Patent Publication Number: US-10779688-B1

Title: One piece tileable shower unit

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to bathroom fixtures and, more particularly, is concerned with a one-piece tileable shower unit. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     Devices relevant to the present invention have been described in the related art, however, none of the related art devices disclose the unique features of the present invention. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,777 dated Jun. 22, 1999, Gerber disclosed a prefabricated shower module and method of shower construction. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,004 dated Dec. 10, 1985, Piana disclosed a waterproof shower module with tile ready inner surfaces. In U.S. Pat. No. 8,375,480 dated Feb. 19, 2013, Cook disclosed a method for manufacturing a prefabricated shower module. In U.S. Pat. No. 7,950,078 dated May 31, 2011, Houpt disclosed a preformed structural support for tile. In U.S. Pat. No. 8,857,109 dated Oct. 14, 2014, Kirby disclosed a tile ready corner seat. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,218 dated Aug. 6, 1996, Rompel disclosed a structural support frame for ceramic tile corner seats and service trays. In Australian Patent Application No. AU 2013202049 dated Mar. 27, 2013, Daiyan disclosed a tileable shower base and its method of preparation. In German Patent Application No. DE 19883809068 dated Mar. 18, 1988, Claus disclosed a shower basin and method of mounting it on a solid base. 
     While these devices may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as hereinafter described. As will be shown by way of explanation and drawings, the present invention works in a novel manner and differently from the related art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     The present invention discloses a one-piece tileable shower unit having pre-assembled full length walls being approximately 60″ to 96″ tall and having a floor with a curb and a central drain wherein the inner surface of the shower stall is coated with a thinset having individual tile unit pieces attached thereto wherein the shower stall unit is made of one-piece. Two embodiments of the one-piece tileable shower stall of the present invention are provided wherein one includes a coated foam core base and the second embodiment includes fiberglass to which the individual tile units are attached. 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a tileable shower unit made of one-piece wherein the finish provided on the shower stall is tileable. A further object of the present invention is to provide a one-piece tileable shower unit wherein the corners are approximately square so that tile can be placed into the corners. A further object of the present invention is to provide a one-piece tileable shower unit which allows for a quick and easy installation. A further object of the present invention is to provide a one-piece tileable shower unit wherein there will be no joints or seams that can leak. A further object of the present invention is to provide a one-piece tileable shower unit that eliminates or minimizes human error in the installation process. A further object of the present invention is to provide a one-piece tileable shower unit which can be easily used by a professional or novice worker. A further object of the present invention is to provide a one-piece tileable shower unit that can be relatively easily and inexpensively manufactured. 
     The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawings, like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views. 
     The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In order that the invention may be more fully understood, it will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the present invention with certain parts being cut-away for ease of illustration. 
         FIGS. 2A and 3A  are cross sectional views of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 2B and 3B  are cross sectional views taken from  FIGS. 2A and 3A , respectively, as indicated. 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom view of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 
     With regard to reference numerals used, the following numbering is used throughout the drawings.
