US20160128518A1

US20160128518A1 - Bathtub moisture barrier assembly

Info

Publication number: US20160128518A1
Application number: US14/537,157
Authority: US
Inventors: Juan Lopezescobar
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-11-10
Filing date: 2014-11-10
Publication date: 2016-05-12

Abstract

A bathtub moisture barrier assembly includes a panel having a front side, a back side, an upper edge, a lower edge, a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge. The back side has a plurality of elongated slots therein each oriented parallel to each other and to the lower edge. The slots each extend to the first and second lateral edges. A first adhesive is attached to the back side of the panel adjacent to the upper edge and extends from the first lateral edge to the second lateral edge. A second adhesive is attached to the back side of the panel adjacent to the lower edge and extends from the first lateral edge to the second lateral edge. The first adhesive secures the panel to the wall and the second adhesive secures the panel to the bathtub.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

1. Field of the Disclosure
The disclosure relates to bathtub sealing devices and more particularly pertains to a new bathtub sealing device for preventing moisture from entering a juncture of a bathtub and an adjacent wall to inhibit damage to the wall.
2. Summary of the Disclosure
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a panel having a front side, a back side, an upper edge, a lower edge, a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge. The panel is comprised of a flexible material. The back side has a plurality of elongated slots therein each oriented parallel to each other and to the lower edge. The slots each extend to the first and second lateral edges. A first adhesive is attached to the back side of the panel adjacent to the upper edge and extends from the first lateral edge to the second lateral edge. A second adhesive is attached to the back side of the panel adjacent to the lower edge and extends from the first lateral edge to the second lateral edge. The first and second adhesives comprise a pressure sensitive adhesive. The first adhesive is configured to secure the panel to the wall and the second adhesive is configured to secure the panel to the bathtub.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a broken rear perspective view of a bathtub moisture barrier assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a broken rear view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 5 thereof, a new bathtub sealing device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.
As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5, the bathtub moisture barrier assembly 10 generally comprises a panel 12 that has a front side 14, a back side 16, an upper edge 18, a lower edge 20, a first lateral edge 22 and a second lateral edge 24. The panel 12 is comprised of a flexible material such as an elastomer, plastic or the like and is water impermeable. The back side 16 has a plurality of elongated slots 26 therein. The slots 26 are each is oriented parallel to each other and to the lower edge 20. The slots 26 each extend to the first 22 and second 24 lateral edges.
A first adhesive 28 is attached to the back side 16 of the panel 12 adjacent to the upper edge 12 and extends from the first lateral edge 22 to the second lateral edge 24. A second adhesive 30 is attached to the back side 16 of the panel 12 adjacent to the lower edge 20. The second adhesive 30 extends from the first lateral edge 22 to the second lateral edge 24. The first 28 and second 30 adhesives comprise a conventional pressure sensitive adhesive. The first adhesive 28 is configured to secure the panel 21 to a wall 70 adjacent to a bathtub 72 and the second adhesive 30 is configured to secure the panel 12 to the bathtub 72. A pair of coverings 32 is provided. Each of the first 28 and second 30 adhesives has one of the coverings 32 removably positioned thereon.
The plurality of slots 26 includes an uppermost slot 34 positioned adjacent to the first adhesive 28. The uppermost slot 34 is positioned between 1.0 cm and 3.0 cm from the upper edge 18. The first adhesive 28 may terminate at the uppermost slot 34. The plurality of slots 26 also includes a lowermost slot 36 positioned adjacent to the second adhesive 30. The lowermost slot 36 is positioned between 1.0 cm and 3.0 cm from the lower edge 20 and the second adhesive 30 may terminate at the lowermost slot 36. A distance between the uppermost 34 and the lowermost 36 slots is generally between 5.0 cm and 10.0 cm. A depth of the panel 12 from the front side 14 to the back side 16 increases from the upper edge 18 to the uppermost slot 34 and the depth increases from the lower edge 20 to the lowermost slot 36. This causes an upper section 38, defined between the upper edge 18 and the uppermost slot 34, and a lower section 40, defined between the lower edge 20 and the lowermost slot 36, to each be wedged shape as can be seen in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 5, this shape will help to shed water off of the assembly 10 and back into the bathtub 72. The depth may also increase from the uppermost slot 34 to an area adjacent to the lowermost slot 36. Such as shape helps support the assembly 10 on the bathtub 72 adjacent to the lower section 40 as shown in FIG. 5.
The plurality of slots 26 may further include a plurality of intermediate slots 42 positioned between the uppermost slot 34 and the lowermost slot 36. These intermediate slots 42 may include between 1 and 5 slots and may be generally positioned nearer to the lowermost slot 36 than the uppermost slot 34. These intermediate slots 42 facilitate the curving of the panel 12 as shown in FIG. 5. Each of the slots 26 may be V-shaped taken traverse to a cross-section extending through the upper 18 and lower 20 edges.
In use, the panel 12 is cut to a required length and the covers 32 removed to expose the adhesives 28, 30. The panel 12 is then attached to the wall 70 and the bathtub 72 as shown in the Figures and described above. The panel 12 will over older caulking 74 which may have become unsightly or damaged. The panel 12 thereby provides an aesthetic improvement while also preventing water from leaking between the bathtub 72 and wall 70 which would damage the wall 70.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.

