DE20211901U1 - partition wall - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a partition wall, in particular a shower partition wall, according to the features specified in the preamble of claim 1.

EP-A-1 013 210 discloses such a partition wall designed as a shower partition with a wall element and a door element pivotably mounted relative to the latter by means of hinges. The wall element and the door element are designed as frameless panels, in particular made of glass. The hinges are arranged on the wall element and the door element in the area of the outside of the shower partition and the hinge axes about which the door element can pivot relative to the wall element are also located in the area of the outside. The door element can only be pivoted relative to the wall element by a pivoting range of the order of 90°.

Based on this, the invention is based on the task of further developing the partition wall with little construction effort in such a way that the door element can be opened and closed in a simple and defined manner over large

The partition wall and in particular its hinges should have a small construction volume and require a small amount of space, while allowing for easy production and handling. Furthermore, the hinge should be able to be manufactured with little production effort and require little assembly effort to create the connection with the two elements.

This object is achieved according to the features specified in claim 1.

The partition wall according to the invention is characterized by a simple and functional construction, according to which the hinge is partially arranged in recesses in the area of the facing longitudinal edges of the wall element and the door element. The recesses are open to the respective longitudinal edges of the panels of the wall element or the door element. The bearing bodies are at least partially arranged in the respective recess and the connection of the said bearing bodies is made by means of at least one, preferably plate-shaped connecting body, the ends of which are pivotally coupled by means of hinge pins of the respective bearing body. The or preferably the two connecting bodies are also partially arranged in the said recesses of the panels, so that overall a compact, space-saving design is ensured. The said hinge pins are expediently located in the same vertical plane as the panels of the wall or door element. The bearing bodies are connected to hinge plates and are integral components of the hinge element, the hinge plates being arranged on the surface of the plate, which is essentially vertical when the partition wall is assembled, and being fastened to it. A cover plate is provided on the other side of the plate of the wall or door element, which plate is made of glass in particular, and suitable connecting elements, in particular screws, are provided for mutually connecting the hinge plate and the associated cover plate.

The hinge plate and the corresponding cover plate basically contain U-shaped recesses that are open towards the long edge, with the connecting body of the hinge elements, which is in particular plate-shaped, being arranged in the area of these recesses. The recess in the plate of the wall or door element is connected by means of the cover plate and also by means of the hinge plate.

recess, so that the result is an attractive design with compact dimensions and a stable and functional construction. It should be noted at this point that the wall element can be designed as a wall element that is fixed on the edge of a shower tray, for example, or as a wall element that can also be pivoted using additional hinges, if the shower partition is designed as a folding wall.

Furthermore, it should be noted that the wall element and the door element are designed without a frame and, in the manner according to the invention, the hinges are connected directly to the panels, with two of the hinges designed and arranged according to the invention being arranged at a distance in the vertical direction in the connecting area of the wall element and the door element, expediently in the upper and lower corner areas of the said wall and door elements. In addition, it is of crucial importance that, starting from the closed position, according to which the door element is essentially in the same vertical plane as the wall element, the door element can be pivoted both towards the inside and into the outside of the partition wall over a very large angular range of at least approximately 180°.

In a special embodiment of the invention, the hinges contain coupling bodies which ensure positive guidance when the door element is pivoted relative to the wall element or vice versa. The coupling bodies are preferably integrated into the bearing bodies and are preferably connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the associated hinge element and are in engagement with one another. For this purpose, the coupling bodies can have in particular teeth on their mutually facing outer surfaces or contain a flexible band. Since the coupling bodies are integrated into the bearing bodies or are directly connected to them, functional pivoting, for example of the door element relative to the wall element, is ensured with practically no additional manufacturing effort or space requirement.

Further developments and special embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims and the further description.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawing, without any limitation being imposed in this respect.

-4-It
show:

Fig. 1 partially in a view the partition wall in the area of one hinge,

Fig. 2 is a section along section line II according to Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a side view similar to Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 a top view of the partition wall,

Fig. 5 a top view of the partition wall, its wall and door elements

are pivoted 90° to each other,

Fig. 6 shows another embodiment with a flexible band for connecting the

coupling body,

Fig. 7-9 schematic representations of the two coupling bodies coupled by means of the flexible band according to Fig. 6 in different relative positions of the door element with respect to the wall element.

