GB2491919A

GB2491919A - Up-stand sealing assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2491919A
Application number: GB1200813.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gerard Francis Robinson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-06-15
Filing date: 2012-01-18
Publication date: 2012-12-19
Anticipated expiration: 2032-01-18
Also published as: GB201110012D0; GB201200813D0; IE86313B1; GB2491919B; IE20120106A1

Abstract

Up-stand sealing assembly 10 comprises a flexible up-stand strip 11, an adhesive tape 20, an adhesive tape release material 31/32 and an alignment material 190. The adhesive tape 20 engages both the up-stand strip inner face 14 and the adhesive tape release material 31/32. An alignment material 190 is attached to the adhesive tape 20. The alignment material may be neoprene cord.

Description

UP STAND SEALING ASSEMBLY

The present invention relates to an up-stand sealing assembly intended to be bonded onto a perimeter side wall of a shower tray or bath before final location against a wall as a means to seal the joint between the shower tray or bath and said adjacent wall.

Prior art relating to up-stand sealing assemblies such as GB2467428 A detail a pre- formed high tack butyl adhesive tape longitudinally bonded to a lower section of an up-stand strip with an adhesive tape release liner covering the opposite adhesive tape side.

To install, the adhesive tape release liner is removed and the newly exposed adhesive tape upper boundary is aligned parallel with the shower tray/bath ledge and thereafter the whole adhesive face is bonded to the shower tray/bath perimeter side wall so that an upper section of the up-stand strip forms an up-stand above the ledge.

During the manufacturing process of such up-stand seals, the roller compression force required to bond the adhesive tape onto the up-stand strip can result in inconsistent adhesive tape outer edges particularly if the adhesive tapes outer edges were not uniform before hand which can be the case with butyl tape supplied in roll format.

Another problem with such assemblies is that even the slightest inadvertent impact upon the rolled product during transport (poor handling) can deform the butyl tape edges and present product alignment ambiguity for installers during the installation process.

A third problem encountered with up-stand seals such as those described above, is that the tacky nature of the adhesive tape can make the desired alignment difficult. Once inadvertent (undesired) alignment contact is made between the adhesive tape and adjacent shower tray/bath side wall, the adhesive tape may not disengage without causing permanent deformation in the product.

It is the object of this invention to limit or eliminate the aforementioned problems.

The present invention provides an up-stand sealing assembly adapted to be fixed onto a substantially vertical perimeter side wall of a shower tray, bath or worktop before final installation against a wall as a means to seal the joint, the up-stand sealing assembly comprising; a longitudinal up-stand strip; a longitudinal adhesive tape; and a stretchable longitudinal alignment material; whereby in pie-installed parallel longitudinal engagement the alignment material is attached to the adhesive tape.

Preferably, the alignment material is attached to the adhesive tape upper boundary or parts thereof.

Alternatively, the alignment material is attached to the adhesive tape inner face or parts thereof.

Ideally, the alignment material is at least one neoprene cord or like material.

Alternatively, the alignment material may be a combination of neoprene cord, thread, tape or ink marker like materials.

Preferably, in roll format one side of the adhesive tape engages an adhesive tape releasing material.

The invention will hereinafter be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, showing by way of example only, embodiments of the up-stand sealing assembly according to the invention: In the drawings: Figure 1 shows an extended up-right sealing assembly as disclosed in this invention; Figure 2 shows an alternative extended up-right sealing assembly as disclosed in this invention; Firstly, common components in both figures 1 and 2 are: an up-stand strip 11 having up-stand strip inner and outer faces 14 and 15 respectively, and which up-stand strip inner face has up-stand strip inner face upper and lower regions 16 and 17 respectively, and which up-stand strip outer face has up-stand strip outer face upper and lower regions 18 and 19 respectively: and an adhesive tape 20 having an adhesive tape inner and outer faces 23 and 24 respectively and an adhesive tape upper and lower boundaries 21 and 22 respectively: and a sealing assembly alignment material 190.

In Figure 1, the adhesive tape outer face 24 is longitudinally bonded to the up-stand strip inner face lower region 17. An adhesive bed 185 bonds a sealant isolating membrane 180 onto the up-stand strip inner face 14 longitudinally adjacent to the adhesive tape upper boundary 21 and the alignment material 190 longitudinally engages the adhesive tape upperboundary2l.

