Two-Part Shower Partition Structure for Leak-Free Assembly

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional shower partitions often require sealing materials like silicone or metal strips to prevent water leakage, complicating manufacturing, transportation, and installation, and increasing the risk of breakage due to their single-piece design.

Innovation Solution

A two-part shower partition design with vertical parallel components separated by a specific distance, featuring a U-shaped stiffening profile and a transverse profile that acts as a towel rail, eliminates the need for sealing materials by directing water flow internally and providing structural integrity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a single-piece shower partition is used, then water leakage prevention is achieved through sealing materials, but manufacturing complexity, transportation difficulty, and breakage risk increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewater leakage preventionVSAvoidmanufacturing and installation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The shower partition is divided into two separate vertical parts instead of being a single piece. This segmentation allows each part to be manufactured independently, simplifies transportation and installation, while still achieving water leakage prevention through the specific configuration of the two parts without requiring additional sealing materials

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts and eliminates the need for sealing materials (silicone, metal strips) that are traditionally required in single-piece partitions. The water leakage prevention function is achieved through the geometric configuration and positioning of the two vertical parts themselves, removing the harmful complexity of additional sealing components

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Strength

If a single large shower partition is manufactured, then structural integrity is maintained, but transportation and access to installation location become difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidtransportation and installation ease
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The partition is segmented into two manageable vertical parts that can be easily transported and accessed through standard doorways and stairwells. Despite being separate, the parts maintain structural integrity through their specific configuration and the connection profile that joins them, combining the benefits of modular handling with overall structural strength

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If two vertical parallel parts are used separated by specific distance, then water flow is directed internally preventing leakage, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewater leakage preventionVSAvoidpartition structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention merges the functions of water channeling and structural support into the basic configuration of the two vertical parts themselves. The specific horizontal separation distance creates an internal water flow path that prevents leakage, while the connection profile simultaneously provides structural support and assembly functionality, reducing the need for additional separate components

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP1969981B1Shower partition
Publication Date: 2010.06.16 HUEPPE SPAIN S L U
  • EP1969981B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1969981B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

Two part partition which prevents water leaking out through the main zone without the need for use of sealing materials which present two vertical parallel parts one on top of the other separated by a specific distance in the horizontal and which is provided with a connection element to the wall which acts as a stiffener at the same time, in addition to connection profiles of the two parts which gives consistency to the partition and facilitates assembly thereof.