This invention relates to a shower system having a level entry.
Level entry showers are well-known. They are a necessity for many disabled people and a luxury fixture for others. Generally, shower trays either incorporate a ramp into the design or are recessed into the floor such that a wheelchair or bath chair within the showering area is essentially level with the adjacent floor surface.
It has previously been proposed to provide a shower tray for a disabled person that has a tray and a removable cover plate supported above the tray on which the wheelchair stands during showering. Run-off water passes through holes in the cover plate and is conducted towards a waste water outlet by the tray. This is not ideal due to the size, strength, and durability required for the cover plate, making the cover plate heavy and thus difficult to remove for cleaning the tray.
Other shower trays for level entry showers incorporate a raised central portion and a wastewater channel for directing the runoff to a drain. These may be difficult to properly clean and also potentially difficult to install due to the location of the drain toward the outside edge of the shower tray. Still other shower trays comprise curbs around the exterior of the tray, which increases the difficulty and expense of installation as ramps have to be incorporated. Shower trays having no curb or barrier on the entry side are also known, but those often do not provide sufficient slope to ensure proper drainage without the use of some other means to prevent the wastewater from escaping the area.
Additionally, there have been a number of installation issues in the currently known drain assemblies for level entry shower systems. These systems comprise parts that are difficult to correctly install or require the investment of a significant amount of time for installation.
Those offering the sale and/or installation of known systems generally must stock several different shower pan sizes in order to accommodate the wide range of shower sizes.
Embodiments of the present invention seek to overcome some or all of these problems by providing a curbless, stepped shower tray appropriate for a wide range of shower sizes and an easy to install drain assembly.
Embodiments of the inventive shower system provide for a level entry with no curb to step over to enter the showering area. They incorporate certain design improvements over other systems for streamlined and improved installation. Several embodiments of the system comprise a shower tray and drain assembly. The tray comprises a stepped upper surface and a receptor having at least one step for receiving the drain assembly. In certain embodiments, the drain assembly comprises a cup for securing the drain assembly to the receptor and to a drainage pipe, a clamping flange for securing a waterproof floor covering between the clamping flange and the cup, at least one gasket for providing a watertight seal between the drainage pipe and cup. The drain assembly may further comprise a grate, a grate retainer, and an adjuster for adjustably securing the grate retainer to the clamping flange.
The inventive level entry shower system is described below with respect to non-exclusive embodiments depicted in the figures. The depicted embodiments of the inventive level entry shower system comprise a shower tray 10 and a drain assembly 100.
A. Shower Tray
The shower tray 10, as depicted in
Although the tray 10 has a fall to the receptor 12 sufficient to allow water to quickly drain, it maintains a thin profile. This profile allows it to be installed on top of structural flooring members, thus eliminating the need to modify an existing floor system, such as by lowering or cutting into the floor supports. The modification of existing floor supports may cause structural damage to the floors, adds time to installation of a shower, and increases the opportunity for mistakes in installation. The tray 10 may be used in structures comprising traditional wood joists, prefabricated wood joists, engineered trusses, or slab on grade concrete foundations. It may also be installed in concrete floors utilizing tension cables when measures are taken into account to avoid cables during installation.
The receptor 12 is located in a central area of the tray 10. The receptor 12 incorporates at least one step for retaining the drain assembly 100 (see
Because the tray 10 is curbless, the tray 10 may be easily cut down to accommodate smaller shower designs. For example, it may be manufactured to measure 59.5 inches by 47.5 inches, a standard size for a larger shower, and be designed so that it may be cut down to 48.0 inches by 36.0 inches, a standard size for a smaller shower.
Some embodiments incorporate a textured surface for the top side of the tray 10, which may allow for the creation of a stronger mechanical bond between our tray and waterproofing materials used in installation.
In some embodiments, the tray 10 may be manufactured to incorporate cut lines and screw dimples into the top side of the tray 10 to ease installation. The cut lines match with strategically placed supports on the underside of the tray to ensure a solid installation. The screw dimples on the top side of the tray 10 may be strategically located to match up with a thickened area on the underside of the tray. This thickened area prevents screws used to secure the tray 10 to the floor's framing elements from breaking through the tray 10 before becoming fully installed.
A non-exclusive example of a method of installing an embodiment of the invention follows. Language such as “should” is horatory and not mandatory, and is not to be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention or ruling out other methods of carrying out the invention.
Prior to installing the tray 10 in a room having a wooden subfloor and framing, the subfloor where the tray 10 is to be installed is removed. Next, it may be advisable to frame the area underneath the tray 10 such that blocks, such as plywood pieces, are installed between the joists or trusses of the floor's structural system to provide additional support to the area. A new subfloor, which may be level with the top of the floor's structural system, may then be installed over the framing elements with an opening in the center section of the shower area where the receptor 12 shall be located. The tray 10 may then be set into position. Any adjustments may then be made to ensure level installation of the tray 10 while making sure the bottom of the receptor 12 is not resting on a block, joist, truss, or other framing element.
Once this has been accomplished, a construction adhesive, such as a latex modified thinset or other mortar appropriate to secure, may be applied to the area beneath the tray 10. The tray 10, preferably with the drain assembly cup 20 (later described) already installed, may then be set into place on top of the adhesive to be secured to the replacement subfloor. The tray 10 may be further secured to the framing elements using, for example, screws around the perimeter of the tray 10.
The tray 10 may be manufactured from any of a variety of materials, including relatively lightweight but strong materials that are substantially impervious to water. Non-exclusive examples of materials from which the tray 10 may be manufactured include acrylic plastic, ABS or PVC plastic, or fiberglass.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other methods of installation may also be appropriate, whether the flooring structure is wooden, concrete, or some other material or combination of materials.
