Carrier body for sanitary surface material

Abstract

A carrier body assembly for forming part or all of a shower floor includes a rigid carrier body having a bearing surface for sanitary surface material such as tile and a sealing membrane that overlies the top or bottom surface of the carrier body but is attached to only a portion of the top or bottom surface. The unattached portion of the membrane is folded away from the carrier body to enable trimming of the carrier body to fit without damaging the membrane. After installation of the carrier body the membrane overlies the adjacent shower structure to form a watertight, water-impermeable connection between the carrier body and the adjacent shower structure.

Claims

1. A carrier body assembly for supporting a sanitary surface material, the carrier body assembly comprising: a rigid carrier body and a sealing membrane, the carrier body and the sealing membrane being transportable as a unit; the carrier body comprising an upper surface, a lower surface, and a drain opening extending through the carrier body from the upper surface to the lower surface; one of the said upper and lower surfaces comprising an inner surface portion, an outer surface portion surrounding the inner surface portion, and a peripheral edge defining the outer perimeter of the said one surface, the drain opening disposed in the inner surface portion of the said one surface; and the sealing membrane comprising an inner portion and a flexible pliant outer portion surrounding the inner portion, the inner portion being disposed on an outer side of the carrier body assembly and the outer portion having an exposed outer edge surrounding the outer portion, the inner portion permanently affixed to and covering said inner surface portion of the one surface of the carrier body, at least a portion of the outer portion of the sealing membrane not permanently affixed to the carrier body and foldable away from the carrier body along a non-predetermined fold line to and from a substantially flat condition along the fold line 90 degrees or more while maintaining the integrity of the sealing membrane, the outer portion overlappable with the outer surface portion of the one surface of the carrier body and extendable from said peripheral edge of the one surface beyond said peripheral edge and away from the other of the said upper and lower surfaces of the carrier body, whereby the carrier body assembly may be transported from a remote location to a job site and at least a portion of the outer portion of the sealing membrane can be folded away from the carrier body at the job site to enable trimming of the carrier body without damaging the sealing membrane and can be folded towards the carrier body to overlap and extend beyond the carrier body after trimming.

2. The carrier body assembly of claim 1 wherein the inner portion of the sealing membrane is affixed to the said inner surface portion of the one surface of the carrier body by an adhesive.

3. The carrier body assembly of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the upper surface or the lower surface of the carrier body slopes towards the drain opening.

4. The carrier body assembly of claim 1 wherein the carrier body comprises an outer peripheral surface extending from the upper surface to the lower surface and a layer of sanitary surface material that covers at least a portion of the outer peripheral surface.

5. The carrier body assembly of claim 4 wherein the layer of sanitary surface material covers the entire outer peripheral surface of the carrier body.

6. The carrier body assembly of claim 4 wherein the sanitary surface material comprises an acrylic material.

7. The carrier body assembly of claim 1 wherein the drain opening comprises a wall formed in the body, the inner portion of the sealing membrane covering at least a portion of the wall.

8. The carrier body assembly of claim 1 wherein the sealing membrane is attached to the lower surface of the carrier body and at least a portion of the upper surface of the carrier body slopes towards the drain opening.

9. The carrier body assembly of claim 1 wherein at least a section of the sealing membrane slopes towards the drain opening.

10. The carrier body assembly of claim 1 wherein the body comprises predetermined linear indentations on either the upper surface or the lower surface of the carrier body.

11. The carrier body assembly of claim 10 wherein the outer portion of the sealing membrane is overlayable over the indentations whereby the sealing membrane can be folded away from the indentations to expose the indentations to assist in trimming the carrier body for installation.

12. The carrier body assembly of claim 1 wherein the carrier body comprises an outer periphery and the sealing membrane is extendable beyond the entire outer periphery of the carrier body whereby the sealing membrane when extending beyond the entire carrier body extends from the entire periphery of the carrier body.

13. The carrier body assembly of claim 1 wherein the entire outer portion of the sealing membrane is not fixedly attached to the carrier body.

