CA1101805A - Wall covering kit - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract of the Disclosure A single sheet of standard grade plastic laminate material is bent at two locations to form it into a side wall and two end walls corresponding to the side wall and two end walls of a bathtub recess. Following forming, one end wall portion of the wall covering is loosely folded over the opposite end wall portion. Then, the partially folded wall covering is pushed endwise into a rectangular cardboard box having a normal thickness which is substantially smaller than the initial depth of the partially folded wall covering. The box with the partially folded wall covering inside is moved through a rectangular opening provided in a rigid mandril, sized to be substantially equal to the normal outside dimension of the box. The mandril forces the outwardly bulging side walls of the box inwardly and reshapes both the side walls of the box and the side and end walls of the partially folded wall covering therein. In so doing, the end walls of the wall covering are slid in position an amount sufficient to cause the side and partially overlapped end walls of the wall covering to bow inwardly until the wall covering has assumed a new configuration which is substantially within the normal rectangular shape of the box. The frictional contact between the backing layer of the wall covering and inner surface portions of the box in contact therewith serve to hold the wall covering in such new configuration, so that the box will retain a substantially rectangular shape.

Description

8'~5 ' Background of the Invention Field of the Inven-tion This invention relates to a pre-formed one-piece wall covering product and kit.

Related Application This is a division of Serial No. 270,174, filed ~anuary 21, 1977, and enti-tled Wall Covering For A Bathtub Recess and Method of Forming Same.

Descrip-tion of -the Prior Art There are several multi-piece wall covering kits for tub recesses on the market today. A common kit comprises threP flat panels of a sheet material (e.g. a plastic laminate) having a decorative face. One panel is installed on the side wall of the tub-recess. The other two panels are separately ins-talled on -the two end walls oE the -tub-recess. It is also known to preform from fiberglass all three walls oE the tub-recess inteyrally with a fiberglass bathtub. ~Iowever, prior to my invention, I am not aware of anyone having produced a preformed wall covering for the side and end walls of the tub~
recess from a sin~le sheet of plastic laminate material.
The art of bending sheet plastic materials into various shapes is well known. The following are examples of known methods and/or apparatus on which United States patents have been granted: No. 2,420,119, granted May 6, 1947, to Robert M.
Boehm and Aaron A. I~adon; No. 2,744,850, granted May 8, 1956, to Christian A. Scofield; ~o. 2,897,547, granted August 4, 1959, to

-2-Robert J. Clapp, ~orton E. Latham and John G. Stansbury;
No. 3,020,596, granted Februar~ 13, 1962, to Robert ~. Clapp and John E. Jamison; and No. 3,574,807, granted August 13, 1971 to Edward A. Heavener. These patents should be consulted for the purpose of properly evaluating my invention and putting it into proper perspective with respect to the prior art.
I am also aware that the Formica Corporation of Cin-cinatti, Ohio has proposed bending its one-sixteenth inch Formica brand laminated plastic about a one and one-half inch diameter tube which is heated to a surface temperature of three hundred seventy-five degrees fahrenheit by a thermostatically controlled internal heater. The company's instructions include an instruction to overform the material by bending the material through a one hundred degree arc, and an instruction to wipe the sanded side of the formed area with water. These steps are outlined by the Formica Corporation in specifications for a post forming procedure.
Summary of the Invention The invention in one aspect provides a wall covering kit, comprisiny a normally rectangular cardboard box having a pair of oppositely situated major side walls, a pair of op-positely situated minor side walls, and a pair of oppositely situated end walls, together defining an inner space; a one-piece preformed plastic laminate wall covering packaged within said cardhoard box, said wall covering being *ormed from a single sheet of plastic laminate material comprising a pair of end walls and an intexconnecting side wall, said end walls meeting said side wall at rounded corners, with said plastic laminate material comprising a decorative layer on one side and a backing layer on the other side; with one end wall of said wall covering overlapping the other end wall within said

