Abstract:
A shower door assembly with at least one adjustment assembly has an adjustment device and a locking device. The locking device includes a blocking element, a pressing element and an elastic element between the blocking element and the pressing element. The elastic element is arc-shaped when unlocked. An inclined surface projects to the blocking element. The curvature of the elastic element is thus reduced until it engages with the adjustment device. A driving device includes a cam mechanism and a sliding element having one end in contact with the pressing element and the other end sliding along with the inclined surface when driven by the cam mechanism so as to push the pressing element toward the blocking element, and thus reduce the curvature of the arc-shaped elastic element until the elastic element is engaged with the adjustment device.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to shower door assembly, and in particular, to adjustment assembly used therein which achieves fast assembling and adjustment. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Doors used for shower enclosure are often mounted against wall surfaces and the doors thus mounted are kept as vertical as possible. However, the wall surfaces of buildings are often not exactly vertical, for example, titled toward outside/inside by an angle. Therefore, if mounted completely along the wall surface, the doors may not be smoothly opened or closed. In this regard, it is necessary to adjust the distances between the top/bottom end of a door and a wall surface so as to keep the door in a vertical position. 
     To achieve this adjustment, a door assembly usually comprises a stationary frame to be attached to a wall surface, and a movable frame connected with a door panel, such as a glass door panel. The stationary frame is firstly attached to the wall surface and then the movable frame is moved toward the stationary frame, during which the distances between the top and bottom ends of the movable frame, and the stationary frame are such adjusted that the movable frame is in a vertical position, and thus so is the door panel. The stationary and movable frames are finally connected to each other by drilling thereon and by using fasteners. 
     However, in one aspect, the drilling operation requires at least two people to cooperate and is very time-consuming. In another aspect, the drilling may inadvertently cause damages to the surfaces of the frames generally made of aluminum materials, which is undesirable to consumers. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a shower door assembly which comprises a stationary frame, a movable frame and at least one adjustment assembly disposed between the stationary frame and the movable frame, the at least one adjustment assembly comprising an adjustment device and a locking device, the adjustment device being detachably connected to the stationary frame and having an extension, the locking device being detachably connected to the movable frame and comprising 
     two opposite sides and a bottom side connecting said two opposite sides, the opposite sides and the bottom side defining a first cavity having a first depth and a second cavity having a second smaller depth, the first and second cavity jointly receiving the extension of the adjustment device; 
     a blocking element, a pressing element and an elastic element disposed between the blocking element and the pressing element being located in the first cavity, the elastic element being arc-shaped when unlocked, an interface between the first and the second cavity having at least a portion forming an inclined surface projecting to the blocking element; and 
     a driving device comprising a cam mechanism and a sliding element in the first cavity, the sliding element has one end in contact with the pressing element and the other end sliding along with the inclined surface when driven by the cam mechanism so as to push the pressing element toward the blocking element, and thus reduce the curvature of the arc-shaped elastic element until the elastic element is engaged with the adjustment device. 
     Preferably, the arc-shaped elastic element has an intrados facing towards the blocking element. 
     In one embodiment, the blocking element comprises a guiding rod. The pressing element and the arc-shaped each has a through hole, respectively, through which the guiding rod can pass so as to guide the movements of the pressing element and the elastic element within the first cavity. 
     In one embodiment, the pressing element has a guiding groove for receiving the one end of the sliding element. The guiding groove has a width large enough to maintain the one end within the guiding groove when the sliding element is sliding along the inclined surface. 
     In one embodiment, the locking device has a threaded hole penetrating through one of the two opposite sides such that when the locking device and the adjustment device are engaged, the engagement can be enhanced by screwing a screw into the threaded hole. Preferably, in this embodiment, a spacer element is disposed within the second cavity in a gap formed by the extension of the adjustment device. The spacer element is provided to prevent deformation of the elastic element already flattened, which may be caused by excessive force applied by the screwing as mentioned above. 
     In one embodiment, the pressing element has platforms at two sides, for in contact with the two opposite sides of the locking device, so as to prevent turnover of the pressing element during movement. 
     In one embodiment, the locking device has a receiving groove at one of the two opposite sides for receiving the cam mechanism. 
     In one embodiment, a surface of the extension of the adjustment device that is in contact with the arc-shaped elastic element is provided with teeth, such that the elastic element will be imbedded between two adjacent teeth when the elastic element is pressed, so as to enhance the engagement of the adjustment device and the locking device. 
     In one embodiment, the locking device is attached to the movable frame at at least two different linkage points, such that the locking device will not rotate about the movable frame. 
     In one embodiment, the arc-shaped elastic element is flattened when pressed, i.e., the curvature is zero. 
     In one embodiment, the stationary frame has two sidewalls, each received within respective slot provided with the locking device. 
