U.S. patent application number 10/783456 was filed with the patent office on 2004-11-18 for wall panel for a portable restroom.
Invention is credited to Kelley, William J., Sommerfeld, Daniel S..
Application Number | 20040226086 10/783456 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 33423169 |
Filed Date | 2004-11-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040226086 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sommerfeld, Daniel S. ; et
al. |
November 18, 2004 |
Wall panel for a portable restroom
Abstract
The present invention is generally directed towards a portable
restroom and more specifically towards a wall panel for a portable
restroom. The wall panel of the restroom has an exterior surface
and an interior surface that are formed by thermoforming two
plastic sheets. The exterior surface of the wall panel is formed
having knit and decorative styling lines. The interior surface is
smooth and free of any indentations or impressions.
Inventors: |
Sommerfeld, Daniel S.;
(Kalamazoo, MI) ; Kelley, William J.; (Hart,
MI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Raymond J. Vivacqua
BRINKS HOFER GILSON & LIONE
P.O. Box 10395
Chicago
IL
60610
US
|
Family ID: |
33423169 |
Appl. No.: |
10/783456 |
Filed: |
February 19, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60448506 |
Feb 19, 2003 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
4/449 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04H 1/1216
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
004/449 |
International
Class: |
A47K 011/02 |
Claims
We claim:
1. A portable restroom comprising: a roof; a plurality of wall
panels including a first sheet of plastic material joined to a
second sheet of plastic material, wherein the first sheet has an
first surface exposed to an exterior of the restroom and having
impressions formed thereon and the second sheet having a smooth
surface exposed to an exterior of the restroom and wherein the wall
panels are connected at a top edge to the roof; a base connected to
a bottom edge of the wall panels; a door panel having a door
pivotally fixed to at least one of the plurality of wall panels at
a first longitudinal edge and removably connected to another of the
wall panels at a second longitudinal edge.
2. The portable restroom of claim 1, wherein the roof has an
aperture for receiving a vent.
3. The portable restroom of claim 1, wherein the first surface has
reinforcement ribs and styling lines visible from the exterior of
the restroom.
4. The portable restroom of claim 1, wherein the first and second
sheet of plastic material are joined at predefined locations along
mating surfaces.
5. The portable restroom of claim 4, wherein the smooth surface is
curved.
6. The portable restroom of claim 1, wherein the smooth surface
includes vent apertures at an upper end of the wall panels.
7. The portable restroom of claim 1, further comprising a toilet
paper dispenser attached to the smooth surface of at least one of
the wall panels.
8. The portable restroom of claim 1, wherein the wall panels are
formed of a thermoformable resin.
9. The portable restroom of claim 1, wherein the first surface at
the wall panels have vent apertures at an upper end of at least one
of the wall panels.
10. A method of manufacturing wall panel of a portable restroom,
the method comprising: applying heat to a first polymer sheet;
pressing a first mold into contact with the first polymer sheet;
applying a vacuum to the first polymer sheet and the first mold;
applying heat to a second polymer sheet; pressing the second
polymer sheet into contact with a second mold; applying a vacuum to
the second polymer sheet and the second mold; and bringing first
polymer sheet into contact with second polymer sheet to form the
wall panel.
11. The method of claim 10 further comprising heating the first
polymer sheet to a first pre-defined temperature.
12. The method of claim 10 further comprising heating the second
polymer sheet to a second pre-defined temperature.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present invention claims priority to U.S. Provisional
Patent Application Serial No. 60/448,506 filed on Feb. 19, 2003 and
entitled "Wall Panel For A Portable Restroom."
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] This invention generally relates to a portable restroom.
More specifically, to a wall panel for a portable restroom and a
method of making such a wall panel for a portable restroom.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Portable restrooms are in wide-spread use today at
construction sites, campgrounds, outdoor entertainment events and
the like. Such portable restrooms typically have a roof connected
to three side panels and a front panel having a door. The side
panels and door panel are connected to a base. Prior art restrooms
have wall panels that have exterior surfaces having styling lines
and other features for improving the aesthetic appearance and
structural integrity of the wall panel. While prior art portable
restrooms incorporate wall panels that achieve their intended
purpose, many problems still exist. For example, the styling lines
and other features incorporated into the exterior surface of the
wall panels create an interior surface of the wall panel that is
replete with indentations and other features which creates a
non-smooth interior surface on each of the wall panels. This
non-smooth surface makes it more difficult to clean the interior
surfaces of the restroom.
