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COMPRESSION MOUNTING SYSTEM FOR SHOWER DOORS
[0003] The present invention relates to a shower and tub
enclosure door system and in particular to an adjustable
mounting system for such doors.
[0004] Shower and tub enclosures typically have a back
wall, two end walls and an opening therebetween. To prevent
water from splashing onto the bathroom floor when showering,
the opening is ordinarily closed by a curtain or door
allowing ingress into the enclosure. Shower curtains are
generally less costly than doors, but provide less sealing
around the edges of the opening and usually need to be
replaced after extended use. Depending on the size, of the
opening, shower door systems will usually include a single,
hinged (or pivoting) door or a pair of track-mounted sliding
by-pass doors.
[0005] In either case, conventional shower door systems
must be sized to fit in the enclosure opening. Many
enclosure openings are of standard dimensions, however, this
is not always the case. Shower door manufacturers often

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[0010] In one aspect the invention provides a mounting
assembly for mounting a door at an opening of an enclosure
between opposite walls. The mounting assembly includes a
horizontal header rail and an adjustable header expansion
assembly. The rail has a track from which a movable door
panel is suspended. The compression assembly has a shaft
and a nut in threaded engagement that are coupled to an end
of the rail. The shaft or nut can be rotated relative to
one another for mounting the rail to the enclosure by
applying opposing compressive forces on the walls.
[0011] Another aspect of the invention provides a by-pass
shower door assembly including a pair of door panels mounted
to a horizontal header and curb (via parallel tracks in the
header), each having corresponding rails and compression
assemblies, and upright jambs extending vertically between
the headers.
[0012] In a preferred form, the header expansion assembly
has a shaft with an externally threaded end threaded into a
nut and a notched end engaging a clamp in a snap fit. The
nut mounts to the header rail tightly in a press fit
(interference fit). The curb expansion assembly has a curb
shaft and two curb nuts in threaded engagement and coupled
to inner ends of two curb rails positioned on each side of
the curb expansion assembly. The curb shaft has left hand
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threads and the other end has right hand threads such that
rotating the curb shaft moves the curb nuts with respect to
the curb shaft in opposite directions. Elongated header and
curb stiffening members mount to respective header and curb
rails.
[0013] In another preferred form, an extruded cap
overlaps the header rail to conceal the header expansion
assembly. Also, a second cap can be fit over the end of the
header rail opposite the compression assembly. A snap-on
center guide having parallel upwardly opening tracks for
receiving bottom ends of the door panels covers the curb
expansion assembly.
[0014] One object of the invention is a door system that
can be mounted over an opening in a shower and tub enclosure
without damaging the mounting surfaces of the enclosure.
The header and curb are mounted by rotating the shafts such
that the header and curb expand outward and press against
either the walls of the. enclosure of the jambs.
[0015] Another object of the invention is a door assembly
that can be mounted in enclosure openings of various widths.
In one embodiment, the threaded compression assemblies
provide approximately two to three inches of width
adjustment.
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[0016] Yet another object of the invention is a shower
door mounting system that does not require the head or curb
rails to be cut down for installation. Thus, the consumer
or installer will not inadvertently cut the rails too short,
which can happen particularly when the header and curb rails
are to be different lengths. The provided width adjustment
also reduces the number of header or curb rail sizes
required to be manufactured and inventoried.
[0017] Still another object of the invention is a quick
and simple and to install mounting system. The header and
curb can be secured to the enclosure without tools (or with
only a screwdriver or wrench for tightening the shafts).
The caps and center guide concealing the compression
assemblies simply can be slide on or snapped onto the
corresponding rails.
[0018] These and other advantages of the invention will
be apparent from the detailed description and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a by-pass shower
door system having the compression mounting system of the
present invention;
[0020] Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of one end of a header
with a cap removed to reveal a header expansion assembly
(shown with a header stiffening member removed);
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need to specially manufacture the door assembly according to
the size of individual enclosures, which is costly.
Alternatively, various elements (such as the header track)
of standard sized door systems could be cut down, either by
the manufacturer or consumer, according to the dimensions of
the opening. However, if cut too short, the trimmed item
could be unusable such that it would have to be replaced,
thereby delaying installation and adding cost.
[0006] Adjustable shower door systems have been developed
that allow the doors to be mounted in shower enclosure
openings within a range of dimensions. For example, U.S.
patent 4,035,957 provides a shower door system with a frame
that can be adjusted in width to support a pivoting door
panel. The upper and lower cross-members have telescoping
profiles that can be moved relative to each other as needed
to vary the overlap between a fixed panel and the pivoting
door panel. The outer ends of the cross-members are mounted
to the enclosure walls and the frame is secured together
with the door pivots in the adjusted position. While this
system provides adjustment, it is only suitable for pivoting
(rather than sliding) doors and it must be anchored to the
walls of the enclosure, which damages the surfaces of the
enclosure walls, which are often tiled.
