The present invention concerns a carrier body. Further, the invention relates to a method for adapting such a carrier body to a desired underlaying flooring within a predetermined dimensioning for a sanitary shower facility. In addition, the invention discloses methods of installation and usage of said carrier body.
A carrier body is made known in EP 1 388 317 A1.
Where shower facilities are involved, types may be included which function within enclosed cabinets or possibly lack protective sidewall structures, thus forming simple shower installations. An ongoing problem for a selection of such types is to provide a carrier body protected by a sanitary surface material. Such surface material may extend itself to cover a shower cubicle, in particular with emphasis on the contour of the bottom. The said bottom contains a drain, and the surface may be that of tile or a like protective material. In any case, the surface possesses a waste water removal means and a desirable installation is to be quickly carried out with proper connection to the plumbing of an adjacent structure. Installation should include a simultaneous sealing off of the said adjacent structure, including flooring and/or walls. Besides the typical design disclosed in EP 1 388 317 A2, the document DE 20 2006 012 825 U1 presents for this service a hard curing, foamed carrier body upon which the bottom pan, i.e. carrier body shower bottom, can be placed. The carrier body consists, in this case, of a water-impervious material with, advantageously, a high degree of gross density, which density includes material and its porosity. Possible examples similar to this would be extruded foamed material such as a polyurethane substance requiring curing. Numerous foamed materials of varying properties are on the market are known to the state of the technology. Among these would be EPS (Expandable Polystyrene); XPS (Extruded Polystyrene); EPP (Expandable Polypropylene; and EPL (Extended Pot Life—a polyurea compound).
The upper bearing surface of the carrier body is preliminarily covered by an unbroken, sanitary coating, this being, for instance, an acrylic sealant. The upper bearing surface can also be laid with tile. Advantageously, this tiling can be done after the placement of the carrier body on the area intended to be occupied by the shower and its accessories. Additionally, in accord with certain surface treatment materials, these may be advantageously inclined in the direction of a drain opening, which opening must coincide with an existing flooring drain. In many instances of installation, the carrier body, combined with its protective coating is normally applied directly onto an existing underpinning, for example onto a flooring compound or a prepared substrate.
In accord with the localized conditions wherein the carrier body is to serve the intended shower, this body, with its sanitary surfacing, must be tightly sealed off from adjacent flooring. Using the sanitary top surfacing material for such sealing is a common practice. The points of sealing would include neighboring tile areas or walls, especially where said walls have been tile covered. The generic patent EP 1 388 317 A2 proposes that the outward rims of the carrier body are to be provided with sealing membranes placed between bearing surfaces and adjacent body edges adjoining existing surfaces. The sealing membrane is intended to overlap the periphery of the carrier body. In a case wherein a carrier body, finds itself adjacent to a previously installed flooring, then the described sealing membranes are to overlap the edges of the neighboring flooring compound. In this way, a moisture impervious bond is made between the shower base and the existing flooring.
DE 20 2006 012 825 U1 discloses a similar flooring connection. In this utility patent, an explanation is given in detail as to how the free edges of the carrier body can be affixed.
Carrier bodies complying with the previous state of the technology have been delivered to installation sites with custom made, predetermined dimensions. Insofar as the established dimensioning of the of the shower enclosure conforms to predetermined measurements, no problem exists in regard to sealing-off the carrier body in relation to its surroundings. In a case variant to this, if the predetermined dimensioning do not conform to the available space at the installation site, then, difficulties can arise in the application of sanitary topping surfacing during the mounting of the shower enclosure and its drain pan, in particular where tiles and limiting dimensions are concerned.
The purpose of the present patent is to obviate problems of this sort.
