Patent Publication Number: US-2007101491-A1

Title: Bathtub protector

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY  
      This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/730,436, filed on Oct. 26, 2005, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      During construction of buildings and homes, it is. quite common for bathtubs to become damaged by construction workers&#39; activities. The majority of damage is specific to the deck (top surface), apron (front surface) and the flat interior of the sump (tub bottom) This damage can include scratching, chipping, defacing, and paint or drywall mortar splattering on any of the tub surfaces. Accordingly, several tub protection products have been developed. These include spray on films which coat the surface of the tub, molded plastic in the shape of a tub often used to ship tubs to jobsites, heavy-duty cardboard or plywood scaffold systems designed to sit above the tub, and leather panels designed to surround the surface and walls of the tub. Although these devices protect the bathtub, they are not satisfactory.  
      Spray on foams and rubbers are not easily removed and often cause more harm than good as hours of labor are needed to remove the residual product left on the tub surface after use. Molded plastic protectors do not attach securely to the tub and their thin material is easily compromised. These protectors are commonly removed by workers, leaving the tub completely exposed, or worse, they allow nails to wedge between the protector and the tub surface, resulting in expensive repairs. Cardboard protectors cannot hold up to water and are too big, bulky and heavy to ship to be used regularly. Plywood scaffold systems are too big, heavy and require too much storage space for use in most production housing construction. Waterbased liquid coatings that cure after water evaporation are designed to be used with expensive airless sprayers for optimal application. This form of protection requires a time consuming 20 mil thick deposition to be used effectively and the manufacturers caution against getting the protection wet-an unavoidable fact of construction in a bathroom. The plastic protection described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,363 is meant to protect the tub during shipping and tub installation at an installation site. As it does not adhere to the tub, nails and construction debris are often allowed to fall between the protection and the tub finish. The protection is also often used for purposes other than intended; such as trash disposal or for use as a toilet. In many instances the protection must be removed before the drywaller or tile installer can begin work, leaving the tub open to damage during most of the construction process. The device described in U.S. Patent Application No. 2002/0178495 uses fitted leather panels that are secured together to form a single panel surrounding the tub. This protection is costly, too bulky to easily manage on a jobsite, and must be removed if tile is to be installed. Another drawback of this type of device is that it is not easy to ship to builders and requires a large amount of storage room to hold until used. The bathtub protection and work platform device of U.S. Patent Application No. 2003/0132062 works during some stages of construction or for small remodels, but is not practical for large scale production housing construction that would have an issue with storage of the platforms. Another reason platforms are not commonly used in production housing is that the fully covered tub does not allow either plumbers and/or tiling installers to perform all the aspects of their work.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a first embodiment of an adhesive bathtub protector upon initial installation  
       FIG. 2 . illustrates the embodiment of  FIG. 1  after modification that allows workers to stand in the tub.  
       FIG. 3  is a side view of an embodiment of a protector with a top area for printing, a polyethylene foam protection layer, and a bottom adhesive layer.  
       FIG. 4  illustrates the embodiment of  FIG. 1  being used as a cushion to protect the tub from plywood or another hard, platform material. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      These problems are resolved in some embodiments of the invention by the design and step-wise method of protection. In one embodiment, early in the construction process, a solid rectangular protector is adhered to the exposed top (deck) and front (apron) surfaces of a tub using adhesive laminated to the bottom side of the protector. This first function for use in early construction protects the entire outside surface of the tub and creates a flat surface above the tub that is too thin to be used as a work platform and too thin to support weight for a standing platform. This prevents anyone from standing in the tub, and prevents any construction debris from becoming lodged between the protector and the bathtub surface. The adhesive backing makes installation easy and very quick.  
      Later in construction, the center area of the protector is cut with a scissors, exacto or drywall knife at the printed area above the bottom (sump) of the tub and pushed down to adhere the protection to the sump. The protector may also have perforations for ease in removing the printed area easily. This functionality allows other trades, such as drywallers and tile installers to stand in the tub while keeping the water resistant and puncture resistant protection beneath his or her shoes or boots.  
      Once removed, the cut-out central section could also be adhered to the upper surface of a piece of plywood that can be placed on the top of the protected tub deck to create a work platform. Adhering the cut-out portion of the protector to the plywood would render the covered area more water resistant and slip resistant than exposed plywood. The plywood could however just be placed directly on the protection if desired. The attached protection around the deck edge of the tub provides a safe layer of cushioning for the plywood to prevent scratching of the top tub surface from the plywood as the worker stands and moves on it. The protection is easy to manage on jobsites as it is simple to install, is lightweight and can be rolled to a small size for easy storage and handling.  
