Patent Application
20230098163
The present invention relates generally to showers, bathroom floors and other drainable structures that are part of a prefabricated bathroom pod construction or other similar types of modular building units, and more particularly to pod bathroom floors where the pod bathroom floor is reinforced and integrated into the bathroom pod or other building unit in such a manner as to add significant strength to the bathroom pod to resist bending, twisting and sagging, and/or to aid in lifting and supporting the weight of the bathroom pod floors and walls.
Most bathroom shower enclosures are created using complicated construction methods. For example, using conventional techniques, a skilled installer frames out the area to be enclosed using two-by-four wooden, steel or aluminum studs to create a shower enclosure space. Felt or tar paper is then laid over a subfloor area enclosed within the space. A flexible, leak-proof liner is installed on top of the felt or tar paper and attached to the frame. Next, the installer attaches dry wall boards to the framing studs, creating shower sidewalls. A hole is cut in the liner to allow for a drain, and a layer of mortar is applied to the shower sidewalls and curb and allowed to cure. Additional mortar is applied on top of the leak-proof liner and hand-shaped to form a shower floor which slopes toward the drain such that water from the shower flows toward the drain. After the mortar has cured, shower tile is applied to the floor and sidewalls to create the finished enclosure.
The process of creating an enclosed shower in this manner is time-consuming and requires experience, knowledge and skill in order to maintain the proper pitch and uniformity in shaping the floor. Irregularities in the pitch of the floor can cause water from the shower not to drain properly or make tiling the shower enclosure difficult. The liners are also susceptible to punctures or leaks and may be difficult for the installer to properly form square corners at the intersection of the shower sidewalls and floor. Additionally, the mortar layer used to create the floor is necessarily thick in order to form a sloped surface, therefore the time required for the floor to cure before applying tile may be quite long (e.g., greater than 24 hours). As a result, construction projects that require a multitude of showers or bathrooms to be fabricated such as residential complexes, hotels, and hospitals will be more expensive and take longer due to the required labor.
In recent years, to decrease this cost especially for the aforementioned commercial applications, the process of shower installation has been vastly improved by the introduction of prefabricated shower bases used for forming the shower floor. Use of these prefabricated shower bases significantly decreases the amount of time and skill required to construct a bathroom shower enclosure, as well as providing more of a consistent and reliable flooring surface upon which to apply floor coverings. These shower bases are pre-constructed molded units having a sloping floor, an integrated drain, curb, sidewalls, and a horizontal surface on the top of each sidewall for receiving drywall such that the drywall surface is substantially flush to the shower base sidewalls. Installation of the shower base involves securing a section of drain pipe to the drain, applying adhesive and sealing material to the sub floor where the base will rest, and seating the base on the subfloor. Tile can then be applied directly to the shower walls and shower base without the need for first applying mortar.
Other improvements in the construction process have included the provision of entire prefabricated bathroom pods, that are assembled off-site and installed in a building under construction to decrease the cost of labor when building suites in the aforementioned commercial applications.
However, more than just prefabricated shower components are needed to create prefabricated bathroom pods. In particular, there exists a need to make the entire bathroom floor a monolithic and fortified component of such pods that are sturdy enough to withstand the weight and forces exerted on the bathroom floor and other pod components during fabrication, lifting, transport and installation, without fear of damage occurring to the bathroom floor or another part of the prefabricated bathroom pod.
Bathroom pod construction is a new and growing competitive construction segment which has certain advantages over conventional construction methods, particularly in large new built projects. Bathroom pod manufacturers have been successful in eliminating many deficiencies associated with traditional bathroom construction methods undertaken in the field on a construction site by having pod company employees responsible for all or substantially all of the construction and assembly of a pod in a factory setting. When the bathroom pod is finished, it is shipped to a construction site where it is lifted and then installed in the structure as a finished bathroom.
The factory environment allows significantly more oversight and control over how and when a pod is manufactured, including sequencing different groups of pod employees based upon when their trade expertise is required. Pod supervisors are also readily available to oversee real time work quality, sequencing and scheduling.
With all employees working for the pod manufacturer, the pod employees avoid many of the friction occurring on a traditional construction site between and among different trades present in traditional construction, including, among other things, one trade intentionally or recklessly negatively impacting finished work of another trade.
Bathroom pod manufacturers have introduced meaningful innovation in the construction of bathrooms. However, that innovation has not, for the most part, trickled down to the construction of pod bathroom floor components. Currently, portions of the pod bathroom floor are still being manufactured in much the same way that bathroom floors have been manufactured for years in conventional construction. Bathroom pods are still installed with basic substrates on which pod floors are assembled and installed using a series of off-the-shelf bathroom products which basically mimics traditional (i.e., non-modular) construction practices. Consequently, pod bathroom floors share many of the same headaches and drawbacks associated with traditional construction, along with several additional meaningful drawbacks that are uniquely attributable to pod construction. For example, since pods are manufactured in a factory, they must be shipped from the factory to the construction site and then placed on substrates in buildings with any number of stories. Heretofore, the interconnections between bathroom pod floors and the walls of the pod have not employed independent weight bearing substrates or anti-torsional features which prevent pod floors and/or walls from twisting, bending, sagging and/or otherwise potentially compromising the installed floor and wall coverings, causing them to loosen or dislodge from the pod floor and/or walls when the completed pod is installed on a traditional construction site substrate.
