Shower platform

050 210 U

DESCRIPTION

Shower platform.

The present invention concerns a shower platform made of a single piece that comprises a plate with an upper surface provided with an access part of its perimeter flush with the floor and another part of its perimeter attached to a wall, whose upper surface has next to the access part of the perimeter of the plate, free and level with the floor, at least one elongated narrow opening communicating with a wide collector located below said upper surface of the plate, which collector opens into a cavity in which a drain hole opens.

Patent EP-A-0 774 226, of the current applicant, describes a shower platform of this type in which a stepped recess is arranged along the entire perimeter edge of said upper surface of said plate. The function of the aforementioned stepped recess is to house a means of sealing gasket, which, in those areas of the platform not attached to a wall, seals the gap formed between some tiles or another floor pavement and the aforementioned upper surface of the floor. the plate, whose sealing gasket remains out of the reach of the liquid that spreads on said upper surface of the plate thanks to said narrow, elongated opening, communicating with said collector located below said upper surface of the plate, is interposed.

However, in those areas of the platform attached to a facing, the aforementioned hermetic joint performs the function of waterproofing the juxtaposition gap between the platform and said facing, where typically a filling of a spongy material, such as a polymer, is provided. expanded. leaving some tiles or elements for covering the facing edge supported on the outer area of ​​said upper surface of the plate, providing another hermetic joint between tiles and plate. This other seal is at the mercy of the liquid spreading on said upper surface of the plate.

Although the previous arrangement of a double sealing gasket in those areas of the platform attached to a facing guarantees a good waterproofing of the joint between platform and facing, it would be preferable for the second joint to be out of the reach of the shower liquid. In a later utility model, UA -1045361, the same applicant has introduced a low-height plinth integrated into that part of the perimeter of the plate that is not provided for access to the platform. The purpose of this plinth is to further ensure said waterproofing between the platform and the surface using a single hermetic joint, which, by virtue of being located at the upper end of the plinth, is also out of the reach of the liquid that spreads on said upper surface. of the plate.

An aspect that can be improved in the two shower platforms of the aforementioned antecedents is related to the evacuation of the water from the platform. Indeed, in the maís models above. The upper surface of the plate, where the user was located, is completely horizontal and is furrowed by narrow grooves whose bottom has a suitable inclination to cooperate in the evacuation of the liquid towards the mentioned narrow and elongated opening for access to the drain collector. Although these grooves have been shown to be fully effective in draining the water from the shower as it falls on the plate where the user was standing, once the shower has been used, some water remains on the horizontal surfaces of the plate. it must be removed manually or dried by evaporation.

The objective of the present utility model is to provide a shower platform of the type described with a configuration that facilitates the complete draining of the remaining water on the plate after its use.

This objective is achieved, according to the present utility model, by providing the aforementioned plate with an upper surface with a slight slope towards the narrow and elongated entrance opening to the drain collector, that is, towards an access part of the perimeter of the plate. This slight slope is preferably between 0.5 and 3%, the most preferred value being around 1.5%. In this utility model, the grooves that furrow the upper surface of the plate are also present and their bottoms have at least the same slope as the plate, or more. These grooves also act as a non-slip element on the surface of the plate, avoiding the possibility of the user slipping on it. In order to increase the anti-slip action, other grooves have been provided, crossed with the former forming a grid. The bottom of these second grooves can be horizontal or have a slight slope towards one or both of the first adjacent grooves.

In the present utility model, the aforementioned characteristic of the upper surface inclination of the plate is presented in combination with the aforementioned plinth or raised wall that extends along those areas of the perimeter edge of the plate attached to said facing, or that do not constitute access to the platform. This raised wall rises at least to a height of 2 to 4 cm above the level of said upper surface of the plate, constituting a barrier for the liquid spreading on it. The raised wall is finished at the top in a completely horizontal flat edge, so that the height of said edge with respect to the upper surface of the plate increases progressively as it approaches the elongated narrow opening connected to the drain collector. Also here the upper limit of the inner face of said wall acting as a barrier is topped by a stepped recess. The said upper edge of the raised wall is intended to support the corresponding edge of the said tile or covering element of the said wall, a single means of sealing the groove of the wall being fitted and joined in that stepped recess.

ES 1 juxtaposition between said tile or covering element and said flat edge of the raised wall. Obviously, said gasket is out of the reach of the liquid spreading on the upper surface of the plate.

With this arrangement, a shower platform according to the present utility model, once installed, has a user support plate provided with an upper surface slightly inclined towards the elongated opening connected to the drain collector that ensures efficient evacuation. of the shower water, whose plate is completely surrounded by one or another airtight seal that is out of reach of the liquid that spreads on the upper surface of the plate, Either because the narrow and elongated slit is interposed in the areas not attached to the facing or access, or because it is located at a higher level, at the upper limit of said raised wall, in those areas attached to a facing or to a limiting screen.

