IES68065B2 - A shower tray - Google Patents

Abstract

A shower tray (1) comprising a raised outer wall (2), a standing area (3), drainage outlet (4) and a trough area (6) intermediate the outer wall and the standing area. The standing area (3) is domed and the trough area (6) defined a channel surrounding the standing area and which channel is sloped towards the drainage outlet. The tray (1) may further comprise a non slip ornamentation or a particle or debris trap. Water is drained quickly while user stands on a relatively horizontal surface reducing likelihood of slipping.

Description

The present invention relates to a shower tray.

Bactoirmmdi ®f the Invention formally in shower trays the standing area on the base of the tray slopes towards a water outlet. Typically the amount of this slope is about 15mm to provide a run off of the water from the shower. The sloped surface increases the risk of a person using the shower slipping on the wet standing surface. This problem is accentuated by soap, shampoo or other such products.

Known plastic shower trays have a tendency to dish. A dish is an area of the floor of the shower tray which tends to become deformed due to the weight of the person taking the shower combined with continuous stepping in and out of the shower. Typically most users of a shower will tend to stand in the same place in the shower tray at all times. The usual standing position is immediately under the shower head or spray. The dish therefore tends to form in the tray at the standing position.

This dishing effect is unsightly in that the depression formed in the base of the shower tray retains water from the shower causing a pool to continually exist in the shower tray even after the water has been turned off. The water left in the depression will not leave the shower tray by the normal drainage route, if this water is not removed manually it may cause discolouration or staining of the shower tray. 1554S 968065 ’ I w S41 \» w - 2 A shower tray having a dome-shaped standing area is known. In order to provide effective drainage of water to the drain hole the dome is quite pronounced i.e. the radius of curvature is quite short. Also the centre of curvature is offset i.e. the centre of curvature of the dome does not lie directly below the centre of the dome. This domed standing area is thus quite difficult to stand on and an anti-slip rubber matting is provided to provide a sure foot-grip. The known domed shower tray is provided only in more expensive resin-based and resin-bonded stone products, where dishing is not a problem. These products therefore do not have the same characteristics as plastic trays, which are generally supported underneath by a filler made of polystyrene and/or wood.

A further problem which exists with typical shower trays is the blockage of the drainage pipe or the drain cover by shedded hair and other particles or debris. Protective mesh or other such protective covers have been provided on the drain cover to reduce the amount of material which enters the drain. As the particles to be caught by such a cover or device are quite small the apertures in the cover need to be quite small. This tends to restrict the amount of water flowing into the drain at any one time causing retention of water in the tray. Retention of soapy water results in a much more slippy surface on the standing area of the shower tray.

Cleaning such protective covers can be tedious on account of the small · apertures. Cleaning may also necessitate removal of the protective cover from the drain cover.

Traditionally when vacuum moulding a shower tray from a sheet of plastics material the weakest part of the tray formed tends to be the area around the water drain. The position of a hole in this already weak area of the shower tray to provide drainage means further weakens this area. It is thus this area which tends to break or crack most easily.

Object of the Inverdiwi It is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the known shower trays and to provide a shower tray which does not retain substantial amounts of water, which is comfortable to stand on and which is aesthetically pleasing. It is also an object of this invention to provide a standing area on which a user is substantially less likely to slip than in conventional shower trays.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a shower tray which is simple in design, but which is also easy to clean and which provides more effective drainage, moving water faster and directing it more accurately to an outlet, A still further object of the invention is to provide a drainage mechanism which allows water to flow rapidly and freely towards and through its drainage means, while reducing the possibility of the drainage means becoming blocked with shedded hair or other such debris or particles» It is a still further object of this invention to provide a shower tray wherein the area of the shower tray surrounding the drainage means is less likely to break or crack» Sewrjary of tlbe iRveatlmii The present invention provides a shower tray comprising a raised outer wall, a standing area, drainage outlet and a trough area intermediate the outer wall and the standing area characterised in that the standing area is domed and in that the trough area defines a channel surrounding the standing area and which channel is sloped towards the drainage outlet.

Preferably, the standing area further comprises a non-slip surface ornamentation, preferably a series of protrusions or pips.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a particle trap for a shower tray comrising a segmental array of angular ramps which together define a concave annular arrangement viewed from above around a drainage outlet, and a series of drainage slots each arranged between two adjacent ramps, the sides of the ramps and the slots being curved so as to effectively direct swirling water towards the drainage outlet.

Most preferably, the particle trap is made in two parts which are adapted to snap together and fit over a conventional trap.

Bneff Paseri'Miami *»f the Orawiftgs Figure 1 is a plan view of a shower tray in accordance with the invention, Figure 2 is a cross section viewed on section line A-A in Figure 1, Figure 3A is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of a shower tray in accordance with the invention, Figure 3B is a detail plan view of the area marked C in Figure 3A, Figure 4 is a plan view from above of a preferred drainage outlet arrangement for a shower tray in accordance with the invention, and Figure 5 is a cross section viewed on section line B-B of Figure 4.

Figure δ is a cross section viewed on section X - X of a ramp forming part of the drainage outlet arrangement of figure 4.

Petalled Oeseriptioira of Preferred Eabiadiaeirata With reference to the drawings, a shower tray 1 comprises an outer wall 2, a trough area 6, a standing area 3 and a drain outlet 4.

The standing area 3 is circular in outline and is most preferably slightly domed, but in a horizontal or very slightly sloping plane.