B. Drain Assembly
As may be seen in
The cup 20 is shown in detail in
The cup 20 may be installed by securing it to the receptor 12 of the shower tray 10. A seal, such as a gasket or an o-ring, may be placed between the receptor 12 and cup 20 to provide a watertight seal. In addition or in the alternative, the underside surface of the cup 20 coming into contact with the receptor 12 may be coated with a sealant, such as silicone or caulk. The cup 20 may be set into the receptor 12 and rotated until the engagement tab 22 of the cup 20 fits into the engagement tab receiver 13 (see
Upon securing the tray 10 to the framing elements, the cup 20 fits securely to a drainage pipe. An adapter, such as a gasket 28 or drain adapter (not shown), may be installed between the cup 20 and a drainage pipe (not shown) to form a watertight seal. Drain adapters may take various forms depending on the type of pipe that is to be attached to the shower system. It may be advisable to use a suitable lubricant to aid in placement of the gasket 28. It may also be advisable to use watertight adhesive or sealant, such as latex caulk, between the cup 20 and the drain pipe or the drain adapter. It may further be advisable to utilize a secondary method of securing a drain adapter to the cup 20 such as by screwing the adapter to the cup 20. At this point, the tray 10, the perimeter around the tray 10, and the lower portion of the shower walls may be prepared for the installation of a waterproofing compound, such as a waterproofing membrane, over a waterproofing fabric, or a waterproof sheet membrane. After inspecting and testing for water tightness, selected flooring, such as tile, may be installed.
As shown in the depicted embodiment, a lock ring 30 and drain gasket 28 provide a watertight seal between the cup 20 and drainage pipe (not shown) without the use of caulk or other sealant, thereby providing for faster and more reliable installation.
The applicant has devised an inventive multipurpose tightening tool, an embodiment of which is depicted as tightening tool 34, to assist in the installation process of the drain assembly 100. In the depicted embodiment, tightening tool 34 is cylindrical in shape and has two slots 35, 35′ formed in the wall of the shaft at a first end thereof, each slot being substantially opposite the other slot; two handles 36, 36′ extending outward from the outer surface of the wall substantially adjacent the first end of the shaft, each handle being substantially opposite the other handle; helical threads along the outer surface at the second end thereof, the helical threads being configured to engage the drain gasket lock ring 30; and preferably at least three tabs (two of which, 38, 38′ are shown) located substantially equidistant around the circumference of the outer wall of the shaft adjacent the helical threads, the tabs being configured to engage the tab receivers 31, 31′, 31″, 31′″ of drain gasket lock ring 30. The inventive tightening tool can be helpful in installation of the drain assembly, for example when used to install the cup 20, gasket 28, and lock ring 30 as described hereafter. Using the inventive tightening tool speeds the installation process and, because of its unique configuration, the inventive tightening tool is unlikely to become lost or to fall into an open drain pipe during the installation process, thus avoiding a common problem of existing installation tools.
After installing the cup 20 in the tray 10 and securing the tray 10 to the floor, a gasket 28 (see
At this point, any waterproofing steps may be completed. For example, the area surrounding the tray 10 may be covered with a waterproofing compound, such as a waterproofing membrane, over a waterproofing fabric, or a waterproof sheet membrane may be used. The seams at the floor and corners may be taped and then an additional waterproofing layer may be applied over the entire shower floor area, including overtop the shower tray 10.
Once the waterproofing is complete, a circular opening may be cut into the waterproofing materials at the site of the drain assembly 100. As may be seen in
To install the clamping flange 40, the clamping flange 40 is set into the cup 20 and turned until the engagement tab 46 is aligned with the cup engagement tab 22. This alignment of the tabs 22, 46 provides a desirable alignment of the clamping flange mounting screw holes 26, 26′, 26″ of the cup 20 and the clamping flange mounting screw holes 42, 42′, 42″ of the clamping flange 40. In order to achieve a watertight seal, the waterproofing materials may be cut such that they fit under the outer edge of the clamping flange 40. When screws are inserted and secured in the screw holes 26, 26′, 26″ and through screw holes 42, 42′, 42″, the waterproofing materials are pressed between the top rim 27 of the cup 20 and the top rim 47 of the clamping flange 40.
The drain assembly 100 further comprises a three piece strainer system consisting of an adjuster 50, grate retainer 60, and grate 70, which are shown in
This three piece system is particularly useful in that it allows for lowering the grate retainer 60 after the shower flooring has been installed. In the event that the strainer has to be lowered during floor installation, the grate retainer 60 may be disengaged from the adjuster 50, the adjuster 50 may be screwed down to provide a lower profile, and the grate retainer 60 may be re-installed.
The grate 70 and grate retainer 60 may further comprise some means for connecting the two such that the grate 70 will be held in place but may be removed for cleaning. For example, in the embodiment depicted in
The grate retainer may further comprise tile tabs 64, 64′ around its perimeter to ensure an equal tile joint distance around the retainer 60 where the edges come into contact with tile.
Following the complete installation of the drain assembly 100, flooring for the shower area, such as tile or vinyl, may then be installed. Should it be determined that the grate 70 and grate retainer 60 were initially installed at the incorrect height, they may be removed and reinstalled at the correct height.
The foregoing details are exemplary only. Other modifications that might be contemplated by those of skill in the art are within the scope of this invention, and are not limited by the examples illustrated herein.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/US2014/028645 | 3/14/2014 | WO | 00 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61792428 | Mar 2013 | US |