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[0007] U.S. patents 4,286,343; 5,033,132 and 5,822,810
provide other adjustable systems for closing openings in
shower and tub enclosures. However, they are all designed
for collapsible screens or curtains, rather than rigid door
panels (either pivoting or by-pass). Moreover, the system
of the '343 patent mounts the roll-up screen in a vertical
orientation and the systems of the '132 and '810 patents
must be permanently anchored to the walls. Further, the
system of the '862 patent provides a curtain support with a
header rail connected to end assemblies having spring biased
plungers that press against opposing walls of the enclosure
to secure the curtain support in place. Although the spring
biased plungers accommodate minor variance in width of the
enclosure opening, the curtain rail must be cut down to
adjust the width of the curtain support. As with the
others, this system is also not suitable to support rigid
door panels.
[0008] Thus, an improved shower and tub door system is
needed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The invention provides an adjustable door system
that is mounted horizontally across the opening of a shower
and tub enclosure by compressive forces exerted by one or
more threaded expansion assemblies.
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[0021] Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective of the door
system;
[0022] Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the header expansion
assembly;
[0023] Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of a curb expansion
assembly;
[0024] Fig. 6 is a front cross-section through line 6-6
of Fig. 1 showing the header expansion assembly;
[0025] Fig. 7 is an end cross-section through line 7-7 of
Fig. 1 showing the header expansion assembly;
[0026] Fig. 8 is an end cross-section through line 8-8 of
Fig. 1 showing the curb expansion assembly; and
[0027] Fig. 9 is an end cross-section through line 9-9 of
Fig. 1 showing the curb expansion assembly and door guide.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0028] Referring to Fig. 1, the present invention
provides a by-pass shower door system 10 for a shower and
tub enclosure 12 defined by a back wall 14 and opposite end
walls 16 and 18 with an opening 9 therebetween. The shower
door system 10 includes as primary components two glass door
panels 20 and 22, a header assembly 24, a curb assembly 26
and upright wall jambs 28 and 30. The unique system can be
adjusted to fit variously sized enclosure openings without
cutting one or more components. Moreover, the system can be
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securely mounted to the shower enclosure without damaging
the abutting walls of the enclosure.
[0029] Figure 3 shows an exploded perspective view of the
door system 10. As shown therein, towel racks 32 and 34 are
mounted to the door panels 20 and 22 at outer and inner
sides thereof, respectively. Mounted at the top of each
door panel 20 and 22 are two hanger assemblies 36 with
rollers 38 that ride along parallel outer 40 and inner 42
tracks of a header rail 44 of the header assembly 24 (see
Pig. 7). The tracks 40 and 42 have upwardly opening grooves
sized to cup the rollers 38.
[0030] The, header rail 44 is preferably an extruded
aluminum having a uniform cross-section with flat top 46 and
back 48 walls and a rounded nose 50. At one end of the
header rail 44 is a header expansion assembly 52 and at the
opposite end is plugged by a clamp 54 having a non-slip pad
56 adhered to an outer surface. One side of the clamp 54
has a cross-section sized to mate with the header rail 44 in
a press fit. The clamp 54 also has a downwardly extending
tab 55 that engages the inner surface of a cross-nember 57
of wall jamb 28. The clamp 54 and the header expansion
assembly 52 are concealed by respective caps 58 and 60 that
overlap the ends of the header rail 44. As shown, in Fig 2,
the caps 58 and 60 can be slid inwardly over the header rail
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44 to access the components at the ends Of the header rail
44.
[0031] Referring to Figs. 2-4 and 6-7, the header
expansion assembly 52 has a nut 62, threaded shaft 64 and a
snap-on clamp 66. The nut 62 is sized so that one end fits
into the end of the header rail 44 in a tight, press fit.
The nut 62 thus plugs the end of the header rail 44 to
prevent the glides 36 from rolling off the tracks 40 and 42.
The nut 62 is flanged to prevent it from being pressed too
far into the header rail 44. The nut 62 has an internally
threaded axial opening 68 therethrough that engages ACME
(square) threads about the periphery of the shaft 64. The
shaft 64 has a radial opening 70 for inserting a lever arm
of some kind (such as a screw driver or hex wrench) for
rotating the shaft 64. If desired, the opening 70 could be
replaced by a hex feature for turning the shaft 64 with a
wrench. One end of the shaft 64 has a circumferential ring
72 that can be forced past a ridge 74 in an axial recess 76
in the clamp 66 so as to be snapped onto the end of the
shaft 64. The clamp 66 also has a downwardly extending tab
78 that engages the inner surface of a cross-member 57 of
wall jamb 30 and a non-slip pad 80 adhered to it an outer
surface.
