GB2518749A

GB2518749A - A pleated sealing member

Info

Publication number: GB2518749A
Application number: GB201414915A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gerard Francis Robinson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-09-27
Filing date: 2014-08-21
Publication date: 2015-04-01
Also published as: GB201414915D0; WO2015044132A1; GB2518649B; GB2518649A; GB201317151D0

Abstract

A pleated sealing member 10 comprises of a flexible longitudinal strip 11 having an upper boundary 12 and a lower boundary 13, an inner face 14 and an outer face 15. The inner face has an upper region 19 and a lower region 17. The outer face 15 has an upper region 18 and a lower region 16. The strip is longitudinally pleated 73 to accommodate joint expansion between a shower tray or bath ledge and an adjacent wall.

Description

PLEATED SEALING MEMBER

The present invention relates to a pleated sealing member adapted to be installed independently or as a component of a sealing system to create a watertight barrier over substrates exposed to moisture in the shower environment and maintain a waterproof joint seal connection between two or more such substrates disposed in line or at an angle to each other such as the joint between a wall and the adjacent perimeter side wall/ledge of a shower tray or bath.

Prior art relating to up-stand strip type sealing systems adapted to seal the joint between a shower tray and wall such as EP1967107A2, DE 202007009306U1, CH 704698A2, EP2012/053366, EP1891877A2, feature up-stand strip membranes with a high tack adhesive tape or pressure sensitive foam adhesive tape longitudinally applied to a lower portion of one side. During installation the adhesive strip is exposed and bonded to the shower tray perimeter side wall before installation of the tray against the shower wall.

A problem common to these products is that the joint around shower trays and baths expand, creating stress and permanent stretching in the sealing material leading to de-bonding and tearing of the sealing material and resulting leaks.

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

with prior art up-stand seals.

According to the present invention there is provided a pleated sealing member adapted to be installed independently or as a component of a sealing system to create a watertight barrier over substrates exposed to moisture in the shower environment and maintain a waterproof joint seal connection between two or more such substrates disposed in line or at an angle to each other such as the joint between a wall and the adjacent perimeter side wall of a shower tray or bath, in the installed orientation comprising of: a flexible longitudinal strip having a strip upper boundaly and a strip lower boundary between which strip boundaries there extends a strip inner face and a strip outer face which strip outer face has a strip outer face upper region and a strip outer face lower region and which strip inner face has a strip inner face upper region and a strip inner face lower region: characterized in that the strip is longitudinally pleated to accommodate joint expansion.

Ideally, the pleat has a lower fold and an upper fold.

Preferably, at least one fold is self-retained through being simply pressed firmly.

Alternatively, at least one fold is retained through being pressed and also through the application of an adhesive bed that extends longitudinally inside the fold.

Ideally, at least one adhesive bed extends longitudinally on the strip outer face as a means of bonding the strip to the wall.

Ideally, an adhesive release liner extends over an adhesive bed on the strip outer face and said release liner extends down below at least one fold.

Preferably, at least one pressed fold in strip is retained by the pressure leveraged by an overlapping release liner.

Ideally, a pleat fold is retained by means of an adhesive that also provides a means of engagement of the strip outer face with the wall.

Preferably, the adhesive bed is a hot melt adhesive or a non-setting butyl type.

Ideally, the strip is a flexible polymeric material such as polyethylene or polypropylene.

Preferably, the pleated sealing member performs in combination with a sealant adhesive of the type that may be extruded uncured from a tube, applied as desired and thereafter cure as flexible sealant adhesive.

In on embodiment, one or more longitudinal regions of the strip are etched to enhance sealant adhesive (50) adhesion.

In another embodiment, one or more longitudinal regions of the strip are laminated with a silicone film to enhance sealant adhesive adhesion.

Ideally, one or more longitudinal regions of the strip are laminated with fleece through use of adhesive glue to enhance tile adhesive adhesion.

In the drawings: Figure 1 represents a section view of the invention in the installed orientation detailing a pressed pleat.

Figure 2 represents a section view of the invention detailing a pressed and bonded pleat.

Figure 3 represents an exploded section view of the invention detailing an adhesive bed and release liner with which to bond the strip to the wall.

Figure 4 represents a section view of Figure 3 after being pressed together.

Figure 5 represents a section view of Figure 4 bonded to a wall.

Figure 6 represents a section view of Figure 5 after installation of a shower tray.

