Outdoor Shower
A rigid, portable, and modular outdoor shower enclosure has a base, walls, and a shower fixture. The shower enclosure may be quickly and easily reassembled after disassembly for storage or transportation. When assembled, pegs, sockets, and gravity constrain the shower enclosure in all degrees of motion. Bolts, screws, and other means of affixing the panels to the base and frame are not necessary to make the shower enclosure rigid. The pegs and sockets are not visible when the shower enclosure is in its assembled position, giving the shower enclosure the pleasing appearance of a permanent structure.
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This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/821,412 filed on May 9, 2013, entitled “Outdoor Shower,” by inventors Kirsten E. Oxboel and James N. Lobley.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present invention relates to outdoor shower enclosures.
BACKGROUNDA number of shower enclosures have been developed to permit persons to shower outdoors. Most prior art devices involve some type of frame supporting a shower curtain or other non-rigid, non-transparent material that affords privacy to the person using the shower. See Barney U.S. Pat. No. 20,110,094,027; Jackson U.S. Pat. No. 20,080,040,851; Zheng U.S. Pat. No. 20,110,226,298; Suarez U.S. Pat. No. 5,970,536; Thomas U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,927; Roberts U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,369; Patterson U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,992 and Witczak U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,310.
Outdoor shower enclosures which have rigid side panels are known. For example, Mazpule U.S. Pat. No. 5,331,778 discloses a portable enclosure assembly with panelized walls. Each wall panel is comprised of at least three wall segments that interlock along mating tongue-and-grove edges. While this assembly is rigid, it does not have the pleasing appearance of a permanent shower because of its segmented wall panels. The visible mating tongue-and-grove interconnecting means also necessitates a number of assembly steps for each panel.
Boegler U.S. Pat. No. 7,979,926 discloses a collapsible outdoor shower enclosure. The panels of the enclosure are connected by hinges, allowing it to fold into its collapsed position. The enclosure does not include a base or a means of attaching the enclosure to a base.
Sedala U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,310 also discloses a portable shower stall. The side walls of the shower stall are secured to posts at the corners of the shower stall. The only means of securing the side panels to the posts disclosed involves the use of screws.
SUMMARYAn object of the invention is to provide a knock-down outdoor shower enclosure that can be easily assembled without tools and may be easily disassembled for storage or transportation. A further object is to provide a shower that is structurally sound and sturdy, durable, that has the pleasing appearance of a permanent structure.
In accord with the invention, an embodiment of a rigid, portable, and modular outdoor shower enclosure comprises a base, walls, and a shower fixture. When assembled, pegs, sockets, and gravity constrain the shower enclosure in all degrees of motion. Bolts, screws, and other means of affixing the panels to the base and frame are not necessary to make the enclosure rigid.
In an embodiment of the invention, the sockets that accept the pegs at the bottom and top of each side panel are formed by the hollow bore of columns that extend from the bottom to the top of the panels. The columns are vertical when assembled. Alternating slats fitted to the columns block the line of sight into the shower enclosure, affording privacy to the user.
A tapered drain pan may rest in the base to collect greywater from the shower and direct it to a drain. Greywater flowing down the drain passes through a plumbing fixture to an outlet. Adapters may be fitted to the outlet. In one embodiment of the invention, the adapter is threaded to accept a garden hose.
A plumbing fixture that includes one or more overhead or handheld shower fittings, knobs to adjust the water temperature and pressure, and adapters to accommodate hot and cold water supply may be affixed to the interior side of one of the panels. The adapters for hot and cold water supply may be threaded to accommodate garden hoses.
The shower enclosure is shipped and stored in a disassembled fashion. The panels can be set on the base, or removed for storage or shipping. The shower will most commonly be assembled and used outdoors, but may also be assembled and used indoors.
The invention presented in this application is an advancement over the prior art as it is a rigid, portable, and modular shower enclosure that has the pleasing appearance of a permanent shower but that can be easily assembled without tools and disassembled for storage or transportation.
