GB2420973A

GB2420973A - Shower tray with heat exchanger

Info

Publication number: GB2420973A
Application number: GB0503514A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Matthew Stephen Rutherford
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-12-07
Filing date: 2005-02-21
Publication date: 2006-06-14
Also published as: GB0426743D0; GB0503514D0

Abstract

A shower tray comprising a heat exchanger 5 arranged to receive draining waste water from the shower tray, the heat exchanger being accessible by removing the bowl shaped standing surface panel 11, the panel shaped with an upstanding outer wall 12 which contours the main body 1 of the shower tray. Preferably, the shower tray has a mechanical engagement to allow releasable snap engagement of the removable panel with respect to the main body of the shower tray (Figures 8 and 9). Pipework connecting the heat exchanger may be located at a vertically higher level than the main body of waste water flowing around the heat exchanger as it operates.

Description

0 2420973

SHOWER TRAY

DESCRIPTION

Technical Field

This invention relates to that type of shower tray with which is provided a heat exchanger for recovering heat from the shower's waste water.

It is well known within the art to use a heat exchanger in conjunction with a domestic shower, to reclaim heat from the shower's waste water. It is also known that the heat exchanger may be built into the shower tray. In this case, the dominant design concept provides a conventional overall shape for the shower tray itself. The term conventional shape' here refers to that shape of shower tray that provides a floor which is a substantially flat surface on which the shower user stands, which flat surface is provided with a raised surround.

The substantially flat surface has a slight slope for drainage, so that the used shower water drains towards a (usually single) drain hole. The raised surround serves to retain within the tray that water which is yet to drain away.

The upper surface of the raised surround, because it is irrigated less than the floor of the shower tray, and because it drains freely and therefore keeps no standing water, provides a convenient place against which to seal (for example) the surrounding shower cubicle and/or bathroom wall.

When a heat exchanger is provided within this type of shower tray, the heat exchanger is located so that water from the shower tray drains into it. Water drains from the flat surface into the drain hole, which same hole serves to introduce the waste water into the heat exchanger itself. Thence the waste water passes through the heat exchanger and, having given up heat, passes into the drainage system to which the heat- exchanger shower tray ultimately discharges. The structure, on the flat surface of which the user actually stands, is often provided in the form of a removable panel, which by its removal provides access for installation and maintenance of the heat exchanger itself.

Although there are good long-term economic and ecological reasons for fitting a shower tray / heat-exchanger combination (chiefly reduced energy consumption), there are also practical (tendency to leakage I unreliability), aesthetic and short-term economic (increased installation / purchase cost) reasons not to fit the heat exchanger type. These are now discussed to provide further background to the present invention.

Any shower tray, (with or without a built-in heat exchanger), is usually installed with at least one of its sides against a wall, and shower cubicle panels are often fixed into place onto one or more of those of its peripheral edges which aren't against the wall or walls. The shower tray is likely to be sealed and / or tiled into place on a permanent basis, and it cannot therefore be easily moved or lifted after installation. As it is nearly always installed on or close to the floor, neither can it usually be accessed from underneath, except with inconvenience. However, any heat exchanger must be accessible for connecting and disconnecting the water supply for installation, maintenance and cleaning.

One well-known design concept, illustrated for example in Netherlands patent NL C 1015561 figure 4/4, is to provide an installation based on surface- mounted supply / connection pipes. This arrangement has two advantages: * that the pipework can be fixed into place and easily connected to the heat exchanger after the tray has been installed into place.

* the supply- and heat exchanger- pipework does not pass through the wall of the shower tray bowl: this avoids a potential source of leaks and/or the necessity for a seal around the pipes.

However, most householders are sensitive to the aesthetic aspects and appearance of their bathroom equipment. It is commonly accepted in the bathroom equipment industry that consumers prefer not to see any pipework in their shower cubicle, whether running down the surface of the surrounding walls, or in the shower tray itself. Therefore, a shower tray with the above surface-mounted pipes might well be commercially disadvantaged.

An alternative well-known design concept, illustrated in for example US patent 4,304,292, figure 10, is to provide that the connecting pipework be routed between the wet surface and dry surface of the shower tray through the body of the shower tray bowl. Note that the phrase connecting pipework' is here used to refer to the pipework distinct from the heat exchanger proper that is designed to pass between the heat exchanger proper and the supply pipework provided by the installer. Note also that by the term wet surface' is meant the surface that is designed to become wet during use of the shower, and dry surface' means the underside and sides of the shower tray that are designed to stay dry, i.e. are outside the shower cubicle walls. A removable panel is provided to give access to the heat exchanger. So that the connecting pipework is not visible, the pipework is routed at the vertical level of the heat exchanger itself, as shown in the aforementioned US patent 4,304,292. Disadvantages with this particular arrangement include that, because the connecting pipes are at the level of the heat exchanger which is (when in operation) full of water, seals are required to prevent waste water from leaking out between the connection pipes and the main body of the shower tray. In particular, because the seals are in a region of standing water, they must be of high integrity, because otherwise a leak is bound to ensue. Furthermore, the seals are located in the bottom of the shower tray bowl, and therefore tend to be relatively inaccessible for manipulation during installation and maintenance. Another disadvantage with the above arrangement is that the edges of the removable panel are situated in a position relatively low down in or near the corner of the bowl of the shower tray, in a region over which a high flow rate of waste water passes. This means that its edges will both tend to gather dirt quickly, and will be relatively inaccessible for cleaning.