Fig. 1 and 2 show part of the partition wall designed as a shower partition in a view or in a section in a horizontal section plane according to section line II, in the area of a hinge. The shower partition wall contains a wall element 2 and a door element 4, which are essentially designed as vertically arranged panels, in particular made of silicate glass or acrylic glass, and are connected in the area of their vertical longitudinal edges 6, 8 by means of two hinges, one of which is shown here, so that they can pivot against each other. The wall element 2 and the door element 4 are designed as so-called frameless elements, with the door element 4 being designed as a pivoting wing. The wall element 2 can, for example, be fixedly mounted on the edge of a shower or bathtub, or can also be pivotably mounted with respect to another wall element or a wall profile or the like, with such a shower partition wall also being referred to as a folding wall. The two hinges are arranged at a distance from each other in the vertical direction, expediently in the area of the upper or lower end of the wall and door elements.

door element, and are designed to match. For the respective hinge, the wall element 2 contains a recess 12 which is open to the longitudinal edge 6, is essentially U-shaped and expediently extends through the entire thickness of the wall element. Correspondingly, the door element 4 contains a recess 14 for the respective hinge which is open to its longitudinal edge 8, is advantageously essentially U-shaped and expediently extends over the entire thickness of the door element 4. As can be seen in particular from Fig. 2, the wall element 2 and correspondingly the door element 4 contain bores 20, 22 arranged in the horizontal direction from the recesses 12, 14 with respect to the vertical longitudinal edges 6 and 8 at a predetermined distance 16, 18 for fastening and connecting the hinge elements 24, 26. The hinge elements 24, 26 are preferably designed to match, so that the following explanations apply accordingly to the other hinge element of the hinge.

The hinge element contains a hinge plate 28 resting on the surface of the wall or door element 4 and a bearing body 30 which is arranged essentially within the recess 12 or 14 and engages in it. The bearing body 30 has a bore 32, 33 which is essentially parallel to the longitudinal edge 6 or 8 and in which a hinge pin 34, 35 is arranged. As can be seen in particular from Fig. 2, the aforementioned bores and their hinge pins 34, 35 lie in the same vertical plane as the wall element 2 or door element 4, specifically within the respective recess 12, 14. The recesses 12, 14 which lie behind them when looking at the shower partition wall, as well as the bores 20, 22, are covered by the hinge plates 28, 29. On the other side of the wall element 2 or the door element 4, which is the rear side as shown in Fig. 1, cover plates 36, 37 are arranged, which cover the aforementioned recesses and holes in the same way as the hinge plates 28, 29, wherein connecting elements designed as screws 38, 39 are also provided. The hinge plates 28, 29 contain projections 40, 41 which engage in the respective holes 32, 33, in particular with threaded holes into which the screws 38, 39 are screwed. The projections 40, 41 have an outer diameter which is smaller by a predetermined amount than the inner diameter of the holes 20, 22, so that the hinge elements 24, 26 can be aligned with respect to the wall element 2 or door element 4. Furthermore, the bearing body 30, 31 contains in particular a threaded bore for the screw 39. The bearing body 30, 31 also has smaller

External dimensions such that the hinge element 24, 26 can be aligned in the manner mentioned with respect to the wall element 2, 4. The wall element 2 or door element is, as can be seen directly from Fig. 2, clamped in an alignable manner between the hinge plate 28, 29 and the associated cover plate 36, 37, whereby a functionally reliable fixing is ensured by means of the screws 38, 39.

Furthermore, in the area of the two recesses 12, 14, two connecting bodies 42, 43 are arranged, through the end areas of which the hinge pins 34, 35 pass through. It should be noted here that in principle a single connecting body can be provided for connecting the wall element 2 to the door element 4. The connecting bodies 42, 43 are preferably plate-shaped and are arranged essentially in the mutually opposite recesses 12 and 14, respectively, as well as in mutually opposite recesses 44, 46 of the hinge elements 24, 26 or their bearing bodies 30, 31. The cover plates 36, 37 also contain recesses 48, 50 in an analogous manner, through which the connecting bodies 42, 43 or their ends pass through.

Coupling bodies 52, 54 are also provided in the area of the recesses 44, 46 and 48, 50. As shown, the coupling bodies 52, 54 contain intermeshing external teeth 56, 58 and are penetrated by the hinge pins 34, 35. The coupling bodies 52, 54 are arranged in a rotationally fixed manner with respect to the hinge plate 28 or 29, whereby, according to Fig. 2, the coupling bodies 52, 54 rest with a contact surface parallel to the hinge pins 34, 35 on an opposite contact surface of the respective bearing body 30, 31. Alternatively, within the scope of the invention, the coupling bodies 52, 54 can also be integral components of the hinge elements 24, 26 or formed in one piece with them.

