Patent Publication Number: US-10758093-B2

Title: Device for connecting a waterproofing to a built-in shower drain and a waterproofing assembly

Description:
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention relates to a new device for connecting a waterproof sheet on the drain body of a built-in shower. 
     This device provides a global constructive system for built-in showers, greater versatility and adaptability to different thicknesses and layers of materials which may be used at a construction site with these characteristics. 
     FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Well known in the state of the art are built-in shower trays (tiled), the construction of which is a common practice in the USA, which involves the need to prepare the drain area on the floor, a sloped base that leads to said drain and waterproofing protection for the entire surface. 
     In using ceramic coatings or natural stone in moist areas such as showers, it is common for a waterproofing membrane to be installed in order to contain and drain the water, as well as to provide proper protection for construction materials against the effects of the moisture. 
     In line with the standards and regulations which regulate these types of installations, the waterproofing membrane must slope towards the drain and connect to it, forming a watertight seal. Therefore, properly making the connection between the waterproofing protection and the drain is a determining factor in correctly building a built-in shower that complies with the aforementioned regulatory criteria. 
     In the traditional way of constructing shower bases, this connection is not very difficult, given that due to the materials used, the membrane and the base for fixing the clamping ring, which comes fixed to the waterproofing on the drain body, can easily be placed so as to remain flush. 
     Commonly used in a conventional installation is a non-adhesive membrane, on which a thick mortar bed is used as a base to which the ceramic coating or natural stone is adhered, and which is not protected by waterproofing. 
     Non-adhesive membranes are directly arranged on the floor, or on a thin layer of sloped mortar. The drain must always be connected at the same level as the clamping ring, which is usually at floor level, and in the case that it is above the floor, said point is adjusted simply by varying the thickness of said sloped mortar, thereby achieving the desired leveling of the surface. 
     By using different construction materials and techniques, significant improvements have been made in the quality and finishes of these types of installations, such as a waterproofing with greater protection applied directly below the tiling by means of adhered membranes, placing the tiles in thin layers, using a substrate of panels to reinforce the installations with less thickness and weight, among other techniques. 
     However, with these new construction materials and techniques which are combined with traditional construction methods, there is often an unevenness of the elements that interact in said construction, which complicates the connection between the waterproofing membrane and the drain of the installation. 
     Therefore, with the aim of providing a more complete protection membrane and of not leaving the mortar bed base for tile placement exposed to moisture with each use of the shower, it is necessary to use an adherent-type membrane (according to the provisions in the ANSI A118.10 Standard). 
     Considering the requirements and restrictions established by the different regulatory codes and standards, the installer will find the following circumstances: 
     With respect to the floor drain, it must be in accordance with the plumbing codes (and/or in accordance with the ASME A112.18.2 Standard) and must have a clamping ring for connection to the waterproofing, with the aim of mechanically fixing said waterproofing, or it must have a flange integrated as the base for the adherence thereof. 
     In the case of drains with clamping rings, the drain body is connected to the drain pipe generally below the floor level and is supported and fixed to the surface of the support floor, such that the clamping ring is at the same level. 
     With regard to the sloped base made of mortar, to ensure a correct drainage of the shower water, the current regulations and codes demand a minimum 2% (¼″ per foot [0.63 cm per 30 cm]) slope towards the mouth of the drain in the floor. 
     The minimum necessary thickness for this layer at its lowest point, joined to the drain, can create a vertical distance from the surface thereof, the level where the adhered membrane is placed, with respect to a hard floor, the level of the clamping ring flange. This height may vary from being practically flush in the case of concrete floors, to being over 3 cm (1¼″) in the case of wooden floors, depending on the possible substrates. 
     Typically, built-in shower drains incorporate systems to adapt to the height of the grate and which can remain flush with the surface of the pavement, but they do not contemplate systems for correcting level differences for connection with waterproofing. 
     On the market it is common to use drains with incorporated clamping rings in built-in showers, since they are the most extensive and well known in the sector. Also, they are usually the type of drains which are generally found installed in practically all cases in which an installation is being renovated or reformed, which is why the base can still be used and, therefore, it is not necessary to replace it, saving on costs and labor. 
