IE74132B1

IE74132B1 - Shower tray

Info

Publication number: IE74132B1
Application number: IE930798A
Authority: IE
Inventors: Peter Phillip Cook
Original assignee: Aquadart Shower Trays Ltd
Priority date: 1992-10-21
Filing date: 1993-10-20
Publication date: 1997-07-02
Also published as: GB9222128D0; IE930798A1; GB2271713B; GB2271713A

Abstract

A shower tray comprising a body (2) having a hollowed bathing portion (5) containing a drain outlet (10), an integral raised rim (6) surrounding the bathing portion and side wall portions (7) integral with and depending from the rim to a depth substantially equal to the depth of the bathing portion, and loose side panels (4) which fit to and below each side wall portion (7). Sufficient space is available below the side wall portions (7) to enable a person to gain access to plumbing underneath the installed shower tray when each side panel (4) is removed. The depth of each loose side panel (4) corresponds substantially to the height at which the bottom of the bathing portion is intended to be supported in use above the surface on which the shower tray is provided, thus enabling the parts of a mould cavity in which each side wall is defined to extend for substantially the full height of the mould cavity.

Description

SHOWER TRAY This invention relates to a shower tray of the kind having one or more loose side panels to provide access to plumbing at the underside of the tray when it is installed for use.

Such a shower tray normally comprises a body having a hollowed bathing portion, in which a person stands when taking a shower and which has a drain outlet, and an integral raised rim surrou'nding the bathing portion, and one or more loose side panels which fit to the body between the rim and the surface on which the tray is supported for use so as to close off a side part or parts of the body which would otherwise be open. For example, a tray of square plan shape installed in a corner of a room would normally have loose side panels at the two exposed sides of the body to close off those sides and conceal from view plumbing and legs or other supports of the body at the underside of the tray. Because the or each loose side panel has extended down from the rim it has necessarily been of appreciable depth, being of substantially the depth of the hollowed bathing portion plus a further amount to cover the clearance of the bathing portion from the surface on which the installed tray is supported. Manufacture of the bodies of shower trays made of same materials, in particular resin-bonded materials, is complicated by the need for loose side panels of such depth to be accommodated. Also the size of the panels may detract from the appearance of the installed trays.

It is an aim of the present invention to avoid those disadvantages. 741 32 According to the present invention there is provided a shower tray comprising a body having a hollowed bathing portion containing a drain outlet, an integral raised rim surrounding the bathing portion and one or more side wall portions integral with and depending from the rim to a depth corresponding to, or substantially to, the depth of the bathing portion, and one or more loose side panels which fit to and below the or each side wall portion.

Thus the or each loose side panel is of appreciably less depth than those of the previously known shower trays. Sufficient space can still be made available, however, below the side wall portion or portions when the or each loose side panel is removed for a plumber or other person to gain access to plumbing underneath the installed shower tray. The depth of the or each loose side panel may correspond substantially to the height at which the bottom of the bathing portion is intended to be supported in use above the surface on which the shower tray is provided.

The side wall portion may include suitable anchorages or fastening means for securement of the loose side panel or panels, or the side panel or panels may have suitable means for co-operation with the side wall portion or portions to locate the panel or panels removably relative to the side wall portion or portions.

Since the or each side wall portion is of a depth corresponding to, or substantially to, the depth of the bathing portion manufacture of the body by moulding may be facilitated, especially when moulded in a resin-bonded material. In the moulding of the body from a resin-bonded material it is convenient for the body to be moulded in inverted form in an open mould.

Thus the part or parts of the mould cavity in which the or each side wall portion is to be defined can extend for the full height, or substantially the full height, of the mould cavity. It is easier for this to be done than to stop off the cavity at the rim defining part of the cavity, as has been necessary in the moulding of known shower tray bodies from resin-bonded material.

It is preferred to mould the body from a resin-bonded material, for example a calcium carbonate filled polyester resin, but it may be produced in other ways and of other materials. The or each side panel may be of similar material to the body, or of other suitable material.

Legs, which may be adjustable for height, may be provided to support the body. The legs may be fixed or detachably connected to the body at the bottom of the bathing portion. In a moulded form of the body anchorage means of or for the legs may be moulded into the bottom of the bathing portion.

The rim may be formed with an upstanding lip or flange adjacent an outer edge at a part or parts of the body which may lie against a wall or walls to be tiled when the shower tray is installed for use. The lip or flange may be overlapped by tiles fixed to the wall or walls so as to assist sealing of the tiles to the shower tray.

The shower tray may be of square, rectangular, quadrant or other shape in plan, as desired.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:Figure 1 is a plan new of a shower tray in accordance with the present invention, Figure 2 is a front view of the shower tray, Figure 3 is a cross-section on line 3-3 of Figure 1, and Figure 4 is a section similar to Figure 3 showing a modification.

In this embodiment a shower tray 1 is provided of square shape in plan. The shower tray 1 comprises a body 2, legs 3 and loose side panels 4.

