CA2884498A1

CA2884498A1 - Adjustable apron for bathing fixtures

Info

Publication number: CA2884498A1
Application number: CA2884498A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Bjorn H. Jacobs
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-03-10
Filing date: 2015-03-10
Publication date: 2016-09-10

Abstract

An apron assembly which allows the installer of a bathing fixture (the "fixture") such as a bathtub or whirlpool to install a panel on the facade of the fixture at specific recesses to then serve as a support for the decorative finish, usually either tile or stone. The panel is installed by means of sliding it up and into two rails, located under the front lip of the fixture and at the base of the fixture. The panel is leveled by placing it into corresponding grooves in both the top and bottom rails. The rails which the panel slides into offer a variety of recesses, which are based on common tile and stone thicknesses. The installer can thereby select the recess required according to the thickness of the finish to be installed.
This system eliminates the need for building a structure in place to receive the decorative finish and allows the installer to greatly cut down on installation time. The panel may or may not have a water-proof membrane installed on it. In any event, the panel is such that it makes for a suitable substrate for installation of tile or stone.

Description

Field of the invention This invention relates to structures for enclosing bathing fixtures such as bathtubs and whirlpools, more specifically the apron installed in the front of the tub to receive the decorative tile or stone finish.
Description of the art Aprons for bathing fixtures are commonly built out of lumber and plywood as part of the enclosure in which the fixture is installed. This invention is more specifically geared towards fixtures which are installed in an alcove, which is to say that they are installed between three walls. Usually, a typical structure is built on site, with a facade or 'apron' built to accommodate the final finish. This invention describes a system which provides a factory made panel (Fig. 2), which is installed between two rails (Fig. 4 and Fig. 5) which have grooves of a pre-determined width and space.
The panel (Fig. 2) is secured in the upper and lower rails (Fig. 4 and Fig.5) by means of a strip of metal (Fig. 1 and Fig. 3) which fits tightly into the grooves. The upper rail is installed in the factory under the front lip of the fixture (Fig.
10) either with glue or another suitable means of mechanical fixation. Other suitable installation methods may include silicone, poly urethane or any other caulking or adhesive which is sufficiently strong and suited to this type of application. The upper rail may also be attached to the fixture by means of a screw or other such hardware. The lower rail (Fig. 4) is attached to the fixture's lower support structure (Fig. 8) by means of a mechanical fixation, such as a screw (Fig. 6). A wedge shaped spacer (Fig. 7) may be placed between the support structure and the lower rail to allow for fine-tuning of the level. A sufficient number of such attachments are located all along the front of the support structure to afford the tiling apron sufficient strength. By lifting and lowering the panel (Fig. 2) into the two rails (Fig. 4 and Fig. 5), the installer is able to simply secure the panel in place, making the fixture ready to receive its finishing on the apron. As the lower rail is not concealed in the same way that the top rail is concealed (Fig. 10), the unused portion of the lower rail may be cut off using a utility knife. To that effect, notches (Fig. 11) within the grooves in the lower rail are formed in such a way that they allow for easy cutting.
Page 1 of 2 In another embodiment, the adjustable tiling apron may also be affixed to the structure of the fixture with various other hardware types, such as clips, adjustable screws or other means of providing an adjustable depth of the said apron. That being said, we claim invention of a tiling apron which is adjustable in depth by means of hardware affixed to the fixture.
A common problem which occurs with site-built podiums or aprons is that three different trades are involved in the process: a carpenter who builds the structure, a plumber who installs and connects the fixture and a tile setter who installs the final finish. It is a common problem that the podium is modified or damaged along the way as it sometimes does not afford the appropriate space to make the plumbing connections or does not line up properly with the type of finishing chosen because of the thickness. On-site modifications often make for weakened structures or even damage to the fixture.
By having an adjustable tiling apron, the installation of the fixture requires fewer trades, resulting in time and cost savings. As the panel is not pre-installed, the entire front of the fixture is open to facilitate plumbing and leveling. Afterwards, the tradesman who installs the final finish has the flexibility of setting said panel at the depth required to provide a perfect finish. This eliminates the need to modify a structure which is meant to be permanent, often resulting in damage or weakening. This also allows the flexibility of changing the choice of finish before installation without having to modify the structure. Furthermore, there is no need to bring back tradesmen to the site to make a modification.
The present invention is designed to be an addition to existing fixture designs. The adjustable tiling apron may be fitted to a variety of different designs by simply changing the size of the panel itself and the position of both the top and lower rails.
Bjorn H. Jacobs Page 2 of.2