14. A transportable carrier body assembly for use in forming a shower foundation at a job site, the carrier body assembly comprising: a rigid carrier body and a sealing membrane attached to the carrier body, the carrier body and the sealing membrane being transportable as a unit; the carrier body comprising opposite first and second surfaces on opposite sides of the carrier body, a drain opening extending through the carrier body from the first surface to the second surface, the first surface comprising an outer peripheral edge that surrounds the first surface; the first surface comprising an inner surface portion and an outer surface portion surrounding the inner surface portion, the outer surface portion extending from the inner surface portion to the outer peripheral edge; and the sealing membrane comprising an inner membrane portion and an outer membrane portion surrounding the inner membrane portion, the inner membrane portion being disposed on an outer side of the carrier body assembly, the inner membrane portion covering and permanently fixed to the inner surface portion, the outer membrane portion extendable from the peripheral edge of the first surface outwardly beyond the peripheral edge and away from the second surface, and the outer membrane portion overlappable with the outer surface portion to cover the outer surface portion, at least a portion of the outer portion of the sealing membrane being foldable away from the carrier body at least 90 degrees while maintaining the integrity of the sealing membrane, whereby the carrier body assembly may be transported from a remote location to the job site and at least a portion of the outer membrane portion can be folded away from the outer surface portion at the job site to enable trimming of the outer surface portion without damaging the sealing membrane.

15. The carrier body assembly of claim 14 wherein at least a portion of the first surface slopes towards the drain opening or at least a portion of the second surface slopes towards the drain opening.

16. The carrier body assembly of claim 14 wherein the inner portion of the sealing membrane is attached by an adhesive to the inner surface portion.

17. The carrier body assembly of claim 14 wherein the carrier body comprises a sanitary surface material disposed on the outside of the carrier body.

18. The carrier body assembly of claim 17 wherein the sanitary surface material comprises an acrylic material.

19. The carrier body assembly of claim 14 wherein the drain opening comprises a wall, the sealing membrane covering at least a portion of the wall.

20. The carrier body assembly of claim 14 wherein the carrier body comprises predetermined linear indentations on one or both of the first and second surfaces.

21. The carrier body assembly of claim 20 wherein at least one indentation of the said predetermined linear indentations is disposed on the outer surface portion.

22. The carrier body assembly of claim 14 wherein the outer membrane portion is extendable beyond the entire outer periphery of the first surface.

23. The carrier body assembly of claim 14 wherein the sealing membrane extends into the drain opening.

24. The carrier body assembly of claim 14 wherein the entire outer portion of the sealing membrane is not fixedly attached to the carrier body.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a carrier body assembly showing a sealing membrane covering the bearing surface of the carrier body.

(2) FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view along Sec. I-I of FIG. 1.

(3) FIGS. 3a to 3c are the right side area of Sec. I-I of FIG. 2, which is cut through the carrier body and presents exemplary possibilities for mounting the carrier body adjacently to neighboring surfaces.

(4) FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 of a section through a second embodiment carrier body assembly wherein the sealing membrane has been affixed to the inner bottom side of the carrier body.

(5) FIGS. 5a to 5g are the right side area of the section shown in FIG. 4, presenting exemplary possibilities for the mounting of the disclosed carrier body assembly onto neighboring surfaces.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) The following is an explanation and a more detailed description of embodiments of the disclosed carrier body assembly, with the aid of the above Figures, in accord with surrounding construction and, where necessary, also providing the method of installation and operation of the disclosed carrier body assembly.

FIG. 1

(7) In the perspective presentation of FIG. 1 of a first embodiment carrier body assembly, a carrier body 1 is depicted from an inclined view from above. In this view, the carrier body 1 possesses an upward exposed bearing surface 2, which is to be provided with a sanitary surfacing material 3. This surfacing material may be an acrylic coating or a tile covering or the like. In the perspective view of FIG. 1 the basic bearing surface 2 is designated as having within its borders an inner, centrally located first partial area 6. Correspondingly, the surface 2 also possesses a peripherally surrounding outer second partial area 7. The said first (inner) partial area 6 of the bearing surface 2 is that portion of the said bearing surface 2 of the carrier body 1 upon which a sealing membrane 8 of the carrier body assembly is adhesively affixed. This sealing membrane 8 is represented in FIG. 1 by dashed lines and extends outward away from the first (inner) partial area 6. The same sealing membrane 8, however, covers the second (outer) second partial area 7 of the bearing surface 2 in a temporarily loose, non-affixed manner. As the perspective presentation of FIG. 1 indicates, that the sealing membrane 8 thus overlaps the edges 9 at the periphery of the carrier body 1.