The body 2 is a moulding of resin-bonded material. It has a hollowed bathing portion 5, a raised rim 6 surrounding and integral with the bathing portion and side wall portions 7 integral with and extending down from the rim at all four sides of the bathing portion 4. Upstanding walls 8 of the bathing portion 5 are inclined outwardly slightly as they extend up to the rim 6, and the side wall portions 7 are inclined outwardly slightly as they extend downwards from the rim. The side wall portions extend down to a level just below the level of the underside of a floor 9 of the bathing portion.

Centrally of the floor 9 adjacent to front side of the shower tray is a drain outlet 10. A tray 11 is fitted to the drain outlet 9 when the shower tray is installed for use. The floor 9 may be formed, for example as shown, for guiding waste towards the drain outlet and may have a tread pattern to help a user of the shower tray to have a good footing in the bathing portion as he or she is taking a shower. λ Moulded into or secured to the underside of the * floor 9 is a reinforcing board 12 which strengthens the floor and also provides anchorage for the legs 3. If the board 12 is applied separately to the floor, screw-threaded inserts may be moulded into the floor with which mating screw-threaded fastenings may be engaged to secure the board to the floor. The board 12 is conveniently a square piece of chipboard or plywood of substantially the same size as the floor with an opening in it at the drain outlet 10 for the trap 11 to be connected to the drain outlet.

Legs 3 are formed by the down-turned end portions of tubular members 13 bent to wide inverted U-shape.

Feet 14 screw-threadedly connected to the legs 3 enable the heights of the legs to be adjusted for adjusting the bathing portion of the body for height, and to be level, above the surface on which the shower tray is to be supported for use.

The number of the loose side panels 3 depends upon how many of the sides of the body will be exposed when the shower tray is installed. For example, if the tray is to be fitted against a wall so that three sides of the body will be left exposed there will be three of the side panels 3 for the exposed sides, but if the tray is to be fitted in a corner of a room so that only two sides of the body are exposed there will be just « two side panels. Each side panel is a moulding of fibre glass (resin-bonded material or other suitable ? may be used) and is of narrow rectangular shape of length corresponding to the length of the respective side wall portion 7 of the body to which it is to be fitted, and width corresponding to the maximum adjusted height of the legs 3. The width can be cut down on site to suit the height of the bottom of the side wall portion above the surface on which the installed shower tray is supported. The side panels fit below the side wall portions to close off the gaps between the side wall portions and the support surface. Brackets 18 fixed to the side wall portions receive fastenings, not shown, applied to the side panels to secure the panels detachably below the side wall portions.

The or each side panel may be fitted in place after the plumbing underneath the tray has been attended to, and any necessary height adjustment of the legs has been made. The side panel or panels may be detached readily subsequently for servicing the plumbing, there being a sufficient gap below the side wall portion or portions for access to be gained to the plumbing.

On the rim 6 at at least some of the sides of the body an integral upstanding lip 16 is formed at the outside edge of the rim. The lip 16 can be embedded behind tiling applied to walls against which the shower tray is installed for use. This helps in sealing tiles to the tray.

If desired, the body may be made solid between the bathing portion and the side wall portions, as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings.

Claims

1. A shower tray comprising a body having a hollowed bathing portion containing a drain outlet, an integral » raised rim surrounding the bathing portion and one or more side wall portions integral with and depending from the rim to a depth corresponding to, or substantially to, the depth of the bathing portion, and one or more loose side panels which fit to and below the or each side wall portion.

2. A shower tray according to Claim 1 in which the depth of the or each loose side panel corresponds substantially to the height at which the bottom of the bathing portion is supported in use above the surface on which the shower tray is provided.

3. A shower tray according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the depth of the or each loose side panel is sufficient to allow access underneath the shower tray once it is installed for use, on removal of the or each loose side panel.

4. A shower tray according to any preceding claim in which the or each side wall portion comprises suitable anchorages or fastening means for securement of the or each loose side panel.

5. A shower tray according to any of Claims 1 to 3 in which the or each loose side panel comprises means for co-operation with the or each side wall portion to i .i locate the or each panel removably relative to the or each side wall portion. »

6. A shower tray according to any preceding claim in which the body is moulded in inverted form in an open mould.

7. A shower tray according to Claim 6 in which the body is moulded from a resin-bonded material.

8. A shower tray according to any preceding claim in which the or each side panel is of a similar material to the body.

9. A shower tray according to any preceding claim in which legs are provided to support the body.

10. A shower tray according to Claim 9 in which the legs are adjustable in height.

11. A shower tray according to Claim 9 in which the legs are fixed to the body at the bottom of the bathing portion.

12. A shower tray according to Claim 9 in which the legs are detachably connected to the body at the bottom of the bathing portion.

13. A shower tray according to Claim 12, as dependent from Claim 6, in which anchorage means of or for the legs are moulded into the bottom of the bathing portion.

14. A shower tray according to Claim 13 in which the anchorage means comprises a reinforcing board.

15. A shower tray according to any preceding claim in which the rim has an outer edge adjacent which an upstanding lip or flange is. formed adapted to be overlapped by tiles fixed to a wall or walls adjacent to the shower tray when the shower tray is installed for use.

16. A shower tray according to any preceding claim in which the body is made solid between the bathing 5 portion and the or each side wall portion.

17. A shower reference to drawings. tray substantially as described with Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying

18. A shower tray substantially as described with reference to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.