SLIDING TYPE SHOWER DOOR

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to shower door and, more particulary, to the sliding type shower door installed in a bathroom capable of opening and closing an entrance of space(hereinafter refer as "shower stall") for washing up and bathing in home or lodging place. Background Art

[2] A conventional bathroom generally comprises a bathtub, a washbasin and a toilet, installed in a certain area. When a shower is taken in the bathtub, water and soapsuds are dispersed out of the bathtub on the floor or to the wall of the bathroom, thus forcing a user to clean the whole bathroom after shower. Moreover, it is attended with inconvenience when two or more people use the bathroom with different objection. In order to eliminate such inconvenience, a method to separate the bathroom into a bathing area and the remaining area with a shower curtain, a partition or a sliding door, is practiced, thereby preventing dispersion of water and soapsuds to the remaining area.

[3] However, such a shower curtain causes problems that the appearance of the bathroom is somewhat spoiled because a support bar should be transversely mounted in the bathroom and a bathing area is reduced because the lower portion of the shower curtain should be in the interior of a bathtub and bad smell is given off after using the shower curtain for a long time. Regarding the partition, the space of an entrance to the bathtub is reduced because the partition blocks the half area of the bathtub and limitation of installment height occurs. Regarding shower booth, it is expensive to install the booth and limitation of installing space occurs.

[4] Above-referred problems relate to shower door installation on the floor, as well as on the bathtub, thus the shower door has limitation of using it in the bathroom. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[5] To settle this problem, with regard to the sliding door shown in Fig. 1, installation of the sliding typed door is applied. However, constructing the door is difficult because it needs an upper frame, a lower frame and two side frames. Also, as shown in Fig. 1, entrance space for the door is narrow, since the door blocks half the entrance to a bathtub in an opened position.

[6] Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide

a compact silding type shower door having two or more door panels being overraped and sliding means to open and shut the door. Thus, an entrance through the opened sliding door is widened.

[7] Another object according to present invention is capable of constructing the shower door without difficulty by simple components and mass production through stan- darization of size.

[8] Furthermore, wheel for exhisting sliding means is not needed such that derailment due to pressure or frictional wear is prohibited, and the shower door can be used permanently by coating the sliding structure mounted on upper and lower rail. Technical Solution

[9] In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a compact sliding type shower door comprising; a wall frame being installed in a fixed way to a wall in a bathroom, a fixed door panel inserted into a inner groove in the wall frame and fixed by a support bar mounted on the wall, two or more door panels inserted into inner grooves in the wall frame and being made a gap with the fixed door panel in sliding, an upper rail being mounted to upper part of the door panels, a lower rail being mounted to lower part of the door panels, a bottom rail being mounted on a top side of a bathtub or bottom side of a bathroom.

[10] In the present invention, the sliding type shower door may comprise; a wall frame being installed in a fixed way to a wall in a bathroom, a fixed door panel being curvatured, and inserted into inner groove in the wall frame and fixed by a support bar mounted on the wall, two or more door panels, being curvatured, and inserted into inner groove in the wall frame and being made a gap with the fixed door panel to overlap or extend by pulling, an upper rail being mounted to upper part of the door panels, a lower rail being mounted to lower part of the door panels.

[11] Furthermore, the sliding type shower door may comprise; a pedestal formed to a longitudinal direction of the outermost door panel frame, and an additional door connected to a rotation axis, being unfolded from the outermost door panel, by rotating the axis, being inserted into pedestal groove, as a center when the outermost door panel is unfolded.

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Advantageous Effects

[13] The sliding type shower door according to the present invention is characterized in that the entrance to the shower door is widened through sliding means which is provided on each door by folding two or more door panels without door frame.

[14] Another effect according to present invention is capable of constructing the shower door without difficulty by simple components and mass production through stan-

darization of size. [15] Furthermore, wheel for exhisting sliding means is not needed such that derailment due to pressure or frictional wear is prohibited, and the shower door can be used permanently by coating the sliding structure mounted on upper and lower rail.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[16] Fig.l is a front view, showing a known sliding door installed in a bathroom;

[17] Fig.2 is an installment perspetive view illustrating a sliding type shower door;

[18] Fig.3 is an installment perspetive view illustrating a bottom rail and a wall frame;

[19] Fig.4 is a sectional view illustrating upper part of the wall frame and door panel;

[20] Fig.5 is a sectional view illustrating the installation of shower door on the bottom rail;

[21] Fig.6 is a perspective view illustrating opened figuration of the shower door ;

[22] Fig.7 is a front view illustrating installment of ball bearing;

[23] Fig.8 is a schematical perspective view illustrating the structure of providing an additional door; [24] Fig.9 is an installment perspective view illustrating the structure of providing an additional door;

[25] Fig.10 is a sectional view illustrating the fig.8;

[26] Fig.l 1 is a perspective view illustrating a pedestal for explining rotation method of the additional door; [27] Fig.12 is a sectional view illustrating the measurement means of opening angle of the additional door;

[28] Fig.13 is a perspective view illustrating a corner typed shower door;

[29] Fig.14 is a front view illustrating the opened coner typed shower door;

[30] Fig.15 is a rear view illustrating the fig.8;

[31] Fig.16 is an enlarged front view illustrating the connecting part of the corner typed shower door;

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention [32] Herein below, preferred embodiments of a sliding type shower door according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. [33] Fig.2 is an installment perspetive view illustrating a sliding type shower door, and

Fig.3 is an installment perspetive view illustrating a bottom rail and a wall frame, Fig.4 is a sectional view illustrating upper part of the wall frame and door panel, Fig.5 is a sectional view illustrating the installation of shower door on the bottom rail, Fig.6 is a perspective view illustrating opened figuration of the shower door, Fig.7 is a front view illustrating installment of ball bearing.