Fig. 3 shows a view of the hinge according to Fig. 1, where the attractive design of the overall relatively small hinge plates 28, 29 can be clearly seen. The above-mentioned recesses in the wall element 2 and the door element 4 and the holes for the connecting elements are covered by the hinge plates 28, 29 and by the cover plates located behind the plane of the drawing and remain hidden from the viewer. Fig. 3 shows the view from the outside of the shower partition when the door element 4 is closed, looking towards the interior separated from the outside by the shower partition, above a

Shower tray or the like. In the area of the longitudinal edges 6, 8, sealing elements not shown here are provided, in particular in the form of elastically flexible sealing strips or the like, in order to prevent splash water from penetrating from the shower interior into the outside area.

Fig. 4 shows a view from above of the shower partition in the area of the hinge, with the arrows 60, 62 indicating the ability of the door element 4 to pivot by 180° with respect to the wall element 2. As already mentioned, the shower partition has two hinges of the inventive design arranged at a vertical distance. The coupling bodies 52, 54 of the two hinges arranged vertically one above the other ensure that when the door element 4 is pivoted according to the arrows 60, 62, a synchronous movement takes place and the door element 4 remains vertically aligned, thus preventing it from tipping over from the vertical position. If, according to Fig. 4, the door element 4 is in the same vertical plane as the wall element 2, the shower interior 66 is separated from the shower exterior 64. To open the shower partition or the passage area of the shower partition on the right in the figure, the door element 4 can be pivoted both into the outer space 64 and into the inner space 66, in each case up to a maximum of the positions indicated by dashed lines according to the pivot angle of 180° indicated by arrows 60 and 62. This significantly improves the handling and use of the shower partition, especially since the door element 4 can be pivoted completely out of the passage area and a user can thus enter or leave the shower interior unhindered. The large pivot angle range of the door element 4 is also of considerable importance for the maintenance and cleaning of the shower partition.

Fig. 5 shows a top view of the shower partition, with the door element 4 being pivoted out of the closed position by an angle of 90° with respect to the wall element 2. For clarity, the plate-shaped connecting body 42 is shown with a continuous outer contour. The connecting body 42, and the same applies of course to the other connecting bodies, is pivoted out of the closed position or rest position by 45° with respect to the hinge pin 34 of the wall element 2. It should be noted that due to the coupling bodies 52, 54 explained above, the pivoting movements of all connecting bodies of the upper and lower hinges are synchronous and as a result the door element 4 has the vertical

-8th-

Alignment is maintained regardless of the respective pivot position. Furthermore, it should be noted that the outer contour of the parts or end parts of the connecting body 42 are rounded or circular in such a way that the intermeshing external teeth 56, 58 of the coupling bodies 52, 54 are at least approximately covered. Jamming of foreign objects, a bath towel or the like is thus advantageously prevented.

Fig. 6 shows a special design of the partition wall according to the invention or its hinge, wherein, in contrast to the embodiment explained above, the coupling bodies 52, 54 do not contain external teeth for the forced coupling, but a flexible band 68 is provided. The flexible band 68 consists of such a flexible material that bends can be carried out transversely to its longitudinal extent, but the length between its ends 70, 72 is maintained unchanged according to the invention. The flexible band 68 consists in particular of plastic, but it can easily be made of a flexible fabric, wires, a steel band or the like. The ends 70, 71, which are thickened according to the drawing, are arranged in longitudinal grooves 72, 74, which preferably run essentially parallel to the hinge pins 34, 35. The coupling bodies 52, 54 have at least partially cylindrical outer surfaces 76, 78 which are coaxial with the hinge pins 34, 35 and against which the flexible band 68 rests in accordance with the respective pivot position of the door element 4 with respect to the wall element 2. The mutually facing cylindrical outer surfaces of the coupling bodies 52, 54 each extend over angles of essentially 180°. As can be seen, the distance between the axes of the hinge pins 34, 35 corresponds at least approximately to twice the radius of the coupling bodies 52, 54 and the thickness of the flexible band.

