SHOWER CABIN HAVING ADJUSTABLE WIDTH

Abstract: The cabin comprises at least one wall (1, 1') and at least one substantially vertical upright (2, 2') with seats suitable for receiving a portion of said wall and fastening means to make said upright integral with said wall after the latter has penetrated to the desired depth in the corresponding seats obtained in the upright. Said upright and said wall are connected one to the other in a slidable way by means of protrusions (10, 10') of the upright inserted in notches (9, 9') obtained in said wall and said fastening means are located opposite said protrusions and said notches.

Description: The present invention relates to a shower cabin having adjustable width. The known systems for adjusting the width of shower cabins are essentially of two types. In both types the cabin wall includes a metal frame in which at least one slab of glass or of polymer material is held, optionally in a slidable way. In one type the perimeter of the frame is fixed. In the other the frame is instead adjustable in width. In the case of the frame having a fixed perimeter, the adjustable cabin wall is obtained by connecting said frame, in which is mounted, optionally in a slidable way, at least one slab of glass or of polymer material, to at least one "compensating section bar", an expression commonly used by the practioners of the art to indicate a U-shaped metal section bar. During the installation phase, the "compensating section bar" is first made integral with the masonry work, usually constituted by a wall. Subsequently, an upright of the frame is inserted in said "compensating section bar". The adjustment of the width of the cabin wall is thus obtained, during the installation phase, by inserting to a greater or lesser depth the upright of the metal frame in the "compensating section bar". This solution has the drawback that it is expensive since wide use is made of metal parts whose cost have a substantial bearing on the cabin is production cost. In the case of the frame which is adjustable in width, the cabin wall is constituted by the frame itself in which are mounted, optionally in a slidable way, at least two slabs of glass or of a polymer material and the adjustment is obtained by constructing the upper and lower cross-pieces in at least two parts which are mutually slidable by means of a telescope-type coupling. The sliding point is substantially located in the middle part of the cross-pieces where there is also an appropriate overlap of the slabs. This solution has the drawback that it is unsightly due to the obvious steps on the two cross-pieces also on the outer part of the cabin. The document FR-A-2 307 947 describes a cabin door assembly of the above-mentioned type, comprising a frame and a door panel wherein top and bottom frame members each consist of parts which are telescopically slidable for width adjustability and fixable at a selected width while the door panel slides over a fixed panel. Object of the present invention is to overcome the above drawbacks by using the lowest possible number of metal parts without prejudice, however, to the solidity and the appearance of the cabin. According to the present invention, such object is accomplished by means of a shower cabin having adjustable width comprising at least one wall, formed by an upper and a lower cross-piece which are substantially horizontal and by one or more slabs held, optionally in a slidable way, between said cross-pieces, and at least one upright which is substantially vertical, characterized in that said upright is provided with seats suitable for receiving a portion of said cross-pieces and of the optionally fixed slab and in that there are also fastening means to make said upright integral with said cabin wall after the latter has penetrated to the desired depth in the respective seats in the upright. In a preferred embodiment said upright and said cabin wall are connected one to the other in a slidable way by means of protrusions of the upright inserted in notches in said wall. The fastening means, in turn, are preferably positioned opposite said protrusions and said notches. Even more preferably, said notches are obtained in said cross-pieces. When the cabin wall also includes a sliding slab, the above notches constitute the rails on which run the carriages connected to the sliding slab. In turn, in the preferred embodiment, the above protrusions constitute an extension of guide couplings which are insrted in the ends of the hollow upright to close them. One possible embodiment of the present invention is illustrated, as a non-limiting example, in the enclosed drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a partially sectioned plan view of a shower cabin according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a front view of a cabin wall connected to the upright, seen from the inside of the shower cabin according to the invention; Fig. 3 is a front view of some details, enlarged with respect to Fig. 2, of the upper and lower cross-pieces of the cabin wall before being connected to the upright and seen from the inside of the shower cabin according to the invention; Fig. 4 is a front view of some details, enlarged with respect to Fig. 2, of the upright not connected to the cabin wall and seen from the inside of the shower cabin according to the invention; Figs 5 and 6 show two different moments of the connection of the cabin wall shown in Fig. 3 to the upright shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is a view of the left hand side of the upper part of the upright shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 8 is a cross-section, along the line A-A', of the cabin wall connected to the upright according to Fig. 6; Fig. 9 is a cross-section, along the line B-B', of the upright according to Fig. 4; Fig. 10 shows a guide coupling before it is inserted in the end of the upright according to Fig. 4; Fig. 11 shows a cross-section, along the line C-C', of the guide coupling shown in Fig. 10. The shower cabin illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises two cabin walls 1 and 1', two uprights 2 and 2' and a coupling 3. The uprights 2 and 2' are fastened to the walls 6 and 6' by means of the angle brackets 7 and 7'. Each of the two cabin walls 1 and 1' comprises a fixed slab 4 and 4' and a sliding slab 5 and 5' Each of the two fixed slabs 4 and 4' is inserted in the corresponding upright 2 and 2'. Fig. 2 shows that the cabin wall 1 is formed by an upper cross-piece 8 and by a lower cross-piece 8', as well as by a fixed glass slab 4 and a sliding glass slab 5. Moreover, Fig. 2 shows that the upright 2 is connected to the cabin wall 1 by means of protrusions 10 and 10' inserted in the notches 9 and 9' obtained in the cross-pieces 8 and 8', respectively. Said notches 9 and 9' are the rails wherein slide the carriages 13 and 13' of the sliding slab 5. The protrusions 10 and 10' are provided with slits 11 and 11' which, in co-operation with the bolts 12 and 12' and the threaded holes 14 and 14' shown in Fig. 3, constitute the fastening means whereby the upright 2 is made integral with the cabin wall 1 after the latter has penetrated, to the required depth, in the corresponding seats obtained in the upright 2. In the particular case illustrated in Fig. 2 the ends of the cross-pieces 8 and 8' and the fixed slab 4 have penetrated in the upright 2 to the fullest extent. Fig. 3 shows part of the notches 9 and 9' obtained in the cross-pieces 8 and 8' and connectable in a slidable way with the protrusions 10 and 10' of the upright 2 shown in Fig. 4. In addition, Fig. 3 shows the threaded holes 14 and 14' which, in co-operation with the slits 11 and 11' and with the bolts 12 and 12' shown in Fig.s 2, 5, 6 and 8, constitute the fastening means. Fig.s 5 and 6 show the connection and the fastening of the cabin wall 1 to the upright 2. In the case of Fig. 5, the cabin wall 1 is only inserted a little way in the upright 2 while Fig. 6 shows the maximum insertion of the cabin wall 1 in the upright 2. Fig. 7 shows that the upright 2 is provided with a seat 15 suitable for receiving a portion of the wall 1. Fig. 8 shows that said seat 15 receives a portion of the cross-piece 8 and of the fixed slab 4. Said connection is accomplished by the sliding of the protrusion 10 of the upright 2 in the notch 9 of the cross-piece 8. The subsequent fastening in the desired position is accomplished by screwing the bolt 12, through the slit 11, into the threaded hole 14 in the cross-piece 8. Fig. 7 and 8 also show that the angle bracket 7, integral with the upright 2, is provided with holes 18 to facilitate the fastening of the upright 2 to the wall by means of expansion bolts or other suitable known means. Fig. 9 shows that the protrusion 10 constitutes the extension of a guide coupling 16 inserted under pressure in the upright 2. Fig.9 also shows that the guide coupling 16 is provided with a seat 15 suitable for receiving a portion of the cross-piece 8. The guide coupling 16 is also illustrated in Fig.s 10 and 11. The figures also show that the upper surface of the guide coupling 16 has a projection 19 running along its entire perimeter and which has a depth that is equal to the thickness of the walls of the upright 2 so that said projection 19 stops the insertion of said guide coupling 16 in the upright. There is thus obtained both the installation of the protrusion 10 and the closing of the hollow end of the upright 2 which is hollow inside. As already said previously, the parts shown in Fig.s 2-6 are seen from the inside of the shower cabin according to the invention. The parts facing outwards do not, however, have any means whatsoever for adjusting the width of the cabin. Their shape and appearance will thus be determined solely on the basis of aesthetic criteria.

