TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a screening assembly.

This invention has particular but not exclusive application to a shower screen assembly.

The invention can also be used in screening assemblies other than shower screens such as display cabinets, partitioning, cupboards and in other applications requiring panels, doors, screens or the like to be slidably mounted.

BACKGROUND ART

The glazed panels of known shower screens have a channel-shaped frame in which the glass and a glazing gasket are located. The panels are pop riveted or slidably mounted in a support frame having a head rail, a sill rail and side jambs.

The sliding mechanism on known shower screens is such that in the sliding panels often jump off the tracks and adjustment is required to maintain correct operation.

The design of known aluminium extrusions for use in head and sill sections also allows soap and other waste materials to accumulate within the tracks. This is undesirable because of the unsightly appearance of the material, the potential health problems and the difficultly of removal.

In mounting arrangements for sliding panels of known shower, screens the head of the glazing frame is in the form of an extrusion having an upwardly extending flange with slotted grooves for mounting the wheel and axle assemblies. The wheel and axle assemblies are adjustably positioned so that the location of the base relative to the sill rail can be varied so as to be guided thereby. The need to be able to adjust this position causes the sliding screen mounting to inadvertently loosen and the sliding screen can become jammed on the sill rail.

The vertical jambs of the glazing frame abut the ends of the frame head and extend to overlap the ends of the head to which they are attached by screws at both ends. These screws thus carry the entire weight when the sliding panel is hung.

This arrangement is prone to malfunction. Screws can fail, the wheel mountings often require readjustment to reposition the slider relative to the support rail so that the frame does not stick on the sill. Furthermore, the flanges carrying the wheels buckle and bend at the wheel mounting point.

Sometimes it is necessary to position the side wall of a shower recess at an angle to the entry screens other than a right angle. This may be necessary if the walls are not square or if an aesthetic or functional effect is required. For example, a corner shower may have the sliding panels at 45° to the side walls. Known methods of attachment of panels at angles other than right angles are relatively cumbersome and with the exception of a pivotal corner mounting bracket are difficult to instal.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention aims to provide a screening assembly which will be reliable and efficient in use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention in one aspect resides broadly in a screening assembly including:- a screening panel; a panel frame having a head, sill and jambs connecting the head and sill, the panel frame and the screening panel forming a framed panel assembly; and suspension means for slidably suspending the framed panel assembly, said suspension means extending into the upper ends of the jambs together with the ends of the head.

It is preferred that the screening assembly includes guide means for guiding the framed panel assembly, wherein the ends of the sill together with the guide means extend into the lower ends of the jambs. The screening assembly may also include a supporting frame for supporting the framed panel assembly, the supporting frame having an upper support rail from which the suspension means are slideably suspended and a lower guide rail cooperable with the guide means.

The suspension means may be fixed relative to the framed panel assembly but it is preferred that the suspension means

are adapted to adjustably suspend the framed panel assembly on the upper support rail. Suitably the jambs are channel members which receive the side edges of the screening panel. It is preferred that the suspension means includes a spigot portion receivable within the jambs, an upstanding bracket portion which extends above the jambs and a mounting wheel adjustably positioned within an aperture in the bracket portion.

Suitably the guide means are adapted to adjustably guide the framed panel assembly relative to the lower guide rail. The guide means may include a spigot portion receivable within the jambs and being slotted whereby the guide means is adjustably connectable to the jamb, and a U-shaped bracket portion adapted to extend about a portion of the guide rail. It is also preferred that the head and guide rails are joined by a column in the form of a longitudinally extending channel having an angled flange extending rearwardly of the channel and at an acute angle to the channel web, the angled flange providing a mounting for a side panel assembly arranged at an acute angle.

In another aspect this invention resides broadly in a modular glazed shower screen assembly including a screening assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

In a further aspect this invention resides broadly in a column for adjustably supporting a framed panel assembly, the column including a longitudinally extending channel having an angled flange extending rearwardly of the channel and at an acute angle to the channel web, the angled flange providing a mounting for a side panel assembly arranged at an acute angle.

In yet another aspect this invention resides broadly in a method of adjustably mounting a framed panel assembly at an acute angle relative to a fixed frame, the method including: providing a column as a jamb of the fixed frame or affixed to the fixed frame, the column including a longitudinally extending channel having an angled flange extending rearwardly of the channel and at an acute angle to the channel web, mounting a side panel assembly adjacent the angled

flange , and fixing the framed panel assembly to the angled flange.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In order that this invention may be more easily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein:-

Fig 1 is an exploded perspective view of a known mounting arrangement for a sliding panel in a shower screen; Fig 2 is an exploded perspective view of the shower screen assembly in accordance with the invention;

Fig 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the location of the mounting or positioning means for a fixed panel in the shower screen assembly; Fig 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the location of the mounting elements and the guiding elements in a sliding panel in the shower screen assembly;

Fig 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the assembly of the supporting frame; Fig 6 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the connection of the supporting frame jamb to the head rail;

Fig 7 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the connection of the supporting frame jamb to the sill rail;

Fig 8 is a cross-sectional elevation of a two-panel shower screen assembly having one sliding panel;

Fig 9 is a cross-sectional elevation of a three-panel shower screen assembly having two sliding panels;

Fig 10 is a cross-sectional view of the column used for adjustably positioning a side panel at an angle to a shower screen assembly; and

Fig 11 illustrates the positioning of a side panel in the column illustrated in Fig 10.

