Patent Publication Number: US-2013232683-A1

Title: Cleaning Device, In Particular A Shower

Description:
The invention relates to a cleaning facility, for example a shower or a bath tub. 
     A shower which comprises at least one liquid inlet in the form of a shower head, with which water is supplied for showering a person or an animal, is known in the art. The water is collected in a liquid collecting container in the form of a shower tray. In addition, it is known in the art for the shower tray to be surrounded by glass panels and a glass door as a spray guard. The glass door is made up of two door panels, namely a first door panel and a second door panel. Both the first door panel and the second door panel are arranged at the shower tray and are each arranged pivotably about a vertically extending axis of articulation, so that the shower tray is accessible to a person or an animal. 
     It has emerged, however, that the aforementioned shower known in the art is not very advantageous if the person or animal positioned in the shower tray is to be cleaned by a third party by means of the shower head. The problem then arises that either the shower door must be kept in an at least partly opened state, so that the third party is able to get their arms into the internal area above the shower tray. However, spray water then escapes through the open shower door. This is undesirable. Or the problem that arises is that the third party must likewise get into the shower tray and close the shower door, which means that the third party also gets wet. This is often likewise undesirable. 
     The problem addressed by the invention is therefore that of specifying a cleaning facility which enables a third party to clean a person or an animal in a shower tray using water from a shower head, without significant quantities of spray water being able to escape. 
     This problem is solved according to the invention with a cleaning facility having the features of claim  1 . Further features of the invention emerge from the following description, the further claims and/or the attached figures. 
     The cleaning facility according to the invention is suitable for cleaning people or animals, for example. It comprises at least one liquid inlet for supplying liquid into the cleaning facility and at least one liquid collection device for collecting the liquid. For example, the liquid inlet is configured as the shower head of a shower. In addition, the liquid collection device is configured as a shower tray, for example. The liquid collection device is understood to be a liquid container or a liquid collection area (particularly a flat shower tray), for example. The invention is not however limited to the aforementioned exemplary embodiments of the liquid collection device. On the contrary, the invention may comprise any suitable form of liquid collection device. 
     The cleaning facility according to the invention further comprises at least one door, wherein the door is configured in at least two parts. The door therefore comprises at least a first door panel and at least a second door panel. The first door panel is a separate unit from the second door panel. The first door panel and the second door panel are therefore each separate panels. The first door panel is arranged at the liquid collection device. The second door panel, by contrast, is not arranged at the liquid collection device. Instead, the second door panel is arranged at the first door panel, such that it does not touch the liquid collection device. Moreover, it is provided that the first door panel is pivotably arranged about a first axis of articulation and that the second door panel is pivotably arranged about a second axis of articulation. An axis of articulation in this case is understood to be an axis of articulation element and/or an axis in the geometric sense. In the case of the cleaning facility according to the invention, it is provided that the first door panel is pivotably arranged about the first axis of articulation independently of the second door panel and that the second door panel is pivotably arranged about the second axis of articulation independently of the first door panel. The two door panels can therefore be pivoted independently of one another. For example, the first door panel may be pivoted into a first position (for example an open position), while the second door panel remains in a second position (for example a closed position). Alternatively to this, the second door panel may be pivoted into a first position (for example an open position), while the first door panel remains in a second position (for example a closed position). The invention is not however limited to the aforementioned exemplary embodiments. Instead, the invention comprises all positions of the first door panel and the second door panel relative to one another or relative to the cleaning facility. 