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cardboard box, and with the side wall of said wall covering being bowed inwardly from one of the major side walls Qf the cardboard box; and with said wall covering when so configured fitting within the substantially normal rectangular shape of the box~
In a further aspect of the invention, portions of said backing layer of said side wall and at least one of said over-lapping end walls make a substantially tight friction fit with internal wall portions of said cardboard box so that the frictional fit will maintain the wall covering in a fixed con figuration with said side wall thereof bowed inwardly.
As a still further aspect, the corner portions of the wall covering are spaced from the minor side walls of said cardboard box, so that they are protected against being damaged by a force exerted against a minor side wall of the box.
~ The kit pre~erably further includes a set of edge trimming members packaged in said box, said edge trimming members comprising a pair of curved corner members, an upper edge member for the side wall, an upper edge member for each end wall, and a forward edge member for each end wall.
According to a preferred method of manufacturing my invention, I locate a one-sixteenth inch sheet of a standard brand of plastic laminate material between a support bed and a press assembly of a forming apparatus. The bed includes a pair of parallel forming tubes having exterior forming surfaces and thermostatically controllea intexnal heating elements for controlling the temperature of the forming surfaces. The press assembly includes a pair of wing members which are movable to ¦!~
bend the end portions of the plas~ic laminate material about the two forminy tubes. Following fnrming I temper the formed corner portions by applying wat~r to them.

-4-My preformèd wall covering pre~erably comprises a side wall and two end walls bent forwardly kherefrom. The end portions of the preformed product normally make an angle with respect ko the side portion which is greater than ninety degrees. As a result, the end portions must be bent inwardly towards each other during installation of the wall covering.
This bending stores energy in the corner portions of the wall product which serves to bias the end walls of the wall covering towards the end walls of the tub-recess.
According to a further typical operation, I loosely fold one end wall of the wall covering partially over the opposite end wall. Then, I slide the partially folded wall covering endwise into a rectangular cardboard box having a `~
normal thickness which is substantially less than the partially folded depth of the wall covering. Movement of the partially folded wall covering into the cardboard box causes the~side walls of the box to bow outwardly. In another pre~erred operation, I move the product containing~box relatively throuqh a rectangulax opening provided in a rigid forming mandril. As 2~ the box moves relatively through the mandril its side wall, ;~
and the side and partially overlapping end walls of the wall ~.
covering therein, are pushed inwardly. The end walls of the wall covering slide over each other and the wall covering ; assumes a new configuration ln;which the side wall and partially overlapping end walls bow inwardly towards each other and the~
wall covering is within the normal rectangular dimensions of ~, . .
the cardboard box. Then, the end of the box is closed and ..
sealed. -Frictional conkact between the wall covering and ~;
internal wall portlons of the cardboard box maintaln the wall ~ ~ -covering in its new con~iguration, and the ~ox rectangular in form. The cardboard box is used for transporting the product -between the place of manufacture and the customer's premises whereat it is ins~alled within a bathtub recess. ~-`:
~ 4a -~ ~ r These and other features, objects and advanta~es of the -:
present invention will be apparen-t from the detailed description of the preferred embodiment. ;:

Brief Descr.~ption of the Drawing ;~' '~ ;'~' FIG. 1 is a pictorial view, taken from above and looking towards the top, the front and the ou-tside of one end of a one-piece preformed plastic laminate covering .or a tub-recess wall constructed in accordance with the present invention, sucn view ;~
showin~ .the end walls of said tub~recess covering in their formed ~ `:positions in which they extend outwardly ~rom the side wall of the tub-recess covering an amount sreater than ninety degrees, and said view also showing the molding pieces which are installed on the upper and Eront edge portions of the tub recess wall aovering s~aced in position relative to the edge on which they are installed;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary portion of one corner ancl end wall portion of the tub-recess wall coverins with the edye molding attached, with the portion of the end wall being broken away .
between the corner and its front edge; : :~
FI~ 3 is a sor.lewhat diagrammatic view, par~ially in elevation and partially in section, of the forming apparatus of the present invention, said vlew showins a sheet of plastic lamina:~e to be formed located between a relatively fixed suport ~ -bed and a relatively movable press assembly, with said press ~ .
asse~bly beins shown in spaced relationship frorn the support bed, and said vi.ew snowing forming pressure applying wing portions of the press assembly in a retracted position;
. FI~. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing the press assembly moved downwardly against the interr,ediate portion of the ~heet O.L ;~lastic lamina~e material, and showina the formincf ~ressure a~plying ~ing portions of the press assembly, ancl the end ~or-tions of the plastic laminate material in contact there-~with, swung downwardly into a position at the end of -their forming paths, and said view showing excess tem~erin~,r water being collected by troughs provided for that pur~ose;
FIG. 5 is an en-l view o a tub-recess wall covering formed in accordance with the present invention, with one end wall thereof slightly overlapping the other, said vie~r~ showing the out~ardly bowe~ configuration which the tub~recess wall covering assumes when the two end walls are positioned in this manner;
FIG. 6 is a pictorial view taken from above and towards one major side, one minor side and one end o.' a card~oard box for said tub-recess wall covering, said view showincJ the semi-folded tub~recess wall covering being moved relatively into the box, and showinq the o~osite end of the box situated in a forming mandril;
FIG. 7 is a view like FIG. 6, but showing the ,~orming mandril moved into a osition near the o~en end o' the box, and showing the change in form o' both the box and the tub-recess wall covering therein caused by..such movement of the mandril, and FIG. 8 is a view taken substantially along line 8-8 of FIG. 7, showing the stored con.fi~uration of -the tub-recess wall covering wi-thin the box after use of the mandril.

