Molded ready-to-tile shower bases with associated trenches and drains
OwnerJoseph R. Cook, Phillip Roth +2inventors
InventorsJoseph R. Cook, Phillip Roth, Benjamin A. Neff, James W. Cunningham
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In one embodiment a shower pan is comprised of a floor, one or more sidewalls and a recessed trough, which are all manufactured simultaneously to form a water proof module. Other features, such as one or more curbs, may be integrated into the pan during manufacture by modifying the molding tool. In another embodiment, a variety of pre-manufactured trenches to act as stand alone linear drains which can be combined with shower pan components after manufacture are disclosed.
Claims140
A one-piece waterproof shower pan, comprising:
- a floor defining an upper surface which lies in a single plane, the floor defining one or more peripheral edges;
- at least one sidewall integrally connected to one or more of the one or more peripheral edges of the floor;
- and
- a recessed trough integrally connected to at least one of the one or more peripheral edges of the floor.
A tileable shower pan, comprising:
- a tileable shower pan floor defining a lower floor surface, and an upper floor surface which either (1) lies in a single plane and is pitched toward a recessed trench or (2) is made up of one or more sloped shower pan floor surfaces that are pitched toward a recessed trench, the floor defining one or more peripheral edges;
- a recessed trench integrally connected to or adapted to be positioned adjacent to, and defining a depression relative to, the shower pan floor, the recessed trench defining one or more apertures therein;
- and
- one or more standard drains each of which is attached respectively to one of the one or more apertures in the recessed trench.
A tileable shower pan, comprising:
- a tileable shower pan floor defining a lower floor surface and an upper floor surface, the upper floor surface either lying in a single plane or made up of one or more sloped shower pan floor surfaces that are pitched toward a recessed trench drain, the floor defining one or more peripheral edges;
- and
- a recessed standard trench drain integrally molded into, and defining a depression relative to, the shower pan floor.
A method for creating a partially prefabricated tileable shower pan with an integrally connected trench comprising the steps of;
- pre-manufacturing a molded shower pan floor component of a partially prefabricated tileable shower pan assembly together with a molded prefabricated trench and an integrally connected standard drain to form a one piece shower pan floor, trench and standard drain assembly;
- and
- placing the one piece pan floor, trench and standard drain assembly in a space in which a shower is to be created.
A partially prefabricated tileable shower pan with an integrally connected trench comprising:
- a pre-manufactured molded shower pan floor;
- and
- a molded prefabricated trench and an integrally connected standard drain.
A tileable shower pan having a trench integrally formed therewith, the pan adapted to be placed on a subfloor of a shower enclosure space, comprising:
- a tileable shower pan floor including a lower pan floor surface and an upper pan floor surface, and a trench, the trench including a trench floor, the trench floor defining an upper trench floor surface and a lower trench floor surface, with both the upper and lower trench floor surfaces being recessed relative to the upper pan floor surface;
- the trench defining an aperture in which a standard drain is attached;
- and
- at least a portion of the lower pan floor surface adapted to be situated on the subfloor.
A tileable shower pan adapted to be placed on a subfloor of a shower enclosure space, comprising:
- a tileable shower pan including (1) a sloped pan floor which defines an upper pan floor surface and a lower pan floor surface, (2) a standard trench drain integrally formed therewith, the trench drain including a trench floor, the trench floor defining an upper trench floor surface and a lower trench floor surface, the upper trench floor surface being recessed relative to the upper pan floor surface, and the lower trench floor surface being either fully or partially encapsulated within the shower pan floor as a result of the molding process and
- at least a portion of the lower pan floor surface is adapted to be situated on the subfloor.
A prefabricated tileable shower pan with recessed trench, comprising;
- a prefabricated tileable shower pan including a pan floor;
- the pan floor defining a lower floor surface which lies in a single plane, and an upper floor surface which either lies in a single plane or is made up of one or more sloped floor surfaces that are pitched toward a recessed trench, the floor defining one or more peripheral edges;
- a trench formed in the shower pan floor at the same time that the shower pan floor is formed, which trench is recessed relative to the shower pan floor;
- such recessed trench defined by one or more peripheral sidewalls and a trench floor, which trench floor defines one or more drain apertures;
- and
- one or more standard drains attached to the one or more drain apertures in the trench floor at the time the trench floor is formed or any time thereafter.