Claims: Shower cabin having adjustable width comprising at least one cabin (1), wall formed by an upper and a lower cross-piece (8,8') which are substantially horizontal and by one or more slabs (4,5) held, optionally in a slidable way, between said cross-pieces (8,8'); and at least one upright (2) which is substantially vertical, characterized in that said upright (2) is provided with seats (15) suitable for receiving a portion of said cross-pieces (8,8') and of the optionally fixed slab (4) and in that there are also fastening means (11,11';12,12' and 14,14') to make said upright (2) integral with said cabin wall (1) after the latter has penetrated to the desired depth in the corresponding seat (15) in the upright (2). Cabin according to the previous claim 1, characterized in that said upright (2) and said cabin wall (1) are connected one to the other in a slidable way by means of protrusions (10,10') of the upright (2) inserted in notches (9,9') obtained in said cabin wall (1). Cabin according to the previous claim 2, characterized in that the fastening means (11,11';12,12' and 14,14') are located opposite said protrusions (10,10') and said notches (9,9'). Cabin according to the previous claim 2, characterized in that said notches (9,9') are obtained in said cross-pieces (8,8'). Cabin according to the previous claim 4, characterized in that said notches (9,9') are the rails in which the carriages (13,13') slide connected to the sliding slab (5). Cabin according to the previous claim 2, characterized in that said protrusions (10,10') constitute the extensions of guide couplings (16) inserted in the hollow ends of the upright (12).

Inventors: COLOMBO, ENRICO, VISMARA, GIUSEPPE
Applicants: VISMARAVETRO S.R.L.
Application year: 1989
Main classification: A47K3
IPC codes: A47K3