The invention was previously described in U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/821,412 filed May 9, 2013, entitled “Outdoor Shower.” The disclosure thereof is hereby incorporated by reference. The various embodiments of the invention described below are preferably made with the frame, base, columns, and shower fixtures made of polished metal; the wall slats made of finished wood; and the pegs made of plastic. Other materials of construction may be used.
A single-occupant outdoor shower enclosure 20, having features which make it particularly suitable for use outdoors, is first described. Another product, a double-occupant shower enclosure 10, is then described. The single-occupant and double-occupant shower enclosures have similar inventive features. It will thus be understood how still other shower enclosures comprising panels and a base may embody the principles and features of the invention.
Three side panels rest on six base columns when shower enclosure 20 is in the assembled position. Side panel 272 comprised of columns 274 and 276, side rail 278, and slats 279 rests on base columns 222 and 223. Columns, side rails, and slats similarly comprise side panel 282 and side panel 292, which each similarly rest on two base columns each. Base pegs 92, 94, 96 and 98 and top pegs 91, 93, 95, 97, 99 and 101, which are visible when shower enclosure 20 is disassembled, as in
When in the assembled position, top frame 202 mounts to the tops of columns 274, 276, 284, 286, 294 and 296. Pegs 91, 93, 95, 97, 99 and 101 shown in
In an embodiment of the invention, slats 12 attach to columns, obstructing the line of sight into the shower enclosure. Slats attached to the exterior side of columns alternate with slats attached to interior side of columns. In other embodiments of the invention, slats may connect to wooden ribs that mount on columns. This embodiment is preferred when metal columns are used to reduce the amount of drilling into columns. The alternating slats overlap slightly. Notwithstanding the slight overlap, the width of the columns creates an air gap between the alternating slats. Such construction spacing provides good ventilation through the side, enables rapid drying and inhibits mold growth, while at the same time substantially blocking visibility of a person within the enclosure.
Doors 14 and 16 attach to columns 284 and 276, respectively, of side panels 282 and 272, respectively, by means of hinges. Alternatively, doors 14 and 16 may attach to independent columns 701 and 703 as shown in
Similarly, left door 48 may be comprised of interior wood slats 34 attached to the interior of left door frame 32 and exterior wood slats 33 attached to the exterior of left door frame 31. Left door 48 does not have a handle. Interior slats 34 of left door 48 overlap right door frame, creating an additional doorjamb for door 45.
Base top 39 shown in
A plumbing fixture may be attached to a panel. A plumbing fixture may be comprised of shower head 71 attached to pipe 72 that receives hot and cold garden hose adapters 75 and 76, respectively. The plumbing fixture may include a means of controlling the water pressure and temperature at the shower head, such as a water faucet.
The bore of base sockets 411 and 413 is shorter than the length of pegs 421 and 419, such that when pegs 413 and 411 rest in base sockets 413 and 411 the pegs 421 and 419 protrude from base sockets 413 and 411 (as shown in
As an alternative to fitting into sockets in both base and panel sockets, pegs may be fixed to the base and insert only into panel sockets. Likewise, pegs may be fixed to the panels and insert only into base sockets.
When assembled, the pegs, sockets, and gravity constrain the shower enclosure in all degrees of motion. Bolts, screws, and other means of affixing the panels to the base and frame are not necessary to make the enclosure rigid.
Components of the shower may be formed of metals, woods, molded synthetic resin or other materials as desired.
The invention, with explicit and implicit variations and advantages, has been described and illustrated with respect to several embodiments. Those embodiments should be considered illustrative and not restrictive. Any use of words which relate to the orientation of an article pictured in space are for facilitating comprehension and should not be limiting should an article be oriented differently. Any use of words “preferred” and variations thereof suggest a feature or combination which is desirable but which is not necessarily mandatory. Thus embodiments lacking any such preferred feature or combination may be within the scope of the claims which follow. Persons skilled in the art may make various changes in form and detail of the invention embodiments which are described, without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed invention.
