Shower door assembly

Abstract

A shower door assembly is provided with a track with a cavity formed therein, and an opening for access to the cavity. A lateral portion extends from the track and into the cavity. A shower door pane is provided with a pair of wheels mounted for rotation upon the shower door pane, each of the pair of wheels sized to be received in the track for translation along the track, wherein an upright clearance of each of the pair of wheels within the cavity is limited by the lateral portion to prevent removal of the pair of wheels from the track while in an upright orientation, and to permit the pair of wheels to be removed in an angled orientation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A shower door assembly comprising:
 a track with a cavity formed therein, and an opening for access to the cavity;   a lateral portion extending from the track and into the cavity;   a shower door pane; and   a pair of wheels mounted for rotation upon the shower door pane, each of the pair of wheels sized to be received in the track for translation along the track, wherein an upright clearance of each of the pair of wheels within the cavity is limited by the lateral portion to prevent removal of the pair of wheels from the track while in an upright orientation, and to permit the pair of wheels to be removed in an angled orientation.   
     
     
         2 . The shower door assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the track opening is a side opening facing laterally inward. 
     
     
         3 . The shower door assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the lateral portion bounds an upper limit of translation of the pair of wheels within the cavity. 
     
     
         4 . The shower door assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the opening provides access to a channel which provides a track guide for receipt of the pair of wheels. 
     
     
         5 . The shower door assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the opening has an upright dimension that is less than an overall diameter of each of the pair of wheels. 
     
     
         6 . The shower door assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the track further comprises an upper base, at least one sidewall, and at least one lower rail extending from the at least one sidewall; and
 wherein the channel is formed in the at least one lower rail.   
     
     
         7 . The shower door assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the lateral portion is spaced apart from the upper base. 
     
     
         8 . The shower door assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the lateral portion extends laterally inward from the at least one sidewall. 
     
     
         9 . The shower door assembly of  claim 8 , further comprising an overhang portion extending from the at least one sidewall to bound an upper limit of the opening. 
     
     
         10 . The shower door assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the lateral portion is spaced apart from the opening within the cavity. 
     
     
         11 . The shower door assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the lateral portion is spaced apart from the lower base. 
     
     
         12 . The shower door assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the lateral portion further comprises a lateral projection extending inward from the overhang portion. 
     
     
         13 . The shower door assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a guide sized to receive a lower end of the shower door pane to prevent rotation of the shower door pane relative to the track. 
     
     
         14 . The shower door assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the lateral portion bounds an upper limit of translation of the pair of wheels within the cavity by a limit dimension; and
 wherein the guide overlaps the shower door pane by an overlap dimension that is greater than the limit dimension to prevent rotation of the shower door pane relative to the track.   
     
     
         15 . A method of installing a shower door assembly, the method comprising:
 installing a track to a shower opening, with an opening for access to a cavity with a lateral portion extending into the cavity;   inserting a pair of wheels of a shower door pane, through an opening in the track at an angle and into a cavity within the track; and   pivoting the shower door pane to an upright orientation, such that an upright clearance of each of the pair of wheels within the cavity is limited by a lateral portion of the track to prevent removal of the pair of wheels from the track while in an upright orientation.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 installing a guide to the shower opening to prevent rotation of the shower door pane relative to the track.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 adjusting an overlap dimension of the shower door pane relative to the track to be greater than a range of upright translation of the shower door pane relative to the guide.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 pivoting the shower door pane offset from vertical before inserting the pair of wheels in the opening of the track.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 lowering the shower door pane until the pair of wheels engage the track.   
     
     
         20 . A shower door assembly comprising:
 a track comprising an upper base, at least one sidewall, and at least one lower rail extending from the at least one sidewall, with a cavity formed therein, and an opening for access to the cavity, wherein the track opening is a side opening facing laterally inward, wherein the opening provides access to a channel which provides a track guide, and wherein the channel is formed in the at least one lower rail;   a lateral portion extending from the track and into the cavity, wherein the lateral portion is spaced apart from the upper base, wherein the lateral portion extends laterally inward from the at least one sidewall, wherein the lateral portion is spaced apart from the opening within the cavity, and wherein the lateral portion is spaced apart from the lower base;   an overhang portion extending from the at least one sidewall to bound an upper limit of the opening;   a shower door pane;   a pair of wheels mounted for rotation upon the shower door pane, each of the pair of wheels sized to be received in the channel for translation along the track, wherein an upright clearance of each of the pair of wheels within the cavity is limited by the lateral portion to prevent removal of the pair of wheels from the track while in an upright orientation, and to permit the pair of wheels to be removed in an angled orientation, and wherein an overall diameter of each of the pair of wheels is greater than an upright dimension of the opening; and   a guide sized to receive a lower end of the shower door pane to prevent rotation of the shower door pane relative to the track, wherein the guide overlaps the shower door pane by an overlap dimension that is greater than the limit dimension to prevent rotation of the shower door pane relative to the track.