     In one embodiment, the shower door assembly comprises two adjustment assemblies located at terminal ends of the stationary/movable frames, and the adjustment assemblies are disposed in opposite. 
     In one embodiment, the arc-shaped elastic element is constituted by a single metal sheet or a plurality of metal sheets that are disposed side by side. The single metal sheet, or the plurality of metal sheets as a whole, has a thickness between about 0.1 mm and no more than 0.2 mm, preferably 0.15 mm. 
     The shower door assembly provided by the present invention transfers the rotation of the cam mechanism to the translational movement of the pressing element by the inclined surface and the sliding element. The movement of the pressing element towards the blocking element makes the arc-shaped elastic element disposed there between flattened, such that the lateral width of the elastic element increases, causing engagement with the extension of the adjustment device. Therefore, the adjustment device is locked by the locking device and thus immovable, the relative position between the stationary frame and the movable frame is thus fixed. When the cam mechanism is counter-rotated, the arc-shaped elastic element will disengage with the adjustment device due to the restoring force of the elastic element and return to unlocked state. The adjustment device can achieve fast assembling and adjustment of the shower door and, in the meantime, is able to lock and release by minimum force. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  schematically and partially shows a locking device according to one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows the locking device of  FIG. 1  from another perspective of view, showing more elements. 
         FIG. 3  is an exemplary pressing element of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  is an exemplary sliding element of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  shows a sectional view of an exemplary locking device. 
         FIG. 6  shows an exemplary cam mechanism of the invention. 
         FIG. 7  shows an exemplary arc-shaped element of the invention. 
         FIG. 8  shows an exemplary adjustment device of the invention. 
         FIG. 9  is an exploded view showing a shower door assembly of the invention. 
         FIG. 10  shows an assembling state of the shower door assembly, wherein the door assembly is unlocked. 
         FIG. 11  shows another assembling state of the shower door assembly, wherein the door assembly is locked. 
         FIG. 12  is a sectional view of the state as shown in  FIG. 10 . 
         FIG. 13  is a sectional view of the state as shown in  FIG. 11 . 
       Elements that are irrelevant of the spirit of the invention is omitted from the drawings for clarity purpose. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The invention will now be described in more detail in reference to preferable examples in conjugation with the accompanied drawings. 
       FIG. 1  partially shows a locking device  300  according to one embodiment of the invention. The locking device  300  is substantially rectangular in shape. Two opposite sides  301 ,  302  and a bottom side  303  jointly define an open internal space. The internal space comprises a first cavity  310  and a second cavity  320 . The second cavity  320  has a less depth than that of the first cavity  310 . An interface between the first and second cavities  310 ,  320  has at least a part forming an inclined surface  330  projecting toward the first cavity  310 . 
     The locking device  300  is coupled to a movable frame  200  (see  FIG. 9 ) at at least two linkage points  313 ,  383 , such that the locking device  300  will not rotate around the movable frame  200 . 
     In  FIG. 1 , a blocking element  311  is provided within the first cavity  310  at an end that is away from the bottom side  303 . In this example, the blocking element  311  has a guiding rod  312  for guiding the movements of other elements in the first cavity  31 . 
       FIG. 2  shows more elements of the locking device  300 . In the first cavity  310  is disposed a pressing element  315 , and an arc-shaped elastic element  314  between the pressing element  315  and the foresaid blocking element  311 . The arc-shaped elastic element  314  has an intrados facing toward the blocking element  311 . The pressing element  315  is able to be moved within the first cavity  310  in relation to the blocking element  311  so as to press or release from the elastic element  314  to change the curvature, and in turn the lateral width, of the elastic element  314 . 
     A sliding element  316  is further provided in the first cavity  310  and has one end in contact with the pressing element  315 , and the other end in contact with and sliding along the inclined surface  330 . Therefore, when actuated by the cam mechanism  317 , the sliding element  316  will slide along the inclined surface and push the pressing element to move toward the blocking element  311 . The locking device  300  has a groove  304  at its one side for receiving the cam mechanism  317 . FIG.  2  shows only a handle  371  of the cam mechanism  317 . 
       FIGS. 3 and 4  show an exemplary pressing element  315  and a sliding element  316 , respectively. The pressing element  315  comprises a sliding groove  353  for receiving the one end  361  of the sliding element  316 . The sliding groove  353  is wide enough such that the end  361  is always maintained therein during the slide of the sliding element  316  along the inclined surface  330 . The pressing element  315  has two platforms  352  at two sides for contacting the two opposite sides  301 ,  302  of the locking device  300 , so as to prevent from overturn of the pressing element  315  during its movement. In this example, the pressing element  315  is provided with a through hole  354 , through which the guiding rod  312  of the blocking element  311  can pass, so as to guide the movement of the pressing element  315 . 
