WO2007007048A2

WO2007007048A2 - Frame assembly for securing a panel element to a wall

Info

Publication number: WO2007007048A2
Application number: PCT/GB2006/002497
Authority: WO
Inventors: Philip Duffy
Original assignee: Aquamark Holdings (Proprietary) Limited
Priority date: 2005-07-08
Filing date: 2006-07-05
Publication date: 2007-01-18
Also published as: WO2007007048A3

Abstract

A frame assembly for securing a panel element to a wall is described. The frame assembly includes an elongate frame member which can be mounted to the wall, the frame member defining a longitudinal slot in which an edge of the panel element can be located; at least one panel mounting bracket for fixedly mounting the panel element to the frame member; at least one frame mounting bracket which can be fixedly mounted to the wall for mounting the frame member to the wall in an arrangement permitting relative movement between the frame member and wall, in use; and adjustment means which is mounted to the frame member, for adjusting the position of the frame member relative to the wall in use. The frame assembly is distinctive in that it includes at least an adjustment mechanism for effecting lateral adjustment of the frame member relative to the wall. A frame and panel assembly, especially as a shower cubicle wall, is also described.

Description

FRAME ASSEMBLY FOR SECURING A PANEL ELEMENT TO A WALL

This invention relates to a frame assembly for securing a panel element to a wall and to a frame and panel so assembled and mounted. The invention in particular relates to a frame assembly for securing a panel or panels associated with articles of bathroom ware such as baths or showers, and for example a panel for a shower cubicle, a bath or shower screen or the like. However, the invention has applicability to any situation where it is desirable to mount a panel member in a frame element for securing to a wall, in particular where it might be desirable to provide means for adjustment of the position of the panel member relative to the wall in situ.

Where shower facilitates are provided in a room, whether via a stand alone assembly or via an assembly in conjunction with a bath, it is usually necessary to include some form of partial or complete enclosure of the shower area to prevent water from the shower area splashing onto an adjacent floor area and causing water damage. Such enclosure structures are well known.

Typically, a dedicated shower area will be provided with a complete enclosure, for example comprising two generally orthogonal and abutting screens mounted against the wall in a corner of the room so as to enclose the shower area. When a shower assembly is constructed in conjunction with a bath, a screen may be provided comprising a single panel member which extends along the top of one side of the bath to prevent shower water from splashing over the side.

The advantages of the invention particularly accrue in relation to the construction of complete shower cubicles, and the use of the invention is described by way of example with reference to such cubicles, but it will be appreciated that the advantages of the invention are applicable in any circumstance where a panel member might be mounted on a wall, in particular so as to be adjustable in situ.

For aesthetic reasons, shower screen and cubicle walls often comprise one or more glass or similar panels which are wholly or partially surrounded and supported by elongate frame members. The frame is mounted to the wall and the panel or panels are mounted within the frame. The panel or panels are thus located upon the existing wall room to serve as at least some of the walls of a shower enclosure or cubicle. Typically, the panels form part of the enclosure, and the existing walls of the room complete the enclosure, for example in that the enclosure is provided in the corner of a room.

In order to achieve a secure and water tight seal for the shower enclosure or cubicle it is necessary that the panel and frame assemblies making up the walls of the enclosure abut snugly against each other. However, walls and floors are rarely precisely plum, and exactly plum and accurate fitment and mounting of the frames is difficult to achieve, particularly when the assembly is being fitted post-build into a room, and particularly when it is being fitted by a nonexpert.

For all of these reasons, means are typically provided to allow limited adjustment of the frame relative to the wall and/or of the panel relative to the frame. It is known for example to mount panels within a frame by means of releasable mountings, for example mountings that grip the edge of the panel, thus allowing some relative adjustment of panel and when frame in position. For example, panel members may be held in the frame by means of holding screws which can be loosened and tightened to enable this relative adjustment. Additionally, it is known to make the frame mounting on the wall height adjustable to a limited extent.

Nevertheless, where a close fit cannot be achieved it is often necessary to disassemble and reassemble the cubicle to overcome problems with out of true walls. This is particularly the case where alteration of the frame and panel assemblies position relative to a vertical plane is required.

