GB2401341A

GB2401341A - A moulded former

Info

Publication number: GB2401341A
Application number: GB0311402A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Graham Robin Lock; Robert William Stimpson
Original assignee: DLP Ltd; Beldore Ltd
Current assignee: DLP Ltd; Beldore Ltd
Priority date: 2003-05-09
Filing date: 2003-05-19
Publication date: 2004-11-10
Anticipated expiration: 2023-05-19
Also published as: GB0310641D0; GB0311402D0; GB2401341B

Abstract

A former 1 is provided for creating a sloping profile for waste-water run off below a waterproof floor covering of a shower area. The former is made of a hot pressed glass fibre reinforced plastics material, such as from material known as Bulk (or Dough) Moulding Compound or material known as Sheet Moulding Compound. Hot pressing of glass reinforced plastics comprises placement of an uncured material compound into one half of a pair of matched heated tools forming a cavity in the shape of the finished component, and then bringing together the tool halves under heat pressure to shape, form and cure the material into the former component.

Description

2401 34 1

SHOWER FLOOR FORMERS

This invention relates to improvements in the construction of shaped floor formers placed below waterproof flooring materials to form a sloping surface within showering rooms often for the use by the disabled, the profile of which permits the collection of water from the floor of the shower into a waste collection trap or gully device for the shower area.

When providing shower access for disabled users in wheelchairs, the state of the art, established over many years, is to provide a sloping floor structure which is rigidly located below a waterproof membrane or surface coating which is often glued or bonded to the underlying structure surface. Commercial products such as Altro_ have lead the UK market for such applications for many years, and commercial product literature has shown the application of such materials to a wide variety of flooring structures. The ideal shower for the disabled wheelchair-bound user is thus located within a room which provides a waterproof floor which slopes towards the waste drain, and presents no obstacles to hinder the wheelchair user from accessing the facility.

In the past, the slope of floors has been created by sections of plywood (see, for example, US5140789) jointed and laid onto a supporting wooden structure of timber joists. Past state of the art has also included woven glass fabric reinforced sheets (GB 2361637B)- where the strength of the structure has been obtained by l using relatively expensive woven glass fibre fabric of two or more horizontal layers linked by an interwoven cross-layer within a resin matrix. Further examples of prior state of the art also include the flooring structure employed in modular or 'pod' showering and bathing modules used within the hotel, hostel and marine/offshore construction industries, where the purpose of the floor slope is water containment rather than disabled person accessibility.

To clarify the benefits of the present invention, it is appropriate here to briefly describe the current installation process for such floor formers. Typically, a shower installation may be required for a person who was previously able-bodied, so the previously installed bath and or step-in shower cubicle will be removed and the floor-boards cut out to reveal the wooden floor joists. Noggins are then fitted to all exposed and unsupported board ends and around the area of the waste location for the former to provide additional support. The floor joists may then be cut and the upper surface profiled to create a fall towards the drain or waste location. Onto this timber surface is then laid generally triangular shaped plywood panels with their truncated apexes located at the waste opening. The panels are then glued and/or screwed into position and any gaps or openings filled with a proprietary gap filling compound.

After this has fully dried, a waterproof covering is then laid over the existing floor and the former up to the waste area. During the installation of the waste connection a waterproof seal between floor covering and waste outlet is created.

Current art employed by the applicant comprises a glass fibre reinforced plastics (referred to hereinafter as GRP) structure comprising gel coat backed by random chopped strand mat glass fibre reinforcement with plywood timber sections bonded into the lower surface with additional random chopped strand mat, the entire material combination being moulded with a thermosetting resin to create a rigid load carrying and water proof shower floor former structure.

According to the present invention, there is provided a former for creating a sloping profile for waste-water run off below a waterproof floor covering of a shower area, wherein the former is made of a hot pressed glass fibre reinforced plastics material.

Preferably, the former has been formed by hot pressing material known as Bulk Moulding Compound (sometimes referred to as Dough Moulding Compound) or material known as Sheet Moulding Compound.

Other preferred and/or optional features of the invention are set out in claims 4 to 7, inclusive.

Hot pressing of GRP comprises the placement of an uncured material compound into one half of a pair of matched heated tools forming a cavity in the shape of the finished component, and then bringing the two halves of the tool together under heat and pressure to shape, form and cure the material into the desired shower floor former component. Tooling is manufactured from high quality tool steel and may receive surface treatments to increase longevity. Tools may be electrically or oil heated to achieve the curing temperature of the material, and may also be insulated to reduce heat loss and operational costs.

The material may comprise a thermosetting plastics resin matrix within which can be short glass fibre random strands in the case of Bulk Moulding Compound.