     Considerations have shown that the cleaning facility according to the invention, a shower for example, particularly enables a third party to clean a person or an animal (for example a dog) in a shower tray using water from a shower head without a significant quantity of spray water being able to escape from the shower. To achieve this, the first door panel is moved into a closed position, for example, while the second door panel is moved into an open position. The cleaning facility according to the invention is also particularly suitable for disabled, for example wheelchair-bound, individuals. By pivoting the first door panel and the second door panel into an open position, a wheelchair occupant can enter the cleaning facility, for example a flat shower tray. The first door panel can then be pivoted into a closed position, for example. A third party can then clean the wheelchair occupant by means of a shower head. Alternatively to this, the second door panel may also be pivoted into a closed position, so that the wheelchair occupant is able to clean themselves. It is expressly pointed out that the cleaning facility according to the invention is not limited to the aforementioned exemplary embodiments. On the contrary, the cleaning facility according to the invention is suitable for any use. 
     In the case of an exemplary embodiment of the cleaning facility according to the invention, it is additionally or alternatively provided that the cleaning facility comprises at least one sealing element. The sealing element is arranged between the first door panel and the second door panel, such that the sealing element touches both the first door panel and also the second door panel. For example, the sealing element is configured as a sealing strip. An intermediate space between the first door panel and the second door panel is thereby well sealed. 
     In the case of a further embodiment of the cleaning facility according to the invention, it is additionally or alternatively provided that the first door panel comprises at least a first edge. The second door panel comprises at least a second edge. The first edge of the first door panel is arranged on the second edge of the second door panel. It is provided, for example, that the sealing element is arranged on the first edge of the first door panel. Alternatively or in addition to this, it is provided that the sealing element is arranged on the second edge of the second door panel. 
     In turn, in the case of a further embodiment of the cleaning facility according to the invention, it is additionally or alternatively provided that the first edge extends horizontally and/or that the second edge extends horizontally. 
     In an embodiment of the cleaning facility according to the invention, it is additionally or alternatively provided that the first door panel comprises at least a third edge. Moreover, the second door panel comprises at least a fourth edge. At least a first hinge is arranged on the third edge and at least a second hinge is arranged on the fourth edge. The first hinge provides the first axis of articulation. The second hinge, on the other hand, provides the second axis of articulation. In a further embodiment of the cleaning facility according to the invention, the third edge and/or the fourth edge is/are vertically aligned. 
     By way of example, the first door panel is configured as a first glass panel. In addition or alternatively to this, it is provided that the second door panel is configured as a second glass panel. It is explicitly pointed out that the invention is not limited to the configuration of the door panels as glass panels. Instead, the two door panels may be configured from any suitable material. 
     As already mentioned above, the cleaning facility according to the invention is configured as a shower, for example. It is additionally or alternatively provided in this case that the liquid inlet is configured as a shower head and/or the liquid collection device as a shower tray. In this case, both in the preceding and also in the following text, a shower tray is understood to be a shower tray of any nature and form, for example a cambered shower tray or a flat shower tray. 
     In a further embodiment of the cleaning facility according to the invention, it is provided that the first door panel and the second door panel essentially form a level surface in the closed position (in other words, in the position in which the door is closed). They are practically arranged “above one another”. 
    