This purpose is achieved for a known carrier body by means of the features descibed below. Part of the sealing membrane is firmly affixed onto the bearing surface, the bottom pan area, and the exposed inner surface of the drain opening. Adhesion to flooring topping, or, to the edge surfaces of the carrier body is hereafter described. If necessity requires that the carrier body be manufactured to predetermined measurements of the shower space, then this dimensioning can be adjusted by vertical cutting. Since only a part of the sealing membrane is applied firmly onto an first (inner) part of the carrier body, then the remaining part of the sealing membrane, which overlaps the edges of the carrier body in a temporarily loose state can be folded back to clear the area. Thereafter, the carrier body can be correctly cut to a conforming size in the second (outer) partial area (
Particular advantage is taken to assure that the area of sealing membrane is made larger than the surface of the carrier body to be overlaid. By this means, the carrier body can be installed even in such cases as occur in the described state of the present technology. In such cases it is not necessary that the carrier body be made to conform in its original factory-made dimensioning to the dimensions of the site of a shower enclosure. If such an event occurs, then those partial, outward areas of the sealing membrane, which first loosely overlap the carrier body, can be installed onto the corrected second (outer) surface of the carrier body in a simple manner at the construction site. The sealing membrane is so advantageously designed, that one side binds easily against the carrier body while the other, i.e., reverse side, is coated with adhesive. If necessary, the adhesive can be especially adapted for securing tiling.
It is also not necessary, that the sealing membrane be designed entirely as a flat surface. That is to say, the intention is to evenly overlap entirely the thereunder lying surface of the carrier body. Flatness is in order where the corresponding, edgewise partial area of the surface of the carrier body has been loosely overlapped. The purpose of this arrangement is that, in a case of specific conformity of the carrier body to the dimensioning of the shower enclosure, it then becomes possible that the custom-cut edges of the actual periphery are properly overlapped. At the same time, a continuous sealing between the carrier body and adjacent surfaces can be obtained.
In a particularly advantageous manner the sealing membrane is placed on the bearing surface of the carrier body. On the then remaining, freely accessible, upward extending surface of the sealing membrane, it is possible to lay tiles, flat stone sections and the like to bring about a finished placement about the shower enclosure. If a sanitary top surface material is to be placed over the carrier's bearing surface, then this can be a sanitary sealing membrane such as, for example, an acrylic layer to cover the underside of a shower enclosure bottom pan. In this way, the underside of carrier body can adapt itself to the existing dimensioning of the site of the shower installation and the sealing membrane can serve to protect adjacent, neighboring surfaces.
The drain opening in the carrier body must coincide with an existing drain in the flooring. Accordingly, the drain of the carrier body is to be sufficiently adjustable to exactly meet the centerline of draining connections. The invented sealing membrane is to cover the exposed, inner surface of the opening.
The carrier body, as aforesaid, can be brought into exact conformation with field dimensions during installation of the shower. Mounting and shower component alignments are aided if the drain pan bottom of the carrier body be provided with a field corrected rim periphery. To accomplish this correction, and thus ease the installation, the bearing surface of the carrier body has been provided with predetermined linear indentations. In this way, it is possible to make vertical cuts along the carrier body edge in the second (outer) area, guided by these indentations. By means of these guided cuttings, the premounting operation is considerably facilitated.
In the case of the advantageous method, in accord with the invention, it becomes important, that the sealing membrane be permanently bonded on first (inner) portion of the carrier body. In the remaining part of the carrier body surface, the sealing membrane loosely overlaps the carrier body surface on the second (outer) portion, which portion can now be custom cut to the dimensioning of the shower enclosure. A conforming fit can be made by means of cutting the carrier body vertically in the second (outer) portion, which, at this point of installation, is loosely overlapped by the said sealing membrane. Prior to the mentioned trimming by cutting, the loosely overlapping, sealing membrane is folded back to clear the second (outer) portion, which lies thereunder. Since the sealing membrane is now securely anchored adhesively against the first (inner) area, it becomes possible that the vertical cutting of the carrier body at the previously stated desired location can be carried out on the still remaining section of the second (outer) area portion. This need not disturb the loose sealing membrane, which is folded out of the way. In an especially advantageous manner, with a preliminary trimming, the sealing membrane can be so dimensioned, that it overlaps a rim-aligned area above the edges after the cutting is ended. In this way, trimming-to-fit time can be reduced. However, the trimming of the sealing membrane can also be carried out prior to, or after the involved edge surface has been firmly adhesively attached.
