[0001] This invention relates to shower enclosures and more particularly to shower enclosures
moulded in a plurality of parts which fit together one above the other to define an
enclosure having at least a base, a back wall and two side walls without the parts
being formed with any vertical seams or joints. The shower enclosures with which the
invention is mainly concerned are intended to be free standing in an enclosed space,
normally fixed to the enclosure at one or more of the front edges so that they give
the appearance of being built into the walls of a room.
[0002] Moulded shower enclosures are known without vertical seams or joints and while some
are formed in a single piece it is also known to form them from a plurality of parts
located one on top of the other so that the parts can be separately manoeuvred into
a room and then assembled.
[0003] Conventionally all known such moulded shower enclosures, formed in several parts,
have had a flat base supported directly on the floor with the waste outlet pipes extending
under the floor and with each part being supported on the part below by horizontal
mating surfaces resting one on the other without any securing means such as bolts
between them. The parts have then been connected to the timber studs or other structural
members of the structure around the enclosure along the top and back and front edges
of the side and back walls. The enclosure then gets its stability from the large contact
area between the base and ground and the securing means connecting the side and back
to the surrounding structure.
[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a moulded shower enclosure, formed
in a plurality of parts located one above the other, the base of which stands clear
of the ground on which it is supported and which has its own structural strength.
[0005] Accordingly, the present invention provides a moulded shower enclosure formed in
a plurality of parts located one above the other, the enclosure having a base defining
a waste outlet, and a back and two side walls and having no vertical joints or seams,
characterised by support members projecting downwardly from the base for supporting
the enclosure on the ground so that waste pipes can be located between the base and
the ground, and characterised in that the parts are formed at their mating surfaces
with overlapping flanges secured together by connectable and disconnectable fixing
means, so that the enclosure has its own structural stability.
[0006] Such an enclosure gives easy access above the ground to the waste pipes and needs
no structural support from its surround, except that it will normally be fixed along
its front vertical edges to the surround to ensure that it cannot move or overturn
as a whole.
[0007] Preferably the fixing means will comprise threaded members such as bolts and nuts
and the support members will preferably be height adjustable and may include inter-engaging
threaded parts.
[0008] Preferably the enclosure is formed in three parts, a base part including the base
moulded integrally with the lower portions of the side and back walls and with an
upstanding front ledge portion, a central U-shaped part extending for the majority
of the height of the enclosure and a top part providing a closed top integrally moulded
with the top portions of the side and back walls and with a downwardly projecting
front ledge. The side walls of all parts will preferably have inwardly projecting
side ledges and the top, side and bottom ledges may be filled with foam to provide
stiffening webs, the ledges between them defining the opening to the enclosure.
[0009] The enclosure may be adapted to be closed by a door but alternatively has a rail
bonded or otherwise secured into the top part behind the downwardly extending front
ledge, for supporting a shower curtain.
[0010] The upper surface of the base part is preferably formed with a pattern of raised
pads and generally slopes downwards from all sides towards the waste outlet. The waste
outlet is preferably located in the front quarter of the base part and is connected
to a waste pipe by means of a conventional trap. A removabe access panel, which may
include vents, is designed to be secured at the front of the enclosure below the base
to hide the waste pipes, feet and other items below the enclosure.
[0011] Preferably there are four feet arranged symmetrically spaced from one another and
adjacent the corners of the base, each of the feet being supported from a bracket
structure which extends at an angle to the sides and back, preferably an angle of
45° but this may be in the range 30 to 60°. This provides greater stability.
[0012] In one form the inter-connecting flanges between the parts extend outwardly substantially
horizontally and the fixing means extend vertically through the mating horizontal
portions at spaced intervals. The channel between the flanges may initially extend
upwardly and outwardly from the interior of the enclosure or the lower flange of a
mating pair may turn upwardly beyond the upper flange of a pair at the joint.
[0013] In another form, the upper portion of the wall of the lower of two parts to be connected
is kinked outwardly by substantially the thickness of the lower portion of the wall
of the upper part being connected so that the respective inner and outer surfaces
of the parts abut, and the lower portions have fixing means moulded therein or fixed
thereto and projecting substantially horizontally, outwardly therefrom. The upper
portions of the lower part may then have slot means for receiving the projecting fixing
parts which are preferably threaded to receive nuts.
[0014] There may, for example, be four spaced fixing means along each side and the back
but two may be sufficient.
