Patent Publication Number: US-10786120-B2

Title: Multi-panel shower door assembly

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates generally to tub and shower enclosures, and more particularly to a multi-panel shower door assembly for use with shower and tub enclosures. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Slidable door panels are commonly used to enclose a space within a building or other structure. Multi-panel sliding doors are particularly well-suited for use in areas with limited space, such as tub or shower enclosures of motorhomes, campers, or other similar space-limited areas. Conventional multi-panel sliding door assemblies for shower enclosures include door panels that are suspended at their upper ends by roller assemblies for sliding movement along respective tracks disposed in a header assembly. Tracks are also generally provided on a sill member or sill plate at a lower end of the door panels to thereby guide the sliding movement of the door panels. In some conventional sliding door assemblies, the door panels may be alternatively or additionally supported at the lower ends of the door panels by rollers received in the tracks on the sill plate. These tracks also prevent lateral tilting of the bottom ends of the door panels. 
     One drawback of conventional multi-panel sliding doors used for shower enclosures is that the guide tracks at the sill plate tend to accumulate water. To address this problem, drain holes are often provided in the sill plate to facilitate water removal. However, such drain holes may become clogged with hair, soap film, etc., thereby creating undesirable conditions. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved shower enclosure having multi-panel sliding doors that overcome these and other drawbacks of conventional multi-panel door assemblies. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention provides a multi-panel door assembly suitable for use in areas with limited space, such as shower or tub enclosures. In one aspect, the door assembly is configured to facilitate easy installation of the door panels, and includes a sill member that is free from tracks, guides, or drain holes. While the invention will be described in connection with certain embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to these embodiments. On the contrary, the invention includes all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     In one aspect, an exemplary multi-panel shower door assembly in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure includes a first door panel and at least a second door panel supported proximate respective top ends of the door panels for sliding movement relative to one another within a door frame. The door panels are supported such that bottom ends of the door panels are spaced above the bottom wall of a sill member to define an unobstructed free space between the bottom wall and the bottom ends of door panels. The sill member includes a sidewall extending upwardly from the bottom wall and an elongate, downwardly opening channel extending along an upper edge of the sidewall. A first rail member proximate the bottom end of the first door panel has a lip extending upwardly from the bottom end of the first door panel. The lip is configured to be received in the channel, whereby cooperation between the lip and the channel facilitates sliding movement of the door panels while inhibiting movement of the first door panel in a direction perpendicular to the sliding movement. 
     In another aspect, the shower door assembly further includes a third door panel disposed between the first and second door panels. The third door panel is supported for sliding movement relative to at least one of the first or second door panels, and such that a, bottom end of the third door panel is spaced above the bottom wall of the sill member. In another aspect, first and second rail members are provided on the bottom ends of the first and second door panels. Each rail member includes a spacer leg extending laterally from the plane of the respective door panel in a direction toward the third door panel to engage the third door panel and maintaining a spacing between the door panels. 
     The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention shall be made apparent from the accompanying drawings and the description thereof. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and, together with a general description of the invention given above, and a detailed description given below, serve to explain the principals of the invention. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary shower door assembly in accordance with the principals of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the shower door assembly of  FIG. 1 , with door panels in an open condition. 
         FIG. 3  is a partial cross-sectional view of the shower door assembly of  FIG. 2 , taken along line  3 - 3 . 
         FIG. 3A  is a partial cross-sectional view similar to  FIG. 3 , with items removed for clarity. 
         FIG. 4  is a detail view depicting a bottom portion of a first door panel of the exemplary shower door assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a detail view depicting a bottom portion of a second door panel of the exemplary shower door assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a partial cross-sectional view of the shower door assembly of  FIG. 1 , taken along line  6 - 6 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  depicts an exemplary multi-panel shower door assembly  10  in accordance with the principals of the present disclosure. In the embodiment shown, the shower door assembly  10  includes first, second, and third door panels  12 ,  14 ,  16  slidably moveable with respect to each other within a door frame  18  that defines an entry opening into a shower or tub enclosure. The first door panel  12  is positioned within the door frame  18  along an edge intended to face outwardly from the shower enclosure, and the second door panel  14  is positioned within the door frame  18  along an edge intended to face into the shower enclosure, with the third door panel  16  disposed therebetween, as depicted in  FIG. 6 .  FIG. 2  depicts the exemplary shower door assembly  10  of  FIG. 1  with the door panels  12 ,  14 ,  16  in an open condition achieved by sliding the first and third door panels  12 ,  16  into overlapping alignment with the second door panel  14 . While the exemplary shower door assembly  10  has been shown and described herein as comprising three door panels  12 ,  14 ,  16 , it will be appreciated that a shower door assembly in accordance with the principals of the present disclosure may alternatively include only two slidable door panels, or may have more than three door panels, as may be desired. 
