360-Degree Shower Screen Hinge With Enclosed Gears and Bubble Seal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hinge assemblies for shower screens face challenges in providing a reliable water seal and are prone to trapping clothing or body parts due to exposed gear mechanisms, which deform and cause water leakage and entrapment hazards.
Innovation Solution
A hinge assembly featuring an obround extrusion with curved surfaces, fully enclosed toothed co-operating elements, and a circular wiper seal along the panel edges, allowing 360-degree movement while ensuring a full height seal and preventing entrapment through enclosed gear mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If exposed geared mechanisms are used for hinge movement, then panel movement is enabled, but water sealing becomes difficult and entrapment hazards occur
Solution Approach 1:
The gear mechanisms are extracted from the exposed position and enclosed within a housing structure. The gears remain functional for panel movement but are now contained within a sealed environment that prevents water leakage and eliminates entrapment hazards.
Solution Approach 2:
The toothed co-operating elements are nested within a housing structure that provides both mechanical support and sealing. The gears are contained within the housing while still enabling the required panel movement, achieving both functionality and safety.
2Ease of operation
If exposed geared mechanisms are used for hinge movement, then panel movement is enabled, but entrapment of clothing or body parts occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The hazardous exposed gear mechanisms are extracted and relocated into a enclosed housing. The gears remain functional for movement but are now contained within a safe environment that prevents contact with clothing or body parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The toothed elements are nested within a protective housing structure that eliminates direct exposure. This nesting approach maintains the mechanical functionality while removing the entrapment hazard by containing the moving gear parts.
3Reliability
If deformable gear teeth are used for water sealing, then sealing is attempted, but the gears deform and force themselves apart causing leakage
Solution Approach 1:
A seal member is introduced as an intermediary element between the gear housing and the external environment. This seal member provides the water sealing function without requiring the gear teeth themselves to deform, thus maintaining gear structural integrity while achieving reliable sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The water sealing function is extracted from the gear teeth and assigned to a dedicated seal member. This separation allows the gears to maintain their structural integrity for movement while the seal member provides reliable water sealing independently.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A hinge assembly (4) for the connection of two panels (10, 12) at their adjacent edge regions (8d) to allow said panels to rotate up to 360 degrees relative to one another, the hinge assembly comprising an elongate member (20) providing two opposing curved surfaces adjacent the edge of each panel, said member cooperating with at least one pair of intermeshed gears (24), the assembly including connector means (34) for attaching each panel to said member and a bubble seal (22) disposed between the edge of each panel and each curved surface of the member.