     Found in the state of the art are shower drains with an integrated flange, to which an adherent-type membrane may be attached, but these are exclusive solutions for models from specific manufacturers, as well as for specific types of grates and finishes. In this case, when it is necessary to renovate or reform an installation, it is usually obligatory to completely substitute the existing drain, which comes with the costs of the replacement parts and labor. 
     Additionally, also found on the market are pre-manufactured pieces of impermeable sheets which are have different fixed heights, and in which it is necessary to first make the sloped base, then measure the difference in level with the coupling flange of the clamping ring, and at that point check the version that best adjusts to the necessary measurement, which requires a previous study of the construction that is to be carried out, and necessarily results in a delay in achieving the same. 
     In light of all the foregoing, an element or procedure for the installation which makes the placement of waterproofing on an adhered layer possible, facilitating the connection of the clamping ring, regardless of the level difference due to the thickness of the layers of the installation, and which is also suitable to be used with the majority of built-in shower drain models and trademarks currently found on the market has not been found in the state of the art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been developed for the purpose of providing an adaptive device which constitutes a novelty in its field of application and resolves the aforementioned drawbacks, also providing other additional advantages that will become evident from the accompanying description below. 
     Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an adaptive device for connecting a waterproofing to a built-in shower drain, said built-in drain comprising a drain body mountable in a clamping ring, which comprises a body made up of an upper section with a through hole and a lower section with a through hole in parallel arrangement at different levels, the upper and lower sections joined together by means of a deformable intermediate section which is capable of folding by means of at least one fold line. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, the intermediate section of the first element comprises at least three fold lines which are parallel to each other. 
     Preferably, the body is made up of a laminar material of a waterproofing material of a known type. 
     Also preferably, the body has the general form of a circular plan. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a waterproofing assembly for a built-in shower drain which comprises: 
     An upper grate, 
     A drain body, 
     A clamping ring arranged between the upper grate and the drain body, 
     An device arranged to connect a waterproofing to a built-in shower drain, arranged between the upper grate and the drain body, which comprises a body made up of an upper section and a lower section with a through hole in parallel arrangement at different levels, the upper and lower sections joined together by means of a deformable intermediate section which is capable of folding by means of at least one fold line; and 
     A template piece envisaged for being arranged on a clamping ring, which comprises a body of a rigid material which has an upper surface and a lower surface with a central through hole, the surfaces being separable from one another, the upper and lower surfaces joined together by means of an intermediate section, the lower surface having a plurality of protuberances, in which at least one of the protuberances has a through hole, 
     the device and the template piece being axially aligned with respect to a drain body and the clamping ring. 
     Advantageously, the protuberances of the template piece are arranged in two sets, radially distributed with respect to the central through hole. 
     In an embodiment, the template piece includes at least a perforated pre-cut line arranged in the peripheral area of the lower section. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the template piece includes an additional perforated pre-cut line located in the upper section. 
     In accordance with another characteristic of the invention, the intermediate section of the template piece includes a marking line. 
     Preferably, each one of the protuberances of a first set of protuberances comprises a through hole. 
     The lower surface of the template piece has a circular plan. 
     According to another aspect, the upper surface of the template piece has an essentially quadrangular plan. 
     According to a preferred embodiment, the clamping ring is coupled to the template piece and the drain body by means of screw elements which pass through protuberances of the template piece. 
     Other characteristics and advantages of the device and assembly, object of the present invention, will become clear in light of the description of a preferred, though non-exclusive, embodiment, which, by way of a non-limiting example, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  shows an exploded perspective view of a waterproofing assembly in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of a template piece; 
         FIG. 3  shows a cross-sectional elevation view of a drain area of a shower tray with a waterproofing system of the prior art; 
         FIGS. 4 a  and 4 b    show schematic views of the waterproofing assembly mounted on two different constructive structures of a shower tray, a wood floor in  FIG. 4 a   , and a cement floor in  FIG. 4   b;    
         FIGS. 5 a  and 5 b    are partial elevation views of an adaptive device according to the invention in an extended state and in a retracted state, respectively; 
         FIGS. 6 a , 6 b  and 6 c    show partial cross-sectional elevation views of three embodiments of the intermediate section of the adaptive device in an extended state; 
         FIG. 7  shows a cross-sectional elevation view of a template piece according to the invention; 
         FIG. 8  shows an elevation view of the lower surface of the template piece according to the invention; 
         FIG. 9  shows an elevation view of the template piece according to the invention, wherein the pre-cut lines are shown; and 
         FIG. 10  shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the waterproofing assembly according to the invention installed in a drain area of a built-in shower. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the aforementioned figures and, in accordance with the numbering adopted, an example of a preferred embodiment of the invention can be observed therein, which comprises the parts and elements indicated and described in detail below. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , an embodiment of a waterproofing assembly for a built-in shower drain comprises an upper grate  5  and a drain body  2  with a mouth  8 , the drain body  2  located in the lower part of the assembly which is housed in the drainage hole and which allows for the exit of water coming from the shower tray when it is being used to a wastewater treatment plant. 