     The door frame  18  of the exemplary shower door assembly  10  includes a header assembly  20 , first and second side frame members  22 ,  24 , and a sill member  26  at the bottom of the door frame  18 , opposite the header assembly  20 . Edge trim members  28  may be provided along selected edge portions of the door panels  12 ,  14 ,  16  as depicted in  FIG. 6  for example, as may be desired for aesthetic and functional purposes. The shower door assembly  10  may further include one or more handles  30 ,  32  provided on one or more of the door panels  12 ,  14 ,  16  to facilitate moving the door panels  12 ,  14 ,  16  between a closed configuration as depicted in  FIG. 1 , and an open configuration as depicted in  FIG. 2 , for example. The door assembly  10  may further include features to facilitate securing one or more of the door panels  12 ,  14 ,  16  in an open position. In the embodiment shown, a latch  34  is provided on the first side frame member  22  and a knob  36  is provided on the first door panel  12 . When the first door panel  12  is slidably moved to an open position as depicted in  FIG. 2 , the latch  34  may be pivoted to engage the knob  36  and thereby retain the first and third door panels  12 ,  16  in the open position. 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 1 , and referring further to  FIG. 3 , the door panels  12 ,  14 ,  16  are supported proximate their upper ends for sliding movement within the header assembly  20 . In the embodiment shown, each of the door panels  12 ,  14 ,  16  includes one or more roller assemblies  40  provided at the first, top ends  42  of the door panels  12 ,  14 ,  16 . The roller assemblies  40  are received in respective elongate tracks  44  provided within the header assembly  20 , such that the door panels  12 ,  14 ,  16  may be individually slidably moved along the length of the header assembly  20 . The second, bottom ends  46  of the door panels  12 ,  14 ,  16  are unsupported and are suspended a distance above the sill member  26  to define an open, unobstructed space  48  between the second ends  46  of the door panels  12 ,  14 ,  16 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 3 , the sill member  26  includes a bottom wall  50  that generally spans a depth of the door frame  18 , and a sidewall  52  that extends upwardly from the bottom wall  50  proximate an entry side of the shower enclosure. The sill member  26  further includes an elongate, downwardly opening channel  54  disposed along an upper edge of the sidewall  52 . The channel  54  facilitates sliding operation of the door panels  12 ,  14 ,  16  while inhibiting lateral tilting or pivotal movement of the second ends  46  of the door panels  12 ,  14 ,  16  in a direction perpendicular to the sliding movement, as will be described more fully below. Notably, the sill member  26  does not include any tracks or guides in which water can accumulate. Instead, the bottom wall  50  of the sill member  26  has a negative gradient, sloping in a direction from the first door panel  12  toward the second door panel  14 , to direct any water falling onto the sill member  26  into the interior of the shower enclosure. Because there are no tracks or other structure that can trap water, the sill member  26  may be configured to be free from drain holes or apertures which are typically found in conventional shower door assemblies. 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 3 , and referring further to  FIG. 4 , the shower door assembly  10  further includes a first rail member  60  provided along the second, bottom end  46  of the first door panel  12 . In the embodiment shown, the first rail member  60  includes a first wall  62  and a second wall  64  spaced from the first wall  62  to define a channel  66  into which the second end  46  of the first door panel  12  is received. The dimensions of the first and second walls  62 ,  64  of the first rail member  60  may be sized and configured to provide an interference fit with the second end  46  of the first door panel  12  when the second end  46  is received within the channel  66  so that the first rail member  60  is secured to the first door panel  12 . It will be appreciated that various other methods for securing the first rail member  60  to the second end  46  of the first door panel  12  may alternatively or additionally be used. For example, adhesives, mechanical fasteners, or other suitable structure may be used as an alternative to the interference fit, or in addition to the interference fit, to secure the first rail member  60  to the second end  46  of the first door panel  12 . 
     The first rail member  60  further includes a lip  68  extending upwardly from the second end  46  of the door panel  12  in a direction toward the first end  42  of the door panel  12 . The lip  48  is sized and shaped to be received within the downwardly opening channel  54  on the sidewall  52  of the sill member  26 , as depicted in  FIG. 3 . Cooperation between the lip  48  on the first rail member  60  and the channel  54  on the sill member  26  permits sliding movement of the first door panel  12  while inhibiting pivotal or tilting movement of the second end  46  of the door panel  12  in a direction perpendicular to the direction of sliding movement. 
     In the embodiment shown, the first rail member  60  extends substantially along the entire length of the first door panel  12 . However, the first rail member  60  may alternatively extend along only a portion of the length of the first door panel  12 , or the first rail member  60  may comprise several individual sections disposed along the length of the first door panel  12  sufficient to engage the channel  54  on the sill member  26  and inhibit pivotal or tilting movement of the door panel  12 . 
