Shower tray

ES 2 284 597 T3

DESCRIPTION

Shower plate.

This invention relates to a shower tray.

Shower trays that allow a disabled person to shower while sitting in a wheelchair or bath chair are well known. These shower trays are either provided with an integral ramp that allows the person in a wheelchair to be pushed from the ground level to the raised level of the shower surface, or they are sunk into the floor, an access called de "Level entry", such that the shower surface on which the wheelchair or bath chair is positioned during showering is substantially level with the adjacent floor surface.

It has previously been proposed to provide a shower tray for disabled persons having a tray-shaped base unit and a removable cover plate supported on the base unit, on which the wheelchair is positioned during the shower. Drained water passes through holes in the cover plate and is led to a drain outlet by the base unit.

One problem with this type of shower tray is that the cover plate has to be relatively large to accommodate a wheelchair or bath chair comfortably. Another problem resides in the fact that, to adequately support the weight of a wheelchair or bath chair when it is placed on the cover plate and, in the case of a wheelchair, when it passes from the floor to the plate of cover, the cover plate has to be strong and durable. These two drawbacks make the cover plate heavy and consequently difficult and cumbersome to handle when it must be removed for cleaning of the base unit.

The present invention seeks to overcome these problems.

According to the present invention, a shower tray is provided comprising a base unit having a raised central region and wastewater outlet means towards which the drained water is directed, and a flange that is mounted on the base unit removably and at least partially surrounding the central region.

Preferred and / or optional features of the present invention are set forth in claims 2 to 14.

The invention is described in more detail below, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying illustrations, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective cross section of an embodiment of a shower tray according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the shower tray of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view similar to Figure 2, but showing the shower tray in a second state, and Figure 4 is a partial sectional view of another embodiment of the shower tray according to the invention on a scale enlarged.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying illustrations, a shower tray 10 illustrated therein comprises a base unit 12, typically molded from fiberglass reinforced plastic (GRP) material or made from pressed material, and a flange 14 which is typically formed of stainless steel or aluminum.

Base unit 12 has a raised central region 16 on which flange 14 is removably mounted, a wastewater outlet 18, and a channel 20 for wastewater flowing to wastewater outlet 18 for drainage.

At least part of the upper surface 22 of the raised central region 16 is not flat and, in this exemplary embodiment, is generally convex or shallow dome-shaped. Top surface 22 is capable of stably supporting the weight of a fully loaded wheelchair and / or bath chair during showering.

The central region 16 also has a stepped edge 17 extending around it and forming a recess 24 in which the flange 14 can be located.

The recess 24 is of sufficient depth to allow the inner edge 25 of the flange 14, when positioned over the raised central region 16, to be flush or substantially flush with the top surface 22.

Wastewater channel 20 typically surrounds raised central region 16 and runs parallel and adjacent to rim 14 such that rim 14 cantilevers over longitudinal opening 26 of channel 20. The extent to which rim 14 protrudes should be sufficient to leave a gap of approximately 8 millimeters between the free outer edge 28 of the flange 14 and the outer edge 30 of the opening 26.

The flange 14 may be supported at its corners (and possibly towards the middle of one or more sides) by protrusions (not shown) molded into the outer wall of the channel 26. This will prevent the flange 14 from deforming under the load of a wheelchair on the edge.

As best seen in Figure 3, access to the wastewater outlet 18 is typically from an opening in the inner wall 21 of the channel 20. The wastewater outlet 18 is thus covered or completely under the rim 14.

Base unit 12 may also include shelf 32 that extends parallel and adjacent to outer edge 30 of channel 20. Shelf 32 is typically in the same or substantially the same plane as rim 14 and can be wide enough to support a bulkhead (not shown) on one or more sides of it. The bulkhead helps prevent water from splashing from the shower tray 10 and can consequently include doors if provided on all sides of the base unit 12.

The depth of the base unit 12 is sufficient to allow its installation in a floor such that the flange 14 is in the plane or substantially in the plane of the floor to allow a "level entry" and a "level exit". . Alternatively, if the shower tray 10 is installed or supported freely on a floor, it may be provided with a ramp (not shown) to allow access to and from the floor.

In use, due to the domed or convex shape of the upper surface 22, the fall of the water will be from the raised central region 16, above or below the rim 14, towards the channel 20, and thence will be conducted to the waste water outlet 18 to drain.

ES 2 284 597 T3

Since the flange 14 is a frame-type structure, it is relatively light and durable, and therefore can be easily disassembled, as shown in Figure 3, to allow access to the wastewater outlet 18 and the channel 20 with cleaning purposes. The rim 14 also allows unimpeded or substantially unimpeded access to the shower surface through the channel 20 / wastewater outlet 18, due to the significant cantilever extension, and acting in conjunction with the gap 24 reinforces the raised central region 16 against adverse transverse forces that could tend to deform or distort the raised central region 16 due to the weight of a fully loaded wheelchair or bath chair on its upper surface 22 .

The flange 14 and / or the channel 20 do not necessarily have to extend completely around the raised central region 16. For example, a bridge portion (not shown) extending completely over channel 20. In this case, flange 14 may not extend along this side. Alternatively, a part of channel 20 may be dispensed with entirely, on one side intended to allow access, and also in this case rim 14 may not extend along this side.

Recess 24 and / or flange 14 may include retention means, such as springy protrusions and / or notches, to locate flange 14 more firmly in place during use.

The rim 14 could be provided with perforations (not shown) and in this case could cover the entire opening 26 of the channel. Also, in this case, the flange 14 could be supported from the base of the channel 20 in addition to, or alternatively to, being supported by the raised central region 16 of the base unit 12. In fact, figure 4 shows an embodiment in which the flange 14 'has a T-shaped cross section and is completely supported by the base of the channel 20'.

The upper part 14a of the rim 14 'has a width less than the width of the opening 26' of the channel 20 'in order to provide open spaces on opposite sides of the upper part 14a through which water can pass into the channel. twenty'. The lower part of the leg portion 14b of the flange 14 'rests on a groove 35 in the base of the channel 20' and the remainder of the base of the channel has a drop to the drain.

The embodiments described herein are included by way of example and various modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, although the illustrations show a shower tray that is generally square in shape, any suitable shape can be used; and the base unit and flange may be formed of any suitable material that provides appropriate strength, durability, and corrosion protection.