     The sliding element  316  comprises the one end  361  received within the sliding groove  353 , a contact surface  362  in contact with the cam mechanism  317 , and the other end  363  in contact with and sliding along the inclined surface  330 . When rotated, the cam mechanism  317  pushes, through the contact surface  362 , the sliding element  316  to rotate about the end  361 , and in the meantime, the other end  363  slides along the inclined surface  330 . Because the inclined surface  330  is projected toward the first cavity  310 , the sliding element  316  pushes the pressing element  315  to move toward the blocking element  311 . 
       FIG. 5  is a sectional view of the locking device, showing the relative positions of respective element in the first cavity  310  and the cooperation between them. 
       FIG. 6  shows an exemplary cam mechanism  317  which comprises a handle  371  and a cam portion  372 . The handle  371  is provided to facilitate rotation operation of the cam mechanism and the cam portion  372  is used for contact with the contact surface  362  of the sliding element  316 . The cam mechanism  317  may be attached to the side  301  by pins such that it may rotate about the side  301 , such that the cam portion  372  is in contact with the contact surface  362  to push the sliding element  316  to move. 
       FIG. 7  shows an exemplary elastic element  314  which has an intrados preferably facing toward the blocking element  311 . The elastic element  314  preferably has a through hole  341  through which the guiding rod  312  can pass to guide the movement of the elastic element  314 . When pressed by the pressing element  315 , the curvature of the elastic element  314  will decrease, so the lateral width increases. In one example, the curvature of the elastic element  314  is reduced to zero, i.e., the lateral width reaches maximum value and the elastic element  314  is flattened. The arc-shaped element can be a single metal sheet, or a plurality of metal sheets arranged side by side, so as to provide both suitable elastic force and strength. In the example, the elastic element has a thickness of about 0.15 mm. A thickness more than 0.2 mm may not provide sufficient elastic force and less than 0.1 mm may not provide sufficient strength. 
       FIG. 8  shows an exemplary adjustment device  400  comprising a securing portion  420  detachably connected to the stationary frame  100 , and an extension  410 . The inner surface of the extension is distributed with a plurality of teeth  411 . The teeth are provided to achieve more close and reliable engagement with the locking device  300 . 
       FIG. 9  schematically shows a shower door assembly of the present invention. The shower door assembly comprises a stationary frame  100 , a movable frame  200 , and two adjustment assemblies connected between the stationary frame  100  and the movable frame  200 , with each of the two adjustment assemblies being located at respective ends of the stationary frame/movable frame. Each adjustment assembly is consisted of the locking device  300  and the adjustment device  400 , the relative position and cooperation between them are shown in the figure. The movable frame  200  is coupled with a pivot door  250  which can be, for example, a glass door. The pivot door  250  may be connected to the movable frame  200  by suitable methods, for example by the locking device  300 . For example, a through hole can be provided on the locking device  300 , through which a pivot shaft of the pivot door can pass so as to be linked with the locking device  300 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 9 , the stationary frame  100  have two sidewalls  101 ,  102  which, when assembling, may be inserted into respective slot  381 ,  382  (see  FIG. 1 ) of the locking device  300 . 
       FIG. 10  shows the shower door assembly in a first state wherein the locking device and the adjustment device are combined, but the movable frame  200  and the stationary frame  100  are not locked.  FIG. 12  shows a top view of the shower door assembly in this state. As shown, the cam mechanism  317  is in an open position and the sliding element  316  is not actuated. The elastic element  314  is thus in an uncompressed condition. The movable frame  200  and the stationary frame  100  can freely move with respect to each other. 
       FIG. 11  shows the shower door assembly in a second state wherein the locking and adjustment devices are locked together, so that the relative position between stationary frame  100  and the movable frame  200  can not be changed.  FIG. 13  shows a top view of the shower door assembly in this state. As shown, the cam mechanism  317  is in a close position and received within the receiving groove  304 . The sliding element  316  is actuated to slide along the inclined surface  330 , so as to push the pressing element  315  to move towards the blocking element  311 . The elastic element  314  will then be pressed to gradually become flat. The lateral width of the elastic element  314  increases and eventually engages with the extension  410  of the adjustment device, such that the adjustment device is pressed against the two opposite sides of the locking device and therefore immovable in relation to the movable frame  200 . The stationary frame  100  is therefore immovable in relation to the movable frame  200 . 
     Optionally, in this example, the locking device  300  is provided with a threaded hole  305  penetrating through one side of the locking device. When the adjustment device  400  and the locking device  300  is locked, a screw  325  can be screwed into the threaded hole and abutted against the extension  410  so as to enhance the engagement between the flattened elastic element and the extension. On the other hand, in order not to cause unrecoverable deformation to the elastic element, it is preferably that, in the second cavity  320 , a spacer element  321  is provided in a space formed by the extension. 
     It should be understood that various example embodiments have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which only some example embodiments are shown. The present invention, however, may be embodied in many alternate forms and should not be construed as limited to only the example embodiments set forth herein.