Vescri~i~tion of the Preferred ~mbodiment I

My tub-recess wall covering kit comprises a one-piece wall covering 10 which in pre.ferred form is iormed from a single ,: :

eet of ~eneral ~ur~ose ~rade (about 1/]6 inch thic]c) l~lastic laminate material, such as ~ormica (-trademarlc) or ~ilson-Art (trademark). The kit may further include a ~lurali-ty oE ~ieces of edqe molding. SpeciEically, the kit may inc]ude two prebent insiGe corner sections 12, 14; one strai~ht upper rear edGe section lG; two strai~ht u;~per side edge sections 18, 20; and two straight forwarcl edge sections 22, 24. Sections 18 and 22 are bevel cut at corner 26. Similarlv, sections 20 and 24 are bevel cut a-t corner 28. The opposite ends of such section 18, 20, 22, 24, both ends of section 16, and the two ends of each of sections 12, ;
14 are straight cut.
The formin of the wall covering 10 will now be described. ~;
A sheet of plastic laminate, pre erably general purpose grade 1/16 inch thic~, having a decorative layer on one side and ~;
a backing layer on its opposite side is placed between a support bed 30 and a press assembly 32. The plastic laminate material 10 may measure approximately five feet two inches in width and appro-ximately ten feet in length. The material 10 is placed decorative layer down onto the support bed 30, as shown by FI~. 3. Sup~ort -~
bed 3~ carries a pair of elongated heating pipes 3~, each of which includes a ther~ostatically controlled internal heating element.
Tubes 3~ include an ou-ter forming surface of a predetermined radius, e.g. three-quarters of an inch radius. The tubes 34 are parallel to each other and are spaced apar-t a distance eciual to the desired width of the sic1e wall portion 36 of the wall coverinq ; 10. Plastic laminate 10 is centered with respect to the ~or~ing tubes 34, so that end wall portions 38, 40 -thereof will be sub-stantially equal in width.
Following proper location o~ plastic laminal-te 1~ on the support bed 30, the press assembly 32 is lowered down onto the side wall portion of material 10. The for~in~ tubes 34 are heatea :

