SHOWER CUBICLE

Abstract: A shower cubicle admitting of two configurations namely an extended in-use configuration and a contracted stand-by configuration, comprises a fixed unit comprising a rear wall (10), floor (13) including a recessed drainage pan (14), and two fixed side wall panels (11, 12), and a movable unit comprising a front wall (17), a forwardly projecting, floor level pan cover panel (20) and two movable side wall panels (18, 19), and a linear actuator to shift the movable unit from one configuration to the other. In the the stand-by position the pan cover panel covers that part of the floor and drainage pan that remains outside the ambit of the contracted cubicle walls.

Description: SHOWER CUBICLE TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to shower cubicles, and in particular to shower cubicles adapted for incorporation in a confined space, such as is often found, for example, in a mobile home, a boat or the like. The invention is primarily described in relation to a mobile home of the kind referred to as a motor home which is, frequently at any rate, a small bus-type vehicle fitted out internally with cupboards, toilets, and a small stove, bunks, and fittings of that nature, but is not restricted to that embodiment. The invention is well adapted for incorporation in any portable or permanent structure in which space and floor area are limited. BACKGROUND ART In most motor homes it is necessary to have a shower recess or a shower cubicle, and that normally also contains a toilet and a wash hand basin. When not in use, the shower cubicle is objectionable, in that it is obtrusive and takes up considerable floor area that could, with advantage be used for other purposes. French patent 2252-073 shows a shower cubicle which is expansible by virtue of sliding overlapping walls. Thus it admits of the possibility of reducing the floor area occupied by the cubicle when not in use. However, the degree of reduction in respect of either of its main plan dimensions is not very large, as dictated by the requirement that, for aesthetic reasons and so as to provide a flat floor externally of the cubicle when contracted, its drainage floor pan requires to be enclosed by the walls at all times. Moreover, the disclosed arrangement, involving sliding extension of all four walls, is complex and, therefore, expensive to manufacture. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a size adjustable shower cubicle that may be contracted from an in use configuration to an appreciably smaller stand-by configuration that is simple to make and operate, that provides a considerable diminution of one plan dimension when changed down in size, and yet which provides a substantially flat external floor when contracted. The invention consists in a shower cubicle comprising a floor of which at least a part is recessed to constitute a drainage pan, a rear wall extending substantially along a rear edge of the floor, two extendable and contractable side walls generally coinciding with respective side edges of the floor, a translationally movable front wall, a pan cover panel projecting horizontally outwardly from the foot of the front wall; said cubicle admitting of two configurations, namely an in-use configuration, wherein the side walls are extended and the front wall substantially coincides with a front edge of the floor, and a stand-by configuration, wherein the side walls are contracted, the front wall is spaced behind the front edge of the drainage pan and the pan cover panel extends over that part of the drainage pan which is then in front of the front wall. In preferred embodiments, the cubicle further comprises operating means for shifting from either configuration to the other. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is plan view of a shower cubicle according to the invention, fitted in a mobile home and shown in its in-use configuration. Figure 2 is a side elevation of the shower cubicle shown in figure 1. Figure 3 is a view similar to figure 1 showing the cubicle of figure 1 in its stand-by configuration. Figure 4 is a side elevation of the shower cubicle shown in figure 3. Figure 5 is a sectional detail view taken on line 5-5 of figure 3. Figure 6 is an enlarged detail of a runner appearing within enclosure 6 in figure 5. Figure 7 is a view taken generally in the direction of the arrow marked 7 in figure 6 showing the runner of that figure in its extended configuration. Figure 8 is a detail front elevation of a cover panel viewed along line 8-8 of that figure. Figure 9 is an enlarged sectional detail view taken on line 9-9 of figure 7. BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION By way of example, an embodiment of the above described invention is described in more detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. The walls and floor of the illustrated cubicle comprise a fixed unit and a movable unit. The fixed unit constitutes the cubicle's rear wall 10, two fixed panels 11 and 12 respectively of its extendable and contractable side walls and a floor 13 having a recessed zone 14 constituting the cubicle's drainage pan. The fixed unit is preferably furnished with such conventional fixtures, for example, a toilet bowl 15 and wash basin 16, as may be provided in a particular instance, to enable permanent plumbing connections to be made therewith. The movable unit constitutes the cubicle's translationally movable front wall 17, two movable panels 18 and 19 respectively of its side walls, and its forwardly extending cover panel 20. In the present instance the movable side wall panel 15 incorporates a swing door 20 providing access to the cubicle when in its in-use configuration. Thus it will be seen that the movable unit rest in either of two positions, to provide two corresponding configurations of the cubicle, namely an in-use or extended configuration, as seen in figures 1 and 2, where there