Base member for a shower door assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9980614-B2
Application number	US-201615239074-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2016
Priority date	Aug 17, 2016
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

A shower door assembly includes a door panel having an inner surface to face a bathing enclosure, and a base member having an upper surface positioned between an inner side and an outer side. The base member inner side is positioned between the door panel inner surface and the base member outer side. The inner side at least partially defines a recess and is shaped to receive liquid from and divert liquid back to the bathing enclosure. A base for a moveable door has a substrate defining upper and lower surfaces extending between first and second edge regions, and a first leg section extending from the substrate lower surface and offset from the first edge region. The first leg section and the first edge region of the substrate cooperate to define a liquid diverter extending longitudinally to redirect flow away from the substrate upper surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shower door assembly comprising:
a door panel with an upper edge portion and a lower edge portion, the door panel having an inner surface to face a bathing enclosure and an outer surface opposed thereto; and
a base member with an upper surface positioned between an inner side and an outer side, the inner side of the base member providing an innermost edge for the base member and at least partially defining a recess beneath the innermost edge, the base member positioned such that the innermost edge of the base member is between the inner surface of the door panel and the outer side of the base member, wherein the recess of the inner side of the base member is spaced apart from and the door panel and is unblocked and open to the bathing enclosure, the recess being shaped to receive liquid from the bathing enclosure via the lower edge portion of the door panel and divert liquid back to the bathing enclosure.

2. The shower door assembly of claim 1 wherein the base member is positioned such that the door panel is positioned between the outer side of the base member and the bathing enclosure.

3. The shower door assembly of claim 1 further comprising an upper member to support the upper edge portion of the door panel for movement of the door panel relative to the upper member and base member.

4. The shower door assembly of claim 3 wherein the door panel is further defined as a sliding door panel and is supported by the upper member for longitudinal movement therealong.

5. The shower door assembly of claim 4 wherein the sliding door panel is further defined as a first sliding door panel; and
wherein the shower door assembly further comprises a second sliding door panel having an upper edge portion supported by the upper member and a lower edge portion, the second sliding door panel having an inner surface to face a bathing enclosure and an outer surface opposed thereto, the second sliding door panel positioned to be parallel with the first sliding door panel, the first sliding door panel being positioned between the second sliding door panel and the bathing enclosure.

6. The shower door assembly of claim 5 wherein the innermost edge of the base member is positioned between the inner surface of the first sliding door panel and the inner surface of the second sliding door panel, and wherein the second sliding door panel is positioned between the first sliding door panel and the outer side of the base member.

7. The shower door assembly of claim 5 wherein the inner surfaces of the first and second sliding door panels are positioned between the innermost edge of the base member and the bathing enclosure.

8. The shower door assembly of claim 1 wherein the door panel is further defined as a pivoting door panel.

9. The shower door assembly of claim 1 wherein the recess of the inner side of the base member is formed by a concave surface extending longitudinally from a first end to a second end of the base member, the concave surface adjacent to the innermost edge.

10. The shower door assembly of claim 9 wherein the concave surface is defined by a radius of curvature.

11. The shower door assembly of claim 1 wherein the inner side of the base member includes a beveled surface oriented at an acute angle relative to the upper surface of the base member and extending longitudinally along the inner side of the base member from a first end to a second end of the base member, the beveled surface being adjacent to the innermost edge and at least partially defining the recess.

12. The shower door assembly of claim 1 wherein the base member defines a flange extending outwardly from the upper surface towards the upper edge portion of the door panel, the flange extending longitudinally along the base member adjacent to the outer side; and
wherein the upper surface of the base member is a substantially planar surface extending between the flange and the inner side.

Assignees

• Liberty Hardware Mfg Corp

Inventors

• Austin Iii James Allen
• Schultz Nathaniel Faltin Dutton

Classifications

• A47K2003/305

  Sealings between screen and bath- or showertub · CPC title

• A47K3/36

  Articulated screens · CPC title

• A47K3/34 Primary

  Slidable screens (A47K3/36 takes precedence) · CPC title