GB2352968A

GB2352968A - Shower tray

Info

Publication number: GB2352968A
Application number: GB0014069A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Simon Charles Joseph Conway
Original assignee: EXHAUST EJECTOR CO Ltd
Current assignee: EXHAUST EJECTOR CO Ltd
Priority date: 1999-07-23
Filing date: 2000-06-10
Publication date: 2001-02-14
Also published as: GB0014069D0; GB9917224D0

Abstract

A Shower tray comprises a plastic shaped skin (10) having an external surface (12) and an internal surface (4). The external surface (12) is provided with a bonding layer (14) and the bonding layer is associated with a matrix layer (16) of resin and particular material. The whole may be mounted on a base board (18) having legs (20).

Description

2352968 Improved Shower Tray and Method of Manufacture thereof The present

invention relates to an improved shower tray and method of manufacture thereof.

Although the following description of the invention refers almost exclusively to shower trays and the manufacture thereof, it will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that the invention could apply to other types of receptacles, for example baths and sinks.

Conventional shower trays can be made in two basic ways, one of which comprises a moulded plastic skin having an internal base, an external base and side walls. The underside of the shower tray is required to be supported in use but shower trays made in this manner usually feel insubstantial and can flex and crack after only a short period of use.

Shower tray manufacturers have attempted to overcome the above problems by incorporating strengthening features thereto. These features include spraying fibreglass onto the external base of the tray and then allowing a polyester/ fibreglass mixture to bond to the plastic skin of the tray.

An alternative is to create a tray using polyester gel coat and polyester concrete wherein the gel coat is sprayed onto a mould on the internal surface and the back is filled with a polyester concrete mix. However, these gel coated shower trays are easily chipped and the chips are subsequently very difficult to remove or repair, thereby reducing the aesthetic appeal of the shower tray.

2 It is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive shower tray having improved substantiality and rigidity over conventional shower trays.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a shower tray where the useful life thereof is extended.

According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided an improved shower tray, comprising a plastic shaped skin having an external surface and an internal surface, said external surface being provided with a bonding layer, said bonding layer associating with a matrix layer of resin and particular material.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of manufacturing an improved shower tray, said method comprising forming a plastic shaped skin, applying a bonding layer to an external surface of said plastic shaped skin, placing said plastic shaped skin in a jig with said external surface uppermost, pouring a matrix onto said external surface and allowing said matrix to harden and bond to said plastic shaped skin.

Preferably a baseboard having a plurality of legs is associated with the matrix layer, thereby positioning the external surface of the improved shower tray above ground level. The baseboard can be integrally attached to the matrix during the hardening process by placing the board into the matrix material while soft and/or it can be attached by attachment means following hardening of the matrix.

Preferably the bonding layer can be composed of any suitable resin type that can bond to acrylic type sheets, acrylic capped ABS sheets or Hip styrene sheets.

3 Further preferably the matrix layer can be composed of a blend of limestone/ calcium based granules and/or powder held together by a suitable resin, such as a polyester based resin. A blend of different sized particles is used to provide a small surface area thereby reducing the quantity of resin that is required and thus the cost of the process.

An advantage of the improved shower tray over conventional plastic shower trays is that the matrix layer increases the rigidity of said tray thereby extending the life thereof.

A further advantage is that in manufacturing the improved shower tray, the external surface of the tray acts as a mould for the subsequent pouring of matrix therein and eliminates the requirement for a separate mould to be used.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the following drawings wherein:- Figure 1 is a plan view of a shower tray.

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross section of a shower tray taken along line XX in Figure 1.

Referring firstly to Figure 1, there is illustrated a shower tray 2 having an internal base 4, side walls 6 and a waste hole 8.

A cross section of the shower tray 2 taken along the line X-X in Figure 1 is illustrated in Figure 2. A plastic shaped skin 10 is provided having an internal surface 4 and an external 12.

4 A plurality of layers extend below external surface 12 and comprise a bonding layer 14, a matrix layer 16 and a base board 18 having legs 20.