is scarcely any overlap between the fixed and movable panels of the respective side walls, and a stand-by or contracted configuration, as seen in figures 3 and 4, where there is considerable overlap between the panels of each side wall. In the in-use configuration the door 21 is available for entry and exit into and from the cubicle and the drain pan 14 is wholly enclosed by the cubicle walls. In the present instance the pan cover 20 is then resident under a cupboard unit 22 of the motor home, but that of course is not essential to the invention. In the stand-by configuration a passageway is provided between the contracted cubicle and the cupboard unit 22, and the cover panel 20 extends over that part of the drain pan 14, which would otherwise be exposed in the floor of the passage. For preference the cover panel is mounted so that it is flush with the passage floor adjacent to it. To that end the outboard end of the cover panel may be suspended by bearing blocks 23 from an axle 24 provided with wheels 25 running in guide tracks 26 adjacent the edges of a cut out in the floor 27 of the mobile home to accommodate the cover panel 20. The movable unit may be moved between those two rest positions by means, for example, of a linear actuator 28 extending between it and the fixed unit. The linear actuator 28 is a conventional, off-the-shelf, proprietary item not needing detailed description herein. It is essentially a jack screw with a rotatable nut, or maybe the screw itself is rotatable in a fixed nut. The rotatable component is driven by a small electric motor through a reduction gearbox. The actuator transforms the rotation of the motor to linear movement of an extension rod, and is automatically self-locking in any particular position of extension. For preference the movable unit is carried upon two telescopic runners 29 of known kind. As may best be seen in figure 7, each runner 29 comprises a fixed casing 30, fastened to a fixed side wall panel 11 or 12 as the case may be, and at least one, preferably two, roller mounted bearers 31 and 32 houseable within the fixed casing, but which can move outwardly from it. The outermost bearer 32 is fixed to the corresponding movable side wall panel 18 or 19. When extended, each bearer still has two spaced apart rollers lodged within either the fixed casing or the other upstream bearer, so that it is rigid in the sense that it can carry weight, in this case the weight of the movable walls, but nevertheless moves freely in the longitudinal direction of the runner. Alternatively the moving unit may be suspended from a ceiling mounted track. The degree of overlap between the fixed and movable panels (1 1 and 18 or 12 and 19 respectively) of the side walls varies to accommodate the degree of extension or contraction thereof. In the in-use configuration the panels of each pair scarcely overlap at all. Thus to prevent accidental full separation and reduce water leakage the front upright edge of each fixed panel and the rear upright edge of each movable panel are preferably furnished with inter-engagable sealing means, such as the hook formations 33 shown in figure 9. In other embodiments each one of said at least two extendable and contractable side walls may be in the form of more than one sliding panel, or may be a plurality of hingedly connected panels providing for extension in the manner of a concertina. In other embodiments of the invention the linear actuator described above may be replaced by other powered or manually operable operating means for thrusting the movable unit from one position to another. Indeed in very simple embodiments no such operating means, beyond perhaps a handle on the front wall or elsewhere to permit the movable unit to be readily grasped, and the change from one configuration to the other is effected by hand.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A shower cubicle comprising a floor of which at least a part is recessed to constitute a drainage pan, a rear wall extending substantially along a rear edge of the floor, two extendable and contractable side walls generally coinciding with respective side edges of the floor, a translationally movable front wall, a pan cover panel projecting horizontally outwardly from the foot of the front wall; said cubicle admitting of two configurations, namely an in-use configuration, wherein the side walls are extended and the front wall substantially coincides with a front edge of the floor, and a stand-by configuration, wherein the side walls are contracted, the front wall is spaced behind the front edge of the drainage pan and the pan cover panel extends over that part of the drainage pan which is then in front of the front wall. 2. A shower cubicle according to claim wherein each said side wall comprises a fixed wall panel and a movable wall panel that may overlap to a variable extent. 3. A shower cubicle according to claim 2 comprising a fixed and a movable unit, said fixed unit comprising the rear wall, floor and fixed side wall panels, and said movable unit comprising the front wall, pan cover panel and movable side wall panels. 4. A shower cubicle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the front edge margin of said pan cover panel is furnished with supporting wheels. 5. A shower cubicle according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising operating means to change the cubicle from one configuration to the other. 6. A shower cubicle according to claim 5 wherein the operating means comprise a linear actuator. 7. A shower cubicle according to claim 3 wherein said movable unit is carried upon telescopic runners. 8. A shower cubicle substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings

Inventors: WINDUS DONALD ARTHUR, WINDUS, DONALD, ARTHUR
Applicants: WINDUS DONALD ARTHUR, WINDUS, DONALD, ARTHUR
Application year: 1995
Main classification: B60R15
IPC codes: A47K3, B60P3, B60R15, E04H1