Shower floor panel with functional element

• US 10,455,991 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2015
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wedi GmbH
• Original Assignee: Wedi GmbH
• Inventors: Wedi, Stephan
• Primary Examiner(s): Deery, Erin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ros, Nicholas A
• Application Number:
  US14/626,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20160235256A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,713 Days
• Field of Search: 4288, 4604, 4612, 4613, 4695, 52264
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 3/40 Pans or trays
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 5/0408 specially adapted for showers

Abstract

A shower base panel module that includes: a panel element; a continuous borehole provided on the panel element, an annular body accommodated in the borehole for inserting a drain element. The panel element has a first pan-shaped surface and a second planar surface facing away from the first surface, so that the outer edge of the panel element has a panel thickness that exceeds a panel thickness at the borehole. The annular body protrudes beyond the second planar surface in the drain direction. A reinforcement body, which receives the annular body protruding beyond the planar surface, is placed beneath the second planar surface of the panel element.

Claims

1. A shower base panel module (100), comprising:

a panel element (1) with a cut-out (20) on a first, top surface (7) thereof;

a continuous borehole (3) provided on the panel element (1);

an annular body (5) accommodated in the borehole (3) and for receiving a drain element (6), the annular body having

a flat outer collar (19) that fits into the cut out (20),

a body part (23) having a conical outer surface,

a first cylindrical wall (22) extending from an inner periphery of the flat outer collar (19) to the body part (23), and

a second cylindrical wall (W) extending from the body part (23); and

a reinforcement body (2) that includes an oblique wall (12) and an inner collar (11) with a horizontal end portion (H) at an end of the oblique wall, the inner collar delimiting a circular axial opening (9) that accommodates the drain element (6),

wherein, in an assembled state, an end of the second cylindrical wall (W) rests on the horizontal end portion (H) and the flat outer collar (19) is fully accepted by the cut out (20) so as to be flush with the top surface (7).

2. The shower base panel module (100) according to claim 1,

wherein the panel element (1) has an outer edge (4) with a panel thickness (D2) that exceeds a panel thickness (D1) at the borehole (3), and

wherein the panel thickness (D2) of the panel element (1), when installed, does not exceed the thickness of a subfloor surrounding the panel element (1).

3. The shower base panel module (100) according to claim 1, wherein an outer edge (4) of the panel element (1) is 20 mm thick, and in the region of the borehole (3) is 5 mm thick, wherein the thickness tolerance is ±

1.5 mm.

4. The shower base panel module (100) according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement body (2) is produced from stainless steel sheet using a deep drawing or metal spinning process.

5. The shower base panel module (100) according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement body (2) has a continuous, constant thickness (D3) of 1 mm to 3 mm.

6. The shower base panel module (100) according to claim 1, wherein, in a view from above onto the surface (7;

8), the panel element (1) is square.

7. The shower base panel module (100) according to claim 1, wherein the panel element (1) is a rigid foam body reinforced on both sides with synthetic mortar.

8. The shower base panel module (100) according to claim 1, wherein the module is recessed into a wood or wood-based covering of a floor.

9. The shower base panel module (100) according to claim 1, wherein the panel element (1) having the reinforcement body (2) placed beneath is adapted so as to be covered with tiles directly on a cement layer.

10. The shower base panel module of claim 1, wherein the reinforcement body (2) is rotationally symmetrical, which provides stability and torsion resistance.

11. A shower base panel module (100), comprising:

a panel element (1) comprising

a borehole (3) extending from a top surface (7) thereof to a bottom surface (8) thereof, and

an annular cut-out (20) that surrounds the borehole (3);

a drain element (6);

an annular body (5) dimensioned to accommodate the drain element (6) and to be accommodated by the borehole (3), the annular body comprising

a flat outer collar (19) that is dimensioned to be accepted by the annular cut-out (20),

a body part (23) having a stepped inner profile and a conical outer surface,

a first cylindrical wall (22) extending from an inner periphery of the flat outer collar (19) to the body part (23), and

a second cylindrical wall (W) extending from the body part (23); and

a reinforcement body (2) comprising

an inner collar (11) comprising a horizontal end portion (H) delimiting a circular axial opening (9) dimensioned to receive the drain element (6),

a flange (10), and

a peripheral oblique wall (12) with a conical progression that extends between the inner collar (11) and the flange (10), the conical progression being outward from the inner collar (11) to the flange (10),

wherein, in an assembled state, an end of the second cylindrical wall (W) rests on the horizontal portion (H) and the flat outer collar (19) is fully accepted by the annular cut-out (20) so as to be flush with the top surface (7).

12. The shower base panel module (100) of claim 11, wherein the conical outer surface of the body part (23) is adapted and configured to mate with the peripheral oblique wall (12) over an entirety of a length of the peripheral oblique wall.

13. The shower base panel module (100) of claim 11, wherein, in an assembled state, the annular body (5), and the reinforcement body (2) cooperate, via respective opposing directions, to reinforce the panel element (1) and eliminate torsion thereof.

14. The shower base panel module (100) of claim 11, wherein, in an assembled state, the annular body (5), and the reinforcement body (2) cooperate, via opposing directions, to reinforce the panel element (1) and eliminate torsion thereof, the annular body reinforcing in a direction from the top surface (7) toward the bottom surface (8), the reinforcement body reinforcing in a direction from the bottom surface (8) toward the top surface (7).

15. The shower base panel module (100) of claim 11, further comprising:

a pair of concentric, peripheral beads (13, 14) disposed on the flange (10); and

an adhesive (15, 16) disposed in both beads (13, 14),

wherein the reinforcement body (2) is attached to the panel element (1) by the adhesive (15, 16) so as to increase a rigidity of the panel element.

16. The shower base panel module (100) of claim 11, wherein the horizontal end portion (H) includes a linear segment, and

wherein the oblique wall (12) includes a linear segment that is not in line with a linear segment of the horizontal end portion.

17. A shower base panel module (100), comprising:

a panel element (1) with a borehole (3) extending from a top surface (7) thereof to a bottom surface (8) thereof, the top surface (7) being adapted to receive tile thereon;

an annular body (5) dimensioned to accommodate a drain element (6) and to be accommodated by the borehole (3); and

a reinforcement body (2) that includes

an inner collar (11) consisting of a horizontal end portion (H) delimiting a circular axial opening (9) dimensioned to accommodate the drain element (6), a flange (10), and

a peripheral oblique wall (12) with a conical progression that extends between and connects the inner collar (11) and the flange (10), the conical progression being outward from the inner collar (11) to the flange (10), the peripheral oblique wall (12) having

a cross-sectional linear portion that defines a plane that does not intersect the inner collar (H), and

a curved connection between the linear portion and the inner collar (11), and

wherein, in an assembled state, the bottom surface of the annular body (5) rests on the horizontal end portion (H) of the inner collar (11), and

wherein, in an assembled state, the annular body (5) and the reinforcement body (2) cooperate to reinforce the panel element (1) and eliminate torsion thereof, the annular body reinforcing in a direction from the first surface (7) toward the second surface (8), the reinforcement body reinforcing in a direction from the second surface (8) toward the first surface (7).

18. The shower base panel module (100) of claim 17, wherein the panel element (1) includes an outer edge (4) with a panel thickness (D2), and

wherein, in an assembled state, (D2) does not exceed the thickness of a subfloor surrounding the panel element (1) so that the shower base panel module (100) is flush with the subfloor.

19. The shower base panel module (100) of claim 17, wherein, in an installed condition, the reinforcement body (2) is disposed at a level below the subfloor.