GB2402059A

GB2402059A - Shower tray

Info

Publication number: GB2402059A
Application number: GB0312317A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony Keith Webb
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-05-29
Filing date: 2003-05-29
Publication date: 2004-12-01
Also published as: GB0312317D0

Abstract

A shower tray comprises a base 2 with a recessed drainage channel 6, 16 formed within the horizontal support surface 10. Preferably a channel 6 extends around the entire periphery of the base, and this peripheral channel may be inclined towards a waste water outlet provided in the base. The peripheral channel 6 may be located sufficiently away from the edge in order that a door or screen may be assembled upon the support surface 10. The base 2 may have a plurality of drainage channels 6, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, which may be interconnected. Preferably the width of the peripheral drainage channel is between 5 mm and 15 mm, dimensions which prevent the wheel of a wheel chair becoming trapped within the channel.

Description

Shower Tray The present invention relates to a shower tray of the type

which may be used by a disabled person in a wheel chair.

Showers for use by wheel chair users in domestic type bathrooms are well known. Such showers typically include a tray or base which may be accessed by a user in a wheel chair moved by their carer or by a user in a selfpropelled wheel chair.

One known shower tray for use by wheel chair users is disclosed in GB 2359484 A. This tray is substantially rectangular in plan view and comprises a raised outer edge on its periphery to stop water from escaping to the outside. The tray further comprises water collecting surfaces which are inclined downwardly towards a gully to cause water to flow to a trap in which waste water is collected for disposal thereof. The shower tray is typically accessed by pushing the user up a ramp in their chair. The chair must then be pushed or lifted over the raised outer edge. Even once the chair is positioned on the tray, the water collecting surfaces on which the chair rests are inclined downwardly towards the gully at the centre of the tray such that the wheel chair is unstable. Thus this tray is relatively difficult and uncomfortable for a wheel chair user to use.

An alternative form of shower tray for use by wheel chair users is disclosed in GB 2306316 A. This tray comprises a base which may be set into a floor. The base comprises a recessed tray through which waste water is drained and a substantially flat cover which can be supported above the base at floor level so that no ramp is required for wheel chair access. Gaps are provided between the edge of the cover and the base such that waste water may flow off the cover into the base. However, the construction of this tray is relatively complex and the tray may only be cleaned by removing the cover. Further, the drainage provided is sub optimal as water can only drain off the cover around its edges.

The present invention therefore seeks to provide an improved shower tray for use by wheel chair users.

From a first aspect, the present invention provides a shower tray comprising a base having a substantially horizontal support surface and a recessed drainage channel formed therein.

As the support surface is substantially horizontal, a stable, substantially flat support for a wheel chair or other user is provided over which the wheel chair can move easily without the threat of tipping over or getting stuck which might arise in a shower tray having inclined drainage surfaces such as that of GB 2359484 A. Further, as the base itself provides both the support surface and the drainage channel in one integral structure, the tray is relatively simple to construct. Still further, the tray can be cleaned without any disassembly being required. This has the dual advantage that cleaning can be carried out more quickly than in a tray with a removable cover such as that disclosed in GB 2306316 A and that any dirt or blockages present in the base and particularly in the drainage channels will be clearly visible to the user at all times.

Preferably the recessed drainage channel is inclined towards a waste water outlet provided in the base.

Although adequate drainage might be achieved without this feature, the inclination of the channel towards a waste water outlet will ensure that substantially all water flowing into the drainage channel will flow into the waste water outlet thus improving the drainage in the shower tray. This is advantageous in that waste water will not build up in the drainage channel causing an unsightly and potentially unhygienic pool.

Normally, a shower screen or curtain would be used with the shower tray according to the invention and water would flow down the inside surface of the screen or curtain located internally of the outer edge of the shower tray onto the tray. Various means for stopping water escaping over the edge of the shower tray could be provided. For example, a raised edge could be provided around the periphery of the tray adapted to be located externally of the shower screen or curtain in use, or drainage holes could be provided at spaced intervals around the edge thereof.

Preferably however, a recessed drainage channel is provided in the support surface, the channel extending around the entire periphery of the base and located inwardly of the edge thereof. In this way, water flowing towards the edges of the support surface will flow into the peripheral drainage channel such that no water reaches the edges of the tray. Further, as no raised edge portion is required at the periphery of the tray, a substantially flat edge surface of the tray may be provided which is advantageous for wheel chair access to the shower tray.

The peripheral drainage channel could be substantially level. Preferably however, the channel is inclined towards a waste water outlet provided in the base. This is advantageous in stopping waste water deposits from building up in the peripheral drainage channel.

Preferably, the peripheral drainage channel is located a sufficient distance inwardly from the edge of the tray to allow a door or screen to be assembled on the support surface externally of the peripheral drainage channel in use. This has the advantage that any water flowing off the inside surface of the screen or door in use will flow into the peripheral drainage channel to be drained out of the shower tray.

The peripheral drainage channel could have any suitable dimensions for the required amount of water flow.

