Abstract:
Provided is a shower drain cover configured to enhance the aesthetic appeal of a shower surface having a drainage opening formed therein. It is understood that shower surfaces are typically formed from a design material, such as tile or stone. Accordingly, the shower drain cover includes a design cavity sized and configured to receive a portion of the design material such that the drain cover will more effectively blend into the design surface to enhance the overall appearance of the shower.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not Applicable 
       STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    This invention relates in general to drain covers. More specifically, the present invention relates to a shower drain cover for a shower drain disposed within a shower surface formed from a decorative material. 
         [0004]    Bathrooms are oftentimes designed and constructed to create an aesthetic appearance. A significant component of the overall design of the bathroom is the appearance of the shower or bathtub (collectively referred to herein as the “shower”), which may be finished with an aesthetic design material to create a desired look. For instance, design materials including tile, stone, and the like may be disposed along the walls of the shower (i.e. vertical surfaces) as well as the base of the shower (i.e., horizontal surface) to enhance the overall appearance of the shower. 
         [0005]    Although the aesthetic appeal governs much of the design of the shower, there are certain components which are critical to the function of the shower. Along these lines, most showers include a drainage opening for allowing water to be emptied therefrom. The drainage opening is generally connected to plumbing for directing the water into a drainage system. 
         [0006]    A cover is generally placed over the drainage opening to collect debris to mitigate clogging of the drainage system. In this regard, the cover generally includes a series of slots or holes to allow water to pass through the cover and into the plumbing. The cover also protects the bather from accidently stepping into the drainage opening formed in the shower to mitigate injury. 
         [0007]    The cover is typically constructed from a material that differs from the material used to construct the shower or bathtub. For instance, the cover is typically constructed out of metal, while the shower is constructed from a non-metal material, such a tile or stone. This difference in material has several cosmetic disadvantages. In particular, drain covers constructed from dissimilar materials tend to be less desirable for cosmetic reasons. In many cases, a large amount of time and money is spent to make the shower surface look as aesthetically pleasing as possible. A drain cover formed from out of a different material may interrupt the appearance of the shower surface. As such, it may be more desirable to use a drain cover which matches the visual appearance of the surrounding surface of the shower. 
         [0008]    However, it may be difficult to simply form the drain cover out of the material used to construct the shower (i.e., tile). For instance, openings may be cut within the material to allow for water to pass through to the plumbing system. Such a procedure may weaken the structural integrity of the material such that it may not be able to support a bather in the shower. Furthermore, the operation of cutting the design material may be expensive, thereby increasing the overall cost of the shower. 
         [0009]    In view of the foregoing, there is a need in the art for a more aesthetically appealing shower drain cover which compliments the material used to construct the shower, while at the same time performing the functionality of a conventional drain cover. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0010]    Provided is a shower drain cover configured to enhance the aesthetic appeal of a shower surface having a drainage opening formed therein. It is understood that shower surfaces are typically formed from a design material, such as tile, stone, or the like. Accordingly, the shower drain cover includes a design cavity sized and configured to receive a portion of the design material such that the drain cover will more effectively blend into the design surface to enhance the overall appearance of the shower. In other words, a tile or stone may be placed within the design cavity to blend into the surface of the shower. 
         [0011]    The drain cover includes a collection pan including a pan body defining a pan cavity. The pan body includes a pan aperture extending therethrough. A collar is connected to the collection pan and defines a collar opening disposed about the pan aperture. The collar is disposable in fluid communication with the drain pipe to communicate water from the shower to the drain pipe. The drain cover further includes a cover member having a design body and a peripheral wall. The peripheral wall is spaced from the design body to define a drainage opening therebetween. The design body defines a design cavity sized to receive a quantity of the design material, such as tile. The cover member is disposable within the pan cavity to define a nested configuration. 
         [0012]    The pan body may include a pan base and a pan wall extending from the pan base, with the pan base and pan wall collectively defining the pan cavity. The peripheral wall may be complimentary in shape to the pan wall. The peripheral wall may be disposed in contact with the pan wall when the cover member is disposed within the pan cavity. The pan base may be sloped downwardly from the pan wall toward the pan aperture. 