           10  present invention     12  right wall     14  rear wall     16  left wall     18  inner surface     20  outer surface     22  floor     24  drain     26  curb     28  front of curb     30  top of curb     32  inner surface of curb     34  thinset     36  wall tile     38  floor tile     40  grout     42  waterproof coating     44  foam     46  fiberglass     48  inner surface of fiberglass     50  outer surface of fiberglass     52  blocking     54  block       

     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The following discussion describes in detail at least one embodiment of the present invention. This discussion should not be construed, however, as limiting the present invention to the particular embodiments described herein since practitioners skilled in the art will recognize numerous other embodiments as well. For a definition of the complete scope of the invention the reader is directed to the appended claims.  FIGS. 1 through 4  illustrate the present invention wherein a one-piece tileable shower unit is disclosed and which is generally indicated by reference number  10 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 1 , therein is shown a perspective view of the present invention  10  having a right wall  12 , a rear wall  14 , and left wall  16 , wherein each wall has an inner surface  18  and an outer surface  20  along with a floor  22  having a drain  24  being generally centrally disposed therein but the drain may be located elsewhere on the floor. Also shown is a curb  26  having a front surface  28 , a top surface  30 , and an inner surface  32 . Shown is a layer of thinset  34  disposed over a waterproof coating  42  on the inner surface  18  of walls  12  and  14  including a plurality of individual pieces of tile  36  disposed over the thinset  34  on the inner surfaces of the walls of the shower unit of the present invention  10 . Also shown on the floor  22  are a plurality of individual tile members  38 . All of the tile members  36 ,  38  are joined together in the conventional manner by individual seams of cement or grout  40  being applied around the outer edges of each of the tile members. The rear outer corners and lower outer portions including the bottom of the shower unit of the present invention  10  are covered with a waterproof coating  42  in order to provide additional strength and structural support wherein the waterproof coating  42  is about 4″-6″ wide with respect to the rear corners and about 6″-8″ wide with respect to the lower portion of the outer wall and bottom of the unit and the coating  42  is about 40-60 mils thick in both areas, about 40-60 mils thick on the floor  22 , and, about 15-20 mils thick on the inner surfaces of the walls  12 ,  14 ,  16 .  FIG. 1  features are applicable to both the foam embodiment shown in  FIG. 2A  and the fiberglass embodiment shown in  FIGS. 3A and 4 , however, the fiberglass embodiment may or may not have coating  42 . 
     Turning to  FIGS. 2A and 2B , therein is shown the present invention  10  showing an embodiment including foam  44  with waterproof coating  42  thereon forming the walls and floor for placement thereon of the thinset  34  with the inner tile members  36  being joined together by grout  40  and showing the foam  44  with waterproof coating  42  forming the floor for supporting the thinset and tile layers and additionally showing the drain  24  approximately centered in the floor  22 . Also, the floor  22  has an appropriate slope which is generally expected to be approximately ¼″ slope per foot from the walls to the drain  24  of the floor in order to provide adequate water drainage for the shower unit of the present invention  10 . 
     Turning to  FIGS. 3A and 3B , therein is shown the present invention  10  showing an alternative embodiment wherein the walls and floor of the present invention  10  are made of fiberglass  46  being approximately 0.25″ thick and having inner surface  48  and outer surface  50  and being supported on their outer surfaces by strips of blocking  52  which are stuck to the fiberglass layers  46  while the fiberglass is still wet. Blocking  52  is also shown underneath the main floor  22  of the present invention  10  wherein the tile on the wall  36  is attached to the interior  48  of the fiberglass  46  layers using thinset  34  and wherein the floor tiles  38  are also attached to the fiberglass layers on the floor using thinset  34 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 4 , therein is shown the present invention  10  showing a bottom view of the present invention  10  made of fiberglass  46  showing the floor  22 , curb  26  and walls  12 ,  14 ,  16 , and drain  24  surrounded by a block  54  with a plurality of arm-like members of blocking  52  radiating from the central block  54  toward the walls or outer extremities or perimeter of the present invention  10 . The arms  52  are expected to be in the range of 2″ to 6″ wide, however, they may be of different widths. 
     The foam unit embodiment of the present invention  10  uses foam  44  with waterproof coating  42  which varies in size according to the particular shower unit which foam is usually about 0.75″ thick at the drain  24  having a floor  22  slope of approximately 0.25″ per foot per length/width of the floor. The floor  22  is usually approximately 0.75″ thick at the drain  24  and gets thicker as the floor extends towards the outer perimeter or walls of the shower unit. The tile is usually approximately 5/16″ thick but this varies. The thinset is usually approximately ⅛″ thick. The wall is approximately 0.5″ thick and the curb is approximately 4″×4″. 
