AU718168B2 - System for waterproofing bathroom floors - Google Patents

Description

P00011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act, 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT a t a a TO BE COMPLETED BY THE APPLICANT D 0 a a a *a.

*aa a.

o a NAME OF APPLICANT: ACTUAL INVENTOR(S): ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: INVENTION TITLE: DETAILS OF ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL APPLICATION NO(S): PETER CHARLES GAUCI PETER CHARLES GAUCI Peter Maxwell Associates Level 6 60 Pitt Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 SYSTEM FOR WATERPROOFING BATHROOM FLOORS PN 8610 12 March 1996 Australia The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me:- X022200 120397 The present invention relates to an improved system for waterproofing bathroom floors.

Leaky bathroom floors are a common problem in many homes, particularly those in which shower use is high or the bathroom floors are aged or damaged. Where hollow aluminium channels are used as the base to mount the lower frame for the shower screen, a common approach has been to apply a silicon seal where the channel meets the tiled floor and to use an upstand or hob located inside the channelto act as a further barrier wall against the passage of water from one side of the channel (the shower side) to the other side of the channel (the bathroom side). Such hobs are normally a vertical extension of the fibreglass mat or other waterproof membrane that is laid on the concrete slab prior to overlaying with the sand, cement and tile layers. The silicon seals will often degrade and allow water penetration inside the channel, and the effectiveness of the hobs will depend largely on a combination of their height from the tiles surface, their resistance to the pressure exerted by the leaking water and their structural integrity.

The approach of each tiler to providing for an efficient waterproofing barrier will, of course, differ and in some instances, a tiler may incorrectly install the hob or use material for the hob which is faulty and allows water leakage. Furthermore, the height of a hob may be inadequate to prevent a surge of water from the shower side flowing over the hob. Also, some tiled floors may have a gradient whereby water is caused to flow against the hob, leading to the generation of a reservoir of water that may overflow the hob and pass to the bathroom side.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome these and other shortcomings of the prior art, and to provide a system for waterproofing bathroom floors that is reliable, easy to install and relatively inexpensive.

According to the invention there is provided a system for waterproofing bathroom floors comprising a first barrier member adapted to 3 be located within the floor of a bathroom and having first engaging means that are exposed through the floor, and a second barrier member adapted to be located on the surface of the floor and having second engaging means that engage sealingly the first engaging means of the first barrier member, the second barrier member having a horizontal surface upon which a frame of a shower screen is supported, the said horizontal surface thereby defining the border between the shower and the bathroom floor to be waterproofed.

In a preferred form of the invention, the first engaging means are female type engaging means and the second engaging means are male type engaging means.

S•Preferably, the first barrier member includes horizontally extending lower support means that are adapted to rest upon the slab of the bathroom and one of which support means is adapted to be overlaid by a waterproof membrane that is located below the shower floor.

It is preferred that the female type engaging means of the first barrier member comprises a substantially rectangular cavity having a pair of grooves :on opposite vertical sides of the cavity.

The second barrier member has male type engaging means which preferably comprises a pair of elongated knob members that fit the 20 substantially rectangular cavity of the first barrier member, each of the elongate S•knob members including a projecting portion that engages by interference fit one of the grooves on a side of the cavity.

Both the first and second barrier members may be fabricated of rigid polyvinylchloride.

The first barrier member also preferably includes a vertically extending side wall against which an edge portion of the waterproof membrane for the shower is adapted to be vertically supported.

It is preferred that the waterproof membrane is a fibreglass mat and is initially applied over the slab, lower support means and side wall in liquid form so as to provide a continuous seal thereover.

10/02/00 The surface of the floor on which the second barrier member is adapted to be located is preferably tiled.

The system also preferably includes end caps for sealably connecting ends of the first and second barrier members to a wall of the bathroom.

In order that the invention may be readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first barrier member of a system for waterproofing bathroom floors according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. 2 is an end view of a second barrier member adapted to engage the first barrier member of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a sectional view of an assembled system for waterproofing bathroom floors that utilises the first barrier member of Fig. 1 and the second barrier member of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a front view of an end cap that may be used in conjunction with the system shown in Fig. 3, S*Fig. 5 is a side view of the end cap of Fig. 4, Fig. 6 is a top view of the end cap of Fig. 4, and 20 Fig. 7 is a rear view of the end cap of Fig. 4.

oooo° The first barrier member 11 or bracket shown in Fig. 1 is generally H shaped (in section) and is of uniform thickness along its length. The member 11 includes a female type engaging means 12 along its upper edge which consists of a substantially rectangular cavity 13 having a pair of grooves 14 or dimples on opposite vertical sides of the cavity 13. The member 11 also has horizontally extending lower support means 15 or feet, and vertically extending side walls 16.

10/02/00 The second barrier member 18 or cap shown sectionally in Fig. 2 has a major elongated portion 19 from which projects male type engaging means 20. The member 18 is of uniform thickness along its length. The male type engaging means 20 consists of a pair of elongate knob members 21, each of which has a projecting portion 22.

Both the first barrier member 11 and the second barrier member 18 are made of rigid polyvinylchloride.

The assembly shown in Fig. 2 of waterproofing bathroom floors consists of the first barrier member 11 located within a floor 24 of a bathroom and having its female type engaging means 12 exposed through the floor 24. The feet 15 rest upon the concrete slab 25 beneath the bathroom floor. The location of the first barrier member 11 determines the shower dimensions.

