Nested U-Profile Holder for Tool-Free Shower Panel Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for holding flat elements in shower stalls or partitions face challenges with non-right angle walls, curved installations, and varying distances, requiring multiple adjustments and tools, which are inconvenient and limited to specific types of panel elements.
Innovation Solution
A device featuring a fastening element that can be attached to a profile for tool-free alignment and locking of U-shaped profiles, with separate adjustment and fastening components, allowing for precise alignment and stable fixation without visible elements, enabling easy assembly and adjustment without readjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If multiple adjustment devices are used to align shower walls horizontally, then alignment precision is improved, but device complexity and installation time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into two nested U-shaped profiles (first profile and second profile) that can be independently adjusted. The first profile is fixed to the wall while the second profile holds the door element, allowing separate adjustment of each component to achieve precise alignment without requiring multiple complex adjustment devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The second profile is designed to be displaceable relative to the first profile in the perpendicular direction, enabling dynamic adjustment during installation. This displacement capability allows the door element to be aligned horizontally even when walls are not perfectly perpendicular, eliminating the need for multiple fixed adjustment devices.
2Adaptability or versatility
If adjustment devices allow setting after panel installation, then adaptability is improved, but operational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustment mechanism is designed to be operated directly on the installed door element without requiring disassembly or special tools. The displacement of the second profile relative to the first can be performed in-situ, allowing the installer to self-adjust the alignment after installation without external assistance or complex procedures.
3Stability of the object's composition
If profiles are locked after assembly, then stability is improved, but adjustment flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The device allows all necessary adjustments to be made before final locking of the profiles. The second profile can be displaced to the desired position while the door element is installed, and only after achieving the correct alignment is the locking mechanism engaged. This ensures both stability in the final state and flexibility during the adjustment phase.
Data Source
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AI summary
Device (25) for holding flat elements, in particular for wall elements and/or door elements of shower cubicles or shower partitions, having: - a first essentially U-shaped profile (1) and - a second essentially U-shaped profile (6), wherein the two profiles (1, 6) are nested in one another, and - at least one adjusting device (22) with which the resulting width of the nested profiles (1, 6) can be changed, wherein the adjusting device (22) can be actuated without tools, wherein the device (25) has a fastening device (21) by which the device (25) can be mounted on a wall and by which the two nested, substantially U-shaped profiles (1, 6) can be locked in position.