       FIG. 1  illustrates the utility of such a bathtub protector  10  in the first step of use. It is advantageously comprised of plastic, and is advantageously thin and pliable as described above, but in certain embodiments may be a more or less rigid material. The protector  10  could comprise Polyethylene (PE), Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), or a blend of several plastics such as LDPE+PP. The protector  10  could also be made from flexible corrugated plastic or leather.  
      An adhesive laminate on the underside of the device (not shown) could be exposed using a removable paper backing or could come pre-exposed. The protector  10  may also comprise flanges and tabs (not shown) in combination with adhesives in order to retain the protector  10  in place. The device could come as one piece or be made in two or more pieces, such as one piece fitting the top horizontal surface of the tub and a second piece fitting the front apron. In certain embodiments, the protector  10  may be colored, and may also be printed with information. In certain embodiments, the protector  10  may have anti-slip properties on its top surface, including adhesive, ridges of plastic, bumps or a no-skid surface decal.  
      Various embodiments may be of many lengths and widths to fit any size bathtub, or easily cut on site to the correct size. Embodiments may be manufactured for only one use as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , without the additional materials or printing for multi-purpose functionality as discussed below with respect to  FIG. 2 . Embodiments of these devices are inexpensive, disposable, easy to manufacture, and able to be rolled up for easy shipping. Embodiments of these devices are also very easy to manipulate and install on a construction jobsite, requiring little time and no large or expensive additional equipment.  
      As the cover is placed over the bathtub, it preferably stops short of the wall edges, thus allowing the tub installer to complete the caulking in of the tub (if applicable), and may stay in place during the installation of wall board application. It also allows the tile installer to work with the protection in place later in the construction process. This can be seen, for example in  FIG. 2 , where there is a gap  24  between the wall  28  and the top  12  of the protector  10  after the protector  10  is installed on the bathtub  26 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 3 , in one embodiment of a protector  10 , an adhesive laminate  30  located underneath a layer  11  of protective material can be used to attach the protector  10  to the top and sides of the tub for initial use. The layer  11  of protective material may comprise any of the potential materials discussed above. This adhesive laminate adheres during initial installation to only the top and sides of the tub only for its use as a flat bathtub cover, as can be seen in  FIG. 1 . Markings  21 , which in the depicted embodiment delineate an subsection  20  of the protector  10  (as can also be seen in  FIG. 1 ), may be printed on the upper layer  22  of the protector  10 . In alternate embodiments, the markings  21  may be printed directly on the layer  11  of protective material. Layer  11  and layer  22  can be the same layer, even though shown separately in  FIG. 3 . In another embodiment, the markings  21  can correspond to perforations which permit easy removal of the subsection  20 , as discussed further below.  
      In the second step of use of the protection system, shown in  FIG. 2 , the subsection  20  of the protector  10  above the tub has been cut at the area indicated by a printed line and pushed into the bottom of the tub  26 . The adhesive on the backside of the detached subsection  20  holds it in place to the bottom (sump)  23  of the tub  26  and prevents construction debris from becoming lodged underneath the protector  10 . In another embodiment, as discussed above, perforations in the protector  10  corresponding to the edges of the subsection  20  may facilitate removal of the subsection  20  without the need for a cutting tool.  
      In one embodiment, use of the device may proceed as follows: First, wipe the bathtub free of dust and dirt, and unroll the protector. Place the protector carefully at the back comer of the bathtub aligning both the back and sides of the protector to the surrounding wall enclosure(s). In certain embodiments, as discussed above, a gap such as gap  24  of  FIG. 2  can be left between the protector and the walls. Press the adhesive backing of the protector firmly to the top deck and front apron of the tub. If the protector has a paper backing to protect the adhesive laminate, remove the paper backing prior to placing on tub surface. If and when it is necessary to stand in the tub, cut out the subsection  20  above the tub at the area indicated by printing and push into the tub bottom  23  evenly to adhere protection to bottom of the tub  26 . A worker can now stand in the tub  26  with the protection covering the tub bottom  23  as well as the top surface and front surface of the tub.  
      As can be seen in  FIG. 4 , if a worker uses a platform  34  upon the protector  10 , the platform can be placed directly upon the intact protector  10  to provide a cushion that prevents scratching of the tub top. If desired, the worker can also cut out the subsection  20  indicated by printing and adhere it to the top of the platform  34  to render it more water resistant. (not shown)  
      While the above detailed description has shown, described, and pointed out novel features of the invention as applied to various embodiments, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form and details of the device or process illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. As will be recognized, the present invention may be embodied within a form that does not provide all of the features and benefits set forth herein, as some features may be used or practiced separately from others.