GB2472137A

GB2472137A - Shower apparatus and method of assembly thereof

Info

Publication number: GB2472137A
Application number: GB1012085A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Paul Bolton
Original assignee: BRONTE WHIRLPOOLS Ltd
Current assignee: BRONTE WHIRLPOOLS Ltd
Priority date: 2009-07-22
Filing date: 2010-07-19
Publication date: 2011-01-26
Anticipated expiration: 2030-07-19
Also published as: GB2472137B; GB201012085D0; GB0912694D0

Abstract

There is provided shower apparatus 2 including a shower tray 4 or shower floor surface. At least part of a furniture unit 30 is located on, attached to or integrally formed with said shower tray or shower floor surface. The shower apparatus may be part of a wet room or steam enclosure 74 as shown in Fig 3. The shower apparatus may include an enclosure 10 including one or more panels members 12, 14 for at least partially enclosing said shower tray or shower floor surface. A method for assembling a shower apparatus is also included, and comprises the steps of locating or attaching at least part of a furtniture unit on a shower tray or shower floor surface.

Description

Shower Apparatus and Method of Assembly Thereof This invention relates to shower apparatus and a method of assembly thereof.

Although the following description refers almost exclusively to shower apparatus including a shower tray with at east part of a shower enclosure provided on or around the shower tray, it will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention also covers a steam enclosure or a shower, steam and/or wet room assembly wherein the floor of the room acts as the shower tray.

Conventional shower apparatus comprises a shower tray with drainage means defined therein to allow water to drain from said tray. The shower tray is typically located in a room in such a position so as to abut with one or more walls of the room and a shower enclosure is located on top of the shower enclsoure to provide one or more further walls of the shower tray to limit the spread of shower water in the room in use. The shower enclosure typically comprises one or more panels of plastic or glass and these panels are typically considered to be "full height" panels in that they extend the full distance from the top of the shower tray to a pre-determined height above the shower head. The panels can be arranged so that the panels and room walls provide complete enclosure of the shower tray, with one or more of the panels hinged and/or slidably mounted to allow a user to gain access and/or exit the shower tray in use.

Alternatively, the panels can be arranged so that one or more sides of the enclosure are open to allow a user to enter and/or exit the shower tray. A shower head and/or shower controls are normally positioned on a room wall within the confines of the shower enclosure.

Some shower assemblies also include a seat provided within the shower enclosure for a user, such as a disabled or elderly person, thereby allowing the user to sit during showering. These seats are normally attached to a wall of the room within the shower enclosure.

It is often the case that bathroom space is limited, particularly in newer, more modern houses, apartments, hotels and/or the like where room siaes are often smaller than older properties. As such, there is a demand in the marketplace to fit bathroom items into a smaller space.

It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide shower apparatus which provides a greater utilisation of space.

It is a further aim of the present invention to provide shower apparatus which allows a wider application of use.

It is a yet further aim of the present invention to provide a method of assembling shower apparatus.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided shower apparatus, said shower apparatus including a shower tray or shower floor surface and wherein at least part of a furniture unit is located on, attached to or integrally formed with said shower tray or shower floor surface.

An advantage of the present invention is that the furniture unit can provide storage space or utilise redundant space within the shower apparatus. By placing the furniture unit in contact with and supported by the shower tray or shower floor surface rather than a wall of the room in which the shower tray is placed or a wall of a shower enclosure, the furniture unit acts as a structural member which allows the weight of objects or a person located on the furniture unit to be transferred to the shower tray or shower floor rather than through an attachment member associated with a wall. A yet further advantage of the present invention is that waste pipes, pipework, steam generating means, shower pumps, isolation valves and/or the like can be located in the furniture unit to allow easy installation and to hide the same from view whilst allowing easy access for cleaning, replacement and/or repair. This is particularly advantageous since it removes the requirement for floor surfaces and/or wall surfaces of the room to be damaged to remove to allow for the location of pipework as is the case with conventional shower apparatus installation. The provision of the furniture unit of the present invention also allows for the attachment of accessories thereto.