Moreover, it has recently become popular to provide shower screen and shower cubicle panels which do not have complete surrounding frames, but are semi frameless, in that the frame mounting consists merely of a vertical elongate frame member adjacent to and mounted upon the wall in use, or some other arrangement which does not fully surround the panel. Whilst such an arrangement is considered attractive for aesthetic reasons, it presents particular problems in making the mounting adjustable, since all adjustment has to happen at the vertical elongate frame member adjacent to the wall.

It is an object of the invention to provide a frame assembly for securing a panel element to a wall which mitigates some or all of the above disadvantages.

It is a particular object of the present invention to provide a frame assembly for securing a panel element to a wall to facilitate adjustment of its position relative to the wall in situ.

It is a particular preferred embodiment of the invention to provide a frame assembly for securing a shower screen element to a wall to facilitate the assembly of a shower cubicle or a shower screen in conjunction with a bath, especially for post-build and for example non-expert fitment. Thus, according to a first aspect of the invention there is a provided a frame assembly for securing a panel element to a wall, the frame assembly including an elongate frame member which can be mounted to the wall, the frame member defining a longitudinal slot in which an edge of the panel element can be located; at least one panel mounting bracket for fixedly mounting the panel element to the frame member; at least one frame mounting bracket which can be fixedly mounted to the wall for mounting the frame member to the wall in an arrangement permitting relative movement between the frame member and wall, in use; and adjustment means which is mounted to the frame member, for adjusting the position of the frame member relative to the wall, including at least an adjustment mechanism for effecting lateral adjustments of the frame member relative to the wall.

The adjustment means may include a height adjustment mechanism for adjusting the height of the frame member relative to the wall in addition to the lateral adjustment mechanism for effecting lateral adjustments of the frame member relative to the wall. Each of the height adjustment mechanism and the lateral adjustment mechanism may have exposed engagement formations which can be operated by a user to effect positional (ie height/lateral as the case may be) adjustment of the panel element relative to the wall. Each engagement formation may include a threaded adjustment screw.

The frame assembly may further include a panel mounting mechanism which is adjustable to effect, in use, releasable engagement of a panel member, and so allow the position of the panel member within the channel and relative to the frame, and hence relative to the wall when the frame is mounted in situ, to be adjusted by physical movement of the panel.

In accordance with the invention, the frame assembly may optionally include a height adjustable fixing and a facility to allow release of the panel mounting and movement of the panel relative to the frame in situ as will be familiar. However, the particular characterising feature of the invention is that it includes at least a mechanism for effecting lateral adjustment of the frame member relative to the wall. This is a particularly significant feature. It allows the aspect of the frame member mounted on the wall to be adjusted relative to the vertical, and in particular allows this adjustment to take place in situ. In use with a frame member mounted upon a wall and with a panel member mounted within the channel therein this allows adjustment, in situ, of the frame and panel assembly relative to a vertical plane either by operation of a single lateral adjustment mechanism against a fixed mounting elsewhere on the elongate member, or by differential actuation of a plurality of such mechanisms. Thus, in addition to the optional height adjustment and adjustment of the panel relative to the frame, adjustment in a third dimension, by tilting of the whole frame and panel assembly relative to the vertical, is made possible.

This is a particularly difficult adjustment to deal with in prior art systems. Whether as a result of an out of true wall, or as a result of an inaccurate original mounting it has proved necessary to disassemble and remount the frame, minor adjustments are particularly difficult, since they are likely to involve attempting to insert a screw mounting in a new position which is only marginally distanced from the original position. By contrast, in accordance with the present invention such adjustments of a panel relative to the vertical can be achieved simply in situ without requiring disassembly of the cubicle element.

The provision of a tilt adjustment in this manner, in conjunction, in the preferred embodiment, with a height adjustment, and with an adjustable panel mounting, means that alterations can be made to the position of the panel and frame assembly in situ in all three dimensions. An effective fit is likely to be more easily obtained without necessitating disassembly and reassembly of the structure. Adjustment can be effected without taking the panel down in many more instances. Adjustment in three dimensions is possible on all assembled and part assembled shower panels.

