GB2382769A

GB2382769A - Shower tray and integral trap assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2382769A
Application number: GB0128967A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Terence Luther Cundick
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-12-04
Filing date: 2001-12-04
Publication date: 2003-06-11
Anticipated expiration: 2021-12-04
Also published as: GB0128967D0; GB2382769B

Abstract

A shower tray for installation supported in or on a floor (4) comprises a tray base (6) with an upstanding peripheral wall (8), the tray being adapted for installation with the tray base elevated from the floor. The tray base (6) has an integral well (10) formed therein having a bottom wall (12) and having side walls (14) incorporating a region contiguous with the upstanding peripheral wall (8) . A waste water outlet (18) is provided in and extends through the region of the side wall (14) substantially contiguous with the upstanding peripheral wall. The waste water outlet has a lowest region thereof higher than the bottom wall of the well. A cover (26) overlies and is spaced from the waste water outlet, the cover securely engaging the side wall of the well and extending downwardly towards the bottom wall of the well means. The cover (26) is adapted and arranged to form an enclosure for the waste water outlet, waste water access being provided from the well into the enclosure at a level below the lowest region of the waste water outlet.

Description

SHOWER TRAY This invention relates to shower trays.

Shower trays are well known, provided with a waste water outlet in a base thereof. A well-known form of water trap of generally U-shaped construction is connected to the waste water outlet and to a waste pipe. Such a water trap arrangement takes up significant space beneath the shower tray and requires removal of floorboards and/or excavation of floor, at least beneath the tray, in order to accommodate it and its associated pipework. As a consequence, such shower trays are expensive and inconvenient to install.

It is known to provide a shower tray in which an integral well is provided in the base of the tray. A waste pipe is provided extending laterally through the base of the tray into the well and has an elbow portion on its end directed downwardly into the well. As a result, a water trap is formed by waste water remaining in the well and covering the end of the elbow portion. Such an arrangement is difficult to clean and requires pipework to be provided through the tray base when the tray is installed.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or minimise this problem.

According to the present invention there is provided a shower tray for installation supported in or on a floor, the tray comprising: a tray base with an upstanding peripheral wall, the tray being adapted for installation with the tray base elevated from the floor, the tray base having an integral well means formed therein having a bottom wall and having side wall means incorporating a region contiguous with the upstanding peripheral wall; waste water outlet means provided in and extending through the region of the side wall means substantially contiguous with the upstanding peripheral wall, the waste water outlet means having a lowest region thereof higher than the bottom wall of the well means; and cover means overlying and spaced from the waste water outlet means, the cover means securedly engaging the side wall means of the well means and extending downwardly towards the bottom wall of the well means and adapted and arranged to form an enclosure for the waste water outlet means, waste water access means being provided from the well means into the enclosure at a level below the lowest region of the waste water outlet means.

The cover means may sealingly engage the side wall means of the well means. For example, the cover means may be provided with gasket means for engaging with the side wall means of the well means. The gasket may be, for example, a closed-cell foamed plastics material.

The cover means may be detachably arranged in the well means.

The waste water access means provided from the well means into the enclosure is suitably provided at a level below the lowest region of the waste water outlet means such that, during and after drainage of waste water from the shower tray, waste water remains in the well means at a level such that a water trap or seal is formed for the waste water outlet means inside the enclosure formed by the cover means.

The cover means may be arranged to extend downwardly substantially to the bottom wall of the well means and may have a lower edge region profiled or apertured to provide the waste water access means.

The cover means may be of open box shape located over the waste water outlet means and extending downwardly to or towards the bottom wall of the well means, and with edges

engaging that region of the side wall means substantially contiguous with the peripheral wall of the tray base.

The cover means may comprise plastics material or aluminium.

The cover means may be secured, such as by means of corrosion-resistant fastenings, to the region of the side wall means contiguous with the peripheral wall of the tray base.

Alternatively, retaining means, such as upright flange arrangements, may be provided for the cover means on opposed side regions of the side wall means of the well means, the cover means being arranged to slidingly engage the retaining means.