     With continued reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the first rail member  60  may further include a first spacer leg  70  extending laterally from the plane of the first door panel  12  in a direction toward the second and third door panels  14 ,  16 . In the embodiment shown, the first spacer leg  70  is disposed along a top edge of the second wall  64 . The first spacer leg  70  is sized and configured to engage the third door panel  16  and thereby maintain a spacing between the first door panel  12  and the third door panel  16  as depicted in  FIG. 3 . It will be appreciated that the first spacer leg  70  may alternatively be provided on various other portions of the first rail member  60  suitable for engaging the third door panel  16  and maintaining a spacing between the first and third door panels  12 ,  16 , as may be desired. 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 3 , and referring further to  FIG. 5 , the exemplary door assembly  10  may further include a second rail member  72  proximate the second, bottom end  46  of the second door panel  14 . The second rail member  72  is similar to the first rail member  60 , and includes first and second spaced apart walls  74 ,  76  defining a channel  78  configured to receive the second end  46  of the second door panel  14 . The second rail member  72  further includes a second spacer leg  80  extending laterally from the plane of the second door panel  14  in a direction toward the third door panel  16 . The second spacer leg  80  is sized and configured to engage the third door panel  16  and to maintain a spacing between the second door  14  panel and the third door panel  16  as depicted in  FIG. 3 . 
     In the embodiment shown, the second rail member  72  extends along a majority of the length of the second door panel  14 . However, it will be appreciated that the second rail member  72  may alternatively extend along only a portion of the length of the second door panel  14 , or that the second rail member  72  may comprise several individual sections disposed along a length of the second door panel  14  sufficient to facilitate engagement of the second spacer leg  80  with the third door panel  16  and to maintain a spacing between the second door panel  14  and the third door panel  16 . Moreover, while the second spacer leg  80  is shown disposed along a top edge of the second wall  76 , it will be appreciated that the second spacer leg  80  may alternatively be provided on various other portions of the second rail member  72  suitable for engaging the third door panel  16  and maintaining a spacing between the second and third door panels  14 ,  16 , as may be desired. 
     The rail members  60 ,  72  have been shown and described herein with respect to the exemplary door assembly  10  comprising three door panels  12 ,  14 ,  16 . It will be appreciated that other embodiments where a door assembly comprises two door panels, only a single rail member or spacer leg may be needed to maintain a lateral spacing between the door panels. In other embodiments comprising more than three door panels, additional rail members may be provided, and may include additional spacer legs to maintain spacing between adjacent door panels in a manner similar to that described above with respect to the first and second spacer legs  70 ,  80 . 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 5 , the shower door assembly  10  further includes a guide bracket  82  proximate the second, bottom end  46  of the second door panel  14 . In the embodiment shown, the guide bracket  82  includes a first leg  84  extending laterally outwardly from the plane of the second door panel  14  in a direction toward the first door panel  12 , and a second leg  86  at a distal end of the first leg  84  and extending substantially perpendicular from the first leg  84  in a direction toward the first end  42  of the second door panel  14 . The first and second legs  84 ,  86  of the guide bracket  82  define a channel  88  through which the other door panels  14 ,  16  of the door assembly  10  are slidably received during relative movement between the second door panel  14  and the first and/or third door panels  12 ,  16 . 
     The upwardly extending second leg  86  of the guide bracket  82  is sized and configured to be received within the downwardly opening channel  54  of the sill member  26 , in a manner similar to the first lip  68  of the first rail member  60 . Accordingly, the guide bracket  82  operatively maintains the relative positions of the second ends  46  of the door panels  12 ,  14 ,  16  during use, and also aids in inhibiting pivotal or tilting movement of the door panels  12 ,  14 ,  16 . The guide bracket  82  may be secured to the second end  46  of the second door panel  14  by any suitable method. For example, the guide bracket  82  may include spaced apart sidewalls  90 ,  92  defining a channel that facilitates securing the guide bracket  82  to the second door panel  14 . For example, the guide bracket  82  may be secured to the second door panel  14  with an interference fit in a manner similar to the first and second rail members  60 ,  72 . Alternatively, or in addition to an interference fit, the guide bracket  82  may be secured to the second door panel  14  using adhesives, mechanical fasteners  94 , or any other suitable structure. 
     The various components of the multi-panel door assembly  10  shown and described herein may be formed from any suitable material. As non-limiting examples, the first and second rail members  60 ,  72  and the guide bracket  82  may be formed from extruded aluminum. In other embodiments the rail members  60 ,  72  and/or the guide bracket  82  may be formed from suitable plastic material, such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), for example. Alternatively, the rail members  60 ,  72  and/or guide bracket  82  may be formed as composite structures using a combination of materials suitable to provide a door assembly  10  as shown and described herein. 
     The exemplary door assembly  10  shown and described herein results in an unobstructed free space  48  between the bottom wall  50  of the sill member  26  and the second ends  46  of the door panels  12 ,  14 ,  16 , providing a clean, aesthetically pleasing appearance and facilitating the removal of water falling on the sill member  28  by the negative gradient of the bottom wall  50 , so that any water falling on the sill member  28  is directed toward the interior of the shower enclosure. 
     While the present invention has been illustrated by a description of various embodiments, and while these embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not intended to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. The various features shown and described herein may be used alone or in any combination. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and method, and illustrative example shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit and scope of the general inventive concept.