to the formillg te~ erdture of the plastic laminate material lO.
~y way of example, for Eorming l/16 inch standard grade Formica brand laminate plastic or the like I preheat the in-ternal heating elements to about three hundred seventy-five degrees Fahrenhei-t.
Then, I increase the temperature by resetting the thermostat to about four hundred decJrees and perform the orming steps as the i temperature is rising. By following this procedure I am able to form a standard grade laminate withou-t scorching it.
Press assembly 32 includes a pair of wing portions 44, 46 which are hinge connected to an intermediate portion 48 along hinge lines which extend parallel to the forming tubes 34. In op-eration, the wing portions 44, 46 are moved downwardly, either one at a -time or together, for bending the end wall portions 38, 40 of the material lO about the heated forming tubes 34. ~he bending occurs at a relatively slow but steady ra-te. Pressure is applied evenly by the win~ members 44, 46 until the end wall portions 38, 40 have been moved through an arc greater than ninety degrees, e.g.
one hundre~ degrees.
Heating of the forming tubes 34 is discontinued and water is applied to the backing layer side of the material lO at the corners, in order to temper the material. The equipment shown by FIGS. 3 and 4 is equipped with a pair of spray bars 50, each havlng a plurality of outlet openings 52 spaced along its length, and each ~--being positioned to discharge water onto the formed corners oE the material lO. This type of arrangement is preferred because it results in a substantially simultaneous distribution of water to all regions of the corners, so that all regions of the corners will be substantially evenly tempered. Suitable trough structure 54, shown in section in FIG. 4, may be provided below support bed 30, to extend the full length of each spray bar 50 and ~unction to collect any excess water which may be present~
Both the support bed 30 and the intermediate por-tion 48 of the press assembly 32 may be adjustable for the purpose of varying the spacing of the forming -tubes 34 and the hinge lines for -the wing portions 44, 46. By way of typical and therefore ` nonlimitative example, this acljustment May be easily done by constructinc~ each means 30, ~l8 -to include two sicle portions and a con~on base to which the sicle por-tions are connec~ed by means of a plurality of fasteners which provide for adjus-tment of the positions of the side members relative to the common base. For example, the fasteners may comprise bolts carried by the side ;;
members which extend through slots formed in the co~mon base which are elongated in the direction of desired adjustment, with wing type clamp nuts or the like being provided on the bolts.
A very important aspect of the invention involves the steps o~ packaging the wall covering lO within a relatively small dimension cardboard box 52, following the forming operation.
Placement of the preformed wall covering lO within a box w~