     Concerning the fiberglass embodiment unit of the present invention  10 , the floor is approximate 0.25″ thick; the blocking  52  varies in thickness under the floor similar to the foam floor and uses the same slope as the foam embodiments herein. The wall is approximately 0.25″ thick. The blocking  52  is approximately 0.25″ and these are similar to and may be referred to as furring strips. 
     By way of additional explanation and by making reference to  FIG. 1-4 , the present invention  10  discloses a one-piece tillable shower unit much like any finished fiberglass shower unit being used today, but made without a decorative finish, and instead having a tillable surface. The corners and edges have to be square for the most part instead of rounded in order for tile to fit. The walls  12 ,  14 ,  16  have to be the correct thickness to line up with sheetrock or wallboard after installation for a seamless fit and look on the walls of the room in which the present invention  10  is installed. The floor  22  would have the correct approximate 2% slope from the farthest point from the drain to insure proper water drainage. The outside edge around the floor  22  would remain level so the wall tile would start off level at the floor. The units could be made in standard sizes or custom sizes with custom shapes and drain locations and walls could be on one, two, or three sides. The units would be installed as one-piece seamless ready to tile unit with no additional waterproofing needed on floors or walls and no seams to possibly leak. These units could be made of extruded high density foam  44  comprising a floor  22 , curb  26  and walls  12 ,  14 ,  16  then coated with a waterproof coating  42  to make it a one-piece unit. Other embodiments could include a one-piece fiberglass unit or injection molded unit. Most of these units would be installed during the plumbing stack-out phase of construction just like any other finished shower or shower tub combo, then the sheetrock would be hung butting to it and finished. Tile  36 ,  38  could be set at any time after that with no other work needed other than just laying the tile. There would be a one to four day time savings over traditional methods of putting in a pre-slope floor, a rubber liner, backer-board on the walls, pouring the mud bed, letting it dry, taping and floating corners and wall seams and then waterproofing the walls with a sheet or liquid coating. 
     To make the unit using foam  44 , one would start with a foam piece big enough to machine the floor  22 . Once the floor  22  is sized, sloped and the drain hole put in place, one would attach the curb  26  (or not for curb-less) with glue. Then the walls  12 ,  14 ,  16  would be attached with glue which walls would be approximately 60″ to 96″ tall or high (height). After assembly is complete, the assembled unit is coated with a waterproofing and strengthening coating  42  to make it a one-piece unit for easy quick lightweight installation. 
     To make the unit of fiberglass  46 , there would be a mold made and then a release agent applied. The mold would then be coated with a three part fiberglass (glass, hardener and fiber) using a chopper gun; then rolling it out to make it flat. In the coating process wood, foam or composite blocking, i.e., braces, would be placed in the bottom of the unit so it would sit flat on the subfloor below so there will be no flexing to prevent cracking of tile or grout. The walls would have ribs or blocking to strengthen and give the wall the correct thickness without the fiberglass  46  having to be as thick as the wall board it is matching. After curing, it would be pulled from the mold, sprayed with a coating  42  for waterproofing or sheer bond strength if needed on the to be tiled surface. The resin unit would most likely be injection molded as a one-piece unit which would be fast and cheap, except for the cost of the mold. Another method would be for the base to be made as one-piece, each wall as one-piece, then fused together in the factory to make it one-piece before it is shipped. 
     The present invention  10  would prevent installation error that could lead to leakage or water puddling due to dips in the floors. Most units would be installed by the plumber not the tile installer, when the tile installers get to the job they are ready to install tile. These units would have a guarantee against leakage that could be much longer than most methods used to build a tile shower. 
     The present invention  10  would provide a unique product that would eliminate three to four extra steps in the process of building a tile shower along with the guarantee of no leaks or puddling. With these units made according to the teachings of the present invention  10 , even a novice could easily build a leak proof shower with the correct floor slope every time. 
     Left and right side designations regarding the present invention  10  are interpreted from the view of one standing in front of the present invention as shown in  FIG. 1  preparing to enter the shower unit while looking at the rear wall  14 .