AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Innovation Patent Applicant(s): Barry John Godfrey and Duncan Ross Hamilton Invention Title: SHOWER APPARATUS The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method for performing it known to me/us: - 2 SHOWER APPARATUS STATEMENT OF CORRESPONDING APPLICATIONS This application is based on the Provisional specification filed in relation to New Zealand Patent Application Number 545667, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to shower systems, and in particular to shower apparatus and methods of shower construction. BACKGROUND ART In the construction of domestic shower facilities and the like, various methods have been used for the fixing of shower piping and fittings within the wall of the building. In the past, concealing the shower piping within the wall was generally considered desirable, particularly from an aesthetic point of view. Measurements were taken between upstanding wall studs, a board was then cut and nailed into place. It was then drilled with holes to provide for the insertion of the desired pipes. In addition to this construction being time-consuming, costly and burdensome, the fact that this installation must be completed before the wall linings are fixed means that this method can cause timing difficulties in a construction schedule and subsequent modifications (such as the addition of shower jets, for example) require removal of the wall linings to access the piping. Floor-mounted upright shower units are known from the -3 prior art which, when the water supply piping is conveniently positioned below the floor, avoid the need for enclosing all the shower piping and fittings within the wall. However, it is common plumbing practice to also run plumbing through the ceiling space, in which case it is unavoidable with these floor-mounted units that plumbing passes through the wall. It will therefore be understood that there is a need for a more versatile shower construction, in particular one which can be plumbed from the floor or ceiling space, without passing through the wall. It is also known to attach a shower rose to a plumbing supply pipe via a hose or other flexible conduit. Such a shower rose may be removed from a shower wall mount and held by the hand during showering, and is also useful for cleaning the shower. The shower wall mount typically includes an upright mounting post on which the shower rose may slide, allowing its height to be adjusted to accommodate different users. It would thus be advantageous to provide a more versatile shower mount, especially one which did not require a dedicated upright mounting post to provide a height adjustable shower rose of this type. A common current shower design is the so-called "wet floor" shower, where the floor of the bathroom drains to a waste, and no separate shower tray or interruption in the floor is provided. This design is well suited to making good use of the available space in a bathroom and when the shower is constructed adjacent the intersection of two walls, a satisfactory shower can be achieved without requiring a third wall or a full enclosure to bound the shower space. However it would be advantageous if the - 4 space made available by this design could be put to another use. In particular, with the increasing awareness of the value of exercise, it would be advantageous if the shower space could also be used for exercising. Wheelchair-accessible showers with a self-draining floor are now mandated in many situations by building law, which also sets out certain other requirements relating to accessibility. In particular a grab rail of correct shape, size and position is required to assist the user onto a shower seat. A hand-held shower rose on a flexible hose is also required. Proper mounting of the grab rail for adequate strength is somewhat time-consuming, requiring the builder to provide suitable structural members in the wall and the installer to locate and fasten both ends to the structural members hidden behind the wall linings. As an upright mounting post is often provided for mounting the shower rose, this mounting post must also be properly fastened in a like manner, so as to be as strong as the grab rail. It will therefore be understood that there is a further need for a more versatile shower construction, in particular one which permits a grab rail and shower rose mounting post for an accessible shower to be installed more readily. It is an object of the present invention to address the foregoing problems or at least to provide the public with a useful choice. Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only. All references, including any patents or patent applications cited in this specification are hereby - 5 incorporated by reference. No admission is made that any reference constitutes prior art. The discussion of the references states what their authors assert, and the applicants reserve the right to challenge the accuracy and pertinency of the cited documents. It will be clearly understood that, although a number of prior art publications are referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that any of these documents form part of the common general knowledge in the art, in New Zealand or in any other country. It is acknowledged that the term 'comprise' may, under varying jurisdictions, be attributed with either an exclusive or an inclusive meaning. For the purpose of this specification, and unless otherwise noted, the term 'comprise' shall have an inclusive meaning - i.e. that it will be taken to mean an inclusion of not only the listed components it directly references, but also other non specified components or elements. This rationale will also be used when the term 'comprised' or 'comprising' is used in relation to one or more steps in a method or process. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of constructing a shower in a room, including: - providing a hollow elongate shower post having a control valve and a shower rose fixed thereto, the shower post enclosing water supply means for supplying water to the valve and between the valve and the shower rose, and - fixing a lower and upper end of the post to substantially opposing surfaces of the room.