The invention will hereinafter be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show by way of example only, some embodiments of the seal according to the invention. In all figure descriptions the term inner face should be understood to define a material surface facing the shower tray, bath or worktop after installation and the term outer face' should be understood to define a surface material facing the wall after installation.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 of the drawings, the sealing member 10 comprises of a first component being flexible strip 11 which has strip upper boundary 12 and a strip lower boundary 13 between which strip boundaries there extends a strip inner face 14 and a strip outer face 15. The strip inner face 14 comprises of a strip inner face upper region 19 and a strip inner face lower region 17. The strip outer face 15 comprises of a strip outer face upper region 18 and a strip outer face lower region 16.

Typically the strip 11 is a soft polyethylene or polypropylene type material.

A gusset type pleat 73 is pressed into strip 11 and extends longitudinally the length of the strip 11. Pleat 73 is formed by folding and pressing the strip a first time to create lower fold 70 then folding and pressing the strip a second time to create upper fold 71. If the pleat width was 10mm, being the distance between upper fold 71 and lower fold 70, and strip 11 was transversely stretched 10mm, the pleat would freely yield and absorb all the tension and prevent transverse stretching in the strip.

Figure 2 differs from Figure 1 in that pleat upper fold 71 is retained through provision of adhesive bed 31 and pleat lower fold 70 is retailed in position by adhesive bed 30. Adhesive beds 31 and 30 are of adhesive materials that do not create a permanent bond with at least one of their respective adjacent strip faces, but allow slippage and deformation in the event of transverse extension of the strip. Adhesive beds 31 and 30 may vary in width and position inside pleat folds 71 and 70 respectively.

Figure 3 is a section view of the invention before being pressed together. Figure 3 differs from Figure 2 in that adhesive bed 30 is omitted and pressure sensitive adhesive bed 32 with connected release liner 20 has been longitudinally applied on the strip outer face 15 in location to bridge or cover upper pleat fold 71 when the strip is pressed together. Adhesive bed 32 may be a butyl adhesive or a hot melt adhesive. In this embodiment shown in Figure 3, when strip 11 is engaged with the wall by adhesive bed 32, adhesive bed 32 also serves to retain the upper pleat fold 71 against the wall.

Figure 4 is a section view of the invention wherein the strip is represented by a one heavy black line. A pressure sensitive adhesive bed 33 and connected protective release liner 21 extends on the strip outer face lower region 15 adjacent to the strip the lower boundary 13 as a means of keeping strip tight outer face 15 against the wall during installation.

Adhesive bed 32 is reduced in width to extend adjacently offset and above upper fold 71 to eliminate adhesive resistance in the event of transverse elongation of strip 11 due to joint expansion. For the same reason, adhesive bed 30 has been reduced in width to approximately 2/3mm or 25% of the pleat width.

Adhesive bed 30 extends inside the lower fold 70 to reduce resistance in the event of transverse elongation of strip 11 due to joint expansion. If the pleat width was 10mm and strip 11 was transversely elongated 7mm, the pleat would freely yield and absorb all the tension and prevent transverse stretching in the strip.

Though not shown, adhesive bed 32 could extend fully over the strip outside face 15 between its lower boundary 36 as shown and the strip upper boundary 12.

Upper fold 71 is adhesive free and consequentially prone to unfold. Retention of upper fold 71 in strip 11 is made possible through the extended width and rigidity of release liner 20, which by extending down to its lower boundary 23 below upper fold 71 and by being bonded to adhesive bed 32 above upper fold 71, can leverage the strip lower region 16 substantially parallel and planar with the strip upper region 18 respectively maintaining adhesive free pleat upper fold 71 in the process.

Release liner 20 is flexible enough to accommodate winding the strip into a roll for transport and transversely rigid enough to maintain the required pressure against strip lower region 16 and maintain fold 71.

Figure 5 details the assembled strip as described in Figure 4 bonded to a wall 60 through the progressive removal of release liners 20 and 33 and press bonding of the high tack adhesive 32 and 33 to the wall 60. After this initial attachment of strip 11 to the wall 60, the strip upper regions 18 and 19 are folded down allowing the application of sealanlladhesive on the wall and subsequent press bonding of the strip outer face 15 permanently to the wall.

Like the adhesive bed 30 in lower pleat fold 70, adhesive bed 31 offers additional stability if required to maintain upper fold 71.

Figure 6 details strip 11 bonded to the wall as shown in Figure 5, and the subsequent installation of a shower tray or bath 90 thereafter. Sealant adhesive 51 bridges the joint gap between the strip inner face 14 and the adjacent perimeter side wall 91 and ledge 92 of the shower tray or bath 90. Adhesive bed 31 is omitted from pleat upper fold 71.