With the introduction of the herein dislcosed new reinforced pod bathroom floor systems, the bathroom pod industry will now have a one-piece pod flooring system which will revolutionize how the bathroom pod industry manufactures bathroom pod floors. Most importantly, the one-piece pod bathroom floor systems provide a full menu of custom solutions for the bathroom pod industry which are not otherwise available and will save significant time and cost. The inventions set forth in this application address many of the thorny issues currently plaguing the bathroom pod manufacturers related to the bathroom pod component. Specifically, the pod bathroom floor component described herein not only provides one or more bathroom shower floors, it also provides all the other bathroom floor structures which include but are not limited to one or more flat bathroom areas, one or more non-shower pitched bathroom wet areas, one or more dry pitched bathroom areas, the entrance to the bathroom, along with any custom size bathroom floor componenet required, while also having the pod bathroom floor entrance component fit into a shallow substrate slab recess (for example, 1.5"), thereby avoiding the excessive costs of recessing the slab even more. Most importantly, all of the above is contained in a one-piece bathroom floor component, which has adequate independent weight bearing floor capabilities as well as being resistant to sagging, bending, twisting and other deformations, and in some embodiments also has pod wall weight bearing capabilities, so the bathroom pod manufacturer can order and receive a one piece pod bathroom floor component which can be assembled with the pod wall panels in a very short period of time (e.g., less than 45 minutes).
A prefabricated bathroom pod according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may comprise a plurality of wall studs supporting wall panels, a ceiling structure, electrical wiring, plumbing (as well as associated accessories), and a bathroom floor component including one or more plastic and/or foam members, the bathroom floor component being characterized as being encapsulated in a waterproof covering or membrane. The walls may connect the ceiling to the bathroom floor component, the electrical wiring may be attached to at least one of the plurality of walls and/or the ceiling, and the plumbing may be attached to at least one of the plurality of walls and/or the bathroom floor component. Thereafter, wall coverings and floor coverings may be applied to the bathroom pod walls and floor.
A prefabricated bathroom pod according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may comprise a plurality of wall studs supporting wall panels, a ceiling structure, electrical wiring, plumbing (as well as associated accessories, if any), and a bathroom floor component including at least a first elongated frame member that is adhered to one or more plastic or foam floor members, the bathroom floor component being characterized as being either encapsulated in a waterproof covering or membrane or comprising one or more closed cell floor panels which are not emcapsulated in a waterproof covering The walls may connect the ceiling to the bathroom floor component, the electrical wiring may be attached to at least one of the plurality of walls and/or the ceiling, and the plumbing may be attached to at least one of the plurality of walls and/or the bathroom floor component. Thereafter, wall coverings and floor coverings may be applied to the bathroom pod walls and floor.
A bathroom floor component according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may comprise one or more floor edge strengthening peripheral members, one or more cross-brace trasverse floor strengthening members, and one or more plastic and/or foam members. The one or more edge floor strengthening peripheral members may be joined to the one or more cross-brace trasverse floor strengthening members, defining one or more pockets, and at least one of the plurality of foam and plastic materials members may be disposed in each of the one or more pockets.
A method of fabricating and using a bathroom floor component according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may comprise positioning one or more foam and/or plastic members that are spaced apart from each other, creating a peripheral framework that may include a plurality of floor edge strengthening members forming an enclosed perimeter around all of the one or more foam and/or plastic floor members, providing a plurality of cross-brace transverse floor strengthening members between the two or more foam and/or plastic floor members, and attaching each of the one or more foam and/or plastic floor members to at least one of the plurality of edge peripheral members, and/or to at least one of the plurality of cross-brace transverse strengthening members.
A prefabricated bathroom pod according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may comprise a ceiling, a floor component, a plurality of walls, electrical wiring and plumbing accessories. An improvement for such a bathroom pod may comprise a bathroom floor component including a perimeter raised platform strengthening member, which defines one or more of a planar upper surface and planar lower surface, defining an outer perimeter of the bathroom floor component, and a foam and/or plastic floor member surrounded by the perimeter peripheral member. The foam and/or plastic floor member may define a drain aperture, and at least a first top surface all or a portion of which is sloped toward the drain aperture. The foam and/or plastic floor member may be a single monolithic member or may be comprised of a plurality of separate floor members, which may or may not be separated by, and attached to, one or more cross-brace transverse strengthening members. In embodiments, the perimeter raised platform strengthening member may be adapted to strengthen the floor component and attach to and support the plurality of bathroom pod walls.