now be described. ~ ;
Firstly, the wall covering lO is partially folded into `~
the configuration shown by FIG. 5. This is done by lapping one end wall (e.g. 40) over -the other end wall (e.g. 38), to produce a configuration of said wall covering lO in which the side wall 36 thereof bows outwardly in one direction and the partially over-lapped end walls 38, 40 thereof bow outwardly in the opposite direction (see FIG. 5). Care is taken to no-t overstress the corner regions of the partially folded wall covering lO.
.~ext, this configuration is substantially maintained while one end of the partially folded wall covering lO is intro-duced into an open end of the rectangular box 52. Box 5~ is normally rectangular in form and is normally wider than the width of the partially folded wall covering lO and has a normal depth that is substantially smaller than the depth dimension oX the 3~ partially folded wall covering lO. This can be appreciated by com~aring FIGS. 6 - 8 of the drawing.
~ lext, the partially folded wall covering is moved endwise into the box (FIG. 6) so that the outwardly bowing side and end ~alls thereo:E wil.l in turll bow the si~e walls of the ~)ox out~ardly (also FI~. 6).
Then, the bo~ -,2, with the out~Jarc'.ly bowed wall coverinCJ
10 therein, is ~ovec'~ xelatlvely through a rectangular .Cor~ins opening 54 of a rigid mandril 56. ~Ihe opening 54 is sized to be substantiall~ eqlal to the normal outside diT~ension o the box 52.
As it r.~oves the r~ancl.ril 56 forces the two sides of the box 52 inwardly and reshapes both -the side walls of the box and the side en~. walls of the wall covering 10 therein. As this is done, the 1~ en~ walls 38, 40 of the wall covering 10 are shiFted in position an amount sufficient to cause the side an~ partially overlapped end walls of the wall covering 10 to bow inwarc~.ly until the wall cov-ering 10 has assume~ a new configuration which is substantiall~
within the normal rectanc~ular shape of the bo~ (FIGS. 7 ancl d~.
li Finally, the end of the box is closec. anci sealed.
It ~7as .found that the wall coverincr 10 retained its new configuration rathex than retUrninrJ to the outt7ar~1y bowed con-figuration. It is believed that this lS because the fristlonal : .
contact between the ~acking layer ol the wall co~Tering 10, which layer is relatively rough, and the inner surfaces oF the cardboard box 52 in contact therewith, serve to hold -the wall covering 10 in the ne~ configura-tion.
T~hen the wall coverinq 10 is inside the box its corner portions a.re not overl ~r stresse~ and are protecte~ by the rigid rectangular corner shape of the box.
~s mentione~ above, t~lhile being formed the end ~all portions 33, 40 or the wall covering 10 are ~ent. inwar~ly past a perpen~icular position (~I5. 4). Yowever, after the formed pro~uct 10 has coole~, including a.fter it is removed fro~ -the bo~ to be installed, the t~-o end walls 33, 4~ ~ake ar,.~angle with respect to the side wall 36 ~Jhich is greater than ninety ~eclrees. '~his is ihown by FIG. l in ~7hic.1 t~ne tr~1e position of the end wall.s 3~ 40 is shown by full line and an exactly per~enf:1lcular position is shown by phantom line. O7i~Tins to this fe~ture when -the ~7all eovering lO is set in-to p].ace the two end walls 33 ~0 must be ~.
swung inwardly -towards the 2erpenc.icular 7~osition. This stresses the corner portions somewl1at storin~ energ-~ in the material which ~
tends to bias the end walls 38, 40 into contact t~7ith the end walls OL the tub recess. .
.~lso it has been found that the wall coverinq 10 will easily ada~t to a tub reeess.that is not exactly regular viz.
the t~al1s are not plur.n~ andtor square with eaeh other. I:E general grade r-.laterial (l/16 inch thick) is used, the t1all cover ng lO r.lay be installed without it being necessary .for all -~ortions o:F it to ~e 1at a~ainst a wall portion of the tusb-recess. The material is stici enou~Jh to orovide a solld installation even with so~e spzce existing behind say one or both of the corner portions o:E the tub~
reeess. :
~ uring installation it may be neeessary to trim one or more of the edges of the wall covering l~ particularl~ if the tub-reeess is not true. This ean easily be clone. I~ some c--ttin(3 of the metal trir~ is neeessary it 7tlill involve only cutting O~c :~
a portion o~ a squared end of one or more of the straigi1t sections.
~ eeording to an aspeet of tne invention, I form the eorner seetions Oc trim 12 la oy inserting a piece ol the plastie ~ :
laminate material in the slot provic.ed there:~ore and then bending both sueh material and the trim. pieee together. ~xeept For the seleetion and eut o F the pieees the edge material is the standard edge material 7~7hich has been i~sed for. years in eonneetion t~7ith plasti.e laminate r.aterial. It inelu~es a re1ativelyldeep baek flan~e portion whieh is hidden behind the plastie laminate material a ~eb whieh extends aeross an edge of the material, and a front .

flange which exte~ds over a small edge portion of the front Eace of the plastic laminate material.
The invention may be embodied in other specific Eorms without departing from the spirit or central characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is -therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the ~laims are therefore to be embraced thereln.

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Claims (3)

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A wall covering kit, comprising a normally rectangular cardboard box having a pair of oppositely situated major side walls, a pair of oppositely situated minor side walls, and a pair of oppositely situated end walls, together defining an inner space;
a one-piece preformed plastic laminate wall covering packaged within said cardboard box, said wall covering being formed from a single sheet of plastic laminate material comprising a pair of end walls and an interconnecting side wall, said end walls meeting said side wall at rounded corners, with said plastic laminate material comprising a decorative layer on one side and a backing layer on the other side;
with one end wall of said wall covering overlapping the other end wall within said cardboard box, and with the side wall of said wall covering being bowed inwardly from one of the major side walls of the cardboard box;
with portions of said backing layer of said side wall and at least one of said overlapping end walls making a substantially tight friction fit with internal wall portions of said cardboard box so that the frictional fit will maintain the wall covering in a fixed configuration with said side wall thereof bowed inwardly; and with said wall covering when so configured fitting within the substantially normal rectangular shape of the box.

2. The wall covering kit of claim 1, wherein the corner portions of the wall covering are spaced from the minor side walls of said cardboard box, so that they are protected against being damaged by a force exerted against a minor side wall of the box.

3. The wall covering kit of claim 1, further comprising a set of edge trimming members packaged in said box, said edge trimming members comprising a pair of curved corner members, an upper edge member for the side wall, an upper edge member for each end wall, and a forward edge member for each end wall.