These and other features and advantages will be better understood from the following detailed description with references to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shower platform according to the present utility model;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of Fig. 1, with enlarged details.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the shower platform of Fig. 1 once installed, showing mounting arrangements; ^Y Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a variant of the shower platform of Figs. 1 to 3 once installed, showing details of other mounting variants.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the shower platform of the present utility model is made of a single piece that comprises an upper surface provided with at least a part of its perimeter flush with the floor 2 (see also Figs. 3 and 4), facilitating an access, and another part of its perimeter, not foreseen as an access, which is likely to be attached to a wall 8 or to be delimited by a screen. The aforementioned upper surface of the plate has, together with those parts of its perimeter that are going to be free and at floor level, an elongated narrow opening 3 that communicates with a wide collector 4 (better shown in the detail on the left of Fig. 2) located below said upper surface of plate 1, the collector 4 of which opens into a cavity 5 in which a drain hole 6 opens.

In the example illustrated in Fig. 1, the shower platform has a generally rectangular shape, with four rectilinear sides, three of which are intended to be leaned against a wall 8 or closed by a screen 29, while the side The remainder, along the edge of which said elongated narrow opening 3 extends, is intended to be free, at least in part, and at floor level, constituting a free access to the plate 1 of the platform. It is necessary to point out,

210 U 4 however, that many other configurations are possible. For example, it could have two sides destined to be attached to the facing 8, or only one, and the other two or three remaining destined to be free and at floor level, in which case the aforementioned elongated narrow opening 3 would extend along these last two or three sides. It is evident that the platform could have other shapes apart from rectangular, such as polygonal, circular, semicircular, circular quadrant, among others. It is also evident that the elongated narrow opening 3 could be discontinuous as long as it communicated with a single manifold 4.

Along those areas of the perimeter edge of the plate 1 intended to be attached to said facing 8, or closed by a screen 29, a raised wall 7 extends, typically vertical, which rises above the level of said surface. upper plate 1 constituting a barrier for the liquid. The raised wall 7 is topped by a flat edge 9, horizontal, and at the upper limit of said inner face of the wall 7 adjoining said flat edge 9 there is a stepped recess 11, whose functions will be explained further below with reference to Figs. 3 and 4.

The aforementioned upper surface of the plate 1 has a slight slope towards that part of its perimeter where said narrow and elongated opening 3 is located where the access takes place and, consequently, the height of the flat, horizontal edge 9 of the aforementioned raised wall 7 with respect to the level of the upper surface of plate 1 progressively decreases as said wall 7 moves away from the elongated narrow opening 3 (as can be clearly seen in Figs. 3, 4), said height being at least 2 to 4 cm. A usually suitable height is between 5 and 10 cm. For its part, the aforementioned slight slope of the upper face of plate 1 is between 0.5 and 3%, preferably around 1.5%. This slight slope ensures a good evacuation of the water towards the elongated narrow opening 3 communicated with the drain collector 4 without constituting any impediment for, for example, people with reduced mobility or even in wheelchairs, both during their access and to move or stay on the platform.

Advantageously, the dihedral formed by the inner face of said raised wall 7 with said upper surface of plate 1 has a rounded inner edge 18, while on the outer edge of said part of the perimeter of plate 1 where the elongated narrow opening 3, arranged at floor level, there is a second stepped recess 12, whose functions would also be explained below with reference to Figs. 3 and 4.

The said upper surface of the plate 1 comprises grooves 16 whose bottom has the same inclination as the upper surface of the plate 1, or mine, and is suitable to cooperate in the evacuation of the liquid towards the said elongated narrow opening 3, and therefore consequently towards the collector 4, cavity 5 and drain hole 6. Said grooves 16 also collaborate to provide an anti-slip quality to the

ES 1 050 210 U upper surface of the plate 1. According to an embodiment of the shower platform of the present utility model, as shown in Fig. 1, said platform comprises other grooves 28, crossed with grooves 16 forming a lattice, the bottom of these second grooves 28 being horizontal or slightly inclined towards one or both of the first contiguous grooves 16, so as to increase said non-slip quality. from the upper surface of the plate 1 while draining towards the grooves 16, or main.

Finally, plate 1 was provided on its underside with partitions 17 or lugs acting as support elements for plate 1 on the base floor where it will be installed, on whose base floor a concrete floor will also be placed. so that the upper surface of plate 1 and said pavement are at the same level. For this, the thickness of the plate 1 corresponds approximately to the most usual thickness of the types of pavements used, that is, around 55 mm.

