Water guiding strip for use in association with a shower stall or bathtub

• US 5,493,738 A
• Filed: 08/08/1994
• Issued: 02/27/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gordon Sanderson
• Original Assignee: Gordon Sanderson
• Inventors: Sanderson, Jim, MacLean, Brad
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Charles E.
• Application Number:
  US08/287,329
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 4/557, 4/558, 4/607-610, 4/658
• US Class Current: 4/609
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 2003/305 Sealings between screen and bath- or showertub
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 3/30 Screens or collapsible cabinets for showers or baths A47K3/283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 3/302 splash guards

Abstract

A water guiding strip for use in association with a shower stall or bathtub having a shower curtain, this strip having a long thin waterproof body which is flexible at room temperature. The body has an upright leg attachable to an end wall and a horizontal leg attachable to the generally horizontal surface of a bathtub rim. The long thin waterproof body guides water down the end wall along said horizontal surface and into the receptacle without hindering the use of the horizontal surface to store bath articles. The waterproof body may include an offset between the upright leg and the horizontal leg to facilitate capture of moisture on a wet side of the horizontal leg. A mist guard may also be pivotally and removably retained on said upright portion of said long thin body.

Claims

1. A water guiding strip for use in association with a shower stall or bathtub having a receptacle with a drain in which a person may stand while showering, the receptacle having a rim, the shower stall or bathtub having walls and a shower curtain positionable between said walls and above the rim, the rim having a generally horizontal surface abutting said walls along which water may flow, the water guiding strip comprising:

a waterproof body which is flexible at room temperature, said body having a generally elongated upstanding leg attachable to an end wall, and a generally elongated horizontal leg attachable to said generally horizontal surface of said rim, each of said upstanding leg and said horizontal leg of said body including an inside edge and an outside edge, each of said upstanding leg and said horizontal leg having an average height, and a length, wherein the aspect ratio of the average height to length is less than 0.1;

wherein said strip further includes an offset portion between the upstanding leg and the horizontal leg;

wherein said inside edge of said horizontal leg is outside of said outside edge of said upstanding leg; and

,

wherein said water guiding strip guides water down said end wall along said horizontal surface and into said receptacle without hindering the use of said horizontal surface to store bath articles.

2. A water guiding strip as claimed in claim 1 wherein said horizontal leg is positionable on said rim to include a laterally curved portion which traverses the rim towards an inside of the shower stall, and wherein said aspect ratio is less than 0.05.

3. A water guiding strip as claimed in claim 2 wherein said curved portion is positionable to end short of an inside edge of the rim.

4. A water guiding strip as claimed in claim 2 wherein said horizontal portion is further positionable to include a generally straight portion running generally parallel to an edge of the rim.

5. A water guiding strip as claimed in claim 4 wherein said generally straight portion is located closer to an outer edge of said rim than an inner edge.

6. A water guiding strip as claimed in claim 1 wherein said upstanding portion is generally vertical.

7. A water guiding strip as claimed in claim 1 wherein said upstanding leg ends at a peak, the top of said peak being located adjacent to said outside edge of said body.

8. A water guiding strip as claimed in claim 1 wherein said body is generally semicircular in cross sectional profile and includes an adhesive backing located on at least a portion of the diameter for attaching the body to said end wall and said rim with the curved part of the cross sectional profile facing outwardly.

9. A water guiding strip as claimed in claim 8 wherein said adhesive backing ends short of said inside edge of said body and said body includes at least one sealant retaining groove.

10. A water guiding strip as claimed in claim 8 wherein said adhesive backing ends short of both edges of said body and said body includes sealant retaining grooves on both sides of the body to prevent water from contacting the adhesive when said strip is in use.

11. A water guiding strip as claimed in claim 8 wherein said body includes a water retaining barrier on said curved part of said cross sectional profile.

12. A water guiding strip as claimed in claim 11 wherein said water retaining barrier is located closer to the outside edge of the body that the inside edge.

13. A water guiding strip as claimed in claim 8 further including at least one means for directing water located on a surface of said body.

14. A water guiding strip as claimed in claim 13 further including a water retaining lip running along said body and wherein said means for directing water generally directs water across said body.

15. A water guiding strip as claimed in claim 14 wherein said means for directing water comprises at least one inwardly directed spiral for at least a portion of said upstanding portion of said body.

16. A water guiding strip as claimed in claim 1 further including a mist guard positionable generally between the upstanding portion and the horizontal portion, the mist guard, in use, directing droplets downwardly behind said inside edge of said horizontal portion.

17. A water guiding strip as claimed in claim 16 wherein each of said body and said mist guard include one of cooperating pintle and gudgeons to pivotally retain said mist guard onto said body, wherein said mist guard may be pivoted between a position flush against an inside wall of said enclosure to a position extended out from said rim.

