SEALING MEMBER FOR SHOWER BASE TILE FLANGE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a water-resistant, flexible sealing member having a lower portion, a central lateral portion, and an upper portion offset from the lower portion, the lower portion including an adhesive for affixing to a facing of a tile flange of a shower base or bathtub, the central lateral portion contacting and overlying an upper edge of the tile flange and the upper portion extending upwardly from the tile flange, the sealing member contacting and sealing against the tile flange and a bottom portion of a drywall board positioned to overlap the tile flange to inhibit ingress of water between the tile flange and the bottom portion of the drywall board.

BACKGROUND

In a typical shower stall installation, the shower stall includes a shower base, a drywall board enclosure, and a finished wall surround. The shower base includes a generally horizontal floor, a threshold for entry and exit into the shower stall, and a side wall. The horizontal floor portion of the shower base is supported by a subfloor and includes the shower drain. The threshold of the shower base may be a rounded or contoured portion that may be of the same or reduced height compared to the side wall. The threshold defines entry and exit regions for shower stall. The drywall board enclosure and the finished wall surround extend around the periphery of the shower base, except for the threshold. A shower stall door or shower curtain normally overlies the threshold to allow ingress and egress form an interior region of the shower stall defined by the shower base and the finished wall surround.

The drywall board enclosure includes a plurality of drywall boards in side-by-side arrangement. The drywall boards may comprise drywall cement board, greenboard, sheetrock gypsum, or other drywall material of suitable construction to form a drywall board enclosure in shower installations. Hereinafter, for purposes of this application, all such drywall boards/materials that comprise the drywall board enclosure shall generally be referred to as “drywall board”. The drywall board is affixed to vertical framing studs supporting the shower stall.

The finished wall surround is typically affixed to the drywall board and/or vertical framing studs supporting the shower stall. The finished wall surround defines an interior region of the shower stall and may comprise plastic or fiberglass panels or may comprise a plurality of tiles affixed to the drywall board. Hereinafter, for purposes of this application, all such finished wall surround panels/materials that comprise the finished wall surround shall generally be referred to as “finished wall”.

The side wall of the shower base includes a generally vertical lower portion and a generally L-shaped tile flange extending outwardly and upwardly from the vertical lower portion of the side wall. The L-shaped tile flange includes a horizontal base and a vertical upright extending vertically upwardly from the horizontal base. Positioned above the vertical upright of the L-shaped tile flange is a bottom wall or edge of the drywall board. The finished wall of the shower stall is installed over the drywall board and extends down and contacts the horizontal base of the tile flange.

Typically, there is a small vertical gap between a bottom wall or edge of the drywall board and an upper edge of the vertical upright of the tile flange. In typical prior shower stall installations, caulking, such as a silicone sealant caulk, is applied as a bead of caulking to fill in an area between a back side of the finished wall, the vertical upright of the tile flange and the bottom wall of the drywall board, including the gap between the bottom wall of the drywall board and the upper edge of the vertical upright of the tile flange, to prevent water from entering the bottom wall of the drywall board and being wicked upwardly through the drywall board and/or leaking or migrating into the gap between the upper edge of the vertical upright and the bottom wall of the drywall board which would result in moisture or wetness along the back side of the drywall board and/or on vertical or horizontal framing studs supporting the shower stall. Moisture or wetness gathering on the back side of the drywall board and/or on the framing studs is problematic for a number of reasons including deterioration or rotting of the drywall board and/or the framing studs over time and the potential for mold/mildew growth, because, depending on the location of the shower stall within the building, there may be limited air circulation in the region of the framing studs.

While application of caulking between the bottom wall of the drywall board and the vertical upright of the tile flange attempts to address the water leakage water problems noted above, caulking is not a reliable, long-term solution. The application of caulking is typically done by an installer using a manual or powered caulking gun. The ability to apply a proper, uniform-sized bead around the entire periphery of the tile flange is problematic and is dependent on the skill of the installer. In some regions, the installer may apply a caulking bead that is too thick, wasting caulking and potentially causing excess caulking to ooze down the side wall of shower base. In other regions, the installer may apply a caulking bead that is too thin to provide an adequate seal to inhibit water migration into the gap between the bottom edge of the drywall board and the tile flange. Additionally, over time, caulking tends to lose flexibility, stiffen and deteriorate, compromising the water seal provided by the caulking bead.