[34] As shown in the drawings, the shower door 10 comprises a wall frame 20 being installed in a fixed way to a wall in a bathroom, a fixed door panel 30 inserted into an inner groove in the wall frame 20 and fixed by a support bar mounted on a wall, two or more door panels 31,32 inserted into inner grooves in the wall frame 20. In this embodiment, although the number of the sliding door panels 30, 31, 32 is three, but the number of the sliding door panel is not limited to three. Therefore, the number of the sliding door panel assemblies may be four or five. Each door panel 30, 31, 32 is inserted into door frame being slided, and the fixed door panel 30 and the door panels 31, 32 can be made of plastic or galss usually, but in present invention, semi- transparent panel 36 is used and it is coated with waterdrop figuration. Also, an adhesive panel 37 is installed on the lower frame's bottom side of the fixed door panel, such that the adhesive panel 37 blocks the movement of the fixed door panel 30.

[35] The fixed door panel 30, and the door panels 31, 32 are allowed to slide with each other through sliding means. The sliding means comprises an upper rail 54 being mounted to upper part of the door panels, a lower rail 55 being mounted to lower part of the door panels, a bottom rail 56 being mounted on a upper side of a bathtub or bottom side of a bathroom. The upper rail 54 and the lower rail 55 comorises a bracket 51 having a guide 53 and a slider 52 mounted on the guide 53, and the bottom rail 56 comprises a guide having protrusion figuration to guide the outermost door panel 32, and groove figuration corresponding to the protrusion figuration is provided on the bottom side of the outermost door panel 32. It is desirable that the upper rail 54, the lower rail 55, and the bottom rail 56 are mede of light and elegant material such as plastic or aluminum.

[36] The slider 52 should be long enough to hold the door panels 31, 32 without swing.

The bracket 51 comprises the guide 53 for sliding the slider 52, the guide 53 has slide groove and the slider 52 has projection corresponding to the groove. Aditionally, ball bearing 41 may be mounted in the guide 53 of the bracket 51, such that the slider 52 can slide more easily. Desirably, the slider 52 and the slide groove are hard-coated with plastic so as to prohibit friction when the door panels 31, 32 slide.

[37] On the other hand, Stopper 58 restricts the moving distance of the slider 52 and door panels 31, 32, thereby allowing the sliding door to be fully retracted and to be fully extended. The stopper 58, being configurated in the form of plastic block, is mounted on the end side of the fixed door panel's upper frame and corresponding door panel's upper frame. Furthermore, the stopper 58 is mounted on each door panel's upper frame in the same way. It is desirable that projection figuration is formed on the connection part of the stopper 58 to restrict the swing of the sliding door panels 31, 32. The stopper 58 is mounted on the end side of lower frame also.

[38] The bottom rail 56 in present invention is constructed to smooth the sliding

movement of the door panels 31, 32 and strengthen durability, and comprise guide in the form of protrusion figuration corresponding to the groove formed on the bottom side of the outermost door panel 32 to guide the outermost door panel 32.

[39] Herein below, movement of the sliding type shower door 10 according to the present invention will be described in a simple way with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, unfolding movement for separating a shower stall in a bathroom is described. When the outermost door panel 32, being inserted into the wall frame 20, is pulled, the slider 52 mounted on the upper rail 54 and the lower rail 55 moves along the guide 53 formed on the bracket 51, thereby the outermost door panel 32 extends to a predetermined distance. Also, the middle door frame 31 extends to a predetermined distance being interlocked with the outermost door panel 32 by the stopper 58 mounted on the upper and lower frame of the door panels 30, 31, 32. Thus, it is possible to separate a shower stall in a bathroom when the door panels 31, 32 are unfoled. On the contrary, to open the shower stall after bath, pushs the outermost panel 32 to the wall of the bathroom. The slider 52 and the door panels 31, 32 move along the guide 53 and the door panels 31, 32 are interlocked with each other by the stopper 58. The outermost door panel 32 slides along the bottom rail 56 having the guide which is in the form of protrusion configuration.

[40] Herein below, another embodiment is described. The shower door 10 comprises a pedestal 63 formed in a longitudinal direction of the outermost door panel frame, and an additional door 60 connected to a rotation axis 61, being unfolded from the outermost door panel 32, by rotating around the axis, being inserted into pedestal groove, as a center, when the outermost door panel 32 is unfolded. Fig.8 is a schematical perspective view illustrating the structure of providing a n additional door, and Fig.9 is an installment perspective view illustrating the structure of providing a n additional door, and Fig.10 is a sectional view illustrating the fig.8, and Fig.11 is a perspective view illustrating a pedestal for explining rotation method of the additional door, and Fig.12 is a sectional view illustrating the measurement means of opening angle of the additional door.

