ROOM PARTITION, IN PARTICULAR SHOWER PARTITION

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a room divider, in particular a shower partition, comprising a room divider segment and a shelf that can be coupled to the room divider segment. DE 20 2004 018077 U1 shows such a device.

[0002] Room dividers of the type mentioned above are used, for example, as shower enclosures in bathrooms and sanitary facilities. A shelf attached to a plastic or glass segment is used to store everyday sanitary items such as shower gels or shampoos.

[0003] Such a room divider is traditionally equipped with a shelf that is attached to the partition segment by means of a screw connection. Furthermore, shelves within a shower enclosure are usually attached to tiled walls by means of a screw or adhesive connection. A disadvantage of a screw connection is that the partition segment is weakened due to the drill hole required for the screw connection or is damaged during production. Partition segments made of real glass, in particular, are prone to brittle fractures or chipping. Similarly, a tiled wall is devalued by drill holes or adhesive residue. Accordingly, a solution to eliminate these disadvantages is needed.

[0004] The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a room partition device, in particular a shower partition, which largely avoids the described disadvantages of the prior art and enables a simple, reliable coupling of a shelf to a room partition segment, in particular made of glass.

[0005] The invention solves this problem by a clamping device for establishing a force-locking coupling between a room divider segment and a shelf according to claim 1. According to the invention, a force-locking, clamping connection for attaching a shelf to a room divider segment is advantageously proposed, while avoiding any structural modification of the room divider segment. According to the invention, the creation of bores in the room divider segment, in particular a glass or plastic pane, is avoided, thereby eliminating the drilling step and avoiding the risk of damage during manufacture or assembly. Due to the clamping device according to the invention, the position of the shelf coupled thereto can be flexibly adjusted during assembly and subsequently changed; especially since flexibility is nowadays particularly important in order to meet the requirements or wishes of customers, specialist retailers, and tradespeople.For example, the height of the shelf can be selected according to individual preference and even subsequently adjusted without having to drill new holes. For example, it's conceivable that a tall person might want the shelf mounted at a higher position than a shorter person. Depending on the individual's lifestyle, disassembling and subsequently reassembling the shelf in a new, more advantageous position is particularly easy with this invention.

[0006] In a preferred embodiment, the invention of the type mentioned above is characterized in that the clamping device has a first clamping section and, spaced therefrom, a second clamping section, which are spaced apart at such a distance from one another that the room divider segment can be inserted into the space between the first and second clamping sections. Such an arrangement enables, above all, simple assembly of the clamping device to the room divider segment. The predefined spacing allows for easy positioning of the room divider segment between the clamping sections of the clamping device, so that the clamping force can subsequently be applied with minimal effort.

[0007] According to a preferred embodiment, it is proposed that the first clamping section and the second clamping section are connected to one another by means of a connecting section, wherein the connecting section preferably forms a stop for the partition segment. The connecting section enables the clamping forces to be easily transmitted. It also serves as a stop for the partition segment during assembly, thereby easily achieving the desired position of the shelf on the partition segment and enabling optimal alignment of the clamping device on the partition segment, thus enabling optimal force transmission.

[0008] Particularly preferably, a fastening section for fastening the clamping device to the shelf is provided adjacent to the first and second clamping sections. This fastening section primarily serves the purpose of precisely mounting the shelf to the clamping device.

[0009] Preferably, the clamping device – when installed – is attached to the underside of the shelf using the mounting section. This is primarily advantageous for aesthetic reasons, as the mounting section is then barely visible. For further optimization, the shelf has a recess on its underside into which the mounting section of the clamping device can be partially inserted. This ensures precise and stable attachment.

[0010] According to a preferred embodiment, the fastening section has two spaced-apart legs, between which the partition segment is arranged in the assembled state. Such an embodiment not only ensures favorable load distribution but also increases the stability of the support on the clamping device on the partition segment.

[0011] Preferably, each leg of the fastening section has a flange-like projection that can be attached to the shelf by means of a screw connection and can be inserted at least partially, preferably completely, into the recess of the shelf. This ensures a simple, precisely positioned, and stable attachment of the shelf to the clamping device.

[0012] Particularly preferably, the fastening section and the first and second clamping sections are arranged substantially at right angles to one another. Such an embodiment provides favorable load distribution due to a preferably substantially L-shaped configuration of the legs in combination with the clamping sections.

