AU649332B2

AU649332B2 - Improvements in or relating to baths and/or methods of manufacture thereof

Info

Publication number: AU649332B2
Application number: AU18098/92A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Stanley Kenneth Baldock; Kevin John Whitehead
Original assignee: EMAIL BUILDING PRODUCTS NZ LIM
Current assignee: CLEARLITE Ltd
Priority date: 1992-06-08
Filing date: 1992-06-08
Publication date: 1994-05-19
Anticipated expiration: 2012-06-08
Also published as: AU1809892A

Description

649332

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION For a Standard Patent

ORIGINAL

TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT r r Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: EMAIL BUILDING PRODUCTS (NZ) LIMITED KEVIN JOHN WHITEHEAD STANLEY KENNETH BALDOCK WRAY ASSOCIATES, Primary Industry House, 239 Terrace, Perth, Western Australia, 6000.

Adelaide Attorney code: WR o oo 6 Invention Title: "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO BATHS AND/OR METHODS OF MANUFACTURE THEREOF" r Details of Associated Provisional Application: No: The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us:- 1 2 THIS INVENTION relates to improvements in or relating to a method of manufacturing a bath, spa bath or the like and/or a bath itself.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a bath and/or a method of manufacturing a bath which will, at least, provide the public with a useful choice.

Accordingly, in a first aspect, the invention consists in a method of manufacturing a bath comprising the steps of: forming a bath from a plastics material with an, at least, partially planar base constructed such that, in use, the inner surface of said base slopes towards a drainage hole; placing oi attaching at least one levelling member onto the exterior surface of said base; layering further plastics material over said exterior surface and said at least one levelling member to enclose said at least one levelling member on said exterior surface; and wherein said levelling member has a longitudinal taper to offset said slope of said planar surface.

o 0* 20 Accordingly, in a second aspect, the invention consists in a method of manufacturing a bath comprising the steps of: Sv forming over a mould a. bath body from a plastics material; positioning on the exterior of the base of said bath body a levelling-member adapted in the finished bath to provide 25 the necessary canb for the interior of the bath surface down to the plug hole end thereof when positioned on a substantially level surface; and overlaying that levelling 'member with additional plastics material to enclose *o *oo o* 3said levelling member into the bath body.

Accordingly, in a third aspect, the invention consists in a bath formed from a set plastics material that has been formed by laying plastics material over a plug mould, positioning a levelling member adapted in the finished bath to provide the necessary cant for the interior of the bath surface down to the plug hole end thereof when positioned on a substantially level surface; and wherein said bath has a further layer of plastics material over said levelling member to enclose said levelling member into said bath.

Accordingly, in a fourth aspect, the invention consists in a bath comprising a bath body formed from a plastics material; a levelling member against the exterior side of a substantially planar base portion of said bath and a further layer of plastics material over said levelling member to enclose said levelling member in said bath and wherein said levelling member counteracts the slope of said planar base S' portion towards a drain hole such that, in use, a top rim of said bath may be level when said bath is placed oo a level surface.

To those skilled in the art. to which .the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the descriptions herein are purely 20 illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

One preferred form of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a levelling member forming part of the invention; -4 Figure 2 is an end elevation of the levelling member of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side elevation of the levlling member of Figures 1 and 2; and Figure 4 is a perspective view of two levelling members as per those of Figure I through 3 attached to a base board in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawings, the invention consists In a method of manufacturing a bath. Typical baths have a cant or slope towards the drain or plug hole in the base of the bath. This cant is often required by local body laws to fall within certain limits..

When a bath is formed from plastics material such as acrylic, fibreglass, etc.

the exterior side of the base surface also has this cant and, therefore, should the bath be laid on ai level surface, the top rim of the bath will not be level. To avoid this, blocks are often used on site to level this top rim.

.This invention involves the use of a levelling member that is placed on the underside of the bath during manufacture and then overlaid with further layers of the plastics material to enclose the levelling member within the final bath.

Referring to Figpire 1, the levelling member 2 may preferably be formed as a chann el shape fro'm a suitable material, Preferably, this material constitutes metal such as sheet steel or, in this case, 0.6mm galvanised sheet steel.

