GB2406302A - Former for a shower tray - Google Patents
Former for a shower tray Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2406302A GB2406302A GB0322548A GB0322548A GB2406302A GB 2406302 A GB2406302 A GB 2406302A GB 0322548 A GB0322548 A GB 0322548A GB 0322548 A GB0322548 A GB 0322548A GB 2406302 A GB2406302 A GB 2406302A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- former
- waste
- resin
- floor
- floor covering
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 18
- 239000011347 resin Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 15
- 229920005989 resin Polymers 0.000 claims abstract description 15
- 238000009434 installation Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 8
- 238000001746 injection moulding Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 5
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 5
- 238000009745 resin transfer moulding Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 5
- 238000004064 recycling Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 3
- 239000002351 wastewater Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 3
- 239000002699 waste material Substances 0.000 claims description 13
- 238000009408 flooring Methods 0.000 description 5
- 239000003365 glass fiber Substances 0.000 description 5
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 5
- 239000011120 plywood Substances 0.000 description 3
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 3
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000004744 fabric Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000000945 filler Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000002787 reinforcement Effects 0.000 description 2
- 229920002430 Fibre-reinforced plastic Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 238000003287 bathing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000011248 coating agent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000000576 coating method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000013065 commercial product Substances 0.000 description 1
- 150000001875 compounds Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 238000005520 cutting process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000011161 development Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000018109 developmental process Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000009826 distribution Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000006260 foam Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000010348 incorporation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000011900 installation process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000011159 matrix material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000012528 membrane Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000004033 plastic Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920003023 plastic Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 238000002360 preparation method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000047 product Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000003014 reinforcing effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000007787 solid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920001187 thermosetting polymer Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000002023 wood Substances 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C70/00—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts
- B29C70/04—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts comprising reinforcements only, e.g. self-reinforcing plastics
- B29C70/28—Shaping operations therefor
- B29C70/40—Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied
- B29C70/42—Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied for producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
- B29C70/46—Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied for producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles using matched moulds, e.g. for deforming sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or prepregs
- B29C70/48—Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied for producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles using matched moulds, e.g. for deforming sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or prepregs and impregnating the reinforcements in the closed mould, e.g. resin transfer moulding [RTM], e.g. by vacuum
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C45/00—Injection moulding, i.e. forcing the required volume of moulding material through a nozzle into a closed mould; Apparatus therefor
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C33/00—Moulds or cores; Details thereof or accessories therefor
- B29C33/42—Moulds or cores; Details thereof or accessories therefor characterised by the shape of the moulding surface, e.g. ribs or grooves
- B29C33/424—Moulding surfaces provided with means for marking or patterning
- B29C33/428—For altering indicia, e.g. data, numbers
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29L—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
- B29L2031/00—Other particular articles
- B29L2031/769—Sanitary equipment
- B29L2031/7696—Showers
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Composite Materials (AREA)
- Floor Finish (AREA)
Abstract
A former 1 for creating a sloping profile for waste-water run off below a waterproof floor covering of a shower area, wherein the former has been made using a closed mould liquid resin process, such as a resin transfer moulding method or a resin injection moulding method. The former may have a plurality of pre-formed fixing guide locators 5 around the periphery 2 of the former to provide an installer with guidance as to where to drill the fixing holes in the former, thus allowing the former to be fastened down to the underlying floor. The former may have one or more surfaces engraved or embossed with textual and or symbolic instructions 6 conveying installation and or recycling (10 figure 3) and or batch and or manufactures information (11 figure 3).
Description
SHOWER FLOOR FORMER
This invention relates to improvements in the construction of shaped floor farmers placed below waterproof flooring materials to form a sloping surface within showering rooms often for the use by the disabled, the profile of which permits the s collection of water from the floor of the shower into a waste collection trap or gully device for the shower area.
When providing shower access for disabled users in wheelchairs, the state of the art, established over many years, is to provide a sloping floor structure which is rigidly located below a waterproof membrane or surface coating which is often glued lo or bonded to the underlying structure surface. Commercial products such as AltroiM have lead the UK market for such applications for many years, and commercial product literature has shown the application of such materials to a wide variety of flooring structures. The ideal shower for the disabled wheelchair-bound user is thus located within a room which provides a waterproof floor which slopes towards the is waste drain, and presents no obstacles to hinder the wheelchair user from accessing the facility.
