DRAIN INSTALLATION KIT
The present invention provides a drain installation kit adapted to maintain alignment of the center of a sloping floor aperture with the center of a drain throughout the construction process. In a preferred embodiment, the kit includes an upper flange that is rigidly connectable to a drain base and multiple sloping guide bars that are rigidly connectable in a radial fashion to the upper flange. A user can use this preferred embodiment by assembling it, adding cementitious material between the guide bars, and making an upper surface of the cementitious material flush with a top edge of the guide bars. Embodiments of the present invention provide a variety of advantages over conventional drain installation kits. For example, many embodiments provide improved functionality, many embodiments are easier for do-it-yourselfers to use, and many embodiments can be manufactured more efficiently.
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This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/884,124, filed Jan. 9, 2007, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELDThis disclosure relates to construction techniques and, more particularly, to constructing sloped concrete floors.
BACKGROUNDMany skilled craftspersons can construct sloped floors (e.g., made of concrete) using techniques that are well-known in the field. Sloped floors are often desirable for draining water or other liquids. However, even the most skilled craftsperson can have trouble reproducing the same, evenly sloped floor on all occasions. A floor that is unevenly sloped, sloped too steeply, or conversely, not steeply enough, can drain poorly and/or be uncomfortable to walk on. For example, an unevenly sloped shower pan can drain poorly and can be uncomfortable for a person to stand on.
Do-it-yourselfers sometimes desire to install sloped surfaces without the expense of hiring a skilled craftsperson. A drain installation kit can help an unskilled person construct a sloped surface leading to a drain, such as a shower pan. A conventional drain, once assembled, usually includes a number of components. Although an unskilled person may be able to assemble the needed parts, constructing an evenly sloped floor having an aperture for the drain can be more challenging. Some installation kits include a number of sloped form members that can be positioned radially around the center of the drain to assist in aligning the center of the sloping floor aperture with the center of the drain.
Unfortunately, form members in such conventional kits can be inadvertently moved during the construction process, meaning that the center of the sloping floor aperture can become misaligned from the center of the drain. Such misalignment can result in improper drainage, which can lead to water pooling and other adverse effects. Water pooling, in particular, can lead to structural damage, microorganism incubation, and is at least aesthetically displeasing.
SUMMARYThe present invention provides a drain installation kit adapted to maintain alignment of the center of a sloping floor aperture with the center of a drain throughout the construction process. In a preferred embodiment, the kit includes an upper flange that is rigidly connectable to a drain base and multiple sloping guide bars that are rigidly connectable in a radial fashion to the upper flange. A user can use this preferred embodiment by assembling it, adding cementitious material between the guide bars, and making an upper surface of the cementitious material flush with a top edge of the guide bars.
Some embodiments of the present invention provide significant functional advantages over conventional drain installation kits. In some embodiments, the drain installation kit allows for greater adjustability of the height of the drain plate housing than in conventional drain kits. In some embodiments, the drain installation kit provides a fixed attachment point while still providing adjustability of the drain plate housing height, whereas attachment points in conventional drain installation kits are fixed only when the drain plate housing is adjusted tightly downwards in order to sandwich the attachment points against the drain assembly. In some embodiments, the drain installation kit provides independent and unconnected attachment points for each guide bar, so that movement of one guide bar does not automatically move another guide bar as in conventional drain installation kits. Some guide bar embodiments can provide a greater degree of stability, thereby inhibiting any tendency of the guide bar to tilt.
Some embodiments of the present invention provide similar functionality as conventional drain installation kits, but with substantially greater ease for the unskilled person. In some embodiments, the drain installation kit allows the construction of a concrete floor with a consistent slope. In such embodiments, the construction can be substantially performed without skilled labor. In some embodiments, the drain installation kit allows the construction of a sloping floor without regard to the dimensions or shape of the installation area. In some embodiments, the drain installation kit allows for an extension of a sloped surface by combining multiple instances of the same component, wherein conventional drain kits, specially designed extension components were required. In some embodiments, the drain installation kit centrally anchors sloping guide bars without additional structure used in conventional drain kits.