The levelling member is of a wedge or tapered construction which corresponds with the cant on the bath. In the preferred example, the cant on the bath is approximately During construction of the bath, the bath is substantially formed from a plastics material. Then, whik. the bath is in an inverted position, the levelling member 2 or members can be placed in position on the exterior side of the base of the bath. The levelling member 2 or members are then overlaid with further layers of the plastics material to enclose the levelling member 2 in the fin-al bath body itself.

In the preferred form, two levelling members 40,41 are used and these are attached to a base board 42 made from any convenient material such as chip board or the like. This base board is then placed on the base of the bath. In this example, the two levelling members 40,41 can be placed parallel to each other over substantially the same length of the base board 42 and the base board 42 can cover the majority of the planar base surface of the bath. In this way, the levelling members 40,41 are easily placed in their correct position, As shown in the drawings, the levelling member 2 comprises a channel shaped metal member with flanges 3A4 extending from the ends of the arms 5,6 of the channel. These flanges 3,4 are used so that the levelling member 2 may be attached to the base board 42. In the preferred example, this is done by hot gluing these flanges 3,4 onto the base board 42.

Thus it cqn be seen that the present invention provides a method of manufacture and a final product which may be placed on a level surface and leave the top rim of the bath substantially parallel with that level surface. Thus it can be seen that the invention provides a bath and a method of manufacturing a bath with advantages over the prior art including a cheap and efficient method of levelling the base of a bath so that it may stand on a level surface without the requirement of any on site correction for the sloping base of the bath.

Claims

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said levelling member is attached to a base board and said base board is placed on said planar base.
3. A method as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2 swherein said levelling member is formed in the shape of a o• or a shaped channel with outwardly extending •o flanges attached to the ends of the arms of said channel.
9. a 4. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein said flanges are hot glued to said base board to attach said levelling member to said board. ee co 5. A method as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4 wherein two levelling members are attached to said base .99. "board substantially parallel to each other. *see •9 9 0: 6. A method of manufacturing a bath comprising the steps cof: of: 7 forming over a mould a bath body form a plastics material; positioning on the exterior of the base of said bath body, a levelling member adapted in the finished bath to provide the necessary cant for the interior of the baths surface down to the plughole end thereof when positioned or. a substantially level surface; and overlaying that levelling member with additional plastics material to enclose said levelling member into the bath body. 7. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein said levelling membei is not adhered to the base prior to the overlaying of plastics material. 8. A bath formed from a set plastics material that has been formed by laying plastics material over a plug mould, positioning a levelling member adapted in the finished bath to provide the necessary cant for the interior of the bath surface down to the plug hole end thereof when positioned on a substantially level surface; wherein said bath has a further layer of plastics material over said levelling member to enclose said levelling member into said bath. e 9. A bath comprising a bath body formed from a plastics material; a levelling member against the exterior side of a substantially planar base portion of said bath and a further layer of plastics material over said levelling member to enclosed said levelling member in said bath and 0000 .:wherein said levelling member counteracts the slope of said o. planar base portion towards the drainhole such that, in .use, at top rim of said bath may be level when said bath is placed on a level surface. 0 0 1: 0. A method of manufacturing a bath substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 8-
11. A bath sub3tantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this thirty-first day of January 1994. EMAIL BUILDING PRODUCTS (NZ) LIMITED Applicant Wray Associates Perth, Western Australia. Patent Attorney for the Applicant C C CC C C CC C. C CC C C C C CC CCC... **CC CCCC C C C C CC C C CC CCC. C C CC.. CC C C C C CC C C C f ABSTRACT .e A method of manufacturing is provided so that the final bath product may be placed on a level surface and the top rim of the bath will be substantially level with the level surface without the need for any on site correction. The method includes forming a bath from a plastics material, positioning a levelling member on the 0* exterior side of the base of the bath and then overlaying the levelling member with further plastics material to enclose the levelling member within the final bath. The invention also includes a bath which is the product of this method.