Patent Publication Number: US-6212704-B1

Title: Bathtub walk through insert

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALlY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to walkthrough inserts for bathtubs and is particularly related to inserts placed in sidewalls of cut-away portions of existing bathtubs. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is well recognized that many people, because of advancing age or infirmities reach a stage in life where they cannot step over the usual sidewall of a bathtub, to accomplish bathing or showering in the tub. It is, of course, possible to remove the bathtub and to install a shower-system that does not require a user to step over the usual bathtub sidewall. However, a less costly solution to the problem of providing access to a shower is often found in cutting out a portion of the bathtub sidewall and providing a replacement insert that provides a much lower sidewall portion that the user can easily step through to enter the bathtub. With this arrangement the tub does not need to be removed, so the tub and the already available shower unit discharging into the tub can be used and the entire area where the tub is located does not need to be remodeled and refinished. 
     One form of insert used to finish the wall of a bathtub after a portion of the usual bathtub wall has been cut out is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,061,846, issued May 16, 2000. The insert disclosed in this patent is made of plastic materials that can be rotationally or blow molded and is suitable for a great many uses. However, plastic materials suitable for rotational or blow molding have a very fine surface porosity, and with time, dirt will collect in the pores of inserts made using these processes. Even when thoroughly cleaned the insert will take on a spotted, stained appearance. This may not be a problem if the insert is made of suitable colors or combinations of colors, but may be objectionable if the insert is made in white or some other light colors. 
     Principal objects of the present invention are to provide an improved walkthrough insert for bathtubs, having a non-porous exterior surface and shaped to be easily installed to a bathtub having a portion of the bathtub sidewall removed. 
     Other objects are to provide an improved walkthrough insert for bathtubs that is economically produced and that can be installed by persons having only limited training in the installation process used. 
     Still another object is to provide an insert that can be secured in place while maintaining the strength and integrity of the bathtub in which the insert is installed. 
     Principal features of the invention include an acrylic insert with a non-porous outer surface, a step through portion with raised opposite walls and a skirt extending downwardly from the step through portion and from an upper terminus of ends of each of the raised opposite walls. During installation of the insert the skirt is cut away, as necessary to insure simultaneous contact of a bottom edge of the skirt with the bathtub bottom and the floor surface outside the bathtub. The portion of the skirt connected to the raised opposite walls is further trimmed to insure bonding contact of the raised opposite walls with cut surfaces of a cut out portion of the bathtub wall and with reinforcement members positioned within the walls of the bathtub surrounding the cut out portion of the bathtub wall. The remaining portion of the skirt engages and is bonded to the inner and outer surfaces of the bathtub wall in which the insert is positioned. 
     Additional objects and features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from the following detailed description and drawings, disclosing what is presently contemplated as being the best mode of the invention. 
    
    
     DRAWINGS 
     In the drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the walk through bathtub wall insert of the invention; 
     FIG. 2, an exploded view of the bathtub wall insert of FIG. 1 being inserted into the opening formed by cutting out a portion of a bathtub sidewall; 
     FIG. 3, a perspective view of the bathtub wall insert positioned in a cut out portion of the bathtub and secured to the bathtub wall; and 
     FIG. 4, a vertical section, taken on the line  4 — 4  of FIG.  3 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to the drawings: 
     In the illustrated preferred embodiment, the bathtub wall insert of the invention is shown generally at  10 . As shown, the insert  10  includes a step through portion  12  with a substantially flat, elongate upper surface  14 . Raised walls  16  and  18  project upwardly from opposite ends of the step through portion  12 , terminating at top surface  22  and  24 , respectively. 
     A skirt  30  has a portion  32  extending from each of the top surfaces  22  and  24 , away from the step through portion  12 , and down to engage side portions  34  and  36  respectively provided at opposite sides  38  and  40  of the step through portion  12  and the raised walls  16  and  18 . Skirt  30  thus extends fully around and projects from the step through portion  12  and the raised walls  16  and  18 . 
     The step through portion  12 , raised walls  16  and  18  and skirt  30  are formed as a single piece of molded acrylic material and the skirt  30  is slightly flared outward from the step through portion  12  and the raised walls  16  and  18 , as necessary to allow the molded assembly to be removed from the mold used in production of the assembly. 
     The step through portion  12  and each of the raised walls  16  and  18  has a width greater than a bathtub wall  42  of the bathtub in which the insert  10  is to be installed. To accomplish installation the opposite ends  44  and  46  of the skirt are cut out to allow the skirt to fit snugly over the wall of the bathtub at opposite ends of the opening  50  formed by cutting out a portion of the bathtub wall  42 . 
     The removed portion of the wall  42  is created by making vertical spaced apart cuts from the top  52  of the bathtub wall  42  to the floor  56  of the bathtub at the inside of the bathtub and to the structural floor  60  at the outside of the bathtub wall. The spaced apart cuts are connected by cutting along the bathtub floor  56  and along the structural floor  60 . The cut out portion of the bathtub wall is then removed and discarded. 
     The bottom edge  62  of skirt  30  is trimmed so that when the skirt fits snugly over the sidewall of the bathtub the skirt also engages the floor  56  of the bathtub, the structural floor  60  and the inside surface  64  and the outside surface  66  of the bathtub wall  42 . 
     Reinforcement members  70 , which may be made of wood may be inserted between the inner wall  72  and the outer wall  74  of the bathtub to provide additional strength to the bathtub wall and to provide additional bonding surfaces for bonding the raised walls  16  and  18  to the bathtub wall  42 . Screws  76 , inserted through the bathtub wall  42  and floor  56  into the reinforcement members hold the reinforcement members in place. The screws are hidden by skirt  30  after the insert  10  is positioned. A bead  78  of suitable bonding and sealing material is placed around the engagement of skirt  30  with the inside and outside of bathtub wall  42 , the bathtub floor  56  and the structural floor  60 . 
     The insert  10  of the invention is readily formed of acrylic material that cannot be shaped using blow molding or rotational molding techniques. When installed the insert  10  maintains a clean appearance and appears as an attractive, integral part of a bathtub. 
     Although a preferred form of my invention has been herein disclosed, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is by way of example and that variations are possible without departing from the subject matter coming within the scope of the following claims, which subject matter I regard as my invention.