BATHTUB/SHOWER DEFLECTOR MEANS

DEFLECTEUR POUR DOUCHE/BAIGNOIRE

English Abstract

There is provided a splash guard for use with
bathtubs or other enclosures for showering, the splash guard
comprising a unitary member having an end wall, first and
second side walls extending outwardly from the end wall, one
of the side walls extending arcuately inwardly to meet the
second side wall at their distal ends, with the distal ends
having means for securing the second side walls together.
The splash guards are easy to manufacture, esthetic and
ensure that no leakage of water can occur from around a
shower curtain.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an
exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as
follows:
1. A splash guard comprising a first vertically
extending end wall having a top edge, a bottom edge, and a
pair of side edges, a first side wall extending outwardly
from said first side edge, a second side wall extending
outwardly from said second side edge, said first side wall
extending arcuately inwardly to meet said second side wall
at their distal ends, and means for securing said first and
second side walls together.
2. The splash guard of Claim 1 wherein each of said
first and second side walls has a hook type element at their
distal ends, said hook type elements adapted to secure said
first and second side walls together.
3. The splash guard of Claim 1 wherein said splash
guard is formed as a single extrusion.
4. The splash guard of Claim 1 further including
reinforcing means extending between said first and second
side walls intermediate said point of contact of said first
and second side walls and said first end wall.
5. The splash guard of Claim 1 further including means
for attaching said first end wall to a structural wall.
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6. The splash guard of Claim 1 further including
sealing flanges extending from said first end wall in a
direction opposed to the direction in which said first and
second side walls extend.
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Description

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The present invention relates to a splash guard for
a bathtub/shower and more particularly, it relates to a
splash guard which may be attached to one or more walls
surrounding a portion of a bathtub.
Most residences and commercial establishments such
as hotels, motels and inns, utilize a bathtub for use both
as a conventional bathtub and also as a shower. The
bathtub, normally of a rectangular configuration has a
shower head provided at one end thereof. While convenient,
these bathtub/showers are susceptible to water escaping from
the bathtub during the user taking a shower, with the water
potentially causing damage, both cosmetic and structural.
This is particularly the case in rental accommodations and
commercial establishments such as hotels and motels where
the users might be inclined to take fewer precautions.
Thus, the damage caused by the moisture escaping from the
bathtub becomes an economic overhead for the owner.
It is known in the art to provide means of
protecting the water from escaping during a shower, the
simplest of arrangements comprises a shower rod running
parallel to the rim of the bathtub and which is usually
braced by spring pressure against two opposing walls of the
structure surrounding the tub. A curtain is suspended from
the rod, which curtain has at least a portion thereof
entering the interior of the tub such that water will stay
within the confines thereof. However, in practice, there is
frequently leakage from around the curtain particularly
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since the air in the shower area becomes warmer during the
shower and causes an upward air movement. The upward
movement of the air means that colder air must enter and
this frequently pulls away the shower curtain from the walls
and/or rim of the bathtub.
Solid splash guards are also well known and usually
comprise flat panels or segments which permit a sliding
movement and form a totally enclosed area. However, these
solid panels are more expensive and susceptible to breakage.
Furthermore, some water can still escape if they are not
properly installed and they also become more time consuming
to clean. This is particularly a problem in commercial
establishments.
It is an object of the present invention to provide
a splash guard arrangement which is adapted to prevent the
egress of water from the bathtub/shower area, when used in
conjunction with a shower curtain and which splash guard is
both effective and is esthetic.
According to one aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a splash guard comprising first vertically
extending end wall having a top edge, a bottom edge, and a
pair of side edges, a first side wall extending outwardly
from the first side edge, a second side wall extending
outwardly from the second side edge, the first side wall
extending arcuately inwardly to meet the second side wall at
their distal ends, and means for securing the first and
second side walls together.

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In a further aspect of the present invention, in a
bathroom having a bathtub, the bathtub having a pair of end
walls and a pair of side walls, the side walls being
adjacent enclosure side walls, the improvement comprising a
splash guard having an end wall secured to one of the
enclosure end walls, the splash guard having a first
vertically extending end wall secured to the enclosure end
wall, first and second side walls extending outwardly from
the end wall, the first and second side walls meeting at
their distal ends, the second side wall being located
proximate an inner peripheral edge of the side wall of the
bathtub.
In greater detail, the splash guard of the present
invention may be used in conjunction with a bathtub or other
enclosure for taking showers. In some instances, it may be
used with a stand alone shower enclosure.
The shower guard may be made of any suitable
material with a preferred one being a plastics material. It
is preferably performed as a one piece unit as will be shown
in a preferred embodiment.
Having thus generally described the invention,
reference will be made to the accompanying drawings
illustrating an embodiment thereof, in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a
bathtub illustrating use of the splash guard;
Figure 2 is a top plan view of a bathtub having a
pair of splash guards according to the present invention;
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Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of the splash
guard; and
Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 illustrating
access to the means for mounting the device.
Referring to the drawings in greater detail and by
reference characters thereto, a splash guard according to an
embodiment of the present invention is generally designated
by reference numeral 10. Splash guard 10 has an end wall 12
which is adapted to extend vertically next to a wall
surrounding the bathtub. As may be best seen in Figures 3
and 4, at either side of end wall 12 there is provided
sealing flanges 14 and 16.
Extending outwardly from end wall 12 on the side
thereof opposed to sealing flanges 14 and 16, are a pair of
side walls 18 and 20. Side wall 18, at its distal end
remote from end wall 12, curves to have an arcuate portion
24 to form a second end wall 22.
End wall 22 includes an inwardly extending flange 26
which terminates in a hook type element generally designated
by reference numeral 28. Side wall 20, at its distal end,
also includes a U-shaped portion 30 with a hook element 32
adapted to mate with hook element 28 of end wall 32. Thus,
by means of hook elements 28 and 32, end wall 22 and side
wall 20 are secured together.
Extending inwardly from an inner surface of side
wall 18 are a pair of spacer reinforcing members 34 and 36.
Likewise, a reinforcing spacer member 38 extends inwardly

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from side wall 20 and is adapted to fit between members 34
and 36.
In a typical arrangement, as shown in Figures 1 and
2, a bathtub 40 has a pair of opposed end walls 42 and 44
and a pair of opposed side walls 46 and 48. Conventionally,
a building wall or other type of surround is present at end
walls 42 and 44 and side wall 46 with side wall 48 providing
access to the bathtub. Conveniently, a curtain 50 may be
provided; the curtain being mounted on a conventional
manner on a rod (not shown).
A pair of splash guards 10 are preferably employed,
one being associated with each end wall 42 and 44. In this
respect, splash guard 10 is secured to a wall W by means of
a suitable screw 52 or other fastener. In this respect, it
will be noted that the splash guards 10 are placed such that
the point of joinder or side wall 20 and end wall 22 is
situated at the inner marginal edge of bathtub side wall 48.
Thus, any water will be retained and run back into the
bathtub. it will be noted that sealing flanges 14 and 16
form a seal between end wall 12 and wall W.
Splash guards 10 extend inwardly towards each other
a distance sufficient that the curtain 50, even if it is
slightly free, while have its side edges within the edges of
the splash guards 10 and thus prevent water from escaping
from the bathtub area.
It will be understood that the above described
embodiment is for purposes of illustration only and that

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changes and modifications made be made thereto without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Representative Drawing