Fig. 7 shows the coupling bodies 52, 54 and the flexible band 68 in the same position as Fig. 6, according to which the door element 4 is in the same vertical plane as the wall element 2. According to Fig. 8, however, the door element 4 is pivoted through an angle of 90° and according to Fig. 9 through an angle of 180°. It does not need to be emphasized that starting from the position explained with reference to Figs. 6 and 7, the door element and thus its coupling body 54 can also be pivoted through 90 or 180° in the opposite direction to Figs. 8 and 9.

ff »ti·« » * «

-9-

Reference symbol

2 wall element

4 Door element

6 Longitudinal edge of 2

8 Longitudinal edge of 4

12 recess in 2

14 recess in 4

16,18 distance from 20, 22 to 6,

20, 22 Hole in 2, 4

24.26 Hinge element

28,29 Hinge plate

30,31 Bearing body

32, 33 Drilling in 30, 31

34,35 Hinge bolt

36, 37 Cover plate

38, 39 Screw / connecting element

40,41 Approach

42,43 Connecting body

44, 46 recess in 24,

48, 50 recess in 36,

52,54 Coupling body

56, 58 External gearing of 52,

60,62 Arrow

64 Outdoor space

66 Shower interior

68 flexible band

70, 71 thickened end of

72, 74 Longitudinal groove in 52,

76, 78 cylindrical outer surface of 52,

Claims (10)

1. Partition wall, in particular a shower partition wall, containing a wall element (2) and a door element (4) which can be pivoted relative to the latter by means of a hinge (24, 26), the wall element (2) and the door element (4) preferably being designed as frameless panels and containing essentially vertically aligned longitudinal edges (6, 8) facing one another in the region of the hinge, two hinges which are spaced apart in the vertical direction and contain hinge elements preferably being provided, characterized in that the wall element (2) and the door element (4) each contain open recesses (12, 14) towards their longitudinal edge (6, 8), that the hinge elements (24, 26) contain bearing bodies (28, 29) with a hinge pin (34, 35) which engage at least partially in the associated recess (12, 14), and that at least one connecting body (42, 43) is provided which is at least partially in a recess (44, 46) of the bearing body (30, 31) and is pivotally coupled to the respective hinge pins (34, 35) of the hinge element (28, 29) assigned to the wall element (2) or the door element (4). 2. Partition wall according to claim 1, characterized in that the hinge element (24, 26) contains a hinge plate (28, 29) resting on the outer surface of the wall element (2) or the door element (4) and/or that the recess (12 or 14) of the wall element (2 or 4) is covered by means of the hinge plate (28, 29). 3. Partition wall, in particular according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a cover plate (36, 37) is arranged on the other side of the wall element (2 or 4) opposite the hinge plate (28, 29), and/or that the hinge plate (28, 29), expediently also the bearing body (30, 31) is firmly connected to the cover plate (36, 37) by means of connecting elements (38, 39), which are designed in particular as screws, wherein the wall element (2) or door element (4) is clamped between the hinge element (24, 26) and the cover plate (36, 37). 4. Partition wall according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the recess (12, 14) in the wall element (2) or door element (4) has a contour which is open to the longitudinal edge (6 or 8) and is preferably substantially U-shaped and/or that the recess (44, 46) in the hinge element (24, 26) is open to the respective opposite hinge element (26, 24) and has a preferably substantially U-shaped contour. 5. Partition wall according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the wall element (2) or the door element (4) contains a bore (20, 22) arranged at a distance (16 or 18) from the longitudinal edge (6 or 8), the distance (16 or 18) being greater than the depth of the recess (12, 14) with respect to the longitudinal edge (6, 8), and/or that the hinge plate (28, 29) has a projection (40, 41) which at least partially engages in the bore (20, 22), the outer diameter of which is preferably smaller by a predetermined value than the inner diameter of the bore (20, 22). 6. Partition wall, in particular according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the hinge elements (24, 26) have coupling bodies (52, 54) which are in operative engagement with one another in such a way that a defined movement path, in particular a synchronized movement of the two hinges provided at a vertical distance from one another, is predetermined and/or that the door element (4) maintains its vertical orientation when pivoting with respect to the wall element (2). 7. Partition wall according to claim 6, characterized in that the coupling bodies (52, 54) contain intermeshing external teeth (56, 58) or that the coupling bodies (52, 54) are coupled by means of a flexible band (68). 8. Partition wall according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the connecting body (42, 43) is arranged substantially within the recess (44, 46) of the hinge elements (24, 26) and the recess (48, 50) of the said cover plate (36, 37). 9. Partition wall according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the coupling bodies (52, 54) are arranged in the direction of the respectively associated hinge pin (34, 35) between two connecting bodies (42, 43) and/or that the hinge pin (34, 35) penetrates the connecting body(s) (42, 43) and the coupling body (52, 54) and is fixed with its at least one, preferably both ends, in the bearing body (30, 31). 10. Partition wall according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the hinge pin (34, 35) is arranged at least approximately in the same vertical plane as the wall element (2) or the door element (4).