BATHTUB AND/OR SHOWER TRAY

Abstract

A tub and/or shower tray comprising a base part and a wall or side element, and is substantially perpendicular to the base part, the wall or side element is formed of substantially annular elements tightly fixed against one another, and which surround the base part and can be displaced in a vertical direction with respect to the base part, at least one lifting and lowering mechanism is provided on the annular element, which can be displaced with respect to the base part, the base part is surrounded by a drainage channel having drainage fittings, the annular elements are retractably arranged in the drainage channel which is formed by a lower and an upper drainage-channel part, a plurality of support elements is provided in the lower drainage-channel part, and at least one drain connected to at least one water-drainage pipe is in the lower drainage-channel part.

Claims

1. A tub and/or shower tray comprising a base part and a wall or side element, respectively, which completely surrounds a circumference of the base part and is arranged substantially perpendicularly to the base part, wherein the wall or side element, respectively, is formed in multiple pieces of substantially annular elements, which can be tightly fixed against one another, wherein all of the substantially annular elements, which surround the base part, can be displaced relative to one another in the direction of a vertical extent of the bathtub and/or shower tray as well as with respect to the base part, wherein at least one lifting and lowering mechanism is provided on and articulated to the annular elements, which can be displaced the furthest with respect to the base part, wherein the base part is surrounded by a drainage channel having drainage fittings, and the annular elements are retractably arranged in the drainage channel, the drainage channel is formed by two drainage-channel parts, which transition into one another, a lower and an upper drainage-channel part, that a plurality of support elements, which are formed to support the substantially annular elements, are provided in the lower drainage-channel part, and that at least one drain connected to at least one water-drainage pipe is provided in the lower drainage-channel part.

2. The bathtub and/or shower tray according to claim 1, wherein the substantially annular elements are formed with substantially L-shaped individual profiles, which can be engaged with each other and that sealing elements are annular seals, and are provided between legs of the L-shaped individual profiles, which engage with one another.

3. The bathtub and/or shower tray according to claim 1, wherein stiffening elements are provided on an outer circumference of the substantially annular elements so as to at least partly engage around them.

4. The bathtub and/or shower tray according to claim 2, wherein in a retracted state of the annular elements, the upper drainage-channel part is completely covered by respective upper legs of the substantially L-shaped individual profiles.

5. The bathtub and/or shower tray according to claim 1, wherein the support elements are formed as support webs or bearing nubs.

6. The bathtub and/or shower tray according to claim 5, wherein the support webs are formed as webs, which bridge the lower drainage-channel part and which are releasably fixed therein.

7. The bathtub and/or shower tray according to claim 5, wherein the support webs have a number of depressions or notches, which corresponds to a number of the annular elements.

8. The bathtub and/or shower tray according to claim 5, wherein the bearing nubs are arranged at a distance from one another on a base surface of the lower drainage channel and that a plurality of groups of the bearing nubs is provided, wherein the group of bearing nubs is in each case arranged next to one another so as to extend in a radial direction of the lower drainage channel and-in a number of the bearing nubs corresponding to a number of the substantially annular elements.

9. The bathtub and/or shower tray according to claim 1, wherein the base part is formed by at least one box-shaped element, which is formed to be substantially hollow, as well as a substantially plate-shaped element releasably fixed thereto.

10. The bathtub and/or shower tray according to claim 9, wherein a control or regulating elements, respectively for controlling the lifting and/or lowering of the substantially annular elements, are arranged in an interior of the box-shaped element, which is formed to be substantially hollow.

11. The bathtub and/or shower tray according to claim 1, wherein the base part has a plurality of air and/or water supply nozzles.

12. The bathtub and/or shower tray according to claim 1, wherein the lifting and lowering mechanism comprises at least two electrically, hydraulically or pneumatically operable lifting cylinders, which can be operated by means of remote control.

