Abstract:
A door assembly compensates for any deflection of the track which may occur with a heavy door material and/or a curved door support track. In particular, the present disclosure provides track mounting assemblies which can be tilted in order to “fine tune” the orientation of the door with respect to the surrounding support structure, e.g., the bathtub or shower base threshold. If the curved track deflects from the weight of one or more sliding doors, the track can be tilted to ensure that the door remains level and functions as intended.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to curved slideable doors and, in particular, to adjustable curved shower doors. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Bathing enclosures are used to retain water from, e.g., a showerhead within an enclosed area. Recently, bathing enclosures utilize curved outer walls in order to create additional space within the enclosure. The outer walls may be a shower curtain on a curved rod, for example, or a curved door on a correspondingly curved slider track. 
     A favored material for curved doors used in bathroom enclosures is glass, which admits light to the enclosure, is waterproof and can be easily cleaned. In order to support the weight of the glass doors, the curved tracks along which the doors slide may be made from a robust, bulky material. In some cases, curved tracks may deflect when the weight of the glass door assembly is placed on a track, resulting in a “dip” or depression at the middle of the track together with rotation of the track due to the moment created by the curve. Misalignment of the tracks may also cause or exacerbate such a “dip.” This deflection and/or rotation may urge the door or doors toward the middle of the enclosure, causing the door or doors to open unintentionally. 
     Curved-door designs may have a moveable door panel which slides between open and closed positions, and a stationary door panel which is rigidly fixed to the surrounding support structures and may itself be used as a support for mounting the sliding door. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure provides a door assembly which compensates for any deflection of the track which may occur with a heavy door material and/or a curved door support track. In particular, the present disclosure provides track mounting assemblies which can be tilted in order to “fine tune” the orientation of the door with respect to the surrounding support structure, e.g., the bathtub or shower base threshold. If the curved track deflects from the weight of one or more sliding doors, the track can be tilted to ensure that the door remains level and functions as intended. 
     In one form thereof, the present disclosure provides a sliding door assembly comprising: a door; a support track slideably supporting the door, the support track having axial ends with a longitudinal extent therebetween, and a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the longitudinal extent, the cross-sectional shape defining a first pivot area and an adjuster engagement area spaced from the first pivot area; and a track mounting assembly fixable to an adjacent support surface, the track mounting assembly comprising: a support body including a track slot sized to receive the support track, the track slot defining a second pivot area adapted to pivotably engage with the first pivot area; and a tilt adjuster engaging the adjuster engagement area of the support track to selectively adjust a tilt of the support track within the track slot. 
     In another form thereof, the present disclosure a sliding door adjustment mechanism comprising: a support body having a tapered track slot including a narrow portion defining a pivot area and a wide portion defining an adjuster area, the tapered track slot sized to pivotably receive a support track of a sliding door; and a support anchor coupled to the support body and adapted to be fixed to an adjacent support surface. 
     In yet another form thereof, the present disclosure provides a method for adjusting a tilt angle of a sliding door, the method comprising: affixing axial ends of a support track to a pair of mutually opposed support surfaces; slideably attaching a door to the support track such that the support track supports the weight of the door, and the support track experiences a downward deflection; tilting at least one of the axial ends of the support track to correct the downward deflection. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above-mentioned and other features of the disclosure, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a curved door assembly made in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged, partial perspective view of the door assembly shown in  FIG. 1 , illustrating a support track mounting assembly; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded, perspective view of the support track mounting assembly shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-section view of the support track mounting assembly shown in  FIG. 2 , taken along the line  4 - 4 , in which the support rod is in a centered vertical orientation; 
         FIG. 5  is another cross-section view of the support track mounting assembly shown in  FIG. 2 , taken along the line  4 - 4 , in which the support track is in a deflection-correction orientation; and 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of an alternative support track mounting assembly in accordance with the present disclosure, in which the support track is vertically adjustable with respect to the track mounting assembly. 