Preferably the shower apparatus includes a shower enclosure including one or more panel members for at least partially enclosing said shower tray or shower floor surface.

Preferably at least part of the furniture unit forms at least part of a wall or surface of the shower enclosure in combination with the one or more panel members.

It is to be noted that the one or more panel members of the shower enclosure are distinct from one or more walls of a room in which the shower apparatus is located in use.

Thus, in one embodiment, the present invention provides a furniture unit which forms part of the shower tray surround, thereby reducing the size and/or number of the panel members required to form the shower enclosure, whilst utilising as much of the available space in and/or around the shower enclosure as possible. For example, rather than requiring full height shower panel members, only partial height panel members are required due to a part or whole of a wall of the furniture unit forming the remaining part of what would conventionally be a full height shower enclosure panel.

The furniture unit is preferably provided within the shower enclosure (i.e. the majority or a significant part of the furniture unit protrudes inwardly or is provided within the interior of the shower enclosure).

Preferably a base of the furniture unit is located on, attached to or is integral with an upper surface of the shower tray or shower floor surface. Alternatively, at least part of the upper surface of the shower tray or shower floor surfaces forms at least part of the base of the furniture unit. Alternatively still, the base of the furniture unit is adjacent to and/or abutting with the base of the shower tray and one or more side walls of the furniture unit to form one or more sides walls of the shower tray and/or enclo sure.

Preferably at least part of the furniture unit forms at least part of an exterior wall or surface of the shower enclosure.

Preferably at least part of the furniture unit forms at least part of an interior wall or surface of the shower enclosure.

In one embodiment at least part of the one or more panel members of the shower enclosure are located on top of or on an upper surface of the furniture unit. Thus, the combination of at least part of a wall of the furniture unit and a panel member forms a complete wall or full height wall of the shower enclo sure.

In an alternative embodiment at least one entire wall of a shower enclosure enclosing or located around the shower tray or shower floor surface is formed from a wall of the furniture unit.

Although at least part of a wall of the furniture unit forms at least part of a wall of the shower enclosure, the furniture unit in one embodiment could be joined to or abut against a room wall which also forms part of the shower assembly.

The shower tray surround can comprise any or any combination one or more room walls, one or more panel members and/or one or more walls of a furniture unit.

Preferably the one or more panel members of the shower enclosure are formed from any or any combination of plastic, glass, reinforced polymer and/or any other similar suitable material.

The furniture unit typically includes a plurality of wall members to form the unit and said wall members can be formed from any suitable material. Preferably one or more of the wall members are formed from a waterproof material or are arranged such that tiles or other suitable waterproof material can be attached to an external surface of one or more of the unit wall members to waterproof the same. The waterproof material can formed from the same material of the shower tray or shower floor surface or can be formed from a different material.

The furniture unit can take any suitable form and can include any or any combination of or can be in the form of one or more cupboards, drawers, shelves, towel rails, wash basin, a seat and/or the like.

In one embodiment the furniture unit is in the form of a seat and at least part of the seat can be arranged to be movable relative to the remainder of the furniture unit and/or shower assembly. In one embodiment this allows the seat to be moved from a position substantially within the shower enclosure to a position at least partially outside the shower enclosure to allow a user to sit on and/or get off the seat easily.

Preferably at least part of the seat is pivotably or rotatably mounted to the furniture unit.

In one embodiment the furniture unit houses or includes steam generating or steam release means for releasing steam into the shower area.

In one embodiment the shower apparatus acts as a steam enclo sure.

Sealing means are typically provided to allow sealing of the furniture unit with the one or more enclosure panel members, shower tray and/or room walls. The sealing means can include any suitable sealing material, such as one or more sealing strips, sealant and/or the like.

The shower floor surface could be in the form of a wet room floor surface.

