Modular bathing cabinet and method of fabricating same

A modular bathing cabinet which is adapted to be transported in a disassembled condition and assembled at the location of final installation and use, and comprising

• a horizontally disposed base having a generally rectangular outer periphery in plan view, and including an aperture for receiving a drain,
• an enclosure of generally U-shape in horizontal cross-section and having a vertical back wall, opposite vertical side walls, and an open front, with said enclosure being positioned upon the outer periphery of said base and extending vertically upwardly therefrom, and with said enclosure comprising a pair of L-shaped upright side sections, with each of said side sections comprising a rear panel and a side panel which are disposed at right angles to each other and such that the rear panels of said side sections are aligned along a vertical junction line and collectively define said back wall of said enclosure, and said side panels define respective ones of said side walls of said enclosure, each of said upright side sections including an integral outwardly extending flange along said vertical junction line, with the flanges of the two side sections being parallel to and overlying each other, and
• a plurality of rigid reinforcing straps affixed to each of said upright side sections and disposed along the outside surface of each of said upright side sections, with said reinforcing straps of each side section extending horizontally along the side panel and rear panel thereof and in a vertically spaced apart arrangement, and with each reinforcing strap of each side section being horizontally aligned with a respective one of the reinforcing straps of the other side section at said vertical junction line, and means interconnecting the horizontally aligned straps across said vertical junction line and so as to press the overlying flanges toward each other, and so as to define a plurality of horizontal reinforcing bands which extend continuously along the back wall and both side walls of said enclosure, each of said reinforcing straps further including a plurality of securing members connected to and extending outwardly therefrom and adapted to be engaged with and secured to a building wall stud or the like.

A method of installing a modular bathing cabinet of the type comprising a horizontally positionable base having a generally rectangular outer periphery in plan view and including an aperture for receiving a drain, and a pair of side sections positioned in an adjacent side-by-side arrangement to define a junction line between the adjacent pair which is vertical with respect to the horizontally positionable base, with each side section comprising a rear panel and a side panel which are disposed at right angles to each other, with each of said side sections having a plurality of reinforcing straps affixed thereto in vertically spaced apart arrangement and so as to extend along the outside surface of the side panel and rear panel, and with said reinforcing straps including a plurality of securing members extending outwardly therefrom, and comprising the steps of

• mounting the base upon a horizontal supporting floor,
• connecting a drain to the aperture of the base,
• mounting a plurality of vertical wall studs to said supporting floor so as to be positioned along opposite sides of said base when the base is mounted upon said floor,
• securing said pair of side sections to each other by interconnecting respective ones of said straps at the vertical junction line, and so as to form a U-shaped enclosure having a back wall, opposite side walls, and an open front,
• positioning said enclosure upon said base so as to define a bathing cabinet with an open front, and
• securing said securing members of said straps to said vertical wall studs.