Some embodiments of the present invention can be manufactured significantly more efficiently. In some embodiments, the drain installation kit is less expensive to produce because it includes fewer components than conventional installation kits. Some guide bar embodiments can be manufactured more uniformly and/or using less material, while maintaining sufficient structural integrity. Additional advantages provided by some embodiments of the present invention will be apparent from the following description.
The following drawings are illustrative of particular embodiments of the present invention and therefore do not limit the scope of the invention. The drawings are not to scale (unless so stated) and are intended for use in conjunction with the explanations in the following detailed description. Embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like numerals denote like elements.
The following detailed description is exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides practical illustrations for implementing exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Constructions, materials, dimensions, and manufacturing processes suitable for making embodiments of the present are known to those of skill in the field of the invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many of the examples provided have suitable alternatives that can be utilized.
Throughout the following description, the term recess is used to denote an opening. Recess is used to describe both openings that extend partially through a surface and openings that may extend fully through a surface. Moreover, as used in this description, an object's height refers generally to its extent in direction T of
Embodiments of a drain installation kit are not restricted to sloped floors of rectangular configuration only. The guide bars 12 may be used to build sloped floors of any predetermined geometric configuration. For example, a guide bar 12 may be cut at any location along the length thereof to conform it to the size of a space having an extent less than the length of an uncut guide bar 12, and the leading end 13 of one or more additional guide bars may be attached to the trailing end 15 of one or more installed guide bars to enable use of the guide bars in spaces having an extent greater than the length of a single guide bar.
The openings 42 of
In many instances, guide bars with truss support structures can be manufactured more uniformly. The cross-sectional area of each of the trusses can be approximately equal. In guide bars made of plastic, every truss having approximately equal cross-sectional areas can finish cooling at roughly the same time, thereby minimizing imperfections (e.g., bending and/or cracking due to stress). This provides a distinct advantage over support structures that define circular openings.
As is known, attachment of the guide bar 12 to the upper flange 14 can be achieved in a variety of ways, and is not limited solely to the embodiment described above. Although a detachable attachment may be preferable in some applications where the guide bar may need to be repositioned, the attachment need not be detachable. The guide bar may be permanently attached to the upper flange, especially in applications where the guide bar 12 can be left in place after it has been attached. The guide bar 12 may similarly be permanently attached in a variety of ways, as is known in the art. As just one example, the guide bar may be permanently attached with an adhesive. Additionally, in some applications, the upper flange 14 may not be necessary, and the guide bar 12 may be attached directly to a conventional upper flange included in a conventional drain assembly.
With reference to
When all guide bars have been installed, the cementitious mixture (e.g., mud) is introduced into the area bordered by upstanding side walls 16 and divided by the upstanding guide bars and the cementitious mixture is spread throughout the area, including within the opening maintained between the housing 32 and the upper flange 14, which solidly secures the drain plate housing 32 once the cementitious mixture dries. The cementitious mixture is spread flush with the top edge 19 of each guide bar 12 along its extent. Excess cementitious mixture is removed and the surface is smoothed by conventional, well-known concrete working techniques. The surface 21, such as tiling, is then installed atop a relatively thin layer of cementitious material that overlies the cementitious mixture in the well-known way and the drain plate 18 is finally adjusted before the cementitious mixture dries in order to provide a flush joint between the top of the drain plate and the surface 21. When the surface 21 is tiling, the job is completed by filling the cracks between the tiles with grout in the well-known way. In this way, the center of the radially-positioned guide bars 12 can be nearly perfectly aligned with the center of the drain. Misalignment can lead to water pooling, and pooling can be aesthetically displeasing and can cause structural damage.