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[0032] A stiffening member 82 (see Figs. 3 and 7) is
disposed alongside the header expansion assembly 52. The
stiffening member 82 rests on a ledge 84 extending from the
nose 50 and the outer track 40 of the header rail 44. One
end of the stiffening member 82 is confined by the ledge 84,
the nose and the nut 62 but can slide with respect to the
header rail 44. The other end of the stiffening member 82
is fixed to the clamp 66 by a screw 85 (as shown in Figs. 6
and 7. The stiffening member 82 is made of a rigid material
to prevent bowing and flexing of the header assembly 24,
particularly at the header expansion assembly 52.
[0033] Referring now to Figs. 3, 5, 8 and 9, the curb
assembly 26 includes a pair of curb rails 86 and 88, a
center guide 94, a curb expansion assembly 96, having a
turnbuckle shaft 98 and two nuts 100, and a stiffening
member 102. The curb rails 86 and 88 are preferably an
extruded aluminum having a uniform cross-section defining a
front lip 104, a top ledge 106, a rear wall 108 and inner
walls 110. The front lip 104 extends up past the bottom
edge of the door panels 20 and 22 to prevent water passing
thereunder from splashing onto the floor. The ledge 106
slopes downwardly toward the inside of the enclosure so that
water splashed thereon will run into the enclosure.
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[0034] The curb rails 86 and 88 are joined in the center
by the curb expansion assembly 96. Specifically, the nuts
100, having a profile corresponding to the configuration of
the inner walls 110, are pressed tightly between the inner
walls 110, until their flanges 112 contact the ends of the
curb rails 86 and 88. The nuts 100 have internally threaded
axial openings 114 therethrough for engaging the threads of
the turnbuckle shaft 98, which has left-hand and right-hand
square threads on opposite ends. The middle of the
turnbuckle shaft 98 has two radial passages 116 therethrough
for inserting a tool for rotating the shaft. As with the
header assembly, these passages could be replaced with a hex
feature for turning the shaft with a wrench. Turning the
shaft in one direction threads both ends of the turnbuckle
shaft 98 into the nuts 100 to shorten the width of the curb
assembly 26; turning it the opposite direction will drive
the turnbuckle shaft 98 out of the nuts 100 so as to
increase the width of the curb assembly 26.
[0035] The stiffening member 102 runs beneath the curb
expansion assembly 96 and inner ends of the curb rails 86
and 88 where it engages the inner walls 110 to prevent
bowing and flexing of the curb assembly 26. The stiffening
member 102 has a generally flat bottom 118 with front 120
and back 122 upright walls with downwardly and inwardly
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extending ends 124 and 126, respectively, that clip around
shoulder portions 128 of the inner walls 110 so that it can
snap on to the ends of the curb rails 86 and 88. The
stiffening member 102 can slide with respect to the inner
walls 110 (and thus the curb rails 86 and 88) as needed when
the width of the curb assembly 26 is adjusted.
[0036] The stiffening member 102, curb expansion assembly
96 and inner ends of the curb rails 86 and 88 are covered by
the center guide 94. The. center guide 94 has upright front
130 and rear 132 walls and a top 134 defining a pair of
bottom tracks 136 and 138 for the door panels 20 and 22,
respectively. The front wall 130 has ah inwardly directed
rib along its bottom edge sized to fit into a narrow
channel 142 in the curb rails 86 and 88. (see Figs. 5 and 9).
This allows the center guide 94 to be snapped onto the curb
rails 86 and 88 over the curb expansion assembly 96.
[0037] Turning now to Fig.3, the wall jambs 28 and 30
have spaced front 144 and rear 14 6 legs on each side of the
cross-members 57, so that they form an H-shaped cross-
section. The legs 144 and 146 overlap the outer edges of
the door panels 20 and 22 when they are closed to prevent
water from splashing onto the floor. At the bottom of the
wall jambs 28 and 30, the legs 144 and 146 include a concave
radius designed to accommodate the rounded, upwardly
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extending lips at the edges of conventional tubs. This
eliminates the need to file or cut the jambs 28 and 30
during installation. Preferably, one or more bumpers 148
are fit between the legs 144 and 146 and secured to the
cross-members 57 of the wall jambs 28 and 30 by suitable
fasteners (not shown) to absorb the impact of the. doors. To
improve water barrier performance and increase rigidity, a
suitable sealant, such as a silicon based caulk, can be
applied along the bottom front edges of the curb rails 8 6
and 88 and the outer edges of the wall jambs 28 and 30 (and
the upper front edge of the head rail 44 if applicable).