The well means may have the side wall means thereof joining the bottom wall thereof in rectilinear manner, or by way of curved or chamfered portions.

The waste water outlet means may be adapted for direct connection to a waste pipe and may be of a form such as commonly provided for use in a sink or bath.

A covering arrangement may be provided for the well means. Such covering arrangement may be detachable and may comprise an apertured plate or tile, such as a plate or tile with a plurality of perforations.

Alternatively, the well means may be provided underlying a surface of the tray base, the tray base being provided with suitable channelling beneath a perforated surface thereof, leading to the well means.

As a result of the present invention, a shower tray is provided for economic installation on a floor, without requiring excavation or other disturbance of the floor, and providing a simple, effective and easily cleaned integral water trap arrangement for a waste water pipe connected thereto.

For a better understanding of the present invention and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a shower tray according to the present invention, with a cover means for a well means therein removed;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of part of the shower tray of Figure 1, with the cover means for the well means therein in place; and Figure 3 is a section along line A-A of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, a shower tray 2 is arranged for installation on a floor 4 and comprises a tray base 6 with an upstanding peripheral wall 8. The tray 2 is constructed such that, when installed on the floor 4, the tray base 6 is elevated from the floor 4.

The tray base 6 has an integral well 10 formed therein.

The well 10 has a bottom wall 12 and side wall means 14 incorporating a region 14A substantially contiguous with the upstanding peripheral wall 8.

As shown in Figure 3, the well 10 has the side wall means 14 thereof joining the bottom wall 12 by way of chamfered or curved portions 16. Although such an arrangement facilitates plastics moulding of the shower tray 2 with the well 10 integrally provided therein, it is not essential and the side wall means 14 could be arranged to join the bottom wall 12 in simple rectilinear manner, such that sharp right-angled corners are provided.

A waste water outlet means 18 is provided in and extending through the region 14A of the side wall means 14 of the well 10 contiguous with the upstanding peripheral wall 8. The waste water outlet means 18 suitably comprises metal and is suitably of a type commonly provided for use in sinks and baths. It is connected directly to a waste pipe 20 without intervention of a waste water trap. It has previously been common practice to provide a waste water trap of Ubend construction between a waste water outlet arrangement and a waste water pipe.

The waste water outlet means 18 is located such that a level 22 of the lowest region thereof is above a level 24 of the bottom wall 12 of the well 10.

A cover means 26, such as of plastics material, is arranged to overlie, whilst being spaced from, the waste water outlet means 18. The cover means 26 is secured in engagement with, and preferably in substantial sealing engagement with, the region 14A of the side wall means of the well 10 and extends downwardly towards the bottom wall 12 of the well 10. An enclosure 28 is therefore formed for the waste water outlet means 18. An aperture 30 is provided at a lower region of the cover means 26 and provides access for waste water into the enclosure 28

from the shower tray through the well 10. The aperture 30 is arranged to have an upper edge thereof at a level 32 which is below the level 22 of the lowest region of the waste water outlet means 28. The cover 26 is provided with a gasket 27, for example of compressible closed-cell foamed plastics material, which bears against the side 8 of the shower tray in order to provide an odour-proof seal.

In operation of the shower tray 2, waste water drains into the well 10, then through the aperture 30 in the cover means 26, into the enclosure 28 and out through the waste water outlet means 18. After a showering operation, waste water 34 remains in the well 10, including the enclosure 28. As can be seen in Figure 2, the portion 34A of the waste water in the enclosure 28 forms a water trap fulfilling basically the same function as a U-bend type of discrete water trap employed in a waste water outlet arrangement of the prior art. However the water trap of the present invention is provided within confines of the shower tray 2.

The cover means 26 is suitably of open box-shaped construction having a first portion 26A overlying, in spaced relationship with, the waste water outlet means 18 and extending downwardly to or towards the bottom wall 12

of the well 10. The aperture 30, providing waste water access, is located at the lower edge of the portion 26A.

The box-shaped cover means 26 has three side portions 26B extending laterally from an upper end and two sides of the first portion 26A and with free edges engaging the region 14A of the side wall means of the well 10 above and at either side of the waste water outlet means 18.

