AU656860B2

AU656860B2 - Reinforcing device for bathtub

Info

Publication number: AU656860B2
Application number: AU39979/93A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Sung-Shun Wang
Original assignee: San Ying Ind Co Ltd
Current assignee: SAN YING INDUSTRIAL Co Ltd
Priority date: 1993-06-02
Filing date: 1993-06-02
Publication date: 1995-02-16
Anticipated expiration: 2013-06-02
Also published as: FR2706756B3; NL9300953A; GB9311579D0; FR2706756A3; AU3997993A; BE1007027A3; GB2278541A

Description

-1- REINFORCING DEVICE FOR BATHTUB BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a reinforcing device for a bathtub which consists of a bathtub body and a reinforcing base. The reinforcing base is capable of being attached to the bottom of the bathtub body so as to increase the bearing strength and the durability of the bathtub body.

2. Description of the Prior Art Generally speaking, bathtubs are known and used which are made of glass fiber or plastic material. As shown in FIG. 4, the known bathtub 5 produced by the monoblock casting method includes four feet 51 beneath the bottom of the known bathtub 5, an outlet 52 on the bottom of the known bathtub 5 and an overflow outlet on one side wall of the known bathtub 5. The four feet 51 are, respectively, disposed beneath the four corners of the bottom of the known bathtub 5. A drain tube 54 is connected to the lower end of the outlet 52 and is capable of being stopped by a stopper 53. An overflow drain tube 56 is in open connmmunication with the overflow outlet and is downwardly connected to the drain tube 54.

There is a space between the known bathtub 5 and the ground so that the bottom of the known bathtub 5 deflects under a user's weight.

A personi lying in the known bathtub 5 may feel unsafe and possibly the bottom of the known bathtub 5 may fracture under the heavy weight of 'he person after long- S: term use. Therefore, in order to bear a heavy weight over an extended period of time prior art bathtubs 5 must be produced with an increased wall thickness. However, in 25 the manufacturing process, a thick bottom of the known bathtub 5 is wasteful in both labor time and material expenditures since a vast amount of time is necessary to allow cooling of a thickened structure prior to being packed and sold in the marketplace.

IN:\libtt00327:cg SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantages.

There is disclosed herein a reinforcing device for a bathtub comprising a bathtub body having a base floor member, a fluid outlet conduit extending through said base floor member, a drain tube coupled to a lower end of said fluid outlet conduit, an overflow drain tube in fluid communication with an overflow outlet opening formed through a sidewall of said bathtub body and further in fluid communication with said drain tube and a plurality of foot members secured to a lower surface of said bathtub body, said reinforcing device comprising: a reinforcing base member for contiguously interfacing with a substantial portion of said bathtub body lower surface, said reinforcing base member having a plurality of foot member recesses aligned with said foot members for receiving said foot members, said drain tube and said overflow drain tube being insertable within an aperture formed within said reinforcing base member, said fluid outlet conduit extending into said aperture and being coupled to said drain tube within said aperture formed in said reinforcing base member, each of said foot members being aligned with a respective opening fonnrmed through said reinforcing base member for the insertion of respective screw members for securing said bathtub body to said reinforcing base i• 20 member.

S 2According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention having the object, there are the following advantages: 1. The reinforcing base member having a simple i• o°i [N:\lIbttlOO327:cg aHccie4 structure is capable of being A--taecing- to the base

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floor member of the bathtub body in a short time.

2. The reinforcing base member is capable of greatly increasing the bearing strength of the bathtub body.

3. The reinforcing device of the present invention having a thinner base floor member of the bathtub body is capable of decreasing the producer's cost.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a side view showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention in disassembled condition; sho.0A/Ang 15 FIG. 2 is a perspective view A -e.-eRng the

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Spreferred embodiment of the present invention in disassembled condition; FIG. 3 is a side view showing the preferred embodiment of the present invention in assambled 20 condition; and, 0 FIG. 4 is a side view showing a known bathtub.

00 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in FIG. 1, the present invention is driected to a reinforcing device for a bathtub incl(udin -in-cluding a bathtub body 1 and a reinforcing base

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member 2.