The preferred dome shape of the standing area 3 allows for faster water run-off and also resists the tendency of dishing. The standing area 3 is only slightly higher at its centre than its periphery so as to provide a relatively horizontal area on which a user of the shower may stand. Typically there is a drop of 5mm from the centre of the circular standing area 3 to its circumference. Water may run off the standing area 3 at any point on its periphery into a surrounding channel 8 providing fast and effective removal of water. The radius of curvature of the dome is quite large and the centre of curvature of the dome is situated at a point substantially directly below the centre of the dome.

With reference to Figures 3A and 3B the standing area 3 is preferably provided with an array of circular protrusions or pips 5. The protrusions 5 are approximately 4.4 mms in diameter and are arranged in a regular pattern as shown in Figure 3B. The distance between adjacent protrusions 5 in a given line may be approximately 20 mms.

The sensation of moving feet across the standing area 3 provided with these protrusions stimulates and encourages blood circulation and offers the user the equivalent of a mild foot massage. This surface detail further offers a slip resistant surface. The protrusions 5 have rounded edges so as to be comfortable to stand on when barefooted.

The trough area β is defined between the interior of wall 2 and the periphery of the standing area 3- The trough area δ comprises an outer run-off portion 7, and a drainage channel 8. The outer run-off portion 7 is at a level below the height of outer wall 2. The portion 7 may further comprise one or more retaining means 10 which are adapted to hold a bar of soap, shampoo bottles, etc. The retaining means 10 comprises a series of pips 9 similar to those on the standing area 3 but larger in size which allow drainage of water away from the area while retaining the soap etc.

In practice substantially all water from the shower falls directly or indirectly onto the standing area 3 or the trough 6. Any water that falls on the standing area 3 runs off directly into channel 8. Outer run-off portion 7 is sloped downwards towards the centre of the shower tray 1 and thus any water that falls on outer run-off portion 7 drains into drainage channel 8.

The circular drainage channel 8 in turn slopes towards the drain outlet 4, around the standing area 3, as seen in Figure 2. This ensures that anv water that runs into channel 8 from whatever source flows freelv and quickly towards drain 4e via a collecting area defined by drainage plate 11 which may be horizontal or is sloped downwards towards drain hole 4.

Drainage channel 8 is sloped towards drain outlet 4 so that effective drainage takes place. As the user of the shower is standing on standing area 3 the slope of channel 8 does not affect his or her foot-grip.

Drain outlet 4 is also recessed in one corner of the shower tray 1. A debris or particle trap 12 (described below) is provided around drain outlet 4. A cresent shaped slope 17 is also provided around drain outlet 4. All three of these factors help to strengthen the shower tray 1 around drain outlet 4 and also help to prevent a user of the shower placing a foot directly on the portion of the shower tray immediately surrounding drain outlet 4, thus reducing the strain on this area and helping to minimise breakage or cracking of the shower tray in this area.

With reference to Figures 4 and 5, a particle or debris trap 12, suitable for the shower tray described above, is provided to overlie the drain outlet 4» The trap 12 is preferably made in two moulded parts 20, 21 which snap together permanently and are designed to slot perfectly into a conventional Wirquin trap 22 The trap 12 comprises a segmental array of angular ramps 13 which together form a concave depression 15, when viewed from above. Between each of the ramps 13 is a narrow slot 14. The slots 14 are in communication with both the interior and exterior surfaces of the trap 12. Any particles in water flowing through trap 12 are caught by ramps 13 while the water passes through slots 14. The reason for the curvature of the ramps 13 is to take account of the vortex effect, i.e. the phenomenon where water tends to swirl in a clockwise direction (northern hemisphere) when decending though a drain or other such outlet. To take account of the fact that water tends to swirl in an anticlockwise direction in the southern hemisphere the segmental array of angular ramps may be designed with a reverse orientation.

Thus the concave shape of the ramps 13 and the slots 14, together with a central dome 18, help to remove water more quickly from the shower tray 1 as water swirling towards the drain outlet 4 below will find its way more quickly through the slots 14. The slope 17 around the drainage plate 11 (see Figures 1 and 2) also improves drainage into drain outlet 4.

The slots 14 provide smaller apertures than used heretofore in a Wirquin particle trap. Larger apertures have been used and blockage of the drainage hole tended to occur relatively quickly if the drain cover did not allow particles to escape quickly. Using larger apertures however increases the risk of the drainage pipe underneath the drain hole 4 becoming blocked. Particle trap 12 helps to reduce this risk. The trapped debris or dirt in debris trap 12 can easily be removed by hand by simply moving a finger anti-clockwise around the concave depression 16, designed to fit the profile of a forefinger.

With reference to Figure 6 a ramp 13 has the cross section shown.

Claims (5)

1. A shower tray (1) comprising a raised outer wall (2), a standing area (3), drainage outlet (4) and a trough area (5) intermediate the outer wall and the standing area characterised in that the standing area (3) is domed and in that the trough area defines a channel surrounding the standing area and which channel is sloped towards the drainage outlet.

2. A shower tray according to claim 1, characterised in that the standing area (3) further comprises a non-slip surface ornamentation, preferably a series of protrusions or pips (5).

3. A particle trap (12) for a shower tray comrising a segmental array of angular ramps (13) which together define a concave annular arrangement viewed from above around a drainage outlet (4), and a series of drainage slots (14) each arranged between two adjacent ramps (13), the sides (15) of the ramps (13) and the slots (14) being curved so as to effectively direct swirling water towards the drainage outlet (4).

4. A particle trap (12) for a shower tray according to claim 3, characterised in that the trap is made in one or more parts which are adapted to be a snap fit over a conventional trap.

5. A shower tray or particle trap therefor according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.