Patent Publication Number: US-9895032-B2

Title: Roll-in shower and shower base

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to roll-in showers and shower bases. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Roll-in showers may include a basin that directs water towards a drain. The basin may be surrounded by a curb to prevent water that has collected in the basin from spilling out of the basin and onto the surround area (e.g., bathroom floor). Safety regulations may require that a vertical drop between that basin and the curb does not exceed a predetermined threshold. 
     SUMMARY 
     A shower base is provided. The shower base includes a basin that slopes toward a center of the shower base in order to direct water towards a drain. The shower base also includes a curb that extends along a peripheral edge of the basin. The curb has an elevation that rises above the basin in order to prevent water from spilling out of the basin. An insert is secured to the shower base and is disposed along a threshold between the basin and the curb on an ingress side of the shower base. The insert has a first top surface that slopes down from the curb and towards the basin. 
     An insert for a shower base is provided. The insert consists of an elongate member that has a first top surface, a back surface, and a bottom surface. The first top surface has a downward slope of 1 to 2 or less. The elongate member is configured to mount to an ingress side of the shower base along a threshold between a basin and a curb of the shower base. The bottom surface of the insert is configured to cooperate with the basin and the back surface of the insert is configured to cooperate with the curb when the elongate member is mounted to the shower base. 
     A roll-in shower is provided. The roll-in shower includes a base that has a basin and a curb. The basin is configured to direct water towards a drain. The curb extends along a peripheral edge of the basin at an elevation that rises above the basin in order to prevent water from spilling out of the basin. An insert is secured to an ingress side of the shower along a threshold between the basin and the curb. The insert has a first top surface that has a downward slope of 1 to 2 or less. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a cut away isometric view of a roll-in shower; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of a shower base taken along line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3 , is an isometric view of a first embodiment of an insert for the shower base; 
         FIG. 4A  is a cross-sectional view of the first embodiment of the inert taken along line  4 A- 4 A in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 4B  is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the insert; 
         FIG. 4C  is a cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of the insert; 
         FIG. 5  is an isometric view of a fourth embodiment of the insert; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the fourth embodiment of the insert taken along line  6 - 6  in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the fourth embodiment of the insert taken along line  7 - 7  in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the fourth embodiment of the insert taken along line  8 - 8  in  FIG. 5 ; and 
         FIG. 9  is front view of the fourth embodiment of the insert. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein. It is to be understood, however, that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples and other embodiments may take various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features could be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention. As those of ordinary skill in the art will understand, various features illustrated and described with reference to any one of the figures may be combined with features illustrated in one or more other figures to produce embodiments that are not explicitly illustrated or described. The combinations of features illustrated provide representative embodiments for typical applications. Various combinations and modifications of the features consistent with the teachings of this disclosure, however, could be desired for particular applications or implementations. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a roll-in shower  10  is illustrated. The roll-in shower  10  may be adapted for use by elderly or handicapped persons, including individuals that require the use of a wheelchair. The roll-in shower  10  may include a door  12 , shower head  14 , hand shower  16 , holster  18  for the hand shower  16 , handles  20 , seat, outer walls  24 , and shower base  26 . The holster  18  may be mounted to any of the outer walls  24 . The seat may be also attached to any of the outer walls  24 , and may be retractable from a horizontal to a vertical position. The base  26  may include a basin  28  that is configured to direct water towards a drain  30 . The base  26  may also include a curb  32  that extends along a peripheral edge of the basin  28 . The curb  32  may have an elevation that rises above the elevation of the basin  28  in order to prevent water from spilling out of the basin  28 . The basin  28  and the curb  32  are shown as separate components; however they may be combined into one single component that performs both the function of the basin  28  and the curb  32 . Filler material  33 , such as a structural foam, cement, or concrete may be disposed between the basin  28  and a subfloor. An insert  34 , that may consist of an elongate member, may be secured to the shower base  26  along a threshold  36  between the basin  28  and the curb  32 . The insert  34  may be located along an ingress/egress side  38  of the roll-in shower  10  or shower base  26 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a cross-sectional view of the shower base  26  taken along the line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1  is illustrated. The basin  28  may have a portion that slopes towards the drain  30  in order to direct water to the drain  30 . The elevation of the curb H c  is shown to have an elevation that exceeds the elevation of the basin H b , in order prevent water from spilling out of the basin  28  and onto the adjacent floor  40 . The insert  34  may include a first top surface  42  that slopes down and away from the curb  32  and towards the basin  28 . The insert  34  may additionally include a second top surface  44 , a vertical surface  46 , a back surface  47 , and a bottom surface  49 . The back surface  47  may be configured to cooperate with the curb  32  and the bottom surface  49  may be configured to cooperate with the basin  28  when the insert  34  is secured to the shower base  26 . The second top surface  44  may be located adjacent to a first side of the first top surface  42  while the vertical surface  46  may be located adjacent to a second side of the first top surface  42 . The second top surface  44  may also be located between the first top surface  42  and a top surface  48  of the curb  32 . The second top surface  44  may be flush with the top surface  48  of the curb  32 . The second top surface  44  and the top surface  48  of the curb  32  may also be horizontally oriented. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4A , a first embodiment of the insert  34  is illustrated. The first embodiment of the insert  34  has a constant cross-sectional shape along a longitudinal axis  50 . The first embodiment includes the first top surface  42 , second top surface  44 , vertical surface  46 , back surface  47 , and bottom surface  49  described above. The first top surface  42  is shown to have a downward slope of y/x. The downward slope may have a ratio of y to x that has a value of 1 to 2 or less (i.e., the downward slope may have a limit where the slope is not steeper than 1:2). The vertical surface  46  may have a height H v  of ¼ of an inch or less. The sum of the height H v  of the vertical surface  46  with the vertical displacement H T  of the first top surface  42  may have a value of ½ of an inch or less. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4B , a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the insert  34 ′ is illustrated. The second embodiment of the insert  34 ′ may have the same general overall shape and characteristics as the first embodiment of the insert  34  depicted in  FIGS. 3 and 4A . The second embodiment of the insert  34 ′, however, differs from the first embodiment in that the second embodiment of the insert  34 ′ is comprised of a series of vertically stacked shims  52 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4C , a cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of the insert  34 ″ is illustrated. The third embodiment of the insert  34 ″ may have the same general overall shape and characteristics as the first embodiment of the insert  34  depicted in  FIGS. 3 and 4A . The third embodiment of the insert  34 ″, however, differs from the first embodiment in that material has been removed from a bottom side of the third embodiment of the insert  34 ″. It may be advantageous to remove material from nonessential or nonfunctional portions of the insert  34 ″ to save on material costs, as long as removing the material does not compromise the structural integrity of the insert  34 ″. Alternatively, material may be removed from other nonessential or nonfunctional portions of the insert  34 ″ to save on material costs. For example material may be only removed from the center of the insert  34 ″, such that the insert  34 ″ forms a hollow member. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5-9 , a fourth embodiment of the insert  34 ″′ is illustrated. The fourth embodiment of the insert  34 ″′ may also include a first top surface  42 ″, a second top surface  44 ″, a vertical surface  46 ″, a back surface  47 ′, and a bottom surface  49 ″′. The back surface  47 ″′ may be configured to cooperate with the curb  32  and the bottom surface  49 ″′ may be configured to cooperate with the basin  28  when the insert  34 ″′ is secured to the shower base  26 . The first top surface  42 ″, second top surface  44 ″, vertical surface  46 ″, back surface  47 ′, and bottom surface  49 ″′ may function in the same manner and have the same characteristics as the first top surface  42 , second top surface  44 , vertical surface  46 , back surface  47 , and bottom surface  49  of the first embodiment of the insert  34 , as described above. A cross-section of the fourth embodiment of the insert  34 ″′ tapers along a longitudinal axis  50 ″′ in both directions moving away from a center of the fourth embodiment of the insert  34 ″′. 
     The vertical displacement between the curb  32  and basin  28  along threshold  36  may vary depending on the location. The fourth embodiment of the insert  34 ″′ is an example of an alternative embodiment that is meant to conform to the contour of a non-constant threshold  36  between the curb  32  and the basin  28 . The fourth embodiment of the insert  34 ″′ conforms to the contour of a non-constant threshold  36  where the vertical displacement between the curb  32  and basin  28  is deeper towards the center of the ingress/egress side  38  of the shower base  26  and shallower towards the ends of the ingress/egress side  38  of the shower base  26 . It should be understood that the fourth embodiment of the insert  34 ″′ may be adapted to conform to the contour of any threshold  36  between the curb  32  and the basin  28 , and should not be limited to the description of the fourth embodiment of the insert  34 ″′. For example, the vertical displacement between the curb  32  and basin  28  along threshold  36  may gradually increase or decrease from one end of the ingress/egress side  38  to the other end of the ingress/egress side  38 . 
     The inserts  34 ,  34 ′,  34 ″, and  34 ″′ described above may be attached to the shower base  26  by any conventional means. For example the inserts  34 ,  34 ′,  34 ″, and  34 ″′ may be attached via fasteners that extend through the inserts and into the shower base  26 . Alternatively, the inserts  34 ,  34 ′,  34 ″, and  34 ″′ may be attached via an adhesive. 
     It should be understood that the components in alternative embodiments that have like identifies or call-out numbers, whether one or more prime symbols (′) are included or not included, should be construed as having the same characteristics as the like numbers in the other embodiments unless otherwise indicated. 
     The words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. As previously described, the features of various embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention that may not be explicitly described or illustrated. While various embodiments could have been described as providing advantages or being preferred over other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more desired characteristics, those of ordinary skill in the art recognize that one or more features or characteristics may be compromised to achieve desired overall system attributes, which depend on the specific application and implementation. These attributes may include, but are not limited to cost, strength, durability, life cycle cost, marketability, appearance, packaging, size, serviceability, weight, manufacturability, ease of assembly, etc. As such, embodiments described as less desirable than other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more characteristics are not outside the scope of the disclosure and may be desirable for particular applications.