Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The present invention relates to a structural
assembly, more particularly for a shower partition,
comprising a structural profiled member or rail formed
with a guide channel arranged in a visible outer surface;
a decorative facing panel arranged in the said channel by
means of a resilient connecting element; and lateral
projections of the said connecting element engaging in
grooves formed by the sidewalls of the channel.
German Utility Model 80 13 940 describes a
profiled member of the said type for a shower partition.
The visible outer surface, facing an observer, of the
profiled member comprises a guide channel into which is
inserted a facing panel made of metal, plastic, wood, or
the like. This guide channel has undercut grooves
allowing the facing panel to be secured by means of a
resilient connecting element. Both the known connecting
element and the facing panel are comparatively high at
right angles to the outer surface, as a result of which
the space available in the interior of the profiled
member is reduced accordingly, and the structural volume
and structural height of the profiled member must be
correspondingly large. This requires a not
inconsiderable amount of material, which means that
both the material costs and the overall weight of the
profiled member are correspondingly high. Furthermore,
it is very difficult to achieve firm seating of the
facing panel, especially since there may be play between
the profiled member, the connecting element and the
facing panel, as a result of production tolerances,
leaving the facing panel comparatively loosely seated in
the profiled member. This makes it possible for dirt
and contaminants to lodge between the facing panel and
the profiled member and, for hygienic reasons, this is
highly undesirable in the case of shower partitions.
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* published 13 August 1981
Lo Lo
As an improvement of a structural assembly of
the type mentioned at the beginning hereof, it is an
object of the present invention to provide an assembly
at low cost end in such a manner that the fitting of the
awaking panel requires a structural member of only
comparatively low structural height and/or structural
volume. This applies all the more since the facing
panel is provided at the static supporting part of the
structural member. The design of the structural member
and facing panel is meant to be simple and inexpensive,
and rapid and reliable assembly is meant to be assured.
Furthermore the risk of contamination is to be as low
as possible.
The improvement of the invention, as claimed
herein, resides in that: each of said lateral pro-
sections of said connecting element comprises spring
arm means preloadingly mounted free of play in said
grooves for holding said facing panel firmly in said
guide channel, and cooperating interlocking resilient
detent element means on said connecting element and on
said facing panel securing said connecting element and
said facing panel together.
The spring arm means provides a suitable
reload as desired, thus making it possible to allow
for all tolerances and still prevent sliding or
chattering of the inserted connecting element. The
resilient and elastic detent element means on the con
netting element and facing panel also ensure a reliable
connection free of play. Preferably, the connecting
element is made of an extrudable synthetic material,
more particularly soft PVC, which ensures very low
production costs. Incorporation and assembly of the
facing panel may be carried out simply and very
accurately, the connecting element, with it's lateral
projections being first inserted into the crevice, after
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which the facing panel is simply pressed into the con-
nectincJ element. It is expressly pointed out at this time
that the connecting element may be inserted at the plant,
the facing panel, with the desired decoration, being
inserted when the structural members, and more
particularly the shower partition, are installed on site.
Since the lateral projections with the spring arm means,
and furthermore the detent element means, are different
components, they may be dimensioned and designed
independently of each other, with no need f-or any
compromise. The size and flexibility of the projections
may easily be predetermined according to the overall
design of the profiled structural member, while the
detent elements may be designed to facilitate
insertion, exchange and replacement of the facing
panel.
In one particular form, the connecting element
comprises a central part preferably lying upon the
bottom surface of the guide-channel and each lateral
projection is connected, by a lateral arc, to a
resilient lip bearing against one side wall of the
channel. The said central part is preferably in the
form of a narrow strip or the like. The arcs, with the
lips attached thereto, require only a smell amount of
material. Each arc bears, under an appropriate reload,
upon the inner surface of one of the grooves,` and the
central part of the connecting element therefore lies
immovably upon the bottom wall of the structural member.
In this connection, the arc may be at a suitable
distance from the bottom surface of the receiving
groove, in order to ensure resilient mobility of the
arm means under all circumstances.