Adjustment of the panel member relative to the frame is achieved by release of the panel mounting mechanism, readjustment of the position of the panel for example in and out relative to the wall, and reapplication of the panel mounting mechanism to fix the new position. The panel mounting mechanism conveniently constitutes a clamping arrangement as will be familiar, and for example comprises a screw clamp.

Each of the height adjustment mechanism and the lateral adjustment mechanism preferably comprise assemblies which are configured to act between the frame mounting bracket and the frame member to effect relative movement therebetween in use. In use the frame mounting bracket is fixedly mounted to the wall. Thus, relative positional (ie height or lateral as the case may be) movement between the frame member and the wall can be effected in situ.

Height adjustment is effected in situ in the preferred embodiment by means of a height adjustment mechanism which is preferably configured such that an externally accessible adjustment screw effects fine scale adjustment of the height. In a particularly preferred embodiment the height adjustment mechanism includes a cam located in an aperture in the frame member and adjustment screw fixed to the cam and so located that it can be turned to cause the cam to turn and act on the frame mounting bracket to cause relative vertical movement between the frame member and the bracket, and hence between the frame and the wall in use when the frame is mounted thereupon.

The lateral adjustment mechanism also preferably comprises an externally accessible screw to allow for fine adjustment in situ. In a particularly preferred embodiment the lateral adjustment mechanism comprises an adjustment screw engaged within a generally horizontally disposed threaded channel in the frame mounting bracket such that turning of the adjustment screw effects lateral movement of the frame member relative to the frame mounting bracket, and hence of the frame relative to the wall in use when the frame is mounted thereupon.

Conveniently, the frame assembly includes at least a pair of frame mounting brackets located either side of a mid point of the length of the elongate frame member, and for example respectively located generally towards the top and the bottom in use. An adjustment means in accordance with the invention is provided in association with at least one of the brackets, and preferably in association with both such brackets.

Panel elements have at least one straight edge locatable within the longitudinal slot, and preferably paired parallel straight edges, and are preferably generally rectangular. Frame members may partially or completely enclose and surround panel members in use, but the invention is particularly suited to "frameless" shower cubicle designs in which the frame consists essentially only of an elongate frame member which can be mounted to the wall, the other edges of the panel being frameless, so that the panel member when fitted is supported only along the single side located in the slot of the elongate frame member.

The frame member may include at least one cover element which is removably secured to the frame member for enhancing the appearance of the frame member.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, the frame member may be in the form of an aluminium extrusion. The cover element may be of roll-formed stainless steel, having an aesthetically pleasing surface finish when compared to the extruded aluminium frame member. The cover element is configured to cover the frame member and any exposed portions of the adjustment mechanisms.

The frame assembly may include a pair of cover elements wherein each cover element is removably secured to a different one of the side formations of the frame member. As such, each cover element and the corresponding side formation of the frame member, may define complementary clipping formations which permit the cover element to be removably clipped onto the side formation.

The frame member may have a U-shaped cross-sectional profile and as such, may comprise a base formation and a pair of spaced side formations which project form the base formation and which define the slot in which the panel element is received, in use. According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a frame and panel assembly for securing to a wall, comprising a frame assembly as hereinbefore described, and at least one panel element fixedly mounted therein by means of the panel mounting bracket.

In accordance with a preferred use of the invention, the panel element and frame assembly is together comprise shower screen or wall element of a shower cubicle. In a preferred embodiment, the panel member is a glass or similar shower screen.

In a preferred embodiment, the frame and panel assembly forms part of a shower cubicle construction, and in particular forms all or part of a wall thereof. A shower cubicle construction employing the principles of the invention may include several such frame and panel assemblies making up the walls, and for example two such frame and panel assemblies against a corner of a room to complete a shower enclosure with the two room walls against which they abut. The adjustment of each panel relative to a vertical plane which is made possible by the invention, and in particular the three dimensional adjustment in situ which is made possible by the preferred embodiment of the invention, accommodates a range of out of true walls and floors and/or not perfectly accurate initial mountings to effect a properly sealed enclosure.