A heat-exchanger shower tray design that provides that a hidden-pipework installation may be easily effected, is inherently unlikely to leak, and allows easy access for maintenance, whilst also providing a smooth, unbroken aesthetically-pleasing upper surface would have advantage over other designs without these characteristics. The present invention seeks to provide these advantages.

According to the present invention there is provided a shower tray with a heat exchanger located so that waste water collected by the shower tray drains into it, and where at least the larger fraction of the upper surface of the main body of the shower tray is covered by a removable panel, which panel by its removal allows access to the heat exchanger, and where the removable panel is bowl-shaped in that the substantially flat surface on which the shower user stands has an upstanding surrounding wall so as to follow the contours of the adjacent parts of the main body of the shower tray.

In particular, the type of shower tray to which the invention would most typically apply has the heat exchanger within the main body of the shower tray itself.

A specific example of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure 1 shows a typical shower tray installation in perspective view.

Figure 2 shows a plan view of a shower tray with a heat exchanger, with part of its removable-panel shown cut-away, revealing part of the heat exchanger.

Figure 3 shows the section AA through Figure 2.

Figure 4 shows a section similar to that of Figure 3, but with the main body of waste water as it flows through the heat exchanger shown, and with the removable panel removed.

Figure 5 shows an enlarged view of Figure 4, centred on the heatexchanger connecting pipes.

Figure 6 shows the section BB' through Figure 5.

Figure 7 shows a perspective view of a cut-away piece of the shower tray, without the removable panel, in the region of the point of entry of the heat- exchanger connecting-pipes to the wet surface of the shower tray.

Figure 8 shows a section of the shower tray and associated removable panel, in the region of mechanical engagements provided on the edge of the panel, with the panel not engaged in the shower tray.

Figure 9 shows similar detail to figure 8, but with the engagements made.

Figure 10 shows a section of the shower tray and associated removable panel, in the region of a fastener that helps to locate the panel into the shower tray.

Figure 11 shows a section of the shower tray and associated removable panel, in the region of mechanical engagements on the underside of the panel, provided to help to locate the panel into position in the shower tray.

Referring to the drawings, a shower tray I has a conventional shape in that it provides a substantially flat surface 2 on which the shower user stands, which flat surface 2 is provided with a raised surround 3. The substantially flat surface 2 has a slight slope for drainage, so that used shower water drains towards a drain hole 4. A heat exchanger 5 is located so that water from the shower tray drains into it. The heat exchanger connecting-pipework 6 passes between the wet surface 7 and the dry surface 8 of the shower tray through the body of the shower tray 1. The point of introduction 9 of the heat exchanger connecting pipework 6 to the wet surface 7 of the shower tray is at a level vertically higher than that of surface of the main body 10 of waste water which flows through the heat exchanger 5 as it operates.

At least the larger fraction of the upper surface of the main body of the shower tray I is covered by a removable panel 11, which panel by its removal allows access to the heat exchanger 5. The removable panel 11 is bowl-shaped in that the substantially flat surface 2 on which the shower user stands has an upstanding surrounding wall 12; this follows the contours of the adjacent parts of the main body of the shower tray 1.

The heat exchanger connecting pipework 6 is preferably introduced to the wet surface 7 of the shower tray bowl at a point that is at a level vertically higher than that of the surface of the main body of waste water 10 which flows through the heat exchanger as it operates. This gives the advantage that the seals between the connecting pipework 6 and the shower tray bowl 1 will be less prone to leaking.

The heat exchanger connecting pipework 6 is preferably introduced to the wet surface 7 of the shower tray bowl at a point within the vertically projected outline of the removable panel 11, so that when the removable panel 11 is in place, the heat exchanger 5 and its connecting pipework 6 are hidden by the removable panel 11.

The upstanding surrounding wall 12 of the removable panel 11 preferably has an outwardly extending surrounding lip 14. When the panel is inposition on the main shower tray, the surrounding lip 14 is preferably itself surrounded by a further area 15 consisting of part of the main body of the shower tray 1, which further area 15 is wide enough to provide a location against which conveniently to seal the for example the shower cubicle panels and/or the wall(s) against which the shower tray may be located. The surrounding further area of the main body of the shower tray is preferably level with or higher than the surrounding lip, so that water can drain from it onto the panel.