(8) In this perspective presentation of FIG. 1, the bearing surface 2 is shown inclining itself downward from all directions toward a center point. At this center point of the carrier body 1 is provided an opening 10, which serves for connection to existing draining facilities in, presumably, a substrate and/or a supporting flooring.

(9) In accord with an embodiment of the disclosed carrier body assembly it remains possible for the carrier body 1, as may be seen in the section of the second (outer) partial area 7, to be adjusted into alignment with the field dimensioning of the shower location. This adjustment could be carried out in some instances by means of a cut-to-fit operation. This advantageous adaption of size can be carried out on site by workmen with tools readily at hand, including, for example, a saw. Thus, in accord with this operation, a rapid and simple fitting of the outside dimensions of the carrier body 1 to the space requirements of the shower site is made possible at any time.

FIG. 2

(10) In FIG. 2, the FIG. 1 section along the line I-I of the carrier body 1 is shown in an enlarged scale. In FIG. 2, the first partial (inner) area 6 is made evident with a firmly attached part 11 of the sealing membrane 8. Likewise is exhibited the second partial (outer) area 7 with an overhanging, loose part 12 of the sealing membrane 8. As has already been mentioned, in the case of the through-cutting of the carrier body 1, first, the mentioned loose part 12 of the sealing membrane is folded back out of the way. Thereafter, the carrier body 1 is separated, i.e. cut, through the second (outer) area 7. When the cutting is finished, then the loose part 12 of the sealing membrane is again brought down onto the now trimmed section of the second (outer) partial area 7 and firmly attached thereto by adhesive means. When this is done, either before or after the cutting and adherent affixing, the loose part 12 of the sealing membrane 8 can be evenly trimmed. The result of this trimming allows the now cut-to-fit edge 13 (see FIG. 3a) of the second (outer) part of the carrier body 1 to be evenly overlapped by the sealing membrane 8.

(11) The bearing surface 2 and/or the under surface 20 may possess predetermined linear indentations in order that a penetrative, vertical cutting can be carried out along the said indentations. The bearing surface 2 and/or the under surface 20 may possess the predetermined linear indentations. FIG. 2 illustrates such indentations 22 formed on the under surface 20 and the bearing surface 2 (each indention being shown representationally as an x in the drawing).

FIG. 3a

(12) As the next step, the mounting of the carrier body 1 can now be executed and the said body fitted in alignment with the neighboring surfaces. In methods of operational possibilities, as set forth in FIGS. 3a to 3c, the carrier body 1 is shown as resting on a substrate 14 and its newly cut edge 13 abuts a wall 15. The sealing membrane residual portion 16, which remains after the cutting of the carrier body 1, is shown in FIG. 3a drawn upward (relative to this drawing) along the wall 15. This provides a seal between the wall 15 and the carrier body 1. Tiles 17 may now be laid against the wall 15 and the sealing membrane 16.

FIG. 3b

(13) In the case of the example shown in FIG. 3b, the carrier body 1 is laid over a substrate 14 with a neighboring flooring 18 situated thereunder. In this case, the sealing membrane extension 16 is brought over the joint between the carrier body 1 and the flooring 18. Further, on the upper side of the flooring 18, an adhesive has been applied to unite the two. Likewise tiles 17 are laid against the flooring 18 with the sealing membrane edge 16 protruding from under the tile 5 of the carrier body 1 and intervening therebetween, thus overlapping the joint.

FIG. 3c

(14) As a final possibility in this installation example, it remains to be shown in FIG. 3c, the manner in which the structure of the substrate 14, the carrier body 1, the thereon applied sealing membrane 8 and the tiles 5 are laid upon the said flooring 18. The continuing extension of the tiling 5 proceeds over the end surface of the carrier body 1, follows along the end edge of the substrate 14 and continues over the flooring 18. From this FIG. 3c can be inferred, that the sealing membrane section 16 is allowed to extend itself beyond the corner between the substrate 14 and the flooring 18. This extension of the sealing membrane section 16 provides an assuredly sufficient sealing. FIG. 3c also illustrates the outer membrane portion being folded along a fold line 24 by more than 90 degrees to conform to the shape of the carrier body 1