The furniture unit can include shelving or any housing defining an interior space with access means for gaining access to said interior space.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided shower apparatus, said shower apparatus including a shower tray or shower floor surface, a shower enclosure including one or more panel members for at least partially enclosing said shower tray or shower floor surface, and wherein a furniture unit is associated with said shower apparatus and at least part of the furniture unit forms at least a part of a wall or surface of the shower enclosure.

In one embodiment attachment means are provided on the shower tray and/or furniture unit to allow attachment of the shower tray to the unit. The attachment means can include any or any combination of one or more screws, nuts and bolts, clips, VELCRO� (hook and loop fastening), welding, adhesive, inter-engaging members, friction fit means and/or the like.

In one embodiment at least part of the base of the furniture unit is substantially complementary in shape to at least part of an upper surface of the shower tray base or shower floor, thereby allowing the furniture unit to form a snug fit with the shower tray when assembled.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a furniture unit for use in shower apparatus.

Preferably the furniture unit is substantially modular in form.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of assembling shower apparatus, said method including the steps of locating or attaching at least part of a furniture unit on a shower tray or shower floor surface.

Preferably said method includes locating pipework, one or more valves, a trap and/or the like in the furniture unit.

The shower apparatus of the present invention can include any or any combination of components normally associated with a shower or steam assembly, such as a shower or steam dispensing head, water, shower pump, temperature and/or pressure control means and/or the like. In one embodiment any or any combination of said components are provided on, integral with or associated with the furniture unit.

One or more of the shower enclosure panel members can be movably mounted with respect to a room wall and/or other panel member. The panel members can be rotatably, hingedly and/or slidably mounted and/or the like.

The shower apparatus, shower enclosure, shower tray and/or furniture unit can be any suitable, size, shape and/or design and can be formed from any or any combination of suitable materials.

Preferably the furniture unit is located in such a position within the shower enclosure that it utilises normally redundant space when the shower is in normal use.

Use of the term "shower enclosure" herein refers to any form of surround which is typically attached to or located on or with the shower tray but which is not part of a room wall in which the shower is located.

Thus, the present invention provides shower apparatus which includes a furniture unit located therein to use redundant space within said apparatus.

Preferably the furniture unit includes one or more components associated with the drainage of the shower, waste pipes, pipework, trap and/or the like.

In one embodiment the furniture unit includes engagement or location means for the engagement or location of one or more accessories and/or modular items therewith. For example, the accessories and/or modular items could include a baby bath, a body blower or dryer, shower head, hosing or pipework associated with a shower head, mirror, light, washbasin and/or the like.

In one embodiment the furniture unit forms at least part of one substantially vertical wall of the shower or steam enclosure or assembly. For example, a wall of the furniture unit can be provided substantially perpendicular to a base of the shower tray or shower floor on which the furniture unit is attached to, integral with or located on.

Further preferably the furniture unit includes at least one upper substantially horizontal surface to form a shelf or top surface of said furniture unit. Alternatively, the upper surface can be angled and/or curved as required.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein: Figures Ia and lb show perspective views of shower assemblies according to embodiments of the present invention; Figures 2a and 2b show a furniture unit according to a further embodiment of the present invention provided with a shower enclosure of a different shape to that shown in figures Ia and Ib; and a detailed view of the furniture unit respectively; Figure 3 shows a perspective of an embodiment of the present invention in the form of a steam enclosure or steam cabin; Figure 4a shows one example of a method for locating a furniture unit in the form of a seat to a shower tray in one embodiment; Figure 4b shows an alternative example of a method for locating a furniture unit in the form of a seat to a shower tray in one embodiment; Figure 5 shows an example of a furniture unit in the form of a seat in a shower tray arrangement in plan view from above; Figure 6 shows part of a shower assembly including a furniture unit and shower tray with examples of different ways in which the furniture unit could be adapted to meet the requirements of a user; Figures 7a and 7b illustrate further embodiments of the furniture unit according to the present invention; Figures 8a and 8b show an example of the useable and redundant space within a conventional shower enclosure; Figures 9a-9c show a plan view, cross sectional view and detailed partial cross sectional view of the shower waste pipes respectively of a furniture unit and shower tray according to one embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 10 shows a perspective view of a furniture unit and shower tray with accessories attached to the same.

