EP0311625A1

EP0311625A1 - Bath coating system

Info

Publication number: EP0311625A1
Application number: EP19870904080
Authority: EP
Inventors: Geoffrey Bath Transformations Ltd. Jenkins-Lover
Original assignee: BATH TRANSFORMATIONS Ltd
Current assignee: BATH TRANSFORMATIONS Ltd
Priority date: 1986-06-24
Filing date: 1987-06-24
Publication date: 1989-04-19
Also published as: FI885916A; AU7545087A; JPH01503041A; GB8615360D0; WO1988000018A1

Abstract

Procédé de revêtement ou de réfection des surfaces d'une baignoire ou d'une douche, dont la base devient glissante à l'utilisation, à l'aide d'une composition polymère formant une surface dure et lisse. Des parties de la base de la baignoire ou de la douche sont recouvertes d'une composition polymère contenant un composant polymère élastomère formant une couche finale présentant un coefficient de frottement plus élevé que celui des autres surfaces de revêtement. De préférence, la plus grande partie de la surface est revêtue d'une résine époxyde ou de polyuréthane. Le polymère élastomère est un polymère de polyester.Method for coating or repairing the surfaces of a bathtub or shower, the base of which becomes slippery in use, using a polymer composition forming a hard and smooth surface. Parts of the base of the bath or shower are covered with a polymer composition containing an elastomeric polymer component forming a final layer having a higher coefficient of friction than that of other coating surfaces. Preferably, most of the surface is coated with an epoxy resin or polyurethane. The elastomeric polymer is a polyester polymer.

Description

BATH COATING SYSTEM

This invention relates to coating systems for baths and bathing facilities to alleviate slipperiness in use.

The problem of slipperiness in baths and similar surfaces such as showers is well-known. The base surface of a bath or shower pan will become slippery in use from the effect of soap, bath oils and similar materials usually because of a low friction film formed on the surface. This slipperiness when a user attempts to stand on this surface can cause a loss of footing and subsequent fall and possible injury. This is particularly true for elderly people who may be, in any case, unsteady on their feet.

Manufacturers of baths have attempted to overcome this problem by modifying the surface of the bath structures to minimise the effect of the slipperiness for example, by dimpling or ridging the surface so that the water can drain without leaving a low friction film between the skin and the surface. Rubber mats with means of increasing adhesion to the surface of the bath have also been attempted. There have also been applied various adhesive patches, the upper surfaces of which are resistant to slip for example by including abrasive materials. However, such devices tend to be rather unhygenic and also the adhesive patches become brittle when exposed to hot water over a period of time. Even for a larger patch placed over the entire base of the bath there is tendency to wear and erabrittlement and moreover the appearance often becomes unsightly because of adhesion of dirt to the patches.

It lias also been proposed to apply anti-slip coatings incorporating particulate material. The material projects from the coating to provide a rough surface. Coatings of this type are described in UK-A-2,156,672 in which a polymer composition is provided with particulate material projecting from the coating of polymer composition; UK-A-1,414,073 in which vitrified coating is applied which contains refratory material which will not vitrify so providing a composite friction surface; UK-A-478,762 in which a bath cabinet is provided with an enamel coating containing grains of hard granule material partly embedded in the coating and UK-A-1,593,096 in which extruded thermoplastic materials forming part of the base of a swimming pool for example, can be provided with carborundum abrasive to provide a non-slip finish.

Such surfaces containing abrasive material are uncomfortable for the user since the protruding particles from the resulting surface are sharp-edged and therefore irritate the skin particularly when used in baths. They are rarely suitable for covering the entire surface or a large portion of the base of the surface of a bath or bathing facility.

For some time there have been systems available for resurfacing baths and other similar units by means of spraying with a coating which simulates or reproduces the original surface of the bath. In such re-surfacing it is necessary to produce a pleasing appearance which conventionally means that the entire surface of the bath should be uniformly coated with a highly glossy surface. It is possible to produce a matt finish with some materials but in either case the surface is still smooth and therefore subject to the same problems of slipperiness as the original bath surface. The coating materials used in such re-surfacing techniques are epoxy resin or polyurethane coatings and considerable work has been undertaken to ensure that a uniformly smooth coating is achieved over the entire area of the bath.

According to the present invention there is provided a method of re-surfacing a bath or similar bathing area having a floor or base surface portion subject to slipperiness in which the re-surfacing coating is modified over the base surface portion by a coating covering at least a part of said base surface portion which coating has a smooth surface but increased friction capacity as compared to the remainder of the coated surface of the bath or bathing area without appreciably varying the appearance of the coating from the remainder of the said coated area. The result is a permanent low slip surface bonded to the relevant base portion which, although different in friction characteristics, is not sufficiently different as to affect comfort standing on or sitting on the relevant base portion. The surface because of the tending to the base of the bath is unaffected by the hot water applied to the surface.