One such compound is Hepworth Composites Bulk Moulding Compound Grade HEPBMC107. Alternatively, the material may comprise a thermosetting plastics resin matrix within which are longer random chopped glass strand matting, formed into uncured sheets and known as Sheet Moulding Compound. One such compound is Hepworth Composites Sheet Moulding Compound Grade PG25-J162WH.

The present invention permits the materials used in the former to be selected and blended or combined to create a material which when processed formed and cured into a solid material has preferred material properties which may include but are not limited exclusively to tensile strength and or impact resistance and or colour.

The present invention can take advantage of the flexibility of the manufacturing process described above to provide novel features in the shaped former which create benefits to the installer which have never been seen before in shower formers.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to s the accompanying drawings in which: Figure I is an isometric view from above of one embodiment of the present invention of a former which is square when viewed in a plan view; Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view of the lower left corner of the embodiment shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is an isometric view from below of the embodiment shown also in Figure 1; Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view of the lower left corner of the embodiment shown in Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings, the preferred embodiment comprises a formed square or rectangular solid body 1, having a level outer border edge 2 surrounding a plurality of sloping, curvedly truncated generally triangular facets 3 which meet at a common circular recess 4 which is so shaped as to accept a waste trap or gully (not shown). The perimeter border 4 provides a plurality of pre-formed fixing holes S around the periphery 2 of the former 1, allowing the former to be fastened down to the underlying floor structure with no additional modifications to the former. The fixing holes 5 are shown in the preferred embodiment as countersunk cylindrical holes for wood-screws, but may also be of another shape to accept another fastener or alternative fixing method. The fixing holes 5 may additionally be shaped to accept covers or plugs which may be added to the upper surface as an alternative to the preferred embodiment which is to apply a flexible, curable filler material to the installed fixing upper surface.

Engraved or embossed textual and/or symbolic instructions 6 may be formed into the upper surfaces of the former component 1, which can be easily seen by the installer. This permits rapid, safe and correct installation of the former with minimal reference to the installation instructions.

Also engraved or embossed textual and/or symbolic instructions may be formed into the lower surfaces 7 of the former component, which can also be easily seen by the installer prior to installation. This permits the application, by way of example in the preferred embodiment, of company logos 8, safety 9 and/or material recycling symbols 10, batch and/or date of manufacturing information 11, to be added to the surfaces of the former. Contact telephone numbers and internet addresses 12 can be added in a similar manner.

Some or any of the aforesaid textual or symbolic information may be added to the component as indented recessed or superficial embossed on the component surface, or any combination thereof.

The underside of the body I may also include protruding bosses 17 which end at the lower locating surface 14. These bosses may be shaped to provide additional support for the fixings (not shown) and by variations in size, may control the pressure applied to the floor interface surface (not shown) by the fixing as it is tightened down.

An improved load distribution from the shower floor former onto the underlying floor structure may be provided by creating a multiplicity of individual or crossed reinforcing ribs 13 on the flat lower locating surface 14 which transmit the loading of user and wheelchair through the shaped former structure I and into the underlying floor structure (not shown). The manufacturing process allows a higher density of ribs per unit area of former than is possible with any other manufacturing process since the depth of the ribs 15 may exceed the width 16, permitting them to be located in close proximity to each other.

The body 1 presents two parallel surfaces - the upper border 2 and the lower locating surface 14, the distance between which is preferably the same thickness as the surrounding floor boards (not shown) which may have been removed by the installer during the preparations for installation.

By providing a single flat lower locating surface 14, where only the waste locating surface 18 may extend beyond it, the preferred embodiment allows the installer to avoid cutting into the upper surfaces of any structural flooring joists which may be present.

The preferred embodiment also provides a waste locating surface 18 with cropped quadrants 19 which permit the locating surface 18 to remain large whilst making provision for joists and other structural flooring members to be located closer to the waste than would otherwise be possible if the quadrants 19 were absent.

Claims

1. A former for creating a sloping profile for waste-water run off below a waterproof floor covering of a shower area, wherein the former is made of a hot pressed glass here reinforced plastics material.

2. A former as claimed in claim 1, having been formed by hot pressing Bulk (or Dough) Moulding Compound.

3. A former as claimed in Claim 1, having been formed by hot pressing Sheet Moulding Compound.

4. A former as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a plurality of holes or shaped recesses to accept fixings to hold the former in the required location are distributed around the periphery of said former.

5. A former as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the lower surface of the former has a plurality of individual or crossed reinforcing ribs where the vertical depth of the individual ribs (as measured in a direction generally perpendicular in use from the showering floor surface) exceeds the horizontal width of the said ribs.

6. A former as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein one or more surfaces of the said former are provided with engraved or embossed textual and/or symbolic instructions conveying installation and/or recycling and/or batch and/or manufacturers information.

7. A former as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sloping surfaces of the former converge on a hole shaped to accept a waste connection and connection for a waterproof floor covering.

8. A former substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.