Additionally, non-slip pads 90 and 92 are adhered to the
cross-members 57 at the bottom of the wall jambs 28 and 30
adjacent the outer ends of the curb rails 86 and 88.
[0038] With reference to Figs. 1 and 3, to install the
door system 10 in a typical shower and tub enclosure 12,
each of the header 24 and curb 26 assemblies are first pre-
assembled. This can be done at the Installation site,
however, preferably it is done at the factory so that the
door system ships pre-assembled and ready for installation.
In any event, the header assembly 24 is assembled by
pressing the clamp 54 and nut 62 into the ends of the header
rail 44 and the caps 58 and 60 are slid onto the ends. The
header shaft 64 is threaded into the nut 62 and the clamp 66
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is snapped onto the free end of the shaft 64. The
stiffening member 82 is than slid into the header rail 44
and fastened to the clamp 66. The curb assembly 26 is
assembled by threading the nuts 100 onto the turnbuckle
shaft 98 and pressing the nuts 100 into the inner ends of
the curb rails 86 and 88. The stiffening member 102 is
snapped onto the inner walls 110 of the curb rails 86 and 88
beneath the turnbuckle shaft 98.
[0039] After pre-assembly, the wall jambs 28 and 30 are
set onto the front wall of the bath tub against the end
walls 16 with the bumpers 148 and non-slip pads 90 and 92
already mounted to the cross-members 57: The header 24 and
curb 26 assemblies are then secured in place one at a time
by tightening the shafts 64 and 98 by hand, or with a
screwdriver fit through the radial passages therein. As the
header assembly is expanded, the tabs of the header clamps
are pressed against the wall jamb cross-members 57 and the
non-slip pads 56 and 80 contact the end walls 16 and 18.
As the curb assembly is expanded, the outer ends of the curb
rails 86 and 88 are pressed against the wall jambs with the
pads 90 and 92 therebetween. Once sufficiently tightened,
the assemblies will be held in place by compressive forces
acting axially outward on the end walls 16 and 18. In a
preferred embodiment, the width of the door system can be
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adjusted roughly two to three inches so as to fit a range of
enclosure openings.
[0040] The caps can then be slid outward to cover the
ends of the header assembly including the header expansion
assembly and the center guide 94 can be snapped onto the
curb rails over the curb expansion assembly with the
hanger assemblies 36 in place, the door panels 20 and 22 can
be mounted in the tracks 40 and 42 from inside the
enclosure. With both doors moved to one side of the
opening, the center guide 94 can be slid beneath the doors
and snapped onto the curb rails over the curb expansion
assembly.
[0041] Installation is then completed by attaching the
towel racks 32 and 34 to the doors with the provided screws
and by applying a bead of caulk (or other sealant) around
the assembly where it meets the tub and walls of the
enclosure.
[0042] In one preferred embodiment, the header 44 and
curb 86 and 88 rails and caps 58 and 60 as well as the
stiffening members 82 and 102, wall jambs 28 and 30, door
glides 36 and towel racks 32 and 34 are preferably extruded
aluminum. The header clamps 54 and 66 as well as the header
nut 62 and the curb nuts 100 are preferably a suitable
plastic with low moisture absorption and capable of
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sustaining compressive loads, such as Noryl®. The header
shaft 64 and the curb turnbuckle shaft 98 are preferably
aluminum and the center guide 94 is preferably an ABS
plastic with a brushed chrome electroplated finish. The
door panels 20 and 22 are preferably a tempered glass. The
slip resistant pads 56, 80, 90 and 92 are preferably an
extruded rubber foam and the bumpers 148 are a clear PVC.
[0043] The invention thus provides a door system that can
be mounted over an opening in a bath and shower enclosure
without damaging the mounting surfaces of the enclosure.
The header and curb are mounted by rotating the shafts such
that the header and curb expand outward and press against
either the walls of the enclosure of the jambs. The door
system can be mounted in enclosure openings of various
widths. The threaded compression assemblies provide
approximately three inches of width adjustment. Moreover,
the shower door mounting system does not require the head or
curb rails to be cut down for installation, thus simplifying
installation and reducing errors. And, the header and curb
assemblies can be secured to the enclosure with minimal or
no tools.
