Joint and trim for bathtubs and the like

A joint for a plastic bathtub includes a tub support member that has two channels. The first receives a flange of the bathtub. The support member has its second channel receiving fasteners which affix the support member to a wall. A trim molding is then snap fitted over the second channel to conceal the fasteners and to provide for an aesthetically appealing joint appearance. End caps have fingers which are received in the second channel and are caulked in place to conceal the open end of the joint.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
This invention relates to joints for supporting bathtubs and more 
particularly to cosmetically trimmed and joints for plastic bathtubs. 
DISCLOSURE INFORMATION 
Bathtubs commonly have a flange that hooks onto a bathtub support member 
which in turn is fastened to a wall. Tile or other sheeting can then 
conceal the mount. See U.S. Pat. No. 1,939,115 issued to Fritsche on Dec. 
12, 1933 and U.S. Pat. No. 1,704,105 issued to Sauer on Mar. 5, 1929 for 
example of these concealed mounts. 
Often a trim molding is connected in a fashion to conceal the joint as 
shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,010,036 issued on Aug. 6, 1935 and U.S. Pat. No. 
2,143,034 issued on Jan. 10, 1939 to Sakier. 
Plastic tubs also can be mounted to a hanger which is concealed by tile 
walls; e.g., the bathtub disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,290,154 issued to 
Benjamin on Sept. 22, 1981. 
With the advent of inexpensive manufactured housing, expensive tiled or 
contoured walls are no longer used to conceal bathtub joints. In order to 
mount a plastic bathtub, screws are passed through holes in an upturned 
peripheral flange of the tub that secures the tub to the wall. The seam 
between the flange and wall is caulked. Aluminum trim is then positioned 
over the upturned flange and is fastened by a different set of screws to 
the wall. 
There are two major problems with this commonly used joint. Firstly, the 
screw heads in the aluminum trim remain exposed to render an aesthetically 
undesirable appearance. Secondly, the apertures drilled in the flange of 
the tub become structural weak points. Excessive stress may cause a crack 
to emanate from the aperture in the flange and ruin the tub. The excessive 
stress may occur when the manufactured house is transported from the 
factory to its property site. 
What is needed is a support joint for a plastic bathtub that is adaptable 
to be used with the straight walls found in manufactured housing. In 
addition, what is needed is a cosmetic trim to conceal the joint without 
the need for tiling or plastering over the joint. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a support joint for a 
bathtub includes a support member having a first channel section for 
supportingly engaging a flange of a bathtub. The support member further 
includes an upwardly extending flange that receives fasteners 
therethrough. The fasteners affix the support member to a wall. The 
support member also has an interlocking section for connecting trim 
molding thereto which conceals the support member. 
Another aspect of the invention relates to a support member having a lower 
horizontally extending ledge for seating a horizontal shoulder of the 
bathtub. A vertical flange upwardly extends from the ledge and a rib 
extends from the flange at a position spaced above the ledge. The ledge, 
vertical flange, and rib form the first channel for receiving a vertical 
flange of the bathtub that extends upwardly from the horizontal shoulder. 
The vertical flange of the support member has a section extending above 
the rib for receiving fasteners therethrough which fasten the support 
member to the wall. 
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a trim molding includes 
a cosmetic front side and a concealable rear side. The rear side has 
connectors that interlock with the interlocking section of support member. 
Preferably, the connectors include two resilient prongs. The trim molding 
preferably has a resiliently inclined section which extends above the 
prongs such that when the prongs engage the support member, the section is 
resiliently flexed by the wall to which the support member is affixed. 
Preferably, the interlocking section includes at least one tooth which 
axially extends along a tap ledge of the support member which lockingly 
engages one of the prongs of the trim molding. Preferably, the top ledge, 
rib, and upper extension of the vertical flange forms a second channel 
which at its longitudinal end receives a mounting finger of a cap member 
which conceals the exposed axial end of the trim, tub flange, and tub 
support member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to FIG. 1, a bathtub 10 is mouned to three walls 12a, 12b and 12c 
by joints 14a, 14b and 14c. The structure of joints 14a, b and c are 
identical, therefore reference is only made to joint 14c unless otherwise 
specified. 
Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the joint 14c includes a support 16 and a 
trim molding 18 interlocked with the support 16. Cap 20 is fitted onto the 
end of joint 14c. All three members, support 16, molding 18 and cap 20 are 
made from plastic material such as B.F.G. or Ethyl P.V.C. 
More specifically, the support 16 as shown in FIGS. 3 through 7 includes a 
bottom ledge 22 which supports horizontal shoulder 24 of tub 10. Upwardly 
extending from the bottom ledge 22 is vertical flange 26. Horizontally 
extending from the vertical flange 26 is a rib 28 which has a downturned 
rim 30. The ledge 22, flange 26 and rib 28 with its downturned rim 30 
forms a channel 32 which receives a flange 34 that upwardly extends from 
the horizontal peripheral shoulder 24 of tub 10. 
The vertical flange 26 extends above the rib 28 to form section 36 for 
receiving fasteners 40 which secure the support 16 to wall 12c. Fasteners 
40 tap through section 36 to form apertures 38 therethrough. 
A top ledge 42 horizontally extends from section 36. The top surface of 
ledge 42 has a plurality of saw shaped teeth 44. The ledge 42 also has a 
lower extending shoulder 46 and rib 28 has an upwardly exending shoulder 
48 such that a C-shaped channel 50 is formed. The C-shaped channel is 
sized to receive and retain a mounting finger 52 of cap 20. 
The trim molding 18 includes a cosmetic surface 54 and a rear surface 56. A 
bottom prong 58 extends from the rear surface and hooks onto the bottom 
edge of downward extension 30 of rib 28. A second prong 60 has a 
downwardly extending tooth 62. The prongs 58 and 60 and tooth 62 can 
extend the entire axial length of molding 18. Tooth 62 resiliently snaps 
over the saw teeth 44 to lock the trim molding 18 onto the support 16. As 
shown clearly in FIG. 4, when the trim molding 18 is locked into place. it 
has an upper resiliently flexible section 64 which flexes against the wall 
14c. 
Installation of the bathtub 10 to the wall 12c is commenced by insertion of 
the tub flange 34 into the channel 32 and rotating the support 16 such 
that the bottom ledge 22 slides under the shoulder 24 of the tub 10. Lip 
69 at top of flange 34 helps locate the tub flange 34 in the channel 32. 
The tub 10 is then positioned against the walls and the fasteners 40 are 
positioned within channel 50 and pass through the section 36 to affix the 
support 16 onto the wall 12c. Caulk bead 68 is then placed along the top 
ledge 42 and against wall 12c. As shown in FIG. 6, the corner 74 between 
walls 12b and 12c, (similarly between walls 12a and 12b) is then filled 
with caulk to waterproof the gap between the supports 16 and joints 14b 
and 14c. 
The trim molding 18, as shown in FIG. 7, then has its bottom prong 58 
engage the bottom edge of rim 30. The trim molding 18 is then pivoted in 
place until the prong 62 engage the teeth 44 and section 64 abuts the wall 
14c as shown in FIG. 4. The prong 62 and teeth 44 are shaped such that 
prong 62 can slide over each tooth 44 to tighten the molding onto the 
hanger 16 but cannot reverse itself to release from the molding 18. The 
prongs 62 can engage a choice of teeth 44 depending on the irregularity on 
curvature of wall 12c. 
End cap 20 then has its finger 52 inserted within channel 50 and is caulked 
in place. 
In this fashion, a plastic tub can be easily installed without comprising 
the structural integrity of the plastic tub 10. In addition, the joints 
14a, b and c allow for sufficient flexibility and give such that when a 
manufactured housing is hauled over the road, the stress encountered 
during the transport does not cause any structural fatigue or cracks 
within the tub 10. Furthermore, the trim and joint assembly provides for 
an easy mounting of the plastic tub and gives an aesthetically desirable 
appearance to the joints 14a, b and c. 
Variations and modifications of the present invention are possible without 
departing from its scope and spirit as defined by the appended claims.