In manufacturing the shower tray 2, a plastic shaped skin 10 is formed and a bonding layer 14 is sprayed onto the external surface 12 thereof. The plastic shaped skin 10 is then placed in a Jig (not shown) with the external surface 12 uppermost. The external surface 12 of the shower, tray 2 acts as a mould for the subsequent pouring of the matrix and eliminates the requirement for a separate mould to be used. The matrix is poured onto the tray to a predetermined level and then the matrix is left to harden.

Baseboard 18 can be integrally attached to the matrix during the hardening process by placing the same into the matrix material while soft, and/or it can be attached to the matrix using attachment means after the matrix has hardened.

Legs 20 can be attached to the baseboard 18 using attachment means which raises the shower tray 2 above ground surface thereby making the underside of the shower tray easily accessible for servicing.

Removable side panels can also be provided around the sides of shower tray 2 to improve the aesthetic appeal of the shower tray when servicing of the underside of the tray is not in progress.

The baseboard can be made from any suitable material by which a plurality of legs can be attached thereto. However, the baseboard is preferably made of chipboard since this material is both rigid and inexpensive.

Attachment means for attaching the legs to the base board and/or the baseboard to the matrix can comprise any conventional attachment means, for example, screws could be used.

Preferably the plastic skin is made from acrylic capped ABS sheets. Other materials could be used, for example acrylic sheets or Hip styrene sheets, but these materials tend to be more expensive than acrylic capped ABS.

The bonding layer can comprise any suitable resin type that can bond to acrylic type sheets, acrylic capped ABS sheets or Hip styrene sheets. The bonding layer is preferably sprayed onto the external surface to provide a thin layer but it is noted that other methods of application could be use, for example, the bonding layer could be painted on.

The matrix layer comprises a blend of limestone/ calcium based granules and/or powder held together by a suitable resin, such as a polyester based resin. A blend of different sized particles is used to provide a small surface area thereby reducing the quantity of resin that is required and thus the cost of the process. Other natural based or artificial granular substances having similar properties to limestone/ calcium based products can also be used.

The shower tray as described above can be modified to incorporate any further accessories associated with shower trays such as tiling up stands, which join a side of the shower tray with a tiled surface to prevent leakage of water between the same.

In addition, whilst the above description refers almost exclusively to shower trays the invention could apply to the manufacture of other receptacles, for example baths and sinks, and the plastic skin 10 would be shaped accordingly.

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Claims

Claims:-

1. A Shower tray comprising a plastic shaped skin having an external surface and an internal surface, said external surface being provided with a bonding layer, said bonding layer associating with a matrix layer of resin and particular material.

2. A shower tray according to claim 1 wherein a baseboard is associated with the matrix layer and said baseboard is provided with a plurality of legs.

3. A shower tray according to claim 1 wherein the bonding layer is composed of a resin

4. A shower tray according to claim 1 wherein the matrix layer is composed of a blend of limestone/ calcium granules and/or powder held together by a resin.

5. A shower tray according to claim 4 wherein a blend of different sized granules are used.

6. A method of manufacturing a shower tray, said method comprising forming a plastic shaped skin, applying a bonding layer to an external surface of said plastic shaped skin, placing said plastic shaped skin in a)ig with said external surface uppermost, pouring a matrix onto said external surface and allowing said matrix to harden and bond to said plastic shaped skin.

7. A method of manufacturing a shower tray according to claim 6 wherein a baseboard is associated with the matrix layer and said baseboard is provided with a plurality of legs.

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8. A method of manufacturing a shower tray according to claim 7 wherein the baseboard is integrally attached to the matrix layer during hardening of the layer by placing the board onto the matrix layer whilst soft.

9. A method of manufacturing a shower tray according to claim 7 wherein the baseboard is attached by attachment means to the matrix layer following hardening of the matrix.

10. A shower tray as herein described with reference to the accompanying figures.

11. A method of a manufacturing a shower tray as herein described with reference to the accompanying figures.