         [0013]    According to one implementation, the collar may be sized to be disposable within the pipe opening. According to another implementation, the collar may be sized to be disposable about the drain pipe such that the drain pipe is received within the collar. In that instance, the collar defines an inner wall and a collar seal may be disposed about the collar opening along the inner wall. The seal may be configured to create a fluid-tight engagement between the collar and the drain pipe when the collar is disposed about the drain pipe. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    These and other features and advantages of the various embodiments disclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the following description and drawings, in which like numbers refer to like parts throughout, and in which: 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  is a top view of a shower drain cover disposed within a tiled shower surface, the drain cover including a design cavity sized to receive a drain tile to blend into the tiled shower surface; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is an upper perspective view of the drain cover depicted in  FIG. 1 , the drain cover including a collection pan and a cover element shown in a disengaged configuration; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is an upper perspective view of the drain cover depicted in  FIG. 2 , with the collection pan and cover element shown in a nested configuration; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a top view of the drain cover depicted in  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a side cross sectional view of the drain cover depicted in  FIG. 1 , wherein the drain cover includes a collar extending into a drain pipe; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a side cross sectional view of a drain cover having a collar configured to be disposed about the drain pipe. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]    The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, and is not intended to represent the only form in which the present invention may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth the functions and sequences of steps for constructing and operating the invention. It is to be understood, however, that the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different embodiments and that they are also intended to be encompassed within the scope of the invention. 
         [0022]    Referring now to the drawings, there is depicted a drain cover  10  for use in a shower, wherein the drain cover  10  is adapted to blend into the surface of the shower, while at the same time providing a drainage passage to allow water to flow to a drain pipe  12  (see  FIGS. 5 and 6 ). In particular, the shower cover  10  includes a cavity  14  (see  FIGS. 2 and 3 ) configured to receive a portion of the design material used to construct the shower (i.e., a cover tile  16 ), such that when the shower cover  10  is disposed over the drain pipe  12 , the cover  10  creates a more uniform appearance with the adjacent shower surface relative to conventional drain covers. The drain cover  10  additionally provides a peripheral drainage area surrounding the design material to allow water to flow to the drain pipe  12 . 
         [0023]    In the particular embodiment depicted in  FIG. 1 , the shower surface is formed from a plurality of tiles  18  aligned horizontally and vertically. The cover  10  is placed among the tiles  18  to blend into the surface of the shower. In this regard, the cover  10  may define a size which is similar to the size of the tiles  18 . For instance, the outer periphery (length and width) of the cover  10  may be similar to the outer periphery of the tiles  18 . The cover tile  16  disposed within the cover  10  may smaller than the tiles  18  to provide space for the drainage area. Furthermore, the cover  10  may be sized and configured to dispose the exposed surface of the cover tile  16  in substantially flush relation to the adjacent shower tiles  18 , as is best depicted in the cross sectional views in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . 
         [0024]    According to one embodiment, and referring now to  FIG. 2 , the drain cover  10  includes a collection pan  28  disposable in fluid communication with the drain pipe  12 . The collection pan  28  includes a pan body  30  defining a pan cavity  32 . The pan body  30  includes a pan base  34  and a pan wall  36  collectively defining the pan cavity  32 . The pan wall  36  may be stepped to define a pan shelf  35  extending about the periphery of the pan base  34 . A pan aperture  38  is formed within the collection pan  28  and extends through the pan base  34 . The pan base  34  may be sloped downwardly toward the pan aperture  38  to direct fluid toward the pan aperture  38 . The collection pan  28  may additionally include a plurality of mounting flanges  44  for securing the collection pan  28  to the shower. 
         [0025]    The drain cover  10  additionally includes a cover member  46  sized to be received within the pan cavity  32 . The cover member  46  includes a design body  48  and a peripheral wall  50  disposed about the design body  48 . The peripheral wall  50  is in spaced relation to the design body  48  to define a drainage opening  52  between the design body  48  and the peripheral wall  50 . When the cover member  46  is disposed within the pan cavity  32 , the cover member  46  may rest upon the pan shelf  35  with the design body  48  being suspended over the pan base  34  to define a flow path from the drainage opening  52  to the pan aperture  38  (see  FIGS. 5 and 6 ). 
         [0026]    The design body  48  includes a design base  56  and a design wall  58  extending from the design base  56 , such that the design base  56  and design wall  58  collectively define the design cavity  14 . The design cavity  14  is configured to receive a portion of the design material used to construct the shower. For instance, one or more tiles  16  may be inserted within the design cavity  14  when tiles  18  are used to line the floor of the shower. It is contemplated that tile, stone, fiberglass, castable materials, and other materials known in the art may be disposed within the design cavity  14 . An adhesive may be used to secure the tile  16  or stone to the design body  48 . When the cover member  46  is nested within the collection pan  28 , the surface material disposed within the design cavity  14  may blend in or compliment the surface material used in the rest of the shower. This creates a uniform, and more desirable appearance than conventional drain covers. 
         [0027]    It is contemplated that the cover tile  16  may be identical to the shower tiles  18 , or complimentary to the shower tiles  18 . For instance, the shower tiles  18  may be blue and the cover tile  16  may be white. Furthermore, the cover tile  16  may be placed within the design cavity  14  without adhesive to allow for easy removal and replacement of the cover tile  16 . 
