U.S. patent number 3,864,760 [Application Number 05/247,795] was granted by the patent office on 1975-02-11 for bathing facility.
Invention is credited to Duane C. Bowen.
United States Patent |
3,864,760 |
Bowen |
February 11, 1975 |
BATHING FACILITY
Abstract
A translucent, bendable, sawable, fiber-reinforced plastic sheet
is fitted between the rail of a sliding closure, for a recessed tub
or shower, and the ceiling or sidewall. When extended horizontally
to the wall, the sheet is domed for self-support.
Inventors: |
Bowen; Duane C. (Carlsbad,
CA) |
Family
ID: |
22936406 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/247,795 |
Filed: |
April 26, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
4/597 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47K
3/30 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47K
3/28 (20060101); A47K 3/30 (20060101); A47k
003/22 () |
Field of
Search: |
;4/145,146,148,149,164,161 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Hornsby; Harvey C.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Bowen; Duane C.
Claims
I claim:
1. An improvement in the combination of a bathroom and a bathing
facility positioned therein, said facility being fitted between
first and second parallel vertical end wall surfaces and a third
vertical side wall surface meeting said first and second wall
surfaces at right angles and a horizontal ceiling wall surface
above said facility, said wall surfaces above said bathing facility
being finished, and there being a horizontally slidable closure on
the side of the facility opposite to said third wall surface
extending between said first and second wall surfaces and which can
be opened for access to said facility, said closure being supported
from a top horizontal rail extending between said first and second
wall surfaces and spaced below said ceiling surface, said
improvement being means to substantially prevent passage of heated
and moist air between said rail and said ceiling surface from said
bathing facility into said bathroom when said closure is extended
between said first and second walls, said means comprising and
elongated sheet-like body with two parallel elongated side edges
and two parallel transverse edges substantially bridging the space
between said rail, said first and second wall surfaces and one of
said other wall surfaces, and first interengaging means between one
of said side edges of said body and said rail and second
interengaging means between the other of said side edges of said
body and said one of said other surfaces to support said body above
said facility, said transverse edges being adjacent said first and
second walls respectively said one of said other surfaces being
said third vertical wall surface.
2. The subject matter of claim 1 in which said second interengaging
means at said other side edge of said body includes an L-shaped
strip on said third vertical wall surface, one flange of said strip
being vertical and being secured to said third vertical wall
surface, and the other flange being horizontal and said other side
edge of said body resting on said other flange.
3. The subject matter of claim 1 in which said sheet-like body is
translucent.
4. The subject matter of claim 1 in which said sheet-like body is
upwardly arced transversely medially both longitudinally and
transversely and in which said sheet-like body terminates in
flanges on both sides and ends, and said sheet-like body is
adjusted to dimensions between said first and second vertical wall
surfaces and between said rail and said third vertical wall surface
by flange trimming.
5. The subject matter of claim 1 in which said sheet-like body has
a uniform transverse cross-section from end to end thereof and
being fitted substantially to the distance between said first and
second vertical wall surfaces by trimming.
6. The subject matter of claim 5 in which said sheet-like body is
bendable and being upwardly arced and in which it is adjusted in
width relative to the distance between said rail and said third
vertical wall surface by bending and/or trimming.
7. The subject matter of claim 1 in which said sheet-like body is
translucent and is formed of sawable fiber-reinforced plastic
material whereby the side edges of said body can be trimmed to fit
the space between said rail and said third vertical wall
surface.
8. The subject matter of claim 1 in which there is an electrical
radiation source supported on the upper side of said body, and
translucent means in the area of said body under said source,
whereby said bathing facility will receive radiation from said
source.
9. The subject matter of claim 8 in which said electrical radiation
source is a light source.
10. The subject matter of claim 8 in which said electrical
radiation source is an infrared heating source.
11. The subject matter of claim 8 in which said translucent means
is a property of said sheet-like body which is formed of a
translucent plastic.
12. The subject matter of claim 1 in which said side edges of
sheet-like body lie substantially in the same horizontal plane and
said body is domed between said edges, whereby said body is
self-supporting between its edges.