A tileable shower pan and recessed trench, comprising:
- a tileable shower pan including a pan floor;
- the shower pan floor defining a lower floor surface which lies in a single plane, and an upper floor surface which either lies in a single plane or is made up of one or more sloped floor surfaces that are pitched toward a recessed trench, the floor defining one or more peripheral edges;
- a recessed trench selected from a group of trenches consisting of (a) a standalone prefabricated shower pan trench recessed relative to the shower pan floor, (b) a prefabricated shower pan trench formed simultaneously with, as part of, and recessed into, the shower pan floor, and (c) a prefabricated trench formed simultaneously with, as part of, and recessed into a floor of, the shower pan;
- such recessed trench defined by one or more peripheral sidewalls and a trench floor, which trench floor defines one or more drain apertures;
- and
- one or more standard drains attached to the one or more drain apertures in the trench floor at the time the trench floor is formed or any time thereafter.
The tileable shower pan and recessed trench of claim of 106, wherein
- (a) the trench is selected from a group of trenches consisting of (i) a recessed trench floor, sidewalls, and end walls without a liner or reducer, (ii) a recessed trench where one or more of the trench floor, one or more end walls, and one or more trench sidewalls are partially or fully lined by one or more liners, (iii) a recessed trench where one or more reducers is attached to one or more of the trench floor, one or more trench end walls, and one or more trench sidewalls, and (iv) a partially or fully lined recessed trench where one or more reducers is attached to one or more of the lined trench floor, one or more lined end walls, and one or more lined sidewalls, and
- (b) the trench cover is selected from a group consisting of non tileable trench covers having one or more apertures therein, non tileable trench covers having no apertures therein, and tileable trench covers.
The tileable shower pan and recessed trench of claim of 110, wherein the trench cover is placed in registry with the trench floor, so that the peripheral edge of the trench cover is spaced from the one or more trench sidewalls and end walls so as to define a gap there between through which water may pass.
The tileable shower pan and recessed trench of claim of 110, wherein the trench cover is placed in registry with the trench floor, so that an underside of the trench cover is spaced from such trench floor so as to define a gap there between through which water may pass while flowing toward the drain aperture, thereby permitting water to exit the tileable shower pan floor while substantially concealing at least a portion of the drain aperture.
The tileable shower pan and recessed trench of claim of 110, wherein the trench cover is placed in registry with the trench floor, so that the peripheral edge of such trench cover is spaced from the one or more trench sidewalls and trench end walls, so as to define a gap there between which will permit such trench cover to be removed.
The tileable shower pan and recessed trench of claim of 110, wherein an un-tiled upper surface of the tileable shower pan floor adjacent to the recessed trench is substantially coplanar with an upper un-tiled surface of the trench cover when such trench cover is placed in registry with the trench.
The tileable shower pan and recessed trench of claim of 110, wherein the recessed trench is sufficiently recessed into or below an upper surface of the tileable shower pan floor adjacent the recessed trench so that (a) an upper tiled or un-tiled surface of the tileable trench cover is substantially coplanar with an adjacent upper tile or un-tiled surface, respectively, of the tileable shower pan floor, and (b) an upper surface of the non tileable trench cover with or without apertures in the top thereof is substantially coplanar with an adjacent upper tiled surface of the tileable shower pan floor.
The tileable shower pan and recessed trench of claim of 110 wherein the tileable trench cover and the tileable shower pan floor is covered with wall or flooring material, such that an upper surface of the wall or flooring material on such trench cover is substantially coplanar with an adjacent upper surface of the wall or flooring material on the tileable shower pan floor when the tileable trench cover is placed in registry with the trench;
- and
- wherein a gap is defined on one side by the wall or flooring material on the tileable shower pan floor and on the other side by the wall or flooring material on the trench cover, such that water drains between opposed perimeter tiled edges of the trench cover and tiled perimeter edges of the tileable shower pan adjacent the trench cover.
The tileable shower pan and recessed trench of claim of 110, wherein the trench cover is not covered with wall or flooring material and the tileable shower pan floor is covered with wall or flooring material, such that an upper surface of the non tileable trench cover is substantially coplanar with an adjacent upper surface of the wall or flooring material on the tileable shower pan floor when such trench cover is placed in registry with the trench;
- and
- wherein a gap is defined on one side by the wall or flooring material on the tileable shower pan floor and on the other side by the non-tiled trench cover, such that water drains between the perimeter untiled edge of the trench cover and a tiled perimeter edge of the shower pan floor adjacent the trench cover.
The tileable shower pan with recessed trench of claims and 125 wherein the trench cover is held in registry with the recessed trench through structure for supporting which allows the height of an upper surface of the trench cover to be vertically adjusted so as to be positioned coplanar with an upper tiled or un-tiled surface of the adjacent tileable shower pan.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.