GB2129293A

GB2129293A - Shower cubicles

Info

Publication number: GB2129293A
Application number: GB08326743A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Arthur Barron; Wilfrid Frank Holmes
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-10-15
Filing date: 1983-10-06
Publication date: 1984-05-16
Also published as: GB8326743D0; GB2129293B

Abstract

A shower cubicle has a cabinet 2 which is integrally moulded with a tray 8 and rear and side walls 4 and 6. A mixer valve 26 and a shower head 24 are securely fastened to the cabinet and secured in a sealing manner by resin and resin reinforcement 40, 42. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Shower cubicles The invention relates to shower cubicles.

Known shower cubicles are assembled in situ.

Whilst facilitating repair, it may be difficult to ensure continued effective sealing at any joints.

Often small amounts of water leeking through can necessitate repairs to the shower installation, particularly if tiles are used, or to the building housing the shower cubicle.

The invention provides an shower cubicle incorporating an integrally moulded shower cabinet having a tray and rear and side walls upstanding from the tray, a mixer valve and a shower head fastened to the cabinet and secured in sealing manner by resin and resin reinforcement applied to the exterior of the cabinet.

The resulting cubicle is strong and designed to provide a long useful life. The fittings (mixer valve, shower head) are so firmly secured that they are unlikely to work loose and sealing is maintained by the resin even if some packings or seals cease to be wholly effective. A waste fitting may be secured in a similar manner. Although the integrally constructed shower cubicle cannot be repaired conveniently by partial dismantling, the need for any repair is greatly reduced.

Further improvement in useful life may be obtained by constructing the cabinet rigidly for example from glass fibre reinforced composite having a wooden or foam core and/or by providing a tie-bar for securing the upper forward corners of the side-walls together. This bar may serve to suspend a shower curtain.

To reduce any leakage to a minimum, preferably the exposed sidewall and rearwall edges have a flange which can be embedded in for example surrounding plastering to facilitate sealing. The flange part on the upper exposed edge of the rearwall may have holes to firmly locate hot and cold water supply pipes.

Drawings Figure 1 shows a perspective rear view of a shower cubicle of the invention; Figure 2 shows a section through the cubicle of Figure 1; and Figure 3 shows a part of the section of Figure 2 enlarged.

Preferable Embodiment A cubicle has a cabinet 2 with a pair of side walls 4 and rear wall 6 surrounding a tray 8. A step 10 is provided at the front. Flanges 1 2 are formed on all exposed edges. A tie rod 14 interconnects the side walls 4. All walls including those formed by the tray 8 are of a laminate with a wooden core 1 6 (see Figure 3). On the interior side there is a glass fibre reinforced resin layer 1 8 and a gelcoat layer 20 and on the exterior side there is a glass fibre reinforced resin layer 22.

The cabinet 2 have apertures for the fittings which include a shower head 24, a mixer valve 26, and a waste fitting 28. The shower head 24 is secured by a lock nut 30. The mixer valve 26 is held in position by screws 32. The waste fitting 28 is held by a lock nut 34.

The cubicle also includes pipes 36 interconnecting the mixer valve 26 and the shower head 24 and pipes 38 for hot and cold water which may pass through the part of the flange 12 on the rear wall.

During construction of the cubicle all fittings are firmly located by the application of glass-fibre reinforced resin 40. The outline of the glass fibre matt 42 is shown in Figure 1 and lies over the pipes 36 so holding them firmly in position.

A mixing valve housing 44 is of plastics material and the interior (not shown) may be of stainless steel to reduce the incidence of deposits which hinder operation. The joint between the mixer valve 26 and the cabinet 2 is covered by a ring 46.

The cubicle so produced has its fittings firmly integrated into its structure and has a reduced number of joints through which water may leak.

The structure is rigid and resistant to heavy use.

The cubicle illustrated would be installed by placing it in position, attaching hot and cold water supplies and fitting a P-trap or similar on the waste fitting. The whole can then be cemented or grouted in right up to the flanges 12.

The cubicle may be modified by placing the mixer valve 26 and/or the shower head 24 in a side wall 4. The step 10 may incline downwardly to locate the waste fitting 28 above ground level if required.

1. A shower cubicle incorporating an integrally moulded shower cabinet having a tray and rear and side walls upstanding from the tray, a mixer valve and a shower head fastened to the cabinet and secured in sealing manner by resin and resin reinforcement applied to the exterior of the cabinet.