[0013] Another development of the invention provides that the shelf has a (first) slot-shaped cutout designed to accommodate the room divider segment. The cutout allows for easy insertion during assembly and allows the shelf to be used on both sides of the room divider. Furthermore, the cutout provides additional stability during installation by preventing the shelf from tipping over.

[0014] According to a preferred development of the invention, the slot-shaped cutout has a protective layer at least partially along its inner contour, which, when installed, is in contact with the room divider segment. The protective layer has a positive impact, shock, and vibration-damping effect. Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, the protective layer is additionally designed as a type of sealing lip, thereby providing overflow protection at the interface between the shelf and the room divider segment. The protective layer is preferably made of an elastic, preferably rubber-like material. In addition to an impact, shock, and vibration-damping effect, a highly elastic, preferably rubber-like material also increases friction. The increased friction serves the purpose of exerting an additional holding force along the contact surface between the shelf and the room divider segment.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the shelf is preferably designed as a one-piece board. This is justified not only for aesthetic reasons but also primarily to reduce assembly effort. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, it is conceivable for the shelf to be designed as a basket.

[0016] Particularly preferably, the shelf has a further (second) slot-shaped cutout, so that a holding segment is formed on the shelf, which is preferably configured as a towel holder. The design of the holding segment at a free end of a shower cubicle offers the advantage that, in contrast to conventional shelves that are only mounted inside shower cubicles, a practical towel holder can be logically combined with a shelf.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the first slot-shaped cutout and the second slot-shaped cutout are arranged at an angle to each other, preferably in a range between 80 and 110°, particularly preferably at an angle of approximately 90°. A substantially rectangular arrangement has the advantage that a user of the holding segment can particularly easily reach the held object, preferably a towel. Furthermore, this further development of the invention ensures optimal use of space with optimized storage space.

[0018] In a further particular embodiment, at least one clamping section has at least one clamping means for applying a clamping force to the partition segment, which clamping means is preferably designed as a screw and interacts with a thread formed on the clamping section. Adjusting a clamping force via a thread represents a simple and, above all, precise way of applying such a clamping force, for example, using a torque wrench, without the clamping force becoming excessive and potentially damaging the partition segment.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, the clamping means comprises a preferably disc-shaped, pressure-resistant contact element, which is in contact with the partition segment when installed. The force introduction and transmission of a helical clamping means results in a largely point-like compressive force on the partition segment. The use of such a contact element ensures a shift in the compressive stress and a distribution of stress peaks. This enables a gentle force introduction even on fragile materials.

[0020] Another embodiment includes a cover attached to a clamping section to shield the clamping means from external influences. This is necessary for a visually uniform, aesthetically pleasing overall impression of the device, and it also reduces exposure to environmental influences, such as a direct water jet onto the clamping means.

[0021] According to a preferred embodiment, a protective layer is arranged on at least one clamping section, which, when installed, is in contact with the partition segment and is preferably made of a friction-increasing material. The force of the clamping section is transmitted via the protective layer, which, on the one hand, dampens impact, shock, and vibration, and, on the other hand, can absorb and distribute stress peaks.

[0022] Preferably, the room divider segment is a glass wall, wherein the glass wall is coupled to the shelf at a freestanding end.

[0023] The invention is described below using a preferred embodiment of a room divider designed as a shower enclosure with reference to the figures. These show: Fig.1: a perspective view of a room divider Fig. 2: a side view of a shelf attached to a clamping device Fig. 3: a sectional view through a shelf attached to a clamping device (section AA Fig. 2 ) Fig. 4 and 5: a perspective view of a shelf attached to a clamping device Fig. 6: a top view of a shelf

[0024] The Figure 1The room divider device 1 shown has a room divider segment 2 in the form of a substantially rectangular pane made of glass or plastic and a shelf 6 fastened to the room divider segment 2 with a clamping device 4, on which shelf 6 objects can be placed or placed. Preferably, the shelf 6 is in the form of a one-piece board or a plate or a tray made of various materials, such as plastic, metal, or coated wood. In the assembled state, the shelf 6 is arranged substantially horizontally during operation and substantially at right angles to the room divider segment 2, which is arranged vertically during operation.

[0025] The shelf 6 has a first slot-shaped cutout 8, which in particular has a width that corresponds at least to the thickness of the room divider segment 2 and a length that corresponds to a multiple of its width. The first slot-shaped cutout 8 is designed to accommodate the room divider segment 2 and to form a guide for the room divider segment 2 during assembly. In addition, the slot-shaped cutout 8 or the thickness of the room divider segment 2 can be selected such that the shelf 6 is additionally held or supported in its perpendicular position relative to the room divider segment 2.