     
    
    
     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present disclosure provides a curved and sliding door assembly  10  ( FIG. 1 ) for bathing enclosures. Assembly  10  includes support tracks  16  which slidably support first and second curved doors  12 ,  14  and can be tilted away from a centered, vertical position to a deflection-correction orientation in order to provide for onsite adjustment of the tilt angle of support tracks  16 . This adjustable tilt can be used to selectively correct for a downward deflection of support tracks  16  due to the weight of doors  12  and/or  14 . The tilting of tracks  16  is effected by adjustment of track mounting assemblies  30  disposed at one or both ends of support tracks  16 . In an exemplary embodiment and as further described below, mounting assemblies  30  provide for user-manipulable fine adjustment of the tilt angle of support tracks  16 , such that an appropriate corrective tilt angle can be selected as needed for each individual installation of sliding door assembly  10 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 1 , sliding door assembly  10  includes a first curved sliding door  12  supported by an upper support track  16  and a second curved sliding door  14  supported by a lower support track  16 . In the illustrated embodiment, first and second doors  12 ,  14  are laterally offset with respect to one another such that each of the doors  12 ,  14  is slidable from a closed configuration, as shown in  FIG. 1 , to an open configuration by pushing a respective handle  20  away from the adjacent wall of the bathing enclosure (not shown). 
     In particular, each of doors  12 ,  14  is slideably supported by a pair of roller assemblies  18  affixed to the respective door panel. Roller assemblies  18  each engage a respective support track  16  as illustrated, and provide a secure and low-friction interface between doors  12 ,  14  and their respective support tracks  16 . In an exemplary embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , roller assembly  18  includes weight bearing roller  36  rotatably mounted to an axle, which is in turn fixed to the panel of door  14 . Weight bearing roller  36  is rollingly received on the upper surface of the adjacent support track  16 . Roller assembly  18  also includes retainer roller  38  which is rollingly received on a lower surface of support track  16 , and operates to “capture” or slideably fix door  14  upon support track  16 . Roller arm  40  couples weight bearing roller  36  to retainer roller  38 . 
     In the illustrative embodiment of  FIG. 1 , doors  12 ,  14  have a convex outer surface and a correspondingly concave inner surface. Support tracks  16  may be similarly curved and disposed along the concave inner surfaces of doors  12 ,  14 , such that the outer surfaces (visible from the room in which the bathing enclosure is located) present a clean and uncluttered appearance. 
     Doors  12 ,  14  include side gaskets  22  and bottom gaskets  24  which provide a waterproof seal between the outside and lower edges, respectively, of doors  12 ,  14  and the adjacent support surfaces of the bathing enclosure. For example, side gasket  22  may interface with a vertical wall of the bathing enclosure to provide a fluid-tight seal between the interior and exterior of the bathing enclosure along the vertical wall, while bottom gaskets  24  similarly provide a fluid tight seal between the lower edges of doors  12 ,  14  and the adjacent floor, threshold or tub wall of the bathing enclosure. Door guide  26  may be provided along the lower door surfaces to restrain lateral movement of doors  12 ,  14  as they are moved between the open and closed positions as described above. 
     Door stops  28  may be mounted on each of support tracks  16  in order to limit the slidable motion range of each door  12 ,  14  along the longitudinal extent of the support track  16  to which the door is mounted. Referring to  FIG. 2 , each door stop  28  includes retainer  34  sized to mount to a respective support track  16 , and a bumper  32  extending upwardly from retainer  34  and positioned to engage one of rollers  36  when the respective door  12  or  14  reaches a fully open configuration. As shown in  FIG. 1 , door stops  28  are positioned to allow each of doors  12 ,  14  to be slidably opened a substantial distance such that roller assemblies  18  are allowed to traverse most of the longitudinal extent of the support track  16 . The distance from the axial end of support track  16  to the door stop  28  may be set by an installer according to the particular spatial arrangement of the bathing enclosure to which sliding door assembly  10  is applied. 
     Support tracks  16  mount to the walls of the bathing enclosure via track mounting assemblies  30 , as shown in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 2  provides a detailed illustration of the connection between support tracks  16  and tracking mounting assembly  30  at an axial end of each support track  16 . In the illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the opposite axial ends of support tracks  16  are coupled to a track mounting assembly  30  in the same manner as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . Track mounting assembly  30  includes upper support body  42  which receives the upper support track  16 , and lower support body  44  which receives the lower support track  16 , and support anchor  46 . As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , support anchor  46  is a generally elongate component defining a generally vertical longitudinal axis A. Support anchor  46  has support bodies  42 ,  44  coupled to its opposite ends as shown in  FIG. 2 , such that longitudinal axis A is also the pivot axis about which upper and lower support bodies  42 ,  44  rotate ( FIG. 3 ). 