It should be apparent that an unskilled laborer can measure the guide bars 12 and cut them to length if required, or connect additional guide bars and cut them to length if required, and position the guide bars atop the slab 11 with the respective leading ends 13 thereof secured to the upper flange 14. No special skills are then required to introduce a cementitious mixture into the area bounded by the upstanding walls 16 and to smooth the cementitious material until it is flush with at least part of the guide bars' top edges, thereby ensuring an optimal slope in the finished sloping floor. In this way, sloping floors are provided in showers or other rooms having floors that slope to a drain, swimming pools, and the like. Significantly, the slope will be duplicated each time the drain installation kit is used and the steps of installation are followed, even if the sloping floor is built by unskilled laborers.
Embodiments of the present invention may include one or more of the following features. The upper flange may be configured to connect to a drain plate housing. In some drain installation kits, the upper flange may be internally threaded in order to threadedly receive a drain plate housing. The multiple attachment points on the upper flange may be radially spaced about the center of the upper flange. In some embodiments, the attachment points include flange recesses formed within a surface of the upper flange. The flange recesses may extend partially through the upper flange. In some embodiments, the flange recesses extend fully through the upper flange. Some embodiments have an upper flange with cylindrically formed flange recesses capable of receiving a cylindrically shaped pin. Some drain installation kits have guide bars with a protrusion that can be inserted into a flange recess on the upper flange. Some guide bars have a guide bar recess capable of receiving a member. In some embodiments, the guide bar recess may extend partially and/or fully through the guide bar. In some embodiments, the multiple attachment points on the upper flange may include protrusions that can extend into a guide bar recess in the guide bar. Some guide bars are dimensioned so that they do not obstruct the movement of an adjustable drain plate housing when they are attached to the upper flange. In some drain installation kits, the first ends of the guide bars are substantially fixed with respect to the drain base when attached to the upper flange. In some embodiments, the guide bars are positioned so as to create a substantially planar drain surface. The support structure of some guide bar embodiments can be trusses. Some drain installation kits have guide bars which are positioned so as to urge water away from a central area. In some embodiments, the width of a guide bar's bottom edge is greater than that of its top edge.
Thus, embodiments of a drain installation kit are disclosed. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the drain installation kit can be practiced with embodiments other than those disclosed. The disclosed embodiments are presented for purposes of illustration only and not limitation.
Claims
1. A drain installation kit for constructing a sloped floor that is made of cementitious material and adapted to drain liquid into a drain, the kit comprising:
- a plurality of guide bars, each guide bar having a leading end and a trailing end, the leading end (a) being configured to rigidly connect to an upper flange that is rigidly connected to a drain base and (b) having a smaller height than the trailing end; and
- instructions for using the drain installation kit.
2. The drain installation kit of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of members adapted to assist in rigidly connecting the guide bars to the upper flange.
3. The drain installation kit of claim 2, wherein each guide bar has a guide bar recess, and each member is adapted to be inserted partially into the guide bar recess and partially into one of a plurality of flange recesses of the upper flange.
4. The drain installation kit of claim 2, wherein the members are pins.
5. The drain installation kit of claim 1, wherein each guide bar includes top and bottom edges, the bottom edge being wider than the top edge.
6. The drain installation kit of claim 1, wherein each guide bar includes trusses that define a plurality of openings adapted to allow cementitious material to pass through the guide bar.
7. The drain installation kit of claim 1, wherein the trailing end of a first of the plurality of guide bars is configured to connect with the leading end of a second of the plurality of guide bars.
8. The drain installation kit of claim 7, wherein the first guide bar includes a first top edge extending at a first angular slope between the leading and trailing ends of the first guide bar and the second guide bar includes a second top edge extending at a second angular slope between the leading and trailing ends of the second guide bar, the first angular slope being substantially equal to the second angular slope.
9. The drain installation kit of claim 1, wherein, when a drain plate housing is adjustably connected to the upper flange, the rigid connection between the guide bars and the upper flange does not obstruct adjustment of the height of the drain plate housing.