Referring firstly to figures 8a and 8b, the applicants have found that a conventional shower enclosure including a shower tray 3 and surrounding enclosure panel members 5 typically has an area 9 above the tray, as shown by the non-hatched area, which a user 7 uses during washing and use of the shower. This area is typically bulb or bubble shaped, with the largest cross sectional area of the bulb shape being towards an upper part of the shower enclosure. The shower enclosure also typically has an area 11 towards the peripheral edges and/or lower part of the shower enclosure, as shown by hatching, which the user typically does not use during normal use of the shower.

Since space is often a premium in many homes, hotels and the like, the applicants have invented shower apparatus which utilises the normally redundant space within a shower enclosure, as shown in more detail below.

With reference to figure Ia, there is shown shower apparatus 2 including a shower tray 4 located in a corner between two substantially perpendicular room walls 6, 8. The room walls 6, 8 form two sides of the shower apparatus. A shower enclosure 10, which includes two glass panel members 12, 14 form the other two sides of the shower apparatus. More particularly, panel members 12, 14 are arranged substantially perpendicular to each other, with panel member 12 protruding substantially perpendicularly from room wall 6, and panel member 14 protruding substantially perpendicularly from room wall 8. Panel members 12, 14 are both provided substantially perpendicular to the base of the shower tray 4.

At least part of panel member 12 includes a door portion 16 which is hingedly mounted to wall 6 adjacent one edge thereof, or via any other suitable means or panel member, and has a handle 18 adjacent an opposite edge thereof to allow a user to open and close the door portion to allow entry and exit from the shower enclosure/assembly.

The shower tray 4 typically comprises a base 20 which is located on a floor surface 22 of the bathroom and side walls 24 defining a recess 26 therebetween to allow shower water to collect in the same prior to draining through drainage means 28.

In accordance with the present invention a furniture unit 30 is provided within the shower enclosure or assembly 10 to reduce the storage space required externally of the shower enclosure in the bathroom and/or to provide additional storage space. The furniture unit is located in the normally redundant area 11, as shown in figure 8a, of the shower enclosure and can be utilised for additional purposes, thereby providing the shower apparatus with greater functionality, as will be described in more detail below.

A base 32 of the furniture unit 30 is located on an upper surface of shower tray 4. The unit further comprises substantially vertical side walls 34a and 34b and a substantially horizontal top wall 36. The exterior surfaces of side walls 34a and 34b form the outer surface of the lower part of shower enclosure 10.

A base 38 of shower enclosure panel 14 is located on top wall 36 of furniture unit 30. In addition, a base 40 of panel portion 17 (the part of panel 12 which is not the door portion 16) is located on top wall 36 of furniture unit substantially at right angles to panel 14. Suitable sealing means are used between panel 14 and unit 30 to prevent water from leaking out of the shower enclo sure.

Thus, it can be seen in this example that the combination of the external side walls of the furniture unit and the shower panel located on the furniture unit provide the equivalent to the full length of a conventional shower enclosure panel member. For example, door panel portion 16 is of a height h' and the height of the side wall 34a and panel portion 17 in combination is also substantially equal to the height h'. Furthermore, the height of side wall 34b and panel portion 14 in combination is substantially equal to height h'.

The base of the shower enclosure panel can be fixed to top wall 36 or can simply rest thereon and be supported by the furniture unit.

Storage can be defined in furniture unit 30 and can be accessed via a cupboard door 42 provided on side wall 34a and/or can be accessed via a further door provided on a side wall of the unit facing internally of the shower enclosure. The storage can take any suitable form and can include shelving, cupboard space and/or the like.