18. A water guiding strip for use in association with a shower stall or bathtub having a receptacle with a drain in which a person may stand while showering, the receptacle having a rim, the shower stall or bathtub having walls and a shower curtain positionable between said walls and above the rim, the rim having a generally horizontal surface abutting said walls along which water may flow, the water guiding strip comprising:

a waterproof body which is flexible at room temperature, said body having a generally elongated upstanding leg attachable to an end wall, and a generally elongated horizontal leg attachable to said generally horizontal surface of said rim, each of said upstanding leg and said horizontal leg of said body including an inside edge and an outside edge, each of said upstanding leg and said horizontal leg having an average height, and a length, wherein the aspect ratio of the average height to length is less than 0.1;

wherein said body is generally semicircular in cross-sectional profile and includes an adhesive backing located on at least a portion of the diameter for attaching the body to said end wall and said rim with the curved part of the cross-sectional profile facing outwardly, and wherein said adhesive backing ends short of said inside edge of said body and said body includes at least one sealant retaining groove; and

,

wherein said water guiding strip guides water down said end wall along said horizontal surface and into said receptacle without hindering the use of said horizontal surface to store bath articles.

19. A water guiding strip for use in association with a shower stall or bathtub having a receptacle with a drain in which a person may stand while showering, the receptacle having a rim, the shower stall or bathtub having walls and a shower curtain positionable between said walls and above the rim, the rim having a generally horizontal surface abutting said walls along which water may flow, the water guiding strip comprising:

a waterproof body which is flexible at room temperature, said body having a generally elongated upstanding leg attachable to an end wall, and a generally elongated horizontal leg attachable to said generally horizontal surface of said rim, each of said upstanding leg and said horizontal leg of said body including an inside edge and an outside edge, each of said upstanding leg and said horizontal leg having an average height, and a length, wherein the aspect ratio of the average height to length is less than 0.1;

wherein said body is generally semicircular in cross-sectional profile and includes an adhesive backing located on at least a portion of the diameter for attaching the body to said end wall and said rim with the curved part of the cross-sectional profile facing outwardly, and wherein said adhesive backing ends short of both edges of said body and said body includes sealant retaining grooves on both sides of the body to prevent water from contacting the adhesive when said strip is in use; and

,

wherein said water guiding strip guides water down said end wall along said horizontal surface and into said receptacle without hindering the use of said horizontal surface to store bath articles.

20. A water guiding strip for use in association with a shower stall or bathtub having a receptacle with a drain in which a person may stand while showering, the receptacle having a rim, the shower stall or bathtub having walls and a shower curtain positionable between said walls and above the rim, the rim having a generally horizontal surface abutting said walls along which water may flow, the water guiding strip comprising:

a waterproof body which is flexible at room temperature, said body having a generally elongated upstanding leg attachable to an end wall, and a generally elongated horizontal leg attachable to said generally horizontal surface of said rim, each of said upstanding leg and said horizontal leg of said body including an inside edge and an outside edge, each of said upstanding leg and said horizontal leg having an average height, and a length, wherein the aspect ratio of the average height to length is less than 0.1;

wherein said body is generally semicircular in cross-sectional profile and includes an adhesive backing located on at least a portion of the diameter for attaching the body to said end wall and said rim with the curved part of the cross-sectional profile facing outwardly;

wherein said strip includes at least one means for directing water located on a surface of said body and includes a water retaining lip running along said body and wherein said means for directing water generally directs water across said body; and

,

wherein said water guiding strip guides water down said end wall along said horizontal surface and into said receptacle without hindering the use of said horizontal surface to store both articles.

21. A water guiding strip for use in association with a shower stall or bathtub having a receptacle with a drain in which a person may stand while showering, the receptacle having a rim, the shower stall or bathtub having walls and a shower curtain positionable between said walls and above the rim, the rim having a generally horizontal surface abutting said walls along which water may flow, the water guiding strip comprising:

a waterproof body which is flexible at room temperature, said body having a generally elongated upstanding leg attachable to an end wall, and a generally elongated horizontal leg attachable to said generally horizontal surface of said rim, each of said upstanding leg and said horizontal leg of said body including an inside edge and an outside edge, each of said upstanding leg and said horizontal leg having an average height, and a length, wherein the aspect ratio of the average height to length is less than 0.1;

wherein said strip further includes a mist guard positionable generally between the upstanding portion and the horizontal portion, the mist guard, in use, directing droplets downwardly behind said edge of said horizontal portion, and wherein each of said body and said mist guard include one of co-operating pintle and gudgeons to pivotally retain said mist guard onto said body, wherein said mist guard may be pivoted between a position flush against an inside wall of said enclosure to a position extended out from said rim; and

,

wherein said water guiding strip guides water down said end wall along said horizontal surface and into said receptacle without hindering the use of said horizontal surface to store both articles.

22. A water guiding strip as claimed in claim 21 wherein said gudgeons are provided with at least one detent to preferentially locate the mist guard in position.