[41] The shower door 10 having the additional door 60, comprises the pedestal 63 established in a longitudinal direction of the outermost door panel frame, a rotation axis 61 installed on a side in a longitudinal direction of the additional door frame, an axis part 62 having configuration of pole and being inserted into the pedestal 63, a pedestal groove 64 in the pedestal 63 for inserting the axis part 62.

[42] Herein below, the movement of the additional door's rotation is described. The additional door's axis part 62 is inserted into the pedestal groove 64, formed in a longitudinal direction of the outermost door panel frame. The pedestal 63 having the groove 64 is fixed to the upper and lower part of the frame by screw or bolt. Ring plate

65 is formed in the vertical direction of the axis 61 on the lower part of the additional door's axis, and several protrusions 67 are formed on the bottom of the ring plate 65 at a predetermined pitch, and several grooves 68 are formed corresponding to the protrusions 67. Thus, when the additional door 60 is folded each protrusion 67 is inserted into the groove 68, and when the additional door is unfolded by forcing torque to the axis part each protrusion 67 derails from the groove 68 and rotates toward the direction of the folding, and the protrusions 67 are inserted into next grooves 68. Therefore, the additional door 60 can be unfolded by keeping predetermined angle.

[43] The pedestal 63 forms on the inner side of the outermost door panel 32 to maximize space use, such that the additional door 60 is formed between the outermost door panel 32 and the middle door panel 31 when the additional door 60 is folded. The additional door 60 may be made of same material with other door panels 30, 31, 32.

[44] Another embodiment, corner type shower door 10 being curvatured, is described.

Fig.13 is a perspective view illustrating a corner typed shower door, and Fig.14 is a front view illustrating the opened coner typed shower door, and Fig.15 is a rear view illustrating the fig.8, and Fig.16 is an enlarged front view illustrating the connecting part of the corner typed shower door.

[45] The corner type shower door 10 forms with curvature to be easily constructed to the wall side in a bathroom. Several door panels 30, 31, 131, 32 and the upper rail 54, and the lower rail 55 have curvatured face. The door panels 31, 131, 32 slide by the bracket having guide and slider formed on the upper and lower frame of the door panels, and the stopper formed on the end side of the door frame's upeer and lower part. Detailed explanation of movement is same with above-mentioned embodiment.

[46] The supporting means for the corner type shower door 10 is as follows. Wall frame

20 being installed in a fixed way to a wall in a bathroom, and a support bar 21 mounted on the wall and formed at a distace from the wall frame 20 to fix the fixed door panel 30, and fix bracket 71, 72, 73 for supporting the support bar 21. Furthermore, to accommodate and fix the outer frame of the outermost door panel 32, additional wall frame 120 is installed on another wall. And the lower frame of the outermost door panel 32 is inserted into bottom rail formed on the bottom, when the shower stall open by folding the shower door 10. The support bar 21 formed on the wall side connects with the upper frame of the fixed door panel 30 by the fix bracket 72, and fix brackets 71, 72, 73 are formed on both side of the support bar 21. The fix bracket 71 fixed on the wall side and the fix bracket 73 installed on the fixed door panel 30 are fixed by the fix bracket 72 formed on both side of the support bar. Thus, the fixed door panel 30 having predetermined curvature is supported and fixed by fixing one side of the support bar 21 to the wall side and the end side of the support bar 21 to the fixed door panel 30.

[47] On the one hand, present invention comprises one more wall frame 120, being installed on other wall side in the bathroom, to accommodate and fix the outer frame of the outermost door panel 30 when the door panels 30, 31, 131, 32 block the shower stall thoroughly.

[48] Magnet 75 to fix the outer frame and cap to fix the magnet are formed in the wall frame. Furthermore, the magnet 75 and the cap 76, 77 also formed on the upper and lower sides of the outer frame 132 corresponding to the installment position in the wall frame.

[49] The outer frame of the outermost door panel 32 is fixed into the inner side of the wall frame 120 by the magnet 75, formed in the wall frame 120 and on the outer frame 132. The cap fixes the magnet 75 by blocking the periphery of the magnet 75. The configuration of the cap 77 formed in the wall frame 120 is corresponding to the sectional figuration of the cap 76 formed on the outer frame, and the cap 76, 77 with the magnet 75 may be installed longitudinally long enough to cover the greatest part of the outer frame's side facing to the wall frame 120. Industrial Applicability

[50] The sliding type shower door according to the present invention is characterized in that the entrance to the shower door is widened through sliding means which is provided on each door by folding two or more door panels without door frame. Therefore, according to present invention, it is capable of constructing the shower door without difficulty by applicating simple components, and mass production can be possible through standarization of size. Furthermore, wheel for exhisting sliding means is not needed such that derailment due to pressure or frictional wear is prohibited, and the shower door can be used permanently by coating the sliding structure mounted on upper and lower rail.

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