[0004] Therefore, what is needed is a new system and method for
manufacturing the wall panels of a portable restroom. The new and
improved system and method should allow the portable restroom
interior to be cleaned more easily.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] Further features and advantages of the invention will become
apparent from the following discussion and the accompanying
drawings in which:
[0006] FIG. 1 is perspective view of the portable restroom
incorporating the wall and door panels of an embodiment of the
present invention;
[0007] FIG. 2 is a front view of the outside surface of the wall
panel of the portable restroom of FIG. 1, in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0008] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the wall panel of FIG. 2
along lines A-A;
[0009] FIG. 4 is a front view of the inside surface of the wall
panel of the portable restroom of FIG. 1; and
[0010] FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a method for
manufacturing a wall panel, in accordance with an embodiment of the
present invention.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] In an aspect of the present invention, a portable restroom
having a wall panel is disclosed. The wall panel of the present
invention has an outside surface and an inside surface. The inside
surface of the wall panel is smooth with out any indentations or
recesses. The exterior surface of the wall panel, generally, has
impressions formed therein.
[0012] In yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of
making a wall panel having a smooth interior surface is
disclosed.
DESCRIPTION
[0013] The following description of the preferred embodiment is
merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the
invention or its application or uses.
[0014] Referring in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2, a portable
restroom for use in public is generally shown and represented by
reference numeral 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the portable restroom 10
has wall panels 12, 14 and 15 that form the sides and back of the
restroom. The portable restroom 10 also includes a door panel 17
having a door as shown in phantom. It should be understood that
wall panels 12, 14 and 15 shown in phantom are substantially
identical.
[0015] Portable restroom 10 also includes a roof 16 and a base 18.
As shown in FIG. 1, roof 16 and base 18 are positioned on top and
bottom respectively, of wall panels 12, 14, and 15. The wall panels
12, 14 and 15, roof 16 and base 18 form an enclosure 20. Enclosure
20 includes a tank 22 having an aperture covered by a toilet seat
24 and a vent pipe 26 for venting gases accumulating in tank 22 out
to atmosphere. The enclosure 20 also includes a toilet paper holder
28 attached to side panel 12.
[0016] Referring in particular to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, wall panels 12,
14 and 15 include an exterior surface 30 (shown in FIGS. 2 and 3)
and an interior surface 32 (shown in FIGS. 3 and 4). As shown in
FIG. 2, exterior surface 30 of wall panels 12,14 and 15 have knits
or reinforcement ribs 34 to strengthen the panels (as shown in FIG.
3). The knit 34 are formed in pre-determined positions along the
panel 12 such that exterior surface 30 is in contact with the
interior surface 32. Additionally, exterior surface 30 also
includes style lines 36 that vary in length, and depth. These style
lines 36 are indentations or raised sections on exterior surface 30
of the wall panels 12.
[0017] In order to facilitate the cleaning of interior surface 32
of side panels 12, 14, and 15 interior surface 30 is smooth and
does not have any reinforcement ribs or indentations or the
like.
[0018] In an embodiment of the present invention, a method 50 of
forming wall panels 12, 14, and 15 wherein exterior surface 30 is
provided with knits 34 and style lines 36 and interior surface 32
is smooth is illustrated in FIG. 5. In order to form exterior
surface 30 of wall panels 12, 14, and 15 heat is applied to a first
polymer sheet such as a plastic sheet, as represented by block 52.
The first polymer sheet is further heated to a first predefined
temperature, as represented by block 54. After the first polymer
sheet has been heated to the first predefined temperature, a first
mold having suitable inserts to form the reinforcement ribs and
styling lines are pressed into contact with the first surface of
the first sheet, as represented by block 56. At block 58, a vacuum
is applied to the mold and first sheet, which draws the first sheet
into the mold and transfers the impression in the mold to the
surface of the first sheet.
[0019] The interior surface 32 of wall panels 12, 14 and 15 are
formed by heating a second polymer sheet, as represented by block
60. The second polymer sheet is heated to a second predefined
temperature, as represented by block 62. The second sheet is
pressed into contact with a second mold, as represented by step 64.
The second mold has no inserts. The second sheet is formed to the
desired shape by applying vacuum to the mold and second polymer
sheet, as represented by step 66. In order to form wall panels 12,
14 and 15, the first and the second molds are pushed together such
that the first sheet having a first shape is knitted or joined to
the second sheet with the second shape at pre-determined locations,
as represented by block 68. Thus, the wall panels 12, 14 and 15 are
formed of two sheets of plastic that are knitted together at
predefined locations.
[0020] The above method 50 allows the side panels 12 or back panels
to be formed, wherein the exterior surface has reinforcing ribs and
styling lines and the interior surface is smooth. Additionally, in
an embodiment of the present invention, the knits and reinforcing
ribs are only formed and visible on the outside surface of the side
or back wall panels of the restroom.
[0021] As any person skilled in the art will recognize from the
previous description and from the figures and claims, modifications
and changes can be made to the preferred embodiment of the
invention without departing from the scope of the invention as
defined in the following claims.
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