13. The subject matter of claim 12 in which said side edges have
horizontal flanges forming their margins, and said body being
formed of sawable, fiber-reinforced plastic whereby said body can
be fitted to the space between said rail and said third vertical
wall surface by flange trimming.
14. The subject matter of claim 13 in which said body has a reverse
bend extending below the horizontal flange on the side of said body
toward said rail, and said first interengaging means between said
one side edge of said body and said rail is the adjacent flange
which rests on top of said rail and said reverse bend which abuts
the side of said rail, thereby securing said body against downward
or outward movement of said one side edge of said body relative to
said rail.
15. The subject matter of claim 14 in which said second
interengaging means at said other side edge of said body includes
an L-shaped strip on said third vertical wall surface, one flange
of said strip being vertical and being secured to said third
vertical wall surface, and the other flange being horizontal and
the flange of said body on that side resting on said other flange
of said L-sahped strip.
Description
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND OBJECTIVES
My invention, in general, concerns means preventing loss of heat,
from a recessed tub or shower, over the rail supporting a sliding
closure for the bathing facility.
Warm water used in a tub or shower tends to heat the air to a
temperature more comfortable to the bather than the temperature of
the remainder of the air in a bathroom. This warmed air is lost,
however, in the common type of bathing facility, due to loss over
the rail of the sliding closure for the facility, due to the
tendency of heated air to rise to the top of an enclosure. If the
air were confined to the area immediately above the bathing
facility, to the ceiling level or lower, then the complete volume
of air would be, relatively, comfortably warmed by the warm water,
particularly in the case of a bather who likes a longer bath or
shower. Confinement of the air over the bathing facility will also
reduce escape of water-laden air into the remainder of the bathroom
and will reduce steaming of mirrors, etc. This does not apply, of
course, to types of shower stalls, with tops, completely recessed
into walls. It applies, rather, to the common type of bathing
facility which is a tub, shower, or combination tub-shower which is
fitted between two (full or stub) walls of a bathroom and abutted
to a third wall, the walls being the same height as other walls in
the bathroom, and the facility being closed by sliding or accordian
doors supported by a rail some distance below the ceiling.
To an extent this type of bathing facility has a limited range of
standard lengths and widths. A currently popular bathing facility
of this type is molded as one piece out of fiber-reinforced plastic
which extends partway up the walls on three sides, and these tend
to be of rather standard dimensions. However, these facilities are
not necessarily standard in dimensions within fractions of inches,
even those of the same nominal dimensions. Tolerances in framing or
finishing of a room are rather broad, because of the materials
used, methods of fabrication, and expected skills of workers.
Therefore, means to confine air above a bathing facility, to be
manufactured and supplied rather than to be fabricated on the site
from raw materials, should be adaptable to generous tolerances in
dimensions and preferably, to some differences in nominal
dimensions, so that a minimum number of sizes can be manufactured
and yet fit most facilities of present or recent manufacture. I
have designed a structure (made from sawable plastic) that can be
trimmed to adjust to tolerances or differences in dimensions, both
for new construction and for existing installations (which
preferably can be modified by the householder within his expected
skills and within the limits of simple tools found in most
households). Further, I prefer a bendable plastic construction so
that, if domed only transversely, it can be partly adjusted in
width by bending.
It is a desirable not to substantially interfere with normal light
available to a bathing facility so I have designed a structure
using a translucent material. In fact, some people may prefer more
light in a bathing facility or other people may want an infrared
heating source for the bathing facility. Either type of electrical
radiation source can be provided because, in one configuration, I
provide, in effect, a lowered ceiling or shield which, through the
use of translucent material or even a transparent inset, can
provide a suitable mount for an electrical source electrically
shielded or insulated from the volume of the bathing facility open
to water (which is of special importance with a shower).
There can be a height problem, particularly for a taller person or
particularly in the case of lower rails, so I have devised a domed
structure in one configuration which not only provides head room
but also, by its arced construction, provides a self-supporting
structure with sheet material that would sag if supported in
horizontal disposition. As observed above, a sheet domed in one
direction can also adjust width in that direction.
