GB2440719A

GB2440719A - Shower tray

Info

Publication number: GB2440719A
Application number: GB0615744A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Patrick Riley
Original assignee: AQESS CO Ltd
Current assignee: AQESS CO Ltd
Priority date: 2006-08-08
Filing date: 2006-08-08
Publication date: 2008-02-13
Also published as: GB0615744D0; WO2008017687A1

Abstract

A shower tray comprises a plurality of layers: an outer acrylic shell 2, a high density polyurethane foam layer 3, a wooden support base 4 and a stone resin layer 5. A stainless steel reinforcing element 8 is disposed within the polyurethane layer. The shower tray is manufactured by first vacuum forming the acrylic shell, then attaching the reinforcing element and locating the base, then injecting the void with the polyurethane foam and lastly pouring stone resin onto the cured foam.

Description

Shower Tray

Description

The present invention relates to a shower tray and to a method of manufacturing a shower tray.

Conventional shower trays are commonly made from resin-bonded stone which may be provided with an acrylic layer upper surface. A problem with shower trays made from stone is that they are more expensive than other types and can be very heavy, especially when the tray is relatively large.

Acrylic shower trays have also been popular because they are light and cheap.

However, it is important to ensure that they are supported or reinforced properly otherwise they crack or deflect or warp after a relatively short period of time or when pressure is applied to the tray when it is stood on during use. It is also difficult to ensure that the acrylic layer is level over its entire surface, especially with larger shower trays of over 1 metre in width. Acrylic shower trays can also feel flimsy and are generally perceived to be of lower quality than shower trays made from stone resin.

It is also possible to make shower trays from enamelled steel or from ceramic (fire clay). However, trays made from these materials are not very common and are expensive by comparison to acrylic or stone resin trays.

The present invention seeks to provide a shower tray that overcomes or substantially alleviates the problems with conventional shower trays, such as those described in more detail above.

According to the present invention, there is provided a shower tray comprising a shell having an outer supporting surface, a base, and a reinforcing element disposed within the shell.

The reinforcing element is preferably attached to the base.

In a preferred embodiment, the base and the reinforcing element are spaced from the supporting surface by a layer of high-density polyurethane foam.

The supporting surface conveniently has a peripheral section and a recessed central section.

Preferably, the reinforcing element extends about the peripheral section of the supporting surface within the shell, adjacent to the recessed section.

The reinforcing element is advantageously a tube. Most preferably, the reinforcing element is a steel tube.

The shower tray ideally has a stone resin layer on the side of the base remote from the high density polyurethane layer.

Preferably, the base has grooves or recesses therein to receive the stone resin layer.

According to the present invention, there is also provided a method of manufacturing a shower tray comprising the steps of: (a) heating and molding an acrylic sheet to form an outer shell; (b) attaching a reinforcing element to a base and inserting the base together with the reinforcing element into the shell; (c) injecting high density polyurethane between the outer shell and the base so that it flows around the reinforcing element, and (d) applying stone resin material to the side of the base remote from the high density polyurethane.

In a preferred embodiment, step (b) includes the step of inserting the base together with the reinforcing element into the shell from above so that legs extending from the reinforcing element rest on the shell and space the reinforcing element and the base from the shell prior to the injection of high density polyurethane between the shell and the base.

An embodiment of the invention viIl now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: FIGURE 1 is a partial perspective cross-sectional view through a portion of a shower tray according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring now to Figure 1, there is shown a partial perspective view of a shower tray 1 being formed from a number of layers comprising an outer acrylic shell layer 2 formed from a 3mm thick sheet, a high density polyurethane foam layer 3, a 9mm thick wooden support base 4 and a 6mm thick stone resin layer 5. The shower tray I has an upper peripheral Section 6 and a central dished or recessed Section 7, as is conventional. The upper peripheral and central sections 6, 7 together form a supporting surface to receive a person standing on the shower tray I when in use.

The polyurethane foam layer 3 is thicker in the peripheral section 6 than in the dished section 7 and the tray 1 is reinforced by a steel tube 8 which is disposed within the polyurethane foam layer 3 in the peripheral section 6 of the tray 1. The tube 8 preferably extends around the whole peripheral section 6 of the tray 1.