13. The bathtub and/or shower tray according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of pressure sensors is provided to fill level sensors or moisture sensors, respectively.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The invention will be described in more detail below on the basis of exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawing, in which

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the bathtub and/or shower tray according to the invention,

[0026] FIG. 2 shows a side view of the bathtub and/or shower tray of FIG. 1,

[0027] FIG. 3 shows a view from the top of the bathtub and/or shower tray in the lowered state, and

[0028] FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of the individual elements forming a variation of the bathtub and/or shower tray.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] In FIG. 1, 1 generally identifies a bathtub and/or shower tray, which, in the present case, is formed by five substantially annular elements 2, which can be pushed into each other or pushed apart, respectively. In the case of the illustration of FIG. 1, the substantially annular elements 2 are shown in the maximally pushed-apart state, so that a bathtub 1 with conventional depth of between 35 cm and 50 cm was formed. The height adjustment of the bathtub or shower tray 1, respectively, hereby takes place by means of a lifting or lowering mechanism 3, respectively, which engages with the uppermost annular element 2, wherein the uppermost annular element 2 is formed to be reinforced for the engagement of the lifting and lowering mechanism 3 as well as a reinforcing element 5 for the lifting or lowering mechanism 3, respectively, is provided in the upper drainage channel 4. The bathtub or shower tray 1, respectively, according to FIG. 1 is hereby formed so that the lowermost, substantially annular element 2 engages with a base part 6, wherein according to the invention, the base part 6 is aligned with, for example, a bathroom floor, which is not illustrated, and is formed on a plane, in order to attain a surface, which is formed to be flush with the bathroom floor, in the pushed-together state of the substantially annular elements 2.

[0030] So that a single plane with the base part 6 of the bathtub and/or shower tray 1 can be formed in the pushed-together state of the substantially annular elements 2, a water-drainage channel 4 has to be provided under the bathtub and/or shower tray 1, the depth of which corresponds at least to the height of the individual substantially annular elements 2. According to the invention, the water-drainage channel 4 is now formed so that it is formed by two drainage-channel parts 4 and 7, which transition into one another, a lower 7 and an upper 4 drainage-channel part. A plurality of support elements 8 is provided in the lower drainage-channel part 7, on which the individual substantially annular elements 2 rest in the lowered state of the bathtub and/or shower tray 1. In the shown embodiment, the support elements 8 are formed as webs or the like, which bridge the lower drainage-channel part 7 and which are inserted into depression 9 of the lower drainage-channel part 7. The support elements 8 can also be formed with nubs or as webs, which are screwed in or which are tightly plugged into corresponding recesses, respectively. The support elements 8 furthermore have a number of ribs 10, which corresponds to the number of substantially annular elements 2, in order to provide for a displacement-free resting of the individual elements 2 in the lowered state of the bathtub and/or shower tray 1.

[0031] Any type of lifting cylinders can be used hereby as lifting or lower mechanism 3, respectively, such as, for example, hydraulically, pneumatically or electrically operated lifting cylinders. It is important to note in this context that in particular the weight, which has to be held with lifting and lowering mechanisms 3 of this type, is relatively small because, for example in the case of plastic bathtubs, the substantially annular elements 2 only have a very small weight and the forces acting on the bathtub or shower tray 1, respectively, in the vertical direction are thus relatively small.

[0032] In FIG. 1, the tray 11 comprising the drainage channels 4, 7 is furthermore provided formed with feet, in particular height-adjustable feet 12, in the region around the upper drainage-channel part 4, in order to be able to provide an in particular 100% horizontal formation of the bathtub and/or shower tray 1.

[0033] Lastly, as it is likewise not illustrated in the present formation, the bathtub or shower tray 1, respectively, can be covered with a cover element in order to increase the esthetic on its outer side.

[0034] The reference numerals of FIG. 1 have substantially been maintained in FIG. 2, wherein the bathtub and/or shower tray 1 is shown as view from the side, wherein the design located under the tray 11 is additionally also shown. In addition to the elements already shown in FIG. 1, a drive unit 13 for the lifting and lowering mechanism 3 is furthermore shown schematically FIG. 2, as well as a drain 14, so that the water flowing into the lower water-drainage channel 7 can drain reliably.