The adhesive tape inner face 24 is releasably engaged with an adhesive tape releasing material consisting of two overlapping parts, an upper part 28 and a lower part 29.

In Figure 2, adhesive beds 130 bond non-woven hydrophobic rough textured fabric materials 120 to the up-stand strip inner and outer faces 14 and 15 respectively to provide a mechanical grip for adhesive materials. The non-woven hydrophobic rough textured fabric materials 120 have inner 122 and outer 121 faces respectively.

Adhesive bed 50 has upper 51 and lower 52 boundaries respectively, adhesive bed 80 has upper 81 and lower 82 boundaries respectively and adhesive tape releasing liner 60 has upper 61 and lower 62 boundaries respectively between which there extends adhesive tape releasing liner inner 63 and outer 64 faces respectively.

Adhesive bed 50 bonds an adhesive tape releasing liner inner face 63 to the adjacent non-woven hydrophobic rough textured fabric material outer face 121 and adhesive bed bonds adhesive tape outer face 24 strongly onto the adjacent non-woven hydrophobic rough textured fabric material inner face 122, SO that when rolled, adhesive tape inner face 23 releasably engages adhesive tape releasing liner outer face 64. Alignment material 190 longitudinally engages the adhesive tape upper boundary 21. A second alignment material 191 (broken line) may be a high visibility ink or thread that engages another alignment material (in this case 190) or the adhesive tape inner face 23.

In Figures 1 and 2 the alignment material 190 is a stretchable neoprene cord bonded directly onto the adhesive tape upper boundary 21. This is preferably done prior to pressing the adhesive tape outer face 24 onto the intended adjacent surface during manufacture. The neoprene cord may vary in cross section profile to accommodate the desired intention. It is also possible to combine alignment materials as shown in Figure 2.

A first benefit of a soft neoprene cord type alignment material 190 is that when situated along the adhesive tape upper boundary 21 as shown, it provides additional compressible shuttering support to the adjacent adhesive tape upper boundary 21 when being pressed onto the up-stand strip inner face 14 during the manufacturing process. This results in a clean straight edge that the installer can clearly see during the installation process.

A second benefit of a neoprene cord type alignment material 190 is that it serves as a bumper against inadvertent impacts that would otherwise deform the adhesive tape upper boundary 21 during transport and general (poor) handling prior to installation.

A third benefit of a neoprene cord type alignment material 190 is that the installer can touch engage it with the perimeter side wall of a shower tray or bath and slide it into the preferred alignment position prior to committing the adhesive tape inner face 23 below onto the intended surface. The alignment material 190 may be quadrilateral in section.

In those installations that require the installer to locate the adhesive tape upper boundary 21 at a particular level above or below the shower tray or bath ledge, one or more thread, tape or ink marker alignment materials may be longitudinally attached to the adhesive tape inner face 23 to accurately accommodate preferred result (not shown).

It will of course be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details described herein, which are given by way of example only, and that various mixes, modifications and combinations of the features disclosed herein are possible within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. An up-stand sealing assembly adapted to be fixed onto a substantially vertical perimeter side wall of a shower tray, bath or worktop before final installation against a wall as a means to seal the joint, the up-stand sealing assembly comprising; a longitudinal up-stand strip; a longitudinal adhesive tape; and a stretchable longitudinal alignment material; whereby in pre-installed parallel longitudinal engagement the alignment material is attached to the adhesive tape.
2. An up-stand sealing assembly as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the alignment material is attached to the adhesive tape upper boundary or parts thereof.
3. An up-stand sealing assembly as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the alignment material is attached to the adhesive tape inner face or parts thereof.
4. An up-stand sealing assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the alignment material is at least one neoprene cord or like material.
5. An up-stand sealing assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the alignment material may be one or more threads, tape or ink marker line like materials.
6. An up-stand sealing assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the alignment material may be a combination of neoprene cord, thread, tape or ink marker like materials.
7. An up-stand sealing assembly as claimed in any preceding claim wherein, in roll format one side of the adhesive tape engages an adhesive tape releasing material.
8. An up-stand sealing assembly substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.