The bathtub body 1 with predetermined shape includes a plurality of foot members 11 secured to a lower surface of a base floor member of the bathtub body 1, a fluid outlet conduit 12 extending through the base floor member of the bathtub body 1 and an overflow outlet opening 14 formed through a sidewall of the bathtub body 1. A drain tube 13 is coupled to a lower end of the fluid outlet conduit 12. An overflow drain tube 15 is in fluid communication with the overflow outlet opening 14 and is downwardly connected to the drain tube 13, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

The reinforcing base member 2 includes a plurality of foot member recesses 21 and a through aperture 22, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. The plurality of foot member recesses 21 are aligned with the foot members 11 for receiving the foot members 11.

The centre of each foot member recess 21 has a through opening 211. Each of the foot members 11 is aligned with a respective through opening 211 formed through the reinforcing base member 2 for the insertion of respective screw members 3 for securing the bathtub body 1 to the reinforcing base member 2. The through aperture 22 S.. disposed correspondingly to the outlet 12 of the bathtub body 1 is adapted for receiving the drain tube 13 of the bathtub body 1. The fluid outlet conduit 12 extends into the aperture 22 and is coupled to the drain tube 13 within the aperture 22 formed in the reinforcing base member 2.

*oo 0gee (N:\llbttl00327:cg Moreover, in addition to the foot member recesses 21 and the through aperture 22, the reinforcing base member 2 is capable of being formed with a plurality of rib recesses defining a plurality of longitudinal and transverse strengthening rib members 23, as shown in FIG. 2.

When assembling, the foot members 11 of the bathtub body 1 are inserted into corresponding foot member recesses 21 of the reinforcing base member 2. Screw members 3 are inserted into the through openings 211. The screw members 3 screw upwardly into the foot members 11 of the bathtub body 1 so that the bathtub body 1 and the reinforcing base member 2 are firmly fastened together, as shown in FIG. 3.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 1, the under surface of the base floor member of the bathtub body 1 or the upper surface of the reinforcing base member 2 is capable of having a layer of adhesive 4 so that the base floor member of the bathtub body 1 and the reinforcing base member 2 are capable of being joined together more securely.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention to g* Co *o* IN:\libtt00327:cg have been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made therein and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications which may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

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Claims

1. A reinforcing device for a bathtub comprising: a bathtub body having a base floor member, a fluid outlet conduit extending through said base floor member, a drain tube coupled to a lower end of said fluid outlet conduit, an overflow drain tube in fluid communication with an overflow outlet opening formed through a sidewall of said bathtub body and further in fluid communication with said drain tube; and a plurality of foot members secured to a lower surface of said bathtub body, said reinforcing device comprising: a reinforcing base member for contiguously interfacing with a substantial portion of said bathtub body lower surface, said reinforcing base member having a plurality of foot member recesses aligned with said foot members for receiving said foot members, said drain tube and said overflow drain tube being insertable within an aperture formed within said reinforcing base member, said fluid outlet conduit extending into said aperture and being coupled to said drain tube within said aperture formed in said reinforcing base member, each of said foot members being aligned with 'a respective opening formed through said reinforcing base member for the insertion of respective screw members for securing said bathtub body to said reinforcing base S ,member. 20

2. The reinforcing device as recited in Claim 1 wherein said reinforcing base member is formed having a plurality of longitudinally and transversely extending rib members for interfacing with said lower surface of said bathtub body.

3. The reinforcing device as recited in Claim 1 or Claim 2 including an .0 adhesive layer sandwiched between an upper surface of said reinforcing base member and said lower surface of said bathtub body for fixedly securing said bathtub body to •said reinforcing base member.

4. A reinforcing device for a bathtub, said reinforcing device being substantially as hereinbefore described v ith reference to Figs. 1 to 3. DATED this Thirty-first Day of October 1994 San Ying Industrial Co, Ltd Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON giI ^of'- REINFORCING DEVICE FOR BATHTUB Abstract A reinforcing device for a bathtub consists of a bathtub body (1) and' a reinforcing base member The bathtub body has a plurality of foot members (11) beneath the base floor member of the bathtub boby The reinforcing base member has foot member recesses (21) on the surface corresponding to tne foot members (11) of the bathtub body The foot members (11) of the bathtub body are capable of being, respectively, inserted into the foot member recesses (21) of the reinforcing base member Each foot member (11) of the bathtub body and the reinforcing base member are screwed together by a screw member by which the reinforcing base member is capable of being fastened with the bathtub body so as to increase the bearing strength and the durability of the bathtub body Figure 1 S MOC/7430M