The objects of my invention include (a) to devise means to solve
the above-recited problems, to achieve the above-reviewed desirable
results, and to provide the above-reviewed features, (b) to confine
heated and moisture-laden air to the volume immediately above a
bathing facility, (c) to best adapt to the tolerances and ranges of
dimensions of standard bathing facilities of the described types,
(d) to provide a structure that can be a factory produced article
and may be readily installed by a carpenter or a householder, (e)
to devise such means not interfering with normal bathing facility
lighting, or to provide additional lighting, or to provide
radiation heating, (f) to provide suitable height and structural
strength, and (g) to provide the above at a cost acceptable to the
builder or to the householder as new equipment or as a
modification, and to devise such structure of suitable
appearance.
My invention will be best understood, together with additional
objectives and advantages thereof, from the following description,
read with reference to the drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a side view of a specific embodiment of a bathing
facility constructed in accordance with my invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged end view, partly in section, taken on line
2--2 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a view like that of FIG. 2 only on enlarged scale (and
broken) to better show the details of construction.
FIG. 4 is a plan view.
FIG. 5 is an end view, partly in section, of a modified form of my
invention.
FIG. 6 is a partial side view of the construction shown in FIG.
5.
FIG. 7 is a view of a construction generally like that of FIGS. 1-4
but modified in certain respects.
A bathing facility 10 is shown in FIG. 1, which is indicated to be
a shower because of the length of doors 12 and the short distance
from the bottom of the doors to the floor 14. It will be apparent
from the following description, however, that the invention applies
equally to a tub or a tub-shower combination. Bathing facility 10
is of the type installed in a bathroom by being fitted up against
one wall 16 and between two full or stub walls 18, and of the type
spaced below ceiling 20 (the ceiling over the bathing facility
being the same height as in the remainder of the bathroom). The
sidewalls and ceiling above the facility (and in the remainder of
the bathroom) are "finished," i.e., covered with plaster board or
other finish such as tile, etc. The closure is formed by sliding
doors 12 or other closure means (such as an accordian door which
can be opened and closed) which are supported by a rail 22 that is
spaced below ceiling 20. Common dimensions includes an 8 feet
ceiling, 74 inches to 76 inches to the top of rail 22, about 5 feet
between walls 18, and 28 inches - 33 inches from the front of the
tub or shower to rear wall 16.
As explained before, heated, moisture-laden air escapes upward from
bathing facility, over rail 22, into the remainder of the bathroom,
thereby reducing the level of temperatures of air in the bathing
facility compared with the temperatures the air would reach by
heating by hot water used in tub or shower if the air were
substantially confined, and, further, introducing more moisture
into the remainder of the bathroom, to cloud mirrors, etc., than
would be the case if the air were so confined. The comparative
elevation of temperatures of air when confined to the volume of the
bathing facility versus when not confined depends on factors such
as the original temperature of air, the temperature of water used,
the amount of water used, the length of the shower or bath, etc.
However much difference in comfort the bather will sense will
depend partly on the length of the shower or bath and the water
temperature used. Those preferring short showers, or at least
partly cold showers, may sense little if any difference in comfort,
but experience with a prototype shows temperatures are considerably
more comfortable for those preferring longer, warmer bathing. One
reason a bather feels a chill, of course, is due to evaporation of
water from his skin, and part of the increased comfort might be due
to a lower evaporation rate when moisture-laden air is confined to
the bathing facility, as compared to the evaporation rate to dryer
air when air is not confined. Whatever the reason, air temperature,
air moisture content, or reduced drafts (due to rising of heated
air and replacement by cooler air), the invention produces more
comfortable bathing at least for those persons enjoying longer
bathing and higher water temperatures.