In the past, the slope of floors has been created by sections of plywood (see, for example, US5140789) jointed and laid onto a supporting wooden structure of timber joists. Past state of the art has also included woven glass fabric reinforced sheets (GB 236163713) - where the strength of the structure has been obtained by using relatively expensive woven glass fibre fabric of two or more horizontal layers linked by an interwoven cross-layer within a resin matrix. Further examples of prior state of the art also include the flooring structure employed in modular or pod' showering and bathing modules used within the hotel, hostel and marine/offshore construction industries, where the purpose of the floor slope is water containment rather than disabled person accessibility.
To clarify the benefits of the present invention, it is appropriate here to briefly lo describe the current installation process for such floor forrners. Typically, a shower installation may be required for a person who was previously able-bodied, so the previously installed bath and or step-in shower cubicle will be removed and the floor- boards cut out to reveal the wooden floor joists. Noggins are then fitted to all exposed and unsupported board ends and around the area of the waste location for the former to provide additional support. The floor joists may then be cut and the upper surface profiled to create a fall towards the drain or waste location. Onto this timber surface is then laid generally triangular shaped plywood panels with their truncated apexes located at the waste opening. The panels are then glued and/or screwed into position and any gaps or openings filled with a proprietary gap filling compound. After this to has fully dried, a waterproof covering is then laid over the existing floor and the former up to the waste area. During the installation of the waste connection a waterproof seal between floor covering and waste outlet is created.
Current art employed by the applicant comprises a glass fibre reinforced plastics (referred to hereinafter as GRP) structure comprising gel coat backed by random chopped strand mat glass fibre reinforcement with plywood timber sections bonded into the lower surface with additional random chopped strand mat, the entire material combination being moulded with a thermosetting resin to create a rigid load carrying and water proof shower floor former structure.
According to the present invention, there is provided a former for creating a sloping profile for waste-water run off below a waterproof floor covering of a shower lo area, wherein the former has been made using a closed mould liquid resin process, such as the Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM) method or the Resin Injection Moulding (RIM) method.
The term 'closed mould liquid resin process', used throughout, is intended to encompass the Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM) method, the Resin Injection Moulding (RIM) method, other methods similar to these methods, and/or derivatives or developments thereof.
Preferred and/or optional features of the invention are set out in claims 2 to 4, mclusve.
The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the Hi accompanying drawings in which: Figure I is an isometric view from above of one embodiment of the present invention of a former which is square when viewed in a plan view; Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view of the lower left corner of the embodiment shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is an isometric view from below of the embodiment shown also in Figure 1; Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view of the lower left corner or the emooamen ll"ll in Figure 3.
lo Referring to the drawings, the former 1 shown therein comprises a formed square or rectangular solid body having a level outer border edge 2 surrounding a plurality of sloping, curvedly truncated generally triangular facets 3 which meet at a common circular recess 4 so shaped as to accept a waste trap or gully (not shown).
The former I has been made using a closed mould liquid resin process, such as the Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM) method or the Resin injection Moulding (RIM) method. These methods create the former by forcing resin such as a Crystic resin manufactured by Scott Bader Company Limited (type U904LVK is a typical example of such a resin) into closed moulds using vacuum, positive pressure or a combination of both. The closed moulds are in the shape of the finished former and may be pre o filled with chopped strand glass fibre mat alone or chopped strand glass fibre mat with wood or plastics foam or other fillers to achieve structural strength and required physical characteristics. s
A plurality of pre-formed fixing guide locators 5 are provided around the border edge 2 of the former I which provide an installer with guidance as to where to drill fixing holes in the former and which thus allows the former to be fastened down to the underlying floor structure with no additional modifications to the former. The fixing guide locators 5 are shown in the preferred embodiment as frusto-conical recesses suitable for the head of a countersunk head wood-screw, but may also be of another shape to accept another fastener or alternative fixing method. The guide locators 5 may additionally be shaped to accept covers or plugs which may be added to the upper surface as an alternative to the preferred embodiment which is to apply a lo flexible, curable filler material to the installed fixing upper surface.
Engraved or embossed textual and/or symbolic instructions 6 may be formed into the upper surfaces of the former component 1, which can be easily seen by the installer. This permits rapid? safe and correct installation of the former with minimal reference to the installation instructions.
Also engraved or embossed textual and/or symbolic instructions may be formed into the lower surfaces 7 of the former component, which can also be easily seen by the installer prior to installation. This permits the application, by way of example in the preferred embodiment, of company logos 8, safety 9 and/or material to recycling symbols 10, batch and/or date of manufacturing information 11, to be added to the surfaces of the former. Contact telephone numbers and internet addresses 12 can be added in a similar manner.
Some or any of the aforesaid textual or symbolic information may be added to the component as indented recessed or superficial embossed on the component surface, or any combination thereof.
