DECORATIVE PANEL FOR SHOWER TRAYS

Abstract

The present invention proposes a new decorative panel for shower trays formed by a polymeric panel (1) made of a thermosetting or solid-surface material, the outer surfaces of which are coated with a decorative pattern (2) printed on said outer surfaces using an ink which is transferred to said panel (1) by sublimation in a vacuum chamber under predetermined temperature, pressure, and time conditions.

The panel (1) has a perimetral area (3) having a greater thickness and at least one non-perimetral area (4) having a smaller thickness, wherein all the surfaces of the panel (1) coated with the decorative pattern have a uniform finish.

In an alternative embodiment, the panel (1) for shower trays can be coated with two or more decorative patterns (2) in different areas of the panel (1).

Claims

1. A polymeric panel, comprising: a panel (1) made of a thermosetting or solid-surface material; outer surfaces of the panel (1) coated with a decorative pattern (2) printed on said outer surfaces using an ink which is transferred to said panel (1) by sublimation in a vacuum chamber under pre-established conditions of temperature, pressure, and time; characterized in that: the panel (1) is a decorative panel making up a shower tray; the panel (1) has a perimetral area (3) having a greater thickness and at least one non-perimetral area (4) having a smaller thickness; and all the surfaces of the panel (1) coated with the decorative pattern have a uniform finish.

2. The panel according to claim 1, wherein the panel (1) has a quadrangular layout and along a cross-section plane, perpendicular to two opposite sides, has a variation in thickness from said perimetral area (3) to said non-perimetral area (4) having a smaller thickness.

3. The panel according to claim 2, wherein the panel (1) is quadrangular and has dimensions comprised by a length between 120 and 180 cm and a width between 70 and 90 cm, and said two opposite sides are the distal end sides of the panel having a smaller length.

4. The panel according to claim 1, wherein the perimetral area (3) has a thickness comprised between 2.5 and 3.5 cm, and the non-perimetral area (4) has a thickness comprised between 1 and 1.5 cm.

5. The panel according to claim 1, wherein a shower tray drain (7) is located in the non-perimetral area (4) having a smaller thickness.

6. The panel according to claim 1, wherein the panel (1) has a first change in thickness (5), with a progressive reduction from the perimetral area (3) to the non-perimetral area (4) and a second change in thickness (6) with a progressive increase from the non-perimetral area (4) to the perimetral area (3).

7. The panel according to claim 1, wherein the panel (1) is coated in two distinctive areas with two different decorative patterns.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] The foregoing and other advantages and features will be better understood based on the following detailed description of an embodiment in reference to the attached drawings, which must be interpreted in a non-limiting illustrative manner, in which:

[0040] FIG. 1 illustrates a section view of an embodiment of the panel which allows viewing the difference in thickness between the perimetral area and the non-perimetral area of the decorative shower tray and the position of the drain.

[0041] FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of an embodiment of the panel which is a decorative shower tray, wherein the position of the drain in the non-perimetral area and the progressive changes in thickness can be seen.

[0042] FIG. 3 illustrates an enlarged, detailed view of the area where the drain is located in the section view of FIG. 1.

[0043] FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of an alternative embodiment of the decorative shower tray of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

[0044] The attached drawings show illustrative, non-limiting embodiments of the present invention.

[0045] FIG. 1 is a front section view of an embodiment, in which the panel 1 is a decorative shower tray. This section view allows for better viewing of the difference in thickness between areas making up the panel 1, said areas being:

[0046] a perimetral area 3 having a greater thickness; and

[0047] a non-perimetral area 4 having a smaller thickness where a drain 7 is located.

[0048] There are two progressive changes in thickness, wherein a first change in thickness 5 with a progressive reduction is from the perimetral area 3 to the non-perimetral area 4, and a second change in thickness 6 with a progressive increase is from the non-perimetral area 4 to the perimetral area 3. The progressive changes in thickness 5 and 6 may or may not be symmetrical depending on the thickness of the different areas 3 and 4 of the panel 1 and where each change in thickness 5 and 6 starts.

[0049] The perimetral area 3 comprises a thickness between 2.5 and 3.5 cm, and the non-perimetral area 4 comprises a thickness between 1 and 1.5 cm.

[0050] FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of the same embodiment of the decorative panel 1 as in FIG. 1. In this example, the decorative panel 1 making up the shower tray is decorated by means of a decorative pattern 2 which has been transferred to the panel 1 by means of a sublimation process.

[0051] The panel has a range of possible dimensions, where the possible length is between 120 cm and 180 cm and the possible width is between 70 cm and 90 cm.

[0052] Furthermore, this view allows for better viewing of both progressive changes in thickness 5 and 6 to the non-perimetral area 4 having a smaller thickness where the drain 7 of this embodiment is located.

[0053] During the sublimation process, the non-perimetral area 4 and part of the changes in thickness 5 and 6 are protected by a protective layer 8 made of a textile material. Said protective layer 8 is used to protect areas having a smaller thickness from high temperatures during the curing process to prevent imperfections on the decorative pattern 2 from being formed due to the smaller thickness being susceptible to possible deformations. It has the following dimensions: a length of 40 cm, a width of 30 cm, and a thickness of 0.8 cm.

[0054] FIG. 3 is a detailed view of the section view of FIG. 1 to better view the differences in thickness 5 and 6 between the perimetral area 3 and the non-perimetral area 4 where the drain 7 of the panel 1 is located, and at the same time allows better viewing of the configuration of the drain 7.

[0055] In the embodiment described in FIGS. 1 to 3, the drain 7 has a specific geometry and position. However, the drain 7 of the panel 1 can be located at any point of the panel 1 given that this position is non-limiting and only constitutes a possible location of the drain 7, provided that it is arranged within the dimensions of panel 1.

[0056] Furthermore, the geometry of the drain 7 can be selected from a wide variety of geometries known in the state of the art such as, for example, a circle, a quadrangle, an ellipse, or a triangle.

[0057] Finally, FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of an alternative embodiment with respect to the embodiment which can be seen in FIG. 2, in which a variation in the geometry of the non-perimetral area 4 can be seen, said geometry being a rectangular geometry where the drain 7 of the shower tray is located.

[0058] This variation in the geometry of the non-perimetral area 4, having a smaller thickness, entails a variation in the first change in thickness 5 with a progressive reduction from the perimetral area 3, having a greater thickness, to the non-perimetral area 4, and a variation in the second change in thickness 6 with a progressive increase from the non-perimetral area 4 to the perimetral area 3.

[0059] A decorative pattern has been randomly selected to illustrate how the decorative pattern 2 is arranged on the different surfaces of the panel 1 making up the shower tray used in both FIG. 2 and FIG. 4.

[0060] It will be understood that the different parts making up the invention described in one embodiment can be freely combined with the parts described in other different embodiments even though said combination has not been explicitly described, provided that the combination is not detrimental.