Floating Bushing Hinge Assembly for Adjustable Glass Shower Panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
The installation of glass shower enclosures is complicated by the need for tight tolerances and adjustability to accommodate imperfect angles, which is challenging due to the weight and fragility of glass panels, and existing solutions do not effectively allow for pre-installation and adjustment of door hinges without disassembly.
Innovation Solution
The use of pre-installed door hinges with floating bushings that allow lateral and vertical adjustment without continuous rotation, enabling the panels to be aligned and fixed in place without external access to the bushings, facilitating a tight, adjustable fit between panels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional fixed hinges are used for glass shower panels, then the installation structure is simple, but the adjustability to accommodate imperfect angles and geometric relationships is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge assembly incorporates a floating bushing that can dynamically adjust its position within the hinge body, allowing the hinge to adapt to various panel orientations and imperfect geometric relationships while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge is divided into separate components including a hinge body, floating bushing, and fastener system, allowing independent adjustment of each component to achieve the desired adaptability without significantly increasing overall complexity
2Illumination intensity
If glass panels are used for shower enclosures, then the aesthetic appearance and light admission are improved, but the weight and fragility of the panels increase installation difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge components are pre-assembled with the floating bushing already positioned in the hinge body, allowing glass panels to be attached without requiring complex on-site adjustments or disassembly operations, thereby easing installation despite the panels' weight and fragility
3Reliability
If tight tolerances are maintained at panel junctions for waterproofness, then the sealing performance is improved, but the adjustability among various panels is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The floating bushing acts as an intermediary element between the hinge body and the glass panel, absorbing positional variations and allowing the panels to be adjusted to different orientations while maintaining tight tolerances at the waterproof junctions through the fastener system
Data Source
AI summary
A shower door enclosure has fixed and pivotable hinge halves which can be preinstalled to fixed and pivotable panels, respectively. One or both of the hinge halves can be adjusted at the installation site without hinge disassembly. In particular, each hinge half may be mounted to its respective panel via a fastener passing through the panel and into a floating bushing. The floating bushing is received in a seat formed in the body of the hinge half. The bushing and seat are shaped to prevent continuous rotation of the bushing within the seat, allowing the fastener to be tightened against the panel without requiring external access to the bushing. Upon assembly of the door panel to the adjacent fixed panel via the respective hinge halves, the bushings may be allowed to “float” laterally and vertically within the hinge bodies while the panels are adjusted to a proper orientation, and the fasteners may then be tightened to fix the panels in place.