Because the panel 11 provides a large continuous surface for that part of the shower tray that is stood on and which is the most heavily irrigated, it renders the installation relatively easy to keep clean, and with a relatively reassuring structural feel for the user of the shower.

The heat exchanger connecting pipework 6, between its point of introduction to the wet surface 7 of the shower tray and the heat exchanger itself, may pass along a groove or grooves 16 provided in the shower tray main bowl.

This provides that the removable panel 11 doesn't foul the pipes.

The heat exchanger connecting pipework 6 may pass through and both be sealed against and fixed relative to a block or plate 17, which block or plate is itself removably fastened against the wet surface 7 of the shower tray I. The block or plate 17 covers a clearance hole 18 provided in the shower tray I through which the heat exchanger connecting pipes 6 and / or supply pipes 20 may conveniently pass between the wet 7 and dry 8 surfaces of the shower tray I. This arrangement provided easy access to the joint or fittings 19 by which the ends (remote from the heat exchanger) of the connecting pipes 6 are themselves connected to the supply pipework 20. Flexible pipes 21 may be used to end the supply pipework 20: hence installation of the unit can be made in the following manner: The supply pipework including the (terminating) flexible pipes are installed.

The flexible pipes are pulled-through the clearance hole or holes as the shower tray is lowered into position.

With the heat exchanger and its connecting pipes in a position removed from and conveniently well-clear of the shower tray, the heat exchanger connecting pipework is connected with the flexible pipes.

As the heat exchanger is lowered into position in the shower tray, the flexible pipes are fed back through the clearance hole.

The block or plate is then fastened into position, and a seal between wet and dry surfaces of the heat exchanger formed in so doing.

Note that this provides a convenient, practical and easily-reversible method of installation. It also allows the heat exchanger pipework to be easily lifted from the shower tray to clean both the former and the latter.

Because the heat exchanger is assembled and disassembled into the grooves 22 in the shower tray in a direction normal to the shower tray, the supply pipes and the ends of the heat exchanger connecting pipes 6 are aligned in the same direction (i.e. normal to the shower tray). Alignment of the supply pipes, where they pass through the shower tray, with the direction relative to the shower tray of heat exchanger assembly/disassembly provides that the supply pipes do not foul the shower tray during assembly/disassembly.

Part of the wet surface 7 of the shower tray 1 against which the block or plate 17 is fastened may be raised above the level of its surrounds, so as to cause waste water to drain quickly away from the region of contact between block or plate 17 and the wet surface 7 of the shower tray 1 The removable panel 11 is preferably shaped so that at least the larger part of its underside fits closely against, and is hence well supported, by the main body of the shower tray 1.

A mechanical engagement is preferably provided by which the outer edge of the removable panel 11 may, by virtue of projecting tongue 23 with a chamfered lead-in 24, be easily snapped-in to a groove 25 or behind a lip or similar arrangement (not shown) provided in the surrounding further area 15 of the shower tray 1. The removable panel is preferably of a deeper profile than that of the panel's location in the shower tray, so that, when engaged into the shower tray, the panel's surrounding lip butts firmly up against its engagement in the surrounding further area of the shower tray. Similarly, the panel's vertically-projected perimeter is preferably larger than of its location in the shower tray, so that the surrounding lip tends to butt firmly outward against the shower tray. This provides the advantage that no (unsightly) gap should be present between the removable panel 11 and the shower tray 1.

The flexibility of structure imparted by the removable panel's bowl shape, especially compared with for example a flat plate panel in the bottom of the shower ray, is crucially in making practical this method of fitting. A finger-hole (not shown) provides that the panel can be removed by insertion of a finger into a finger-hole, and use of a pulling action to disengage the edge of the panel away from its engagement.

Alternatively, the relative sizes of the removable panel 11 and shower tray 1 may be arranged to provide a gap between the perimeter of the surrounding lip of the panel and the surrounding further area. In this case, the gap is preferably filled with a preferably elastomeric strip 26, which can self-adjust to manufacturing variations in the actual gap width.

The removable panel 11 may be secured into position on the shower tray by means of magnetic attraction between paired magnetic/magnetic or magnetic/metal strips (not shown). This provides a convenient way of firmly yet reversibly securing the removable panel into position on the shower tray.

A mechanical engagement or engagements may be provided on the underside of the removable panel 11 to help secure the panel into the shower tray 1. The engagements are provided along a maximum of two sides of the removable panel, and are arranged so that the removable panel can be lifted from the shower tray if and only if the panel is rotated as it is removed. Thus they serve to help locate the removable panel into the shower tray. A way of implementing these engagements would be to provide hooks 27 projecting from the structure of the removable panel which engage into a respective socket or sockets 28.