    
     
       The invention is explained in greater detail below with the help of an exemplary embodiment. In the figures 
         FIG. 1  shows an exemplary embodiment of a cleaning facility in the form of a shower. 
     
    
    
     The invention is now described in greater detail with the help of a cleaning facility in the form of a shower  1  according to  FIG. 1 . However, it is explicitly pointed out that the invention is not limited to showers. On the contrary, the cleaning facility may take on any suitable form. 
     The exemplary embodiment illustrated here shows the shower  1  with a flat shower tray  2 . The shower tray  2  is basically a level surface which comprises an outlet for water at one point or at a plurality of points, said water entering the shower  1  via a first unmovable shower head  3 A or a second movable shower head  3 B, which can be guided by hand. 
     The shower  1  comprises a first door panel  4 , which is made of glass and which is arranged on the shower tray  2 . The first door panel  4  is pivotably arranged by means of a first hinge  6  and by means of a second hinge  7  on a wall  14 . The first hinge  6  and the second hinge  7  are arranged on an edge of the first door panel  4  facing the wall (referred to below as the first wall edge  15 ). The axes of articulation of the first hinge  6  and of the second hinge  7  extend vertically. 
     Moreover, the shower  1  comprises a second door panel  5 , which is made of glass. Unlike the first door panel  4 , the second door panel  5  is not arranged on the shower tray  2 . In fact the second door panel  5  is not in contact with the shower tray  2 . The second door panel  5  is basically arranged on the first door panel  4  when the first door panel  4  and the second door panel  5  are in a closed position. The second door panel  5  is pivotably arranged on the wall  14  by means of a third hinge  8  and by means of a fourth hinge  9 . The third hinge  8  and the fourth hinge  9  are arranged on an edge of the second door panel  5  facing the wall (referred to below as the second wall edge  16 ). The axes of articulation of the third hinge  8  and of the fourth hinge  9  likewise extend vertically. 
     The first door panel  4  is a separate unit from the second door panel  5 . In other words, the first door panel  4  and the second door panel  5  are each separate panels. It is now provided that the first door panel  4  is pivotable about the axes of articulation of the first hinge  6  and of the second hinge  7  independently of the second door panel  5 . To pivot the first door panel  4 , a first door knob  10  is provided. Moreover, the second door panel  5  is pivotably arranged about the axes of articulation of the third hinge  8  and of the fourth hinge  9 , independently of the first door panel  4 . To pivot the second door panel  5 , a second door knob  11  is provided. For example, the first door panel  4  may be pivoted into a first position (for example an open position), while the second door panel  5  remains in a second position (for example a closed position). Alternatively to this, the second door panel  5  may be pivoted into a first position (for example an open position), while the first door panel  4  remains in a second position (for example a closed position). 
     The shower  1  may comprise sealing elements which should prevent water from escaping from the shower  1 . It is provided, for example, for in each case one sealing element (in the form of a sealing strip, for example) to be arranged on the first wall edge  15  of the first door panel  4  and on the second wall edge  16  of the second door panel  5 . A first sealing element  12  is also arranged on an upper edge  17  of the first door panel  4 . If both the first door panel  4  and also the second door panel  5  are located in a closed position, the second door panel  5  lies with a lower edge  18  at the first sealing element  12 , such that no water is able to penetrate a gap that may possibly exist between the first door panel  4  and the second door panel  5 . A sealing element in the form of a sealing strip is also arranged on a bottom edge  19 , namely a second sealing element  13 . The second sealing element  13  guarantees that very little or no water is able to escape from the shower tray  2 , when the first door panel  4  is in a closed position. 
     In further exemplary embodiments (not shown), it is provided that the first door panel  4  and the second door panel  5  at least partially overlap in the closed position. 
     The shower  1  now enables a person, an animal (for example a dog) to be cleaned without significant quantities of spray water being able to escape from the shower  1 . To this end, the first door panel  4  and the second door panel  5  are initially pivoted into an open position, such that the animal can be brought into the shower tray  2 . The first door panel  4  is then pivoted into a closed position, while the second door panel  5  is left in the open position (cf.  FIG. 1 ). It is then possible for the animal to be cleaned by means of the second shower head  3 B, for example. 
     The shower  1  is also particularly suitable for disabled people, for example those dependent on a wheelchair. By pivoting the first door panel  4  and the second door panel  5  into the open position, a wheelchair occupant can enter the shower  1 . The first door panel  4  can then be pivoted into the closed position. A third party can then clean the wheelchair occupant by means of the second shower head  3 B. Alternatively to this, the second door panel  5  may also be pivoted into the closed position, so that the wheelchair occupant is able to clean themselves. 
     REFERENCE NUMBER LIST 
     
         
           1  Shower 
           2  Shower tray 
           3 A First shower head 
           3 B Second shower head 
           4  First door panel 
           5  Second door panel 
           6  First hinge 
           7  Second hinge 
           8  Third hinge 
           9  Fourth hinge 
           10  First door knob 
           11  Second door knob 
           12  First sealing element 
           13  Second sealing element 
           14  Wall 
           15  First wall edge 
           16  Second wall edge 
           17  Upper edge 
           18  Lower edge