></adr></B711></B710><B720><B721><snm>Bosio, Orlando</snm><adr><str>
Via Morini, 18</str><city>46040, CASALOLDO   MN</city><ctry>IT</ctry></adr></B721></B720><B740><B741><snm>Modiano, Micaela Nadia</snm><iid>00097642</iid><adr><str>Dr. Modiano &amp; Associati SpA 
Via Meravigli 16</str><city>20123 Milano</city><ctry>IT</ctry></adr></B741></B740></B700><B800><B840><ctry>AT</ctry><ctry>BE</ctry><ctry>BG</ctry><ctry>CH</ctry><ctry>CY</ctry><ctry>CZ</ctry><ctry>DE</ctry><ctry>DK</ctry><ctry>EE</ctry><ctry>ES</ctry><ctry>FI</ctry><ctry>FR</ctry><ctry>GB</ctry><ctry>GR</ctry><ctry>HR</ctry><ctry>HU</ctry><ctry>IE</ctry><ctry>IS</ctry><ctry>IT</ctry><ctry>LI</ctry><ctry>LT</ctry><ctry>LU</ctry><ctry>LV</ctry><ctry>MC</ctry><ctry>MK</ctry><ctry>MT</ctry><ctry>NL</ctry><ctry>NO</ctry><ctry>PL</ctry><ctry>PT</ctry><ctry>RO</ctry><ctry>SE</ctry><ctry>SI</ctry><ctry>SK</ctry><ctry>TR</ctry></B840><B844EP><B845EP><ctry>AL</ctry></B845EP><B845EP><ctry>BA</ctry></B845EP><B845EP><ctry>RS</ctry></B845EP></B844EP></B800></SDOBI>
<abstract id="abst" lang="en">
<p id="pa01" num="0001">A bathroom shower set, comprising a panel (1,13) associated with a vertical sliding guide (2) which is fixed to a wall (3) of the intended space, the panel being adapted to delimit a portion of space that is adjacent to said wall (3) and being capable of accommodating at least partially a flexible hose (6) for conveying water from a connector (7) that protrudes from said wall (3) to the shower head (8), the panel (1) having an opening that is adapted to allow the passage of said flexible hose (6) and being further provided with a support (5) for the removable resting of the end (6a) of the flexible hose (6) that is connected to the handle (8a) of the shower head (8).
<img id="iaf01" file="imgaf001.tif" wi="78" he="124" img-content="drawing" img-format="tif"/></p>
</abstract><!-- EPO <DP n="1"> -->
<description id="desc" lang="en">
<p id="p0001" num="0001">The invention relates to a bathroom shower set.</p>
<p id="p0002" num="0002">There are conventional shower sets for bathrooms, known as slide bar sets, in which the head from which water exits is provided with means for connection to a vertical sliding guide, so as to allow the user to position the shower head at the height that he finds most appropriate by simply pushing it.</p>
<p id="p0003" num="0003">Water is fed to the shower head by means of a flexible hose, and the user generally can grip a handle that is jointly connected to the shower head in order to remove it from the sliding guide and handle it at will.</p>
<p id="p0004" num="0004">Shower sets of the described type comprised in the background art, however, suffer some drawbacks.</p>
<p id="p0005" num="0005">The aim of the present invention is to eliminate such drawbacks by providing a bathroom shower set, <b>characterized in that</b> it comprises a panel associated with a vertical sliding guide which is fixed to the wall of the intended space, the panel being adapted to delimit a portion of space that is adjacent to said wall and being capable of accommodating at least partially a flexible hose for conveying water from a connector that protrudes from said wall to the shower head, the panel having an opening that is adapted to allow the passage of said flexible hose and being further provided with a support for the removable resting of the end of the flexible hose that is connected to the handle of the shower head.</p>
<p id="p0006" num="0006">Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become better apparent from the description of two preferred but not exclusive embodiments of a bathroom shower set, illustrated by way of nonlimiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
<ul id="ul0001" list-style="none" compact="compact">
<li><figref idref="f0001">Figures 1</figref> and <figref idref="f0002">2</figref> are perspective views of the shower set according to<!-- EPO <DP n="2"> --> the invention, in two different operating situations;</li>
<li><figref idref="f0003">Figures 3</figref> and <figref idref="f0004">4</figref> are perspective views of the shower set arranged at the two end heights of its vertical stroke;</li>
<li><figref idref="f0005">Figure 5</figref> is an exploded view of some elements of the shower;</li>
<li><figref idref="f0006">Figure 6</figref> is an enlarged-scale view of a detail of <figref idref="f0005">Figure 5</figref>;</li>
<li><figref idref="f0006">Figure 7</figref> is a sectional view, taken along the line VII-VII of <figref idref="f0005">Figure 5</figref>;</li>
<li><figref idref="f0007">Figure 8</figref> is a perspective view of the shower set according to the present invention in a second embodiment;</li>
<li><figref idref="f0006">Figure 9</figref> is a view of a detail of <figref idref="f0001">Figure 1</figref>.</li>
</ul></p>
<p id="p0007" num="0007">With reference to <figref idref="f0001 f0002 f0003 f0004 f0005 f0006">Figures 1 to 7</figref> and <figref idref="f0006">9</figref>, the reference numeral 1 designates a panel associated with a guide 2 that is fixed to a wall 3 of a space intended for the shower set, so that it can slide with respect to said wall.</p>