A bath 44 (shown in dotted lines) or other bathroom item or bathroom furniture can be joined to or integral with at least part of an exterior wall of the furniture unit 30, thereby saving further space in the bathroom.

Referring to figure Ib, a similar shower assembly is shown to that in figure Ia but in this embodiment the cupboard is only accessible from the interior of the shower enclosure. It is noted that although the cupboard unit is shown as being of a substantially rectangular shape, the unit could be any suitable shape, size and/or design.

Referring to figure 2a, there is shown a furniture unit 44 provided within a shower enclosure 46 and shower tray 48 of different shape to that shown in figures ia-lb. In this example, the unit 44 is a substantially triangu'ar prism shape.

Shower tray 48 is located between room walls 6, 8 as previously described but the shower enclosure includes panel members 50, 52 arranged at an acute angle to the shower interior wall and door panel member 54, which is hingedly mounted to panel member 50.

The external side wall 56 of unit 44 forms a lower part of a side of the shower enclosure and panel member 52 sits on top 58 of unit 44 and is supported by the unit. Suitable sealing means are provided between panel member 52 and top 58 to prevent shower water from leaking out of the shower enclosure.

Furniture unit 44 typically comprises a carousel type cupboard which can be opened from the interior of the shower enclosure, as shown by arrow 62. The furniture unit 44 is located on an upper surface of shower tray 48.

Referring to figure 3, there is illustrated a further embodiment of the present invention in the form of a steam enclosure or steam cabin 70. In this embodiment, furniture unit 72 located within the steam cabin enclosure 74 is in the form of a seat.

The steam enclosure comprises door panel portion 16 in a similar form to figure Ia, together with enclosure panel members 17 and 14 which are located on top surface 76 of unit 72. Shower heads and/or steam jets 80 can be located in the roof panel 78, fitted on the wall 6 or 8 and/or can be located on or within unit 72. Suitable fan 82 and light 84 arrangements can be provided in the roof panel 78. In a preferred embodiment the steam jets 80 are located within the furniture unit and allow steam to be dispensed externally of the furniture unit into the shower enclosure.

The seat unit 72 could be provided in any suitable form and could be provided with location means in the form of a locating flange or member 86 which sits within the recess of a shower tray 4, as shown in figure 4a, or the peripheral base of the unit 72 could be attached to a peripheral edge 88 of a shower tray 4, as shown in figure 4b.

In figure 4a, location member 86 could be provided substantially centrally of the base of unit 72. The location member 86 is substantially complementary to the shape of the rear of the tray 4 where it is to be located. The height of the location member 86 is typically a similar height of recess 26 so that the peripheral edge of base 88 of unit 72 can sit on the peripheral edge 90 of tray 4.

A seat portion 92 can be defined at any suitable location within unit 72 but is typically defined in a front wall 94 of unit 72 and faces inwardly of the shower tray.

The provision of a seat in the furniture unit is not limited to a steam enclosure embodiment but could be provided in a shower tray arrangement as shown in figure 5. Handle rails 96 can be provided on the furniture unit to assist a user in sitting down and getting up from seat portion 92.

Figure 6 shows a similar furniture unit to that in figure 5 but examples are shown as to how the furniture unit could be adapted to meet specific requirements of a user. For example, the seat portion 92 could be detachably attached to unit 72, as shown by arrow 100 to allow it to be fitted at one of a number of pre-determined heights to suit the user. A plurality of seat fixing positions or flanges 98 can be provided at vertical spaced heights on unit 72 to allow the seat portion to be located on a user selected flange.