As can be seen in Fig 1, a prior art glazed screen 11 has a channel-shaped side jamb 13 with a recess 16. The side jamb 13 abuts against a head member 12 having a channel section 17 and an upstanding flange 18 incorporating an inclined slot 19. The side jamb 13 is attached to head member 12 by a screw 14 engaging in a ferrule 15 formed in

the web of channel 17. A glass panel (not shown) is fitted in a gasket (not shown) within the channel 16 and 17 in known manner. This prior art arrangement has the disadvantages referred to above. As can be seen in Fig 2, the shower screen assembly 20 in accordance with the present invention includes a pair of glazed panels 26 and 27 respectively fixedly and slidingly fitted within a supporting frame 21. The supporting frame 21 includes a pair of side jambs or columns 22 and 23 which support a head rail 24 at the upper ends thereof and a sill guide rail 25 at the lower ends thereof.

As can be seen in Figs 5, 6 and 7, the side jambs 22 and

23 are connected at the upper ends thereof to the head rail

24 by means of a pair of screws 28 engaging in a pair of ferrules 29 formed in the head rail 24, and are connected at the lower ends thereof to sill guide rail 25 by a pair of screws 30 engaging in ferrules 31 formed in the sill guide rail 25.

As can be seen in Fig 3, the fixed panel 26 includes a sheet of glass glazed into a frame having a pair of side jambs 40 and 41, a head 42 and a sill 43. The ends of head 42 and sill 43 extend fully into the channel in the side jambs 40 and 41. Upper mounting brackets 32 and 33, and lower mounting brackets 34 and 35 are captured within the channel-like side jambs 40 and 41 between the web of the channel and the ends of the head 42 or sill 43 respectively. The mounting brackets have a spigot 55 adapted to abut the web of the channel in the side jambs 40 and 41. A flange 53 extends upwardly from the spigot 55 and is received within a groove 54 formed in the head rail 24. The lower mounting brackets 34 and 35 are constructed in a similar manner.

As can be seen in Fig 4, the sliding panel 27 includes a sheet of glass glazed into a frame having a pair of side jambs 41 and 44, a head 42 and a sill 43. The ends of head 42 and sill 43 extend fully into the channel in the side jambs 41 and 44. Upper mounting/suspension brackets 36 and 37, and lower guide brackets 38 and 39 are captured within the channel-like side jambs 41 and 44 between the web of the channel and the ends of the head 42 or sill 43 respectively.

The mounting/suspension brackets have a spigot 50 adapted to abut the web of the channel in the side jambs 41 and 44. A flange 51 extends upwardly from the spigot 50 and includes an aperture 52 for receiving the wheel and axle assembly 46. The side jamb 44 has an outwardly extending flange 45 which in use acts as a handle or clasp for the sliding panel 27.

Lower guide brackets 38 and 39 have a spigot 70 adapted to be received within the side jambs 41 and 44 in a manner previously described. A U-shaped bracket 71 extends downwardly from the spigot 70. One leg 72 of the U-shaped bracket 71 is adapted to reciprocally engage in a longitudinally extending groove 73 formed in the sill guide rail 25 as can be seen in Fig 8. Spigot 70 has a longitudinally extending slot 49 by means of which the position of the guide brackets can be adjusted. The panel 27 is thus adjustably guided to slide in the groove 73, or as illustrated in Fig 9 in the case of a three-panel screen in a corresponding groove 78 in the sill of the fixed panel 26 and in a corresponding groove 77 in the sill of the other sliding panel 27.

As can be seen in Figs 8 and 9 the wheels 46 slidably mount the glazed panel 27 on a rail 47 formed in the head rail 24. Head rail 24 also has a second rail 48 for supporting a third sliding panel 74 as illustrated in Fig 9. The sliding panel 74 includes a pair of guide brackets 75 and 76 at the lower end thereof each positioned to engage in grooves 77 and 78 in the. sills of the sliding frame 27 and fixed frame 26 respectively. As can be seen in Fig 9 the position of the lower guide brackets 75 and 76 is adjustable as previously described to effect adjustment at the base rather than at the top of the frame as in the prior art.

Figs 10 and 11 illustrate a side jamb or column 56 adapted to have a fixed side panel 65 affixed thereto in a manner enabling the panel 65 to be variably located at a desired angle to the column 56. As can be seen in Fig 10 the column 56 includes a channel 57 having a web 60 and a pair of flanges 58 and 59. A flange 61 extends rearwardly from one end of the web and is angled to form a face 62 which defines a recess 64 with the web 60. A land 63 is angled from the

outer side of the web 60 towards the outward edge of the face 62. The outward edge of the face 62 and the outward edge of the land 63 are rounded or knurled as seen at 68 and 69.

As best seen in Fig 11 a side panel 65 is adjustably positioned at an angle to the shower screen assembly. When located in position the side panel 65 is held in place by means of screw 66 through face plate 62. A seam of silicone or other gasket material 67 can then be applied as shown to waterproof the joint. It will be realised that the shower screen assembly enables the position of the shower screen to be adjusted relative to the guides at the base of the screen. The adjustment is effected by adjusting the guides themselves, rather than as in the prior art by adjusting the position of the supporting rollers in the head piece. Accordingly, the positioning of the rollers within the head piece can be rigidly fixed thereby ensuring that the vertical location of the sliding shower screen does not vary. Binding on the sill guide rail is thereby minimised. It will also be seen that because the head and sill of the glazing frame fully extend into the channels in the glazing frame jambs, and because the mounting supports 32 and 33 are positioned within the jambs rather than on the head piece as in the prior art, the weight of the frame is distributed throughout the length of the jamb rather than being borne by the fixing screws at the head of the glazing frame as in the prior art.

It will of course be realised that whilst the above has been given by way of an illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations hereto, as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art, are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is hereinafter claimed.