- 6 The opposing surfaces may be opposing walls of the room though in preferred embodiments are the floor and ceiling of the room. By constructing a shower in this manner the shower can be readily plumbed from the floor or roof space, without passing through the wall. The water supply means preferably includes separate hot and cold water conduits supplying water to a control valve for mixing the hot and cold water. The separate conduits may be integrally formed in the hollow post, or provided by pipes, hoses, or the like installed within the hollow post. It will also be understood that separate control valves may be used for the hot and cold water and any number of shower roses or nozzles may be provided. In one embodiment a shower rose is connected to the supply conduit within the pipe by a hose, or the like, the shower rose having a fitting for lockable sliding engagement with the pipe to provide for height adjustment. Preferably the lower end of the post includes a mounting flange fixed thereto, the flange having fastener-receiving apertures therein and the method includes the step of abutting the flange with the floor and fixing fasteners through the apertures to secure the lower end of the pole to the floor. The post is preferably substantially upright and elongated to extend through a ceiling lining and above a ceiling structural member fixed adjacent thereto. The upper end of the post may be fixed to the ceiling structural member by a collar for receiving the upper end of the post in a sliding fit, the collar having fastener-receiving apertures therein, the method including fixing fasteners through the apertures in the collar to secure the upper end of the pole to the ceiling structural member. The shower may advantageously be constructed in a corner of a room such that a shower space in which the user stands is bounded by two intersecting walls, in which case the method preferably includes fixing the shower post in the above-described manner in a corner of the shower space, spaced apart from the each of the two walls. In another aspect the invention provides a shower constructed according to the above-described method said shower apparatus including: - a hollow elongate shower post with two distal ends adapted to extend from one said surface to the other said surface; - at least one control valve and at least one shower rose fixed to the post; - a fastening means located at each said distal end of the post for engaging fasteners for fixing the distal ends of the post to the opposing surfaces. The shower is preferably of the wet floor type, where the floor of the room drains to a waste, and no separate shower tray or interruption in the floor is provided. Unrestricted access is thereby provided all around the post, this factor combined with its rigid construction and installation allows the post to be used for exercising or recreational purposes. In another aspect the invention provides shower apparatus configured for construction of a shower of the above described type, the apparatus comprising: - a hollow elongate shower post adapted to extend from the floor to the ceiling of the room; -8 - at least one control valve and at least one shower rose fixed to the post; - lower and upper end fastening means for engaging fasteners for fixing the lower and upper ends of the post to the floor and ceiling respectively. The post preferably has a constant cross-section throughout its length, more preferably the post is tubular. Where the size of the cross-section is such that the valve cannot be fitted within the post, a separately formed valve enclosure may be fixed in an intermediate position in the post. While the lower and upper end fastening means are preferably a flange and collar (as described above) it will be understood that other fastenings such as friction fit or screw thread connections may be provided within the scope of the invention. This invention provides a method and apparatus for shower construction which is effective and efficient. The apparatus has an overall simple design which minimizes manufacturing costs and which is very versatile, simultaneously addressing a number of drawbacks with prior art showers. According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of constructing an accessible shower in a room having a wall and a ceiling, including: - providing a substantially rigid member having a control valve and a shower rose connected thereto, the member enclosing water supply means for supplying water to the valve and between the valve and the shower rose, the member comprising an elongate slider portion to which the shower rose is connected for sliding - engagement, with an elongate grab rail portion -9 fixed thereto, the grab rail portion having a mounting bracket fixed at or adjacent an end thereof; - fixing an upper end of the slider portion to the ceiling and fixing the mounting bracket to the wall. Preferably the water supply conduits pass through an upper end of the slider portion, allowing the shower to be readily plumbed from the roof space. According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided shower apparatus configured for construction of an accessible shower of the above described type, the apparatus comprising: - a substantially rigid member comprising a hollow elongate slider portion to which a shower rose is connected for sliding engagement, with an elongate grab rail portion fixed thereto; - a housing for receiving and mounting a control valve, a passageway extending between the slider portion and the housing for enclosing water supply means for supplying water to the control valve; - a mounting bracket fixed at or adjacent an end the grab rail portion for engaging fasteners to fix the grab rail portion to the wall, and - upper end fastening means for engaging fasteners for fixing the upper end of the slider portion to the ceiling. In an alternative embodiment the slider portion may be part of a hollow elongate shower post adapted to extend from the floor to the ceiling of the room. In this embodiment the member may be T-shaped with shower post and grab rail portions being connected substantially orthogonally.