Preferably however, the peripheral drainage channel is dimensioned such that a wheel of a wheel chair cannot become trapped in the channel when moving across or parallel to it. In one preferred embodiment, the width of the peripheral drainage channel is between 5mm and 15mm, and more preferably between 8mm and 12mm. Still more preferably the width of the peripheral drainage channel is lOmm. This width is narrow enough to allow easy access for wheel chairs and is also wide enough to ensure drainage at the base of a shower screen or door assembly.

As described above, only a single drainage channel could be provided in the base of the shower tray. To provide better drainage however, it is preferable that a plurality of drainage channels be provided in the base.

Still more preferably, the drainage channels are interconnected.

In one particularly preferred embodiment, a plurality of drainage channels are provided extending inwardly from the peripheral drainage channel towards a waste water outlet. Still more preferably, each of the drainage channels is inclined towards the waste water outlet.

This will improve the drainage performance of the shower tray as water will flow from the support surface into the nearest drainage channel and then to the waste water outlet.

The drainage channels inside the peripheral drainage channel could take any desired dimensions. Preferably however, the channels are dimensioned such that a wheel of a wheel chair will not become stuck therein. Further, the shower tray should ideally be suitable for use by non-wheel chair users as well as wheel chair users.

Preferably therefore, the drainage channels are dimensioned such that a user's toe cannot get stuck therein. In one preferred embodiment, the width of the drainage channels is between 5mm and 15 mm. Still more preferably, the width of the drainage channels is between 7mm and 12mm. In one particularly preferred embodiment, the width of the drainage channels is 8mm.

Any required number of drainage channels could be provided depending on the estimated water flow over the shower tray and the size and shape thereof. In one embodiment, the tray could be substantially circular in shape and could have a circumferentially extending peripheral drainage channel from which further drainage channels extended radially inwardly to a waste water outlet located at the centre of the tray. In this embodiment, four, six or eight further drainage channels could be provided.

In an alternative preferred embodiment, the shower tray could be substantially square shaped. A waste water outlet is preferably provided midway along one side of a square shaped peripheral drainage channel and a first further drainage channel extends therefrom to the midpoint of the opposite side of the square shaped peripheral drainage channel. Further drainage channels are then preferably provided extending from the peripheral drainage channel to the first further drainage channel so as to join the said first further drainage channel at an acute angle.

The above arrangement is advantageous in that the majority of the drainage channels do not extend at right angles to the edge of the shower tray. This means that a wheel chair is unlikely to travel parallel to these drainage channels and accordingly, a wheel of the chair is less likely to become stuck in one of the drainage channels.

As described above, the support surface of the shower tray base is substantially horizontal or flat. The surface could be completely flat or horizontal. However, to aid water in flowing from the support surface into the adjacent drainage channels, the support surface intermediate the drainage channels is preferably curved upwardly from the channel edges towards the central region thereof by an amount just sufficient to break surface tension in any water present on the support surface. In one preferred embodiment, the highest point of the curve in each land or portion of the support surface is lmm higher than the lowest point in the support surface at the edges of the drainage channels.

It will be appreciated that a curvature of such a slight degree would not be apparent to a user and would not in any way reduce the stability of a wheel chair on the support surface but would improve the drainage capability of the shower tray.

Preferably the shower tray is installed such that the substantially horizontal support surface is substantially flush with a surrounding floor. This has the advantage that wheel chair access is simplified. The surrounding floor could be substantially flat with the base sunk into it or alternatively, the surrounding floor could be angled to form a ramp up to the level of the support surface of the base.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a shower tray according to the invention; Figure 2 is a section through A-A of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of a brush which may be used to clean the shower tray of the invention.

The shower tray shown in Figure 1 comprises a base 2 which is square in plan. The base can be made of plastic or metal and is produced by matched metal tooling.

As shown in Figure 2, the base 2 has a depth D which is designed to allow the base to be set into a floor (not shown) such that the upper surface 4 of the shower tray is flush with the floor surface. The depth D would typically be between 40 to 50mm. The shower tray in use is either let into the screed of a solid floor or is built into a wooden floor which is raised around it.

The upper surface 4 of the base 2 of the shower tray extends in a horizontal plane so as to be substantially flat.

A peripheral drainage channel 6 extends around the periphery of the base 2. The peripheral drainage channel 6 is formed by a recessed groove cut into the base 2 which is displaced by a distance of approximately 30mm from the edge 8 of the base 2. In use, a shower screen or door assembly is mounted on the surface 10 formed between the edge 8 of the base 2 and the peripheral drainage channel 6. The peripheral drainage channel 6 forms a complete square which extends around the full periphery of the shower tray. The width of the peripheral drainage channel shown is lOmm. This is advantageous as standard wheel chair wheels cannot get caught in a groove of that width.

A sump (not shown) is provided below a finger plate 12 in the upper surface 4 of the base 2. The finger plate 12 is substantially flat and allows easy access to the sump if required. In the embodiment shown, the sump is located internally of and adjacent the midpoint 14 of one side of the peripheral drainage channel 6. Further drainage channels are formed in the upper surface 4 of the base 2 to lead waste water to the sump.