[0026] At one end region of the shelf 6 there is a second, in particular slot-shaped, cutout 10, which in this embodiment forms a holding segment 12 and is preferably configured as a towel holder. In the exemplary embodiment, the slot-shaped cutout 10 is essentially rectangular, but other shapes are also conceivable, for example curved or partially curved shapes. The clamping device 4 is arranged below the shelf 6 and is designed to provide a clamping force for fixing and holding the shelf 6 to the room divider segment 2, which clamping force is preferably applied to a lateral end region or free end of the room divider segment 2.

[0027] In which also in Figure 6In the exemplary embodiment shown, the first slot-shaped cutout 8 in the shelf 6 runs essentially centrally and extends from one end almost over the entire length of the shelf 6 to the other end. However, it is alternatively also possible according to the invention for the slot-shaped cutout 8 not to run centrally but offset to one side, so that the shelf 6 is arranged asymmetrically relative to the room divider segment 2. The entire length of the shelf 6 does not extend across the entire width of the room divider segment 2; in this respect, too, various variants are possible. The second slot-shaped cutout 10 is formed on an end region of the shelf 6 which protrudes from the room divider segment 2 and projects beyond the room divider segment 2 in the assembled state, and runs essentially at a right angle relative to the first slot-shaped cutout 8; other angles or shapes are also possible here.It would also be conceivable for several slit-shaped cutouts 10 to be formed in the shelf 6 in order, for example, to be able to hang several towels over it.

[0028] The Figures 2 and 3 each show a perspective view of a clamping device 4 connected to the shelf 6. Along its inner contour, the first slot-shaped cutout 8 has a damping or protective layer 14, which can form a type of sealing lip above the shelf 6 and is preferably made of an elastically and / or plastically deformable material, preferably plastic; it can, for example, be glued to the shelf 6.

[0029] Figure 3shows, among other things, a more detailed view of the clamping device 4. It can be seen that the clamping device 4 is essentially L-shaped and has a fastening section 15 for fastening the shelf 6 and the clamping device 4 to one another and a first clamping section 16 and a second clamping section 18, with the help of which, together with other components, the clamping force for clamping the shelf 6 to the room divider segment 2 can be applied. The first and the second clamping sections 16, 18 are connected to one another by a connecting section 20, wherein the connecting section 20, in addition to the purpose of transmitting the clamping force from the first to the second clamping section 16, 18, also serves as a stop for the room divider segment 2 during assembly of the clamping device 4.

[0030] The fastening section 15 of the clamping device 4 has two spaced-apart legs 22a and 22b, between which the room divider segment 2 is arranged in the assembled state. Both legs 22a and 22b of the fastening section 15 each have a flange-like projection which serves to fasten the shelf 6 to the clamping device 4 by means of a screw connection. For this purpose, screws are inserted through holes formed in the flange-like projections and screwed into the shelf 6. Preferably, at least four screws are used. In the assembled state, the fastening section 15 is preferably arranged flush with the underside of the shelf 6 and preferably at least partially within recesses 34a and 34b formed on the underside of the shelf 6.The shelf 6 has two recesses 34a and 34b on its underside, wherein the legs 22a and 22b of the fastening section 15 of the clamping device 4 each have a flange-like projection which can be inserted into a respective recess 34a and 34b of the shelf 6.

[0031] Figure 4 shows a side view of a shelf 6 according to the invention fastened to a clamping device 4. It can be seen that the arrangement of the first and second clamping portions 16, 18 is substantially perpendicular to the fastening portion 15.

[0032] Figure 5shows a sectional view of a shelf 6 according to the invention fastened to a clamping device 4. It can be seen that the first clamping section 16 is arranged at a distance from the second clamping section 18, at least corresponding to the thickness of the room divider segment 2. In this preferred exemplary embodiment, the first clamping section 16 has three clamping means 24. These clamping means 24 comprise at least one screw or one threaded pin 21 and a respective disc-shaped, pressure-stable contact element 26, preferably of high mechanical strength, which is connected to the threaded pin 21 at one end. In this specific exemplary embodiment, the contact element 26 consists of polysulfone (PSU), although materials with similar pressure-stable properties can also be used. The screws or threaded pins 21 are arranged within bores formed with an internal thread, which are formed in the clamping section 16.In the initial example, three threaded pins 21 and corresponding holes are provided, but the number can easily be varied. When the clamping device 4 is assembled, the contact element 26 establishes a connection between the threaded pin 21 and the partition segment 2 for transmitting the clamping force. For aesthetic reasons and to protect the clamping means 24 from external influences, a cover 28 is attached to the first clamping section 16 on the clamping means 24 with an adhesive tape 30.

