Shower Partition Wall Projection Design for Frame-Free Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shower partitions with full-frame construction are not suitable for barrier-free access, and ceiling-supported designs are unstable in rooms with lightweight construction or suspended ceilings, as they require stronger ceilings and compromise on door width and clear entry height for rigidity.
Innovation Solution
A shower partition design featuring wall elements with upper projections that provide stable support for the guide device, eliminating the need for frame construction and ceiling supports, allowing for wider entry widths and improved stability, with the guide device extending beyond the cantilever and using glass elements for enhanced rigidity and accessibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a full-frame construction is used, then structural stability is improved, but barrier-free access is prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the frame construction entirely from the shower enclosure, extracting the stabilizing function from the frame and relocating it to the wall elements themselves. The wall elements are designed with integrated stiffening structures (such as recesses, protrusions, or specific geometric shapes) that provide the necessary structural stability without requiring a surrounding frame, thereby enabling barrier-free access while maintaining stability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a ceiling support is used, then structural stability is improved, but dependency on ceiling strength is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the ceiling support requirement entirely from the design. The wall elements are engineered to be self-supporting through integrated stiffening features, recesses, and geometric optimizations that distribute loads internally. This eliminates the need for ceiling anchors or supports, making the shower enclosure adaptable to any ceiling type including suspended ceilings and lightweight constructions.
3Length of moving object
If wall element width is reduced to increase sliding door width, then entry width is improved, but structural stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating non-uniform thickness distributions and strategic recesses or protrusions in the wall elements. These localized structural features concentrate material where needed for stability (such as at corners, edges, or load-bearing points) while allowing thinner sections in other areas, thereby maintaining overall structural stability even with reduced wall element width and larger sliding door openings.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs curved or rounded geometric features in the wall elements, such as rounded corners, arched transitions, or specific curvature patterns that provide structural strength with less material. These curved geometries distribute stresses more effectively than sharp angles, enabling thinner wall elements to achieve the same or better stability, thus allowing wider sliding doors without compromising structural integrity.
4Ease of operation
If glass opening width is increased for door guidance, then door mobility is improved, but glass strength deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates localized reinforcement features within the glass wall elements, such as strategically positioned thickened sections, embedded strengthening layers, or specific geometric patterns that concentrate strength where the guide device openings are located. This allows sufficient glass opening width for proper door guidance while maintaining adequate glass strength through localized quality enhancement rather than uniform thickening throughout the entire glass element.
Data Source
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AI summary
Shower partition (100), with - at least one sliding door (20) and - a guide device (30) for guiding the at least one sliding door (20) during a substantially horizontal sliding process and - at least one wall element (10), the guide device (30) is fixed in an upper region (5) of the at least one wall element (10) and the at least one wall element (10) has a projection (1) in the upper region (5), the projection (1) supporting the guide device (30) and that the guide device (30) protrudes significantly beyond the projection.