It is not known if this problem was unobvious and has not been
sensed before, or whether, if sensed, an economical way to solve
the problem could not be devised. The type of bathing facility
shown in FIG. 1 is probably that which has been most frequently
installed in new homes for some period of time. A substantial
amount of expense would be incurred if the problem of air
confinement in a bathing facility were to be solved by lowering the
ceiling above the bathing facility to the height of rail 22, so
that this might be done only in more expensive homes even if the
desirability of air confinement were sensed. Sometimes shower
stalls are recessed into walls, which can help in air confinement,
but this does not appear to be as common a bathing facility as that
shown in FIG. 1, and perhaps the reason is increased cost of
bathroom fabrication, and, in any case, the recessed shower stall
is not an acceptable substitute to many people for a bath or a
shower-bath combination. A common form of bathing facility such as
that shown in FIG. 1, in current production, is one molded as one
piece out of fiber-reinforced plastic, a factor taken into
consideration in one form of my invention, as will appear later in
this description.
When I comprehended the desirability of having air confinement
means in a bathing facility of the type shown in FIG. 1, I devised
the following requirements it was felt a solution would have to
meet in order to be made available at a price that had general
acceptance (not to add substantially to the cost of bathroom
construction in new construction and to be economical in bathroom
modification and in keeping with what persons might be able to
afford or willing to pay for this improvement):
a. a construction of about minimum cost in terms of purchased items
to achieve the objective,
b. a construction requiring no change to most bathing facilities of
this type being sold,
c. minimum time for installation by carpenters in new
construction,
d. minimum time and complexity for existing bathing facility
modification by a carpenter or householder, including providing a
construction that could be installed with only the tools that the
average householder could be expected to have, and
e. adaptability to most bathing facilities of this type being sold
in terms of common dimensions, so that the market could be supplied
with a minimum number of sizes, taking into consideration both
differing nominal dimensions and variations due to tolerances to be
expected in construction of bathing facilities.
I elected to construct the enclosing means out of one-piece sheet
material, as one integral article, except for any edge support
needed, or except for any extra light or heat source (which is an
optional addition, as hereafter described). By this I mean I
excluded constructions which would have to be fabricated at the
factory or on the site out of a number of pieces of material,
because it would be quite economical to use a single sheet of
material either flat or molded. Preferably the sheet material,
especially when molded into a shape, is formed of fiber-reinforced
plastic, as this material is both economical in flat condition and
economical to mold. A number of fiber-reinforced plastics could be
used, and suitable types include those types of fiber-reinforced
plastics sold in flat sheets or corrugated for such purposes as
patio roofs and the like. Selections of suitable fiber-reinforced
plastics for the purpose will be obvious to those skilled in the
art of manufacturing such sheets and molding the same. A plastic
with sufficient strength without fiber reinforcement is to be
regarded as an equivalent, but I believe the most economical,
practical plastic materials will be fiber-reinforced. Another
reason for selecting this type of material is that it usually can
be cut with an ordinary saw, which means the material can be
trimmed (as needed) to size by carpenter or householder. If curved
in one direction, such plastics usually can be bent to some degree,
another consideration in fitting to a bathing facility in certain
circumstances. Another reason to prefer a fiber-reinforced plastic
is that it can be made translucent, so as to not substantially
interfere with normal direct or indirect lighting into the bathing
facility, or adapted to transmit light or radiant energy if
supplemental light or heat is provided.
In my preferred construction of FIGS. 1-4, I have elected to extend
a curved sheet 30 generally horizontally, at rail height and above,
from rail 22 to wall 16, and preferably this sheet is a
translucent, sawable, bendable, fiber-reinforced plastic sheet.
Note that adaptation to some difference in dimensions of widths
from rail 22 to wall 16 can be accommodated by increased bending of
sheet 30 and, obviously, it should be given a width considered
maximum for bathing facilities of a more or less standard width so
as to adapt to smaller dimensions by some increased upward bending.