[0015] One embodiment of shower enclosure, with alternative arrangements of flanges, will
now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings
of which:-
Figure 1 is a front view of the shower enclosure,
Figure 2 is a section on the Line II-II of Figure 1,
Figure 3 is a section on the Line III-III of Figure 4,
Figure 4 is a section through the centre part of the enclosure on an enlarged scale
but not showing the connecting flanges,
Figure 5 is a plan view of the base part of the enclosure,
Figure 6 is a detail of one form of flange connection on an enlarged scale,
Figures 7 and 8 are a section and front view respectively through an alternative form
of flange connection on an enlarged scale,
Figure 9 is an enlarged view of one support structure on an enlarged scale, and
Figures 10 and 11 show alternative flange formations.
[0016] The shower enclosure 12 as seen in the Figures is moulded from plastics material,
for example glass reinforced plastics made in the same way as yacht hulls but with
the inner surface of the enclosure having a smooth finish. The enclosure is moulded
in three parts, a base part 13, a central part 14 and a top part 15, locatable one
on top of the other to provide substantially continuous side walls 16 and 17 and a
back wall 18. The front edges of the side walls, the front edge of the top and the
front edge of the base part respectively project inwardly, downwardly and upwardly
and are of U-section filled with foam to provide stiffened webs. Other material may
be used in place of the foam, such as softwood battens or battens combined with foam.
This would allow the frame of a shower door to be screwed to the webs. The webs form
side, top and bottom ledges 20, 21, 22 defining a front opening 23 to the enclosure.
The outer edges of the side ledges 20 project outwardly beyond the side walls 16,
17 as lips 24.
[0017] The base part 13 has a base 25 supported on four spaced support structures 26 so
that its lower surface is located above the ground or floor 27 on which it is supported.
The upper surface of the base is formed with a pattern of raised pads 28 and the surface
generally slopes downwards slightly from all directions at about 1° towards a waste
opening 30, the bottom surface in area 29 around this opening being flat. The waste
opening 30 is located centrally in the front quarter of the base. In this embodiment,
for example with a shower enclosure having outer dimensions of 750 to 850 millimetres,
the centre of the opening lies 100 millimetres behind the front ledge 22. The waste
opening 30 is connected to a waste pipe 31 via a conventional trap 32, all of which
are located above the ground level where they are easily accessible.
[0018] There are four support structures 26 arranged symmetrically, adjacent but spaced
inwardly from the corners of the base. Each of the support structures, best seen in
Figure 9, comprises a height adjustable, ball jointed foot 35, connected by a screw
threaded shank 35A, nut 35B and captive nut 35C to the base of a flat bottomed V-shaped
bracket structure 36 formed from strip material. The horizontal upper ends of the
arms of the structure 36 are secured to the threaded downwardly projecting ends 37
of threaded fixings (Figure 3) moulded into the base part. The plane of each of the
V-shaped structures 36 extends at an angle of 45° to the side and back walls as indicated
in Figure 5. The threads on shanks 35A allow height adjustment of the feet.
[0019] The upper edges of the portions of the walls 16, 17 and 18 of the base part 13 are
formed with flanges 40 having an inner part 41 extending upwardly and outwardly and
an outer part 42 extending substantially horizontally outwardly as seen in Figure
6. The lower ends of walls 16, 17, 18 of the central part 14 end in a flange 43 having
a thickened outwardly projecting part 44, an upwardly and outwardly projecting part
45 and a horizontally and outwardly extending part 46. As seen in Figure 6, when the
wall portions are in line with the central part 14 located on the base part 13, the
flange part 46 engages the flange part 42 and the two flange parts are then connected
along their lengths at spaced intervals by fixing means in the form of bolts 47 and
nuts 48. For example, there may be four fixing means along each of the two sides and
four along the back. At their inner edges the flange parts define between them an
upwardly and outwardly inclined channel 49 which may be filled with a sealant if desired.
[0020] The upper edge of the central part 14 is formed with a flange similar to the flange
40 and the lower edge of the top part 15 is formed with a flange similar to the flange
43 so that the top part and central part may be bolted together with an arrangement
similar to that described above and as seen in Figure 6.
[0021] The top part 15 has a closed top moulded integrally with the top portions of the
back and side walls and the downwardly extending ledge 21. A rail 51 is bonded into
or otherwise joined to the top part 15 between its side walls immediately behind the
downwardly extending ledge 21. The upper part is also formed with a fixed or adjustable
shower head 52 and the central part is formed with an opening accommodating a shower
control valve 53. The openings for the head and valve may be formed during moulding
or drilled on site at selection positions.
[0022] Because the shower is formed in three parts it can be manoeuvred through a standard
door opening even though the overall outside dimensions of the shower may be greater
than the width of the door opening. Because of the bolted connection between the parts
the whole enclosure, once assembled and bolted together, is extremely structurally
stable without requiring connection to outside supports, despite being supported only
on spaced feet having a small contact area with the ground. The enclosure is however
normally screwed to a surround along the front vertical edges only to ensure that
it cannot overturn as a whole.