What is needed is an improved water seal between the tile flange of a shower base and the bottom wall of the drywall boards overlying the tile flange that is easier to install and less dependent upon installer skill than application of a caulking bead.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the present disclosure concerns a combination of a tile flange of a shower base or bathtub and an elongated, flexible sealing member attached to the tile flange. The combination includes the tile flange having a horizontally extending base and an upright projecting vertically upwardly from the horizontally extending base, the upright defining an inner wall and an outer wall spaced from the inner wall and an upper edge of the upright bridging the inner and outer walls. The combination further includes the elongated, flexible sealing member including a lower portion, an upper portion laterally offset from the lower portion and a central lateral section bridging the lower portion and the upper portion, the lower portion including an inner wall and an outer wall and adhesive material affixed to outer wall, the adhesive attaching the lower portion of the sealing member to the inner wall of the upright of the tile flange and defining a seal between the sealing member and the tile flange, the central lateral section of the sealing member overlying the upper edge of the upright of the tile flange, and upper portion extending vertically above the upper edge of the upright.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become better understood from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention which are described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent to one skilled in the art to which the present disclosure relates upon consideration of the following description of the disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals, unless otherwise described refer to like parts throughout the drawings and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective, cut-away view of a shower stall including a shower base including a tile flange, a drywall board enclosure, a finished wall surround, and a sealing member of the present disclosure, the sealing member being attached to a facing surface of the tile flange and providing a seal between a drywall board of the drywall board enclosure and the tile flange of the shower base;

FIG. 2 is a schematic enlarged, perspective and cut-away view of a portion of the shower stall of FIG. 1, as would be seen within a circle labeled FIG. 2 in FIG. 1, with a finished wall surround of the shower stall removed for clarity;

FIG. 3 is a schematic section view of the shower stall of FIG. 1, cutting orthogonally through a longitudinal axis of the sealing member;

FIG. 4 is a schematic enlarged section view of a portion of the shower stall of FIG. 1, cutting orthogonally through the longitudinal axis of the sealing member;

FIG. 5 is a schematic exploded view, partly in perspective and partly in section, of a portion of the shower stall of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a schematic front elevation view of one exemplary embodiment of the sealing member of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a schematic back elevation view of the sealing member of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a section view of the sealing member of FIG. 6 as seen from a plane indicated by the line 8-8 in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a schematic depiction of application of the sealing member of FIG. 6 to the tile flange of the shower stall of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a bathtub including a tile flange extending upwardly from one side of the bathtub.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A shower stall is shown generally at 10 in FIG. 1. Only a lower portion of the shower stall 10 is shown since the present disclosure concerns the lower portion of the shower stall 10, an upper portion of the shower stall being of conventional design as would be understood by one of skill in the art. The shower stall 10 defines an interior region 12 to be occupied by a person taking a shower and further defines an exit/entry opening 14 for the person to enter and exit the shower stall interior region 12. In one exemplary embodiment, the shower stall interior region 12 is generally U-shaped when viewed in horizontal cross section. The shower stall 10 includes a shower base 100, a drywall board enclosure 200 and a finished board surround 300. The shower stall also includes an elongated, flexible sealing member 400 of the present disclosure which advantageously provides a water resistant seal between the shower base 100 and the drywall board enclosure 200.