In embodiments, an improvement to this arrangement may include one or more of a rectangular wall frame member and a U-shaped channel forming a lower edge of the bathroom walls, with both the U-shaped channel and the rectanglur shaped frame member sized and shaped to mate with the planar upper surface of the raised platform strengthening member, and one or more fasteners adapted to pass through the raised platform strengthening member and one or more of the U-shaped channel and the wall frame member to connect the floor component to the walls of the pod.The raised platfrom can be substantially the same width as the wall studs 110, or substantially the same width as the wall studs 110 with shower board attached to it, or narrower or wider than both of these two widths, based on the customer needs or other design criteria.
In other embodiments, an improvement to this arrangement may include one or more of a rectangular wall frame member and a U-shaped channel forming a lower edge of the bathroom walls, with both the U-shaped channel and the rectanglar shaped frame member sized and shaped to mate with the planar upper surface of the raised platform strengthening member, where wallboard (e.g., sheet rock) is associated with the pod walls, the width of the planar upper surface of the raised platform strengthening member being at least as wide as the combined widths of the wallboard and the U-shaped channel or the rectanglar shaped frame member, and further comprising one or more fasteners adapted to pass through the raised platform strengthening member and one or more of the U-shaped channel and the wall frame member to connect the floor component to the walls of the pod.
In still other embodiments, an improvement to this arrangement may include one or more transverse bars, straps or metal frames associated with the bottom side of the bathroom floor component. The transverse bars, straps or metal frame may define one or more apertures adapted to align with corresponding apertures defined by said perimeter raised platform strengthening member, said one or more fasteners adapted to pass through the apertures in the strengthening bars/straps/metal frame, said raised platform strengthening member and the one or more of the U-shaped channel and the wall frame member to connect the floor component to the walls of the pod.
A bathroom floor component according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may comprise one or more foam and/or plastic floor members, a raised platform strengthening member including a top planar surface, the raised platform strengthening member at least partially surrounding the one or more foam and/or plastic floor members, an outer wall of the raised platform strengthening member defining an outer perimeter of the bathroom floor component, the raised platform strengthening member also defining an inner wall and a bottom surface. A strengthening border member may be disposed between the one or more foam and/or plastic floor members and the raised platform strengthening member. The one or more foam and/or plastic floor members may define a drain aperture and include at least a first top surface all or a portion of which slopes toward the drain aperture.
In embodiments, the raised platform strengthening member is reinforced by weight-bearing, anti-compression elements. In embodiments, the floor panels may consist of a single, closed cell panel as the only floor panel for the bathroom floor component. In embodiments, such single closed cell panel may also be the only panel used with a raised pod wall support platform.
A method of fabricating and using a bathroom floor component according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure may comprise machining a foam and/or plastic floor member having at least one sloped surface extending downwardly toward a drain aperture, further machining from the same piece of foam and/or plastic a raised platform strengthening member at least partially surrounding the floor member, the raised platform strengthening member adapted to be placed in registry with the pod walls to at least partially support the weight of the pod walls. The raised platform strengthening member may be provided with apertures suited to receiving fasteners to connect the bathroom floor component to lower ends of the pod walls. The method of fabricating in this embodiment comprises encapsulating the entirety of the bathroom floor component in a waterproof layer.
A method of fabricating and using a bathroom floor component according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may comprise machining a foam and/or plastic floor member having at least one sloped surface extending downwardly toward a drain aperture, further machining from the same piece of foam and/or plastic a raised platform strengthening member at least partially surrounding the floor member, the raised platform strengthening member adapted to be placed in registry with the pod walls to at least partially support the weight of the pod walls, machining voids in the raised platform strengthening member adapted to receive anti-compression elements which will serve to support some or all of the weight of the pod walls, and associating the anti-compression elements with the voids. The raised platform strengthening member and/or the anti-compression elements may be provided with apertures suited to receiving fasteners to connect the bathroom floor component to lower ends of the pod walls. The method of fabricating in this embodiment comprises encapsulating the entirety of the bathroom floor component in a waterproof layer.
A method of fabricating and using a bathroom floor component according to a still further embodiment of the present disclosure may comprise machining one or more plastic and/or foam floor members with a contour, providing one or more transverse strengthening members and one or more peripheral strengthening members, associating the foam and/or plastic floor members with the one or more transverse strengthening members and the one or more peripheral strengthening members, and attaching the foam and/or plastic floor members to the one or more transverse strengthening members and the one or more peripheral strengthening members.
A method of fabricating and using a bathroom floor component according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may comprise machining one or more foam and/or plastic floor members, providing one or more transverse strengthening members, associating the foam and/or plastic floor members with the one or more transverse strengthening members, and attaching the foam and/or plastic floor members to the one or more transverse strengthening members
A still further method comprises providing a raised peripheral support platform around at least a portion of a periphery of the two or more foam and/or plastic floor members.
In some embodiments, an even further method comprises the provision of a reinforcing member such as a metal frame associated with, and supporting an underside of, the raised peripheral support platform and/or the underside of one or more portions of floor of the bathroom floor component
In embodiments, the bathroom floor component is encapsulated in a waterproof shell on some or all sides, which adds to the strength and water imperviousness thereof.