<p id="p0008" num="0008">More precisely, the panel 1 has a profile 4 jointly connected thereto, and said profile constitutes the element for connection to the guide 2 with a male-female mating and is provided monolithically with a stiffening strip 4a.</p>
<p id="p0009" num="0009">The user can thus make the panel 1 slide along the guide 2 between the two extreme positions that are shown respectively in <figref idref="f0003">Figures 3</figref> and <figref idref="f0004">4</figref>, determined by stroke limit abutments 4b, 4c, as described in greater detail hereinafter; the guide 2 has such as a length as to remain always concealed behind the panel 1 along its entire stroke, according to what is shown in <figref idref="f0003">Figures 3</figref> and <figref idref="f0004">4</figref>.</p>
<p id="p0010" num="0010">The panel 1 is provided, at the upper edge, with a support 5 that allows the removable resting of an end 6a of a flexible hose 6 that conveys water from a connector 7, optionally provided with a faucet, which exits from the wall 3, up to a head 8 with a handle 8a of the shower set; the panel 1 is shaped so as to define a flat face 1a, designed to be arranged parallel to the wall 3, and two sides 1b, 1c that are extended towards said wall; while<!-- EPO <DP n="3"> --> the side 1b skims the wall 3, the side 1c is extended to a distance from said wall such as to define an opening that allows the passage of the flexible hose 6.</p>
<p id="p0011" num="0011">A portion of space is thereby delimited being comprised between the wall 3 and the face 1a of the panel 1 and being capable of accommodating at least partially the flexible hose 6, as shown in <figref idref="f0001">Figures 1</figref>, <figref idref="f0003">3</figref>, <figref idref="f0004">4</figref>; said flexible hose becomes movable by a user who, by gripping the handle 8a of the shower head, moves the shower set into a situation such as the one shown in <figref idref="f0002">Figure 2</figref>, utilizing the possibility to pass the flexible hose through the opening provided between the wall 3 and the end of the side 1c.</p>
<p id="p0012" num="0012">The method of association between the sliding panel 1 and the fixed guide 2 is shown in <figref idref="f0006">Figure 7</figref>; the guide 2 is provided with at least one and preferably a plurality of disks 9, which are pushed by a spring 10 into contact with the surface of the profile 4 that is jointly connected to the panel 1, thereby causing a sliding motion of the panel 1 pushed by the user in calibrated friction conditions which allows the arrangement of said panel in the position in which it is left; means 11 for removable locking of the panel in the selected position are provided and comprise a threaded shank that is designed to act on a block which is not shown in the figure and is designed to provide the desired locking by friction.</p>
<p id="p0013" num="0013">In a position that substantially faces said locking means 11 a grip handle 12 is provided, which is applied to the face of the panel 1 that is directed towards the wall 3 and is designed to be concealed from sight, and can be gripped by the user with the left hand while he grips the means 11 with the right hand, thereby achieving in optimum conditions for providing the sliding of the panel 1 along the guide 2.</p>
<p id="p0014" num="0014">The panel 1 has a continuous flat face 1a, which is adapted to receive decorations of any kind; the embodiment of <figref idref="f0007">Figure 8</figref> illustrates a shower set which comprises a panel 13 that differs from panel 1 only for the presence of an opening 14 provided with a transparent strip for protecting light-emitting<!-- EPO <DP n="4"> --> bodies arranged behind, and can be provided with a handle that is similar to the handle 12 described previously.</p>
<p id="p0015" num="0015">The described invention is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims; all the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.</p>
<p id="p0016" num="0016">The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. <patcit id="pcit0001" dnum="ITNN2008000006A"><text>NN2008A000006</text></patcit> from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.</p>
<p id="p0017" num="0017">Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.</p>
</description><!-- EPO <DP n="5"> -->
<claims id="claims01" lang="en">
<claim id="c-en-0001" num="0001">
<claim-text>A bathroom shower set, <b>characterized in that</b> it comprises a panel (1,13) associated with a vertical sliding guide (2) which is fixed to a wall (3) of the intended space, the panel being adapted to delimit a portion of space that is adjacent to said wall (3) and being capable of accommodating at least partially a flexible hose (6) for conveying water from a connector (7) that protrudes from said wall (3) to the shower head (8), the panel (1) having an opening that is adapted to allow the passage of said flexible hose (6) and being further provided with a support (5) for the removable resting of the end (6a) of the flexible hose (6) that is connected to the handle (8a) of the shower head (8).</claim-text></claim>