The shower base 100 includes a floor 102, a side wall 110 extending upwardly from the floor 102, and a threshold 140 which defines a portion of the entry/exit opening 14 of the shower stall 10. The floor 102 provides a standing region for a person using the shower stall 10. The floor 102 includes a drain 104 which supports a drain pipe 106 to allow water from the showerhead (not shown) to exit the shower stall 10. The threshold 140 includes an outer wall 142 and an inner wall 144 bridged by a step-over 146. A person using the shower stall 10 will step over the threshold 140 to enter or exit the interior 12 of the shower stall 12. A vertical height (labeled TH in FIG. 3) of the threshold 140 may be slightly lower than a vertical height SWH of the side wall 110 to allow for ease of entry and exit into the shower stall 10. A shower door or shower curtain (not shown) is typically mounted at the entry/exit opening 14 so as to block water from escaping or splashing out of the interior region while a person is taking a shower in the shower stall 10.

The shower base 100 further includes the side wall 110 which is generally vertical or more accurately states slope upwardly from the floor 102 in a generally vertical direction VD (FIG. 3). The side wall 110 includes a lower transition region 112 between the floor 102 and the side wall 110. An upper portion 112 of the side wall 110 defines an L-shaped tile flange 120. The tile flange 120 extends around the shower base 100 except for the threshold 140. Thus, in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-5, the tile flange 120, when viewed in top plan view is generally U-shaped, extending or having a longitudinal extent running between a first end 139a (FIG. 1) and a second end 139b. The tile flange 120 includes a generally horizontally extending base 122 and an upright 130 extending generally vertically from the base 122. The vertical upright 130 includes an inner wall 132 and an outer wall 136 that is spaced from but generally parallel to the inner wall 132. The inner wall 132 defines a facing 134 that faces toward or in the direction of the interior region 12 of the shower stall 10. An upper wall or upper edge 138 bridges the inner and outer walls 132, 136.

The drywall board enclosure 200 comprises a plurality of pieces of a drywall board 101 placed in side-to-side arrangement to form the drywall board enclosure 100. In one exemplary embodiment of the shower stall 10 of the present disclosure, three pieces of drywall board 201a, 201b, 201c are arranged in a right-angle, side-to-side arrangement to form the three-sided drywall board enclosure 200, as best seen in FIG. 1. As noted previously, the drywall board 201 may be any number of drywall board materials suitable for shower installations, thus, drywall board 210, as used herein, will be used to refer generally to any selected drywall board. The shower stall 10 is supported by a set of framing studs 20, typically conventional 2″×4″ studs. The set of framing studs 20 include a plurality of studs 22 positioned horizontally to support the shower base 100 and a plurality of studs 24 positioned vertically in spaced apart relation to support the drywall board enclosure 200 and the finished wall surround 300. The plurality of vertical studs 24 are supported by three studs 26 (FIG. 1) that lay on their respective sides, flat on a subfloor 30. The plurality of horizontal studs 22 also rest on the subfloor 30. As shown in FIG. 3, the floor 102 of shower base 100 is supported by the subfloor 30 and a layer of bedding 32 disposed between the subfloor 30 and the floor 102 of the shower base 100.

The finished wall surround 300 is typically affixed to the drywall board 201 and/or vertical framing studs 24 supporting the shower stall 10. The finished wall surround 300, with the shower base 100 and a shower ceiling (not shown) defines the interior region 12 of the shower stall 10. The finished wall surround 300 may comprise a single or multiple plastic or fiberglass panels or may comprise a plurality of tiles affixed to the drywall board enclosure 200. In one exemplary embodiment of the shower stall 10, the finished wall surround 300 includes three finished wall panels 301a, 301b, 301c. In other exemplary embodiments, the finished wall surround 300 may comprise a single contoured panel. As used herein, the term finished wall 301 will generally refer to the one or more panels or plurality of tiles that comprise the finished wall surround 300. The finished wall 301 includes an inside wall 302 that defines a portion of the inner surface of the shower stall 10 and an outside wall 304 that is adjacent the inside wall 202 of the drywall board 201. A lower portion 308 of the finished wall 301 defines a lower wall or edge 306 of the finished wall 301.