[0023] As seen in Figures 1 and 2, the bottom of the front edge of the base is provided
with a downward extension 52A behind which the upper edge of an access panel 54 is
located and secured. This panel is provided with vents 55, is of pleasing appearance
and can be easily removed for access to the waste pipes.
[0024] The base part 13 and the lower portion of the central part 14 are provided with solid
back corners 56 ending in substantially horizontal (but slightly sloped forwards so
that water drains off them) surfaces 57 providing soap dishes or supports for shampoo
or the like.
[0025] Once assembled, the shower enclosure is intended to be located with its front lip
24 aligned with and connected to a wall of a room so that the sides and back outside
surfaces of the shower enclosure are hidden from view. The rest of the enclosure is
free standing and not connected to any other structure except that it is restrained
along the front vertical edges.
[0026] The top part could be omitted altogether if desired.
[0027] An alternative flanged connection between adjacent shower enclosure parts is shown
in Figures 7 and 8, also to provide a structurally stable shower enclosure. In this
arrangement, the lower portion of the side and back walls 63 of an upper part is substantially
straight but has moulded therein fixing means such as threaded fixings 64 having threaded
outwardly horizontally projecting shanks 65. The upper portions of the side and back
walls of a lower part 66 are kinked outwardly at 67 by approximately the thickness
of the wall part 63 to provide an upwardly extending flange 68 the inner surface of
which abuts the outer surface of the part 63. At positions corresponding to the fixing
means 64, the flanges 68 are provided with upwardly opening, downwardly extending
slots 70 to receive the shanks 65. A nut 71 is then used to secure the parts firmly
together, with sealant if required. Again, the inner end of the channel between the
connecting flanges extends initially upwardly and outwardly as seen at 72.
[0028] Two alternative, simple flange and fixing constructions are shown in Figures 10 and
11. Here the flanges 75 are horizontal with the lower flange of the pair in Figure
11 having an upturned edge 76.
1. A moulded shower enclosure (12) formed in a plurality of parts (13, 14, 15) located
one above the other, the enclosure having a base (25) defining a waste outlet (30),
and a back (18) and two side (16, 17) walls and having no vertical joints or seams,
characterised by support members (26) projecting downwardly from the base for supporting
the enclosure on the ground so that waste pipes (31) can be located between the base
and the ground, and characterised in that the parts are are formed at their mating
surfaces with overlapping flanges (40, 43, 75) secured together by connectable and
disconnectable fixing means (47, 48), so that the enclosure has its own structural
stability.
2. A shower enclosure according to claim 1 characterised in that the support members
(26) are height adjustable and include a plurality of spaced feet (35).
3. An enclosure according to claim 1 or claim 2 characterised in that each support member
(26) includes a structure (36) which extends at an angle to both the back and side
walls of the enclosure.
4. An enclosure according to claim 2 or claim 3 characterised in that the support members
(26) comprise four feet (35) arranged adjacent the corners and each attached to a
bracket structure (36) extending at an angle of substantially 45° to the side and
back walls.
5. An enclosure according to any of claims 1 to 4 characterised by a removable panel
(54) extending between the base and ground (27) at the front of the enclosure to provide
access, on removal, to the waste pipes (31).
6. An enclosure according to any of claims 1 to 5 characterised by a base part (13) including
the base (25) moulded integrally with the lower portions of the side and back walls
(16 - 18) and having an upstanding front ledge portion (22), and a U-shaped part (14)
extending for the majority of the height of the enclosure and including the majority
of the back and side walls (16 - 18).
7. An enclosure according to claim 6 characterised in that the U-shaped part is a central
part (14), and including a top part (15) providing a closed top integrally moulded
with the top parts of the side and back walls (16 -18) and having a downwardly projecting
front ledge (21).
8. An enclosure according to claim 6 or claim 7 characterised in that the side walls
of all parts are provided with inwardly projecting side ledges (20) and the bottom
ledge (22), side ledges (20) and top ledge (21) when provided, define the opening
(23) to the enclosure, and in which the ledges are provided with stiffening means.
9. An enclosure according to any of claims 1 to 8 characterised in that the upper surface
of the base is formed with a pattern of raised pads (28) and slopes from all sides
downwardly towards the waste outlet (30).
10. An enclosure according to any of claims 1 to 9 characterised in that at least portions
of the interconnecting flanges (75) between the parts extend outwardly substantially
horizontally and the fixing means (47, 48) extend vertically through the mating horizontal
portions at spaced intervals.