In order to ensure simple and rapid insertion
of the facing panel, each detent element means thereof
may comprise a web directed inwardly towards the bottom
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wall of the guide channel and having a bulbous
extension at the end. In contrast to this, each detent
element means of the connecting element has an out-
warmly directed web comprising an extension engaging
partly over the said bulbous extension, both de-tent
elements being thus shaped as interlocked hooks. The
overall design of the facing panel and -the connecting
element is simple and inexpensive, the said bulb and
associated extension being easily moved into the
desired position in relation to each other. It is a
simple matter to design the cross-section and size of
the webs in such a manner that, on the one hand, the
fading panel may be easily inserted and, on the other hand,
may be reliably held in the structural member.
According to one practical configuration, the detent
element means of the facing panel rests upon the central
part of the connecting element. This is a simple way of
ensuring reliable support and, at the same time, of
preventing deformation of, or damage to, the facing
panel as a result of the application of large external
forces.
In one particular embodiment, the end of the
connecting-element arm means is in the form of a lip
supported by the facing panel, preferably by the detent
element means thereof. This greatly facilitates the
insertion of the connecting element, since the said arm
means may be designed to be, or may be arranged to be,
relatively weakly resilient. Thus, when the facing
section is inserted, the arm means is urged firmly in-to
the groove. It is obvious that the arm means would now be
comparatively rigid.
In order to simplify the insertion of the
facing panel into the profiled rail, the lip of the arm
means bears against the lateral surface, substantially
parallel with the central plane, of the facing-panel
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detent element means. This provides reliable support
for the elastically resilient arm means upon the detent
element means, and no undue force need be applied during
insertion
according to one particular configuration,
the facing panel it in the form of a thin strip with
lateral detent element means, and may be produced
inexpensively with comparatively simple tools and with
a small amount of material. It is of symmetrical
design in relation to the central plane.
In one particularly interesting configuration,
the connecting element is adapted to be inserted into
the profiled member in the direction of its longitudinal
axis, while the facing panel may be inserted into the
profiled member, from the outside, at right angles to
the longitudinal axis. The connecting element is
inserted into the profiled member at the plant. During
subsequent processing of the profiled member, more
particularly when it is assembled into a shower
partition, the said connecting element is reliably held in
the said profiled member and can no longer go astray,
even during transportation. If the profiled member, or
the object produced therefrom, is assembled anywhere
on site, this may be done without the facing panel,
damage to the latter being thus effectively prevented.
This means that the relevant facing panel need be
inserted quite simply into the profiled rail only after
all onset measures and activities have been completed.
The configuration according to the invention of the
detent element means allows the facing panel to be
removed after a certain period of time and to be
replaced by another section, if necessary, while the
connecting element remains firmly seated in the guide-
groove and profiled rail.
I Lo
The invention will be better understood from
the following description of embodiments illustrated in
the drawing attached hereto, wherein:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a partition,
the frame thereof consisting of profiled rails or
structural members;
Fig. 2 is a cross-section, on an enlarged
scale, taken along line II-II in Fig. 1, and
Fig. 3 is an enlargement of -the lower right-hand
part of the profiled rail according to Fig. 2.
Fig. 1 is a diagrammatical representation of a
partition comprising a frame made of four profiled
structural members or rails 2, 3 arranged to form a
rectangle. Lower profiled rail 2 of this partition
generally rests upon the edge of a bath or shower tub,
with vertical rails 3 secured to the wall of a room, not
shown; or additional partitions are connected to the
said vertical profiled rails 3. Three door panels 46,
47, 48 are arranged horizontally displaceable in upper
horizontal profiled rail 2. To this end, appropriate
guide rails and rollers, not part of this invention and
which will not be described further, are provided in
known fashion. The frame, or profiled structural
members or rails 2, 3 comprise facing panel 10 on
outer surfaces 4 which are visible to an observer. Each
facing panel is connected to the profiled rail
associated therewith, as will be explained hereinafter.
Fig. 2 is a cross-section, on an enlarged
scale, through lower horizontal profiled structural
member 2 and a part of door panel 48. Also visible is
a door handle 50 running vertically. Vertical
profiled structural member 3 is connected to lower
profiled member 2 by screwed connections, not shown.