<claim id="c-en-0002" num="0002">
<claim-text>The shower set according to claim 1, <b>characterized in that</b> the support (5) for resting the end (6a) of the flexible hose (6) is fixed at the upper edge of the panel (1).</claim-text></claim>
<claim id="c-en-0003" num="0003">
<claim-text>The shower set according to one or more of the preceding claims, <b>characterized in that</b> the panel (1) comprises a flat face (1a) that is designed to be arranged parallel to the wall (3) of the intended space and two sides (1b,1c) that are extended toward said wall, one (1b) of said sides (1b,1c) skimming the wall (3) while the other side (1c) is extended to a distance from said wall such as to provide an opening that allows the passage of the flexible hose (6).</claim-text></claim>
<claim id="c-en-0004" num="0004">
<claim-text>The shower set according to one or more of the preceding claims, <b>characterized in that</b> the panel (1) has a continuous surface that is adapted to receive decorations.</claim-text></claim>
<claim id="c-en-0005" num="0005">
<claim-text>The shower set according to one or more of the preceding claims, <b>characterized in that</b> the panel (13) has a surface that comprises an opening (14) provided with a transparent strip for protecting light-emitting bodies that are arranged behind.</claim-text></claim>
<claim id="c-en-0006" num="0006">
<claim-text>The shower set according to one or more of the preceding claims, <b>characterized in that</b> the vertical sliding guide (2) that is fixed to the wall (3)<!-- EPO <DP n="6"> --> of the intended space has such a length as to be always concealed from sight by the overlying panel.</claim-text></claim>
<claim id="c-en-0007" num="0007">
<claim-text>The shower set according to one or more of the preceding claims, <b>characterized in that</b> it comprises means (11) for the removable locking of the panel (1) in its sliding motion in contact with the guide (2) that is fixed to the wall (3) of the intended space.</claim-text></claim>
<claim id="c-en-0008" num="0008">
<claim-text>The shower set according to one or more of the preceding claims, <b>characterized in that</b> it comprises stroke limiting abutments (4b,4c) for the sliding motion of the panel (1) in contact with the guide (2) that is fixed to the wall (3) of the intended space.</claim-text></claim>
<claim id="c-en-0009" num="0009">
<claim-text>The shower set according to one or more of the preceding claims, <b>characterized in that</b> the guide (2) that is fixed to the wall (3) of the intended space is provided with at least one disk (9) that is pushed by a spring (10) in contact with the surface of a profile (4) that is jointly connected to the panel (1) associated with said guide (2), so as to cause a sliding motion of said panel (1) that is pushed by the user in calibrated friction conditions.</claim-text></claim>
<claim id="c-en-0010" num="0010">
<claim-text>The shower set according to one or more of the preceding claims, <b>characterized in that</b> it comprises a handle (12) for grip by a user, which is applied to the face of the panel (1) that is directed toward the wall (3).</claim-text></claim>
</claims><!-- EPO <DP n="7"> -->
<drawings id="draw" lang="en">
<figure id="f0001" num="1"><img id="if0001" file="imgf0001.tif" wi="160" he="233" img-content="drawing" img-format="tif"/></figure><!-- EPO <DP n="8"> -->
<figure id="f0002" num="2"><img id="if0002" file="imgf0002.tif" wi="151" he="233" img-content="drawing" img-format="tif"/></figure><!-- EPO <DP n="9"> -->
<figure id="f0003" num="3"><img id="if0003" file="imgf0003.tif" wi="143" he="233" img-content="drawing" img-format="tif"/></figure><!-- EPO <DP n="10"> -->
<figure id="f0004" num="4"><img id="if0004" file="imgf0004.tif" wi="145" he="233" img-content="drawing" img-format="tif"/></figure><!-- EPO <DP n="11"> -->
<figure id="f0005" num="5"><img id="if0005" file="imgf0005.tif" wi="129" he="233" img-content="drawing" img-format="tif"/></figure><!-- EPO <DP n="12"> -->
<figure id="f0006" num="6,7,9"><img id="if0006" file="imgf0006.tif" wi="116" he="173" img-content="drawing" img-format="tif"/></figure><!-- EPO <DP n="13"> -->
<figure id="f0007" num="8"><img id="if0007" file="imgf0007.tif" wi="118" he="172" img-content="drawing" img-format="tif"/></figure>
</drawings>
<ep-reference-list id="ref-list">
<heading id="ref-h0001"><b>REFERENCES CITED IN THE DESCRIPTION</b></heading>
<p id="ref-p0001" num=""><i>This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader's convenience only. It does not form part of the European patent document. Even though great care has been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be excluded and the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.</i></p>
<heading id="ref-h0002"><b>Patent documents cited in the description</b></heading>
<p id="ref-p0002" num="">
<ul id="ref-ul0001" list-style="bullet">
<li><patcit id="ref-pcit0001" dnum="ITNN2008000006A"><document-id><country>IT</country><doc-number>NN2008000006</doc-number><kind>A</kind></document-id></patcit><crossref idref="pcit0001">[0016]</crossref></li>
</ul></p>
</ep-reference-list>
</ep-patent-document>