     Support anchor  46  is coupled to each of the upper and lower support bodies  42 ,  44 , and provides a fixed mounting point for affixing support bodies  42 ,  44 , and therefore support tracks  16  the other associated structures of sliding door assembly  10 , relative to the adjacent support surfaces. In particular, as shown in  FIG. 3 , support anchor  46  includes fastener apertures  64  sized to receive fasteners  48  therethrough. Upon assembly, support anchor  46  may be affixed to the adjacent support surface by driving fasteners  48  into the support surface, followed by assembly of the remaining components of track mounting assembly  30 . 
     Upper support body  42  is rotatably coupled to anchor  46  by lowering boss  68  into support mounting aperture  66 . Pivot pin  50  may then be passed through pivot pin aperture  74  and threadably engaged with support mounting aperture  66  to affix upper support body  42  with respect to support anchor  46 . When pivot pin  50  is loose, upper support body  42  may pivot with respect to anchor  46 , such that the curved support track  16  may approach the support surface at a non-perpendicular orientation. This configuration facilitates the use of the curved support tracks  16  (and the correspondingly curved first and second doors  12 ,  14 ) between parallel walls commonly found in bathing enclosures. Moreover, the pivotability of upper support body  42  with respect to anchor  46  ensures that an installer of sliding door assembly  10  can align support tracks  16  with track slot  60  (as further described below), regardless of whether slot  60  is perpendicular with the adjacent support surface. When support body  42  is pivoted to its desired orientation (e.g., when slot  60  received and is aligned with an axial end of support track  16 ), pivot pin  50  may be tightened to secure support body  42  to anchor  46  and, therefore, to the adjacent support surface. 
     Lower support body  44  is also pivotably mounted to support anchor  46  by pivot pin  50  ( FIG. 3 ), in the same manner as upper support body  42 . However, the spatial arrangement of the track slots  60  relative to axis A varies between upper and lower support bodies  42  and  44 , in order to laterally offset the two slots  60  are with respect to one another. That is, the plane defined by slot  60  in lower body  44  is not coplanar with the plane defined by slot  60  in upper body, even if upper and lower bodies  42 ,  44  are pivoted parallel to one another as shown in  FIG. 3 . This lateral offset accommodates the corresponding lateral offset between the upper and lower support tracks  16 , as described above, which in turn accommodates the lateral offset of first and second doors  12  and  14 . 
     In addition to the pivotable adjustment of upper and lower support bodies  42  and  44 , support tracks  16  have an adjustable “tilt” when received within track slots  60 , as noted above and shown in  FIG. 3 . In the illustrated embodiment, support bodies  42 ,  44  each include adjuster aperture  56 , which is a slotted aperture allowing for passage of flange bolt  52  therethrough at a variety of positions along the longitudinal extent of slot  60 . When an axial end of support track  16  is received within track slot  60 , threaded aperture  58  formed in track  16  aligns with adjuster aperture  56 , such that a threaded portion of flange bolt  52  may be threadably engaged with aperture  58 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . At this point, support track  16  is affixed with respect to the adjacent support surface via one of support bodies  42 ,  44  and support anchor  46 . Further adjustment of flange bolt  52  operates to change the tilt of support track  16 , as further described below. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates the cross-sectional shape and configuration of support track  16  and support body  42 , as taken in a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of support track  16  and track slot  60 , it being understood that these two longitudinal axes are substantially aligned when track  16  is received in slot  60 . For purposes of clarity, upper support body  42  only is shown in  FIG. 4 , though the same cross-sectional configuration may be used for lower support body  44  and the lower support track  16 . 
     Track slot  60  defines a tapered cross-sectional profile, including a substantially vertical first inner wall  70  and an angled second inner wall  72  defining taper angle Θ, which is equal to the overall taper angle of slot  60 . Slot  60  is narrower at its bottom portion and becomes wider with progression toward the top portion, i.e., toward flange bolt  52 . In the configuration of  FIG. 4 , support track  16  is in a centered vertical orientation within slot  60 , such that the vertical walls of support track  16  are substantially parallel to the vertical first inner wall  70  and define angle Θ with respect to angled wall  72 . In this configuration, the longitudinal axis of flange bolt  52  is substantially horizontal and gap G is formed between a lower portion of the flange of bolt  52  and the adjacent surface of upper support body  42  as illustrated. The configuration of  FIG. 4  will typically result in a generally level curved support track  16 , provided the axial ends of track  16  are at equal heights and track  16  is not deflected downwardly. On the other hand, downward deflection of track  16  may cause a “dip” in the center portion of track  16  which can be corrected by tilting track  16  at track mounting assembly  30 , as discussed further below. 