The hand rails 96 could be detachably attached or could be moved between a recessed position 102, wherein the hand rail 96 is slidably moved within the unit 72, to a protruding position 104 wherein the hand rail 96 protrudes outwardly from unit 72, as shown by arrows 106. Suitable locking means could be provided with the hand rail if required to lock the same in an "in-use" or protruding position. The locking means could include a locking catch 108. A hinged cupboard door 110 could be provided on the side of unit 72 to open externally of the shower enclosure. Steam generator 112 can be located in an interior 114 to allow dispensing of steam around the seat area within the enclosure. The cupboard allows easy access to the steam generator for replacement and/or repair. A towel rail 116 or further hand rail could be provided on the side of unit and could be moved between extended and retracted positions in a similar manner to the hand grips. Locking means can also be provided on the furniture unit door to prevent unauthorised access to the interior of the furniture unit.

Although the previously described drawings all show the furniture unit having enclosure panels located on two sides of the unit, figures 7a and 7b illustrated further embodiments in which at least one wall 118 of the furniture unit 120 extends the full height of the shower enclosure and so an enclosure panel member is not required for that wall. An enclosure panel could still be located on top of unit 120 adjacent a side wall 122 if required. In figure 7b, the external surface of wall 118 is used to attach other bathroom items to the same, such as for example a sink or wash basin 124 which protrudes outwardly of the shower enclo sure.

The shower fittings, steam fittings and/or the like can be located in any suitable position within the shower enclosure.

Thus, it can be seen that the shower apparatus of the present invention can include a furniture unit taking any suitable form that can be pre-fabricated, modular, detachably attached, integrally formed and/or the like.

The furniture unit could be retrofitted to an existing shower assembly or could be made to form part of or fit in a new shower assembly.

Referring to figures 9a-9c, there is illustrated a further example of a shower tray 200 with an integral furniture unit 202 associated therewith. More particularly, the shower tray 200 includes a shower tray base 204 and furniture unit 202 has substantially vertical side walls 206 and a substantially horizontal top surface 208. A door (not shown) is defined on one of the side walls of the furniture unit to allow access to the interior of the furniture unit. In this example, the furniture unit houses at least part of the pipe work and trap 212 for the waste 210 defined in the shower tray base 204. This allows easy access to the waste and trap both during and after installation of the shower assembly, thereby making cleaning, replacement and/or repair to be undertaken easily. This is not normally possible in conventional shower arrangements wherein the waste and trap are sealed under the floor of the bathroom, behind a tiled wall of the bathroom and/or the like.

Furthermore, the hot and cold shower valves 214, 216 respectively are located on the furniture unit 202 and the associated water pipes 218 and isolation valves 220 are located within the interior space of the furniture unit. This allows a user to easily access and switch the water to the shower assembly on/off to allow repair and/or replacement of any leaks, pipework and/or the like which is not normally possib'e in conventional bathroom assemblies. The location of the pipework, valves and/or the like within the furniture unit also significantly increases the ease of fitting the shower assembly compared to a conventional shower arrangement wherein recesses may need to be formed in walls and/or floors for location of the pipework, valves and the like.

Figure 10 shows an example of a shower tray 300 and furniture unit 302 located on a base 304 of the tray. A number of different accessories can be attached to the furniture unit and some examples of the possible accessories are shown. The accessories could include any of, but are not limited to, a mirror 306, lights 308 and a baby bath or wash basin 310.