A further means by which the removable panel 11 may be secured into position on the shower tray 1 is by means of a fastener 29 which is accessed from the upper surface of the panel 11 and engages with the shower tray itself via the drain hole 4 of the removable panel. An advantage of this arrangement is that the fastener 29, as well as being easily accessible, can be disguised as a typical drain-hole guard or spider which consumers expect to see in a shower tray. The fastener 29 is screwed into a socket 30 in the shower tray 1, until it bears down on the rim of the drain hole. Drainage holes 31 in the fastener 29 and socket 30 allow the waste water to flow into the heat exchanger 5.

Claims

Claims I A shower tray with a heat exchanger located so that waste water

collected by the shower tray drains into it, where at least the larger fraction of the upper surface of the main body of the shower tray is covered by a removable panel, which panel by its removal allows access to the heat exchanger, and where the removable panel is bowl-shaped in that the substantially flat surface on which the shower user stands has an upstanding surrounding wall so as to follow the contours of the adjacent parts of the main body of the shower tray.
2 A shower tray according to claim 1, where the upstanding surrounding wall of the removable panel has an outwardly extending surrounding lip.
3 A shower tray according to claim 2, where, with the panel installed on the main shower tray, the surrounding lip does not extend as far as the upper edges of the main body of the shower tray, so that the panel is itself surrounded by a further area consisting of part of the main body of the shower tray, which further area is wide enough to provide a location against which to conveniently to seal the shower tray into its installed location.
4 A shower tray according to claim 3, where the surrounding further area of the main body of the shower tray is level with or higher than the removable panel's surrounding lip.
A shower tray according to claims 3 and 4, where a gap is provided between the perimeter of the surrounding lip of the panel and the surrounding further area.
6 A shower tray according to claim 5, where the gap is filled with a filling- strip.
7 A shower tray according to claims 2 to 4, where the removable panel and/or its surrounding lip are oversized with respect to the location in the shower tray, so that when installed in the shower tray, the panel's surrounding lip butts firmly into location against the surrounding further area of the main shower tray.
8 A shower tray according to claim 7, where a mechanical engagement is provided by which the outer edge of the removable panel may be releasably snapped-in to a groove or lip or similar arrangement in the surrounding further area of the shower tray.
9 A shower tray according to claims 1 to 8, where the removable panel is secured into position on the shower tray at least partly by means of magnetic attraction.
A shower tray according to claims I to 8, where the removable panel is secured into position on the shower tray at least partly by means of a fastener which is accessed from the upper surface of the panel and engages with the shower tray itself via the drain hole of the removable panel.
11 A shower tray according to claims 1 to 10, where a finger-hole is provided by which the removable panel may be conveniently acted upon for removal from the shower tray.
12 A shower tray according to claims I to 11, where the heat exchanger connecting pipework passes between the dry surface and the wet surface of the shower tray through the body of the shower tray, and where the point of introduction of the heat exchanger connecting pipework to the wet surface of the shower tray is at a level vertically higher than that of the surface of the main body of waste water which flows through the heat exchanger as it operates.
13 A shower tray according to claim 12, where the heat exchanger connecting pipework is introduced to the wet surface of the shower tray bowl at a point within the vertically projected outline of the removable panel.
14 A shower tray according to claims 12 and 13, where the heat exchanger connecting pipework, between its point of introduction to the wet surface of the shower tray and the heat exchanger itself, passes along a groove or grooves in the shower tray main bowl.
A shower tray according to claims 12 to 14, where the heat exchanger connecting pipework passes through and is sealed against a block or plate, which block or plate is itself removably fastened against the wet surface of the shower tray, and where the block or plate covers a clearance hole or holes in the shower tray through which the heat exchanger connecting pipes pass between the wet and dry sides of the shower tray.
16 A shower tray according to claim 15, where the part of the wet surface of the shower tray against which the block or plate is fastened is raised above the level of its surrounding surface so as to cause waste water to drain away from the region of contact.
17 A shower tray according to claims 12 to 16, where the heat exchanger connecting pipework, where it passes through the shower tray, is aligned with the direction of assembly/disassembly of the heat exchanger into the shower tray.
18 A shower tray with an heat exchanger substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1-11 of the accompanying drawings.

18 A method of installing a shower tray as claimed in claims 15 to 17, wherein: - 10- * the supply pipework including the (terminating) flexible pipes are installed.

* The flexible pipes are pulled-through the clearance hole or holes as the shower tray is lowered into position.

* With the heat exchanger and its connecting pipes in a position removed from and conveniently well-clear of the shower tray, the heat exchanger connecting pipework is connected with the flexible pipes.

* As the heat exchanger is lowered into position in the shower tray, the flexible pipes are fed back through the clearance hole.

* The block or plate is then fastened into position, and a seal between wet and dry surfaces of the heat exchanger formed in so doing.