FIG. 4

(15) The arrangement of an alternate example of the carrier body 1 is presented in the section shown in FIG. 4. This invented version of the carrier body 1 represents principally the same construction as that of carrier body 1 of FIG. 1. Accordingly, FIG. 4 displays a similar cross section through the carrier body 1 as has been done in FIG. 2. However, in this case, the carrier body 1 of the FIG. 4 differentiates itself from the previous version, in that on its top exposed bearing side 2, it has been protected with a preinstalled acrylic covering material 19. This acrylic covering 19 extends itself, in the FIG. 4, along the carrier body 1 at least to partially over the peripheral edge thereof. It may be inferred from FIG. 4, that the sealing membrane 8, in this case, has been applied against the undermost, i.e. the bottom, surface 20 of the carrier body 1. In correspondence to the invented constructive example shown in the FIGS. 1 and 2, this said bottom surface is likewise in a first (inner) partial area 6, where the sealing element 8 has been adhesively firmly affixed. Likewise, a second and loose segment of the sealing element 8 extends itself freely in proximity to the second (outer) partial area 7 of the carrier body 11.

(16) The cutting to desired dimensioning of the carrier body 1, where FIG. 4 is concerned, is done in the same manner as described previously in regard to FIG. 2. Again in this case, it is of the essence, that upon the cutting through of the carrier body 1 in the second (outer) partial area 7, the loose part 7 of the sealing membrane 8 remain in an uncut state. By means of the inventive carrier body 1, it becomes possible, that the shower location can be specifically defined, with consideration being given to specific dimensioning and that the erection and sealing of the same can be carried out without difficulty.

FIGS. 5a to 5g

(17) In the FIGS. 5a to 5g are to be found, once again, clearly exemplary possibilities for the placement of the carrier body 1 against the neighboring and adjacent objects and surfaces, such as walls 15, flooring 18 and the like. Principally in 5b, the determination has been made, that a cut-to-fit carrier body 1 is involved, which is supported on a substrate 14 and is then sealed off against a wall 15 with the aid of the sealing membrane extension 16. Even in this case, corresponding to the construction example of FIG. 3a, the contact area between the sealing membrane residual part 16 and the wall 15 is provided with a tile 17 installation.

(18) The arrangements shown in FIG. 5a, as well as in FIGS. 5c to 5g, demonstrate, for instance, a carrier body 1, which is not cut, so that the acryl covering 19 thereof, remains untouched. FIG. 5a illustrates the outer membrane portion 16 folded along a fold line 24 by 90 degrees.

(19) In FIG. 5a is shown an arrangement of the carrier body 1, wherein, in accord with the cut carrier body 1 described in FIG. 5b. In this FIG. 5b is shown the carrier body 1 supported on its substrate 14 and this arrangement is then supported on a flooring 18. Such an arrangement is also shown in FIG. 3c. In FIG. 5d the carrier body 1 is found, for example, with the sealing membrane 8 extended thereunder and accordingly lying between the carrier body 1 and the flooring 18. Also in FIG. 5d is to be seen, how the said sealing membrane extension 16 is brought further over the flooring 18, away from the shower site. Made evident also, is that the flooring 18 is sealed off against the carrier body 1, so that the tiling 17 can be laid in an orderly manner onto the sealing membrane section 16 and the flooring 18. In the example depicted in FIG. 5e, the substrate 14 with the thereupon laid carrier body 1 is provided to be somewhat higher in elevation than the adjacent flooring 18. Consequently the tiling 17 can be slipped in therebelow. Again in this case, a sealing is effected at the given points of impact by means of the sealing membrane section 16. Counter to this, in FIG. 5f, a situation is demonstrated, wherein the substrate 14 is lower than the level of the flooring 18.

(20) In the case of FIG. 5f, upon the laying of the tile on the flooring 18, a small difference in elevation marks the joint between the acrylic covering of the carrier body 1 and the subsequent area of tile 17. FIG. 5g makes further adjustment, wherein the combination of the carrier body 1 and the substrate 14 is so aligned with the flooring 18 and its tile 17 covering, that a smooth extension to the bottom is achieved. In both FIGS. 5f and 5g, as can be seen, in actual installation, the sealing membrane extension 16 is folded away, thus projecting over the flooring 18.

(21) While one or more embodiments have been disclosed and described in detail, it is understood that this is capable of modification and that the scope of the disclosure is not limited to the precise details set forth but includes modifications obvious to a person of ordinary skill in possession of this disclosure, including (but not limited to) changes in material selection, size, operating ranges, environment of use, and also such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.