A prefabricated bathroom pod according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may comprise a ceiling, a plurality of walls, and electrical wiring and plumbing accessories, as well as a bathroom floor component supported by a support substrate. In one embodiment, the floor component that is supported by the substrate is encapsulated in a waterproof shell. In another embodiment, the floor component and a portion or all of the substrate are both encapsulated in a waterproof shell. In a third embodiment, the floor component, the floor substrate and a raised peripheral platform are all encapsulated in a waterproof shell. In a forth embodiment, the floor component includes a support frame, where one or more portions of the support frame may be encapsulated in a waterproof shell and/or one or more portions may not be so encapsulated.
In still further embodiments, a bathroom floor component of prefabraicated bathroom pod may be comprised of a single bathroom floor panel which is made of a material that is impervious to water, such as closed cell foam or polyethelene. In such embodiments, a single closed cell floor panel could be used for the bathroom floor, which would not necessarily need to be encapsulated in a waterproof shell, although encapsulating the floor component in a waterproof shell could optionally be done.
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. In some cases, a reference number will be indicated in this specification and the drawings will show the reference number followed by a letter for example, 100a, 100b or a prime indicator such as 100', 100" etc. It is to be understood that the use of letters or primes immediately after a reference number indicates that these features are similarly shaped and have similar function such as is often the case when geometry is mirrored about a plane of symmetry. For ease of explanation in this specification, letters or primes will often not be included herein but may be shown in the drawings to indicate duplications of features discussed within this written specification.
Accordingly, the apparatus components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.
The embodiments of the present disclosure typically include combinations of structural components and manufacturing, installation and use steps related to the creation of a variety of bathroom floors including shower floors that may be used in a bathroom floor component or the like.
In this document, relational terms, such as “first” and “second,” “top” and “bottom,” and the like, may be used solely to distinguish one entity or element from another entity or element without necessarily requiring or implying any physical or logical relationship or order between such entities or elements.
The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “comprise”, “including”, “include” or any other variation thereof are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements need not necessarily include only those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.
The term “plurality of” as used in connection with any object or action means two or more of such objects or actions.
As used herein, the articles “a” and “an” are intended to include one or more items, and may be used interchangeably with “one or more.” Where only one item is intended, the term “one” or similar language is used. Also, as used herein, the terms “has”, “have”, “having”, “with” or the like are intended to be open-ended terms. Further, the phrase “based on” is intended to mean “based, at least in part, on” unless explicitly stated otherwise.
Terms such as “wall coverings”, “floor covering”, “wall or flooring material,” “floor and wall covering,” “flooring material” and “covering material” mean one or more of ceramic, natural stone or other tile, stone, granite, marble, cultured marble, solid surface, or any other surface (e.g. stone ), or non-slip finished shower surfaces such as vinyl, epoxy, or plastic, stucco, concrete and mortar surfaces, whether or not applied or combined with adhesives or other substances, and any other material or materials used to provide a finished surface.
The term “tiled” means any surface having floor or wall covering materials, such as one or more of ceramic, porcelain, natural stone or other tile, stone, granite, marble, cultured marble, solid surface or any other surface (e.g., stone), or non-slip finished shower surfaces such as vinyl, epoxy, or plastic, stucco, concrete and mortar surfaces, whether or not applied or combined with adhesives or other substances, and any other material or materials used to provide a finished surface.
The term “non tileable” means one or more surfaces or structural components which are not capable of receiving wall or floor material or were not designed, marketed or sold with the intention of being tileable or tiled, and in fact are not tiled.
The term “tileable” or “ready-to-tile” means one or more surfaces or structural components which are capable of receiving wall or flooring material, whether through the use of adhesives or any other means of attachment, such as clips, straps or other mechanical fastening structure(s).
A “fastener” or “fastening” may include anything known in the art for fastening including, but not limited to, cap screws, bolts, screws, clips, adhesives, etc.
The term “standard drain” or “drain assembly” means any kind of drain made of any kind of material, including but not limited to metal or plastics, and with any kind of connection to a drain system such as a waste water system, including but not limited to a solvent weld drain, a welded connection drain, a hub (outside caulk) drain, a spigot drain, a hubless spigot drain, a hubless drain, an inside caulk (gasket) drain, a hubbed (push on) drain, a compression drain, and a clamping ring drain.
The term “trench drain” means any linear drain and any linear trench adapted to direct water to a building drain, and contemplates any type of drain fixture.
The term “drain area” or “drain aperture” means an area in which a drain is either to be formed or installed, or is actually formed or installed, in a shower pan and/or bathroom floor.
The term “molded’ means any component that is formed with a finished product at the time that the finished product is molded.
The term “plastic” means any foam, plastic, polyurethane, PVC, ABS, polyethylene or other material having characteristics similar thereto.
The term “foam” means any rigid polyurethane foam or any other material having characteristics similar thereto.
The terms “pitch” or “slope” mean the change in elevation per unit of length of floor. A typical shower floor pitch is ¼" per foot, although any pitch is deemed to be within the scope of the inventions disclosed herein. Non shower pitch areas typically would have pitch which is between ⅛' per foot to ⅟16" per foot more or less. Shower surfaces and non-shower wet areas are typically pitched toward the drain, encouraging water to flow to the drain. Dry pitched areas may or may not be pitched to a drain.