         [0028]    A plurality of support arms may  54  extend between the design body  48  and the peripheral wall  50 . The support arms  54  may be spaced from each other with the drainage opening extending between adjacent support arms  54 . The support arms  54  may be configured to filter debris from passing through the aperture  38  and into the drain pipe  12  to mitigate blockage within the drainage system. 
         [0029]    In the embodiment depicted in the Figures, the cover member  46  is separate and detachable from the collection pan  28 . In this respect, the peripheral wall  50  is complimentary in shape to the pan wall  36  and nests within the pan wall  36  when the cover member  46  is disposed within the collection pan  28 . However, it is contemplated that other embodiments may include a cover member  46  which is integral with the collection pan  28 . Along these lines, such an embodiment may include a peripheral wall  50  that is integral with the pan wall  36 . In such an embodiment, the cover member  46  may not be removed from the collection pan  28 . 
         [0030]    The detachable nature of the cover member  46  from the collection pan  28 , as shown in the embodiment depicted in the drawings, may be desirable to enable easy access to the drain pipe  12  and to filter large debris from entering the drain pipe  12 . For instance, hair may be caught by the support arms  54  to prevent the hair from flowing into the drain pipe  12  and possibly causing a blockage thereof. The cover member  46  may be easily removed from the collection pan  28  to clear off any debris. 
         [0031]    Referring now to  FIG. 5 , a collar  40  is connected to the collection pan  28  about the pan aperture  38  and is configured to communicate fluid from the collection pan  28  to the drain pipe  12 . According to one implementation, the collar  40  is sized to be insertable within the pipe end  20  of the drain pipe  12  to drain fluid from the collection pan  28  to the drain pipe  12 . In this regard, the collar  40  preferably defines an outer diameter which is smaller than the inner diameter of the drain pipe  12 . Therefore, when the cover  10  is installed on the shower, the collection pan  28  is placed on the base of the shower such that the collar  40  is received within the open end of the drain pipe  12 . The collar  40  may rest freely within the drain pipe  12  without any adhesive or seal disposed between the collar  40  and the drain pipe  12 . Rather, the collection pan  28  may be held in place by grout extending between the collection pan  28  and the adjacent shower tiles  18 . 
         [0032]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , there is shown another embodiment of a collection pan  128  that is similar to the first embodiment of the collection pan  28  described above, with the primary point of distinction relating to the collar  140 . In particular, the collar  140  is configured to be disposed about the drain pipe  12  to receive the pipe end  20  within the collar  140  to communicate water from the collection pan  128  to the drain pipe  12 . Accordingly, the collar  140  defines an inner diameter which is larger than the outer diameter of the drain pipe  12 . A fluid seal  142 , such as a rubber gasket may be disposed along an inner wall of the collar  140  to create a fluid tight seal between the collar  140  and the drain pipe  12  when the collar  140  is disposed over the drain pipe  12 . In this regard, when fluid drains from the collar  140  to the drain pipe  12 , the fluid seal  142  mitigates fluid loss at the juncture of the collar  140  and the drain pipe  12 . The fluid seal  142  may create a friction fit with the drain pipe  12  to secure the collar  140  and collection pan  128  to the drain pipe  12 . Additional adhesive may be used to strengthen the engagement between the collar  140  and the drain pipe  12 , as well as to enhance the fluid tight seal therebetween. 
         [0033]    It is contemplated that the cover  10  may be formed from plastic, rubber, or other materials known by those skilled in the art capable of withstanding the shower environment. Along these lines, the cover  10  is configured to endure wetness and is strong enough to support a bather standing on the shower floor. 
         [0034]    It is further contemplated that the cover  10  may be installed during initial construction of the shower, or during a remodel of the shower. During initial construction, the collection pan  28 ,  128  may be placed on the base of the shower with the collar  40 ,  140  in fluid communication with the drain pipe  12 . The adjacent tiles  18  may then be placed upon the shower floor around the cover  10 . With regard to a remodel, if the shower already includes a tiled surface, the existing conventional drain cover may be removed and space may be created for the cover  10 . Once the space is created, the cover  10  may be placed on the shower floor with the collar  40 ,  140  in fluid communication with the drain pipe  12 . 
         [0035]    It is understood that the cover  10  may be available in various shapes and sizes. Although the cover  10  illustrated in the Figures is square, it is contemplated that the cover  10  may be also be rectangular, circular, oval shaped, triangular, etc. 
         [0036]    The above description is given by way of example, and not limitation. Given the above disclosure, one skilled in the art could devise variations that are within the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed herein. Further, the various features of the embodiments disclosed herein can be used alone, or in varying combinations with each other and are not intended to be limited to the specific combination described herein. Thus, the scope of the claims is not to be limited by the illustrated embodiments.