     When first door  12  is installed upon the upper support track  16 , weight bearing rollers  36  are rollingly received upon an upper surface of support track  16 , as illustrated in  FIG. 1  and described above. At this point, all or nearly all of the weight of door  12  is supported by support track  16 . Particularly in the case of curved door  12  and the associated curved support track  16 , this weight may create a moment which urges downward deflection and rotation of support track  16  to create the aforementioned “dip” near the center of support track  16 . For purposes of the present disclosure, references to “deflection” in the context of curved tracks  16  may encompass both downward deflection and rotation, it being understood that both can be expected to occur under the weight of doors  12  and/or  14 . This dip may in turn urge doors  12  to roll “downhill” toward the middle of the longitudinal extent of track  16 , such that door  12  is urged toward an open position. Moreover, depending on the size, material, and configuration of door  12 , the amount of such deflection and the corresponding depth of the central dip in track  16  may vary among various individual installations of sliding door assembly  10 . 
     In order to selectively correct for such deflection of track  16 , track mounting assembly  30  may be used to “tilt” support track  16  through a continuously adjustable range of potential tilt angles. The chosen level of tilt is that which corrects for the particular deflection encountered in an installation of sliding door assembly  10 , such that an installer may selectively tilt support track  16  into a desired orientation which eliminates any central “dip” and facilitates the desired operation during the opening and closing of door  12 . The same correction may be applied to the lower track  16  and door  14 , as appropriate. Moreover, although the moment created by the use of curved support tracks and curved doors  12 ,  14  inherently contributes to the creation of this central dip, it is contemplated that the present system of tilt adjustment may also be applied to non-curved enclosures, e.g., those including substantially planar doors and substantially linear support tracks, in order to correct for any deflection which may occur in that context. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a cross-section of track mounting assembly  30  similar to that of  FIG. 4 , except that support track  16  is in a fully tilted orientation. Support track  16  includes an upper portion which forms an adjuster engagement area which is allowed to move within the wide upper portion of tapered slot  60 , and a lower portion which forms a pivot area which is captured in the narrow lower portion of slot  60 . The upper portion includes the threaded engagement between flange bolt  52  and threaded aperture  58  ( FIG. 3 ), which can be used to selectively tilt the upper portion within slot  60 , while the lower portion defines pivot area P about which support track  16  pivots as it tilts. 
     To achieve the tilted orientation of  FIG. 5 , the tilt adjuster (i.e., by rotating flange bolt  52 ) is tightened to draws only the upper portion of support track  16  toward the flange head of bolt  52 . As a result, the upper portion of support track  16  laterally displaces in the wide portion of the tapered slot  60  while the lower portion of support track  16  pivots about pivot area P in the narrow lower portion of support track  16  of slot  60 . When reconfigured to the fully tilted configuration as shown in  FIG. 5 , the formerly vertical walls of support track  16  become substantially parallel to the angled second inner wall  72 , such that walls of support track  16  form angle Θ with respect to the vertical inner wall  70  of slot  60 . Meanwhile, gap G ( FIG. 4 ) substantially closes as the longitudinal axis of flange bolt  52  tilts along with support track  16 . 
     Thus, the axial end of support track  16  is tilted within slot  60  such that the outer surface of track  16  faces upwardly as shown in  FIG. 5 . This upward tilt also tilts the rest of the longitudinal extent of track  16 , including its center portion. If the center portion had a central dip or low point as noted above, this upward tilting may render the center portion substantially level. 
     Moreover, the amount of tilt imparted to support track  16  may be finally adjusted by rotating flange bolt  52  to achieve any desired tilt within the tilt range allowed by the taper of slot  60 . In an exemplary embodiment, the maximum tilt angle Θ is about 2 degrees, though it is appreciated that other tilt angle ranges may be provided as required or desired for a particular application. In some applications, the maximum available tilt angle Θ may be varied by increasing or decreasing the amount of taper within slot  60 , and may be set as low as 0.5 degrees, 1 degree, or 1.5 degrees, and may be as large as 2.5 degrees, 3 degrees, or 3.5 degrees, or may be any tilt angle within any range defined by any of the range of the foregoing values. In one exemplary embodiment using tracks  16  with an outward curvature defining a radius of 106 inches, for example, a tilt angle Θ of 2 degrees may result in a ⅛-inch corrective elevation change at the middle of the longitudinal extent of support track  16 . That is, if the lower portion of track  16  is ⅛-inch lower than the axial ends of track  16  due to weight-induced deflection, a 2-degree upward tilt of track  16  will result in the center portion becoming level with the axial ends. Similar correlations may be inferred for other tilt angles, though it is appreciated that such correlations will vary for varying materials, geometries and sizes used in sliding door assembly  10 . For example, the “dip” to be corrected can be expected to increase as the curve radius of curved tracks  16  decreases (i.e., as the tracks become “more curved”), and can be expected to decrease as the curve radius of curved tracks  16  increases. For an completely straight support track (i.e., one having an infinite radius), the dip is essentially zero. 