As used herein, a “frame member” or “strengthening member” may be a structural strength enhancing member that is made from any material that will have the tendency to increase the strength of the bathroom floor components of this invention when incorporated into such bathroom floor components , and may have a thickness of ¼" inch to 2 inches more or less, along with any length and width.
As used herein, an “anti-compression member” is a weight-supporting element adapted to be incorporated into or otherwise used to support weight to avoid deformation of a component or structure by a weight-bearing object.
As used herein, a “concrete member” or “concrete frame member” is a frame member made or cut from concrete wall board or porcelain cement or the like, and may have any thickness, for example ½ inch to 2 inches. Other forms of concrete or cement may be used to manufacture a concrete member, etc.
As used herein, a “foam and/or plastic member” may be any type of foam or plastic material such as polyurethane, PVC, ABS, polyethelene, and other plastics and/or foam, including an XPS (extruded polystyrene) foam that is commercially available, that is cut or manufactured to size, and that may be of any desired density depending on the specific need for such foam and/or plastic member. Other types of foam and plastic may be used to manufacture a foam and/or plastic member.
As used herein, a “bathroom pod,” “prefabricated pod bathroom,” “bathroom pod chamber,” or the like, is a prefabricated, portable pod, from time of manufacture to time of final installation, comprising bathroom features such as one or more floor areas, walls, ceiling, plumbing fixtures, electrical features, decorative floor and wall covering material, etc.
The embodiments disclosed herein may be employed in, by example but not by way of limitation, residential single and multi-family complexes, hospitals, health care facilities, nursing homes, assisted living and aging in place facilities dormitories, hospitality facilities, hotels, military housing, time shares, commercial, military, student and/or industrial facilities, and any other installations in which one or more bathrooms pods are incorporated into the construction.
First, a prefabricated bathroom chamber or bathroom pod, or pod or a bathroom pod floor component that may be employed according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure suitable for building commercial projects, will be discussed. Then, a pod bathroom floor component that may be used in such a bathroom pod or other similar applications, as a replacement in the field, or in a custom application, will be discussed. Later herein, a method for fabricating and/or using one or more component embodiments will be described. This methodology will be repeated for similar or related embodiments.
Given the size of the typical bathroom pod floor component and the weight of the bathroom pod once assembled, a robust method for resisting sagging, twisting, bending and other destructive forces during lifting, transport and installation of the bathroom pods is desired, as well as the needed structure to strengthen the floor component and support the weight of the bathroom walls and wall coverings, bathroom floors and floor coverings, accessories and ceiling panel.
A bathroom pod 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will now be discussed with reference to
As seen in
Further, in some embodiments, a weight bearing raised platform 376 for supporting the pod walls is formed from the same one or more foam floor panels 304 referenced aboveto create a raised peripheral planar wall support surface 377 defining an outer raised platform perimeter of bathroom floor component 300. Additionally, one or more of the foam floor panels 304 may define a drain aperture 378, and define sloped upper surfaces 380 that are directed toward the drain aperture 378.
Typically, as seen in
Put another way, the walls may connect the ceiling to the bathroom floor component 300. The walls may include bottom frame members 112 which are adapted to align and be coplanar with upper surface 377. A plurality of hollow fastener-receiving journals or bushings 116 may be disposed in the plurality of apertures 114 defined by rasied platform 376. These journals 116 may act as alignment features when the walls are fastened to the bathroom floor component 300, act to protect the integrity of apertures 114, which in some embodiments are formed in polystyrene or other relatively soft foam, and in other embodiments a more rigid foam such as polyurethane, and act to transfer weight from the walls 104 to the sub-floor (not shown) supporting pod 100. In doing so, the raised platform 376 is protected from crushing. The hollow interiors of bushings 116 allow fasteners 120 to extend through apertures 114 in raised platform 376 through the bottom wall of frame members 112 (see
Focusing on
Similarly,
The ceiling 102 may be monolithic, crack-proof, and water proof. The electrical wiring 106 and the plumbing 108 may be pretested and code compliant. The walls 104 may have moisture, mold and abuse resistant wallboard 107. Engineered steel framing studs 110 may hold the walls, and the pod floor component 100 as a whole, together. Accessories such as, but not limited to, a sink 115, rail 118, mirror 111 and foot rest 113 may also be provided. One or more of these features or accesories may be omitted in other embodiments of the present disclosure.
As can be seen, any completed, prefabricated bathroom chamber or pod such as pod 100 may speed up construction of a building by providing a completely finished modular room that is clean and ready for installation and use. Once properly positioned, physical placement within the building as well as plumbing and wiring hook ups are all that is needed before the bathroom is operational.
Turning to
More specifically, at least one or more of the plurality of foam members 304 may be bonded to at least one or more of the plurality of outside peripheral strengthening members 374, and to at least one or more of the plurality of transverse cross-brace strengthening members 302. The bonding may be intermittent or may cover substantially the entire interface between the foam member and the peripheral strengthening member. Any suitable bonding agent may be used, such as glue, latex modified rapid setting material, etc., as will occur to those of skill in the relevant art.