Further features of the invention are described hereinafter by way of a non- limiting example of the invention, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings. In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view of the frame member of a frame assembly in accordance with the invention; 497

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Figure 2 shows a schematic sectional end view of a frame assembly in accordance with the invention;

Figure 3 shows a schematic sectional view of the height adjustment mechanism of the frame assembly of Figure 2, sectioned along section line A- A of Figure 1;

Figure 4 shows a schematic sectional view of the lateral adjustment mechanism of the frame assembly of Figure 2, sectioned along section line G- G of Figure 1;

Figure 5 shows a sectional view of the frame member of Figure 1, sectioned along section line B-B of Figure 1;

Figure 6 shows a schematic perspective view of a clamp of the frame member of Figure 1;

Figure 7 shows a schematic exploded perspective view of the lateral adjustment mechanism of Figure 4;

Figure 8 shows a schematic perspective view of the height adjustment mechanism and the lateral adjustment mechanism;

Figure 9 shows a schematic enlarged cut-away side elevation of the frame member of Figure 1; and

Figure 10 shows a schematic enlarged cut-away rear end view of the frame member of Figure 1. With reference to the drawings, a frame assembly in accordance with the invention is designated generally by the reference numeral 10. The frame assembly 10 is specifically adapted for use in mounting a panel element in the form of a glass shower panel 12 to a vertical wall 14. The frame assembly 10 comprises, broadly, an elongate frame member 16 in which an edge region 17 of the panel 12 can be located, a pair of panel mounting brackets 18, a frame mounting bracket 20, a lateral adjustment mechanism 21, a height adjustment mechanism 22 and a pair of cover panels 24.1 and 24.2.

The frame member is in the form of aluminium extrusion and has a U-shape cross-sectional profile. The frame member comprises a base formation 26 at a rear end of the frame member and a pair of spaced side formations 28.1 and 28.2 which project from the base formation and which define a slot 30 between them in which the edge region 17 of the panel element 12 is located.

The panel mounting brackets 18 are located within the slot 30 of the frame member 16 and fixedly connected to the base formation 26 of the frame member by means of a screw 32. The bracket 18 has a U-shaped profile when viewed in cross section and defines a slot 36 in which the edge region 17 of the glass panel 12 is located. A U-shaped clamp formation 38 is located in the slot 36 of the bracket 18. The bracket 18 includes a grub screw 34 which when turned acts on the clamp formation 38 for clamping the glass panel 12.

The frame mounting bracket 20 is L-shaped and includes a boss 46 which is located in a square aperture 48 defined in the frame member 16 (see Figure 10 of the drawings). The aperture 48 is larger than the boss 46 so as to provide a clearance "X" of 2.5mm at each side of the boss so as to provide for lateral adjustment of the frame member relative to the bracket 20 and a clearance of "W" of 2.5mm above and below the boss to provide for height adjustment of the frame member relative to the bracket 20. The boss further provides a clearance "Y" between the frame member and the wall 14 so as to permit the frame member to move with respect to the bracket 20. The bracket 20 is fixedly mounted to the wall 14 by means of a mounting screw 44 and a wall plug 45 into which the screw is screwed, which is fitted into a hole drilled in the wall. The bracket 20 has a threaded hole 43, the purpose of which will be explained hereinafter.

The lateral adjustment mechanism 21 comprises an adjustment screw 42 which engages the threaded hole 43 of the bracket 20 and circlip 52. The side formation 28.1 of the frame member 16 defines a vertically-extending elongate aperture 50 in which adjustment screw 42 is located in an arrangement wherein the screw can move up and down in the aperture 50. More particularly, gaps "V" providing a 2.5mm clearance are defined above and below the screw 42, thereby allowing a total of 5mm of vertical adjustment. The head of the screw 42 is located on an external side of the side formation 28.1, with the circlip 52 being fixed to the screw 42 and located on an inner side of the side formation 28.1.