[0033] Opposite this, a protective layer 32 is arranged on the second clamping section 18, preferably glued, which, when the clamping device 4 is mounted, creates a connection between the second clamping section 18 and the partition segment 2. The protective layer 32 is preferably made of a friction-increasing material. In this specific embodiment, the protective layer 32 is made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), whereby both rigid and flexible PVC can be used, although materials with similar properties, in particular those that reduce stress peaks, can also be used.

[0034] The protective layer 14 is arranged along the inside of the first slot-shaped cutout 8 of the shelf 6. The protective layer 14 is made of an elastic, preferably rubber-like material. In this specific embodiment, the protective layer 14 is made of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), but it is also conceivable to use materials with similar impact, shock, and vibration-damping properties for the protective layer 14, which preferably also increases friction at the contact surface created between the shelf 6 and the partition segment 2 in the assembled state. List of reference symbols:

[0035] 1 Room divider 2 Room divider segment 4 Clamping device 6 Shelf 8 First slot-shaped cutout 10 Second slot-shaped cutout 12 Holding segment 14 Protective layer 15 Fastening section 16 First clamping section 18 Second clamping section 20 Connecting section 21 Threaded pin 22 Legs (22a, 22b) 24 Clamping means 26 Contact element 28 Cover 30 Adhesive tape 32 Protective layer 34 Cutout (34a, 34b)

Claims

1. Room partitioning device (1) for a shower partition in the bathroom and sanitary area, having - a room partitioning segment (2), - a shelf (6) that can be coupled to the room partitioning segment (2) and has a slot-shaped cutout (8) which is configured to receive the room partitioning segment (2), and - a clamping device (4) for establishing a force-locking coupling between the partitioning segment (2) and the shelf (6) with a first clamping section (16) and, at a distance from it, a second clamping section (18), which are at such a distance from each other that the partitioning segment (2) can be inserted between the first and second clamping sections (16, 18), wherein the first clamping section (16) and the second clamping section (18) are connected to one another by means of a connecting section (20), characterized in that the clamping device (4) comprises a fastening section (15) arranged adjacent to the first and second clamping sections (16, 18), which has two spaced legs (22 a, 22b) between which the room partitioning segment (2) is arranged in the mounted state and by means of which the clamping device (4) is attached to the underside of the shelf (6) in the mounted state.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the underside of the shelf (6) has at least one recess (34a, 34b) into which the attachment section (15) of the clamping device (4) can be partially inserted.

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each leg (22a, 22b) of the fastening section (15) has a flange-like projection that can be fastened to the shelf (6) by means of a screw connection and can be at least partially inserted into the recess (34a, 34b) of the shelf (6).

4. Device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fastening section (15) and the first and second clamping sections (16, 18) are arranged essentially at right angles to one another.

5. Device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the slot-shaped cutout (8) has, at least partially along its inner contour, a protective layer (14) which, in the mounted state, is in contact with the room partitioning segment (2).

6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the protective layer (14) consists of an elastic, preferably rubber-like material.

7. Device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shelf (6) is configured as one of the following: - a one-piece board, - a plate, - a basket, - a shelf.

8. Device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the slot-shaped cutout (8) is a first slot-shaped cutout (8) and the shelf (6) has a second slot-shaped cutout (10) which forms a holding segment (12) on the shelf (6).

9. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the first slot-shaped cutout (8) and the second slot-shaped cutout (10) are arranged at an angle in a range between 80 and 110 with respect to each other.

10. Device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one clamping section (16, 18) has at least one clamping means (24) for applying a clamping force to the room partitioning segment (2), which is preferably configured as a screw and interacts with a thread configured on the clamping section (16, 18).

11. Device according to claim 10, characterized in that the clamping means (24) comprises a disc-shaped pressure-stable contact element (26) which is in contact with the room partitioning segment (2) in the mounted state.

12. Device according to claim 10 or 11, characterized by a cover (28) attached to a clamping section (16, 18) for shielding the clamping means (24) from external influences.

13. Device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a protective layer (32) is arranged on at least one clamping section (16, 18) and is in contact with the room partitioning segment (2) in the assembled state.

14. Device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the room partitioning segment (2) is a glass wall, the glass wall being coupled at a free end to the shelf (6).