As best seen in
As seen in
The bathroom floor component 300c shown in
The bathroom floor component 300d shown in
As stated previously, it has been discovered that encapsulating or coating the bathroom floor component or other constituent element of the floor with a waterproof membrane by applying a waterproof sealant or other water-impervious material to the entire assembly significantly adds to the strength of the bathroom floor component, and also contributes to the watertight quality of the component, though a waterproof membrane may not be required when a one-piece closed cell floor panel and/or raised support platform are used for the bathroom floor component 300/300a.
The bathroom floor component of
As seen in connection with
The prefabricated bathroom pods, the bathroom floor components, and any support apparatus disclosed herein may provide easier, quicker and less expensive ways to construct buildings.
It is to be understood that the arrangements disclosed herein are suitable for use with any drain location, even though embodiments are shown using specific drain locations. Such locations are shown for example purposes only, it being understood that the principles of the present disclosure may be applied to create more embodiments.
In broader terms than heretofore discussed, a method for fabricating and/or using embodiments of the present disclosure may be characterized as follows with reference to
With reference to
The method 400 may further comprise milling or otherwise rendering a drain aperture in at least one or more of the floor members, and milling the top surface of one or more of the floor members, or portions thereof, with a pitch, such as but not by way of limitation, toward the drain aperture at any appropriate time(s) (step 414).
In some embodiments, the method 400 may further comprise applying a waterproof sealant to the one or more of the plurality of floor members and the longitudinal strengthening member(s) 302 (step 416).
Looking now at
The method 500 may comprise machining a first plastic and/or foam floor member with at least one sloped surface extending downwardly toward a drain aperture and a peripheral strengthening raised platform member (step 502), machining a second foam floor member with a peripheral strengthening raised platform member (step 503), providing one or more longitudinal strengthening member(s) (step 504), joining the first and second floor members to opposite side edges of the longitudinal strengthening member (step 506), and applying a waterproof sealant to the assembly (step 514).
Step 506 may include attaching the floor members to the longitudinal strengthening member by fastening or bonding using an adhesive (step 510).
The method may further comprise creating a contour in the upper surface of the longitudinal strengthening member(s) 302 to coincide with the contour of the upper surface of the adjacent floor members to render the upper surfaces of the longitudinal strengthening member(s) 302 coplanar with the contour of the upper surface of the adjacent floor members, to permit application of a floor covering (e.g., floor tile) that is to be attached to the floor members and the longitudinal strengthening member(s), if any (step 516).
Optionally, a raised peripheral support platform member, such as raised peripheral platform 376 shown in
As alluded to earlier herein, once the floor component has been manufactured with a wall strengthening raised peripheral platform, then it may be attached to the walls, and indirectly the ceiling, etc., to make an assembled bathroom pod.
With reference to
At step 414, a drain aperture is milled or otherwise rendered in the floor panel, as well as any desired floor pitch/slope.
In step 406, the raised platform 1076 of the bathroom floor component is placed in registry with the floor frame 1050
The bathroom floor panel 1004 and frame 1050 are then coated with a waterproof coating 325 as described above, which not only creates a waterproof floor component but adds significant strength and rigidity to the bathroom floor component and, thereby, to the pod overall.
The raised support platform 1076 coincides substantially with a footprint defined by lower edges of the pod walls 104. The lower edges of the pod walls 104 are placed in registry with the rasied platform 1076 and fastened to the pod walls 104. Wall and floor covering material such as wall and floor tile 390, 394 may thereafter be applied to the pod walls and floor in a manner well known to those skilled in the art. A sturdy pod is thus created, and can be transported to and installed at a construction site.
At step 414, a drain aperture is milled or otherwise rendered in one of the floor panels, as well as any desired floor pitch/slope.
In step 406, the raised platforms 1076L and 1076R of the bathroom floor panels 1004L, 1004R are placed in registry with the floor frame 1050.
The bathroom floor panels 10041, 1004R and frame 1050 are then coated with a waterproof coating 325 as described above, which not only creates a waterproof floor component but adds significant strength and rigidity to the bathroom floor component and, thereby, to the pod overall.
The raised support platforms 1076L, 1076R coincide substantially with a footprint defined by lower edges of the pod walls 104. The lower edges of the pod walls 104 are placed in registry with the rasied platforms 1076L, 1076R and fastened to the pod walls 104. Wall and floor covering material such as wall and floor tile 390, 394 may thereafter be applied to the pod walls and floor in a manner well known to those skilled in the art.
The bathroom pod 100 as shown may comprise a ceiling 102, a plurality of walls 104, electrical wiring 106, plumbing 108, and a bathroom floor component. As shown in
In this embodiment, a support panel or substrate 785 supports and is the substrate for bathroom floor component 700, and the outer periphery of bathroom floor component 700 fits substantially within the area defined by inner-facing surfaces of wall board material 107.