Claims

Claims: 1. Shower apparatus, said shower apparatus including a shower tray or shower floor surface and wherein at least part of a furniture unit is located on, attached to or integrally formed with said shower tray or shower floor surface.
2. Shower apparatus according to claim I wherein the shower apparatus includes a shower enclosure including one or more panel members for at least partially enclosing said shower tray or shower floor surface.
3. Shower apparatus according to claim 2 wherein at least part of the furniture unit forms at least part of a wall or surface of the shower enclosure in combination with the one or more panel members.
4. Shower apparatus according to claim I wherein the majority of or a significant part of the furniture unit is provided internally of the shower enclosure.
5. Shower apparatus according to claim I wherein a base of the furniture unit is located on, attached to or integral with an upper surface of the shower tray or shower floor surface.
6. Shower apparatus according to claim I wherein at least part of the upper surface of the shower tray or shower floor surface forms at least part of the base of the furniture unit.
7. Shower apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the base of the furniture unit is adjacent to and/or abutting with the base of the shower tray or shower floor surface and one or more side walls of the furniture unit forms one or more side walls of the shower tray and/or enclosure.
8. Shower apparatus according to claim 2 wherein at least part of one or more panel members are located on top of or on an upper surface of the furniture unit.
9. Shower apparatus according to claim 2 wherein a combination of a wall of the furniture unit and a wall of the panel member forms a complete wall of the shower enclosure.
10. Shower apparatus according to claim I wherein at least one entire wall of a shower enclosure located around the shower tray or shower floor surface is formed by a wall of the furniture unit.
11. Shower apparatus according to claim I wherein the furniture unit includes a plurality of wall members and one or more of the wall members are formed from a waterproof material or are arranged so that tiles or waterproof material can be attached thereto.
12. Shower apparatus according to claim I wherein the furniture unit can include any or any combination of a housing defining an interior space with access means for gaining access to said interior space, one or more cupboards, drawers, shelves, towel rails, wash basin or seat.
13. Shower apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the furniture unit is in the form of a seat and at least part of the seat is arranged to be movable relative to the remainder of the furniture unit and/or shower assembly.
14. Shower apparatus according to claim 13 wherein at least part of the seat is movable from a position substantially within a shower enclosure of the apparatus to a position at least partially outside the shower enclosure of the apparatus to allow a user to sit on and/or get off the seat.
15. Shower apparatus according to claim 14 wherein at least part of the seat is pivotably or rotatably mounted to the furniture unit.
16. Shower apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the furniture unit houses or includes, steam generating means, steam release means, one or more pipes, valves, shower pumps and/or trap.
17. Shower apparatus according to claim I wherein the apparatus is in the form of a steam enclosure.
18. Shower apparatus according to claim I wherein sealing means are provided on or with the furniture unit and/or shower tray or shower floor surface to allow sealing of the furniture unit with one or more walls of a shower enclosure, one or more panel members and/or shower tray or shower floor surface.
19. Shower apparatus according to claim I wherein attachment means are provided on the shower tray or shower floor surface and/or the furniture unit to allow attachment of the furniture unit to the shower tray or shower floor surface.
20. Shower apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the attachment means include any or any combination of one or more screws, nuts and bolts, clips, VELCRO�, welding, adhesive, inter-engaging members or friction fit.
21. Shower apparatus according to claim I wherein at least part of the base of the furniture unit is substantially complementary in shape to a part of the shower floor or shower tray base to allow the furniture unit to form a snug fit with the shower floor or shower tray when assembled.
22. Shower apparatus according to claim I wherein the apparatus includes any or any combination of a shower or steam dispensing head, water temperature and/or pressure controls.
23. Shower apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the furniture unit is located in an enclosure of the shower tray or shower floor that is normally redundant space.
24. Shower apparatus according to claim I wherein the furniture unit includes one or more accessories attached thereto, detachably attached thereto or locatable thereon.
25. Shower apparatus according to claim 24 wherein the one or more accessories include any or any combination a light, mirror, fan, baby bath, wash basin, one or more taps, control levers, shower or steam dispensing means or seat.
26. Shower apparatus according to claim I wherein locking means are associated with the furniture unit and/or one or more accessories associated with the furniture unit.
27. Shower apparatus according to claim I wherein the furniture unit is retrofitted to an existing shower tray or shower floor surface.
28. Shower apparatus according to claim I wherein a bath or item of bathroom furniture is joined to or integral with an exterior surface of the furniture unit.
29. A method of assembling shower apparatus, said method including the steps of locating or attaching at least part of a furniture unit on a shower tray or shower floor surface.