Shower Partition Central Lower Guide to Reduce Soiling and Limescale

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional shower or bathtub partition guide devices are prone to heavy soiling, difficult to clean, and susceptible to limescale deposits and corrosion, leading to malfunction due to their design and exposure to water and soap residue.

Innovation Solution

A shower or bathtub partition with a central lower guide device that is reduced in size, featuring a single central guide element fastened between lateral stops, allowing the door leaf to be guided laterally, and incorporating magnetic seals and a spring-damper unit for improved cleaning and reduced installation time.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If conventional guide systems are used, then the door leaf can be guided along the shower area, but the guide system is exposed to heavy soiling and difficult to clean

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveguiding functionVSAvoidcleaning accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The guide system is repositioned from the vertical dimension (along the shower area) to the horizontal dimension (outside the shower area). The lower guide device with central guide element is positioned horizontally outside the shower area, allowing the door leaf to be guided laterally without exposing the guide system to water and soap residue that accumulate in vertical recesses.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The guiding function is extracted from the conventional guide rails that run along the shower area and relocated to a position outside the shower area. The lower guide device with central guide element is positioned horizontally outside the shower area, removing the guide system from the contaminated environment while preserving its guiding function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Ease of operation

If conventional guide rails are used, then the door leaf can be guided, but water collects in hard-to-reach recesses leading to limescale deposits and corrosion

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveguiding functionVSAvoidresistance to limescale and corrosion
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The guide system is repositioned from the vertical dimension (along the shower area) to the horizontal dimension (outside the shower area). The lower guide device with central guide element is positioned horizontally outside the shower area, allowing the door leaf to be guided laterally without exposing the guide system to water and soap residue that accumulate in vertical recesses.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The guiding function is extracted from the conventional guide rails that run along the shower area and relocated to a position outside the shower area. The lower guide device with central guide element is positioned horizontally outside the shower area, removing the guide system from the contaminated environment while preserving its guiding function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Loss of time

If a reduced lower guide mechanism is used, then installation time is reduced, but the guiding capability must be maintained

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstallation timeVSAvoidguiding capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The guide system is segmented into an upper guide device that runs along the support profile and a lower guide device with a central guide element positioned outside the shower area. This segmentation allows the lower guide mechanism to be minimized and installed quickly while the upper guide device maintains the guiding capability along the shower area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The guide system is repositioned from the vertical dimension (along the shower area) to the horizontal dimension (outside the shower area). The lower guide device with central guide element is positioned horizontally outside the shower area, allowing the door leaf to be guided laterally without exposing the guide system to water and soap residue that accumulate in vertical recesses.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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 reduces soiling, enhances cleaning efficiency, and extends the lifespan of the guide device by minimizing component count, allowing for quicker installation and easier maintenance, while maintaining effective water sealing and preventing damage to the door leaf.

Implementation Method 1

a spring-damper unit comprising at least one spring and/or damper element, by means of which the door leaf (6) is actively moved into the respective end position

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSpring: Spring

Implementation Method 2

a spring-damper unit comprising at least one spring and/or damper element

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDamping: Damping

Implementation Method 3

incorporating magnetic seals

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMagnetic force: Magnetism

Data Source

PatentEP3216376B1Partition for a shower or bath tub
Publication Date: 2021.11.24 ALTURA LEIDEN HLDG BV
  • EP3216376B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3216376B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3216376B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A shower or bathtub partition (1, 1'), comprising an upper rail-like carrier profile (2, 2'), a door leaf (6) which is suspended in the carrier profile (2, 2') by means of an upper guide device (4) and which above of a shower area (8) or a bathtub between two lateral stops (10a, 10b) can be linearly displaced in the horizontal direction, as well as a lower guide device (12) acting on a lower part of the door leaf (6), is, with regard to the task of To create a shower or bathtub partition with an improved lower guide device which reduces the risk of soiling, improves the possibility of cleaning and which can be easily manufactured, characterized in that the lower guide device (12) has a central guide element (14, 14', 14" , 14''"), which extends between the two stops (10a, 10b) on the upper side of a section essentially parallel to the carrier profile (2). nitts (28) of the shower area (8) or the bathtub is attached and / or arranged.