Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE OF THE INVENTION
PRECAST SHOWER BASE
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a precast shower base. More particularly, this
invention
relates to a precast shower base that can be readily and easily installed for
commercial,
industrial and institutional high traffic use.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Most shower bases and units incorporating shower bases are manufactured and
designed for light traffic, residential use. Usually, these shower bases are-
provided from
light weight, moldable materials such as fiberglass and plastics that are
relatively simple
to manufacture.
For example, a typical light weight shower bath cabinet is disclosed in U.S.
Patent
2,002,789 to E.F. Niedecker having a shower base and walls designed for
residential or
home use. Another typical shower receptacle; i.e., a shower base, is disclosed
in U.S.
Patent 3,800,335 to A. Buonaura. A two piece, molded shower unit having a
shower base
and walls is disclosed in U.S. Patent 4,423,528 to C.A. Wiedmeir.
While these typical, prior art shower bases serve their intended function for
light
traffic, residential type usage, they would not be appropriate for commercial,
industrial and
institutional high traffic use as they would not provide the strength,
durability and rigidity
required under such usage.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The precast shower base of the invention is manufactured from strong, durable
and
rigid commercially available materials such as fiberglass reenforced plastics.
The precast
shower base of the invention is designed to withstand high traffic commercial,
industrial
and institutional usage such as that encountered in hospitals, manufacturing
plants,
schools, institutions for the aged and the handicapped, health and fitness
centers, and the
like.
In general, the precast shower base of the invention comprises: a floor having
a
removable strainer drain; opposed front and rear walls and opposed side walls
that extend
perpendicularly upward from said floor and are continuous to enclose said
floor defining
a generally rectangular or square shaped shower base; a continuous planar
surface at the
upper extremity and about the periphery of said walls; a central groove formed
in said
planar surface extending substantially about the periphery of said planar
surface, a portion
of said groove being discontinued in said planar surface at said front wall to
provide an
entry threshold; and, a continuous inner wall surface sloped from the inner
edge of said
planer surface toward said floor at a constant pitch.
The cross-sectional thickness of the floor and walls as well as the width and
depth
of the central groove of the precast shower base of the invention are such
that heavy
shower wall partitions such as metal panels can be fitted into and supported
by the central
groove in a substantially upright position. Thus, the overall design and
construction of the
precast shower base of the invention enables it to be readily manufactured,
permits it to
be quickly and easily transported and installed and is easy to maintain and
repair during
high traffic usage.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The precast shower base of the invention will become more apparent from the
ensuing description when considered together with the accompanying drawing
wherein:
Fig. 1 is a plan view illustrating a typical prior art shower base similar to
the shower
base disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,800,335 identified herein above;
Fig. 2 is an exaggerated, sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2
of Fig.
1;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the precast shower base of the
invention;
and,
Fig. 4 is an exaggerated, fragmented, sectional view taken substantially on
the line
4-4 of Fig. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING AND THE INVENTION
Turning now to the drawing wherein like reference numerals denote like parts,
it can
be seen from Figs. 1 and 2 that a typical prior art shower base, generally
identified by
reference numeral 10, comprises a floor 11 having a central drain 11 a and is
enclosed by
opposed front and rear walls 12a and 12b, respectively, and opposed side walls
13a and
13b. Walls 12a, 12b, 13a and 13b are continuous to enclose a generally
rectangular or
square shaped shower base 10.
The continuous upper surface 14 of walls 12a, 12b 13a and 13b has a central
channel 15 formed therein that extends substantially about the periphery of
upper surface
14. Central channel 15 is typically discontinued, as indicated by reference
numeral 16, in
the upper surface of front wall 12a to provide an entrance to the shower base
10.
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As can be seen in Fig. 2, the continuous inner surface 17 of walls 12a, 12b,
13a and
13b is arcuate and concaved with respect to the outer surfaces of walls 12a,
12b, 13a and
13b so that the inner surface 17 tapers from a relatively narrow cross-
sectional upper
surface indicated by 14a to a relatively narrow cross-sectional floor portion
indicated by
11b.
Since this typical, prior art shower base 10 is intended and designed for
limited,
relatively light usage, the tapered, arcuate inner side wall shape results in
lower
manufacturing costs, requires less raw material to produce and is
substantially light in
weight. Such prior art shower bases 10 are generally manufactured from light
weight,
moldable materials such as fiberglass or from moldable plastics such as
polyethylenes,
polyurethanes, and the like.
In these prior art shower bases the thickness of the walls and floor are
relatively
thin. For example, in the typical prior art shower base shown in Figs. 1 and
2, the cross-
sectional thickness of the walls 12a, 12b, 13a and 13b at the upper surface
14a is normally
from about 3/4" to about 1" as is the cross-sectional thickness of the floor
at 11 b.
Consequently, the cross-sectional width of central channel 15 is normally
about'/2' and its
depth is from about 3/4" to about 1 ". Thus, channel 15 is designed to receive
enclosure
panels therein that are generally manufactured from the same type of light
weight,
moldable fiberglass or plastics as the shower base 10.
The precast shower base of the invention is generally identified in Figs. 3
and 4 by
reference numeral 20. Shower base 20 comprises a floor 21 having a removable
strainer
drain 21 a and is enclosed by opposed front and rear walls 22 and 23,
respectively, and
opposed side walls 24 and 25, these walls being continuous to define a
generally
rectangular or square shaped shower base 20. The outer surfaces of walls 22-25
extend
perpendicularly upward from floor 21 and terminate in a continuous, flat
planar surface 26
about the perimeter of floor 21. A central groove 27 is formed in the planar
surface
perimeter 26 substantially about its periphery, but is discontinued along a
portion of front
wall 22 to provide a flat, entry threshold 28 into shower base 20 as shown in
Fig. 3. The
continuous inner surface 29 of walls 22-25 is sloped from the inner edge of
the planar
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surface 26 toward floor 21 at a constant pitch so as to form an obtuse angle
with floor 21
as indicated by"a" in Fig. 4.
The precast shower base 20 of the invention is manufactured from materials
that
5 are durable and rigid and that will provide sufficient strength to the
shower base 20 that will
enable it to readily and easily support thick, heavy shower wall partitions
such as metal
panels fitted into central groove 27. Typically, the precast shower base 20 of
the invention
can be manufactured from commercially available fiberglass reenforce plastics.
This type
of material, together with appropriate design dimensions, provides a shower
base having
the requisite durability, rigidity and strength for its intended high traffic
use. Thus, the
precast shower base of the invention 20 is manufactured so that the cross-
sectional
thickness of the floor 21 adjacent walls 22-25 is from about 1-1/2" to about 2-
1/2",
preferably about 2", and tapers toward strainer drain 21 a to provide proper
drainage to a
cross-sectional thickness of from about 1" to about 2", preferably about 1-
1/2". The cross-
sectional thickness of the walls 22-25 at the planar surface perimeter 26 can
be from about
2-1 /2" to about 3-1 /2", preferably about 3". The cross-sectional width of
groeve 27 can be
from about 3/4" to about 1-1/2", preferably about 1", while the depth of
groove 27 can be
from about 2" to about 3", preferably about 2-1/2" enabling heavy shower wall
panels or
partitions to be readily seated in and supported by groove 27.
Thus, the design and structure of the precast shower base of the invention
enables
it to be readily and easily transported and installed for commercial,
industrial and
institutional high traffic use while minimizing maintenance and repair.
Although the precast shower base of the invention has been described with
particularity and in some detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in
the art that
changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope
and
spirit of the invention.
