Shower cabinet base

3,551,918

Jan. 5, 1971

N. R. BERGMARK

SHOWER CABINET BASE

Filed May 23, 1969

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3,551,918

Patented Jan. S, 1971

United States Patent Office

3,551,918 SHOWER CABINET BASE

Nils RandoK Bergmark, 14 Ringvagen, 930 47 Byske, Sweden

Filed May 23, 1969, Ser. No. 827,378 Claims priority, application Sweden, May 30, 1968, 7,282/68

Int. Cl. A47k 3/08, 3/13

U.S. Cl. 4—146 16 Claims

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A shower cabinet base shaped as a box with an arched floor and an integral water drain gutter extending along three or four floor sides. The gutter is U-shaped with substantial depth making the base rigid. The outer gutter wall forms a rest for the cabinet walls. The base is supported by legs or a cushion on a floor stand.

This invention relates to a shower cabinet base, especially for a shower cabinet delivered as a complete unit.

In the past, it has been customary to make bases for shower cubicles or shower cabinets in the form of water receptacles of glazed tile or plastic. These receptacles have had raised edges and a floor gently sloping downwards-inwards towards a central outlet. The disadvantage with these receptacles is that all the water to be emptied is collected in the centre of the receptacle where the person having a shower stands. This leads to increased risks of skidding. Furthermore, the outlet must be equipped with a decorative strainer of such a shape as not to be unpleasant to tread on. Owing to this, the outlet connection becomes comparatively expensive.

The object of this invention is to eliminate the disadvantages mentioned above and to provide a cheap and functional shower cabinet base. This is achieved by the invention by means of a base in the form of a box, characterized by a gutter extending along at least the greater portion of circumference of the base floor, which gutter collects water and leads the water away through an outlet connection opening in said gutter, the floor of said base being arched upward from said gutter towards the centre of the cabinet.

Such a base with a peripheral gutter is also much easier to keep clean than a base with a central drainage strainer, as it is no longer necessary to wipe the greater part of the floor but only draw a cloth or a brush along the gutter.

Such a base is advantageously made in one piece, e.g. of glass fibre reinforced plastic. The drain gutter stabilizes the base. The ability of the gutter to stabilize the base is increased if the gutter is integral with said floor.

If the shower cabinet is rectangular, the gutter preferably runs along all the four sides of the base. The outlet connection can then be attached to the inside of the gutter substantially centrally on one of the sides. Alternatively, the gutter runs along three sides, the outlet then being arranged in the gutter part opposite the fourth side. This arrangement is particularly advantageous when the outlet is to be connected to a hose which must be led out from under the space beneath the cabinet.

With the shape described above the base will be so rigid that no special cabinet stand is necessary. The outer gutter wall can directly serve as a fitting or support for the cabinet walls. If the gutter is given the form specified in claim 7 or 8, a very simple connection of the cabinet walls with the base will be possible if the outer gutter wall forms an attachment such as a fitting or a support for the walls of the cabinet, or if the outer gutter wall is extended higher than the inner gutter wall and that the inside of the outer gutter wall is provided with a step for supporting a cabinet wall.

The cabinet is erected at the intended place and made to rest on supporting legs. Fittings for the legs are situated _ at the inner corners of the gutter and preferably made integral with these. In addition to this, a fitting for a supporting leg can be arranged underneath the centre of the base. This fifth supporting leg assures that the arched shape of the base floor is maintained. Alternatively or IQ additionally, the floor can be made more rigid by means of stiffeners extending diagonally between the corners on the underside of the floor.

Instead of being supported by legs attached to it, as is described above, the base can be supported by a cushion 15 or the like, made e.g. of foamed plastic, and affixed to a floor stand. The upper side of the cushion is shaped in accordance with the arch of the floor. With a base supported like this, a very simple box without stiffeners can be used since the floor is supported over its entire area. 20 On account of its profiled shape, the gutter is rigid enough to carry the cabinet walls.

The gutter gets an additional function if the gutter part situated at the entrance of the cabinet is used as a guide for the lower part of a curtain or drapery to cover the 25 entrance.

One embodiment of the invention will be described further by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a shower cabinet base in 30 accordance with the invention, and

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the base.

The shower cabinet base shown on the drawing consists of a substantially square box 1 of glass fibre reinforced plastic. The floor of the shower cabinet is consti35 tuted by an arched floor section 3 of the box, which is preferably made with a hobbed surface to reduce the risk of skidding. A gutter 5 runs along the four edges of the box. The inner gutter wall is continued by the arched floor 3, whereas the outer gutter wall 7 is extended above 40 the inner wall, and is designed with a step 9 as is shown in the right hand section of FIG. 2. On this step 9 the walls of the shower cabinet may rest. Alternatively, the outer gutter wall can be designed with a groove for the lower edge of a cabinet wall, for example constituted by 45 an upturned flange-like tongue 10 extending along the outside of the outer wall. This design is shown in the left hand section of the drawing.

In the embodiment of the invention shown above, the gutter is made horizontal, i.e. it does not slope towards 50 the outlet 11. The outlet 11 is arranged centrally in one of the sides of the shower cabinet.

Alternatively, without deflecting from the idea of the invention, the bottom of the gutter may be designed with _r_ a slope towards the outlet, and this may be arranged ⁰⁰ otherwise, for instance in a corner. If the water is to be carried off by means of a hose from the outlet to a connection outside the bottom area of the shower cabinet, one of the cabinet sides may, as an alternative, be without gutter or the gutter may be interrupted or shallower ^ϋ at one point.

In the corners of the cabinet at the inside corners of the gutter and underneath the centre of the arched floor 3, internally threaded sockets 13 are embedded. In these _6g sockets supporting legs 15 and a supporting leg 17, respectively, may be screwed in. The legs 15 at the corners of the cabinet are adjusted so as to make the base horizontal, and the leg 17 is adjusted to allow the preservation of the arch of the floor 3 even under load. The draw70 ing shows one embodiment where the legs are adjustable from the upper side of the cabinet floor through holes made in the box above the leg sockets. The legs 15 and

3,551,918 the leg 17, respectively, may thus be adjusted by means of a screwdriver or the like. When the adjustment is completed, the holes are plugged with taps 19 and 21, respectively.

Stabilizing profiles 23, which are also connected with the central leg socket, run diagonally between the leg sockets in the corners of the box.

A simpler way of supporting the box than the one mentioned above can be achieved by means of a foamed plastic cushion affixed to an adjustable floor stand. The upper side of the cushion is shaped in accordance with the under side of the cushion is shaped in accordance with the under side of the arched floor and it thus supports the loaded surface over its entire area, for which reason stiffeners in the box can be made simpler or wholly dispensed with. Neither does the box need fastening devices for legs. Furthermore, adjustment of the horizontal position is simplified, since it may be performed on the floor stand before the cabinet is erected.

The gutter part situated at the entrance of the cabinet can preferably be used as a guide for the lower part of a curtain which may be equipped with weights or guide elements and used to cover the entrance while the cabinet is in use.