     Moreover, the assembly also includes a clamping ring  3  arranged between the upper grate and the drain body, the shape of the body being essentially discoidal. This clamping ring  3  is coupled by means of a threaded section  30  to a threaded section  50  present on an extension which extends below the upper grate  5 , as may be seen more clearly in  FIGS. 1 and 10 . 
     With the aim of adapting the width of the built-in shower tray structure, an adaptive device  1  is provided, arranged between the upper grate and the drain body, which comprises a body having a very small thickness made of a waterproofing material which is essentially made up of an upper section  1   a  and a lower section  1   b  with a through hole in parallel arrangement at different levels, the upper  1   a  and lower  1   b  sections joined together by means of a deformable intermediate section  1   c  which is capable of folding by means of a plurality of fold lines which run diametrically through the intermediate section  1   c . These fold lines  7  allow the height of the adaptive device  1  to be modified. It is noteworthy that the through hole on the lower section  1   b  is made once the device is mounted in the built-in shower installation, such that the dimensions of the hole are adapted to the dimensions of the drainage hole on the built-in shower. 
       FIGS. 6 a  to 6 c    show different configurations which the intermediate section  1   c  may adopt, wherein in  FIG. 6 c   , fold lines  13  extend from the lower edge of the intermediate section  1   c  in a curved trajectory in the direction of the upper edge of said intermediate section  1   c.    
     Furthermore, the assembly includes a template piece  14  envisaged for being arranged on a clamping ring  3 , which comprises a body of a rigid material which has an upper surface  14   a  and a lower surface  14   b  with a central through hole  14   d , the surfaces being separable from one another, the upper  14   a  and lower  14   b  surfaces joined together by means of an intermediate section  14   c , the lower surface  14   b  having a plurality of protuberances  16 ,  17 , in which at least one of the protuberances has a through hole. The clamping ring  3  includes a plurality of holes  3   b  radially distributed, envisaged to allow the passage of screw elements  4 . 
     It is noteworthy that the adaptive device  1  and the template piece are axially aligned with respect to the drain body  2  and the clamping ring  3 . 
     The body of the adaptive device  1  is made of a waterproofing laminar material and has a generally circular plan. 
     Returning to the template piece  14 , the protuberances  16 ,  17  of the template piece  14  are arranged in two assemblies, radially distributed with respect to the central through hole. 
     Moreover, the template piece  14  includes a pair of perforated pre-cut lines  18 ,  19 , the pre-cut line  18  arranged in the peripheral area of the lower section while the pre-cut line  19  is located on the central part of the lower surface  14   b  of the template  14 . 
     Additionally, the intermediate section  14   b  of the template piece  14  includes a marking line  15 , which is shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     Advantageously, each of the protuberances  16  of the first set of protuberances has a circular plan and includes a through hole, through which screw elements  4  may pass, while the protuberances  17  have a generally oblong form. 
     As can be seen with greater clarity in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the lower surface  14   b  of the template piece  14  has a circular plan. 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 9 , the upper surface of the template piece  14  has an essentially quadrangular plan. 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 10 , the clamping ring is coupled to the template piece and the drain body by means of screw elements which pass through protuberances of the template piece. 
     The details, shapes, dimensions and other accessory elements used to manufacture the device and assembly of the invention may be suitably substituted for others which do not diverge from the scope defined by the claims included below.