2. A shower cubicle according to claim 1 in which the cabinet is of glass fibre reinforced composite having a core layer and the upper forward corners of the side walls are connected by a tie-bar.

3. A shower cubicle according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which a waste fitting is secured similarly to the mixer valve and shower head.

4. A shower cubicle according to any of the preceding claims in which pipes for supplying hot and cold water to the mixer valve and a pipe for connecting the mixer valve and the shower head are all jointly embedded in the reinforced resin.

5. A shower cubicle according to any of the preceding claims in which exposed sidewall and rearwall edges have a flange for embedding in a

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Shower cubicles The invention relates to shower cubicles. Known shower cubicles are assembled in situ. Whilst facilitating repair, it may be difficult to ensure continued effective sealing at any joints. Often small amounts of water leeking through can necessitate repairs to the shower installation, particularly if tiles are used, or to the building housing the shower cubicle. The invention provides an shower cubicle incorporating an integrally moulded shower cabinet having a tray and rear and side walls upstanding from the tray, a mixer valve and a shower head fastened to the cabinet and secured in sealing manner by resin and resin reinforcement applied to the exterior of the cabinet. The resulting cubicle is strong and designed to provide a long useful life. The fittings (mixer valve, shower head) are so firmly secured that they are unlikely to work loose and sealing is maintained by the resin even if some packings or seals cease to be wholly effective. A waste fitting may be secured in a similar manner. Although the integrally constructed shower cubicle cannot be repaired conveniently by partial dismantling, the need for any repair is greatly reduced. Further improvement in useful life may be obtained by constructing the cabinet rigidly for example from glass fibre reinforced composite having a wooden or foam core and/or by providing a tie-bar for securing the upper forward corners of the side-walls together. This bar may serve to suspend a shower curtain. To reduce any leakage to a minimum, preferably the exposed sidewall and rearwall edges have a flange which can be embedded in for example surrounding plastering to facilitate sealing. The flange part on the upper exposed edge of the rearwall may have holes to firmly locate hot and cold water supply pipes. Drawings Figure 1 shows a perspective rear view of a shower cubicle of the invention; Figure 2 shows a section through the cubicle of Figure 1; and Figure 3 shows a part of the section of Figure 2 enlarged. Preferable Embodiment A cubicle has a cabinet 2 with a pair of side walls 4 and rear wall 6 surrounding a tray 8. A step 10 is provided at the front. Flanges 1 2 are formed on all exposed edges. A tie rod 14 interconnects the side walls 4. All walls including those formed by the tray 8 are of a laminate with a wooden core 1 6 (see Figure 3). On the interior side there is a glass fibre reinforced resin layer 1 8 and a gelcoat layer 20 and on the exterior side there is a glass fibre reinforced resin layer 22. The cabinet 2 have apertures for the fittings which include a shower head 24, a mixer valve 26, and a waste fitting 28. The shower head 24 is secured by a lock nut 30. The mixer valve 26 is held in position by screws 32. The waste fitting 28 is held by a lock nut 34. The cubicle also includes pipes 36 interconnecting the mixer valve 26 and the shower head 24 and pipes 38 for hot and cold water which may pass through the part of the flange 12 on the rear wall. During construction of the cubicle all fittings are firmly located by the application of glass-fibre reinforced resin 40. The outline of the glass fibre matt 42 is shown in Figure 1 and lies over the pipes 36 so holding them firmly in position. A mixing valve housing 44 is of plastics material and the interior (not shown) may be of stainless steel to reduce the incidence of deposits which hinder operation. The joint between the mixer valve 26 and the cabinet 2 is covered by a ring 46. The cubicle so produced has its fittings firmly integrated into its structure and has a reduced number of joints through which water may leak. The structure is rigid and resistant to heavy use. The cubicle illustrated would be installed by placing it in position, attaching hot and cold water supplies and fitting a P-trap or similar on the waste fitting. The whole can then be cemented or grouted in right up to the flanges 12. The cubicle may be modified by placing the mixer valve 26 and/or the shower head 24 in a side wall 4. The step 10 may incline downwardly to locate the waste fitting 28 above ground level if required. CLAIMS

5. A shower cubicle according to any of the preceding claims in which exposed sidewall and rearwall edges have a flange for embedding in a surrounding structure.

6. A shower cubicle according to claim 4 and claim 5 in which the hot and cold water supply pipes extend through apertures in the flange.

7. A shower cubicle substantially as described with reference to and as shown in the Figures.