Sealing Member 400

In one exemplary embodiment, sealing member 400 of the present disclosure comprises a flexible, elongated sealing strip or sealing tape 402 comprised of a polymer/plastic material, such as, for example, PVC, or similar material exhibiting characteristics of being waterproof, flexible, and durable. The sealing member 400, in one exemplary embodiment, may be fabricated by extruding the polymer material in a conventional manner and then applying the an adhesive strip 440 and adhesive backing 442 to the sealing member 400. In one exemplary embodiment, the sealing member 400 has a durometer hardness value of approximately 65 shore. The sealing member 400 includes an inner wall 404 and a generally parallel outer wall 406. The sealing member 400 runs or extends along from a first end 450 to a second end 452 along a longitudinal axis LA. A length L of the sealing member 400, as manufactured, is a nominal length providing sufficient length to extend along an entirety of a length of the U-shaped tile flange 120, when affixed to the tile flange 120 starting at the first end of the tile flange 139a and proceeding to the opposite end 139b of the tile flange 120 for a shower base 100 of the largest conventional size.

As installed on the tile flange 120, the length L of the sealing member 400 may be trimmed to a shorter length, i.e., an installed length LI of the sealing member 400. The installed length LI is shown schematically in FIG. 6, that is, the installed length LI is shorter by a trimmed length LX than the original, as manufactured length L of the sealing member 400. The trimmed length LX of the sealing member 400 is simply cut off and discarded by the installer. When installed on the tile flange 120, the first end 450 of the sealing member 400 is aligned and congruent with the first end 139a of the tile flange 120. The sealing member 400 then continues to be applied to the perimeter of the tile flange 120 until the second end 139b of the tile flange is reached. At that point, any excess or trimmed length LX is cut off such that an “as installed” second end 454 of the sealing member 400 is aligned and congruent with the second end 139b of the tile flange 120. Further, the installed length LI of the sealing member 400 corresponds to the extent or length of the U-shaped tile flange 120 and the sealing member 400 conforms to the configuration of the U-shaped tile flange 120 to provide a water resistant seal between the lower portion 410 of the sealing member 400 and the vertical upright 130 of the tile flange 120.

As can best be seen in FIGS. 6-8, looking at the sealing strip 402 along a vertical central axis VA and a horizontal central axis HA, both of which are orthogonal to the longitudinal axis LA, the sealing strip 402 includes a lower portion 410, an upper portion 430 and a middle or central lateral portion 420. Thus, as can be seen in the cross section of FIG. 8, the upper portion 430 is offset laterally from the lower portion 410 by an extent of the middle portion 420 taken or measured along the horizontal central axis HA of the sealing strip 402.

As manufactured, the sealing member 400 has folds or ceases that differentiate and provide a boundary between the lower portion 410, the middle portion 420 and the upper portion 430. That is when taken out of the package, the sealing member 400 is not totally flat but rather has clear bounds and creases between the portions 410, 420, 430 to facilitate proper orientation and installation on the tile flange 120. When installed, the sealing member 400, has the general offset configuration show in the cross section of FIG. 8, that is, the lower portion 410 of the sealing member 400 is aligned with and seals against the vertical upright 130 of the tile flange 120, the lateral middle portion 430 of the sealing member 400 is aligned with and seals against the upper edge or wall 138 bridging the inner and outer walls 132, 136 of the vertical upright 130 of the tile flange 120 and is aligned with and seals against the bottom wall 208 of the drywall board 200, and the upper portion 430 of the sealing member 400 is aligned with and seals against the outside wall 204 of the lower portion 206 of the drywall board 200. Optionally, the upper portion 430 of the sealing member 400 may be affixed to the plurality of vertical studs 24 using fasteners such as staples, nails, screws or the like. As can best be seen in FIG. 4, the lower portion 308 of the finish wall 301 extends below the sealing member 400 and terminates at a lower wall or edge 306 that is just above the horizontal base 122 of the L-shaped tile flange 120.