Claims
1. An outdoor shower assembly adapted to be assembled and disassembled for storage or transport comprising:
- a. A base, having columns connected by side rails, sockets or pegs, and a floor that rests on the side rails that provides a surface upon which the user of the shower may stand;
- b. A back panel, that when in assembled position connects to the base by pegs that insert into sockets fitted to the back panel and the base, pegs mounted to the panel that insert into sockets of the base, or sockets that receive pegs of the base;
- c. Opposing left and right side panels, each side panel having an upper end and a lower end, and when each side panel is in assembled position it connects to the base by pegs that insert into sockets fitted to the back panel and the base, pegs mounted to the panel that insert into sockets of the base, or sockets that receive pegs of the base;
- d. A top frame, that when in assembled position connects to the back panel and the side panels by pegs that insert into sockets fitted to the top frame or the back panel and side panels;
- e. Wherein said back panel, left side panel, and right side panel for a three (3) sided shower enclosure that is removably secured to said base in assembled position;
- f. Wherein said back panel, left side panel, and right side panel form a chamber therein when said shower enclosure is in assembled position thereby providing an area for said user to shower privately.
2. The outdoor shower enclosure of claim 1 wherein the floor of the base has openings making it water-permeable.
3. The outdoor shower enclosure of claim 2 further comprising a rectangular tapered pan having a flange, the flange captured between at least one bottom rail of the base to thereby fixedly hold the pan in position beneath said floor, so shower water flowing vertically through said openings in the floor is received in the pan.
4. The outdoor shower enclosure of claim 3 further comprising a drain at the lowest point in the tapered pan that directs water collected by the pan to an outlet.
5. The outdoor shower enclosure of claim 4 wherein the outlet is fitted with an adapter to accept a garden hose.
6. The outdoor shower enclosure of claim 1 wherein one of said panels has an opening defined in part by opposing side vertical edges running upwardly from the base further comprising at least one door hingedly attached to one of said vertical edges.
7. The outdoor shower enclosure of claim 1 further comprised of one or more doors hingedly mounted to one or more panels.
8. The outdoor shower enclosure of claim 1 further comprised of one or more doors hingedly mounted to one or more columns.
9. The outdoor shower enclosure of claim 6 wherein magnets hold the door or doors in the “closed” position.
10. The outdoor shower enclosure of claim 1 wherein the back and side panels have columns that are vertical when the panels are in the assembled position.
11. The outdoor shower enclosure of claim 10 wherein the bore of the columns form sockets that accept pegs protruding from the base.
12. The outdoor shower enclosure of claim 10 wherein the bore of the columns form sockets that accept pegs mounted to the top frame.
13. The outdoor shower enclosure of claim 10 wherein slats are mounted to the columns.
14. The outdoor shower enclosure of claim 13 wherein the slats are mounted to the outer side of the columns.
15. The outdoor shower enclosure of claim 13 wherein the slats are mounted to the inner side of the columns.
16. The outdoor shower enclosure of claim 13 wherein some of the slats are mounted to the inner side of the columns and some of the slats are mounted to the outer side of the columns.
17. The outdoor shower enclosure of claim 10 wherein the slats attach to ribs that mount to the columns.
18. The outdoor shower enclosure of claim 1 wherein a shower fixture mounts to one of the panels.
19. The outdoor shower enclosure of claim 18 wherein the shower fixture is fitted with an adapter to accept water from a garden house.
20. The outdoor shower enclosure of claim 19 wherein the shower fixture is fitted with an adapter to accept hot water from a garden hose and a second adapter to accept cold water from a garden hose.
Type: Application
Filed: May 8, 2014
Publication Date: Mar 19, 2015
Applicant: Oborain, LLC (Greenfield, MA)
Inventor: Kirsten E. Oxboel (Greenfield, MA)
Application Number: 14/273,365
International Classification: A47K 3/32 (20060101);