Patent ID: 8341774
Filing Date: 2013-01-01
Classification: A47K

Abstract:
1. A sliding enclosure for a bathtub/shower combination surrounded by a rear wall, and left and right sidewalls of a bathroom, comprising: a. front, middle and rear identical slidable glass panel assemblies including the respective front, middle and rear glass panels attached by respective attachments, each assembly including a counterbalancing weight system, left and right pulley axles, and left and right housings; b. each of said slidable glass panels being rectangular in shape having a left transverse side, a right transverse side, an upper lengthwise side and a lower lengthwise side, each of said attachments including an left upper glass connector at its top having a left eye bolt and a lower glass connector which is attached to the left transverse side of the glass panel, a right upper glass connector at its top connected to a right eye bolt and a lower glass connector which is attached to the right transverse side of the glass panel, an upper lengthwise handle attached to the upper lengthwise side of each of the glass panels and a lower lengthwise handle attached to the lower lengthwise side of each of the glass panels, wherein: c. said counterbalancing weight system including left and right structures, the left structure including a left counterbalancing weight at its top connected to a left eye bolt that is connected to a left end of a left cable that passes over a top of a left pulley penetrated by a left collar and is connected to the left eye bolt connected to the left upper glass connector at a right end of the left cable, the right structure including a right counterbalancing weight at its top connected to a right eye bolt that is connected to a right end of a right cable that passes over a top of a right pulley penetrated by a right collar and is connected to the right eye bolt connected to the right upper glass connector at a left end of the right cable; d. the left housing having a longitudinally elongated hollow body in a rectangularly shaped cross section, containing a top end, a bottom end, an elongated air space surround by a front side having a pulley axle opening adjacent to the top end, a rear side having a pulley axle opening adjacent to the top end, a left side having a plurality of openings and a right side, a vertically elongated gap of opening cuts a middle of the right side which forms an elongated flat front member having an opened end covered with a front flexible trim and an elongated flat rear member having an opened end covered with a rear rubber trim, wherein there is an elongated rightward air gap between the two flexible trims, the right housing is a mirror image of the left housing, including a longitudinally elongated hollow body in a rectangularly shaped cross section, containing a top end, a bottom end, an elongated air space surrounded by a front side having a pulley axle opening adjacent to the top end, a rear side having a pulley axle opening adjacent to the top end, a right side having a plurality of openings and a left side, a vertically elongated gap of opening cuts a middle of the left side which forms an elongated flat front member having an opened end covered with a front flexible trim and an elongated flat rear member having an opened end covered with a rear flexible trim, wherein there is an elongated leftward air gap between the two flexible trims; e. said each assembly is assembled, wherein the left housing is affixed to the left sidewall of the bathroom by affixation from a plurality of fasteners penetrating through the openings of the left side of the left housing and the bottom end of the left housing is in contact with a top of a ledge of the bathtub, the left pulley axle penetrating through the pulley axle openings of the respective front and rear sides of the left housing, the left pulley axle further penetrating through the left collar surrounded by the left pulley that is positioned inside of the left housing and has the left cable at the left end connected to the left upper glass connector, the right housing is affixed to the right sidewall of the bathroom by affixation from a plurality of fasteners penetrating through the openings of the right side of the right housing and the bottom end of the left housing is in contact with the top of the ledge of the bathtub, the right pulley axle penetrating through the pulley axle openings of the respective front and rear sides of the right housing, the right pulley axle further penetrating through the right collar surrounded by the right pulley that is positioned inside of the right housing and has the right cable at the left end connected to the left upper glass connector, the left transverse side of the glass panel attached by the upper and lower glass connectors is positioned inside of the left housing, wherein the glass panel penetrating through the elongated rightward air gap and extending rightwardly, the right transverse side of the glass panel attached by the upper and lower glass connectors is positioned inside of the right housing, wherein the glass panel penetrates through the elongated leftward air gap and extending leftwardly; f. said front, middle and rear identical slidable glass panel assemblies are assembled together, so that the front, middle and rear left housings of the respective front, middle and rear identical slidable glass panel assemblies are connected to one another wherein their respective elongated rightward air gaps are aligned in a front-rear direction, front, middle and rear right housings of the respective said front, middle and rear identical slidable glass panel assemblies are connected to one another wherein their respective elongated leftward air gaps are aligned in the same front-rear direction; and g. the sliding enclosure prevents shower water from flowing out of the bathtub for the user in use of the bathtub/shower combination when front, middle and rear glass panels of the respective front, middle and rear slidable glass assemblies are slid down to their respective lowered positions wherein a bottom of the flexible member is in contact with a top of a ledge of the bathtub, the rearwardly extending member of the front glass panel is positioned higher than and downwardly connected to the frontwardly extending member of the lower lengthwise handle of the middle glass panel, the rearwardly extending member of the middle glass panel is positioned higher than and downwardly connected to the frontwardly extending member of the rear glass panel, so that the three panels are connected to one another to thereby form a continuous wall to prevent splashing of the shower water out of the bathtub/shower combination; h. whereby the sliding enclosure provides an open space to enable the user to access the bathtub when the front, middle and rear glass panels are raised up wherein a top of an upper lengthwise handle of the rear glass panel is in contact with the ceiling of the bathroom, the bottom of the lower lengthwise handle of the rear glass panel is horizontally aligned with a top of the lower lengthwise handle of the middle glass panel, and the bottom of the lower lengthwise handle of the middle glass panel is horizontally aligned with a top of the lower lengthwise handle of the front glass panel.