     When a desired tilt of support track  16  has been achieved, one or more set screws  54  (e.g., two set screws  54  as illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 ) may be used to affix support track  16  at the desired tilt angle. In the illustrated embodiment, set screws  54  are received in limiter apertures  62  ( FIG. 3 ) and can be rotated to axially advance set screws  54  into and out of track slot  60 . Limiter apertures  62  are formed in the top surfaces of upper support body  42  and lower support body  44 , respectively, such that set screws  54  engage the tiltable upper portion of support track  16  within the wide upper portion of tapered slot  60 . When it is desired to affix support track  16  at its present tilt angle, set screws  54  are rotated to axially protrude into track slot  60  until their distal ends engage the upper surface of support track  16 , at which point set screws  54  act as to limit any further adjustment of the tilt of track  16 . 
     Although flange bolt  52  and threaded aperture  58  are used for tilt adjustment in the illustrated embodiment, it is contemplated that other mechanisms may be used in alternative embodiments to achieve a similar tilt adjustment functionality. Examples of such alternative mechanisms include worm gears, wedges received between support track  16  and one of inner slot walls  70 ,  72 , and the like. Yet another alternative is a ball joint or U-joint connection between tracks  16  and the adjacent support surface (e.g., via modified support bodies  42 ,  44 ) which is lockable in a desired configuration. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 6 , an alternative support track mounting assembly  130  is illustrated in conjunction with support track  16 . The structures shown in  FIG. 6  are similar to the structures of sliding door assembly  10  described in detail above, and the structures shown in  FIG. 6  have corresponding reference numbers to the structures of  FIGS. 1-5 , except with 100 added thereto. Moreover, the support track mounting assembly  130  shown in  FIG. 6  may be used interchangeably with the other structures of sliding door assembly  10 , and the same functions and features of assembly  30  may be present in assembly  130 . 
     However, support track assembly  130  allows for vertical adjustment of the axial end of support track  16 , such that the elevation of one or both of the ends of support track  16  can be adjusted to ensure that the overall track  16  is level upon installation. In the illustrated embodiment, slot  160  has been vertically expanded relative to slot  60 , such that track  16  is vertically moveable within slot  160  through a limited range while still remaining captured by support body  142 . Vertical adjustment of track  16  is effected by adjustment of adjuster screw  176 , which is threadably engaged in threaded aperture  178  formed in the lower surface of body  142 . Rotation of screw  176  causes screw  176  to protrude upwardly into slot  160 , engaging a lower surface of track  16  and raising track  16  within slot  160 . 
     In order to accommodate the tilt adjustment functionality of flange bolt  52  while maintaining alignment between bolt  52  and threaded aperture  58 , adjuster aperture  156  is vertically enlarged as compared to adjuster aperture  56 , as illustrated by a comparison of  FIGS. 3 and 6 . Set screws  154  may also be made longer to accommodate the extra vertical extent to which screws  154  may need to protrude into slot  160 . To adjust the height of the axial end of track  16  within slot  160 , vertical adjuster screw  176  is advanced into or out of slot  160  until track  16  is at a desired position within slot  160 . Next, the tilt of track  16  is adjusted by manipulation of flange bolt  52 , as described in detail above with respect to support body  42 . Finally, set screws  154  may be tightened into engagement with the top surface of track  16  to fix the height and tilt of track  16 . 
     Height-adjustable support track assembly  130  may be provided at one or both axial ends of tracks  16 , as required or desired for a particular application. Lower support body  144  may also be provided with vertical adjustment in a similar fashion to upper support body  142 , as shown in  FIG. 6 , though it is contemplated that support bodies  42 ,  142  and  44 ,  144  are interchangeable such that only one of the upper and lower support bodies in assemblies  30  or  130  may be vertically adjustable as required or desired for a particular application. 
     While this invention has been described as having an exemplary design, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.