Support substrate 785 in turn is attached to bathroom pod 100 in any desirable manner. One such manner is to connect the substrate to the walls 104 of the pod 100. In embodiments, substrate 785 may be connected to walls 104 by mechanical connection therebetween, an example of which can be seen in the drawings. Fasteners 120, such as nut and bolt arrangements, may connect the substrate 785 to the pod wall bottom frame members 112. In this way, the bathroom floor component 700 is supported by substrate 785 and walls 104 when the pod 100 is not supported itself on a floor such as a factory floor, transport vehicle or final building floor slab.
Any suitable fastener 120 may be used including nuts and bolts, dry wall screws and the like. Bottom wall frame members 112 are preferably aligned with upper peripheral surfaces of substrate 785. The fasteners 120 may engage one or more of the bottom frame members 112 through apertures 714 defined by the substrate 785.
Typically, as seen in
Similarly,
The ceiling 102 may be monolithic, crack-proof, and water proof. The electrical wiring 106 and the plumbing 108 may be pretested and code compliant. The walls 104 may have moisture, mold and abuse resistant wallboard 107. Engineered steel framing studs 110 may hold the walls, and the bathroom floor component and the pod 100 as a whole, together. Accessories such as, but not limited to, a sink 115, rail 118, mirror 111 and foot rest 113 may also be provided. One or more of these features or attributes may be omitted in other embodiments of the present disclosure.
Turning to
As best seen in
Alternatively, as seen in
The raised platform 976 is adapted to bear the weight of at least a portion of the walls 104 and ceiling 102 of pod 100, including the weight of any accessories attached thereto, and as such will be constructed and arranged in such a manner that it can support said weight without distortion (e.g., will resist collapse, crushing or bending). To that end, the material out of which peripheral shoulder 976 is manufactured will be sufficient to support the weight of the ceiling 102 and walls 104. Alternatively, strengthening inserts 979 and 989 may be integrated into the peripheral raised platfrom 976 to add weight-bearing and anti-compressive capacity to the raised platform component 976 of the bathroom floor component 900.
Additionally, the walls 104 of the bathroom pod 100 may connect the ceiling to the bathroom floor component 900. The walls 104 may include bottom frame members 112 which are adapted to be placed in registry with upper surface 977. A plurality of hollow fastener-receiving bushings or journals 116 may be disposed in the plurality of apertures 114 defined by rasied platform 976. These bushings 116 may act as alignment features when the walls are fastened to the bathroom floor component 900, act to protect the integrity of apertures 114, which in some embodiments are formed in the polystyrene or other relatively soft foam making up support platform 976, and act to transfer weight from the walls 104 to the sub-floor (not shown) supporting pod 100. In doing so, the raised platform 976 is protected from crushing. The hollow interiors of bushings 116 allow fasteners 120 to extend through apertures 114 in raised platform 976 through the bottom wall of frame members 112.
Bushings 116 similar to those depicted in other embodiments herein, such as metal cylindrical journals (not shown), which are preferably fabricated of metal, although any material having good compression resistance is suitable, may be used transfer weight from the walls 104 down to the supporting surface or substrate (not shown) on which the bathroom floor component 900 will sit.
Alternatively or additionally, weight bearing supporting inserts such as intermediate inserts 979 and corner inserts 989 may be used to support the weight of walls 104 and ceiling 102. Fasteners may be used to attach the walls 104 to the bathroom floor component 900 as described elsewhere in this disclosure, using corresponding apertures 114 defined by support inserts 979 and 989.
Support straps or bars 990 may be employed to transfer compressive forces from walls 104 to tensile forces exerted within bars 990. Bars 990 also serve to strengthen bathroom floor component 900, and ultimately pod 100, against twisting, bending a sagging action. Preferably, bars 990 are recessed in corresponding slots 991 formed in the lower surfaces of floor panels 904 and transverse strengthening members 902 so as not to add any height dimension to the profile of the bathroom floor component 900. Bars 990 may be associated with bathroom floor component 900 either before or after floor component 900 is encapsulated with waterproofing sealant 325.
In embodiments, bars 990 connect to walls 104 in the same manner as described in connection with the interconnection of walls 104 with raised support platform 976.
Preferably, as a seen in
Floor panel 1004L may include sloped surfaces 1027, a flat surface 1025, and a drain, such as linear drain 378. Floor section 1004R defines an upper surface which may be flat, or maybe sloped as well.
Floor sections 1004L and 1004R define raised peripheral support platforms 1077L and 1077R adapted to be placed in registry with the pod walls when assembled with the pod. As seen in
In embodiments, the raised peripheral support platform 1076 may be as wide as only the wall 104 and/or wall studs 110, or may be wide enough to reside in registry with the wall board 107 as well, as seen in
In the case where the floor member is made up of two panels 1004L and 1004R, those panels are joined together at opposed edges 1020L, 1020R, as best seen in
In embodiments, as shown in
Numerous floor features such as sloped bathroom floor upper surfaces 1004A and 1004C, as well as flat bathroom floor area 1048B, shown in
Preferably, as a seen in
Floor panel 1004 may include optional features such as sloped surfaces 1027, a flat surface 1025, and a drain, such as linear drain 378.
