GB2224202A - Bath mounting arrangement - Google Patents

Description

Methods of Reinforcinq and Mounting Plastics Vessels This invention relates to methods of reinforcing and mounting plastics vessels such as baths and the like.

In bathroom suites the use of cast iron, particularly in the manufacture of baths, has been largely superceded by the use of modern plastics materials. However, plastics materials are not as rigid as cast iron and some persons find it disconcerting to have a plastic bath which flexes under their weight and to many people the movement of the bath suggests, mistakenly in most circumstances, that the bath is of flimsy construction and of poor quality.

Also, movement of a person in a plastics bath often produces noise which is transmitted to the floor beneath the bath through the bath supports. As well as being irritating to persons in the room, for example, below the bath, the noise may be an embarrassment to the person using the bath.

At present, the basic shell of a bath is reinforced and thickened by applying a coating of chopped glass fibre rovings mixed with a polyester resin and a hardening catalyst. As the coating hardens an exothermic reaction takes place. To prevent the heat from this reaction distorting the bath the coating must be applied as a number of thin layers. To provide a bath with a substantial thickness of coating, therefore, requires several separate layers to be applied which take a considerable time and adds to the manufacturing cost of the bath.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate this disadvantage.

According to the present invention there is provided a method of reinforcing a plastics vessel comprising coating a plastics shell of a vessel with a layer comprising rovings of glass fibre, polyester resin and a hardening catalyst, the resin and the catalyst being selected such that the hardening reaction releases a minimal amount of heat so that a relatively thick layer may be applied to the shell without the shell distorting due to heat released during the hardening of the layer.

The catalyst may be an organic. peroxide.

Preferably, a substance may be added to the layer to provide additional weight and rigidity. The substance may be calcium carbonate or a substance having similar properties.

Preferably also, a substance may be added to the layer to improve the fire resistant properties of the layer. The substance may be aluminium trihydrate or a substance having similar fire retardant properties.

The vessel may be in the form of a bath.

Further according to the present invention there is provided a reinforced vessel made by the method of coating a plastics shell of a vessel with a layer comprising rovings of glass fibre, polyester resin and a hardening catalyst, the resin and the catalyst being selected such that the hardening reaction releases a minimal amount of heat so that a relatively thick layer may be applied to the shell without the shell distorting due to heat released during the hardening of the layer.

Still further according to the present invention there is provided a method of mounting plastics vessels comprising mounting a vessel on a support cradle provided with ground engaging foot means, the foot means being provided with an insulating portion such that the transmission of sound from the bath to the ground is minimised.

Preferably, two cradles are provided. Each cradle may engage the base of the vessel and the upper edge of the vessel.

Preferably also, a baseboard is fixed to the base of the vessel, between the vessel and the cradle.

The vessel may be in the form of a bath.

Yet still further according to the present invention there is provided a vessel on a support cradle made by the method of mounting a vessel on a support cradle provided with ground engaging foot means, the foot means being provided with an insulating portion such that transmission of sound from the-vessel to ground is minimised.

And yet further according to the present invention there is provided a reinforced vessel on a support cradle made by the hereinbefore described methods.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a sectional end view of a bath which has been reinforced and mounted in accordance with two aspects of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a side view of a portion of a support cradle leg of the bath of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view from below of the frame and baseboard of the bath of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a sectional end view of a wall bracket of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, a bath 1 comprises a plastics inner shell, reinforced with two thickening layers. The layers comprise a mixture of polyester resin, chopped glass fibre, aluminium trihydrate to act as a fire retardant, calcium carbonate, a hardening catalyst of organic peroxide and a coloured compound. The layers are sprayed onto the bath in two phases to provide a coating of between one half centimetre and one and a half centimetres thick.

The constituents of the layers are chosen such that the exothermic reaction that occurs as each layer hardens does not produce sufficient heat to distort the inner shell.

In order to provide further strength and rigidity a wooden baseboard 2 is fixed to the base of the bath 1 and a wooden frame 3, which defines a rectangle, is fixed to the edge of the bath 1.

The bath 1 is supported by two support cradles 4 which are fixed to the baseboard 2 and the frame 3. Each support cradle 4 comprises a strap 5, which is screwed to the baseboard 2, two cradle legs 6, which extend from the ends of the strap 5 to the frame 3, and two foot bolt assemblies 7 which engage the ground and secure the cradle legs 6 to the strap 5.

The upper ends of the cradle legs 6 are received by toggle sockets 8 which are screwed to the underside of the frame 3.

A self-tapping screw 9 is passed through each socket 8 into the end of the cradle leg 6.

The foot bolt assemblies 7 each comprise a screw rod 10 having a polyethylene foot portion 11 which engages the floor. The foot portions 11 are cylindrical and minimise the transmission of sound from the bath 1 to the supporting floor.

The ground engaging end of each foot portion 11 is provided with a through bore 15 to permit the portion 11 to be secured to the floor by means of a wood screw.

Wall brackets 12 are secured to the frame 3 and an adjacent wall 13, by means of screws 14, along one side of the bath to prevent movement of the bath 1 relative to the wall 13.

A bath reinforced and mounted in this way is substantially rigid and does not flex or resonate in a similar manner to a conventional plastics bath and thus combines the desirable qualities of a traditional cast iron bath with the advantage of modern plastics materials.

Modifications and improvements may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (8)

1 A method of mounting plastics vessels comprising mounting a vessel on a support cradle provided with ground engaging foot means, the foot means being provided with an insulating portion such that the transmission of sound from the vessel to the ground is minimised.

2 A method according to Claim 1, wherein two cradles are provided.

3 A method according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the cradle engages the base of the vessel and the upper edge of the vessel.

4 A method according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein a baseboard is fixed to the base of the vessel, between the vessel and the cradle.

5 A method according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the vessel is in the form of a bath.

6 A vessel on a support cradle made by the method of any one of the preceding Claims.

7 A method for a mounting plastics vessel on a support cradle as substantially hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

8 A reinforced plastics vessel on a support cradle as substantially hereindescribed and with reference to the accompanying drawings.