[0035] In FIG. 3, the bathtub and/or shower tray 1 is illustrated in its collapsed or pushed-together state, respectively, of the annular elements 2, wherein the base part 6 is arranged on a plane with the substantially annular elements 2, which are retracted in the drainage channel 4, and the respective upper legs 15 of the substantially L-shaped profiles of the substantially annular elements 2 are hereby formed so that the drainage channel 4, 7 is completely covered by these upper legs 15, so that a risk of accidents in particular when getting into the base element 6 of the bathtub and/or shower tray 1 is prevented as much as possible. It is not necessary to note that a formation of the bathtub and/or shower tray 1 of this type can be used directly as shower, in that wastewater originating from showering flows into the drainage channel 4, 7 between the substantially annular elements 2 and is transported away from there via the drain 14.

[0036] An exploded view, which shows the individual elements forming a variation of the bathtub and/or shower tray 1, is illustrated in FIG. 4. In addition to the elements, which are essential for the formation of the bathtub and/or shower tray 1, a height adjustment for the feet 12, seals for the reinforcing elements 5 of the lifting and lowering mechanisms 3, fixing elements and the like, for example, are also suggested in this exploded illustration, but which are not essential for the mode of operation of the bathtub and/or shower tray 1 and which are thus not described separately.

[0037] In detail, it can be seen from FIG. 4 that each substantially annular element 2 is formed with an upper edge 15, into which upper edge 15 a seal 16 is inserted in each case. However, the substantially annular elements 2 can also be formed to be substantially Z-shaped, wherein a lower edge, which is not shown in FIG. 4, would additionally be formed. On the one hand, this substantially Z-shaped formation of the substantially annular elements 2 is difficult to clean because water always remains standing in the lower channel of the Z and, on the other hand, the free drainage of water is made slightly more difficult. Due to the substantially L-shaped or Z-shaped formation of the substantially annular elements 2, two substantially annular elements 2 following each other in the vertical direction are only connected by means of the inserted seal 16, so that the elements 2 become disengaged from one another during the lowering and water passes through between the substantially annular elements 2. To prevent a bulging of the substantially annular elements 2 due to the water pressure prevailing in a filled bathtub 1, the respective long sides of the bathtub and/or shower tray 1 with stiffening elements 20 are furthermore provided. The stiffening elements 20 are hereby preferably metal stiffenings incorporated in the material thickness of each substantially annular element 2. Lastly, the elements 20 could also be formed as material reinforcements.

[0038] It can furthermore be seen clearly from FIG. 4 that the uppermost annular element 2 has a significantly wide edge 15 of the substantially L-shaped element than the further substantially annular elements 2. Stiffening elements 5, through which the lifting and lowering mechanisms 3 pass, in the same way as through the edge 15, in order to provide for a lifting and lowering of the bathtub and/or shower tray 1, are provided under this wide edge 15.

[0039] A substantially box-shaped element 17, which corresponds to the shape of the bathtub and/or shower tray 1, which substantially box-shaped element 17 is formed to be hollow and has two access openings 18 in order to get into the interior thereof, can be seen in the interior of the tray 11. For example, control elements, drive elements for the lifting or lowering mechanism 3 or the like, which are not illustrated, can be provided in this interior. The substantially box-shaped element 17 is covered by the plate-shaped element of the base part 6 and is sealed by inserting a seal 16. The base part 6 is hereby releasably fixed to the substantially box-shaped element 17.

[0040] Lastly, drainage fittings 18 as well as the drain 14, which is formed for the connection to a non-illustrated pipe system, as well as carrier elements 19, which can be attached under the tray 11, can also be gathered from FIG. 4 in addition to the support elements 8.

[0041] A bathtub and/or shower tray 1 of this type is not only characterized by an extremely flexible possible use, but has in particular the advantage that it is created in a completely barrier-free manner and can simultaneously serve as full-fledged bathtub and any water located in the tub can furthermore be transported away securely.