10. A method of assisting a user in constructing a sloped floor that is made of cementitious material and adapted to drain liquid into a drain, comprising:
- providing a drain installation kit that includes a plurality of guide bars, each guide bar having a leading end and a trailing end, the leading end having a smaller height than the trailing end; and
- instructing the user to: (a) install a drain base within a support area, (b) rigidly connect an upper flange to the drain base, (c) position at least some of the plurality of guide bars radially about the drain base, (d) rigidly connect the at least some of the plurality of guide bars to the upper flange, (e) add cementitious material to the support area, and (f) make an upper surface of the cementitious material flush with the top edges of the plurality of guide bars.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein instructing the user to rigidly connect one of the plurality of guide bars to the upper flange comprises instructing the user to insert a member partially into a flange recess of the upper flange and partially into a guide bar recess of the guide bar.
12. The method of claim 10, further comprising instructing a user to optionally connect the leading end of at least one guide bar to the trailing end of at least one of the guide bars that is to be rigidly connected to the upper flange.
13. The method of claim 10, further comprising instructing a user to connect a drain plate housing to the upper flange and to adjust the height of the drain plate housing, wherein the rigid connection between the guide bars and the upper flange does not obstruct adjustment of the height of the drain plate housing.
14. A drain installation kit for constructing a sloped floor that is made of cementitious material and adapted to drain liquid into a drain, the kit comprising:
- a drain base configured to be installed in a support area;
- an upper flange having a plurality of attachment points, the upper flange being configured to rigidly connect to the drain base;
- a drain plate housing adapted to connect to the upper flange, the height of the drain plate housing when connected to the upper flange being adjustable; and
- a plurality of guide bars, each guide bar having a leading end and a trailing end, the leading end (a) being configured to rigidly connect to the upper flange at any one of the plurality of attachment points and (b) having a smaller height than the trailing end.
15. The drain installation kit of claim 14, wherein the upper flange has a first surface and each of the plurality of attachment points includes a flange recess formed in the first surface of the upper flange.
16. The drain installation kit of claim 15, wherein the flange recess extends partially through the upper flange.
17. The drain installation kit of claim 15, further comprising a plurality of members, wherein each guide bar includes a guide bar recess proximate the leading end and each member is configured to be partially inserted into one of the flange recesses and partially into one of the guide bar recesses for rigidly connecting the leading end of the guide bar to the upper flange.
18. The drain installation kit of claim 17, wherein the member is a pin.
19. The drain installation kit of claim 15, where each guide bar includes a protrusion proximate the leading end configured to be received within one of the flange recesses for rigidly connecting the leading end of the guide bar to the upper flange.
20. The drain installation kit of claim 14, wherein the plurality of attachment points are spaced equidistantly from the center of the upper flange.
21. The drain installation kit of claim 14, wherein each guide bar includes top and bottom edges, the bottom edge being wider than the top edge.
22. The drain installation kit of claim 14, wherein each guide bar defines a plurality of openings adapted to allow cementitious material to pass through the guide bar.
23. The drain installation kit of claim 22, each guide bar includes top and bottom edges and the top edge or the bottom edge has at least one opening.
24. The drain installation kit of claim 22, wherein each guide bar includes trusses that define at least some of the plurality of openings.
25. The drain installation kit of claim 14, wherein the trailing end of a first guide bar is configured to connect with the leading end of a second guide bar.
26. The drain installation kit of claim 25, wherein the first guide bar includes a first top edge extending at a first angular slope between the leading and trailing ends of the first guide bar and the second guide bar includes a second top edge extending at a second angular slope between the leading and trailing ends of the second guide bar, the first angular slope being substantially equal to the second angular slope.
27. The drain installation kit of claim 14, wherein the rigid connection between the guide bars and the upper flange does not obstruct adjustment of the height of the drain plate housing.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 25, 2007
Publication Date: Jul 10, 2008
Applicant: The Tile Shop, LLC (Plymouth, MN)
Inventor: Fumitake Nishi (Minnetonka, MN)
Application Number: 11/767,999