A fibreglass mat 26 lays over the slab 25 and covers the area for the shower. A primer (not shown) is first applied over the slab 25, feet 15 and side wall 16 and the mat 26 is then applied in liquid form over the primer until it hardens. A resin (not shown) may be applied over the mat 26 to i provide an improved water seal.

The fibreglass mat 26 has its outer edge portions 27 located over the feet 15 and then folded vertically and supported against the side wall 16. The hardened fibreglass is bonded against the feet 15 and side wall 16 during the process of drying to a solid form.

The floor 24 comprises a conventional mixture of hardened sand and cement 28 overlaid by tiles 29.

The second barrier member 18 is located on the tiled surface 30 of the floor 24 and has its male type engaging means 20 engaging sealingly with the female type engaging means 12 of the first barrier member 11.

The engagement is effected by the tight interference fit of the projecting portions 22 of the second barrier member 18 in the grooves 14 of the first barrier member 11.

6 Silicon sealant (not shown) is applied between the upper surfaces of the first barrier member 11 and the corresponding abutting surfaces of the second barrier member 18.

The upper horizontal surface of the major elongated portion 19 of the second barrier member 18 supports an aluminium frame 31 of the shower.

Silicon sealant 32 is applied continuously along the joint between the major elongated portion 19 and the frame 31. In this way, the upper surface of the major elongated portion 19 defines the border between shower and the bathroom floor to be waterproofed.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the location of the fibreglass mat 26 indicates that the shower area is to the left side of the frame 31 and the S•area of bathroom floor to be waterproofed from the shower is the right side of the frame 31.

The length of the major elongated portion 19 will depend on the width of the frame selected for the shower screen. Also, the portion 19 is longer to the left side of the knob members 21 than to right side, and this leads to more of the tiled area being covered on the shower side of the assembly.

In use, any water that flows over the tiles 30 of the shower towards i 20 the assembly shown in Fig. 3 will not penetrate through the system S"comprising first and second barrier members 11, 18. Water will be impeded, not only by the silicon sealant between members 11 and 18, but by the tight interference fit of the members 11 and 18 provided by the engagement of the projections 22 and grooves 14 in the cavity 13, and by the necessity for any water that does reach the cavity 13 to fill it to overflowing before any water can overflow to the opposite side of the assembly. Furthermore, the flat upper surface of the elongated portion 19 provides for a more reliable seal with the lower frame 31 of the shower screen.

Additional sealing may be provided between the abutting surfaces of the second barrier member 18 and the tiled floor 29 on both sides of the shower screen.

Any water that seeps through the floor 24, either between cracks in the tiles 29 or through irregularities in the layer of hardened sand and cement 28, will be impeded both by the sealed fibreglass mat 26 and by the physically impervious barrier provided by the first barrier member 11.

The end cap 35 shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 is adapted to sealably connect the ends of the assembled first and second barrier members 11, 18 to a wall of the bathroom.

The end cap 35 comprises a panel portion 36, from one surface of which project a rectangular connecting portion 37 with opposed projections 38 and a separating wall portion 39 extending upwardly from the connecting portion 37.

The rear surface of the end cap 35, as shown in Fig. 7, consists of a hollowed grid arrangement of intersecting walls 49 for structural integrity.

When the end cap 35 is connected against a wall, the projections 38 rmay engage by interference fit the grooves 14 in the cavity 13 of the first barrier member 11.

Various modifications may be made in details of design and construction without departing from the scope or ambit of the present invention.

Claims (11)

1. A system for waterproofing bathroom floors comprising a first barrier member adapted to be located within the floor of a bathroom and having first engaging means that are exposed through the floor, and a second barrier member adapted to be located on the surface of the floor and having second engaging means that engage sealingly the first engaging means of the first barrier member, the second barrier member having a horizontal surface upon which a frame of a shower screen is supported, the said horizontal surface thereby defining the border between the shower and the S" bathroom floor to be waterproofed.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first engaging means are female type engaging means and the second engaging means are male type engaging means.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the first barrier member includes horizontally extending lower support means that are adapted to rest upon the slab of the bathroom and one of which support means is adapted to be overlaid by a waterproof membrane that is located below the shower floor.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the female type engaging means of the first barrier member comprises a substantially rectangular cavity having a pair of grooves on opposite vertical sides of the cavity.

The system of claim 4 wherein the second barrier member has male type engaging means which comprises a pair of elongated knob members that fit the substantially rectangular cavity of the first barrier member, each of the elongate knob members including a projecting portion that engages by interference fit one of the grooves on a side of the cavity.

6. The system of any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein both the first and second barrier members are fabricated of rigid polyvinylchloride.

7. The system of claim 3 wherein the first barrier member includes a vertically extending side wall against which an edge portion of the waterproof membrane for the shower is adapted to be vertically supported.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the waterproof membrane is a fibreglass mat and is initially applied over the slab, lower support means and side wall in liquid form so as to provide a continuous seal thereover. oo oi

9. The system of any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the surface of the floor on which the second barrier member is adapted to be located is tiled.

The system of any one of claims 1 to 9 and including end caps for .sealably connecting ends of the first and second barrier members to a wall of o the bathroom. o* o e•

11. A system for waterproofing bathroom floors substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 10th day of February 2000 PETER CHARLES GAUCI Patent Attorneys for the Applicant PETER MAXWELL ASSOCIATES .1AN