The height adjustment mechanism 22 includes a cam 54 which is located in an aperture in the frame member and an adjustment screw 56 which is fixed to the cam and which can be turned for turning the cam 54. The cam 54 acts on the bracket 20 to permit a total of 5mm vertical adjustment of the frame member 16 relative to the frame mounting bracket 20 and thus the wall 14.

The cover elements 24.1 and 24.2 may be of roll-formed stainless steel or aluminium and are configured to cover the side formations 28.1 and 28.2, including the exposed heads of the adjustment screws 42 and 56, thereby provided the frame member with an aesthetically enhanced appearance. The frame assembly thus combines the functionality and cost effectiveness of an extruded aluminium frame member with aesthetically enhanced smooth surface finish of the cover elements.

In use, the edge region 17 of the glass panel 20 is introduced into the slot 36 defined by the frame member once the desired position of the edge region 17 of the glass panel is received within the slot 36, the grub screws 34 are screwed onto the clamp formations 38 thereby clamping the glass panel to the panel mounting brackets 18 for fixedly mounting the glass panel 22 to the frame member 16 relative to the wall 14 is achieved by turning the adjustment screw 42 in an anti-clockwise or clockwise direction. The clearance "X" of 2.5mm at each side of the boss 46 allows a total of 5mm of lateral adjustment of the frame member relative to the frame mounting bracket 20 and thus the wall 14.

Height adjustment of the frame member 16 relative to the wall 14 is effected by turning the adjustment screw 56 in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction for lifting or lowering the frame member relative to the wall. Hence, by causing the cam 54 to rotate in a clockwise direction as is indicated by the arrow "A", the frame member is lifted relative to the frame mounting bracket 20 and thus the wall 14. Similarly, by turning the cam 54 in a counterclockwise direction, the frame member 16 is lowered relative to the wall 14.

Claims

1. A frame assembly for securing a panel element to a wall, the frame assembly including: an elongate frame member which can be mounted to the wall, the frame member defining a longitudinal slot in which an edge of the panel element can be located; at least one panel mounting bracket for fixedly mounting the panel element to the frame member; at least one frame mounting bracket which can be fixedly mounted to the wall for mounting the frame member to the wall in an arrangement permitting relative movement between the frame member and wall, in use; and adjustment means which is mounted to the frame member, for adjusting the position of the frame member relative to the wall in use, including at least an adjustment mechanism for effecting lateral adjustment of the frame member relative to the wall.

2. A frame assembly in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a height adjustment mechanism for adjusting the height of the frame member relative to the wall in use.

3. A frame assembly in accordance with claim 1 or claim 2 wherein each adjustment mechanism has an exposed engagement formation which can be operated by a user to effect adjustment of the position of the panel element relative to the wall. 6 002497

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4. A frame assembly in accordance with claim 3 wherein the exposed engagement formation includes a threaded adjustment screw.

5. A frame assembly in accordance with any preceding claim further including a panel mounting mechanism which is adjustable to effect, in use, releasable engagement of a panel member, and so allow the position of the panel member within the channel and relative to the frame to be adjusted.

6. A frame assembly in accordance with any preceding claim comprising a height adjustment mechanism including a cam located in an aperture in the frame member and adjustment screw fixed to the cam so that it can be turned to cause the cam to turn and act on the frame mounting bracket to cause relative vertical movement between the frame and the bracket.

7. A frame assembly in accordance with any preceding claim wherein the lateral adjustment mechanism comprises an adjustment screw engaged within a generally horizontally disposed threaded channel in the frame mounting bracket such that turning of the adjustment screw effects lateral movement of the frame member relative to the bracket.

8. A frame assembly in accordance with any preceding claim including at least a pair of frame mounting brackets located either side of a mid point of the length of the elongate frame member.

9. A frame and panel assembly for securing to a wall, comprising a frame assembly in accordance with one of claims 1 to 8, and at least one panel element fixedly mounted therein by means of the panel mounting bracket.

10. A frame and panel assembly in accordance with claim 9 wherein the panel member is a glass shower screen.

11. A frame and panel assembly in accordance with claim 9 or 10 disposed to form all or part of a wall of a shower cubicle construction.