Floor panel 1004 defines raised peripheral support platform 1077 adapted to be placed in registry with the pod walls when assembled with the pod. As seen in
In embodiments, the raised peripheral support platform 1076 may be as wide as only the wall 104 and/or wall studs 110, or may be wide enough to reside in registry with the wall board 107 as well, as seen in
In any embodiment, the floor panel(s) 1004 may be comprised of two or more thinner panels stacked on top of each other to create a desired floor thickness, and may be machined in areas to create contour (e.g., slope or drain cutouts). In this way, panels that are manufactured to be thinner than the greatest thickeness that will be needed for the floor member can be stacked together as shown in
Floor member 1100 preferably includes recessed grooves 1192 into which support frame members 1180, 1190 nestably relate. Floor member 1100 may also include raised splash walls 1115 around the perimeter thereof other than at the entry or entries to the bathroom. Floor member 1100 also defines an upper floor surface, at least a portion of which tapers toward a drain opening 378. A suitable drain insert, such as drain insert 391, may be employed. As will occur to those of skilled in the art, any type of drain may be used in any of the applications of the invention disclosed herein.
In one version of this embodiment, as best seen and
In another version of this embodiment, as shown in
In embodiments, such as shown in
Moreover, in any of the disclosed embodiments, one or more of the additional or alternative features such as the following may be included in the bathroom floor component:
Strengthening members such as those described throughout this disclosure, including the anti-compressive members, provide support and rigidity for the bathroom floor components. Certain strengthening members are focused exclusively on strengthening the bathroom floor feature of a bathroom floor component. Other strengthening members are focused exclusively on strengthening the raised platform feature of the bathroom floor component. A third category of strengthening members are focused on strengthening both the bathroom floor feature and the raised platform feature of the bathroom floor component.
Strengthening members can comprise any type of material, including but not limited to wood, metal, plastic, concrete, stone, polyurethane, along with any and all other types of structures or apparatus that would be adequate for peripheral or transverse strengthening purposes. These materials may be used individually and in combination with other materials depending upon the specific support requirements of a specific bathroom floor feature and a specific raised platform feature of a specific bathroom floor component.
For the bathroom floor component strengthening members, their support characteristics are specific to where they are located in the bathroom floor component.
For all embodiments, the heads of fasteners 120 are preferably recessed into the respective apertures 114, particulary at the bottom of raised platforms 376, 776 and 976, so as not to unecessarily add to the height of the bathroom floor component. Appropriate weight-dispersing features such as washers and/or bushings 116 may be employed to distribute forces to the extent necessary to avoid cracking or other disturbance in the waterproof layer 325 or any other aspect of the bathroom floor component.
The top surfaces 377, 1077 of the raised support platforms in all embodiments are preferably horizontal. Fasteners and fastener-receiving structures are preferably recessed in the raised platform to maintain a uniformly flat and thin profile.
It is understood that the raised platform is not needed where there is a threshold into the bathroom, such as in the doorways shown in
Frame member 1050 acts as a strengthening member for both the floor and the raised platform, along with providing strengthening to any other member with which it is associated. In this, resistance to bending, twisting and sagging is provided.
It is also to be understood that bathroom pods manufactured in accordance with the description set forth herein are typically set upon substrates, in many cases concrete slabs, in buildings under construction. It is desired to avoid changes in height when going from the substrate/floor of the building into the prefabricated bathroom pod (for example, at an entrance area 180 of any of the floor members described herein) to avoid tripping and/or to meet various disability codes. In some cases, recesses are provided in such building floor substrates to accommodate the depth necessary for sloped shower floors. The bathroom floors of the present invention, containing one or more drains, in most cases employ floors which slope toward such drain(s). The slope of the floors requires the bottom surfaces of the bathroom floor components disclosed herein to have a certain clearance depth accommodated by the substrate, which in appropriate cases is accomplished by creating a recess in the upper surface of the substrate. Preferably, selecting combined dimensions of the thickness of the floor member of the bathroom floor components, and the depth of any recess(es) in the building floor substrate which the bathroom floor member sits in, results in the upper surface of the finished floor of the bathroom floor component immediately adjacent the bathroom pod entrance being at substantially the same height as the finished floor of the building into which the bathroom pod is being installed immediately adjacent the bathroom pod entrance. Alternatively, the height of the unfinished floor at the bathroom pod entrance may be engineered to be at substantially the same height as the adjacent room.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the embodiments of the apparatus and methods of assembly as discussed herein without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention(s). Other embodiments of this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the various embodiments disclosed herein. For example, some of the equipment may be constructed and function differently than what has been described herein and certain steps of any method may be omitted, performed in an order that is different than what has been specifically mentioned or in some cases performed simultaneously or in sub-steps. Furthermore, variations or modifications to certain aspects or features of various embodiments may be made to create further embodiments and features and aspects of various embodiments may be added to or substituted for other features or aspects of other embodiments in order to provide still further embodiments.
Accordingly, it is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention(s) being indicated by the following claims and their equivalents.
