[0001] The present patent refers to the sector of prefabricated elements for building construction
and concerns in particular a new shower tray, the inside of which is completely insulated
with foam material.
[0002] The shower trays used at present are made of steel, ceramic or plastic.
[0003] Steel and ceramic shower trays are very resistant to both stress and wear, but they
require considerable processing, such as moulding, shaping, painting and other treatments,
with consequent high costs. On the other hand, steel shower trays must be internally
treated with special noise-deadening paints, so as to avoid the diffusion of the sound
waves produced by the falling water.
[0004] Plastic shower trays are easy and quick to manufacture, they are lightweight and
do not require additional treatments, but they present the drawback of being too easily
deformed, and of transmitting and amplifying the noise of the water like a sound chamber.
[0005] Plastic shower trays are known, which are provided with preformed filling elements
on the bottom, made of insulating material, typically polyurethane or polystyrene.
[0006] The coupling between the plastic shower tray and the filling element is carried out
after the moulding of the two elements, if necessary with the aid of glue. The quality
of the coupling depends on the manual skill of the operator, on the climate characteristics
at the time of installation and on the moulding tolerances of both the shower tray
and the filling element, consequently there may be coupling without complete adhesion,
with clearances between the outer coating and the support.
[0007] To overcome the inconveniences described above, a new assembled shower tray has been
designed and implemented, which comprises a shower tray, or layer of plastic material,
bonded with polystyrene foam sintered on the inside, that is, on the bottom (internal)
surface of the shower tray.
[0008] The assembled shower tray to which the present patent refers is similar to plastic
shower trays, produced with the known techniques and with the internal and external
surfaces finished exactly as when they arc extracted from the mould, with a bottom
layer of insulating material, forming the filling elcment, which is foamed and sintered
directly, in such a way as to adhere completely to the plastic material, if necessary
treated beforehand with glue (primer).
[0009] A hole is left in the insulating material to allow the connection of the hole in
the shower tray to the drainage system.
[0010] The shower tray with top plastic layer and bottom layer made of polystyrene foam
sintered directly onto the internal surface of said plastic tray presents numerous
advantages:
◆ the insulating material takes exactly the shape of each shower tray, adapting even
to any imperfections;
◆ the insulating material adheres and joins perfectly to the shower tray;
◆ the labour and times necessary for the assembly of the insulating material are eliminated;
◆ there are absolutely no cracks or gaps or empty spaces between the insulating material
and the shower tray, thus eliminating the risk of mechanical stress on the thermoformed
material;
◆ the close union between the insulating material and the shower tray gives the shower
tray characteristics of rigidity and strength that cannot be achieved otherwise.
[0011] The new plastic shower tray insulated at the bottom and internally, constituted as
described above, is lighter than ceramic or steel shower trays, just as strong as
ceramic or steel shower trays, but much lighter in weight and less expensive and without
problems of sound reverberation or of stagnating humidity.
[0012] Assembled shower tray, comprising a shower tray or upper layer made of thermoformed
plastic material and a bottom layer made of polystyrene sintered and/or foamed directly
onto said plastic material, where the polystyrene foam saturates all the predefined
space under the thermoformed plastic tray.
[0013] The shower tray is obviously provided with a hole in correspondence with the drainage
hole, so as to allow the connection of said hole in the shower tray to the drainage
system. Suitable drainage channels may be obtained in the insulating mass to save
material without affecting the mechanical strength of the product; likewise, suitable
supports for the application of external elements or anything else necessary for the
completion of the shower tray or of the shower stall may be sunk in the insulating
material: external cubicles, levelling feet, etc.
[0014] The following is just an example among many of a possible application of the new
insulated shower tray, illustrated in the enclosed drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a cross-section of the shower tray and Figure 2 is a partially sectioned
axonometric view of the same, respectively.
[0015] It is possible to observe the plastic shower tray (P), with the respective perimetric
edges (Pb) and the drainage hole (Ps), any drainage channels in the material (Vs)
and the insertion of internal cores (L) for the specific fixing of the feet (D), and
the insulating material (C) sintered onto the bottom of the shower tray (P) and with
the hole (Cf) to allow the connection to the drainage system.
[0016] As may be seen, the polystyrene foam fills all the spaces (Cb) inside the plastic
shower tray, giving it characteristics of compactness and rigidity never obtained
before.
1. Assembled shower tray, characterised in that it comprises a shower tray, or upper layer, made of thermoformed plastic material
(P) and a bottom layer made of polystyrene (C) sintered and/or foamed directly onto
said plastic material (P).
2. Assembled shower tray according to claim 1, characterised in that the polystyrene (C) saturates all the spaces predefined by static and bearing calculations
below the thermoformed plastic tray (P).
3. Assembled shower tray according to claims 1 or 2, characterised in that the insulating material (C) is provided with a hole (Ps) in correspondence with the
drainage hole, so as to allow the connection of said hole (Ps) in the shower tray
to the drainage system.
4. Assembled shower tray according to claims 1, 2 or 3, characterised in that cores (D), or other items made of suitable material such as wood, plastic, metal,
may be sunk into the mass of the insulating material to serve as support for elements
outside the shower tray, specifically levelling feet or a shower cubicle.
5. Assembled shower tray according to claims 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterised in that the internal bottom surface of the plastic material (P) is treated beforehand with
glue to ensure complete adhesion to the insulating mass.