(It appears that bathing facilities formed as one piece out of
fiber-reinforced plastic have a rather limited range of standard
sizes, but this question was not extensively surveyed.) In the
configuration shown in FIGS. 1-4, it is preferred that the sheet be
molded to substantially the shape shown in the factory, but if a
molding were attached to rail 22 (or if rail 22 were specially
configured to receive the edge of a sheet) and if the same molding
shown or preferably a specially configured molding to receive the
opposite edge of sheet were attached to wall 16, it would be
possible to use a sheet 30 that is normally flat but bendable under
moderate manual force into a domed configuration. I prefer the
pre-molded construction as it permits use of a standard rail 20
(and does not require molding, clips, etc., to be fixedly secured
to the rail). The upwardly arced configuration is preferred for
self-support. It a flat, horizontally-disposed sheet were used,
instead, a heavy weight sheet would have to be used to avoid
unsightly sagging or a configured sheet would be needed such as one
having corrugations or a waffle pattern, a honeycomb would be
needed for strength, or horizontal stringer support means would be
required. A second reason for an upward arc is for head room in
some bathing facilities, i.e., some bathing facilities,
particularly tub or tub-shower installations have a rail 22 too low
for a tall person to stand in the facility under the level of the
top of rail 22. If sheet 30 is translucent, it will not interfere
with normal bathroom direct or indirect lighting into the bathing
facility.
Sheet 30 needs front and rear supports. I devised use of rail 22
for front support by providing a reverse bend 32 in the sheet (to
abut the inside of rail 22) and by providing a flange 34 on the
sheet to rest on the top of rail 22. This requires no modification
of standard rails 22, and flange 34 does not have to be fixedly
secured to the rail.
I provide a rear flange 36 on sheet 30. Any type of rest on rear
wall 16 can be provided on rear wall 16 for flange 36. This could
take the form of clips, but an L-shaped extrusion 38 (metal or
plastic, secured by screws 40) with a flange against the wall and a
horizontal flange to receive flange 36, and extending substantially
the length of flange 36, will present a more finished appearance.
Note that the use of flange 36 means that this flange can be
readily sawed if needed to adjust width of sheet 30 to the distance
between rail 22 and wall 16 (and preferably the width of sheet 30
is the maximum of the designed nominal dimension plus maximum
expected tolerance, as the design is to trim excess width rather
than to try to increase the width of the enclosing medium). One
width of bathing facility observed in current manufacture was about
28 inches and another about 33 inches. Whereas flange trimming
would be considerable for one size to accommodate both sizes, a
sheet about 34 inches and a sheet about 30 inches could adapt to a
wide range of dimensions, considering adaptation by bending and by
trimming. Flange 36 could be given any desired width within a
reasonable range, for the purpose of adaptation by trimming, i.e.,
as much as several inches.
I have mentioned, before, the current use of onepiece
fiber-reinforced plastic bathing facilities. Whereas at present it
does not appear that these facilities commonly bring up the rear
wall and end walls (they commonly have rear and end walls extending
up the recess walls at least five feet or so) as high as or, if as
high, even with rail 22, there is no reason that can not be done as
such rear and end walls end in ledges (right angle bends to the
wall and then terminating in upwardly extending flanges secured to
studding and concealed behind the plasterboard finish of the
bathroom) upon which sheet 30 could rest. At present, possibly the
reason for not making the rail and the bathing facility walls at
the same height may be they are commonly not manufactured by the
same source. The appearance would be better if they had the same
height, even in the absence of my invention, as a gap often needs
to be filled at the upper end of the metal shower door jambs when
the protruding plastic walls are short of the rail height. In any
event, in the future it is possible that bathing facilities will be
modified to provide their normal ledges at about the height of rail
22 so as to be usable to support sheet 30 at rear wall 16 (and also
at side walls 18 in the FIG. 7 construction). A further possibility
is to integrate sheet 30 into the plastic bathing facility
construction if the walls had that height, in which case the side
flange 36 (and the end flanges 50 in FIG. 7) could end in upright
flanges to match the bathing facility construction which, as noted
above, terminate in horizontal flanges to the wall and vertical
flanges up the wall behind the usual plasterboard finish.
In my preferred construction of FIGS. 1-4, I do not provide
supports for sheet 30 on end walls 18 and sheet 30 has the same
arced transverse cross-section from end to end (although I do
provide end supports, etc., in the FIG. 7 construction). This is
consistent with several of the design parameters set forth above,
i.e., economy of the manufactured sheet, minimum cost of
installation, and adjustment to facility lengths and tolerances.