As shown in Figure 1, a first further drainage channel 16 extends from the sump to the midpoint 18 of the side of the peripheral drainage channel 6 opposite the sump and finger plate 12. Drainage channels 20, 22 then extend on either side of said first further drainage channel 16 from the side of the peripheral drainage channel 6 opposite the sump to join the first further drainage channel 16 at an acute angle thereto. Three further drainage channels 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 then extend from each of the remaining sides of the peripheral drainage channel 6 and again join the first further drainage channel 16 at an acute angle thereto.

It will be appreciated that each of the drainage channels is joined to the other channels with which it is in contact so as to form a flow circuit leading waste water flowing in the drainage channels to the sump. To further enhance this effect, the drainage channels are inclined such that the lowest point thereof is adjacent the sump.

Thus, the bases of all the drainage channels fall from the midpoint 18 of the side of the peripheral drainage channel 6 opposite the sump towards the sump. The width of the further drainage channels 16, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32 and 34 is 8mm.

The upper surface 4 of the base 2 is arranged to be curved or domed very slightly across the distance between adjacent drainage channels. Typically, the difference in height between lowest points of the upper surface 4 adjacent the drainage channels and the highest points thereof at the centre of each land or portion of the support surface is only about lmm. Thus, this curvature is not apparent to users and does not affect stability for wheel chair users. However, the curvature is sufficient to break the surface tension of water on the upper surface 4 thus ensuring that it flows off into the drainage channels as desired. To further improve performance of the shower tray, tread lands with an anti- slip surface can be moulded into the upper surface 4 of the tray.

The underside (not shown) of the shower tray is typically formed with a grid pattern of vertical fins to enable the tray to be installed on a flat surface.

The drainage channels of the shower tray should be largely self-draining, and should ideally have a fall of at least 1:40 to aid in this. However, a twisted wire bristle brush of the type shown in Figure 3 can be provided to aid in cleaning the drainage channels if necessary.

It will be appreciated that the preferred embodiment of a shower tray according to the invention described above is given by way of example only. The scope of the invention is not in any way limited by this but is determined by the scope of the appended claims. Thus, various alternatives to the preferred embodiment of the shower tray described above which still fall within the scope of the invention could be envisaged by a man skilled in the art. For example, the shower tray need not be square shaped in plan view but could alternatively for example be rectangular or circular.

Claims

Claims 1. A shower tray comprising a base having a substantially

horizontal support surface and a recessed drainage channel formed therein.
2. A shower tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recessed drainage channel is inclined towards a waste water outlet provided in the base.
3. A shower tray as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein a recessed peripheral drainage channel is provided in the support surface, the channel extending around the entire periphery of the base and being located inwardly of the edge thereof.
4. A shower tray as claimed in claim 3, wherein the peripheral drainage channel is inclined towards a waste water outlet provided in the base.
5. A shower tray as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein the peripheral drainage channel is located a sufficient distance inwardly from the edge of the tray to allow a door or screen to be assembled on the support surface externally of the peripheral drainage channel in use.
6. A shower tray as claimed in claim 3, 4 or 5, wherein the peripheral drainage channel is dimensioned such that a wheel of a wheel chair cannot become trapped in the channel when moving across or parallel to it.
7. A shower tray as claimed in claim 6, wherein the width of the peripheral drainage channel is between 5mm and 15mm.
8. A shower tray as claimed in claim 7, wherein the width of the peripheral drainage channel is between 8mm and 12mm.
9. A shower tray as claimed in claim 7 or 8, wherein the width of the peripheral drainage channel is lOmm.
10. A shower tray as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a plurality of drainage channels are provided in the base.
11. A shower tray as claimed in claim 10, wherein the drainage channels are interconnected.
12. A shower tray as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a plurality of drainage channels are provided extending inwardly from the peripheral drainage channel towards a waste water outlet.
13. A shower tray as claimed in claim 12, wherein each of the drainage channels is inclined towards the waste water outlet.
14. A shower tray as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the width of the drainage channels is between Smm and 15 mm.
15. A shower tray as claimed in claim 14, wherein the width of the drainage channels is between 7mm and 12mm.
16. A shower tray as claimed in claim 15, wherein the width of the drainage channels is 8mm.
17. A shower tray as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the shower tray is substantially square shaped.
18. A shower tray as claimed in claim 17, wherein a waste water outlet is provided midway along one side of a square shaped peripheral drainage channel provided in the shower tray, and a first further drainage channel extends therefrom to the midpoint of the opposite side of the square shaped peripheral drainage channel.
19. A shower tray as claimed in claim 18, wherein further drainage channels extend from the peripheral drainage channel to the first further drainage channel so as to join the said first further drainage channel at an acute angle.
20. A shower tray as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the support surface intermediate the drainage channels is curved upwardly from the channel edges towards the central region thereof by an amount sufficient to break surface tension in any water present on the support surface.
21. A shower tray as claimed in any preceding claim, installed such that the substantially horizontal support surface is substantially flush with a surrounding floor.
22. A shower tray substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.