However, it will be appreciated that it could also extend only partially around it. The tube 8 is preferably attached in a fixed location on the wooden support base 4 using conventional fastening means, such as screws (not shown). Although it is envisaged that a solid reinforcing tube 8 could be used, it is considered to be more desirable to use a hollow tube 8, which provides sufficient reinforcement without a marked increase in weight.

The support base 4 may be provided with recesses or grooves 9 into which the material making up the stone resin layer 3 may flow, to provide additional surface area between the support base 4 and stone resin layer S to enhance the binding between these two components.

It will be appreciated that, because a large proportion of the tray I is formed from the polyurethane foam layer 3, the weight of the tray I is greatly reduced. However, the tray 1 still exhibits the desired rigidity and strength not normally associated with conventional acrylic trays due to the support base 4, the stone resin layer 5 and the reinforcing tube 8.

The process by which a shower tray 1 of the invention is manufactured vill now be described.

To form the outer acrylic layer 2, a heated sheet of acrylic is placed on a mold and then vacuum formed to reach the desired tray shape. The resulting shell is then placed upside down on a pattern mold and the support base 4, together with the reinforcing tube 8 pre-attached thereto, is inserted into the shell from above and held at a predetermined level. The positioning of the support base 4 and the reinforcing tube 8 may be achieved by providing the reinforcing tube 8 with a number of legs 10 which ups tand from the tube 8 toward the acrylic layer 2 so that, when the support base 4 and tube 6 ate inserted into the acrylic shell 2, the legs 9 rest on the underside surface of the peripheral section of the shell 2 and support the reinforcing tube 8 and the base 4.

Once the support base 4 and reinforcing tube 6 have been located in position, high density polyurethane foam is then injected into the space between the base board 4 and the acrylic shell 2 and around the reinforcing tube 8. The polyurethane is then allowed to cure before stone resin material layer 5 is poured onto the support base 4 making sure that the stone resin material runs into the recesses or grooves 9 in the support base 4 to provide additional bonding strength and rigidity.

Once the stone resin material layer 5 has been applied, the tray I is placed in a curing oven before being trimmed using a CNC machine and the drain hole is cut. It will be appreciated that the present invention provides a shower tray 1 having reduced weight relative to trays made entirely from stone resin but which still achieves the desired rigidity and strength, especially for oversize shower trays.

It will be appreciated that the foregoing description is given by way of example only and that modifications may be macic to the shower tray of the invention without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

Claims 1. A shower tray comprising a shell having an outer supporting

surface, a base, and a rein forcing clement disposed within the shell.

2. A shower tray according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing element is attached to the base.

3. A shower tray according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the base and the reinforcing element are spaced from the supporting surface by a layer of high density polyurethane foam.

4. A shower tray according to any preceding claim, wherein the supporting surface has a peripheral section and a recessed central section.

5. A shower tray according to claim 4, wherein the reinforcing element extends about the peripheral section of the supporting surface within the shell, adjacent to the recessed section.

6. A shower tray according to any preceding claim, wherein the reinforcing element is a tube.

7. A shower tray according to claim 6, wherein the reinforcing element is a steel tube.

8. A shower tray according to any preceding claim, comprising a stone resin layer on the side of the base remote from the high density polyurethane layer.

9. A shower tray according to claim 8, wherein the base has grooves or recesses therein to receive the stone resin layer.

10. A shower tray substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawing.

1 1. A method of manufacturing a shower tray comprising the steps of: (a) heatmg and molding an acrylic sheet to form an outer shell; (b) attaching a reinforcing element to a base and inserting the base together with the reinforcing element into the shell; (c) injecting high density polyurethane between the outer shell and the base so that it flows around the reinforcing element, and (d) applying stone resin material to the side of the base remote from the high density polyurethane.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein step (b) includes the step of inserting the base together with the reinforcing element into the shell from above so that legs extending from the reinforcing element rest on the shell and space the reinforcing element and the base from the shell prior to the injection of high density polyurethane between the shell and the base.