- 10 According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of constructing a shower substantially as hereinbefore described, wherein the shower is constructed within dimensions to meet New Zealand building standards according to NZ Building Standards clause G1. This invention provides a method and apparatus for the construction of an accessible shower which allows such showers to be built more readily and cost-effectively. It also allows the shower to be plumbed after the shower wall linings have been completed, avoiding the necessity of running supply lines to the correct position beforehand. Furthermore, the number of wall mountings for providing both the grab rail and slider rail are reduced, by forming both integrally in a single member. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description which is given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a shower apparatus according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus of Fig.1; Figure 3 is a pictorial view of the apparatus of Fig.1; Figure 4 is a front elevation of a second shower apparatus according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention; - 11 Figure 5 is a side elevation of the apparatus of Fig.4; and Figure 6 is a pictorial view of the apparatus of Fig.4. BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Referring to Figs 1 to 3 of the drawings, a first shower apparatus installed by the method of the invention includes the upright tubular shower post 1 to which is fitted a control valve in the form of a mixer (not shown) mounted within a mixer enclosure 2 and a shower rose 3 fixed at longitudinally spaced positions in the post 1. The lower end of the post 1 has an annular flange 5 fixed (e.g. by welding) thereto. The flange 5 rests upon the horizontal surface 6 of the floor 8 and it is secured by fasteners (schematically illustrated by lines 7a, 7b) that extend through apertures in flange 5 into the floor 8. The mixer enclosure 2 is in the form of a waisted cylinder, the axis of which extends horizontally, and to which front and rear circular cap portions 9a, 9b are fixed. The post 1 may extend through the enclosure 2, or upper and lower portions 2a, 2b of the post may be fixed to opposing sides of the enclosure 2. The shower rose 3 is fixed to the upper portion 2a and has outlets 10 in communication with the supply conduit 4c extending inside the post 2 from the mixer. In the lower portion of the post 2b are received the hot and cold water conduits 4a, 4b extending from the floor 8 to the mixer. Shown in dashed outline in Fig. 1 is an alternative plumbing arrangement, whereby the mixer is supplied by - 12 conduits 4d, 4e extending down through the post 2 from the ceiling. At the upper end the post extends up through an opening in the ceiling lining 11 and above a ceiling structural member in the form of a batten 12. The upper end of the post 2 is received in sliding fit in a collar 13 abuts the batten 12 and is secured thereto by fasteners (schematically illustrated by lines 14a, 14b) that extend through apertures in the collar into the batten 12. To cover the opening in the ceiling lining 11 a trim sleeve 17 is received on the post 2 and is fixed in position e.g. by adhesive to the lining 11. Fig. 3 illustrates a shower constructed in a corner of a room using the shower apparatus 1 where the post 2 is spaced apart from the each of the two intersecting walls 15, 16. The shower is of the wet floor type, where the floor surface 6 drains to a waste 18, without any step in the floor 6 so as to provide unrestricted access all around the post 2. A further advantage of this arrangement is that a water stream from the rose 3 directed outwardly from the post toward the intersection of the walls 15, 16 reduces the spill of water beyond the shower space bounded by the walls 15, 16 and the post 2. Figs 4-6 illustrate a second shower apparatus 100 for an accessible shower which comprises a tubular member 20 to which is fitted a control valve in the form of a mixer (not shown) mounted within a mixer enclosure 102 and a shower rose 103. The member 101 has an elongate slider portion 20 to which the shower rose 103 is connected for sliding engagement, with an elongate grab rail portion 21 extending substantially perpendicular thereto and joined by a swept bend 29. The grab rail portion 21 has a - 13 mounting bracket 22 fixed adjacent an end thereof, the bracket 22 being secured by fasteners (schematically illustrated by lines 23a, 23b) to a structural member (not shown) in the wall 24 of the shower. The mixer enclosure 102 is generally cylindrical with a horizontally extending axis. A tubular section 25 connects the mixer enclosure 102 to the lower end of the slider portion 20. Fixed to an upper face of the mixer enclosure 102 is a soap tray 26. The shower rose 3 is supplied with water through the hose 28, connected to the mixer via a rigid tube section 27 fixed to the lower side of the mixer enclosure 102 and extending down between the grab rail portion 21 and the wall 24. Hot and cold water conduits 104a, 104b extend from the ceiling down through the slider portion 20 and tubular section 25 to the mixer. An upper end of the slider portion 20 extends up through an opening in the ceiling lining 11 and above a ceiling structural member in the form of a batten 12. The upper end of the slider portion 20 is received in sliding fit in a collar 13 abuts the batten 12 and is secured thereto in like manner to the first shower apparatus 1. As seen from the drawings the grab rail and slider portions 20, 21 of the member 101 are offset from and extend generally parallel to the wall 24. This shower is also of the wet floor type, where the floor surface 6 drains to a waste, without any lip or upstand. Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only and it should be appreciated that - 14 modifications and additions may be made thereto without departing from the scope thereof.