Patent Application
20070130683
When plumbers are installing bathtubs a cover is used to cover the tub so debris will not fall into the bathtub and so that non-plumbers can be warned that the bathtub is under construction. Though some plumbers merely use a drop cloth or tarp to cover a bathtub, these covers can prove to be associated with many problems. For example, these types of covers are usually not specifically made for a bathtub and therefore parts of the cover can end up on the floor creating hazards for the plumber. Additionally, these covers are not attached to the bathtub and therefore can slide off easily or when larger pieces of debris fall in the middle of them, it can pull the cover off the bathtub. Furthermore, when a plumber has to leave the worksite and a homeowner or building tenant remains on the premises, the homeowner or building tenant occasionally does not realize that the cover over the bathtub means that the bathtub area is not safe for them to use. This can cause a homeowner or building tenant to walk into an unattended bathroom and step on debris causing injury or to attempt to use an unfinished bathtub causing damage to pipes and the tub itself.
Because of all these problems there is a need in the art for a bathtub cover that will securely fix onto a bathtub and at the same time warn homeowners and building tenants that the bathtub is not to be used. There is also a need in the art to have a bathtub cover that is easy to transport from one worksite to the next.
Thus, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a bathtub cover that will warn homeowners and building tenants that the bathtub is under construction.
Another object is to provide a bathtub cover that will be shaped to conform to the size of a bathtub.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a bathtub cover that can be secured to the bathtub so that it may not be easily shifted or moved.
These and other objects, features, or advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the specification and claims.
The present invention is a protective cover for a rectangular bathtub to use during the construction of bathrooms. The cover is a rectangular sheet that has elongated strips of adhesive along its side edges that can be used to secure the side edges to the frame of the bathtub. Before use, there is a protective strip removably mounted on the strips of adhesive. Additionally, the cover has spaced apart bands that extend diagonally across the sheet that have precautionary messages written thereon to warn a viewer that the tub is a potential hazardous area. This invention also includes a method of protecting a bathtub that includes taking the rectangular sheet and placing the elongated strips of adhesive and protective strip on top of the adhesive strips. Then one places a plurality of spaced bands with the precautionary message on the cover and removes the protective strips to adhere the strips of adhesive onto the bathtub.
The bathtub cover 10 of the present invention is used by a plumber when installing a bathtub 12, or working on a bathtub 12, within a bathroom. The cover 10 has side edges 14 and end edges 16. Along the side edges 14 is a securing means 18 that is covered by a protective strip 20 that is removably mounted onto the securing means 18. Located diagonally across the cover 10 are a plurality of caution strips 22 that have precautionary messages thereon and are spaced apart by diagonal dividers 24.
In operation, a plumber takes the cover 10 with the securing means 18 and protective strips 20 that are removably mounted on the securing means 18 and removes the protective strips 20. The plumber then secures the securing means 18 to the upper side edges of the bathtub 12 with the precautionary message showing for all bystanders to see.
Though in a preferred embodiment the cover 10 is specifically in the shape of a rectangular tub, the cover 10 can be made to fit a tub 12 of any shape or size. The cover 10 merely must be made so that it hangs over the perimeter of the tub 12. Then the portion of the cover 10 that hangs over the perimeter of the tub 12 will have the securing means 18 thereon. Hence, the cover 10 can be attached to the tub 12 using the same method as described above.
In a preferred embodiment the securing means 18 is an elongated adhesive strip that is located along the side edges 14 of cover 10. The securing means can also be double back tape, or any adhesive that may be placed on the cover 10. In a preferred embodiment the precautionary message on the caution strips is “caution”, though in other embodiments the message can be “warning”, or any other precautionary message. Also, the material the cover 10 is made from can be transparent, or can be any material that will prevent debris from falling in the bathtub 12. Though in a preferred embodiment the precautionary message is on a diagonal caution strip 22, the message can be displayed on the cover 10 in any manner, such as written once laterally across the entire cover, or displayed in a multitude of colors.
The precautionary messages warn a viewer such as a homeowner or building tenant that the tub is a potentially hazardous area. Also, the securing means 18 allows the cover 10 to be securely adhered to the bathtub 12 to ensure that the cover 10 will not move or shift. The rectangular shape of the cover 10 additionally allows the cover 10 to conform to the dimensions of a rectangular bathtub 12. The protective strips 20 allow the cover 10 to be carried together with multiple covers so that multiple covers can be carried by a plumber to several work areas. Consequently, the disclosed invention achieves all of its objectives.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other various modifications could be made to the device without the parting from the spirit in scope of this invention. All such modifications and changes fall within the scope of the claims and are intended to be covered thereby.