The single piece that constitutes the shower platform according to the present utility model is typically made by molding a polymeric material with additives, including a foaming agent, and with fillers. However, it could also be made of other materials, such as glazed ceramic or the like.

In Figs. 3 and 4 respectively show two examples of realization of the shower platform according to the present utility model according to two different installation variants, appreciable by virtue of the respective cross-sectional views corresponding to the respective shower platforms once installed.

The part on the left of Fig. 3 corresponds to an area of ​​the shower platform that is at the level of floor 2 or pavement, while the part on the right corresponds to an area of ​​the shower platform that is attached to a facing 8. The assembly details correspond to an indicative example of recommended installation.

It was observed that the entire platform rests supported on the base floor 19 through the partitions 17 or support lugs, preferably on stops 20, seated on a bed of mortar 21. The plate 1 is attached to the facing 8 (part of the right of Fig. 3) which in the illustrated example comprises a brick wall 22 covered with a batter 23. Preferably, a layer 24 of insulating material, such as an expanded polymer, is included around the contour of the shower platform.

Returning again to the left part of Fig. 3, some tiles 15, or any other floor covering, are placed on a layer of mortar 25 after having placed the plate 1 in place, so that the edge of the upper surface of the plate 1 corresponding to this side is at the same level as the upper surface of the tiles 15 or of the selected pavement. It should be noted that a hermetic seal 14, arranged between the floor tiles 15 and the plate 1, remains out of the reach of the liquid that spreads on said upper surface of the plate 1 due to the narrow elongated opening 3 being interposed. .

On the right hand side of Fig. 3, the platform includes said raised wall 7 that extends along the perimeter edge of plate 1 attached to said facing 8, the wall 7 of which rises above the level of the said upper surface of plate 1 constituting a barrier for the liquid. As previously pointed out, the dihedral formed by the inner face of said raised wall 7 and said upper surface of plate 1 has a rounded inner edge 18. Said wall 7, acting as a barrier, is finished at the top in a flat edge 9, horizontal, and all along the upper limit of the inner face of wall 7, where it borders the flat edge 9, a recess is arranged staggered 11. Said flat edge 9 receives in support the corresponding edge of the tiles 10, or other covering elements of said facing 8, having fitted and joined in that stepped recess 11 a means of sealing gasket 13 of the juxtaposition gap between said tile 10 or covering element and said flat edge 9. whose sealing gasket 13 is out of the reach of the liquid that spreads on said upper surface of the plate

1.

Advantageously, both hermetic seals 13, 14 are made of a material with anti-fungal properties.

With this arrangement, both the sealing gasket 14 of the area of ​​the plate 1 free and level with the floor (part of the left of Fig. 3) and the sealing gasket 13 of the area of ​​the plate 1 attached to the facing 8 (right part of Fig. 3) are out of the reach of the liquid spreading on the upper surface of the plate 1.

In the exemplary embodiment of Fig. 4, the platform is designed to be installed within a partition wall 29, 30.

In the left part of Fig. 4, the installation of the platform to floor 2 is identical to that described with reference to the left part of Fig. 3. However, here the raised wall 7 on the sides of the platform adjoining the part of the perimeter of the plate 1 where the elongated narrow opening 3 is located is interrupted just at the height of said opening 3 in order to allow the installation of a screen 30, for example made of glass, on the narrow strip 31 that separates the opening 3 from the seal 14. This screen 30 can close, for example, part of the side of the plate 1 where the elongated narrow opening 3 is located, leaving enough space for access to the platform, access to which can be further closed by, for example, a glass door , a sliding screen or a curtain.

In the right part of Fig. 4, despite the raised wall 7, the platform is not attached to any wall, but is closed on this side by means of a partition 29, for example made of glass, with its lower edge attached to the outer face of the raised wall 7. This lower edge of the screen 29 rests on the lower branch of a profile in a profile 3 2

ES 1 in "L" externally attached to a strip next to the lower edge of a screen 29 attached to the external face of a part of the raised wall 7 not attached to a wall, covering said strip. In the illustrated example, the aforementioned "L" profile 32 also covers a hermetic joint 14a arranged between the tiles 15 of the floor 2 and the plate 1. However, the main purpose of the profile 32 is to visually hide the junction strip between the screen 29 and the outer flank of the raised wall 7 in the case that the screen 29 is transparent. For this, the profile 32 could have other shapes, such as "U" or "I".

210 U 8

It is clear that this assembly of the right part of Fig. 4 would also be applicable in the case of the exemplary embodiment of Fig. 3, and that the assembly of the right part of Fig. 3 would be equally applicable to the example embodiment of Fig. 4.

The combination of the raised wall 7 and the slightly inclined surface of the plate 1 ensure a correct evacuation of the shower water as it falls on the plate while preventing the water from leaving the platform and affecting the gaskets 13, 14, 14a.