[0044] A preferred embodiment of the invention has been
described in considerable detail. Many modifications and
variations to the preferred embodiment will be apparent to
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those skilled in the art, which will be within the spirit
and scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention should
not be limited to the described embodiment. To ascertain
the full scope of the invention, the following claims should
be referenced.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0045] The invention provides a non-destructive,
compressive shower door mounting system.
17

We claim:
1. A mounting device for mounting a movable door panel (20) at an opening of
an enclosure (12) between opposite walls (16,18) of the enclosure (12),
comprising:
a horizontal header rail (44) mountable at the opening above the door
panel (20);
an adjustable header expansion means (52) having a shaft extending
longitudinally relative to the rail (44) and a nut (62) in threaded engagement
with the shaft (64), said nut (64) disposed within the header rail (44) such that
the shaft (64) and nut (62) can be rotated relative to one another to expand the
header expansion means (52) and increase the length of the header rail (44) for
mounting the header rail (44) to the enclosure (12) by opposing compressive
forces acting on the walls (16,18); and
a curb rail having two rails (86) positioned at opposite ends of a curb
expansion means (96) for mounting the curb rail (86) to the enclosure (12)
beneath the header rail (44), wherein the curb expansion means (96) has a curb
shaft (98) and a curb nut (100) in threaded engagement and coupled to the curb
rail (98).
2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the curb expansion means (96)
comprises second curb nut (100), said curb nuts (100) threaded at opposite
externally threaded ends of the curb shaft (98).
3. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the curb nuts (100) mate with inner
walls (110) of the curb rails (86,88).
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4. A mounting device for mounting a movable door panel (20) at an opening of
an enclosure (12) between opposite walls (16,18) of the enclosure (12),
comprising:
a horizontal header rail (44) mountable at the opening above the door
panel (12);
an adjustable header expansion means (52) having a shaft (64) and a nut
(62) in threaded engagement, said header expansion means (52) coupled to the
header rail (44) such that the shaft (64) and nut (62) can be rotated relative to
one
another for expanding the header expansion means (52) and mounting the
header rail (44) to the enclosure by opposing compressive forces acting on the
walls (16,18); and
a curb rail having two rails (86,88) positioned at opposite ends of a curb
expansion means (96) for mounting the curb rail (86) to the enclosure (12)
beneath the header rail (44), wherein the curb expansion means (96) has a curb
shaft (98) and a curb nut (100) in threaded engagement and coupled to the curb
rail (86);
wherein the curb expansion means (96) comprises a second curb nut
(100), said curb nuts threaded at opposite externally threaded ends of the curb
shaft (98);
wherein the curb nuts mate with inner walls (110) of the curb rails;
wherein one of said threaded ends of the curb shaft (98) has left hand
threads and the other of said threaded ends of the curb shaft has right hand
threads such that rotating the curb shaft moves the curb nuts (100) with respect
to the curb shaft in opposite directions.
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5. The device as claimed in claim 4, comprising a guide (94) covering the curb
expansion means (96).
6. The device as claimed in claim 5, comprising a curb stiffening member (102)
adjacent the curb expansion means (96).
7. The device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the curb stiffening member (102)
can slide with respect to the curb rails (86,88).
8. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the header rail (44) has a track (40)
for suspending the door panel (20).

9. The device as claimed in claim 4, comprising a guide (94) defining an
upwardly opening track (136) for receiving a bottom end the door panel (20).
10. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the device is suitable to mount a
second door panel (22) in addition to the aforesaid door panel (20).
11. The device as claimed in claim 10, comprising a guide (94) defining two
upwardly opening tracks (136,138) for receiving bottom ends of the door panels
(20,22).
12. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the header rail (44) has two parallel
tracks (40,42) for suspending the door panels (20,22).
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13. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein at least one of the header (64) and
curb shafts (98) has a tool receptor (70).

The invention relates to a mounting device for mounting a movable door panel
(20) at an opening of an enclosure between opposite walls (16,18) of the
enclosure (12), comprising a horizontal header rail (44) having a track (40) for
suspending the movable door panel (20) at the opening, and an adjustable
header expansion means (52) having a shaft (64) and a nut (62) in threaded
engagement, said header expansion means (52) coupled to an end of the header
rail (44) such that the shaft (64) and nut (62) can be rotated relative to one
another to expand the header expansion means (52) and mount the header rail
(44) to the enclosure (12) by opposing compressive forces acting on the walls
(16,18), wherein the header expansion assembly (52) additionally comprises a
clamp (66) attached to the shaft (64) opposite the nut (62), the shaft has an
externally threaded end threaded into the nut (62) and a notched end engaging
the clamp (66) in a snap fit, wherein the shaft (64) comprises a tool receptor
(70) between its ends and the tool receptor (70) is a radial opening.