Claims

I claim:

1. A bathtub moisture barrier assembly configured to be coupled to a bathtub and a wall to cover and seal a juncture of the bathtub and the wall, said assembly comprising:

a panel having a front side, a back side, an upper edge, a lower edge, a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge, said panel being comprised of a flexible material, said back side having a plurality of elongated slots therein, said slots each being oriented parallel to each other and to said lower edge, said slots each extending to said first and second lateral edges;

a first adhesive being attached to said back side of said panel adjacent to said upper edge, said first adhesive extending from said first lateral edge to said second lateral edge; and

a second adhesive being attached to said back side of said panel adjacent to said lower edge, said second adhesive extending from said first lateral edge to said second lateral edge, said first and second adhesives comprising a pressure sensitive adhesive, said first adhesive being configured to secure said panel to said wall, said second adhesive being configured to secure said panel to said bathtub.

2. The bathtub moisture barrier assembly according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of slots includes an uppermost slot positioned adjacent to said first adhesive, said uppermost slot being positioned between 1.0 cm and 3.0 cm from said upper edge, said plurality of slots including a lowermost slot positioned adjacent to said second adhesive, said lowermost slot being positioned between 1.0 cm and 3.0 cm from said lower edge.

3. The bathtub moisture barrier assembly according to claim 2, wherein said first adhesive terminates at said uppermost slot and said second adhesive terminates at said lowermost slot.

4. The bathtub moisture barrier assembly according to claim 2, wherein a distance between said uppermost and said lowermost slots being between 5.0 cm and 10.0 cm.

5. The bathtub moisture barrier assembly according to claim 2, wherein a depth of said panel from said front side to said back side increases from said upper edge to said uppermost slot, said depth increasing from said lower edge to said lowermost slot.

6. The bathtub moisture barrier assembly according to claim 5, wherein said depth increases from said uppermost slot to an area adjacent to said lowermost slot.

7. The bathtub moisture barrier assembly according to claim 5, wherein said plurality of slots includes a plurality of intermediate slots positioned between said uppermost slot and said lowermost slot.

8. The bathtub moisture barrier assembly according to claim 7, wherein each of said slots is V-shaped taken traverse to a cross-section extending through said upper and lower edges.

9. The bathtub moisture barrier assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of said slots is V-shaped taken traverse to a cross-section extending through said upper and lower edges.

10. The bathtub moisture barrier assembly according to claim 2, wherein said plurality of slots includes a plurality of intermediate slots positioned between said uppermost slot and said lowermost slot.

11. A bathtub moisture barrier assembly configured to be coupled to a bathtub and a wall to cover and seal a juncture of the bathtub and the wall, said assembly comprising:

a first adhesive being attached to said back side of said panel adjacent to said upper edge, said first adhesive extending from said first lateral edge to said second lateral edge;

a second adhesive being attached to said back side of said panel adjacent to said lower edge, said second adhesive extending from said first lateral edge to said second lateral edge, said first and second adhesives comprising a pressure sensitive adhesive, said first adhesive being configured to secure said panel to said wall, said second adhesive being configured to secure said panel to said bathtub;

said plurality of slots including an uppermost slot positioned adjacent to said first adhesive, said uppermost slot being positioned between 1.0 cm and 3.0 cm from said upper edge, said first adhesive terminating at said uppermost slot;

said plurality of slots including a lowermost slot positioned adjacent to said second adhesive, said lowermost slot being positioned between 1.0 cm and 3.0 cm from said lower edge, said second adhesive terminating at said lowermost slot;

a distance between said uppermost and said lowermost slots being between 5.0 cm and 10.0 cm;

a depth of said panel from said front side to said back side increasing from said upper edge to said uppermost slot, said depth increasing from said lower edge to said lowermost slot, said depth increasing from said uppermost slot to an area adjacent to said lowermost slot;

said plurality of slots including a plurality of intermediate slots positioned between said uppermost slot and said lowermost slot, each of said slots being V-shaped taken traverse to a cross-section extending through said upper and lower edges; and

a pair of coverings, each of said first and second adhesives having one of said coverings removably positioned thereon.