Around 60 inches between walls 18 is rather standard in some
facilities, but observe that a 66 inches long sheet 30 could
accommodate a range of lengths (by trimming), i.e., 66 inches, 60
inches, 54 inches, etc. Sheet 30, thus, can be made such a length
as to accommodate the maximum distance between walls 18 of a
standard design or designs, and then sheet 30 can be trimmed as
needed with a saw to fit actual dimension. Note that sheet 30 does
not have to be exactly as long as the distance between walls 18, as
some small air gap can be accepted, i.e., the top enclosure does
not have to be air tight. Minimizing any air gap will provide a
better appearance, but the possibility of trimming or of leaving a
gap will accommodate any irregularity to walls 18, that may not be
perfectly flat or parallel (if rail 22 and wall 16 are not exactly
straight, flat or parallel, note also that the construction above
described will accommodate irregularity and will do so without any
sacrifice in appearance).
In FIG. 7, the sheet is molded with a flat or arced end wall 49 at
each end terminating ni a (trimable) flange 50 which restson an
L-shaped molding 52 (secured by screws 54) identical with molding
38 (and meeting the same by preferably beveled corners of the two
extrusions). This will be provide a more finished appearance, and
flanges 50 can still be trimmed to adjust to distance between walls
18. The FIG. 7 construction will be used if a better appearance is
desired at additional cost.
I realized that sheet 30 provides means for mounting an
incandescent or fluorescent light or a radiant heater (preferably
infrared bulbs) 60 for the bathing facility, particularly in that
the plastic sheet insulates electrical parts from the source of
water, pipes, etc. which whould be a particularly important safety
consideration in the case of a shower. Although I have shown sheet
30 as not needing to be fixedly secured, for safety reasons it may
be desirable to secured flanges 34, 36 and 50 by screws to their
supporting surfaces so there is a fixed barrier between the
electrical source and the area of water. An electrical conduit 62
and plug 64 are shown (for connection to an outlet) merely to
illustrate electrical connection to an outlet, although permanent
wiring could be used. It is assumed for the present purposes that
the light or heater 60 can be housed in a box secured to sheet 30
by fasteners to box flanges 66 and the plastic sheet 30 will be a
satisfactory translucent medium for transmission of visible or
infrared radiation. If it is deemed preferable to provide a glass
inset in an opening in sheet 30, such a provision will be a simple
matter within the skill of designers in the art, but such
construction would add to cost.
There is another practical and economical way to complete the
enclosure of the bathing facility shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 which,
although increasing the volume of air to be heated during bathing,
does prevent air passing over rail 22. In this construction a flat
sheet 70 extends between rail 22 and ceiling 20. Upper and lower
extrusions 72 have grooves 74 accepting the edges of sheet 70 and
have flanges 75 for securing the same to rail 22 and ceiling 20 by
screws 76. For best appearance, if the top of rail 22 is curved,
the lower molding 72 would have a curved lower surface. Note that
the distances between ceiling 20 and rail 22 are not standard, but
this can be readily accommodated by trimming if a sawable
fiber-reinforced plastic sheet is used, which is preferred.
Likewise, the distance between end walls 18 can be accommodated by
trimming of sheet 70. End moldings do not have to be provided,
sheet 70 does not have to exactly meet end walls 18, with
substantially the same considerations involved as to whether the
FIGS. 1-4 or FIG. 7 contruction should be used, balancing a more
finished appearance against additional cost. Sheet 70 could be
glass (it being desirable translucent plastic or glass be used so
as to not reduce lighting into the bathing facility), this being a
choice involving possible matching of the translucent panels of
sliding doors 12, relative cost of plastic and glass, relative cost
of cutting glass to adjust to length and width versus sawing
plastic, etc.
Having thus described my invention, I don't want to be understood
as limiting myself to the precise details of construction shown but
instead want to cover those modifications thereof that will occur
to those skilled in the art after learning of my invention and
which are fairly within the scope of my invention.
* * * * *