Examples of the invention are presented in the hereto attached drawings, which are explained in greater detail below:
In the following is to be found an explanation and a more detailed description of the invention, with the aid of the above Figures, in accord with surrounding construction and, where necessary, also providing the method of operation of the said invention.
In the perspective presentation of
In this perspective presentation of
In accord with the invention, it remains possible for the carrier body 1, as may be seen in the section of the second (outer) partial area 7, to be adjusted into alignment with the field dimensioning of the shower location. This adjustment could be carried out in some instances by means of a cut-to-fit operation. This advantageous adaption of size can be carried out on site by workmen with tools readily at hand, including, for example, a saw. Thus, in accord with this operation, a rapid and simple fitting of the outside dimensions of the carrier body 1 to the space requirements of the shower site is made possible at any time.
In
membrane 8. Likewise is exhibited the second partial (outer) area 7 with an overhanging, loose part 12 of the sealing membrane 8. As has already been mentioned, in the case of the through-cutting of the carrier body 1, first, the mentioned loose part 12 of the sealing membrane is folded back out of the way. Thereafter, the carrier body 1 is separated, i.e. cut, through the second (outer) area 7. When the cutting is finished, then the loose part 12 of the sealing membrane is again brought down onto the now trimmed section of the second (outer) partial area 7 and firmly attached thereto by adhesive means. When this is done, either before or after the cutting and adherent affixing, the loose part 12 of the sealing membrane 8 can be evenly trimmed. The result of this trimming allows the now cut-to-fit edge 13 (see
As the next step, the mounting of the carrier body 1 can now be executed and the said body fitted in alignment with the neighboring surfaces. In methods of operational possibilities, as set forth in
In the case of the example shown in
As a final possibility in this installation example, it remains to be shown in
flooring 18. From this
The arrangement of an alternate example of the carrier body 1′ is presented in the section
shown in
The cutting to desired dimensioning of the carrier body 1′, where
In the
flooring 18 and the like. Principally in 5b, the determination has been made, that a cut-to-fit carrier body 1′ is involved, which is supported on a substrate 14 and is then sealed off against a wall 15 with the aid of the sealing membrane extension 16. Even in this case, corresponding to the construction example of
The arrangements shown in
In the case of
The bearing surface 2 and/or the under surface 20 may possess predetermined linear indentations in order that a penetrative, vertical cutting can be carried out along the said indentations.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
10 2007 050 150 | Oct 2007 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
PCT/EP2008/008872 | 10/20/2008 | WO | 00 | 4/20/2010 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2009/053019 | 4/30/2009 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2239969 | Morthland | Apr 1941 | A |
3139627 | Rice | Jul 1964 | A |
3606617 | Frazier | Sep 1971 | A |
3675384 | Knecht | Jul 1972 | A |
4557004 | Piana | Dec 1985 | A |
5845347 | Young | Dec 1998 | A |
5913777 | Gerber | Jun 1999 | A |
6003169 | Davis, Jr. | Dec 1999 | A |
7624542 | Hatrick-Smith | Dec 2009 | B2 |
8132275 | Wilson et al. | Mar 2012 | B2 |
20030089059 | Kirby | May 2003 | A1 |
20050028270 | Nehring | Feb 2005 | A1 |
20070130685 | Huang et al. | Jun 2007 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
6453 | Nov 2003 | AT |
202005002299 | May 2005 | DE |
202006012825 | Dec 2006 | DE |
102006047437 | Jul 2008 | DE |
Entry |
---|
International Search Report issued in parent PCT/EP2008/008872, 6 pages. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20100218310 A1 | Sep 2010 | US |