360° Shower Screen Hinge Assembly With Sealed Enclosed Gears
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current hinge assemblies for shower screens face challenges in providing a watertight seal and safety, as they tend to leak due to gear deformation and create a trap hazard with exposed meshing gear profiles.
Innovation Solution
A hinge assembly featuring an obround extruded member with curved surfaces, toothed gears, and a circular bubble seal, along with a cover to encase the gears and prevent water ingress, and connectors with cruciform protuberances for secure attachment, allowing 360-degree panel movement while maintaining a full-height seal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If exposed geared mechanisms are used to allow panel movement, then ease of operation is improved, but water sealing capability deteriorates and safety hazards increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the gear mechanism from direct exposure to the external environment by enclosing it within a housing. The gears remain functional for panel movement but are protected from water contact, eliminating the source of leakage while preserving operational capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a water seal as an intermediary element between the external environment and the gear mechanism. This seal acts as a barrier that allows the gears to function while preventing water from reaching them, thus maintaining both movement capability and water tightness.
2Ease of operation
If exposed meshing gear profiles are used for hinge movement, then ease of operation is improved, but safety deteriorates due to entrapment hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the hazard of exposed meshing gear profiles by enclosing the entire gear mechanism within a housing. This extraction of the dangerous elements from direct contact with users maintains the hinge movement function while eliminating the entrapment risk to fingers and body parts.
Data Source
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 co-operating 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.