Provided at the lower end of door panel 48 is a guide
means 52 engaging in a slot 54 located between the rear
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edge of lower structural member 2 and another
pivot ably arranged section 56. With section 56 in
the position shown, door panel 48 may be moved back
and forth horizontally in the usual manner, i.e. at
right angles to the plane of the drawing. If section 56
is swung away, door panel 48, and the other door panels
mentioned above, can be swung out of the position shown.
Structural member 2 is hollow and of approximately
triangular cross-section, inner wall 58 thereof being
rounded and sloping inwardly. The outwardly facing
surface 4 of member 2 adjoining a guide channel, desk
cribbed below, slopes slightly rearwardly.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the
right hand part of structural member 2 as shown in
Fig. 2. The outwardly facing surface 4 of member 2 is
formed with a guide channel defined by side walls 6 and
a bottom wall 16, two grooves 8 being formed in the
side walls 6 so that the guide channel is of
approximately T-shaped cross-section, but it is also
possible to use other cross-sectional shapes, for
example a dove-tail cross-section. arranged flush with
outwardly facing surface 4 is a facing panel 10 which
is inserted in-to the guide channel. The outer surface
of facing panel 10 may also be of some other
decorative design.
Mounted inside the guide channel 6, 8, 16,
is a connecting element 12, the central part 14 of which
bears upon bottom wall 16 of the guide channel. The
facing panel 10, the guide channel and the connecting
element 18 are all symmetrical in relation to a
central plane 18. Connecting element 12 has two lateral
projections having spring arm means each comprising an
arc 20 and a spring arm or resilient lip 22, the latter
being directed inwardly towards the central plane 18 and
bearing at least partly against the inner surface 24 of
I 5
a groove 8. connecting element 12 is made of a
resilient material preferably plasticized PVC with an
appropriate Shore-hardness. Resilient arcs 20 and,
additionally, lips or arms 22 ensure that the connecting
element 12 be mounted free of play in the guide channel
6, 8, 16. Each arm 22 bears, with a reload resilient
force, against longitudinal edge 26 of profiled rail 2
and/or against inner surface 24 of a groove I The con-
netting element 12 is thus definitely aligned and
secured.
Facing panel 10 comprises, along each of its
lateral areas, a hook-shaped detent element means 28
comprising a web 30, directed inwardly towards the bottom
wall 16 and terminating into a bulbous extension 32
bearing against connecting element 12,-thus ensuring
secure mounting thereof. Extensions 32 project toward
the central plane of symmetry 18. Connecting element 12
is formed with matching hook-shaped detent element means
34 each comprising an outwardly directed web 36
terminating into an extension 38 turned toward and
engaging partly over an extension 32 in inter engaging
hook-like fashion. Detent element means 34 of con-
netting element 12 is resilient. However, as will be
gathered, detent element means 28 may be resilient
instead, or both of said hook-shaped element means 28 and
34 may be resilient. This construction of the detent
element means ensures that facing panel 10 be locked
securely and free of play in relation to connecting
element 12. All in all, this configuration made
according to the invention compensates for manufacturing
tolerances and/or production inaccuracies in such a
manner as to ensure that facing panel 10 be held
securely in profiled member or rail 2. The areas of
profiled member or rail 2 which are remote from -the
central plane 18 are shown to slope at a predetermined
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angle.
The grooves 8 may be open-ended at least at one
end so that connecting element 12 may be inserted into
profiled member 2 in the direction of the longitudinal
axis of member 2, i.e. at right angles to the plane of
the drawing. Unwanted release during further processing
of the profiled rail is prevented. Facing panel 10 may
subsequently be inserted into profiled member 2 and
outer surface 4 thereof. Hook-shaped detent elements 28
of facing panel 10 have lateral surfaces 40 running
substantially parallel with the central plane 18, the
end of lips 22 resting upon these lateral surfaces.
Until such time as facing panel 10 is inserted, lips 22
spring freely and have comparatively little rigidity.
This facilitates the insertion of connecting element
12 into the guide channel 6, 8, 16. If facing panel 10
is then inserted in the manner explained herein before,
lateral surfaces 40 of detent elements 28 press the
lips 22 against longitudinal edges 26 and/or inner
surfaces 24 of grooves 8, this providing secure
anchorage and support. Thus, increased rigidity and
reload are obtained when the facing panel 10 is inserted.
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