An improved load distribution from the shower floor former onto the underlying floor structure may be provided by creating a multiplicity of individual or crossed reinforcing ribs 13 on the flat lower locating surface 14 which transmit the loading of user and wheelchair through the shaped former structure 1 and into the underlying floor structure (not shown). The manufacturing process allows the incorporation of reinforcement to be located within the mould within the ribs, such lo that the width of these ribs will exceed or equal the depth.
The body 1 presents two parallel surfaces - the upper border 2 and the lower locating surface 14, the distance between which is preferably the same thickness as the surrounding floor boards (not shown) which may have been removed by the installer during the preparations for installation.
By providing a single flat lower locating surface 14, where only the waste locating surface 18 may extend beyond it, the preferred embodiment allows the installer to avoid cutting into the upper surfaces of any structural flooring joists which may be present.
The preferred embodiment also provides a waste locating surface 18 with cropped quadrants 19 which permit the locating surface 18 to remain large whilst making provision for joists and other structural flooring members to be located closer to the waste than would otherwise be possible if the quadrants 19 were absent.
The embodiment described above is given by way of example only, and modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Claims (5)
1. A former for creating a sloping profile for waste-water run off below a waterproof floor covering of a shower area, wherein the former has been made using a closed mould liquid resin process, such as the Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM) method or the Resin Injection Moulding (RIM) method.
2. A former as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of shaped recesses to guide the location of holes to accept fixings to hold the former in the required location are distributed around the periphery of said former.
lo
3. A former as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein one or more surfaces of the said former are provided with engraved or embossed textual and/or symbolic instructions conveying installation and/or recycling and/or batch and/or manufacturers information.
Is
4. A former as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sloping surfaces of the former converge on a hole shaped to accept a waste connection and connection for a waterproof floor covering.
5. A former substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB0322548A GB2406302B (en) | 2003-09-26 | 2003-09-26 | Shower floor former |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB0322548A GB2406302B (en) | 2003-09-26 | 2003-09-26 | Shower floor former |
Publications (3)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB0322548D0 GB0322548D0 (en) | 2003-10-29 |
| GB2406302A true GB2406302A (en) | 2005-03-30 |
| GB2406302B GB2406302B (en) | 2008-05-28 |
Family
ID=29286877
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB0322548A Expired - Lifetime GB2406302B (en) | 2003-09-26 | 2003-09-26 | Shower floor former |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2406302B (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP1462239A2 (en) * | 2003-03-24 | 2004-09-29 | Hüppe GmbH & Co. | Method for manufacturing bath and shower tubs |
Families Citing this family (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2579087B (en) | 2018-11-20 | 2022-10-19 | Dlp Ltd | Shower floor former assembly |
Citations (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5140789A (en) * | 1989-10-10 | 1992-08-25 | Gooyer Lonnie C De | Underlay for tile floor of shower |
| US5380799A (en) * | 1991-12-31 | 1995-01-10 | Reichhold Chemicals, Inc. | Moldable resin composition |
| GB2361637A (en) * | 2000-04-12 | 2001-10-31 | Creative Healthcare Ltd | Non-slip flooring for shower installation |
| US20020124306A1 (en) * | 2001-03-09 | 2002-09-12 | Smale Gregory J. | Drainage surface construction |
Family Cites Families (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AU6633198A (en) * | 1997-02-28 | 1998-09-29 | Gerard Francis Robinson | Receptacle seal |
-
2003
- 2003-09-26 GB GB0322548A patent/GB2406302B/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Patent Citations (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5140789A (en) * | 1989-10-10 | 1992-08-25 | Gooyer Lonnie C De | Underlay for tile floor of shower |
| US5380799A (en) * | 1991-12-31 | 1995-01-10 | Reichhold Chemicals, Inc. | Moldable resin composition |
| GB2361637A (en) * | 2000-04-12 | 2001-10-31 | Creative Healthcare Ltd | Non-slip flooring for shower installation |
| US20020124306A1 (en) * | 2001-03-09 | 2002-09-12 | Smale Gregory J. | Drainage surface construction |
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP1462239A2 (en) * | 2003-03-24 | 2004-09-29 | Hüppe GmbH & Co. | Method for manufacturing bath and shower tubs |
| EP1462239A3 (en) * | 2003-03-24 | 2006-04-12 | Hüppe GmbH & Co. | Method for manufacturing bath and shower tubs |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB2406302B (en) | 2008-05-28 |
| GB0322548D0 (en) | 2003-10-29 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| PE20 | Patent expired after termination of 20 years |
Expiry date: 20230925 |