Shower door system with gravity hinge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional shower door hinges are bulky and unsightly, making them incompatible with modern glass wall shower enclosures, and they require a strike plate and latch, which disrupts the unbroken glass appearance.
Innovation Solution
A gravity-style hinge system that attaches only to horizontal surfaces, featuring a self-closing mechanism with a lower hinge that mounts to the sill and an upper hinge that can be hidden within the header, eliminating the need for a strike plate and latch, and incorporating a sloping sill and horizontal rails to maintain an unbroken glass appearance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional piano style hinges are used to support the door weight, then the door can be properly supported, but the hinges are bulky and exposed, disrupting the decorative theme and unbroken glass appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge mechanism is nested within the horizontal frame rails of the glass door. The rotating portion of the hinge is concealed inside the lower horizontal rail, while the fixed portion is hidden within the shower enclosure header, allowing the hinge to support the door weight without visible external hardware
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge transitions from a vertical mounting configuration (traditional piano hinge on vertical edge) to a horizontal mounting configuration (mounting on horizontal edges only). This dimensional change allows the hinge to be concealed within the horizontal rails while maintaining support capability
2Reliability
If traditional hinges with strike plate and latch are used, then the door can be kept closed, but the strike plate and latch are visible on the free edge, disrupting the unbroken glass appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The strike plate and latch components are completely removed from the system. Instead, the self-closing hinge mechanism provides both the closing force and the stopping function through its camming action, eliminating the need for separate visible hardware on the glass door edge
Solution Approach 2:
The closing function, positioning function, and stopping function are merged into the single hinge mechanism. The hinge simultaneously provides the self-closing force through gravity and camming ramps, and the positive stop through the engagement of raised surfaces with grooves, eliminating the need for separate strike plate and latch
3Ease of manufacture
If hinges are mounted on vertical surfaces of the glass door, then proper hinge installation is possible, but it creates unsightly visible hardware on the glass surface
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge is designed to mount only on horizontal surfaces (the lower horizontal edge of the glass door and the header), while deliberately avoiding attachment to vertical glass surfaces. This localized mounting approach allows proper mechanical installation while maintaining aesthetic appearance
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 a compact, aesthetically pleasing self-closing hinge system that keeps the glass door closed without visible hardware, enhancing the appearance of modern shower enclosures while preventing water from escaping through the door opening.
Implementation Method 1
When the raised surfaces of the rotating portion are positioned on the ramps of the fixed portion, the weight of the door will bias the raised surfaces towards the self-centered or closed position in the grooves. Thus, if the door is released, the door will close of its own accord.
Data Source
AI summary
A shower door and hinge assembly comprising a glass shower door, a sloping sill, a sill angle adapter, upper and lower horizontal door frame rails, and upper and lower shower door hinges where the lower hinge is a gravity style hinge featuring a self-closing action, is presented. The hinges of the present invention shower door and hinge assembly attach only to horizontal edge surfaces of the glass door. The hinges do not attach to any vertical surface of the door.