As in conventional re-surfacing tecliniques the original surface which can be of porcelain, enamelled steel, plastic or glass reinforced plastic is first treated either chemically or mechanically to roughen the original surface. A coating of a bonding agent can then be applied to the roughened surface. In conventional coating this is then followed by one or more coats of a main surface material such as an epoxy resin, polyurethane or polyester over the entire area to be coated. In the present invention as the coating is applied over that portion of the bath or other surface which is subject to slipperiness problems i.e. the base, the coating is modified. This modification can be carried out as the spraying moves over the relevant surface. More usually one applies a coating of an epoxy resin or polyurethane material of the type conventionally employed in re-surfacing baths and similar articles and then applies the friction resistance coating over at least a portion of that bath or bathing area while the previous coating is still uncured so that the low-slip resistant coating becomes an integral part of the complete surface.

Preferably for the coating to be applied to be non-slip one uses a sprayable polymeric composition which in final dried form has enhanced friction resistance but does not significantly vary in appearance from the remainder of the bath or bathing area. Particular the coating for use in the friction resistant area will be one containing an elastomeric polymer. It was surprising to find that coatings of this type i.e. elastomeric in nature was suitable for this purpose. It would have been expected that such coatings under the conditions normally found in baths e.g. with presence of hot water would tend to peel away from the surface. It would appear that the success of the invention may depend at least in part on the keying between the elastomeric coating and the previously applied coating of the conventional bath re-surfacing composition. The resulting product then has a portion with increased friction and pleasing appearance but not significantly different from the remainder of the coat in appearance. Appropriate coatings for the base portion are coating materials which are used as impact adsorbant elastomeric coatings. Such coating are commercially available for treating surfaces to resist abrasion for example automobile paintwork.

The coating composition for the friction resistant area can be a standard elastomeric coating composition or can be a combination of the hard coating composition used for the remainder of the bath together with a proportion of an elastomeric coating composition. This can be particularly useful where it is difficult to match the colour of standard elastomeric coating compositions with the compositions used for the remainder of the spraying.

Those skilled in the art are well aware of the nature of compositions particularly polyurethane and epoxy resins and polyester resins which will provide hard, long-wearing surfaces on re-finished baths and similar articles. Similarly those skilled in the art are well aware of compositions containing elastomeric polymeric components which will resist impact or abrasion and which can be tested for use in the present invention. Since the conditions in a bath are quite rigorous in terms of resistance to the effects of hot water it may be necessary to test a particular composition to ensure that it is suitable for this purpose. Such testing is simple and merely involves applying the composition to the bath or similar article then testing resistance to hot water over a reasonable period.

The amount of elastomeric polymer containing component which is added to a conventional "hard" coating material can only be determined by testing the frictional enhancement of the final coating but will generally be in the area of 10% of elastomeric composition by weight of final composition.

The modified coating material can be introduced as the spraying device moves over the relevant surface portion. Alternatively the material can be applied by brush or roller to the specific base portion either as the complete surface coating or as a final layer to the resurfacing. EXAMPLE:

A commercial bath having a surface of porcelain was roughened by mechanical treatment. A conventional coating was applied over the majority of the surface of the bath by spraying a commercially available polyurethane material. The area sprayed included a portion of the floor of the bath. Over a portion of the floor while the first coating was still not fully cured there was applied a coating containing a polyester polymer available commercially as "STONECHIP" and containing an elastomeric polymer component.

Upon use of the bath the conventional coated portion became very slippery in use. The portion treated in accordance with the invention was less slippery and there was much greater friction between the surface and the human body.

Claims

CLAIMS :

1. A bathing facility with a base which becomes slippery in use in which surfaces of the facility are coated with a polymeric composition providing a smooth hard surface and portions of the base of the facility are coated with a polymeric composition containing an elastomeric polymer component to provide a final coating having enhanced friction characteristics as compared to the remainder of the coated facility.

2. A bathing facility according to claim 1 in which the majority of the surface is coated with an epoxy resin or polyurethane coating and the base surfaces coated with a composition containing an elastomeric polymer.

3. A bathing facility according to either of claims 1 and 2 in which the elastomeric polymer is a polyester polymer.

4. A bathing facility according to either of claims 2 and 3 in which the surfaces to have enhanced friction has an undercoating of a standard hard coating composition and a top-coating of a composition containing an elastomeric polymer component.

5. A bathing facility according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the composition on the areas for enhanced friction comprise a combination of hard polymer coating and elastomeric polymer component.

6. A method of surfacing or resurfacing a bathing facility in which a coating of smooth hard polymeric composition is applied to surfaces of the bathing facility and to portions of the base of said facility there is applied a coating containing an elastomeric polymer material which provides greater friction characteristics as compared to the surfaces of the remainder of the facility.

7. A method according to claim 6 in which the bathing facility is first coated with the hard polymer composition material and while still uncured there is applied to areas of the base a coating containing the elastomeric polymeric component.

8. A method according to any one of claims 6 to 7 in which the elastomeric coating composition comprises a combination of composition containing hard coating polymers and elastomeric polymer components.