The cover means 26 can be detachably secured to the region 14A of the side wall means of the well 10, by means of corrosion-resistant fastenings 44. The fastenings 44 are ideally arranged at a level generally above the anticipated level of water in the shower tray in use.

Alternatively, regions 40,42 of the side wall means 14 of the well 10 may be provided as upright flange regions against which are slid edges 36,38 of the cover means 26 in order to retain the cover means 26 in position.

The cover means 26 can be readily removed in order to facilitate cleaning of it and the region of the waste water outlet means 18.

A detachable covering arrangement 46, in the form of an apertured plate or tile, can be provided overlying the well 10.

Alternatively, the surface of the tray base 6 of the shower tray 2, including the well 10, could be covered with perforated tiles 48 arranged such that waste water is able to pass therethrough and be channelled by the underlying tray base 6 into the well 10.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A shower tray for installation supported in or on a floor, the tray comprising: a tray base with an upstanding peripheral wall, the tray being adapted for installation with the tray base elevated from the floor, the tray base having an integral well means formed therein having a bottom wall and having side wall means incorporating a region contiguous with the upstanding peripheral wall; waste water outlet means provided in and extending through the region of the side wall means substantially contiguous with the upstanding peripheral wall, the waste water outlet means having a lowest region thereof higher than the bottom wall of the well means; and cover means overlying and spaced from the waste water outlet means, the cover means securedly engaging the side wall means of the well means and extending downwardly towards the bottom wall of the well means and adapted and arranged to form an enclosure for the waste water outlet means, waste water access means being provided from the well means into the enclosure at a level below the lowest region of the waste water outlet means.
2. A shower tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover means sealingly engage the side wall means of the well means.

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3. A shower tray as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cover means is provided with gasket means for engaging with the side wall means of the well means.
4. A shower tray as claimed in claim 3, wherein the gasket is a closed-cell foamed plastics material.
5. A shower tray as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the cover means is detachably arranged in the well means.
6. A shower tray as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the waste water access means provided from the well means into the enclosure is provided at a level below the lowest region of the waste water outlet means such that, during and after drainage of waste water from the shower tray, waste water remains in the well means at a level such that a water trap or seal is formed for the waste water outlet means inside the enclosure formed by the cover means.
7. A shower tray as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the cover means is arranged to extend downwardly substantially to the bottom wall of the well means.

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8. A shower tray as claimed in claim 7, wherein the cover means has a lower edge region profiled or apertured to provide the waste water access means.
9. A shower tray as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the cover means is of open box shape located over the waste water outlet means and extending downwardly to or towards the bottom wall of the well means, and with edges engaging that region of the side wall means substantially contiguous with the peripheral wall of the tray base.
10. A shower tray as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the cover means comprises plastics material or aluminium.
11. A shower tray as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the cover means is secured to the region of the side wall means contiguous with the peripheral wall of the tray base.
12. A shower tray as claimed in claim 11, wherein the cover means is secured by means of corrosion-resistant fastenings.

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13. A shower tray as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein retaining means is provided for the cover means on opposed side regions of the side wall means of the well means, the cover means being arranged to slidingly engage the retaining means.
14. A shower tray as claimed in claim 13, wherein the retaining means comprises upright flange arrangements.
15. A shower tray as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the well means has the side wall means thereof joining the bottom wall thereof in rectilinear manner, or by way of curved or chamfered portions.
16. A shower tray as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the waste water outlet means is adapted for direct connection to a waste pipe.
17. A shower tray as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a covering arrangement is provided for the well means.
18. A shower tray as claimed in claim 17, wherein the covering arrangement is detachable.

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19. A shower tray as claimed in claim 17 or 18, wherein the covering arrangement comprises an apertured plate or tile.
20. A shower tray as claimed in claim 19, wherein the covering arrangement comprises a plate or tile with a plurality of perforations.
21. A shower tray as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the well means is provided underlying a surface of the tray base, the tray base being provided with suitable channelling beneath a perforated surface thereof, leading to the well means.
22. A shower tray substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.