If the sealing member 400 were laying flat and was measured along the vertical central axis VA, in one exemplary embodiment, the sealing member 400 would have an overall vertical height of approximately 2.00 inches. As installed and as shown in FIG. 8, in one exemplary embodiment, the sealing member 400 would have an install height SMH of approximately 1.85 inches. As shown in FIG. 8, in the exemplary embodiment, the vertical height HLP of the lower portion 410 is approximately 0.45 inch, the vertical height HMP of the middle portion 420 is approximately 0.04 inch and the vertical height HUP of the upper portion 430 is approximately 1.36 inches. Generally, a width of the upper portion 430 of the sealing member 400 is less that a width of the lower and middle portions 410, 420 of the sealing member 400. In one exemplary embodiment, the width of the lower and middle portions 410, 420 of the sealing member 400 is approximately 0.044 inch and the width of the upper portion 430 is approximately 0.031 inches, as it is desired for sealing and ease of installation purposes, that the bottom and middle portions 410, 420 be a greater width and rigidity than the upper portion 430.

When the sealing member 400 is install on and affixed to the vertical upright 130 of the tile flange 120, an outer surface 412 of the lower portion 410 of the sealing member 400 faces the tile flange 120. Accordingly, to facilitate attachment and water resistant sealing between the lower portion 410 of the sealing member 400 and the vertical upright 130 of the tile flange 130, the outer surface 412 of the lower portion 410 includes the adhesive layer or strip 440 running the extent or length L of the sealing member 400. In one exemplary embodiment, the adhesive strip 440 is comprised of acrylic foam tape or other adhesive material of similar characteristics. A width of the adhesive strip 440, in one exemplary embodiment, is approximately 0.050 inch. To facilitate installation and to keep debris from adhering to the adhesive strip 440 prior to installation, the adhesive strip 440 is covered by the thin adhesive backing 442. The adhesive backing 442 is stripped away from adhesive strip 440 in sections (as described below) by the installer as the installer applies the sealing member 400 to the tile flange commencing at one end 139a of the tile flange and moves along the extent of tile flange 120 to the second end 139b of the tile flange 120.

Installation of Sealing Member 400 to Tile Flange 120

As can best be seen in FIG. 10, when installing the sealing member 400 to the tile flange 120, the installer begins at the first end 139a of the tile flange 120 and strips off a first section of the adhesive backing 442 from the adhesive strip 440 at the first end 450 of the sealing member 400. A length of the stripped first section will depend on the preference of the installer, but typically will be on the order of 6-18 inches. The installer aligns the first end 450 of the first stripped section of the sealing member 400 with the first end 139a of the tile flange 120 such that the sealing member first end 450 is congruent or flush with the tile flange first end 139a and then further aligns the lower portion 410 of the stripped off section of the sealing member 400 with the vertical upright 130 of the tile flange 120 such that the middle portion 430 of the sealing member 400 overlies and rests upon the upper edge or wall 138 of the tile flange 120 (as shown in FIG. 3). The installer then presses lower portion 410 of the first section of the sealing member 400 against the tile flange upright 130 to affix the adhesive strip 440 and thereby the lower portion 410 of the sealing member 400 to the tile flange upright 130 thereby forming a seal between the sealing member 400 and the tile flange 120 and, more specifically between the lower portion 410 of the sealing member 400 and the tile flange upright 130.

After installation of the first section of the sealing member 400, the installer then proceeds to strip the adhesive backing 442 from the adhesive strip 440 from a second section of sealing member 400 that is adjacent to the first section, already installed on the tile flange 120. The installer aligns the lower portion 410 of the second stripped section of the sealing member 400 with the vertical upright 130 of the tile flange 120 such that the middle portion 430 of the sealing member 400 overlies and rests upon the upper edge or wall 138 of the tile flange 120. As before, the installer then presses lower portion 410 of the second section of the sealing member 400 against the tile flange upright 130 to affix the adhesive strip 440 to the tile flange upright 130 thereby forming a seal between the sealing member lower portion 410 and the tile flange upright 130.

The installer continues to repeat the installation method described above for stripping the adhesive backing 442 from the adhesive strip 440 for a section of the sealing member 400 and then applying the stripped section to the tile flange 120 until the second end 139b of the tile flange 120 is reached. At that point, the installer cuts or trims the sealing member 400 to the installed length LI of the sealing member 400 such that the installed second end 454 of the sealing member 400 is flush with the second end 139b of the tile flange 120.