If the shower tray or bath 90 drops down, the sealant 51 pulls the connected strip inner face down with it. Because adhesive material 30 accommodate differential slippage between opposing surfaces to which attached, relatively stress free transverse elongation of strip 11 is made possible. The degree of stress free transverse elongation possible is dependent on the width of the pleat, and the location, viscosity and number of adhesives beds on the strip.

Though not shown, adhesive bed 32 could be butyl adhesive and strategically located marginally on and above upper pleat fold 71 as to maintain the fold with create minimal resistance in the event of transverse elongation of the strip.

Sealant adhesive (50, 51) is typically of the type that may be extruded uncured from a tube, applied as desired and thereafter left to cure as flexible sealant adhesive.

Though not shown, the strip inner and outer faces 14 and 15 respectively below upper pleat fold 71 can be longitudinally etched and siliconized to enhance adhesion with a sealant adhesive 50 while the strip inner and outer faces 14 and 15 respectively above upper pleat fold 71 can be longitudinally laminated with fleece through use of adhesive glue to enhance tile adhesive adhesion.

It should be understood that the application of this invention is not exclusively related to sealing interior ledge/wall joints around shower trays and baths as the strip embodiments form a waterproof membrane relevant to waterproofing tiled floors, walls and shower wall panels and exterior waterproofing under floors, building strictures and infrastructure expansion joints.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A pleated sealing member (10) adapted to be installed independently or as a component of a sealing system to create a watertight barrier over substrates exposed to moisture in the shower environment and maintain a waterproof joint seal connection between two or more such substrates disposed in line or at an angle to each other such as the joint between a wall (60) and the adjacent perimeter side wall (91) of a shower tray or bath, in the installed orientation comprising of: a flexible longitudinal strip (11) having a strip upper boundary (12) and a strip lower boundary (13) between which strip boundaries there extends a strip inner face (14) and a strip outer face (15) which strip outer face has a strip outer face upper region (18) and a strip outer face lower region (16) and which strip inner face has a strip inner face upper region (19) and a strip inner face lower region (17): characterized in that the strip (11) is longitudinally pleated (73) to accommodate joint expansion.
2. A pleated sealing member as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the pleat (73) has a lower fold (70) and an upper fold (71).
3. A pleated sealing member as claimed in any preceding claim wherein at least one fold (71, 70) is self-retained through being simply pressed firmly.
4. A pleated sealing member as claimed in any preceding claim wherein at least one fold (71, 70) is retained through being pressed and also through the application of an adhesive bed (30, 31) that extends longitudinally inside the fold.
5. A pleated sealing member as claimed in any preceding claim wherein at least one adhesive bed (32) extends longitudinally on the strip outer face as a means of bonding the strip (11) to the wall (60).
6. A pleated sealing member as claimed in any preceding claim wherein an adhesive release liner (20) extends over an adhesive bed (32) on the strip outer face and said release liner (20) extends down below at least one fold (71,70).
7. A pleated sealing member as claimed in any preceding claim wherein at least one pressed fold (71) in strip (11) is retained by the pressure leveraged by an overlapping release liner (20).
8. A pleated sealing member as claimed in any preceding claim wherein a pleat fold (71) is retained by means of an adhesive (32) that also provides a means of engagement of the strip outer face (15) with the wall.
9. A pleated sealing member as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the adhesive bed (30, 31, 32) is a hot melt adhesive or a non-setting butyl type.
10. A pleated sealing member as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the strip (11) is a flexible polymeric material such as polyethylene or polypropylene.
11. A pleated sealing member as claimed in any preceding claim in combination with a sealant adhesive (50) of the type that may be extruded uncured from a tube, applied as desired and thereafter cure as flexible sealant adhesive.
12. A pleated sealing member as claimed in any preceding claim wherein one or more longitudinal regions of the strip (11) are etched to enhance sealant adhesive (50) adhesion.
13. A pleated sealing member as claimed in any preceding claim wherein one or more longitudinal regions of the strip (11) are laminated with a silicone film to enhance sealant adhesive (50) adhesion.
14. A pleated sealing member as claimed in any preceding claim wherein one or more longitudinal regions of the strip (11) are laminated with fleece through use of adhesive glue to enhance tile adhesive adhesion.
15. A sealing member as claimed in any preceding claim in association with the respective installation method disclosed herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.
16. A sealing method substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.