Glass Shower Door Hinge Clamp for Drill-Free Edge Mounting
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional frameless glass shower doors require precut or predrilled mounting points, limiting size and shape options and increasing installation time and cost, as tempered glass becomes difficult to work with after cutting processes.
Innovation Solution
A clamp assembly with a shoe and gasket system that uses angled contact surfaces and threaded fasteners to provide a pressure clamping mechanism, allowing the hinge assembly to be positioned anywhere along the glass panel edge without predrilled mounting points, utilizing a clamping bracket and gasket to secure the glass panel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If glass panels are precut or predrilled with mounting points before tempering, then hinge attachment is enabled, but glass panel size and shape options are limited and additional time and cost are required
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge assembly is designed to attach to the glass panel after tempering by using a clamping mechanism that engages with the edge of the panel. The shoe component includes a channel that receives the glass edge, and the clamping bracket with threaded fasteners secures the panel without requiring pre-drilled holes or precutting. This preliminary action of designing the attachment system to work with tempered glass edges eliminates the need for modifications before tempering, thereby enabling full adaptability in glass panel size and shape options.
2Manufacturing precision
If glass panels are custom made to fit unusual doorway areas or shapes, then precise fit is achieved, but additional time and cost are required
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge assembly incorporates adjustable elements including the position of the shoe along the glass edge and the adjustability of the clamping bracket. The threaded fasteners allow for fine-tuning of the clamping force and position. This dynamic adjustability enables the same hinge assembly to accommodate various doorway sizes and shapes without requiring custom-made glass panels, thereby reducing both manufacturing time and installation time while maintaining precise fit.
3Manufacturing precision
If glass panels are custom made to fit unusual doorway areas or shapes, then precise fit is achieved, but additional cost is incurred
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge assembly is designed as a universal attachment system that can be applied to glass panels of various sizes, shapes, and thicknesses. The shoe component with its channel design and the clamping bracket with adjustable fasteners create a multi-functional attachment mechanism that works with standard and non-standard glass panels alike. This universality eliminates the need for custom-made glass panels for unusual doorway configurations, thereby reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining precise fit through the adjustable clamping mechanism.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides additional clamping force through rotational motion and allows for flexible installation with a range of glass panels, eliminating the need for precut or predrilled points, reducing custom glass requirements and enhancing installation flexibility.
Implementation Method 1
A second plurality of threaded fasteners is sized to cooperate with the first plurality of threaded fasteners to clamp a glass shower door panel in the gasket
Implementation Method 2
The first side of the clamping bracket has third and fourth contact surfaces extending longitudinally that are shaped to engage with the first inclined and second contact surfaces
Implementation Method 3
At least one of the first, second, third, and fourth contact surfaces is angled relative to the lateral axis
Data Source
AI summary
A clamp assembly includes a shoe having a base member and first and second side walls forming a first channel, and a first plurality of threaded fasteners extending parallel to a lateral axis. The first side wall has an interior surface with first and second contact surfaces extending longitudinally. A gasket forms a second channel sized to receive a glass panel and sized to be received within the first channel. A clamping bracket has a first side and a second opposed side, where the first side has third and fourth contact surfaces extending longitudinally and shaped to engage with the first and second contact surfaces. A second plurality of threaded fasteners cooperate with the first plurality of fasteners to clamp a glass shower door panel in the gasket. At least one of the first, second, third and fourth contact surfaces is angled relative to the lateral axis.