When the sealing member 400 is applied to the tiling flange 120, as can be seen in FIG. 4, the middle lateral portion 420 of the sealing member rests on the upper edge or wall 138 of the tile flange 120 and the upper portion 430 of the sealing member 400 extends above the tile flange 120 and lays against the plurality of vertical studs 24. Optionally, to keep the upper portion 430 of the sealing member 400 in the proper vertical orientation against the plurality of vertical studs 24 when the drywall board 200 is being installed, the sealing member upper portion 430 may be affixed to some or all of the plurality of vertical studs 24 with fasteners.

Next, as best seen in FIG. 4, the drywall boards 201 are installed to the plurality of vertical studs 24 such that the bottom wall 208 of each drywall board 201 contacts and presses against the middle lateral portion 420 of the sealing member 400. In this way, the bottom wall 208 of the drywall board 201 and the upper edge or wall 138 of the tile flange 120 contact and sandwich the middle lateral portion 420 of the sealing member 400 between the drywall board 201 and the tile flange 120 thereby creating a water resistant seal between a lower surface 422 of the middle lateral portion 420 of the sealing member 400 and the upper edge 138 of the tile flange 120 and between an upper surface 424 of the middle lateral portion 420 of the sealing member 400 and the bottom wall 208 of the drywall board 201. Additionally, an inner surface 432 (FIGS. 5 and 9) of the upper portion 430 of the sealing member 400 contacts and seals against the outside wall 204 of the drywall board 201 for further water resistance impeding the ingress of water into the region of the set of framing studs 20. The water resistant seals between the sealing member 400, the tile flange 120 and the drywall board 201, as described above, provide an improved water resistant seal between the tile flange 120 of the shower base 100 and the lower portions 206 of the drywall boards 201 of the drywall board enclosure 200 overlying the tile flange 120, as compared to the traditional application of a caulking bead between the tile flange 120 and bottom wall 208 of the drywall boards 201. The sealing member 400 additionally is easier to install on the tile flange 120 and is less dependent upon installer skill than traditional application of a caulking bead between the tile flange 120 and bottom wall 208 of the drywall boards 201.

The sealing member 400 can be used in any shower or bathtub installation wherein the shower base 100 or bathtub 1000 (FIG. 10) includes a tile flange 1002. As can be seen in FIG. 10, the bathtub 1000 includes an L-shaped tile flange 1002 extending upwardly from an upper planar surface 1004 along one side 1006 of the bathtub 1000. Depending on the design of the bathtub, the L-shaped tile flange 1002 may additionally extend around a front side 1008 and/or a back side 1010 of the bathtub.

As would be appreciated by one of skill in the art, depending on the specific height and length of the L-shaped tile flange 1002 of the bathtub 1000 (or the specific height and length of the tile flange 120 of the shower base 100), the specific overall vertical height, the installed height SMH, the upper portion height HUP, the middle portion height HMP, the lower portion height HLP and the width of W of the sealing member length L may be modified as required. Since in one exemplary embodiment, the sealing member 400 may be fabricated by extruding a polymer material, such as PVC, changing the dimensions of the sealing member 400 can be readily accomplished.

As used herein, terms of orientation and/or direction such as up, down, upward, downward, inside, outside, etc., are provided for convenience purposes and relate generally to the orientation shown in the Figures and/or discussed in the Detailed Description. Such orientation/direction terms are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, this application, and/or the invention or inventions described therein, and/or any of the claims appended hereto. Further, as used herein the terms comprise, comprises, and comprising is taken to specify the presence of stated features, elements, steps or components, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, steps or components.

What have been described above are examples of the present disclosure/invention. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components, assemblies, or methodologies for purposes of describing the present disclosure/invention, but one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the present disclosure/invention are possible. Accordingly, the present disclosure/invention is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications, and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

SEALING MEMBER FOR SHOWER BASE TILE FLANGE

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